Tribal consultation and collaborative governance: environmental and cultural justice through the lens of the National Environmental Policy Act (1969) and the National Historic Preservation Act (1966)

Presented at the Environmental justice in the Anthropocene symposium held on April 24-25, 2017 at the Lory Student Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins Colorado. This symposium aims to bring together academics (faculty and graduate students), independent researchers, community and movement activists, and regulatory and policy practitioners from across disciplines, research areas, perspectives, and different countries. Our overarching goal is to build on several decades of EJ research and practice to address the seemingly intractable environmental and ecological problems of this unfolding era. How can we explore EJ amongst humans and between nature and humans, within and across generations, in an age when humans dominate the landscape? How can we better understand collective human dominance without obscuring continuing power differentials and inequities within and between human societies? What institutional and governance innovations can we adopt to address existing challenges and to promote just transitions and futures

Proline-Glycine-Proline (PGP) and High Mobility Group Box Protein-1 (HMGB1): Potential Mediators of Cystic Fibrosis Airway Inflammation

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is chronic lung disease characterized by an unrelenting neutrophil-predominant airway inflammatory response. This inflammation leads to extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling and eventually to the development of bronchiectasis. While many components of the immune response in CF have been well-characterized, recent data suggests that small molecules may play an important and underappreciated role in this inflammation. This review will examine two novel molecules: proline-glycine-proline (PGP) and high mobility group box protein-1 (HMGB1), and their potential impact in CF lung disease. This review will provide a brief overview of CF lung disease and background on both HMGB1 and PGP. It will then focus on these molecules in a murine model of CF-like airway disease and in human biological specimens from CF individuals. Finally, this manuscript will address possible mechanisms for therapeutic targeting of these bioactive mediators

Solution structure of a bacterial microcompartment targeting peptide and its application in the construction of an ethanol bioreactor

Targeting of proteins to bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) is mediated by an 18-amino-acid peptide sequence. Herein, we report the solution structure of the N-terminal targeting peptide (P18) of PduP, the aldehyde dehydrogenase associated with the 1,2-propanediol utilization metabolosome from Citrobacter freundii. The solution structure reveals the peptide to have a well-defined helical conformation along its whole length. Saturation transfer difference and transferred NOE NMR has highlighted the observed interaction surface on the peptide with its main interacting shell protein, PduK. By tagging both a pyruvate decarboxylase and an alcohol dehydrogenase with targeting peptides, it has been possible to direct these enzymes to empty BMCs in vivo and to generate an ethanol bioreactor. Not only are the purified, redesigned BMCs able to transform pyruvate into ethanol efficiently, but the strains containing the modified BMCs produce elevated levels of alcohol

The Transit Light Curve Project. VIII. Six Occultations of the Exoplanet TrES-3

We present photometry of the exoplanet host star TrES-3 spanning six occultations (secondary eclipses) of its giant planet. No flux decrements were detected, leading to 99%-confidence upper limits on the planet-to-star flux ratio of 0.00024, 0.0005, and 0.00086 in the i, z, and R bands respectively. The corresponding upper limits on the planet's geometric albedo are 0.30, 0.62, and 1.07. The upper limit in the i band rules out the presence of highly reflective clouds, and is only a factor of 2-3 above the predicted level of thermal radiation from the planet.Comment: To appear in AJ [14 pages

Dimensionally stable and bioactive membrane for guided bone regeneration: An in vitro study

Composite fibrous electrospun membranes based on poly(dl-lactide) (PLA) and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) were engineered to include borate bioactive glass (BBG) for the potential purposes of guided bone regeneration (GBR). The fibers were characterized using scanning and transmission electron microscopies, which respectively confirmed the submicron fibrous arrangement of the membranes and the successful incorporation of BBG particles. Selected mechanical properties of the membranes were evaluated using the suture pullout test. The addition of BBG at 10 wt % led to similar stiffness, but more importantly, it led to a significantly stronger (2.37 ± 0.51 N mm) membrane when compared with the commercially available Epiguide® (1.06 ± 0.24 N mm) under hydrated conditions. Stability (shrinkage) was determined after incubation in a phosphate buffer solution from 24 h up to 9 days. The dimensional stability of the PLA:PCL-based membranes with or without BBG incorporation (10.07-16.08%) was similar to that of Epiguide (14.28%). Cell proliferation assays demonstrated a higher rate of preosteoblasts proliferation on BBG-containing membranes (6.4-fold) over BBG-free membranes (4- to 5.8-fold) and EpiGuide (4.5-fold), following 7 days of in vitro culture. Collectively, our results demonstrated the ability to synthesize, via electrospinning, stable, polymer-based submicron fibrous BBG-containing membranes capable of sustaining osteoblastic attachment and proliferation-a promising attribute in GBR

Transit Timing Observations from Kepler: VI. Potentially interesting candidate systems from Fourier-based statistical tests

We analyze the deviations of transit times from a linear ephemeris for the Kepler Objects of Interest (KOI) through Quarter six (Q6) of science data. We conduct two statistical tests for all KOIs and a related statistical test for all pairs of KOIs in multi-transiting systems. These tests identify several systems which show potentially interesting transit timing variations (TTVs). Strong TTV systems have been valuable for the confirmation of planets and their mass measurements. Many of the systems identified in this study should prove fruitful for detailed TTV studies.Comment: 32 pages, 6 of text and one long table, Accepted to Ap

Robotic arm-assisted bi-unicompartmental knee arthroplasty maintains natural knee joint anatomy compared with total knee arthroplasty : a prospective randomized controlled trial

Aims The aim of this study was to compare robotic arm-assisted bi-unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (bi-UKA) with conventional mechanically aligned total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in order to determine the changes in the anatomy of the knee and alignment of the lower limb following surgery. Methods An analysis of 38 patients who underwent TKA and 32 who underwent bi-UKA was performed as a secondary study from a prospective, single-centre, randomized controlled trial. CT imaging was used to measure coronal, sagittal, and axial alignment of the knee preoperatively and at three months postoperatively to determine changes in anatomy that had occurred as a result of the surgery. The hip-knee-ankle angle (HKAA) was also measured to identify any differences between the two groups. Results The pre- to postoperative changes in joint anatomy were significantly less in patients undergoing bi-UKA in all three planes in both the femur and tibia, except for femoral sagittal component orientation in which there was no difference. Overall, for the six parameters of alignment (three femoral and three tibial), 47% of bi-UKAs and 24% TKAs had a change of < 2° (p = 0.045). The change in HKAA towards neutral in varus and valgus knees was significantly less in patients undergoing bi-UKA compared with those undergoing TKA (p < 0.001). Alignment was neutral in those undergoing TKA (mean 179.5° (SD 3.2°)) while those undergoing bi-UKA had mild residual varus or valgus alignment (mean 177.8° (SD 3.4°)) (p < 0.001). Conclusion Robotic-assisted, cruciate-sparing bi-UKA maintains the natural anatomy of the knee in the coronal, sagittal, and axial planes better, and may therefore preserve normal joint kinematics, compared with a mechanically aligned TKA. This includes preservation of coronal joint line obliquity. HKAA alignment was corrected towards neutral significantly less in patients undergoing bi-UKA, which may represent restoration of the pre-disease constitutional alignment (p < 0.001)

Professional–Collector Collaboration: Moving beyond Debate to Best Practice

This article introduces the first of what will ultimately be two collections of case studies in archaeologist–responsible/responsive artifact collector collaboration. Focused on the United States, the articles in this issue of Advances in Archaeological Practice share the thoughts and experiences of archaeologists representing diverse employment sectors (compliance, agency, museum, and university), artifact collectors, and members of descendant communities. Research areas extend from California to Virginia and from Ohio to the Texas/Mexico border. The breadth of the writers' backgrounds and their focal regions reinforce the wide applicability of collaborative best practices. Every author explicitly treats two subjects: (1) the intersection of their work with the Society for American Archaeology's (SAA) recently published guidelines for ethical professional–collector collaboration, and (2) their own practical suggestions for establishing and nurturing those relationships. This introductory article provides an overview of each of the other contributions, notes how the contributions articulate with the SAA guidelines, and offers its own, mostly philosophical suggestions for prospective members of professional–collector collaborations. Este artículo introduce la primera de las que eventualmente serán dos colecciones de casos prácticos en colaboración responsable / receptiva entre arqueólogos y coleccionistas de artefactos. Centrados en los Estados Unidos, los artículos de esta edición de Advances in Archaeological Practice comparten los pensamientos y experiencias de arqueólogos que representan diversos sectores laborales (cumplimiento regulatorio, agencia, museo y universidad); coleccionistas de artefactos; y miembros de comunidades descendientes. Las áreas de investigación se extienden desde California hasta Virginia y desde Ohio hasta la frontera entre Texas y México. La amplitud del historial los escritores y sus regiones focales refuerza la amplia aplicabilidad de las mejores prácticas colaborativas. Cada autor versa explícitamente dos temas: la intersección de su trabajo con las directrices publicadas recientemente por la Sociedad para la Arqueología Americana (SAA) para la colaboración ética entre profesionales y coleccionistas; y sus propias sugerencias prácticas para establecer y nutrir esas relaciones. Este artículo introductorio resume cada trabajo, señala cómo cumple con las pautas de la SAA y ofrece sus propias sugerencias, principalmente filosóficas, para futuros miembros sobre las colaboraciones entre coleccionistas y profesionales.Ye