Preparedness against mobility disruption by floods

Civil responders currently have limited information available to them to support flood incident planning. A new generation of tools are emerging that produce more detailed understanding of flood impacts on people and accessibility during floods. These are typically applied in isolation, proving only a partial assessment of impacts. This paper integrates analysis of flood hydraulics, transport accessibility and human safety to explore the impact of flooding on pedestrians and drivers, and its implications on emergency routes and service areas. A reference scenario, developed and used by the local Civil Protection Agency, is applied to Galluzzo in Florence (Italy). Results shows that 37% of inhabitants live close to roads where they can be swept away, and 78% live in locations where parked vehicles can be transported by floodwaters. Furthermore, at its worst 22.5% of road extension is inaccessible; and all hospitals, fire and police stations cannot be reached, highlighting the need to take preventative action from the outset of an event that is predicted to lead to substantial inundation. Integration of multiple indicators of flood impacts, especially those most relevant to human safety, is fundamental to civil responders if they are to successfully planning and implement emergency response operations in urban environments.

National climate policies across Europe and their impacts on cities strategies

Globally, efforts are underway to reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to climate change impacts at the local level. However, there is a poor understanding of the relationship between city strategies on climate change mitigation and adaptation and the relevant policies at national and European level. This paper describes a comparative study and evaluation of cross-national policy. It reports the findings of studying the climate change strategies or plans from 200 European cities from Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. The study highlights the shared responsibility of global, European, national, regional and city policies. An interpretation and illustration of the influences from international and national networks and policy makers in stimulating the development of local strategies and actions is proposed. It was found that there is no archetypical way of planning for climate change, and multiple interests and motivations are inevitable. Our research warrants the need for a multi-scale approach to climate policy in the future, mainly ensuring sufficient capacity and resource to enable local authorities to plan and respond to their specific climate change agenda for maximising the management potentials for translating environmental challenges into opportunities.

The energy-water-food nexus: strategic analysis of technologies for transforming the urban metabolism

Urban areas are considered net consumers of materials and energy, attracting these from the surrounding hinterland and other parts of the planet. The way these flows are transformed and returned to the environment by the city is important for addressing questions of sustainability and the effect of human behavior on the metabolism of the city. The present work explores these questions with the use of systems analysis, specifically in the form of a Multi-sectoral Systems Analysis (MSA), a tool for research and for supporting decision-making for policy and investment. The application of MSA is illustrated in the context of Greater London, with these three objectives: (a) estimating resource fluxes (nutrients, water and energy) entering, leaving and circulating within the city-watershed system; (b) revealing the synergies and antagonisms resulting from various combinations of water-sector innovations; and (c) estimating the economic benefits associated with implementing these technologies, from the point of view of production of fertilizer and energy, and the reduction of greenhouse gases. Results show that the selection of the best technological innovation depends on which resource is the focus for improvement. Urine separation can potentially recover 47% of the nitrogen in the food consumed in London, with revenue of $33 M per annum from fertilizer production. Collecting food waste in sewers together with growing algae in wastewater treatment plants could beneficially increase the amount of carbon release from renewable energy by 66%, with potential annual revenues of $58 M from fuel production.

Limited differentiation in microsatellite DNA variation among northern populations of the yellow warbler: evidence for male-biased gene flow?

Comparisons of the patterns of differentiation among genetic markers with different modes of inheritance can provide insights into patterns of sex-biased dispersal and gene flow. Here, we compare the patterns of differentiation in six microsatellite loci among eight northern breeding populations of the yellow warbler (Dendroica petechia) with results obtained with mitochondrial DNA. Significant but low levels of differentiation (overall FST = 0.014; overall RST = 0.015) were present across all populations. The level of differentiation is substantially less than that observed in the same samples based on mitochondrial DNA control region variation. The presence of low population imbalance index values and significant isolation-by-distance relationships for both FST and RST suggests that these populations are at evolutionary equilibrium and that the high degree of similarity between populations may be due to high levels of male-biased gene flow. This suggests that there may be significant but previously unappreciated differences in the long-distance and/or episodic dispersal behaviour of males and females in these birds.

A DNA test to sex most birds

Birds are difficult to sex. Nestlings rarely show sex-linked morphology and we estimate that adult females appear identical to males in over 50% of the world's bird species. This problem can hinder both evolutionary studies and human-assisted breeding of birds. DNA-based sex identification provides a solution. We describe a test based on two conserved CHD (chromo-helicase-DNA-binding) genes that are located on the avian sex chromosomes of all birds, with the possible exception of the ratites (ostriches, etc.; Struthioniformes). The CHD-W gene is located on the W chromosome; therefore it is unique to females. The other gene, CHD-Z, is found on the Z chromosome and therefore occurs in both sexes (female, ZW; male, ZZ). The test employs PCR with a single set of primers. It amplifies homologous sections of both genes and incorporates introns whose lengths usually differ. When examined on a gel there is a single CHD-Z band in males but females have a second, distinctive CHD-W band.

Isolation of microsatellite DNA markers from a passerine bird, Dendroica petechia (the yellow warbler), and their use in population studies

We describe the isolation and genetic characterization of five microsatellite loci in a passerine bird, the yellow warbler Dendroica petechia, and assess their use for various types of population-level analysis using data from two breeding populations. All five loci show levels of variability comparable to those observed in other vertebrates (Hexp = 0.388-0.989). One locus, Dp mu 05, is highly variable with 46 alleles detected in 41 individuals. All loci appeared to segregate in a Mendelian fashion as judged by patterns of inheritance in known families. However, one locus showed a significant heterozygote deficiency in one population suggesting the possible presence of null alleles at this locus. These markers provide a highly accurate system for determination of parentage in this species: the probability of detecting extrapair fertilization by males given known maternity was 0.999 in each of two separate populations. Comparison of allele frequencies and genetic distances between the two populations showed no evidence for significant differences in allele frequencies at individual loci, whereas the overall genetic distance and FST-value are significantly different from zero suggesting weak differentiation. Finally, cross-species amplification experiments showed that at least one locus appears to amplify products in a wide range of birds including nonpasserine species. Thus, our results demonstrate that these loci will provide a useful set of genetic information for addressing a wide range of population-level analyses in this and other bird species.

Distribution of exchanges upon homologous recombination of exogenous DNA in Xenopus laevis oocytes

Homologous recombination between DNA molecules injected into Xenopus oocyte nuclei was investigated by examining the recovery of information from differentially marked parental sequences. The injected recombination substrate was a linear DNA with terminal direct repeats of 1246 bp; one repeat differed from the other by eight single base-pair substitutions, distributed throughout the region of homology, each of which created or destroyed a restriction enzyme site. Recombination products were recovered and analyzed for their content of the diagnostic sites, either directly by Southern blot-hybridization or after cloning in bacteria. The majority (76%) of the cloned products appeared to be the result of simple exchanges-i.e., there was one sharp transition from sequences derived from one parent to sequences derived from the other. These simple exchanges were concentrated near the ends of the homologous interval and, thus, near the sites of the original molecular ends. Placing marked sites on only one side of the homologous overlap showed that marker recovery was governed largely by the positions of the molecular ends and not by the markers themselves. When a terminal nonhomology was present at one end of the substrate, the yield of recombinants was sharply decreased, but the pattern of exchanges was not affected, suggesting that products from end-blocked substrates arise by the same recombination pathway. Because of considerable evidence supporting a nonconservative, resection-annealing mechanism for recombination in oocytes, we interpret the distribution of exchanges as resulting from long-patch repair of extensive heteroduplex intermediates.

Intermediates in extrachromosomal homologous recombination in Xenopus laevis oocytes: characterization by electron microscopy

Several molecular mechanisms have been proposed to account for nonconservative homologous recombination. This type of recombination is particularly efficient in Xenopus oocytes when appropriate DNA substrates are injected. To distinguish between possible models, we have investigated recombination intermediates from oocytes by direct observation in the electron microscope. Partially recombined DNA was crosslinked with a psoralen derivative after incubation in oocytes to limit the branch migration that might occur during recovery procedures and alter the structures that were initially present. Branched structures, which we interpret as intermediates, represented approximately 10% of the DNA recovered and were readily analyzed. We did not observe any structures with internal loops predicted by invasion mechanisms. The majority of intermediates had one or two single-stranded branches on product-sized molecules, as predicted for incomplete junctions in the resection-annealing mechanism. Detailed length measurements confirmed the expectations of that model. When recovered DNA was not crosslinked, or when annealed junctions were prepared in vitro, we saw branched structures that indicated the occurrence of extensive branch migration. Comparison with the crosslinked sample confirmed the effectiveness of the crosslinking in preserving structures created in the oocytes. Our results strongly support a resection-annealing mechanism of recombination in oocytes.

Determinants of the reversal time of competitive neuromuscular block by anticholinesterases

We have assessed, in 200 patients, the determinants of the reversal time of competitive neuromuscular block by anticholinesterase when alcuronium and atracurium neuromuscular block were antagonized by neostigmine 0.04 and 0.08 mg kg-1 and edrophonium 0.5 and 1.0 mg kg-1. A biexponential relationship was found between the reversal time (time from injection of anticholinesterase to a train-of-four ratio of 70%) and the degree of neuromuscular block at reversal (all groups; F ratio, P less than 0.05). Reversal time was determined by two processes: direct antagonism by the anticholinesterase and spontaneous recovery of the neuromuscular blocking agent, with the latter becoming the major determinant at profound levels of neuromuscular block (0-10% of control twitch height). Neostigmine, in the doses studied, appeared to have a higher "ceiling" of neuromuscular block which it completely antagonized, although edrophonium had a more rapid onset of action. The reversal time for alcuronium became progressively longer relative to atracurium as neuromuscular block increased because of the slower spontaneous recovery rate. Avoidance of profound neuromuscular block at the completion of surgery is required to ensure reliable antagonism of the block within 5-10 min by an anticholinesterase. Neostigmine 0.08 mg kg-1 was found to be the most effective agent in antagonizing profound neuromuscular block.

Mosaic variegated trisomy (42,XY/43,XY, + variable) in a male pigtail macaque monkey

We identified an infant male pigtail macaque monkey with a bizarre karyotype which, to the best of our knowledge, has never before been reported in any species. Examination of 107 nuclei from cultured lymphocytes revealed 81 (75.7%) to be trisomic, but with the supernumerary chromosome varying from cell to cell, trisomy 16 being the most common. A small percentage (11.2%) of the nuclei had a normal 42,XY karyotype, and the balance, with the exception of one apparent monosomic (possibly a technical artifact), had multiple chromosome abnormalities. Examination of cultured skin fibroblasts revealed a similar karyotype. We called this karyotype a mosaic variegated trisomy. At birth, the animal had a cleft lip and palate and situs inversus of the heart. He subsequently showed significant developmental delay and apparent mental retardation. There were no clinical symptoms of hematological malignancy, which often have associated acquired chromosome abnormalities such as those described here. The animal survived for 2 yr and 8 mo under intensive care.

In vivo induction of sister-chromatid exchange in Umbra limi by the insecticides endrin, chlordane, diazinon and guthion

Central mudminnows, Umbra limi, were exposed to the insecticides endrin, chlordane, diazinon and guthion at concentrations of 5.4 X 10(-12) M to 5.4 X 10(-9) M in the aquaria water. Endrin, chlordane and diazinon caused significant increase in the frequencies of SCE. The results of these tests in part are in contrast to previous work which did not find endrin to be mutagenic. Our results suggest that the in vivo SCE test is an efficacious method of detecting mutagenic pesticides in water.

A case of Haemophilus parainfluenzae meningitis in an adult associated with acute myositis

A rare case of Haemophilus parainfluenzae meningitis in an adult is reported. It was associated with acute myositis. This is thought to be the first report of such an association.