Recent development in antimicrobial activity of biopolymer-inorganic nanoparticle composites with water disinfection potential: a comprehensive review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Nowadays, water-borne diseases including hepatitis remain the critical health challenge due to the inadequate supply of potable and safe water for...     

Rapid interphase analysis for prenatal diagnosis of translocation carriers using subtelomeric probes

Interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) has become an accepted laboratory technique for the rapid and preliminary prenatal assessment of chromosome aneuploidy. The introduction of subtelomeric FISH probes now allows for the molecular–cytogenetic analysis of terminal chromosome rearrangements. In a prospective study, we examined the prenatal use of subtelomeric probes on interphase cells to rapidly detect the carrier status of a fetus when a parent carried a known reciprocal or Robertsonian chromosome translocation. Three of the cases were identified as being abnormal. All cases were confirmed by routine cytogenetic analysis. These findings clearly demonstrated the utility of this technique and these probes to rapidly and correctly identify balanced and unbalanced chromosome anomalies of a fetus that could result from parental translocations. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Utility terrestrial biodiversity issues

Results from a survey of power utility biologists indicate that terrestrial biodiversity is considered a major issue by only a few utilities; however, a majority believe it may be a future issue. Over half of the respondents indicated that their company is involved in some management for biodiversity, and nearly all feel that it should be a goal for resource management. Only a few utilities are funding biodiversity research, but a majority felt more research was needed. Generally, larger utilities with extensive land holdings had greater opportunities and resources for biodiversity management. Biodiversity will most likely be a concern with transmission rights-of-way construction and maintenance, endangered species issues and general land resource management, including mining reclamation and hydro relicensing commitments. Over half of the companies surveyed have established voluntary partnerships with management groups, and biodiversity is a goal in nearly all the joint projects. Endangered species management and protection, prevention of forest fragmentation, wetland protection, and habitat creation and protection are the most common partnerships involving utility companies. Common management practices and unique approaches are presented, along with details of the survey.     

A Watershed Approach to Improve Water Quality: Case Study of Clean Water Services’ Tualatin River Program1

Cochran, Bobby and Charles Logue, 2011. A Watershed Approach to Improve Water Quality: Case Study of Clean Water Services’ Tualatin River Program. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 47(1):29‐38. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2010.00491.x Abstract: Over the last five years, Clean Water Services developed and implemented a program to offset thermal load discharged from its wastewater facilities to the Tualatin River by planting trees to shade streams and augmenting summertime instream flows. The program has overcome challenges facing many of the nation’s water quality trading programs to not only gain consensus on the frameworks needed to authorize trading, but also provide a broad range of ecosystem services. This paper compares the Tualatin case study with some of the commonly cited factors of successful trading programs.     

THE ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY OF DUAL PURPOSE NUCLEAR DESALINATION OF GROUND WATER1

ABSTRACT: The economic feasibility of a large scale dual purpose (desalting water and power production) facility were evaluated. Although a site in the Tularosa basin of southern New Mexico was chosen as a case study for this analysis, it is believed that the approach and consequential results would be applicable to alternative sites in the Southwest. The basic project evaluated included: a) a ground water well field; b) a dual purpose, nuclear, desalination plant; c) a mineral recovery plant; and d) a reservoir for recreation and irrigation storage. Principle project outputs included electrical power, minerals, recreation, and water for either irrigated agricultural production or export to an adjoining river basin. Two alternative project designs were developed for detailed analysis. The first alternative encompassed all major project components. The results, in discounted net values used to assess the feasibility of the project, were essentially negative; that is, values were less than zero for full scale development. The net benefits ranged from $-986.57 million at a 5 percent discount rate, to $-1,137.528 million at a discount rate of 10 percent. In the second alternative, exportation of the desalted water from the Tularosa basin to two adjacent rivers was analyzed with somewhat better net benefits, ranging from $-382,527 million to $-478,612 million at the 5 and 10 percent discount rates.     

POSSIBLE DIVERSION OF MISSISSIPPI RIVER WATER TO TEXAS AND NEW MEXICO1

ABSTRACT .A summary is presented of remarks made at a conference held at Louisiana Tech University on the possibility of diverting some of the Mississippi River water to Texas and New Mexico. The Texas Water Plan which has initiated the diversion possibility is discussed and particular reference is made to the activities of the federal and state agencies directly responsible for determining various aspects of the diversion study. These agencies include the Texas Water Development Board, Texas Water Quality Board, Louisiana Department of Public Works, State Engineer's Office of New Mexico, Mississippi River Commission, and the Bureau of Reclamation.     

Comparing land change from shale gas infrastructure development in neighboring Utica and Marcellus regions, 2006–2015

The emergent patterns of land change resulting from the development of shale oil and gas infrastructure is a result of many small decisions and interactions. This research focuses on the land change associated with the development of shale oil and gas infrastructure in the Marcellus and Utica shale formations in two geographically proximate and physically similar counties, Carroll County, OH, and Washington County, PA. Land-cover data used to measure feature-scale change were digitized from aerial photography and then used to update National Land Cover Dataset data used in the calculation of forest fragmentation for the entire study areas. The amount and pattern of land change was very similar between the two counties even though they are drawing oil and gas from different shale formations. Less than 1% of the total forest for each county was lost but the fragmentation impacts are amplified by the pattern of infrastructure on the landscape.     

Transitioning towards cleaner cooking fuels: an analysis of consumer preferences in Ghana’s cookstoves market

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Globally, attention has been paid to policies that promote the manufacturing, distribution, and usage of ‘cleaner stoves’ to minimise the...