Evaluating Alternative Hydraulic Solutions to Limit Nutrient Contamination of an Aquifer in Southern California Read More: http://ascelibrary.org/doi/abs/10.1061/9780784412312.009

Many small communities depend on groundwater sources for drinking water and they often use septic tanks for wastewater treatment and disposal. Nitrate and other pollutants leaking from poorly designed septic tank systems can percolate to the aquifers and alter quality of the groundwater. This study describes a groundwater model developed using Visual MODFLOW for an aquifer that is used as a water supply source for the communities of Beaumont and Cherry Valley, CA. The aquifer has been contaminated by nitrates leaking from septic tank systems. The model will assist in clarifying the extent of interactions between nitrate pollutants, percolation from a recently established series of artificial recharge ponds, natural groundwater recharge, and production wells. The primary objective of the study is to evaluate alternative hydraulic solutions that would limit the movement of contaminants and minimize the risk of polluting production wells. The study will identify artificial recharge scenarios that would limit movement of the nitrates so that polluted waters may be remediated in the future, rather than allowed to encroach on critical production wells or forced away from production wells to become a problem for future generations or neighboring areas. The data needed to build the model including geological logs, aquifer properties, hydrologic data, well locations, pumping schedules, water levels and septic tank density have been collected from various sources. The groundwater model is calibrated to accurately simulate observed groundwater levels and the extent of pollution corresponding to historical pumping rates, recharge rates and climate. The calibrated model is used to evaluate alternative hydraulic solutions that would localize the nitrate pollutions thus limiting impact on public welfare

Dominance and G×E interaction effects improvegenomic prediction and genetic gain inintermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrumintermedium)

Genomic selection (GS) based recurrent selection methods were developed to accelerate the domestication of intermediate wheatgrass [IWG, Thinopyrum intermedium (Host) Barkworth & D.R. Dewey]. A subset of the breeding population phenotyped at multiple environments is used to train GS models and then predict trait values of the breeding population. In this study, we implemented several GS models that investigated the use of additive and dominance effects and G×E interaction effects to understand how they affected trait predictions in intermediate wheatgrass. We evaluated 451 genotypes from the University of Minnesota IWG breeding program for nine agronomic and domestication traits at two Minnesota locations during 2017–2018. Genet-mean based heritabilities for these traits ranged from 0.34 to 0.77. Using fourfold cross validation, we observed the highest predictive abilities (correlation of 0.67) in models that considered G×E effects. When G×E effects were fitted in GS models, trait predictions improved by 18%, 15%, 20%, and 23% for yield, spike weight, spike length, and free threshing, respectively. Genomic selection models with dominance effects showed only modest increases of up to 3% and were trait-dependent. Crossenvironment predictions were better for high heritability traits such as spike length, shatter resistance, free threshing, grain weight, and seed length than traits with low heritability and large environmental variance such as spike weight, grain yield, and seed width. Our results confirm that GS can accelerate IWG domestication by increasing genetic gain per breeding cycle and assist in selection of genotypes with promise of better performance in diverse environments

"I am nothing": experiences of loss among women suffering from severe birth injuries in Tanzania

\ud Despite the increased attention on maternal mortality during recent decades, which has resulted in maternal health being defined as a Millennium Development Goal (MDG), the disability and suffering from obstetric fistula remains a neglected issue in global health. Continuous leaking of urine and the physical, emotional and social suffering associated with it, has a profound impact on women's quality of life. This study seeks to explore the physical, cultural and psychological dimensions of living with obstetric fistula, and demonstrate how these experiences shape the identities of women affected by the condition. A cross-sectional study with qualitative and quantitative components was used to explore the experiences of Tanzanian women living with obstetric fistula and those of their husbands. The study was conducted at the Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation Tanzania hospital in Dar es Salaam, Bugando Medical Centre in Mwanza, and Mpwapwa district, in Dodoma region. Conveniently selected samples of 16 women were interviewed, and 151 additional women responded to a questionnaire. In addition, 12 women affected by obstetric fistula and six husbands of these affected women participated in a focus group discussions. Data were analysed using content data analysis framework and statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 15 for Microsoft windows. The study revealed a deep sense of loss. Loss of body control, loss of the social roles as women and wives, loss of integration in social life, and loss of dignity and self-worth were located at the core of these experiences. The women living with obstetric fistula experience a deep sense of loss that had negative impact on their identity and quality of life. Acknowledging affected women's real-life experiences is important in order to understand the occurrence and management of obstetric fistula, as well as prospects after treatment. This knowledge will help to improve women's sense of self-worth and maintain their identity as women, wives, friends and community members. Educational programmes to empower women socially and economically and counselling of families of women living with obstetric fistula may help these women receive medical and social support that is necessary.\u

Estimating the prevalence of obstetric fistula: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Obstetric fistula is a severe condition which has devastating consequences for a woman's life. The estimation of the burden of fistula at the population level has been impaired by the rarity of diagnosis and the lack of rigorous studies. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and incidence of fistula in low and middle income countries. METHODS: Six databases were searched, involving two separate searches: one on fistula specifically and one on broader maternal and reproductive morbidities. Studies including estimates of incidence and prevalence of fistula at the population level were included. We conducted meta-analyses of prevalence of fistula among women of reproductive age and the incidence of fistula among recently pregnant women. RESULTS: Nineteen studies were included in this review. The pooled prevalence in population-based studies was 0.29 (95% CI 0.00, 1.07) fistula per 1000 women of reproductive age in all regions. Separated by region we found 1.57 (95% CI 1.16, 2.06) in sub Saharan Africa and South Asia, 1.60 (95% CI 1.16, 2.10) per 1000 women of reproductive age in sub Saharan Africa and 1.20 (95% CI 0.10, 3.54) per 1000 in South Asia. The pooled incidence was 0.09 (95% CI 0.01, 0.25) per 1000 recently pregnant women. CONCLUSIONS: Our study is the most comprehensive study of the burden of fistula to date. Our findings suggest that the prevalence of fistula is lower than previously reported. The low burden of fistula should not detract from their public health importance, however, given the preventability of the condition, and the devastating consequences of fistula

Predictors and outcome of surgical repair of obstetric fistula at a regional referral hospital, Mbarara, western Uganda

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Obstetric fistula although virtually eliminated in high income countries, still remains a prevalent and debilitating condition in many parts of the developing world. It occurs in areas where access to care at childbirth is limited, or of poor quality and where few hospitals offer the necessary corrective surgery.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This was a prospective observational study where all women who attended Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital in western Uganda with obstetric fistula during the study period were assessed pre-operatively for social demographics, fistula characteristics, classification and outcomes after surgery. Assessment for fistula closure and stress incontinence after surgery was done using a dye test before discharge</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the 77 women who were recruited in this study, 60 (77.9%) had successful closure of their fistulae. Unsuccessful fistula closure was significantly associated with large fistula size (Odds Ratio 6 95% Confidential interval 1.46-24.63), circumferential fistulae (Odds ratio 9.33 95% Confidential interval 2.23-39.12) and moderate to severe vaginal scarring (Odds ratio 12.24 95% Confidential interval 1.52-98.30). Vaginal scarring was the only factor independently associated with unsuccessful fistula repair (Odds ratio 10 95% confidential interval 1.12-100.57). Residual stress incontinence after successful fistula closure was associated with type IIb fistulae (Odds ratio 5.56 95% Confidential interval 1.34-23.02), circumferential fistulae (Odds ratio 10.5 95% Confidential interval 1.39-79.13) and previous unsuccessful fistula repair (Odds ratio 4.8 95% Confidential interval 1.27-18.11). Independent predictors for residual stress incontinence after successful fistula closure were urethral involvement (Odds Ratio 4.024 95% Confidential interval 2.77-5.83) and previous unsuccessful fistula repair (Odds ratio 38.69 95% Confidential interval 2.13-703.88).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study demonstrated that large fistula size, circumferential fistulae and marked vaginal scarring are predictors for unsuccessful fistula repair while predictors for residual stress incontinence after successful fistula closure were urethral involvement, circumferential fistulae and previous unsuccessful fistula repair.</p

A sorghum practical haplotype graph facilitates genome‐wide imputation and cost‐effective genomic prediction

Successful management and utilization of increasingly large genomic datasets is essential for breeding programs to accelerate cultivar development. To help with this, we developed a Sorghum bicolor Practical Haplotype Graph (PHG) pangenome database that stores haplotypes and variant information. We developed two PHGs in sorghum that were used to identify genome-wide variants for 24 founders of the Chibas sorghum breeding program from 0.01x sequence coverage. The PHG called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with 5.9% error at 0.01x coverage—only 3% higher than PHG error when calling SNPs from 8x coverage sequence. Additionally, 207 progenies from the Chibas genomic selection (GS) training population were sequenced and processed through the PHG. Missing genotypes were imputed from PHG parental haplotypes and used for genomic prediction. Mean prediction accuracies with PHG SNP calls range from .57–.73 and are similar to prediction accuracies obtained with genotyping-by-sequencing or targeted amplicon sequencing (rhAmpSeq) markers. This study demonstrates the use of a sorghum PHG to impute SNPs from low-coverage sequence data and shows that the PHG can unify genotype calls across multiple sequencing platforms. By reducing input sequence requirements, the PHG can decrease the cost of genotyping, make GS more feasible, and facilitate larger breeding populations. Our results demonstrate that the PHG is a useful research and breeding tool that maintains variant information from a diverse group of taxa, stores sequence data in a condensed but readily accessible format, unifies genotypes across genotyping platforms, and provides a cost-effective option for genomic selection

Selection of Evolutionary Multicriteria Strategies: Application in Designing a Regional Water Restoration Management Plan

Sustainability of water resources has become a challenging problem worldwide, as the pollution levels of natural water resources (particularly of rivers) have increased drastically in the last decades. Nowadays, there are many Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) technologies that provide different levels of efficiency in the removal of water pollutants, leading to a great number of combinations of different measures (PoM) or strategies. The management problem, then, involves finding which of these combinations are efficient, regarding the desired objectives (cost and quality). Therefore, decisions affecting water resources require the application of multi-objective optimization techniques which will lead to a set of tradeoff solutions, none of which is better or worse than the others, but, rather, the final decision must be one particular PoM including representative features of the whole set of solutions. Besides, there is not a universally accepted standard way to assess the water quality of a river. In order to consider simultaneously all these issues, we present in this work a hydroinformatics management tool, designed to help decision makers with the selection of a PoM that satisfies the WFD objectives. Our approach combines: 1) a Water Quality Model (WQM), devised to simulate the effects of each PoM used to reduce pollution pressures on the hydrologic network; 2) a Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithm (MOEA), used to identify efficient tradeoffs between PoMs’ costs and water quality; and 3) visualization of the Pareto optimal set, in order to extract knowledge from optimal decisions in a usable form. We have applied our methodology in a real scenario, the inner Catalan watersheds with promising results

Assessment of evolutionary algorithms for optimal operating rules design in real Water Resource Systems

Two evolutionary algorithms (EAs) are assessed in this paper to design optimal operating rules (ORs) for Water Resource Systems (WRS). The assessment is established through a parameter analysis of both algorithms in a theoretical case, and the methodology described in this paper is applied to a complex, real case. These two applications allow us to analyse an algorithm's properties and performance by defining ORs, how an algorithm's termination/convergence criteria affect the results and the importance of decision-makers participating in the optimisation process. The former analysis reflects the need for correctly defining the important algorithm parameters to ensure an optimal result and how the greater number of termination conditions makes the algorithm an efficient tool for obtaining optimal ORs in less time. Finally, in the complex real case application, we discuss the participation value of decision-makers toward correctly defining the objectives and making decisions in the post-process. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.[EN]The authors wish to thank the University of Cagliari (Sardinia) and the Basin Agency of Sardinia for the data provided in the development of this study, as well as the Autonomous Region of Sardinia for funding the research project CRP 2_716. Thanks are also due to the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Comision Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnologia, CICYT) for funding the projects NUTEGES (VI Plan Nacional de I+D-Ei 2008-2011, CGL2012-34978) and SCARCE (program Consolider-Ingenio 2010, project CSD2009-00065). The authors also thank the European Commission (Directorate-General for Research and Innovation) for funding the projects DROUGHT-R&SPI (program FP7-ENV-2011, project 282769), SIRIUS (FP7-SPACE-2010-1, project 262902), LIFE ALBUFERA project (LIFE12 ENV/ES/000685) and WAMCD project (EC-DG Environment No. 07.0329/2013/671291/SUB/ENV.C.1).Lerma Elvira, N.; Paredes Arquiola, J.; Andreu Álvarez, J.; Solera Solera, A.; Sechi, GM. (2015). Assessment of evolutionary algorithms for optimal operating rules design in real Water Resource Systems. Environmental Modelling and Software. 69:425-436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2014.09.024S4254366

Insights from birthing experiences of fistula survivors in North-central Nigeria: Interplay of structural violence

Obstetric Fistula is an abnormal opening between the vagina and rectum resulting from prolonged and obstructed labour. Studies indicate that delays in accessing maternal care and home birth contribute to the development of fistula. Survivors are usually women of low socioeconomic status residing in rural locations. This study explores the birthing experiences of 15 fistula survivors through a narrative inquiry approach at a repair centre in North-central Nigeria. Using structural violence as a lens, it describes the role of social, political and health systems in the inequitable access to care for women. For women opting for home births, preference for home delivery was mainly due to lack of finances, poor health systems and cultural practices. Rural location inhibited access as, women seeking facility delivery faced transfer delays to referral centres when complications developed. Inequitable maternal health services in rural locations in Nigeria are inherently linked to access to health care; and these contribute to the increased incidences of fistulae. Structural intervention is a health policy priority to address poor health systems and achieve universal health coverage to address maternal health issues in Nigeria