Classification machine learning to detect de facto reuse and cyanobacteria at a drinking water intake.

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) or higher levels of de facto water reuse (DFR) can increase the levels of certain contaminants at drinking water intakes. Therefore, the goal of this study was to use multi-class supervised machine learning (SML) classification with data collected from six online instruments measuring fourteen total water quality parameters to detect cyanobacteria (corresponding to approximately 950 cells/mL, 2900 cells/mL, and 8600 cells/mL) or DFR (0.5, 1 and 2 % of wastewater effluent) events in the raw water entering an intake.

Arabidopsis PROTODERMAL FACTOR2 binds lysophosphatidylcholines and transcriptionally regulates phospholipid metabolism.

Plant homeodomain leucine zipper IV (HD-Zip IV) transcription factors (TFs) contain an evolutionarily conserved steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR)-related lipid transfer (START) domain. While the START domain is required for TF activity, its presumed role as a lipid sensor is not clear. Here we used tandem affinity purification from Arabidopsis cell cultures to demonstrate that PROTODERMAL FACTOR2 (PDF2), a representative member that controls epidermal differentiation, recruits lysophosphatidylcholines (LysoPCs) in a START-dependent manner.

Long-Term Statistical Process Monitoring of an Ultrafiltration Water Treatment Process.

As water treatment technology has improved, the amount of available process data has substantially increased, making real-time, data-driven fault detection a reality. One shortcoming of the fault detection literature is that methods are usually evaluated by comparing their performance on hand-picked, short-term case studies, which yields no insight into long-term performance. In this work, we first evaluate multiple statistical and machine learning approaches for detrending process data.

Occurrence of quantifiable and semi-quantifiable poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances in united states wastewater treatment plants.

Both quantifiable and semi-quantifiable poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were evaluated in the influent, effluent, and biosolids of 38 wastewater treatment plants. PFAS were detected in all streams at all facilities. For the means of the sums of detected, quantifiable PFAS concentrations were 98 ± 28 ng/L, 80 ± 24 ng/L, and 160,000 ± 46,000 ng/kg (dry weight basis) in the influent, effluent, and biosolids (respectively).

The START domain mediates Arabidopsis GLABRA2 dimerization and turnover independently of homeodomain DNA binding.

Class IV homeodomain leucine-zipper transcription factors (HD-Zip IV TFs) are key regulators of epidermal differentiation that are characterized by a DNA-binding HD in conjunction with a lipid-binding domain termed steroidogenic acute regulatory-related lipid transfer (START). Previous work established that the START domain of GLABRA2 (GL2), a HD-Zip IV member from Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), is required for TF activity. Here, we addressed the functions and possible interactions of START and the HD in DNA binding, dimerization, and protein turnover.

Prevalence and incidence of hepatitis C infection amongst men who have sex with men in a population-based pre-exposure prophylaxis program in British Columbia, Canada.

Background: Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at risk for sexually-transmitted hepatitis C (HCV). Evidence for HCV infection in the context of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use in North America is limited. We sought to characterize baseline HCV prevalence and incidence in MSM receiving PrEP in British Columbia (BC), Canada.

Chronic Hepatitis B Infection Among Preexposure Prophylaxis Users Enrolled in a Population-Based Program in British Columbia, Canada.

Initiation of human immunodeficiency virus preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medications will also treat hepatitis B infection (HBV). The prevalence of chronic HBV was 0.86% (n=41/4760) among enrollees in a provincial PrEP program in British Columbia, Canada.

Using machine learning classification to detect simulated increases of de facto reuse and urban stormwater surges in surface water.

Water quality events such as increases in stormwater or wastewater effluent in drinking water sources pose hazards to drinking water consumers. Stormwater and wastewater effluent enter Lake Mead-an important drinking water source in the southwest USA-via the Las Vegas Wash. Previous studies have applied machine learning and online instruments to detect contamination in water distribution systems.

Sorption, coagulation, and biodegradation for graywater treatment.

Population growth and climate change are exacerbating water scarcity. Graywater recycling could reduce water demand but it is not commonly practiced because of high treatment costs. Biochar, an emerging low-cost alternative sorbent with potential environmental benefits for graywater treatment, was compared to activated carbon (AC) for removing dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from graywater.

Summation of disinfection by-product CHO cell relative toxicity indices: sampling bias, uncertainty, and a path forward.

The cyto- and genotoxic potencies of disinfection by-products (DBPs) have been evaluated in published literature by measuring the response of exposed Chinese hamster ovary cells. In recent publications, DBP concentrations divided by their individual toxicity indices are summed to predict the relative toxicity of a water sample. We hypothesized that the omission or inclusion of certain DBPs over others is equivalent to statistical sampling bias and may result in biased conclusions.

Making glue from seeds and gums: Working with plant-based polymers to introduce students to plant biochemistry.

Plants and plant products are key to the survival of life on earth. Despite this fact, the significance of plant biochemistry is often underrepresented in science curricula. We designed an innovative laboratory activity to engage students in learning about the biochemical properties of natural polymers produced by plants.

Ti-Catalyzed Hydroamination for the Synthesis of Amine-Containing π-Conjugated Materials.

A series of conjugated enamines were prepared by Ti catalyzed anti-Markovnikov hydroamination. The synthetic route is efficient with yields of up to 94 % and the 100 % atom efficiency of the reaction means that these products are easily isolated and purified. Due to the extended conjugated system, the enamine tautomers were observed exclusively in both solid and solution phases, as determined by X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy.

Environmental Comparison of Biochar and Activated Carbon for Tertiary Wastewater Treatment.

Micropollutants in wastewater present environmental and human health challenges. Powdered activated carbon (PAC) can effectively remove organic micropollutants, but PAC production is energy intensive and expensive. Biochar adsorbents can cost less and sequester carbon; however, net benefits depend on biochar production conditions and treatment capabilities.