Impact of the increased adoption of prenatal cfDNA screening on non-profit patient advocacy organizations in the United States

The ‘Stakeholder Perspectives on Noninvasive Prenatal Genetic Screening’ Symposium was held in conjunction with the 2015 annual meeting of the International Society for Prenatal Diagnosis. During the day-long meeting, a panel of patient advocacy group (PAG) representatives discussed concerns and challenges raised by prenatal cell-free DNA (cfDNA) screening, which has resulted in larger demands upon PAGs from concerned patients receiving prenatal cfDNA screening results. Prominent concerns included confusion about the accuracy of cfDNA screening and a lack of patient education resources about genetic conditions included in cfDNA screens. Some of the challenges faced by PAGs included funding limitations, lack of consistently implemented standards of care and oversight, diverse perspectives among PAGs and questions about neutrality, and lack of access to training and genetic counselors. PAG representatives also put forward suggestions for addressing these challenges, including improving educational and PAG funding and increasing collaboration between PAGs and the medical community. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Zoning and the Tasmanian commercial rock lobster fishery

In this paper, the island of Tasmania is considered as a government jurisdiction. Management at this scale can conflict with sustainability in local environments. The case used to make this argument is the Tasmanian commercial rock lobster fishery. Within this fishery, Tasmania-wide management paradoxically intensifies differences at the same time as it effaces them. These differences contrast with Tasmania-wide management claims regarding sustainability. Actor–network theory is used to help approach these tensions. Zoning the fishery is put forward as a way to take into account differences to produce sustainable local outcomes.     

Non-detection errors in a survey of persistent, highly-detectable vegetation species

Rare, small or annual vegetation species are widely known to be imperfectly detected with single site surveys by most conventional vegetation survey methods. However, the detectability of common, persistent vegetation species is assumed to be high, but without supporting research. In this study, we evaluate the extent of false-negative errors of perennial vegetation species in a systematic vegetation survey in arid South Australia. Analysis was limited to the seven most easily detected persistent vegetation species and controlled for observer skill. By comparison of methodologies, we then predict the magnitude of non-detection error rates in a second survey. The analysis revealed that all but one highly detectable perennial vegetation species was imperfectly detected (detection probabilities ranged from 0.22 to 0.83). While focussed in the Australian rangelands, the implications of this study are far reaching. Inferences drawn from systematic vegetation surveys that fail to identify and account for non-detection errors should be considered potentially flawed. The identification of this problem in vegetation surveying is long overdue. By comparison, non-detection has been a widely acknowledged, and dealt with, problem in fauna surveying for decades. We recommend that, where necessary, vegetation survey methodology adopt the methods developed in fauna surveying to cope with non-detection errors.     

Complex habitat boosts scallop recruitment in a fully protected marine reserve

This study investigated the effects of a fully protected marine reserve on commercially valuable scallops and benthic habitats in Lamlash Bay, Isle of Arran, United Kingdom. Dive surveys found the abundance of juvenile scallops to be greater within the marine reserve than outside. A novel multivariate approach, based upon neural networks and generalised linear models, revealed the greater abundance of juveniles to be related to the greater presence of macroalgae and maerl within the reserve boundaries. This complex habitat appeared to have positively encouraged spat settlement. In contrast, the density of adult scallops did not differ between the two treatments, possibly due to the short duration of protection. However, the age, size and biomass of adult scallops were significantly greater within the reserve. Overall, this study suggests that the newly created marine reserve is already providing benefits which are flowing back to species targeted by fisheries, emphasising the importance of marine reserves in ecosystem-based management of fisheries.     

Developing a New Operations Plan for the Bow River Basin Using Collaborative Modeling for Decision Support

The Bow River Basin is a cornerstone of Alberta's development. In 2010, stakeholders representing interests from agriculture, municipalities, environment, and more formed the Bow River Project Research Consortium to help determine the potential for improving the operations in the basin. At present, upstream reservoirs are operated primarily for hydropower, whereas downstream reservoirs are operated for irrigation. Through Collaborative Modeling for Decision Support the stakeholders were able to develop a new method for operating the system that would dramatically improve environmental performance. The main components of the new operating strategy called for: purchase or setting aside of a small amount of storage volume in the power reservoirs; a set of rules for releases from that storage; an agreement by the major irrigation districts with the largest water licenses to utilize their ability to shift deliveries to and from their large offstream storage reservoirs to allow for increased instream flows, and to allow junior water license holders (mainly municipal and industrial supplies) an uninterrupted water supply; limitations of reservoir fluctuations to improve inreservoir habitat for fisheries; and increased minimum flows throughout the system leading to improved environmental outcomes. Costs of this strategy were minimal, impacts on power revenue were estimated at <US$2 million/yr on average. Compensatory arrangements should be possible.     

Book reviews

Sustainable Cities and Sustainable Development Sustainable Cities. G. Haughton &; C. Hunter, 1994, Jessica Kingsley/Regional Studies Association, London

Sustainable Cities in Europe. P. Nijkamp &; A. Perrels, 1994, Earthscan, London ISBN 185383, £12.95

Toward Sustainable Development Concepts, Methods and Policy. J. C. J. M. van den Bergh &; J. van der Straaten, 1994, Island Press, Washington, DC, ISBN 1 55963 3492, £30.00

Just Environments: intergenerational, international and interspecies issues. David E. Cooper &; Joy A. Palmer (Eds), 1995, London, Routledge, ISBN 0 415–10336–3, pp. 199, index, £11.99

First Steps: Local Agenda 21 in practice. Stella Whittaker (Ed.), 1995, London, HMSO, 251 pp. ISBN 0 11 701871 6, £29.95

Beyond the Car: essays on the auto culture. Sue Zielinski &; Gordon Laird (Eds), 1995, Toronto, Steel Rail Publishing/Transportation Options, 191 pp. ISBN 0 88791 042 4, pbk, C$ 19.95, US$15.95     

Urban Waterfront Regeneration in the Mersey Basin,North West England

The economic decline of traditional dockland areas has released considerable areas of land for redevelopment, much of which is close to the heart of city centres. The property development industry has capitalized upon these assets to the extent that port-related redevelopmentis a common feature throughout North America and Europe. This paper explores the experience of the Mersey Basin in North West England which, under the Mersey Basin Campaign initiative, has sought to explicitly connect improvements in water quality to economic regeneration. A small survey of commercial property valuers was used to explore this relationship and revealed the importance of water in the property development process, through potential increases in value and an enhancement of the marketability of property adjacent to water. Equally, improved water quality is revealed as an important precursor to waterside economic regeneration. Here, investment must, as with the preparation of derelict and contaminated land for redevelopment, be regarded as a public good, nurturing good water quality as an asset for the benefit of future generations and as a part of realizing the full potential of waterfront regeneration.     

Modelling and optimisation for design of hydrogen networks for multi-period operation

Hydrogen management is a problem of increasing importance: hydrogen consumption of refineries is rising sharply with additional capacities of hydrocracking and hydrotreating units in order to comply with cleaner fuel specifications. Product Specifications for transportation fuels are becoming increasingly stringent to ensure production of environmentally more benign fuels. Hydrogen management techniques currently do not account for varying operating conditions of hydrogen consuming processes and assume constant operating conditions. A novel approach is developed for the design of flexible hydrogen networks that can remain optimally operable under multiple periods of operation. The proposed methodology for multi-period design of hydrogen networks can take into account pressure differences, maximum capacity of existing equipment, and optimal placement of new equipment such as compressors.     

Ten Years On: An Empirical Analysis of UK Environmental Statement Submissions since the Implementation of Directive 85/337/EEC

Regulations to implement Directive 85/337/EEC have been in operation in the UK for over 10 years. Implementation of the amended Directive (97/11/EC) in March 1999 marked the start of a new phase in environmental impact assessment (EIA), and so a review of the impact of the original Directive upon EIA activity is timely. This paper examines the implementation of the Directive in the UK through an empirical analysis of the publication of environmental statements (ESs) between July 1988 and April 1998. ES submissions are analysed under Annexes I and II of the Directive and under the main UK regulations, and then development control decision outcomes are considered. The implications of selected legislation and policy initiatives for ES submissions are then investigated in detail for four types of project. The Directive has been a major force in stimulating the development and growth of EIA in the UK, although the interaction of policies and legislation (environmental and otherwise) can exert an important influence upon trends in ES submissions.