Nutrient Sources in the Clark Fork River Basin

Under Section 525 of the 1987 amendments to the federal Clean Water Act, Montana initiated an intensive monitoring program to identify and rank the major point and nonpoint sources of nutrients to the Clark Fork River. A 51 station monitoring network was established, including 19 stations on the Clark Fork River, 22 stations on tributary streams, and 10 municipal and industrial wastewater discharges to the river. In the first year of monitoring, samples were collected 15 times and analyzed for total and soluble forms of phosphorus and nitrogen. Several small tributaries to the upper Clark Fork (Gold, Flint, Lost, Racetrack, and Dempsey creeks and the Mill-Willow Bypass) and all 10 wastewater discharges exhibited elevated nutrient concentrations. The Missoula, Butte, and Deer Lodge municipal wastewater discharges were responsible for the largest nutrient concentrations in the Clark Fork. Inflows from good quality tributaries such as Rock Creek and the Blackfoot, Little Blackfoot, Bitterroot, and Flathead rivers were important in diluting nutrient concentrations in the Clark Fork. Overall, soluble phosphorus loading to the Clark Fork originated about equally from tributary inflows and wastewater discharges. About two-thirds of the soluble nitrogen loading came from tributaries, with effluents contributing the remaining third. During the summer low flow period, an even greater share of the soluble nutrient loading came from effluents. Tributary sources of soluble nutrient loading were dominated by the Flathead, Bitterroot, and Blackfoot rivers. Gold and Flint creeks ranked fourth in importance as tributary sources of soluble phosphorus and nitrogen, respectively. The Missoula, Butte, and Deer Lodge municipal wastewater treatment plants and the Stone Container Corporation kraft mill discharged most of the soluble nutrient loading from effluents. However, the Warm Springs treatment ponds on Silver Bow Creek removed most of the Butte nutrient load prior to reaching the Clark Fork River

Generalized analysis of quasi-steady-state and transient decay open circuit voltage measurements

The current–voltage characteristics of solar cells and photodiodes can be determined by measuring the open-circuit voltage as a function of a slowly varying light intensity. This article presents a detailed theoretical analysis and interpretation of such quasi-steady-state Vocmeasurements(QssVoc). The ability of this analysis to accurately obtain the true steady-state device characteristics even in the case of high lifetime, high resistivitysilicon devices is demonstrated experimentally. The QssVoc technique can be used to determine the minority carrier lifetime, and the new generalized analysis is required to do this accurately. An important outcome is that solar cell and diode device characteristics can be obtained from measurements of either the photoconductance or the open-circuit voltage, even using transient techniques.This work has been funded by the Australian Research Council. The authors also thank S. Glunz and S. Rein from the Fraunhofer Institute of Solar Energy Systems, for the use of the solar cell used in Fig. 5

Frequency of cannabis and illicit opioid use among people who use drugs and report chronic pain: A longitudinal analysis.

BACKGROUND:Ecological research suggests that increased access to cannabis may facilitate reductions in opioid use and harms, and medical cannabis patients describe the substitution of opioids with cannabis for pain management. However, there is a lack of research using individual-level data to explore this question. We aimed to investigate the longitudinal association between frequency of cannabis use and illicit opioid use among people who use drugs (PWUD) experiencing chronic pain. METHODS AND FINDINGS:This study included data from people in 2 prospective cohorts of PWUD in Vancouver, Canada, who reported major or persistent pain from June 1, 2014, to December 1, 2017 (n = 1,152). We used descriptive statistics to examine reasons for cannabis use and a multivariable generalized linear mixed-effects model to estimate the relationship between daily (once or more per day) cannabis use and daily illicit opioid use. There were 424 (36.8%) women in the study, and the median age at baseline was 49.3 years (IQR 42.3-54.9). In total, 455 (40%) reported daily illicit opioid use, and 410 (36%) reported daily cannabis use during at least one 6-month follow-up period. The most commonly reported therapeutic reasons for cannabis use were pain (36%), sleep (35%), stress (31%), and nausea (30%). After adjusting for demographic characteristics, substance use, and health-related factors, daily cannabis use was associated with significantly lower odds of daily illicit opioid use (adjusted odds ratio 0.50, 95% CI 0.34-0.74, p < 0.001). Limitations of the study included self-reported measures of substance use and chronic pain, and a lack of data for cannabis preparations, dosages, and modes of administration. CONCLUSIONS:We observed an independent negative association between frequent cannabis use and frequent illicit opioid use among PWUD with chronic pain. These findings provide longitudinal observational evidence that cannabis may serve as an adjunct to or substitute for illicit opioid use among PWUD with chronic pain

Profiling Indiana\u27s 4-H Horse and Pony Leaders

This article profiles Indiana\u27s nearly 600 4-H horse and pony leaders, describes their motives for becoming a leader, and documents the understanding these leaders have of running a 4-H club, teaching various aspects of the horse and pony project, and training hippology, horse bowl, and horse judging teams. The majority (\u3e70%) of Indiana\u27s 4-H horse and pony leaders are white, married women between the ages of 31 and 50. Eighty-eight percent volunteer as leaders because they enjoy working with youth. Over half (54%) of the leaders would like to receive additional training on how to conduct showmanship and horsemanship clinics

Pursuing the Ephemeral, Painting the Enduring: Alzheimer\u27s and the Artwork of William Utermohlen

This book is published in conjunction with the exhibition Pursuing the Ephemeral, Painting the Enduring: Alzheimer’s and the Artwork of William Utermohlen, Exhibition and Scholarly Reflections presented at Illinois Wesleyan University Wakeley Gallery November 6 to December 11, 2015. The exhibition and catalogue are partially funded by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. William Utermohlen’s work is represented by Chris Boïcos Fine Arts, Paris and Jennifer Norback Fine Arts, Chicago.https://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/utermohlen/1000/thumbnail.jp

An inexpensive device to treat postpartum hemorrhage: a preliminary proof of concept study of health provider opinion and training in Nepal

BACKGROUND: Obstetric hemorrhage remains the leading cause of maternal mortality in resource limited areas. An inexpensive pneumatic anti-shock garment was devised of bicycle tubes and tailored cloth which can be prepared from local materials in resource-limited settings. The main purposes of this study were: 1) to determine acceptability of the device by nurses and midwives and obtain suggestions for making the device more suitable for use in their particular work environments, 2) to determine whether a three hour training course provided adequate instruction in the use of this device for the application of circumferential abdominal pelvic pressure, and 3) determine production capability and cost in a resource-limited country. METHODS: Fifty-eight nurse and midwife participants took part in three sessions over eight months in Nepal. Correct device placement was assessed on non-pregnant participants using ultrasound measurement of distal aortic flow before and after device inflation, and analyzed using confidence intervals. Participants were surveyed to determine acceptability of the device, obtain suggestions for improvement, and to collect data on clinical use. RESULTS: Device placement achieved flow decreases with a mean of 39% (95% CI 25%-53%, p < 0.001) in the first session, 28% (95% CI 21%-33%, P < 0.001) after four months and 29% (95% CI 24%-34%, p < 0.001) at 8 months. All nurses and midwives thought the device would be acceptable for use in obstetric hemorrhage and that they could make, clean, and apply it. They quickly learned to apply the device, remembered how to apply it, and were willing and able to use the device clinically. Ten providers used the device, each on one patient, to treat obstetric hemorrhage after routine measures had failed; bleeding stopped promptly in all ten, two of whom were transported to the hospital. Production of devices in Kathmandu using local tailors and supplies cost approximately $40 per device, in a limited production setting. CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary data suggest that an inexpensive, easily-made device is potentially an appropriate addition to current obstetric hemorrhage treatment in resource-limited areas and that further study is warranted

65-micron thin monocrystalline silicon solar cell technology allowing 12-fold reduction in silicon usage

Thin (<70 micron) single crystal silicon solar cells have been manufactured through the use of a novel process involving selective etching. Narrow grooves are micromachined through the wafer using a standard micromachining technique with cells manufactured on the resulting silicon strips. These bifacial cells have a much greater surface area than the original wafer, leading to dramatic decreases in processing effort and silicon usage. Individual cells fabricated using the new process have displayed efficiencies up to 17.5% while a 560cm2 prototype module has displayed an efficiency of 12.3%. The size, thickness and bifacial nature of the cells offer the opportunity for a wide variety of module architectures and applications

Optimal vitamin D spurs serotonin : 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D represses serotonin reuptake transport (SERT) and degradation (MAO-A) gene expression in cultured rat serotonergic neuronal cell lines

Background: Diminished brain levels of two neurohormones, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT; serotonin) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25D; active vitamin D metabolite), are proposed to play a role in the atypical social behaviors associated with psychological conditions including autism spectrum disorders and depression. We reported previously that 1,25D induces expression of tryptophan hydroxylase-2 (TPH2), the initial and rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway to 5-HT, in cultured rat serotonergic neuronal cells. However, other enzymes and transporters in the pathway of tryptophan metabolism had yet to be examined with respect to the actions of vitamin D. Herein, we probed the response of neuronal cells to 1,25D by quantifying mRNA expression of serotonin synthesis isozymes, TPH1 and TPH2, as well as expression of the serotonin reuptake transporter (SERT), and the enzyme responsible for serotonin catabolism, monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A). We also assessed the direct production of serotonin in cell culture in response to 1,25D. Results: Employing quantitative real-time PCR, we demonstrate that TPH-1/-2 mRNAs are 28- to 33-fold induced by 10 nM 1,25D treatment of cultured rat serotonergic neuronal cells (RN46A-B14), and the enhancement of TPH2 mRNA by 1,25D is dependent on the degree of neuron-like character of the cells. In contrast, examination of SERT, the gene product of which is a target for the SSRI-class of antidepressants, and MAO-A, which encodes the predominant catabolic enzyme in the serotonin pathway, reveals that their mRNAs are 51–59% repressed by 10 nM 1,25D treatment of RN46AB14 cells. Finally, serotonin concentrations are significantly enhanced (2.9-fold) by 10 nM 1,25D in this system. Conclusions: These results are consistent with the concept that vitamin D maintains extracellular fluid serotonin concentrations in the brain, thereby offering an explanation for how vitamin D could influence the trajectory and development of neuropsychiatric disorders. Given the profile of gene regulation in cultured RN46A-B14 serotonergic neurons, we conclude that 1,25D acts not only to induce serotonin synthesis, but also functions at an indirect, molecular-genomic stage to mimic SSRIs and MAO inhibitors, likely elevating serotonin in the CNS. These data suggest that optimal vitamin D status may contribute to improving behavioral pathophysiologies resulting from dysregulation of serotonergic neurotransmission

Determination of Point and Nonpoint Source Toxicity in the Clark Fork River Basin Using the Daphnid, Ceriodaphnia Dubia

Ceriodaphnia dubia, a small planktonic daphnid was used to biomonitor point sources of toxicity in wastewater and nonpoint source toxicity in stream samples obtained from the Clark Fork River Basin, MT. Brief descriptions, results and discussions are presented for studies of wastewater from a kraft mill near Frenchtown, MT and potential toxicity of water samples from 19 sites along the Clark Fork River in 1985. In 1987, dilutions of Missoula, MT municipal wastewater fortified with ammonia were tested, as was the wastewater before and after chlorination. Potential toxicity of water samples from eight sites along the upper Clark Fork River were also tested. All studies were cooperative efforts with the Montana Departments of Health and Environmental Sciences and Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Ceriodaphnia appear to be indicators of toxicity in a variety of test conditions such as ammonia in wastewater and metals from past mining activities. The daphnids indicated toxicity from other substances in the wastewater or perhaps the influence of characteristics of the wastewater that increased ammonia toxicity. All example of nonpoint source effects was toxicity in samples from Silver Bow Creek MT, where impaired conditions to aquatic life resulting from the presence of metals have been reported for years. During some of the tests with wastewater, toxicological endpoints were observed using the actual number of daphnids that reproduced in a test, not the average number of young. There was circumstantial evidence in 1985 that copper alone was responsible for the toxicity in Silver Bow Creek. However, the later studies performed under different hydrological conditions found toxicity was probably due to a combination of metals, some of which had not been measurable earlier. For well-defined control of standard conditions during testing, there are indications that waters to be used as reference media for Ceriodaphnia need further research. Nevertheless, the use of daphnids to test the ambient conditions described in this paper should encourage environmental managers to consider approaches with this or similar species in the future