Mitigating Urban Wetland Impacts on Downstream Water Resources

Proceedings of the 2011 Georgia Water Resources Conference, April 11, 12, and 13, 2011, Athens, Georgia.Wetlands in older urban areas have often been integrated into stormwater management systems and exhibit severe degradation from receiving decades of untreated and uncontrolled urban runoff. Vegetative diversity is often poor and dominated by a few hardy species such as cattail (Typha latifolia) or reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea). These wetlands may also be affected by legacy impacts from agricultural uses that predate the urban development. Heavily impacted urban wetlands can become nutrient exporters, potentially degrading downstream water resources. Wetland 639W in Crystal, Minnesota, lies just upstream of Upper Twin Lake, which is an Impaired Water (EPA 303(d) list) for excess nutrients. The wetland receives stormwater from a 1,010 acre urban watershed. The concentration of total phosphorus at the wetland outlet is roughly double the concentration at the wetland inlet, indicating the wetland is exporting phosphorus. Evapotranspiration by the dense cattail stands in the wetland basin significantly draws down surficial groundwater levels during the summer growing months, speeding soil mineralization and leaving the soil surface friable. Sheet flow over the wetland during storm events releases dissolved phosphorus from the mineralized soil and detaches and mobilizes soil particles and plant detritus. In winter 2010-2011 the City of Crystal will modify the wetland outlet to limit outflow and restore a more natural wetland hydrology. This will reduce the periods of extended soil dryness and limit the direct discharge of phosphorus during smaller storm events. An upstream weir and overflow channel will provide a bypass for overflow and higher flows. The project is expected to reduce phosphorus export by an average 300 pounds per year.Sponsored by: Georgia Environmental Protection Division U.S. Geological Survey, Georgia Water Science Center U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia Water Resources Institute The University of Georgia, Water Resources FacultyThis book was published by Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602-2152. The views and statements advanced in this publication are solely those of the authors and do not represent official views or policies of The University of Georgia, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Georgia Water Research Institute as authorized by the Water Research Institutes Authorization Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-307) or the other conference sponsors

Minimal methylation classifier (MIMIC): A novel method for derivation and rapid diagnostic detection of disease-associated DNA methylation signatures

Rapid and reliable detection of disease-associated DNA methylation patterns has major potential to advance molecular diagnostics and underpin research investigations. We describe the development and validation of minimal methylation classifier (MIMIC), combining CpG signature design from genome-wide datasets, multiplex-PCR and detection by single-base extension and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, in a novel method to assess multi-locus DNA methylation profiles within routine clinically-applicable assays. We illustrate the application of MIMIC to successfully identify the methylation-dependent diagnostic molecular subgroups of medulloblastoma (the most common malignant childhood brain tumour), using scant/low-quality samples remaining from the most recently completed pan-European medulloblastoma clinical trial, refractory to analysis by conventional genome-wide DNA methylation analysis. Using this approach, we identify critical DNA methylation patterns from previously inaccessible cohorts, and reveal novel survival differences between the medulloblastoma disease subgroups with significant potential for clinical exploitation

City of Eden Prairie, MN Pond Inventory and Maintenance Assessment

Proceedings of the 2011 Georgia Water Resources Conference, April 11, 12, and 13, 2011, Athens, Georgia.The City of Eden Prairie, MN (population 62,409) is a suburb of Minneapolis with an area of approximately 12 square miles. The City’s stormwater system consists of approximately 950 water bodies; including constructed stormwater ponds, wetlands, lakes, infiltration BMPs and creek segments. The next step in the City’s stormwater program is to ensure adequate maintenance of the constructed ponds, infiltration BMPs and wetlands that are either City-owned, under a drainage easement, receive public drainage or are within City rightof- way. The City selected Wenck Associates, Inc. (Wenck) to evaluate 180 water bodies in a portion of the Staring Lake watershed. (The remaining water bodies will be evaluated in subsequent phases.) Wenck spent 2010 reviewing construction records and conducting visual inspections and sedimentation surveys. Wenck collected data using a survey-grade subcentimeter GPS unit to complete bathymetric surveys of the basins; estimate accumulated sediment depth and percent coverage by aquatic vegetation; determine the water surface elevation; and establish basin outlet/overflow data. Data from the survey is being used to determine sedimentation, pollutant removal effectiveness, and, ultimately, which basins need sediment removal. The loadbased removal efficiency will be calculated and compared to NURP design standards. Maintenance will be prioritized by degree of sedimentation, proximity to public waters, potential water quality benefits and budget available. The final phase of the project will include a watershed- wide P8 model and a lake-response model for Staring Lake. The removal efficiency analysis may show that maintenance of individual water bodies is necessary; however, the P8 and lake-response models may show that the system adequately protects Staring Lake even though maintenance is needed. The final report (March 2011) will document methodology, analysis, results, and cost considerations for the recommended maintenance activities.Sponsored by: Georgia Environmental Protection Division U.S. Geological Survey, Georgia Water Science Center U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia Water Resources Institute The University of Georgia, Water Resources FacultyThis book was published by Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602-2152. The views and statements advanced in this publication are solely those of the authors and do not represent official views or policies of The University of Georgia, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Georgia Water Research Institute as authorized by the Water Research Institutes Authorization Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-307) or the other conference sponsors

A Stream Restoration Plan for the City of Davenport

Proceedings of the 2011 Georgia Water Resources Conference, April 11, 12, and 13, 2011, Athens, Georgia.The City of Davenport, Iowa, is drained by two major stream systems - Duck Creek and Blackhawk Creek – and a network of smaller streams and open channels. As urbanization increases these streams are experiencing significant and continued erosion due to extreme swings in storm flows. These flows have caused stream bank failures and channel head cutting, resulting in sediment and brush in the channel, loss of park land and residential property, threats to infrastructure such as park trails, and bridge and culvert plugging. It is expected that future water quality impairments such as turbidity and biotic impairment in the creeks will have to be addressed by the City as the MS4 permit holder. Davenport is located in the eastern side of Iowa on the Mississippi River in the Quad Cities area, which has a combined population of about 380,000. This project developed a stream restoration plan for 18 miles of public and private stream channel using standardized construction details to develop construction level plans and project priorities for the entire channel length. The project was completed using a rapid visual assessment of all channel reaches. The channels were walked by a team who recorded conditions and estimated channel bank recession rate according to a method developed by the Natural Resource Conservation Service. The team compiled a photographic record and field records of proposed remedial actions. At selected locations, a Rosgen Bank Erosion Hazard Index was calculated, bank pins and channel chains were installed and a cross section measured using a GPS unit. A hydrologic/ hydraulic model was also constructed using the EPA SWMM model to estimate channel velocities and shear stress and to assist in developing planning standards for undeveloped land.Sponsored by: Georgia Environmental Protection Division U.S. Geological Survey, Georgia Water Science Center U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia Water Resources Institute The University of Georgia, Water Resources FacultyThis book was published by Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602-2152. The views and statements advanced in this publication are solely those of the authors and do not represent official views or policies of The University of Georgia, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Georgia Water Research Institute as authorized by the Water Research Institutes Authorization Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-307) or the other conference sponsors

Le Village suisse comme modèle d'urbanisme

This chapter introduces systems biology, its context, aims, concepts and strategies. It then describes approaches and methods used for collection of high-dimensional structural and functional genomics data, including epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics and lipidomics, and how recent technological advances in these fields have moved the bottleneck from data production to data analysis and bioinformatics. Finally, the most advanced mathematical and computational methods used for clustering, feature selection, prediction analysis, text mining and pathway analysis in functional genomics and systems biology are reviewed and discussed in the context of use cases

Study of the Radical vs. Conservative Surgical Treatment of the Hepatic Hydatid Cyst: A 10-Year Experience

The hepatic hydatid cyst is a major health problem in endemic areas. Surgery is still the best choice for the treatment of hydatid cyst of the liver. There is controversy regarding efficacy of radical versus conservative surgical approaches. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the two surgical methods in patients treated for the hepatic hydatid cyst. This is a retrospective review of the medical records of 135 patients who underwent surgery for the hepatic hydatid cyst from 1993 to 2003. Surgery comprised conservative methods (evacuation of the cyst content and excision of the inner cyst layers) and radical methods (total excision of the cyst and removal of its outer layer). One hundred thirty five patients underwent liver surgery. Conservative surgery was performed for 71 (53%), whereas, the remaining 64 patients (47%) underwent radical surgery. Local recurrence rate of the cysts was lower in the radical versus conservative surgery group and the mean length of hospital stay was shorter in the radical surgery group. Radical surgery of the hepatic hydatid cyst may be the preferred treatment because of its low rate of local recurrence, as well as short hospital stay