Evaluation of full-scale biofilter with rockwool mixture treating ammonia gas from livestock manure composting

Ammonia from livestock manure reacts with chemical components discharged from various emission sources to produce airborne particulate matter. This study aimed to investigate a novel effective microbial agent to suppress ammonia gas emitted from manure. Both isolated L12I and 12III strains, identified as Pediococcus acidilactici (PA), were selected for their superior activity in assays performed with the evaluation criteria such as acid production, ammonia decomposition, and urease inhibition, which are key factors influencing ammonia excretion. The survivability of PA strains was confirmed by an increase in DNA abundance in the manure. PA strains lowered the pH of manure and suppressed the growth of hyper-ammonia-producing bacteria (HAB) possessing urease activity. The L12I and 12III treatment groups showed 23.58% and 38.00% emission reductions, respectively. Especially, the 12III strain was proven to be the more effective strain for reducing ammonia gas emission, with the best ability to reduce pH and inhibit HAB. The strains could have an additive effect in improving the manure quality as a nitrogen fertilizer by preserving the total nitrogen and urea content. These results suggest that PA strains can be used as unprecedented microbial agents to improve manure-derived environmental pollution and improve fertilizer quality.

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Relation of Statistically Significant, Abnormal, and Typical WAIS-R VIQ-PIQ Discrepancies to Full Scale IQs

European Journal of Psychological Assessment ◽

10.1027//1015-5759.16.2.107 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 107-114 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Louis M. Hsu ◽

Judy Hayman ◽

Judith Koch ◽

Debbie Mandell

Keyword(s):

Graphical Method ◽

The United States ◽

Full Scale ◽

True Score ◽

Absolute Value ◽

Normative Population ◽

The Us ◽

The Mean ◽

And Performance ◽

Quadratic Models

Summary: In the United States' normative population for the WAIS-R, differences (Ds) between persons' verbal and performance IQs (VIQs and PIQs) tend to increase with an increase in full scale IQs (FSIQs). This suggests that norm-referenced interpretations of Ds should take FSIQs into account. Two new graphs are presented to facilitate this type of interpretation. One of these graphs estimates the mean of absolute values of D (called typical D) at each FSIQ level of the US normative population. The other graph estimates the absolute value of D that is exceeded only 5% of the time (called abnormal D) at each FSIQ level of this population. A graph for the identification of conventional “statistically significant Ds” (also called “reliable Ds”) is also presented. A reliable D is defined in the context of classical true score theory as an absolute D that is unlikely (p < .05) to be exceeded by a person whose true VIQ and PIQ are equal. As conventionally defined reliable Ds do not depend on the FSIQ. The graphs of typical and abnormal Ds are based on quadratic models of the relation of sizes of Ds to FSIQs. These models are generalizations of models described in Hsu (1996) . The new graphical method of identifying Abnormal Ds is compared to the conventional Payne-Jones method of identifying these Ds. Implications of the three juxtaposed graphs for the interpretation of VIQ-PIQ differences are discussed.

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A Modification of the Payne-Jones Method of Identifying Abnormal Differences in WISC-R Performance and Verbal IQ's

European Journal of Psychological Assessment ◽

10.1027/1015-5759.12.1.27 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 27-32 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Louis M. Hsu

Keyword(s):

Full Scale ◽

True Score ◽

Verbal Iq ◽

Score Difference ◽

The Difference ◽

And Performance

The difference (D) between a person's Verbal IQ (VIQ) and Performance IQ (PIQ) has for some time been considered clinically meaningful ( Kaufman, 1976 , 1979 ; Matarazzo, 1990 , 1991 ; Matarazzo & Herman, 1985 ; Sattler, 1982 ; Wechsler, 1984 ). Particularly useful is information about the degree to which a difference (D) between scores is “abnormal” (i.e., deviant in a standardization group) as opposed to simply “reliable” (i.e., indicative of a true score difference) ( Mittenberg, Thompson, & Schwartz, 1991 ; Silverstein, 1981 ; Payne & Jones, 1957 ). Payne and Jones (1957) proposed a formula to identify “abnormal” differences, which has been used extensively in the literature, and which has generally yielded good approximations to empirically determined “abnormal” differences ( Silverstein, 1985 ; Matarazzo & Herman, 1985 ). However applications of this formula have not taken into account the dependence (demonstrated by Kaufman, 1976 , 1979 , and Matarazzo & Herman, 1985 ) of Ds on Full Scale IQs (FSIQs). This has led to overestimation of “abnormality” of Ds of high FSIQ children, and underestimation of “abnormality” of Ds of low FSIQ children. This article presents a formula for identification of abnormal WISC-R Ds, which overcomes these problems, by explicitly taking into account the dependence of Ds on FSIQs.

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