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Point and nonpoint sources of microplastics to two southeast Michigan rivers and reduced biofilm function on plastic substrata
No full textPlastic pollution is an emergent global issue in freshwater and marine ecosystems. Microplastics enter waterways from a variety of sources, although the relative importance of point and nonpoint sources for a given watershed is not well understood. To determine whether medium-sized wastewater treatment plants are significant sources of microplastics to rivers draining into Lake Erie, we measured microplastic loads up- and downstream of two wastewater treatment plants in southeastern Michigan State (USA). We detected a significant increase in the microplastic load downstream from the wastewater treatment plant discharging into the Lower Rouge River, but not downstream from the one discharging into the Huron River. However, the background microplastic load was tenfold higher in the Huron River compared to the Lower Rouge River, likely obscuring our ability to detect the wastewater treatment plant as a point source. We found a positive relationship between river discharge and microplastic load in the Huron River, which drains a larger watershed area at the effluent discharge point than the Lower Rouge site, suggesting that watershed sources may be more important over larger spatial scales. We also performed experiments to test the effects of plastic on stream biofilm function to better understand how plastic pollution alters stream metabolism. Biofilms grown on high-density polyethylene and polypropylene had significantly lower metabolic diversity and metabolic response, respectively. Overall, our findings indicate that attention should be directed to both point and nonpoint sources to reduce microplastic pollution and that plastics may negatively affect the function of stream biofilm communities
Local fiscal response to state preemption: A case study of Massachusetts\u27 proposition 21/2 tax referendum
No full textState preemption in the form of tax and expenditure limits significantly limits local revenue-raising capacity. To gain insights into how local governments respond to fiscal preemption through direct democracy, this study focuses on tax referenda that override the levy limit set by Proposition 2½ in Massachusetts. Analyzing a sample of 320 municipalities from 2010 to 2021, we investigate the influence of fiscal slack resources and tax burden on the levy limit overrides and exclusions. Our analysis breaks down the tax referendum process into two stages, highlighting the involvement of different decision-makers: local officials proposing the referendum and individual voters approving it. We find that municipalities are motivated to seek tax referenda due to diminishing fiscal slack resources, yet the tax burden on residents can discourage such pursuits
Sexual Polymorphism and the Hyoid Bone: the potential for the identification of Transgender Individuals from Skeletal Remains
Get PDFThe purpose of this research is to explore the potential use of the hyoid bone for sex estimation as a way to increase the accuracy in the identification of deceased transgender individuals from skeletonized remains. Being able to recognize transgender status from the hyoid bone could be crucial to the positive identification of these individuals, to provide closure for families, and to seek justice in situations of foul play. The program Amira 3D™ 2023 was used to create 3D models of the hyoid bone and to take measurements to determine whether transgender individuals can be differentiated from phenotypical, cisgender male and female hyoids. The results for this pilot study indicate that there are no significant differences between the hyoid bone length and width measurements or the hyoid index of transgender individuals and cisgender males or females. In addition to the small sample size, the DICOM images varied in thickness, which affected the quality of the 3D model renderings. This led to the hyoid density often being too low for clear thresholding. Furthermore, the medical history for when individuals began medical transition and the length of time of HRT exposure were not accessible. More research needs to be done to understand the impacts of HRT on bone size and morphology. There is an overwhelming need for more research into transgender medicine within the forensic field in order to account for missing and unidentified individuals whose remains are gender ambiguous
Re-Imagining Information Literacy Curricular Integration: A Faculty Information Literacy Fellows Collaboration Program
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