Past, present, and future water quality in Lake Union/Ship Canal, Elliott Bay, and the Duwamish Estuary and the benefits of combined sewer overflow control and other projects

To help protect regional water quality, in 2012 King County initiated a study to review the impacts of combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and other sources of pollution to inform the region of the benefits of CSO control. King County’s Water Quality Assessment and Monitoring Study (Study) explored water quality in Lake Union/Ship Canal, Elliott Bay, and the Duwamish Estuary, where the County is planning projects to reduce the frequency of CSOs to an average of one untreated overflow per site per year over a 20-year moving average. Reducing CSO frequency to this degree is known as CSO “control” and is required by the terms of King County’s CSO consent decree and by Washington State requirements. Uncontrolled CSOs contribute about 85 percent of the annual fecal bacteria load to the waterbodies. Control of CSOs by 2030 is projected to reduce the total load by about 80 percent. The largest annual loads of copper are from leaching from antifouling vessel paint and stormwater discharges. Washington State laws to reduce copper in these products is projected to reduce copper loading by about 50 percent by 2030. The largest annual loads of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are from leaching from creosote-treated pilings. Piling removal is projected to reduce PAH loads by 30 percent by 2030. Direct stormwater discharges and upstream sources are the predominant loading pathways for other contaminants studied. Annual load reductions of less than 10 percent were projected by 2030 for the other contaminants. The Study demonstrates that CSO control will substantial improve bacteria levels in the waterbodies, but that additional water quality improvement projects are needed to meet surface water quality standards for other contaminants

Investigating special guardianship : experiences, challenges and outcomes

Special guardianship is overwhelmingly used for children, predominantly young children, living with relatives or family friends (mostly grandparents or aunts and uncles). Its location within kinship care is the most marked difference with adoption. In excess of 13,000 special guardianship orders were made within the study period. Almost two-thirds of children were reported to have been at risk of abuse or neglect (63.5 per cent)

Spread of Hepatitis C Virus among European Injection Drug Users Infected with HIV: A Phylogenetic Analysis

To describe the spread of hepatitis C virus (HCV) among HCV/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-coinfected injection drug users (IDUs), the molecular epidemiology of HCV was studied among 108 IDUs from 7 European countries. Phylogenetic analysis based on the NS5B region showed great sequence variation of HCV within each country and no clear phylogenetic clustering by geographic region. The most prevalent subtypes were 1a and 3a, but the percentage of genotype 4 was also relatively high, ranging from 7% in northern Europe to 24% in southern Europe. Genotype 4 consisted mainly of subtype 4d and has entered the majority of the IDU populations studied. The significantly lower evolutionary distances within subtype 4d suggest that this subtype may have entered the European IDU population relatively recently. In conclusion, HCV exchange between European IDU populations has occurred on a large scale, and, overall, country-specific clustering for HCV was less than that shown for HI

Genomic prediction in a multiploid crop: genotype by environment interaction and allele dosage effects on predictive ability in banana

Open Access Journal; Published online: 2 March 2018Improving the efficiency of selection in conventional crossbreeding is a major priority in banana (Musa spp.) breeding. Routine application of classical marker assisted selection (MAS) is lagging in banana due to limitations in MAS tools. Genomic selection (GS) based on genomic prediction models can address some limitations of classical MAS, but the use of GS in banana has not been reported to date. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive ability of six genomic prediction models for 15 traits in a multi-ploidy training population. The population consisted of 307 banana genotypes phenotyped under low and high input field management conditions for two crop cycles. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers used to fit the models were obtained from genotyping by sequencing (GBS) data. Models that account for additive genetic effects provided better predictions with 12 out of 15 traits. The performance of BayesB model was superior to other models particularly on fruit filling and fruit bunch traits. Models that included averaged environment data were more robust in trait prediction even with a reduced number of markers. Accounting for allele dosage in SNP markers (AD-SNP) reduced predictive ability relative to traditional bi-allelic SNP (BA-SNP), but the prediction trend remained the same across traits. The high predictive values (0.47– 0.75) of fruit filling and fruit bunch traits show the potential of genomic prediction to increase selection efficiency in banana breeding

The Digital MIQE Guidelines Update: Minimum Information for Publication of Quantitative Digital PCR Experiments for 2020

Digital PCR (dPCR) has developed considerably since the publication of the Minimum Information for Publication of Digital PCR Experiments (dMIQE) guidelines in 2013, with advances in instrumentation, software, applications, and our understanding of its technological potential. Yet these developments also have associated challenges; data analysis steps, including threshold setting, can be difficult and preanalytical steps required to purify, concentrate, and modify nucleic acids can lead to measurement error. To assist independent corroboration of conclusions, comprehensive disclosure of all relevant experimental details is required. To support the community and reflect the growing use of dPCR, we present an update to dMIQE, dMIQE2020, including a simplified dMIQE table format to assist researchers in providing key experimental information and understanding of the associated experimental process. Adoption of dMIQE2020 by the scientific community will assist in standardizing experimental protocols, maximize efficient utilization of resources, and further enhance the impact of this powerful technology

Insights into the Musa genome: Syntenic relationships to rice and between Musa species

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Musa </it>species (Zingiberaceae, Zingiberales) including bananas and plantains are collectively the fourth most important crop in developing countries. Knowledge concerning <it>Musa </it>genome structure and the origin of distinct cultivars has greatly increased over the last few years. Until now, however, no large-scale analyses of <it>Musa </it>genomic sequence have been conducted. This study compares genomic sequence in two <it>Musa </it>species with orthologous regions in the rice genome.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We produced 1.4 Mb of <it>Musa </it>sequence from 13 BAC clones, annotated and analyzed them along with 4 previously sequenced BACs. The 443 predicted genes revealed that Zingiberales genes share GC content and distribution characteristics with eudicot and Poaceae genomes. Comparison with rice revealed microsynteny regions that have persisted since the divergence of the Commelinid orders Poales and Zingiberales at least 117 Mya. The previously hypothesized large-scale duplication event in the common ancestor of major cereal lineages within the Poaceae was verified. The divergence time distributions for <it>Musa</it>-Zingiber (Zingiberaceae, Zingiberales) orthologs and paralogs provide strong evidence for a large-scale duplication event in the <it>Musa </it>lineage after its divergence from the Zingiberaceae approximately 61 Mya. Comparisons of genomic regions from <it>M. acuminata </it>and <it>M. balbisiana </it>revealed highly conserved genome structure, and indicated that these genomes diverged circa 4.6 Mya.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results point to the utility of comparative analyses between distantly-related monocot species such as rice and <it>Musa </it>for improving our understanding of monocot genome evolution. Sequencing the genome of <it>M. acuminata </it>would provide a strong foundation for comparative genomics in the monocots. In addition a genome sequence would aid genomic and genetic analyses of cultivated <it>Musa </it>polyploid genotypes in research aimed at localizing and cloning genes controlling important agronomic traits for breeding purposes.</p

Strategies for Fixing Puget Sound’s Stormwater Problem

Stormwater is one of the biggest threats to Puget Sound. King County was awarded a Puget Sound Watershed Management Assistance Program FY 2009 grant of $999,981 by Region 10 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to conduct estimate the numbers of different types of stormwater facilities, and their costs, needed to restore stream flows in a Puget Sound watershed. Partners included the University of Washington, the Cities of Auburn, Covington, and SeaTac, and the Washington State Department of Ecology. The study area covers 278 square miles of the Green/Duwamish watershed and portions of the Central Puget Sound watershed that comprise Water Resources Inventory Area 9, excluding the areas upstream of the Howard Hanson Dam and the city of Seattle. The project estimated the number of different types of facilities needed to restore streams throughout the project area. This project coupled the watershed hydrology model, with a relatively new stormwater BMP modeling and planning tool developed by the U.S. EPA, to estimate stormwater facility needs and costs. The number of existing facilities was found to be small relative to the estimated need. The fraction of facilities to be built as mitigation associated with new or redevelopment by 2040 was estimated. Uncertainties from climate change impacts on precipitation patters were assessed. Public and private capital and operating costs were estimated under different mitigation strategies. Critical policy considerations for defining a strategy for reducing stormwater impacts include • The trade-off between the environmental benefit of stormwater mitigation associated with new and redevelopment and the private cost of building these facilities, • The trade-off between the environmental benefits of a robust public retrofit program to address stormwater issues that might be otherwise privately mitigated during redevelopment in the distant future, • The apparent need for public investment in stormwater treatment for roads and highways, • The large increase in operation and maintenance programs for public facilities, • The large increase in the public program required to inspect private facilities, and take enforcement actions as necessary, • The need for substantial expansion of public funding for stormwater facilities, including the possible creation of new funding mechanisms

Fostering unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people : creating a family life across a “world of difference"

Unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people form a small but significant part of the UK looked after children population. Their circumstances and needs are complex and as a group they require careful and sensitive assessment, planning and placement. Foster carers are at the heart of this task, providing family care against a background of uncertainty, anxiety and potential risk. How do the young people and foster carers build relationships? How do local authorities address the challenge of caring for unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people? And do their actions result in successful integration into UK society of these young people, or continuing problems? This research study details and examines the results of a census survey of four local authorities, collectively looking after over 2000 unaccompanied young people. Postal surveys and interviews were undertaken with a number of foster carers and young people to identify their experiences in placements, and a policy and practice study included focus groups to gather the views of social workers, young people and key stakeholders. The results of this extensive study reveal ongoing changes in the way in which unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people are looked after and the main features of the fostering task, insights into how young people and foster carers felt about their placements, and key implications for policy and practice