A toxicity assessment of total dissolved solid ions in mine effluent using two common bioassays: the 22-hour MicroTox assay and a S. carpricornutum growth assay

Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2000This research evaluated two microassays and a synthetic TDS standard to measure the effects of elevated TDS from mine effluent on biota of freshwater systems. Field samples from Red Dog and Fort Knox mines were tested on Selenastrum capricornutum and the MicroTox assay, and compared to the synthetic standard. Results indicate that the synthetic TDS standard is a poor representation of produced waters with similar total TDS concentrations. Additionally, no correlation was found between the toxicological responses of the two assays. Principle component analysis found the MicroTox assay to be most sensitive to cadmium and chloride. At concentrations present in the field samples, there does not appear to be a relationship between toxicity and TDS as measured on these assays

Some aspects of change in post - revolutionary Bolivia: a geographical study of Aymara communities beside Lake Titicaca

The principal aim of this thesis is to identify and analyse the major social and economic changes overtaking rural Bolivia since the Republic's 1952 National Revolution, ,'the most profound movement of social change in America since the beginning of the Mexican Revolution of 1910' (Alexander, 1958). Bolivia's Lake Titicaca region, where field work for the present purposes was conducted in 1971, lies within easy reach of La Paz and in close proximity both to the Peruvian border and to government-sponsored land colonization projects: during the last two decades its densely-peopled Aymara Communities, in former times subject to the rank injustices of the hacienda system and virtually isolated from the mainstream of national life, have been exposed to the full impact of unprecedented forces and obliged to come to terms with an unfamiliar outside world. Chapters V and VI describe at length the more significant of the multifarious post-revolutionary changes disrupting traditional patterns of life in two lakeside communities, Chua Visalaya and Llamacachi. Such modifications can be summarised as follows: the abolition of 'feudal' obligations; the replacement (in one community) of subsistence farming by a thriving cash-crop economy; improvements in housing conditions and general living standards; access to formal education; the emergence of I'the politically aware' campesino (countryman); greatly increased mobility; a dramatic expansion of marketing activities and the creation of an intricate, ever-widening network of rural-urban ties. The subsequent chapter focuses the reader's attention on the diverse factors stimulating socio-economic change within the Lake Titicaca area: it is maintained that contrasted historical backgrounds account in large measure for marked discrepancies in rates of adjustment and economic development. The vital necessity of approaching the change process from the aspect of the participants themselves is emphasised throughout the dissertation. Hence Chapter VIII is concerned exclusively with the lakesiders' own attitudes towards change and innovation, with their self expressed problems, wants and aspirations. It is clearly demonstrated that campesino viewpoints frequently conflict with those of outsiders, be they government officials, representatives of overseas aid organisations or research workers. In the Lake Titicaca region countless community development projects have been doomed to miserable failure from the outset because would-be community developers have neglected to consult local opinion and consequently been unable to 'bridge the cultural gap' between themselves and their 'intended recipients': likewise the Bolivian Government does not appear to have appreciated the true sentiments of lakeside communities, particularly with respect to colonization and cooperativism. Simultaneously, a total lack of community cohesion and a reluctance on the part of campesinos to contribute either financially or manually towards community development undertakings has acted as a veritable stumbling block to progress. After examining reasons for recent set-backs and failures and reviewing various seemingly insuperable obstacles in the path of rural development, Chapter IX specifies Ayrnara 'qualities of character on which to build a better future', and proposes la strategy of change': community development projects calculated to satisfy 'the felt needs' of the two communities studied in detail are recommended. In the concluding chapter the wider implications of the findings are considered: it is argued that an 'ideological reorientation' and direct intervention by the central government are urgently required to forestall excessive rural-urban migration and enable Bolivia's agricultural sector to sustain national industrial growth

Feasibility of Using a Commercial Fitness Tracker as an Adjunct to Family-Based Weight Management Treatment: Pilot Randomized Trial.

BACKGROUND: Fitness trackers can engage users through automated self-monitoring of physical activity. Studies evaluating the utility of fitness trackers are limited among adolescents, who are often difficult to engage in weight management treatment and are heavy technology users. OBJECTIVE: We conducted a pilot randomized trial to describe the impact of providing adolescents and caregivers with fitness trackers as an adjunct to treatment in a tertiary care weight management clinic on adolescent fitness tracker satisfaction, fitness tracker utilization patterns, and physical activity levels. METHODS: Adolescents were randomized to 1 of 2 groups (adolescent or dyad) at their initial weight management clinic visit. Adolescents received a fitness tracker and counseling around activity data in addition to standard treatment. A caregiver of adolescents in the dyad group also received a fitness tracker. Satisfaction with the fitness tracker, fitness tracker utilization patterns, and physical activity patterns were evaluated over 3 months. RESULTS: A total of 88 adolescents were enrolled, with 69% (61/88) being female, 36% (32/88) black, 23% (20/88) Hispanic, and 63% (55/88) with severe obesity. Most adolescents reported that the fitness tracker was helping them meet their healthy lifestyle goals (69%) and be more motivated to achieve a healthy weight (66%). Despite this, 68% discontinued use of the fitness tracker by the end of the study. There were no significant differences between the adolescent and the dyad group in outcomes, but adolescents in the dyad group were 12.2 times more likely to discontinue using their fitness tracker if their caregiver also discontinued use of their fitness tracker (95% CI 2.4-61.6). Compared with adolescents who discontinued use of the fitness tracker during the study, adolescents who continued to use the fitness tracker recorded a higher number of daily steps in months 2 and 3 of the study (mean 5760 vs 4148 in month 2, P=.005, and mean 5942 vs 3487 in month 3, P=.002). CONCLUSIONS: Despite high levels of satisfaction with the fitness trackers, fitness tracker discontinuation rates were high, especially among adolescents whose caregivers also discontinued use of their fitness tracker. More studies are needed to determine how to sustain the use of fitness trackers among adolescents with obesity and engage caregivers in adolescent weight management interventions

Preliminary Report on the 2018 Field Season of the American Excavations at Morgantina: Contrada Agnese Project (CAP)

In its sixth season, the American Excavations at Morgantina: Contrada Agnese Project (CAP) continued archaeological investigations inside the House of the Two Mills, a modestly-appointed house of Hellenistic date located near the western edge of the ancient city of Morgantina. This report gives a phase-by-phase summary of the significant discoveries from the 2018 excavation season, highlighting the architectural development of the building as well as evidence for the various activities that took place there over the course of its occupation

Admission to the Bar: A Constitutional Analysis

This Special Project examines and analyzes selected constitutional challenges to requirements for permanent and temporary admission to the bar. In the area of permanent admission, the Special Project looks at constitutional challenges to three qualifications typically required of bar applicants by states: demonstration of good moral character, successful completion of a bar examination, and residency. In the area of admission pro hac vice , the Project examines constitutional challenges to the basis on which judges have denied temporary admission to an applicant

Large, persistent epidemic of adenovirus type 4-associated acute respiratory disease in U.S. army trainees.

In May 1997, a large, persistent epidemic of adenovirus type 4-associated acute respiratory disease began at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, the largest army basic training center. The epidemic lasted until December and declined when vaccine administration resumed. More than 1,000 male and female trainees were hospitalized; 66.1% of those hospitalized had an adenovirus type 4 isolate

Moving beyond silos: How do we provide distributed personalized medicine to pregnant women everywhere at scale? Insights from PRE-EMPT.

While we believe that pre-eclampsia matters-because it remains a leading cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality worldwide-we are convinced that the time has come to look beyond single clinical entities (e.g. pre-eclampsia, postpartum hemorrhage, obstetric sepsis) and to look for an integrated approach that will provide evidence-based personalized care to women wherever they encounter the health system. Accurate outcome prediction models are a powerful way to identify individuals at incrementally increased (and decreased) risks associated with a given condition. Integrating models with decision algorithms into mobile health (mHealth) applications could support community and first level facility healthcare providers to identify those women, fetuses, and newborns most at need of facility-based care, and to initiate lifesaving interventions in their communities prior to transportation. In our opinion, this offers the greatest opportunity to provide distributed individualized care at scale, and soon