ATBU Journal of Environmental Technology: Editorial Policies

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Focus and Scope. The journal of environmental technology is devoted to the publication of papers which advance knowledge of practical and theoretical issues of the environmental technology. Selection of papers for publication is based on their relevance, clarity, topicality and individuality; the extent to which they advance ...

Perceived relevance and information needs regarding food topics and preferred information sources among Dutch adults: results of a quantitative consumer study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dillen, van S.M.E.; Hiddink, G.J.; Koelen, M.A.; Graaf, de C.; Woerkum, van C.M.J.

2004-01-01

Objective: For more effective nutrition communication, it is crucial to identify sources from which consumers seek information. Our purpose was to assess perceived relevance and information needs regarding food topics, and preferred information sources by means of quantitative consumer research.

Experiments with positive, negative and topical relevance feedback

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kaptein, R.; Kamps, J.; Li, R.; Hiemstra, D.

2008-01-01

This document contains a description of experiments for the 2008 Relevance Feedback track. We experiment with different amounts of feedback, including negative relevance feedback. Feedback is implemented using massive weighted query expansion. Parsimonious query expansion using Dirichlet smoothing

6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP on technological specialties. Topic 6: environmental contamination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

The document includes 10 papers presented at the 6. Seminar of the IIE-ININ-IMP on technological specialities in the field of environmental contamination (Topic 6). From these, 6 papers were in INIS subject scope and a separate abstract was prepared for each of these papers

The impact of positive, negative and topical relevance feedback

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kaptein, Rianne; Kamps, Jaap; Hiemstra, Djoerd

2008-01-01

This document contains a description of experiments for the 2008 Relevance Feedback track. We experiment with different amounts of feedback, including negative relevance feedback. Feedback is implemented using massive weighted query expansion. Parsimonious query expansion using only relevant

Relevance of environmental concerns in contemplating development of fission fusion hybrids: a personal view

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holdren, J.

1974-01-01

A brief comparison of hybrids to pure fusion systems with respect to timing and economics is given. The relevance of environmental concerns is discussed along with environmental criteria for hybrid designs. (U.S.)

Sources of Data and Expertise for Environmental Factors Relevant to Amphibious Operations

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Andrew, Colin

2000-01-01

.... Before embarking on a research program it seemed worthwhile to survey the institutions and personnel who already have expertise in the gathering and analysis of relevant environmental data types...

Preservice Teachers' Perspectives on 'Appropriate' K-8 Climate Change and Environmental Science Topics

Science.gov (United States)

Ford, D. J.

2013-12-01

With the release of the Next Generation Science Standards (NRC, 2013), climate change and related environmental sciences will now receive greater emphasis within science curricula at all grade levels. In grades K-8, preparation in foundational content (e.g., weather and climate, natural resources, and human impacts on the environment) and the nature of scientific inquiry will set the groundwork for later learning of climate change in upper middle and high school. These rigorous standards increase pressure on elementary and middle school teachers to possess strong science content knowledge, as well as experience supporting children to develop scientific ideas through the practices of science. It also requires a set of beliefs - about children and the science that is appropriate for them - that is compatible with the goals set out in the standards. Elementary teachers in particular, who often have minimal preparation in the earth sciences (NSF, 2007), and entrenched beliefs about how particular topics ought to be taught (Holt- Reynolds, 1992; Pajares, 1992), including climate change (Bryce & Day, 2013; Lambert & Bleicher, 2013), may face unique challenges in adjusting to the new standards. If teachers hold beliefs about climate change as controversial, for example, they may not consider it an appropriate topic for children, despite its inclusion in the standards. On the other hand, those who see a role for children in efforts to mitigate human impacts on the environment may be more enthusiastic about the new standards. We report on a survey of preservice K-8 teachers' beliefs about the earth and environmental science topics that they consider to be appropriate and inappropriate for children in grades K-3, 4-5, and 6-8. Participants were surveyed on a variety of standards-based topics using terminology that signals publicly and scientifically neutral (e.g. weather, ecosystems) to overtly controversial (evolution, global warming) science. Results from pilot data

Topic Visualization and Survival Analysis

OpenAIRE

Wang, Ping Jr

2017-01-01

Latent semantic structure in a text collection is called a topic. In this thesis, we aim to visualize topics in the scientific literature and detect active or inactive research areas based on their lifetime. Topics were extracted from over 1 million abstracts from the arXiv.org database using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA). Hellinger distance measures similarity between two topics. Topics are determined to be relevant if their pairwise distances are smaller than the threshold of Hellinger ...

Regulatory Information By Topic

Science.gov (United States)

EPA develops and enforces regulations that span many environmental topics, from acid rain reduction to wetlands restoration. Each topic listed below may include related laws and regulations, compliance enforcement information, policies guidance

GeneTopics - interpretation of gene sets via literature-driven topic models

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Annotation of a set of genes is often accomplished through comparison to a library of labelled gene sets such as biological processes or canonical pathways. However, this approach might fail if the employed libraries are not up to date with the latest research, don't capture relevant biological themes or are curated at a different level of granularity than is required to appropriately analyze the input gene set. At the same time, the vast biomedical literature offers an unstructured repository of the latest research findings that can be tapped to provide thematic sub-groupings for any input gene set. Methods Our proposed method relies on a gene-specific text corpus and extracts commonalities between documents in an unsupervised manner using a topic model approach. We automatically determine the number of topics summarizing the corpus and calculate a gene relevancy score for each topic allowing us to eliminate non-specific topics. As a result we obtain a set of literature topics in which each topic is associated with a subset of the input genes providing directly interpretable keywords and corresponding documents for literature research. Results We validate our method based on labelled gene sets from the KEGG metabolic pathway collection and the genetic association database (GAD) and show that the approach is able to detect topics consistent with the labelled annotation. Furthermore, we discuss the results on three different types of experimentally derived gene sets, (1) differentially expressed genes from a cardiac hypertrophy experiment in mice, (2) altered transcript abundance in human pancreatic beta cells, and (3) genes implicated by GWA studies to be associated with metabolite levels in a healthy population. In all three cases, we are able to replicate findings from the original papers in a quick and semi-automated manner. Conclusions Our approach provides a novel way of automatically generating meaningful annotations for gene sets that are directly

Exposure to environmentally-relevant levels of ozone negatively influence pollen and fruit development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gillespie, Colin; Stabler, Daniel; Tallentire, Eva; Goumenaki, Eleni; Barnes, Jeremy

2015-01-01

A combination of in vitro and in vivo studies on tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Triton) revealed that environmentally-relevant levels of ozone (O_3) pollution adversely affected pollen germination, germ tube growth and pollen-stigma interactions – pollen originating from plants raised in charcoal-Purafil"® filtered air (CFA) exhibited reduced germ tube development on the stigma of plants exposed to environmentally-relevant levels of O_3. The O_3-induced decline in in vivo pollen viability was reflected in increased numbers of non-fertilized and fertilized non-viable ovules in immature fruit. Negative effects of O_3 on fertilization occurred regardless of the timing of exposure, with reductions in ovule viability evident in O_3 × CFA and CFA × O_3 crossed plants. This suggests O_3-induced reductions in fertilization were associated with reduced pollen viability and/or ovule development. Fruit born on trusses independently exposed to 100 nmol mol"−"1 O_3 (10 h d"−"1) from flowering exhibited a decline in seed number and this was reflected in a marked decline in the weight and size of individual fruit – a clear demonstration of the direct consequence of the effects of the pollutant on reproductive processes. Ozone exposure also resulted in shifts in the starch and ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) content of fruit that were consistent with accelerated ripening. The findings of this study draw attention to the need for greater consideration of, and possibly the adoption of weightings for the direct impacts of O_3, and potentially other gaseous pollutants, on reproductive biology during ‘risk assessment’ exercises. - Highlights: • Environmentally-relevant levels of ozone exert negative effects on pollen viability that translate into direct impacts on fruit yield. • Negative impacts of O_3 pollution on reproductive processes were evident regardless of the stage of plant development. • Exposure to environmentally-relevant levels of O_3

A Web Search on Environmental Topics: What Is the Role of Ranking?

OpenAIRE

Covolo, Loredana; Filisetti, Barbara; Mascaretti, Silvia; Limina, Rosa Maria; Gelatti, Umberto

2013-01-01

Background: Although the Internet is easy to use, the mechanisms and logic behind a Web search are often unknown. Reliable information can be obtained, but it may not be visible as the Web site is not located in the first positions of search results. The possible risks of adverse health effects arising from environmental hazards are issues of increasing public interest, and therefore the information about these risks, particularly on topics for which there is no scientific evidence, is ver...

Credibility improves topical blog post retrieval

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Weerkamp, W.; de Rijke, M.

2008-01-01

Topical blog post retrieval is the task of ranking blog posts with respect to their relevance for a given topic. To improve topical blog post retrieval we incorporate textual credibility indicators in the retrieval process. We consider two groups of indicators: post level (determined using

Why relevance theory is relevant for lexicography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bothma, Theo; Tarp, Sven

2014-01-01

This article starts by providing a brief summary of relevance theory in information science in relation to the function theory of lexicography, explaining the different types of relevance, viz. objective system relevance and the subjective types of relevance, i.e. topical, cognitive, situational...... that is very important for lexicography as well as for information science, viz. functional relevance. Since all lexicographic work is ultimately aimed at satisfying users’ information needs, the article then discusses why the lexicographer should take note of all these types of relevance when planning a new...... dictionary project, identifying new tasks and responsibilities of the modern lexicographer. The article furthermore discusses how relevance theory impacts on teaching dictionary culture and reference skills. By integrating insights from lexicography and information science, the article contributes to new...

Parsimonious relevance models

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meij, E.; Weerkamp, W.; Balog, K.; de Rijke, M.; Myang, S.-H.; Oard, D.W.; Sebastiani, F.; Chua, T.-S.; Leong, M.-K.

2008-01-01

We describe a method for applying parsimonious language models to re-estimate the term probabilities assigned by relevance models. We apply our method to six topic sets from test collections in five different genres. Our parsimonious relevance models (i) improve retrieval effectiveness in terms of

Ligand Exchange Kinetics of Environmentally Relevant Metals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Panasci, Adele Frances [Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States)

2014-07-15

The interactions of ground water with minerals and contaminants are of broad interest for geochemists but are not well understood. Experiments on the molecular scale can determine reaction parameters (i.e. rates of ligand exchange, activation entropy, activation entropy, and activation volume) that can be used in computations to gain insight into reactions that occur in natural groundwaters. Experiments to determine the rate of isotopic ligand exchange for three environmentally relevant metals, rhodium (Rh), iron (Fe), and neptunium (Np), are described. Many environmental transformations of metals (e.g. reduction) in soil occur at trivalent centers, Fe(III) in particular. Contaminant ions absorb to mineral surfaces via ligand exchange, and the reversal of this reaction can be dangerous, releasing contaminants into the environment. Ferric iron is difficult to study spectroscopically because most of its complexes are paramagnetic and are generally reactive toward ligand exchange; therefore, Rh(III), which is diamagnetic and less reactive, was used to study substitution reactions that are analogous to those that occur on mineral oxide surfaces. Studies on both Np(V) and Np(VI) are important in their own right, as ²³⁷Np is a radioactive transuranic element with a half-life of 2 million years.

Opportunities for web-based indicators in environmental sciences.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergio Malcevschi

Full Text Available This paper proposes a set of web-based indicators for quantifying and ranking the relevance of terms related to key-issues in Ecology and Sustainability Science. Search engines that operate in different contexts (e.g. global, social, scientific are considered as web information carriers (WICs and are able to analyse; (i relevance on different levels: global web, individual/personal sphere, on-line news, and culture/science; (ii time trends of relevance; (iii relevance of keywords for environmental governance. For the purposes of this study, several indicators and specific indices (relational indices and dynamic indices were applied to a test-set of 24 keywords. Outputs consistently show that traditional study topics in environmental sciences such as water and air have remained the most quantitatively relevant keywords, while interest in systemic issues (i.e. ecosystem and landscape has grown over the last 20 years. Nowadays, the relevance of new concepts such as resilience and ecosystem services is increasing, but the actual ability of these concepts to influence environmental governance needs to be further studied and understood. The proposed approach, which is based on intuitive and easily replicable procedures, can support the decision-making processes related to environmental governance.

Review of Antimicrobial Resistance in the Environment and its Relevance to Environmental Regulators

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew C Singer

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The environment is increasingly being recognised for the role it might play in the global spread of clinically-relevant antibiotic resistance. Environmental regulators monitor and control many of the pathways responsible for the release of resistance-driving chemicals into the environment (e.g., antimicrobials, metals, biocides. Hence, environmental regulators should be contributing significantly to the development of global and national antimicrobial resistance (AMR action plans. It is argued that the lack of environment-facing mitigation actions included in existing AMR action plans is likely a function of our poor fundamental understanding of many of the key issues. Here, we aim to present the problem with AMR in the environment through the lens of an environmental regulator, using the Environment Agency (England’s regulator as an example from which parallels can be drawn globally. The issues that are pertinent to environmental regulators are drawn out to answer: What are the drivers and pathways of AMR? How do these relate to the normal work, powers and duties of environmental regulators? What are the knowledge gaps that hinder the delivery of environmental protection from AMR? We offer several thought experiments for how different mitigation strategies might proceed. We conclude that: 1 AMR Action Plans do not tackle all the potentially relevant pathways and drivers of AMR in the environment; and 2 AMR Action Plans are deficient, in part, because the science to inform policy is lacking and this needs to be addressed.

Passage relevance models for genomics search

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frieder Ophir

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract We present a passage relevance model for integrating syntactic and semantic evidence of biomedical concepts and topics using a probabilistic graphical model. Component models of topics, concepts, terms, and document are represented as potential functions within a Markov Random Field. The probability of a passage being relevant to a biologist's information need is represented as the joint distribution across all potential functions. Relevance model feedback of top ranked passages is used to improve distributional estimates of query concepts and topics in context, and a dimensional indexing strategy is used for efficient aggregation of concept and term statistics. By integrating multiple sources of evidence including dependencies between topics, concepts, and terms, we seek to improve genomics literature passage retrieval precision. Using this model, we are able to demonstrate statistically significant improvements in retrieval precision using a large genomics literature corpus.

Topic modelling in the information warfare domain

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

De Waal, A

2013-11-01

Full Text Available for interesting and relevant topics. The objectives of this paper is to describe topic modelling, put it in context as a useful IW technique and illustrate its use with two examples. They discuss several applications of topic modelling in the safety and security...

Thermochemical data for environmentally-relevant elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Markich, S.J.; Brown, P.L.

1999-01-01

This study provides an extensive stability constant (log K) database suitable for calculating the speciation of selected environmentally-relevant elements (H, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, U, Al Pb, Zn, Cu and cd) in an aqueous system, where a model fulvic acid (comprising aspartic, citric, malonic, salicylic and tricarballylic acids) is used to simulate metal binding by dissolved organic material Stability constants for inorganic metal complexes and minerals were selected primarily from critical literature complications and/or reviews. In contrast, few critically evaluated data were available for metal complexes with aspartic, citric, malonic, salicylic and tricarballylic acids. Consequently, data from original research articles were carefully evaluated and compiled as part of the study, following defined selection criteria. to meet the objective of compiling a comprehensive and reliable database of stability constants, all relevant equilibria and species, ranging from simple binary metal complexes to more complex ternary and even quaternary, metal complexes were included where possible in addition to the selection of stability constants from empirical sources, estimates of stability constants were performed when this could be done reliably, based on the unified theory of metal ion complexation and/or linear tree energy relationships The stability constants are given as common logarithms (logo) in the form required by the HARPHRQ geochemical code and refer to the standard state, i.e 298.15 K (25 deg C), 10 5 Pa (1 atm) and, for all species, infinite dilution (ionic strength = 0 mol L -1 ). In addition to the compilation of stability constant data, an overview is given of geochemical speciation modelling in aqueous systems and available conceptual models of metal binding by humic substances. (authors)

Proceedings of the international conference on environmental mutagenesis, carcinogenesis and health and fortieth annual meeting of Environmental Mutagen Society of India: abstracts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2016-01-01

This conference addresses topics like: antimutagenesis and anticarcinogenesis; biodiversity, bioprospection and health; cancer chemoprevention; environmental pollution and health; free radicals and antioxidant mechanisms; genetic susceptibility, biomarkers and risk assessment; genetic toxicology; nanotoxicology and radiation induced toxicology. Papers relevant to INIS are indexed separately

The Value Relevance of Environmental, Social, and Governance Performance: The Brazilian Case

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María Mar Miralles-Quirós

2018-02-01

Full Text Available There is extensive literature on the value relevance of social responsibility for companies that operate in developed countries. However, little is known about the influence of these practices on the price of assets listed on emerging economies, such as Brazil. In this context, the aim of this study is to analyse whether social responsibility activities carried out by companies listed on the São Paulo Stock Exchange during the 2010–2015 period play a significant role in enhancing firm value. Unlike previous studies, we distinguish between the three modern pillars of sustainability: environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG. Our overall results support the value enhancing theory rather than the shareholder expense theory. However, it is important to note that the results also show that the market does not significantly value the three ESG pillars. Specifically, the market positively and significantly values the environmental practices carried out by companies not related to environmentally sensitive industries. In contrast, the market positively and significantly values the social and corporate governance practices carried out by the companies belonging to these sensitive industries. These findings are relevant for both investors and the managers of these companies, policy makers, customers, and citizens concerned about ESG issues.

Juvenile Toxicology: Relevance and Challenges for Toxicologists and Pathologists

Science.gov (United States)

Remick, Amera K.; Catlin, Natasha R.; Quist, Erin M.; Steinbach, Thomas J.; Dixon, Darlene

2015-01-01

The Society of Toxicologic Pathology (STP) Education Committee and the STP Reproductive Special Interest Group held a North Carolina regional meeting entitled, “Juvenile Toxicology: Relevance and Challenges for Toxicologists and Pathologists” on March 13, 2015, at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences/National Toxicology Program in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. The purpose of this regional meeting was to familiarize attendees with the topic of juvenile toxicity testing and discuss its relevance to clinical pediatric medicine, regulatory perspectives, challenges of appropriate study design confronted by toxicologists, and challenges of histopathologic examination and interpretation of juvenile tissues faced by pathologists. The 1-day meeting was a success with over 60 attendees representing industry, government, research organizations, and academia. PMID:26220944

Elucidation of the Mechanisms and Environmental Relevance of cis-Dichloroethene and Vinyl Chloride Biodegradation

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-01

thus appears that Polaromonas sp. JS666 is a safe candidate for use in bioremediation , bioaugmentation or monitored natural attenuation. 3.1.6...of multiple chlorinated ethene sources in an industrialized area. A forensic field study using compound-specific isotope analysis." Environmental ...Degrading Bacterium, and Features of Relevance to Biotechnology .” Applied and Environmental Microbiology 74(20): 6405-6416. Maymó-Gatell, X., Y.-t

Repository environmental parameters and models/methodologies relevant to assessing the performance of high-level waste packages in basalt, tuff, and salt

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Claiborne, H.C.; Croff, A.G.; Griess, J.C.; Smith, F.J.

1987-09-01

This document provides specifications for models/methodologies that could be employed in determining postclosure repository environmental parameters relevant to the performance of high-level waste packages for the Basalt Waste Isolation Project (BWIP) at Richland, Washington, the tuff at Yucca Mountain by the Nevada Test Site, and the bedded salt in Deaf Smith County, Texas. Guidance is provided on the identify of the relevant repository environmental parameters; the models/methodologies employed to determine the parameters, and the input data base for the models/methodologies. Supporting studies included are an analysis of potential waste package failure modes leading to identification of the relevant repository environmental parameters, an evaluation of the credible range of the repository environmental parameters, and a summary of the review of existing models/methodologies currently employed in determining repository environmental parameters relevant to waste package performance. 327 refs., 26 figs., 19 tabs.

Repository environmental parameters and models/methodologies relevant to assessing the performance of high-level waste packages in basalt, tuff, and salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Claiborne, H.C.; Croff, A.G.; Griess, J.C.; Smith, F.J.

1987-09-01

This document provides specifications for models/methodologies that could be employed in determining postclosure repository environmental parameters relevant to the performance of high-level waste packages for the Basalt Waste Isolation Project (BWIP) at Richland, Washington, the tuff at Yucca Mountain by the Nevada Test Site, and the bedded salt in Deaf Smith County, Texas. Guidance is provided on the identify of the relevant repository environmental parameters; the models/methodologies employed to determine the parameters, and the input data base for the models/methodologies. Supporting studies included are an analysis of potential waste package failure modes leading to identification of the relevant repository environmental parameters, an evaluation of the credible range of the repository environmental parameters, and a summary of the review of existing models/methodologies currently employed in determining repository environmental parameters relevant to waste package performance. 327 refs., 26 figs., 19 tabs

Human-competitive automatic topic indexing

CERN Document Server

Medelyan, Olena

2009-01-01

Topic indexing is the task of identifying the main topics covered by a document. These are useful for many purposes: as subject headings in libraries, as keywords in academic publications and as tags on the web. Knowing a document’s topics helps people judge its relevance quickly. However, assigning topics manually is labor intensive. This thesis shows how to generate them automatically in a way that competes with human performance. Three kinds of indexing are investigated: term assignment, a task commonly performed by librarians, who select topics from a controlled vocabulary; tagging, a popular activity of web users, who choose topics freely; and a new method of keyphrase extraction, where topics are equated to Wikipedia article names. A general two-stage algorithm is introduced that first selects candidate topics and then ranks them by significance based on their properties. These properties draw on statistical, semantic, domain-specific and encyclopedic knowledge. They are combined using a machine learn...

Development of Lesson Plans and Student Worksheets Based Socio-Scientific Issues on Pollution Environmental Topic

Science.gov (United States)

Rahayu, S.; Meyliana, M.; Arlingga, A.; Reny, R.; Siahaan, P.; Hernani, H.

2017-09-01

The aim of this study is to develop lesson plans and student worksheets based socio-scientific issues on pollution environmental topic for seventh-grade junior high school students. Environmental pollution topic split into several subtopics namely air pollution, water pollution and soil pollution. The composing of lesson plans were developed based on socio-scientific issues with five stages, namely (1) Motivate; (2) Challenge; (3) Collect scientific evidence; (4) Analyse the evidence; (5) Build knowledge and make connections; and (6) Use evidence. While student worksheets contain articles on socio-scientific issues, practice, and there are a few questions to determine students’ reasoning. The method that is used in this research is research and development (R & D method). Development model used in this study is a model of Plomp that consists of four stages, namely: (1) Initial Research; (2) Design; (3) Realization or Construction; (4) Testing, evaluation and revision; (5) Implementation, while the research was limited to the fourth stage. Lesson plans and student worksheets based on socio-scientific issues was validated through an expert validation. The result showed that lesson plans and student worksheets based socio-scientific issues on pollution theme have a very decent and be able to apply in science classroom.

Competence raising through teaching of ESD environmental key topics implementing “project technology”

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gayane Poghosyan

2015-06-01

The UNESCO Chair on “Education for Sustainable Development” at the Center for Ecological-Noosphere Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia in cooperation with the National Institute of Education of the Armenian Ministry of Education and Science are carrying out a series of trainings and seminars for educators and students from pedagogical institutes to increase their competence on key environmental topics in the context of sustainable development implementing project method of teaching. Pedagogical-oriented universities and vocational training institutions have been chosen, where trainings and seminars have been carried out with the best students and the teaching staff using project method. In the result of the trainings and seminars 44 teachers and learners from 5 universities, 3 vocational colleges, 5 high schools, 3 NGOs were trained in 3 regions of the Republic of Armenia (with different environmental problems. Evaluations were carried out and the best tested projects were presented at round table discussions.

Considerations of Environmentally Relevant Test Conditions for Improved Evaluation of Ecological Hazards of Engineered Nanomaterials

Science.gov (United States)

Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are increasingly entering the environment with uncertain consequences including potential ecological effects. Various research communities view differently whether ecotoxicological testing of ENMs should be conducted using environmentally relevant ...

Facility location decisions with environmental considerations. A case study from the petrochemical industry

OpenAIRE

Treitl, Stefan; Jammernegg, Werner

2014-01-01

The recently growing concerns of customers and governments about environmental protection and greenhouse gas reduction have forced companies to integrate the topic of environmental sustainability into their decision making. Facility location decisions are of special relevance in this respect because of their strategic nature. Furthermore, many different trade-offs must be considered, for example between operational costs and customer service. But as soon as environmental issues are concerned,...

Global health ethics: an introduction to prominent theories and relevant topics.

Science.gov (United States)

Stapleton, Greg; Schröder-Bäck, Peter; Laaser, Ulrich; Meershoek, Agnes; Popa, Daniela

2014-01-01

Global health ethics is a relatively new term that is used to conceptualize the process of applying moral value to health issues that are typically characterized by a global level effect or require action coordinated at a global level. It is important to acknowledge that this account of global health ethics takes a predominantly geographic approach and may infer that the subject relates primarily to macro-level health phenomena. However, global health ethics could alternatively be thought of as another branch of health ethics. It may then relate to specific topics in themselves, which might also include micro-level health phenomena. In its broadest sense, global health ethics is a normative project that is best characterized by the challenge of developing common values and universal norms for responding to global health threats. Consequently, many subjects fall within its scope. Whilst several accounts of global health ethics have been conceptualized in the literature, a concise demarcation of the paradigm is still needed. Through means of a literature review, this paper presents a two-part introduction to global health ethics. First, the framework of 'borrowed' ethics that currently form the core of global health ethics is discussed in relation to two essential ethical considerations: 1) what is the moral significance of health and 2) what is the moral significance of boundaries? Second, a selection of exemplar ethical topics is presented to illustrate the range of topics within global health ethics.

Global health ethics: an introduction to prominent theories and relevant topics

Science.gov (United States)

Stapleton, Greg; Schröder-Bäck, Peter; Laaser, Ulrich; Meershoek, Agnes; Popa, Daniela

2014-01-01

Global health ethics is a relatively new term that is used to conceptualize the process of applying moral value to health issues that are typically characterized by a global level effect or require action coordinated at a global level. It is important to acknowledge that this account of global health ethics takes a predominantly geographic approach and may infer that the subject relates primarily to macro-level health phenomena. However, global health ethics could alternatively be thought of as another branch of health ethics. It may then relate to specific topics in themselves, which might also include micro-level health phenomena. In its broadest sense, global health ethics is a normative project that is best characterized by the challenge of developing common values and universal norms for responding to global health threats. Consequently, many subjects fall within its scope. Whilst several accounts of global health ethics have been conceptualized in the literature, a concise demarcation of the paradigm is still needed. Through means of a literature review, this paper presents a two-part introduction to global health ethics. First, the framework of ‘borrowed’ ethics that currently form the core of global health ethics is discussed in relation to two essential ethical considerations: 1) what is the moral significance of health and 2) what is the moral significance of boundaries? Second, a selection of exemplar ethical topics is presented to illustrate the range of topics within global health ethics. PMID:24560262

Web-Scale Discovery Services Retrieve Relevant Results in Health Sciences Topics Including MEDLINE Content

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elizabeth Margaret Stovold

2017-06-01

Full Text Available A Review of: Hanneke, R., & O’Brien, K. K. (2016. Comparison of three web-scale discovery services for health sciences research. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 104(2, 109-117. http://dx.doi.org/10.3163/1536-5050.104.2.004 Abstract Objective – To compare the results of health sciences search queries in three web-scale discovery (WSD services for relevance, duplicate detection, and retrieval of MEDLINE content. Design – Comparative evaluation and bibliometric study. Setting – Six university libraries in the United States of America. Subjects – Three commercial WSD services: Primo, Summon, and EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS. Methods – The authors collected data at six universities, including their own. They tested each of the three WSDs at two data collection sites. However, since one of the sites was using a legacy version of Summon that was due to be upgraded, data collected for Summon at this site were considered obsolete and excluded from the analysis. The authors generated three questions for each of six major health disciplines, then designed simple keyword searches to mimic typical student search behaviours. They captured the first 20 results from each query run at each test site, to represent the first “page” of results, giving a total of 2,086 total search results. These were independently assessed for relevance to the topic. Authors resolved disagreements by discussion, and calculated a kappa inter-observer score. They retained duplicate records within the results so that the duplicate detection by the WSDs could be compared. They assessed MEDLINE coverage by the WSDs in several ways. Using precise strategies to generate a relevant set of articles, they conducted one search from each of the six disciplines in PubMed so that they could compare retrieval of MEDLINE content. These results were cross-checked against the first 20 results from the corresponding query in the WSDs. To aid investigation of overall

Key Topics in Sports Medicine

OpenAIRE

2006-01-01

Key Topics in Sports Medicine is a single quick reference source for sports and exercise medicine. It presents the essential information from across relevant topic areas, and includes both the core and emerging issues in this rapidly developing field. It covers: 1) Sports injuries, rehabilitation and injury prevention, 2) Exercise physiology, fitness testing and training, 3) Drugs in sport, 4) Exercise and health promotion, 5) Sport and exercise for special and clinical populations, 6) The ps...

Evidence of immunomodulation in nestling American kestrels (Falco sparverius) exposed to environmentally relevant PBDEs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fernie, Kim J. [Canadian Wildlife Service, PO Box 5050, 867 Lakeshore Rd., Burlington, Ontario, L7R 4A6 (Canada)]. E-mail: kim.fernie@ec.gc.ca; Mayne, Greg [Canadian Wildlife Service, PO Box 5050, 867 Lakeshore Rd., Burlington, Ontario, L7R 4A6 (Canada); Shutt, J. Laird [National Wildlife Research Centre, Canadian Wildlife Service, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6 (Canada); Pekarik, Cynthia [Canadian Wildlife Service, PO Box 5050, 867 Lakeshore Rd., Burlington, Ontario, L7R 4A6 (Canada); Grasman, Keith A. [Department of Biological Sciences, Wright State University, 3640 Colonel Glenn Highway, Dayton, OH 45435 (United States); Letcher, Robert J. [National Wildlife Research Centre, Canadian Wildlife Service, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6 (Canada); Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4 (Canada); Drouillard, Ken [Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4 (Canada)

2005-12-15

We investigated whether exposure to environmentally relevant polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) causes immunomodulation in captive nestling American kestrels (Falco sparverius). Eggs within each clutch, divided by laying sequence, were injected with safflower oil or penta-BDE congeners-47, -99, -100, and -153 dissolved in safflower oil (18.7 {mu}g {sigma}PBDEs/egg) approximating Great Lakes birds. For 29 days, nestlings consumed the same PBDE mixture (15.6{+-}0.3 ng/g body weight per day), reaching {sigma}PBDE body burden concentrations that were 120x higher in the treatment birds (86.1{+-}29.1 ng/g ww) than controls (0.73{+-}0.5 ng/g ww). PBDE-exposed birds had a greater PHA response (T-cell-mediated immunity), which was negatively associated with increasing BDE-47 concentrations, but a reduced antibody-mediated response that was positively associated with increasing BDE-183 concentrations. There were also structural changes in the spleen (fewer germinal centers), bursa (reduced apoptosis) and thymus (increased macrophages), and negative associations between the spleen somatic index and {sigma}PBDEs, and the bursa somatic index and BDE-47. Immunomodulation from PBDE exposure may be exacerbated in wild birds experiencing greater environmental stresses. - Exposure to environmentally relevant polybrominated diphenyl ethers (congeners and concentrations) resulted in the immunomodulation of nestling American kestrels.

Evidence of immunomodulation in nestling American kestrels (Falco sparverius) exposed to environmentally relevant PBDEs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernie, Kim J.; Mayne, Greg; Shutt, J. Laird; Pekarik, Cynthia; Grasman, Keith A.; Letcher, Robert J.; Drouillard, Ken

2005-01-01

We investigated whether exposure to environmentally relevant polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) causes immunomodulation in captive nestling American kestrels (Falco sparverius). Eggs within each clutch, divided by laying sequence, were injected with safflower oil or penta-BDE congeners-47, -99, -100, and -153 dissolved in safflower oil (18.7 μg ΣPBDEs/egg) approximating Great Lakes birds. For 29 days, nestlings consumed the same PBDE mixture (15.6±0.3 ng/g body weight per day), reaching ΣPBDE body burden concentrations that were 120x higher in the treatment birds (86.1±29.1 ng/g ww) than controls (0.73±0.5 ng/g ww). PBDE-exposed birds had a greater PHA response (T-cell-mediated immunity), which was negatively associated with increasing BDE-47 concentrations, but a reduced antibody-mediated response that was positively associated with increasing BDE-183 concentrations. There were also structural changes in the spleen (fewer germinal centers), bursa (reduced apoptosis) and thymus (increased macrophages), and negative associations between the spleen somatic index and ΣPBDEs, and the bursa somatic index and BDE-47. Immunomodulation from PBDE exposure may be exacerbated in wild birds experiencing greater environmental stresses. - Exposure to environmentally relevant polybrominated diphenyl ethers (congeners and concentrations) resulted in the immunomodulation of nestling American kestrels

Environmental communication research in Finland; Ympaeristoeviestinnaen tutkimus Suomessa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lyytimaeki, J.; Palosaari, M.

2004-07-01

This report presents Finnish research on environmental communication and describes different was of understanding the term environmental communication. The objective of the report is to indicate relevant topics for future research in environmental communication from the point of view of environmental policy research and Finnish environmental administration. The report outlines the development of environmental journalism from the 1960's till present and explores the different approaches taken in researching environmental communication. Or organisation and crisis communication, sociology, environmental education and policy are current y the fields of science most active in environmental communication research. Visuality of communication and the effects of new information technology are increasingly interesting phenomena for the study of environmental communication. This report points out needs of research from each of these fields. The report includes also a bibliography of environmental communication research in Finland. (orig.)

2004 Environmental Mutagen Society Annual Meeting - Genes, Mutations and Disease: The Environmental Connection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Samson, Leona D.

2004-08-23

The Meeting consisted of 9 Symposia, 4 Keynote Lectures, 3 Platform Sessions and 4 Poster Sessions. In addition there were Breakfast Meetings for Special Interest Groups designed to inform attendees about the latest advances in environmental mutagenesis research. Several of the topics to be covered at this broad meeting will be of interest to the Department of Energy, Office of Science. The relevance of this meeting to the DOE derives from the fact that low dose radiation may represent one of the most significant sources of human mutations that are attributable to the environment. The EMS membership, and those who attended the EMS Annual Meeting were interested in both chemical and radiation induced biological effects, such as cell death, mutation, teratogenesis, carcinogenesis and aging. These topics thate were presented at the 2004 EMS Annual meeting that were of clear interest to DOE include: human variation in cancer susceptibility, unusual mechanisms of mutation, germ and stem cell mutagenesis, recombination and the maintenance of genomic stability, multiple roles for DNA mismatch repair, DNA helicases, mutation, cancer and aging, Genome-wide transcriptional responses to environmental change, Telomeres and genomic stability: when ends don?t meet, systems biology approach to cell phenotypic decision processes, and the surprising biology of short RNAs. Poster and platform sessions addressed topics related to environmental mutagen exposure, DNA repair, mechanisms of mutagenesis, epidemiology, genomic and proteomics and bioinformatics. These sessions were designed to give student, postdocs and more junior scientists a chance to present their work.

Regulatory relevant and reliable methods and data for determining the environmental fate of manufactured nanomaterials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baun, Anders; Sayre, Phil; Steinhäuser, Klaus Günter

2017-01-01

The widespread use of manufactured nanomaterials (MN) increases the need for describing and predicting their environmental fate and behaviour. A number of recent reviews have addressed the scientific challenges in disclosing the governing processes for the environmental fate and behaviour of MNs,...... data. Gaps do however exist in test methods for environmental fate, such as methods to estimate heteroagglomeration and the tendency for MNs to transform in the environment.......The widespread use of manufactured nanomaterials (MN) increases the need for describing and predicting their environmental fate and behaviour. A number of recent reviews have addressed the scientific challenges in disclosing the governing processes for the environmental fate and behaviour of MNs......, however there has been less focus on the regulatory adequacy of the data available for MN. The aim of this paper is therefore to review data, testing protocols and guidance papers which describe the environmental fate and behaviour of MN with a focus on their regulatory reliability and relevance. Given...

Analyzing research trends on drug safety using topic modeling.

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, Chen

2018-04-06

Published drug safety data has evolved in the past decade due to scientific and technological advances in the relevant research fields. Considering that a vast amount of scientific literature has been published in this area, it is not easy to identify the key information. Topic modeling has emerged as a powerful tool to extract meaningful information from a large volume of unstructured texts. Areas covered: We analyzed the titles and abstracts of 4347 articles in four journals dedicated to drug safety from 2007 to 2016. We applied Latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) model to extract 50 main topics, and conducted trend analysis to explore the temporal popularity of these topics over years. Expert Opinion/Commentary: We found that 'benefit-risk assessment and communication', 'diabetes' and 'biologic therapy for autoimmune diseases' are the top 3 most published topics. The topics relevant to the use of electronic health records/observational data for safety surveillance are becoming increasingly popular over time. Meanwhile, there is a slight decrease in research on signal detection based on spontaneous reporting, although spontaneous reporting still plays an important role in benefit-risk assessment. The topics related to medical conditions and treatment showed highly dynamic patterns over time.

Biological effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of the pharmaceutical Triclosan in the marine mussel Perna perna (Linnaeus, 1758)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanzi Cortez, Fernando, E-mail: lecotox@unisanta.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares IPEN-CNEN/SP, 05508-000 Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Laboratorio de Ecotoxicologia, Universidade Santa Cecilia, 11045-907 Santos, SP (Brazil); Dias Seabra Pereira, Camilo [Laboratorio de Ecotoxicologia, Universidade Santa Cecilia, 11045-907 Santos, SP (Brazil); Instituto do Mar, Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo, 11030-400 Santos, SP (Brazil); Ramos Santos, Aldo Ramos [Laboratorio de Ecotoxicologia, Universidade Santa Cecilia, 11045-907 Santos, SP (Brazil); Cesar, Augusto; Choueri, Rodrigo Brasil [Laboratorio de Ecotoxicologia, Universidade Santa Cecilia, 11045-907 Santos, SP (Brazil); Instituto do Mar, Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo, 11030-400 Santos, SP (Brazil); Martini, Gisela de Assis [Laboratorio de Ecotoxicologia, Universidade Santa Cecilia, 11045-907 Santos, SP (Brazil); Bohrer-Morel, Maria Beatriz [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares IPEN-CNEN/SP, 05508-000 Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2012-09-15

Triclosan (5-Chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy) phenol) is an antibacterial compound widely employed in pharmaceuticals and personal care products. Although this emerging compound has been detected in aquatic environments, scarce information is found on the effects of Triclosan to marine organisms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxicity of a concentration range of Triclosan through fertilization assay (reproductive success), embryo-larval development assay (early life stage) and physiological stress (Neutral Red Retention Time assay - NRRT) (adult stage) in the marine sentinel organism Perna perna. The mean inhibition concentrations for fertilization (IC{sub 50} = 0.490 mg L{sup -1}) and embryo-larval development (IC{sub 50} = 0.135 mg L{sup -1}) tests were above environmental relevant concentrations (ng L{sup -1}) given by previous studies. Differently, significant reduction on NRRT results was found at 12 ng L{sup -1}, demonstrating the current risk of the continuous introduction of Triclosan into aquatic environments, and the need of ecotoxicological studies oriented by the mechanism of action of the compound. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Triclosan causes biological adverse effects at environmental relevant concentrations. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Mechanisms of action oriented assays were more sensitive to detect biological damages. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Currently there is environmental risks concerned Triclosan in aquatic ecosystems. - Triclosan causes biological adverse effects at environmentally relevant concentrations.

Biological effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of the pharmaceutical Triclosan in the marine mussel Perna perna (Linnaeus, 1758)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanzi Cortez, Fernando; Dias Seabra Pereira, Camilo; Ramos Santos, Aldo Ramos; Cesar, Augusto; Choueri, Rodrigo Brasil; Martini, Gisela de Assis; Bohrer-Morel, Maria Beatriz

2012-01-01

Triclosan (5-Chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy) phenol) is an antibacterial compound widely employed in pharmaceuticals and personal care products. Although this emerging compound has been detected in aquatic environments, scarce information is found on the effects of Triclosan to marine organisms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxicity of a concentration range of Triclosan through fertilization assay (reproductive success), embryo-larval development assay (early life stage) and physiological stress (Neutral Red Retention Time assay - NRRT) (adult stage) in the marine sentinel organism Perna perna. The mean inhibition concentrations for fertilization (IC 50 = 0.490 mg L −1 ) and embryo-larval development (IC 50 = 0.135 mg L −1 ) tests were above environmental relevant concentrations (ng L −1 ) given by previous studies. Differently, significant reduction on NRRT results was found at 12 ng L −1 , demonstrating the current risk of the continuous introduction of Triclosan into aquatic environments, and the need of ecotoxicological studies oriented by the mechanism of action of the compound. - Highlights: ► Triclosan causes biological adverse effects at environmental relevant concentrations. ► Mechanisms of action oriented assays were more sensitive to detect biological damages. ► Currently there is environmental risks concerned Triclosan in aquatic ecosystems. - Triclosan causes biological adverse effects at environmentally relevant concentrations.

The end of Peak Oil? Why this topic is still relevant despite recent denials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chapman, Ian

2014-01-01

Up until recently Peak Oil was a major discussion point crossing from academic research into mainstream journalism, yet it now attracts far less interest. This paper evaluates the reasons for this and on-going relevance of Peak Oil, considering variations in predictive dates for the phenomenon supported by technological, economic and political issues. Using data from agencies, the validity of each position is assessed looking at reserves, industrial developments and alternative fuels. The complicating issue of demand is also considered. The conclusions are that, supported by commercial interests, an unsubstantiated belief in market and technical solutions, and a narrow paradigmatic focus, critics of Peak Oil theory have used unreliable reserve data, optimistic assumptions about utilisation of unconventional supplies and unrealistic predictions for alternative energy production to discredit the evidence that the resource-limited peak in the world's production of conventional oil has arrived, diverting discussion from what should be a serious topic for energy policy: how we respond to decreasing supplies of one of our most important energy sources. - Highlights: • Key advocates/opponents of Peak Oil reveal their biases. • Reserve calculation methods are considered, showing flaws. • Non-conventional oils’ viability is critiqued and found wanting. • Alternative fuels are found to be unsuitable substitutes for oil. • Demand increases add to the potential for fuel shortages

Towards policy relevant environmental modeling: contextual validity and pragmatic models

Science.gov (United States)

Miles, Scott B.

2000-01-01

"What makes for a good model?" In various forms, this question is a question that, undoubtedly, many people, businesses, and institutions ponder with regards to their particular domain of modeling. One particular domain that is wrestling with this question is the multidisciplinary field of environmental modeling. Examples of environmental models range from models of contaminated ground water flow to the economic impact of natural disasters, such as earthquakes. One of the distinguishing claims of the field is the relevancy of environmental modeling to policy and environment-related decision-making in general. A pervasive view by both scientists and decision-makers is that a "good" model is one that is an accurate predictor. Thus, determining whether a model is "accurate" or "correct" is done by comparing model output to empirical observations. The expected outcome of this process, usually referred to as "validation" or "ground truthing," is a stamp on the model in question of "valid" or "not valid" that serves to indicate whether or not the model will be reliable before it is put into service in a decision-making context. In this paper, I begin by elaborating on the prevailing view of model validation and why this view must change. Drawing from concepts coming out of the studies of science and technology, I go on to propose a contextual view of validity that can overcome the problems associated with "ground truthing" models as an indicator of model goodness. The problem of how we talk about and determine model validity has much to do about how we perceive the utility of environmental models. In the remainder of the paper, I argue that we should adopt ideas of pragmatism in judging what makes for a good model and, in turn, developing good models. From such a perspective of model goodness, good environmental models should facilitate communication, convey—not bury or "eliminate"—uncertainties, and, thus, afford the active building of consensus decisions, instead

Topic A. Have all the relevant issues been identified

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernero, R.M.

1994-01-01

This work is an answer to the question : have all the relevant issues been identified? The author tries to answer more particularly to the following three points : 1) can risk or responsibility for action be imposed on future generations. 2) Are current safety norms suitable for the future? 3) what controls are appropriate for inter generational cost/benefit evaluations. (O.L.)

Nanoparticle dispersion in environmentally relevant culture media: a TiO2 case study and considerations for a general approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horst, Allison M.; Ji, Zhaoxia; Holden, Patricia A.

2012-01-01

Nanoparticle exposure in toxicity studies requires that nanoparticles are bioavailable by remaining highly dispersed in culture media. However, reported dispersion approaches are variable, mostly study-specific, and not transferable owing to their empirical basis. Furthermore, many published approaches employ proteinaceous dispersants in rich laboratory media, both of which represent end members in environmental scenarios. Here, a systematic approach was developed to disperse initially agglomerated TiO 2 nanoparticles (Aeroxide® TiO 2 P25, Evonik, NJ; primary particle size range 6.4–73.8 nm) in oligotrophic culture medium for environmentally relevant bacterial toxicity studies. Based on understanding particle–particle interactions in aqueous media and maintaining environmental relevance, the approach involves (1) quantifying the relationship between pH and zeta potential to determine the point of zero charge of select nanoparticles in water; (2) nominating, then testing and selecting, environmentally relevant stabilizing agents; and (3) dispersing via “condition and capture” whereby stock dry powder nanoparticles are sonicated in pre-conditioned (with base, or acid, plus stabilizing agent) water, then diluted into culture media. The “condition and capture” principle is transferable to other nanoparticle and media chemistries: simultaneously, mechanically and electrostatically, nanoparticles can be dispersed with surrounding stabilizers that coat and sterically hinder reagglomeration in the culture medium.

Transport of Fluorescently Labeled Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles in Saturated Granular Media at Environmentally Relevant Concentrations of Surfactants

Science.gov (United States)

Little is known about the mobility of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) in granular media at environmentally relevant concentration of surfactant, which represents a critical knowledge gap in employing ENPs for in-situ remediation of contaminated groundwater. In this study, transpo...

Changing Environmentally Relevant Behaviour.

Science.gov (United States)

Gudgion, T. J.; Thomas, M. Pugh

1991-01-01

Considered is the role of psychology in helping to change those human behaviors which have deleterious environmental effects. The foremost conclusion is that behavioral psychology can offer practical techniques for such change, yet there are indications that enduring behaviors may be better realized through the intrinsic motivation maintained by…

Topics of internal medicine for undergraduate dental education: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kunde, A; Harendza, S

2015-08-01

Due to the ageing population, internal medicine has become increasingly important for dental education. Although several studies have reported dentists' dissatisfaction with their internal medicine training, no guidelines exist for internal medicine learning objectives in dental education. The aim of this study was to identify topics of internal medicine considered to be relevant for dental education by dentists and internists. Eight dentists from private dental practices in Hamburg and eight experienced internal medicine consultants from Hamburg University Hospital were recruited for semi-structured interviews about internal medicine topics relevant for dentists. Internal diseases were clustered into representative subspecialties. Dentists and internists were also asked to rate medical diseases or emergencies compiled from the literature by their relevance to dental education. Coagulopathy and endocarditis were rated highest by dentists, whilst anaphylaxis was rated highest by internists. Dentists rated hepatitis, HIV, organ transplantation and head/neck neoplasm significantly higher than internists. The largest number of different internal diseases mentioned by dentists or internists could be clustered under cardiovascular diseases. The number of specific diseases dentists considered to be relevant for dental education was higher in the subspecialties cardiovascular diseases, haematology/oncology and infectiology. We identified the internal medicine topics most relevant for dental education by surveying practising dentists and internists. The relevance of these topics should be confirmed by larger quantitative studies to develop guidelines how to design specific learning objectives for internal medicine in the dental curriculum. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Developing topic-specific search filters for PubMed with click-through data.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, J; Lu, Z

2013-01-01

Search filters have been developed and demonstrated for better information access to the immense and ever-growing body of publications in the biomedical domain. However, to date the number of filters remains quite limited because the current filter development methods require significant human efforts in manual document review and filter term selection. In this regard, we aim to investigate automatic methods for generating search filters. We present an automated method to develop topic-specific filters on the basis of users' search logs in PubMed. Specifically, for a given topic, we first detect its relevant user queries and then include their corresponding clicked articles to serve as the topic-relevant document set accordingly. Next, we statistically identify informative terms that best represent the topic-relevant document set using a background set composed of topic irrelevant articles. Lastly, the selected representative terms are combined with Boolean operators and evaluated on benchmark datasets to derive the final filter with the best performance. We applied our method to develop filters for four clinical topics: nephrology, diabetes, pregnancy, and depression. For the nephrology filter, our method obtained performance comparable to the state of the art (sensitivity of 91.3%, specificity of 98.7%, precision of 94.6%, and accuracy of 97.2%). Similarly, high-performing results (over 90% in all measures) were obtained for the other three search filters. Based on PubMed click-through data, we successfully developed a high-performance method for generating topic-specific search filters that is significantly more efficient than existing manual methods. All data sets (topic-relevant and irrelevant document sets) used in this study and a demonstration system are publicly available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/CBBresearch/Lu/downloads/CQ_filter/

Aspects relevant to safety and environmental protection correlated with nuclear technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naschi, G.

1992-01-01

This paper analyzes the evolution of the most relevant aspects of safety and environmental protection as fundamental elements of the development of nuclear energy in the international framework. The stages leading to the preventive approach to safety in the fifties and in the sixties are also highlighted. During these years, the 'defence in depth' principle was established as the basis for the consequent evolution of the nuclear safety regulations. In this context accident prevention was entrusted to a highly reliable set of redundant systems that could be passive or actuated in a manual or automatic way. In the 1970's, following the accidents of Browns Ferry and Three Mile Island nuclear power plants, an impulse was given to the systematic safety assessment and to the trend of the so-called Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA). The paper takes into account the aspects of risk perception as the social effect of Three Mile Island and Chernobyl accidents. This subject has led both to public awareness about the chronic and traumatic risk deriving from a severe accident and, in the international framework, to a process of plants design optimization towards safety and environmental protection. The general aspects of safety and environmental protection are then completed by an overview of the regulatory policies, with particular reference to the licensing procedures developed in Italy

Island Explorations: Discovering Effects of Environmental Research-Based Lab Activities on Analytical Chemistry Students

Science.gov (United States)

Tomasik, Janice Hall; LeCaptain, Dale; Murphy, Sarah; Martin, Mary; Knight, Rachel M.; Harke, Maureen A.; Burke, Ryan; Beck, Kara; Acevedo-Polakovich, I. David

2014-01-01

Motivating students in analytical chemistry can be challenging, in part because of the complexity and breadth of topics involved. Some methods that help encourage students and convey real-world relevancy of the material include incorporating environmental issues, research-based lab experiments, and service learning projects. In this paper, we…

Topics in industrial mathematics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vatsya, S.R.

1992-01-01

Mathematical methods are widely used to solve practical problems arising in modern industry. This article outlines some of the topics relevant to AECL programmes. This covers the applications of transmission and neutron transport tomography to determine density distributions in rocks and two phase flow situations. Another example covered is the use of variational methods to solve the problems of aerosol migration and control theory. (author). 7 refs

Topical reports on Louisiana salt domes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-09-01

The Institute for Environmental Studies at Louisiana State University conducted research into the potential use of Louisiana salt domes for disposal of nuclear waste material. Topical reports generated in 1981 and 1982 related to Vacherie and Rayburn's domes are compiled and presented, which address palynological studies, tiltmeter monitoring, precise releveling, saline springs, and surface hydrology. The latter two are basically a compilation of references related to these topics. Individual reports are abstracted

Human health and the environment: Predicting plasma protein binding and metabolic clearance rates of environmentally relevant chemicals.

Science.gov (United States)

In silico methods provide a rapid, inexpensive means of screening a wide array of environmentally relevant pollutants, pesticides, fungicides and consumer products for further toxicity testing. Physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models bridge the gap between in vitro as...

SETI: A good introductory physics topic

Science.gov (United States)

Hobson, Art

1997-04-01

If America is to achieve the science literacy that is essential to industrialized democracy, all students must study such topics as scientific methodology, pseudoscience, ozone depletion, and global warming. My large-enrollment liberal-arts physics course covers the great principles of physics along with several such philosophical and societal topics. It is easy to include the interdisciplinary context of physics in courses for non-scientists, because these courses are flexible, conceptual, and taught to students whose interests span a broad range. Students find these topics relevant and fascinating, leading to large enrollments by non-scientists even in courses labeled ''physics.'' I will discuss my approach to teaching the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence (SETI), a topic with lots of good physics and with connections to scientific methodology and pseudoscience. A textbook for this kind of course has been published, Physics: Concepts and Connections (Prentice-Hall, 1995).

Proceedings of the fifth national symposium on environment: focal theme environmental issues related to mining, milling and metallurgy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sastry, V.N.; Bapat, V.N.; Desai, M.V.M.

1996-02-01

The fifth National Symposium on Environment was held in Calcutta from February 28 to March 1, 1996. It focused on environmental issues related to mining, milling and metallurgy. Some of the topics covered are coal mining and related environmental issues, chromium mining and associated environmental problems, heavy metals especially nuclear materials and the environmental management strategies, arsenic contamination in water in West Bengal areas and radiological issues related to fertilizers and gypsum industries. Papers relevant to INIS are indexed separately. refs., figs., tabs

Environmental pediatrics: an introduction and evaluation of online resources.

Science.gov (United States)

Weinstangel, Hannah; Buka, Irena; Campbell, Sandra

2016-12-01

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that three million children under the age of 5 die annually from environmentally related disease. In the United States, the cost of environmentally related public health concerns is estimated as greater than $55 billion. Environmental exposure is among parents' top health concerns for children. Yet, the study of the effects of environmental exposure on health outcomes is a developing field, and clinicians feel inadequately prepared to address these concerns. The Children's Environmental Health Clinic (ChEHC) is the first clinic of its kind in Canada. Their website includes a list of online resources on major topics related to child health and the environment. There has not yet been an objective evaluation of the comprehensiveness of the topics or scientific quality of the information on the website. This study seeks to offer an accessible introduction to the field of environmental pediatrics, including an online resource for evidence-based information on key topics in the field. These resources assist in disease prevention, health promotion, education, and the increasing need to balance environmental health risks. A scoping review of scientific and gray literature in the field of environmental pediatrics was performed to inform a written introduction to the field and to identify gaps in the content of the ChEHC website. The content of the ChEHC website was then objectively evaluated using the National Network of Libraries of Medicine checklist for health websites. Ten categories within the field of environmental pediatrics emerged from the literature review. A small number of gaps were identified on the website and in the literature. The content of the ChEHC website was found to be of high quality. The website will be updated using the results of the study as a guide, to make it as relevant, complete, and evidence-based as possible. Environmental pediatrics is an important, emerging topic. There is a need for accessible

The scope of environmental impact statements for biofuelled energy plants in Sweden and its environmental relevance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bruhn-Tysk, S.

2001-03-01

This thesis aims to evaluate how the Swedish environmental impact assessment (EIA) system works in practice and to analyse the environmental relevance of the scoping process during the ElA process. As a case study, environmental impact statements (EISs) for bio fuelled energy plants have been reviewed in order to illustrate the scope of the statements and hence evaluate how the ElA system works and analyses what environmental aspects that are prioritised by ElA actors. Based on the review results, the scope of the EISs indicates that the Swedish ElA system did not work as intended during the studied period since not even the legal requirements were fulfilled in many of the EISs. In addition, international EIA practice does not seem to have influenced the Swedish practice of ElA at that time. The EISs also show that EIA actors apply narrow system boundaries, i.e. they focus only on the activities of the energy plant that are explicitly linked to the energy plant location and its immediate vicinity. Moreover, these narrow system boundaries exclude important aspects of an energy plant, like resource extraction and global and long-term effects. Many of the energy plants have been planned and developed partly due to a Government Bill, in which a development of the Swedish energy system was proposed in order to achieve a sustainable development of Sweden. However, a sustainable development requires that effects on present as well as future generations are focused on as well. Therefore, an ElA process and a decision-making process, which prioritises local and short-term effects, often do not promote the societal goals of sustainable development. In order to promote the goals of sustainable development, the perspectives of ElA actors have to widen to include global and future, long-term effects.

Manipulating Sensory and Phytochemical Profiles of Greenhouse Tomatoes Using Environmentally Relevant Doses of Ultraviolet Radiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Dzakovich, Michael P; Ferruzzi, Mario G; Mitchell, Cary A

2016-09-14

Fruits harvested from off-season, greenhouse-grown tomato plants have a poor reputation compared to their in-season, garden-grown counterparts. Presently, there is a gap in knowledge with regard to the role of UV-B radiation (280-315 nm) in determining greenhouse tomato quality. Knowing that UV-B is a powerful elicitor of secondary metabolism and not transmitted through greenhouse glass and some greenhouse plastics, we tested the hypothesis that supplemental UV-B radiation in the greenhouse will impart quality attributes typically associated with garden-grown tomatoes. Environmentally relevant doses of supplemental UV-B radiation did not strongly affect antioxidant compounds of fruits, although the flavonol quercetin-3-O-rutinoside (rutin) significantly increased in response to UV-B. Physicochemical metrics of fruit quality attributes and consumer sensory panels were used to determine if any such differences altered consumer perception of tomato quality. Supplemental UV-A radiation (315-400 nm) pre-harvest treatments enhanced sensory perception of aroma, acidity, and overall approval, suggesting a compelling opportunity to environmentally enhance the flavor of greenhouse-grown tomatoes. The expression of the genes COP1 and HY5 were indicative of adaptation to UV radiation, which explains the lack of marked effects reported in these studies. To our knowledge, these studies represent the first reported use of environmentally relevant doses of UV radiation throughout the reproductive portion of the tomato plant life cycle to positively enhance the sensory and chemical properties of fruits.

Environmental Concerns

Science.gov (United States)

Alma, Peter

1995-04-01

This series of A-level social biology topic books responds to the changing demands of social biology syllabuses, with each text dealing with a particular area of interest. Although the series is primarily intended for students of A-level social biology, the books will appeal to students studying a wide range of biological subjects at A-level. Environmental Concerns covers topics common to several A-level human and social biology syllabuses. It is particularly relevant to the human ecology and conservation options. The text focuses on the social and economic implications of current ecological issues as well as the basic biological concepts involved. It deals with the causes, effects and prevention of atmospheric and water pollution as well as with the disruption of ecosystems by changes in land use. The conflict of interests between conservation and exploitation is discussed, along with management techniques including the controversial method of culling to maintain diversity. The moral and aesthetic aspects of conservation and management are emphasised throughout, in addition to the scientific background of these techniques.

Activities of HPS standards committee in environmental remediation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stencel, J.R.

1994-01-01

The Health Physics Society (HPS) develops American National Standards in the area of radiation protection using methods approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Two of its sections, Environmental Health Physics and Contamination Limits, have ongoing standards development which are important to some environmental remediation efforts. This paper describes the role of the HPS standards process and indicates particular standards under development which will be of interest to the reader. In addition, the authors solicit readers to participate in the voluntary standards process by either joining active working groups (WG) or suggesting appropriate and relevant topics which should be placed into the standards process

Sixth meeting of the ITPA Topical Group on Diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donne, A.J.H.; Costley, A.E.

2004-01-01

The Sixth Meeting of the International Tokamak Physics Activities (ITPA) Topical Group (TG) on Diagnostics was held at JAERI, Naka from 19-21 February 2004. This meeting was combined with a Progress Meeting on ITER/BPX (burning plasma experiment) relevant diagnostic developments on-going in Japan. For the first time, ITPA members from China, as well as observers from South Korea, attended. In addition, an associated sub-meeting was held at General Atomics, San Diego, 23-24 April, immediately after the 15th Topical Conference on High Temperature Plasma Diagnostics. At the sub-meeting a special one-day session was devoted to issues related to beam-aided spectroscopy. In total more than 50 participants attended the meetings and all ITER partners were represented. The key topics reviewed and discussed at the TG meeting were: (i) the overall status of diagnostics developments for ITER, (ii) the progress in the research on the designated high priority topics, (iii) the progress with some key ITER/BPX-relevant diagnostic developments ongoing in the ITPA participant laboratories, (iv) the progress and plans for the work of the specialist working groups, (v) the status and plans for the International Diagnostic Database

Marble wastes and pig slurry improve the environmental and plant-relevant properties of mine tailings.

Science.gov (United States)

Kabas, S; Faz, A; Acosta, J A; Arocena, J M; Zornoza, R; Martínez-Martínez, S; Carmona, D M

2014-02-01

Poor soil fertility is often the biggest challenge to the establishment of vegetation in mine wastes deposits. We conducted field trials in the El Gorguel and El Lirio sites in SE Spain, two representative tailing ponds of similar properties except for pH, to understand the environmental and plant-relevant benefits of marble waste (MW) and pig slurry (PS) applications to mine tailings. Low pH (5.4) tailings (El Lirio) exhibit reduction of up to fourfold in bio-availability of metals as shown by the DTPA-Zn, Pb, water-soluble Zn, Pb and up to 3× for water-soluble Cd. Tailings in El Gorguel have high pH (7.4) and did not exhibit significant trends in the reductions of water-extractable Zn, Pb, Cd and Cu. Improvements to the edaphic (plant-relevant) properties of tailings after the amendments are not as sensitive to pH compared to the environmental characteristics. The two sites had increases in aggregate stability, organic matter (total N and organic C) although total N is higher in the El Gorguel (up to 212 μg N kg(-1)) than the El Lirio (up to 26 μg N kg(-1)). However, cation exchange capacities are similar in both sites at 15.2 cmol(+) kg(-1). We conclude that the characteristics, especially pH, of tailing materials significantly influence the fate of metals but not improvements to plant-relevant properties such as cation exchange capacity and aggregate stability 1 year after the application of MW and PS amendments.

Comparing the environmental footprints of home-care and personal-hygiene products: the relevance of different life-cycle phases.

Science.gov (United States)

Koehler, Annette; Wildbolz, Caroline

2009-11-15

An in-depth life-cycle assessment of nine home-care and personal-hygiene products was conducted to determine the ecological relevance of different life-cycle phases and compare the environmental profiles of products serving equal applications. Using detailed data from industry and consumer-behavior studies a broad range of environmental impacts were analyzed to identify the main drivers in each life-cycle stage and potentials for improving the environmental footprints. Although chemical production significantly adds to environmental burdens, substantial impacts are caused in the consumer-use phase. As such, this research provides recommendations for product development, supply chain management, product policies, and consumer use. To reduce environmental burdens products should, for instance, be produced in concentrated form, while consumers should apply correct product dosages and low water temperatures during product application.

Follicular and percutaneous penetration pathways of topically applied minoxidil foam.

Science.gov (United States)

Blume-Peytavi, Ulrike; Massoudy, Lida; Patzelt, Alexa; Lademann, Jürgen; Dietz, Ekkehart; Rasulev, Utkur; Garcia Bartels, Natalie

2010-11-01

In the past, it was assumed that the intercellular route was the only relevant penetration pathway for topically applied substances. Recent results on follicular penetration emphasize that the hair follicles represent a highly relevant and efficient penetration pathway and reservoir for topically applied substances. This study investigates a selective closure technique of hair follicle orifices in vivo assessing interfollicular and follicular absorption rates of topical minoxidil foam in humans. In delimited skin area, single hair orifices or interfollicular skin were blocked with a microdrop of special varnish-wax-mixture in vivo. Minoxidil foam (5%) was topically applied, and transcutaneous absorption was measured by a new surface ionization mass spectrometry technique in serum. Different settings (open, closed or none of both) enabled to clearly distinguish between interfollicular and follicular penetration of the topically applied minoxidil foam. Five minutes after topical application, minoxidil was detected in blood samples when follicles remained open, whereas with closed follicles 30 min were needed. Highest levels were found first when both pathways were open, followed by open follicles and subsequently by closed follicles. These results demonstrate the high importance of the follicular penetration pathway. Hair follicles are surrounded by a dense network of blood capillaries and dendritic cells and have stem cells in their immediate vicinity, making them ideal targets for drug delivery. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of an environmentally-relevant mixture of pyrethroid insecticides on spontaneous activity in primary cortical networks on microelectrode arrays.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnstone, Andrew F M; Strickland, Jenna D; Crofton, Kevin M; Gennings, Chris; Shafer, Timothy J

2017-05-01

Pyrethroid insecticides exert their insecticidal and toxicological effects primarily by disrupting voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) function, resulting in altered neuronal excitability. Numerous studies of individual pyrethroids have characterized effects on mammalian VGSC function and neuronal excitability, yet studies examining effects of complex pyrethroid mixtures in mammalian neurons, especially in environmentally relevant mixture ratios, are limited. In the present study, concentration-response functions were characterized for five pyrethroids (permethrin, deltamethrin, cypermethrin, β-cyfluthrin and esfenvalerate) in an in vitro preparation containing cortical neurons and glia. As a metric of neuronal network activity, spontaneous mean network firing rates (MFR) were measured using microelectorde arrays (MEAs). In addition, the effect of a complex and exposure relevant mixture of the five pyrethroids (containing 52% permethrin, 28.8% cypermethrin, 12.9% β-cyfluthrin, 3.4% deltamethrin and 2.7% esfenvalerate) was also measured. Data were modeled to determine whether effects of the pyrethroid mixture were predicted by dose-addition. At concentrations up to 10μM, all compounds except permethrin reduced MFR. Deltamethrin and β-cyfluthrin were the most potent and reduced MFR by as much as 60 and 50%, respectively, while cypermethrin and esfenvalerate were of approximately equal potency and reduced MFR by only ∼20% at the highest concentration. Permethrin caused small (∼24% maximum), concentration-dependent increases in MFR. Effects of the environmentally relevant mixture did not depart from the prediction of dose-addition. These data demonstrate that an environmentally relevant mixture caused dose-additive effects on spontaneous neuronal network activity in vitro, and is consistent with other in vitro and in vivo assessments of pyrethroid mixtures. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Topics in radiation at accelerators: Radiation physics for personnel and environmental protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cossairt, J.D.

1993-11-01

This report discusses the following topics: Composition of Accelerator Radiation Fields; Shielding of Electrons and Photons at Accelerators; Shielding of Hadrons at Accelerators; Low Energy Prompt Radiation Phenomena; Induced Radioactivity at Accelerators; Topics in Radiation Protection Instrumentation at Accelerators; and Accelerator Radiation Protection Program Elements

Research in North-Rhine Westphalia. Environmental research in 1986 - a documentation. Forschung in Nordrhein-Westfalen. Umweltforschung 1986 - Dokumentation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1987-01-01

Environmental research within the meaning of this documentation is any research aiming predominantly at reducing, avoiding, or removing environmental pollution. The documentation includes especially projects of relevance to technology and economy, natural science, biology, planning, medicine, and pedagogy. For the period of report January 1984 to February 1986, nearly 500 research projects of environmental relevance were made out at the scientific institutions of the country. Some 230 research groups and institutions are intensively studying questions relating to cyclones for dust separation, from their analytics to their use. The 13 sectors covered are: Forest die-back; planning; open areas; noise in residential areas; clean air; conservancy of nature and species; soil; foodstuffs; waters; waste; medicine and toxicology; analytics; topics of a general nature. (HSCH).

Radiation risks -a possible teaching topic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howes, R.W.

1975-01-01

Radiation risks has been the subject of hot debate since 1969 due in main to the energy crisis and the switch to nuclear power. Topics of this debate including; the controversy concerned with the late radiobiological effects of low level radiation, the social responsibility of modern scientists, the sometimes acrimonious discussion which has taken place over many years concerning radiation standards, and present day misgivings over the environmental aspect of the nuclear power programme, are discussed and suggestions are made of ways in which the topics could be introduced into teaching courses. (U.K.)

Teaching the Ethical Aspects of Environmental Science

Science.gov (United States)

Palinkas, C. M.

2014-12-01

Environmental and societal issues are often inherently linked, especially in coastal and estuarine environments, and science and social values must often be balanced in ecosystem management and decision-making. A new seminar course has been developed for the Marine Estuarine and Environmental Science (MEES) graduate program, an inter-institutional program within the University System of Maryland, to examine these issues. This 1-credit course, offered for the first time in Spring 2015, takes a complex systems perspective on major environmental and societal challenges to examine these linked issues in a variety of contexts. After a brief introduction to the emerging field of "geoethics," students develop a list of issues to examine throughout the seminar. Example topics could include fracking, offshore wind technology, dam removal, and iron fertilization, among others. A case-study approach is taken, with each class meeting focusing on one issue. For each case study, students are asked to 1) identify relevant scientific principles and major knowledge gaps, 2) predict potential outcomes, 3) identify stakeholders and likely viewpoints, and 4) construct communication plans to disseminate findings to these stakeholders. At the end of the semester, students give a brief presentation of the ethical aspects of their own research topics.

Statistical Measures Alone Cannot Determine Which Database (BNI, CINAHL, MEDLINE, or EMBASE Is the Most Useful for Searching Undergraduate Nursing Topics. A Review of: Stokes, P., Foster, A., & Urquhart, C. (2009. Beyond relevance and recall: Testing new user-centred measures of database performance. Health Information and Libraries Journal, 26(3, 220-231.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giovanna Badia

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Objective – The research project sought to determine which of four databases was the most useful for searching undergraduate nursing topics. Design – Comparative database evaluation. Setting – Nursing and midwifery students at Homerton School of Health Studies (now part of Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, United Kingdom, in 2005-2006. Subjects – The subjects were four databases: British Nursing Index (BNI, CINAHL, MEDLINE, and EMBASE.Methods – This was a comparative study using title searches to compare BNI (BritishNursing Index, CINAHL, MEDLINE and EMBASE.According to the authors, this is the first study to compare BNI with other databases. BNI is a database produced by British libraries that indexes the nursing and midwifery literature. It covers over 240 British journals, and includes references to articles from health sciences journals that are relevant to nurses and midwives (British Nursing Index, n.d..The researchers performed keyword searches in the title field of the four databases for the dissertation topics of nine nursing and midwifery students enrolled in undergraduate dissertation modules. The list of titles of journals articles on their topics were given to the students and they were asked to judge the relevancy of the citations. The title searches were evaluated in each of the databases using the following criteria: • precision (the number of relevant results obtained in the database for a search topic, divided by the total number of results obtained in the database search;• recall (the number of relevant results obtained in the database for a search topic, divided by the total number of relevant results obtained on that topic from all four database searches;• novelty (the number of relevant results that were unique in the database search, which was calculated as a percentage of the total number of relevant results found in the database;• originality (the number of unique relevant results obtained in the

Topics in cement and concrete research

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brouwers, Jos; Russel, M.I.; Basheer, P.A.M.

2007-01-01

The present paper addresses several topics in regard to the sustainable design and use of concrete. First, major features concerning the sustainable aspects of the material concrete are summarised. Then the major constituent, from an environmental point of view, cement is discussed in detail,

2011 annual meeting on nuclear technology. Pt. 4. Topical sessions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schoenfelder, Christian; Dams, Wolfgang

2011-01-01

Summary report on the Topical Session of the Annual Conference on Nuclear Technology held in Berlin, 17 to 19 May 2011: - Nuclear Competence in Germany and Europe. The Topical Session: - Sodium Cooled Fast Reactors -- will be covered in a report in a further issue of atw. The reports on the Topical Sessions: - CFD-Simulations for Safety Relevant Tasks; and - Final Disposal: From Scientific Basis to Application; - Characteristics of a High Reliability Organization (HRO) Considering Experience Gained from Events at Nuclear Power Stations -- have been covered in atw 7, 8/9, and 10 (2011). (orig.)

Exposure to environmentally-relevant levels of ozone negatively influence pollen and fruit development.

Science.gov (United States)

Gillespie, Colin; Stabler, Daniel; Tallentire, Eva; Goumenaki, Eleni; Barnes, Jeremy

2015-11-01

A combination of in vitro and in vivo studies on tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Triton) revealed that environmentally-relevant levels of ozone (O3) pollution adversely affected pollen germination, germ tube growth and pollen-stigma interactions - pollen originating from plants raised in charcoal-Purafil(®) filtered air (CFA) exhibited reduced germ tube development on the stigma of plants exposed to environmentally-relevant levels of O3. The O3-induced decline in in vivo pollen viability was reflected in increased numbers of non-fertilized and fertilized non-viable ovules in immature fruit. Negative effects of O3 on fertilization occurred regardless of the timing of exposure, with reductions in ovule viability evident in O3 × CFA and CFA × O3 crossed plants. This suggests O3-induced reductions in fertilization were associated with reduced pollen viability and/or ovule development. Fruit born on trusses independently exposed to 100 nmol mol(-1) O3 (10 h d(-1)) from flowering exhibited a decline in seed number and this was reflected in a marked decline in the weight and size of individual fruit - a clear demonstration of the direct consequence of the effects of the pollutant on reproductive processes. Ozone exposure also resulted in shifts in the starch and ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) content of fruit that were consistent with accelerated ripening. The findings of this study draw attention to the need for greater consideration of, and possibly the adoption of weightings for the direct impacts of O3, and potentially other gaseous pollutants, on reproductive biology during 'risk assessment' exercises. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Topical application of bFGF on acid-conditioned and non-conditioned dentin: effect on cell proliferation and gene expression in cells relevant for periodontal regeneration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernanda Regina Godoy Rocha

Full Text Available Abstract Periodontal regeneration is still a challenge in terms of predictability and magnitude of effect. In this study we assess the biological effects of combining chemical root conditioning and biological mediators on three relevant cell types for periodontal regeneration. Material and Methods: Bovine dentin slices were conditioned with 25% citric acid followed by topical application of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF, 10 and 50 ng. We used ELISA to assess the dynamics of bFGF release from the dentin surface and RT-qPCR to study the expression of Runx2, Col1a1, Bglap and fibronectin by periodontal ligament (PDL fibroblasts, cementoblasts and bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC grown onto these dentin slices. We also assessed the effects of topical application of bFGF on cell proliferation by quantification of genomic DNA. Results: Acid conditioning significantly increased the release of bFGF from dentin slices. Overall, bFGF application significantly (p<0.05 increased cell proliferation, except for BMSC grown on non-conditioned dentin slices. Dentin substrate discretely increased expression of Col1a1 in all cell types. Expression of Runx2, Col1a1 and Fn was either unaffected or inhibited by bFGF application in all cell types. We could not detect expression of the target genes on BMSC grown onto conditioned dentin. Conclusion: Acid conditioning of dentin improves the release of topically-applied bFGF. Topical application of bFGF had a stimulatory effect on proliferation of PDL fibroblasts, cementoblasts and BMSC, but did not affect expression of Runx2, Col1a1, Bglap and fibronectin by these cells.

A metabolomic study of fipronil for the anxiety-like behavior in zebrafish larvae at environmentally relevant levels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Cui; Qian, Yi; Zhang, Xiaofeng; Chen, Fang; Zhang, Quan; Li, Zhuoyu; Zhao, Meirong

2016-01-01

Field residue of fipronil can interfere with the physiological characters of the domesticated fish; thus, lethal dose test and the general biomarker cannot delineate the low-level situation. Manipulating by video track, we observed an anxiety-like behavior including high speed and abnormal photoperiod accommodation after exposure to fipronil at environmental typical dose in zebrafish larvae. Examining the unbiased metabolomic profiles, we found perturbation in several metabolic pathways, including the increased contents of fatty acids and glycerol and the decreased levels of the glycine, serine, and branched amino acid. We presumed that observed enhanced fatty acid utility was in response to increase energy demands caused by anxiety like behavior. Additionally, the body burden of neurotransmitter such as glycine and L-glutamate may concurrently stimulate the swimming behavior. The insight of this study showed that integral perturbation such as metabolism helps us to further understand the risk to aquatic fish at the environmentally relevant levels. - Highlights: • Fipronil increased the swimming speed at 10 μg/L to zebrafish larvae. • Accommodation to light–dark photoperiod switch was disturbed by fipronil. • Metabolomics indicated an increase energy availability for anxiety-like behavior. • Anxiety-like behavior induced by fipronil may attribute to neurotransmitter changes. - Zebrafish larvae exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of fipronil display anxiety like behavior that may attribute to observed changes in energy utilization and neurotransmitter disturbances.

Recent topics in NMR imaging and MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, Tokuko

2002-01-01

NMR and NMR imaging (MRI) are finding increasing use not only in the clinical and medical fields, but also in material, physicochemical, biological, geological, industrial and environmental applications. This short review is limited to two topics: new techniques and pulse sequences and their application to non-clinical fields that may have clinical application; and new trends in MR contrast agents. The former topic addresses pulse sequence and data analysis; dynamics such as diffusion, flow, velocity and velocimetry; chemometrics; pharmacological agents; and chemotherapy; the latter topic addresses contrast agents (CA) sensitive to biochemical activity; CA based on water exchange; molecular interactions and stability of CA; characteristics of emerging CA; superparamagnetic CA; and macromolecular CA. (author)

PhenoLines: Phenotype Comparison Visualizations for Disease Subtyping via Topic Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Glueck, Michael; Naeini, Mahdi Pakdaman; Doshi-Velez, Finale; Chevalier, Fanny; Khan, Azam; Wigdor, Daniel; Brudno, Michael

2018-01-01

PhenoLines is a visual analysis tool for the interpretation of disease subtypes, derived from the application of topic models to clinical data. Topic models enable one to mine cross-sectional patient comorbidity data (e.g., electronic health records) and construct disease subtypes-each with its own temporally evolving prevalence and co-occurrence of phenotypes-without requiring aligned longitudinal phenotype data for all patients. However, the dimensionality of topic models makes interpretation challenging, and de facto analyses provide little intuition regarding phenotype relevance or phenotype interrelationships. PhenoLines enables one to compare phenotype prevalence within and across disease subtype topics, thus supporting subtype characterization, a task that involves identifying a proposed subtype's dominant phenotypes, ages of effect, and clinical validity. We contribute a data transformation workflow that employs the Human Phenotype Ontology to hierarchically organize phenotypes and aggregate the evolving probabilities produced by topic models. We introduce a novel measure of phenotype relevance that can be used to simplify the resulting topology. The design of PhenoLines was motivated by formative interviews with machine learning and clinical experts. We describe the collaborative design process, distill high-level tasks, and report on initial evaluations with machine learning experts and a medical domain expert. These results suggest that PhenoLines demonstrates promising approaches to support the characterization and optimization of topic models.

Applicable or Relevant and Appropriate Requirements (ARARs) for Remedial Action at the Oak Ridge Reservation: A compendium of major environmental laws. Environmental Restoration Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Etnier, E.L.; McDonald, E.P.; Houlberg, L.M.

1993-07-01

Section 121 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980 specifies that remedial actions for cleanup of hazardous substances must comply with applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements (ARARS) or standards under federal and state environmental laws. The US Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) was placed on the National Priorities List by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on November 21, 1989, effective December 21, 1989. As a result of this listing, DOE, EPA, and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation have signed a Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) for the environmental restoration of the ORR. Section XXI(F) of the FFA calls for the preparation of a draft listing of all ARARs as mandated by CERCLA {section}121. This report supplies a preliminary list of available federal and state ARARs that might be considered for remedial response at the ORR. A description of the terms ``applicable`` and ``relevant and appropriate`` is provided, as well as definitions of chemical-, location-, and action-specific ARARS. ARARs promulgated by the federal government and by the state of Tennessee are listed in tables. In addition, the major provisions of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air and other acts, as they apply to hazardous waste cleanup, are discussed. In the absence of ARARS, CERCLA {section}121 provides for the use of nonpromulgated federal criteria, guidelines, and advisories in evaluating the human risk associated with remedial action alternatives. Such nonpromulgated standards are classified as ``to-be-considered`` (TBC) guidance. A ion of available guidance is given; summary tables fist the available federal standards and guidance information. In addition, the substantive contents of the DOE orders as they apply to remediation of radioactively contaminated sites are discussed as TBC guidance.

Topics in field theory

CERN Document Server

Karpilovsky, G

1989-01-01

This monograph gives a systematic account of certain important topics pertaining to field theory, including the central ideas, basic results and fundamental methods.Avoiding excessive technical detail, the book is intended for the student who has completed the equivalent of a standard first-year graduate algebra course. Thus it is assumed that the reader is familiar with basic ring-theoretic and group-theoretic concepts. A chapter on algebraic preliminaries is included, as well as a fairly large bibliography of works which are either directly relevant to the text or offer supplementary material of interest.

Image Re-Ranking Based on Topic Diversity.

Science.gov (United States)

Qian, Xueming; Lu, Dan; Wang, Yaxiong; Zhu, Li; Tang, Yuan Yan; Wang, Meng

2017-08-01

Social media sharing Websites allow users to annotate images with free tags, which significantly contribute to the development of the web image retrieval. Tag-based image search is an important method to find images shared by users in social networks. However, how to make the top ranked result relevant and with diversity is challenging. In this paper, we propose a topic diverse ranking approach for tag-based image retrieval with the consideration of promoting the topic coverage performance. First, we construct a tag graph based on the similarity between each tag. Then, the community detection method is conducted to mine the topic community of each tag. After that, inter-community and intra-community ranking are introduced to obtain the final retrieved results. In the inter-community ranking process, an adaptive random walk model is employed to rank the community based on the multi-information of each topic community. Besides, we build an inverted index structure for images to accelerate the searching process. Experimental results on Flickr data set and NUS-Wide data sets show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Environmental restoration disposal facility applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements study report. Revision 00

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roeck, F.V.; Vedder, B.L.; Rugg, J.E.

1995-10-01

The Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (ERDF) will be a landfill authorized under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) and will comply with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) substantive requirements. The facility will also comply with applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements (ARAR), including portions of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations, Washington Administrative Code (WAC), and to-be-considered (TBC) elements such as U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Orders. In considering the requirements of CERCLA, a detailed analysis of various alternatives for ERDF was completed using the nine CERCLA criteria, National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), and public comments. The ERDF record of decision (ROD) selected an alternative that includes a RCRA-compliant double-lined trench for the disposal of radioactive, hazardous, and mixed wastes resulting from the remediation of operable units (OU) within the National Priorities List (NPL) sites in the 100, 200, and 300 Areas. Only wastes resulting from the remediation of Hanford NPL sites will be allowed in the ERDF. Of the various siting and design alternatives proposed for ERDF, the selected alternative provides the best combination of features by balancing the nine CERCLA criteria, ARAR compliance, environmentally protective site, and various stakeholder and public recommendations. The ERDF trench design, compliant with RCRA Subtitle C minimum technical requirements (MTR), will be double lined and equipped with a leachate collection system. This design provides a more reliable system to protect groundwater than other proposed alternatives. The ERDF is located on the Hanford Site Central Plateau, southeast of the 200 West Area

Transferable Training Modules: Building Environmental Education Opportunities With and for Mexican Community Health Workers (Promotores de Salud).

Science.gov (United States)

Ramírez, Denise Moreno; Vea, Lourdes; Field, James A; Baker, Paul B; Gandolfi, A Jay; Maier, Raina M

Community health workers (promotores de salud) have the ability to empower communities to mitigate negative health outcomes. Current training efforts in environmental topics are lacking. This project addressed this gap by developing 4 transferable training modules on environmental health. By applying a series of surveys, interviews, and trainings, we evaluated their relevance. Partners provided favorable feedback for 3 of the 4 modules. It was also learned that the development method could be improved by engaging technically trained promotores de salud in the role of co-creators. This project has implications for environmental justice communities as it can lessen information disparities.

Progressive Learning of Topic Modeling Parameters: A Visual Analytics Framework.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Assady, Mennatallah; Sevastjanova, Rita; Sperrle, Fabian; Keim, Daniel; Collins, Christopher

2018-01-01

Topic modeling algorithms are widely used to analyze the thematic composition of text corpora but remain difficult to interpret and adjust. Addressing these limitations, we present a modular visual analytics framework, tackling the understandability and adaptability of topic models through a user-driven reinforcement learning process which does not require a deep understanding of the underlying topic modeling algorithms. Given a document corpus, our approach initializes two algorithm configurations based on a parameter space analysis that enhances document separability. We abstract the model complexity in an interactive visual workspace for exploring the automatic matching results of two models, investigating topic summaries, analyzing parameter distributions, and reviewing documents. The main contribution of our work is an iterative decision-making technique in which users provide a document-based relevance feedback that allows the framework to converge to a user-endorsed topic distribution. We also report feedback from a two-stage study which shows that our technique results in topic model quality improvements on two independent measures.

Low impact of exposure to environmentally relevant doses of 226Ra in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) embryonic cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olsvik, Pål A.; Berntssen, Marc H.G.; Hylland, Ketil; Eriksen, Dag Ø.; Holen, Elisabeth

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate whether 226 Ra, a radionuclide present in produced water from oil platforms in the North Sea and other offshore drilling areas, could affect vulnerable early life stages of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). Blastula-stage embryonic cells (EC) from fertilized eggs of Atlantic cod were isolated and exposed to environmental relevant concentrations of 226 Ra and transcription of selected genes quantified. The results showed a weak, but significant up-regulation of GPx3 and HSP70 transcripts after 48 h of exposure to 2.11 Bq/L. In EC exposed to three 226 Ra concentrations (2.11, 23 and 117 Bq/L) for 12 h, metallothionein, HSP90AA, thioredoxin and caspase 8 were significantly up-regulated in cells exposed to 117 Bq/L, whereas thioredoxin was also significantly up-regulated in EC exposed to 23 Bq/L. When EC were exposed to the same 226 Ra concentrations for 48 h, only heme oxygenase was significantly up-regulated in the 23 Bq/L exposure group. The results suggest that environmentally relevant activities of 226 Ra may induce oxidative stress and apoptosis in fish ECs. Exposure of Atlantic cod EC to Cd, selected as a model toxicant, supported the ability of EC around blastula stage to respond to toxicants by altered transcription. Due to dilution, environmentally relevant concentrations of radionuclides present in produced water would be expected to pose a minor threat to early life stages of fish. - Highlights: ► 226 Ra affects the transcription of genes in Atlantic cod embryonic cells. ► 226 Ra may induce oxidative stress and apoptosis in fish embryonic cells. ► 226 Ra not expected to pose a major threat to early life stages of marine fish.

Text Mining to inform construction of Earth and Environmental Science Ontologies

Science.gov (United States)

Schildhauer, M.; Adams, B.; Rebich Hespanha, S.

2013-12-01

There is a clear need for better semantic representation of Earth and environmental concepts, to facilitate more effective discovery and re-use of information resources relevant to scientists doing integrative research. In order to develop general-purpose Earth and environmental science ontologies, however, it is necessary to represent concepts and relationships that span usage across multiple disciplines and scientific specialties. Traditional knowledge modeling through ontologies utilizes expert knowledge but inevitably favors the particular perspectives of the ontology engineers, as well as the domain experts who interacted with them. This often leads to ontologies that lack robust coverage of synonymy, while also missing important relationships among concepts that can be extremely useful for working scientists to be aware of. In this presentation we will discuss methods we have developed that utilize statistical topic modeling on a large corpus of Earth and environmental science articles, to expand coverage and disclose relationships among concepts in the Earth sciences. For our work we collected a corpus of over 121,000 abstracts from many of the top Earth and environmental science journals. We performed latent Dirichlet allocation topic modeling on this corpus to discover a set of latent topics, which consist of terms that commonly co-occur in abstracts. We match terms in the topics to concept labels in existing ontologies to reveal gaps, and we examine which terms are commonly associated in natural language discourse, to identify relationships that are important to formally model in ontologies. Our text mining methodology uncovers significant gaps in the content of some popular existing ontologies, and we show how, through a workflow involving human interpretation of topic models, we can bootstrap ontologies to have much better coverage and richer semantics. Because we base our methods directly on what working scientists are communicating about their

Environmental sustainability in hotels, theoretical and methodological contribution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fabricia Silva da Rosa

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The environmental sustainability is a multidisciplinary subject and its scope has attracted the attention of researchers from various fields of knowledge. In this perspective, there is the environmental management in the hotel industry, by two aspects, first the economic importance of the hotels that are a key element of the tourism sector, and secondly, the activity generates environmental impacts that need to be managed. Thus, it is understood that it is to investigate the subject is treated in academia. In this sense, the objective of this research, exploratory and descriptive in nature, consists of mapping the theme of sustainability management in hotels, according to the delimitations posed by researchers. To accomplish this purpose, we used the Knowledge Development Process process - Constructivist (ProKnow-C. At the end of the survey, were identified 13 articles published in international journals aligned with the boundaries placed by the researchers. When installing the Bibliographical Portfolio (PB is evidenced by: (i aspects of relevance and adherence to the theme of the articles; (Ii proposals and results obtained in the research; (Iii theoretical and methodological contribution of the research published in the PB items. The results show that the topic is relevant and current, which lacks structured process to evaluate the environmental management in order to support management decisions.

Public debates - key issue in the environmental licensing process for the completion of the Cernavoda NPP Unit 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rotaru, Ioan; Jelev, Adrian

2003-01-01

SN 'NUCLEARELECTRICA' S.A., the owner of Cernavoda NPP, organized, in 2001, several public consultations related to environmental impact of the completion of the Cernavoda NPP Unit 2, as required by the Romanian environmental law, part of project approval. Public consultations on the environmental assessment for the completion of the Cernavoda NPP - Unit 2 took place in 2001 between August 15 and September 21 in accordance with the provisions of Law No. 137/95 and Order No. 125/96. Romanian environmental legislation, harmonization of national environmental legislation with European Union, Romanian legislative requirements, information distributed to the public, issues raised and follow-up, they all are topics highlighted by this paper and they are addressing the environmental licensing process of the Cernavoda 2 NPP. The public consultation process described fulfils all the Romanian requirements for carrying out meaningful consultation with its relevant shareholders. The process also satisfies EDC (Export Development Corporation - Canada) requirements for public consultation and disclosure with relevant shareholders in the host country. SNN is fully committed to consulting as necessary with relevant shareholders throughout the construction and operation of the Project. Concerns of the public have been taken into account with the operations of Unit 1 and will continue to be addressed during the Unit 2 Project

(Environmental technology)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boston, H.L.

1990-10-12

The traveler participated in a conference on environmental technology in Paris, sponsored by the US Embassy-Paris, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the French Environmental Ministry, and others. The traveler sat on a panel for environmental aspects of energy technology and made a presentation on the potential contributions of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to a planned French-American Environmental Technologies Institute in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Evry, France. This institute would provide opportunities for international cooperation on environmental issues and technology transfer related to environmental protection, monitoring, and restoration at US Department of Energy (DOE) facilities. The traveler also attended the Fourth International Conference on Environmental Contamination in Barcelona. Conference topics included environmental chemistry, land disposal of wastes, treatment of toxic wastes, micropollutants, trace organics, artificial radionuclides in the environment, and the use biomonitoring and biosystems for environmental assessment. The traveler presented a paper on The Fate of Radionuclides in Sewage Sludge Applied to Land.'' Those findings corresponded well with results from studies addressing the fate of fallout radionuclides from the Chernobyl nuclear accident. There was an exchange of new information on a number of topics of interest to DOE waste management and environmental restoration needs.

Environmental health research in Japan - management of environmental risks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakamura, Masahisa [Lake Biwa Research Institute (Japan)

1997-12-31

Briefly discussed the topics on emerging environmental health risks, their assessment and management, with special emphasis on groundwater management , environmental contamination, source protection, new drinking water and ambient water quality standards; and sophistication in instrumentation in environmental quality measurements, hazards and risk assessment and control, technology development in environmental health risk management.

Environmental health research in Japan - management of environmental risks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Masahisa Nakamura

1996-01-01

Briefly discussed the topics on emerging environmental health risks, their assessment and management, with special emphasis on groundwater management , environmental contamination, source protection, new drinking water and ambient water quality standards; and sophistication in instrumentation in environmental quality measurements, hazards and risk assessment and control, technology development in environmental health risk management

How are topics born? Understanding the research dynamics preceding the emergence of new areas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angelo A. Salatino

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The ability to promptly recognise new research trends is strategic for many stakeholders, including universities, institutional funding bodies, academic publishers and companies. While the literature describes several approaches which aim to identify the emergence of new research topics early in their lifecycle, these rely on the assumption that the topic in question is already associated with a number of publications and consistently referred to by a community of researchers. Hence, detecting the emergence of a new research area at an embryonic stage, i.e., before the topic has been consistently labelled by a community of researchers and associated with a number of publications, is still an open challenge. In this paper, we begin to address this challenge by performing a study of the dynamics preceding the creation of new topics. This study indicates that the emergence of a new topic is anticipated by a significant increase in the pace of collaboration between relevant research areas, which can be seen as the ‘parents’ of the new topic. These initial findings (i confirm our hypothesis that it is possible in principle to detect the emergence of a new topic at the embryonic stage, (ii provide new empirical evidence supporting relevant theories in Philosophy of Science, and also (iii suggest that new topics tend to emerge in an environment in which weakly interconnected research areas begin to cross-fertilise.

The Relevance Aura of Bibliographic Records.

Science.gov (United States)

Brooks, Terrence A.

1997-01-01

Analyzes relevance assessments of topical descriptors for bibliographic records for two dimensions: (1) a vertical conceptual hierarchy of broad to narrow descriptors, and (2) a horizontal linkage of related terms. The data were analyzed for a semantic distance and semantic direction effect as postulated by the Semantic Distance Model. (Author/LRW)

Assessing the relevance of ecotoxicological studies for regulatory decision making.

Science.gov (United States)

Rudén, Christina; Adams, Julie; Ågerstrand, Marlene; Brock, Theo Cm; Poulsen, Veronique; Schlekat, Christian E; Wheeler, James R; Henry, Tala R

2017-07-01

Regulatory policies in many parts of the world recognize either the utility of or the mandate that all available studies be considered in environmental or ecological hazard and risk assessment (ERA) of chemicals, including studies from the peer-reviewed literature. Consequently, a vast array of different studies and data types need to be considered. The first steps in the evaluation process involve determining whether the study is relevant to the ERA and sufficiently reliable. Relevance evaluation is typically performed using existing guidance but involves application of "expert judgment" by risk assessors. In the present paper, we review published guidance for relevance evaluation and, on the basis of the practical experience within the group of authors, we identify additional aspects and further develop already proposed aspects that should be considered when conducting a relevance assessment for ecotoxicological studies. From a regulatory point of view, the overarching key aspect of relevance concerns the ability to directly or indirectly use the study in ERA with the purpose of addressing specific protection goals and ultimately regulatory decision making. Because ERA schemes are based on the appropriate linking of exposure and effect estimates, important features of ecotoxicological studies relate to exposure relevance and biological relevance. Exposure relevance addresses the representativeness of the test substance, environmental exposure media, and exposure regime. Biological relevance deals with the environmental significance of the test organism and the endpoints selected, the ecological realism of the test conditions simulated in the study, as well as a mechanistic link of treatment-related effects for endpoints to the protection goal identified in the ERA. In addition, uncertainties associated with relevance should be considered in the assessment. A systematic and transparent assessment of relevance is needed for regulatory decision making. The relevance

What is the Effect of Case-Based Learning on the Academic Achievement of Students on the Topic of "Biochemical Oxygen Demand?"

Science.gov (United States)

Günter, Tuğçe; Alpat, Sibel Kılınç

2017-11-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the case-based learning (CBL) method used in "biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)," which is a topic taught in the environmental chemistry course, at Dokuz Eylul University, on the academic achievement and opinions of students. The research had a quasi-experimental design and the study group consisted of 4th and 5th grade students (N = 18) attending the Chemistry Teaching Program in a university in Izmir. The "Biochemical Oxygen Demand Achievement Test (BODAT)" and the structured interview form were used as data collection tools. The results of BODAT post-test showed the higher increase in the achievement scores of the experimental group may be an indication of the effectiveness of the CBL method in improving academic achievement in the relevant topic. In addition, the experimental and control group students had positive opinions regarding the method, the scenario, and the material. The students found the method, the scenario, and the material to be interesting, understandable/instructional, relatable with everyday life, suitable for the topic, and enhancing active participation.

Environmental Protection Agency

Science.gov (United States)

... Topics Acid rain Brownfields Drinking water Lead Mold PFAS Radon Superfund A-Z index | Browse environmental topics ... Beach Grants for Pacific Islands Territories New England PFAS Community Session, June 25 Idaho Delegated Pollutant Discharge ...

Organismal climatology: analyzing environmental variability at scales relevant to physiological stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Helmuth, Brian; Broitman, Bernardo R; Yamane, Lauren; Gilman, Sarah E; Mach, Katharine; Mislan, K A S; Denny, Mark W

2010-03-15

Predicting when, where and with what magnitude climate change is likely to affect the fitness, abundance and distribution of organisms and the functioning of ecosystems has emerged as a high priority for scientists and resource managers. However, even in cases where we have detailed knowledge of current species' range boundaries, we often do not understand what, if any, aspects of weather and climate act to set these limits. This shortcoming significantly curtails our capacity to predict potential future range shifts in response to climate change, especially since the factors that set range boundaries under those novel conditions may be different from those that set limits today. We quantitatively examine a nine-year time series of temperature records relevant to the body temperatures of intertidal mussels as measured using biomimetic sensors. Specifically, we explore how a 'climatology' of body temperatures, as opposed to long-term records of habitat-level parameters such as air and water temperatures, can be used to extrapolate meaningful spatial and temporal patterns of physiological stress. Using different metrics that correspond to various aspects of physiological stress (seasonal means, cumulative temperature and the return time of extremes) we show that these potential environmental stressors do not always occur in synchrony with one another. Our analysis also shows that patterns of animal temperature are not well correlated with simple, commonly used metrics such as air temperature. Detailed physiological studies can provide guidance to predicting the effects of global climate change on natural ecosystems but only if we concomitantly record, archive and model environmental signals at appropriate scales.

Topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of pain due to soft tissue injury: diclofenac epolamine topical patch.

Science.gov (United States)

Lionberger, David R; Brennan, Michael J

2010-11-10

The objective of this article is to review published clinical data on diclofenac epolamine topical patch 1.3% (DETP) in the treatment of acute soft tissue injuries, such as strains, sprains, and contusions. Review of published literature on topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), diclofenac, and DETP in patients with acute soft tissue injuries was included. Relevant literature was identified on MEDLINE using the search terms topical NSAIDs, diclofenac, diclofenac epolamine, acute pain, sports injury, soft tissue injury, strain, sprain, and contusion, and from citations in retrieved articles covering the years 1978-2008. Review of published, randomized clinical trials and meta-analyses shows that topical NSAIDs are significantly more effective than placebo in relieving acute pain; the pooled average relative benefit was 1.7 (95% confidence interval, 1.5-1.9). In a limited number of comparisons, topical and oral NSAIDs provided comparable pain relief, but the use of topical agents produced lower plasma drug concentrations and fewer systemic adverse events (AEs). The physical-chemical properties of diclofenac epolamine make it well suited for topical use. In patients with acute soft tissue injuries treated with DETP, clinical data report an analgesic benefit within hours of the first application, and significant pain relief relative to placebo within 3 days. Moreover, DETP displayed tolerability comparable with placebo; the most common AEs were pruritus and other application site reactions. Review of published literature suggests that DETP is generally safe and well tolerated, clinically efficacious, and a rational treatment option for patients experiencing acute pain associated with strains, sprains, and contusions, and other localized painful conditions.

The effectiveness of resources created by students as partners in explaining the relevance of mathematics in engineering education

Science.gov (United States)

Dunn, Michelle; Loch, Birgit; Scott, Wendy

2018-01-01

First-year engineering students often struggle to see the relevance of theoretical mathematical concepts for their future studies and professional careers. This is an issue, as students who do not see relevance in fundamental parts of their studies may disengage from these parts and focus their efforts on other subjects they think will be more useful to them. In this study, we surveyed engineering students enrolled in a first-year mathematics subject on their perceptions of the relevance of the individual mathematical topics taught. Surveys were administered at the start of semester when some of these topics were unknown to them, and again at the end of semester when students had not only studied all these topics but also watched a set of animated videos. These videos had been produced by higher-year students to explain where they had seen applications of the mathematical concepts presented in the first year. We notice differences between the perceived relevance of topics for future study and for professional careers, with relevance to study rated higher than relevance to careers. We also find that the animations are seen as helpful in understanding the relevance of first-year mathematics. The majority of students indicated that lecturers with students as partners should work collaboratively to produce future videos.

Cadmium toxicity investigated at the physiological and biophysical levels under environmentally relevant conditions using the aquatic model plant Ceratophyllum demersum

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Andresen, Elisa; Kappel, S.; Stärk, H.-J.; Riegger, U.; Borovec, Jakub; Mattusch, J.; Heinz, A.; Schmelzer, C.E.H.; Matoušková, Šárka; Dickinson, B.; Küpper, Hendrik

2016-01-01

Roč. 210, č. 4 (2016), s. 1244-1258 ISSN 0028-646X Institutional support: RVO:60077344 ; RVO:67985831 Keywords : Ceratophyllum demersum * Environmentally relevant * Light-harvesting complexes (LHCs) * Toxic metals Subject RIV: CE - Biochemistry; DD - Geochemistry (GLU-S) Impact factor: 7.330, year: 2016

Enriching science, practice, and policy relevant to school psychology around the globe.

Science.gov (United States)

Jimerson, Shane R

2016-03-01

This editorial provides a brief synthesis of the past, present, and future of School Psychology Quarterly, highlighting important contributions as an international resource to enrich, invigorate, enhance, and advance science, practice, and policy relevant to school psychology around the globe. Information herein highlights (a) the value of high quality and timely reviews, (b) publishing manuscripts that address a breadth of important topics relevant to school psychology, and (c) the structure and contributions of the special topic sections featured in School Psychology Quarterly. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Review of Recent Literature Relevant to the Environmental Effects of Marine and Hydrokinetic Energy Devices; Task 2.1.3: Effects on Aquatic Organisms - Fiscal Year 2012 Progress Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kropp, Roy K.

2013-01-01

A literature search was conducted by using the Web of Science® databases component of the ISI Web of KnowledgeSM to identify recent articles that would be useful to help assess the potential environmental effects of renewable energy development in the ocean, with emphasis on seabirds and fish. Several relatively recent general review articles that included possible effects on seabirds and fish were examined to begin the search process. From these articles, several general topics of potential environmental effects on seabirds and fish were derived. These topics were used as the primary search factors. Additional sources were identified by cross-checking the Web of Science databases for articles that cited the review articles. It also became clear that the potential effects frequently w

Environmental conflicts and philosophy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bugallo, Alicia Irene

2006-01-01

In 1998 the Yungas forest of Argentina became the subject of tremendous debates, caused by the construction of the Norandino Gas-pipeline. Apart from technical and financial considerations, the discussion of constructing the duct confronted the different actors in questions of great ethical relevance. Environmental activists assumed positions that not only consider persons, but also the rest of living beings as morally relevant. An untenable strong anthropocentrism, which is a predominant attitude in our developed societies, was questioned. The final implementation of the Yungas Biosphere Reserve showed the conflictive process as a 'witness case' in which the will to dialogue and the wise rationality have predominated, with the application of a new active conservationist, which make it possible to make compatible human development with care of the environment. The incorporation of socio-cultural topics to conservation imply a true conceptual and methodological revolution, taking into account the intangible and not quantifiable elements of action and human spirit, the different perceptions of each population, their development way and life quality, their ambitions, the sense of belonging or of self-realization feeling

Prediction of Adsorption Equilibrium of VOCs onto Hyper-Cross-Linked Polymeric Resin at Environmentally Relevant Temperatures and Concentrations Using Inverse Gas Chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Lijuan; Ma, Jiakai; Shi, Qiuyi; Long, Chao

2017-01-03

Hyper-cross-linked polymeric resin (HPR) represents a class of predominantly microporous adsorbents and has good adsorption performance toward VOCs. However, adsorption equilibrium of VOCs onto HPR are limited. In this research, a novel method for predicting adsorption capacities of VOCs on HPR at environmentally relevant temperatures and concentrations using inverse gas chromatography data was proposed. Adsorption equilibrium of six VOCs (n-pentane, n-hexane, dichloromethane, acetone, benzene, 1, 2-dichloroethane) onto HPR in the temperature range of 403-443 K were measured by inverse gas chromatography (IGC). Adsorption capacities at environmentally relevant temperatures (293-328 K) and concentrations (P/P s = 0.1-0.7) were predicted using Dubinin-Radushkevich (DR) equation based on Polany's theory. Taking consideration of the swelling properties of HPR, the volume swelling ratio (r) was introduced and r·V micro was used instead of V micro determined by N 2 adsorption data at 77 K as the parameter q 0 (limiting micropore volume) of the DR equation. The results showed that the adsorption capacities of VOCs at environmentally relevant temperatures and concentrations can be predicted effectively using IGC data, the root-mean-square errors between the predicted and experimental data was below 9.63%. The results are meaningful because they allow accurate prediction of adsorption capacities of adsorbents more quickly and conveniently using IGC data.

Quantifying environmental performance using an environmental footprint calculator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, D.B.; Loney, A.C.; Chan, V. [Conestoga-Rovers & Associates, Waterloo, Ontario (Canada)

2009-07-01

This paper provides a case study using relevant key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate the environmental performance of a business. Using recognized calculation and reporting frameworks, Conestoga-Rovers & Associates (CRA) designed the Environmental Footprint Calculator to quantify the environmental performance of a Canadian construction materials company. CRA designed the Environmental Footprint calculator for our client to track and report their environmental performance in accordance with their targets, based on requirements of relevant guidance documents. The objective was to design a tool that effectively manages, calculates, and reports environmental performance to various stakeholders in a user-friendly format. (author)

Quantifying environmental performance using an environmental footprint calculator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, D.B.; Loney, A.C.; Chan, V.

2009-01-01

This paper provides a case study using relevant key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate the environmental performance of a business. Using recognized calculation and reporting frameworks, Conestoga-Rovers & Associates (CRA) designed the Environmental Footprint Calculator to quantify the environmental performance of a Canadian construction materials company. CRA designed the Environmental Footprint calculator for our client to track and report their environmental performance in accordance with their targets, based on requirements of relevant guidance documents. The objective was to design a tool that effectively manages, calculates, and reports environmental performance to various stakeholders in a user-friendly format. (author)

The Teaching Effectiveness of a Relevant Physics Course

Science.gov (United States)

Hobson, Art

1998-04-01

If America is to achieve the science literacy that is ssential to industrialized democracy, all students must study such topics as scientific methodology, pseudoscience, critical thinking, ozone depletion, technological risk, and global warming. My large-enrollment liberal-arts physics course covers the great principles of physics along with several such philosophical and societal topics. Students find these topics relevant and fascinating, leading to strong course evaluations and large enrollments by non-scientists even in courses labeled physics. I will describe this course and present some evidence indicating that the course is effective in communicating physics and its interdisciplinary connections. A textbook, Physics: Concepts and Connections (Prentice Hall, 1995, 2nd edition to appear in June 1998), is available.

(Environmental and geophysical modeling, fracture mechanics, and boundary element methods)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gray, L.J.

1990-11-09

Technical discussions at the various sites visited centered on application of boundary integral methods for environmental modeling, seismic analysis, and computational fracture mechanics in composite and smart'' materials. The traveler also attended the International Association for Boundary Element Methods Conference at Rome, Italy. While many aspects of boundary element theory and applications were discussed in the papers, the dominant topic was the analysis and application of hypersingular equations. This has been the focus of recent work by the author, and thus the conference was highly relevant to research at ORNL.

[TOPICS-MDS: a versatile resource for generating scientific and social knowledge for elderly care].

Science.gov (United States)

van den Brink, Danielle; Lutomski, Jennifer E; Qin, Li; den Elzen, Wendy P J; Kempen, Gertrudis I J M; Krabbe, Paul F M; Steyerberg, Ewout W; Muntinga, Maaike; Moll van Charante, Eric P; Bleijenberg, Nienke; Olde Rikkert, Marcel G M; Melis, René J F

2015-04-01

Developed as part of the National Care for the Elderly Programme (NPO), TOPICS-MDS is a uniform, national database on the health and wellbeing of the older persons and caregivers who participated in NPO-funded projects. TOPICS-MDS Consortium has gained extensive experience in constructing a standardized questionnaire to collect relevant health care data on quality of life, health services utilization, and informal care use. A proactive approach has been undertaken not only to ensure the standardization and validation of instruments but also the infrastructure for external data requests. Efforts have been made to promote scientifically and socially responsible use of TOPICS-MDS; data has been available for secondary use since early 2014. Through this data sharing initiative, researchers can explore health issues in a broader framework which may have not been possible within individual NPO projects; this broader framework is highly relevant for influencing health policy. In this article, we provide an overview of the development and on-going progress of TOPICS-MDS. We further describe how information derived from TOPICS-MDS can be applied to facilitate future scientific innovations and public health initiatives to improve care for frail older persons and their caregivers.

Topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of pain due to soft tissue injury: diclofenac epolamine topical patch

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David R Lionberger

2010-11-01

Full Text Available David R Lionberger1, Michael J Brennan21Southwest Orthopedic Group, Houston, TX, USA; 2Department of Medicine, Bridgeport Hospital, Bridgeport, CT, USAAbstract: The objective of this article is to review published clinical data on diclofenac epolamine topical patch 1.3% (DETP in the treatment of acute soft tissue injuries, such as strains, sprains, and contusions. Review of published literature on topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, diclofenac, and DETP in patients with acute soft tissue injuries was included. Relevant literature was identified on MEDLINE using the search terms topical NSAIDs, diclofenac, diclofenac epolamine, acute pain, sports injury, soft tissue injury, strain, sprain, and contusion, and from citations in retrieved articles covering the years 1978–2008. Review of published, randomized clinical trials and meta-analyses shows that topical NSAIDs are significantly more effective than placebo in relieving acute pain; the pooled average relative benefit was 1.7 (95% confidence interval, 1.5–1.9. In a limited number of comparisons, topical and oral NSAIDs provided comparable pain relief, but the use of topical agents produced lower plasma drug concentrations and fewer systemic adverse events (AEs. The physical–chemical properties of diclofenac epolamine make it well suited for topical use. In patients with acute soft tissue injuries treated with DETP, clinical data report an analgesic benefit within hours of the first application, and significant pain relief relative to placebo within 3 days. Moreover, DETP displayed tolerability comparable with placebo; the most common AEs were pruritus and other application site reactions. Review of published literature suggests that DETP is generally safe and well tolerated, clinically efficacious, and a rational treatment option for patients experiencing acute pain associated with strains, sprains, and contusions, and other localized painful conditions

Mapping Environmental Inequalities Relevant for Health for Informing Urban Planning Interventions-A Case Study in the City of Dortmund, Germany.

Science.gov (United States)

Flacke, Johannes; Schüle, Steffen Andreas; Köckler, Heike; Bolte, Gabriele

2016-07-13

Spatial differences in urban environmental conditions contribute to health inequalities within cities. The purpose of the paper is to map environmental inequalities relevant for health in the City of Dortmund, Germany, in order to identify needs for planning interventions. We develop suitable indicators for mapping socioeconomically-driven environmental inequalities at the neighborhood level based on published scientific evidence and inputs from local stakeholders. Relationships between socioeconomic and environmental indicators at the level of 170 neighborhoods were analyzed continuously with Spearman rank correlation coefficients and categorically applying chi-squared tests. Reclassified socioeconomic and environmental indicators were then mapped at the neighborhood level in order to determine multiple environmental burdens and hotspots of environmental inequalities related to health. Results show that the majority of environmental indicators correlate significantly, leading to multiple environmental burdens in specific neighborhoods. Some of these neighborhoods also have significantly larger proportions of inhabitants of a lower socioeconomic position indicating hotspots of environmental inequalities. Suitable planning interventions mainly comprise transport planning and green space management. In the conclusions, we discuss how the analysis can be used to improve state of the art planning instruments, such as clean air action planning or noise reduction planning towards the consideration of the vulnerability of the population.

Environmentally relevant concentrations of polyethylene microplastics negatively impact the survival, growth and emergence of sediment-dwelling invertebrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Ziajahromi, Shima; Kumar, Anupama; Neale, Peta A; Leusch, Frederic D L

2018-05-01

Microplastics are a widespread environmental pollutant in aquatic ecosystems and have the potential to eventually sink to the sediment, where they may pose a risk to sediment-dwelling organisms. While the impacts of exposure to microplastics have been widely reported for marine biota, the effects of microplastics on freshwater organisms at environmentally realistic concentrations are largely unknown, especially for benthic organisms. Here we examined the effects of a realistic concentration of polyethylene microplastics in sediment on the growth and emergence of a freshwater organism Chironomus tepperi. We also assessed the influence of microplastic size by exposing C. tepperi larvae to four different size ranges of polyethylene microplastics (1-4, 10-27, 43-54 and 100-126 μm). Exposure to an environmentally relevant concentration of microplastics, 500 particles/kg sediment , negatively affected the survival, growth (i.e. body length and head capsule) and emergence of C. tepperi. The observed effects were strongly dependent on microplastic size with exposure to particles in the size range of 10-27 μm inducing more pronounced effects. While growth and survival of C. tepperi were not affected by the larger microplastics (100-126 μm), a significant reduction in the number of emerged adults was observed after exposure to the largest microplastics, with the delayed emergence attributed to exposure to a stressor. While scanning electron microscopy showed a significant reduction in the size of the head capsule and antenna of C. tepperi exposed to microplastics in the 10-27 μm size range, no deformities to the external structure of the antenna and mouth parts in organisms exposed to the same size range of microplastics were observed. These results indicate that environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastics in sediment induce harmful effects on the development and emergence of C. tepperi, with effects greatly dependent on particle size. Copyright

Quarterly Briefing Book on Environmental and Waste Management Activities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brown, M.C.

1991-06-01

The purpose of the Quarterly Briefing Book on Environmental and Waste Management Activities is to provide managers and senior staff at the US Department of Energy-Richland Operations Office and its contractors with timely and concise information on Hanford Site environmental and waste management activities. Each edition updates the information on the topics in the previous edition, deletes those determined not to be of current interest, and adds new topics to keep up to date with changing environmental and waste management requirements and issues. Section A covers current waste management and environmental restoration issues. In Section B are writeups on national or site-wide environmental and waste management topics. Section C has writeups on program- and waste-specific environmental and waste management topics. Section D provides information on waste sites and inventories on the site. 15 figs., 4 tabs.

Quarterly Briefing Book on Environmental and Waste Management Activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, M.C.

1991-06-01

The purpose of the Quarterly Briefing Book on Environmental and Waste Management Activities is to provide managers and senior staff at the US Department of Energy-Richland Operations Office and its contractors with timely and concise information on Hanford Site environmental and waste management activities. Each edition updates the information on the topics in the previous edition, deletes those determined not to be of current interest, and adds new topics to keep up to date with changing environmental and waste management requirements and issues. Section A covers current waste management and environmental restoration issues. In Section B are writeups on national or site-wide environmental and waste management topics. Section C has writeups on program- and waste-specific environmental and waste management topics. Section D provides information on waste sites and inventories on the site. 15 figs., 4 tabs

Neutrophil programming dynamics and its disease relevance.

Science.gov (United States)

Ran, Taojing; Geng, Shuo; Li, Liwu

2017-11-01

Neutrophils are traditionally considered as first responders to infection and provide antimicrobial host defense. However, recent advances indicate that neutrophils are also critically involved in the modulation of host immune environments by dynamically adopting distinct functional states. Functionally diverse neutrophil subsets are increasingly recognized as critical components mediating host pathophysiology. Despite its emerging significance, molecular mechanisms as well as functional relevance of dynamically programmed neutrophils remain to be better defined. The increasing complexity of neutrophil functions may require integrative studies that address programming dynamics of neutrophils and their pathophysiological relevance. This review aims to provide an update on the emerging topics of neutrophil programming dynamics as well as their functional relevance in diseases.

"Nuestra Tierra Dinamica" Global Climate Change STEM Education Fostering Environmental Stewardship

Science.gov (United States)

La Grave, M.; de Valenzuela, M.; Russell, R.

2012-12-01

, Energy, Health, Waste and Communicating Science. Parental and Community Engagement: Family or Community Nights and community events showcasing student products, videos, and service learning projects in a bilingual format; and presentations by research scientists on climate and environmental science topics of interest to the Latino community. Our events have been highlighted on Univision television evening news, reaching Latinos across the state. Digital Story Telling: Our Video Lab involves Latino high school students who are trained as mentors, encouraged to research climate change topics, meet scientists and learn about video technology. By fall 2013, our HS Video Lab will mentor local middle school students. Throughout the year students take field trips to film and interview key scientists and educators. The project will share lessons learned concerning several issues: 1. What environmental and climate science issues are most relevant for Latinos; 2. What strategies are effective in engaging the Latino community in program planning and in engaging participation; 3. What approaches are effective in developing or adapting environmental and climate science education activities for Latino students and families; 4. How to develop effective partnerships with research and other environmental organizations; 5. How to develop culturally sensitive evaluation strategies.

Strategic Environmental Assessment: Integrated environmental management

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism

2004-01-01

Full Text Available stream_source_info Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism_2004.pdf.txt stream_content_type text/plain stream_size 70155 Content-Encoding ISO-8859-1 stream_name Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism_2004.pdf... and Tourism Other topics in the series of overview information documents on the concepts of, and approaches to, integrated environmental management are listed below. Further titles in this series are being prepared and will be made available periodically...

Interviews concerning topical questions in nuclear technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Segatz, U.; Schatz, A.; Stephany, M.; Michaelis, H.

1978-01-01

On the occasion of the Nuclex meeting, October 3-7, 1978, Basle/Switzerland, the editorial department of 'Atom und Strom' questioned some leading scientists in nuclear technology on particularly relevant topics. The following subjects were discussed: - How long can we do without nuclear energy, - Modern technology for nuclear power plants, - Nuclear fuel cycle and environment, - Nuclear energy and European Communities, - Nuclear energy and its risks (reflections on incidents). (orig./UA) [de

Topics and topic prominence in two sign languages

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kimmelman, V.

2015-01-01

In this paper we describe topic marking in Russian Sign Language (RSL) and Sign Language of the Netherlands (NGT) and discuss whether these languages should be considered topic prominent. The formal markers of topics in RSL are sentence-initial position, a prosodic break following the topic, and

The Implementation of Cosine Similarity to Calculate Text Relevance between Two Documents

Science.gov (United States)

Gunawan, D.; Sembiring, C. A.; Budiman, M. A.

2018-03-01

Rapidly increasing number of web pages or documents leads to topic specific filtering in order to find web pages or documents efficiently. This is a preliminary research that uses cosine similarity to implement text relevance in order to find topic specific document. This research is divided into three parts. The first part is text-preprocessing. In this part, the punctuation in a document will be removed, then convert the document to lower case, implement stop word removal and then extracting the root word by using Porter Stemming algorithm. The second part is keywords weighting. Keyword weighting will be used by the next part, the text relevance calculation. Text relevance calculation will result the value between 0 and 1. The closer value to 1, then both documents are more related, vice versa.

Incorporating Hot Topics in Ocean Sciences to Outreach Activities in Marine and Environmental Science Education

Science.gov (United States)

Bergondo, D. L.; Mrakovcich, K. L.; Vlietstra, L.; Tebeau, P.; Verlinden, C.; Allen, L. A.; James, R.

2016-02-01

The US Coast Guard Academy, an undergraduate military Academy, in New London CT, provides STEM education programs to the local community that engage the public on hot topics in ocean sciences. Outreach efforts include classroom, lab, and field-based activities at the Academy as well as at local schools. In one course, we partner with a STEM high school collecting fish and environmental data on board a research vessel and subsequently students present the results of their project. In another course, cadets develop and present interactive demonstrations of marine science to local school groups. In addition, the Academy develops In another course, cadets develop and present interactive demonstrations of marine science to local school groups. In addition, the Academy develops and/or participates in outreach programs including Science Partnership for Innovation in Learning (SPIL), Women in Science, Physics of the Sea, and the Ocean Exploration Trust Honors Research Program. As part of the programs, instructors and cadets create interactive and collaborative activities that focus on hot topics in ocean sciences such as oil spill clean-up, ocean exploration, tsunamis, marine biodiversity, and conservation of aquatic habitats. Innovative science demonstrations such as real-time interactions with the Exploration Vessel (E/V) Nautilus, rotating tank simulations of ocean circulation, wave tank demonstrations, and determining what materials work best to contain and clean-up oil, are used to enhance ocean literacy. Children's books, posters and videos are some creative ways students summarize their understanding of ocean sciences and marine conservation. Despite time limitations of students and faculty, and challenges associated with securing funding to keep these programs sustainable, the impact of the programs is overwhelmingly positive. We have built stronger relationships with local community, enhanced ocean literacy, facilitated communication and mentorship between young

Statistics for environmental science and management

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Manly, B.F.J

2009-01-01

.... Additional topics covered include environmental monitoring, impact assessment, censored data, environmental sampling, the role of statistics in environmental science, assessing site reclamation...

Making Chemistry Relevant to the Engineering Major

Science.gov (United States)

Basu-Dutt, Sharmistha; Slappey, Charles; Bartley, Julie K.

2010-01-01

As part of a campus-wide, externally funded project to increase performance in, enthusiasm for, and retention within STEM disciplines, we developed an interdisciplinary, team-taught first-year seminar course. The construction and delivery of this course was designed to show the relevance of selected general chemistry topics such as matter and…

Environmentally relevant concentrations of citalopram partially inhibit feeding in the three-spine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus).

Science.gov (United States)

Kellner, M; Porseryd, T; Porsch-Hällström, I; Hansen, S H; Olsén, K H

2015-01-01

Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRI) are mood-altering, psychotropic drugs commonly used in the treatment of depression and other psychological illnesses. Many of them are poorly degraded in sewage treatment plants and enter the environment unaltered. In laboratory studies, they have been demonstrated to affect a wide range of behaviours in aquatic organisms. In this study we investigated the effect of a three-week exposure to 0.15 and 1.5 μg/l of the SSRI citalopram dissolved in the ambient water on the feeding behaviour in three-spine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Feeding, measured as the number of attacks performed on a piece of frozen bloodworms during a 10-min period, was reduced by 30-40% in fish exposed to both 0.15 and 1.5 μg/l citalopram. The effects of the environmentally relevant concentration 0.15 μg/l on feeding, an important fitness characteristic, suggests that the ecological significance of environmental SSRI exposure may be pronounced. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Storytelling and Technology Combine to Create Student Engagement Around Locally Relevant Climate Change Topics.

Science.gov (United States)

Leckey, E.; Littrell-Baez, M.; Tayne, K.; Gold, A. U.; Okochi, C.; Oonk, D.; Smith, L. K.; Lynds, S. E.

2017-12-01

Storytelling is a powerful way for students to engage with science topics, particularly topics that may initially seem too broad to impact their lives, like climate change. Empowering students to telling a personal story about climate change's effects and helping them turn their story into a film is powerful approach. Especially because these films can be shared globally and gives students a voice around a complex topic like climate change. Here, we present impacts of the Lens on Climate Change program (LOCC), which engages middle and high school students in producing short films featuring how climate change impacts their communities. LOCC is offered as an intensive week-long summer program and as an extracurricular program during the school year. The majority of student participants are recruited from historically underserved communities and come from ethnical and socioeconomically diverse backgrounds. Survey data revealed that LOCC participants had a significant increase in their belief in the reality of climate change after participation in their program relative to students in a demographically-matched control groups. Furthermore, participant responses on reflection surveys given after the program included statements that suggest that students had begun thinking more deeply about climate change as a serious global challenge and felt empowered to take actions to mitigate climate change and/or spread awareness in their communities. The majority of students in the LOCC program also reported being very proud of their film and intended to share their film with their friends and family. Additionally, we explored the long-term impacts of participation by interviewing students a year after the program and offered them the opportunity to make a subsequent film. Students in this "advanced group" reported being more aware of climate change in their community following making their films and were enthusiastic to increase their filmmaking skills through producing additional

Recent advances and perspectives in topical oral anesthesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Franz-Montan, Michelle; Ribeiro, Lígia Nunes de Morais; Volpato, Maria Cristina; Cereda, Cintia Maria Saia; Groppo, Francisco Carlos; Tofoli, Giovana Randomille; de Araújo, Daniele Ribeiro; Santi, Patrizia; Padula, Cristina; de Paula, Eneida

2017-05-01

Topical anesthesia is widely used in dentistry to reduce pain caused by needle insertion and injection of the anesthetic. However, successful anesthesia is not always achieved using the formulations that are currently commercially available. As a result, local anesthesia is still one of the procedures that is most feared by dental patients. Drug delivery systems (DDSs) provide ways of improving the efficacy of topical agents. Areas covered: An overview of the structure and permeability of oral mucosa is given, followed by a review of DDSs designed for dental topical anesthesia and their related clinical trials. Chemical approaches to enhance permeation and anesthesia efficacy, or to promote superficial anesthesia, include nanostructured carriers (liposomes, cyclodextrins, polymeric nanoparticle systems, solid lipid nanoparticles, and nanostructured lipid carriers) and different pharmaceutical dosage forms (patches, bio- and mucoadhesive systems, and hydrogels). Physical methods include pre-cooling, vibration, iontophoresis, and microneedle arrays. Expert opinion: The combination of different chemical and physical methods is an attractive option for effective topical anesthesia in oral mucosa. This comprehensive review should provide the readers with the most relevant options currently available to assist pain-free dental anesthesia. The findings should be considered for future clinical trials.

National Center for Environmental Health

Science.gov (United States)

... R S T U V W X Y Z # Environmental Health Topics Emergency and Environmental Health Services Chemical Weapons Elimination Environmental Health Services Healthy Homes Healthy Places – Community ...

Evolution of environmental protection strategies in the Soviet Union

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lesperance, A.M.

1992-05-01

In performing this work, interviews were conducted with members of the Supreme Soviet Committee for Rational Use of Natural Resources, Moscow, City Council, and St. Petersburg City Council. These officials provided their views on the current status of environmental protection in the former Soviet Union. Literature published in English, although limited, supplemented these discussions. In addition, a literature search was conducted of recent articles about this topic. Although the research for this paper was conducted before and during the August 1991 coup attempt in the Soviet Union, and after the formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), many of the observations expressed in this report may be relevant to the new states. This report provides to historical perspective on the barriers encountered while attempting to develop environmental policy in the former Soviet Union and establishes a context for problems facing the new states in developing their environmental policies. Organization changes that have occurred in environmental protection since the August coup are included to the extent they are known

Topical Delivery of Anti-VEGF Drugs to the Ocular Posterior Segment Using Cell-Penetrating Peptides.

Science.gov (United States)

de Cogan, Felicity; Hill, Lisa J; Lynch, Aisling; Morgan-Warren, Peter J; Lechner, Judith; Berwick, Matthew R; Peacock, Anna F A; Chen, Mei; Scott, Robert A H; Xu, Heping; Logan, Ann

2017-05-01

To evaluate the efficacy of anti-VEGF agents for treating choroidal neovascularization (CNV) when delivered topically using novel cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) compared with delivery by intravitreal (ivit) injection. CPP toxicity was investigated in cell cultures. Ivit concentrations of ranibizumab and bevacizumab after topical administration were measured using ELISA. The biological efficacy of topical anti-VEGF + CPP complexes was compared with ivit anti-VEGF injections using an established model of CNV. CPPs were nontoxic in vitro. In vivo, after topical eye drop delivery, CPPs were present in the rat anterior chamber within 6 minutes. A single application of CPP + bevacizumab eye drop delivered clinically relevant concentrations of bevacizumab to the posterior chamber of the rat eye in vivo. Similarly, clinically relevant levels of CPP + ranibizumab and CPP + bevacizumab were detected in the porcine vitreous and retina ex vivo. In an established model of CNV, mice treated with either a single ivit injection of anti-VEGF, twice daily CPP + anti-VEGF eye drops or daily dexamethasone gavage for 10 days all had significantly reduced areas of CNV when compared with lasered eyes without treatment. CPPs are nontoxic to ocular cells and can be used to deliver therapeutically relevant doses of ranibizumab and bevacizumab by eye drop to the posterior segment of mouse, rat, and pig eyes. The CPP + anti-VEGF drug complexes were cleared from the retina within 24 hours, suggesting a daily eye drop dosing regimen. Daily, topically delivered anti-VEGF with CPP was as efficacious as a single ivit injection of anti-VEGF in reducing areas of CNV in vivo.

Prenatal exposure to an environmentally relevant phthalate mixture disrupts reproduction in F1 female mice

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, Changqing; Gao, Liying; Flaws, Jodi A., E-mail: jflaws@illinois.edu

2017-03-01

Phthalates are used in a large variety of products, such as building materials, medical devices, and personal care products. Most previous studies on the toxicity of phthalates have focused on single phthalates, but it is also important to study the effects of phthalate mixtures because humans are exposed to phthalate mixtures. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that prenatal exposure to an environmentally relevant phthalate mixture adversely affects female reproduction in mice. To test this hypothesis, pregnant CD-1 dams were orally dosed with vehicle (tocopherol-stripped corn oil) or a phthalate mixture (20 and 200 μg/kg/day, 200 and 500 mg/kg/day) daily from gestational day 10 to birth. The mixture was based on the composition of phthalates detected in urine samples from pregnant women in Illinois. The mixture included 35% diethyl phthalate, 21% di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, 15% dibutyl phthalate, 15% diisononyl phthalate, 8% diisobutyl phthalate, and 5% benzylbutyl phthalate. Female mice born to the exposed dams were subjected to tissue collections and fertility tests at different ages. Our results indicate that prenatal exposure to the phthalate mixture significantly increased uterine weight and decreased anogenital distance on postnatal days 8 and 60, induced cystic ovaries at 13 months, disrupted estrous cyclicity, reduced fertility-related indices, and caused some breeding complications at 3, 6, and 9 months of age. Collectively, our data suggest that prenatal exposure to an environmentally relevant phthalate mixture disrupts aspects of female reproduction in mice. - Highlights: • Prenatal exposure to a phthalate mixture disrupts F1 estrous cyclicity. • Prenatal exposure to a phthalate mixture induces F1 ovarian cysts. • Prenatal exposure to a phthalate mixture decreases F1 female fertility-related indices. • Prenatal exposure to a phthalate mixture induces F1 breeding complications.

Incorporating environmental justice into environmental decision making

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wolfe, A.K.; Vogt, D.P.; Hwang, Ho-Ling [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)] [and others

1995-07-01

Executive Order 12898, signed on February 11, 1994, broadly states that federal activities, programs, and policies should not produce disproportionately high and adverse impacts on minority and low-income populations. Moreover, the Order indicates that these populations should not be denied the benefits of, or excluded from participation in, these activities, programs, and policies. Because a presidential memorandum accompanying the order said that National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents should begin to address environmental justice immediately, much attention has been paid to assessment-related issues. Also important, a topic that appears to have received relatively little attention, is how decision makers should be expected to use information about environmental justice in their decision making. This paper discusses issues surrounding the use of environmental justice information in the decision-making process by focusing on the following five main topics: (1) the importance, or weight, attached to environmental justice within larger decision-making contexts; (2) the potential tension between localized environmental justice issues and regional or national issues and needs; (3) the use of environmental justice information to develop (perhaps in concert with affected minority and low-income communities) appropriate mitigation strategies, or to establish conditions under which activities, programs, and policies may be accepted locally; (4) the general implications of shifting the distribution of broadly defined risks, costs, and benefits among different population groups; and (5) the implications of implementing environmental justice on an individual, ad hoc basis rather than within a larger environmental justice framework. This paper raises the issues and discusses the implications of alternative approaches to them.

Identity theory and personality theory: mutual relevance.

Science.gov (United States)

Stryker, Sheldon

2007-12-01

Some personality psychologists have found a structural symbolic interactionist frame and identity theory relevant to their work. This frame and theory, developed in sociology, are first reviewed. Emphasized in the review are a multiple identity conception of self, identities as internalized expectations derived from roles embedded in organized networks of social interaction, and a view of social structures as facilitators in bringing people into networks or constraints in keeping them out, subsequently, attention turns to a discussion of the mutual relevance of structural symbolic interactionism/identity theory and personality theory, looking to extensions of the current literature on these topics.

International Business Education: Identifying the Emergent Topics in International Business and Their Relevance for Knowledge Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Yeoh, Poh-Lin

2001-01-01

Sampled faculty in international business (IB) to better understand emerging themes in that area. Seven major topical areas were uncovered: general knowledge of IB, international trade and institutions, cross-cultural issues, managing global operations, international ethics, international monetary systems, and international political/regulatory…

Topics in cement and concrete research

OpenAIRE

Brouwers, Jos; Russel, M.I.; Basheer, P.A.M.

2007-01-01

The present paper addresses several topics in regard to the sustainable design and use of concrete. First, major features concerning the sustainable aspects of the material concrete are summarised. Then the major constituent, from an environmental point of view, cement is discussed in detail, particularly the hydration and application of slag cement. The intelligent combining of mineral oxides, which are found in clinker, slag, fly ashes etc., is designated as mineral oxide engineering. It re...

Current developments in environmental psychology : topics and researchers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Werff, Ellen; Perlaviciute, Goda; Muinos, Gabriel

2016-01-01

The aim of this special issue is to bring the work of early-career researchers in environmental psychology to the spotlight. These young researchers come from different countries and cultures, have their own theoretical approaches and employ different research methods to increase knowledge on the

Effects of tributyltin (TBT) on Xenopus tropicalis embryos at environmentally relevant concentrations.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Suzhen; Qian, Lijuan; Shi, Huahong; Barry, Terence; Cao, Qinzhen; Liu, Junqi

2010-04-01

Tributyltin (TBT) has been widely used as a biocide in antifouling paints and is a known endocrine disrupting chemical. In this paper, we exposed embryos of Xenopus tropicalis to 50-400ngL(-1) tributyltin chloride. TBT significantly decreased the survival rate, reduced the body length and retarded the development of embryos after 24, 36 and 48h of exposure. These effects of TBT were concentration- and time-dependent. Embryos treated with TBT showed multiple malformations. The most obvious alterations were abnormal eyes, enlarged proctodaeum, narrow fins, and skin hypopigmentation. Enlarged proctodaeum and narrow fins were mainly observed after 36 and 48h of exposure. The loss of eye pigmentation or the absence of external eyes occurred after 24 and 36h of exposure, while extended lenses or edemas of eyes were more commonly observed after 48h of exposure. Additional malformations included: small anterior region of heads, pericardial edemas, enlarged trunks, and bent tails. These results suggested that TBT is very toxic to X. tropicalis embryos at environmentally relevant concentrations.

Conclusions: environmental change, wildlife conservation and reproduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Holt, William V; Brown, Janine L; Comizzoli, Pierre

2014-01-01

Our intention when planning this book was to explore the diverse ways that reproductive science is inextricably tied to many aspects of biodiversity conservation, using the opportunity to present a vast amount of specialised information in a way that forms a coherent and important body of work. Some of the chapters were therefore concerned with understanding how taxonomic groups and species are being affected by globally important environmental changes, mostly caused through anthropogenic influences. Others were more focused on monitoring and understanding the physiology of wild species, with the aim of better understanding mechanisms underlying responses to captive conditions and environmental change, in both wild and captive animals. We also wanted to review advances in technological measures that are being actively developed to support the breeding and management of wildlife. In a few cases we have presented specific case studies that highlight the amount of effort required for the successful development of assisted reproductive technologies for wild species. Viewed overall, the outcome is spectacular; the last decade has seen enormous progress in many aspects of the sciences and technologies relevant to the topic. It is also clear that the boundaries between different scientific disciplines are becoming ever more blurred, and it is no longer easy or even possible to remain focused on a highly specialized topic in reproduction or conservation, without having at least some understanding of allied subjects. Here we present a few concluding comments about what we have learnt, and how the various topics interact with each other. We also emphasize that, as far as we know, no similarly comprehensive consideration of the contribution of reproductive science to wildlife conservation has been published within the last decade.

Photochemical reactions of nucleic acids and their constituents of photobiological relevance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saito, I.; Sugiyama, H.; Matsuura, T.

1983-01-01

A review is given of the papers published from 1977 to May 1983 on the UV-induced photochemical reactions of nucleic acids and their constituents of photobiological relevance where the structures of photoproducts have been fully characterized. Among the topics discussed are photoadditions relevant to nucleic acid-protein photocrosslinking, photoreactions with psoralens and nucleic acids and photochemical reactions of polynucleotides. (U.K.)

A study of an ethics education topic for undergraduate nursing students.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalaitzidis, Evdokia; Schmitz, Karl

2012-01-01

The study aims to explore nursing students' perceptions of the relative value of various aspects of the ethical component of the undergraduate topic, 'Ethics and Law applied to Nursing' (topic NURS2104). To enable time for reflection on ethics in nursing, sampling occurred 1 year after successful completion of the above-mentioned topic and after successful completion of all but the final clinical experience components of the Bachelor of Nursing (BN) degree. A significant proportion of respondents perceived ethics education as relevant to professional practices. It is also noteworthy that the ethical decision-making strategies that had been incorporated into the topic (NURS2104) became transformed by the clinical experience of each particular student. While results of this study are not conclusive, they nevertheless provide important information for future nursing students on the evolutionary development of ethics education. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Formulation and stability of topical water in oil emulsion containing ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

may be suitable for topical use on skin as an antioxidant preparation. Keywords: Corn silk ... Chronic exposure of human skin to UV irradiation and other environmental hazards ..... UV-light-induced signal cascades and skin aging. Ageing res ...

Environmental law

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ketteler, G.; Kippels, K.

1988-01-01

In section I 'Basic principles' the following topics are considered: Constitutional-legal aspects of environmental protection, e.g. nuclear hazards and the remaining risk; European environmental law; international environmental law; administrative law, private law and criminal law relating to the environment; basic principles of environmental law, the instruments of public environmental law. Section II 'Special areas of law' is concerned with the law on water and waste, prevention of air pollution, nature conservation and care of the countryside. Legal decisions and literature up to June 1988 have been taken into consideration. (orig./RST) [de

[Integration of sex/gender into environmental health research. Results of the interdisciplinary research network Sex/Gender-Environment-Health (GeUmGe-NET)].

Science.gov (United States)

Bolte, Gabriele; David, Madlen; Dębiak, Małgorzata; Fiedel, Lotta; Hornberg, Claudia; Kolossa-Gehring, Marike; Kraus, Ute; Lätzsch, Rebecca; Paeck, Tatjana; Palm, Kerstin; Schneider, Alexandra

2018-06-01

The comprehensive consideration of sex/gender in health research is essential to increase relevance and validity of research results. Contrary to other areas of health research, there is no systematic summary of the current state of research on the significance of sex/gender in environmental health. Within the interdisciplinary research network Sex/Gender-Environment-Health (GeUmGe-NET) the current state of integration of sex/gender aspects or, respectively, gender theoretical concepts into research was systematically assessed within selected topics of the research areas environmental toxicology, environmental medicine, environmental epidemiology and public health research on environment and health. Knowledge gaps and research needs were identified in all research areas. Furthermore, the potential for methodological advancements by using gender theoretical concepts was depicted. A dialogue between biomedical research, public health research, and gender studies was started with the research network GeUmGe-NET. This dialogue has to be continued particularly regarding a common testing of methodological innovations in data collection and data analysis. Insights of this interdisciplinary research are relevant for practice areas such as environmental health protection, health promotion, environmental justice, and environmental health monitoring.

What Patients Can Tell Us: Topic Analysis for Social Media on Breast Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Tapi Nzali, Mike Donald; Bringay, Sandra; Lavergne, Christian; Mollevi, Caroline; Opitz, Thomas

2017-07-31

Social media dedicated to health are increasingly used by patients and health professionals. They are rich textual resources with content generated through free exchange between patients. We are proposing a method to tackle the problem of retrieving clinically relevant information from such social media in order to analyze the quality of life of patients with breast cancer. Our aim was to detect the different topics discussed by patients on social media and to relate them to functional and symptomatic dimensions assessed in the internationally standardized self-administered questionnaires used in cancer clinical trials (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer [EORTC] Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 [QLQ-C30] and breast cancer module [QLQ-BR23]). First, we applied a classic text mining technique, latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA), to detect the different topics discussed on social media dealing with breast cancer. We applied the LDA model to 2 datasets composed of messages extracted from public Facebook groups and from a public health forum (cancerdusein.org, a French breast cancer forum) with relevant preprocessing. Second, we applied a customized Jaccard coefficient to automatically compute similarity distance between the topics detected with LDA and the questions in the self-administered questionnaires used to study quality of life. Among the 23 topics present in the self-administered questionnaires, 22 matched with the topics discussed by patients on social media. Interestingly, these topics corresponded to 95% (22/23) of the forum and 86% (20/23) of the Facebook group topics. These figures underline that topics related to quality of life are an important concern for patients. However, 5 social media topics had no corresponding topic in the questionnaires, which do not cover all of the patients' concerns. Of these 5 topics, 2 could potentially be used in the questionnaires, and these 2 topics corresponded to a total of 3.10% (523

Increasing Student Motivation and the Perception of Chemistry's Relevance in the Classroom by Learning about Tattooing from a Chemical and Societal View

Science.gov (United States)

Stuckey, Marc; Eilks, Ingo

2014-01-01

This paper presents a study on tattooing as a topic for chemistry education. The selection of the topic was inspired by a newly suggested framework, which focuses on the question of relevance of science education. The aim of this case was to get evidence on how topics selected based on the suggested model of relevance of science education affect…

Topical phenytoin for treating pressure ulcers.

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Xiang Yong; Li, Hong Ling; Su, He; Cai, Hui; Guo, Tian Kang; Liu, Ruifeng; Jiang, Lei; Shen, Yan Fei

2017-02-22

Pressure ulcers are common in clinical practice and pose a significant health problem worldwide. Apart from causing suffering to patients, they also result in longer hospital stays and increase the cost of health care. A variety of methods are used for treating pressure ulcers, including pressure relief, patient repositioning, biophysical strategies, nutritional supplementation, debridement, topical negative pressure, and local treatments including dressings, ointments and creams such as bacitracin, silver sulphadiazine, neomycin, and phenytoin. Phenytoin is a drug more commonly used in the treatment of epilepsy, but may play an important role in accelerating ulcer healing. To assess the effects of topical phenytoin on the rate of healing of pressure ulcers of any grade, in any care setting. In September 2016, we searched the following electronic databases to identify relevant randomized clinical trials: the Cochrane Wounds Specialised Register; the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; the Cochrane Library); Ovid MEDLINE; Ovid Embase; and EBSCO CINAHL Plus. We handsearched conference proceedings from the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel, European Wound Management Association and the Tissue Viability Society for all available years. We searched the references of the retrieved trials to identify further relevant trials. We also searched clinical trials registries to identify ongoing and unpublished studies. There were no restrictions with respect to language, date of publication or study setting. We included all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) addressing the effects (both benefits and harms) of topical phenytoin on the healing of pressure ulcers of any grade compared with placebo or alternative treatments or no therapy, irrespective of blinding, language, and publication status. Two review authors independently selected studies, extracted information on participants, interventions, methods and results and assessed risk of bias using

#Healthy Selfies: Exploration of Health Topics on Instagram.

Science.gov (United States)

Muralidhara, Sachin; Paul, Michael J

2018-06-29

Social media provides a complementary source of information for public health surveillance. The dominate data source for this type of monitoring is the microblogging platform Twitter, which is convenient due to the free availability of public data. Less is known about the utility of other social media platforms, despite their popularity. This work aims to characterize the health topics that are prominently discussed in the image-sharing platform Instagram, as a step toward understanding how this data might be used for public health research. The study uses a topic modeling approach to discover topics in a dataset of 96,426 Instagram posts containing hashtags related to health. We use a polylingual topic model, initially developed for datasets in different natural languages, to model different modalities of data: hashtags, caption words, and image tags automatically extracted using a computer vision tool. We identified 47 health-related topics in the data (kappa=.77), covering ten broad categories: acute illness, alternative medicine, chronic illness and pain, diet, exercise, health care & medicine, mental health, musculoskeletal health and dermatology, sleep, and substance use. The most prevalent topics were related to diet (8,293/96,426; 8.6% of posts) and exercise (7,328/96,426; 7.6% of posts). A large and diverse set of health topics are discussed in Instagram. The extracted image tags were generally too coarse and noisy to be used for identifying posts but were in some cases accurate for identifying images relevant to studying diet and substance use. Instagram shows potential as a source of public health information, though limitations in data collection and metadata availability may limit its use in comparison to platforms like Twitter. ©Sachin Muralidhara, Michael J. Paul. Originally published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance (http://publichealth.jmir.org), 29.06.2018.

ELA-max: A new topical lidocaine formulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Goldman, Ran D

2004-05-01

To evaluate the role of a new formulation of lidocaine (ELA-max) in local anesthesia in children and compare it with the eutectic mixture of local anesthetics (EMLA). Relevant literature was identified by a MEDLINE search (1966-November 2003) using the search terms ELA-max and EMLA. Bibliographies of selected articles were also examined to include all relevant investigations. The product manufacturer was contacted for inclusion of the most recent data available. Topical anesthesia in children is clinically challenging. ELA-max has been shown to be as effective as EMLA for venipuncture in children, but with faster onset. Adverse effects, such as transient blanching with redness and erythema, have been reported. Further investigation is needed to determine the effectiveness of ELA-max on other painful procedures in children, as well as its safety.

Dialect topic modeling for improved consumer medical search.

Science.gov (United States)

Crain, Steven P; Yang, Shuang-Hong; Zha, Hongyuan; Jiao, Yu

2010-11-13

Access to health information by consumers is hampered by a fundamental language gap. Current attempts to close the gap leverage consumer oriented health information, which does not, however, have good coverage of slang medical terminology. In this paper, we present a Bayesian model to automatically align documents with different dialects (slang, common and technical) while extracting their semantic topics. The proposed diaTM model enables effective information retrieval, even when the query contains slang words, by explicitly modeling the mixtures of dialects in documents and the joint influence of dialects and topics on word selection. Simulations using consumer questions to retrieve medical information from a corpus of medical documents show that diaTM achieves a 25% improvement in information retrieval relevance by nDCG@5 over an LDA baseline.

Dialect Topic Modeling for Improved Consumer Medical Search

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crain, Steven P. [Georgia Institute of Technology; Yang, Shuang-Hong [Georgia Institute of Technology; Zha, Hongyuan [Georgia Institute of Technology; Jiao, Yu [ORNL

2010-01-01

Access to health information by consumers is ham- pered by a fundamental language gap. Current attempts to close the gap leverage consumer oriented health information, which does not, however, have good coverage of slang medical terminology. In this paper, we present a Bayesian model to automatically align documents with different dialects (slang, com- mon and technical) while extracting their semantic topics. The proposed diaTM model enables effective information retrieval, even when the query contains slang words, by explicitly modeling the mixtures of dialects in documents and the joint influence of dialects and topics on word selection. Simulations us- ing consumer questions to retrieve medical information from a corpus of medical documents show that diaTM achieves a 25% improvement in information retrieval relevance by nDCG@5 over an LDA baseline.

Determinants of corporate environmental reporting: the importance of environmental performance and assurance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Braam, G.J.M.; Weerd, L uit de; Hauck, M.; Huijbregts, M.

2016-01-01

Companies are increasingly held accountable for the impact of their decisions and activities on the environment. These developments have been associated with a heightened tendency for companies to publish a variety of information on environmental topics in corporate environmental or sustainability

Skin penetration and tissue permeation after topical administration of diclofenac.

Science.gov (United States)

Hagen, Martina; Baker, Mark

2017-09-01

Topical delivery of drugs is an alternative to oral administration, often with similar efficacy but potentially a more favorable tolerability profile. However, topical formulations need to be able to penetrate the skin and permeate to the target areas in quantities sufficient to exert a therapeutic effect. Many factors can affect this process, including the physicochemical properties of the drug, the formulation used, and the site and mode of application. It is believed that measurement of drug concentrations at the sites of action may be an indicator of their likely efficacy. This review addresses these issues, with reference to topically administered diclofenac in osteoarthritis. Articles relevant to this review were identified after a systematic search of Medline and Embase, using the key words "diclofenac", "topical administration" and "osteoarthritis" in the search strategy. The sparse data available indicate that topical diclofenac can penetrate and permeate to deeper tissues, with a lower plasma to tissue ratio than oral diclofenac. The tissue diclofenac levels after topical delivery are sustained over time (at least several hours). However, there is not enough data to establish how diclofenac levels in the joint compare with IC 50 levels (50% of the maximum inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis) established following oral administration. After topical application, diclofenac can penetrate the skin and permeate to deeper tissues, where it reaches a concentration that appears to be sufficient to exert a therapeutic effect. More robust methods are required for in vivo characterization to better estimate the clinical efficacy of topically applied drugs.

Reactor operation environmental information document

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bauer, L.R.; Hayes, D.W.; Hunter, C.H.; Marter, W.L.; Moyer, R.A.

1989-12-01

This volume is a reactor operation environmental information document for the Savannah River Plant. Topics include meteorology, surface hydrology, transport, environmental impacts, and radiation effects. 48 figs., 56 tabs. (KD)

Legal Aspects of Radioactive Waste Management: Relevant International Legal Instruments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wetherall, Anthony; Robin, Isabelle

2014-01-01

The responsible use of nuclear technology requires the safe and environmentally sound management of radioactive waste, for which countries need to have stringent technical, administrative and legal measures in place. The legal aspects of radioactive waste management can be found in a wide variety of legally binding and non-binding international instruments. This overview focuses on the most relevant ones, in particular those on nuclear safety, security, safeguards and civil liability for nuclear damage. It also identifies relevant regional instruments concerning environmental matters, in particular, with regard to strategic environmental assessments (SEAs), environmental impact assessments (EIAs), public access to information and participation in decision-making, as well as access to justice

Identifying the Relevant Local Population for Environmental Impact Assessments of Mobile Marine Fauna

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Delphine B. H. Chabanne

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Environmental impact assessments must be addressed at a scale that reflects the biological organization for the species affected. It can be challenging to identify the relevant local wildlife population for impact assessment for those species that are continuously distributed and highly mobile. Here, we document the existence of local communities of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus inhabiting coastal and estuarine waters of Perth, Western Australia, where major coastal developments have been undertaken or are proposed. Using sighting histories from a 4-year photo-identification study, we investigated fine-scale, social community structure of dolphins based on measures of social affinity, and network (Half-Weight Index—HWI, preferred dyadic association tests, and Lagged Association Rates—LAR, home ranges, residency patterns (Lagged Identification Rates—LIR, and genetic relatedness. Analyses revealed four socially and spatially distinct, mixed-sex communities. The four communities had distinctive social patterns varying in strength, site fidelity, and residency patterns. Overlap in home ranges and relatedness explained little to none of the association patterns between individuals, suggesting complex local social structures. The study demonstrated that environmental impact assessments for mobile, continuously distributed species must evaluate impacts in light of local population structure, especially where proposed developments may affect core habitats of resident communities or sub-populations. Here, the risk of local extinction is particularly significant for an estuarine community because of its small size, limited connectivity with adjacent communities, and use of areas subject to intensive human use. In the absence of information about fine-scale population structure, impact assessments may fail to consider the appropriate biological context.

Encouragement proverbs and their discourse relevance: A case ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Proverbs imbue the speaker with the ability to make his or her expressions more flashy and culturally relevant to the topic of discourse. This is the reason why Africans employ them in conversations to accomplish acts which cannot be realised by ordinary words. Be that as it may, certain proverbs in Oghe dialect of Igbo are ...

Biogeography and environmental genomics of the Roseobacter-affiliated pelagic CHAB-I-5 lineage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Billerbeck, Sara; Wemheuer, Bernd; Voget, Sonja

2016-01-01

The identification and functional characterization of microbial communities remains a prevailing topic in microbial oceanography as information on environmentally relevant pelagic prokaryotes is still limited. The Roseobacter group, an abundant lineage of marine Alphaproteobacteria, can constitute...... large proportions of the bacterioplankton. Roseobacters also occur associated with eukaryotic organisms and possess streamlined as well as larger genomes from 2.2 to >5 Mpb. Here, we show that one pelagic cluster of this group, CHAB-I-5, occurs globally from tropical to polar regions and accounts for up...

What is lost when searching only one literature database for articles relevant to injury prevention and safety promotion?

Science.gov (United States)

Lawrence, D W

2008-12-01

To assess what is lost if only one literature database is searched for articles relevant to injury prevention and safety promotion (IPSP) topics. Serial textword (keyword, free-text) searches using multiple synonym terms for five key IPSP topics (bicycle-related brain injuries, ethanol-impaired driving, house fires, road rage, and suicidal behaviors among adolescents) were conducted in four of the bibliographic databases that are most used by IPSP professionals: EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. Through a systematic procedure, an inventory of articles on each topic in each database was conducted to identify the total unduplicated count of all articles on each topic, the number of articles unique to each database, and the articles available if only one database is searched. No single database included all of the relevant articles on any topic, and the database with the broadest coverage differed by topic. A search of only one literature database will return 16.7-81.5% (median 43.4%) of the available articles on any of five key IPSP topics. Each database contributed unique articles to the total bibliography for each topic. A literature search performed in only one database will, on average, lead to a loss of more than half of the available literature on a topic.

Social relevance of environmental toxicology. Die gesellschaftspolitische Relevanz der Umwelttoxikologie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alsen, C; Wassermann, O

1986-01-01

Environmental toxicology investigates harmful substances in the media air, water, soil and food. This field of research ascertains the effects on humans and on the living world not only to elucidate the causality of already apparent damage, but also to provide the rational basis for therapeutic attempts and, particularly, for prevention. The alarming scale of anthropogenic environmental pollution inevitably implies conflicts for committed environmental toxicologists with individuals or groups of the society interested to conceal and appease the facts. Considerable obstacles to successful toxicological research of environmental pollution come from the entanglement of interests between industry, politics and bureaucracy. Public pressure from well-informed and worried citizens initiatives, however, also convinced other scientific disciplines that in many instances environmental pollution has passed already justifiable limits. Each member of the society, especially those in industry and politics, must become aware of the fact, that conventional economy, which disregards ecological interrelations, cannot be financed in the future. (orig./HSCH).

Dietary Strategies to Reduce Environmental Impact: A Critical Review of the Evidence Base.

Science.gov (United States)

Ridoutt, Bradley G; Hendrie, Gilly A; Noakes, Manny

2017-11-01

The food system is a major source of environmental impact, and dietary change has been recommended as an important and necessary strategy to reduce this impact. However, assessing the environmental performance of diets is complex due to the many types of foods eaten and the diversity of agricultural production systems and local environmental settings. To assess the state of science and identify knowledge gaps, an integrative review of the broad topic of environment and diet was undertaken, with particular focus on the completeness of coverage of environmental concerns and the metrics used. Compared with the 14 discrete environmental areas of concern identified in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the located journal literature mainly addressed greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and, to a lesser extent, land and water use. Some relevant concerns were rarely addressed or not addressed at all. In the case of GHG emissions, changes in land use and soil carbon stocks were seldom considered. This represents a disconnect between the science informing strategic climate action in the agricultural sector and the science informing public health nutrition. In the case of land and water use, few studies used metrics that are appropriate in a life-cycle context. Some metrics produce inherently biased results, which misinform about environmental impact. The limited evidence generally points to recommended diets having lower environmental impacts than typical diets, although not in every case. This is largely explained by the overconsumption of food energy associated with average diets, which is also a major driver of obesity. A shared-knowledge framework is identified as being needed to guide future research on this topic. Until the evidence base becomes more complete, commentators on sustainable diets should not be quick to assume that a dietary strategy to reduce overall environmental impact can be readily defined or recommended. © 2017 American Society for

The Common Body of Knowledge: A Framework to Promote Relevant Information Security Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kenneth J. Knapp

2007-03-01

Full Text Available This study proposes using an established common body of knowledge (CBK as one means of organizing information security literature.  Consistent with calls for more relevant information systems (IS research, this industry-developed framework can motivate future research towards topics that are important to the security practitioner.  In this review, forty-eight articles from ten IS journals from 1995 to 2004 are selected and cross-referenced to the ten domains of the information security CBK.  Further, we distinguish articles as empirical research, frameworks, or tutorials.  Generally, this study identified a need for additional empirical research in every CBK domain including topics related to legal aspects of information security.  Specifically, this study identified a need for additional IS security research relating to applications development, physical security, operations security, and business continuity.  The CBK framework is inherently practitioner oriented and using it will promote relevancy by steering IS research towards topics important to practitioners.  This is important considering the frequent calls by prominent information systems scholars for more relevant research.  Few research frameworks have emerged from the literature that specifically classify the diversity of security threats and range of problems that businesses today face.  With the recent surge of interest in security, the need for a comprehensive framework that also promotes relevant research can be of great value.

Environmental Fundamentals. Environmental Education Curriculum.

Science.gov (United States)

Topeka Public Schools, KS.

This unit presents materials to develop some of the basic knowledge necessary for grasping the complex processes associated with environmental relationships. It is divided into five topics: (1) Basic Needs for Life--the biological necessities of plants and animals; (2) Food Web--the interactions between organisms; (3) Observational Skills--ways…

Incorporating geoethics into environmental engineering lectures - three years of experience from international students visiting Iceland

Science.gov (United States)

Finger, David C.

2017-04-01

Never before has human kind been facing bigger environmental challenges than today. The challenges are overwhelming: growing human population, increasing ecological footprints, accelerated climate change, severe soil degradation, eutrophication of vital fresh water resources, acidification of oceans, health threatening air pollution and rapid biodiversity loss, to name just a few. It is the task of environmental scientists to transmit established knowledge on these complex and interdisciplinary challenges while demonstrating that management and engineering solutions exist to meet these threats. In this presentation I will outline the concept of my environmental impact (EI) assessment course, where prospective engineering students can select a topic of their choice, assess the environmental impacts, discuss with relevant stakeholders and come up with innovative solutions. The course is structured in three parts: i) lecturing of theoretical methods frequently used within the EI assessment process, ii) interaction with local businesses to acquire first-hand experience and iii) hands on training by writing an EI statement on a selected topic (see link below). Over the course of three years over 70 prospective engineering students from all over the world have not only acquired environmental system understanding, but also enhanced their awareness and developed potential solutions to mitigate, compensate and reverse the persistent environmental challenges. Most importantly, during this process all involved stakeholders (students, teachers, industry partners, governmental bodies and NGO partners) will hopefully develop a mutual understanding of the above mentioned environmental challenges and engage in an open and constructive dialogue necessary to generate acceptable solutions. Link to student projects from previous years: https://fingerd.jimdo.com/teaching/courses/environmental-impact-assessment/

International topical meeting on nuclear research applications and utilization of accelerators. Book of abstracts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-01-01

Applications of particle accelerators cover a number of areas, from strategic and applied research, safety and security, environmental applications, materials research and analytical sciences, to radioisotope production and radiation processing. Accelerator based techniques and pulsed neutron sources are expected to lead to new initiatives in materials research of relevance for both the nuclear and non-nuclear fields. Material science studies with the use of accelerators, neutron beams and other nuclear analytical methods are relevant to the development of advanced reactors, nuclear fuel cycle needs and fusion research. In this regard, a better understanding of the irradiation effects in materials for energy and non-energy applications is needed, and is reflected in accelerator techniques for modification and analysis of materials for nuclear technologies. Accelerator applications for innovative nuclear systems aiming at rad-waste transmutation (e.g., accelerator driven systems) are being pursued in many countries. Research and development using accelerators involves a broad spectrum of skills to build a cadre of trained experts in nuclear techniques in IAEA Member States, and to generate knowledge for innovative methodologies and tools. The present conference is also being held in cooperation with the American Nuclear Society (ANS), which successfully organized the series of accelerator applications conferences known as AccApp. The ANS series of topical meetings has provided a forum for the global exchange of scientific and technical knowledge on a wide variety of related topics since the first AccApp took place in 1997 in Albuquerque, USA. The last conference which was held in 2007 in Pocatello, USA, was jointly organized by the ANS and the IAEA. The main objectives of the conference are to promote exchange of information among IAEA Member States representatives/delegates and to discuss new trends in accelerator applications including nuclear materials research

Applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements (ARARs) for remedial actions at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant: A compendium of environmental laws and guidance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Houlberg, L.M.; Eaton, L.A.; Martin, J.A.; McDonald, E.P.; Etnier, E.L.

1992-02-01

Section 121 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1990 (CERCLA) specifies that remedial actions for cleanup of hazardous substances must comply with applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements (ARARs) or standards under federal and state environmental laws. Although the US Department of Energy (DOE) Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS) has not at this time been proposed for inclusion on the US Environmental Protection Agency National Priorities List, under Sect. I of an administrative consent order signed by DOE and the US Environmental Protection Agency on September 29, 1989, effective October 4, 1989, any necessary response actions at PORTS stipulated in the administrative consent order must be performed in a manner consistent with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 and CERCLA. Section 121 of CERCLA calls for the preparation of a draft listing of all ARARs. This report supplies a preliminary list of available federal and state ARARs that might be considered for remedial response at PORTS. A description of the terms ''applicable'' and ''relevant and appropriate'' is provided, as well as definitions of chemical-, location-, and action-specific ARARs. ARARs promulgated by the federal government and by the state of Ohio are listed in tables. In addition, the major provisions of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, Clean Water Act, and other acts, as they apply to hazardous waste cleanup, are discussed

Topical tags vs non-topical tags : Towards a bipartite classification?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Basile, Valerio; Peroni, Silvio; Tamburini, Fabio; Vitali, Fabio

2015-01-01

In this paper we investigate whether it is possible to create a computational approach that allows us to distinguish topical tags (i.e. talking about the topic of a resource) and non-topical tags (i.e. describing aspects of a resource that are not related to its topic) in folksonomies, in a way that

Use of county level data in health, energy, demographic, environmental, and economic analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morris, S.C.; Novak, K.M.; Calef, C.E. (eds.)

1979-04-01

This document is an edited record of the conversation, dialogues, and topical discussions of the participants of a computer conference sponsored by the Biomedical and Environmental Assessment Division of Brookhaven National Laboratory during the period March 4-28, 1977. The main objective of the conference was to bring together a number of individual specialists from a wide and diverse range of both academic and professional disciplines to address the usage of county level data in health, energy, demographic, environmental, and economic analysis. A secondary aim of the conference was to test the feasibility and viability of using a computer conference as a means of accomplishing our primary objective. A preface, a list of participants, and the transcript of the main conference and subsession proceedings are included. Also included are information provided by participants on the identification of intercensal county equivalent areas and additional reports and documents relevant to the conference topic. The overall aims and objectives of the conference were successfully accomplished; some of the problems encountered using the computer as a conference vehicle were noted; recommendations were made to continue both formal and informal lines of communication on the subject of county level data.

Topical review: sluggish cognitive tempo: research findings and relevance for pediatric psychology.

Science.gov (United States)

Becker, Stephen P

2013-11-01

To summarize recent research on sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) and consider the potential relevance of SCT for the field of pediatric psychology. Literature review. Recent empirical evidence shows SCT symptoms consisting of sluggish/sleepy and daydreamy behaviors to be distinct from Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms. SCT is associated with psychosocial functioning in children and adolescents, including internalizing symptoms, social withdrawal, and, possibly, academic impairment. The recent findings reviewed suggest that SCT is an important construct for pediatric psychologists to be aware of and may also be directly useful for the research and practice of pediatric psychology.

Effects of nanomolar cadmium concentrations on water plants - comparison of biochemical and biophysical mechanisms of toxicity under environmentally relevant conditions

OpenAIRE

Andresen, Elisa

2014-01-01

In this thesis, the effects of the highly toxic heavy metal cadmium (Cd) on the rootless aquatic model plant Ceratophyllum demersum are investigated on the biochemical and biophysical level. The experiments were carried out using environmentally relevant conditions, i.e. light and temperature followed a sinusoidal cycle, a low biomass to water ratio resembled the situation in oligotrophic lakes and a continuous exchange of the defined nutrient solution ensured that metal uptake into the plant...

Preface to Special Topic: Marine Renewable Energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pinto, F. T.; Iglesias, G.; Santos, P. R.; Deng, Zhiqun

2015-12-30

Marine renewable energy (MRE) is generates from waves, currents, tides, and thermal resources in the ocean. MRE has been identified as a potential commercial-scale source of renewable energy. This special topic presents a compilation of works selected from the 3rd IAHR Europe Congress, held in Porto, Portugal, in 2014. It covers different subjects relevant to MRE, including resource assessment, marine energy sector policies, energy source comparisons based on levelized cost, proof-of-concept and new-technology development for wave and tidal energy exploitation, and assessment of possible inference between wave energy converters (WEC).

Environmental Information Sources on the Net.

Science.gov (United States)

Raeder, Aggi

1997-01-01

Discusses environmental information needs of business professionals and provides an annotated list of Web sites serving as information sources. Highlights include "meta sites", government, health, law, engineering, education, organizations, and environmental news, as well as selected environmental "hot topics." (AEF)

The 5th conference of the South Pacific Environmental Radioactivity Association (SPERA). Environmental radioactivity and its application in environmental studies. Conference papers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

SPERA98 focused primarily on applications of environmental radionuclides in environmental studies and problem solving. The conference program included 7 sessions covering topics such as: soil erosion, waste disposal and treatment, atmospheric studies, radioactivity in water, human exposure pathways, sediment and atmospheric studies

The 5th conference of the South Pacific Environmental Radioactivity Association (SPERA). Environmental radioactivity and its application in environmental studies. Conference papers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-07-01

SPERA98 focused primarily on applications of environmental radionuclides in environmental studies and problem solving. The conference program included 7 sessions covering topics such as: soil erosion, waste disposal and treatment, atmospheric studies, radioactivity in water, human exposure pathways, sediment and atmospheric studies.

The Improved Relevance Voxel Machine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ganz, Melanie; Sabuncu, Mert; Van Leemput, Koen

The concept of sparse Bayesian learning has received much attention in the machine learning literature as a means of achieving parsimonious representations of features used in regression and classification. It is an important family of algorithms for sparse signal recovery and compressed sensing....... Hence in its current form it is reminiscent of a greedy forward feature selection algorithm. In this report, we aim to solve the problems of the original RVoxM algorithm in the spirit of [7] (FastRVM).We call the new algorithm Improved Relevance Voxel Machine (IRVoxM). Our contributions...... and enables basis selection from overcomplete dictionaries. One of the trailblazers of Bayesian learning is MacKay who already worked on the topic in his PhD thesis in 1992 [1]. Later on Tipping and Bishop developed the concept of sparse Bayesian learning [2, 3] and Tipping published the Relevance Vector...

Applicable or Relevant and Appropriate Requirements (ARARs) for Remedial Action at the Oak Ridge Reservation: A compendium of major environmental laws

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Etnier, E.L.; McDonald, E.P.; Houlberg, L.M.

1993-07-01

Section 121 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980 specifies that remedial actions for cleanup of hazardous substances must comply with applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements (ARARS) or standards under federal and state environmental laws. The US Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) was placed on the National Priorities List by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on November 21, 1989, effective December 21, 1989. As a result of this listing, DOE, EPA, and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation have signed a Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) for the environmental restoration of the ORR. Section XXI(F) of the FFA calls for the preparation of a draft listing of all ARARs as mandated by CERCLA section 121. This report supplies a preliminary list of available federal and state ARARs that might be considered for remedial response at the ORR. A description of the terms ''applicable'' and ''relevant and appropriate'' is provided, as well as definitions of chemical-, location-, and action-specific ARARS. ARARs promulgated by the federal government and by the state of Tennessee are listed in tables. In addition, the major provisions of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air and other acts, as they apply to hazardous waste cleanup, are discussed. In the absence of ARARS, CERCLA section 121 provides for the use of nonpromulgated federal criteria, guidelines, and advisories in evaluating the human risk associated with remedial action alternatives. Such nonpromulgated standards are classified as ''to-be-considered'' (TBC) guidance. A ion of available guidance is given; summary tables fist the available federal standards and guidance information. In addition, the substantive contents of the DOE orders as they apply to remediation of radioactively contaminated sites are discussed as TBC guidance

Campylobacter species in animal, food, and environmental sources, and relevant testing programs in Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Hongsheng; Brooks, Brian W; Lowman, Ruff; Carrillo, Catherine D

2015-10-01

Campylobacter species, particularly thermophilic campylobacters, have emerged as a leading cause of human foodborne gastroenteritis worldwide, with Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter coli, and Campylobacter lari responsible for the majority of human infections. Although most cases of campylobacteriosis are self-limiting, campylobacteriosis represents a significant public health burden. Human illness caused by infection with campylobacters has been reported across Canada since the early 1970s. Many studies have shown that dietary sources, including food, particularly raw poultry and other meat products, raw milk, and contaminated water, have contributed to outbreaks of campylobacteriosis in Canada. Campylobacter spp. have also been detected in a wide range of animal and environmental sources, including water, in Canada. The purpose of this article is to review (i) the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in animals, food, and the environment, and (ii) the relevant testing programs in Canada with a focus on the potential links between campylobacters and human health in Canada.

Environmental risk assessment of biocidal products: identification of relevant components and reliability of a component-based mixture assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Coors, Anja; Vollmar, Pia; Heim, Jennifer; Sacher, Frank; Kehrer, Anja

2018-01-01

Biocidal products are mixtures of one or more active substances (a.s.) and a broad range of formulation additives. There is regulatory guidance currently under development that will specify how the combined effects of the a.s. and any relevant formulation additives shall be considered in the environmental risk assessment of biocidal products. The default option is a component-based approach (CBA) by which the toxicity of the product is predicted from the toxicity of 'relevant' components using concentration addition. Hence, unequivocal and practicable criteria are required for identifying the 'relevant' components to ensure protectiveness of the CBA, while avoiding unnecessary workload resulting from including by default components that do not significantly contribute to the product toxicity. The present study evaluated a set of different criteria for identifying 'relevant' components using confidential information on the composition of 21 wood preservative products. Theoretical approaches were complemented by experimentally testing the aquatic toxicity of seven selected products. For three of the seven tested products, the toxicity was underestimated for the most sensitive endpoint (green algae) by more than factor 2 if only the a.s. were considered in the CBA. This illustrated the necessity of including at least some additives along with the a.s. Considering additives that were deemed 'relevant' by the tentatively established criteria reduced the underestimation of toxicity for two of the three products. A lack of data for one specific additive was identified as the most likely reason for the remaining toxicity underestimation of the third product. In three other products, toxicity was overestimated by more than factor 2, while prediction and observation fitted well for the seventh product. Considering all additives in the prediction increased only the degree of overestimation. Supported by theoretical calculations and experimental verifications, the present

Probe depth matters in dermal microdialysis sampling of benzoic acid after topical application

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holmgaard, R; Benfeldt, E; Bangsgaard, N

2012-01-01

-2 mm) and deep (>2 mm) positioning of the linear MD probe in the dermis of human abdominal skin, followed by topical application of 4 mg/ml of benzoic acid (BA) in skin chambers overlying the probes. Dialysate was sampled every hour for 12 h and analysed for BA content by high-performance liquid...... chromatography. Probe depth was measured by 20-MHz ultrasound scanning. The area under the time-versus-concentration curve (AUC) describes the drug exposure in the tissue during the experiment and is a relevant parameter to compare for the 3 dermal probe depths investigated. The AUC(0-12) were: superficial...... significantly different from each other (p value paper demonstrates that there is an inverse relationship between the depth of the probe in the dermis and the amount of drug sampled following topical penetration ex vivo. The result is of relevance to the in vivo situation, and it can...

Comprehensive Environmental Management Process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hjeresen, D.L.; Roybal, S.L.

1994-01-01

This report contains information about Los Alamos National Laboratory's Comprehensive Environmental Management Plan. The topics covered include: waste minimization, waste generation, environmental concerns, public relations of the laboratory, and how this plan will help to answer to the demands of the laboratory as their mission changes

A Bridge between Two Cultures: Uncovering the Chemistry Concepts Relevant to the Nursing Clinical Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Corina E.; Henry, Melissa L. M.; Barbera, Jack; Hyslop, Richard M.

2012-01-01

This study focused on the undergraduate course that covers basic topics in general, organic, and biological (GOB) chemistry at a mid-sized state university in the western United States. The central objective of the research was to identify the main topics of GOB chemistry relevant to the clinical practice of nursing. The collection of data was…

Environmental sensing and combustion diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santoleri, J.J.

1991-01-01

This book contains proceedings of Environmental Sensing and Combustion Diagnostics. Topics covered include: Incineration Systems Applications, Permitting, And Monitoring Overview; Infrared Techniques Applied to Incineration Systems; Continuous Emission Monitors; Analyzers and Sensors for Process Control And Environmental Monitoring

Relevant dimensions for proactive environmental assessment of urban mobility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julio Alberto Soria Lara

2015-02-01

Full Text Available A reduction of negative environmental impacts in urban transportation (air pollution, energy consumption, etc. is thought to be crucial in promoting sustainable development outcomes in cities, however evidence shows that this objective is hardly achieved in practice. In the case of urban transport planning, the transition to sustainability requests that its performance must be assessed. This has originated important challenges for the academia in providing efficient assessment tools. As a response to these challenges, sustainability assessment has become a rapidly developing area associated with the family of impact assessment tools ((e.g. Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment. In recent years, many countries have conferred to sustainability assessment, and specifically to Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA, an important and decisive role into their planning systems. The effectiveness of the traditional methods for evaluating urban transport plans/interventions (e.g. EIA, EAE, Cost-Benefit Analysis is contested as strongly argued by several academics. A key problem is that these methods currently focus too much on identifying environmental impacts that might happen rather than on finding ways of preventing them from happening. They are used reactively rather than proactively. Underlying this is the belief that traditional evaluation methods have difficulty guiding improvements in urban transport plans and projects in decision-making and their capacity to support technical decisions becomes limited. First, this is a consequence of the fact that the environmental assessment (EA process mainly includes EA-makers and they are not integrated enough in the transport planning process. Second, the used methods not always are the most suitable to identify ways of preventing potential impacts with respect to the particular nature of urban transportation. In seeking to answer these problems, the paper presents a strategy

Some aspects of research relevant to environment radiochemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Shi; Ma Mingxie

1997-01-01

The authors suggest some research aspects relevant to environmental radiochemistry from the view point of environmental protection and radiation protection: the migration behavior of radionuclides, their interaction with environment medium and their speciation in environment. The status and prospect of these aspects and the relationship between them are discussed

Barriers and facilitators to maternal communication with preadolescents about age-relevant sexual topics.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Kim S; Fasula, Amy M; Dittus, Patricia; Wiegand, Ryan E; Wyckoff, Sarah C; McNair, Lily

2009-04-01

The present study examined factors that promote parent-child discussions about sex topics. A sample of 1,066 dyads of African American mothers and their 9-12-year-old children participated completing computer-administered surveys. After controlling for all other covariates, mother's sexual communication responsiveness (i.e., knowledge, comfort, skills, and confidence) was the most consistent predictor of discussions. Mothers with higher responsiveness had significantly increased odds of discussions about abstinence, puberty, and reproduction, based on both mother and child reports. In addition, child's age, pubertal development, readiness to learn about sex, and being female were positively associated with an increase in the odds of discussions in most models. Findings indicate that encouraging parents to talk with their children early may not be sufficient to promote parent-child sex discussions. Parents also need the knowledge, comfort, skills, and confidence to communicate effectively and keep them from avoiding these often difficult and emotional conversations with their children.

Changing the Topic. Topic Position in Ancient Greek Word Order

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Allan, R.J.

2014-01-01

Ancient Greek, topics can be expressed as intra-clausal constituents but they can also precede or follow the main clause as extra-clausal constituents. Together, these various topic expressions constitute a coherent system of complementary pragmatic functions. For a comprehensive account of topic

Topical cyclosporine for atopic keratoconjunctivitis.

Science.gov (United States)

González-López, Julio J; López-Alcalde, Jesús; Morcillo Laiz, Rafael; Fernández Buenaga, Roberto; Rebolleda Fernández, Gema

2012-09-12

Atopic keratoconjunctivitis (AKC) is a chronic ocular surface non-infectious inflammatory condition that atopic dermatitis patients may suffer at any time point in the course of their dermatologic disease and is independent of its degree of severity. AKC is usually not self resolving and it poses a higher risk of corneal injuries and severe sequelae. Management of AKC should prevent or treat corneal damage. Although topical corticosteroids remain the standard treatment for patients with AKC, prolonged use may lead to complications. Topical cyclosporine A (CsA) may improve AKC signs and symptoms, and be used as a corticosteroid sparing agent. To determine the efficacy and gather evidence on safety from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of topical CsA in patients with AKC. We searched CENTRAL (which contains the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Group Trials Register) (The Cochrane Library 2012, Issue 6), MEDLINE (January 1946 to July 2012), EMBASE (January 1980 to July 2012), Latin American and Caribbean Literature on Health Sciences (LILACS) (January 1982 to July 2012), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) (January 1937 to July 2012), OpenGrey (System for Information on Grey Literature in Europe) (www.opengrey.eu/), the metaRegister of Controlled Trials (mRCT) (www.controlled-trials.com), ClinicalTrials.gov (www.clinicaltrials.gov), the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (www.who.int/ictrp/search/en), the IFPMA Clinical Trials Portal (http://clinicaltrials.ifpma.org/no_cache/en/myportal/index.htm) and Web of Science Conference Proceedings Citation Index- Science (CPCI-S). We did not use any date or language restrictions in the electronic searches for trials. The electronic databases were last searched on 9 July 2012. We also handsearched the following conference proceedings: American Academy of Ophthalmology, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, International Council of Opthalmology and Societas

Topical Botanical Agents for the Treatment of Psoriasis: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Farahnik, Benjamin; Sharma, Divya; Alban, Joseph; Sivamani, Raja K

2017-08-01

Patients with psoriasis often enquire about the use of numerous botanical therapeutics. It is important for dermatologists to be aware of the current evidence regarding these agents. We conducted a systematic literature search using the PubMed, MEDLINE, and EMBASE databases for controlled and uncontrolled clinical trials that assessed the use of topical botanical therapeutics for psoriasis. The search included the following keywords: 'psoriasis' and 'plant' or 'herbal' or 'botanical'. We also reviewed citations within articles to identify additional relevant sources. We then further refined the results by route of administration and the topical botanical agents are reviewed herein. A total of 27 controlled and uncontrolled clinical trials addressing the use of topical botanical agents for psoriasis were assessed in this review. We found that the most highly studied and most efficacious topical botanical therapeutics were Mahonia aquifolium, indigo naturalis, aloe vera, and, to a lesser degree, capsaicin. The most commonly reported adverse effects were local skin irritation, erythema, pruritus, burning, and pain. However, the overall evidence for these therapeutics remains limited in quantity and quality. The literature addresses a large number of studies in regard to botanicals for the treatment of psoriasis. While most agents appear to be safe, further research is necessary before topical botanical agents can be consistently recommended to patients.

Evaluating Environmental Chemistry Textbooks.

Science.gov (United States)

Hites, Ronald A.

2001-01-01

A director of the Indiana University Center for Environmental Science Research reviews textbooks on environmental chemistry. Highlights clear writing, intellectual depth, presence of problem sets covering both the qualitative and quantitative aspects of the material, and full coverage of the topics of concern. Discusses the director's own approach…

The fish sexual development test: an OECD test guideline proposal with possible relevance for environmental risk assessment. Results from the validation programme

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holbech, Henrik; Brande-Lavridsen, Nanna; Kinnberg, Karin Lund

2010-01-01

The Fish Sexual Development Test (FSDT) has gone through two validations as an OECD test guideline for the detection of endocrine active chemicals with different modes of action. The validation has been finalized on four species: Zebrafish (Danio rerio), Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes), three s...... as a population relevant endpoint and the results of the two validation rounds will be discussed in relation to environmental risk assessment and species selection....... for histology. For all three methods, the fish parts were numbered and histology could therefore be linked to the vitellogenin concentration in individual fish. The two core endocrine relevant endpoints were vitellogenin concentrations and phenotypic sex ratio. Change in the sex ratio is presented...

Environmental pollution studies

CERN Document Server

Best, Gerry

1999-01-01

This book examines a number of important contemporary environmental issues in an informative and easy-to-read style. The topics covered include sewage treatment, eutrophication, air pollution, acid rain, global warming and pollution from farming. A particularly valuable section of the book describes a range of tests that can be carried out on various environmental parameters. The procedures require relatively simple equipment and they have been pre-tested in a school laboratory. "Environmental Pollution Studies" will be of value to senior school pupils and students at college or university embarking on courses in environmental science.

An Evaluation of Relevance of Computing Curricula to Industry Needs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ioana Chan Mow

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The research documented in this paper attempted to answer the question of how relevant the content of the Computing courses offered within programs of the Computing Department at the National University of Samoa (NUS were to meet the needs of industry and the workforce. The RINCCII study which was conducted in 2013 to 2014, surveyed 13 institutions and 19 graduates from the Computing programs. Findings from the survey indicated that the current course offerings within the Computing department are relevant to the needs of industry and the workplace. However there are aspects or topics which need inclusion or better coverage. The study also recommended regular surveys to gauge relevance of curricula to needs of industry.

Applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements (ARARs) for remedial actions at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant: A compendium of environmental laws and guidance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Etnier, E.L.; Eaton, L.A.

1992-03-01

Section 121 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980 specifies that remedial actions for cleanup of hazardous substances found at sites placed on the National Priorities List (NPL) by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must comply with applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements (ARARs) or standards under federal and state environmental laws. To date, the US Department of Energy (DOE) Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP) has not been on the NPL. Although DOE and EPA have entered into an Administrative Consent Order (ACO), the prime regulatory authority for cleanup at PGDP will be the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). This report supplies a preliminary list of available federal and state ARARs that might be considered for remedial response at PGDP in the event that the plant becomes included on the NPL or the ACO is modified to include CERCLA cleanup. A description of the terms ''applicable'' and ''relevant and appropriate'' is provided, as well as definitions of chemical-, location-, and action-specific ARARS. ARARs promulgated by the federal government and by the state of Kentucky are listed in tables. In addition, the major provisions of RCRA, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and other acts, as they apply to hazardous and radioactive waste cleanup, are discussed

A Summary of Information on the Behavior of the Yakima Fold Belt as a Structural Entity -- Topical Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Last, George V.; Winsor, Kelsey; Unwin, Stephen D.

2012-08-01

This document is one in a series of topical reports compiled by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to summarize technical information on selected topics important to the performance of a probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA) of the Hanford Site. The purpose of this report is to summarize available data and analyses relevant to the Yakima Fold Belt (YFB) that may bear on the question of whether or not the YFB behaves as a single seismotectonic province in which activity along one fold structure is representative of behavior along all other fold structures. This topic has met with a fairly high level of contention in the expert community and has the potential to result in significant impacts on an evaluation of seismic hazard at the Hanford Site. This report defines the relevant alternative conceptual models relevant to this technical issue and the arguments and data that support those models. It provides a brief description of the technical issue and principal uncertainties; a general overview on the nature of the technical issue, along with alternative conceptual models, supporting arguments and information, and uncertainties; and finally, it suggests some possible approaches for reducing uncertainties regarding this issue.

New Brunswick Power Environmental report, 1997

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

This report provides an overview of the environmental accomplishments, events, and challenges encountered by NB Power this year. Topics include: Corporate environmental management programs, regulatory, generation and the environment, transmission and distribution and the environment, marketing and customer service and the environment, future environmental initiatives and challenges

Investigation of uranium binding forms in environmentally relevant waters and bio-fluids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osman, Alfatih Ahmed Alamin

2014-01-01

Uranium from natural and anthropogenic sources is continuously and increasingly released into the environment, enters the food chain, and eventually accumulates into the bio-systems including humans. Therefore, uranium exposure to human becomes more and more a subject of interest in many scientific disciplines such as environmental medicine, toxicology, and radiation protection. Ingestion of uranium via food and drinking water is one of the important pathways of exposure. The ongoing discussion in Germany and the European Union (EU) on the maximum uranium levels in drinking water reflects the increasing awareness of uranium as a public health problem. For water suppliers in many countries around the world, uranium contamination of drinking water also becomes a salient issue. Nevertheless, the health consequences are dependent not only on the level and duration of exposure, but mainly on the physical and chemical forms of uranium (speciation). Unlike total concentration, speciation can provide more information on uranium behavior (mobility, bioavailability, and toxicity) in both geo-systems and bio-systems. The aim of the current work is to elucidate uranium speciation in natural samples (water, bio-fluids) by both spectroscopic means and theoretical modeling. For this purpose, environmentally relevant waters (mineral water, groundwater, acid drainage waters) and natural human body fluids have been investigated. The cryogenic time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (cryo-TRLFS) at 153 K has successfully been used to identify the speciation in such complex matrices of high organic content and low uranium concentrations without any prior treatment. Data about uranium binding forms in natural waters could be used for more insight research on uranium chemo-toxicity in drinking water since there is no available information on the long-term exposure of low uranium concentrations via ingestion on humans. Altogether the obtained data provides a comprehensive

Investigation of uranium binding forms in environmentally relevant waters and bio-fluids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Osman, Alfatih Ahmed Alamin

2014-06-04

Uranium from natural and anthropogenic sources is continuously and increasingly released into the environment, enters the food chain, and eventually accumulates into the bio-systems including humans. Therefore, uranium exposure to human becomes more and more a subject of interest in many scientific disciplines such as environmental medicine, toxicology, and radiation protection. Ingestion of uranium via food and drinking water is one of the important pathways of exposure. The ongoing discussion in Germany and the European Union (EU) on the maximum uranium levels in drinking water reflects the increasing awareness of uranium as a public health problem. For water suppliers in many countries around the world, uranium contamination of drinking water also becomes a salient issue. Nevertheless, the health consequences are dependent not only on the level and duration of exposure, but mainly on the physical and chemical forms of uranium (speciation). Unlike total concentration, speciation can provide more information on uranium behavior (mobility, bioavailability, and toxicity) in both geo-systems and bio-systems. The aim of the current work is to elucidate uranium speciation in natural samples (water, bio-fluids) by both spectroscopic means and theoretical modeling. For this purpose, environmentally relevant waters (mineral water, groundwater, acid drainage waters) and natural human body fluids have been investigated. The cryogenic time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (cryo-TRLFS) at 153 K has successfully been used to identify the speciation in such complex matrices of high organic content and low uranium concentrations without any prior treatment. Data about uranium binding forms in natural waters could be used for more insight research on uranium chemo-toxicity in drinking water since there is no available information on the long-term exposure of low uranium concentrations via ingestion on humans. Altogether the obtained data provides a comprehensive

Design training activity for teachers and students on environmental science topic in the frame of ENVRIPLUS project

Science.gov (United States)

D'Addezio, G.; Beranzoli, L.; Antonella, M.

2016-12-01

We elaborated actions to improve the content of the ENVRIPLUS e-Training Platform for multimedia education of secondary school level teachers and students. The purpose is to favor teacher training and consequently students training on selected scientific themes faced within the ENVRIPLUS Research Infrastructures. In particular we address major thematic research areas and challenges on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, Greenhouse effect and Earth Warming, Ocean acidifications and Environmental sustainability. First we identified "Best practices" that could positively impacts on students by providing motivation on promoting scientific research and increase the awareness of the Earth System complexity and Environmental challenges for its preservation and sustainability,). Best practice teaching strategies represent an inherent part of a curriculum that exemplifies the connection and relevance identified in education research. To realize the training platform we start detailed study and analysis of teaching and multimedia information materials already available. We plan the realization of a digital repository for access to teachers and students with opportunities to develop original content, with standardization of the design methods of the scientific and technical content, classification / cataloging of information in digital form and definition of a logical model for the provision of thematic content in a single digital environment. To better design the actions and to catch teacher needs, we prepare a questionnaire that will be administered to a large sample of international secondary school level teachers. The first part focused on objective information about the formal, quantitative and qualitative position of science class in schools and the content and methods of teaching in different countries. The second part investigate subjective teacher experiences and their views on what can improve training offer for environmental science lessons and courses.

Cadmium toxicity investigated at the physiological and biophysical levels under environmentally relevant conditions using the aquatic model plant Ceratophyllum demersum

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andresen, Elisa; Kappel, Sophie; Stärk, Hans-Joachim

2016-01-01

Cadmium (Cd) is an important environmental pollutant and is poisonous to most organisms. We aimed to unravel the mechanisms of Cd toxicity in the model water plant Ceratophyllum demersum exposed to low (nM) concentrations of Cd as are present in nature. Experiments were conducted under environmen......Cadmium (Cd) is an important environmental pollutant and is poisonous to most organisms. We aimed to unravel the mechanisms of Cd toxicity in the model water plant Ceratophyllum demersum exposed to low (nM) concentrations of Cd as are present in nature. Experiments were conducted under...... environmentally relevant conditions, including nature-like light and temperature cycles, and a low biomass to water ratio. We measured chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence kinetics, oxygen exchange, the concentrations of reactive oxygen species and pigments, metal binding to proteins, and the accumulation of starch...... and metals. The inhibition threshold concentration for most parameters was 20 nM. Below this concentration, hardly any stress symptoms were observed. The first site of inhibition was photosynthetic light reactions (the maximal quantum yield of photosystem II (PSII) reaction centre measured as Fv /Fm , light...

Proceedings of the Science and Community Environmental Knowledge Fund forum

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2004-07-01

This paper presented details of a forum which provided partners and stakeholders with an opportunity to see results of recent projects initiated by the Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada's Science and Community Environmental Knowledge Fund. The aim of the forum was to discuss future directions for research and funding. The fund is comprised of 5 knowledge envelopes covering environmental issues relevant to the oil and gas industry. These include ecosystem and cumulative impact management; health and safety; education and technology; and community environmental knowledge. Achievements, trends, challenges and innovations in environmental impact management were reviewed. Current environmental impact management strategies in British Columbia oil and gas industry were discussed along with issues concerning wildlife and footprint minimization in relation to facility operations and reclamation management. Waste and air quality management issues were also discussed. The forum featured 29 presentations that touched on topics such as innovations and opportunities in environmental impact research; Snake-Sahtaneh Boreal caribou habitat use and ecology; wildlife habitat connectivity and conservation of Peace River lowlands; mountain goats and helicopters; water use plan and low flow analysis; cumulative impacts assessment of development on forests and First Nations of northeast BC; geophysical line construction; the application of First Nations traditional knowledge to reclamation strategies in the oil and gas industry; issues concerning construction and standards; the influence of new technologies in environmental impact management; and the environmental aspects of natural gas midstream operations.

Tributyltin induces premature hatching and reduces locomotor activity in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos/larvae at environmentally relevant levels.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Xuefang; Souders, Christopher L; Zhang, Jiliang; Martyniuk, Christopher J

2017-12-01

Tributyltin (TBT) is an organotin compound that is the active ingredient of many biocides and antifouling agents. In addition to its well established role as an endocrine disruptor, TBT is also associated with adverse effects on the nervous system and behavior. In this study, zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos were exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of TBT (0.01, 0.1, 1 nM) to determine how low levels affected development and behavior. Fish exposed to 1 nM TBT hatched earlier when compared to controls. Following a 96-h exposure, total swimming distance, velocity, and activity of zebrafish larvae were reduced compared to controls. To identify putative mechanisms for these altered endpoints, we assessed embryo bioenergetics and gene expression. We reasoned that the accelerated hatch time could be related to ATP production and energy, thus embryos were exposed to TBT for 24 and 48-h exposure prior to hatch. There were no differences among groups for endpoints related to bioenergetics (i.e. basal, ATP-dependent, and maximal respiration). To address mechanisms related to changes in behavioral activity, we measured transcripts associated with muscle function (myf6, myoD, and myoG) and dopamine signaling (th, dat, dopamine receptors) as dopamine regulates behavior. No transcript was altered in expression by TBT in larvae, suggesting that other mechanisms exist that may explain changes in higher level endpoints. These results suggest that endpoints related to the whole animal (i.e. timing of hatch and locomotor behavior) are more sensitive to environmentally-relevant concentrations of TBT compared to the molecular and metabolic endpoints examined here. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

4. topical workshop on proton-antiproton collider physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haenni, H.; Schacher, J.

1984-01-01

The most exciting topic at this Workshop was clearly the experimental hint for new unexpected phenomena, reported by the UA1 and UA2 Collaborations: At the CERN SPS Collider (vs = 540 GeV), a few events were observed with high missing transverse energy in association with an isolated electromagnetic cluster or one or more hard jets (UA1) or an isolated electron and one or two hard jets (UA2). Due to the enhanced data sample, the discovery of the intermediate vector bosons W and Z in 1983 was undoubtedly confirmed, and the nice agreement of their properties with the predictions of the electroweak theory was shown. In addition, many new results on experimental and theoretical jet physics were presented. The Tevatron Collider project and its planned experiments at Fermilab were discussed, and there were contributions about the possible future developments in theory (compositeness, supersymmetry) as well as in experimental high energy physics (Supercollider, Juratron). See hints under the relevant topics. (orig./HSI)

Strategic interactions in environmental economics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heijnen, Pim

2007-01-01

This thesis deals with the strategic interactions important to environmental economics. That includes a wide range of topics: environmental groups influencing or informing consumers, the reaction to taxation by car and fuel producers, the spread of an innovative tax and binary public good games.

From Sensor to Observation Web with Environmental Enablers in the Future Internet

Science.gov (United States)

Havlik, Denis; Schade, Sven; Sabeur, Zoheir A.; Mazzetti, Paolo; Watson, Kym; Berre, Arne J.; Mon, Jose Lorenzo

2011-01-01

This paper outlines the grand challenges in global sustainability research and the objectives of the FP7 Future Internet PPP program within the Digital Agenda for Europe. Large user communities are generating significant amounts of valuable environmental observations at local and regional scales using the devices and services of the Future Internet. These communities’ environmental observations represent a wealth of information which is currently hardly used or used only in isolation and therefore in need of integration with other information sources. Indeed, this very integration will lead to a paradigm shift from a mere Sensor Web to an Observation Web with semantically enriched content emanating from sensors, environmental simulations and citizens. The paper also describes the research challenges to realize the Observation Web and the associated environmental enablers for the Future Internet. Such an environmental enabler could for instance be an electronic sensing device, a web-service application, or even a social networking group affording or facilitating the capability of the Future Internet applications to consume, produce, and use environmental observations in cross-domain applications. The term “envirofied” Future Internet is coined to describe this overall target that forms a cornerstone of work in the Environmental Usage Area within the Future Internet PPP program. Relevant trends described in the paper are the usage of ubiquitous sensors (anywhere), the provision and generation of information by citizens, and the convergence of real and virtual realities to convey understanding of environmental observations. The paper addresses the technical challenges in the Environmental Usage Area and the need for designing multi-style service oriented architecture. Key topics are the mapping of requirements to capabilities, providing scalability and robustness with implementing context aware information retrieval. Another essential research topic is handling

From Sensor to Observation Web with environmental enablers in the Future Internet.

Science.gov (United States)

Havlik, Denis; Schade, Sven; Sabeur, Zoheir A; Mazzetti, Paolo; Watson, Kym; Berre, Arne J; Mon, Jose Lorenzo

2011-01-01

This paper outlines the grand challenges in global sustainability research and the objectives of the FP7 Future Internet PPP program within the Digital Agenda for Europe. Large user communities are generating significant amounts of valuable environmental observations at local and regional scales using the devices and services of the Future Internet. These communities' environmental observations represent a wealth of information which is currently hardly used or used only in isolation and therefore in need of integration with other information sources. Indeed, this very integration will lead to a paradigm shift from a mere Sensor Web to an Observation Web with semantically enriched content emanating from sensors, environmental simulations and citizens. The paper also describes the research challenges to realize the Observation Web and the associated environmental enablers for the Future Internet. Such an environmental enabler could for instance be an electronic sensing device, a web-service application, or even a social networking group affording or facilitating the capability of the Future Internet applications to consume, produce, and use environmental observations in cross-domain applications. The term "envirofied" Future Internet is coined to describe this overall target that forms a cornerstone of work in the Environmental Usage Area within the Future Internet PPP program. Relevant trends described in the paper are the usage of ubiquitous sensors (anywhere), the provision and generation of information by citizens, and the convergence of real and virtual realities to convey understanding of environmental observations. The paper addresses the technical challenges in the Environmental Usage Area and the need for designing multi-style service oriented architecture. Key topics are the mapping of requirements to capabilities, providing scalability and robustness with implementing context aware information retrieval. Another essential research topic is handling data

From Sensor to Observation Web with Environmental Enablers in the Future Internet

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jose Lorenzo Mon

2011-03-01

Full Text Available This paper outlines the grand challenges in global sustainability research and the objectives of the FP7 Future Internet PPP program within the Digital Agenda for Europe. Large user communities are generating significant amounts of valuable environmental observations at local and regional scales using the devices and services of the Future Internet. These communities’ environmental observations represent a wealth of information which is currently hardly used or used only in isolation and therefore in need of integration with other information sources. Indeed, this very integration will lead to a paradigm shift from a mere Sensor Web to an Observation Web with semantically enriched content emanating from sensors, environmental simulations and citizens. The paper also describes the research challenges to realize the Observation Web and the associated environmental enablers for the Future Internet. Such an environmental enabler could for instance be an electronic sensing device, a web-service application, or even a social networking group affording or facilitating the capability of the Future Internet applications to consume, produce, and use environmental observations in cross-domain applications. The term “envirofied” Future Internet is coined to describe this overall target that forms a cornerstone of work in the Environmental Usage Area within the Future Internet PPP program. Relevant trends described in the paper are the usage of ubiquitous sensors (anywhere, the provision and generation of information by citizens, and the convergence of real and virtual realities to convey understanding of environmental observations. The paper addresses the technical challenges in the Environmental Usage Area and the need for designing multi-style service oriented architecture. Key topics are the mapping of requirements to capabilities, providing scalability and robustness with implementing context aware information retrieval. Another essential research

Environmental research and environmental protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1975-01-01

At the request of the Ministry for Research and Technology, the 'Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Grossforschungseinrichtungen' (AGF) presented in 1972 an information brochure called 'Activities in the field of environmental research and environmental protection', closely associated with the environmental programme of the Federal government (1971). The information brochure reports on those activities of the working group's members which are closely, or less closely, connected with questions concerning environmental research and protection, however, investments for the protection of the individual facilities in internal operation are excluded. The AGF programme 'Environmental research and environmental protection' comprises contributions, brought up to date, of member companies. From the 'AGF programme survey 1974' it contains 'Environmental research' as well as aspects of nuclear development with environmental relevance. Technologies not harmful to the environment developed by the research facilities are only mentioned very briefly. (orig.) [de

Effects of Individual Health Topic Familiarity on Activity Patterns During Health Information Searches

Science.gov (United States)

Moriyama, Koichi; Fukui, Ken–ichi; Numao, Masayuki

2015-01-01

Background Non-medical professionals (consumers) are increasingly using the Internet to support their health information needs. However, the cognitive effort required to perform health information searches is affected by the consumer’s familiarity with health topics. Consumers may have different levels of familiarity with individual health topics. This variation in familiarity may cause misunderstandings because the information presented by search engines may not be understood correctly by the consumers. Objective As a first step toward the improvement of the health information search process, we aimed to examine the effects of health topic familiarity on health information search behaviors by identifying the common search activity patterns exhibited by groups of consumers with different levels of familiarity. Methods Each participant completed a health terminology familiarity questionnaire and health information search tasks. The responses to the familiarity questionnaire were used to grade the familiarity of participants with predefined health topics. The search task data were transcribed into a sequence of search activities using a coding scheme. A computational model was constructed from the sequence data using a Markov chain model to identify the common search patterns in each familiarity group. Results Forty participants were classified into L1 (not familiar), L2 (somewhat familiar), and L3 (familiar) groups based on their questionnaire responses. They had different levels of familiarity with four health topics. The video data obtained from all of the participants were transcribed into 4595 search activities (mean 28.7, SD 23.27 per session). The most frequent search activities and transitions in all the familiarity groups were related to evaluations of the relevancy of selected web pages in the retrieval results. However, the next most frequent transitions differed in each group and a chi-squared test confirmed this finding (Pinformation search patterns

Impacts of Environmental Discourse on Environmental Art and its Traps

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tanja Plešivčnik

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The paper examines the field of environmental art and assesses the impacts of the prevailing environmental discourse on environmental and ecological topics in the development of art. It shows how the popularization of environmental discourse and environmental themes encouraged the growth of art that is entirely focused on its ecological and environmental contexts. In the context of researching art in terms of promoting deep and positive changes in the appreciation of the environment and nature, this research also stresses the importance of the aesthetic experience of the environment in artistic creation. Exploring this approach reveals key differences between artists who focus on solving ecological problems and aesthetically engaged artists who adopt a deep and inclusive focus on the environment itself.

Topic Space: Rapid Prototyping a Mobile Augmented Reality Recommendation App

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jim Hahn

2015-10-01

Full Text Available With funding from an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS Sparks! Ignition Grant, researchers from the University of Illinois Library designed and tested a mobile recommender app with augmented reality features. By embedding open source optical character recognition software into a “Topic Space” module, the augmented reality app can recognize call numbers on a book in the library and suggest relevant items that are not shelved nearby. Topic Space can also show users items that are normally shelved in the starting location but that are currently checked out. Using formative UX methods, grant staff shaped app interface and functionality through early user testing. This paper reports results of UX testing; a redesigned mobile interface, and provides considerations on the future development of personalized recommendation functionality.

Expertise finding in bibliographic network: topic dominance learning approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Neshati, Mahmood; Hashemi, Seyyed Hadi; Beigy, Hamid

2014-12-01

Expert finding problem in bibliographic networks has received increased interest in recent years. This problem concerns finding relevant researchers for a given topic. Motivated by the observation that rarely do all coauthors contribute to a paper equally, in this paper, we propose two discriminative methods for realizing leading authors contributing in a scientific publication. Specifically, we cast the problem of expert finding in a bibliographic network to find leading experts in a research group, which is easier to solve. We recognize three feature groups that can discriminate relevant experts from other authors of a document. Experimental results on a real dataset, and a synthetic one that is gathered from a Microsoft academic search engine, show that the proposed model significantly improves the performance of expert finding in terms of all common information retrieval evaluation metrics.

Recent Advances in Pancreatic Cancer Surgery of Relevance to the Practicing Pathologist

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Rijssen, Lennart B.; Rombouts, Steffi J. E.; Walma, Marieke S.; Vogel, Jantien A.; Tol, Johanna A.; Molenaar, Isaac Q.; van Eijck, Casper H. J.; Verheij, Joanne; van de Vijver, Marc J.; Busch, Olivier R. C.; Besselink, Marc G. H.

2016-01-01

Recent advances in pancreatic surgery have the potential to improve outcomes for patients with pancreatic cancer. We address 3 new, trending topics in pancreatic surgery that are of relevance to the pathologist. First, increasing awareness of the prognostic impact of intraoperatively detected

What's New in the Medicine Cabinet?: A Panoramic Review of Clinically Relevant Information for the Busy Dermatologist.

Science.gov (United States)

Del Rosso, James Q; Zeichner, Joshua

2014-01-01

This article is the first in a periodic series of therapeutic topics with short reviews gleaned from major dermatology meetings, especially Scientific Poster Sessions, and is designed to provide information that may assist the readers in adapting information from the literature to their clinical practice. The topics covered in this issue are discussions of the clinical relevance of newer information about acne pathophysiology, acne in adult women, and topical corticosteroid spray formulations for chronic plaque psoriasis.

Exploring Educational Quality and Relevance through Integrating ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Exploring Educational Quality and Relevance through Integrating Environmental and Social Issues in Science Education. ... However, the new contextualised concept of learning and teaching was applied only to one of them. A post-test was ...

Automatic topic identification of health-related messages in online health community using text classification.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Yingjie

2013-01-01

To facilitate patient involvement in online health community and obtain informative support and emotional support they need, a topic identification approach was proposed in this paper for identifying automatically topics of the health-related messages in online health community, thus assisting patients in reaching the most relevant messages for their queries efficiently. Feature-based classification framework was presented for automatic topic identification in our study. We first collected the messages related to some predefined topics in a online health community. Then we combined three different types of features, n-gram-based features, domain-specific features and sentiment features to build four feature sets for health-related text representation. Finally, three different text classification techniques, C4.5, Naïve Bayes and SVM were adopted to evaluate our topic classification model. By comparing different feature sets and different classification techniques, we found that n-gram-based features, domain-specific features and sentiment features were all considered to be effective in distinguishing different types of health-related topics. In addition, feature reduction technique based on information gain was also effective to improve the topic classification performance. In terms of classification techniques, SVM outperformed C4.5 and Naïve Bayes significantly. The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed approach could identify the topics of online health-related messages efficiently.

Potential environmental effects of controlled thermonuclear reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Young, J.R.; Gore, B.F.

1976-01-01

The following topics are discussed: (1) the fusion reaction, (2) approach to the environmental analysis, (3) the reference CTR, (4) CTR environmental effects, (5) CTR accident potential, and (6) the advanced CTR

Evaluation of environmental management cost estimating capabilities for the subject area ''Life-cycle economics for radioactive waste management and environmental remediation''

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hombach, W.G.

1995-01-01

This paper provides a comprehensive perspective on the scope of Environmental Management (EM) activities and on the existing capability to estimate their costs. The scope is defined in terms of both activities and associated cost driving factors. The capability to estimate this scope was determined by evaluating existing cost estimating tools identified through a survey of the US Department of Energy (DOE), the US Department of Defense (DoD), the US Environmental Protection Agency, and private industry. This paper is largely based on the results of a report produced for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, US Department of Defense, entitled, Evaluation of Environmental Management Cost-Estimating Capabilities of Major Defense Acquisition Programs, March 22, 1995. The DoD sponsored report was designed to have a broad application relevant not only to DoD, but to other government agencies, and industry. In addition to DoD, it has particular application to DOE because significant portions of the analyses and data were derived from DOE environmental management databases, cost models, reports, and work breakdown structures. This paper provides the basis used and methodology employed to conduct an evaluations of selected EM cost estimating tools. The following topics are discussed: Life Cycle of EM Activities; Major Elements of EM Activities; Cost Tool Evaluation Matrix; Results of Cost Tool Evaluations; Cost Tool Development Plan

Freshman Health Topics

Science.gov (United States)

Hovde, Karen

2011-01-01

This article examines a cluster of health topics that are frequently selected by students in lower division classes. Topics address issues relating to addictive substances, including alcohol and tobacco, eating disorders, obesity, and dieting. Analysis of the topics examines their interrelationships and organization in the reference literature.…

Effects of tributyltin on metamorphosis and gonadal differentiation of Xenopus laevis at environmentally relevant concentrations.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Huahong; Zhu, Pan; Guo, Suzhen

2014-05-01

Tributyltin (TBT), a well known endocrine disruptor, has high teratogenicity to embryos of amphibian (Xenopus tropicalis). An amphibian metamorphosis assay (AMA) and a complete AMA (CAMA) were conducted for TBT. In AMA, the body weight, the snout-to-vent length and the hind limb length of X. laevis tadpoles were decreased in tributyltin chloride (TBTCl; 12.5-200 ng/L) treatment groups after 7 days exposure. TBT greatly retarded the development of tadpoles, decreased the number of follicle and induced thyroid follicle cell hyperplasia after 19 days exposure. In CAMA, 10 and 100 ng/L TBTCl led to various malformations of gonad, including intersex, segmental aplasia and multiple ovary cavities of X. laevis following exposure from stages 46 to stage 66. The sex ratio was male-biased in TBT treatment groups. These results suggest that TBT delayed the metamorphosis, inhibited the growth of tadpoles and disrupted the gonadal differentiation of X. laevis at environmentally relevant concentrations.

Environmental report 2010

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2010-06-15

As the electricity and natural gas transmission system operator in Denmark, Energinet.dk is obliged by the Danish Electricity Supply Act to prepare an annual environmental report for the purpose of creating an overview of the environmental conditions in the electricity sector. The environmental report also contributes to assessing the objectives implemented in Danish environmental and energy strategies. Environmental Report 2010 describes the most significant environmental impact of electricity and CHP production in Denmark and of the operation of the electricity and natural gas transmission systems. Environmental Report 2010 deals with the following five main topics: 1) A status of the environmental impact of the Danish power system in 2009. The status includes the most important key figures for electricity and CHP production, electricity exchange with neighbouring countries, and emissions of the substances subject to the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, ie carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}), sulphur dioxide (SO{sub 2}) and nitrogen oxides (NO{sub x}). 2) The Environmental Impact Statement for electricity, which states the environmental impact of consuming one kWh of electricity. The statement accounts for a total of eight emissions to the air, seven residual products and eight fuel types. 3) Historical analysis of the environmental conditions in the electricity sector in the 1990-2020 period and a forecast of the future environmental impact of the electricity sector until 2020. An account is given of developments in electricity consumption, power generation, fuel consumption and emissions of CO{sub 2}, SO{sub 2} and NO{sub x}. 4) The environmental impact of transporting electricity and natural gas in the electricity and natural gas transmission systems and of storing natural gas in Energinet.dk's gas storage facility in Lille Torup. 5) Energinet.dk's own environmental activities. Here, some of Energinet.dk's other environmental activities, which are not

High Quality Topic Extraction from Business News Explains Abnormal Financial Market Volatility

Science.gov (United States)

Hisano, Ryohei; Sornette, Didier; Mizuno, Takayuki; Ohnishi, Takaaki; Watanabe, Tsutomu

2013-01-01

Understanding the mutual relationships between information flows and social activity in society today is one of the cornerstones of the social sciences. In financial economics, the key issue in this regard is understanding and quantifying how news of all possible types (geopolitical, environmental, social, financial, economic, etc.) affects trading and the pricing of firms in organized stock markets. In this article, we seek to address this issue by performing an analysis of more than 24 million news records provided by Thompson Reuters and of their relationship with trading activity for 206 major stocks in the S&P US stock index. We show that the whole landscape of news that affects stock price movements can be automatically summarized via simple regularized regressions between trading activity and news information pieces decomposed, with the help of simple topic modeling techniques, into their “thematic” features. Using these methods, we are able to estimate and quantify the impacts of news on trading. We introduce network-based visualization techniques to represent the whole landscape of news information associated with a basket of stocks. The examination of the words that are representative of the topic distributions confirms that our method is able to extract the significant pieces of information influencing the stock market. Our results show that one of the most puzzling stylized facts in financial economies, namely that at certain times trading volumes appear to be “abnormally large,” can be partially explained by the flow of news. In this sense, our results prove that there is no “excess trading,” when restricting to times when news is genuinely novel and provides relevant financial information. PMID:23762258

High quality topic extraction from business news explains abnormal financial market volatility.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ryohei Hisano

Full Text Available Understanding the mutual relationships between information flows and social activity in society today is one of the cornerstones of the social sciences. In financial economics, the key issue in this regard is understanding and quantifying how news of all possible types (geopolitical, environmental, social, financial, economic, etc. affects trading and the pricing of firms in organized stock markets. In this article, we seek to address this issue by performing an analysis of more than 24 million news records provided by Thompson Reuters and of their relationship with trading activity for 206 major stocks in the S&P US stock index. We show that the whole landscape of news that affects stock price movements can be automatically summarized via simple regularized regressions between trading activity and news information pieces decomposed, with the help of simple topic modeling techniques, into their "thematic" features. Using these methods, we are able to estimate and quantify the impacts of news on trading. We introduce network-based visualization techniques to represent the whole landscape of news information associated with a basket of stocks. The examination of the words that are representative of the topic distributions confirms that our method is able to extract the significant pieces of information influencing the stock market. Our results show that one of the most puzzling stylized facts in financial economies, namely that at certain times trading volumes appear to be "abnormally large," can be partially explained by the flow of news. In this sense, our results prove that there is no "excess trading," when restricting to times when news is genuinely novel and provides relevant financial information.

An Environmental Ethical Conceptual Framework for Research on Sustainability and Environmental Education

Science.gov (United States)

Kronlid, David O.; Ohman, Johan

2013-01-01

This article suggests that environmental ethics can have great relevance for environmental ethical content analyses in environmental education and education for sustainable development research. It is based on a critique that existing educational research does not reflect the variety of environmental ethical theories. Accordingly, we suggest an…

Topical betamethasone for prevention of radiation dermatitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Omidvari Shapour

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Although acute radiation dermatitis (ARD is a common side-effect of radiotherapy (RT, currently there is no general consensus about its prevention or treatment of choice. Aims: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether prophylactic use of topical betamethasone 0.1% can prevent ARD caused by chest wall irradiation. Methods: Fifty-one patients who underwent modified radical mastectomy for breast cancer and were going to receive RT, were randomly assigned to receive topical betamethasone 0.1%, petrolatum or none during RT. The frequency and severity of ARD (measured using Radiation Therapy Oncology Group acute radiation morbidity scoring criteria were recorded at the end of each week during RT and two weeks after its completion. Clinical outcomes were analyzed by relevant statistical methods. Results: All patients developed some degree of ARD, the frequency and severity of which increased with time and reached the maximum at the end of the seventh week for all groups. Patients receiving betamethasone had less severe ARD than the other two groups throughout the course of the study, but this difference was significant only at the end of the third week (p =0.027. No significant difference was observed between the petrolatum and control arms. Conclusion: Prophylactic and ongoing use of topical betamethasone 0.1% during chest wall RT for breast cancer delays occurrence of ARD but does not prevent it. Petrolatum has no effect on the prevention of ARD in these patients.

Topical betamethasone for prevention of radiation dermatitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Omidvari, Shapour; Saboori, Hojjatollah; Mohammadianpanah, Mohammad; Mosalaei, Ahmad; Ahmadloo, Niloofar; Mosleh-Shirazi, Mohammad Amin; Jowkar, Farideh; Namaz, Soha

2007-01-01

Although acute radiation dermatitis (ARD) is a common side-effect of radiotherapy (RT), currently there is no general consensus about its prevention or treatment of choice. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether prophylactic use of topical betamethasone 0.1% can prevent ARD caused by chest wall irradiation. Fifty-one patients who underwent modified radical mastectomy for breast cancer and were going to receive RT, were randomly assigned to receive topical betamethasone 0.1%, petrolatum or none during RT. The frequency and severity of ARD (measured using Radiation Therapy Oncology Group acute radiation morbidity scoring criteria) were recorded at the end of each week during RT and two weeks after its completion. Clinical outcomes were analyzed by relevant statistical methods. All patients developed some degree of ARD, the frequency and severity of which increased with time and reached the maximum at the end of the seventh week for all groups. Patients receiving betamethasone had less severe ARD than the other two groups throughout the course of the study, but this difference was significant only at the end of the third week (p = 0.027). No significant difference was observed between the petrolatum and control arms. Prophylactic and ongoing use of topical betamethasone 0.1% during chest wall RT for breast cancer delays occurrence of ARD but does not prevent it. Petrolatum has no effect on the prevention of ARD in these patients.

Bottlenecks in the development of topical analgesics: molecule, formulation, dose-finding, and phase III design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Keppel Hesselink JM

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Jan M Keppel Hesselink,1 David J Kopsky,2 Stephen M Stahl3 1Institute Neuropathic Pain, Bosch en Duin, the Netherlands; 2Institute Neuropathic Pain, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; 3University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA Abstract: Topical analgesics can be defined as topical formulations containing analgesics or co-analgesics. Since 2000, interest in such formulations has been on the rise. There are, however, four critical issues in the research and development phases of topical analgesics: 1 The selection of the active pharmaceutical ingredient. Analgesics and co-analgesics differ greatly in their mechanism of action, and it is required to find the most optimal fit between such mechanisms of action and the pathogenesis of the targeted (neuropathic pain. 2 Issues concerning the optimized formulation. For relevant clinical efficacy, specific characteristics for the selected vehicle (eg, cream base or gel base are required, depending on the physicochemical characteristics of the active pharmaceutical ingredient(s to be delivered. 3 Well-designed phase II dose-finding studies are required, and, unfortunately, such trials are missing. In fact, we will demonstrate that underdosing is one of the major hurdles to detect meaningful and statistically relevant clinical effects of topical analgesics. 4 Selection of clinical end points and innovatively designed phase III trials. End point selection can make or break a trial. For instance, to include numbness together with tingling as a composite end point for neuropathic pain seems stretching the therapeutic impact of an analgesic too far. Given the fast onset of action of topical analgesics (usually within 30 minutes, enrichment designs might enhance the chances for success, as the placebo response might decrease. Topical analgesics may become promising inroads for the treatment of neuropathic pain, once sufficient attention is given to these four key aspects. Keywords: topical, analgesics

Nuclear waste management and environmental mediation: an exploratory analysis. Topical report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greene, M.R.; Lindell, M.K.; Nealey, S.M.; Drexler, J.A. Jr.

1980-09-01

Two types of mediation efforts are identified: settlement-oriented mediation and participation-oriented mediation. A range of environmental mediation efforts that have taken place to date are discussed. Within the context of the two identified types of mediation, these characteristics are discussed for the waste management controversy. Emphasis was placed on the complexity of the issues and the range of participants. Also discussed are the relationship between an environmental mediation effort and alternative mechanisms for conflict resolution, such as NEPA based litigation, consultation and concurrence and state veto or federal preemption. Participation-oriented mediation may be more suitable than settlement-oriented mediation for encouraging constructive communication and reducing conflict among participants in the controversy. Several limitations to participation-oriented mediation need to be considered. One is that environmental mediation is such a very new field that it might not be possible to find an experienced mediator willing to attempt such a complex problem. Two is the compatibility of participation-oriented and settlement-oriented mediation

Environmental impact assessment for an OTEC plant in Martinique Island

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Auvray, Cedric; Ledoux, Sebastien; Diaz, Berenice; Yvon, Christophe; Pouget-Cuvelier, Adeline

2015-01-01

The Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) is a marine renewable energy system that uses the temperature difference between the cold deep waters and warm surface waters to produce electricity. DCNS, a world-expert in naval defence and an innovator in energy has conducted technical, juridical and environmental feasibility studies of a plant offshore Martinique under an agreement with the Regional Council. In this context, DCNS realised a preliminary Environmental Impact Assessment in order to prepare public debate to be done further. Due to innovation of such a project, a specific methodology has been done for that. First step was to study bibliography in details, for site assessment of course, but also for impacts of other projects in the world that should present relevant similarities with OTEC (coastal thermal power plants for example). This bibliographic study dealt with thematic synthesis for each topic of physical, biological and human field that could be impacted by the project (total of 28 topics). The aim was to define priorities for specific assessments that have been done further: acoustic impacts, biogeochemical impacts of artificial upwelling, biofouling impacts, etc. Some of these topics are now on course with specific scientific research programs that have been launched at the end of this study. For each new topic, a specific methodology has been used or adapted for OTEC. These methods are made step by step, with a preliminary approach followed by a specific research program when it is necessary. Noise prediction has been done with a specific tool used for ship construction industry and a 3D propagation modelling. Biofouling has been assessed by a bibliographic approach and will be precised further with experimental moorings. Biogeochemical and biological impacts due to artificial and localised upwelling are now being studied in details with a double skill approach (physical modelling and plankton analysis), after preliminary water chemicals

Familiar communication partners' facilitation of topic management in conversations with individuals with dementia.

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Karinna; Lind, Christopher; Young, Jessica A; Okell, Elise; van Steenbrugge, Willem

2018-05-01

Language and memory impairments affect everyday interactions between individuals with dementia and their communication partners. Impaired topic management, which compromises individuals' construction of relevant, meaningful discourse, is commonly reported amongst individuals with dementia. Currently, limited empirical evidence describes the sequential patterns of behaviour comprising topic-management practices in everyday conversation between individuals with dementia and their communication partners. To describe the sequential patterns of behaviour relating to the manifestation of topic-management impairments and facilitative behaviours in everyday interactions between individuals with dementia and their familiar communication partners (FCPs). Three 20-min conversations between individuals with moderate to severe dementia and their FCPs were recorded. Conversation Analysis was used to examine sequences in which topic-management appeared to be impaired. Conversational behaviours that reflected a difficulty in contributing on-topic talk were pervasive in the talk of the three individuals with dementia. FCPs responded to these conversational difficulties by using two categories of facilitative behaviours. The first involved responding to an individual with dementia's explicit repair-initiation by performing repair. In the second category, explicit repair-initiation was absent; instead, the distance of the conversational difficulty from the prior topic-shifting turn mediated the form and outcome of the FCPs' facilitative behaviours. Each category successfully facilitated the individual with dementia to contribute on-topic talk. The findings contribute to a growing understanding of topic-management abilities in everyday interactions involving individuals with dementia. Individuals with dementia took a proactive role in eliciting topic-management support. The FCPs responded with turns that facilitated the individuals with dementia to talk on-topic. Clinically, the

Topicality and Relevance of Janusz Korczak’s Pedagogical Approach to Children and Their Upbringing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alicja Janiak

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Janusz Korczak’s ideas and practical pedagogical achievements permanently went down in the history of Polish and world pedagogy. They have become a unique source of knowledge, ideas and inspiration in the quest for new educational solutions. His rich literary works, especially the pedagogical trilogy entitled How to Love a Child , is both a source of knowledge and inspiration for further reflection and research in the field of pedagogic sciences and an encyclopaedia of practical knowledge in the area of care, upbringing and education. The purpose of this article is to depict Korczak as a person, tutor, guardian, researcher-clinician and show his moral credibility confirmed with testimony to love. Not only does it present the topicality and importance of his pedagogical message but it also indicates the possibility of being a role model for many of today’s tutors and teachers.

An electron microscopy based method for the detection and quantification of nanomaterial number concentration in environmentally relevant media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prasad, A. [School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT (United Kingdom); Lead, J.R., E-mail: jlead@mailbox.sc.edu [School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT (United Kingdom); Center for Environmental Nanoscience and Risk, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Arnold School of Public Health, University South Carolina, Columbia 29208, SC (United States); Baalousha, M., E-mail: mbaalous@mailbox.sc.edu [Center for Environmental Nanoscience and Risk, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Arnold School of Public Health, University South Carolina, Columbia 29208, SC (United States)

2015-12-15

Improved detection and characterization of nanomaterials (NMs) in complex environmental media requires the development of novel sampling approaches to improve the detection limit to be close to environmentally realistic concentrations. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is an indispensable metrological tool in nanotechnology and environmental nanoscience due to its high spatial resolution and analytical capabilities when coupled to spectroscopic techniques. However, these capabilities are hampered by the conventional sample preparation methods, which suffer from low NM recovery. The current work presents a validated, fully quantitative sampling technique for TEM that overcomes conventional sample preparation shortcomings, and thus enables the use of TEM for measurement of particle number concentration and their detection in complex media at environmentally realistic concentrations. This sampling method is based on ultracentrifugation of NMs from suspension onto a poly-L-lysine (PLL) functionalized TEM grid, using active deposition (by ultracentrifugation) and retention (by PLL interactions with NM surface) of NMs on the substrate, enabling fully quantitative analysis. Similar analysis with AFM was satisfactory in simple media but the lack of chemical-selectivity of AFM limits its applicability for the detection of NMs in complex environmental samples. The sampling approach was validated using both citrate- and PVP-coated AuNMs in pure water, which demonstrated an even distribution of NM on the TEM grid and high NM recovery (80–100%) at environmentally relevant NM concentrations (ca. 0.20–100 μg L{sup −1}). The applicability of the sampling method to complex environmental samples was demonstrated by the quantification of particle number concentration of AuNMs in EPA soft water (with and without Suwannee River fulvic acid) and lake water. This sample preparation approach is also applicable to other types of NMs with some modifications (e.g. centrifugation

An electron microscopy based method for the detection and quantification of nanomaterial number concentration in environmentally relevant media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prasad, A.; Lead, J.R.; Baalousha, M.

2015-01-01

Improved detection and characterization of nanomaterials (NMs) in complex environmental media requires the development of novel sampling approaches to improve the detection limit to be close to environmentally realistic concentrations. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is an indispensable metrological tool in nanotechnology and environmental nanoscience due to its high spatial resolution and analytical capabilities when coupled to spectroscopic techniques. However, these capabilities are hampered by the conventional sample preparation methods, which suffer from low NM recovery. The current work presents a validated, fully quantitative sampling technique for TEM that overcomes conventional sample preparation shortcomings, and thus enables the use of TEM for measurement of particle number concentration and their detection in complex media at environmentally realistic concentrations. This sampling method is based on ultracentrifugation of NMs from suspension onto a poly-L-lysine (PLL) functionalized TEM grid, using active deposition (by ultracentrifugation) and retention (by PLL interactions with NM surface) of NMs on the substrate, enabling fully quantitative analysis. Similar analysis with AFM was satisfactory in simple media but the lack of chemical-selectivity of AFM limits its applicability for the detection of NMs in complex environmental samples. The sampling approach was validated using both citrate- and PVP-coated AuNMs in pure water, which demonstrated an even distribution of NM on the TEM grid and high NM recovery (80–100%) at environmentally relevant NM concentrations (ca. 0.20–100 μg L"−"1). The applicability of the sampling method to complex environmental samples was demonstrated by the quantification of particle number concentration of AuNMs in EPA soft water (with and without Suwannee River fulvic acid) and lake water. This sample preparation approach is also applicable to other types of NMs with some modifications (e.g. centrifugation

A systematic review of the evidence for topical use of ginger.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Mingshuang; Leach, Matthew J; Bradley, Helen

2013-01-01

The use of ginger as a topical intervention is widely advocated in the popular media. However, there has been no attempt to date to synthesize the evidence for topically administered ginger. To systematically review and synthesize the best available evidence of effectiveness for topical ginger in any condition. CAM on PubMed, CINAHL, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, National Library of Australia, The Cochrane Library, TRIP, pertinent texts, and bibliographies of relevant papers. Data sources were systematically searched for studies investigating the clinical effectiveness of topical ginger, in any form and for any condition, regardless of study design. Studies were limited to those published between 1980 and 2010, and published in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, or Taiwanese. Data were extracted by two authors, independently, using standardized templates. Four studies met the inclusion criteria, including three randomized controlled trials and one non-randomized controlled trial. All studies differed in terms of study population, outcome measures, comparative interventions, and dose and form of ginger used, and thus, were not amenable to meta-analysis. Findings from all trials favored usage of ginger for most outcomes. However, the small sample sizes and inadequate methodological reporting indicate a high risk of bias and the need for caution when interpreting these results. Few studies have investigated the effectiveness of topically administered ginger for any condition. Until the findings of these studies are corroborated by more robust research, and the safety of ginger is adequately established, clinicians should remain cautious about using topical ginger in clinical practice. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluating topic models with stability

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

De Waal, A

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Topic models are unsupervised techniques that extract likely topics from text corpora, by creating probabilistic word-topic and topic-document associations. Evaluation of topic models is a challenge because (a) topic models are often employed...

Topical report review status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-08-01

This report provides industry with procedures for submitting topical reports, guidance on how the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) processes and responds to topical report submittals, and an accounting, with review schedules, of all topical reports currently accepted for review schedules, of all topical reports currently accepted for review by the NRC. This report will be published annually. Each sponsoring organization with one or more topical reports accepted for review copies

Environmental report 97

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verbund

1997-01-01

This is a report of the Austrian electricity company (VERBUND) which treats environmental topics. 1. First of all the water power technology in Austria is discussed, thereby the following subjects are pointed out: energy efficiency, water economy and water ecology, groundwater management, environmental protection. 2. Thermal power technology: basic numerical data from thermal power stations, energy efficiency, energy optimization, pollution of air and in the hydrosphere. 3. Network facilities: problems in the landscape, ecological point of view, electric and magnetic field protection. The aims of environmental management are discussed. (author)

Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site environmental report for 1994

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koncinski, W.S. [ed.] [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)

1995-10-01

This report presents the details of the environmental monitoring and management plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation. Topics include: site and operations overview; environmental compliance strategies; environmental management program; effluent monitoring; environmental surveillance; radiation doses; chemical doses; ground water; and quality assurance.

Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site environmental report for 1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koncinski, W.S.

1995-10-01

This report presents the details of the environmental monitoring and management plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation. Topics include: site and operations overview; environmental compliance strategies; environmental management program; effluent monitoring; environmental surveillance; radiation doses; chemical doses; ground water; and quality assurance

DOE model conference on waste management and environmental restoration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

Reports dealing with current topics in waste management and environmental restoration were presented at this conference in six sessions. Session 1 covered the ''Hot Topics'' including regulations and risk assessment. Session 2 dealt with waste reduction and minimization; session 3 dealt with waste treatment and disposal. Session 4 covered site characterization and analysis. Environmental restoration and associated technologies wee discussed in session 5 and 6. Individual papers have been cataloged separately

Heat transfer in condensation and evaporation. Application to industrial and environmental processes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marvillet, C [CEA/Grenoble, Dept. de Thermohydraulique et de Physique (DRN-GRETh), 38 (France); Vidil, R [CEA/Saclay, Direction des Technologies Avancees (DTA), 38 - Grenoble (France)

1999-07-01

Eurotherm Seminar number 62 objective is to provide a European forum for the presentation and the discussion of recent researches on heat transfer in condensation and evaporation and recent developments relevant to evaporators, condensers technology for: industrial processes; air conditioning and refrigeration processes; environmental processes; food industry processes; cooling processes of electronic or mechanical devices. The following topics are to be addressed: fundamentals of phase with pure fluids and mixtures; enhanced surfaces for improved tubular or plate heat exchangers; advanced methods and software for condenser and evaporator simulation and design; innovative design and concept of heat exchangers. This 2-days Seminar will be interest to a large group of researches and engineers from universities, research centres and industry. (authors)

A biologic approach to environmental assessment and epidemiology

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Smith, Thomas J; Kriebel, David

2010-01-01

"Environmental chemical hazards are highly contentious topic in modern life. Nearly every nation on earth has its own environmental crises, and also shares perspectives on the possibility of global catastrophes...

Syntacticized topics in Kurmuk

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Torben

2015-01-01

This article argues that Kurmuk, a little-described Western Nilotic language, is characterized by a syntacticized topic whose grammatical relation is variable. In this language, declarative clauses have as topic an obligatory preverbal NP which is either a subject, an object or an adjunct....... The grammatical relation of the topic is expressed by a voice-like inflection of the verb, here called orientation. While subject-orientation is morphologically unmarked, object-oriented and adjunct-oriented verbs are marked by a subject suffix or by a suffix indicating that the topic is not subject, and adjunct......-orientation differs from object-orientation by a marked tone pattern. Topic choice largely reflects information structure by indicating topic continuity. The topic also plays a crucial role in relative clauses and in clauses with contrastive constituent focus, in that objects and adjuncts can only be relativized...

Environmental Sensitivity in Nuclear Emergencies in Rural and Semi-natural Environments. Report of Working Group 8, Environmental Sensitivity of EMRAS II Topical Heading Approaches for Assessing Emergency Situations. Environmental Modelling for RAdiation Safety (EMRAS II) Programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-11-01

Environmental assessment models are used for evaluating the radiological impact of actual and potential releases of radionuclides to the environment. They are essential tools for use in the regulatory control of routine discharges to the environment and also in planning measures to be taken in the event of accidental releases. They are also used for predicting the impact of releases which may occur far into the future, for example, from underground radioactive waste repositories. It is important to verify, to the extent possible, the reliability of the predictions of such models by comparison with measured values in the environment or by comparing them with the predictions of other models. The IAEA has been organizing programmes of international model testing since the 1980s. The programmes have contributed to a general improvement in models, in transfer data and in the capabilities of modellers in Member States. IAEA publications on this subject over the past three decades demonstrate the comprehensive nature of the programmes and record the associated advances which have been made. From 2009 to 2011, the IAEA organized a programme entitled Environmental Modelling for RAdiation Safety (EMRAS II), which concentrated on the improvement of environmental transfer models and the development of reference approaches to estimate the radiological impacts on humans, as well as on flora and fauna, arising from radionuclides in the environment. The following topics were addressed in nine working groups: Reference Approaches for Human Dose Assessment - Working Group 1: Reference Methodologies for Controlling Discharges of Routine Releases; - Working Group 2: Reference Approaches to Modelling for Management and Remediation at NORM and Legacy Sites; - Working Group 3: Reference Models for Waste Disposal Reference Approaches for Biota Dose Assessment; - Working Group 4: Biota Modelling; - Working Group 5: Wildlife Transfer Coefficient Handbook; - Working Group 6: Biota Dose

Strategic approach to branding of nations: Relevancy for Serbia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rakita Branko

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Building and managing brands becomes very important marketing tool in nowadays business. Branding is being pulled out from a strictly marketing area and becomes business component of a strategic importance. It is applying to products, services, companies, but also to events, people, ideas, institutions, destinations. Basically, almost everything can be branded. The subject of this paper is strategic approach to branding of nations. The paper contains review of relevant literature for the topic. Specifics of this type of branding have been analyzed. Detailed concept of strategic approach to branding of nations is a vital part of the paper. Relevancy of strategic approach to branding for Serbia is discussed at the end.

Ru(III) catalyzed permanganate oxidation of aniline at environmentally relevant pH.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jing; Zhang, Ying; Wang, Hui; Guan, Xiaohong

2014-07-01

Ru(III) was employed as catalyst for aniline oxidation by permanganate at environmentally relevant pH for the first time. Ru(III) could significantly improve the oxidation rate of aniline by 5-24 times with its concentration increasing from 2.5 to 15 μmol/L. The reaction of Ru(III) catalyzed permanganate oxidation of aniline was first-order with respect to aniline, permanganate and Ru(III), respectively. Thus the oxidation kinetics can be described by a third-order rate law. Aniline degradation by Ru(III) catalyzed permanganate oxidation was markedly influenced by pH, and the second-order rate constant (ktapp) decreased from 643.20 to 2.67 (mol/L)⁻¹sec⁻¹ with increasing pH from 4.0 to 9.0, which was possibly due to the decrease of permanganate oxidation potential with increasing pH. In both the uncatalytic and catalytic permanganate oxidation, six byproducts of aniline were identified in UPLC-MS/MS analysis. Ru(III), as an electron shuttle, was oxidized by permanganate to Ru(VI) and Ru(VII), which acted the co-oxidants for decomposition of aniline. Although Ru(III) could catalyze permanganate oxidation of aniline effectively, dosing homogeneous Ru(III) into water would lead to a second pollution. Therefore, efforts would be made to investigate the catalytic performance of supported Ru(III) toward permanganate oxidation in our future study. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Teaching Environmental Geology in the 21St Century: A Workshop Report

Science.gov (United States)

Mogk, D. W.; Wiese, K.; Castendyk, D.; McDaris, J. R.

2012-12-01

Environmental Geology encompasses a range of topics that include geohazards, natural resources, issues such as climate change, human health, and environmental policy. Instruction in Environmental Geology provides students the opportunity to address the grand challenges facing humanity regarding how to live sustainably and responsibly on Earth. Instruction in Environmental Geology ranges from dedicated introductory courses, instructional modules in upper division Earth Science "core" classes, to courses in related disciplines such as environmental science, ecology, and the social and political sciences. To explore the opportunities of teaching Environmental Geology in all these contexts, the On the Cutting Edge program convened a workshop in June 2012 to bring together instructors representing a diversity of instructional settings. The goals of the workshop were to: 1) Share innovative teaching methods, approaches, and activities for teaching Environmental Geology and share ideas on how to teach in various contexts. 2) Examine where and how environmental geology topics are taught in the geoscience curriculum from introductory courses for non-majors to "core" geoscience courses for majors. 3) Consider the ways that Environmental Geology courses and topical materials can contribute to public science literacy, particularly how to make personal and societal decisions about the range of issues facing humanity and to live responsibly and sustainably on this planet. 4) Develop a list of best practices for integrating emerging environmental issues, recent natural disasters, and issues related to natural resources into course work and identifying how scientific data and research outcomes can inform public discourse on topical issues. 5) Develop strategies to reach under-represented groups and expand the diversity of students who enroll in our courses. 6) Identify topics of high interest and need for future development as teaching modules and courses. The workshop program

1999 Environmental Restoration Contractor Revegetation Monitoring Report; TOPICAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

K. A. Gano

1999-01-01

This report documents the results of revegetation monitoring conducted in early May through early July 1999. Fourth-year monitoring was conducted at the Horn Rapids Landfill, Horseshoe Landfill, and Nike Landfill. Third-year monitoring was conducted on the Bridge Overlook, PSN 72/82, PSN 12/14, and the North Slope Cheatgrass Area. Second-year monitoring was conducted at the 600-104 waste site (2,4-D cleanup site); the 300-FF-1 sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) and bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata) transplant areas, 2 16-A-25 emergency extension site; and the 200-ZP-1 pipeline. First-year monitoring was conducted at the 300 Area North Process Trench, Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (ERDF) Mitigation sites, and the 116-C-l Restoration site

Two Boston Organizations Awarded EPA Environmental Education Grants

Science.gov (United States)

Two organizations in Massachusetts have been awarded 181,864 in Environmental Education Grants by the US Environmental Protection Agency to support their work in addressing a range of topics in classrooms.

Responsible energy planning and environmental stewardship

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harrison, K.L.

1991-01-01

This article discusses the idea that operating in the best interests of the environment is also in the best interests of shareholders. Topics discussed include utility environmental policy, cost-effective recycling of materials, environmental impact of new power sources, and energy efficiency. The author states that being environmentally responsible goes beyond good business, it is the right thing to do

Introduction to the JASIST Special Topic Issue on Web Retrieval and Mining: A Machine Learning Perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hsinchun

2003-01-01

Discusses information retrieval techniques used on the World Wide Web. Topics include machine learning in information extraction; relevance feedback; information filtering and recommendation; text classification and text clustering; Web mining, based on data mining techniques; hyperlink structure; and Web size. (LRW)

Marine Environmental History

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulsen, Bo

2012-01-01

human society and natural marine resources. Within this broad topic, several trends and objectives are discernable. The essay argue that the so-called material marine environmental history has its main focus on trying to reconstruct the presence, development and environmental impact of past fisheries......This essay provides an overview of recent trends in the historiography of marine environmental history, a sub-field of environmental history which has grown tremendously in scope and size over the last c. 15 years. The object of marine environmental history is the changing relationship between...... and whaling operations. This ambition often entails a reconstruction also of how marine life has changed over time. The time frame rages from Paleolithicum to the present era. The field of marine environmental history also includes a more culturally oriented environmental history, which mainly has come...

DOE model conference on waste management and environmental restoration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1990-01-01

Reports dealing with current topics in waste management and environmental restoration were presented at this conference in six sessions. Session 1 covered the Hot Topics'' including regulations and risk assessment. Session 2 dealt with waste reduction and minimization; session 3 dealt with waste treatment and disposal. Session 4 covered site characterization and analysis. Environmental restoration and associated technologies wee discussed in session 5 and 6. Individual papers have been cataloged separately.

Sharing health information online in South Korea: motives, topics, and antecedents.

Science.gov (United States)

Kye, S Y; Shim, M; Kim, Y C; Park, K

2017-10-11

This study aimed to examine the motives, topics and antecedents for sharing health information online among Korean Internet users. Eight hundred adults completed a web-based survey exploring the motives; topics; physical, cognitive, affective and environmental factors; and experiences relating to sharing health information online. The motives for not sharing information included information absence and inappropriateness. The most preferred topic was disease. Good subjective health was significantly associated with frequent information sharing while individuals with a history of disease involving themselves or family members were more likely to share health information than were those without such a history. Further, a higher level of depressed mood was related to a higher level of sharing. Internet-related self-efficacy and trust in information delivery channels were positively related to sharing. Future research could extend the factors related to information sharing to include the evaluation of shared information. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Topical Drugs for Pain Relief

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anjali Srinivasan

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Topical therapy helps patients with oral and perioral pain problems such as ulcers, burning mouth syndrome, temporomandibular disorders, neuromas, neuropathies and neuralgias. Topical drugs used in the field of dentistry are topical anaesthetics, topical analgesics, topical antibiotics and topical corticosteroids. It provides symptomatic/curative effect. Topical drugs are easy to apply, avoids hepatic first pass metabolism and more sites specific. But it can only be used for medications that require low plasma concentrations to achieve a therapeutic effect.

Rural environmental planning in a family farm: education, extension and sustainability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dayana Almeida

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: Developing research, teaching and extension in university programs is fundamental to capacitate professionals for the challenging endeavors. Considering the importance of these three university functions as relevant learning practices, the objective of this study was to analyze qualitatively the development of teaching project proposals associated with extension activities, directed to the rural environmental planning in an Agricultural Production Unit, in order to identify the issues and their degree of applicability. Twenty project proposals were developed in the "Rural Environmental Planning" course to plan an Agricultural Production Unit, which were subsequently evaluated by the farmer. This discipline is part of the Bachelor's degree course in Environmental Management and Analysis of the Universidade Federal de São Carlos. The projects followed qualitative research methods using the systemic and participatory approach. At the end of the process the farmer answered an evaluation matrix of the projects. Development of the projects was particularly important for the students and for their knowledge on the various topics covered, which also resulted in factual improvement perspectives in the Agricultural Production Unit. Construction of knowledge was participatory and integrated between the students and farmer.

DNA, Drugs, and Detectives: An Interdisciplinary Special Topics Course for Undergraduate Students in Forensic Science

Science.gov (United States)

Coticone, Sulekha Rao; Van Houten, Lora Bailey

2015-01-01

A special topics course combining two relevant and contemporary themes (forensic DNA analysis and illicit drug detection) was developed to stimulate student enthusiasm and enhance understanding of forensic science. Building on the interest of popular television shows such as "CSI" and "Breaking Bad," this course connects…

Under Persistent Assault: Understanding the Factors that Deteriorate Human Skin and Clinical Efficacy of Topical Antioxidants in Treating Aging Skin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricia K. Farris

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Recent studies contend that the skin is subject to far more damage than just ultraviolet (UV light, with infrared radiation and pollution now clearly demonstrated to degrade cutaneous tissue. While consumers continue to strive for new ways to augment the aesthetic appeal and improve the health of their skin, awareness regarding environmental insults and effective ways to protect the skin remains low. New advances in dermatologic science have exponentially increased the available information on the underlying mechanism of cutaneous damage and potential of topical antioxidants to treat aging skin. Combining antioxidants that can work through multiple pathways holds great potential for a cumulative and synergistic way to treat aging skin. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive review on environmental factors that damage human skin, discuss scientifically proven benefits of topical antioxidants, understand challenges of formulating and administering topical antioxidants, evaluate novel mechanisms of antioxidant activity, and suggest practical ways of integrating topical antioxidants with aesthetic procedures to complement clinical outcomes.

Environmental performance report - 1995

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

This first environmental performance report by Hydro-Quebec reviewed achievements in the field of environmental management to the end of 1995, based on guidelines set forth in 1994. Chapter One introduced Hydro-Quebec's main orientation in the field of environment and sustainable development. Chapter Two discussed the advantages of hydropower and the principal environmental issues associated with it. Questions pertaining to power system operation were discussed in Chapter Three, while Chapter Four was devoted to a discussion of achievements associated with sustainable development. Social commitments and environmental research were the topics discussed in Chapters Five and Six. tabs., figs

Natural brain-information interfaces: Recommending information by relevance inferred from human brain signals

Science.gov (United States)

Eugster, Manuel J. A.; Ruotsalo, Tuukka; Spapé, Michiel M.; Barral, Oswald; Ravaja, Niklas; Jacucci, Giulio; Kaski, Samuel

2016-01-01

Finding relevant information from large document collections such as the World Wide Web is a common task in our daily lives. Estimation of a user’s interest or search intention is necessary to recommend and retrieve relevant information from these collections. We introduce a brain-information interface used for recommending information by relevance inferred directly from brain signals. In experiments, participants were asked to read Wikipedia documents about a selection of topics while their EEG was recorded. Based on the prediction of word relevance, the individual’s search intent was modeled and successfully used for retrieving new relevant documents from the whole English Wikipedia corpus. The results show that the users’ interests toward digital content can be modeled from the brain signals evoked by reading. The introduced brain-relevance paradigm enables the recommendation of information without any explicit user interaction and may be applied across diverse information-intensive applications. PMID:27929077

Essays in environmental economics

Science.gov (United States)

Bartz-Marvez, Sherry L.

This body of work contributes to the literature on two current topics in environmental economics: (1) the relationship between economic development and environmental degradation; and (2) the effectiveness of mandatory information disclosure as a regulatory instrument. For the first topic, we link theoretical and empirical Environmental Kuznets Curve research by using calibration and simulation to test a growth model with environmental quality as a normal good and emissions as a factor of production. We use U.S. macroeconomic, emissions and compliance data to calibrate parameters representing preferences for environmental quality and marginal abatement costs. We simulate the model starting from a less-developed initial condition and compare the predicted pollution-income relationship with that in the data. Our results are mixed. Some support exists for the theory that an inverted U-shape results from a corner solution in which less developed countries do not abate pollution. However, pollution peaks at a level of per capita income which is much lower than that observed in the U.S. data. For the second topic, we study the effectiveness of mandatory information disclosure as environmental regulation. Community-right-to-know programs such as the EPA's Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) use mandatory information disclosure to "shame" dirty firms into reducing emissions. The idea is that the public---armed with previously unavailable emissions information---will pressure firms with higher-than-expected emissions to "clean-up." We use the electricity industry to study the impact of price-and-entry deregulation on the effectiveness of the TRI. Using event studies, we find that, on average, utilities experience losses in firm value immediately following TRI announcements. Using panel regressions, we show that toxic emissions released in regulated states are associated with decreases in firm value while those released in deregulated states are associated with increases in firm

Course Descriptions in Environmental Studies Part Two: Interdisciplinary Courses.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunlap, Riley; And Others

1984-01-01

Presents descriptions (syllabi, outlines, goals) of interdisciplinary environmental studies courses. Topic areas of these courses include: environmental sociology; human ecology (politics, institutions, and the environment); humans and the environment in historical perspective; environmental management; humans, hazards, and disasters; and other…

Data on environmentally relevant level of aflatoxin B1-induced human dendritic cells' functional alteration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jalil Mehrzad

2018-06-01

Full Text Available We assessed the effects of naturally occurring levels of AFB1 on the expression of key immune molecules and function of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MDDCs by cell culture, RT-qPCR, and flow cytometry. Data here revealed that an environmentally relevant level of AFB1 led to remarkably weakened key functional capacity of DCs, up-regulation of key transcripts and DCs apoptosis, down-regulation of key phagocytic element, CD64, and creation of pseudolicensing direction of DCs. Flow cytometry data confirmed a damage towards DCs, i.e., increased apoptosis. The detailed data and their mechanistic effects and the outcome are available in this research article (Mehrzad et al., 2018 [1]. The impaired phagocytosis capacity with triggered pseudolicensing direction of MDDCs caused by AFB1 and dysregulation of the key functional genes could provide a mechanistic explanation for the observed in vivo immunotoxicity associated with this mycotoxin. Keywords: AFB1, Apoptosis, AFB1-detoxifying genes, Dendritic cells, Flow cytometry, Functional genes, Immunnoderegulation, Phagocytosis, RT-qPCR

OECD environmental performance reviews: Poland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2003-06-01

The review surveys the environmental conditions and environmental progress of Poland. It found that although most environmental targets were met Poland still faces challenges in complying with EU environmental laws. Topics covered are: environmental management; air, water and waste management; nature and biodiversity; economy and environment; sectoral integration: transport; and international co-operation. Top issues for conformity include pollution prevention, waste water treatment, waste management, biodiversity and landscape conservation, and climate protection. The review outlines 46 recommendations for the country to take in order to improve its environmental situation. Task areas include progressing toward meeting international environmental commitments and integrating environmental considerations in to economic policies through means such as improved rice signals, subsidy removal, and fiscal reforms.

Topical Bixin Confers NRF2-Dependent Protection Against Photodamage and Hair Graying in Mouse Skin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Montserrat Rojo de la Vega

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Environmental exposure to solar ultraviolet (UV radiation causes acute photodamage, premature aging, and skin cancer, attributable to UV-induced genotoxic, oxidative, and inflammatory stress. The transcription factor NRF2 [nuclear factor erythroid 2 (E2-related factor 2] is the master regulator of the cellular antioxidant response protecting skin against various environmental stressors including UV radiation and electrophilic pollutants. NRF2 in epidermal keratinocytes can be activated using natural chemopreventive compounds such as the apocarotenoid bixin, an FDA-approved food additive and cosmetic ingredient from the seeds of the achiote tree (Bixa orellana. Here, we tested the feasibility of topical use of bixin for NRF2-dependent skin photoprotection in two genetically modified mouse models [SKH1 and C57BL/6J (Nrf2+/+ versus Nrf2-/-]. First, we observed that a bixin formulation optimized for topical NRF2 activation suppresses acute UV-induced photodamage in Nrf2+/+ but not Nrf2-/- SKH1 mice, a photoprotective effect indicated by reduced epidermal hyperproliferation and oxidative DNA damage. Secondly, it was demonstrated that topical bixin suppresses PUVA (psoralen + UVA-induced hair graying in Nrf2+/+ but not Nrf2-/- C57BL/6J mice. Collectively, this research provides the first in vivo evidence that topical application of bixin can protect against UV-induced photodamage and PUVA-induced loss of hair pigmentation through NRF2 activation. Topical NRF2 activation using bixin may represent a novel strategy for human skin photoprotection, potentially complementing conventional sunscreen-based approaches.

Topical Bixin Confers NRF2-Dependent Protection Against Photodamage and Hair Graying in Mouse Skin

Science.gov (United States)

Rojo de la Vega, Montserrat; Zhang, Donna D.; Wondrak, Georg T.

2018-01-01

Environmental exposure to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation causes acute photodamage, premature aging, and skin cancer, attributable to UV-induced genotoxic, oxidative, and inflammatory stress. The transcription factor NRF2 [nuclear factor erythroid 2 (E2)-related factor 2] is the master regulator of the cellular antioxidant response protecting skin against various environmental stressors including UV radiation and electrophilic pollutants. NRF2 in epidermal keratinocytes can be activated using natural chemopreventive compounds such as the apocarotenoid bixin, an FDA-approved food additive and cosmetic ingredient from the seeds of the achiote tree (Bixa orellana). Here, we tested the feasibility of topical use of bixin for NRF2-dependent skin photoprotection in two genetically modified mouse models [SKH1 and C57BL/6J (Nrf2+/+ versus Nrf2-/-)]. First, we observed that a bixin formulation optimized for topical NRF2 activation suppresses acute UV-induced photodamage in Nrf2+/+ but not Nrf2-/- SKH1 mice, a photoprotective effect indicated by reduced epidermal hyperproliferation and oxidative DNA damage. Secondly, it was demonstrated that topical bixin suppresses PUVA (psoralen + UVA)-induced hair graying in Nrf2+/+ but not Nrf2-/- C57BL/6J mice. Collectively, this research provides the first in vivo evidence that topical application of bixin can protect against UV-induced photodamage and PUVA-induced loss of hair pigmentation through NRF2 activation. Topical NRF2 activation using bixin may represent a novel strategy for human skin photoprotection, potentially complementing conventional sunscreen-based approaches. PMID:29636694

Spatial decision support for strategic environmental assessment of land use plans. A case study in southern Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geneletti, Davide; Bagli, Stefano; Napolitano, Paola; Pistocchi, Alberto

2007-01-01

This paper presents and discusses the construction of a spatial decision-support tool for the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of a land use plan: the spatial coordination plan of the Province of Naples, in southern Italy. The decision-support tool organises the relevant information, spatially resolves the actions of the plan, predicts their environmental impacts, and generates overall performance maps. Its final goal is to provide a suitable technical support to a formal SEA procedure. The expected implications of the plan, such as changes in land use and traffic flows and urban expansion, were modelled and assessed against a set of environmental criteria using SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis and mapping. It was found that the SWOT analysis provided a good basis for assessment and strategy formulation. The paper also intends to contribute to the topic of data and scale issues in SEA, by exemplifying the role played by spatial data and spatial analyses to support informative SEA

OECD environmental performance reviews: Czech Republic

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2005-10-11

This book presents the results of a peer review of the Czech Republic's environmental policies and programmes. It systematically covers air, water, and waste management; nature and biodiversity management; the environmental/economic interface; the environmental/social interface; and international co-operation. It includes extensive statistical information as well as specific recommendations in each of the topics covered. 7 refs., 34 figs., 34 tabs.

Topical report review status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-08-01

A Topical Report Review Status is scheduled to be published semi-annually. The primary purpose of this document is to provide periodic progress reports of on-going topical report reviews, to identify those topical reports for which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff review has been completed and, to the extent practicable, to provide NRC management with sufficient information regarding the conduct of the topical report program to permit taking whatever actions deemed necessary or appropriate. This document is also intended to be a source of information to NRC Licensing Project Managers and other NRC personnel regarding the status of topical reports which may be referenced in applications for which they have responsibility. This status report is published primarily for internal NRC use in managing the topical report program, but is also used by NRC to advise the industry of report review status

Topical report review status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-01-01

A Topical Report Review Status is scheduled to be published semi-annually. The primary purpose of this document is to provide periodic progress reports of on-going topical report reviews, to identify those topical reports for which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff review has been completed and, to the extent practicable, to provide NRC management with sufficient information regarding the conduct of the topical report program to permit taking whatever actions deemed necessary or appropriate. This document is also intended to be a source of information to NRC Licensing Project Managers and other NRC personnel regarding the status of topical reports which may be referenced in applications for which they have responsibility. This status report is published primarily for internal NRC use in managing the topical report program, but is also used by NRC to advise the industry of report review status

Local Environmental Grassroots Activism: Contributions from Environmental Psychology, Sociology and Politics

Science.gov (United States)

Mihaylov, Nikolay L.; Perkins, Douglas D.

2015-01-01

Local environmental grassroots activism is robust and globally ubiquitous despite the ebbs and flows of the general environmental movement. In this review we synthesize social movement, environmental politics, and environmental psychology literatures to answer the following questions: How does the environment emerge as a topic for community action and how a particular environmental discourse (preservation, conservation, public health, Deep Ecology, justice, localism and other responses to modernization and development) becomes dominant? How does a community coalesce around the environmental issue and its particular framing? What is the relationship between local and supralocal (regional, national, global) activism? We contrast “Not in My Back Yard” (NIMBY) activism and environmental liberation and discuss the significance of local knowledge and scale, nature as an issue for activism, place attachment and its disruption, and place-based power inequalities. Environmental psychology contributions to established scholarship on environmental activism are proposed: the components of place attachment are conceptualized in novel ways and a continuous dweller and activist place attachment is elaborated. PMID:25806672

Local environmental grassroots activism: contributions from environmental psychology, sociology and politics.

Science.gov (United States)

Mihaylov, Nikolay L; Perkins, Douglas D

2015-03-23

Local environmental grassroots activism is robust and globally ubiquitous despite the ebbs and flows of the general environmental movement. In this review we synthesize social movement, environmental politics, and environmental psychology literatures to answer the following questions: How does the environment emerge as a topic for community action and how a particular environmental discourse (preservation, conservation, public health, Deep Ecology, justice, localism and other responses to modernization and development) becomes dominant? How does a community coalesce around the environmental issue and its particular framing? What is the relationship between local and supralocal (regional, national, global) activism? We contrast "Not in My Back Yard" (NIMBY) activism and environmental liberation and discuss the significance of local knowledge and scale, nature as an issue for activism, place attachment and its disruption, and place-based power inequalities. Environmental psychology contributions to established scholarship on environmental activism are proposed: the components of place attachment are conceptualized in novel ways and a continuous dweller and activist place attachment is elaborated.

How Is Buddhism Relevant to Career Counseling in an International High School in Hong Kong? A Counsellor's Reflection

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, Vinci; Yuen, Mantak

2015-01-01

This paper reflects upon the relevance of Buddhism to counselling in general and to career counseling in particular by discussing a program implemented at an international school in Hong Kong. The authors provide an analysis of the pertinent literature related to relevant concepts within Buddhism. This topic has not yet been adequately researched…

Communicative Syllabus Design--The Topic and Task Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Reynolds, Michael J.

An English for Special Purposes (ESP) program, devised for students of the School of Environmental Design at the English Language Centre of King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah, is described. The course is intended to be of direct relevance to students by developing their English language skills and giving them a basic professional vocabulary. A…

75 FR 26647 - Ophthalmic and Topical Dosage Form New Animal Drugs; Ivermectin Topical Solution

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-12

.... FDA-2010-N-0002] Ophthalmic and Topical Dosage Form New Animal Drugs; Ivermectin Topical Solution... are treated with a topical solution of ivermectin. DATES: This rule is effective May 12, 2010. FOR... ANADA 200-340 for PRIVERMECTIN (ivermectin), a topical solution used on cattle to control infestations...

Data analysis and interpretation for environmental surveillance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-06-01

The Data Analysis and Interpretation for Environmental Surveillance Conference was held in Lexington, Kentucky, February 5--7, 1990. The conference was sponsored by what is now the Office of Environmental Compliance and Documentation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Participants included technical professionals from all Martin Marietta Energy Systems facilities, Westinghouse Materials Company of Ohio, Pacific Northwest Laboratory, and several technical support contractors. Presentations at the conference ranged the full spectrum of issues that effect the analysis and interpretation of environmental data. Topics included tracking systems for samples and schedules associated with ongoing programs; coalescing data from a variety of sources and pedigrees into integrated data bases; methods for evaluating the quality of environmental data through empirical estimates of parameters such as charge balance, pH, and specific conductance; statistical applications to the interpretation of environmental information; and uses of environmental information in risk and dose assessments. Hearing about and discussing this wide variety of topics provided an opportunity to capture the subtlety of each discipline and to appreciate the continuity that is required among the disciplines in order to perform high-quality environmental information analysis

77 FR 56840 - Meeting of the Environmental Financial Advisory Board-Public Notice

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-14

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-9727-8] Meeting of the Environmental Financial Advisory Board... meeting. SUMMARY: The United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Environmental Financial... expected on the following topics: Clean air technology; tribal environmental programs; transit-oriented...

Cutaneous effects of topical indomethacin, an inhibitor of prostaglandin synthesis, on uv-damaged skin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Snyder, D.S.

1975-01-01

Topical application of a 2.5 percent indomethacin (IM) solution to the sunburned skin of humans and guinea pigs resulted in a marked decrease in ultraviolet light (UVL)-induced erythema. In humans, a decrease in skin temperature and hyperalgesia to near normal levels was also observed. Epidermal responses to UVL injury such as keratinocyte cell death and altered DNA synthesis proceeded unmodified by IM. Repeated applications of IM in the 48-hr period following UVL exposure did not improve upon the results obtained following a single treatment. Guinea-pig skin provides a relevant model system for evaluating the effects of topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents on sunburn

Behavior toxicity to Caenorhabditis elegans transferred to the progeny after exposure to sulfamethoxazole at environmentally relevant concentrations

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Zhenyang Yu; Lei Jiang; Daqiang Yin

2011-01-01

Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) is one of the most common detected antibiotics in the environment. In order to study whether SMX can affect behavior and growth and whether these effects could be transferred to the progeny, Caenorhabditis elegans was exposed at environmentally relevant concentrations for 24, 48, 72 and 96 hr, respectively. After exposure, the exposed parent generation (Po) was measured for behavior and growth indicators, which were presented as percentage of controls (POC). Then their corresponding unexposed progeny (F1) was separated and measured for the same indicators. The lowest POC for Po after 96 hr-exposure at 100 mg/L were 37.8％, 12.7％, 45.8％ and 70.1％ for body bending frequency (BBF), reversal movement (RM), Omega turns (OT) and body length (BL), respectively. And F1 suffered defects with the lowest POC as 55.8％, 24.1％, 48.5％ and 60.7％ for BBF, RM, OT and BL, respectively. Defects in both Po and F1 showed a time- and concentration-dependent fashion and behavior indicators showed better sensitivity than growth indicator. The observed effects on F1 demonstrated the transferable properties of SMX. Defects of SMX at environmental concentrations suggested that it is necessary to perform further systematical studies on its ecological risk in actual conditions.

Optimizing Health Care Environmental Hygiene.

Science.gov (United States)

Carling, Philip C

2016-09-01

This article presents a review and perspectives on aspects of optimizing health care environmental hygiene. The topics covered include the epidemiology of environmental surface contamination, a discussion of cleaning health care patient area surfaces, an overview of disinfecting health care surfaces, an overview of challenges in monitoring cleaning versus cleanliness, a description of an integrated approach to environmental hygiene and hand hygiene as interrelated disciplines, and an overview of the research opportunities and challenges related to health care environmental hygiene. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Women's Health Topics

Science.gov (United States)

... Information by Audience For Women Women's Health Topics Women's Health Topics Share Tweet Linkedin Pin it More sharing options Linkedin Pin it Email Print National Women's Health Week May 13 - 19, 2018 Join us ...

Machine Learning-Based Classification of 38 Years of Spine-Related Literature Into 100 Research Topics.

Science.gov (United States)

Sing, David C; Metz, Lionel N; Dudli, Stefan

2017-06-01

Retrospective review. To identify the top 100 spine research topics. Recent advances in "machine learning," or computers learning without explicit instructions, have yielded broad technological advances. Topic modeling algorithms can be applied to large volumes of text to discover quantifiable themes and trends. Abstracts were extracted from the National Library of Medicine PubMed database from five prominent peer-reviewed spine journals (European Spine Journal [ESJ], The Spine Journal [SpineJ], Spine, Journal of Spinal Disorders and Techniques [JSDT], Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine [JNS]). Each abstract was entered into a latent Dirichlet allocation model specified to discover 100 topics, resulting in each abstract being assigned a probability of belonging in a topic. Topics were named using the five most frequently appearing terms within that topic. Significance of increasing ("hot") or decreasing ("cold") topic popularity over time was evaluated with simple linear regression. From 1978 to 2015, 25,805 spine-related research articles were extracted and classified into 100 topics. Top two most published topics included "clinical, surgeons, guidelines, information, care" (n = 496 articles) and "pain, back, low, treatment, chronic" (424). Top two hot trends included "disc, cervical, replacement, level, arthroplasty" (+0.05%/yr, P < 0.001), and "minimally, invasive, approach, technique" (+0.05%/yr, P < 0.001). By journal, the most published topics were ESJ-"operative, surgery, postoperative, underwent, preoperative"; SpineJ-"clinical, surgeons, guidelines, information, care"; Spine-"pain, back, low, treatment, chronic"; JNS- "tumor, lesions, rare, present, diagnosis"; JSDT-"cervical, anterior, plate, fusion, ACDF." Topics discovered through latent Dirichlet allocation modeling represent unbiased meaningful themes relevant to spine care. Topic dynamics can provide historical context and direction for future research for aspiring investigators and trainees

Environmental law

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kloepfer, M.

1989-01-01

This comprehensive reference book on environmental law and practice also is a valuable textbook for students specializing in the field. The entire law on pollution control and environmental protection is presented in an intelligent system, covering the latest developments in the Federal and Land legislation, public environmental law, and the related provisions in the fields of civil law and criminal law. The national survey is rounded up by information concerning the international environmental law, environmental law of the European Communities, and of other foreign countries as e.g. Austria and Switzerland. The author also reviews conditions in neighbouring fields such as technology and labour law, environmental economy, environmental policy. Special attention is given to current topics, as e.g. relating to genetic engineering, disused landfills or industrial sites, soil protection, transport of hazardous goods, liability for damage to forests, atomic energy law, and radiation protection law. The latest publishing dates of literature and court decisions considered in the book are in the first months of 1989. (RST) [de

A Collaborative Effort to Assess Environmental Health in ...

Science.gov (United States)

The Region 3 “Making a Visible Difference in Communities” (MVD) initiative for Southeast Newport News, VA has taken a community-centric, place-based approach to identifying and delivering service to the area’s residents and the city as a whole. Beginning with a CARE (Community Action for a Renewed Environment) Level 1 cooperative agreement (a grant with substantial government involvement and required outputs) in 2011, Region 3 funding helped to establish the Southeast CARE Coalition (“the Coalition”), and quickly formed a bond with the organization. Two years later, Region 3, the US EPA Office of Research and Development (ORD) and the Coalition embarked on a scientific, socio-demographic Regional Sustainable Environmental Science (RESES) research project to assess local pollutant sources and their potential impacts to the community. These efforts helped EPA select Newport News as an MVD community, resulting in an expanded partnership that now includes the City of Newport News. Through this association and the MVD designation, the partners have identified and prioritized environmental and other concerns (e.g., improving air and water quality, adapting to extreme weather, promoting equitable development, improving transportation). Newport News has recently held workshops and training on topics such as environmental health, asthma, weather events, and equitable development, and continues to improve the community’s health, its knowledge of the relevant e

76 FR 17118 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board Chairs

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-28

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board Chairs AGENCY... Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB) Chairs. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub... areas of environmental restoration, waste management, and related activities. Tentative Agenda Topics...

76 FR 62054 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board Chairs

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-06

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board Chairs AGENCY... of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB) Chairs. The Federal Advisory... environmental restoration, waste management, and related activities. Tentative Agenda Topics [cir] EM Program...

Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site environmental report summary for 1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-09-01

This document presents a summary of the information collected for the Oak Ridge Reservation 1994 site environmental report. Topics discussed include: Oak Ridge Reservation mission; ecology; environmental laws; community participation; environmental restoration; waste management; radiation effects; chemical effects; risk to public; environmental monitoring; and radionuclide migration

Topics in radiation at accelerators: Radiation physics for personnel and environmental protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cossairt, J.D.

1996-10-01

In the first chapter, terminology, physical and radiological quantities, and units of measurement used to describe the properties of accelerator radiation fields are reviewed. The general considerations of primary radiation fields pertinent to accelerators are discussed. The primary radiation fields produced by electron beams are described qualitatively and quantitatively. In the same manner the primary radiation fields produced by proton and ion beams are described. Subsequent chapters describe: shielding of electrons and photons at accelerators; shielding of proton and ion accelerators; low energy prompt radiation phenomena; induced radioactivity at accelerators; topics in radiation protection instrumentation at accelerators; and accelerator radiation protection program elements

Topical Vitamin C and the Skin: Mechanisms of Action and Clinical Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Niaimi, Firas; Chiang, Nicole Yi Zhen

2017-07-01

OBJECTIVE: This review article details the main mechanisms of action and clinical applications of topical vitamin C on the skin, including its antioxidative, photoprotective, antiaging, and antipigmentary effects. DESIGN: A PubMed search for the relevant articles on vitamin C and the skin was conducted using the following key words: "vitamin C," "ascorbic acid," "ascorbyl-6-palmitate,"and "magnesium ascorbyl phosphate." RESULTS: As one of the most powerful antioxidants in the skin, vitamin C has been shown to protect against photoaging, ultraviolet-induced immunosuppression, and photocarcinogenesis. It also has an antiaging effect by increasing collagen synthesis, stabilizing collagen fibers, and decreasing collagen degradation. It decreases melanin formation, thereby reducing pigmentation. Vitamin C is the primary replenisher of vitamin E and works synergistically with vitamin E in the protection against oxidative damage. CONCLUSION: Topical vitamin C has a wide range of clinical applications, from antiaging and antipigmentary to photoprotective. Currently, clinical studies on the efficacy of topical formulations of vitamin C remain limited, and the challenge lies in finding the most stable and permeable formulation in achieving the optimal results.

Assessment of health status of oysters (Crassostreagigas) exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of Ag and Cu in brackish waters

Science.gov (United States)

Rementeria, Ane; Mikolaczyk, Mathilde; Peña, Ainhize; Lanceleur, Laurent; Blanc, Gérard; Soto, Manu; Schäfer, Jörg; Zaldibar, Beñat

2017-12-01

Human activities have altered estuarine environments leading to increased presence of different pollutants including metals. Although the implementation of new environmental policies has caused a considerable decrease in trace metal concentrations in estuaries around the Bay of Biscay, some elements such as copper (Cu) and silver (Ag) are still present in relatively high concentrations. Oysters have been widely used in environmental biomonitoring programs as sentinel organisms. Oysters Crassostrea gigas from an uncontaminated estuary were exposed to sublethal, environmentally relevant concentrations of Cu (2000 ng Cu/L) and Ag (500 ng Ag/L) during 14 days in brackish water (S = 18). A battery of cell and tissue level (exposure) biomarkers at different levels of biological complexity was applied and integrated into the Integrative Biological Response (IBR) index including: metallothionein contents, intralysosomal metal accumulation, digestive gland atrophy and digestive gland tissue integrity. Condition Index (CI) was incorporated into the IBR index as a complementary parameter that reflects the general physiological condition of oysters (organism level). Results indicated an increase in intralysosomal metal accumulation after 7 and 14 days of exposure to Ag together with an increase in the digestive epithelium atrophy and lipofuscin content after 7 days of exposure to Ag. The responses detected with the aid of biomarkers integrated in the IBR index showed higher toxicity in oysters exposed to Ag, inducing the clear onset of detoxification processes which also occurred, to a lower extent, in Cu-exposed oysters.

Developments in entanglement theory and applications to relevant physical systems

OpenAIRE

Lamata Manuel, Lucas

2007-01-01

This Thesis is devoted to the analysis of entanglement in relevant physical systems. Entanglement is the conducting theme of this research, though I do not dedicate to a single topic, but consider a wide scope of physical situations. I have followed mainly three lines of research for this Thesis, with a series of different works each, which are, Entanglement and Relativistic Quantum Theory, Continuous-variable entanglement, and Multipartite entanglement.

Global Environmental Leadership and Sustainability: High School Students Teaching Environmental Science to Policymakers

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, S.; Tamsitt, V. M.

2016-02-01

A two week high school course for high-achieving 10th-12th graders was developed through the combined efforts of Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) Graduate Students and UC San Diego Academic Connections. For the high school students involved, one week was spent at SIO learning basic climate science and researching climate-related topics, and one week was spent in Washington D.C. lobbying Congress for an environmental issue of their choosing. The specific learning goals of the course were for students to (1) collect, analyze and interpret scientific data, (2) synthesize scientific research for policy recommendations, (3) craft and deliver a compelling policy message, and (4) understand and experience change. In this first year, 10 students conducted research on two scientific topics; sea level rise using pier temperature data and California rainfall statistics using weather stations. Simultaneous lessons on policy messaging helped students learn how to focus scientific information for non-scientists. In combining the importance of statistics from their Science lessons with effective communication from their Policy lessons, the students developed issue papers which highlighted an environmental problem, the solution, and the reason their solution is most effective. The course culminated in two days of meetings on Capitol Hill, where they presented their solutions to their Congressional and Senate Members, conversed with policymakers, and received constructive feedback. Throughout the process, the students effectively defined arguments for an environmental topic in a program developed by SIO Graduate Students.

Bibliometric trends of South African environmental health articles ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Web of Science, PubMed and Science Direct were used to search for original, ... environmental health lifestyle and behaviour-related topics (n=42) and then water ... This makes it extremely difficult for environmental health research to be ...

2nd Topical Workshop on Laser Technology and Optics Design

CERN Document Server

2013-01-01

Lasers have a variety of applications in particle accelerator operation and will play a key role in the development of future particle accelerators by improving the generation of high brightness electron and exotic ion beams and through increasing the acceleration gradient. Lasers will also make an increasingly important contribution to the characterization of many complex particle beams by means of laser-based beam diagnostics methods. The second LANET topical workshop will address the key aspects of laser technology and optics design relevant to laser application to accelerators. The workshop will cover general optics design, provide an overview of different laser sources and discuss methods to characterize beams in details. Participants will be able to choose from a range of topical areas that go deeper in more specific aspects including tuneable lasers, design of transfer lines, noise sources and their elimination and non-linear optics effects. The format of the workshop will be mainly training-based wit...

Emergency planning and management in health care: priority research topics.

Science.gov (United States)

Boyd, Alan; Chambers, Naomi; French, Simon; Shaw, Duncan; King, Russell; Whitehead, Alison

2014-06-01

Many major incidents have significant impacts on people's health, placing additional demands on health-care organisations. The main aim of this paper is to suggest a prioritised agenda for organisational and management research on emergency planning and management relevant to U.K. health care, based on a scoping study. A secondary aim is to enhance knowledge and understanding of health-care emergency planning among the wider research community, by highlighting key issues and perspectives on the subject and presenting a conceptual model. The study findings have much in common with those of previous U.S.-focused scoping reviews, and with a recent U.K.-based review, confirming the relative paucity of U.K.-based research. No individual research topic scored highly on all of the key measures identified, with communities and organisations appearing to differ about which topics are the most important. Four broad research priorities are suggested: the affected public; inter- and intra-organisational collaboration; preparing responders and their organisations; and prioritisation and decision making.

American Chemical Society, Division of Environmental Chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1991-01-01

Separate abstracts were prepared for 161 papers of this divisional meeting for the US Department of Energy's Database. Main topics discussed included: acid rain mitigation - liming technologies and environmental considerations; biotechnology for wastewater treatment; environmental chemistry of lakes and reservoirs and pollution prevention and process analytical chemistry

Exploring the Effects of Specific, Hands-On Interventions, on Environmental Science Topics in Teacher Education Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Bullock, S. M.; Hayhoe, D.

2012-12-01

With increased concern over the environment, all Ontario students now study soils, energy conservation, water systems, and climate change & the greenhouse effect in Grades 3, 5, 7, 8 and 10. Unfortunately, many prospective teachers at the elementary and intermediate levels come to teacher education programs with little or no formal science education beyond their own experiences as students in the K-12 system. We devised a series of concept tests (some binary choice, some multiple choice) designed to assess teacher candidates' conceptual understandings of soils, energy, water systems, and climate change and the greenhouse effect - the very content they are expected to teach their future students in the school system. We administered a pre-test to our students at two institutions to establish a baseline of their understanding. Then, we specifically devoted class time to exploring each of these themes in our science curriculum methods courses in order using research-based principles of teaching devoted to promoting conceptual change through the use of hands-on, inquiry approaches in science. After a few months had passed, we again administered the same tests to teacher candidates to measure candidates' conceptual gain. Some teacher candidates also participated in follow-up focus group interviews so that they could have the opportunity to articulate their understandings of concepts in environmental science using their own words. In this poster we will report on data collected for this project over the past two academic years. We have reached two broad conclusions. First, teacher candidates know a considerable amount about the four environmental topics that were selected, despite the fact that most participants in the research did not have post-secondary training in science. For example, participants tended to know that planting different crops on the soil in different years helps to maintain fertile soils and that warmer oceans will cause an increase in the severity of

Information retrieval for systematic reviews in food and feed topics: A narrative review.

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, Hannah; O'Connor, Annette; Sargeant, Jan; Glanville, Julie

2018-01-09

Systematic review methods are now being used for reviews of food production, food safety and security, plant health, and animal health and welfare. Information retrieval methods in this context have been informed by human health-care approaches and ideally should be based on relevant research and experience. This narrative review seeks to identify and summarize current research-based evidence and experience on information retrieval for systematic reviews in food and feed topics. MEDLINE (Ovid), Science Citation Index (Web of Science), and ScienceDirect (http://www.sciencedirect.com/) were searched in 2012 and 2016. We also contacted topic experts and undertook citation searches. We selected and summarized studies reporting research on information retrieval, as well as published guidance and experience. There is little published evidence on the most efficient way to conduct searches for food and feed topics. There are few available study design search filters, and their use may be problematic given poor or inconsistent reporting of study methods. Food and feed research makes use of a wide range of study designs so it might be best to focus strategy development on capturing study populations, although this also has challenges. There is limited guidance on which resources should be searched and whether publication bias in disciplines relevant to food and feed necessitates extensive searching of the gray literature. There is some limited evidence on information retrieval approaches, but more research is required to inform effective and efficient approaches to searching to populate food and feed reviews. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Annual site environmental report of the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schleimer, G.E.; Pauer, R.O.

1991-05-01

The Environmental Monitoring Program of the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory is described. Data for 1990 are presented, and general trends are discussed. The report is organized under the following topics: Environmental Program Overview; Environmental Permits; Environmental Assessments; Environmental Activities; Penetrating Radiation; Airborne Radionuclides; Waterborne Radionuclides; Public Doses Resulting from LBL Operations; Trends -- LBL Environmental Impact; Waterborne Pollutants; Airborne Pollutants; Groundwater Protection; and Quality Assurance. 20 refs., 26 figs., 23 tabs

PROTECTION OF PUBLIC INTEREST GUARANTEED BY ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTION AND RELEVANT INSTITUTIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ulsi Manja

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Albania's natural environment and resources are vital to its economic success and the health and well-being of its citizens. Environmental crime threatens resources on which it is heavily dependent on the pillars of the Albanian economy and acts as a major obstacle and obstacle as Albania moves towards an efficient economy with resources, employment and safe growth. The greatest challenges in today's environment do not conspire in natural disasters, but in the grave, immoral and inexperienced behavior of man to the environment and its elements. Impotence is another important element of this story that is killing us every day, though it does not seem to touch us with any expected tree, no bird that no longer has to stand, no fish that took the river's river hydroelectric power plant.... Inspection in particular, is an important part of environmental protection, because in my view it is the key to everything, based on the ever-popular popular expression "fear preserves the vineyard". The impotence of environmental crime is one of the most important advantages and methods for preserving environmental elements. Inspection in the entirety of many advantages in other instrument reports as a previously studied, well-defined, non-corroborated inspection is efficient both for the environment and economic efficiency, as it affects the ability to increase revenue publicity, transparency, flexibility, etc. Inspection today is considered to be the only pathway that affects law enforcement by all actors set out in it. It is the only tool that, having the authority to take administrative or criminal measures, directly affects the work and life of the objects subject to inspection. In this context, inspection has been successfully used to address a wide range of environmental crime, including waste disposal, water pollution and air emissions.

Introduction to environmental science. Second edition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moran, J.M.; Morgan, M.D.; Wiersma, J.H.

1986-01-01

This book presents an overview of today's major environmental issues. It is organized into three parts - Part I: Concepts of Ecology; Part II: Environmental Quality and Management; and Part III: Fundamental Problems: Population, Food, and Energy. The complex issue of acid rain is only briefly discussed. The economic aspects of environmental regulation are covered where they are applicable. The breadth of the topics covered also leads to some omissions. However, in general, environmental issues seem to be treated objectively in this volume.

Environmental radiation studies relevant to thermoluminescence dating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murray, A.S.; Bowman, S.G.E.; Aitken, M.J.

1980-01-01

To determine the age of a potsherd by the thermoluminescence (TL) technique, one must have an accurate knowledge of the cosmic and environmental gamma dose rate in quartz. This is obtained by leaving a sensitive TL dosimeter buried as near as possible to the position from which the sherd was removed. The ratios of the response of a quartz-like dosimeter to those of CaF 2 and LiF have been measured. This experiment used a 1-m cube of concrete containing 3000 ppM of uranium and its daughters. Smaller, less active matrixes of 40 K and thorium and its daughters have also been constructed. A means of making direct dose-rate determinations when the site context remains but burial of a dosimeter is impractical was developed using a NaI(Tl) system. The equipment was field tested on approx. 40 Peruvian archaeological sites, and results are compared with CaF 2 measurements

The hazard assessment of nanostructured CeO{sub 2}-based mixed oxides on the zebrafish Danio rerio under environmentally relevant UV-A exposure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jemec, Anita, E-mail: anita.jemec@bf.uni-lj.si [National Institute of Chemistry, Laboratory for Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1001 Ljubljana (Slovenia); University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology, Večna pot 111, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Djinović, Petar; Črnivec, Ilja Gasan Osojnik; Pintar, Albin [National Institute of Chemistry, Laboratory for Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1001 Ljubljana (Slovenia)

2015-02-15

The effect of nanomaterials on biota under realistic environmental conditions is an important question. However, there is still a lack of knowledge on how different illumination conditions alter the toxicity of some photocatalytic nanomaterials. We have investigated how environmentally relevant UV-A exposure (intensity 8.50 ± 0.61 W/m{sup 2}, exposure dose 9.0 J/cm{sup 2}) affected the toxicity of cerium oxide (CeO{sub 2})-based nanostructured materials to the early-life stages of zebrafish Danio rerio. Pure cerium oxide (CeO{sub 2}), copper–cerium (CuO–CeO{sub 2}) (with a nominal 10, 15 and 20 mol.% CuO content), cerium–zirconium (CeO{sub 2}–ZrO{sub 2}) and nickel and cobalt (Ni–Co) deposited over CeO{sub 2}–ZrO{sub 2} were tested. It was found that under both illumination regimes, none of the tested materials affected the normal development or induced mortality of zebrafish early-life stages up to 100 mg/L. Only in the case of CuO–CeO{sub 2}, the growth of larvae was decreased (96 h LOEC values for CuCe10, CuCe15 and CuCe20 were 50, 50 and 10 mg/L, respectively). To conclude, CeO{sub 2}-based nanostructured materials are not severely toxic to zebrafish and environmentally relevant UV-A exposure does not enhance their toxicity. - Highlights: • CeO{sub 2}–ZrO{sub 2} nanomaterials and pure CeO{sub 2} (up to 100 mg/L) were not harmful to zebrafish. • Only CuO modified CeO{sub 2} affected the growth of zebrafish larvae. • UV-A radiation did not enhance the toxicity of tested nanomaterials.

Environmental radiation standards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kocher, D.C.

1987-01-01

This document contains an outline of an oral presentation on environmental radiation standards presented to the American Nuclear Societies' Topical Conference on Population Exposure from the Nuclear Fuel Cycle. The paper contains several definitions, a summary of current radiation exposure limits; and numerous proposed changes to current standards. 7 figs

The Impact of Environmental Design on Teamwork and Communication in Healthcare Facilities: A Systematic Literature Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Gharaveis, Arsalan; Hamilton, D Kirk; Pati, Debajyoti

2018-01-01

The purpose of this systematic review is to investigate the current knowledge about the impact of healthcare facility design on teamwork and communication by exploring the relevant literature. Teamwork and communication are behavioral factors that are impacted by physical design. However, the effects of environmental factors on teamwork and communication have not been investigated extensively in healthcare design literature. There are no published systematic reviews on the current topic. Searches were conducted in PubMed and Google Scholar databases in addition to targeted design journals including Health Environmental Research & Design, Environment and Behavior, Environmental Psychology, and Applied Ergonomics. Inclusion criteria were (a) full-text English language articles related to teamwork and communication and (b) involving any healthcare built environment and space design published in peer-reviewed journals between 1984 and 2017. Studies were extracted using defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. In the first phase, 26 of the 195 articles most relevant to teamwork and 19 studies of the 147 were identified and reviewed to understand the impact of communication in healthcare facilities. The literature regarding the impact of built environment on teamwork and communication were reviewed and explored in detail. Eighteen studies were selected and succinctly summarized as the final product of this review. Environmental design, which involves nurses, support staff, and physicians, is one of the critical factors that promotes the efficiency of teamwork and collaborative communication. Layout design, visibility, and accessibility levels are the most cited aspects of design which can affect the level of communication and teamwork in healthcare facilities.

Environmental indicators for buildings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dammann, Sven

Environmental Indicators for Buildings are studied using two different perspectives: with a technological, environmental scientific departing point and with a social scientific departing point. Different relevant groups in the building sector are identified and analysed, using the Social...

The principle of environmental compatible energy supply in energy law characteristics and environmental (energy) legal connections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stecher, Michaela

2015-01-01

The course of the investigation follows the path of the electric power. Considered are the electricity industry value-added stages with their environmental impact and their relevant legal regulations. The focus in each case are the environmentally relevant legal rules of EnWG, whose own contributions are examined for environmental objective as well as the interaction with other legislation. First, the value chain of the supply or production of primary energy sources is considered closer. Second, the conversion of primary energy sources in electricity is to take in the view. The conversion plant depending on widely varying environmental impacts and the relevant legal instruments are shown. Thirdly comes the electricity downstream value-added level of network operations, through which the electric power is transmitted and distributed. In the fourth stage, the effect of support of the legal requirements for the storage of electricity is considered. Fifth value chain is the distribution, through which the direct relationship between suppliers and customers is organized. [de

Environmental physics

CERN Document Server

Smith, Clare

2001-01-01

Environmental Physics is a comprehensive introduction to the physical concepts underlying environmental science. The importance and relevance of physics is emphasised by its application to real environmental problems with a wide range of case studies. Applications included cover energy use and production, global climate, the physics of living things, radioactivity, environmental remote sensing, noise pollution and the physics of the Earth. The book makes the subject accessible to those with little physics background, keeping mathematical treatment straightforward. The text is lively and informative, and is supplemented by numerous illustrations, photos, tables of useful data, and a glossary of key terms.

Environmental assessment of lightweight electric vehicles

CERN Document Server

Egede, Patricia

2017-01-01

This monograph adresses the challenge of the environmental assessment of leightweight electric vehicles. It poses the question whether the use of lightweight materials in electric vehicles can reduce the vehicles’ environmental impact and compares the environmental performance of a lightweight electric vehicle (LEV) to other types of vehicles. The topical approach focuses on methods from life cycle assessment (LCA), and the book concludes with a comprehensive concept on the environmental assessment of LEVs. The target audience primarily comprises LCA practitioners from research institutes and industry, but it may also be beneficial for graduate students specializing in the field of environmental assessment.

Environmental juridical aspects of the mining legislation in Colombia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rojas Florez, Maria Teresa

2004-01-01

From the international context at the regional level, the mining activity in Colombia is subject to the execution of norms of environmental character or environmental miner that define it in some way. This norma has suffered important transformations determined by the fundamental juridical changes that especially in the last ten years they have been given so much in the environmental sector as the mining sector, as well as for the jurisprudence especially of the constitutional court on these matters. These aspects were in their majority, analyzed in a combined way for the mining and environmental authorities, in the juridical forum of the environmental national system in that the proposal of the CDMB, Corantioquia and Corpouraba, it approaches this like discussion topic, likewise the technical documents that supported the expedition of the environmental guides miner, were fed by the combined work of mining and environmental authorities. These confluence points should be fundamentally disclosed and well-known inside the mining sector as of the environmental sector in order to that, not only has clear which is at the moment the environmental mining norma effective, but rather it is also had the necessary tools to give to this normative, the interpretation and appropriate application. The different implications that it introduced the law 685 of 2001 in environmental matter, will be analyzed by the light of the jurisprudence and the new norms settled down in environmental matter, such as the Sentences C-431 2000, C-336 2000, C-339 2002 and the Ordinances 2390 of 2002, 2653 of 2003, 1180 of 2003, among other, especially in connection with topics as the contents in the Chapter III of the Law 685 of 2001 reserved, excluded and restricted areas, the topic of the environmental licenses and that of the legalization of the mining in fact, making a priori in this analysis an evaluation from the point of view of the environmental authority in connection with the efficiency and

Programmatic Environmental Scans: A Survey Based on Program Planning and Evaluation Concepts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Donna J. Peterson

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Within Extension, environmental scans are most commonly used to assess community or organizational issues or for strategic planning purposes. However, Extension has expanded the use of environmental scans to systematically identify “what programs exist” on a given topic or focus area. Yet, despite recent attention to the topic of environmental scanning in Extension, survey instruments used to conduct environmental scans have not been published. Given the emphasis on implementation of evidence-based practices and programs, having a ready-made survey that can be used to identify programs on a specific topic and that could subsequently lead to an evaluability assessment of those programs would be a useful resource. To encourage the use of environmental scans to identify existing evidence-based programs, this article describes a survey instrument developed for the purpose of scanning for 4-H Healthy Living programs ready for rigorous outcome evaluation and/or national replication. It focuses on the rationale for survey items, as well as provides a summary and definition of those items. The survey tool can be easily adapted for future programmatic environmental scans both within and outside Extension.

Food and environmental protection newsletter. V. 1, no. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-03-01

The news letter reports workshops and training events in the areas of food irradiation, environmental impacts of pesticides; radionuclide migration and related topics. It also describes existing and future coordinated research programs in food and environmental protection

Food and environmental protection newsletter. V. 1, no. 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-03-01

The news letter reports workshops and training events in the areas of food irradiation, environmental impacts of pesticides; radionuclide migration and related topics. It also describes existing and future coordinated research programs in food and environmental protection.

E-Alerts: Environmental pollution and control. E-mail newsletter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-04-01

Topics of discussion the following: Air Pollution and Control; Noise Pollution and Control; Solid Wastes Pollution and Control; Water Pollution and Control; Pesticides Pollution and Control; Radiation Pollution and Control; Environmental Health and Safety; Environmental Impact Statements.

Environmental chemistry. Seventh edition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Manahan, S.E. [Univ. of Missouri, Columbia, MO (United States)

1999-11-01

This book presents a basic understanding of environmental chemistry and its applications. In addition to providing updated materials in this field, the book emphasizes the major concepts essential to the practice of environmental chemistry. Topics of discussion include the following: toxicological chemistry; toxicological chemistry of chemical substances; chemical analysis of water and wastewater; chemical analysis of wastes and solids; air and gas analysis; chemical analysis of biological materials and xenobiotics; fundamentals of chemistry; and fundamentals of organic chemistry.

Investigation of Environmental Topics in the Science and Technology Curriculum and Textbooks in Terms of Environmental Ethics and Aesthetics

Science.gov (United States)

Lacin Simsek, Canan

2011-01-01

In order to solve environmental problems, it is thought that education should be connected with values. For this reason, it is emphasized that environmental issues should be integrated with ethical and aesthetic values. In this study, 6th, 7th and 8th grade science and technology curriculum and textbooks were investigated to find out how much…

Environmental management the supply chain perspective

CERN Document Server

Wong, Christina W Y; Lun, Y H Venus; Cheng, T C E

2015-01-01

In view of the increasing quest for environmental management in businesses, this book provides a good reference to firms to understand how they may manage their supply chains to improve business and environmental performance. The book consists of six chapters covering such topics as environmental management, environmental management practices with supply chain efforts, collaborative environmental management, organizational capabilities in environmental management, environmental disclosure, and closed-loop supply chains. The book presents theory-driven discussions on the link between environmental management and business performance in the context of supply chain management. The book will be useful for firms to learn from the research findings and real-life cases to develop plans to implement environmental management practices jointly with supply chain partners.

Optimisation of quality in environmental education by means of software support

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katarína Čekanová

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The main topic of this article is based on the fact that environmental education and edification have got an irreplaceable and preferred position within the framework of a sustainable socio-economic development. Environmental education, which is performed at technical universities, has to offer professional and methodical knowledge concerning questions of environment for students of various technical branches. This education is performed in such way that the graduates, after entering the practical professional life, will be able to participate in solutions to the new actual problems that are related to environment and its protection, as well. Nowadays, during the educational proces it is also necessary to introduce technical development in a more extended rate. Taking into consideration the above-mentioned facts it is possible to say that the educational support for environmental studies is a relevant aspect, which should be integrated into the university educational process. It is a positive development trend that greater emphasis is focused on the quality of university education for the environmental engineers. Our society requires an increasing number of environmentally educated engineers who are able to participate in qualitative academic preparation, i.e. the so-called environmentalists. But the worldwide phenomena of technical development and globalisation also pose high claims for quality of their preparations including devices and computers skills. The Department of Process and Environmental Engineering at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technical University in Košice, the Slovak Republic is the institution specified and intended for quality optimisation. This Department introduced into the study programmes (“Environmental Management” and “Technology of Environmental Protection” study subjects with software support, which are oriented towards the indoor and outdoor environment and in this way the Department of Process and

Monitoring fate and behaviour of Nanoceria under relevant environmental conditions

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Tancu, Y

2014-11-01

Full Text Available ). The results revealed significant tendency of nCeO¬2 to undergo aggregation, agglomeration and certain degree of deagglomeration processes under different environmental conditions. Moreover, the findings suggested that both electrostatic and steric interactions...

Social and individual determinants of car use. Application of the model Determinants of environmentally-relevant consumer behavior; Maatschappelijke en individuele determinanten van autogebruik. Toepassing van het model Determinanten van milieurelevant consumentengedrag

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steg, L.; Arnold, M.; Ras, M.; Van Velzen, E.

1997-11-01

It is increasingly recognised that environmental problems are largely due to the behaviour of individual consumers and that one way of tackling those problems therefore consists of a change in behaviour. A good diagnosis based on a clear model is indispensable for an effective change in behaviour. For this reason the SCP has developed a conceptual model entitled Determinants of environmentally-relevant consumer behaviour (Dutch abbreviation is DMCG). This is a diagnostic model for the systematic analysis of relevant factors determining environmental behaviour. The diagnosis relates not just to the current situation but also to the historical developments that have led up to that situation as well as expectations concerning future developments in behaviour. A detailed diagnosis of this kind provides insight into the way in which environmentally behaviour can be influenced: policy instruments will be more effective and efficient the more they are geared to significant determinants of behaviour. The DMCG model has been used in this survey to explain the use of cars. The purpose of the study is to investigate the possibilities and limitations of the DMCG model. A second objective is to identify the factors that influence (or have influenced) the increasing use of cars. 88 refs.

Study programme on safety for environmental radioactivity during the period from 1986 to 1990

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-01-01

The study programme is divided into four topics. The first topic is a study on environmental doses, which was designed to identify levels of radioactivity, and characteristics and behavior of radiation sources in the ambient air, and to elucidate population dose estimates. The second topic concerning biological effects of radiation focusses on the elucidation for mechanism whereby radiation acts on the living body, for effects of low dose radiation using experimental animals, and for radiation effects on the human body using epidemiological approaches. The aim of the third topic is to study incorporation of alpha radiators, including transuranic elements, and tritium in the human body. The last topic is the safety evaluation, for which it is required to establish methods of evaluating human risk of environmental radiation and to prepare data base. An outline of these topics is given. (Namekawa, K.)

The Green Pages: Environmental Education Activities K-12.

Science.gov (United States)

Clearing, 1990

1990-01-01

Presented are 37 environmental science activities for students in grades K-12. Topics include water pollution, glaciers, protective coloration, shapes in nature, environmental impacts, recycling, creative writing, litter, shapes found in nature, color, rain cycle, waste management, plastics, energy, pH, landfills, runoff, watersheds,…

Searchers' relevance judgments and criteria in evaluating Web pages in a learning style perspective

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Papaeconomou, Chariste; Zijlema, Annemarie F.; Ingwersen, Peter

2008-01-01

The paper presents the results of a case study of searcher's relevance criteria used for assessments of Web pages in a perspective of learning style. 15 test persons participated in the experiments based on two simulated work tasks that provided cover stories to trigger their information needs. Two...... learning styles were examined: Global and Sequential learners. The study applied eye-tracking for the observation of relevance hot spots on Web pages, learning style index analysis and post-search interviews to gain more in-depth information on relevance behavior. Findings reveal that with respect to use......, they are statistically insignificant. When interviewed in retrospective the resulting profiles tend to become even similar across learning styles but a shift occurs from instant assessments with content features of web pages replacing topicality judgments as predominant relevance criteria....

Dressings and topical agents for preventing pressure ulcers.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Zena E H; Webster, Joan

2013-08-18

Pressure ulcers, which are localised injury to the skin, or underlying tissue or both, occur when people are unable to reposition themselves to relieve pressure on bony prominences. Pressure ulcers are often difficult to heal, painful and impact negatively on the individual's quality of life. The cost implications of pressure ulcer treatment are considerable, compounding the challenges in providing cost effective, efficient health services. Efforts to prevent the development of pressure ulcers have focused on nutritional support, pressure redistributing devices, turning regimes and the application of various topical agents and dressings designed to maintain healthy skin, relieve pressure and prevent shearing forces. Although products aimed at preventing pressure ulcers are widely used, it remains unclear which, if any, of these approaches are effective in preventing the development of pressure ulcers. To evaluate the effects of dressings and topical agents on the prevention of pressure ulcers, in people of any age without existing pressure ulcers, but considered to be at risk of developing a pressure ulcer, in any healthcare setting. In February 2013 we searched the following electronic databases to identify reports of relevant randomised clinical trials (RCTs): the Cochrane Wounds Group Specialised Register; the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library); Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (The Cochrane Library); Ovid MEDLINE; Ovid MEDLINE (In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations); Ovid EMBASE; and EBSCO CINAHL. We included RCTs evaluating the use of dressings, topical agents, or topical agents with dressings, compared with a different dressing, topical agent, or combined topical agent and dressing, or no intervention or standard care, with the aim of preventing the development of a pressure ulcer. We assessed trials for their appropriateness for inclusion and for their risk of bias. This was done by two review

A Summary of Fault Recurrence and Strain Rates in the Vicinity of the Hanford Site--Topical Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bjornstad, Bruce N.; Winsor, Kelsey; Unwin, Stephen D.

2012-08-01

This document is one in a series of topical reports compiled by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to summarize technical information on selected topics important to the performance of a probabilistic seismic hazard analysis of the Hanford Site. The purpose of this report is to summarize available data and analyses relevant to fault recurrence and strain rates within the Yakima Fold Belt. Strain rates have met with contention in the expert community and may have a significant potential for impact on the seismic hazard estimate at the Hanford Site. This report identifies the alternative conceptual models relevant to this technical issue and the arguments and data that support those models. It provides a brief description of the technical issue and principal uncertainties; a general overview on the nature of the technical issue, along with alternative conceptual models, supporting arguments and information, and uncertainties; and finally, suggests some prospective approaches to reducing uncertainties about earthquake recurrence rates for the Yakima Fold Belt.

Incorporating Topic Assignment Constraint and Topic Correlation Limitation into Clinical Goal Discovering for Clinical Pathway Mining

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiao Xu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Clinical pathways are widely used around the world for providing quality medical treatment and controlling healthcare cost. However, the expert-designed clinical pathways can hardly deal with the variances among hospitals and patients. It calls for more dynamic and adaptive process, which is derived from various clinical data. Topic-based clinical pathway mining is an effective approach to discover a concise process model. Through this approach, the latent topics found by latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA represent the clinical goals. And process mining methods are used to extract the temporal relations between these topics. However, the topic quality is usually not desirable due to the low performance of the LDA in clinical data. In this paper, we incorporate topic assignment constraint and topic correlation limitation into the LDA to enhance the ability of discovering high-quality topics. Two real-world datasets are used to evaluate the proposed method. The results show that the topics discovered by our method are with higher coherence, informativeness, and coverage than the original LDA. These quality topics are suitable to represent the clinical goals. Also, we illustrate that our method is effective in generating a comprehensive topic-based clinical pathway model.

Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico 1994 site environmental report. Summary pamphlet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

This document presents details of the environmental activities that occurred during 1994 at Sandia National Laboratories. Topics include: Background about Sandia; radiation facts; sources of radiation; environmental monitoring; discussion of radiation detectors; radioactive waste management; environmental restoration; and quality assurance

Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico 1994 site environmental report. Summary pamphlet

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-12-31

This document presents details of the environmental activities that occurred during 1994 at Sandia National Laboratories. Topics include: Background about Sandia; radiation facts; sources of radiation; environmental monitoring; discussion of radiation detectors; radioactive waste management; environmental restoration; and quality assurance.

Environmental Control Plan for the Industrial Hygiene Field Services Facility; TOPICAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

J. W. Donnelly

2001-01-01

This environmental control plan is for the Hanford Site's industrial hygiene field services facility, located in the 100-N Area. The facility is used for the maintenance and storage of respirators, respiratory equipment and testing, calibration and testing of industrial hygiene equipment, and asbestos fiber counting

Differential responses of Miocene rodent metacommunities to global climatic changes were mediated by environmental context.

Science.gov (United States)

Blanco, Fernando; Gómez Cano, Ana Rosa; Cantalapiedra, Juan L; Domingo, M Soledad; Domingo, Laura; Menéndez, Iris; Flynn, Lawrence J; Hernández Fernández, Manuel

2018-02-06

The study of how long-term changes affect metacommunities is a relevant topic, that involves the evaluation of connections among biological assemblages across different spatio-temporal scales, in order to fully understand links between global changes and macroevolutionary patterns. We applied multivariate statistical analyses and diversity tests using a large data matrix of rodent fossil sites in order to analyse long-term faunal changes. Late Miocene rodent faunas from southwestern Europe were classified into metacommunities, presumably sharing ecological affinities, which followed temporal and environmental non-random assembly and disassembly patterns. Metacommunity dynamics of these faunas were driven by environmental changes associated with temperature variability, but there was also some influence from the aridity shifts described for this region during the late Miocene. Additionally, while variations in the structure of rodent assemblages were directly influenced by global climatic changes in the southern province, the northern sites showed a pattern of climatic influence mediated by diversity-dependent processes.

Ocular pharmacokinetics of besifloxacin following topical administration to rabbits, monkeys, and humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Proksch, Joel W; Granvil, Camille P; Siou-Mermet, Raphaële; Comstock, Timothy L; Paterno, Michael R; Ward, Keith W

2009-08-01

Studies were conducted to evaluate the ocular penetration and systemic exposure to besifloxacin, a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, following topical ocular administration to animals and humans. Besifloxacin ophthalmic suspension (0.6%) was administered as a topical ocular instillation to pigmented rabbits, cynomolgus monkeys, and human subjects. At predetermined intervals after dosing, samples of ocular tissues and plasma were collected and analyzed for besifloxacin levels using HPLC/MS/MS methods. Besifloxacin demonstrated good ocular penetration in rabbits and monkeys, with rapid absorption and sustained concentrations observed in anterior ocular tissues through 24 h after a single administration. Maximum besifloxacin concentrations in conjunctiva, cornea, and aqueous humor of monkeys were 6.43 microg/g, 2.10 microg/g, and 0.796 microg/mL, respectively, after a single topical dose, and concentrations declined in these tissues with an apparent half-life of 5-14 h. Following a single topical ocular administration to humans, the maximum besifloxacin concentration in tears was 610 microg/g with concentrations decreasing to approximately 1.6 microg/g at 24 h. The resulting pharmacokinetic parameters for besifloxacin in human tears were evaluated relative to the MIC(90) values (microg/mL) for besifloxacin against Streptococcus pneumoniae (0.125), Staphylococcus aureus (0.25), Staphylococcus epidermidis (0.5), and Haemophilus influenzae (0.06). Following a single topical administration, the C(max)/MIC(90) ratios for besifloxacin in human tears were > or =1,220, and the AUC((0-24))/MIC(90) ratios were > or =2,500 for these relevant ocular pathogens. Following repeated 3-times daily (TID) topical ocular administration to human subjects with clinically diagnosed bacterial conjunctivitis, maximum besifloxacin concentrations in plasma were less than 0.5 ng/mL, on average. Taken together, the results of the current investigation provide a PK/PD-based rationale that supports the

Automatically annotating topics in transcripts of patient-provider interactions via machine learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallace, Byron C; Laws, M Barton; Small, Kevin; Wilson, Ira B; Trikalinos, Thomas A

2014-05-01

Annotated patient-provider encounters can provide important insights into clinical communication, ultimately suggesting how it might be improved to effect better health outcomes. But annotating outpatient transcripts with Roter or General Medical Interaction Analysis System (GMIAS) codes is expensive, limiting the scope of such analyses. We propose automatically annotating transcripts of patient-provider interactions with topic codes via machine learning. We use a conditional random field (CRF) to model utterance topic probabilities. The model accounts for the sequential structure of conversations and the words comprising utterances. We assess predictive performance via 10-fold cross-validation over GMIAS-annotated transcripts of 360 outpatient visits (>230,000 utterances). We then use automated in place of manual annotations to reproduce an analysis of 116 additional visits from a randomized trial that used GMIAS to assess the efficacy of an intervention aimed at improving communication around antiretroviral (ARV) adherence. With respect to 6 topic codes, the CRF achieved a mean pairwise kappa compared with human annotators of 0.49 (range: 0.47-0.53) and a mean overall accuracy of 0.64 (range: 0.62-0.66). With respect to the RCT reanalysis, results using automated annotations agreed with those obtained using manual ones. According to the manual annotations, the median number of ARV-related utterances without and with the intervention was 49.5 versus 76, respectively (paired sign test P = 0.07). When automated annotations were used, the respective numbers were 39 versus 55 (P = 0.04). While moderately accurate, the predicted annotations are far from perfect. Conversational topics are intermediate outcomes, and their utility is still being researched. This foray into automated topic inference suggests that machine learning methods can classify utterances comprising patient-provider interactions into clinically relevant topics with reasonable accuracy.

How cyclophosphamide at environmentally relevant concentration influences Daphnia magna life history and its proteome.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Małgorzata Grzesiuk

Full Text Available The waste of commonly used medicines is known to contaminate freshwater ecosystems. Pharmaceuticals can be toxic, mutagenic, or modifying to freshwater organisms even at low concentrations if consider their permanent presence in the environment. Chemotherapeutics used to treat cancer, and in particular alkylating agents, contribute significantly to this form of pollution, the latter introducing cytotoxic and/or mutagenic lesions to the DNA and RNA of organisms which can be disruptive to their cells. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of the alkylating anticancer agent cyclophosphamide (CP on Daphnia magna clones. We evaluated the life history parameters and protein profiles of this crustacean following exposure to environmentally relevant CP concentration of 10 ng L-1. Even at this low concentration, the alkylating agent caused modification of the life history parameters and proteome profile of the Daphnia. These changes were clone-specific and involved growth rate, age at first reproduction, neonate number, and proteins related to cell cycle and redox state regulation. The disturbance caused by pharmaceuticals contaminating freshwater ecosystem is probably weaker and unlikely to be cytotoxic in character due to the high dilution of these substances in the water. However, our results indicate that prolonged exposure of organisms to these toxins may lead to modifications on the organismal and molecular levels with unpredictable significance for the entire ecosystem.

Topical Session on Liabilities identification and long-term management at national level - Topical Session held during the 36. Meeting of the RWMC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

These proceedings cover a topical session that was held at the March 2003 meeting of the Radioactive Waste Management Committee. The topical session focused on liability assessment and management for decommissioning of all types of nuclear installations, including decontamination of historic sites and waste management, as applicable. The presentations covered the current, national situations. The first oral presentation, from Switzerland, set the scene by providing a broad coverage of the relevant issues. The subsequent presentations - five from Member countries and one from the EC - described additional national positions and the evolving EC proposed directives. Each oral presentation was followed by a brief period of Q and As for clarification only. A plenary discussion took place on the ensemble of presentations and a Rapporteur provided a report on points made and lessons learnt. Additionally, written contributions were provided by RWMC delegates from several other countries. These are included in the proceedings as are the papers from the oral sessions, and the Rapporteur's report. These papers are not intended to be exhaustive, but to give an informed glimpse of NEA countries' approaches to liability identification and management in the context of nuclear facilities decommissioning and dismantling

Topics in modelling of clustered data

CERN Document Server

Aerts, Marc; Ryan, Louise M; Geys, Helena

2002-01-01

Many methods for analyzing clustered data exist, all with advantages and limitations in particular applications. Compiled from the contributions of leading specialists in the field, Topics in Modelling of Clustered Data describes the tools and techniques for modelling the clustered data often encountered in medical, biological, environmental, and social science studies. It focuses on providing a comprehensive treatment of marginal, conditional, and random effects models using, among others, likelihood, pseudo-likelihood, and generalized estimating equations methods. The authors motivate and illustrate all aspects of these models in a variety of real applications. They discuss several variations and extensions, including individual-level covariates and combined continuous and discrete outcomes. Flexible modelling with fractional and local polynomials, omnibus lack-of-fit tests, robustification against misspecification, exact, and bootstrap inferential procedures all receive extensive treatment. The application...

Health Topic XML File Description

Science.gov (United States)

... this page: https://medlineplus.gov/xmldescription.html Health Topic XML File Description: MedlinePlus To use the sharing ... information categories assigned. Example of a Full Health Topic Record A record for a MedlinePlus health topic ...

Commodities, energy and environmental finance

CERN Document Server

Ludkovski, Michael; Sircar, Ronnie

2015-01-01

This volume is a collection of chapters covering the latest developments in applications of financial mathematics and statistics to topics in energy, commodity financial markets and environmental economics. The research presented is based on the presentations and discussions that took place during the Fields Institute Focus Program on Commodities, Energy and Environmental Finance in August 2013. The authors include applied mathematicians, economists and industry practitioners, providing for a multi-disciplinary spectrum of perspectives on the subject. The volume consists of four sections: Electricity Markets; Real Options; Trading in Commodity Markets; and Oligopolistic Models for Energy Production. Taken together, the chapters give a comprehensive summary of the current state of the art in quantitative analysis of commodities and energy finance. The topics covered include structural models of electricity markets, financialization of commodities, valuation of commodity real options, game-theory analysis of ...

System Identification, Environmental Modelling, and Control System Design

CERN Document Server

Garnier, Hugues

2012-01-01

System Identification, Environmetric Modelling, and Control Systems Design is dedicated to Professor Peter Young on the occasion of his seventieth birthday. Professor Young has been a pioneer in systems and control, and over the past 45 years he has influenced many developments in this field. This volume is comprised of a collection of contributions by leading experts in system identification, time-series analysis, environmetric modelling and control system design – modern research in topics that reflect important areas of interest in Professor Young’s research career. Recent theoretical developments in and relevant applications of these areas are explored treating the various subjects broadly and in depth. The authoritative and up-to-date research presented here will be of interest to academic researcher in control and disciplines related to environmental research, particularly those to with water systems. The tutorial style in which many of the contributions are composed also makes the book suitable as ...

Life Cycle Environmental Management

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Claus Stig; Jørgensen, Jørgen; Pedersen, Morten Als

1996-01-01

A precondition for environmentally conscious management is the awareness of the environmental impact potentials created by an industrial company. There is an obvious need for management tools to support the implementation of relevant environmental criteria into the industrial decision making...... processes. The discipline of life cycle environmental management (LCEM) focuses on the incorporation of environmental criteria from the life cycles of products and other company activities into the company management processes. This paper introduces the concept of LCEM as an important element...... of the complete set of environmental objects in an industrial manufacturing company....

Supervision of compliance with the environmental legislation especially from the point of view of the Environmental Protection Act; Ympaeristoelainsaeaedaennoen laillisuusvalvonta - erityisesti ympaeristoensuojelulain naekoekulmasta

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pennanen, J. (ed.)

2006-07-01

The topic of the publication is the supervision of compliance with the environmental legislation. The publication presents the environmental enforcement bodies and the practical use of administrative sanctions. The environmental authorities may use voluntary or administrative means and also make an official report of an offence. The publication is aimed at the environmental authorities, inspectors and other authorities. The appendices show models for documents in supervision. (orig.)

Environmentally development sustainable Measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Correa Pinzon, Hector Jaime

1996-01-01

One of the topics of more present time in the national and international environment has to do with the environment and all circumstances that surround it. The public accountants are involved direct or indirectly with the environmental handling, this profession has a great incidence in many aspects of this topic. The environmental development has to do with several such aspects as inequality and poverty, the incalculable human resource, the same environment, the social, political and cultural aspects and some indicators that have to do with the same development. All the proposals that they have to do with the environmental development they don't stop to be simply index normalized, it is to include non-monetary elements of the well being toward the leading of the development politicians. Such events as environmental costs, environmental control, industrial processes, human resources and others of great importance possess continuous and permanent relationship with the public accounting. For this reason it has been to analyze environmental aspects, with the purpose of investigating what documentation and advances exist in other countries, to be able to show some light to the interested, and this way to develop some hypotheses that can be in turn elements of integration technician-accountant jointly. The measurements of the entrance and the total product of nation, they give an extremely imperfect indication of their well -being. Besides the holes so well well-known of their covering, as the domestic work not remunerated, it is necessary to know at least another group of information to be able to emit a conclusive trial about the tendencies of the human well-being

Identifying Topics in Microblogs Using Wikipedia.

Science.gov (United States)

Yıldırım, Ahmet; Üsküdarlı, Suzan; Özgür, Arzucan

2016-01-01

Twitter is an extremely high volume platform for user generated contributions regarding any topic. The wealth of content created at real-time in massive quantities calls for automated approaches to identify the topics of the contributions. Such topics can be utilized in numerous ways, such as public opinion mining, marketing, entertainment, and disaster management. Towards this end, approaches to relate single or partial posts to knowledge base items have been proposed. However, in microblogging systems like Twitter, topics emerge from the culmination of a large number of contributions. Therefore, identifying topics based on collections of posts, where individual posts contribute to some aspect of the greater topic is necessary. Models, such as Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), propose algorithms for relating collections of posts to sets of keywords that represent underlying topics. In these approaches, figuring out what the specific topic(s) the keyword sets represent remains as a separate task. Another issue in topic detection is the scope, which is often limited to specific domain, such as health. This work proposes an approach for identifying domain-independent specific topics related to sets of posts. In this approach, individual posts are processed and then aggregated to identify key tokens, which are then mapped to specific topics. Wikipedia article titles are selected to represent topics, since they are up to date, user-generated, sophisticated articles that span topics of human interest. This paper describes the proposed approach, a prototype implementation, and a case study based on data gathered during the heavily contributed periods corresponding to the four US election debates in 2012. The manually evaluated results (0.96 precision) and other observations from the study are discussed in detail.

A relevancy algorithm for curating earth science data around phenomenon

Science.gov (United States)

Maskey, Manil; Ramachandran, Rahul; Li, Xiang; Weigel, Amanda; Bugbee, Kaylin; Gatlin, Patrick; Miller, J. J.

2017-09-01

Earth science data are being collected for various science needs and applications, processed using different algorithms at multiple resolutions and coverages, and then archived at different archiving centers for distribution and stewardship causing difficulty in data discovery. Curation, which typically occurs in museums, art galleries, and libraries, is traditionally defined as the process of collecting and organizing information around a common subject matter or a topic of interest. Curating data sets around topics or areas of interest addresses some of the data discovery needs in the field of Earth science, especially for unanticipated users of data. This paper describes a methodology to automate search and selection of data around specific phenomena. Different components of the methodology including the assumptions, the process, and the relevancy ranking algorithm are described. The paper makes two unique contributions to improving data search and discovery capabilities. First, the paper describes a novel methodology developed for automatically curating data around a topic using Earth science metadata records. Second, the methodology has been implemented as a stand-alone web service that is utilized to augment search and usability of data in a variety of tools.

Environmental Foundations in Germany

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Krikser

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Foundations in Germany were examined in the context of environmental issues. Data from environmental foundations show that there is huge difference between private and public foundations concerning financial settings. Furthermore, environment is often not the only objective and sometimes not even processed. Our analysis shows that there are different types of foundations with regard to environmental scopes and activities. Although “attractive topics” such as biodiversity and landscape conservation seem to be more important to foundations, less visible topics such as pollution prevention remain merely a “blind spot.” Together, these findings suggest that there is only a limited potential of private foundations compared with public foundations. Nevertheless, there might be an impact on environmental awareness and local sustainability.

TRAN-STAT: statistics for environmental studies, No. 21

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-11-01

Three topics relevant to radionuclide studies are discussed: (1) target and sampled populations; (2) sources of errors in field radionuclide studies; and (3) an objective probability plotting procedure. 19 references, 4 figures, 3 tables

Megatrend environmental innovation. On the ecological modernization of economy and government; Megatrend Umweltinnovation. Zur oekologischen Modernisierung von Wirtschaft und Staat

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jaenicke, M.

2008-07-01

The book is based on recent publications on the topics environmental innovations and ecological modernization. The 6 chapters cover the following topics: environmental innovation as a megatrend; ecological modernization - new perspectives; trendsetting within the ''regulative capitalism'' - the example of environmental-politics in several pioneer countries; new approaches of environmental politics control - environmental integration in Germany as an example; steps on the way toward an ''environmental government'' - environmental integration in Germany as an example; challenges within the German environmental politics.

Corporate liability for environmental harm

OpenAIRE

Perry-Kessaris, Amanda

2010-01-01

Book synopsis; This wide-ranging and comprehensive Handbook examines recent developments in international environmental law (IEL) and the crossover effects of this expansion on other areas of public law, such as trade law and law of the sea. The contributors offer analysis on foundational issues in IEL, such as responsibility for environmental damage, sustainable development and the precautionary principle, alongside studies in topical subject areas like marine protection and the law of inter...

Topical Vitamin C and the Skin: Mechanisms of Action and Clinical Applications

OpenAIRE

Al-Niaimi, Firas; Chiang, Nicole Yi Zhen

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVE: This review article details the main mechanisms of action and clinical applications of topical vitamin C on the skin, including its antioxidative, photoprotective, antiaging, and antipigmentary effects. DESIGN: A PubMed search for the relevant articles on vitamin C and the skin was conducted using the following key words: “vitamin C,” “ascorbic acid,” “ascorbyl-6-palmitate,”and “magnesium ascorbyl phosphate.” RESULTS: As one of the most powerful antioxidants in the skin, vitamin C ...

Identifying Topics in Microblogs Using Wikipedia.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmet Yıldırım

Full Text Available Twitter is an extremely high volume platform for user generated contributions regarding any topic. The wealth of content created at real-time in massive quantities calls for automated approaches to identify the topics of the contributions. Such topics can be utilized in numerous ways, such as public opinion mining, marketing, entertainment, and disaster management. Towards this end, approaches to relate single or partial posts to knowledge base items have been proposed. However, in microblogging systems like Twitter, topics emerge from the culmination of a large number of contributions. Therefore, identifying topics based on collections of posts, where individual posts contribute to some aspect of the greater topic is necessary. Models, such as Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA, propose algorithms for relating collections of posts to sets of keywords that represent underlying topics. In these approaches, figuring out what the specific topic(s the keyword sets represent remains as a separate task. Another issue in topic detection is the scope, which is often limited to specific domain, such as health. This work proposes an approach for identifying domain-independent specific topics related to sets of posts. In this approach, individual posts are processed and then aggregated to identify key tokens, which are then mapped to specific topics. Wikipedia article titles are selected to represent topics, since they are up to date, user-generated, sophisticated articles that span topics of human interest. This paper describes the proposed approach, a prototype implementation, and a case study based on data gathered during the heavily contributed periods corresponding to the four US election debates in 2012. The manually evaluated results (0.96 precision and other observations from the study are discussed in detail.

Charge migration induced by attosecond pulses in bio-relevant molecules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calegari, Francesca; Castrovilli, Mattea C; Nisoli, Mauro; Trabattoni, Andrea; Palacios, Alicia; Ayuso, David; Martín, Fernando; Greenwood, Jason B; Decleva, Piero

2016-01-01

After sudden ionization of a large molecule, the positive charge can migrate throughout the system on a sub-femtosecond time scale, purely guided by electronic coherences. The possibility to actively explore the role of the electron dynamics in the photo-chemistry of bio-relevant molecules is of fundamental interest for understanding, and perhaps ultimately controlling, the processes leading to damage, mutation and, more generally, to the alteration of the biological functions of the macromolecule. Attosecond laser sources can provide the extreme time resolution required to follow this ultrafast charge flow. In this review we will present recent advances in attosecond molecular science: after a brief description of the results obtained for small molecules, recent experimental and theoretical findings on charge migration in bio-relevant molecules will be discussed. (topical review)

Rocky Flats Plant Site Environmental Report: 1993 Highlights

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

The Rocky Flats Plant Site Environmental Report provides summary information on the plant's environmental monitoring programs and the results recorded during 1993. The report contains a compliance summary, results of environmental monitoring and other related programs, a review of environmental remediation activities, information on external gamma radiation dose monitoring, and radiation dose estimates for the surrounding population. This section provides an overview of these topics and summarizes more comprehensive discussions found in the main text of this annual report

Enrofloxacin at environmentally relevant concentrations enhances uptake and toxicity of cadmium in the earthworm Eisenia fetida in farm soils

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Yinsheng, E-mail: yinshengli@sjtu.edu.cn [School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Tang, Hao; Hu, Yingxiu; Wang, Xiuhong; Ai, Xiaojie; Tang, Li [School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Matthew, Cory [Institute of Agriculture & Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North 4442 (New Zealand); Cavanagh, Jo [Landcare Research, PO Box 40, Lincoln 7640 (New Zealand); Qiu, Jiangping [School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China)

2016-05-05

Highlights: • Enrofloxacin (EF) and cadmium (Cd) were independently adsorbed in soils. • EF accelerated and increased Cd bioaccumulation in earthworms. • At high concentration EF (10 mg kg{sup −1}) was toxic to earthworms. • EF enhanced Cd induced oxidative stress, and increased burrowing and respiration. • EF did not affect the Cd induced increase in metallothionein in earthworms. - Abstract: Individual and combined effects of enrofloxacin (EF) and cadmium (Cd) on the earthworm Eisenia fetida at environmentally relevant concentrations were investigated. EF is a veterinary antibiotic; Cd is an impurity in phosphatic fertiliser. For both, residues may accumulate in farm soils. In laboratory tests, over 98% of spiked EF was adsorbed by farm soils, with a half-life >8 weeks. However, earthworms absorbed less than 20% of spiked EF. Earthworms in soil with EF concentration 10 mg kg{sup −1} soil experienced transient oxidative stress and exhibited reduced burrowing activity and respiration after an 8-week exposure; EF at 0.1 and 1.0 mg kg{sup −1} soil did not elicit toxicity symptoms. When both were added, Cd did not affect EF uptake, but each increment of spiked EF increased Cd bioaccumulation and associated oxidative stress of earthworms, and also caused decreased burrow length and CO{sub 2} production. However, metallothionein induction was not affected. The enhanced toxicity of Cd to earthworms in the presence of EF at low environmental concentrations may have implications for the health and reproductive success of earthworm populations and highlights the importance of understanding effects of antibiotic contamination of farm soils, and of awareness of environmental effects from interaction between multiple contaminants.

Enrofloxacin at environmentally relevant concentrations enhances uptake and toxicity of cadmium in the earthworm Eisenia fetida in farm soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Yinsheng; Tang, Hao; Hu, Yingxiu; Wang, Xiuhong; Ai, Xiaojie; Tang, Li; Matthew, Cory; Cavanagh, Jo; Qiu, Jiangping

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Enrofloxacin (EF) and cadmium (Cd) were independently adsorbed in soils. • EF accelerated and increased Cd bioaccumulation in earthworms. • At high concentration EF (10 mg kg"−"1) was toxic to earthworms. • EF enhanced Cd induced oxidative stress, and increased burrowing and respiration. • EF did not affect the Cd induced increase in metallothionein in earthworms. - Abstract: Individual and combined effects of enrofloxacin (EF) and cadmium (Cd) on the earthworm Eisenia fetida at environmentally relevant concentrations were investigated. EF is a veterinary antibiotic; Cd is an impurity in phosphatic fertiliser. For both, residues may accumulate in farm soils. In laboratory tests, over 98% of spiked EF was adsorbed by farm soils, with a half-life >8 weeks. However, earthworms absorbed less than 20% of spiked EF. Earthworms in soil with EF concentration 10 mg kg"−"1 soil experienced transient oxidative stress and exhibited reduced burrowing activity and respiration after an 8-week exposure; EF at 0.1 and 1.0 mg kg"−"1 soil did not elicit toxicity symptoms. When both were added, Cd did not affect EF uptake, but each increment of spiked EF increased Cd bioaccumulation and associated oxidative stress of earthworms, and also caused decreased burrow length and CO_2 production. However, metallothionein induction was not affected. The enhanced toxicity of Cd to earthworms in the presence of EF at low environmental concentrations may have implications for the health and reproductive success of earthworm populations and highlights the importance of understanding effects of antibiotic contamination of farm soils, and of awareness of environmental effects from interaction between multiple contaminants.

Differential Topic Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Changyou; Buntine, Wray; Ding, Nan; Xie, Lexing; Du, Lan

2015-02-01

In applications we may want to compare different document collections: they could have shared content but also different and unique aspects in particular collections. This task has been called comparative text mining or cross-collection modeling. We present a differential topic model for this application that models both topic differences and similarities. For this we use hierarchical Bayesian nonparametric models. Moreover, we found it was important to properly model power-law phenomena in topic-word distributions and thus we used the full Pitman-Yor process rather than just a Dirichlet process. Furthermore, we propose the transformed Pitman-Yor process (TPYP) to incorporate prior knowledge such as vocabulary variations in different collections into the model. To deal with the non-conjugate issue between model prior and likelihood in the TPYP, we thus propose an efficient sampling algorithm using a data augmentation technique based on the multinomial theorem. Experimental results show the model discovers interesting aspects of different collections. We also show the proposed MCMC based algorithm achieves a dramatically reduced test perplexity compared to some existing topic models. Finally, we show our model outperforms the state-of-the-art for document classification/ideology prediction on a number of text collections.

Regulatory standards applicable or relevant to the independent Hanford environmental surveillance and oversight program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

King, S.E.; Hendrickson, P.L.; Siegel, M.R.; Woodruff, M.G.; Belfiglio, J.; Elliott, R.W.

1990-03-01

The authors reviewed federal and state statutes and regulations, as well as Department of Energy (DOE) orders and other guidance material, for potential applicability to the environmental surveillance program conducted for the Hanford site by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL). There are no federal or state statutes or regulations which are directly applicable to the environmental surveillance program. However, other regulatory schemes, while not directly applicable to the environmental surveillance program, are important insofar as they are indicative of regulatory concern and direction. Because of the evolving nature of environmental regulations, this area needs to be closely monitored for future impact on environmental surveillance activities. 9 refs.,

Topic Model for Graph Mining.

Science.gov (United States)

Xuan, Junyu; Lu, Jie; Zhang, Guangquan; Luo, Xiangfeng

2015-12-01

Graph mining has been a popular research area because of its numerous application scenarios. Many unstructured and structured data can be represented as graphs, such as, documents, chemical molecular structures, and images. However, an issue in relation to current research on graphs is that they cannot adequately discover the topics hidden in graph-structured data which can be beneficial for both the unsupervised learning and supervised learning of the graphs. Although topic models have proved to be very successful in discovering latent topics, the standard topic models cannot be directly applied to graph-structured data due to the "bag-of-word" assumption. In this paper, an innovative graph topic model (GTM) is proposed to address this issue, which uses Bernoulli distributions to model the edges between nodes in a graph. It can, therefore, make the edges in a graph contribute to latent topic discovery and further improve the accuracy of the supervised and unsupervised learning of graphs. The experimental results on two different types of graph datasets show that the proposed GTM outperforms the latent Dirichlet allocation on classification by using the unveiled topics of these two models to represent graphs.

UMass Amherst and UT Austin @ The TREC 2009 Relevance Feedback Track

Science.gov (United States)

2009-11-01

number of terms to select com- pared to our case. We chose AdaRank [Xu and Li, 2007] for the following reasons . It directly optimizes retrieval performance...and the number of topics containing at least one relevant document. query car parts dinosaurs espn sports atari cell phone hoboken dogs adoption auto...infraorder disney activision ringtone nj puppy body bird abc sega forum ny pet lowest extinct channel hardware wireless brook rottweiler cost

Topical Session on the Decommissioning and Dismantling Safety Case

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

practices is low, the idea being that it is important to understand differences in approaches. Frances Taylor, Head of Radioactive Waste Management and Decommissioning Strategy Unit, HM Nuclear Installations Inspectorate, Health and Safety Executive, served as Session Chair. Scott Moore, Section Chief of the Special Projects section, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, served as the Rapporteur for the Topical Session. Presentations during the topical session covered key aspects of the safety case, including: - international requirements and guidance, - environmental impact assessment, - plant configuration and decommissioning and dismantling (D and D) licensing, - accident assessment, - balancing radiological and industrial risk, and - the safety case for safe store and dormancy periods. At the end of each presentation time was allotted for discussion of the paper. Integral to the Topical Session was a facilitated plenary discussion on the topical issues identified above. The Rapporteur briefly reviewed the main points at the end of the topical session. The Topical Session is documented as follows. First a summary of the presentations is given along with the questions that were asked of each speaker; then follow a summary of the plenary discussions and the main points made. The extended abstracts or full papers supporting each presentation are given in Appendix 1. As a follow-on to the Topical Session a Task Group has been constituted in order to propose to the WPDD a more detailed work programme in this area

Environmental Behavior's Dirty Secret: The Prevalence of Waste Management in Discussions of Environmental Concern and Action

Science.gov (United States)

Gould, Rachelle K.; Ardoin, Nicole M.; Biggar, Matt; Cravens, Amanda E.; Wojcik, Deb

2016-08-01

Humankind and the planet face many thorny environmentally related challenges that require a range of responses, including changing behaviors related to transportation, eating habits, purchasing, and myriad other aspects of life. Using data from a 1201-person survey and 14 Community Listening Sessions (CLSs), we explore people's perceptions of and actions taken to protect the environment. Our data indicate a striking prevalence of waste management-related actions. Survey respondents described actions and concerns related to trash, recycling, and composting as the most common environmental behaviors; similarly, participants in CLSs discussed waste-related topics, for which we did not prompt, as frequently as those topics for which we specifically prompted. Explanations for this prevalence emerging from the data include (1) the nature of waste-related behaviors (concrete, supported by infrastructure, simple, compatible with lifestyle); (2) norms and social dynamics (family interactions, feelings of belonging/participation, government policy); and (3) internal psychological processes (internalized norms and environmental concern). We also found that many waste-related discussions were relatively superficial, focusing on immediate waste-related issues (e.g., litter or recycling) rather than larger issues such as consumption. Our results may provide insight into future efforts to encourage pro-environmental behavior. Given that most pro-environmental behavior involves tasks more complex and lifestyle-changing than those related to simple aspects of waste management, we suggest focusing on the latter two intertwined categories that our data suggest are important: encouraging social dynamics and related development of norms concerning environmental behavior (category 2), and fostering internalized norms and environmental concern (category 3).

Quantitative evaluation of recall and precision of CAT Crawler, a search engine specialized on retrieval of Critically Appraised Topics

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Peng; Wong, Ling Ling; Ng, Sarah; Loh, Marie; Mondry, Adrian

2004-01-01

Background Critically Appraised Topics (CATs) are a useful tool that helps physicians to make clinical decisions as the healthcare moves towards the practice of Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM). The fast growing World Wide Web has provided a place for physicians to share their appraised topics online, but an increasing amount of time is needed to find a particular topic within such a rich repository. Methods A web-based application, namely the CAT Crawler, was developed by Singapore's Bioinformatics Institute to allow physicians to adequately access available appraised topics on the Internet. A meta-search engine, as the core component of the application, finds relevant topics following keyword input. The primary objective of the work presented here is to evaluate the quantity and quality of search results obtained from the meta-search engine of the CAT Crawler by comparing them with those obtained from two individual CAT search engines. From the CAT libraries at these two sites, all possible keywords were extracted using a keyword extractor. Of those common to both libraries, ten were randomly chosen for evaluation. All ten were submitted to the two search engines individually, and through the meta-search engine of the CAT Crawler. Search results were evaluated for relevance both by medical amateurs and professionals, and the respective recall and precision were calculated. Results While achieving an identical recall, the meta-search engine showed a precision of 77.26% (±14.45) compared to the individual search engines' 52.65% (±12.0) (p search engine approach. The improved precision due to inherent filters underlines the practical usefulness of this tool for clinicians. PMID:15588311

Analyses of Research Topics in the Field of Informetrics Based on the Method of Topic Modeling

OpenAIRE

Sung-Chien Lin

2014-01-01

In this study, we used the approach of topic modeling to uncover the possible structure of research topics in the field of Informetrics, to explore the distribution of the topics over years, and to compare the core journals. In order to infer the structure of the topics in the field, the data of the papers published in the Journal of Informetricsand Scientometrics during 2007 to 2013 are retrieved from the database of the Web of Science as input of the approach of topic modeling. The results ...

Investigation of exhaust gases at blends of fuels/biofuels at the Helmholtz Virtual Institute for Complex Molecular Systems in Environmental Health; Abgasuntersuchungen an Kraftstoffen/Biokraftstoff-Blends im Rahmen des Helmholtz Virtual Institute for Complex Molecular Systems in Environmental Health

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Streibel, Thorsten [Rostock Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Chemie, Analytische Chemie; Adam, Thomas; Grabowsky, Jana; Sklorz, Martin; Zimmermann, Ralf

2012-07-01

The objective of the ''Helmholtz Virtual Institute of Complex Molecular Systems in Environmental Health'' (HICE) is the establishment of a long-term scientific research initiative for the investigation of the causes and mechanisms of environmentally influenced diseases. In the initial phase (INF funding period) the HICE focuses on a deeper understanding of the impact of anthropogenic aerosols on human health. Based on current hypotheses, reactive organic compounds in particle as well as in gas phase of aerosols are particularly relevant. Innovative in-vitro human lung tissue models and selected susceptible animal models are exposed to aerosols, and separated gas and particle phases from relevant sources. The response of the biological systems is investigated by state-of-the-art analytical techniques on different biological levels (transcriptome, proteome, metabolome, toxicological parameters). The second central topic is the real-time characterization of emissions (gas- and particulate phase) from internal combustion engines with a special focus on the influence of the biodiesel content. For this, mass spectrometry with photo ionization will be applied for the detection of organic compounds. Preliminary studies dealt with the online investigation of the gas phase of truck diesel exhaust as well as the offline particulate phase characterization after thermal desorption. Both studies detected primarily (poly)aromatic hydrocarbons. (orig.)

Analyses of Research Topics in the Field of Informetrics Based on the Method of Topic Modeling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sung-Chien Lin

2014-07-01

Full Text Available In this study, we used the approach of topic modeling to uncover the possible structure of research topics in the field of Informetrics, to explore the distribution of the topics over years, and to compare the core journals. In order to infer the structure of the topics in the field, the data of the papers published in the Journal of Informetricsand Scientometrics during 2007 to 2013 are retrieved from the database of the Web of Science as input of the approach of topic modeling. The results of this study show that when the number of topics was set to 10, the topic model has the smallest perplexity. Although data scopes and analysis methodsare different to previous studies, the generating topics of this study are consistent with those results produced by analyses of experts. Empirical case studies and measurements of bibliometric indicators were concerned important in every year during the whole analytic period, and the field was increasing stability. Both the two core journals broadly paid more attention to all of the topics in the field of Informetrics. The Journal of Informetricsput particular emphasis on construction and applications ofbibliometric indicators and Scientometrics focused on the evaluation and the factors of productivity of countries, institutions, domains, and journals.

Topical treatments of skin pain: a general review with a focus on hidradenitis suppurativa with topical agents.

Science.gov (United States)

Scheinfeld, Noah

2014-07-15

Hidradenitis Supprurativa (HS) is a painful chronic follicular disease. Few papers have addressed pain control for this debilitating condition. Possible topical agents include tricyclic antidepressants, opioids, anticonvulsants, NSAIDs, NMDA receptor antagonists, local anesthetics and other agents. The first line agents for the topical treatment of the cutaneous pain of HS are diclonefac gel 1% and liposomal xylocaine 4% and 5% cream or 5% ointment. The chief advantage of topical xylocaine is that is quick acting i.e. immediate however with a limited duration of effect 1-2 hours. The use of topical ketamine, which blocks n-methyl-D-aspartate receptors in a non-competitive fashion, might be a useful tool for the treatment of HS pain. Topical doxepin, which available in a 5% commercially preparation (Zonalon®) , makes patients drowsy and is not useful for controlling the pain of HS . Doxepin is available in a 3% or 3.3% concentration (which causes less drowsiness) from compounding pharmacies and can be used in compounded analgesic preparations with positive effect. Topical doxepin is preferred over use of topical amitriptyline because topical doxepin is more effective. Nevertheless, topical amitriptyline increase of the tactile and mechanical nociceptive thresholds and can be used for topical pain control in compound mixture of analgesics . Gabapentin and pregablin can also be used compounded with other agents in topical analgesic preparations with positive topical anesthetic effect. Capsaicin is not useful for topical treatment of the pain of HS. Sometimes compounded of anesthetics medications such as ketamine 10%, bupivacaine 1%, diclofenac 3%, doxepin 3% or 3.3%, and gabapentin 6% can extend the duration of effect so that medication only needs to be used 2 or 3 times a day. Still in my experience the easiest to get and most patient requested agent is topical diclonefac 1% gel.

Environmental protection and the public within the framework of energy policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schulz zur Wiesch, J.

1978-01-01

Environmental protection policy has - before the background of topical conflicts on the long-term securing of energy in spite of increasing consumption and limited resources - developed into a problem of the whole the Federal Republic of Germany which makes high demands on the disposing capacity of the corporations involved. Decisions on long-term energy and economic policy will have to be made without sufficient knowledge of all potential environmental crises and will have to be accounted for in the face of the population. The topics 'Energy - Environment - Public' were discussed from the different political and scientific angles within a seminar held by the Deutsches Institut fuer Urbanistik and the Bundesakademie fuer Oeffentliche Verwaltung. The topics were discussed with 28 specialists from institutions of the Bund, Laender, and communities. The proceedings include the lectures held and the contributions to a panel discussion about the future energy and environmental protection policy in Bund, Laender, and Communities as well as a summary of the final discussion. (orig.) [de

Prenatal imprinting by environmental toxicants: really an important issue?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karl Ernst v. Mühlendahl

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Prenatal imprinting of sexual behaviour and of other traits by environmental toxicants has been one important topic in the ongoing discussions in environmental medicine. This review of the literature shows that, so far, concrete data are sparse and, in part, contradictory.

International Environmental Problems, Issue Linkage and the European Union

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kroeze-Gil, J.

2003-01-01

This thesis explores the circumstances under which issue linkage can be applied to achieve cooperation on international environmental problems in general and on environmental problems in the European Union in particular. A major topic in this thesis is the development and analysis of cooperative and

Temas ambientais relevantes Relevant environmental issues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eneas Salati

2006-04-01

Full Text Available NESTE trabalho, são indicados os principais temas ambientais para o Brasil, num futuro próximo (2022. Impactos do aumento da temperatura são estudados através de cenários, que podem modificar o balanço hídrico em algumas regiões, tendo sido observado um aumento da ordem de 0,78ºC no período de 1917 a 2003, na região de Piracicaba. Para a região amazônica, foi observado um aumento de 0,56ºC durante o século XX. Tanto o desmatamento quanto as Mudanças Climáticas Globais atuam na direção de um aumento da temperatura, enquanto o desmatamento influi na direção de uma diminuição das precipitações. O desmatamento provoca, ainda, uma grande perda de biodiversidade, sendo estimadas em uma perda entre 8.000 até 34.000 espécies, considerando-se que o desmatamento aumenta em 1% ao ano.THIS PAPER indicates the environmental issues that must necessarily be approached, in Brazil, in a near future (2022. A study was made on some aspects of the effects of deforestation and Global Climate Change. A temperature rise around 0,78% has been observed during period of 1917 and 2003 in the Piracicaba region. For the Amazon region a rise of 0,56% was observed the 20th Century. The existing information indicates that not only deforestation but also Global Climate Changes act upon temperature rise. Deforestation has direct influence in precipitation decrease. The consequences of Global Climate Change are still unknown, being that some models indicate a precipitation rise and others a decrease. Deforestation also provokes great biodiversity loss, estimated between 8.000 to 34.000 species, considering that deforestation raises 1% per year.

Environmental Sustainability and Energy-Efficient Supply Chain Management: A Review of Research Trends and Proposed Guidelines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Piera Centobelli

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This paper conducts a structured review on the topic of energy efficiency and environmental sustainability in the supply chain management context to define research trends on the topic and identify research gaps. The review is carried out using the largest databases of peer-reviewed literature (Scopus and Web of Science. A sample of 122 papers focusing on the topic of energy-efficient and sustainable supply chain management was selected and analyzed through descriptive and content analysis. The review highlights that despite there is a growing research trend on the topic, different research gaps remain to be covered. These gaps concern the factors influencing energy efficiency and environmental sustainability initiatives, the classification of energy efficiency and environmental sustainability initiatives, the impact of energy efficiency and environmental sustainability on supply chain performance, the customer perspective in sustainable and energy-efficient supply chain, and the different technologies supporting the energy efficiency and environmental sustainability initiatives. The research gaps and the research questions identified offer the opportunity to identify areas of investigation to design future research directions and propose guidelines in the field of supply chain management.

Transport and retention of biochar nanoparticles in a paddy soil under environmentally-relevant solution chemistry conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ming; Wang, Dengjun; Yang, Fan; Xu, Xiaoyun; Xu, Nan; Cao, Xinde

2017-11-01

Land application of biochar has been increasingly recommended as a powerful strategy for carbon sequestration and soil remediation. However, the biochar particles, especially those in the nanoscale range, may migrate or carry the inherent contaminants along the soil profile, posing a potential risk to the groundwater. This study investigated the transport and retention of wood chip-derived biochar nanoparticles (NPs) in water-saturated columns packed with a paddy soil. The environmentally-relevant soil solution chemistry including ionic strength (0.10-50 mM), electrolyte type (NaCl and CaCl 2 ), and natural organic matter (0-10 mg L -1 humic acid) were tested to elucidate their effects on the biochar NPs transport. Higher mobility of biochar NPs was observed in the soil at lower ionic strengths, with CaCl 2 electrolyte being more effective than NaCl in decreasing biochar NPs transport. The retained biochar NPs in NaCl was re-entrained (∼57.7%) upon lowering transient pore-water ionic strength, indicating that biochar NPs were reversibly retained in the secondary minimum. In contrast, negligible re-entrainment of biochar NPs occurred in CaCl 2 due to the primary minimum and/or particle aggregation. Humic acid increased the mobility of biochar NPs, likely due to enhanced electrosteric repulsive interactions. The transport behaviors of biochar NPs can be well interpreted by a two-site kinetic retention model that assumes reversible retention for one site, and irreversible retention for the other site. Our findings indicated that the transport of wood chip biochar NPs is significant in the paddy soil, highlighting the importance of understanding the mobility of biochar NPs in natural soils for accurately assessing their environmental impacts. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biosensors-on-chip: a topical review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Sensen; Shamsi, Mohtashim H

2017-01-01

This review will examine the integration of two fields that are currently at the forefront of science, i.e. biosensors and microfluidics. As a lab-on-a-chip (LOC) technology, microfluidics has been enriched by the integration of various detection tools for analyte detection and quantitation. The application of such microfluidic platforms is greatly increased in the area of biosensors geared towards point-of-care diagnostics. Together, the merger of microfluidics and biosensors has generated miniaturized devices for sample processing and sensitive detection with quantitation. We believe that microfluidic biosensors (biosensors-on-chip) are essential for developing robust and cost effective point-of-care diagnostics. This review is relevant to a variety of disciplines, such as medical science, clinical diagnostics, LOC technologies including MEMs/NEMs, and analytical science. Specifically, this review will appeal to scientists working in the two overlapping fields of biosensors and microfluidics, and will also help new scientists to find their directions in developing point-of-care devices. (topical review)

Rate constants and mechanisms for the crystallization of Al nano-goethite under environmentally relevant conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Bazilevskaya, Ekaterina; Archibald, Douglas D.; Martínez, Carmen Enid

2012-07-01

Mobile inorganic and organic nanocolloidal particles originate-from and interact-with bulk solid phases in soil and sediment environments, and as such, they contribute to the dynamic properties of environmental systems. In particular, ferrihydrite and (nano)goethite are the most abundant of nanocolloidal Fe oxy(hydr)oxides in these environments. We therefore investigated the ferrihydrite to goethite phase transformation using experimental reaction conditions that mimicked environmental conditions where the formation of nanocolloidal Fe oxy(hydr)oxides may occur: slow titration of dilute solutions to pH 5 at 25 °C with and without 2 mol% Al. Subsequently, the rate constants from 54-d nano-goethite aging/crystallization experiments at 50 °C were determined using aliquots pulled for vibrational spectroscopy (including multivariate curve resolution, MCR, analyses of infrared spectra) and synchrotron-based X-ray diffraction (XRD). We also present a mechanistic model that accounts for the nano-goethite crystallization observed by the aforementioned techniques, and particle structural characteristics observed by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In contrast to the common assumption that metastable ferrihydrite precipitates first, before it transforms to goethite, the presence of characteristic infrared bands in freshly synthesized nanoparticle suspensions indicate goethite can precipitate directly from solution under environmentally relevant conditions: low Fe concentration, ambient temperature, and pH maintained at 5. However, the presence of 2 mol% Al prevented direct goethite precipitation. Rate constants obtained by fitting the contributions from the MCR-derived goethite-like component to the OH-stretching region were (7.4 ± 1.1) × 10-7 s-1 for 0% Al and (4.2 ± 0.4) × 10-7 s-1 for 2 mol% Al suspensions. Rate constants derived from intensities of OH-bending infrared vibrations (795 and 895 cm-1) showed similar values

Environmental Monitoring Plan: Environmental Monitoring Section. Appendix A, Procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-02-01

This document presents information about the environmental monitoring program at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Topics discussed include: air sampling; air tritium calibrations; storm water discharge; non-storm water discharge; sampling locations; ground water sampling; noise and blast forecasting; analytical laboratory auditing; document retention; procedure writing; quality assurance programs for sampling; soil and sediment sampling; sewage sampling; diversion facility tank sampling; vegetation and foodstuff sampling; and radiological dose assessments

Environmental Monitoring Plan: Environmental Monitoring Section. Appendix A, Procedures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-02-01

This document presents information about the environmental monitoring program at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Topics discussed include: air sampling; air tritium calibrations; storm water discharge; non-storm water discharge; sampling locations; ground water sampling; noise and blast forecasting; analytical laboratory auditing; document retention; procedure writing; quality assurance programs for sampling; soil and sediment sampling; sewage sampling; diversion facility tank sampling; vegetation and foodstuff sampling; and radiological dose assessments.

Topical steroid-damaged skin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anil Abraham

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Topical steroids, commonly used for a wide range of skin disorders, are associated with side effects both systemic and cutaneous. This article aims at bringing awareness among practitioners, about the cutaneous side effects of easily available, over the counter, topical steroids. This makes it important for us as dermatologists to weigh the usefulness of topical steroids versus their side effects, and to make an informed decision regarding their use in each individual based on other factors such as age, site involved and type of skin disorder.

Topical points of community policy concerning nuclear safety relevant to the Internal Market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schroeder, M.

1991-01-01

Starting with the Internal Market concept, the lecture describes general and specific expectations directed to the nuclear community from a point of view of nuclear safety, and analyzes those aspects of nuclear safety, EC policy focuses on. There are the following chapters: 1. Selection of sites for nuclear installations, 2. installation and reactor safety, 3. radioactive waste management, 4. decommissioning of nuclear installations, 5. radioactive waste storage, 6. coping with nuclear accidents and other radiological emergency situations. Sophistication of public health and environmental protection within the framework of the EURATOM Treaty is seen in connection with interim and final storage as well as reprocessing of radioactive waste, and with the decommissioning of nuclear facilities on the basis of section 30 ff., and installation and reactor safety on the basis of section 203 EURATOM Treaty. Improving the protection of public health in particular is possible and necessary in order to make the EURATOM community into a proper nuclear community of law. (orig./HSCH) [de

Mental Mechanisms for Topics Identification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Louis Massey

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Topics identification (TI is the process that consists in determining the main themes present in natural language documents. The current TI modeling paradigm aims at acquiring semantic information from statistic properties of large text datasets. We investigate the mental mechanisms responsible for the identification of topics in a single document given existing knowledge. Our main hypothesis is that topics are the result of accumulated neural activation of loosely organized information stored in long-term memory (LTM. We experimentally tested our hypothesis with a computational model that simulates LTM activation. The model assumes activation decay as an unavoidable phenomenon originating from the bioelectric nature of neural systems. Since decay should negatively affect the quality of topics, the model predicts the presence of short-term memory (STM to keep the focus of attention on a few words, with the expected outcome of restoring quality to a baseline level. Our experiments measured topics quality of over 300 documents with various decay rates and STM capacity. Our results showed that accumulated activation of loosely organized information was an effective mental computational commodity to identify topics. It was furthermore confirmed that rapid decay is detrimental to topics quality but that limited capacity STM restores quality to a baseline level, even exceeding it slightly.

Rocky Flats Plant Site Environmental Report: 1993 Highlights

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1993-12-31

The Rocky Flats Plant Site Environmental Report provides summary information on the plant`s environmental monitoring programs and the results recorded during 1993. The report contains a compliance summary, results of environmental monitoring and other related programs, a review of environmental remediation activities, information on external gamma radiation dose monitoring, and radiation dose estimates for the surrounding population. This section provides an overview of these topics and summarizes more comprehensive discussions found in the main text of this annual report.

Prenatal immune challenge is an environmental risk factor for brain and behavior change relevant to schizophrenia: evidence from MRI in a mouse model.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qi Li

Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: Maternal infection during pregnancy increases risk of severe neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and autism, in the offspring. The most consistent brain structural abnormality in patients with schizophrenia is enlarged lateral ventricles. However, it is unknown whether the aetiology of ventriculomegaly in schizophrenia involves prenatal infectious processes. The present experiments tested the hypothesis that there is a causal relationship between prenatal immune challenge and emergence of ventricular abnormalities relevant to schizophrenia in adulthood. METHOD: We used an established mouse model of maternal immune activation (MIA by the viral mimic PolyI:C administered in early (day 9 or late (day 17 gestation. Automated voxel-based morphometry mapped cerebrospinal fluid across the whole brain of adult offspring and the results were validated by manual region-of-interest tracing of the lateral ventricles. Parallel behavioral testing determined the existence of schizophrenia-related sensorimotor gating abnormalities. RESULTS: PolyI:C-induced immune activation, in early but not late gestation, caused marked enlargement of lateral ventricles in adulthood, without affecting total white and grey matter volumes. This early exposure disrupted sensorimotor gating, in the form of prepulse inhibition. Identical immune challenge in late gestation resulted in significant expansion of 4(th ventricle volume but did not disrupt sensorimotor gating. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide the first experimental evidence that prenatal immune activation is an environmental risk factor for adult ventricular enlargement relevant to schizophrenia. The data indicate immune-associated environmental insults targeting early foetal development may have more extensive neurodevelopmental impact than identical insults in late prenatal life.

Thermal Coatings Seminar Series Training Part 2: Environmental Effects

Science.gov (United States)

Triolo, Jack

2015-01-01

This course will present an overview of a variety of thermal coatings-related topics, including: coating types and availability, thermal properties measurements, environmental testing (lab and in-flight), environmental impacts, contamination impacts, contamination liabilities, determination of BOLEOL values, and what does specularity mean to the thermal engineer.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 1995 site environmental report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balgobin, D.; Javandel, I.; Lackner, G.; Smith, C.; Thorson, P.; Tran, H.

1996-07-01

The 1995 Site Environmental Report summarizes environmental activities at the Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) for the 1995 calendar year. The report strives to present environmental data in a manner that characterizes the performance and compliance status of the environmental management programs. The report also discusses significant highlights and plans of these programs. Topics discussed include: environmental monitoring, environmental compliance programs, air quality, water quality, ground water protection, sanitary sewer monitoring, soil and sediment quality, vegetation and foodstuffs monitoring, and special studies which include preoperational monitoring of building 85 and 1995 sampling results, radiological dose assessment, and quality assessment.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 1995 site environmental report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balgobin, D.; Javandel, I.; Lackner, G.; Smith, C.; Thorson, P.; Tran, H.

1996-07-01

The 1995 Site Environmental Report summarizes environmental activities at the Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) for the 1995 calendar year. The report strives to present environmental data in a manner that characterizes the performance and compliance status of the environmental management programs. The report also discusses significant highlights and plans of these programs. Topics discussed include: environmental monitoring, environmental compliance programs, air quality, water quality, ground water protection, sanitary sewer monitoring, soil and sediment quality, vegetation and foodstuffs monitoring, and special studies which include preoperational monitoring of building 85 and 1995 sampling results, radiological dose assessment, and quality assessment

Systemic and Topical Use of Tranexamic Acid in Spinal Surgery: A Systematic Review

Science.gov (United States)

Winter, Sebastian F.; Santaguida, Carlo; Wong, Jean; Fehlings, Michael G.

2015-01-01

Study Design Combination of narrative and systematic literature reviews. Objectives Massive perioperative blood loss in complex spinal surgery often requires blood transfusions and can negatively affect patient outcome. Systemic use of the antifibrinolytic agent tranexamic acid (TXA) has become widely used in the management of surgical bleeding. We review the clinical evidence for the use of intravenous TXA as a hemostatic agent in spinal surgery and discuss the emerging role for its complementary use as a topical agent to reduce perioperative blood loss from the surgical site. Through a systematic review of published and ongoing investigations on topical TXA for spinal surgery, we wish to make spine practitioners aware of this option and to suggest opportunities for further investigation in the field. Methods A narrative review of systemic TXA in spinal surgery and topical TXA in surgery was conducted. Furthermore, a systematic search (using PRISMA guidelines) of PubMed (MEDLINE), EMBASE, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases as well as World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, ClinicalTrials.gov (National Institutes of Health), and International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number registries was conducted to identify both published literature and ongoing clinical trials on topical TXA in spinal surgery. Results Of 1,631 preliminary search results, 2 published studies were included in the systematic review. Out of 285 ongoing clinical trials matching the search criteria, a total of 4 relevant studies were included and reviewed. Conclusion Intravenous TXA is established as an efficacious hemostatic agent in spinal surgery. Use of topical TXA in surgery suggests similar hemostatic efficacy and potentially improved safety as compared with intravenous TXA. For spinal surgery, the literature on topical TXA is sparse but promising, warranting further clinical investigation and consideration as a clinical option in cases with

Fostering Environmental Knowledge and Action through Online Learning Resources

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Maier, Carmen Daniela

2010-01-01

In order to secure correct understanding of environmental issues, to promote behavioral change and to encourage environmental action, more and more educational practices support and provide environmental programs. This article explores the design of online learning resources created for teachers...... and students by the GreenLearning environmental education program. The topic is approached from a social semiotic perspective. I conduct a multimodal analysis of the knowledge processes and the knowledge selection types that characterize the GreenLearning environmental education program and its online...

Environmental ethics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pautassi G, Jorge

1994-01-01

When the Homo Faber; to the beginning of the humanization, overcame the instinct that established a relationship balanced in the ecosphere between the animal and the nature, an interference it began in the relationship man-nature; since that was not adapted this but rather it began its transformation adapting the environment to its necessities. During miles of years the development of this production technique of the Homo Faber could be considered like a progressive and innocuous exploitation of the natural resources. At the present time, kind of a dialectical transformation of the quantity in a new quality characterizes the critical stadium of the new phase of the evolution inaugurated by the Homo Faber. We arrive this way today to that the production force, by means of the science and the technique, outlines us the problem of if for a bigger development in the productivity is necessary a progressive destruction of the ecosphere. That is to say, so that there is progress and will civilization be necessary a progressive interference of the natural balance, with the consequent setting in danger of the life? Moreover this article treats topics about their location and focuses, environmental ethics framed in the talkative ethics and virtues of the environmental ethics, among other topics

Topical Treatment of Degenerative Knee Osteoarthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Zengdong; Huang, Rongzhong

2018-01-01

This article reviews topical management strategies for degenerative osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. A search of Pubmed, Embase and the Cochrane library using MeSH terms including "topical," "treatment," "knee" and "osteoarthritis" was carried out. Original research and review articles on the effectiveness and safety, recommendations from international published guidelines and acceptability studies of topical preparations were included. Current topical treatments included for the management of knee OA include topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, capsaicin, salicylates and physical treatments such as hot or cold therapy. Current treatment guidelines recommend topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as an alternative and even first-line therapy for OA management, especially among elderly patients. Guidelines on other topical treatments vary, from recommendations against their use, to in favor as alternative or simultaneous therapy, especially for patients with contraindications to other analgesics. Although often well-tolerated and preferred by many patients, clinical care still lags in the adoption of topical treatments. Aspects of efficacy, safety and patient quality of life data require further research. Copyright © 2018 Southern Society for Clinical Investigation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Correlated Topic Vector for Scene Classification.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Pengxu; Qin, Fei; Wan, Fang; Zhu, Yi; Jiao, Jianbin; Ye, Qixiang

2017-07-01

Scene images usually involve semantic correlations, particularly when considering large-scale image data sets. This paper proposes a novel generative image representation, correlated topic vector, to model such semantic correlations. Oriented from the correlated topic model, correlated topic vector intends to naturally utilize the correlations among topics, which are seldom considered in the conventional feature encoding, e.g., Fisher vector, but do exist in scene images. It is expected that the involvement of correlations can increase the discriminative capability of the learned generative model and consequently improve the recognition accuracy. Incorporated with the Fisher kernel method, correlated topic vector inherits the advantages of Fisher vector. The contributions to the topics of visual words have been further employed by incorporating the Fisher kernel framework to indicate the differences among scenes. Combined with the deep convolutional neural network (CNN) features and Gibbs sampling solution, correlated topic vector shows great potential when processing large-scale and complex scene image data sets. Experiments on two scene image data sets demonstrate that correlated topic vector improves significantly the deep CNN features, and outperforms existing Fisher kernel-based features.

Use of International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) to describe patient-reported disability in multiple sclerosis and identification of relevant environmental factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Fary; Pallant, Julie F

2007-01-01

To use the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) to describe patient-reported disability in multiple sclerosis and identify relevant environmental factors. Cross-sectional survey of 101 participants in the community. Their multiple sclerosis-related problems were linked with ICF categories (second level) using a checklist, consensus between health professionals and the "linking rules". The impact of multiple sclerosis on health areas corresponding to 48 ICF categories was also assessed. A total of 170 ICF categories were identified (mean age 49 years, 72 were female). Average number of problems reported was 18. The categories include 48 (42%) for body function, 16 (34%) body structure, 68 (58%) activities and participation and 38 (51%) for environmental factors. Extreme impact in health areas corresponding to ICF categories for activities and participation were reported for mobility, work, everyday home activities, community and social activities. While those for the environmental factors (barriers) included products for mobility, attitudes of extended family, restriction accessing social security and health resources. This study is a first step in the use of the ICF in persons with multiple sclerosis and towards development of the ICF Core set for multiple sclerosis from a broader international perspective.

Topical treatment of psoriasis: questionnaire results on topical therapy accessibility and influence of body surface area on usage.

Science.gov (United States)

Iversen, L; Lange, M M; Bissonette, R; Carvalho, A V E; van de Kerkhof, P C; Kirby, B; Kleyn, C E; Lynde, C W; van der Walt, J M; Wu, J J

2017-07-01

Topical treatment of mild to moderate psoriasis is first-line treatment and exhibits varying degrees of success across patient groups. Key factors influencing treatment success are physician topical treatment choice (high efficacy, low adverse events) and strict patient adherence. Currently, no formalized, international consensus guidelines exist to direct optimal topical treatment, although many countries have national guidelines. To describe and analyse cross-regional variations in the use and access of psoriasis topical therapies. The study was conducted as an observational cross-sectional study. A survey was distributed to dermatologists from the International Psoriasis Council (IPC) to assess topical therapy accessibility in 26 countries and to understand how body surface area (BSA) categories guide clinical decisions on topical use. Variation in the availability of tars, topical retinoids, dithranol and balneotherapy was reported. The vast majority of respondents (100% and 88.4%) used topical therapy as first-line monotherapy in situations with BSA 10%, the number of respondents who prescribe topical therapy decreased considerably. In addition, combination therapy of a topical drug and a systemic drug was frequently reported when BSA measured >10%. This physician survey provides new evidence on topical access and the influence of disease severity on topical usage in an effort to improve treatment strategies on a global level. © 2017 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Teaching History to Adolescents: A Quest for Relevance. Adolescent Cultures, School, and Society. Volume 52

Science.gov (United States)

Beineke, John A.

2011-01-01

"Teaching History to Adolescents: A Quest for Relevance" is an exploration of research, ideas, trends, and practices for educators who teach American history to adolescents from the middle grades through high school. Higher education faculty in history and professional education will also find the book germane to their work. Topics within the…

Environmetal report 2016. Impulses for an integrative environmental policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2016-01-01

The ecological challenges in the EU and Germany are so large that they can no longer simply be addressed using the remedial and even the technically-oriented, preventive environmental protection measures of the past. In relation to climate protection and many other fields, impacts on natural ecosystems must be substantially reduced in order to ensure that key ecosystem services remain functional. Yet, environmental policies continue to encounter stiff opposition, which is targeted at supposedly unnecessary regulatory burdens and restrictions. Opponents of environmental protection claim that environmental policies jeopardize the competitiveness of the German industrial and agricultural sectors by imposing unduly high costs. Or they bring up social issues, such as the current housing crisis or energy poverty, as arguments against an effective environmental policy. Such arguments call for nuanced assessments - and in some cases should be clearly rejected. Defusing such conflicts calls for approaches that promote compromise and that appeal to the general public. In the Environmental Report 2016, the German Advisory Council on the Environment (SRU) sets itself the task of addressing this challenge, by focusing on six key topics. What these topics all have in common is that they exhibit tensions between environmental and economic or social policy goals. The Environmental Report aims to stimulate ideas about environmental oriented reforms and approaches to managing these issues which cut across policy fields.

Development of the Environmental Education Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument

Science.gov (United States)

Moseley, Christine; Utley, Juliana; Angle, Julie; Mwavita, Mwarumba

2016-01-01

The increasing popularity of including environmental topics and issues in school curricula has created a need for effective environmental education teachers. One way to evaluate teacher effectiveness is through teacher efficacy, a belief measure that evaluates a teacher's perception that he/she can teach effectively. Research suggests that…

Summer Undergraduate Research Program: Environmental studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McMillan, J. [ed.

1994-12-31

The purpose of the summer undergraduate internship program for research in environmental studies is to provide an opportunity for well-qualified students to undertake an original research project as an apprentice to an active research scientist in basic environmental research. The students are offered research topics at the Medical University in the scientific areas of pharmacology and toxicology, epidemiology and risk assessment, environmental microbiology, and marine sciences. Students are also afforded the opportunity to work with faculty at the University of Charleston, SC, on projects with an environmental theme. Ten well-qualified students from colleges and universities throughout the eastern United States were accepted into the program.

Catalyzing Cross-Disciplinary Research and Education Within and Beyond the Environmental and Geosciences to Address Emerging, Societally-Relevant Issues

Science.gov (United States)

Cak, A. D.; Vigdor, L. J.; Vorosmarty, C. J.; Giebel, B. M.; Santistevan, C.; Chasteau, C.

2017-12-01

Tackling emergent, societally-relevant problems in the environmental sciences is hardly confined to a single research discipline, but rather requires collaborations that bridge diverse domains and perspectives. While new technologies (e.g., Skype) can in theory unite otherwise geographically distributed participation in collaborative research, physical distance nevertheless raises the bar on intellectual dialogue. Such barriers may reveal perceptions of or real differences across disciplines, reflecting particular traditions in their histories and academic cultures. Individual disciplines are self-defined by their scientific, epistemologic, methodologic, or philosophical traditions (e.g., difficulties in understanding processes occurring at different scales, insufficient research funding for interdisciplinary work), or cultural and discursive hurdles (e.g., navigating a new field's jargon). Coupled with these challenges is a considerable deficiency in educating the next generation of scientists to help them develop a sufficient comfort level with thinking critically across multiple disciplinary domains and conceptual frameworks. To address these issues, the City University of New York (CUNY), the largest public urban university in the U.S., made a significant investment in advancing cross-disciplinary research and education, culminating in the opening of the CUNY Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC) in New York City (NYC) in late 2014. We report here on our experiences incubating new collaborative efforts to address environmental science-related research as it is interwoven with the ASRC's five research initiatives (Environmental Sciences, Neuroscience, Structural Biology, Photonics, and Nanoscience). We describe the ASRC's overall structure and function as both a stand-alone interdisciplinary center and one that collaborates more broadly with CUNY's network of twenty-four campuses distributed across NYC's five boroughs. We identify challenges we have faced so

Safety and environmental aspects of deuterium--tritium fusion power plants: work shop summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-05-01

In September of 1977 a workshop was held on the safety and environmental aspects of fusion power plants to consider potential safety and environmental problems of fusion power plants and to reveal solutions or methods of solving those problems. The objective was to promote incorporation of safety and environmental protection into reactor design, thereby reducing the expense and delay of backfitting safety systems after reactor designs are complete. A dialogue was established between fusion reactor designers and safety and environmental researchers. Four topics, each with several subdivisions, were selected for discussion: radiation exposure, accidents, environmental effects, and plant safety. For each topic, discussion focused on the significance of the problem, and adequacy of current technology to solve the problem, design solutions available and research needed to solve the problem

Relevance as process: judgements in the context of scholarly research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Theresa D. Anderson

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. This paper discusses how exploring the research process in-depth and over time contributes to a fuller understanding of interactions with various representations of information. Method. A longitudinal ethnographic study explored decisions made by two informants involved in scholarly research. Relevance assessment and information seeking were observed as part of informants' own ongoing research projects. Fieldwork used methods of discovery that allowed informants to shape the exploration of the practices surrounding the evolving understandings of their topics. Analysis. Inductive analysis was carried out on the qualitative data collected over a two-year period of judgements observed on a document-by-document basis. The paper introduces broad categories that point to the variability and richness of the ways that informants used representations of information resources to make relevance judgements. Results. Relevance judgements appear to be drivers of the search and research processes informants moved through during the observations. Focusing on research goals rather than on retrieval tasks brings us to a fuller understanding of the relationship between ultimate research goals and the articulation of those goals in interactions with information systems. Conclusion. Relevance assessment is a process that unfolds in the doing of a search, the making of judgements and the using of texts and representations of information.

Towards a joint approach for access to environmental research infrastructures

Science.gov (United States)

Mann, Ingrid; Tjulin, Anders; Pappalardo, Gelsomina; Gagliardi, Simone; Philippin, Sabine; Sellegri, Karine; Chabbi, Abad

2016-04-01

Geoscience is a multi-disciplinary field and in many cases its research benefits from considering different kinds of observational results. Geoscience observations are in some cases of direct interest also to the public. For these reasons effective knowledge transfer and access also across disciplines are especially important for research infrastructures (RIs) in the environmental domain. More generally, the ultimate success of a RI is measured by its scientific outcome and this is best achieved based on efficient access for a broad scientific community. In this presentation the authors report activities to develop governance tools so that the access to environmental RIs and to the data that they provide is common, fair and based on scientific rationale, regarding at the same time economically and technically reasonable use of limited resources. Implementing such governance tools will indeed foster and widen the access to RIs across environmental science domains while addressing societal challenges. The strategies also need to be flexible and sustainable over the expected lifetimes of the RIs. The reported activities involve researchers from different projects and environmental subdomains that come together in the project ENVRI_plus. ENVRI_plus is a Cluster project of RIs that brings together the current ESFRI roadmap RIs in the environmental domain and other relevant existing and developing RIs and projects. ENVRI_plus also offers opportunities for free-of-charge transnational access to four multi-disciplinary research platforms. These calls for access target research groups and companies wishing to conduct research or to test instruments for cross-disciplinary topics within the environmental domains atmosphere, biosphere, marine, and solid earth. They are initiated specifically to gain experience with access across different disciplines (further information is given at www.envriplus.eu). ENVRI_plus receives funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research

Quantitative evaluation of recall and precision of CAT Crawler, a search engine specialized on retrieval of Critically Appraised Topics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Loh Marie

2004-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Critically Appraised Topics (CATs are a useful tool that helps physicians to make clinical decisions as the healthcare moves towards the practice of Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM. The fast growing World Wide Web has provided a place for physicians to share their appraised topics online, but an increasing amount of time is needed to find a particular topic within such a rich repository. Methods A web-based application, namely the CAT Crawler, was developed by Singapore's Bioinformatics Institute to allow physicians to adequately access available appraised topics on the Internet. A meta-search engine, as the core component of the application, finds relevant topics following keyword input. The primary objective of the work presented here is to evaluate the quantity and quality of search results obtained from the meta-search engine of the CAT Crawler by comparing them with those obtained from two individual CAT search engines. From the CAT libraries at these two sites, all possible keywords were extracted using a keyword extractor. Of those common to both libraries, ten were randomly chosen for evaluation. All ten were submitted to the two search engines individually, and through the meta-search engine of the CAT Crawler. Search results were evaluated for relevance both by medical amateurs and professionals, and the respective recall and precision were calculated. Results While achieving an identical recall, the meta-search engine showed a precision of 77.26% (±14.45 compared to the individual search engines' 52.65% (±12.0 (p Conclusion The results demonstrate the validity of the CAT Crawler meta-search engine approach. The improved precision due to inherent filters underlines the practical usefulness of this tool for clinicians.

Topical botulinum toxin.

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, Ashley; Nasir, Adnan

2010-03-01

Nanotechnology is a rapidly growing discipline that capitalizes on the unique properties of matter engineered on the nanoscale. Vehicles incorporating nanotechnology have led to great strides in drug delivery, allowing for increased active ingredient stability, bioavailability, and site-specific targeting. Botulinum toxin has historically been used for the correction of neurological and neuromuscular disorders, such as torticollis, blepharospasm, and strabismus. Recent dermatological indications have been for the management of axillary hyperhydrosis and facial rhytides. Traditional methods of botulinum toxin delivery have been needle-based. These have been associated with increased pain and cost. Newer methods of botulinum toxin formulation have yielded topical preparations that are bioactive in small pilot clinical studies. While there are some risks associated with topical delivery, the refinement and standardization of delivery systems and techniques for the topical administration of botulinum toxin using nanotechnology is anticipated in the near future.

Topical methotrexate pretreatment enhances the therapeutic effect of topical 5-aminolevulinic acid-mediated photodynamic therapy on hamster buccal pouch precancers.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Deng-Fu; Lee, Jeng-Woei; Chen, Hsin-Ming; Hsu, Yih-Chih

2014-09-01

Topical 5-aminolevulinic acid-mediated photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) is effective for treatment of human oral precancerous lesions. This animal study aimed to assess whether topical methotrexate (MTX) pretreatment could enhance the therapeutic effect of topical ALA-PDT on hamster buccal pouch precancerous lesions. Twenty hamster buccal pouch precancerous lesions were treated with either topical ALA-PDT with topical MTX pretreatment (topical MTX-ALA-PDT group, n = 10) or topical ALA-PDT alone (topical ALA-PDT group, n = 10). The intracellular protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) level in another 12 precancerous lesions (n = 6 for either the topical MTX-ALA or topical ALA group) was monitored by fluorescence spectroscopy. The intracellular PpIX reached its peak level in precancerous lesions 6.5 hours and 2.5 hours after topical ALA application for the topical MTX-ALA group (5.63-fold higher in the lesion than in the normal mucosa) and topical ALA group (2.42-fold higher in the lesion than in the normal mucosa), respectively. The complete response rate of precancerous lesions was 80% for the topical MTX-ALA-PDT group and 70% for the topical ALA-PDT group. In addition, the topical MTX-ALA-PDT group required a significantly lower mean treatment number (2.1 ± 0.6) to achieve complete response than the topical ALA-PDT group (4.4 ± 1.3, p topical MTX-ALA-PDT group had a lower recurrence rate (12.5%) than the topical ALA-PDT group (28.6%). We conclude that topical MTX-pretreatment can increase intracellular PpIX production in hamster buccal pouch precancerous lesions and significantly improves the outcomes of the precancerous lesions treated with topical ALA-PDT. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Application of radiotracers in environmental studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rathore, V.S.

1994-01-01

An attempt has been made to present recently emerging trends in the applicability of radiotracers in environmental studies. Since the topic is of general interest and still in the infancy, basic aspects of sampling, instrumentation and methodology are also covered

Gas, oil, and environmental biotechnology IV

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akin, C; Markuszewski, R; Smith, J [eds.; Institute of Gas Technology, Chicago, IL (United States)

1992-01-01

Contains 32 papers presented at the 4th international IGT symposium on gas, oil and environmental biotechnology. Topics covered were: hydrocarbon bioremediation; groundwater, soil and explosives bioremediation; gas and oil reservoir souring; and biodesulfurization. 2 papers have been abstracted separately.

Environmental Medicine Genome Bank (EMGB): Current Composition

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Sonna, Larry

2000-01-01

The USARIEM Environmental Medicine Genome Bank (EMGB) project is an ongoing effort to identify and characterize genes relevant to environmental injuries and illnesses and to human physical performance...

Monetary valuation of environmental goods, services and impacts: variability of monetary values. Seminar proceedings of December 10, 2014

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonnet, Xavier; Ben Maid, Atika; Calvet, Melanie; Darses, Ophelie; Devaux, Jeremy; Simon, Olivier; Gatier, Alexis; Wittmann, Anne-laure; Bonnet, Xavier; Bonroy, Olivier; Ceci-Renaud, Nila; Tarayoun, Tedjani; Mercadie, Corinne; Adam, Gabrielle; Perrissin Fabert, Baptiste; Combet, Emmanuel; Casset, Loic; Meunier, David; Le Maitre, Helene; Brunel, Julien; Rotillon, Gilles

2015-06-01

Within the General Commission for Sustainable Development, the Service for Economics, Assessment and Integration of Sustainable Development is in charge of developing and promoting the economic valuation of policies, regulations, environmental goods and services, related to biodiversity, natural assets and environmental amenities. On December 10, 2014, it held the fifth annual seminar on monetary valuation of environmental goods, services and impacts. The first four editions respectively were devoted to economic valuation methods of environmental goods and services, implementations of these methods, uses of monetary values and methodological innovations; the 2014 seminar addressed the variability of monetary values. The ten presentations of the seminar explored the different values resulting from monetary valuation methods: what do they mean? What do they measure? Why are they relevant to integrate environmental valuation in the various economic sectors? From both a theoretical and practical point of view, theses questions were addressed by considering three main topics: the integration of environmental value in market prices, the different meanings of carbon values and the temporal variability of values used in assessment of investment projects in the transport sector. Those conferences are aimed for experts and practitioners of monetary valuation techniques as well as for users of the values produced. They provide a place to gather and facilitate dialogue between representatives from universities, government agencies and private sector involved in these issues. (authors)

Environmental consequences of nuclear war

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harwell, M.A.; Hutchinson, T.C.; Cropper, W.P. Jr.; Harwell, C.C.; Grover, H.D.

1989-01-01

This book addresses the ecological, agricultural, and human effects of nuclear war. The topics covered include: Ecological principles relevant to nuclear war; Vulnerability of ecological systems to climatic effects on nuclear war; Additional potential effects of nuclear war on ecological systems; Potential effects of nuclear war on agricultural productivity; Food availability after nuclear war; and Experiences and extrapolations from Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Sub-Tenon's anaesthesia versus topical anaesthesia for cataract surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Guay, Joanne; Sales, Karl

2015-08-27

significant, was probably too small to be of clinical relevance. The quality of the evidence was rated as high for intraoperative pain and moderate for pain at 24 hours. We did find differences in pain during administration of local anaesthetic (low level of evidence), and indications that surgeon satisfaction (low level of evidence) and participant satisfaction (moderate level of evidence) were less with topical anaesthesia. There was not enough evidence to say that one technique would result in a higher or lower incidence of intraoperative complications compared with the other. Both topical anaesthesia and sub-Tenon's anaesthesia are accepted and safe methods of providing anaesthesia for cataract surgery. An acceptable degree of intraoperative discomfort has to be expected with either of these techniques. Randomized controlled trials on the effects of various strategies to prevent intraoperative pain during cataract surgery could prove useful.

The relevance and impact of Ethical Consciousness on Environmental Management in Zambia: A philosophical critique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mweshi, John

2004-01-01

This dissertation is informed by the need for adequate ethical consciousness in view of the perceived need for public responsibility, cooperation and participation in ensuring sound environmental management. It investigates and critiques the extent to which an adequate range of ethical principles has been incorporated in Zambia's attempts to address environmental issues.The investigation focused on the role of government policy, education system and the mass media in promoting responsible environmental management and practices by raising environmental ethical consciousness. The study confirmed the preponderance of economic utilitarianism with regard to environmental issues. (author)

RELEVANCE OF ECONOMIC INSTRUMENTS USED IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SORINA-GEANINA MĂRGĂRIT (STĂNESCU

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The interaction between environmental, economic and social factors influences the ecological balance and generates the change of living conditions and those of socio-economic development. One of the essential conditions for building a sustainable economic development is the identification and implementation of active or voluntary instruments to influence economic and social activity towards ensuring their sustainability. In this paper, we intend to introduce the tools used in the process of sustainable development, which have a key role in adopting an environmentally responsible behavior. The results of this study are represented by the drafting of the advantages and disadvantages of using these economic and financial instruments. The purpose of this paper is to present the evolution of costs for environmental protection and the relevance of instruments used at the national level in environmental protection.

Recent advances in topical anesthesia

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-01

Topical anesthetics act on the peripheral nerves and reduce the sensation of pain at the site of application. In dentistry, they are used to control local pain caused by needling, placement of orthodontic bands, the vomiting reflex, oral mucositis, and rubber-dam clamp placement. Traditional topical anesthetics contain lidocaine or benzocaine as active ingredients and are used in the form of solutions, creams, gels, and sprays. Eutectic mixtures of local anesthesia cream, a mixture of various topical anesthetics, has been reported to be more potent than other anesthetics. Recently, new products with modified ingredients and application methods have been introduced into the market. These products may be used for mild pain during periodontal treatment, such as scaling. Dentists should be aware that topical anesthetics, although rare, might induce allergic reactions or side effects as a result of an overdose. Topical anesthetics are useful aids during dental treatment, as they reduce dental phobia, especially in children, by mitigating discomfort and pain. PMID:28879311

Assessing potential future environmental legal events

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tonn, B. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Petrich, C. [The Ernst and Yound Center for Business Innovation, Cambridge, MA (United States)

1997-10-28

This report addresses the topic of environmental citizenship in the United States. The term refers to responsibilities each of us have with respect to helping our communities and nation make sound environmental decisions. This research centers on the citizens and what we ought to be doing, as opposed to what the government ought to be doing for us, to improve environmental citizenship. This report examines four central questions: What are the requirements (i.e., responsibilities) of citizenship vis-a-vis environmental decision- making processes; what constraints limit people`s ability to meet these requirements; what does our form of governance do to help or hinder in meeting these requirements; and what recommendations can be put forth to improve public participation in environmental decision making?

Discriminative Relational Topic Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ning; Zhu, Jun; Xia, Fei; Zhang, Bo

2015-05-01

Relational topic models (RTMs) provide a probabilistic generative process to describe both the link structure and document contents for document networks, and they have shown promise on predicting network structures and discovering latent topic representations. However, existing RTMs have limitations in both the restricted model expressiveness and incapability of dealing with imbalanced network data. To expand the scope and improve the inference accuracy of RTMs, this paper presents three extensions: 1) unlike the common link likelihood with a diagonal weight matrix that allows the-same-topic interactions only, we generalize it to use a full weight matrix that captures all pairwise topic interactions and is applicable to asymmetric networks; 2) instead of doing standard Bayesian inference, we perform regularized Bayesian inference (RegBayes) with a regularization parameter to deal with the imbalanced link structure issue in real networks and improve the discriminative ability of learned latent representations; and 3) instead of doing variational approximation with strict mean-field assumptions, we present collapsed Gibbs sampling algorithms for the generalized relational topic models by exploring data augmentation without making restricting assumptions. Under the generic RegBayes framework, we carefully investigate two popular discriminative loss functions, namely, the logistic log-loss and the max-margin hinge loss. Experimental results on several real network datasets demonstrate the significance of these extensions on improving prediction performance.

High throughtput comparisons and profiling of metagenomes for industrially relevant enzymes

KAUST Repository

Alam, Intikhab

2016-01-01

.g. temperature, environmental chemistry, etc… These metagenomes can be profiled to unearth enzymes relevant to several industries based on specific enzyme properties such as ability to work on extreme conditions, such as extreme temperatures, salinity

[Stanford Linear Accelerator Center] annual environmental monitoring report, January--December 1989

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-05-01

This progress report discusses environmental monitoring activities at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center for 1989. Topics include climate, site geology, site water usage, land use, demography, unusual events or releases, radioactive and nonradioactive releases, compliance summary, environmental nonradiological program information, environmental radiological program information, groundwater protection monitoring ad quality assurance. 5 figs., 7 tabs

Melding Environmental Education and Creative Learning in Elementary and Middle-school Settings

Science.gov (United States)

Jain, S.; Baker, T.; Crofton-Macdonald, J.; Scott, M.

2017-12-01

Teaching environmental topics, such as sustainability and ecosystem management, to students through the lens of computational thinking provides unique educational opportunities. Environmental topics are an excellent source for multidisciplinary learning, as questions concerning human well-being, environmental policy, science, and mathematics can naturally be incorporated into educational discussions and activities. The use of computational modeling allows students to critically reason about and explore environmental concepts by envisioning complexity, and asking and investigating a series of "what if" questions. Students can furthermore reflect on their own relationship with their local ecology. For the past five years, we have tested and developed activities for middle school students. Through in-class activities, workshop, and summer clubs, we have explored these ideas. We plan to present examples from our work and a tentative framework for a new approach to environmental education, one reinforced by computational thinking and creative learning.

Topical anesthesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mritunjay Kumar

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Topical anesthetics are being widely used in numerous medical and surgical sub-specialties such as anesthesia, ophthalmology, otorhinolaryngology, dentistry, urology, and aesthetic surgery. They cause superficial loss of pain sensation after direct application. Their delivery and effectiveness can be enhanced by using free bases; by increasing the drug concentration, lowering the melting point; by using physical and chemical permeation enhancers and lipid delivery vesicles. Various topical anesthetic agents available for use are eutectic mixture of local anesthetics, ELA-max, lidocaine, epinephrine, tetracaine, bupivanor, 4% tetracaine, benzocaine, proparacaine, Betacaine-LA, topicaine, lidoderm, S-caine patch™ and local anesthetic peel. While using them, careful attention must be paid to their pharmacology, area and duration of application, age and weight of the patients and possible side-effects.

15. Experts' meeting on monitoring environmental radioactivity. Data - models - information. Proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2014-01-01

The proceedings of the 15. Experts' meeting on monitoring environmental radioactivity include contributions o the following topics: environmental monitoring in Germany; developments in emergency protection and environmental monitoring; implementation of model and information systems; measuring programs during events and exercises; public information during local and global events; fast and (new) analytical methods; measures of the quality management systems; European and international environmental monitoring harmonization.

KEY TOPICS IN SPORTS MEDICINE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amir Ali Narvani

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Key Topics in Sports Medicine is a single quick reference source for sports and exercise medicine. It presents the essential information from across relevant topic areas, and includes both the core and emerging issues in this rapidly developing field. It covers: 1 Sports injuries, rehabilitation and injury prevention, 2 Exercise physiology, fitness testing and training, 3 Drugs in sport, 4 Exercise and health promotion, 5 Sport and exercise for special and clinical populations, 6 The psychology of performance and injury. PURPOSE The Key Topics format provides extensive, concise information in an accessible, easy-to-follow manner. AUDIENCE The book is targeted the students and specialists in sports medicine and rehabilitation, athletic training, physiotherapy and orthopaedic surgery. The editors are authorities in their respective fields and this handbook depends on their extensive experience and knowledge accumulated over the years. FEATURES The book contains the information for clinical guidance, rapid access to concise details and facts. It is composed of 99 topics which present the information in an order that is considered logical and progressive as in most texts. Chapter headings are: 1. Functional Anatomy, 2. Training Principles / Development of Strength and Power, 3. Biomechanical Principles, 4. Biomechanical Analysis, 5. Physiology of Training, 6. Monitoring of Training Progress, 7. Nutrition, 8. Hot and Cold Climates, 9. Altitude, 10. Sport and Travelling, 11. Principles of Sport Injury Diagnosis, 12. Principles of Sport and Soft Tissue Management, 13. Principles of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, 14. Principles of Sport Injury Prevention, 15. Sports Psychology, 16. Team Sports, 17. Psychological Aspects of Injury in Sport, 18. Injury Repair Process, 19. Basic Biomechanics of Tissue Injury, 20. Plain Film Radiography in Sport, 21. Nuclear Medicine, 22. Diagnostic Ultrasound, 23. MRI Scan, 24. Other Imaging, 5. Head Injury, 26. Eye

Oak Ridge Reservation annual site environmental report for 1995

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koncinski, W.S.

1996-09-01

This report presents the details of the environmental monitoring and management program for the Oak Ridge Reservation. Topics discussed include: site background, climate, and operations; environmental compliance strategies; effluent monitoring; environmental management program including environmental restoration, decontamination and decommissioning, technology development, and public involvement; effluent monitoring of airborne discharges, liquid discharges, toxicity control and monitoring, biological monitoring and abatement; environmental surveillance which encompasses meteorological monitoring, ambient air monitoring, surface water monitoring, soils monitoring, sediment monitoring, and contamination of food stuffs monitoring; radiation doses; chemical exposures; ground water monitoring; and quality assurance

Oak Ridge Reservation annual site environmental report for 1995

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koncinski, W.S. [ed.

1996-09-01

This report presents the details of the environmental monitoring and management program for the Oak Ridge Reservation. Topics discussed include: site background, climate, and operations; environmental compliance strategies; effluent monitoring; environmental management program including environmental restoration, decontamination and decommissioning, technology development, and public involvement; effluent monitoring of airborne discharges, liquid discharges, toxicity control and monitoring, biological monitoring and abatement; environmental surveillance which encompasses meteorological monitoring, ambient air monitoring, surface water monitoring, soils monitoring, sediment monitoring, and contamination of food stuffs monitoring; radiation doses; chemical exposures; ground water monitoring; and quality assurance.

2013 BNL Site Environmental Report. Volume 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ratel, K.; Remien, J.; Pohlot, P.; Williams, J.; Green, T.; Paquette, P.; Dorsch, W.; Welty, T.; Burke, J.

2014-10-01

A summary of Brookhaven National Laboratory’s (BNL) Site Environmental Report, meant to inform the public, regulators, employees, and other stakeholders of the Laboratory’s environmental performance in the lab’s surrounding area during the calendar year. The review is comprised of multiple volumes relevant to environmental data/environmental management performance and groundwater status report.

Problematic topic transitions in dysarthric conversation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bloch, Steven; Saldert, Charlotta; Ferm, Ulrika

2015-01-01

This study examined the nature of topic transition problems associated with acquired progressive dysarthric speech in the everyday conversation of people with motor neurone disease. Using conversation analytic methods, a video collection of five naturally occurring problematic topic transitions was identified, transcribed and analysed. These were extracted from a main collection of over 200 other-initiated repair sequences and a sub-set of 15 problematic topic transition sequences. The sequences were analysed with reference to how the participants both identified and resolved the problems. Analysis revealed that topic transition by people with dysarthria can prove problematic. Conversation partners may find transitions problematic not only because of speech intelligibility but also because of a sequential disjuncture between the dysarthric speech turn and whatever topic has come prior. In addition the treatment of problematic topic transition as a complaint reveals the potential vulnerability of people with dysarthria to judgements of competence. These findings have implications for how dysarthria is conceptualized and how specific actions in conversation, such as topic transition, might be suitable targets for clinical intervention.

76 FR 81806 - Ophthalmic and Topical Dosage Form New Animal Drugs; Ivermectin Topical Solution

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-29

.... FDA-2011-N-0003] Ophthalmic and Topical Dosage Form New Animal Drugs; Ivermectin Topical Solution... solution of ivermectin. DATES: This rule is effective December 29, 2011. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT... ANADA 200-318 for [[Page 81807

Matrix of Aspects and Environmental Impacts as a Tool of Disclosure of Environmental Contingencies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diene Hellmann Pereira

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Companies that, as a result of their activities, cause an impact on the environment may incur environmental contingencies. Depending on the extent of the impact and the likelihood of future monetary obligations, accounting standards determine situations in which the company shall disclose such events in the explanatory notes. To contribute to this topic, this article aims to verify how a matrix of aspects and environmental impacts can contribute to the accounting disclosure of environmental contingencies for resellers in gas stations. To achieve this, this study used a matrix formed by information regarding the aspects and environmental impacts, in which were considered the scope, severity, and frequency of occurrence of each analyzed situation. The results show that instances of environmental impact in the business environment might be followed through the matrix of environmental aspects and impacts, and that this tool can help in judging which information is subject to disclosure in the notes.

Possibilities of mathematical models in solving flow problems in environmental protection and water architecture

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1979-01-01

The booklet presents the full text of 13 contributions to a Colloquium held at Karlsruhe in Sept. 1979. The main topics of the papers are the evaluation of mathematical models to solve flow problems in tide water, seas, rivers, groundwater and in the earth atmosphere. See further hints under relevant topics.

Altered pairing behaviour and reproductive success in white ibises exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of methylmercury.

Science.gov (United States)

Frederick, Peter; Jayasena, Nilmini

2011-06-22

Methylmercury (MeHg) is the most biologically available and toxic form of mercury, and can act as a powerful teratogen, neurotoxin and endocrine disruptor in vertebrates. However, mechanisms of endocrine impairment and net effects on demography of biota are poorly understood. Here, we report that experimental exposure of an aquatic bird over 3 years to environmentally relevant dietary MeHg concentrations (0.05-0.3 ppm wet weight) resulted in dose-related increases in male-male pairing behaviour (to 55% of males), and decreases in egg productivity (to 30%). Dosed males showed decreased rates of key courtship behaviours, and were approached less by courting females in comparison to control males. Within dosed groups, homosexual males showed a similar reduction when compared with dosed heterosexual males. We found an average 35 per cent decrease in fledgling production in high-dose birds over the study duration. These results are of interest because (i) MeHg exposure is experimentally tied to demographically important reproductive deficits, (ii) these effects were found at low, chronic exposure levels commonly experienced by wildlife, and (iii) effects on reproductive behaviour and sexual preference mediated by endocrine disruption represent a novel and probably under-reported mechanism by which contaminants may influence wild populations of birds.

Environmental microbiology

Science.gov (United States)

Briški, Felicita; Vuković Domanovac, Marija

2017-10-01

For most people, microorganisms are out of sight and therefore out of mind but they are large, extremely diverse group of organisms, they are everywhere and are the dominant form of life on planet Earth. Almost every surface is colonized by microorganisms, including our skin; however most of them are harmless to humans. Some microorganisms can live in boiling hot springs, whereas others form microbial communities in frozen sea ice. Among their many roles, microorganisms are necessary for biogeochemical cycling, soil fertility, decomposition of dead plants and animals and biodegradation of many complex organic compounds present in the environment. Environmental microbiology is concerned with the study of microorganisms in the soil, water and air and their application in bioremediation to reduce environmental pollution through the biological degradation of pollutants into non-toxic or less toxic substances. Field of environmental microbiology also covers the topics such as microbially induced biocorrosion, biodeterioration of constructing materials and microbiological quality of outdoor and indoor air.

Topical methotrexate pretreatment enhances the therapeutic effect of topical 5-aminolevulinic acid-mediated photodynamic therapy on hamster buccal pouch precancers

OpenAIRE

Deng-Fu Yang; Jeng-Woei Lee; Hsin-Ming Chen; Yih-Chih Hsu

2014-01-01

Topical 5-aminolevulinic acid-mediated photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) is effective for treatment of human oral precancerous lesions. This animal study aimed to assess whether topical methotrexate (MTX) pretreatment could enhance the therapeutic effect of topical ALA-PDT on hamster buccal pouch precancerous lesions. Methods: Twenty hamster buccal pouch precancerous lesions were treated with either topical ALA-PDT with topical MTX pretreatment (topical MTX-ALA-PDT group, n = 10) or topical A...

Defining criteria for good environmental journalism and testing their applicability: An environmental news review as a first step to more evidence based environmental science reporting.

Science.gov (United States)

Rögener, Wiebke; Wormer, Holger

2017-05-01

While the quality of environmental science journalism has been the subject of much debate, a widely accepted benchmark to assess the quality of coverage of environmental topics is missing so far. Therefore, we have developed a set of defined criteria of environmental reporting. This instrument and its applicability are tested in a newly established monitoring project for the assessment of pieces on environmental issues, which refer to scientific sources and therefore can be regarded as a special field of science journalism. The quality is assessed in a kind of journalistic peer review. We describe the systematic development of criteria, which might also be a model procedure for other fields of science reporting. Furthermore, we present results from the monitoring of 50 environmental reports in German media. According to these preliminary data, the lack of context and the deficient elucidation of the evidence pose major problems in environmental reporting.

The relevance of polymeric synthetic membranes in topical formulation assessment and drug diffusion study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, Shiow-Fern; Rouse, Jennifer J; Sanderson, Francis D; Eccleston, Gillian M

2012-03-01

Synthetic membranes are composed of thin sheets of polymeric macromolecules that can control the passage of components through them. Generally, synthetic membranes used in drug diffusion studies have one of two functions: skin simulation or quality control. Synthetic membranes for skin simulation, such as the silicone-based membranes polydimethylsiloxane and Carbosil, are generally hydrophobic and rate limiting, imitating the stratum corneum. In contrast, synthetic membranes for quality control, such as cellulose esters and polysulfone, are required to act as a support rather than a barrier. These synthetic membranes also often contain pores; hence, they are called porous membranes. The significance of Franz diffusion studies and synthetic membranes in quality control studies involves an understanding of the fundamentals of synthetic membranes. This article provides a general overview of synthetic membranes, including a brief background of the history and the common applications of synthetic membranes. This review then explores the types of synthetic membranes, the transport mechanisms across them, and their relevance in choosing a synthetic membrane in Franz diffusion cell studies for formulation assessment purposes.

Environmental Risk Assessment Strategy for Nanomaterials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janeck J. Scott‐Fordsmand

2017-10-01

Full Text Available An Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA for nanomaterials (NMs is outlined in this paper. Contrary to other recent papers on the subject, the main data requirements, models and advancement within each of the four risk assessment domains are described, i.e., in the: (i materials, (ii release, fate and exposure, (iii hazard and (iv risk characterisation domains. The material, which is obviously the foundation for any risk assessment, should be described according to the legislatively required characterisation data. Characterisation data will also be used at various levels within the ERA, e.g., exposure modelling. The release, fate and exposure data and models cover the input for environmental distribution models in order to identify the potential (PES and relevant exposure scenarios (RES and, subsequently, the possible release routes, both with regard to which compartment(s NMs are distributed in line with the factors determining the fate within environmental compartment. The initial outcome in the risk characterisation will be a generic Predicted Environmental Concentration (PEC, but a refined PEC can be obtained by applying specific exposure models for relevant media. The hazard information covers a variety of representative, relevant and reliable organisms and/or functions, relevant for the RES and enabling a hazard characterisation. The initial outcome will be hazard characterisation in test systems allowing estimating a Predicted No-Effect concentration (PNEC, either based on uncertainty factors or on a NM adapted version of the Species Sensitivity Distributions approach. The risk characterisation will either be based on a deterministic risk ratio approach (i.e., PEC/PNEC or an overlay of probability distributions, i.e., exposure and hazard distributions, using the nano relevant models.

Environmental Risk Assessment Strategy for Nanomaterials.

Science.gov (United States)

Scott-Fordsmand, Janeck J; Peijnenburg, Willie J G M; Semenzin, Elena; Nowack, Bernd; Hunt, Neil; Hristozov, Danail; Marcomini, Antonio; Irfan, Muhammad-Adeel; Jiménez, Araceli Sánchez; Landsiedel, Robert; Tran, Lang; Oomen, Agnes G; Bos, Peter M J; Hund-Rinke, Kerstin

2017-10-19

An Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) for nanomaterials (NMs) is outlined in this paper. Contrary to other recent papers on the subject, the main data requirements, models and advancement within each of the four risk assessment domains are described, i.e., in the: (i) materials, (ii) release, fate and exposure, (iii) hazard and (iv) risk characterisation domains. The material, which is obviously the foundation for any risk assessment, should be described according to the legislatively required characterisation data. Characterisation data will also be used at various levels within the ERA, e.g., exposure modelling. The release, fate and exposure data and models cover the input for environmental distribution models in order to identify the potential (PES) and relevant exposure scenarios (RES) and, subsequently, the possible release routes, both with regard to which compartment(s) NMs are distributed in line with the factors determining the fate within environmental compartment. The initial outcome in the risk characterisation will be a generic Predicted Environmental Concentration (PEC), but a refined PEC can be obtained by applying specific exposure models for relevant media. The hazard information covers a variety of representative, relevant and reliable organisms and/or functions, relevant for the RES and enabling a hazard characterisation. The initial outcome will be hazard characterisation in test systems allowing estimating a Predicted No-Effect concentration (PNEC), either based on uncertainty factors or on a NM adapted version of the Species Sensitivity Distributions approach. The risk characterisation will either be based on a deterministic risk ratio approach (i.e., PEC/PNEC) or an overlay of probability distributions, i.e., exposure and hazard distributions, using the nano relevant models.

Teaching Coastal Hazard, Risk, and Environmental Justice

Science.gov (United States)

Orr, C. H.; Manduca, C. A.; Blockstein, D.; Davis, F.; McDaris, J. R.

2015-12-01

Geoscience literacy and expertise play a role in all societal issues that involve the Earth. Issues that range from environmental degradation and natural hazards to creating sustainable economic systems or livable cities. Human health and resilience also involves the Earth. Environmental hazard issues have dimensions and consequences that have connections to environmental justice and disproportionate impacts on people based on their ethnicity, gender, cultural and socioeconomic conditions. Often these dimensions are hidden or unexplored in common approaches to teaching about hazards. However, they can provide importance context and meaning to students who would not otherwise see themselves in STEM disciplines. Teaching geoscience in a framework of societal issues may be an important mechanism for building science and sustainability capacity in future graduates. In May 2015, the NSF STEP center InTeGrate held a workshop in New Orleans, LA on teaching about Coastal Hazards, Risk and Environmental Justice. This was an opportunity to bring together people who use these topics as a powerful topic for transdisciplinary learning that connects science to local communities. This workshop was tailored for faculty members from minority-serving institutions and other colleges and universities that serve populations that are under-represented in the geosciences and related fields. The workshop outcome was a set of strategies for accomplishing this work, including participants' experience teaching with local cases, making connections to communities, and building partnerships with employers to understand workforce needs related to interdisciplinary thinking, sustainability science and risk. The participants articulated both the great need and opportunity for educators to help learners to explore these dimensions with their students as well as the challenge of learning to teach across disciplines and using controversial topics.

Environmental pollution research in South America

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miguel, A.H.

1991-01-01

This article provides and account of published research in environmental pollution carried out in South American institutions within the past 10 years. Because of the broadness of the topic, the continental dimensions of the assignment, and limitations of space and time, the article focuses on environmental research related to air, water, food, and soil. Thus, it is not a complete record, but rather a sample of published pollution research activities. The information here was obtained primarily from Dialog's electronic search of the Pollution Abstracts Database. The article also identifies other environmental problems that need the attention of South American researchers

Topical use of sucralfate in epithelial wound healing: clinical evidences and molecular mechanisms of action.

Science.gov (United States)

Masuelli, Laura; Tumino, Giovanni; Turriziani, Mario; Modesti, Andrea; Bei, Roberto

2010-01-01

Sucralfate is a basic aluminium salt of sucrose octasulphate which was orally employed for prevention and treatment of several gastrointestinal diseases including gastroesophageal reflux, gastric and duodenal ulcer. Recent studies have employed sucralfate as a topical drug for the healing of several types of epithelial wounds such as ulcers, inflammatory dermatitis, mucositis and burn wounds. Epithelial wound healing is a well orchestrated process involving hemostasis, inflammatory reaction, cell proliferation and tissue remodelling which leads to granulation tissue development and filling of the wound space. This report will review clinical evidences on the use of topical sucralfate for the management of epithelial lesions and deal with the current knowledge on the molecular mechanisms of action of this compound towards the epithelial wound healing process and will also discuss relevant patents.