Arsenic Removal from Drinking Water

https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/lightning-nov2020/1005/thumbnail.jp

Factors influencing the admission of urban nesting Herring Gull Larus argentatus into a rehabilitation centre and post release survival in comparison with wild counterparts

Orphaned and traumatised Herring Gull admissions to Mallydams Wood wildlife rehabilitation centre were reviewed to determine factors affecting likelihood of release and post release survival. Admission categories; orphan, inexperienced juvenile, fishing litter and caught & entangled showed the most likelihood of release, whereas, disease, weakness, collision and shot birds showed the least probability of release. Between 1999 and 2010, 2,796 (84.1%, this excludes birds euthanased within 48 hours) birds were ringed and released. Subsequently, 44 rehabilitated Herring Gulls have been found dead, 46 sick and 2,179 colour ring sightings of birds alive reported from over 200 observers in the British Isles and Continental Europe. Mean survival days for adult birds (848.77 days ± 66) were not significantly different than non-adult birds (722.49 days ± 26). Similarly, distance travelled by adult group (58.69Km ± 13.10) and non-adult group (68.46Km ± 3.89) were comparable. Post release survival within admission groups showed better than expected recovery rates for shot adult birds (47%) and inexperienced juveniles (40%). Data sourced from urban nesting wild chicks in the South West and South East was compared to rescued juvenile birds. No significant differences between the two groups were found for dead birds, but sick birds and re-sighting data showed significant differences. In-house rehabilitation protocols currently in place were tested and indicated that procedures to mitigate animal suffering and yet improve the likelihood of release were appropriate, with only minor improvements required in release criteria. The anthropogenic pressures on urban gull populations and national decline in the sub-species; Larus argentatus argenteus could be supplemented through rehabilitated birds. The data suggest that the rehabilitation of Herring Gulls was important from both an animal welfare and population perspective and therefore cost effective

Investing in Neighborhood Entrepreneurs: Private Foundations as Community Development Venture Capitalists

Entrepreneurs in low-income and minority neighborhoods encounter numerous problems in securing capital. To address this capital gap this paper considers a new role for private foundations as community development venture capitalists (CDVCs). It is suggested that through grant making and program-related investments, foundations may assume an equity stake in neighborhood-based entrepreneurs and acting as CDVCs apply lessons from the value-added component of private equity financing, including drawing on their expertise, professional contacts and financial resources to contribute to entrepreneurial efforts in the inner city

Arsenic Removal from Drinking Water Using Enhanced Biochar

Naturally occurring arsenic, in the soluble form of arsenate, contaminates groundwater resources for millions of people worldwide (WHO, 2018). While there are several technologies available to remediate arsenic contaminated water, the most effective approaches are expensive to implement and maintain, especially for people who are living in poverty. This research studied an inexpensive method for removing arsenate from drinking water by using enhanced biochar. The treatment method was developed by simulating a process that could be adopted by a low-income family. Aspen wood chips were treated with a 10% (by mass) MgCl2 or MgSO4 solution and were then pyrolyzed in low emission cookstoves. Biochar from the MgCl2 and MgSO4 treatments were determined to have arsenic adsorption coefficients (Kd) of 36.7 and 53.2 L/kg, respectively. In column tests, enhanced biochars were able to achieve 95 percent removal of arsenate from 2 mg/L solutions. However, the treated water exceeded the 10 ug/L maximum contaminant level (MCL) for arsenate, and it averaged an unpotable concentration of total dissolved solids

Illumina mate-paired DNA sequencing-library preparation using Cre-Lox recombination

Standard Illumina mate-paired libraries are constructed from 3- to 5-kb DNA fragments by a blunt-end circularization. Sequencing reads that pass through the junction of the two joined ends of a 3-5-kb DNA fragment are not easy to identify and pose problems during mapping and de novo assembly. Longer read lengths increase the possibility that a read will cross the junction. To solve this problem, we developed a mate-paired protocol for use with Illumina sequencing technology that uses Cre-Lox recombination instead of blunt end circularization. In this method, a LoxP sequence is incorporated at the junction site. This sequence allows screening reads for junctions without using a reference genome. Junction reads can be trimmed or split at the junction. Moreover, the location of the LoxP sequence in the reads distinguishes mate-paired reads from spurious paired-end reads. We tested this new method by preparing and sequencing a mate-paired library with an insert size of 3 kb from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We present an analysis of the library quality statistics and a new bio-informatics tool called DeLoxer that can be used to analyze an IlluminaCre-Lox mate-paired data set. We also demonstrate how the resulting data significantly improves a de novo assembly of the S. cerevisiae genome

Parameter Validation for Evaluation of Spaceflight Hardware Reusability

Within recent years, there has been an influx of companies around the world pursuing reusable systems for space flight. Much like NASA, many of these new entrants are learning that reusable systems are complex and difficult to acheive. For instance, in its first attempts to retrieve spaceflight hardware for future reuse, SpaceX unsuccessfully tried to land on a barge at sea, resulting in a crash-landing. As this new generation of launch developers continues to develop concepts for reusable systems, having a systematic approach for determining the most effective systems for reuse is paramount. Three factors that influence the effective implementation of reusability are cost, operability and reliability. Therefore, a method that integrates these factors into the decision-making process must be utilized to adequately determine whether hardware used in space flight should be reused or discarded. Previous research has identified seven features that contribute to the successful implementation of reusability for space flight applications, defined reusability for space flight applications, highlighted the importance of reusability, and presented areas that hinder successful implementation of reusability. The next step is to ensure that the list of reusability parameters previously identified is comprehensive, and any duplication is either removed or consolidated. The characteristics to judge the seven features as good indicators for successful reuse are identified and then assessed using multiattribute decision making. Next, discriminators in the form of metrics or descriptors are assigned to each parameter. This paper explains the approach used to evaluate these parameters, define the Measures of Effectiveness (MOE) for reusability, and quantify these parameters. Using the MOEs, each parameter is assessed for its contribution to the reusability of the hardware. Potential data sources needed to validate the approach will be identified

Impact of transportation equipment shortages and substandard transportation service in 1969 on Iowa country elevators

Shortages of transportation equipment suffered by Iowa grain shippers over many years reached serious proportions in 1969. The situation resulted from increases in the quantities of grain sold by farmers during the decade of the 60\u27s and a decline in the availability of railroad and truck equipment for grain movements. Changes in the availability of transportation equipment have serious implications for the grain industry. The inability to ship grain results in dollar penalties for the failure to meet contract delivery dates. Costs are incurred to finance inventories, to employ other methods of storage, and in the use of substandard equipment and services.https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/specialreports/1065/thumbnail.jp