Assessment of Benthic Habitat Quality in Lower Green Bay, Lake Michigan with Special Regard to Potential Hexagenia Recolonization

With environmental remediation in the Great Lakes, Hexagenia have recovered or are recovering in systems from which they were once extirpated. An active Hexagenia recovery does not appear to be taking place in lower Green Bay. This study first examines the highly fluidized nature of lower Green Bay sediment as a possible cause for their lack of recovery due to nymphs’ potential inability to construct and maintain burrows essential to the completion of their life cycles. Hexagenia bilineata nymphs collected from the Upper Mississippi River were distributed into oxygenated aquaria containing substrates from lower Green Bay or the Upper Mississippi River collection site. Fluidized lower Green Bay sediment did not appear to hinder H. bilineata survival, growth, production, or biomass turnover in a laboratory setting. These metrics were, in several cases, greater in lower Green Bay substrates compared to control substrates from the nymph collection site. Hexagenia egg hatch and young nymph survival in lower Green Bay, tested in situ by artificially stocking eggs collected from adults emerged from western Lake Erie, were shown to be possible, as nine live nymphs ranging from 2-7 mm were recovered near egg stocking sites within one year of stocking. Additionally, meiobenthos, a group suggested to respond negatively to organic pollution, were sampled at several lower Green Bay sites. Densities of Ostracoda, Copepoda, and total meiobenthos, as well as taxon (order) diversity (Simpson’s Index, Shannon-Wiener Index, richness, and evenness) were compared between sites within and outside the Lower Green Bay and Fox River Area of Concern (AOC). Results showed that densities and diversity were not significantly lower within the AOC (p \u3c 0.05). Densities were often greater at sites within the AOC, and diversity was relatively consistent between sites. Overall, the results of this study may suggest potentially higher benthic habitat quality in lower Green Bay than was initially expected

The New England Neurosurgical Society: growth and evolution over 70 years

The New England Neurosurgical Society (NENS) was founded in 1951 under the leadership of its first President (Dr. William Beecher Scoville) and Secretary-Treasurer (Dr. Henry Thomas Ballantine). The purpose of creating the NENS was to unite local neurosurgeons in the New England area; it was one of the first regional neurosurgical societies in America. Although regional neurosurgical societies are important supplements to national organizations, they have often been overshadowed in the available literature. Now in its 70th year, the NENS continues to serve as a platform to represent the needs of New England neurosurgeons, foster connections and networks with colleagues, and provide research and educational opportunities for trainees. Additionally, regional societies enable discussion of issues uniquely relevant to the region, improve referral patterns, and allow for easier attendance with geographic proximity. In this paper, the authors describe the history of the NENS and provide a roadmap for its future. The first section portrays the founders who led the first meetings and establishment of the NENS. The second section describes the early years of the NENS and profiles key leaders. The third section discusses subsequent neurosurgeons who steered the NENS and partnerships with other societies. In the fourth section, the modern era of the NENS and its current activities are highlighted

Optimal Architectures and Survey Designs for Maximizing the Yields of Direct-Imaging Exoplanet Missions

Our ability to answer scientific questions about exoplanets hinges on satisfying an age-old astronomical requirement: a sufficient sample size. Thus, the yield of exoplanets is critical to understanding the scientific impact of future missions. We discuss how the yield of directly-imaged exoplanets depends on mission scale and survey design

Towards an in vivo biologically inspired nanofactory

Nanotechnology is having a major impact on medicine and the treatment of disease, notably in imaging and targeted drug delivery. It may, however, be possible to go even further and design 'pseudo-cell' nanofactories that work with molecules already in the body to fight disease