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high amounts of water. Khaleej Times, Dubai, 22 Mar. 2008 Academics behind the “virtual water” calculations have also created a worldwide league table for the water footprint of different countries. The US is the biggest offender, with a water footprint |
of close to 2,500 cubic metres per year per capita, while Italy is a close second. Britain’s water footprint is relatively modest at 1,245 cubic metres per year per capita. Belfast Telegraph, 21 Apr. 2008 |
Examines the status of coastal biodiversity and the potential impacts of climate change. Evaluate various policy responses and recommend specific changes to protect the biological wealth of these vital ecosystems. Say the words “extinction crisis,” and what most likely comes to mind first is a tropical forest in flames – an apt image when deforestation is the main force behind |
a species extinction rate unmatched in 65 million years. But Americans concerned about saving tropical forests’ vast biological wealth must not lose sight of losses much closer to home, including the degradation of U.S. seashores, coral reefs, barrier islands, estuaries, and coastal wetlands. These coastal habitats are home to teeming communities of plant and animal species, including our own. Some |
of this diversity is far from secure: Pollution, sedimentation, land-filling, residential and commercial construction, and other by-products of growing human populations are putting severe stresses on wetlands, coral reefs, mangroves, estuaries, and other coastal ecosystems. Add to these yet another set of threats associated with global warming, and the prospects for some of the world’s richest and most productive ecosystems |
grow dim. What survival odds do species already in trouble have if their habitat keeps shrinking, squeezed on one side by a growing human presence and on the other by a rising sea? What’s left of our natural heritage can’t be saved unless we awaken to the choices and trade-offs required. Drowning the National Heritage examines the status of coastal |
biodiversity and the potential impacts of climate change: increased erosion, flooding, and salt-water intrusion into groundwater, rivers, bays, and estuaries as well as receding coastlines and altered coastal current and upwelling patterns. The authors evaluate various policy responses and recommend specific policy changes to protect the biological wealth of these vital ecosystems: The authors also suggest that nongovernmental organization that |
The European Commission of the European Union (EU) on Sept. 9 approved funding for 20 projects in various EU member nations addressing the sustainability of water resources, according to a commission press statement. The funding will support projects throughout Europe |
on such topics as wastewater treatment, nonpoint source pollution, river basin management, and groundwater protection, the statement noted. The funding is part of a €76 million (US$91 million) financing package that will support a total of 109 environmental projects in |
18 EU member countries, the statement said. In each case, the funding will cover about one-third of the project's costs, while the remaining two-thirds will be provided by awardees, their partners, and other financiers, according to the statement. The funding |
is being provided under the EU's LIFE Environment program, which supports the development of new methods to implement EU environmental laws. Nearly half of the projects funded under the program this year focus on integrated environmental policies and management, while |
As long as there is clay and concrete pipe in the ground, it’s going to have to be replaced. According to Ron Pool, superintendent of Jordan Contractors, he is replacing |
9,000 ft of a clay sewer line in Norman, Okla. as part of the fourth phase of the city’s efforts to rehabilitate the failing infrastructure. Sand has infiltrated a line |
located in a housing edition that is only about 17 years old. The rubber gaskets at the joints have deteriorated, allowing sand to fill the clay pipe restricting flow. “By |
going in with polyethylene that is joint-free, we should never have a problem with sand entering the system again,” Pool said. A polyethylene (PE) pipeline is impermeable as a result |
of being joined together with heat fusion and then allowed to cool. The resulting joint is as strong as the pipe itself. PE and other methods PE was first used |
in the gas distribution industry and is becoming more prevalent in the water and sewer industries. Jordan Contractors has been using pipe bursting methods to rehabilitate failing sewer lines for |
the last three and a half years, and has been the low bidder on the last three jobs in Norman. “Pipe bursting is a wide-open field,” said Jimmy Jordan, president |
of Jordan Contractors. “The business has been very active nationwide and in the last three years has been growing strongly in Oklahoma. The future looks to be even better.” Pipe |
bursting was developed in Europe to replace deteriorating gas lines. In the U.S. it has become a preferred trenchless method of replacing sewer lines and is gaining popularity in the |
water market. Other forms of trenchless replacement include pipe splitting, sliplining and in-reaming. Pipe splitting is performed generally in the same way as pipe bursting, except a metal cutting wheel |
is used to slice open the host pipe instead of bursting the existing pipe. In-reaming uses a head that crushes up the host pipe and implements a vacuum to suck |
out the crushed material. Sliplining is used when the replacement pipe is smaller than the host pipe and there is no need to enlarge the host pipe. No matter which |
method is used, PE is the ideal material for installation with trenchless technologies because it is flexible and tough enough to withstand the force placed on it during the pullback. |
In some cases, sliplining is implemented because even though the replacement pipe is smaller, it is made of PE, which has no buildup from corrosion, and the flow is as |
high as other pipes with larger diameters that have corroded over time, restricting flow. The pipe bursting process entails digging an access at each end of a failed line and |
running a steel stem through the host pipe and hooking it to a bursting tool. The replacement PE pipe is connected to the back of the bursting tool. A horizontal |
hydraulic rig is used to pull the bursting tool back through the host pipe, breaking and expanding the existing pipe into the surrounding soil while simultaneously replacing the line with |
the new pipe. Jordan Contractors has been overwhelmed with work and has three opportunities for pipe replacement jobs on hold while work is being completed on separate projects. One reason |
for Jordan’s demand is the attention the company gives to the property owners. The company’s top priority is making sure it has little effect on the homeowner’s property. For service |
hookups to the houses, Jordan uses small track excavators and enters and exits the property on a plywood path to prevent damage to the lawn. A 3- x 6-ft hole |
is all that is needed to reach the main. They pile the excavated dirt on plywood and, after the connection is made, refill the hole and re-sod the area that |
has been disturbed. “If this was an open trench operation there would be a lot of damage to people’s backyards—not to mention all of the extra work involved in taking |
Skywell Atmospheric Water Systems, Information Update: H2O Synthesizer: Skywell Atmospheric Water Unit chemically converts Hydrogen Oxide compounds (HO) to H2O through a catalytic Chemical process. Our current scientific studies with this process have shown that we can convert the hydrogen |
compounds found in 180 cubic foot of air to one gallon of very clean, distilled quality water. ( chemical reaction 2HO+2HO=2H2O+O2) Our scientific model proves this process is possible and very economic. Projecting these statistics to our production models, we |
will be able to produce very large volumes of water at very low prices like 1/2 cent per 1,000 gallons. Models from 500 gallons per day, 2,000 gallons per day, 30,000 gallons per day and 300,000 gallons per day. Most |
of these large units will function on less than 5 kilowatts an hour or about $7.68 a day. The significant fact is that the Hydrogen compound conversion is independent of local relative humidity, temperature or proximidity to other sources of |
water. The same process can be done in the middle of a hot desert or cold tundra, remote Pacific Island or cattle ranch in Texas. The Atmospheric Water Units will range in cost from $3,000 to $300,000. They are designed |
to be low maintenance, reliable and rugged. Fishing boats and ships at sea would find these ideal, much cheaper than reverse osmosis or other desalination technologies with less cost per gallon, higher quality water output and lowest energy costs. They |
can be configured to run on AC or DC. On large orders, please specify energy requirements. We will have the capability in the future of powering these units with alternative energy systems such as solar power with little or no |
Children and Social Media Thursday, Dec. 06, 2012 How much do we know about online behavior by children? Little is known about children and social media, according to a recent study. The lack of information is not necessarily because kids aren’t using social sites, but because studying their online behavior is a real challenge. Deborah Fields of Utah State University’s |
Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Department teamed up with fellow researcher Sara Grimes of the Information School at the University of Toronto to report on kids and how they use social media. Their report was produced for the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, an independent, non-profit research center, with the support of Cisco Systems and the Digital Media |
and Learning Hub at the University of California. Since its publication, the study has been featured in the Huffington Post, The Digital Shift, edSurge news and Kidzania Journal. It also appears in the Barking Robot, KQED's Mind Shift and Education Week's Digital Education blogs. Here's an excerpt from their post on the Joan Gantz Cooney Center blog: The full text |
Volume 17, Number 3—March 2011 Mycobacterium caprae Infection in Livestock and Wildlife, Spain Mycobacterium caprae is a pathogen that can infect animals and humans. To better understand the epidemiology of M. caprae, we spoligotyped 791 animal isolates. Results suggest infection |
is widespread in Spain, affecting 6 domestic and wild animal species. The epidemiology is driven by infections in caprids, although the organism has emerged in cattle. Mycobacterium caprae is a cluster within the M. tuberculosis complex (Technical Appendix). This pathogen |
has been recognized mainly in central Europe, where it has been occasionally isolated from tuberculous lesions from cattle (1–5), pigs (4), red deer (Cervus elaphus) (4,5), and wild boars (Sus scrofa) (3). Its isolation from humans has also been described |
(3,6); often, a contact with livestock has been suggested as a likely means of transmission (5). To our knowledge, this pathogen has never been isolated outside continental Europe, except from a European patient in Australia (7) and a cow in |
Algeria (8). The combination of disease tracing and molecular typing is needed to understand the epidemiology of tuberculosis. This report describes the molecular epidemiology of M. caprae infection in Spain compared with other countries. We characterized M. caprae isolates from |
goats and other domestic and wild animals by spoligotyping (9). The relative contribution of each animal and its role in animal tuberculosis are discussed. This study included 791 M. caprae isolates from domestic goats (Capra aegagrus hircus, n = 542), |
sheep (Ovis aries, n = 2), cattle (Bos taurus, n = 229), domestic pigs (Sus scrofa domestica, n = 2), wild boars (Sus scrofa, n = 14), red deer (Cervus elaphus, n = 1), and a fox (Vulpes vulpes, n |
= 1). The samples originated from skin test–positive animals identified within the national or regional eradication programs, from abattoir surveillance, and from postmortem inspections of wildlife, and were collected from 1992 through June 2009 in different geographic areas in Spain |
panel of 63 unrelated isolates that included all spoligotyping patterns and animal species. Of the selected isolates, 62 showed the 545-bp product, indicating that they harbor RD4. One isolate from a cow of Eastern European origin repeatedly showed a 340-bp |
band, and its sequencing could not confirm presence or absence of RD4. For detection of specific M. caprae gene polymorphisms, 1 isolate from every spoligotyping pattern was studied. Additional identification was determined by sequencing of the pyrazinamidase A gene, which |
demonstrated a C at nt 169 that results in the functional wild-type pyrazinamidase A gene, and of the gyrase B gene that showed the G at nt 1311 and a C at position 1410 (Technical Appendix). The isolates, which originated |
from 195 single cases or outbreaks (Table 1), clustered into 15 patterns, which share the features previously described for the species (absence of spacers 1, 3–16, 28, and 39–43). Notably, the Iberian spoligotype cluster lacks spacers 30–33, whereas most M. |
caprae isolates from central Europe belong to spoligotypes that harbor these spacers. The 3 isolates of profiles SB0418 and SB1619 that presented spacers 30–33 originated from cattle imported from southeastern Europe. The 2 predominant spoligotypes, SB0157 and SB0416, were found |
to be responsible for 60% and 22%, respectively, of the cases and infected different animal species in distant areas, whereas 7 patterns were unique to a single case or outbreak. We calculated the index of discrimination (D) described by Hunter |
variable number tandem repeat typing by using loci ETR-A, ETR-B, ETR-D, QUB11a, QUB11b, QUB3232, ETR-E, and MIRU26 ( Technical Appendix) was performed as described by Frothingham and Meeker-O’Connell (12) on a selection of 20 isolates (Table 2). The isolates originated |
from 10 properties (6 goat herds and 4 cattle farms), each with 2 different spoligotypes detected at a time. At 5 farms, the loss of spacers 25–27, 29, and 34–38, which can be explained by a single deletion event, had |
caused a change of the spoligotype pattern. This loss changed SB0157 to SB1081 and SB1084 to SB1889, while the variable number tandem repeat profiles within the same farm remained identical. The routine application of molecular diagnosis and typing techniques in |
clinical laboratories has enabled its real role as a pathogen for several species to be recognized. In Spain, M. caprae represents 7.4% of all M. tuberculosis complex isolates from domestic and wild animals. Seventy-five of the 197 outbreaks (38.1%) involved |
goats (Table 1). This species showed the highest diversity among M. caprae with 12 patterns identified, 6 of them exclusive to caprine herds. The association of M. caprae with goats in Spain may be due to 2 reasons. First, the |
microorganism seems to be highly pathogenic for the goats in Spain, based on the disseminated tuberculous lesions that it produces and its fast transmission within a herd. Second, caprine herds have not been included in the national eradication campaign (except |
when coexisting with cattle or as part of some regional programs). Therefore, M. caprae infection can spread easily through animal movements, such as purchase for replacement or genetic improvement. The emergence of this pathogen in cattle has been observed. Cattle |
were involved in 106 outbreaks (53.3%) during the study period. Since 2004, cattle from 2,218 herds identified in the eradication program have been inspected by bacteriology. The number of cattle properties infected with M. caprae represented 0.85%–6.67% of the total |
number of herds diagnosed with bovine tuberculosis. Temporal trend of M. caprae isolates cultured over time was assessed by using the software WINPEPI 9.4 (13). The proportion of M. caprae isolated from bovine samples has increased consistently during 2004–2009, showing |
a significant positive trend (p = 0.009, by Mantel trend test) (Figure 2). We observed more M. caprae infections in cattle in regions with a high goat density. However, an analysis of the type of farm production shows that 86.7% |
of M. caprae–infected cattle have been raised in farms without any contact with small ruminants. This fact indicates recirculation of the pathogen within and between cattle herds. In countries that are virtually free of animal tuberculosis such as Germany, Austria, |
and the Czech Republic, a large number of cases in cattle and red deer are caused by M. caprae. Identification of isolates from human patients has shown M. caprae as a human pathogen (3,6,14). A recent study suggests that M. |
caprae causes 0.3% of the cases of human tuberculosis in Spain, with SB0157 also being the most dominant spoligotype (14). The role of the pathogen as a public health risk is highlighted by lesions that can also be found in |
the mammary glands of infected goats; thus, consumption of unpasteurized dairy products remains a concern (15). Compelling evidence indicates that M. caprae poses a serious health risk not only for goats, but also for other domestic and wild animal species |
and humans. Our results indicate that M. caprae infection is widespread in Spain and that the epidemiology is driven by caprine infections. Considering the role of M. caprae in animal tuberculosis, relevant legislation should be considered to address the infection |
as was done for M. bovis. Ms Rodríguez is a PhD candidate in the Departamento de Sandidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid and received predoctoral research fellowship AP2006-01630 from the Spanish Ministry of Education. Her research focuses |
on molecular characterization of M. tuberculosis complex isolates and its application in epidemiology of these pathogens. We thank the National and Regional Animal Health authorities, especially L. Carbajo, for their continuous encouragement. We are grateful to T. Alende, A. Gutiérrez, |
C. Viñolo, L. Guijarro, J. Gimeno, N. Álvarez, N. Montero, C. Lozano, L. Pazos and S. González for technical help. We acknowledge the staff of SADNA (Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Madrid) for sequencing. This research was supported by European Union |
project TB-STEP (KBBE-2007-1-3-04, no. 212414), the Ministry of Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs, the Comunidad de Madrid, and the Junta de Castilla y León. - Boniotti MB, Goria M, Loda D, Garrone A, Benedetto A, Mondo A, Molecular typing |
of Mycobacterium bovis strains isolated in Italy from 2000 to 2006 and evaluation of variable-number-tandem-repeats for a geographic optimized genotyping. J Clin Microbiol. 2009;47:636–44. - Duarte EL, Domingos M, Amado A, Botelho A. Spoligotype diversity of Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium |
caprae animal isolates. Vet Microbiol. 2008;130:415–21. - Erler W, Martin G, Sachse K, Naumann L, Kahlau D, Beer J, Molecular fingerprinting of Mycobacterium bovis subsp. caprae isolates from central. Eur J Clin Microbiol. 2004;42:2234–8. - Pavlik I, Dvorska L, Bartos |
M, Parmova I, Meliciiarek I, Jesenska A, Molecular epidemiology of bovine tuberculosis in the Czech Republic and Slovakia in the period 1965–2001 studied by spoligotyping. Vet Med (Praha). 2002;47:181–94. - Prodinger WM, Eigentler A, Allerberger F, Schonbauer M, Glawischnig W. |
Infection of red deer, cattle, and humans with Mycobacterium bovis subsp. caprae in Western Austria. J Clin Microbiol. 2002;40:2270–2. - Kubica T, Rüsch-Gerdes S, Niemann S. Mycobacterium bovis subsp. caprae caused one-third of human M. bovis–associated tuberculosis cases reported in |
Germany between 1999 and 2001. J Clin Microbiol. 2003;41:3070–7. - Sintchenko V, Jelfs P, Dally M, Crighton T, Gilbert GL. A case of urinary tuberculosis due to Mycobacterium bovis subspecies caprae. Pathology. 2006;38:376–8. - Sahraoui N, Müller B, Guetarni D, |
Boulahbal F, Yala D, Ouzrout R, Molecular characterization of Mycobacterium bovis strains isolated from cattle slaughtered at two abattoirs in Algeria. BMC Vet Res. 2009;5:4. - Kamerbeek J, Schouls L, Kolk A, van Agterveld M, van Soolingen D, Kuijper S, |
Simultaneous detection and strain differentiation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis for diagnosis and epidemiology. J Clin Microbiol. 1997;35:907–14. - Hunter PR, Gaston MA. Numerical index of the discriminatory ability of typing systems: an application of Simpson's index of diversity. J Clin Microbiol. |
1988;26:2465–6. - Rodríguez S, Romero B, Bezos J, de Juan L, Álvarez J, Castellanos E, High spoligotype diversity within a Mycobacterium bovis population: clues to understanding the demography of the pathogen in Europe. Vet Microbiol. 2010;141:89–95. - Frothingham R, Meeker-O'Connell |
WA. Genetic diversity in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex based on variable numbers of tandem DNA repeats. Microbiology. 1998;144:1189–96. - Abramson JH. WINPEPI (PEPI-for-Windows): computer programs for epidemiologists. Epidemiol Perspect Innov. 2004;1:6. PubMed - Rodríguez E, Sánchez LP, Pérez S, Herrera |
L, Jiménez MS, Samper S, Human tuberculosis due to Mycobacterium bovis and M. caprae in Spain, 2004–2007. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2009;13:1536–41. - Rodwell TC, Moore M, Moser KS, Brodine SK, Strathdee SA. Tuberculosis from Mycobacterium bovis in binational |
communities, United States. Emerg Infect Dis. 2008;14:909–16. Suggested citation for this article: Rodríguez S, Bezos J, Romero B, de Juan L, Álvarez J, Castellanos E, et al. Mycobacterium caprae infection in livestock and wildlife, Spain. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on |
According to the United Nations, the Sahel region of West Africa, which stretches across eight countries including Chad, Mauritania and Gambia, is being affected by a hunger crisis. The U.N. estimates that 18 million people in the region are suffering |
from food shortages caused by drought and conflict and UNICEF says that nearly 1.5 million children are near starvation. The following organizations are working to stop the famine by supporting livestock, growing crops and giving people cash so that they |
can afford the food on sale in their markets. Below is more information on those organizations and how you can help. A little goes a long way: Save the Children plans to reach 185,000 of the most vulnerable families -- |
1.3 million people -- to help prevent them from falling into hunger. The group's Lane Hartill said, however, that the organization also wanted to help these families to build up their resistance in the long term so they were better |
prepared for the next drought. Save the Children also supports families through cash-transfer programs so they have money to buy what they consider appropriate. Cattle and goats -- essentially "savings accounts" in villages -- have been hard hit by the |
drought, Hartill said, and with animals dying, there is no fodder. According to the organization, $39 could help support 10 mothers whose children are in a stabilization clinic and $2.35 could pay for sachets of oral rehydration salts to help |
treat 100 children suffering from diarrhea. Oxfam is starting to distribute unconditional cash to the most vulnerable so they can access food on the markets -- 30 percent to 40 percent higher than in the last five-year average -- and |
cope until the next harvest. The organization says that animal feed is "super important" to protect the livelihoods of pastoralists. If they lose their animals on the onset of the rainy season -- which occurred in 2010 when 24 percent |
of the livestock was lost -- they will be locked in the cycle of hunger. "One way to put this: Save an animal, save an entire community and help lift them out of poverty," said Gaelle Bausson, an Oxfam spokesperson. |
Oxfam said that seeds are also among "the most acute and immediate" need. Bausson told ABC News today that $40 will vaccinate 15 goats so vulnerable families can have food and an income; $80 will give three people the money |
to buy food and other essentials for the next three months; and $140 will provide clean, safe drinking water for three families by building or repairing water sources. According to the World Food Programme, the main help it needs is |
money. WFP is funded entirely by voluntary donations from governments, companies and private individuals. The organization is geared to provide for 9.6 million people across the eight countries of West Africa hit by the Sahel drought. The WFP expects the |
total cost of providing and delivering that food to be $789 million. Despite donations from countries like the U.S., the WFP needs $361 million to feed everyone who needs help. Jane Howard, spokeswoman for WFP, said that the organization spent |
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