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This article discusses a Foucauldian-inspired strategy applied to the analysis of the production of truths about psychopathology, sexuality and young people. Drawing on an interpretation of Foucault's genealogical tactics, this strategy involves the deployment of four angles of scrutiny: discontinuity, contingency, emergences and subjugated knowledges. The authors discuss how these angles can be drawn on to scrutinize those practices that diagnose young people with behavior disorders--or that make essentialist claims about a young person's sexual identity. Drawing on examples from their own research in education relating to the construction of psychopathology and sexualities, the authors consider how these angles of scrutiny can be applied to critiquing essentializing truths, and thereby inform the task of qualitative data analysis. (Contains 19 notes.)

Water environments are increasingly recognized as a conduit for the spread of antibiotic resistance, but there is need to standardize antibiotic resistance monitoring protocols to ensure comparability across studies. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is attractive as a sensitive means of quantifying antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and has been applied broadly over the past two decades to various water matrices. QPCR avoids challenges and biases associated with culture-based methods, providing a reproducible and highly sensitive measure of ARGs carried across a bacterial community. However, there are numerous quality assurance and other aspects of protocols that need to be addressed to ensure that measurements are representative and comparable across studies. Here we conducted a critical review to identify gene targets that are most commonly measured by qPCR to quantify antibiotic resistance in surface water, recycled water, and wastewater and to assess corresponding protocols. Identified targets monitored in water samples included sul1, tetA, and intI1, given their abundance and tendency to correlate with anthropogenic inputs, and vanA and blaCTX-M, as more rarely detected, but highly clinically-relevant targets. We identified 117 peer-reviewed studies meeting search criteria for application of these assays to water matrices of interest and systematically assessed the corresponding protocols, including sample collection and concentration, DNA extraction, primer/probe specificity, amplification conditions, amplicon length, PCR inhibition evaluation, and limit of detection/quantification. Gene copy numbers reported across studies were further compared by assay and water matrix. Based on this comprehensive evaluation, we recommend assays, standardized workflows, and reporting for the five target genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It appears that being young and queer seems to be all about woundedness: it means experiencing suffering, including the risk of suicide, increased drug use, homelessness and violence. Yet how are these wounded truths told, and further, why is it that people in education seem to tell them "unproblematically"? This paper considers these questions by analysing wounded truth telling in the recent debate over the Western Australia Lesbian and Gay Law Reform Bill. Using Foucault's (2001) discussion of Greek parrhesia (truth telling), the Western Australian debate is analysed in terms of its problematisation of wounded truth telling. Questions are raised regarding the implications of unproblematised educational practices that engage in the telling of wounded truths. (Contains 9 notes.)

Aims: Beach water quality is regulated by faecal indicator bacteria levels, sand is not, despite known human health risk from exposure to beach sand. We compared the performance of three methods to extract bacterial DNA from beach sand as a step toward a standard method. Methods and results: The analytical sensitivity of quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) for Enterococcus was compared for the slurry (suspension, agitation, membrane filtration of supernatant), versus direct extraction using PowerSoil™ or PowerMax Soil™ kits. The slurry method had the lowest limit of detection at 20–80 gene copies g−1, recovered significantly more DNA, and the only method that detected Enterococcus by qPCR in all samples; therefore, the only method used in subsequent experiments. The slurry method reflected the spatial variability of Enterococcus in individual transect samples. Mean recovery efficiency of the microbial source tracking marker HF183 from wastewater spiked marine and freshwater beach sand was 100.8% and 64.1%, respectively, but varied, indicating that the mixing protocol needs improvement. Conclusions: Among the three methods, the slurry method had the best analytical sensitivity and produced extracts that were useful for culture or molecular analysis. Significance and impact of study: Standardization of methods for extraction of bacterial DNA from sand facilitates comparisons among studies, and ultimately contributes to the safety of recreational beaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A common operational problem in leachate collection systems is clogging due to the formation of deposits within pore spaces and collection pipes. The role of co-disposal of municipal solid waste [...]

The diversity and stability of Escherichia coli populations within the feces of individuals belonging to three mammalian host groups (humans, horses, and beef cattle) are investigated. The high genetic diversity of Escherichia coli populations, variations in diversity among hosts, and temporal variability all indicate complex population dynamics that impact the usefulness of Escherichia coli as a water indicator and its use in microbial source tracking studies.

PCR is used to screen DNA polymorphisms in strains from environmental or clinical sources, and genomic relationships were determined by repetitive extragenic palindromic DNA PCR (rep-PCR) typing. Significant (P

The validity of using indicator organisms was tested to predict the presence of absence of pathogens at six wastewater reclamation facilities. A major goal of wastewater reclamation facilities is to reduce pathogen loads in order to decrease public health risks associated with exposure.

Indicator organisms that reside in the gastrointestinal tracts of humans and animals are used worldwide to monitor water quality. The results have implications for the accuracy of microbial source tracking methods, modeling of microbial populations in water, and efficacy of regulatory standards for protection of water quality.

Research has been conducted on the coliform bacteria used as the fecal contamination indicator for the fresh and marine waters. The use of the Colilert-18 system in detecting both coliforms and E. coli in the filtered and cell-free marine and estuarine water samples is described.

Researchers isolated vancomycin-resistant strains of Enterococcus spp. from residential and hospital wastewater, sewage and chicken feces, but not from surface water or other animal feces. Vancomycin resistance was associated with the vanA and vanC genes.