bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nonbiologic Objects as Actors
Authors: Owens Erica
Published: October 2007

We generally understand interactions between human actors and nonbiologic objects (NBOs) as being indirect, with the human actor acting for the NBO and using the NBO as a “thing.” Under certain circumstances, however, human actors enter into direct interaction with NBOs and take on extra work in this process. Actors must “do mind” for the nonbiologic other to perceive “another” with whom it is possible to interact. The fiction that mind can exist where thought cannot be present is counterintuitive, making this process tenuous and heavily dependent upon the circumstances at hand. Four successive contingencies must be present to make possible the perceptual shift from object to actor. First, the actor must perceive the object in question as capable of independent action, whether or not the human actor initiates said action. Second, this separate and active status must become apparent through actions that threaten the human actor's desired goals. Third, these goals must be of sufficient urgency to warrant continuing in direct interaction with the object rather than reverting to nonanthropomorphized normal interaction. Finally, the object at hand must be necessary for completing the desired task.
Expectancy Narratives and Interactional Contingencies
Authors: Young Robert L.
Published: October 2007

Successful social interaction requires that participants continually adjust their responses and expectations about others' responses to interactional contingencies. This article extends the analysis of expectations to include not just the anticipation of single responsive actions but also patterns of action that constitute what Schutz referred to as completed acts. Here, I suggest that when events render the future of the interaction problematic, individuals' expectations of the future take on a narrative form. These expectancy narratives provide a script for the formation of actions, which may be revised frequently over the course of the interaction in response to the actions of others. Analysis of responses to an unfolding vignette shows that both the content and structural form of such narratives vary in numerous ways in response to interactional contingencies and according to the gender of respondents.
The relationship between the GH/IGF-I axis and serum markers of bone turnover metabolism in healthy children
Authors: Léger Juliane , Mercat Isabelle , Alberti Corinne , Chevenne Didier , Armoogum Priscilla , Tichet Jean , Czernichow Paul
Published: November 2007

Context

There is evidence to suggest that IGF-I plays a role in regulating bone turnover.

Objective

To evaluate the relationships between serum concentrations of IGF-I and IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), and bone metabolism markers in healthy children.

Design and setting

Prospective cross-sectional study.

Subjects and methods

A cohort of 579 boys and 540 girls, all healthy Caucasian, were included in this study. Serum IGF-I and IGFBP-3 concentrations, bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP) and CrossLaps (markers of bone formation and bone resorption respectively) levels were evaluated as a function of age, gender, pubertal stage and body mass index.

Results

Serum IGF-I SDS levels were positively correlated with BAP and CrossLaps SDS levels before and after puberty, and also with CrossLaps during puberty (weak correlation). Serum IGFBP-3 SDS levels were positively correlated with BAP and CrossLaps levels before, during (weak correlation) and after puberty (for BAP levels only).

Conclusions

This study demonstrated the independent association between serum IGF-I and IGFBP-3 concentrations with both serum bone formation and resorption markers in healthy children. Physiological differences before, during and after puberty in the association of serum IGF-I and IGFBP-3 levels with the serum bone metabolism markers were found. These differences may be related to differences in interactions between sex steroid hormones and the GH/IGF-I system, bone metabolism and growth during the pubertal transition. Improvements in our understanding of life course determinants of the IGF-I system and bone metabolism are required to shed further light on the role of the GH/IGF-I axis in bone remodelling.
Relationships Between Body Condition Indices and Proximate Composition in Adult Walleyes
Authors: Kaufman S. D. , Johnston T. A. , Leggett W. C. , Moles M. D. , Casselman J. M. , Schulte‐Hostedde A. I.
Published: November 2007

Relationships between indices of condition and measures of proximate body composition were examined among and within nine populations of mature walleyes Sander vitreus that varied widely in growth rate and lipid status. Body condition, measured as the residuals from mass versus length regressions, was negatively related to mean water content and positively related to mean lipid content among populations. When the roles of water and lipid content were examined simultaneously within populations, most of the variance in condition was accounted for by lipid content. The strength of the relationships between various condition indices and body proximate composition varied considerably among populations but less between sexes within populations. Furthermore, the strength and nature of these relationships was not strongly influenced by the choice of mass‐at‐length index (residuals, relative condition, relative weight, or Fulton's K). The visceral‐somatic index and muscle lipid content both exhibited slightly stronger relationships with body proximate composition than did mass‐at‐length condition indices for both sexes. The hepatosomatic index was more consistently related to somatic lipid content for females than for males in most populations. Relatively simple condition indices can provide reliable surrogates of body proximate composition in many adult walleye populations, but caution should be exercised in extrapolating from condition‐composition relationships among populations.
Three new tanaid species (Crustacea, Peracarida, Tanaidacea) from the Lower Cretaceous Álava amber in northern Spain
Authors: Vonk Ronald , Schram Frederick R.
Published: October 2007

Marine crustaceans were not known as inclusions in amber from upper Aptian–middle Albian deposits in Northern Spain. The publication of a photograph of a purported fossil amphipod (Alonso et al., 2000) among many other arthropods promised to be of high interest because the fossil record of the amphipoda does not extend further than Upper Eocene (Schram, 1986; Coleman and Myers, 2000). The Museum of Natural Sciences of Álava in Vitoria-Gasteiz (AMNS), northern Spain, kindly sent us the material with the presumed amphipods, as our intention was to investigate its affinities to other fossil amphipods. The fossil crustaceans of this assemblage were found among 15 orders of insects, spiders, and mites—i.e., mainly terrestrial arthropods.
New and revised occurrences of Ordovician crinoids from southwestern Europe
Authors: Ausich William I. , Sá Artur A. , Gutiérrez-Marco Juan C.
Published: October 2007

A comprehensive treatment of Ordovician crinoids from southwestern Europe is presented, including taxa based on articulated crowns and stems. This summary incorporates new material, new localities, and a revision of some southwestern Europe occurrences. The first record of an Ordovician crinoid from Portugal,Delgadocrinus oportovinumn. gen. and sp., is reported, and this is the oldest known crinoid from the Iberian Peninsula (Arenigian/Oretanian boundary, early Darriwilian). Geographic and temporal ranges of several crinoids are revised from peri-Gondwanan areas in southwestern Europe and northern Africa or modified with new Iberian material. The Spanish range ofHeviacrinus melendeziGil Cid et al., 1996 is extended down into the lower upper Oretanian, andMerocrinus millanaeAusich et al., 2002 is restricted to the upper lower Dobrotivian. The stratigraphic position ofOrtsaecrinus cocaeGil Cid et al., 1999b is restricted to the early middle Berounian, and the range ofVisocrinus castelliAusich et al., 2002 is restricted to the late middle Berounian (see Fig. 2). New topotype material ofMorenacrinus silvaniAusich et al., 2002 is reported that furthers understanding of the occurrence this taxon, which was previously only positively known from the holotype.
A poorly known rodentlike mammal (Pachyrukhinae, Hegetotheriidae, Notoungulata) from the Deseadan (Late Oligocene) of Argentina. Paleoecology, biogeography, and radiation of the rodentlike ungulates in South America
Authors: Reguero Marcelo A. , Dozo María Teresa , Cerdeño Esperanza
Published: October 2007

The cranial anatomy of the Deseadan species Medistylus dorsatus (Ameghino, 1903) is described based on new and complete material from Cabeza Blanca (Chubut, Argentina). Medistylus is the largest of the Pachyrukhinae and the specimen described here is probably the best-preserved pachyrukhine skull known in the Paleogene of South America. Previously, the validity of the species and its phylogenetic affinities with Interatheriidae (Notoungulata, Typotheria) were ambiguous and not conclusive. The syntypes, now reported lost, were isolated teeth poorly described by Ameghino in 1903. This almost complete skull with teeth provides more diagnostic features in order to complete the knowledge of genus. Details about cranial and dental morphology allow the reassessment of Medistylus dorsatus and its inclusion within the subfamily Pachyrukhinae (Hegetotheriidae, Notoungulata). Its cranial and dental specializations and the apparent sympatry with its close relatives Prosotherium garzoni Ameghino, 1897 and Propachyrucos smithwoodwardi Ameghino, 1897 all imply a narrow niche partitioning among the Pachyrukhinae during the Deseadan (late Oligocene). The occurrence of three euhypsodont genera of Pachyrukhinae in the Deseadan of Patagonia reflects the major radiation of the rodentlike ungulates in the Cenozoic of South America and suggests a great paleoenvironmental difference between the late Oligocene faunas of Patagonia and those from Bolivia and Uruguay, where they did not live.
Early Ordovician ostracods from Argentina: their bearing on the origin of binodicope and palaeocope clades
Authors: Salas María José , Vannier Jean , Williams Mark
Published: October 2007

New species of ostracods are described from the Tremadoc of the Cordillera Oriental (Argentina). These are among the earliest well-documented records of Ostracoda sensu stricto. The ostracod assemblages are sourced from shallow marine clastics and are dominated by palaeocopes (Eopilla waisfeldaen. sp.,Nanopsis coquenan. sp.), and the binodicopeKimsella luciaen. gen. and sp.EopillaandKimsellashow affinities with species from paleocontinental Gondwana (e.g., Ibero-Armorica, Turkey, Australia, Carnic Alps), butNanopsisis previously known only from paleocontinental Baltica. This study confirms that two of the major clades of Ordovician ostracods, namely the Binodicopa and the Palaeocopa, were already geographically widespread during the late Tremadoc, suggesting a still earlier origin for these groups, possibly from within the Cambrian to Early Ordovician Bradoriida. Evidence from soft-part anatomy indicates that phosphatocopids, the other group hypothesized to be ancestral ostracods, have apomorphies that preclude them as direct ancestors. The origin of ostracods is more likely to be found within the Bradoriida, a probable polyphyletic group that resembles Early Ordovician ostracods in the external sculpture of their bivalved carapace. Evidence from carapace morphology suggests that the ancestors of true ostracods might lie within the bradoriid groups Beyrichonidae and Hipponicharionidae, a hypothesis that can only truly be tested when more evidence from fossilized soft tissues becomes available.
Spionid bore holePolydorichnus subapicalisnew ichnogenus and ichnospecies: a new behavioral trace in gastropod shells
Authors: Ishikawa Makiko , Kase Tomoki
Published: October 2007

Identification of tracemakers is of primary importance for evaluating the biotic interactions inferred from bore holes in fossil shell assemblages. Domicile bore holes in the subapical whorls of gastropods produced by spionid polychaeteDipolydorasp., supposed to be commensal with hermit crabs, are common in dead gastropod assemblages from deepwater habitats in the Philippines. These holes exhibit unique features and support a new criterion for the interpretation of nonpredatory borings in fossil gastropods. Diagnostic of these bore holes are: small circular to elliptical outer opening, the presence of weak dissolution of the columella beneath the bore hole, and the presence of a hollowed tube composed of detritus held together with mucus within some gastropod whorls anterior to the hole. The two selection factors of subapical whorls and elongate shells are supplementary criteria for recognition of these holes. Bore holes are recognized here in a deepwater gastropod assemblage from the upper Pliocene Shinzato Formation of Okinawa, Japan, and namedPolydorichnus subapicalisn. igen. and isp. These holes are identical to modern examples exhibiting similar site and species selectivity.P. subapicalishas its oldest fossil record in the upper Miocene of the Philippines, was common in offshore assemblages from the Miocene onward, and is a good indicator of occupation by a hermit crab and for commensalism between polychaetes and hermit crabs.
Late Triassic megalodontids (Bivalvia) from the headwaters of the Yangtze River, Qinghai province, west China
Authors: Yao Huazhou , Zhang Renjie , Pojeta John , Sha Jinggen , Wang Jianxiong
Published: October 2007

A bivalve faunule of six species is described from the Upper Triassic Jiapila Formation at the headwaters of the Yangtze River, southern Qinghai, China. The new species, Neomegalodon cornutus and Quemocuomegalodon circularis, are described. The type species of Quemocuomegalodon, Q. orientus, is revised. Quemocuomegalodon orientus Yao, Sha, and Zhang (2003) is now known from abundant, well-preserved specimens that show great variation in shape, size, thickness of shell, and dentition, and the species Q. longitatus, Yao, Sha, and Zhang (2003) is now placed in synonymy with Q. orientus. There are significant morphologic differences between the external appearance of shelled specimens and the internal molds of species of Quemocuomegalodon. This suggests the need for the re-evaluation of many megalodontid species from elsewhere that are known only from internal molds.
Late Ordovician and Silurian lichid trilobites from northwestern Canada: Hemiarges, Borealarges, and Richterarges
Authors: Campbell Margaret J. , Chatterton Brian D. E.
Published: October 2007

Four new species of Borealarges, B. fritillus, B. patulus, B. renodis, and B. variabilis, and one new species of Richterarges, R. facetus, are described and one unnamed species, Borealarges sp., discussed. All are from the Wenlock strata of Avalanche Lake sections in the Mackenzie Mountains, Northwest Territories. Borealarges tuckerae Adrain, 1994, the only species reported from both the Arctic and the Mackenzie Mountains, is discussed. Hemiarges avalanchensis n. sp., an Ashgill species from Avalanche Lake section AV 4B just below the Ordovician-Silurian boundary, is described. A phylogenetic analysis based on 14 species of Borealarges, three of Richterarges, and two of Hemiarges, demonstrates that the former two genera are three separate and distinct taxa. Borealarges, a genus that includes some species formerly assigned to Richterarges or Hemiarges, is monophyletic, contains a well-supported internal clade of species, and is not separated into senso stricto and senso lato groupings.
Paleocene decapod Crustacea from the Rancho Nuevo Formation (Parras Basin-Difunta Group), northeastern Mexico
Authors: Vega Francisco J. , Nyborg Torrey , Fraaye René H. B. , Espinosa Belinda
Published: October 2007

Nine species, including two new species of decapod crustaceans, are described from the Paleocene Rancho Nuevo Formation, collected from two localities of the Parras Basin, southeast Coahuila state, Mexico. The astacidEnoploclytia gardnerae(Rathbun, 1935) is represented by a pair of large chelae and one cephalothorax. An incomplete nephropid carapace is identified asEnoploclytiasp. Partial specimens of a callianassid and a pagurid are described. One partial carapace representingLinuparus wilcoxensisRathbun, 1935 is described. A new raninid,Macroacaena venturainew species extends the genus into Mexico.Paraverrucoides alabamensis(Rathbun, 1935) is the most abundant species, followed byTehuacana tehuacanaStenzel, 1944 andViapinnixa perrilliataenew species. Taxonomic affinities of this assemblage confirm influence of the Mississippi Embayment, particularly from Paleocene stratigraphic units of Texas and Alabama.
Soft anatomy of sunellid arthropods from the Chengjiang Lagerstutte, Lower Cambrian of southwest China
Authors: Zhang Xingliang , Shu Degan
Published: October 2007

Two bivalved arthropods of the family Sunellidae Huo, 1965 are described from the Lower Cambrian Helinpu Formation of southwestern China:Sunellacf.shensiensisHuo, 1965 andCombinivalvula chengjiangensisHou, 1987. Both taxa preserve soft anatomies, described here for the first time, including a pair of lateral eyes and a possible median eye, a trunk carrying flaplike appendages, and a simple gut with caeca. The family Sunellidae includes three genera:SunellaHuo,CombinivalvulaHou, andJinningellaHuo and Shu. In contrast to most other Cambrian arthropods with a larger bivalved carapace, especially those from the Burgess Shale–type deposits, sunellids lack a limbless abdomen protruding posteriorly beyond the carapace. This, coupled with a combination of a number of snared features (e.g., the presence of cardinal spines and distinctive anterodorsal sulcus, elongated valves, and median eye), appears to support sunellids as a clade. The distinctive anterodorsal sulcus extending from the anterodorsal corner to the anteromedian part of the carapace is regarded as an autapomorphy for this clade. Sunellids resembleIsoxysWalcott, 1890 to which they may be closely related; both possess a bivalved, elongated carapace with cardinal spines that almost entirely covers the body. However, neither cephalic appendages nor proximal portions of trunk limbs are visible in sunellids, and thus, their systematic position remains uncertain.
Pogonisella a new name for Pogonias O'Dogherty 1994 (Actinopoda, Radiolaria) preoccupied by Pogonias La Cepède, 1801 (Vertebrata, Actinopterygii), non illiger, 1811 (Vertebrata, Aves)
Authors: O'Dogherty Luis , De Wever Patrick
Published: October 2007

O'Dogherty (1994) erected the genus Pogonias for a distinctive group of Cretaceous radiolarians characterized by a tetrahedral thoracic segment drawn out distally into divergent appendages and considered, from a stratigraphic point of view, as a useful marker for the Albian-Turonian interval. By chance, we have recently discovered that the name Pogonias has been preoccupied two times, first by a fish Pogonias La Cepède, 1801 (p. 137), and later by an aves Pogonias Illiger, 1811 (p. 202). Thus, in accordance with the requirements of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (1999, article 60), we proposed the name Pogonisella nomen novum as a replacement name for Pogonias O'Dogherty, 1994, not Pogonias La Cepède, 1801, not Pogonias Illiger, 1811. The type species of Pogonisella (feminine gender) is P. prodromus by original designation (O'Dogherty, 1994).
Thermal waste treatment for sustainable energy
Authors: Ryu C. , Sharifi V. N. , Swithenbank J.
Published: November 2007

Waste disposal, energy production and pollution minimisation are key problems that must be addressed for sustainable cities of the future. In a world with finite resources witnessing a population explosion, much effort is being made to change the way in which developed societies consume energy and materials and dispose of waste. This paper reviews the current UK practices of segregation and treatment of municipal solid waste (MSW) with focus on advanced thermal treatment technologies. MSW is segregated either at source or at dedicated facilities across the country. The residues of waste segregation can be thermally treated for energy recovery. Direct incineration of unsorted waste is currently the main route practiced by the energy from waste (EfW) industry. Typical MSW incinerators can burn wastes with a wide range of calorific values without any waste pre-processing. However, these incineration systems have low energy efficiency and suffer from unfavourable public opinion. Consequently, gas clean-up technologies associated with waste incinerators have been developed further, especially for dioxin removal and fly ash treatment. The two main alternatives to incineration are gasification of pre-processed waste and production of solid recovered fuel (SRF) from mechanical and biological treatment (MBT). Both processes have potentially higher energy efficiencies than incineration and more flexibility in the use of primary products. Further technology developments with regulatory drivers are required to compete with incineration. Another route available for EfW is pyrolysis, producing cheap and storable fuel products. Pyrolysis is suitable only for specific types of waste material. Pyrolysis of waste wood can produce a good-quality char that can be readily burned in coal-fired power plants or other higher energy efficiency thermal systems.
Briefing: England's waste strategy: waste or resource management?
Authors: Avery I.
Published: November 2007

In January 2006 the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), in conjunction with the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), published The Case for a Resource Management Strategy, proposing that the national waste management strategy be repositioned as a resource management strategy, making up one element of a wider sustainable consumption and production agenda. The ensuing debate and stakeholder interest established support for England to adopt a material resource economy and a follow-up report How to Deliver a Resource Management Strategy was published in March 2007. This briefing outlines the blueprint set out in that document, summarises the government's response and assesses the extent to which the government's response reflects the resource management approach.
Application of the biotic ligand model for regulatory purposes to selected rivers in Argentina with extreme water-quality characteristics
Authors: Natale Oscar E , Gómez Carlos E , Leis María V
Published: October 2007

The biotic ligand model (BLM) was used to assess copper (Cu) bioavailability, toxicity, water-effect ratios (WER), and Cu site-specific water-quality criteria (SSWQC) in the Matanza River and Pilcomayo River, Argentina, where anthropogenic inputs and natural phenomena have led to high concentrations of chemical species capable of reducing metal toxicity: Sodium, total hardness, alkalinity, dissolved organic carbon, and suspended particulate matter (SPM), as well as other metals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of developing Cu-SSWQC from a modified scenario of the BLM–Monte-Carlo method model. The response of the BLM model in these rivers, with water quality near its application boundary conditions, was evaluated during the 2003 to 2004 hydrological cycle. Cu toxicity tests were conducted with Daphnia magna as the test organism. The BLM (Version ap08) toxicity estimates for D. magna were within a factor of 2 of the line of perfect agreement with toxicity test results, although highly variable relevant water-quality parameters showed that mean estimates were more than 2 times the mean 50% effective concentration (EC50) derived from the corresponding toxicity tests. Suspended particulate matter was an important sink for Cu added to unfiltered water of the Pilcomayo River, but it also exerted some toxic effect. Minimums WER, estimated with a modified scenario of the BLM-MONTE, ranged from 1.5 (Pilcomayo River, at Misión La Paz) up to 11 (Matanza River, at Route 3). The corresponding Cu-SSWQC values were 30 and 105 μg/L, respectively.
Development and Evaluation of an aquatic ecological risk assessment system (KORECORisk) for the management of industrial complexes
Authors: Lee Yong-Ju , Kim Yong-Hwa , Kim Kyun , Lee Dong-Soo
Published: October 2007

KORea ECOlogical Risk assessment (KORECORisk) was developed to support decision making for the ecological risk-based management of chemicals in industrial complexes in South Korea. The system is based on a geographical information system and consists of a release rate estimation module, an exposure estimation module, and an ecological risk assessment module. For release rate and exposure estimation, the chemical use data from the national chemical inventory database and a dynamic multimedia fate model, respectively, were used. The ecological risk was assessed by calculating the risk quotient. A case study was presented to demonstrate an application of KORECORisk to setting a risk-based priority among the 6 major industrial complexes or among the chemicals used in the individual industrial complexes. Furthermore, a more detailed assessment was performed to demonstrate and evaluate a potential use of KORECORisk for the management of individual complexes. With 3 phthalates (1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid dibutyl ester; 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid dimethyl ester; and 1,2-dibenzenedicarboxylic acid dioctyl ester) as model chemicals, KORECORisk provided prediction in time and space that are of sufficient resolution required for the aquatic risk assessment but with varying uncertainty. The uncertainty associated with the use of KORECORisk appeared to vary widely (from <10 to 103) with the chemical. Within the range of the chemicals tested, the release rate estimation appeared to introduce larger uncertainty than the exposure estimation. A more accurate chemical use inventory would improve the accuracy of not only the chemical release estimation but the exposure estimation module by reducing the influence of the unidentified sources. The release estimation module should be modified to provide temporal variation with a time resolution relevant to the exposure duration for which toxic effects could occur.
Sediment quality assessment and dredged material management in Spain: Part II, analysis of action levels for dredged material management and application to the bay of Cádiz
Authors: Alvarez-Guerra Manuel , Viguri Javier R , Casado-Martínez M Carmen , DelValls T Ángel
Published: October 2007

When sediments are removed from aquatic bottoms, they turn into dredged material that must be managed, taking into account its environmental impact. In Part II of this 2-part paper addressing sediment quality assessment and dredged material management in Spain, legislation and criteria used to regulate dredged material disposal at sea in different European countries are reviewed, as are action levels (ALs) derived by different countries used to evaluate management of dredged sediments from Cádiz Bay located on the South Atlantic coast of Spain. Comparison of ALs established for dredged material disposal by different countries reveals orders of magnitude differences in the values established for the same chemical. In Part I of this 2-part paper, review of different sediment quality guideline (SQG) methods used to support sediment quality assessments indicated a great heterogeneity of SQGs, both with regard to the numeric values for a particular chemical and the number of substances for which SQGs have been derived. The analysis highlighted the absence of SQGs for priority substances identified in current European Union water policy. Here, in Part II, the ALs are applied to dredged sediments from Cádiz Bay (South Atlantic coast of Spain), evidencing that the heterogeneity of ALs implemented in the reviewed countries could determine different management strategies. The application of other measurements such as bioassays might offer information useful in identifying a cost-effective management option in a decision-making framework, especially for dredged material with intermediate chemical concentrations.
Effect of sediment remediation on polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations in tomatoes grown near New Bedford Harbor
Authors: Cullen Alison C , Altshul Larisa M , Vorhees Donna J
Published: October 2007

Measurements of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congener concentrations and profiles from produce grown near New Bedford Harbor, Massachusetts, USA, before, during, and after remediation of PCB-contaminated sediment are presented. Samples of tomatoes collected from locations upwind and downwind relative to harbor contamination are compared with the use of measurements of 47 individual PCB congeners. The PCB concentration in the locally grown tomatoes, as expressed by the sum of congeners, is highest during the period of harbor dredging and drops to its lowest point after remediation, which included dredging and excavation. The downwind location is characterized by higher concentrations of PCBs than the upwind location in every time period. Principal component analysis is used to distinguish both the effect of remediation over time and the effect of cultivation location on the congener profiles. Evidence of the PCB congener profile representing the contaminated harbor sediments is strongest during the dredging period and in the downwind location. These results have important implications for understanding human exposure via the food chain and highlight the importance of considering exposure pathways related to atmospheric transport during remediation of contaminated sediments.
Technical issues affecting the implementation of US Environmental Protection Agency's proposed fish tissue-based aquatic criterion for selenium
Authors: Lemly A Dennis , Skorupa Joseph P
Published: October 2007

The US Environmental Protection Agency is developing a national water quality criterion for selenium that is based on concentrations of the element in fish tissue. Although this approach offers advantages over the current water-based regulations, it also presents new challenges with respect to implementation. A comprehensive protocol that answers the “what, where, and when” is essential with the new tissue-based approach in order to ensure proper acquisition of data that apply to the criterion. Dischargers will need to understand selenium transport, cycling, and bioaccumulation in order to effectively monitor for the criterion and, if necessary, develop site-specific standards. This paper discusses 11 key issues that affect the implementation of a tissue-based criterion, ranging from the selection of fish species to the importance of hydrological units in the sampling design. It also outlines a strategy that incorporates both water column and tissue-based approaches. A national generic safety-net water criterion could be combined with a fish tissue–based criterion for site-specific implementation. For the majority of waters nationwide, National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permitting and other activities associated with the Clean Water Act could continue without the increased expense of sampling and interpreting biological materials. Dischargers would do biotic sampling intermittently (not a routine monitoring burden) on fish tissue relative to the fish tissue criterion. Only when the fish tissue criterion is exceeded would a full site-specific analysis including development of intermedia translation factors be necessary.
Incorporating results of avian toxicity tests into a model of annual reproductive success
Authors: Bennett Richard S , Etterson Matthew A
Published: October 2007

Modeling the effects of pesticide exposure on avian populations requires knowledge of how the pesticide changes survival and fecundity rates for the population. Although avian reproduction tests are the primary source of information on reproductive effects in the pesticide risk assessment process, current tests cannot provide a direct estimate of the effects of a pesticide on fecundity rates. We present a mathematical model that integrates information on specific types of effects from reproduction tests with information on avian life history parameters, the timing of pesticide applications, and the temporal pattern of pesticide exposure levels to estimate pesticide effects on annual reproductive success. The model demonstration follows nesting success of females in no-pesticide or pesticide-exposed populations through a breeding season to estimate the mean number of successful broods per female. We demonstrate the model by simulating populations of a songbird exposed to 1 of 2 hypothetical pesticides during a breeding season. Finally, we discuss several issues for improving the quantitative estimation of annual reproductive success.
Osl Dates and Heavy Mineral Analysis of Upper Quaternary Sediments from the Valleys of the Ér and Berettyó Rivers
Authors: Thamó-Bozsó Edit , Magyari Árpád , Nagy Attila , Unger Zoltán , Kercsmár Zsolt
Published: October 2007

The study of the evolution of the river network in the Great Hungarian Plain has been based on sedimentological, neotectonical, morphological investigations, heavy mineral analysis and complementary OSL dating. The study area extends from the Körös sub-basin into the Ér and Berettyó river valleys which are situated northeast from the subsiding basin and northwest from the uplifting Apuseni Mountains. The OSL ages provide evidence that a large river run in the Ér-valley at least from 46±4 to 39±4 ka. It deposited garnet and magnetite-ilmenite-rich sediments, similar to the recent Berettyó, Ér and Sebes- Körös rivers and less intensive the modern Tisza river. These sediments originated from the nearly located metamorphic and Neogene volcanic rocks and contain some reworked older clastic sedimentary rocks from the northern part of the Apuseni Mountains. These OSL ages fit the active tectonic phase of the Érmellék depression. Loess is 49-47, 44, 39 and 25 ka old and aeolian sands 10 to 9 ka were dated. Their heavy mineral composition and that of fluvial sands is similar.
Age of Black Coloured Laminae Within Speleothems from Domica Cave and Its Significance for Dating of Prehistoric Human Settlement
Authors: Gradziński Michał , Hercman Helena , Nowak Marek , Bella Pavel
Published: October 2007

The paper deals with the black coloured laminae which occur within speleothems in Domica cave (Slovakia). The laminae are composed of non completely carbonized organic compounds and charcoal particles. The components were formed during combustion of plant material, mainly wood, inside the cave. Thus, they are a by-product of human activity inside the cave. The radiocarbon ages of organic fraction of these laminae fall between 6460 and 6640 cal BP and 7160 and 7330 cal BP. These dates indicate that the origin of the laminae is connected with two episodes of prehistoric occupation of the cave. The first one should be related either to later part of Gemer Linear Pottery or to early Bükk culture populations. The second episode refers to the youngest phase of human occupation in Domica cave reflecting the last period of Bükk populations' existence in the Slovak Karst.
Overview of Receptors from Combinatorial Nucleic Acid and Protein Libraries
Authors: D. Ellington Andrew
Published: October 2007

This unit provides a brief description of the different approaches that can be used to identify functional peptides, proteins, and nucleic acids from combinatorial libraries. Curr. Protoc. Mol. Biol. 80:24.1.1‐24.1.3. © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Conversion Technology for the Separation of Maternal and Paternal Copies of Any Autosomal Chromosome in Somatic Cell Hybrids
Authors: Highsmith W. Edward , Meyer Kevin J. , Marley Victoria M. , Jenkins Robert B.
Published: October 2007

Conversion Technology (CT) is a streamlined version of somatic cell hybrid preparation that was developed to be amenable for use as a mutation detection method and as a diagnostic tool for individual patients. It is also a powerful research tool. There are two broad categories of potential applications for CT: research applications in gene mapping and identification, and clinical applications in the detection of disease‐causing mutations in individual patients. CT may emerge as the gold standard for both mutation detection and haplotyping. It will likely prove valuable in mutation detection due to its ability to detect mutations that are not amenable to detection by sequencing (e.g., deep intron or promoter mutations). It will likely prove valuable in gene identification projects because genotyping of haploid chromosomes yields unequivocal haplotypes. Curr. Protoc. Hum. Genet. 55:3.6.1‐3.6.38. © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Quality Assurance and Quality Control in Clinical Cytogenetics
Authors: Watson Michael S.
Published: October 2007

The goal of any clinical laboratory should be to provide patients with the most accurate test results possible. This is accomplished through various overlapping programs that continuously monitor and optimize all aspects of a test, including decisions by the laboratory to offer a test, the decision of providers to request the test, the testing itself, and the reporting of results to the referral source and patient. The levels at which test performance and accuracy can be optimized are encompassed under quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA). The monitoring of QC and QA problems allows for the integration of these parameters into a total quality management program. This unit reviews QC and QA guidelines, in addition to discussing how to establish a quality assurance program. Curr. Protoc. Hum. Genet. 55:8.2.1‐8.2.9. © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Isolation and Propagation of Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts and Preparation of Mouse Embryonic Feeder Layer Cells
Authors: E. Michalska Anna
Published: October 2007

To realize their potentials, embryonic stem (ES) cells must be maintained in optimal culture conditions that preserve their pluripotency and self‐renewal capacity. Mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) are used to prepare a feeder cell layer that supports the growth of ES cells and the quality of feeders is crucial for the maintenance of undifferentiated ES cells in prolonged culture. The protocols provided in this unit describe aspects of isolation and expansion of MEFs and maintenance of established feeder cells. Preparation of mitotically inactivated feeder cell layer (treatment with mitomycin C or γ‐irradiation) is also described. In addition, a method for counting cell numbers and a simple method for detection of mycoplasma contamination by in situ DNA staining are also provided. Methodology described has been tested in a real laboratory environment and provides detailed information regarding resource and time requirements as well as critical parameters and troubleshooting. Curr. Protoc. Stem Cell Biol. 3:1C.3.1‐1C.3.17. © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A Pt–Fe Carbon Nitride Nano‐electrocatalyst for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells and Direct‐Methanol Fuel Cells: Synthesis, Characterization, and Electrochemical Studies
Authors: Di Noto V. , Negro E. , Gliubizzi R. , Lavina S. , Pace G. , Gross S. , Maccato C.
Published: October 2007

This report describes the preparation of a new nano‐electrocatalyst for applications in polymer electrolyte fuel cells operating with H2 and methanol. The nano‐electrocatalyst, having the composition K0.12[Pt1Fe1.6C55N0.12], consists of a distribution of Pt and Fe bimetallic clusters supported on carbon nitride nanoparticles. This material was synthesized by thermal treatment of a zeolitic inorganic–organic polymer electrolyte‐like (Z‐IOPE) precursor, prepared by reacting H2PtCl6 and K3Fe(CN)6 in the presence of sucrose, as organic binder, in a water solution. This reaction allows the desired material to be prepared by means of a sol→gel process followed by a gel→plastic transition. The morphology and surface properties of K0.12[Pt1Fe1.6C55N0.12] were studied via scanning and high‐resolution transmission electron microscopies and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Far‐infrared, mid‐infrared, and micro‐Raman‐laser spectroscopies, as well as X‐ray diffraction studies, together with detailed compositional data reveal the structural information and describe the interactions characterizing the mass activity of the K0.12[Pt1Fe1.6C55N0.12] system. This material has structural and morphological features that are very different to those usually found in commercially available electrocatalysts for application in H2 polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) and direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). K0.12[Pt1Fe1.6C55N0.12] consists of active bimetallic catalytic sites supported on a mixture of α and graphitic carbon nitride‐like nanoparticles. The studies performed by cyclic voltammetry with the thin‐film rotating‐disk electrode indicate that the performance of K0.12[Pt1Fe1.6C55N0.12] and of the EC‐20 reference material is a) equal to –255 and –216 A g–1 Pt, respectively, in the oxygen‐reduction reaction at 0.75 V; and b) equal to 967 and 533 A g–1 Pt, respectively, in the hydrogen‐oxidation reaction at potentials lower than 0.2 V. The activation potential of K0.12[Pt1Fe1.6C55N0.12] is about 15 mV higher than that of the EC‐20 reference. In conclusion, the proposed synthesis route is general and promising for the development of new, improved nano‐electrocatalysts for low‐temperature fuel cells such as PEMFCs and DMFCs.
Photoinduced Chiral Nematic Organization in an Achiral Glassy Nematic Azopolymer
Authors: Tejedor R. M. , Oriol L. , Serrano J. L. , Partal Ureña F. , López González J. J.
Published: October 2007

A liquid crystalline homopolymer that has photoisomerizable methoxyazobenzene groups in the side chain has been synthesized and characterized. Thin films of the nematic glassy phase of this polymer have been processed in order to study the absorption spectra and the vibrational and electronic circular dichroism responses by irradiation with 488 nm circularly polarized light (CPL). Selective reflection of visible light demonstrates that the irradiation of this glassy nematic azopolymer induces a helix as a consequence of the chiral arrangement of the azobenzene units. Moreover, a wedge cell with an aligning layer for planar orientation was filled with the polymer with the aim of investigating the change in the macroscopic optical properties and optical textures of the azopolymer on irradiation with CPL. The transfer of chirality from CPL to azopolymer through chiral conformations is proposed as a model for explaining the supramolecular chirality.
Monodisperse Thermoresponsive Microgels with Tunable Volume‐Phase Transition Kinetics
Authors: Chu L.‐Y. , Kim J.‐W. , Shah R. K. , Weitz D. A.
Published: October 2007

A facile method to control the volume‐phase transition kinetics of thermo‐sensitive poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) microgels is presented. Monodisperse PNIPAM microgels with spherical voids are prepared using a microfluidic device. The swelling and shrinking responses of these microgels with spherical voids to changes in temperature are compared with those of voidless microgels of the same size and chemical composition prepared using the same microfluidic device. It is shown that the PNIPAM microgels with voids respond faster to changes in temperature as compared with their voidless counterparts. Also, the induced void structure does not have a detrimental effect on the equilibrium volume change of the microgels. Thus, the volume phase transition kinetics of the microgels can be finely tuned by controlling the number and size of the voids. The flexibility, control, and simplicity in fabrication rendered by this approach make these microgels appealing for applications that range from drug delivery systems and chemical separations to chemical/biosensing and actuators.
Occupational heat illness in Washington State, 1995–2005
Authors: Bonauto David , Anderson Robert , Rauser Edmund , Burke Brian
Published: October 2007

Background

Little information exists describing the incidence of heat‐related illness (HRI) among non‐military working populations. An analysis of HRI cases utilizing workers' compensation data has not been previously reported.

Methods

We used both ICD‐9 and ANSI Z16.2 codes with subsequent medical record review to identify accepted Washington State Fund workers' compensation claims for HRI over the 11‐year time period from 1995–2005.

Results

There were 480 Washington workers' compensation claims for HRI during the 11‐year study period. NAICS industries with the highest workers' compensation HRI average annual claims incidence rate were Fire Protection 80.8/100,000 FTE, Roofing Construction 59.0/100,000 FTE, and Highway, Bridge and Street Construction 44.8/100,000 FTE. HRI claims were associated with high outdoor ambient temperatures. Medical risk factors for HRI were present in some cases.

Conclusions

HRI cases occur in employed populations. HRI rates vary by industry and are comparable to those previously published for the mining industry. Am. J. Ind. Med. 50:940–950, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Evaluation of a second‐generation portable blood lead analyzer in an occupational setting
Authors: Stanton Noel V. , Fritsch Tracy
Published: October 2007

Background

A new blood lead testing instrument has qualities that make the instrument attractive for on‐site testing of occupational lead exposures. This study evaluated the accuracy of the instrument when used in a manufacturing setting, and examined the impact of blood storage and shipment on results.

Methods

Venous blood specimens (n = 121) were obtained and immediately analyzed on‐site using the new instrument. They were then shipped to a reference laboratory and analyzed using electro‐thermal atomization atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS), and retested using the new instrument.

Results

The cohort blood lead concentration averaged 40.1 µg/dl. Results obtained on the new analyzer with freshly collected blood averaged 38.7 µg/dl. The mean difference of 1.2 µg/dl on paired samples was not statistically significant. Following blood shipment and storage, results on the analyzer increased to an average of 42.4 µg/dl. The mean increase of 3.0 µg/dl on stored blood samples also failed to reach statistical significance. Under OSHA proficiency test acceptability requirements, 94% of the results had satisfactory agreement.

Conclusions

The new analyzer might be a useful tool for on‐site monitoring of occupational lead exposures. The manufacturer's instructions should be adhered to with respect to specimen age and storage requirements. Am. J. Ind. Med. 50:1018–1024, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cancer incidence and mortality in a Swedish rubber tire manufacturing plant
Authors: Wingren Gun , Axelson Olav
Published: October 2007

Background

A classification of 12 work categories was used to evaluate the cancer incidence and mortality among a cohort of Swedish rubber tire workers.

Methods

Cancer incidence and mortality in the cohort was compared with expected values from national rates. Standardized incidence and mortality ratios were calculated for the total cohort, for sub‐cohorts and with the inclusion of a latency requirement.

Results

Among men, increased incidence and mortality risks were found for cancer in the larynx; SIR = 2.10; 95% confidence intervals (95% CI): 1.05–3.76, SMR = 2.08; 95% CI: 0.42–6.09. Increased risks were also seen for cancer in the trachea, bronchus, and lung; SIR = 1.62; 95% CI: 1.28–2.02, SMR = 1.54; 95% CI: 1.21–1.94, the incidence risk was highest among those with the longest exposure duration and among workers in compounding/mixing, milling, and maintenance. Decreased incidence risks were seen for cancer of the prostate (SIR = 0.74; 95% CI: 059–0.92) and skin (SIR = 0.57; 95% CI: 0.36–0.84).

Conclusions

The finding of an excess of tumors in the respiratory system is in agreement with earlier findings in other studies on rubber tire workers. The results on other cancer types are compared to earlier findings and related to work processes and chemical exposures of possible causal importance. Am. J. Ind. Med. 50:901–909, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.