Design of a water quality information system for source water assessment: a Denver Water case study, Denver, Colorado

2002 Spring.Includes bibliographic references (pages 70-71).The questions water quality information systems are being called upon to answer are changing as the management of water quality shifts from a historically point source control framework to investigation of non point sources of pollution. A specific example is that of large Public Water Systems (PWS), providers of drinking water to the public within larger municipalities, who have managed the quality of the source water, from which they draw their supplies, primarily at the intake to the treatment system. In the case of contamination, the potential of finding a new source of supply is rare for large PWSs and thus new emphasis is placed on protection of current supplies to diminish the risk of contamination. This idea of moving farther up into the watershed for water quality management of drinking water supplies is presented by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) in the Source Water Assessment and Protection (SWAP) program. This thesis proposes a process by which a large PWS can incorporate existing knowledge concerning water quality monitoring into a practical application for production of usable, defensible information used in the management of water quality. The source water quality monitoring system for Denver Water, a large PWS serving the City and County of Denver, Colorado and surrounding areas, is reviewed within this work. The review is presented as an updated water quality monitoring design for Denver Water’s entire source area. The emphasis of the design is placed on the need to connect the information needs of management, in this case Denver Water, with the feasible products of water quality monitoring. Analysis was conducted to determine reasonable sampling frequencies for estimation of mean concentrations, trends, and pollutant loads for physical and chemical water quality parameters identified. Additionally, 48 sampling sites were selected for the source area of approximately 2.5 million acres. In the end, Denver Water is presented a functional monitoring system which enables information production to meet needs for management of the vast area from where they draw drinking water

Lakota Emergence

Review of Lakota Emergence. 6-9 May 2015, art exhibit. Craig Howe, curator, and Kayla Schubert, assistant curator. Dahl Arts Center, Rapid City, SD

Muscle loading effects on bone parameters in the oim mouse model [abstract]

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Charlotte Phillips, BiochemistryAbstract only availablePrevious studies have shown that mechanical loading on the skeleton acts as an anabolic stimulus, inducing changes in bone geometry, bone mineral density, and mechanical properties. Increases in these properties may improve bone quality as seen by increased bone density following sustained physical activity, and the increase may be due to increased muscle contraction. Much data exists on the effects of unloading on the skeleton, but data regarding the effects of loading is limited. This study is aimed at examining the effects of loading on the skeleton of the oim mouse model. The oim mouse model produces defective type I collagen, the most abundant structural protein in the body. The oim mouse has a phenotype similar to human type III human osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), including fractures, cortical thinning, and bowing of long bones. Current therapies for OI have been marginally successful and can be painful and invasive with significant recovery times. Data from this study may aid in development of non-invasive treatments via target exercise and muscle training for OI, and other bone diseases such as osteoporosis. This project served as a pilot study to determine if current methods are sensitive enough to detect changes that occur due to muscle loading. Mice were anesthetized and the gastrocnemius muscle removed to impose mechanical overload on the plantaris and soleus muscles. The mice resumed activity for three weeks before being euthanized and the leg bones removed. The bones were subject to microCT to obtain geometric parameters before undergoing torsional loading to failure to assess bone biomechanics. The remaining muscles were examined for histological differences, and their collagen content determined using a hydroxyproline assay. Data thus far confirms that our methodology will detect changes in both muscle and bone, and future work will determine if muscle loading improves bone quality

Effects of immunization against bone morphogenetic protein-15 and growth differentiation factor-9 on ovarian function in mares

Currently there is no contraceptive vaccine that can cause permanent sterility in mares. This study investigates the effect of vaccination against oocyte-specific growth factors, Bone Morphogenetic Protein 15 (BMP-15) and Growth Differentiation Factor 9 (GDF-9), on ovarian function of mares. It was hypothesized that immunization against these growth factors would prevent ovulation and/or accelerate depletion of the oocyte reserve. For this study, 30 mares were randomly assigned to three groups (n=10/group) and vaccinated with BMP-15 or GDF-9 peptides conjugated to KLH and adjuvant, or a control of phosphate buffered saline and adjuvant. Horses received vaccinations at weeks 0, 6, 12, and 18. Ovarian activity and estrous behavior were evaluated 3 days a week via ultrasonography and interaction with a stallion. The study was initiated on March1, 2016. Upon evaluation of ovulation rate, the GDF-9 group did not have a difference (P=0.66) in ovulation rate when compared to controls (10.8 and 10.0 ovulations, respectively), but the number of ovulations in the BMP-15 group was less (P=0.02; 4.9 ovulations). Average follicle size prior to ovulation was less (P \u3c 0.0001) in both treatment groups compared to controls. Estrous behavior was altered in both the BMP-15 and GDF-9 groups compared to controls after the second vaccination (P=0.05 and 0.03, respectively). Although further research is required to determine the continued effects of vaccination against GDF-9 on ovulation rates, these results indicate that vaccination against BMP-15 and GDF-9 could serve as a contraceptive in wild horse populations

Total Synthesis of (±)-Phomoidride D

Described herein is a synthetic strategy for the total synthesis of (±)‐phomoidride D. This highly efficient and stereoselective approach provides rapid assembly of the carbocyclic core by way of a tandem phenolic oxidation/intramolecular Diels–Alder cycloaddition. A subsequent SmI2‐mediated cyclization cascade delivers an isotwistane intermediate poised for a Wharton fragmentation that unveils the requisite bicyclo[4.3.1]decene skeleton and sets the stage for synthesis completion

The Origin of Minor Folds Associated with a Structural Dome along the Seiyal Fault in the Western Desert of Egypt

The Sinn el-Kaddab Plateau and surrounding Nubian Plain of the Western Desert of Egypt is characterized by the presence of numerous elongate domes and basins or “Desert Eyes” (Tewksbury et al., 2009) that range from several hundred meters to several kilometers in length. These Desert Eyes are commonly associated with dominantly E-W fault zones (e.g., Kalabsha Fault Zones). One such Desert Eye occurs as a structural dome cross-cut by fault splays associated with the trace of the Seiyal Fault Zone. Reconnaissance field studies of this dome suggested the presence of localized minor folding within a sandstone unit near the trace of one of the splays of the Seiyal Fault. Two models were proposed for the origin of these folds: 1) the folds were the result of localized soft-sediment deformation and 2) the folds were tectonic in origin. Outcrop geologic mapping immediately revealed consistent and inconsistent orientations suggesting both origins possibly developed out of the motion along the Seiyal Fault

Fold Classification of the Kalabsha and Seyal Fault Region

The region surrounding the Kalabsha and Seyal faults near Aswan, Egypt is characterized by complex folding as a result of a long history of deformation. The faults cut through a dome structure that, along with its basin counterpart, has a frequent appearance in the desert landscape. The formation and relation to neighboring faults of these dome and basin structures is unknown. This was the main focus of the field work we conducted in Egypt for a NFS project. In the field we discovered a set of folds located near the center of the dome, and bounded by the Kalabsha and Seyal faults. The classification of the type of deformation (soft sediment and/or tectonic) of the folding would result in a better understanding of the regional deformation, and fault involvement in its formation. This will be achieved through stereographical analysis of the collected structural data (strike/dip/location), and interpretation of field observations

Muscle loading effects on bone parameters in the oim mouse model [abstract]

Abstract only availablePrevious studies have shown that mechanical loading on the skeleton acts as an anabolic stimulus, inducing changes in bone geometry, bone mineral density, and mechanical properties. Increases in these properties may improve bone quality as seen by increased bone density following sustained physical activity, and the increase may be due to increased muscle contraction. Much data exists on the effects of unloading on the skeleton, but data regarding the effects of loading is limited. This study is aimed at examining the effects of loading on the skeleton of the oim mouse model. The oim mouse model produces defective type I collagen, the most abundant structural protein in the body. The oim mouse has a phenotype similar to human type III human osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), including fractures, cortical thinning, and bowing of long bones. Current therapies for OI have been marginally successful and can be painful and invasive with significant recovery times. Data from this study may aid in development of non-invasive treatments via target exercise and muscle training for OI, and other bone diseases such as osteoporosis. This project served as a pilot study to determine if current methods are sensitive enough to detect changes that occur due to muscle loading. Mice were anesthetized and the gastrocnemius muscle removed to impose mechanical overload on the plantaris and soleus muscles. The mice resumed activity for three weeks before being euthanized and the leg bones removed. The bones were subject to microCT to obtain geometric parameters before undergoing torsional loading to failure to assess bone biomechanics. The remaining muscles were examined for histological differences, and their collagen content determined using a hydroxyproline assay. Data thus far confirms that our methodology will detect changes in both muscle and bone, and future work will determine if muscle loading improves bone quality