Onsite Wastewater Treatment: Implementation of a region-wide Integrated Risk Framework

Onsite wastewater treatment systems are becoming more widely accepted as long term wastewater treatment systems in areas not serviced by centralised sewerage systems. However, the current means of assessing site and soil conditions to provide adequate treatment and dispersal of domestic wastewater has been a major drawback in achieving specific performance outcomes. In Australia, it is the responsibility of local governments to assess and approve the use of onsite systems, and appreciable variations in standards and codes exist between different jurisdictions. The main aim of this research was to develop a scientific framework for assessing onsite systems, based on risk assessment and management principles thereby allowing more appropriate integration across local government boundaries. A case study illustrating the implementation of the risk framework is also presented

Comparison of Northern Bobwhite Chick Fecal and Crop Analyses

Impacts of modem agriculture on gamebird brood ecology have been studied in a number of species. One common factor cited has been the decline in available invertebrate food available to foraging chicks. In the United Kingdom, assessment of chick diet has been accomplished mainly through fecal analysis of wild chicks, whereas in North America crop analysis of human-imprinted chicks has become a commonly applied technique. We compared results of both techniques on groups of human-imprinted northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) chicks to determine if these different techniques provide similar results. Chicks were allowed to forage in groups of 6-8 in cotton fields with various cover crops. We euthanized half the chicks for crop analysis and isolated the other half of the chicks for 12 hours to collect feces. We found a positive relationship between total number of invertebrates/chick in crops and feces (P = 0.01, R2 = 0.51). However, among important chick-food Orders the relationship varied greatly: Coleoptera (P = 0.10, R2 = 0.34), Homoptera (P \u3c 0.001, R2 = 0.41), and Hymenoptera (P = 0.81, R2 = 0.05). Our results suggest that there is a positive relationship between the 2 techniques, but that composition of the diet relative to what foods might be available in a particular site could be biased. We suggest more detailed research on technique development and standardization of techniques for assessing this important component of bobwhite life history

Women, Health and Aging: Building a Statewide Movement

Provides an overview of current policy and program environments that affect the state's most vulnerable elder population, and considers some effective strategies to address the growing needs of older persons in California

Extending the Lee Carter Model: a Three-way Decomposition

In this paper, we focus on a Multidimensional Data Analysis approach to the Lee-Carter (LC) model of mortality trends . In particular, we extend the bilinear LC model and specify a new model based on a three-way structure, which incorporates a further component in the decomposition of the log-mortality rates. A multi-way component analysis is performed using the Tucker 3 model. The suggested methodology allows us to obtain combined estimates for the three modes: i) time, ii) agegroups and iii) different populations. From the results obtained by the Tucker 3 decomposition, we can jointly compare, in both a numerical and graphical way, the relationships among all three modes and obtain a time series component as a leading indicator of the mortality trend for a group of populations. Further, we carry out a correlation analysis of the estimated trends in order to assess the reliability of the results of the three-way decomposition. The model’s goodness of fit is assessed using an analysis of the residuals. Finally, we discuss how the synthesised mortality index can be used to build concise projected life tables for a group of populations. An application which compares ten European countries is used to illustrate the approach and provide a deeper insight into the model and its implementation

Integrating microarray analysis and the soybean genome to understand the soybeans iron deficiency response

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Soybeans grown in the upper Midwestern United States often suffer from iron deficiency chlorosis, which results in yield loss at the end of the season. To better understand the effect of iron availability on soybean yield, we identified genes in two near isogenic lines with changes in expression patterns when plants were grown in iron sufficient and iron deficient conditions.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Transcriptional profiles of soybean (<it>Glycine max</it>, L. Merr) near isogenic lines Clark (PI548553, iron efficient) and IsoClark (PI547430, iron inefficient) grown under Fe-sufficient and Fe-limited conditions were analyzed and compared using the Affymetrix^®GeneChip^®Soybean Genome Array. There were 835 candidate genes in the Clark (PI548553) genotype and 200 candidate genes in the IsoClark (PI547430) genotype putatively involved in soybean's iron stress response. Of these candidate genes, fifty-eight genes in the Clark genotype were identified with a genetic location within known iron efficiency QTL and 21 in the IsoClark genotype. The arrays also identified 170 single feature polymorphisms (SFPs) specific to either Clark or IsoClark. A sliding window analysis of the microarray data and the 7X genome assembly coupled with an iterative model of the data showed the candidate genes are clustered in the genome. An analysis of 5' untranslated regions in the promoter of candidate genes identified 11 conserved motifs in 248 differentially expressed genes, all from the Clark genotype, representing 129 clusters identified earlier, confirming the cluster analysis results.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These analyses have identified the first genes with expression patterns that are affected by iron stress and are located within QTL specific to iron deficiency stress. The genetic location and promoter motif analysis results support the hypothesis that the differentially expressed genes are co-regulated. The combined results of all analyses lead us to postulate iron inefficiency in soybean is a result of a mutation in a transcription factor(s), which controls the expression of genes required in inducing an iron stress response.</p

Constitutive TRIM22 expression within the respiratory tract identifies tissue-specific and cell-type dependent intrinsic immune barriers to influenza A virus infection

We hypothesized that increased expression of antiviral host factors at portals of viral entry may protect exposed tissues from the constant threat of invading pathogens. Comparative transcriptomic analysis identified the broad-acting restriction factor TRIM22 (TRIpartite Motif 22) to be among the most abundantly expressed antiviral host factors in the lung, a major portal of entry for many respiratory pathogens. This was surprising, as TRIM22 is currently considered to be an interferon stimulated gene (ISG) product that confers protection following the activation of pathogen-induced cytokine-mediated innate immune defences. Using human respiratory cell lines and the airways of rhesus macaques, we experimentally confirmed high levels of constitutive TRIM22 expression in the lung. In contrast, TRIM22 expression in many widely used transformed cell lines could only be observed following immune stimulation. Endogenous levels of TRIM22 in non-transformed cells were sufficient to restrict human and avian influenza A virus (IAV) infection by inhibiting the onset of viral transcription independently of cytokine-mediated innate immune defences. Thus, TRIM22 confers a pre-existing (intrinsic) tissue-specific immune barrier to IAV infection in the respiratory tract. We investigated whether the constitutive expression of TRIM22 was a characteristic shared by other ISGs in human lung tissue. Transcriptomic analysis identified a large group of ISGs and IAV immuno-regulatory host factors that were similarly enriched in the lung relative to other mucosal tissues, but whose expression was downregulated in transformed cell-lines. We identify common networks of immune gene downregulation which correlated with enhanced permissivity of transformed cells to initiate IAV replication. Our data highlight the importance of tissue-specific and cell-type dependent patterns of pre-existing immune gene expression in the intrinsic intracellular restriction of IAV; findings highly relevant to the immune regulation of many clinically important respiratory pathogens

Constitutive TRIM22 expression in the respiratory airway confers a pre-existing defence against influenza A virus infection

The induction of antiviral effector proteins as part of a homeostatically controlled innate immune response to infection plays a critical role in limiting the propagation and transmission of respiratory pathogens. However, the prolonged induction of this immune response can lead to lung hyperinflammation, tissue damage, and respiratory failure. We hypothesized that tissues exposed to the constant threat of infection may constitutively express higher levels of antiviral effector proteins to reduce the need to activate potentially harmful innate immune defences. By analysing transcriptomic data derived from a range of human tissues, we identify lung tissue to express constitutively higher levels of antiviral effector genes relative to that of other mucosal and non-mucosal tissues. By using primary cell lines and the airways of rhesus macaques, we show the interferon-stimulated antiviral effector protein TRIM22 (TRIpartite Motif 22) to be constitutively expressed in the lung independently of viral infection or innate immune stimulation. These findings contrast with previous reports that have shown TRIM22 expression in laboratory-adapted cell lines to require interferon stimulation. We demonstrate that constitutive levels of TRIM22 are sufficient to inhibit the onset of human and avian influenza A virus (IAV) infection by restricting the onset of viral transcription independently of interferon-mediated innate immune defences. Thus, we identify TRIM22 to confer a pre-existing (intrinsic) intracellular defence against IAV infection in cells derived from the respiratory tract. Our data highlight the importance of tissue-specific and cell-type dependent patterns of pre-existing immune gene expression in the intracellular restriction of IAV from the outset of infection

Complementary genetic and genomic approaches help characterize the linkage group I seed protein QTL in soybean

Background: The nutritional and economic value of many crops is effectively a function of seed protein and oil content. Insight into the genetic and molecular control mechanisms involved in the deposition of these constituents in the developing seed is needed to guide crop improvement. A quantitative trait locus (QTL) on Linkage Group I (LG I) of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) has a striking effect on seed protein content. Results: A soybean near-isogenic line (NIL) pair contrasting in seed protein and differing in an introgressed genomic segment containing the LG I protein QTL was used as a resource to demarcate the QTL region and to study variation in transcript abundance in developing seed. The LG I QTL region was delineated to less than 8.4 Mbp of genomic sequence on chromosome 20. Using Affymetrix® Soy GeneChip and high-throughput Illumina® whole transcriptome sequencing platforms, 13 genes displaying significant seed transcript accumulation differences between NILs were identified that mapped to the 8.4 Mbp LG I protein QTL region. Conclusions: This study identifies gene candidates at the LG I protein QTL for potential involvement in the regulation of protein content in the soybean seed. The results demonstrate the power of complementary approaches to characterize contrasting NILs and provide genome-wide transcriptome insight towards understanding seed biology and the soybean genome

Distinct Binding and Immunogenic Properties of the Gonococcal Homologue of Meningococcal Factor H Binding Protein

Neisseria meningitidis is a leading cause of sepsis and meningitis. The bacterium recruits factor H (fH), a negative regulator of the complement system, to its surface via fH binding protein (fHbp), providing a mechanism to avoid complement-mediated killing. fHbp is an important antigen that elicits protective immunity against the meningococcus and has been divided into three different variant groups, V1, V2 and V3, or families A and B. However, immunisation with fHbp V1 does not result in cross-protection against V2 and V3 and vice versa. Furthermore, high affinity binding of fH could impair immune responses against fHbp. Here, we investigate a homologue of fHbp in Neisseria gonorrhoeae, designated as Gonococcal homologue of fHbp (Ghfp) which we show is a promising vaccine candidate for N. meningitidis. We demonstrate that Gfhp is not expressed on the surface of the gonococcus and, despite its high level of identity with fHbp, does not bind fH. Substitution of only two amino acids in Ghfp is sufficient to confer fH binding, while the corresponding residues in V3 fHbp are essential for high affinity fH binding. Furthermore, immune responses against Ghfp recognise V1, V2 and V3 fHbps expressed by a range of clinical isolates, and have serum bactericidal activity against N. meningitidis expressing fHbps from all variant groups