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The Circle of Security–Parenting Intervention (COS-P; Cooper et al., 2009 ) is a psychoeducational program for caregivers of young children that has been widely disseminated. The program is founded in attachment theory and relies on computer-delivered content and parent reflection and discussion to teach concepts of safety and security to promote better caregiver-child relationships and child wellbeing. The present study is a randomized controlled trial of COS-P, individually delivered to 85 Australian caregivers (51 COS-P, 34 waitlist control) who reported parenting distress and child disruptive behaviors. Caregivers completed a baseline assessment and repeated the assessment after completion of COS-P or 8 weeks on the waitlist. Caregivers completed surveys to report child symptoms, and parenting stress, anxious and avoidant attachment, reflective functioning, parenting practices, and depressive symptoms. No differences in COS-P vs. waitlist participants were found at baseline. Analyses of complete data (35 COS-P, 25-26 waitlist) revealed a greater decline in caregivers’ attachment anxiety and negative parenting relative to waitlist, but only attachment anxiety in intent-to-treat analyses. Other improvements were found, but these extended to both the COS-P and waitlist conditions and did not differ between conditions. Overall, effects of COS-P were small and rarely significant, suggesting the need to consider alternative programs that have evidence of effectiveness when providing services to at-risk families.

Background & Aims Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic cholestatic liver disease characterized by progressive inflammatory and fibrotic injury to the biliary tree. We sought to further delineate the contribution of macrophage lineages in PSC pathobiology. Methods Human liver tissues and/or blood samples from patients with PSC, primary biliary cholangitis, other non-cholestatic/non-autoimmune diseases, including alcohol-related liver disease and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, as well as normal liver, were sourced from our liver transplantation program. Liver fibrosis was studied using Van Gieson staining, while the frequencies of infiltrating monocyte and macrophage lineages, both in the circulation and the liver, were investigated by flow cytometry, including the expression of TGR-5, a G protein-coupled receptor (GPBAR1/TGR-5). Results Significantly higher frequencies of CD68+CD206+ macrophages were detected in the livers of patients with PSC (median 19.17%; IQR 7.25–32.8%; n = 15) compared to those of patients with other liver diseases (median 12.05%; IQR 5.61–16.03%; n = 12; p = 0.0373). CD16+ monocytes, including both intermediate (CD14+CD16++) and non-classical (CD14dimCD16++) monocytes, were preferentially recruited into chronically diseased livers, with the highest recruitment ratios in PSC (median 15.83%; IQR 9.66–29.5%; n = 15), compared to other liver diseases (median 6.66%; IQR 2.88–11.64%, n = 14, p = 0.0152). The expression of TGR-5 on CD68+ intrahepatic macrophages was increased in chronic liver disease; TGR-5 expression on intrahepatic macrophages was highest in PSC (median 36.32%; IQR 17.71–63.61%; n = 6) and most TGR-5+ macrophages were CD68+CD206+ macrophages. Conclusions Underlying a potential role for macrophages in PSC pathobiology, we demonstrate, using patient-derived tissue, increased CD16+ monocyte recruitment and a higher frequency of CD68+CD206+ macrophages in the livers of patients with PSC; the CD68+CD206+ macrophage subset was associated with significantly higher TGR-5 expression in PSC. Lay summary Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic cholestatic liver disease associated with progressive inflammation of the bile duct, leading to fibrosis and end-stage liver disease. In this study we explore the role of a type of immune cell, the macrophage, in contributing to PSC as a disease, hoping that our findings direct scientists towards new treatment targets. Our findings based on human liver and blood analyses demonstrate a greater frequency of a particular subset of immune cell, the CD68+CD206+ macrophage, with significantly higher TGR-5 expression on this subset in PSC., Graphical Abstract Unlabelled Image, Highlights • CD68+CD206+ macrophage populations predominate in the liver tissue of patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis. • Intrahepatic CD16+ monocytes preferentially accumulate in the livers of patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis. • The expression of TGR-5 is increased in chronic liver disease. • TGR-5 expression on CD68+CD206+ intrahepatic macrophages is higher in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis.

Background & Aims: Chronic liver disease (CLD) and cirrhosis are associated with immune dysregulation, leading to concerns that affected patients may be at risk of adverse outcomes following SARS-CoV-2 infection. We aimed to determine the impact of COVID-19 on patients with pre-existing liver disease, which currently remains ill-defined. Methods: Between 25th March and 8th July 2020, data on 745 patients with CLD and SARS-CoV-2 (including 386 with and 359 without cirrhosis) were collected by 2 international registries and compared to data on non-CLD patients with SARS-CoV-2 from a UK hospital network. Results: Mortality was 32% in patients with cirrhosis compared to 8% in those without (p, The COVID-Hep.net registry is supported by the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) (2020RG03). This work was also supported by the National Institutes of Health grant T32 DK007634 (AMM and EJB), and North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences Institute (CTSA grant number UL1TR002489). We acknowledge the support of the National Institutes of Health, through Grant Award Number UL1TR002489. TC was funded as an academic clinical fellow by NIHR and by WT training fellowship for clinicians (grant number 211042/Z/18/Z). EB is supported by the Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre and is an NIHR Senior Investigator. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR, or the Department of Health.

Background Despite concerns that patients with liver transplants might be at increased risk of adverse outcomes from COVID-19 because of coexisting comorbidities and use of immunosuppressants, the effect of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection on this patient group remains unclear. We aimed to assess the clinical outcomes in these patients. Methods In this multicentre cohort study, we collected data on patients with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, who were older than 18 years, who had previously received a liver transplant, and for whom data had been submitted by clinicians to one of two international registries (COVID-Hep and SECURE-Cirrhosis) at the end of the patient's disease course. Patients without a known hospitalisation status or mortality outcome were excluded. For comparison, data from a contemporaneous cohort of consecutive patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection who had not received a liver transplant were collected from the electronic patient records of the Oxford University Hospitals National Health Service Foundation Trust. We compared the cohorts with regard to several outcomes (including death, hospitalisation, intensive care unit [ICU] admission, requirement for intensive care, and need for invasive ventilation). A propensity score-matched analysis was done to test for an association between liver transplant and death. Findings Between March 25 and June 26, 2020, data were collected for 151 adult liver transplant recipients from 18 countries (median age 60 years [IQR 47–66], 102 [68%] men, 49 [32%] women) and 627 patients who had not undergone liver transplantation (median age 73 years [44–84], 329 [52%] men, 298 [48%] women). The groups did not differ with regard to the proportion of patients hospitalised (124 [82%] patients in the liver transplant cohort vs 474 [76%] in the comparison cohort, p=0·106), or who required intensive care (47 [31%] vs 185 [30%], p=0·837). However, ICU admission (43 [28%] vs 52 [8%], p Interpretation Liver transplantation was not independently associated with death, whereas increased age and presence of comorbidities were. Factors other than transplantation should be preferentially considered in relation to physical distancing and provision of medical care for patients with liver transplants during the COVID-19 pandemic. Funding European Association for the Study of the Liver, US National Institutes of Health, UK National Institute for Health Research.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic poses an enormous challenge to healthcare systems in affected communities. Older patients and those with pre-existing medical conditions have been identified as populations at risk of a severe disease course. It remains unclear at this point to what extent chronic liver diseases should be considered as risk factors, due to a shortage of appropriate studies. However, patients with advanced liver disease and those after liver transplantation represent vulnerable patient cohorts with an increased risk of infection and/or a severe course of COVID-19. In addition, the current pandemic requires unusual allocation of healthcare resources which may negatively impact the care of patients with chronic liver disease that continue to require medical attention. Thus, the challenge hepatologists are facing is to promote telemedicine in the outpatient setting, prioritise outpatient contacts, avoid nosocomial dissemination of the virus to patients and healthcare providers, and at the same time maintain standard care for patients who require immediate medical attention.

Background & Aims Acute liver failure as the initial presentation of Wilson’s disease is usually associated with onset in childhood, adolescence or early adulthood. Outcomes after transplantation for late-onset presentations, at or after 40 years, are seldom reported in the literature. Methods We report a case, review the literature and provide unpublished data from the UK Transplant Registry on late-onset acute liver failure in Wilson's disease. Results We describe the case of a 62-year-old man presenting with acute liver failure who was successfully treated with urgent liver transplantation. We identified 7 cases presenting at age 40 years or over in the literature, for which individual outcomes were reported; 3 were treated with transplantation and 2 survived. We identified a further 8 cases listed for transplantation in the UK between 1995 and 2014; 7 were treated with transplantation and 6 survived. One patient was de-listed for unknown reasons. Conclusions Wilson's disease should be considered in older adults presenting with acute liver failure. We suggest that urgent liver transplantation has good outcomes for late-onset presentations and recommend that urgent transplantation should always be considered in Wilson's disease presenting as acute liver failure. Lay summary Wilson's disease is a rare inherited disease that causes copper accumulation in the liver and brain and usually manifests during childhood, adolescence or early adulthood. We report the case of a 62-year-old who developed acute liver failure and was successfully treated with urgent liver transplantation. We discuss the outcomes of other late-onset cases of acute liver failure due to Wilson's disease in the literature and provide additional data from the UK Transplant Registry., Graphical abstract, Highlights • We describe the case of a 62-year-old transplanted for acute liver failure in Wilson's disease. • Outcomes after transplantation were previously reported in 3 late-onset cases. • We describe a further 7 late-onset cases from the UK Transplant Registry. • Wilson's disease should be considered in acute liver failure presenting at any age. • Transplantation should always be considered in acute liver failure presentations.

9 pags., 6 figs., We present a plasmonic biosensor capable of detecting the presence of bisphenol A in ultra-low concentrations, yielding a wavelength shift of 0.15 ± 0.01 nm in response to a solution of 1 fM concentration with limit of detection of 330 ± 70 aM The biosensing device consists of an array of gold nano-antennae with a total length of 2.3 cm that generate coupled localised surface plasmons (cLSPs) and is covalently modified with an aptamer specific for bisphenol A recognition. The array of nano-antennae is fabricated on a lapped section of standard telecommunication optical fibre, allowing for potential multiplexing and its use in remote sensing applications. These results have been achieved without the use of enhancement techniques and therefore the approach allows the direct detection of bisphenol A, a low molecular weight (228 Da) target usually detectable only by indirect detection strategies. Its detection at such levels is a significant step forward in measuring small molecules at ultra-low concentrations. Furthermore, this new sensing platform paves the way for the development of portable systems for in-situ agricultural measurements capable of retrieving data on a substance of very high concern at ultra-low concentrations., his work was financially supported by grants EP/J010413 and EP/J010391 for Aston University and the University of Plymouth from the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. S.S. and M.M. thank the Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR) forfinancial support through the scientific programSIR2014 Scientific Independence of young Researchers (RBSI1455LK).Declaration of interestsNoneT.D.P. Allsop, et al.Biosensors and Bioelectronics 135 (2019) 102–110109

Clear, accessible, objective metrics of species status are critical to communicate the state of biodiversity and to measure progress towards biodiversity targets. However, the population data underpinning current species status metrics is often highly skewed towards particular taxonomic groups such as birds, butterflies and mammals, primarily due to the restricted availability of high quality population data. A synoptic overview of the state of biodiversity requires sampling from a broader range of taxonomic groups. Incorporating data from a wide range of monitoring and analysis methods and considering more than one measure of species status are possible ways to achieve this. Here, we utilise measures of species’ population change and extinction risk to develop three species status metrics, a Categorical Change metric, a Species Index and a Red List metric, and populate them with a wide range of data sources from the UK, covering thousands of species from across taxonomy. The species status metrics reiterate the commonly reported decline in freshwater and terrestrial species’ status in the UK in recent decades and give little evidence that this rate of decline has slowed. The utility of species status metrics is further improved if we can extrapolate beyond the species sampled to infer the status of the community. For the freshwater and terrestrial species status metrics presented here we can do this with some confidence. Nevertheless, despite the range and number of species contributing to the species metrics, significant taxonomic bias remained and we report weighting options that could help control for this. The three metrics developed were used in the State of Nature 2016 report and indications are they reached a large number of audience members. We suggest options to improve the design and communication of these and similar metrics in the future.

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC, formerly known as primary biliary cirrhosis) is an uncommon cholestatic liver disease characterized by immune-mediated destruction of biliary epithelial cells. PBC is female preponderant and typically presents in the fifth or sixth decade of life. The clinical presentation may include generalized pruritus, dryness of eyes and mouth, fatigue, and upper abdominal discomfort; patients may be asymptomatic. Typical laboratory findings are elevations in serum alkaline phosphatase levels, increased serum immunoglobulin M levels, and the presence of antimitochondrial antibodies or specific subtypes of antinuclear antibodies. A diagnosis of PBC is usually made without histologic examination. When used, liver biopsy typically reveals nonsuppurative granulomatous cholangitis with loss of small bile ducts and lymphocytic portal inflammation. The first-line therapy for PBC is ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), with additional attention paid to control of symptoms. Patients who do not achieve an adequate biochemical response to UDCA have a greater risk of disease progression to cirrhosis and may ultimately require liver transplantation. The farnesoid-X-receptor agonist obeticholic acid has been licensed as second-line therapy for PBC in patients who have an inadequate response to UDCA or who are intolerant of UDCA.

Dietary fatty acids are major contributors to the development and progression of insulin resistance and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Dietary fatty acids also alter hepatic NKT cells that are activated by antigens presented by CD1d. In the current study, we examine the mechanism of dietary fatty acid induced hepatic NKT cell deficiency and its causal relationship to insulin resistance and NAFLD. We discover that dietary saturated fatty acids (SFA) or monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), but not polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), cause hepatic NKT cell depletion with increased apoptosis. Dietary SFA or MUFA also impair hepatocyte presentation of endogenous, but not exogenous, antigen to NKT cells, indicating alterations of the endogenous antigen processing or presenting pathway. In vitro treatment of normal hepatocytes with fatty acids also demonstrates impaired ability of CD1d to present endogenous antigen by dietary fatty acids. Furthermore, dietary SFA and MUFA activate the NFkappaB signaling pathway and lead to insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis. In conclusion, both dietary SFA and MUFA alter endogenous antigen presentation to hepatic NKT cells and contribute to NKT cell depletion, leading to further activation of inflammatory signaling, insulin resistance, and hepatic steatosis.

A new era of synthetic biology has rekindled interest in achieving a better understanding of simple chemical processes that occur at bilayer membranes. Applying the principles of physical organic chemistry to the analysis of binding and reactivity at bilayers should provide this deeper insight and supplying predictive tools for the design of complex self-assembled systems involving bilayers. In this chapter, we provide an overview of quantitative studies of chemical binding and reactivity at bilayers, aiming to outline the ways bilayer properties alter these processes. Surface charges and low polarity are commonly acknowledged influences on binding and reactivity, but other properties that arise from the liquid crystalline nature of the bilayer, such as phase behavior, anisotropy, and lipid clustering, are also important. In addition, bilayer membranes have a concentrating and orientating effect, producing high effective concentrations of membrane-bound receptors and reagents; studies that elucidate the effect of these high local concentrations on inter-/intramembrane binding or reactivity are described. Then to conclude, a summary of how bilayer properties affect binding and reactivity is presented.

Using the nitrogen (N) in organic manures more effectively reduces losses to the environment. A requirement to take allowance of the N conserved by reduced ammonia (NH3)-emission techniques would increase manure-N efficiency by up to 15%. Covering manure stores and land application of slurry by injection beneath the soil surface and by rapid incorporation of both slurries and solid manures into uncropped soil reduce NH3 emissions. Injection of cattle slurry also reduces N immobilization compared with application methods, which mix the slurry with soil and increases manure-N efficiency by ca 10–15%. In growing cereals, NH3 emissions can be reduced by band spreading within the canopy. Anaerobic digestion of slurry may also increase manure-N availability in the season of application by 10–20%, compared with undigested slurry. Slurry acidification may increase manure-N efficiency by 35–65% by reducing total NH3 losses by 70% compared with unacidified slurry stored without cover and not incorporated after spreading. To fully utilize the fertilizer value of manure-N, uptake over more than 1 year needs to be accounted for. This is particularly important for solid manures which provide less-available N in the season after application than slurries but release more N to crops in subsequent years. Using manure-N as a sole N source may limit overall manure-N efficiency. Applying manures at reduced rates over a larger crop area, using N fertilizer at times when crop recovery of manure-N may be limited, may give the greatest overall manure-N efficiency.

Publisher Summary Benzoxazines are easy and inexpensive to prepare via condensation of phenol, formaldehyde, and an amine. Some are commercially available and various mercaptans in a range of functionalities are also commercially available. Both are inexpensive. Benzoxazines (BZs), one of the COLBERT coreactants, have enjoyed a great deal of attention of late because of their excellent high temperature properties, low moisture uptake, lower cure shrinkage than epoxies, great dielectric properties, and so on. The COLBERT reaction affords a significant advance in lowering the polymerization temperature of benzoxazines. In particular, the reaction allows benzoxazine polymerization under ambient conditions, providing furthermore flexibilized and toughened polymers. In addition to its utility as a facile method to prepare thermoplastic and thermosetting condensation polymers possessing unique structural, thermal, moisture, and adhesive properties, the COLBERT reaction provides the simplest pathway to structural motifs useful as synthons for Sommelet–Hauser rearrangement. The COLBERT reaction follows a two-step acid-catalyzed nucleophilic addition mechanism. During the first step, the benzoxazine amine is protonated by either an acid catalyst or thiol. The reaction is fast and results in sufficiently high yields of product to routinely prepare linear COLBERT condensation polymers as well as cross-linked materials. The monomers used are inexpensive and commercially available from a variety of sources. The polymers can be prepared under ambient and solventless conditions, and have a variety of uses from adhesives to moisture barrier films. These considerations are encouraging for developing commercial applications for the COLBERT polymers.

The mechanosensory lateral line system is composed of a spatial array of water flow detector organs (neuromasts) that are composed of directionally sensitive hair cells (like those in the inner ear). In the chondrichthyes and osteichthyes, it is well developed, with superficial neuromasts on the skin and canal neuromasts in the lateral line canals on the head and trunk, and shows morphological variation among species. In lampreys, the system is composed of superficial neuromasts on the head and trunk; it is present only in some hagfishes, where it is represented by ciliated sensory cells in a small number of grooves on the head.

This chapter will describe the actions of the xenosensors peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR), constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), pregnane X receptor (PXR), arylhydrocarbon receptor (AhR), and nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2) (NF-E2)-related factor-2 (Nrf2) that regulate gene expression of the foreign compound-metabolizing enzymes. In this chapter, we provide evidence that they also interact with other signaling pathways that control nutrient metabolism. We have described the potential mechanisms through which regulation of intermediary metabolism converges with the regulation of foreign compound metabolism. The xenosensors regulate foreign compound metabolism directly through transcriptional activation of target genes and indirectly by interacting with other transcription factors to alter function, by competing for binding to cis-acting elements, or by endocrine disruption through metabolism of ligand precursors and clearance of ligand activators, thereby terminating their biological function. Cross talk between the xenobiotic and metabolic nuclear receptors suggests coordinate regulation between nutrient and foreign compound metabolism. Newly identified functional interactions with key metabolic regulators, including the forkhead transcription factors, steroid regulatory element binding protein (SREBP), and others, suggest that metabolic disorders such as starvation, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes that alter metabolic homeostasis also alter foreign compound metabolism and vice versa. Foreign compound exposure may predispose individuals to metabolic disease through these mechanisms of interaction.

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on nitrite biology, describing the effects, mechanisms of action, and therapeutic potential of nitrite in I/R. Nitrite, at low μM concentrations, substantially reduces the impact of I/R injury by delivering NO to sites of damage. Interestingly, while this cytoprotective effect appears to be a general phenomenon that extends across most organs of the body and across species, this is not the case for the mechanisms of nitrite-derived NO generation. On the contrary, substantial heterogeneity in the mechanisms of tissue-dependent nitrite reduction has been identified between both organs and species. This heterogeneity is discussed in this chapter along with the evidence for nitrite reduction, the mechanisms of this process, and the cytoprotective effects in the cardiovascular system. In contrast to nitric oxide (NO), which has well established, important effects in the regulation of cardiovascular homeostasis, its oxidative metabolite nitrite has been considered to be physiologically inert. However, this view of nitrite as an inactive metabolite simply reflecting NO synthase activity has been radically revised over the past 5–7 years. Much evidence has now accumulated demonstrating that nitrite also serves as a storage form of NO and that this nitrite store of NO is released preferentially under acidic and/or hypoxic conditions, exerting a number of cytoprotective effects that limit the extent of damage caused by an ischemia/reperfusion insult.

Outdoor concrete yards are commonly found on UK livestock farms, and, to a lesser extent, elsewhere in Europe, and represent a potentially significant source of ammonia (NH3) emissions to the atmosphere. This study provided further measurements from a larger sample than previously made, to improve the robustness of the estimate of total NH3 emission for inclusion in the UK NH3 emission inventory. In addition, an assessment was made of a number of potential mitigation strategies. Measurements were made using the equilibrium concentration technique, employing small dynamic chambers and passive diffusion samplers, from 20 yards used by livestock on commercial farms. Mean emission rates (±standard error) were 0.31±0.07, 0.23±0.12, 0.19±0.05 and 0.18±0.09 g NH3–N m−2 h−1 (0.70±0.21, 0.53±0.34, 0.76±0.22 and 0.18±0.14 g NH3–N animal−1 h−1) for dairy cow-collecting yards, dairy cow-feeding yards, beef-feeding yards and sheep-feeding/handling areas, respectively, with mean respective livestock densities of 0.3, 0.5, 0.2 and 1.1 animals per m2. There was a significant effect of season, with lower emission rates in the winter. There was a significant, albeit poor, positive linear relationship between emission rate and ambient air temperature (r2=0.22) and between emission rate and total ammoniacal N content on the yard surface (r2=0.14), but not with ambient wind speed. Pooling data from the present study with that from previous studies gave mean emission factors of 0.47±0.09, 0.98±0.39 and 0.13±0.09 g NH3–N animal−1 h−1 for yards used by dairy cattle, beef cattle and sheep, respectively. Inclusion of these values, together with survey data on yard use, gave a total annual UK emission of approximately 25 kt NH3 (95% confidence interval of 12–40 kt NH3), representing almost 10% of total NH3 emission from UK agriculture. In controlled studies, pressure washing and the use of a urease inhibitor in addition to yard scraping were found to be effective means of reducing emissions compared with yard scraping alone. Reduction of yard area per animal was also an effective strategy to reduce total emissions.

Between 10 and 20%of the N in fertilizers applied as urea is lost to the atmosphere as ammonia (NH 3 ). In contrast only small ( 3 have been measured following the application of ammonium nitrate (AN) fertilizer. In consequence the replacement of urea fertilizer with AN has been proposed as a cost-effective measure to reduce NH 3 emissions in Europe. However, because of the greater susceptibility of nitrate- (NO 3 − ) based fertilizers to denitrification, the replacement of urea by AN may lead to increased emissions of nitrous oxide (N 2 O). There was a need therefore to critically review the evidence for substantially greater emissions of NH 3 − from urea than from other N fertilizers and also to appraise the effect of fertilizer-N type on emissions of N 2 O. Ammonia emissions from N fertilizers are consistent with their known effects on soil chemistry. Those that increase soil solution pH, for example, by increasing HCO 3 concentration or by reducing the concentration of Ca 2+ , have the greatest potential for NH 3 emission. In consequence the greatest emissions of NH 3 are from urea applied to any soil and from ammonium sulfate (AS) applied to soils of pHs > 7.0. Losses of NH 3 from AN were confirmed to be consistently less than from urea. Emissions of NH 3 from solutions composed of urea and AN were found to be intermediate between the two fertilizers. Thus applying urea in solution will not reduce NH 3 emissions. However, NH 3 emissions from urea may be reduced by the use of urease inhibitors. Nitrous oxide emissions are crucially dependent on the interaction between timing of N fertilizer application and weather. Conditions in spring are more likely to be wet so that emissions are greater from NO 3 − -based fertilizers than from AS. In the summer conditions may be dry or wet; under dry conditions emissions are usually smaller than under wet conditions. For urea the effect of pH appears to be important. Generally greater emissions can take place from urea, except where temperature (controlling the rate of urea hydrolysis) and rainfall (controlling the dispersion of alkalinity) limit this. Thus, the substitution of AN for urea for spring applications is likely to increase emissions of N 2 O. For summer applications, the substitution of AN for urea is likely to decrease N 2 O emissions providing conditions are relatively dry; when conditions are wet large emissions may occur from both AN and urea. At this stage it is difficult to say with any certainty whether a strategy based on urea or AN would result in the smaller N 2 O emissions. Nitric oxide (NO) may also be released from soils following N fertilizer application. While soil emissions of NO are small in comparison with other sources of NO x , it is worth considering the effect of fertilizer type on this gas as well. Insufficient data is available to predict the effect of urea substitution on NO emissions, but since these are mainly a consequence of nitrification then replacing urea with AN should also reduce NO emissions.

Measurements of ammonia (NH 3 ), nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and methane (CH 4 ) were made from 11 outdoor concrete yards used by livestock. Measurements of NH 3 emission were made using the equilibrium concentration technique while closed chambers were used to measure N 2 O and CH 4 emissions. Outdoor yards used by livestock proved to be an important source of NH 3 emission. Greatest emission rates were measured from dairy cow feeding yards, with a mean of 690 mg NH 3 -N m −2 h −1 . Smaller emission rates were measured from sheep handling areas, dairy cow collecting yards, beef feeding yards and a pig loading area, with respective mean emission rates of 440, 280, 220 and 140 mg NH 3 -N m −2 h −1 . Emission rates of N 2 O and CH 4 were much smaller and for CH 4 , in particular, emission rates were influenced greatly by the presence or absence of dung on the measurement area.

This chapter focuses on the drilling and installation of monitoring wells. Groundwater monitoring that is required by law at thousands of facilities throughout the United States is ubiquitous in industrial solid and hazardous materials operations. The nature of the sites being monitored determines the level of protection necessary for worker safety. While this can never be reduced to “zero exposure,” it can and must be managed by taking into consideration the site-specific conditions, the contaminants of concern, and the goals of the investigation, while remembering the limitations of the trained worker. The primary goal of monitoring well construction is to obtain samples representative of the site-specific subsurface conditions. Cross-contamination is a major concern in collecting groundwater samples. In a regulatory environment that sets toxicological-based standards in parts per trillion concentrations, cleanliness akin to surgical procedures is sometimes required. Some sites with highly toxic contaminants in their soils, soil gas, and/or groundwater may require specialized personal protective equipment (PPE) and procedures.

Publisher Summary This chapter deals with the planning and organization of health and safety plans. Planning is the first step in hazardous waste site response activities. By anticipating and taking steps to prevent potential health and safety hazards, work at a waste site can proceed with minimum risk to the workers and the public. Planning can be organized into three phases—developing an organizational structure for site operations, establishing a work plan that considers each specific phase of the operation, and developing and implementing a health and safety plan. The organizational structure should identify the personnel required for the operation, establish the chain of command, and specify the responsibilities of each employee. The work plan should establish the objectives of site operations, and the logistics and resources required to achieve the goals. The health and safety plan should determine the health and safety concerns for each phase of the operation, and describe the procedures for worker and public protection.

Publisher Summary The purpose of this chapter is to provide guidance on gathering information about the site and characterizing the site in terms of potential health and safety hazards. It also provides information on some relevant health and safety databases as well as references. Hazardous waste sites are the locations where hazardous waste operations are conducted. Such a site can be further classified as either a “controlled” or an “uncontrolled” hazardous waste site. Emergency response planning is necessary in the event of an uncontrolled release of a hazardous substance. These incidents represent the greatest risk to personnel who respond to the release. Success of an emergency response program requires a mutual commitment by management and employee volunteers to conduct intense and regular training. The cost in terms of equipment, training, medical surveillance, and release time is significant. Information about the surrounding area is also important for emergency contingency planning. Information gathering can generally be conducted off-site, and it involves a combination of document review, records research, as well as interviews. Site characterization involves on-site surveys for the purpose of identifying specific site hazards and determining the appropriate safety and health-control procedures required for protecting personnel from the identified hazards. Major source databases provide relevant summarized information to personnel who are responsible for managing health and safety at hazardous waste sites.

This chapter introduces general guidelines for a medical program for the personnel at hazardous waste sites. It also provides a table of common toxins found at uncontrolled waste sites with recommended medical monitoring procedures and a sample occupational medical history form. A medical program is essential to assess and monitor workers' health and fitness, both prior to employment and during the course of work, to provide emergency and other treatment as needed, and to keep accurate records for future reference. The recommendations in this chapter assume that the workers will have adequate protection from exposures through administrative and engineering controls, appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), and decontamination procedures. Medical monitoring should be used only as a backup to other controls. Each site should develop its own medical monitoring program based on its specific needs, location, and potential exposures. The program should be designed by the SSO in conjunction with an experienced occupational physician or other qualified occupational health consultant. The screening and examination protocols discussed in the chapter provide general outlines of a sample medical monitoring program. The ideal director of a site medical program is a board-certified occupational medicine physician or a doctor who has had extensive experience in occupational health services.

Transportation safety is a critical link in the handling and disposal of hazardous waste. Transportation regulations include hazardous waste under the broader category of hazardous materials. Originators or initiators of the shipment of hazardous waste have the responsibility by federal regulation to identify and package the material for safe transport. This responsibility includes the training of all personnel who must handle the hazardous waste. The selection of qualified transporter, disposal site, and/or ultimate destination must be accomplished with informed employees. Any handler of hazardous waste must make sure that all papers are adequately filled out, containers are labeled and marked, MSDS is provided, and emergency procedures are understood before the trip is started. It is the shipper's responsibility to determine the fitness of a package for the transport use intended. However, each person along the way must be trained to recognize the hazards associated with the transportation of hazardous waste and should be familiar with the emergency procedures to protect health and environment. The transportation industry has maintained a good record in transporting of hazardous waste, but the potential for disaster is still very great. With adequate training, information, and resources, hazardous wastes can be transported safely.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the purpose of air monitoring that is to identify and quantify all airborne contaminants so that the level of worker protection needed can be determined. Air monitoring is conducted in a variety of stages and categories. The chapter identifies the factors to consider when conducting air monitoring at a hazardous waste site. The first factor is presenting strategies for assessing inhalation exposure to chemicals at the hazardous waste sites. The second factor is describing instruments and methods for measuring exposures. Identification is often a qualitative event, that is, the contaminant or the class to which it belongs is demonstrated to be present, but the determination of its concentration must wait on subsequent testing. Two principal approaches toward identification and quantification of airborne contaminants are available, both derived from NIOSH and industrial hygiene standards. Identification and quantification of these contaminants through air monitoring are essential components of a health and safety program at a hazardous waste site. The first standard is the on-site use of direct-reading air survey instruments, and the other is the laboratory analyses of air samples. Direct-reading instruments provide information in real time, enabling immediate decision making. The information provided by direct-reading instruments can be used to institute appropriate protective measures, determine the most appropriate equipment for further monitoring, and develop optimum sampling and analytical protocols. To detect relatively low-level concentrations of contaminants, long-term personal air samples, also called as full-shift samples, are analyzed in a laboratory. Full-shift air samples may be collected passively or by means of a pump that draws air through a filter or a sorbent.

This chapter provides an introduction to the book on laws and regulations, specific instructions, and guidelines related to the safety and health of workers. The aim of this book is to improve hazardous waste operations efficiency through knowledge and training of the work force, and to reduce the cost of hazardous waste cleanups through reduced lawsuits and liability losses of employers and individuals. Several of the key hazardous waste, health, and safety-related regulations are briefly summarized in the book. In 1980, Congress passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)—the Superfund law—to provide liability, compensation, cleanup, and emergency response for hazardous substances released into the environment, and the cleanup of abandoned and uncontrolled hazardous waste disposal sites. The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) of 1986 extended CERCLA and added new authorities under Title III of SARA that included Emergency Planning, Community Right-to-Know, and Toxic Chemical Release Reporting. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) of 1976 sets the standards for waste handling, storage, and disposal. The Hazardous Materials Transportation Act of 1975 provides the regulation of the labeling, packaging, placarding, manifesting, and transporting of hazardous materials.

The development of the Ocean Circulation and Advanced Climate Model (OCCAM) code for array processors code runs on workstations using PVM or MPI and on the Cray T3D, where the Cray specific SHMEM message passing library is used. The OCCAM code is a fully global version of the Bryan-Cox-Semtner ocean general circulation model using a 2 grid system to avoid the problems of grid convergence at the North Pole. The governing equations (Navier-Stokes with Coriolis terms) are discretized across a structured 3D (longitude-latitude-depth) grid and are solved using finite difference methods and explicit time marching. At execution time, one processor is used for I/O and the ocean is partitioned in the longitude-latitude plane among the remaining processors. There is no work associated with the land points and, therefore, each processor forms a list of the ocean points and loops over these points only. New advection schemes have been implemented which improve the representation of fronts and work is continuing to investigate their long term effects. Currently, a sea ice model is being added to improve the representation of the heat exchange at high latitudes. This includes a thermodynamic model and an explicit dynamic model.

The endothelins are potent long-acting vasoconstrictor and growth promoting peptides. The widespread expression of mRNA for the endothelins and for their receptors suggest that these peptides may play an important role in local regulation of the cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, and central nervous systems. Endothelin-1 appears to be the predominant member of the family generated by vascular endothelial cells, and is the most potent vasoconstrictor and pressor agent yet identified. Endothelin-1 may serve as a long-acting physiological antagonist to the short-lived effects of the endothelium-derived vasodilators, prostacyclin, and nitric oxide.