Anaerobic Co-digestion for Enhanced Renewable Energy and Green House Gas Emission Reduction

The need to develop renewable energy is important for replacing fossil fuel, which is limited in quantity and also tends to increase in price over time. The addition of high strength organic wastes in municipal anaerobic digesters is growing and tends to increase renewable energy production. In addition, conversion of wastes to energy significantly reduces uncontrolled greenhouse gas emissions. Co-digestion of municipal sludge with any combination of wastes can result in synergistic, antagonistic or neutral outcomes. The objectives of this study were to identify potential co-digestates, determine synergistic, antagonistic and neutral effects, determine economic benefits, quantify performance of bench scale co-digesters, identify influence of co-digestion on microbial communities and implement appropriate co-digestion, if warranted, after full-scale testing. A market study was used to identify promising co-digestates. Most promising wastes were determined by biochemical methane potential (BMP) and other testing followed by a simple economic analysis. Performance was investigated using bench-scale digesters receiving synthetic primary sludge with and without co-digestates. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analyses were performed on the gene encoding the alpha subunit of methyl coenzyme M reductase (mcrA) to compare methanogen communities among the digesters. One significant band contributing to the greatest difference in banding patterns was excised, cloned, amplified and sequenced. Full-scale co-digestion was conducted using the most promising co-digestate at South Shore Wastewater Reclamation Facility (Oak Creek, WI). Over 80 wastes were identified from 54 facilities within 160 km of an existing municipal digester. A simple economic comparison identified the greatest benefits for seven co-digestates. Methane production rates of two co-digester systems increased by 105% and 66% in comparison to a control system. These increases were great than anticipated based on theoretical methane production from the additional chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the co-digestates. Co-digestion of the most promising wastes with primary sludge was estimated to generate enough electricity to power more than 2500 houses. Synergistic outcomes of co-digestion may be caused by chances in microbial community resulting in more rapid methane production rate and higher specific methanogenic activities of the biomass against acetate, propionate and H2 as substrates. The presence of Methanospirillum hungatei correlated to higher SMAs in the Co-Digester 1 system. In subsequent full-scale testing, acid whey in addition to primary sludge increased methane production by 16 %, biogas methane content by 5%, methane yield per VS destroyed by 9% ( from 650 to 710 L CH4 / kg VSdestroyed ) and volatile solids removal by 20%. Co-digestion is a promising technology to increase renewable energy production and convert municipal digesters into regional renewable energy facilities

Characterisation of Immunoglobulin--IgG Responses During Combination Therapy of Chronic Hepatits-C Virus Infection

Current recommended treatment of chronic hepatitis C is the combination of peg interferon and ribavirin. Ribavirin has shown that it poses both direct and indirect action mechanisms against several DNA and RNA viruses. Interferon is a potent immune modulating substance, but its effect on the immune system of HCV-infected patients during treatment is not known in detail. It has been shown that interferon induces a significant increase in total IgG and C1 inhibitor (INH) in patients with MS. The primary aim of this work was to study the effects of the combination therapy on the immunoglobulin levels. More specifically to see whether, the increased IgG levels were primarily due to HCV antibodies or whether antibodies to other viruses such as adenovirus, measles virus, and rubella virus are also increased. Sera from 24 patients in the NORDynamIC study at Haukeland University Hospital between February 2004 and March 2006 were used. Combination therapy with ribavirin and peginterferon was given for 12 or 24 weeks. Total IgG level, anti-HCV level, and antibodies to rubella, adeno and morbilli viruses were studied at different time points over 48 weeks. Total IgG level was fluctuating during the period of study. The highest level of IgG was found at day 8 whereas the lowest level was found at week 8 of treatment. Those who responded to the combination therapy showed a declining level of total IgG even after cessation of therapy while the non-responders showed an increased level og IgG after cessation of therapy. The relationship between IgG and anti-HCV levels showed the same pattern in responders whereas in non-responders total IgG show considerable variation and did not follow anti-HCV levels as observed in responders. All patients were anti-rubella IgG positive and there is a correspondence between the mean rubella antibody levels and mean IgG levels both in responders and non-responders. Most of the sera had no reactivity to either adeno virus or morbilli virus and there was no correspondence between antibody levels for morbilli or adeno viruses and total IgG. The study concludes that there seems to be an effect of combination therapy on total IgG and total IgG levels corresponds well with the anti-HCV antibody levels in responders. Rubella antibody was increased in all chronic HCV patients in the study and seems to have relationship with the total IgG level. Antibodies to adeno and morbilli viruses were not influenced by the treatment.Master i Humanbiologiske fag - Medisinsk cellebiologiHUCEL395MAMD-HUCE

The commercialisation of small firm technologies in Western Australia : A case for user-producer interaction and the integration of large industrial users with small technology producers

The purpose of this study was to: * examine how grantee firms of the Western Australian Innovation Support Scheme (WAISS) have overcome their impediments to commercialisation; * examine how the process of user-producer interaction has enabled grantee firms to commercialise their technologies; * examine the process of user-producer interaction with large and/or small industrial users, and the subsequent benefits derived; * examine the entry barriers faced by grantee firms in forming interactions with large industrial users. The study examined the literature involving the role of small firms in the development and commercialisation of new technologies. The study adopted a multiple, holistic case study design using qualitative methodology, A theoretical pathway constructed from arguments presented within the literature was the basis upon which the cases were analysed. The cases have demonstrated that the adoption of strategies promoting user-producer interaction through a dyadic problem-solving style approach with industrial users have enabled small firms to commercialise their technologies in industry. The cases have found that those firms interacting with large industrial users have experienced extensive product diversification and market expansion opportunities as opposed to those firms interacting with small industrial users. In addition to the product diversification and market expansion opportunities acquired through interactions with these large industrial users, it was clear that the large-scale marketing and distribution resources of these industrial users also enabled small firms to attract other industrial users, both domestically and internationally. This ultimately led to further product diversification and market expansion opportunities. Those firms that interacted with small industrial users experienced either minimal or no product diversification and market expansion opportunities because of the ‘small firm’ characteristics or these users. This meant that as \u27small firms\u27 these industrial users also faced constraints with regards to the availability of marketing resources and distribution channels, and were therefore unable to attract the interests of industrial users within large-scale markets. Those firms that experienced either minimal or no product diversification and market expansion opportunities have faced entry barriers typical to small firms when trying to find large industrial users for their technologies. They have been unable to attract the interests of large industrial users as a result of the high risk factors associated with the newness of their technologies and their credibility as a newly established firm. The study\u27s main finding reveals that the commercialisation of small firm technologies, the commercial extent derived for these technologies, and the overcoming of barriers faced by the small firm, was dependent on the social orientation of user-producer interaction in conjunction with the dyadic information exchanges of technological opportunities and user needs

Generation of superoxide and singlet oxygen from α-tocopherolquinone and analogues.

Three potential routes to generation of reactive oxygen species from a tocopherolquinone have been identified. The quinone of the water-soluble vitamin E analogue Trolox C (Trol-Q) is reduced by hydrated electron and isopropanol a hydroxyalkyl radical, and the resulting semiquinone reacts with molecular oxygen to form superoxide with a second order rate constant of 1.3 x 108 dm3 mol-1 s-1, illustrating the potential for redox cycling. Illumination (UV-A, 355 nm) of the quinone of 2,2,5,7,8-pentamethyl-6-hydroxychromanol (PMHC-Q) leads to a reactive short-lived (ca 10-6 s) triplet state, able to oxidise tryptophan with a second order rate constant greater than 109 dm3 mol-1 s-1. The triplet states of these quinones sensitize singlet oxygen formation with quantum yields of about 0.8. Such potentially damaging reactions of a tocopherolquinone may in part account for the recent findings that high levels of dietary vitamin E supplementation lack any beneficial effect and may lead to slightly enhanced levels of overall mortality

Phosphorus Retention and Transformation in Floodplain Forests of the Southeastern United States

Phosphorus (P) commonly limits productivity in freshwater ecosystems; thus, increased P loading, either in dissolved (DP) or particulate (PP) form, can lead to eutrophication. The central goal of my dissertation research is to understand these biogeochemical mechanisms of P retention and transformation in rivers and streams and their associated FFs in the Atlantic Coastal Plain of the southeastern US (VA, NC, SC, GA).;To assess the nature of P removal during flooding events, I conducted a detailed study of DP and PP forms (inorganic, Pi and organic, Po) in waters from alluvial (AL) and blackwater (BW) FFs. At each FF site, floodwaters were collected both from the river inflow point (RI), from within the floodplain (FP) near the outflow point, and analyzed P forms by 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. In both AL and BW samples, total DP and dissolved orthophosphate (DP i) declined significantly from RI to FP, while dissolved pyrophosphate (complex DPi) and total DPo were significantly higher in FP than in RI waters. Orthophosphate monoesters comprised the majority of the DPo pool and were significantly higher in FP floodwaters in both AL and BW systems. This suggests that in both AL and BW systems, DPi was converted to DPo form during flooding events, reducing its bioavailability and potential to cause the eutrophication of downstream waters.;In a second study, I added 32Pi dissolved in river water to soil cores collected AL and BW FFs to identify specific mechanisms of P retention and transformation during flooding. As much as 77 % of added 32Pi was transformed to 32Po within 2 h of addition in BW river waters, while in AL river waters, all added 32Pi remained in inorganic form. However, when labeled river waters were added to soil cores, upon contact with the soil surface, additional transformation was observed resulting in an increase in the proportion of 32Po in headwaters, averaging 68 and 80 % of total 32P recovered in AL and BW cores, respectively. These results suggest that floodplain soils act as a second line of defense protecting water quality, by retaining P inputs that are not initially transformed within the water column (river- and head-waters) during flooding events.;In a third study, I compare changes in microbial community composition in AL and BW FFs. Soil chemical properties reveal that total P (TP) concentrations were significantly higher in AL compared to BW soils, whereas total C (TC) was significantly higher in BW compared to AL FF soils. Similarly, the bacterial and fungal community composition was taxonomically different in AL compared BW FF soils. Detrended correspondence analyses of the microbial profiles and the subsequent fitting of environmental variables to ordination plots, revealed that TP and pH were associated with the composition of bacterial and fungal communities in AL soils, whereas, TC was strongly correlated with the microbial community profiles in BW FFs. These results indicate that differences in FF type (AL vs. BW) are associated with differences in soil TC, TP and pH, that are important predictors of microbial composition.;My findings clearly indicate that FFs are indeed valuable ecosystems that have profound effects on the biogeochemical retention and transformation of excess P loadings carried with floodwaters, playing an important role in maintaining water quality in downstream aquatic ecosystems. It is forecasted that by 2025 as much as two-thirds (an estimated 5 out of the 8 billion people) of the world population will experience severe water scarcity due to climate change impacts and poor water quality resulting from the eutrophication of potable freshwater reservoirs. North America is likely to be impacted by these trends, and as such future policy decisions may be dependent on the prioritization of riparian wetlands (particularly FFs) based on their ecosystems functions and values. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Causal nexus between fiscal deficit and economic growth: Empirical evidence from South Asia

The impact of fiscal deficit on economic growth is one of the most widely debated issues among economists and policy makers in both developed and developing countries in the recent period. This paper seeks to examine the impact of fiscal deficit on economic growth in selected South Asian countries, namely, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka using time series annual data over the period 1980 to 2014. The paper uses cointegration analysis, error correction modelling and Granger causality test under a Vector Autoregression (VAR) framework. The results from this study confirmed that the fiscal deficit has a negative impact on economic growth in the South Asian countries considered in this study except Nepal, which confirmed the positive impact. The results also highlighted that the direction of causality for the SAARC countries is mixed where fiscal deficit causes economic growth for Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan, but the reverse is true for India and Sri Lanka. &nbsp

The impact of adherence and disease control on resource use and charges in patients with mild asthma managed on inhaled corticosteroid agents

P Navaratnam1, HS Friedman2, E Urdaneta31Eympres Research, LLC, Hilliard, OH, USA; 2Analytic Solutions, LLC, New York, NY, USA; 3Schering-Plough Corporation, Kenilworth, NJ, USAObjective: Inadequate asthma control may affect asthma resource use and treatment charges, consequently contributing to the growing economic burden of asthma. The study objective was to determine the impact of medication adherence and asthma control on resource use and charges in mild asthmatic patients treated with inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs).Research design and methods: A claims database was analyzed retrospectively from October 2001–December 2007 to identify mild asthmatic patients aged 12–65 years who began ICS treatment. Demographics, drug utilization, and resource use for each patient were identified for the 365-day period before and after the index date (pre-index and post-index periods, respectively). Patients were designated as having high control high adherence (HCHA) or low control low adherence (LCLA) based on post-index exacerbations and the percentage of days covered; not all patients who qualified for study inclusion met adherence designation requirements. Differences between the HCHA and LCLA cohorts in resource use (eg, asthma treatment days) and asthma-related treatment charges were assessed.Results: Compared with the HCHA cohort (n = 483), the LCLA cohort (n = 258) had more asthma treatment days (2.9 vs 3.9, respectively; P < 0.0001) and higher overall asthma treatment charges ($2655 vs$3345, respectively; P < 0.0001) in the post-index period. An adjusted odds ratio suggested that patients receiving mometasone furoate (MF) were approximately 5 times more likely to belong to the HCHA cohort than patients receiving any other ICS (P < 0.0001).Conclusions: Better asthma control and adherence to prescribed ICSs are associated with lower asthma-related resource use and charges. Mild asthmatic patients receiving MF were more likely to be in the HCHA cohort than patients receiving other ICSs, perhaps due to the once-daily dosing of MF. Current NAEPP guidelines recommend low-dose ICS monotherapy for mild persistent asthma; thus, it is critical to optimize mild persistent asthma control and limit unnecessary resource use and charges.Keywords: adherence, asthma control, beclomethasone dipropionate, budesonide, fluticasone propionate, mometasone furoate, retrospective claims analysi