A GIS based screening tool for locating and ranking of suitable stormwater harvesting sites in urban areas.

There is the need to re-configure current urban water systems to achieve the objective of sustainable water sensitive cities. Stormwater represents a valuable alternative urban water source to reduce pressure on fresh water resources, and to mitigate the environmental impact of urban stormwater runoff. The selection of suitable urban stormwater harvesting sites is generally based on the judgement of water planners, who are faced with the challenge of considering multiple technical and socio-economic factors that influence the site suitability. To address this challenge, the present study developed a robust GIS based screening methodology for identifying potentially suitable stormwater harvesting sites in urban areas as a first pass for then more detailed investigation. The study initially evaluated suitability based on the match between harvestable runoff and demand through a concept of accumulated catchments. Drainage outlets of these accumulated catchments were considered as potential stormwater harvesting sites. These sites were screened and ranked under screening parameters namely demand, ratio of runoff to demand and weighted demand distance. The methodology described in this paper was successfully applied to a case study in Melbourne, Australia in collaboration with the local water utility. The methodology was found to be effective in supporting the selection of priority sites for stormwater harvesting schemes, as it provided the basis to identify, short-list and rank sites for further detailed investigation. The rapid identification of suitable sites for stormwater harvesting can assist planners in prioritising schemes in areas that will have the most impact on reducing potable water demand.

DNA sequence and analysis of human chromosome 9.

Chromosome 9 is highly structurally polymorphic. It contains the largest autosomal block of heterochromatin, which is heteromorphic in 6-8% of humans, whereas pericentric inversions occur in more than 1% of the population. The finished euchromatic sequence of chromosome 9 comprises 109,044,351 base pairs and represents >99.6% of the region. Analysis of the sequence reveals many intra- and interchromosomal duplications, including segmental duplications adjacent to both the centromere and the large heterochromatic block. We have annotated 1,149 genes, including genes implicated in male-to-female sex reversal, cancer and neurodegenerative disease, and 426 pseudogenes. The chromosome contains the largest interferon gene cluster in the human genome. There is also a region of exceptionally high gene and G + C content including genes paralogous to those in the major histocompatibility complex. We have also detected recently duplicated genes that exhibit different rates of sequence divergence, presumably reflecting natural selection.

The DNA sequence and comparative analysis of human chromosome 10.

The finished sequence of human chromosome 10 comprises a total of 131,666,441 base pairs. It represents 99.4% of the euchromatic DNA and includes one megabase of heterochromatic sequence within the pericentromeric region of the short and long arm of the chromosome. Sequence annotation revealed 1,357 genes, of which 816 are protein coding, and 430 are pseudogenes. We observed widespread occurrence of overlapping coding genes (either strand) and identified 67 antisense transcripts. Our analysis suggests that both inter- and intrachromosomal segmental duplications have impacted on the gene count on chromosome 10. Multispecies comparative analysis indicated that we can readily annotate the protein-coding genes with current resources. We estimate that over 95% of all coding exons were identified in this study. Assessment of single base changes between the human chromosome 10 and chimpanzee sequence revealed nonsense mutations in only 21 coding genes with respect to the human sequence.

The DNA sequence and analysis of human chromosome 13.

Chromosome 13 is the largest acrocentric human chromosome. It carries genes involved in cancer including the breast cancer type 2 (BRCA2) and retinoblastoma (RB1) genes, is frequently rearranged in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, and contains the DAOA locus associated with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. We describe completion and analysis of 95.5 megabases (Mb) of sequence from chromosome 13, which contains 633 genes and 296 pseudogenes. We estimate that more than 95.4% of the protein-coding genes of this chromosome have been identified, on the basis of comparison with other vertebrate genome sequences. Additionally, 105 putative non-coding RNA genes were found. Chromosome 13 has one of the lowest gene densities (6.5 genes per Mb) among human chromosomes, and contains a central region of 38 Mb where the gene density drops to only 3.1 genes per Mb.

The DNA sequence and analysis of human chromosome 6.

Chromosome 6 is a metacentric chromosome that constitutes about 6% of the human genome. The finished sequence comprises 166,880,988 base pairs, representing the largest chromosome sequenced so far. The entire sequence has been subjected to high-quality manual annotation, resulting in the evidence-supported identification of 1,557 genes and 633 pseudogenes. Here we report that at least 96% of the protein-coding genes have been identified, as assessed by multi-species comparative sequence analysis, and provide evidence for the presence of further, otherwise unsupported exons/genes. Among these are genes directly implicated in cancer, schizophrenia, autoimmunity and many other diseases. Chromosome 6 harbours the largest transfer RNA gene cluster in the genome; we show that this cluster co-localizes with a region of high transcriptional activity. Within the essential immune loci of the major histocompatibility complex, we find HLA-B to be the most polymorphic gene on chromosome 6 and in the human genome.

Test-retest reliability for self-reports of sexual behavior among Thai and Korean respondents.

The purpose of this study was to examine the test-retest reliability for reports of sexual behavior from the National Institutes of Mental Health Multisite HIV Prevention Trial survey for two Asian samples. Thai (N = 37) and Korean (N = 46) respondents aged 19-37 years (M = 29, SD = 4.61) completed face-to-face interviews to assess their sexual risk in their ethnic language 3-7 days apart. Test-retest coefficients ranged from .65 to 1.00 demonstrating acceptable reliability of the survey among Thai and Korean adults. The discussion focuses on the development of HIV risk assessments that take into consideration ethnic diversity found within the Asian and Pacific Islander community.

The DNA sequence and comparative analysis of human chromosome 20.

The finished sequence of human chromosome 20 comprises 59,187,298 base pairs (bp) and represents 99.4% of the euchromatic DNA. A single contig of 26 megabases (Mb) spans the entire short arm, and five contigs separated by gaps totalling 320 kb span the long arm of this metacentric chromosome. An additional 234,339 bp of sequence has been determined within the pericentromeric region of the long arm. We annotated 727 genes and 168 pseudogenes in the sequence. About 64% of these genes have a 5' and a 3' untranslated region and a complete open reading frame. Comparative analysis of the sequence of chromosome 20 to whole-genome shotgun-sequence data of two other vertebrates, the mouse Mus musculus and the puffer fish Tetraodon nigroviridis, provides an independent measure of the efficiency of gene annotation, and indicates that this analysis may account for more than 95% of all coding exons and almost all genes.

Getting the message: HIV information sources of women who have sex with injecting drug users -- a two-site study.

PIP: A field interview was conducted among 325 female sex partners (FSPs) of male injecting drug users (IDUs) in New York City and Long Beach, California, to assess FSPs¿ source of HIV information; attitudes and beliefs regarding the disease and condom use; and risk behaviors. Findings revealed that the subjects, whose only current risk was sexual contact with a drug-injecting partner, were mostly Latino women (62%) or African American women (29%) in their early to mid 30s. One-third had a history with injecting drug use and one in six had previously traded sex for money or drugs. Most of them were presently at-risk for HIV infection; and reported little or no condom use during sexual contact with a male IDU partner. In comparison with FSPs in Long Beach, FSPs in New York: were more knowledgeable about HIV transmission; perceived themselves as being at-risk for exposure to HIV from having unprotected vaginal intercourse with their main partners; have positive attitudes toward condom use; perceived social pressure in using condoms with their main partners; and were more exposed to HIV information from mass media, small media and interpersonal resources. The study generally indicated that FSPs in Long Beach and New York are reachable and reported attitudes and knowledge that support the use of condoms with their main partners.^ieng

Sex hustling, injection drug use, and non-gay identification by men who have sex with men. Associations with high-risk sexual behaviors and condom use.

OBJECTIVE: To explore differences in demographic characteristies, risk practices, and preventive behaviors among subgroups of men who have sex with men (MSM), including gay- and non-gay-identified MSM, MSM who inject drugs, and those engaging in sex hustling. DESIGN: A secondary analysis of cross-sectional data collected through interviewer-administered questionnaires in a purposive sample of MSM. SETTING: Gay bars, bath houses, adult video arcades, and out-door crusing areas in Denver and Long Beach. PARTICIPANTS: Men who reported oral or anal sex with another man in the past year with oversampling of non-gay-identified MSM. RESULTS: Of 1,290 MSM, 417 (32%) did not gay-identify, 86 (7%) were drug injectors, and 117 (9%) were hustlers. Of drug-injecting MSM, 55% reported sex hustling and 40% of hustlers reported injection drug use. Hustling was associated with higher number of partners, more frequent anal sex with men and women, and less frequent condom use during anal sex with occasional male partners. Hustlers and drug-injecting MSM used condoms less consistently during vaginal intercourse with female partners than did other MSM. CONCLUSIONS: Among MSM, subgroups at particularly high risk for HIV can be identified. Although these subgroups may be relatively small, they may be important epidemiologic links to the larger MSM and heterosexual communities and warrant focused behavioral interventions to prevent the further spread of HIV.

PIP: With HIV incidence rates as high as 0.7-2.4% per year, men who have sex with men (MSM) accounted for half of all AIDS cases and 43% of non-AIDS HIV cases among men reported to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1996. Subgroups of MSM who are at particular risk of HIV infection, such as MSM who inject drugs, MSM who have sex in exchange for money or drugs (hustlers), and non-gay-identified MSM, may be less likely to be reached by HIV/AIDS prevention messages targeted at the broader MSM community. Sex behavior-related data were collected from 1290 MSM recruited in Denver and Long Beach from gay bars and bath houses, adult video arcades, and outdoor cruising areas between September 1993 and June 1994. The 531 MSM sampled in Denver and 759 in Long Beach reported having had sex with a man during the preceding year. 417 (32%) were non-gay-identified, 86 (7%) had injected drugs in the past 6 months, and 117 (9%) had exchanged sex for drugs or money. 10% of non-gay-identified men identified themselves as being straight. Of drug-injecting MSM and hustlers, 19% and 13%, respectively, were straight-identified. Detailed information on HIV testing and serostatus, number of partners, and sex practices, including condom use, was available for the 482 men who had reported anal or oral sex with a man or who had injected drugs in the past 30 days. 55% of drug-injecting MSM reported sex hustling and 40% of hustlers reported IV drug use. Hustling was associated with a higher number of sex partners, more frequent anal sex with men and women, and less frequent condom use during anal sex with occasional male partners. Hustlers and drug-injecting MSM used condoms less consistently during vaginal intercourse with female partners than did other MSM.

Comparison of FISH PRINS, and conventional and fluorescent PCR for single-cell sexing: suitability for preimplantation genetic diagnosis.

PURPOSE: Although conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was the first method used for sexing in preimplantation genetic diagnosis, fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) has become the method of choice. Recently two new techniques, primed in situ synthesis (PRINS) and fluorescent PCR, have been developed. This study compares the reliability and accuracy of these four techniques in single cells. RESULTS: In buccal cells, fluorescent PCR and FISH had similar reliability (94 and 93%) and accuracy (97 and 96%) rates. The reliability and accuracy of PRINS (91 and 25%) and conventional PCR (79 and 89%) were lower. In human blastomeres, FISH and fluorescent PCR had similar reliability (100%, 717; 95%, 190/201) rates. Accuracy rates were 71% (517) and 99% (188/190) for FISH and fluorescent PCR, respectively, however, too few blastomeres were analyzed by FISH for meaningful comparison. However, when these data are compared with published data, the method of choice for blastomere sexing appears to be fluorescent PCR. CONCLUSIONS: Flouroscent PCR has major implications for PGD.

Impact of a longitudinal community HIV intervention targeting injecting drug users' stage of change for condom and bleach use.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the impact of the Long Beach AIDS Community Demonstration Project, a community-based HIV-prevention intervention incorporating principles from the Transtheoretical model in its design and evaluation. DESIGN: Repeated cross-sectional sampling with matched intervention and comparison communities. SETTING: Neighborhoods in Long Beach, California, having a high prevalence of drug abuse and prostitution. SUBJECTS: 3081 injecting drug users who were sexually active and/or shared injection equipment. INTERVENTION: Trained peer volunteers distributed fliers featuring role model stories targeted to the population's stage of change. Fliers were packaged with bleaching kits and/or condoms. MEASURES: Primary outcome measures were exposure to the intervention, condom carrying, and stage of change for disinfecting injection equipment with bleach and for using condoms with main and other partners. RESULTS: Toward the end of the study, 77% of injection drug users in the intervention area reported being exposed to the intervention. In the intervention area, rates of condom carrying increased from 10 to 27% (p < .001), and there was an increase from 2.32 to 3.11 in mean stage of change for using condoms with other partners, while stage of change decreased in the comparison area (p < .01). Mean stage of change for using condoms with a main partner also increased in the intervention area, but the difference was not significant after controlling for change in the comparison area. Subjects with recent project exposure had higher stage-of-change scores for using condoms with a main partner (p < .05) and other partners (p < .01) and for cleaning injection equipment with bleach (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the AIDS Community Demonstration Project intervention for reaching injecting drug users in the community and for motivating the adoption of risk-reducing practices.

PIP: The impact of the Long Beach (California, US) AIDS Community Demonstration Project, a community-based HIV prevention intervention based on the principles of the transtheoretical model of behavioral change, was tested in selected areas with high concentrations of intravenous drug users and prostitutes. Enrolled in repeated cross-sectional samples with matched intervention and comparison communities were 3081 injecting drug users who were sexually active and/or shared injection equipment. In the intervention areas (n = 1497), trained peer volunteers distributed fliers featuring role model stories targeted to the population's stage of change as well as bleaching kits and/or condoms. By the last data collection wave, 77% of injecting drug users in the intervention area had been exposed to the project. Rates of condom carrying increased from 10% to 27% in this group and there was an increase from 2.32 to 3.11 in mean stage of change for using condoms with partners other than a main partner; the increase in stage of change for using condoms with a main partner was not significant. In contrast, condom use in the nonintervention area remained stable at about 8% and the stage of change for condom use with main and other partners decreased. Subjects with recent project exposure had higher stage-of-change scores for using condoms with a main partner and other partners and for cleaning injecting equipment with bleach. Overall, these findings support the utility of community-based approaches to changing behaviors that are related to a risk of HIV infection.

Bleaching injection equipment: influencing factors among IDUs who share.

This study investigates factors influencing needle-bleaching intentions and behavior among IDUs who share injection equipment. Analysis of 443 interviews conducted with IDUs who share revealed that intention to bleach and frequency of bleaching were positively associated with attitudes, social norms, perceived behavioral control, and perceived risk of unsafe sharing. Intention was related (positively) to exposure to AIDS-prevention information, whereas frequency of bleaching was associated (negatively) with frequency of intoxication. Exposure to AIDS information may be more effective in creating intention to bleach needles than in stimulating behavior, and noninjection drug use may inhibit bleaching behavior.

Sources of AIDS information among low-risk and at-risk populations in five U.S. cities. AIDS Community Demonstration Projects.

Sources of HIV information were examined for 4,329 residents in five inner-city neighborhoods. Half of the respondents were female; 58% were African American, 21% Hispanic, and 21% White. Forty-nine percent of participants reported one or more practices contributing to HIV risk: injection drug use (35%), sexual contact with an injection drug user (31%), prostitution (27%), or for men, anal sex with a male partner (5% of males). Most had received HIV information in the prior three months through mass or small media sources (78%), and 47% had spoken with someone about HIV. Television was the most frequently mentioned media source (48% of all respondents), while friends and family were the most frequently cited interpersonal source (20%). Exposure to specific mass and small media sources was related to gender, ethnicity, and risk status. Women and individuals at-risk of HIV infection were most likely to have talked with someone about HIV in the past three months. African Americans, however, were less likely to have discussed HIV. Differences associated with gender, ethnicity, and risk status were also observed for interpersonal information sources. Implications for future HIV education efforts are discussed.

Increasing the use of bleach and condoms among injecting drug users in Denver: outcomes of a targeted, community-level HIV prevention program.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of an HIV risk-reduction program among injecting drug users (IDU) in Denver, Colorado. DESIGN: A targeted, community-level intervention study with multiple, time-phased, cross-sectional measurements assessing HIV high-risk behaviors among IDU in intervention and comparison sites. SETTING: Neighborhoods with high IDU prevalence in Denver, Colorado (intervention site) and Long Beach, California (non-intervention comparison site). PARTICIPANTS: Street-recruited IDU who had injected drugs in the previous 30 days and shared injection equipment in the previous 60 days to evaluate the use of bleach to clean injection equipment; or had sexual intercourse in the previous 30 days, to evaluate condom use. INTERVENTION: A prevention program in which peer volunteers were recruited and trained to distribute and discuss intervention kits that included condoms, bleach bottles and role model stories. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Multiple cross-sectional surveys were conducted in the intervention and comparison sites to assess the impact of the intervention on the consistent use of bleach before sharing injection equipment and the consistent use of condoms for vaginal intercourse with steady and occasional partners. RESULTS: Between February 1991 and December 1993, 1997 IDU were interviewed, 890 at the intervention site and 1107 at the comparison site. In contrast to the comparison site, subjects from the intervention site reported significant increases in consistent use of bleach [odds ratio (OR), 2.6; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.3-5.1; P < 0.001], and consistent use of condoms with occasional partners (OR, 13.6; 95% CI, 3.2-58.0; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This targeted, peer-based intervention was associated with significant HIV risk reduction among IDU in Denver and may be useful in other communities at risk for HIV infection.

Condom use with main and other sex partners among high-risk women: intervention outcomes and correlates of reduced risk.

PIP: As part of the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Community Demonstration Projects program, a community-level HIV prevention program was implemented among high-risk women (female sex workers and intravenous drug users or their sex partners) from Long Beach, California, US, during 1991-94. The intervention, based on health behavior theory and formative research, included publications portraying the experiences of local role models moving through the stages of behavioral change, distribution of role-model stories by peer volunteers, and environmental facilitation through distribution of condoms and bleach. The program was evaluated through anonymous street interviews in control and intervention communities. 71% of at-risk women interviewed in the intervention area but only 2.2% of controls were reached by the project. An increase of about one-third of a behavioral stage occurred in the intervention group, but the increase was significant (p 0.01) only for condom use with non-main partners. When exposed vs. nonexposed women in the intervention area were compared, significant increases in condom use were recorded for exposed women with both main (p 0.05) and non-main partners (p 0.001); the mean behavioral stage gains were one-quarter and one-half a stage, respectively. Increased condom use with both types of partners was significantly associated with perceived condom use by peers, prior experience with condoms, sex work, self-efficacy, perceived behavior control, attitudes, and perceived risk. Likely to be at relatively earlier stages of change were women who smoked crack cocaine, African-Americans, and those with a jail/prison history.^ieng

Development and use of role model stories in a community level HIV risk reduction intervention.

A theory-based HIV prevention intervention was implemented as part of a five-city AIDS Community Demonstration Project for the development and testing of a community-level intervention to reduce AIDS risk among historically underserved groups. This intervention employed written material containing stories of risk-reducing experiences of members of the priority populations, in this case, injecting drug users, their female sex partners, and female sex workers. These materials were distributed to members of these populations by their peers, volunteers from the population who were trained to deliver social reinforcement for interest in personal risk reduction and the materials. The participation of the priority populations in the development and implementation of the intervention was designed to increase the credibility of the intervention and the acceptance of the message. The techniques involved in developing role-model stories are described in this paper.

AIDS knowledge, perception of risk, and behaviors among female sex partners of injection drug users.

Interviews were conducted with 137 female sex partners of male injection drug users to provide quantitative and qualitative information regarding their AIDS knowledge, attitudes, and specific risk behaviors. Levels of knowledge regarding HIV transmission and prevention were high, with an average of 81.8% correct on a 16-item test. Most women (87.5%) believed that there was at least some chance they would become HIV infected. Substance abuse was prevalent; 67.2% used non-injection drugs (44.5% used crack cocaine), and 32.1% reported prior use of injection drugs. One fifth had engaged in prostitution. Although AIDS knowledge was high, almost all (94.9%) reported engaging in unprotected vaginal intercourse during the previous 6 months, and 6.6% reported anal intercourse without a condom. Among women who did not report consistent condom use, the most frequently stated reasons for non-use of condoms were dislike by their male partner (26.9%) and/or personal dislike of condoms (23.1%). A disturbing pattern of increased risk was observed among black interviewees, who were more likely than Latinas or whites to have contracted syphilis, have multiple sex partners, engage in prostitution, use crack cocaine, and drink alcohol daily.

Risk behaviors and perceptions of AIDS among street injection drug users.

Standardized survey interviews (n = 325) and guided in-depth interviews (n = 22) were conducted with injection drug users (IDUs) in Long Beach, California, to document drug usage and injection patterns, sexual practices, perceived risk of HIV infection, sources of health information, and knowledge and attitudes about AIDS. Most IDUs reported sharing needles (87.9%), and a large minority reported regular sterilization of needles/syringes (40.3%). Lower rates of needle sharing were reported among cocaine users than among heroin and speedball users. HIV seroprevalence was 5.7 percent (11/194). Sexually active female (60.7%) and male (20.5%) IDUs reported exchanging sex for money or drugs. Overall, 48.3 percent of IDUs reported having made changes in their injection practices and one-third reported modifying their sexual behavior in order to avoid HIV infection. Differences in drug use, sexual practices, and drug treatment history were found with regard to gender, ethnicity, age, and type of drug injected. Implications of findings for the development of AIDS risk-reduction programs are presented.