Digital Commons Network^™

Optimized Production Of Second-Generation Bioethanol From A Spent C4 Grass: Vetiver (Chrysopogon Zizanioides), Sameer Neve, Dibyendu Sarkar, Zhiming Zhang, Rupali Datta

Michigan Tech Publications

Vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides) is well-known for its contaminant phytoextraction potential and its capacity to reduce soil erosion, owing to its massive, dense root system. However, the shoots are not major contributors to either of these processes, and are either not utilized at all or they become part of the waste stream. It is well-recognized that lignocellulosic biomass can serve as a source of raw material to produce second-generation bioethanol. This study investigated the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of acid–alkali pretreated vetiver (VG) shoots by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Vetiver shoots were obtained from three sources: (1) shoots from VG grown …

Impacto De Los Residuos De Cosecha En La Capacidad De Intercambio Catiónico De Suelos Entisoles, Ricardo Bueno Buelvas, John Cristhian Fernández Lizarazo

Utopía - Working papers

Los suelos del orden entisoles en Colombia suman el 24.3% del territorio nacional, son suelos jóvenes poco evolucionados que principalmente están formados de minerales primarios por este motivo entre otros son suelos poco fértiles, presentan una capacidad de intercambio catiónico muy baja. Estos suelos están dedicados a actividades productivas como la ganadería y la agricultura, la condición de baja fertilidad contribuye directamente a la pobreza rural de los habitantes y el abandono del campo. El objetivo del proyecto es evaluar el impacto de los residuos de cosecha en la capacidad de intercambio catiónico de suelos entisoles en Yopal, Casanare. Los …

Impact Umaine Research, December 2022, Office Of The Vice President For Research, Dean Of The Graduate School

General University of Maine Publications

Celebrating the Climate Change Institute's 50th anniversary, first 100% bio-based 3D-printed home, and more. Featured stories include: UMaine Climate Change Institute celebrates 50th anniversary; New UMaine PFAS+ Initiative strives to address forever chemicals crisis; First 100% bio-based 3D-printed home unveiled at the University of Maine; Verma leads UMaine to create new offshore wind opportunities for students; New study outlines ways to recruit more women for bioenergy and forestry.

Interdisciplinary Design Studio: Programming Document Visioning For A Robotic Demonstration, Research, And Engagement Dairy, Steve(N) Hardy, Nate Bicak, Sarah Alduaylij, Noor Al-Maamari, Devyn Beekman, Kelsey Belgum, Lauren Chubb, Nicholas Forte, Mitchell Hill, Joshua Holstein, Dylan Lambe, Phuong Le, Mia Leriger, Elizabeth Loftus, Josh Lorenzen, Megan Lovci, Alex Martino, Zade Miller, Hannah Morgan, Annabelle Nichols, Collin Shearman, Rebecca Sowl, Nalin Theplikhith, Angela Vu, Shaylee Wagner, Ethan Watermeier, Trever Zelenka

Student Creative Activity, Architecture Program

The 2022 COLLABORATE Design Studio brought together students from various disciplines to address a complex, real-world project which required collaborative input from different perspectives. The studio worked to advance the co-creation of knowledge between external stakeholders, students, and instructors. The course was co-taught by faculty from different disciplines, and areas of expertise. During the semester, Nate Bicak and Steven Hardy worked with students from Architecture and Interior Design in collaboration with students in Dr. Tami Brown-Brandl’s students in Biological Systems Engineering and Animal Science to explore the values, spatial qualities, and area requirements of a Robotic Demonstration, Research, and Engagement …

Characterization Of Biochar Produced From Al Ghaf Tree For Co2 Capture, Imen Ben Salem, Maisa El Gamal, Manish Sharma, Fares M. Howari, Yousef Nazzal, Cijo Xavier, Fareeda M. Almenhali

All Works

Climate change, global warming, and rise in water levels are environmental problems caused by the high emissions of greenhouse gases, and the most harmed one is carbon dioxide. Biochar is a material produced by thermochemical conversions with oxygen-depleted conditions of organic materials, and this process calls pyrolysis. Recently, it has been evaluated as a carbon dioxide capture, and its porous structure, structural properties, and production methods are easy. Al Ghaf (Prosopis cineraria) tree is one of the United Arab Emirates’ national trees with a wide range of intriguing properties, including high nutritional value, medicinal/pharmaceutical potential, and biosorption. This paper focuses …

Impacts Of Feeding Biochar To Beef Cattle On Greenhouse Gas Emissions And Performance And Characterizing Yearling Steers Grazing Smooth Bromegrass Pasture Using Gps, Holly Heil

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

As global warming continues to rise, the pressure and growing demand for sustainable animal production is increasing. Livestock naturally produce greenhouse gas emissions through enteric fermentation. Dietary manipulation strategies have been sought out to decrease emissions in ruminants using feed additives.

Two independent finishing feedlot experiments evaluated two types of biochar and its effects on animal performance, carcass characteristics and greenhouse gas emissions. Experiment 1 utilized pistachio shell biochar and experiment 2 utilized biochar sourced from ponderosa pine wood waste, both types included at 1% of the diet DM. The addition of biochar to the diet did not impact animal …

Evaluation Of The Effects Of Pine-Sourced Biochar On Cattle Performance And Methane And Carbon Dioxide Production From Growing And Finishing Steers, J. L. Sperber, B. C. Troyer, Galen E. Erickson, Andrea K. Watson

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

A feedlot growing (77-d) and finishing (111-d) experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of feeding biochar on steer performance, methane and carbon dioxide emissions, and carcass characteristics. Two treatments were evaluated, a control diet without biochar and the same diet with biochar included at 0.8% of dietary DM (growing) or 1.0% of dietary DM (finishing). The growing diet consisted of 40% corn silage, 40% wheat straw, 15% modified distillers grains plus solubles, and 5% supplement, with 0.8% biochar replacing fine ground corn in supplement. The finishing diet consisted of 55% high-moisture corn (HMC), 35% Sweet Bran, 5% wheat straw, …

Evaluation Of Odour Emissions & Dispersion Mitigation Strategies For The Tipping Area Of Municipal Solid Waste Landfills, Kyle Graat

Inspiring Minds – A Digital Collection of Western’s Graduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Enhanced Photo-Fenton Activity Using Magnetic Cu0.5Mn0.5Fe2O4 Nanoparticles As A Recoverable Catalyst For Degrading Organic Contaminants, Athaphon Angkaew, Chainarong Sakulthaew, Matura Nimtim, Saksit Imman, Tunlawit Satapanajaru, Nopparat Suriyachai, Torpong Kreetachat, Steven Comfort, Chanat Chokejaroenrat

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Interest in using various nanoparticle catalysts to activate H₂O₂ with light for organic contaminant and wastewater treatment is steadily increasing. We successfully synthesized magnetically recoverable Cu_0.5Mn_0.5Fe₂O₄ nanoparticles using a simple co-precipitation method followed by melamine-assisted calcination. Material characterization revealed that melamine acted as a coordinating agent during the calcination process that promoted a ferrite structure. Copper (Cu)-substitution effectively decreased material aggregation and promoted catalytic activities. Cu_0.5Mn_0.5Fe₂O₄ nanoparticles showed outstanding catalytic performance on several organic contaminants (87.6–100.0% removal within 2 h). Using oxytetracycline (OTC) …

Constructing An Intelligent Model Based On Support Vector Regression To Simulate The Solubility Of Drugs In Polymeric Media, Sait Senceroglu, Mohamed Arselene Ayari, Tahereh Rezaei, Fardad Faress, Amith Khandakar, Muhammad E. H. Chowdhury, Zanko Hassan Jawhar

International Business and Entrepreneurship Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study constructs a machine learning method to simultaneously analyze the thermodynamic behavior of many polymer–drug systems. The solubility temperature of Acetaminophen, Celecoxib, Chloramphenicol, D-Mannitol, Felodipine, Ibuprofen, Ibuprofen Sodium, Indomethacin, Itraconazole, Naproxen, Nifedipine, Paracetamol, Sulfadiazine, Sulfadimidine, Sulfamerazine, and Sulfathiazole in 1,3-bis[2-pyrrolidone-1-yl] butane, Polyvinyl Acetate, Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), PVP K12, PVP K15, PVP K17, PVP K25, PVP/VA, PVP/VA 335, PVP/VA 535, PVP/VA 635, PVP/VA 735, Soluplus analyzes from a modeling perspective. The least-squares support vector regression (LS-SVR) designs to approximate the solubility temperature of drugs in polymers from polymer and drug types and drug loading in polymers. The structure of this machine …

Removal Of Heavy Metals From Stormwater Runoff Using Granulated Drinking Water Treatment Residuals, Viravid Na Nagara, Dibyendu Sarkar, Evert J. Elzinga, Rupali Datta

Michigan Tech Publications

Stormwater runoff is a significant source of heavy metals, including cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), and nickel (Ni), which pose ecological and human health problems. Various filter media have been evaluated for heavy metal removal from stormwater via adsorption, most involving chemical- or energy-intensive processes. Aluminum-based drinking water treatment residuals (WTR), a non-hazardous byproduct of drinking water treatment, are an inexpensive sorbent for heavy metals. However, the low permeability of WTR is a problem and requires mixing with sand and carbon materials to improve flow; but such amendments also reduce its sorption capacity. To overcome this problem, a granulated WTR sorbent …

Preparation Of N-, O-, And S-Tri-Doped Biochar Through One-Pot Pyrolysis Of Poplar And Urea Formaldehyde And Its Enhanced Removal Of Tetracycline From Wastewater, Wenran Gao, Zixiang Lin, Shanshan Yan, Yaxuan Gao, Hong Zhang, Xun Hu, Hongqi Sun, Shu Zhang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In this study, biochar was prepared via hybrid doping of N, O, and S by applying one-pot pyrolysis of poplar wood and S-containing urea formaldehyde at 900 °C. Different doping ratios were adopted, and the contents of O, N, and S were in the ranges of 2.78 – 5.56 %, 2.16 – 4.92 %, and 1.42 – 4.98 %, respectively. This hybrid doping significantly enhanced the efficiency of the removal of tetracycline (40 mg/L) from wastewater to 71.84 % in comparison with that attained by using normal poplar biochar (29.45 %). The adsorption kinetics and isotherms indicated that the adsorption …

Applications Of Technology And Innovation For A Sustainable Future, Veeriah Jegatheesan, Li Shu, Taku Fujiwara, Edita Baltrėnaitė-Gedienė

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Sustainable future depends on ways in which we keep upgrading our living style. The goals and targets set by Sustainable Development Goals will definitely help us to protect all types of ecosystems and their biodiversity. Still, much more complementary advances in technology and innovation and their applications are essential in realising realizing a sustainable future. The aims and scope of Environmental Technology & Innovation is well geared to contribute to such ambition. Thus, this virtual special issue (VSI) contains 23 articles from the presentations made at the international conference on the Challenges in Environmental Science and Engineering, CESE-2021. A brief …

A Review On N-Doped Biochar For Oxidative Degradation Of Organic Contaminants In Wastewater By Persulfate Activation, Yaxuan Gao, Wenran Gao, Haonan Zhu, Haoran Chen, Shanshan Yan, Ming Zhao, Hongqi Sun, Junjie Zhang, Shu Zhang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The Persulfate-based advanced oxidation process is the most efficient and commonly used technology to remove organic contaminants in wastewater. Due to the large surface area, unique electronic properties, abundant N functional groups, cost-effectiveness, and environmental friendliness, N-doped biochars (NBCs) are widely used as catalysts for persulfate activation. This review focuses on the NBC for oxidative degradation of organics-contaminated wastewater. Firstly, the preparation and modification methods of NBCs were reviewed. Then the catalytic performance of NBCs and modified NBCs on the oxidation degradation of organic contaminants were discussed with an emphasis on the degradation mechanism. We further summarized the detection technologies …

Correlation Of Phosphorus Adsorption With Chemical Properties Of Aluminum-Based Drinking Water Treatment Residuals Collected From Various Parts Of The United States, Roxana Rahmati, Virinder Sidhu, Rosita Nunez, Rupali Datta, Dibyendu Sarkar

Michigan Tech Publications

Over the past several decades, the value of drinking water treatment residuals (WTRs), a byproduct of the coagulation process during water purification, has been recognized in various environmental applications, including sustainable remediation of phosphorus (P)-enriched soils. Aluminum-based WTRs (Al-WTRs) are suitable adsorbent materials for P, which can be obtained and processed inexpensively. However, given their heterogeneous nature, it is essential to identify an easily analyzable chemical property that can predict the capability of Al-WTRs to bind P before soil amendment. To address this issue, thirteen Al-WTRs were collected from various geographical locations around the United States. The non-hazardous nature of …

One-Pot Synthesis Of N-Rich Porous Carbon For Efficient Co2 Adsorption Performance, Qiyun Yu, Jiali Bai, Muslum Demir, Bilge N. Altay, Xin Hu, Linlin Wang

Articles

N-enriched porous carbons have played an important part in CO2 adsorption application thanks to their abundant porosity, high stability and tailorable surface properties while still suffering from a non-efficient and high-cost synthesis method. Herein, a series of N-doped porous carbons were prepared by a facile one-pot KOH activating strategy from commercial urea formaldehyde resin (UF). The textural properties and nitrogen content of the N-doped carbons were carefully controlled by the activating temperature and KOH/UF mass ratios. As-prepared N-doped carbons show 3D block-shaped morphology, the BET surface area of up to 980 m2/g together with a pore volume of 0.52 cm3/g …

Agglomeration Tendency And Activated Carbon Concentration Effects On Ac-Psf Mixed Matrix Membrane Performance: A Design Of Experiment Formulation Study, Jeremy Lewis, Ali Alshami, Musabbir Talukder, Ademola Owoade, Kelsey Baker, Sagheer Onaizi

Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications

Mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) are effective materials for emerging separation applications. While MMMs show promise, various membrane formation schemes have produced particle agglomerations, surface ruptures, and varying separation performance as a result. In this work, a replicated 2 × 2³ full factorial design of experiment (DOE) and a mixture analysis was conducted to investigate the effects of activated carbon, polyethylene glycol (PEG), and solvent type, used during MMM formation. Aniline blue filtration was used as a model for performance. A thorough analysis was conducted on contact angle, agglomeration frequency, water flux, and dye rejection. Specifically, a novel and facile …

Introducing A Linear Empirical Correlation For Predicting The Mass Heat Capacity Of Biomaterials, Reza Iranmanesh, Afham Pourahmad, Fardad Faress, Sevil Tutunchian, Mohammad Amin Ariana, Hamed Sadeqi, Saleh Hosseini, Falah Alobaid, Babak Aghel

International Business and Entrepreneurship Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study correlated biomass heat capacity (Cp) with the chemistry (sulfur and ash content), crystallinity index, and temperature of various samples. A five-parameter linear correlation predicted 576 biomass Cp samples from four different origins with the absolute average relative deviation (AARD%) of ~1.1%. The proportional reduction in error (REE) approved that ash and sulfur contents only enlarge the correlation and have little effect on the accuracy. Furthermore, the REE showed that the temperature effect on biomass heat capacity was stronger than on the crystallinity index. Consequently, a new three-parameter correlation utilizing crystallinity index and temperature was developed. This model was …

Neutralizing The Atmosphere, Shelley Welton

All Faculty Scholarship

“Net zero” has rapidly become the new organizing paradigm of climate change law. In the past few years, thousands of countries, companies, states, and cities have developed pledges that promise by a set date—typically around 2050—that any carbon they emit will be counterbalanced by capturing an equal amount of carbon out of the atmosphere. Collectively, these pledges now cover more than 91% of the global economy. This widespread adoption of scientifically aligned climate policy appears on its surface like a cause for celebration. However, concerns are mounting. To date, critiques of net zero have centered on what this Feature terms …

Advances Of Biowaste-Derived Porous Carbon And Carbon–Manganese Dioxide Composite In Supercapacitors: A Review, A. Zekenova, M. Nazhipkyzy, Wanlu Li, A. Kalybayeva, G. Zhumanova, O. Zubova

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

One of the global problems is environmental pollution by different biowaste. To solve the problem, biowaste must be recycled. Waste-free technology is also a way of saving exhaustible raw materials. Research on electrochemical energy sources is currently the most dynamically developing area of off-grid energy. Electrochemical capacitors can operate for a long time without changing performance, they have smaller dimensions, high mechanical strength, and a wide operating temperature range. These properties are effective energy-saving devices. Therefore, supercapacitors are widely used in various industries. This review discussed the methods of obtaining and the characteristics of biowaste-derived activated carbon and carbon–manganese oxide …

Cascon 2022, College Of Arts & Sciences

SHU Faculty Publications

CASCon showcases the work of Sacred Heart University faculty from multiple disciplines. The conference emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of faculty scholarship and reaffirms the College’s commitment to undergraduate research.

6th Annual College of Arts & Sciences Conference (CASCon) on Wednesday, September 28, 2022.

Development Of High-Performance Fiber Cement: A Case Study In The Integration Of Circular Economy In Product Design, Parinya Chakartnarodom, Sarunya Wanpen, Wichit Prakaypan, Edward A. Laitila, Nuntaporn Kongkajun

Michigan Tech Publications

A new fiber cement (FC) is designed with the integration of circular economy (CE) concepts, in particular a product that is recyclable yet maintains performance. The FC samples were prepared from the mixtures of ordinary Portland cement (OPC), sand, and cellulose fibers, and required an inclusion compound (IC) and water. From the heat of hydration tests, the most effective IC, IC1, was prepared from lithium silicate, sodium thiocyanate, alkylbenzene sulfonate, and hydrochloric acid. The FC samples were recycled by crushing and grinding, then used as sand replacement in varying amounts to produce new FC samples. The results from the mechanical …

Enrofloxacin And Sulfamethoxazole Sorption On Carbonized Leonardite: Kinetics, Isotherms, Influential Effects, And Antibacterial Activity Toward S. Aureus Atcc 25923, Chanat Chokejaroenrat, Chainarong Sakulthaew, Khomson Satchasataporn, Daniel D. Snow, Tarik E. Ali, Mohammed A. Assiri, Apichon Watcharenwong, Saksit Imman, Nopparat Suriyachai, Torpong Kreetachat

Nebraska Water Center: Faculty Publications

Excessive antibiotic use in veterinary applications has resulted in water contamination and potentially poses a serious threat to aquatic environments and human health. The objective of the current study was to quantify carbonized leonardite (cLND) adsorption capabilities to remove sulfamethoxazole (SMX)- and enrofloxacin (ENR)-contaminated water and to determine the microbial activity of ENR residuals on cLND following adsorption. The cLND samples prepared at 450^oC and 850^oC (cLND450 and cLND550, respectively) were evaluated for structural and physical characteristics and adsorption capabilities based on adsorption kinetics and isotherm studies. The low pyrolysis temperature of cLND resulted in a …

Evaluation Of The Effects Of Wood-Sourced Biochar As A Feedlot Pen Surface Amendment On Manure Nutrient Capture, Jessica L. Sperber, Galen E. Erickson, Andrea K. Watson

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Feedstuffs utilized in U.S. feedlot finishing rations incorporate high concentrations of N and P, with less than 15% of fed N and P retained by the animal. The remaining N and P are excreted in the manure, where the opportunity for manure N loss via ammonia (NH3) volatilization from the feedlot pen surface is a risk to the environment and lowers the value of manure as a fertilizer. Two nutrient mass balance experiments were conducted during the winter and summer seasons to evaluate the effects of spreading unprocessed Eastern red cedar biochar onto the feedlot pen surface on manure nutrient …

Upcycling Mask Waste To Carbon Capture Sorbents: A Combined Experimental And Computational Study, Mark Robertson, Alejandro Guillen Obando, Bianca Nunez, Haoyuan Chen, Zhe Qiang

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Massive plastic pollution and grand scale emission of CO2 into the atmosphere represent two major and deeply connected societal challenges, which can have adverse impacts on climate, human health, and marine ecosystems. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic led to substantially increased production, use, and discarding of disposable masks, a problem that requires urgent and effective technological solutions to mitigate their negative environmental impacts. Furthermore, over the years significant research efforts have sought to address the challenges of plastic waste and CO2 emission, such as development of chemical upcycling methods and low-cost CO2 capture sorbents at scale, respectively. In this work, …

Artificial Neural Networks And Gradient Boosted Machines Used For Regression To Evaluate Gasification Processes: A Review, Owen Sedej, Eric Mbonimpa, Trevor Sleight, Jeremy M. Slagley

Faculty Publications

Waste-to-Energy technologies have the potential to dramatically improve both the natural and human environment. One type of waste-to-energy technology that has been successful is gasification. There are numerous types of gasification processes and in order to drive understanding and the optimization of these systems, traditional approaches like computational fluid dynamics software have been utilized to model these systems. The modern advent of machine learning models has allowed for accurate and computationally efficient predictions for gasification systems that are informed by numerous experimental and numerical solutions. Two types of machine learning models that have been widely used to solve for quantitative …

Dose-Response Of Two Jack O’Lantern Pumpkin Cultivars To Fomesafen Applied Preemergence, Jeanine Arana, Stephen L. Meyers, William G. Johnson, Wenjing Guan

Department of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture Faculty Publications

Three dose-response trials were performed in 2020 and 2021 to determine the tolerance of two Jack O’Lantern pumpkin cultivars to fomesafen applied preemergence at two Indiana locations: the Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center (SWPAC) and the Pinney Purdue Agricultural Center (PPAC). The experiment was a split-plot arrangement in which the main plot was the fomesafen rate of application (0, 280, 560, 840, and 1,220 g ai ha–1), and the subplot was the pumpkin cultivar (‘Bayhorse Gold’ and ‘Carbonado Gold’). As the fomesafen rate increased from 280 to 1,120 g ha–1, the predicted pumpkin emergence decreased from 85% to 25% of the …

Mercury Methylation Potentials In Sediments Of An Ancient Cypress Wetland Using Species-Specific Isotope Dilution Gc-Icp-Ms, Derek D. Bussan, Chris Douvris, James V. Cizdziel

Faculty and Student Publications

Wetlands are of a considerable environmental value as they provide food and habitat for plants and animals. Several important chemical transformations take place in wetland media, including the conversion of inorganic mercury (Hg) to monomethylmercury (MeHg), a toxic compound with a strong tendency for bioconcentration. Considering the fact that wetlands are hotspots for Hg methylation, we investigated, for the first time, Hg methylation and demethylation rates in an old growth cypress wetland at Sky Lake in the Mississippi Delta. The Sky Lake ecosystem undergoes large-scale water level fluctuations causing alternating periods of oxic and anoxic conditions in the sediment. These …

Effect Of Potassium Salts On Biochar Pyrolysis, Yuthapong Wongmat, David R. Wagner

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Alkali pretreatment is one of the chemical pretreatment technologies that has been examined on various types of lignocellulosic biomass. To gain a better insight into the effects of a potassium-based catalyst on pyrolysis behavior with different materials, potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3) and potassium nitrate (KNO3) were used as additives in this study. The experimental parameters which included particle size, heating rate, and additive loading were investigated. The results showed that adding potassium for both KHCO3 and KNO3 to feedstocks led to increase in biochar. A model-free method, Flynn–Wall–Ozawa (FWO), was implemented in this study to determine the activation energy values for …

Studies On Air Injection In A Wastewater-Fed Subsurface Drip Irrigation System, Henry A. Gonzalez Hernandez

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In 2020, the Ogallala High Plains Aquifer supplied irrigation water for approximately 3.6 million hectares in Nebraska, making it the most irrigated state in the United States. Although Nebraska is highly dependent in groundwater, locations included in the Gering-Fort Laramie Irrigation District (border of Nebraska and Wyoming) rely on surface water resources. In addition to these conventional water sources, using non-conventional alternatives for crop production can be just as important during water shortage times such as the one that e occurred in 2019 with the collapse of the Goshen/Gering-Fort Laramie Canal. Feedlot runoff presents a great opportunity in Nebraska, but …