Brent D. Ryan first visited Detroit in 1993. Describing this experience, he says: ‘‘The sense of emptiness was overpowering. ... I felt as if I was walking into the ruin of America.’’ In his book ‘‘Design after decline—how America rebuilds shrinking cities,’’ Ryan tries to understand why so many American cities have been losing population, what was and is done to change the fortune of these cit...

• WILLARD P. GINGERICH, Ph.D., Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs • KENNETH SUMNER, Ph.D., Acting Associate Provost for Academic Affairs • JOANNE COTE-BONANNO, Ph.D., Associate Provost for Academic Programs and Assessment • JAMES GERMAN, Ph.D., Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education • NICOLA SULLIVAN, M.B.A., Director of Administration • MARY COLON, M.A., Director, Academic ...

The aim of this paper was to study the influence of microbial biofilms on the high copper levels measured in the drinking water of rural houses. Drinking water parameters and copper pipe surfaces were analysed in the copper plumbing systems of rural and urban houses. The water in rural houses had pH values of 6.2 and alkalinity values of 63mg/L as CaCO3, whereas in urban houses the pH values we...