Application of Hydrothermal Carbonization, Membrane Distillation, and Algae Cultivation for Sustainable Dairy Manure Treatment

Dairy production has grown more efficient as the number of cows on each facility increases; however, this expansion has also increased the concentration of localized manure that can lead to environmental concerns such as greenhouse gas emissions or eutrophication. This dissertation investigates a sustainable alternative to conventional dairy manure treatment methods that incorporates hydrothermal carbonization (HTC), algae cultivation, and membrane distillation (MD). HTC converts dairy manure into a low-grade coal that can be used as an energy source, while expelling nutrients into the HTC aqueous product (HAP). The algae can be cultivated on the HAP, where they consume the nutrients, reduce eutrophication risk, and when harvested, can be used as a protein supplement for the cattle on-site. The algal supernatant can be treated with MD to produce clean water and replace conventional reverse osmosis systems. The parts of the project investigated in this work include the potential to remediate the HAP, cultivate the algae, and treat the supernatant using MD.Arthrospira maxima, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Chlorella vulgaris, and Scenedesmus obliquus were microalgae strains selected for this work due to their high protein content or potential to be cultivated on wastewater. All four species are capable of heterotrophic growth. The screening process revealed dilution to 5% HAP was required for successful cultivation, with little growth observed at higher concentrations. A. maxima remediated the most COD, TN, TP, and NH3 in the HAP, followed by C. reinhardtii; both strains averaged 43% protein content. The other strains removed fewer nutrients and had lower protein content when grown on HAP. Of the four species, A. maxima had the highest growth rate but required a bicarbonate pH buffer that introduced other environmental complications. Both A. maxima and C. reinhardtii were moved forward as the preferred candidates for nutrient utilization and dietary supplements as buffered and non-buffered species. The supernatants of the two strains were treated using MD and compared to their respective HAP controls to assess the effects of algae cultivation and the buffer on membrane operation and distillate quality. The water flux of both supernatants resembled the flux of the unbuffered HAP control. The flux of the buffered HAP control was greatly reduced compared to unbuffered HAP, but was restored after cultivation with A. maxima. The distillate produced from the A. maxima supernatant had reduced COD, TN, TP, and NH3 concentrations while the distillate produced from the C. reinhardtii supernatant had increased concentrations of COD and NH3 compared to their respective controls. Fluorescence was used to characterize the types of organic species removed during algae cultivation or MD treatment revealing the detected distillate species shared properties with simple aromatics or biological byproducts. A simplified A. maxima regrowth experiment revealed the buffer can be recycled back into cultivation if extra nutrients were provided, but a second growth cycle on the supernatant is not possible. A. maxima was shown to successfully reduced eutrophication or greenhouse gas risks compared to traditional dairy manure management methods. Future work should focus on further improving the system by reducing water usage and alleviating complications associated with the bicarbonate buffer

Application of Hydrothermal Carbonization, Membrane Distillation, and Algae Cultivation for Sustainable Dairy Manure Treatment

Dairy production has grown more efficient as the number of cows on each facility increases; however, this expansion has also increased the concentration of localized manure that can lead to environmental concerns such as greenhouse gas emissions or eutrophication. This dissertation investigates a sustainable alternative to conventional dairy manure treatment methods that incorporates hydrothermal carbonization (HTC), algae cultivation, and membrane distillation (MD). HTC converts dairy manure into a low-grade coal that can be used as an energy source, while expelling nutrients into the HTC aqueous product (HAP). The algae can be cultivated on the HAP, where they consume the nutrients, reduce eutrophication risk, and when harvested, can be used as a protein supplement for the cattle on-site. The algal supernatant can be treated with MD to produce clean water and replace conventional reverse osmosis systems. The parts of the project investigated in this work include the potential to remediate the HAP, cultivate the algae, and treat the supernatant using MD.Arthrospira maxima, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Chlorella vulgaris, and Scenedesmus obliquus were microalgae strains selected for this work due to their high protein content or potential to be cultivated on wastewater. All four species are capable of heterotrophic growth. The screening process revealed dilution to 5% HAP was required for successful cultivation, with little growth observed at higher concentrations. A. maxima remediated the most COD, TN, TP, and NH3 in the HAP, followed by C. reinhardtii; both strains averaged 43% protein content. The other strains removed fewer nutrients and had lower protein content when grown on HAP. Of the four species, A. maxima had the highest growth rate but required a bicarbonate pH buffer that introduced other environmental complications. Both A. maxima and C. reinhardtii were moved forward as the preferred candidates for nutrient utilization and dietary supplements as buffered and non-buffered species. The supernatants of the two strains were treated using MD and compared to their respective HAP controls to assess the effects of algae cultivation and the buffer on membrane operation and distillate quality. The water flux of both supernatants resembled the flux of the unbuffered HAP control. The flux of the buffered HAP control was greatly reduced compared to unbuffered HAP, but was restored after cultivation with A. maxima. The distillate produced from the A. maxima supernatant had reduced COD, TN, TP, and NH3 concentrations while the distillate produced from the C. reinhardtii supernatant had increased concentrations of COD and NH3 compared to their respective controls. Fluorescence was used to characterize the types of organic species removed during algae cultivation or MD treatment revealing the detected distillate species shared properties with simple aromatics or biological byproducts. A simplified A. maxima regrowth experiment revealed the buffer can be recycled back into cultivation if extra nutrients were provided, but a second growth cycle on the supernatant is not possible. A. maxima was shown to successfully reduced eutrophication or greenhouse gas risks compared to traditional dairy manure management methods. Future work should focus on further improving the system by reducing water usage and alleviating complications associated with the bicarbonate buffer

Calciphylaxis following kidney transplantation: a case report

Introduction: Calciphylaxis occurring after kidney transplantation is rare and rarely reported. It results in chronic non-healing wounds and is associated with a poor prognosis and is often fatal. We present a case of proximal lower limb calciphylaxis that occurred early after kidney transplantation. The patient had no classic associated risk factors. He had previously had a total parathyroidectomy but had normal serum calcium-phosphate product and parathyroid hormone levels. The clinical outcome of this case was favorable and highlights some fundamental issues relating to management. Case prsentation: A 70-year-old British Caucasian man with end-stage renal failure secondary to IgA nephropathy presented six months post kidney transplantation with cutaneous calciphylaxis lesions involving the medial aspect of the thigh bilaterally. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of rapid onset cutaneous calciphylaxis occurring soon after kidney transplantation that was associated with a favorable outcome. Cutaneous calciphylaxis lesions should be promptly managed with meticulous wound care, antimicrobial therapy and the correction of calcium-phosphate product where indicated

Delayed Psychological Morbidity Associated with Snakebite Envenoming

Introduction The psychological impact of snakebite on its victims, especially possible late effects, has not been systematically studied. Objectives To assess delayed somatic symptoms, depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and impairment in functioning, among snakebite victims. Methods The study had qualitative and quantitative arms. In the quantitative arm, 88 persons who had systemic envenoming following snakebite from the North Central Province of Sri Lanka were randomly identified from an established research database and interviewed 12 to 48 months (mean 30) after the incident. Persons with no history of snakebite, matched for age, sex, geograpical location and occupation, acted as controls. A modified version of the Beck Depression Inventory, Post-Traumatic Stress Symptom Scale, Hopkins Somatic Symptoms Checklist, Sheehan Disability Inventory and a structured questionnaire were administered. In the qualitative arm, focus group discussions among snakebite victims explored common somatic symptoms attributed to envenoming. Results Previous snakebite victims (cases) had more symptoms than controls as measured by the modified Beck Depression Scale (mean 19.1 Vs 14.4; p<0.001) and Hopkins Symptoms Checklist (38.9 vs. 28.2; p<0.001). 48 (54%) cases met criteria for depressive disorder compared to 13 (15%) controls. 19 (21.6%) cases also met criteria for PTSD. 24 (27%) claimed that the snakebite caused a negative change in their employment; nine (10.2%) had stopped working and 15 (17%) claimed residual physical disability. The themes identified in the qualitative arm included blindness, tooth decay, body aches, headaches, tiredness and weakness. Conclusions Snakebite causes significant ongoing psychological morbidity, a complication not previously documented. The economic and social impacts of this problem need further investigation

Right pulmonary artery occlusion by an acute dissecting aneurysm of the ascending aorta

We describe the case of a 76-year old female who presented with a Type A aortic dissection requiring repair with an interposition graft and aortic valve replacement. Post-operatively she had clinical features and computerised tomographic images suggestive of a pulmonary embolus and died 24 hours later. The extremely rare finding of intramural thrombus occluding the right pulmonary artery was seen at post mortem

Genome analysis of the necrotrophic fungal pathogens Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Botrytis cinerea

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Botrytis cinerea are closely related necrotrophic plant pathogenic fungi notable for their wide host ranges and environmental persistence. These attributes have made these species models for understanding the complexity of necrotrophic, broad host-range pathogenicity. Despite their similarities, the two species differ in mating behaviour and the ability to produce asexual spores. We have sequenced the genomes of one strain of S. sclerotiorum and two strains of B. cinerea. The comparative analysis of these genomes relative to one another and to other sequenced fungal genomes is provided here. Their 38–39 Mb genomes include 11,860–14,270 predicted genes, which share 83% amino acid identity on average between the two species. We have mapped the S. sclerotiorum assembly to 16 chromosomes and found large-scale co-linearity with the B. cinerea genomes. Seven percent of the S. sclerotiorum genome comprises transposable elements compared t

Importation and early local transmission of COVID-19 in Brazil, 2020

We conducted the genome sequencing and analysis of the first confirmed COVID-19 infections in Brazil. Rapid sequencing coupled with phylogenetic analyses in the context of travel history corroborate multiple independent importations from Italy and local spread during the initial stage of COVID-19 transmission in Brazil