5 research outputs found
DETERMINING THE SOURCES OF FECAL POLLUTION IN THE WATERSHEDS OF PENSACOLA, FLORIDA
No full textPensacola, Florida (USA), has a thriving coastal community that serves many purposes, such as recreation, commerce, shellfish harvesting, and fisheries. However, increasing levels of fecal pollution pose a potential economic constraint and public health danger. Understanding the source and abundance of contaminants in streams represents an important first step for identifying the sources of fecal pollution and methods to mitigate their delivery from the landscape. This study aimed to determine the source of pollution in five highly polluted sites (Bayou Texar Lower, Willard Norris Road Creek, Clear Creek Boat Ramp @ 87, Quinette River Boat Ramp and Pensacola Bay Bridge) in the Pensacola area. DNA was extracted from water samples and then analyzed using PCR-based molecular Microbial Source Tracking techniques to determine the presence of human (HF-183-1), dog (BacCan) and avian (CP1) fecal pollution. In these urban and peri-urban creeks. Human specific fecal bacteria were detected in Bayou Texar Lower, Willard Norris Road Creek and Pensacola Bay Bridge sites. Dog specific fecal bacteria was detected in Willard Norris Road Creek, Clear Creek Boat Ramp and Pensacola Bay Bridge. There was no detection of avian specific fecal bacteria in any of the sites. The detection of human and dog fecal pollution in these coastal areas were attributed to urban developmental activities
The Presence of Pathogenic Leptospira in San Juan Bay Estuaries and its Relationship to Fecal Pollution Sources
No full textThe northern coastal zones of Puerto Rico, including the San Juan Bay and Rio Grande de Loiza watersheds, are increasingly becoming focal points of environmental concern due to wastewater originating from human activity. This runoff, which consists of effluents from sewage treatment, septic tanks, and animal husbandry, enters coastal lagoons and estuaries, posing critical threats to these vital ecosystems. This study aims to determine the presence of Leptospira in over 100 samples from 16 sub-basins over 2 years as well as identify the major sources of fecal pollution using molecular source tracking techniques. End point PCR assays for Leptospira (LipL32), Human(HF183), Canine(BacCan), Horse(HoF), and a novel rat marker were used to analyze the samples. in 2022, pathogenic Leptospira were detected in ten samples, it appeared that rainfall events increased the presence of pathogenic Leptospira in the estuaries. In 2023, the level of pathogenic Leptospira decreased and it was found in 7 sites. In summary, the presence of pathogenic leptospira was influenced by rat fecal pollution and rainfall events. These pathogens represent a growing threat to public health in the San Juan Bay estuaries
Molecular Detection of Human and Dog Fecal Pollution in Pensacola, Florida
No full textPensacola, Florida (USA), has a thriving coastal community that depends on its coastal areas for recreation, shellfish harvesting, and fisheries. However, increasing levels of fecal pollution pose a potential threat to the water quality of these coastal systems. Identifying the source and abundance of contaminants in these environments is critical to controlling fecal pollution in these areas. This study aimed to use Microbial Source Tracking techniques to determine the source of pollution in five sites (Bayou Texar Lower, Willard Norris Road Creek, Clear Creek Boat Ramp @ 87, Quinette River Boat Ramp and Pensacola Bay Bridge) in the Pensacola area. DNA was extracted from water samples and then analyzed using PCR-based molecular Microbial Source Tracking techniques to determine the presence of human (HF-183-1), dog (BacCan), and avian (CP1) fecal pollution in these sites. Human-specific fecal bacteria were detected in Bayou Texar Lower, Willard Norris Road Creek, and Pensacola Bay Bridge sites. Dog-specific fecal bacteria were detected in Willard Norris Road Creek, Clear Creek Boat Ramp, and Pensacola Bay Bridge. There was no detection of avian-specific fecal bacteria in any of the sites. Human and dog fecal pollution detection in these coastal areas was attributed to urban developmental activities
Uncovering an Author's Regional Background through High-Resolution Authorship Profiling Using Social Media Data
No full textIn an international online world it is easy to disguise one’s identity. Methods in forensic linguistics and stylometry work well to uncover authors from a set of candidates, but break down when no candidates are available for comparison. However, writing carries information that can be used to gather intelligence about an author: We can employ methods of authorship profiling, the assessment of linguistic features to infer author characteristics like age or gender. This knowledge can be used, for example, to filter a list of suspects or assess the veracity of authors’ claims about their identity.
Profiling the regional background of authors has received limited attention in the literature, especially in a forensic context. Thus, in this talk I present the state of the art in high-resolution regional profiling in the German-speaking area. The data in this study consists of 21 million social media posts from the platform Jodel. First, I will demonstrate that the corpus can be used to map and identify regional patterns using lexis. This information can then be leveraged to help identify the regional backgrounds of authors. In light of these results I will also consider a more general application of the proposed method and tools
Colonization processes and the maintenance of genetic diversity: insights from a pioneer rainforest tree, Aucoumea klaineana
No full textInternational audienceDespite recurrent episodes of range expansion and contraction, forest trees often harbour high genetic diversity. Studies of temperate forest trees suggest that prolonged juvenile phase and high pollen flow are the main factors limiting founder effects. Here, we studied the local colonization process of a pioneer rainforest tree in central Africa, Aucoumea klaineana . We identified 87% of parents among trees up to 20–25 years old and could thus compare direct parentage structure data with classical population genetics estimators. In this species, genetic diversity was maintained during colonization. The absence of founder effects was explained by (i) local random mating and (ii) local recruitment, as we showed that 75% of the trees in the close neighbourhood participated in the recruitment of new saplings. Long-distance pollen flow contributed little to genetic diversity: pollen and seed dispersal was mainly within stand (128 and 118 m, respectively). Spatial genetic structure was explained by aggregated seed dispersal rather than by mother–offspring proximity as assumed in classical isolation-by-distance models. Hence, A. klaineana presents a genetic diversity pattern typical of forest trees but does not follow the classical rules by which this diversity is generally achieved. We suggest that while high local genetic variability is of general importance to forest tree survival, the proximate mechanisms by which it is achieved may follow very different scenarios
