Development of Vapor-Phase Catalytic Ammonia Removal System

A report describes recent accomplishments of a continuing effort to develop the vapor-phase catalytic ammonia removal (VPCAR) process for recycling wastewater for consumption by humans aboard a spacecraft in transit to Mars

Influence of COD:N:P ratio on dark greywater treatment using a sequencing batch reactor

The recycling of greywater is an integral part of a water management system owing to the scarcity of fresh water resources. This article explores the effectiveness of an aerobic sequencing batch reactor in treating nutrient-deficit and nutrient-spiked dark greywater for agricultural reuse. The dark greywater in the present investigation had a COD:N:P ratio of 100:1.82:0.76, while the preferred ratio for biological oxidation is 100:5:1 (COD, chemical oxygen demand). The aerobic oxidation of nutrient-deficit and nutrient-spiked dark greywater with a COD:N:P ratio of 100:2.5:0.5; 100:3.5:0.75 and 100:5:1 resulted in outlet COD values of 64; 35; 15 and 12mg L−1, with a corresponding BOD5 value of 37; 22; 10 and 8mg L−1 at 36 h hydraulic retention time (HRT). Hence treatment of nutrient-added dark greywater at a COD:N:P ratio 100:3.5:0.75 and 100:5:1 for 36 h HRT complied with the Malaysian discharge standards for agricultural activities. Treated greywater has the potential for consideration as a resource, since it can be used as a supplement or replacement for potable water in landscape irrigation and other agricultural activities in rural and urban areas. Moreover, the level of greywater treatment is dictated by the final water quality requirement

SNAPSHOT USA 2019: a coordinated national camera trap survey of the United States

With the accelerating pace of global change, it is imperative that we obtain rapid inventories of the status and distribution of wildlife for ecological inferences and conservation planning. To address this challenge, we launched the SNAPSHOT USA project, a collaborative survey of terrestrial wildlife populations using camera traps across the United States. For our first annual survey, we compiled data across all 50 states during a 14-week period (17 August-24 November of 2019). We sampled wildlife at 1,509 camera trap sites from 110 camera trap arrays covering 12 different ecoregions across four development zones. This effort resulted in 166,036 unique detections of 83 species of mammals and 17 species of birds. All images were processed through the Smithsonian's eMammal camera trap data repository and included an expert review phase to ensure taxonomic accuracy of data, resulting in each picture being reviewed at least twice. The results represent a timely and standardized camera trap survey of the United States. All of the 2019 survey data are made available herein. We are currently repeating surveys in fall 2020, opening up the opportunity to other institutions and cooperators to expand coverage of all the urban-wild gradients and ecophysiographic regions of the country. Future data will be available as the database is updated at eMammal.si.edu/snapshot-usa, as will future data paper submissions. These data will be useful for local and macroecological research including the examination of community assembly, effects of environmental and anthropogenic landscape variables, effects of fragmentation and extinction debt dynamics, as well as species-specific population dynamics and conservation action plans. There are no copyright restrictions; please cite this paper when using the data for publication

SNAPSHOT USA 2019 : a coordinated national camera trap survey of the United States

This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.With the accelerating pace of global change, it is imperative that we obtain rapid inventories of the status and distribution of wildlife for ecological inferences and conservation planning. To address this challenge, we launched the SNAPSHOT USA project, a collaborative survey of terrestrial wildlife populations using camera traps across the United States. For our first annual survey, we compiled data across all 50 states during a 14-week period (17 August - 24 November of 2019). We sampled wildlife at 1509 camera trap sites from 110 camera trap arrays covering 12 different ecoregions across four development zones. This effort resulted in 166,036 unique detections of 83 species of mammals and 17 species of birds. All images were processed through the Smithsonian's eMammal camera trap data repository and included an expert review phase to ensure taxonomic accuracy of data, resulting in each picture being reviewed at least twice. The results represent a timely and standardized camera trap survey of the USA. All of the 2019 survey data are made available herein. We are currently repeating surveys in fall 2020, opening up the opportunity to other institutions and cooperators to expand coverage of all the urban-wild gradients and ecophysiographic regions of the country. Future data will be available as the database is updated at eMammal.si.edu/snapshot-usa, as well as future data paper submissions. These data will be useful for local and macroecological research including the examination of community assembly, effects of environmental and anthropogenic landscape variables, effects of fragmentation and extinction debt dynamics, as well as species-specific population dynamics and conservation action plans. There are no copyright restrictions; please cite this paper when using the data for publication.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Texas tortoise task force: Collaborative networks to increase surveillance of disease in tortoises

Texas tortoises are the only North American tortoise not receiving federal protection and due to life history traits of low fecundity and limited dispersal they are particularly susceptible to anthropogenically-mediated decline, such as the oil and gas exploration throughout their range. Not only do these disturbances fragment the habitat of the Texas tortoise and restrict their range, but they may also suppress immune function increasing their susceptibility to disease. Upper respiratory tract disease (URTD) has been detected in all desert tortoise species and may cause morbidity and mortality in infected individuals. However, there is limited data on the presence of URTD in Texas tortoises and whether anthropogenic stressors or biological factors influence disease dynamics, hindering development of informed management strategies and actions. Therefore, we propose to 1) test for presence of URTD casual agents across the range of the Texas tortoise in the U.S.A. and 2) assess whether tortoises are more susceptible to URTD based on biological characteristics and anthropogenic stressors. To ensure our survey efforts are as widely representative as possible, we have established a network of biologists and citizen scientists to aid in our efforts. We have created an outreach and communication system with protocols for submitting observation data and assistance with obtaining biological samples. We will collect blood samples from Texas tortoises and send plasma samples to test for both URTD causal agents (Mycoplasma agasizzi and M. testudineum). We will further collect geographic variables, such as distances to oil/gas operations and distances to road, biological data (age, sex, size, any clinical URTD signs) to understand if certain anthropogenic stressors increase the prevalence of URTD. This knowledge will aid in relocation efforts of Texas tortoises in proximity to oil/gas operations and increase our understanding of disease prevalence in the species