State of the River Report 2016: Water Quality and River Health in the Metro Mississippi River

Friends of the Mississippi River (FMR) and the National Park Service's Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MNRRA) are pleased to present the second edition of the State of the River Report.In 2012, we partnered to develop the inaugural State of the River Report. That report spurred a series of river management milestones, including closure of the Upper St. Anthony lock, statewide phase-outs of triclosan and coal tar sealants, and improved targeting of state clean water funds.For the second edition, FMR and MNRRA once again ask the question: "So, how is the Mississippi River?" The State of the River Report highlights 14 key indicators of river health and presents each in a way that non-scientists can understand. The report examines the status and trends of each indicator and highlights strategies for improvement

State of the River Report: Water Quality and River Health in the Metro Mississippi River

The "State of the River Report" highlights 13 key indicators of river health, and details the results in way that non-scientists can understand. The report provides a current snapshot, as well as history and trends, of factors affecting the health of the river and solutions to help protect and improve the metro portion of the Mississippi River.By presenting clear and concise information on important factors of water quality and river health, the State of the River Report offers readers the opportunity to learn more about this resource and contribute to its protection and restoration

Employment Protection and Gender Dysphoria: Legal Definitions of Unequal Treatment on the Basis of Sex and Disability

Transsexuality, also known as gender dysphoria syndrome, has only recently been recognized as a legitimate medical entity that may be treated by reassignment surgery and psychological therapy. This Article traces the development of this recognition by the medical profession and outlines the social and legal issues still facing transsexuals, focusing on employment discrimination. State and federal decisions based on sex discrimination statutes have proven unsatisfactory to protect transsexuals. The authors contend that sex discrimination statutes should be interpreted to protect transsexuals and suggest two alternative approaches, based on constitutional theories and statutes designed to protect handicapped individuals, that may better serve to secure employment rights for transsexuals

An index to represent lateral variation of the confidence of experts in a 3-D geological model

A Confidence Index is proposed that expresses the confidence of experts in the quality of a 3-D model as a representation of the subsurface at particular locations. The Confidence Index is based on the notion that the variation of the height of a particular geological surface represents general geological variability and local variability. The general variability comprises simple trends which allow the modeller to project surface structure at locations remote from direct observations. The local variability limits the extent to which borehole observations constrain inferences which the modeller can make concerning local fluctuations around the broad trends. The general and local geological variability of particular contacts are modelled in terms of simple trend surfaces and variogram models. These are then used to extend measures of confidence that reflect expert opinion so as to assign a confidence value to any location where a particular contact is represented in a model. The index is illustrated with an example from the East Midlands region of the United Kingdom

Pmp27 Promotes Peroxisomal Proliferation

Peroxisomes perform many essential functions in eukaryotic cells. The weight of evidence indicates that these organelles divide by budding from preexisting peroxisomes. This process is not understood at the molecular level. Peroxisomal proliferation can be induced in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by oleate. This growth substrate is metabolized by peroxisomal enzymes. We have identified a protein, Pmp27, that promotes peroxisomal proliferation. This protein, previously termed Pmp24, was purified from peroxisomal membranes, and the corresponding gene, PMP27, was isolated and sequenced. Prop27 shares sequence similarity with the Pmp30 family in Candida boidinii. Pmp27 is a hydrophobic peroxisomal membrane protein but it can be extracted by high pH, suggesting that it does not fully span the bilayer. Its expression is regulated by oleate. The function of Pmp27 was probed by observing the phenotype of strains in which the protein was eliminated by gene disruption or overproduced by expression from a multicopy plasmid. The strain containing the disruption (3B) was able to grow on all carbon sources tested, including oleate, although growth on oleate, glycerol, and acetate was slower than wild type. Strain 3B contained peroxisomes with all of the enzymes of β-oxidation. However, in addition to the presence of a few modestly sized peroxisomes seen in a typical thin section of a cell growing on oleate-containing medium, cells of strain 3B also contained one or two very large peroxisomes. In contrast, cells in a strain in which Pmp27 was overexpressed contained an increased number of normal-sized peroxisomes. We suggest that Pmp27 promotes peroxisomal proliferation by participating in peroxisomal elongation or fission.

Uncertainty in geological interpretations : Effectiveness of expert elicitations

We would like to thank all those who took part in our elicitations, as well as all those who helped in their facilitation. This work was undertaken while C.H. Randle held a joint University of Aberdeen, College of Physical Science Ph.D. Award and British Geological Survey University Funding Initiative (BUFI) Ph.D. Studentship at Aberdeen University, through Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). The contributions by C.H. Randle, R.M. Lark, and A.A. Monaghan are published with the permission of the Executive Director of BGS (NERC). The authors would like to thank Hazel Gibson and an anonymous reviewer for their comments on the manuscript and confirm that all views expressed are the opinions of the authors.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Can uncertainty in geological cross-section interpretations be quantified and predicted?

This work was undertaken while C.H. Randle held a joint British Geological Survey University Funding Initiative (BUFI) and University of Aberdeen, College of Physical Sciences Ph.D. Studentship at Aberdeen University. The contributions by C.H. Randle, R.M. Lark, and A.A. Monaghan are published with the permission of the Executive Director of the British Geological Survey Natural Environment Research Council. We would also like to thank all those who took part in both experiments as well as the many people who have given input on our results.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Inhibition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm Formation with Surface Modified Polymeric Nanoparticles

The gram-negative bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa represents a prominent clinical concern. Due to the observed high levels of antibiotic resistance, copious biofilm formation, and wide array of virulence factors produced by these bacteria, new treatment technologies are required. Here, we present the development of a series of P. aeruginosa LecA-targeted polymeric nanoparticles and demonstrate the anti-adhesion and biofilm inhibitory properties of these constructs