The Impact of Post-Recession State Revenue Reductions on Maine\u27s Municipalities

Maine municipalities have received substantially less revenue from the state over the past several years, due to a combination of financial pressures on state budgets and state administrative policy preferences. The result is that municipalities have been forced to restructure the provision and funding of local services through a combination of reducing spending in some categories, raising additional money from residents and other users of town services, or taking on additional municipal debt. However, on average, Maine’s municipalities have so far been unable to reduce their total spending. This discussion of municipal responses to reduced state revenue is based on analyzing responses to the 2007–2011 Maine Municipal Association fiscal surveys of municipal revenues and expenditures

Out, Damned [Metadata]!

We live in exciting times; technology is evolving quickly. The legal profession, however, has a history of begrudging and delayed acceptance of new technology. Attorneys may be slow to learn new tricks, but when it comes to metadata, the usual reactionary behavior could be harmful to clients. It is imperative that attorneys understand the ethical and evidentiary issues that arise when metadata is disclosed, mishandled, discovered, or destroyed. This paper explores these issues and recommends best practices to avoid inadvertent disclosures and ethical violations. The structure of this paper is as follows: first, metadata is defined and explained. Second, I will explain potential harm that metadata can cause. Third, issues of confidentiality, attorney-client privilege will be explored. Fourth, I will explore some of the evidentiary concerns regarding discovery and destruction of metadata. Finally, the conclusion will recommend best practices for new and experienced attorneys to avoid metadata missteps and manage metadata with confidence

Out, Damned [Metadata]!

We live in exciting times; technology is evolving quickly. The legal profession, however, has a history of begrudging and delayed acceptance of new technology. Attorneys may be slow to learn new tricks, but when it comes to metadata, the usual reactionary behavior could be harmful to clients. It is imperative that attorneys understand the ethical and evidentiary issues that arise when metadata is disclosed, mishandled, discovered, or destroyed. This paper explores these issues and recommends best practices to avoid inadvertent disclosures and ethical violations. The structure of this paper is as follows: first, metadata is defined and explained. Second, I will explain potential harm that metadata can cause. Third, issues of confidentiality, attorney-client privilege will be explored. Fourth, I will explore some of the evidentiary concerns regarding discovery and destruction of metadata. Finally, the conclusion will recommend best practices for new and experienced attorneys to avoid metadata missteps and manage metadata with confidence

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs): A Legacy of Contamination in Michigan\u27s Rivers

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are ubiquitous contaminants worldwide and are the most frequent contaminant at US and bi-national Great Lakes areas of concern (AOCs). This study evaluated existing evidence to answer the questions: how does total PCB contamination compare between fish species, are there spatial patterns in PCB contamination in fish species, and have our remediation efforts been effective? Using multi-variate statistics (e.g. analysis of variance (ANOVA), principal component analysis (PCA), and multiple linear regression (MLR)), this research evaluated Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) fish contaminant monitoring data to attempt to answer the questions above. PCB concentrations between the species were only significantly different when compared to carp (p \u3c 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, and walleye. A congener analysis showed that there are similar general patterns in contamination but there is some nuance. For example, carp, smallmouth bass, and largemouth bass have significantly different concentrations of low and high molecular weight congeners (p \u3c 0.05) but that is not the case for walleye (p \u3e 0.05). This has implications for how we select suites of congeners used for “total PCB” quantification as well as toxicity. Sources of PCBs were difficult to establish in Michigan’s rivers. It is clear that PCB concentrations in fish at AOC sites are higher than fish at non-AOC sites (p \u3c 0.001). However, we were unable to determine definitively whether rivers were impacted by local or atmospheric sources of PCBs, but carp, largemouth bass, and walleye in Lake St Clair have similar congener profiles with high concentrations of lighter congeners. ANOVA and MLR showed that site status (AOC or non-AOC) is an important variable to consider when explaining the variance in PCB concentrations and in explaining PCB concentrations. Despite its statistical significance, it has little explanatory power in the ANOVA (partial ή2 = 0.017 – 0.040) and has a low correlation to total PCB concentrations in the MLR (0.122, p \u3c 0.001). Evaluating the efficacy of remediation was done with limited data. A comparison of the quantification methodologies showed that combined trends often contradicted the more accurate congener-based trends in either direction or magnitude. The PCB half-lives ranged from 3.0 – 13.5 year-1 at AOC sites and 0.64 – 17.5 year-1 at non-AOC sites. These values are not different from the atmospheric half-lives. Considered together, this work indicates the need for a better monitoring framework to facilitate a complete understanding of sources of PCBs to Michigan’s rivers and a sampling program with the spatial extent and frequency to evaluate remediation efforts. Additionally, PCB researchers at federal and state agencies, generally, should establish a standardized suite of PCB congeners used to quantify total PCB concentrations that will permit comparisons across studies

Rebuilding fish-human relationships by quantifying combined toxicity and evaluating policy related to legacy contamination

The central theme of this dissertation is relationships – building relationships as research partnerships, disrupting relationships through chemical contamination, and upholding existing relationships (i.e., responsibilities) to address industrial legacies. In partnership with the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Lake Superior Band of Chippewa Indians (KBIC), this dissertation focuses on rebuilding fish-human relationships within the context of chemical contamination. By quantifying combined toxicity and evaluating the efficacy of cleaning up contamination, conclusions from this work help empower people to maintain practices and knowledges related to fish. In chapter 1, I positioned myself, a white, American settler scholar, within the context of Indigenous research grounded in Anishinaabe philosophies. My research is predicated on knowledge being a collection of practices that builds and maintains relationships with people and the environment. Being an indigenist researcher means being accountable to those relationships. In chapter 2, I co-created a research guidance document with KBIC to provide holistic guidance and specify support that enriches their efforts to protect and restore land and life. Our guidance uses the Medicine Wheel to illustrate an interconnected system of partnership teachings that include systems of mutual expectations and responsibilities. The guidance aims for balance between and among four seasons of research: relationship building, planning and prioritization, knowledge exchange, and synthesis and application. In chapter 3, I used a national database of fish tissue contaminant concentrations to evaluate frameworks for quantifying toxicity, spatial distributions of the components of toxicity, and variations in relative importance of chemicals in different fish types. Based on the results, I argue for using the most sensitive endpoint for components of a chemical mixture rather than the current framework that expects a shared toxic pathway. Research results show that the former is more protective and therefore represents a more appropriate strategy for protecting human health and the environment. In chapter 4, I compared PCB trends in the Great Lakes basin to evaluate the efficacy of Canada’s 2008 PCB reduction policy. My results show that local reductions of PCB stocks significantly reduced atmospheric PCB concentrations, but a comparable response was not seen in fish tissue. I suggest that fish tissue, as the primary exposure pathway, should be the medium monitored to evaluate policy efficacy

Post Title IX Representations of Professional Female Athletes

Since the enactment of Title IX in 1972, female participation in athletics grows every year. Interestingly, media representations of professional female athletes have not always been indicative of this exciting and growing participation. This study explores the representations of professional female athletes and discusses implications and affordances of magazine and social media. In particular, the research analyzes five Sports Illustrated magazine covers and thirty Instagram posts to explore how female athletes have been presented on magazine covers and how they are representing themselves on social media. Using theories of gender, media, self-presentation, and visual rhetoric, this thesis analyzes how Sports Illustrated magazine covers are rooted in historical ideals of femininity and gender performances. The findings from the Instagram sample demonstrate that professional female athletes are presenting themselves in ways that reveal their passions, competition, and community to their fans and followers. In doing so, the female athletes from this research sample are reshaping how society understands and sees women in sports and female athleticism

Variation in T cell Immunity in Health

Introduction Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG)-vaccination affords variable protection against tuberculosis (TB), which is unexplained. The project hypothesises that there is inter-individual variation in both the naïve T cell (NTC) response to a standard stimulation and in the ‘trained’ immune response of BCG-vaccine-primed T cells on secondary exposure to antigen and that relationships exist between the two. The aim of the study is to identify factors by which T cell vaccine design may be improved. Methods Blood was collected from 107 adults immediately prior to BCG-vaccination. NTCs were enriched from pre-BCG frozen/thawed peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), subjected to anti-CD3/CD28 stimulation and then characterised by fluorescence-activated cell-sorting (FACS) on markers of activation, differentiation and proliferation. Participants were then re-bled eight weeks later and their frozen/thawed PBMC incubated with purified protein derivative (PPD) in three separate assays before FACS to measure activation induced markers, Th1 cytokines and proliferation. A DNA sequencing pipeline and computational analysis were employed to examine 67 participants’ peripheral blood TCR repertoires in response to BCG. Results There was inter-individual variation amongst all pre-vaccination NTC stimulation assay parameters, some of which were strongly positively correlated. In the post-BCG-vaccination assays, all parameters were significantly upregulated in response to incubation with PPD and demonstrated wide ranges of inter-individual variation. In both sets of assays, results were found to be reproducible and inter-individual variation surpassed technical noise. Post-BCG expanded TCRs generated clusters of homologous sequences, were shared between multiple participants and shared homology with annotated TB-specific TCRs. Discussion There is inter-individual variation in multiple parameters to standard NTC stimulation, possibly reflecting intrinsic variance in the T cell intracellular signalling capacity. BCG has variable T cell immunogenicity, which may bear relation to pre-vaccination parameters. BCG-vaccination induces a polyclonal population of T cells with the ability to recognise mycobacterial antigens. Improved understanding of the T cell component to variable BCG vaccine efficacy may aid next generation TB vaccine development

Milk Consumption Following Exercise Reduces Subsequent Energy Intake in Female Recreational Exercisers

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of skimmed milk as a recovery drink following moderate–vigorous cycling exercise on subsequent appetite and energy intake in healthy, female recreational exercisers. Utilising a randomised cross-over design, nine female recreational exercisers (19.7 ± 1.3 years) completed a V̇O2peak test followed by two main exercise trials. The main trials were conducted following a standardised breakfast. Following 30 min of moderate-vigorous exercise (65% V̇O2peak), either 600 mL of skimmed milk or 600 mL of orange drink (475 mL orange juice from concentrate, 125 mL water), which were isoenergetic (0.88 MJ), were ingested, followed 60 min later with an ad libitum pasta meal. Absolute energy intake was reduced 25.2% ± 16.6% after consuming milk compared to the orange drink (2.39 ± 0.70 vs. 3.20 ± 0.84 MJ, respectively; p = 0.001). Relative energy intake (in relation to the energy content of the recovery drinks and energy expenditure) was significantly lower after milk consumption compared to the orange drink (1.49 ± 0.72 vs. 2.33 ± 0.90 MJ, respectively; p = 0.005). There were no differences in AUC (× 1 h) subjective appetite parameters (hunger, fullness and desire to eat) between trials. The consumption of skimmed milk following 30 min of moderate-vigorous cycling exercise reduces subsequent energy intake in female recreational exercisers

A Collaborative Approach to Teaching "Reference"

In 2001 the Indiana University School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) revised its curriculum for the Master of Library Science Degree. The employers of SLIS students, SLIS alumni, and the faculty members and students who participated in the curriculum review agreed that, even at the dawn of the 21st century, any student planning to call himself or herself a librarian would need to take a course in reference sources and services

Nubian Levallois reduction strategies in the Tankwa Karoo, South Africa.

The Middle Stone Age record in southern Africa is recognising increasing diversity in lithic technologies as research expands beyond the coastal-montane zone. New research in the arid Tankwa Karoo region of the South African interior has revealed a rich surface artefact record including a novel method of point production, recognised as Nubian Levallois technology in Late Pleistocene North Africa, Arabia and the Levant. We analyse 121 Nubian cores and associated points from the surface site Tweefontein against the strict criteria which are used to define Nubian technology elsewhere. The co-occurrence of typically post-Howiesons Poort unifacial points suggests an MIS 3 age. We propose that the occurrence of this distinctive technology at numerous localities in the Tankwa Karoo region reflects an environment-specific adaptation in line with technological regionalisation seen more widely in MIS 3. The arid setting of these assemblages in the Tankwa Karoo compares with the desert context of Nubian technology globally, consistent with convergent evolution in our case. The South African evidence contributes an alternative perspective on Nubian technology removed from the 'dispersal' or 'diffusion' scenarios of the debate surrounding its origin and spread within and out of Africa