University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are major energy consumers, accounting for 3–4 % of total energy consumption in the United States. Aeration tanks are particularly energy-intensive, constituting 45–75 % of the energy footprint. This study introduces a groundbreaking approach by merging Photovoltaic (PV) technology with WWTP infrastructure. It provides a detailed model that simulates and validates the integration of PV systems within WWTPs using real-world data, aiming to enhance system efficiency and reduce operational expenses. The research modeled this integration in WWTPs across four scenarios, focusing on improving efficiency and reducing operational costs. In the first scenario, assessing the baseline power flow without PV systems, a peak summer power demand of approximately 1600 kW was observed, emphasizing the plant's significant seasonal energy consumption variation. The second scenario, examining the power system's response to a sudden generation loss, revealed a spike in voltage to 1.10 p.u. and frequency fluctuations up to 80 Hz during a short circuit, highlighting the system's vulnerability to disturbances. The third scenario, introducing PV systems, showed a balanced voltage level across all busbars, approximately one p.u., indicating improved power distribution and efficiency with PV system integration. The fourth scenario demonstrated that voltage levels remained stable at about 1.02 p.u during a fault event with PV integration. Furthermore, the frequency was maintained at 60 Hz, showcasing the ability of the PV system to enhance grid resilience and operational reliability.

ABSTRACT Women with multi-gender attractions (i.e. bisexual+ women) experience alarmingly high rates of sexual violence (SV), which puts women at risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Bisexual+ women experience higher rates of PTSD compared to heterosexual and lesbian/gay people. The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) is a widely used self-report measure of PTSD symptoms. We conducted an item response theory (IRT) analysis to evaluate the item difficulty and discrimination of PCL-5 items in assessing PTSD symptoms related to adult SV among young bisexual+ women. We combined two samples of women: sample 1 participants were recruited via MTurk (N = 267; Mage = 25.9, range 18–35; 82.4% White) and sample 2 participants recruited via online ads (N = 133; Mage = 22.0, range 18–25, 85.0% White). Item difficulty and discrimination was evaluated using IRT with a graded response model. At clinically significant levels of PTSD, the most discriminating items were: flashbacks, nightmares, reckless behavior, inability to experience positive emotions, and intrusive memories, whereas the least discriminating items were: internal avoidance, hypervigilance, difficulty with sleep, external avoidance, and exaggerated startle response. The most difficult items were: reckless behavior, flashbacks, traumatic amnesia, nightmares, and irritability, whereas the least difficult items were: internal avoidance, cued emotional distress, external avoidance, hypervigilance, and strong negative emotions. Results suggest that symptoms related to flashbacks, nightmares, and reckless behavior are important for assessing clinically significant SV-related PTSD symptoms among young bisexual+ women, whereas symptoms related to internal and external avoidance and hypervigilance may be relatively less informative.

Abstract We report the discovery and timing of two pulsars from a sample of four circularly polarized sources identified in radio continuum images taken as part of the Australian SKA Pathfinder Variables and Slow Transients survey. Observations with the Parkes (Murriyang) radio telescope confirmed both sources as normal pulsars with high dispersion measures (DMs). PSR J1646−4451 has a spin period of 217 ms and a DM of 928 cm −3 pc, while PSR J1837−0616 exhibits a spin period of 118 ms and a DM of 793 cm −3 pc. These pulsars show extreme pulse broadening due to scattering, with measured scattering timescales of 117 ms and 75 ms at observing frequencies of ∼1.8 GHz, respectively. These measurements imply extrapolated scattering timescales at 1 GHz of ∼1346 ms and 740 ms, placing them among the most heavily scattered known pulsars. Our findings underscore the potential of using circular polarization in radio continuum images as a tool for identifying highly scattered pulsars. Future wide-field radio continuum surveys are poised to uncover a broader population of extreme pulsars, particularly those that are heavily scattered at 1.4 GHz, intrinsically faint, or residing in binaries—offering valuable insights into both pulsar demographics and the complex structure of the ionized interstellar medium.

Despite national guidelines promoting early cancer detection, adherence to screening recommendations remains below the USPSTF Healthy People 2030 targets. Nationally, only 71.8% of eligible adults receive colorectal cancer (CRC) screenings and 75.9% receive breast cancer (BC) screenings. Rates are significantly lower in uninsured or low-income populations, with just 7.5% and 35% receiving CRC and BC screenings, respectively. To improve presentation care delivery, a patient registry was developed at an urban, student-run free clinic serving the uninsured to track CRC and BC eligibility and screening orders. Baseline screening rates were identified through a retrospective chart review of clinic patients seen from 2021 to 2023. Process mapping was used to identify failure points in the screening workflow. A patient registry was implemented over 15 months (January 2024-March 2025) to monitor eligibility and increase screening order rates. Data collection focused on the proportion of eligible patients with appropriate screening orders placed. Average screening rates for CRC and BC prior to intervention were 18.3% and 12.6%, respectively. Following the implementation of the patient registry, rates increased to 34.4% for CRC and 30.3% for BC. The improvement in CRC screening was statistically significant, while BC screening showed early signs of positive change. Targeted identification of screening-eligible patients, regardless of visit reason, improves screening order rates. This approach may promote earlier cancer detection and improved outcomes. It is cost-effective, replicable, and adaptable to other chronic condition monitoring in student-run free clinics.

Recently, research into chatbots (also known as conversational agents, artificial intelligence agents, or voice assistants), which are computer applications using artificial intelligence to mimic human-like conversation, has grown sharply. Despite this growth, sociology lags behind other disciplines (including computer science, medicine, psychology, and communication) in publishing about chatbots. We suggest sociology can advance the understanding of human-chatbot interaction and offer 4 sociological theories to enhance extant work in this field. The first 2 theories (resource substitution theory and power-dependence theory) add new insights to existing models of the drivers of chatbot use, which overlook sociological concerns about how social structure (eg, systemic discrimination and the uneven distribution of resources within networks) inclines individuals to use chatbots, including problematic levels of emotional dependency on chatbots. The second 2 theories (affect control theory and fundamental cause of disease theory) help inform the development of chatbot-driven interventions that minimize safety risks by integrating a sociologically informed normative framework (eg, affective norms) into chatbot alignment and enhance equity by enhancing access to community resources (eg, opportunities for civic participation). We discuss how the theories advance theorizing about human-chatbot interaction and developing chatbots for social good, which are chatbots that provide scalable solutions to social and environmental challenges facing humanity while supporting human agency.

Fire blight, caused by Erwinia amylovora, severely impacts global apple and pear production. Current control measures rely heavily on conventional antibiotics like streptomycin, oxytetracycline, and kasugamycin, which raise concerns regarding resistance development and environmental impacts. This research introduces RejuAgro A (RAA), an antimicrobial produced by Pseudomonas soli 0617-T307, showing potent activity against E. amylovora, including streptomycin-resistant strains. RAA demonstrates efficacy comparable to streptomycin in field trials, effectively reducing fire blight incidence. Studies on the antimicrobial mechanism reveal that RAA inhibits RNA, DNA, and protein synthesis, distinguishing from that of conventional antibiotics. Furthermore, RAA displays broad-spectrum activity against diverse plant bacterial and fungal pathogens. The RAA biosynthesis gene cluster in P. soli is identified, revealing key genes essential for its production. RAA presents an alternative to traditional antibiotics, potentially enhancing sustainable apple and pear production and addressing antibiotic resistance concerns.