bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterization and Source Identification of Trace Metals in Airborne Particulates of Bangkok, Thailand
Authors: Rungratanaubon Thitima , Wangwongwatana Supat , Panich Noppaporn
Published: August 2009

Airborne particulate samples were collected in Bangkok, Thailand, using high‐volume air samplers from March 2006 to March 2007. The sampling sites were the Huay‐Khwang Community Housing (HCH) and the Ratburana Post Office (RPO), represented as residential and industrial areas, respectively. The samples collected were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma–atomic emission spectrometry (ICP–AES) for elemental analysis. The study reveals that total suspended particulate (TSP) concentrations are higher in the RPO (144.47 μg/m3) than at the HCH (110.93 μg/m3) site. The results also indicate that most of the metals were highest in winter and lowest in the rainy season. Na, Al, K, and Fe are the elements mostly found in the study. High‐correlation coefficients of Al‐K, K‐Zn, and Al‐Zn are observed at the HCH (R=−0.99, −0.97, and −0.97) and the RPO (R=−0.94, −0.92, and −0.83), respectively. Most of the measured metallic elements show weak correlation with meteorological parameters. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicates that soil, construction, vehicular emission, and biomass burning are the major pollutant sources of both sampling site. The HCH site is influenced by the domestic activities like vehicular emission, construction, and biomass burning. The sources of airborne metals found in the RPO come from both domestic and industrial activities.
The Developmental Impact of the Financed Environmental Projects of the Development Bank of the Philippines in the Promotion of Equity and Sustainable Development
Authors: Lucero Noli B.
Published: August 2009

The Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), the first Philippine bank to be ISO 140001 certified, plays a vital role in promoting environmental protection, health, and safety. It continues to play a proactive role in integrating environmental investments into development projects. In order to show its commitment to environmental protection and sustainable development, DBP integrates and implements environmental considerations into all aspects of its operations and services, assets management, and business decisions. It has instituted various credit programs that support the adoption of environmental technologies and continues to provide credit support to environment‐friendly industrial operations; this is one of its major thrusts. The environmental credit programs are geared toward the promotion of the protection and enhancement of the quality of the environment. The objective of this research study was to determine the developmental impact of the DBP financed environmental projects in attaining sustainable development. It specifically identifies the number and amount of loan exposures on the different projects financed and the environmental benefits for the period January 2005 to December 2006.
Designing an Optimum Model for Protection and Improvement of Sustainability of Natural Resources and Environment in Iran
Authors: Dinpanah Gholamreza , Lashgarara Farhad
Published: August 2009

More than 100 million hectares of land in Iran is unsustainable, based on available data. Human activity is the most important reason for the destruction of natural resources and ecological unsustainability. These activities lead to negative consequences, including the destruction of plant coverage (43%), misuse of the ecological potential of water and soil resources (23%), lack of balance between livestock and range (22%), and lack of enforcement of erosion and pollution controls (12%). Achievement of sustainable natural resources and environment is not feasible unless numerous factors that influence these processes are considered. To do this we must seek an optimized model that pays attention to these factors. On the other hand, the components of this model include (1) the culture and values of the community, (2) programs and policies, (3) the research system, (4) the extension system, (5) the farmers' organization, and (6) the indigenous knowledge of the community. The methodology of this article is descriptive–analytical, and its main purpose is designing an optimum model for the protection and improvement of sustainability of the natural resources and the environment in Iran.
PCB Levels in Humans in an Area of PCB Transformer Recycling
Authors: Ling Bo , Han Guangeng , Xu Ying
Published: August 2009

PCB levels in environmental, food, and human samples were determined around a highly PCB‐contaminated town (F town), a less contaminated town (P town), and a control town (DXG). There were significant differences in PCB concentrations in the intravenous blood of the mothers and their children living in F, P, and DXG sites. In F town, PCB concentrations in the blood of the mothers averaged 190 μg/kg lipid, as compared to 97 μg/kg lipid in the control site. PCB concentrations in the blood of boys and girls averaged 222 and 153 μg/kg lipid, respectively, in F town. PCB concentrations in the umbilical cord blood averaged 566.8 and 168.2 μg/kg lipid, respectively, in the more seriously (F town) and less seriously (P town) polluted sites. Concentrations in the fetal excreta of the newborns averaged 100.06 and 1.66 μg/kg lipid, respectively, in these sites. PCBs were detected in surface water, underground water, soil, and vegetables, and have spread in a circumference of 30 km from the PCB source and have accumulated in the food chains from surface water to fish and duck eggs and from soil to chickens and pigs. The inhabitants have taken in PCBs through these foods since the 1970s. The results implicate the e‐waste recycling operations as having caused elevated PCB levels in the environment and in humans. The elevated exposure levels may have health implications for the next generation.
Influence of Biological Oxygen Demand Degradation Patterns on Water‐Quality Modeling for Rivers Running through Urban Areas
Authors: Fan Chihhao , Wang Wei‐Shen
Published: August 2009

Water‐quality modeling has been used as a support tool for water‐resources management. The Streeter–Phelps (SP) equation is one often‐used algorithm in river water‐quality simulation because of its simplicity and ease in use. To characterize the river dissolved oxygen (DO) sag profile, it only considers that the first‐order biological oxygen demand (BOD) degradation and atmospheric reaeration are the sink and source in a river, respectively. In the river water‐quality calculation, the assumption may not always provide satisfactory simulation due to an inappropriate description of BOD degradation. In the study, various patterns of BOD degradation were combined with the oxygen reaeration to simulate the DO sag profile in a river. Different BOD degradation patterns used include the first‐order decay, mixed second‐order decay, and oxygen‐inhibition decay. The results shows that the oxygen‐inhibition SP equation calculates higher BOD and DO concentration, while the mixed second SP equation calculates the least among the three tested models. In river‐water calculation of Keelung River, the SP and oxygen‐inhibition SP equations calculate similar BOD and DO concentrations, and the mixed second SP equation calculates the least BOD and DO concentration. The pollution loading of BOD and atmospheric reaeration constant are the two important factors that have significant impacts on aqueous DO concentration. In the field application, it is suggested that the mixed second SP equation be employed in water‐quality simulation when the monitoring data exhibits a faster trend in BOD decay. The oxygen‐inhibition SP equation may calculate the water quality more accurately when BOD decay is slower.
Comparative Environmental Health Assessments
Authors: Smith Kirk R.
Published: August 2009

Conceptual and methodological issues in calculating and comparing the health impacts from environmental risk factors in ways that are not only compatible across environmental hazards but also can be fairly compared to burdens from nonenvironmental risk factors, such as poor nutrition, unsafe sex, and smoking, are discussed. It is emphasized that a focus on environmental health burden does not always produce priorities that correspond to those related to environmental quality alone. The methods when applied to China's environmental and other risks using the Chinese burden of disease in terms of lost healthy life years as the metric are illustrated. Household environmental risks are still quite important in China, because of rural poverty, but have been exceeded by community environmental risks nationally. Global risks from climate are small at present, but have the potential to rise. Although not a major greenhouse gas emitter on a per capita basis compared to rich countries, China has already passed the threshold of imposing more global risk than it receives. The study ends with the suggestion that environmental risk assessment should use as a baseline estimates that are based on methods developed in international collaborative assessments, such as those in the WHO Comparative Risk Assessment, in order to foster comparability and policy and public confidence in the methods.
Indoor Air Quality of Houses Located in the Urban Environment of Agra, India
Authors: Taneja Ajay , Saini Renuka , Masih Amit
Published: August 2009

Increased concern over the adverse health effects of air pollution has highlighted the need for air‐pollution measurements, especially in urban areas, where many sources of air pollutants are normally monitored outdoors as part of obligations under the National Air Quality Strategies. Very little is known about air pollution indoors. In fact, the largest exposure to health‐damaging indoor pollution probably occurs in the developing world, not in households, schools, and offices of developed countries where most research and control efforts have been focused to date. As a result much of the health impacts from air pollution worldwide seem to occur among the poorest and most vulnerable populations. The authors in their earlier studies have confirmed the importance of ambient air in determining the quality of air indoors. In this study an observation of air quality indoors and outdoors of domestic homes located in an urban environment from October 2004 to December 2005 in Agra, north central India, is performed. The purpose of this study was to characterize the indoor/outdoor (I/O) relationship of airborne pollutants and recognize their probable source in all three seasons, that is, winter, summer, and rainy season. Concentrations of SO2, NO2, CO2, Cl2, H2S, NH3, RSPM, and PAH were monitored simultaneously and I/O ratios were calculated. In order to investigate the effect of seasonality on indoor and ambient air quality, winter to summer and winter to monsoon average ratios were calculated. It is apparent that there is a general pattern of increasing levels from monsoon to summer to winter, and similarly from outdoor to indoor air. Regressions analysis had been done to further investigate the influence of outdoor air‐pollutant concentrations on indoor concentrations. The most probable categories of sources for these pollutants have been identified by using principal‐component analysis. Indoor air pollution is a complex function of energy housing and behavioral factors. On the basis of this study and observations, some interventions are also suggested.
Study of the Current Status and Factors That Influence Indoor Air Pollution in 138 Houses in the Urban Area in Xi'an
Authors: Liu Junhan , Guo Yuming , Pan Xiaochuan
Published: August 2009

Indoor air pollutants were monitored in 138 households in urban Xi'an that were recently decorated, and the concentrations of formaldehyde, total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), amines, benzene, methylbenzol, xylene, and radon were monitored in the bedrooms, sitting rooms, dinning rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, and studies of the houses. The most seriously elevated pollutants were TVOC and formaldehyde, whose rates exceeded standards by 69.8% and 60.8%, respectively. Ammonia was 13.2% above the standard, and xylene was 8.7% above the standard. The level of radon in 100% of the rooms was below the standard. Only for formaldehyde were there statistically significant differences in concentrations in the sitting room, bedroom, and study (P < 0.05). Concentrations of TVOC, amines, and xylene were positively related to the concentration of formaldehyde in the same room. The concentrations of the major pollutants in summer were highest and had a statistically significant difference with those in other seasons. TVOC and formaldehyde were the most serious pollutants indoors after decorating in an urban area of Xi'an. The concentrations of formaldehyde in the sitting rooms were different than in other types of rooms. Formaldehyde can be a representative of the levels of pollutants indoors; rooms with a higher concentration of formaldehyde tend to have higher levels of other pollutants. In addition, pollutants in the decorated rooms have a strong positive dependence on the monitoring seasons. Summer was the peak time of indoor pollutant levels. Households should pay extra attention to ventilation and take other effective measures to avoid health problems caused by indoor air pollutants.
Accumulation of Heavy Metals in Freshwater Fish in Cage Aquaculture at Cirata Reservoir, West Java, Indonesia
Authors: Salami Indah Rachmatiah Siti , Rahmawati Suphia , Sutarto Ratri Indri Hapsari , Jaya Pinilih Marendra
Published: August 2009

Freshwater fish demand in West Java is supported by cage aquaculture in reservoirs. Cirata Reservoir is one of three cascading hydropower reservoirs built along the Citarum River that receives domestic and industrial wastes. Water pollution by heavy metals, such as copper and lead, increases the health risk of humans who consume the fish. The study was aimed to evaluate the concentration of copper and lead in fish, specifically on Cyprinus carpio, that are widely cultivated in the Cirata Reservoir. Two sizes of fish were collected from five sampling points around floating‐cage area. The liver of the fish was found to contain the highest copper level, followed by gills, skin, and muscle. In contrast, lead was also high in the liver, followed by skin, gills, and the muscle, but the copper concentration found in the tissues studied was much higher (31.111 ± 17.911 mg/kg dry wt) than the lead content (0.290 ± 0.346 mg/kg dry wt). The concentration of metals in smaller fish was always higher than than that in bigger fish. The metals content was also compared to those in fish exposed in a semistatic laboratory‐scale study using Oreochromis niloticus. After 28 days exposure with 0.01 mg Cu/L, fish accumulated 21.53 mg Cu/kg dry wt, whereas for Pb exposure of 0.016 mg/L, fish accumulated up to 7 mg/kg dry wt. However, estimates of Cu and Pb intake from C. carpio consumption were still below the average daily intake (ADI) limit. This study suggested that monitoring of water quality and heavy metals in cultured fish is important in protecting human health.
Radioactivity Concentrations in Soils in the Qingdao Area, China
Authors: Qu Limei , Yao De , Cong Pifu , Xia Ning
Published: August 2009

The specific activity concentrations of radionuclides 238U, 232Th, and 40K of 2300 sampling points in the Qingdao area were measured by an FD‐3022 gamma‐ray spectrometer. The radioactivity concentrations of 238U, 232Th, and 40K ranged from 3.3 to 185.3, from 6.9 to 157.2, and from115.8 to 7834.4 Bq kg−1, respectively. The air‐absorbed dose at 1 meter above ground, effective annual dose, external hazard index, and radium equivalent activity were also calculated to systematically evaluate the radiological hazards of the natural radioactivity in Qingdao. The air‐absorbed dose, effective annual dose, external hazard index, and radium equivalent activity in the study area were 98.6 nGy h−1, 0.12 mSv, 0.56, 197 Bq kg−1, respectively. Compared with the worldwide value, the air‐absorbed dose is slightly high, but the other factors are all lower than the recommended value. The natural external exposure will not pose significant radiological threat to the population. In conclusion, the Qingdao area is safe with regard to the radiological level and suitable for living.
Research on Meteorological Conditions and Their Related Diseases in Hefei, China
Authors: Chen Xiaohong , Cao Qiping , Liu Chengxiao , Xu Chunsheng
Published: August 2009

Synchronous meteorological data from 9688 cases of patients in the Second People's Hospital of HeFei in AnHui province, China, who suffered from hypertension, cerebrovascular disease, cardiopathy, upper respiratory tract infection, and chronic bronchitis, were analyzed. The results show that there are five kinds of weather processes that greatly affect these diseases. This study provides evidence of the importance of enhancing the people's knowledge of preventing disease and improving the medical– weather service.
Protecting Health
Authors: Armour Margaret‐Ann , Linetsky Asya , Ashick Donna
Published: August 2009

Water‐soluble heavy metal salts injure health when they leach into water supplies. It is important that students who may later be employed in industries generating aqueous solutions of such salts are aware of the methods that can be used to recover the metal salt or transform it to non‐health threatening products. The research was in the management of small quantities of hazardous wastes, such as are generated in school, college, and university teaching laboratories; in research laboratories; in industrial quality control and testing laboratories; and in small industries. Methods for the recovery of silver, nickel, and cobalt salts from relatively small volumes of aqueous solutions of their soluble salts were developed and tested. Where it was not practical to recover the metal salt, the practice has been to convert it to a water‐insoluble salt, often the sulfide. This requires the use of highly toxic reagents. It was found that a number of heavy metal salts can be precipitated as the silicates, returning them to the form in which they are found in the natural ore. These salts show similar solubility properties to the sulfides in neutral, acidic, and basic aqueous solutions. The work has determined the conditions, quantities, and solution acidity that result in the most effective precipitation of the heavy metal salt. The concentration of the metal ions remaining in solution was measured by AA and ICP spectrometry. Specific methods have been developed for the conversion of salts of mercury and chromium to nonsoluble products.
Investigating Water Pollution of the Dareh Morad Beik River in the Hamadan District, Iran
Authors: Khoram Mahdi Reyahi , Nafea Minoo
Published: August 2009

Water‐related hazards, such as drought, floods, erosion, and various kinds of pollution, should be factored into any integrated approach to water‐resource management. This research attempt has been made to assess the process of water pollution in the Dareh Morad Beik (DMB) River, whose length is about 18 km and whose average flow rate is 250 L/s. The quality of river water, including chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), dissolved oxygen (DO), nitrate, fecal coliform, and total coliform, were all measured and evaluated at three different sampling stations within different months of the year. The information was gathered by conducting experiments and through field visits, as well as by library study. The results of this research showed that, from a microbiological point of view, the water of the DMB was polluted during the year. Based on the results obtained it was determined that the amount of COD and BOD at station 1 was negligible. Also the influx of qantas waters from Hamadan City into the DMB has caused dilution of COD, BOD, and nitrate of that river at station 3.
The Effect of Plasma Lead on Anembryonic Pregnancy
Authors: Yin Yan , Zhang Ting , Dai Yaohua , Bao Yihua , Chen Xiaoli , Lu Xiaolin
Published: August 2009

Anembryonic pregnancy (AP; blighted ovum is the clinical term) is a common presentation of first‐trimester abortion in China and affected women usually miscarry at 8–13 weeks. The association of plasma lead and the risk of AP in women from Shanxi Province, China, was examined. A case–control study was conducted, and plasma concentrations of lead were measured in blood obtained from women (n= 40) with AP and controls (n= 40) of normal pregnancy at their prenatal examination. AP was diagnosed by ultrasound scanning. The controls were identified and qualified by following up until a normal neonate was born. The mean concentration of lead in patients (53 μg/L, 95%CI: 4.3–6.3 μg/L) was slightly greater than the normal reference (50 μg/L, P < 0.01). The mean concentration of lead was higher in patients than in controls (53 versus 45 μg/L, P= 0.03). The lead concentration may be associated with the risk of AP, and should be paid more attention. Lead concentration that is slightly more than the standard limit may increase the risk of AP, but there may also be some other factors assisting lead to cause the occurrence of AP. Additional studies will be needed to confirm the findings and to find which factors were associated with the risk of AP when plasma lead is present.
Use of Glass Fiber‐Reinforced Plastic as an Absorber in Limestone Wet Flue Gas Desulfurization
Authors: Lin Haibo
Published: August 2009

The choice of materials for the spraying and oxidation of pipes directly affect the operation in limestone wet flue gas desulfurization (FGD). There is reason to consider using glass fiber‐reinforced plastic (FRP) instead of expensive high nickel alloy for the spraying and oxidation of pipes.
Mixed Redox Catalytic Destruction of Chlorinated Solvents in Soils and Groundwater
Authors: Gao Song , Rupp Erik , Bell Suzanne , Willinger Martin , Foley Theresa , Barbaris Brian , Sáez A. Eduardo , Arnold Robert G. , Betterton Eric
Published: August 2009

A new thermocatalytic method to destroy chlorinated solvents has been developed in the laboratory and tested in a pilot field study. The method employs a conventional Pt/Rh catalyst on a ceramic honeycomb. Reactions proceed at moderate temperatures in the simultaneous presence of oxygen and a reductant (mixed redox conditions) to minimize catalyst deactivation. In the laboratory, stable operation with high conversions (above 90% at residence times shorter than 1 s) for perchloroethylene (PCE) is achieved using hydrogen as the reductant. A molar ratio of H2/O2= 2 yields maximum conversions; the temperature required to produce maximum conversions is sensitive to influent PCE concentration. When a homologous series of aliphatic alkanes is used to replace hydrogen as the reductant, the resultant mixed redox conditions also produce high PCE conversions. It appears that the dissociation energy of the C–H bond in the respective alkane molecule is a strong determinant of the activation energy, and therefore the reaction rate, for PCE conversion. This new method was employed in a pilot field study in Tucson, Arizona. The mixed redox system was operated semicontinuously for 240 days with no degradation of catalyst performance and complete destruction of PCE and trichloroethylene in a soil vapor extraction gas stream. Use of propane as the reductant significantly reduced operating costs. Mixed redox destruction of chlorinated solvents provides a potentially viable alternative to current soil and groundwater remediation technologies.
Strategies for Addressing Global Environmental Health Concerns
Authors: Suk William A. , Davis E. Ann
Published: August 2009

While each region of the world faces unique public health challenges, environmental threats to vulnerable populations in Asia constitute a significant global public health challenge. Environmental threats to health are widespread and are increasing as nations in the region undergo rapid industrial development. One of the major predictors of ill health is poverty. Regional poverty puts large populations at risk for ill health, which exacerbates poverty and increases the exposure risk to environmental factors, such as pollution and disease. Patterns of illness have changed dramatically in the last century, and will continue to change in this century. Chemical toxicants in the environment, poverty, and little or no access to health care are all factors contributing to life‐threatening diseases. Therefore, it is vital that we develop a better understanding of the mechanisms and interactions between nutrition, infectious disease, environmental exposures, and genetic predisposition in order to develop better prevention methods.
The Role of Food‐Security Solutions in the Protection of Natural Resources and Environment of Developing Countries
Authors: Lashgarara Farhad , Mirdamadi Seyyed Mehdi , Hosseini Seyyed Jamal Farajollah , Chizari Mohammad
Published: August 2009

The majority of the countries of the world, especially developing countries, face environmental problems. Limitations of basic resources (water and soil) and population growth have been the cause of these environmental problems that countries are confronted with. Developing countries have numerous problems, including destruction of forests, vegetable and animal species, and pollution of the environment. Damage to natural resources and the environment can influence the food‐security situation. One of the main millennium development goals (MDGs) is protection of the environment and people's health. This cannot obtained unless there is ensured food security. Food security has been defined as a situation when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food needed to maintain a healthy and active life. At the same time, with ensured food security, we can hope to protect the natural resources and environment. The methodology used is descriptive–analytical, and its main purpose is determining the importance and role of food‐security solutions in the reduction of environmental hazards and improvement of natural resources and the environmental situation in developing countries. Therefore, some of the most important food‐security solutions that can play an important role in this relation were discussed, including conventional research‐based technology, biotechnology, information and communication technologies (ICTs), alternative energy sources, and food irradiation.
The Environmental and Public Health Risks Associated with Arsenical Use in Animal Feeds
Authors: Silbergeld Ellen K. , Nachman Keeve
Published: August 2009

Arsenic exposures contribute significantly to the burden of preventable disease worldwide, specifically related to increased risks of cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Most exposures are associated with natural contamination of groundwater, which is difficult to mitigate when these sources are used for drinking water. An anthropogenic source of arsenic exposure stems from the widespread use of arsenical drugs in food‐animal production in the United States and China, among many countries. This use results in residual contamination of food products from animals raised with the drugs, as well as environmental contamination associated with disposal of wastes from these animals. Land disposal of these wastes can contaminate surface and ground water, and the conversion of animal wastes into fertilizer pellets for home use as well as the introduction of animal waste incinerators may increase opportunities for exposure. As an intentional additive to animal feed, use of arsenical drugs is a preventable source of human exposure. The domestic practice of using these drugs in poultry production has been the subject of media attention and limited research, though the use of these drugs in domestic swine production and in the rapidly growing foreign animal production industry remains largely uncharacterized. This continued expansion of arsenical drug use may likely increase the burden of global human arsenic exposure and risk.
Children's Environmental Health: Intergenerational Equity in Action—A Civil Society Perspective
Authors: Lloyd‐Smith Mariann , Sheffield‐Brotherton Bro
Published: August 2009

Since World War II, approximately 80,000 new commercial synthetic chemicals have been released into the environment, with approximately 1500 new chemicals released annually. Most of these have not been adequately tested for their impacts on human health or their particular impacts on children and the developing fetus. Yet, children are exposed to hazardous chemicals through residues in their food, indoor and outdoor air pollution, and through household products and contaminated house dust. Many of these synthetic chemicals are persistent and bio‐accumulative, remaining in the human body long after exposure. Developing fetuses acquire toxic chemicals that have bioaccumulated in the mother's body and readily cross the placental barrier. Babies are now born with many man‐made chemicals in their small bodies. Newborns take in more through breast milk or formula. There are no tests to assess the combined impacts of the “chemical soup” to which children are exposed. WHO, UNICEF, and UNEP have reported a growing number of children's health impacts caused by exposure to hazardous chemicals, including asthma, birth defects, hypospadias, behavioral disorders, learning disabilities, autism, cancer, dysfunctional immune systems, neurological impairments, and reproductive disorders. WHO states that approximately 3 million children under the age of five die every year due to environmental hazards, and this is not limited to developing countries. All children, both in the developing and developed world are affected by exposure to hazardous chemicals. In 2004, the European Union's Ministerial Conference on Children's Environmental Health identified air pollution, unsafe water conditions, and lead exposure as the main culprits in the death and disabling of children in Europe. The conference found that by reducing exposure to hazardous chemicals, the lives of many children could be saved. The key issues in children's environmental health and potential policy and management remedies are examined from both national (Australian) and international perspectives.
Different Impact of Excision Repair Cross-Complementation Group 1 on Survival in Male and Female Patients With Inoperable Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer Treated With Carboplatin and Gemcitabine
Authors: Holm Bente , Mellemgaard Anders , Skov Torsten , Skov Birgit Guldhammer
Published: August 2009

Purpose

The excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) status was assessed in patients receiving carboplatin and gemcitabine for inoperable non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We analyzed the association between the ERCC1 status and the overall survival after the chemotherapy.

Patients and Methods

We retrospectively identified 163 patients with inoperable NSCLC and sufficient tumor tissue for ERCC1 analysis, who had received carboplatin and gemcitabine as first-line treatment. Immunohistochemistry was used to assess the expression of ERCC1.

Results

One hundred sixty-three patients were included. Seventy (42%) were ERCC1 positive. Patients treated with carboplatin and gemcitabine and having ERCC1-negative tumors had a significantly increased survival when compared to patients with ERCC1-positive tumors (median survival, 12.0 months v 8.2 months; P = .02). This difference was mainly seen in men, where those with ERCC1-negative tumors had a significantly increased survival compared to men with ERCC1-positive tumors (median survival, 11.8 months v 7.9 months; P = .005). Conversely, women who were ERCC1 negative did not have a survival advantage over ERCC1-positive women.

Conclusion

We confirmed previous reports that ERCC1 expression is predictive for outcome in patients treated with carboplatin and gemcitabine. Patients with ERCC1-negative tumors had an increased survival compared to patients with ERCC1-positive tumors and this difference was mainly attributable to a survival difference among men.
Quality-Adjusted Time Without Symptoms or Toxicity Analysis of Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer: An Analysis of the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group JBR.10 Trial
Authors: Jang Raymond W. , Le Maître Aurélie , Ding Keyue , Winton Tim , Bezjak Andrea , Seymour Lesley , Shepherd Frances A. , Leighl Natasha B.
Published: August 2009

Purpose

National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group JBR.10 demonstrated that adjuvant vinorelbine and cisplatin after resection of stage IB-II non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) improved relapse-free and overall survival. However, many patients either are not referred for chemotherapy or decline treatment. To aid in treatment decision making, quality-adjusted survival estimates of the JBR.10 trial were derived using a quality-adjusted time without symptoms or toxicity (Q-TWiST) analysis.

Methods

Survival curves for treatment (N = 242) and observation groups (N = 240) were partitioned into three health states: time with ≥ grade 2 (early or late) chemotherapy-related toxicity (TOX), time in relapse (REL), and time without toxicity or relapse (TWiST). Q-TWiST = uTOX × TOX + uTWiST × TWIST + uREL × REL, where weights uTOX, uTWIST, and uREL range from 0 to 1. Threshold utility analysis was performed to test the sensitivity of the results to changes in the weights. Weights were derived in an exploratory fashion using different methods. Methods included use of arbitrary values, European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) quality-of-life data prospectively collected in JBR.10 (global assessment questions and symptom-based questions), and lastly weights European Quality of Life–Five Dimensions questionnaire collected from early-stage NSCLC (nontrial) patients after resection with discounting for toxicity and relapse. The α level was .05.

Results

Threshold utility analysis revealed that adjuvant chemotherapy was preferred for all possible weight values for relapse and toxicity (uREL, uTOX), although the result was not always statistically significant. The adjuvant chemotherapy group had better Q-TWiST in the range of 5 to 6 additional months, which was statistically significant using all methods.

Conclusion

Adjuvant chemotherapy in early-stage NSCLC improves quality-adjusted survival despite chemotherapy toxicity.
Validation of Lysyl Oxidase As a Prognostic Marker for Metastasis and Survival in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Trial 90-03
Authors: Le Quynh-Thu , Harris Jonathan , Magliocco Anthony M. , Kong Christina S. , Diaz Roman , Shin Brian , Cao Hongbin , Trotti Andy , Erler Janine T. , Chung Christine H. , Dicker Adam , Pajak Thomas F. , Giaccia Amato J. , Ang K. Kian
Published: August 2009

Purpose

To validate lysyl oxidase (LOX), a hypoxia-related protein, as a marker for metastasis in an independent head and neck cancer (HNC) patient group enrolled onto a prospective trial.

Patients and Methods

We performed traditional immunohistochemical (IHC) staining and automated quantitative analysis (AQUA) for LOX expression in 66 HNC patients from one institution. We also performed AQUA staining for LOX in 306 of 1,113 patients treated on a phase III trial comparing four radiation fractionation schedules in locally advanced HNC (RTOG 90-03). Pretreatment characteristics and outcome were similar between patients with and without LOX assessment. We correlated AQUA LOX expression with time to metastasis (TTM), time to progression (TTP), and overall survival (OS).

Results

LOX expression from both staining methods predicted for TTM in the first 66 patients. Multivariate analysis, controlling for significant parameters including nodal stage and performance status, revealed tumor LOX expression, as a continuous variable, was an independent predictor for TTM (hazard ratio [HR], 1.21; 95% CI, 1.10 to 1.33; P = .0001), TTP (HR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.10; P = .0069), and OS (HR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.07; P = .0311) in RTOG 90-03 patients. This translates into a 259% increase in metastatic risk for a patient at the 75th percentile of LOX compared with one at the 25th percentile.

Conclusion

AQUA LOX expression was strongly associated with increased metastasis, progression, and death in RTOG 90-03 patients. This study validates that LOX is a marker for metastasis and survival in HNC.
A more realistic approach to speciation using the IUPAC Stability Constants Database
Authors: Pettit Leslie , Pettit Gwyneth
Published: August 2009

The IUPAC Stability Constants Database (SC-Database), designed to contain all significant published constants, provides the most complete and accessible route to stability constants in the literature. Collection of new constants is becoming less significant since most are now measured to confirm a mechanism or to identify bonding centers, not to provide data for general use. As a result, constants are often measured less rigorously and are of lower accuracy. What are required now are critical evaluations of existing data, coupled with accurate study of a number of important and superficially simpler systems (e.g., complexes with some inorganic ligands). Calculation of species distribution curves is a major use of stability constants. Ways of reflecting possible errors in the calculated curves are now required. Historically, curves have been drawn as sharp lines, but these could only result from using the exact stability constants with an accurate model for the system. Two techniques for demonstrating the effect of errors are outlined. Constants are dependent on ionic strength and temperature changes. Specific ion interaction theory (SIT) is the most general method of compensating for ionic strength changes up to about 5 molal. Software to correct constants for ionic strength changes, prepared under recent IUPAC projects, is described.
Solubility and related properties in hydrometallurgy
Authors: Königsberger Erich , Hefter Glenn , May Peter M.
Published: August 2009

Thermodynamically consistent models based on accurately measured data are required for reliable predictions of equilibria and thermodynamic properties for a wide variety of multicomponent, multiphase systems and reactions relevant to hydrometallurgy. Recent developments in our laboratory concerning the measurement and modeling of physicochemical properties of electrolyte solutions over wide ranges of conditions are reviewed. Particular emphasis is on applications to the refining of alumina via the Bayer process, in which various solubility phenomena involving solid, aqueous, and gaseous phases are of critical importance to product yield and purity as well as to economical and environmental sustainability. Appropriately designed models and software allow these aspects to be tackled by thermodynamic process simulations of alumina refinery circuits.
Making Cartel Conduct Criminal: A Case Study of Ambiguity in Controlling Business Behaviour
Authors: Beaton-Wells Caron , Haines Fiona
Published: August 2009

This article explores the regulation of cartel conduct in Australia focusing, in particular, on the recent decision to criminalise so-called ‘hard-core’ cartels. It illuminates three interdependent ambiguities in regulating such conduct: economic, moral and legal. The case study is drawn on to highlight the challenges for the criminal law in attempting to resolve such ambiguities or tensions as they arise in the regulation of business behaviour generally.We argue that such challenges exist because the ambiguities reflect broader shifts taking place on an ongoing basis in economic policy, political ideology and social norms in Australian society.
The Water Gate Inn: Pennsylvania Dutch Cuisine Goes Mainstream
Authors: weaver william woys
Published: August 2009

This article deals with the creation of a new type of high-end Pennsylvania Dutch food tourism as packaged by Marjorie Hendricks (1897––1978) in her tastefully furnished Water Gate Inn which operated in Washington, DC from 1942 to 1966. Rather than draw on the Old Order Amish then emerging as tourism themes in places like Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Hendricks and her menu developer, Flora G. Orr (1893––1953) went back to original sources with the idea of showcasing some of the classic dishes for which Pennsylvania Dutch cooking was once well known. This included various pork-and-saurkraut recipes, the layered dishes called Gumbis (shredded cabbage with layers of fruit and/or meat), and a number of recipes invented by Hendricks but inspired by old, traditional preparation techniques. While Hendrick's restaurant won national acclaim for its high-quality fare and interior decorations composed of real Pennsylvania Dutch antiques, it had little effect on the menus then developing in Pennsylvania by the tourism industry, menus which were largely constructed around an inaccurate interpretation of both Amish foods and foodways and Pennsylvania Dutch culture in general.
Mööhrenlaibchen: How the Carrot Got into the Cheese
Authors: heinzelmann ursula
Published: August 2009

At first glance the small, round cow's milk cheese seems decidedly unexciting, one of the mild, semi-hard, ‘‘children’’ cheeses Germans apparently favor for their unobtrusiveness, the very opposite of the characterful, often pungent varieties their French neighbors like to make and eat. However, the intense orange color is unusual and the flavor special enough to find out more about it. Indeed, the Mööhrenlaibchen, literally ‘‘small carrot round‘‘, is a modern classic of the new German artisanal cheese scene. Its origin is at the Dottenfelder Hof near Frankfurt am Main, a renowned Demeter estate where the ideals of the anthroposophist Rudolf Steiner are put to practice. But Mööhrenlaibchen also taps into German history: a long tradition of coloring cheeses (for various reasons), as well as vegetarianism and the Lebensreform movement that formed as a countertrend to the heavy and rapid industrialization and urbanization at the end of the 19th century. The article explores the complex role the carrots play in this modern German artisanal cheese.
A Lamentation for Shrimp Paste
Authors: yu su-mei
Published: August 2009

While visiting Thailand, my desire to bring home the best shrimp paste led me to an elderly seller and to a young man who made the paste. Shrimp paste is a necessary binder used in innumerable seasoning pastes in Thai cooking, and these two people's connection to shrimp paste had, in fact, become a crucial binder in their own lives. For the elderly seller, shrimp paste kept her linked with her family after her marriage. It helped her earn an income independent of her abusive wealthy husband. The shrimp paste maker married and thereby found a profession that he loves. Eventually, he became the sole maker of this ancient paste in his wife's family, carrying on their 150-year-old tradition.

Once made with care and pride only by families, today shrimp paste is mass-produced in factories. The change affects not only the quality and taste of Thai cooking, but also food-related tradition and culture. The elderly seller's livelihood is waning, and the young man who is the elderly seller's source, is now the last of a long line of makers of this ancient ingredient.
Chronologic Changes in Neonatal EEG Findings in Periventricular Leukomalacia
Authors: Kidokoro Hiroyuki , Okumura Akihisa , Hayakawa Fumio , Kato Toru , Maruyama Koichi , Kubota Tetsuo , Suzuki Motomasa , Natsume Jun , Watanabe Kazuyoshi , Kojima Seiji
Published: August 2009

OBJECTIVE: This study sought to clarify chronologic changes in neonatal electroencephalographic (EEG) findings in periventricular leukomalacia (PVL).

METHODS: We obtained serial EEG findings for all premature infants who were admitted to our hospital at gestational age of ≤33 weeks between 1997 and 2006. EEG recordings were obtained on days 1 to 4, 5 to 14, 15 to 28, 29 to 56, and 57 to 84. Abnormal EEG findings were classified as acute-stage abnormalities (ASAs) or chronic-stage abnormalities (CSAs) and were subclassified as mild, moderate, or severe. PVL was classified as noncystic, localized cystic, or extensive cystic. The final diagnosis of PVL was made through neurologic assessment and MRI findings at 24 months.

RESULTS: Fifty-five infants were diagnosed as having PVL, including 23 with noncystic PVL, 9 with localized cystic PVL, and 23 with extensive cystic PVL. ASAs were observed most frequently on days 1 to 4 and were observed rarely thereafter in all groups. CSAs were observed most frequently on days 5 to 14, were most severe on days 5 to 14, and then resolved within 1 to 2 months in all groups. CSAs in patients with extensive cystic PVL were more severe and persisted longer, compared with other groups. ASA and CSA severity was correlated with PVL severity.

CONCLUSIONS: EEG findings in PVL differed according to the severity of PVL and the time of recording. To detect PVL, ≥2 EEG recordings are recommended, 1 within 48 hours after birth, to detect ASAs, and 1 in the second week of life, to detect CSAs.
Informing Parents About Expanded Newborn Screening: Influences on Provider Involvement
Authors: Hayeems Robin Z. , Miller Fiona A. , Little Julian , Carroll June C. , Allanson Judith , Chakraborty Pranesh , Wilson Brenda J. , Bytautas Jessica P. , Christensen Robert J.
Published: August 2009

OBJECTIVE: Expanded newborn screening (NBS) identifies some disorders for which clinical benefit is uncertain, as well as “incidental” findings (eg, carrier status), thus enhancing the need to inform parents about NBS before sample collection.

METHODS: A self-complete survey was sent to a cross-sectional, stratified, random sample of 5 provider groups in Ontario (obstetricians, midwives, family physicians, pediatricians, and nurses). Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to investigate the effects of core beliefs, perceived barriers, and demographic characteristics on the reported frequency of informing parents about NBS before sample collection.

RESULTS: Virtually all of the midwives and almost half of the nurses reported discussing NBS with parents, whereas less than one sixth of the physicians did so. Providers who perceived a responsibility to inform parents were 3 times more likely to report doing so than those who did not perceive this responsibility (odds ratio: 2.9 [95% confidence interval: 2.1–4.1]). Those who lacked confidence to inform parents were 70% less likely to discuss NBS with parents compared with those who did not experience this cognitive barrier (odds ratio: 0.3 [95% confidence interval: 0.2–0.4]). Controlling for these covariates, family physicians and obstetricians were more likely than pediatricians to inform parents.

CONCLUSIONS: These results provide guidance for capacity building among providers who are positioned to inform parents about NBS before sample collection. Our findings call for targeted educational interventions that consider patterns of provider practice related to prenatal and NBS care, seek to redress confidence limitations, and engage key provider groups in the importance of this professional responsibility.