Session B6- Installation of Denil fishways and eel ladders at brownfield sites

EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc., the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council have successfully designed, permitted, and constructed Denil fishways and eel ladders at the Rising Sun Mills and Atlantic Mills Dams, the first and third dams on the Woonasquatucket River, a federally designated American Heritage River. The Woonasquatucket River has a number of low head dams from former industrial uses that prevent passage of diadromous fish. The fish ways at these two dams, combined with the two dam removals at Paragon Mills and Dyerville Dams, thesecond and fourth dams, opened over linear miles and 150 acres of habitat to diadromous fish, including American shad, blueback herring, alewife, and American eel. Providing fish passage at these two urban river settings presented numerous engineering and permitting challenges to address historical and archaeological considerations, contaminated sediment management, and state and federal regulatory requirements. Rising Sun Mills Dam and Atlantic Mills Dam are located adjacent to capped Brownfield sites, and the Denil fishways had to be designed to maintain the integrity of the Brownfield caps. Both fish ways required modifications to the existing dam structures after installation of cofferdams to address unknown conditions. The Rising Sun Mills fish way required modification to the deteriorated timber gate for the fishway exit channel and stabilization of the timber spillwayapron for construction of the fishway entrance. The spillwayabutment at Atlantic Mills Dam was found unstable and had to be replaced with a new concrete abutment between the spillway and the fishway exit channel. Both projects included design and installation of eel fish ways subsequent to completion of the Denil fishways. Solar panels were used to operate the attraction water pumps since there were no nearby power sources

Mapping genomic loci implicates genes and synaptic biology in schizophrenia

Schizophrenia has a heritability of 60-80%1, much of which is attributable to common risk alleles. Here, in a two-stage genome-wide association study of up to 76,755 individuals with schizophrenia and 243,649 control individuals, we report common variant associations at 287 distinct genomic loci. Associations were concentrated in genes that are expressed in excitatory and inhibitory neurons of the central nervous system, but not in other tissues or cell types. Using fine-mapping and functional genomic data, we identify 120 genes (106 protein-coding) that are likely to underpin associations at some of these loci, including 16 genes with credible causal non-synonymous or untranslated region variation. We also implicate fundamental processes related to neuronal function, including synaptic organization, differentiation and transmission. Fine-mapped candidates were enriched for genes associated with rare disruptive coding variants in people with schizophrenia, including the glutamate receptor subunit GRIN2A and transcription factor SP4, and were also enriched for genes implicated by such variants in neurodevelopmental disorders. We identify biological processes relevant to schizophrenia pathophysiology; show convergence of common and rare variant associations in schizophrenia and neurodevelopmental disorders; and provide a resource of prioritized genes and variants to advance mechanistic studies

Mapping genomic loci prioritises genes and implicates synaptic biology in schizophrenia

Schizophrenia has a heritability of 60–80%1, much of which is attributable to common risk alleles. Here, in a two-stage genome-wide association study of up to 76,755 individuals with schizophrenia and 243,649 control individuals, we report common variant associations at 287 distinct genomic loci. Associations were concentrated in genes that are expressed in excitatory and inhibitory neurons of the central nervous system, but not in other tissues or cell types. Using fine-mapping and functional genomic data, we identify 120 genes (106 protein-coding) that are likely to underpin associations at some of these loci, including 16 genes with credible causal non-synonymous or untranslated region variation. We also implicate fundamental processes related to neuronal function, including synaptic organization, differentiation and transmission. Fine-mapped candidates were enriched for genes associated with rare disruptive coding variants in people with schizophrenia, including the glutamate receptor subunit GRIN2A and transcription factor SP4, and were also enriched for genes implicated by such variants in neurodevelopmental disorders. We identify biological processes relevant to schizophrenia pathophysiology; show convergence of common and rare variant associations in schizophrenia and neurodevelopmental disorders; and provide a resource of prioritized genes and variants to advance mechanistic studies

Session B6- Dam removals in an urban setting

EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council have successfully designed, permitted, and removed Dyerville and Paragon Mills Dams, the second and fourth dams on the Woonasquatucket River, a federally designated American Heritage River. The Woonasquatucket River has a number of low head dams from former industrial uses that prevent passage of diadromous fish. Removal of these two dams, combined with the two fishways at Rising Sun Mills and Atlantic Mills Dams, the first and third dams, opened over 6 linear miles and 150 acres of habitat to diadromous fish, including American shad, blueback herring, alewife, and American eel. Providing fish passage at these two urban river settings presented numerous engineering and permitting challenges to address contaminated sediment management and state and federal regulatory requirements. Environmental investigations and engineering assessments were performed at each dam to address impacts on wetlands along the river and construction access issues. The assessments included hydraulic and hydrologic modeling; 30, 60 and 100 percent engineering designs; and local, state, and federal permitting applications. Contaminated sediment was found at Paragon Mills Dam, and the partial dam breach was designed to pass flood flow while maximizing the quantity of material that was stabilized in situ within the head pond. Cofferdam installation and control of water during dam removal and limited construction access between the mill buildings were the major challenges at Paragon Mills Dam. Dyerville Dam was a deteriorated timber crib dam with limited access through the Groden Center parking lot. Simple construction techniques were employed to minimize turbidity in the river and disturbance to the adjacent property and parking lot use during removal

Peer-mentored preparedness (PM-Prep): a new disaster preparedness program for adults living independently in the community.

The authors studied a health promotion program called PM-Prep (Peer-Mentored Prep), which was designed to improve disaster preparedness among adults living independently in the community. PM-Prep consists of four 2-hour classes co-taught by a health educator and peer-mentors. Adults were randomly assigned to an experimental arm or a wait-list control arm. Earthquake safety knowledge and preparedness supplies were assessed prior to the intervention and at 1 month after the intervention (N  =  82). Adults in the experimental arm significantly increased preparedness by 19 percentage points, from 56% to 75% completed (p < .0001), and improved their knowledge by 8 percentage points, from 79% to 87% correct (p  =  .001). This is the first peer-mentored, targeted, and tailored disaster preparedness program tested with this population

Peer-mentored preparedness (PM-Prep): a new disaster preparedness program for adults living independently in the community.

The authors studied a health promotion program called PM-Prep (Peer-Mentored Prep), which was designed to improve disaster preparedness among adults living independently in the community. PM-Prep consists of four 2-hour classes co-taught by a health educator and peer-mentors. Adults were randomly assigned to an experimental arm or a wait-list control arm. Earthquake safety knowledge and preparedness supplies were assessed prior to the intervention and at 1 month after the intervention (N  =  82). Adults in the experimental arm significantly increased preparedness by 19 percentage points, from 56% to 75% completed (p < .0001), and improved their knowledge by 8 percentage points, from 79% to 87% correct (p  =  .001). This is the first peer-mentored, targeted, and tailored disaster preparedness program tested with this population

Targeting pCO(2) in asthma : pilot evaluation of a capnometry-assisted breathing training

OBJECTIVES: This pilot study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and potential benefits of a novel biofeedback breathing training for achieving sustained increases in pCO(2) levels. METHODS: Twelve asthma patients were randomly assigned to an immediate 4-week treatment group or waiting list control. Patients were instructed to modify their respiration in order to change levels of end-tidal pCO(2) using a hand-held capnometer. Treatment outcome was assessed in frequency and distress of symptoms, asthma control, lung function, and variability of peak expiratory flow (PEF). RESULTS: We found stable increases in pCO(2) and reductions in respiration rate during treatment and 2-month follow-up. Mean pCO(2) levels rose from a hypocapnic to a normocapnic range at follow-up. Frequency and distress of symptoms was reduced and reported asthma control increased. In addition, mean PEF variability decreased significantly in the treatment group. CONCLUSIONS: Our pilot intervention provided evidence for the feasibility of pCO(2)-biofeedback training in asthma patients

An Economic Analysis of the Gap Between Desired and Actual Fertility: The Case of Spain

Fertility, Desired number of children, Unemployment, Short-term contracts, Religion, J13, J2, J6, Z13,