Search

We evaluate the second--order (beyond--mean--field) contribution to the equation of state of nuclear matter with the effective Skyrme force and use cutoff and dimensional regularizations to treat the ultraviolet divergence produced by the zero--range character of this interaction. An adjustment of the force parameters is then performed in both cases to remove any double counting generated by the explicit computation of beyond--mean--field corrections with the Skyrme force. In addition, we include at second order the rearrangement terms associated to the density--dependent part of the Skyrme force and discuss their effect. Sets of parameters are proposed to define new effective forces which are specially designed for second--order calculations in nuclear matter., Comment: 29 figures, 9 tables

In published data the thermal destruction of Salmonella species in peanut butter deviates from pseudo-first-order kinetics. The reasons for such deviation are unknown. This study examined both the method used to measure the thermal destruction rate and the method of growth of the microorganisms to explain variations in destruction kinetics. Growth on a solid matrix results in a different physiological state that may provide greater resistance to adverse environments. In this study, Salmonella Tennessee and Oranienburg were grown for 24 h at 37°C under aerobic conditions in broth and agar media to represent planktonic and sessile cell growth, respectively. Peanut butter was held at 25°C and tested for Salmonella levels immediately after inoculation and at various time intervals up to 2 weeks. Thermal resistance was measured at 85°C by use of a newly developed thin-layer metal sample holder. Although thermal heat transfer through the metal device resulted in longer tau values than those obtained with plastic bags (32.5 ± 0.9 versus 12.4 ± 1.9 s), the bags have a relative variability of about 15 % compared with about 3 % in the plates, allowing improved uniformity of sample treatment. The two serovars tested in the thin-layer device showed similar overall thermal resistance levels in peanut butter regardless of growth in sessile or planktonic states. However, thermal destruction curves from sessile cultures exhibited greater linearity than those obtained from planktonic cells (P = 0.0198 and 0.0047 for Salmonella Oranienburg and Salmonella Tennessee, respectively). In addition, both Salmonella serovars showed significantly higher survival in peanut butter at 25°C when originally grown on solid media (P = 0.001) with a1-log loss over 2 weeks as opposed to a 1- to 2-log loss when grown in liquid culture. Consequently, the use of cells grown on solid media may more accurately assess the survival of Salmonella at different temperatures in a low-water-activity environment such as peanut butter.

The composite resonator vertical cavity surface laser can perform multiple digital functionalities at greater than 10 GHz bandwidth, including: direct intensity modulation, wavelength division multiplexing, multilevel pulse amplitude modulation, and optical picosecond pulse generation. The unique attributes of these microcavity lasers arise from the two strongly coupled optical cavities which can be electrically injected independently. Reconfiguration among multiple functionalities is achieved by control of the three terminal signals input into the laser and can be achieved using a high-speed digital circuit whose logic can be adjusted to provide appropriate modulation voltages to the optically coupled laser cavities. The novel optical properties of composite resonators are reviewed with a focus on several different digital functionalities possible from this semiconductor laser.

Number particle concentrations and fluxes were measured, synchronously with CO2 concentrations and fluxes, in an urban area. Measurements were taken with an eddy-correlation station located near the busiest road of the town of Lecce (Italy). Upward fluxes dominate completely over deposition and the area behaved as a source of aerosol and CO2 with an average particle flux FN = 71,100 #/cm2 s (median 64,000 #/cm2 s) and an average CO2 flux FC = 0.76 mg/m2 s (median 0.46 mg/m2 s). Pronounced diurnal and weekly cycles of FN and FC were observed, well correlated with measured traffic rate, TR, indicating that traffic is the main source of CO2 and particles in the area. Biogenic cycle on CO2 fluxes and concentrations was also distinguishable, decreasing the correlation between FN and FC. The relationships between particle and CO2 fluxes with TR, friction velocity and atmospheric stability were analysed. Measured FN/TR increased when friction velocity increased and, correspondingly, number concentration decreased. Particle fluxes showed a dependence on the atmospheric stability. These dependencies were used to derive an empirical parameterisation of aerosol concentration and fluxes, based on TR and micrometeorological parameters, that could be used to estimate traffic emissions, in real operating conditions, for applications in dispersion and climate modelling. Measured FC/TR showed a limited correlation with friction velocity and stability, because of the influence of the biogenic cycle, thereby micrometeorological parameters were not used in the parameterisation of FC.

A scoping study was conducted to identify all published prevalence, risk factor, and intervention research investigating 16 microbial hazards in leafy green vegetables and to evaluate the volume, main characteristics, basic aspects of methodological soundness and/or reporting, and the main knowledge gaps and research needs. Our study included a comprehensive literature search, a replicable two-level relevance screening (abstract and article levels), and a two-phase quality assessment and data extraction (article level). All steps were conducted by two independent reviewers following general principles of systematic review methodology. From the initial 7961 citations, 657 articles were relevant, reporting one or more research themes: prevalence (314 studies), risk factor (472) and intervention research (269). These articles were published in 190 different scientific journals, 15% between 1990 and 2000, and the remaining 85% after year 2000. Sixty-five percent of studies was conducted in the USA, Canada, or Europe. Over 70% of all studies investigated lettuce. Collectively, four leafy greens (lettuce, cabbage, spinach, and fresh leafy herbs) and microorganism (Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Listeria and coliforms) combinations accounted for almost 80% of relevant studies. Forty-one percent of the research was conducted at the processing stage of production. Lack of reporting sufficient data and/or replicable laboratory protocols (first phase assessment) resulted in exclusion of 60% of relevant articles. In total, 231 papers were retained following second phase quality evaluation, and only 152 (20% of all relevant articles) met all ranking criteria. A lack of well designed, executed, and reported prevalence studies with sampled populations representative of the target populations and of experimental studies investigating the efficacy of intervention(s) under real-life conditions was observed. A limited number of articles investigating commonly accepted important risk factors, for example worker hygiene and health, equipment sanitation, and wildlife, was identified. We highlight research areas with the data potentially feasible for full systematic review-meta-analysis methodology and areas warranting additional investigation. The resulting information is necessary for the establishment of evidence-informed guidelines for food safety enhancement.

During the past decade there were more than 50 reported outbreaks involving leafy green vegetables contaminated with foodborne pathogens. Leafy greens, including cabbage, are fresh foods rarely heated before consumption, which enables foodborne illness. The need for improved safety of fresh food drives the demand for nonthermal food processes to decrease the risk of pathogens while maintaining fresh quality. This study examines the efficacy of electron-beam (e-beam) irradiation in decreasing indigenous microflora on fresh-cut cabbage and determines the optimal dosage to pasteurize fresh-cut cabbage inoculated with Escherichia coli K-12. Fresh-cut cabbage (100 g) was inoculated with ∼8 log E. coli K-12 and e-beam irradiated at doses of 0, 1.0, 2.3, or 4.0 kGy. At 2.3 kGy there was1.0 log indigenous microflora remaining, indicating greater than a 4.0-log reduction by e-beam. At a 4.0-kGy dose there was7-log reduction of E. coli K-12 in the fresh-cut cabbage. The D(10)-value for E. coli K-12 in fresh-cut cabbage was 0.564 kGy. E-beam irradiation is thus a viable nonthermal treatment that extends the shelf life and increases the safety of fresh cabbage by reducing or eliminating indigenous microflora and unwanted pathogens.

Bacillus species may be resistant to processing and sanitation procedures, making their control an important issue in the food industry. The objective of this study was to develop a rapid method for the differentiation of Bacillus cells at the strain level using infrared microspectroscopy and multivariate pattern recognition techniques. Aliquots (10 ml) of vegetative cells (approximately 10(3) CFU/ml) from four strains of each of three Bacillus species (B. cereus, B. mycoides, and B. thuringiensis) were filtered onto hydrophobic grid membranes. The membranes were placed on tryptic soy agar and incubated at 42 degrees C for 24 h and then removed from the agar and dried, and the biomass of individual vegetative colonies was directly measured by attenuated total reflectance infrared (ATR-IR) microspectroscopy. Soft independent modeling of class analogy models generated from second derivative transformed spectra in the 1,300 to 900 cm(-1) region exhibited clusters that permitted accurate strain-level classification of all isolates. Major discrimination was related to the signal from phosphate-containing compounds, likely phospholipids. Results indicate that a simple ATR-IR microspectroscopy technique combined with multivariate analysis could provide the food industry with a rapid and reagent-free screening procedure to complement more elaborate molecular identification methods.

In this paper an analysis of different indirect methods for the calculation of the boundary layer height (BLH) using sodar, ultrasonic anemometer and a prognostic model based on single point surface measurements is presented. In particular the automatic spectral routine developed for Remtech sodar is compared with the results obtained with the parameterization of the vertical velocity variance of a minisodar, with the calculation of a prognostic model, with a parameterization based on horizontal velocity spectra and with the BLH evaluated from the intensity of minisodar echoes in stable conditions. The data of a radiosonde system taken in a nearby site was also analysed to get an independent evaluation of BLH for comparison. There is a significant scatter in the data for both the evaluation through the variance of vertical wind speed and the spectral analysis of the horizontal wind velocity although created by different effects. In unstable conditions the different methods give a similar pattern even if the prognostic model in some days predicts a significantly higher BLH with respect to the other methods. In stable nocturnal conditions the performances of the Remtech routine are worse than those in unstable conditions with an evident overestimation of the BLH that it is likely related to the overestimation of vertical turbulence and to the use of multiple range gates in the algorithm. Taking as reference the evaluation of BLH of the sodar, the spectral method applied to ultrasonic anemometer data seems to be affected by the lowest biases and it is a possible candidate, for the development of automatic routines for operational evaluation of BLH possibly with a different parameterisation for stable and unstable cases.

The high-speed characteristics of a composite-resonator vertical-cavity laser (CRVCL) under both small- and large-signal electroabsorption modulation are investigated. The maximum -3 dB modulation bandwidth of 12.5 GHz is measured. The theoretical modulation response of the CRVCL is derived from the standard rate equations, and the qualitative form is in agreement with the measured results. The CRVCL under electroabsorption modulation exhibits a promising potential to extend the modulation bandwidth beyond that of a conventional VCSEL. However, the CRVCL under large-signal electroabsorption modulation is limited to low data rates, and the large relaxation oscillation resonance must be suppressed for higher-speed digital-optical link applications.

"I had to tell you." (1) "I must tell you" (454). The sense of urgency, the desire for a witness--and a recipient--of intense feeling, permeates the letters between Maria Chabot and Georgia O'Keeffe that are now collected in a single, edited volume, published by University of New Mexico Press in 2003. When Chabot and O'Keeffe met in New Mexico in 1940, O'Keeffe was a fifty-three-year-old established artist and Chabot was a rootless, talented young woman of twenty-six, yearning to actualize her literary ambitions. The relationship between the two women began as a mutual system of exchange: Chabot would provide domestic and daily living services; O'Keeffe would provide housing and a salary. But this original arrangement developed into a much more complicated and murky relation, the nature of which we--scholars, readers, retrospective vicarious participants--will most likely never be able to reconstruct or fully understand. How, then, and for what purpose, are we to read these letters? Here they are, 678 of them, a remarkably rich two-way exchange, bounded by the covers of a book, spanning an eight-year period. How do we make meaning of what we are reading? In this essay, I begin to answer these questions by proposing two ideas: First, published letter collections, as well as the letters within them, should be considered as literary texts that comprise a discrete literary form; second, we need to devise and apply reading strategies appropriate to that form. I will explore these two ideas using the Maria Chabot-Georgia O'Keeffe volume as a reference point. (2) The story of how Maria Chabot--Georgia O'Keeffe Correspondence became a book illustrates precisely why published letter collections should be regarded as literary texts. This volume, like many edited letter collections, is an artful creation brought into being by the efforts, choices, and decisions of several people and institutions: the letter writers, editors, and publishers, and the texts' legal custodians. The book is thus a collaborative work of art forged through language, image, selection, and arrangement. The editors, however, play a central role in the collaboration. It is they who decide which documents the book will contain, they who determine the placement of those documents, and, finally, they who devise the book's plotting and narrative trajectory. In Maria Chabot--Georgia O'Keeffe Correspondence, editors Barbara Buhler Lynes and Ann Paden include maps; an introductory essay; reproductions of letters and O'Keeffe's 1940s paintings; many previously unpublished photographs; ancillary documentation in the from of chapter introductions, explanations, and footnotes; and an appendix that provides biographical information about the people mentioned in the letters. The editors' narrative commentary and explanatory footnotes frame the letters, link them together, and embed them in larger contexts. The visual sources speak through the language of color, shape, and photographic representation, instructing, illustrating, and concretizing people, time, and place. Making meaning of this artful assortment engages the reader in literary interpretation. Designing the configuration of a letter collection is one kind of literary endeavor; in Maria Chabot--Georgia O'Keeffe Correspondence, literally reassembling the correspondence is another. Because some of Chabot's letters had been wholly or partly destroyed by moisture and bugs, rectifying the problem of the damaged letters required the editors to use literary skills and imagination. From drafts of letters Chabot had saved fro forty years, Lynes and Paden filled in missing sections. "[I]n some cases," Lynes explains, "Chabot's drafts made it possible to reconstruct the essential content, if not the precise wording, of letters she sent O'Keeffe that otherwise would have been lost" (xxiv). Reconstruction is a creative act: Comparing, integrating, translating, and interpreting, the editors transform fragments into a cohesive whole, thereby retrospectively participating in the letter writing process. …

The destruction of the nineteenth-century Atlantic halibut fishery occurred in the space of a few decades and without industrial fishing methods. Between the 1840s and the 1880s, halibut mo...

In this work we describe a new modular Multi-Tone Sodar system (PC-MTSodar) able to drive up to four antennas radiating acoustic bursts simultaneously, each at a different frequency, and based on and entirely controlled by a Personal Computer (PC). The system uses two synchronised commercial I/O cards and a specifically developed software to handle all system functi ons. It has capabilities of on-line processing of data, has a minimum of dedicated electronics and is sufficien tly versatile to be used as a sodar or a minisodar. A decreasing of maintenance and of spurious electronic problems is expected with the reduction of electronics, especially when the system is used in adverse environment. As a test of the system, working at high frequency in a minisodar configuration, a comparison of measured average vertical wind velocity and of its standard deviation σw with the results obtained with another minisodar (Remtech PA1) and with two ultrasonic anemometers has been performed. The and σw are parameters useful in pollution dispersion studies and in the analysis of boundary-layer properties. For example, σw can be used for an indirect estimation of turbulent heat and momentum fluxes and mixing- layer depth if the shear production of turbulent kinetic energy may be considered negligible. Our results indicate that the performances of the two sodar systems in measuring vertical wind are different and the results of the PC-MTSodar are in a better agreement with the ones of the ultrasonic anemometers. In particular there is only a fair agreement between measurements of with the PC-MTSodar system and the ultrasonic anemometers. Both instruments however put in evidence the same long-time average pattern with a predominance of negative during diurnal periods. Measurements of σw show an overestimation in nocturnal low turbulence conditions, due to system errors when vertical velocity fluctuations are too low, and a small u nderestimation of σw during diurnal convective conditions due to the incomplete coverage of the energy spectrum of turbulence. Our results indicate that there is a high correlation between σw measurements with the PC-MTSodar and the ultrasonic anemometers (Pearson coefficient 0.97) with a good agreement between the measurements of the two instruments for σw greater than 0.2 m/s. Zusammenfassung Ein neues modulares Multiton-Sodarsystem (PC-MTSodar), das in der Lage ist, bis zu vier Antennen gleichzeitig zu betreiben, wobei jede bei einer anderen Frequenz arbeiten kann, und welches vollstandig durch einen Personal Computer (PC) gesteuert wird, wird hier beschrieben. Das System nutzt zwei synchronisierte kommerziell verfugbare I/O-Karten und eine speziell entwickelte Software um alle Systemfunktionen zu kontrollieren. Es bietet die Moglichkeit der online-Datenverarbeitung, hat ein Minimum an zugehoriger Elektronik und kann sowohl als Sodar als auch als Minisodar betrieben werden. Es wird erwartet, dass auf Grund der reduzierten Elektronik der Wartungsaufwand und storende Elektronikprobleme gerade in ungunstigen Messumgebungen abnehmen. Zum Test wurde das System als Minisodar mit hoher Schallfrequenz betrieben und ein Vergleich der gemessenen mittleren Vertikalgeschwindigkeit und ihrer Standardabweichung σw mit den Werten von einem anderen Minisodar (Remtech PA1) und zwei Ultraschallanemometern durchgefuhrt. Diese beiden Parameter sind wichtig fur die Schadstoffausbreitung und die Analyse der Eigenschaften der atmospharischen Grenzschicht. Beispielsweise kann σw bei der indirekten Abschatzung der turbulenten Warme- und Impulsflusse und der Mischungsschichthohe benut zt werden, solange die Erzeugung von turbulenter kinetischer Energie durch Scherung vernachlassigt werden kann. Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen, dass das Verhalten der beiden Sodarsysteme bei der Messung des Vertikalwindes unterschiedlich ist, und dass die mit PC-MTSodar erhaltenen Ergebnisse besser mit denen von den Ultraschallanemometern ubereinstimmen. Insbesondere findet sich eine ausreichende Uberei nstimmung bei der Bestimmung der mittleren Vertikalgeschwindigkeit nur zwischen dem PC-MTSodar-System und den Ultraschallanemometern. Beide Instrumente zeigen jedoch im langeren Mittel das gleiche Muster mit einem Uberwiegen negativer wahrend des Tagesganges. Die Messungen von σw zeigen eine Uberschatzung der nachtlichen niedrigen Turbulenz und eine kleine Unterschatzung von σw tagsuber bei konvektiven Bedingungen. Das ist einerseits auf Systemfehler bei kleinen Geschwindigkeitsfluktuationen, andererseits auf eine unzureichende Erfassung des gesamten Turbulenzspektrums zuruckzufuhren. Die Ergebnisse weisen eine hohe Korrelation zwischen den W-Messungen vom PC-MTSodar und den Ultraschallanemometern auf (Pearson-Koeffizient 0,97) mit einer guten Ubereinstimmung zwischen den Messungen beider Instrumente fur σw -Werte groser als 0,2 m/s.

International audience; Giant neutron halos are studied in the framework of the Skyrme-Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov approach. The appearance of such structures depends sensitively on the effective interaction adopted. This is illustrated by comparing the predictions of SLy4 and SkI4 in the Zr isotopic chain. The latter force predicts a neutron halo in the Zr chain with A > 122 due to weakly bound p orbitals. The structure of the halo is analyzed and the anti-halo effect due to pairing is discussed.

Neutron $2p$ and $1f$ spin-orbit splittings were recently measured in the isotones $^{37}\mathrm{S}$ and $^{35}\mathrm{Si}$ by $(d,p)$ transfer reactions. Values were reported by using the major fragments of the states. An important reduction of the $p$ splitting was observed, from $^{37}\mathrm{S}$ to $^{35}\mathrm{Si}$, associated with a strong modification of the spin-orbit potential in the central region of the nucleus $^{35}\mathrm{Si}$. We analyze $2p$ and $1f$ neutron spin-orbit splittings in the $N=20$ isotones $^{40}\mathrm{Ca},^{36}\mathrm{S}$, and $^{34}\mathrm{Si}$. We employ several Skyrme and Gogny interactions to reliably isolate pure spin-orbit and tensor-induced contributions, within the mean-field approximation. We use interactions (i) without the tensor force, (ii) with the tensor force and with tensor parameters adjusted on top of existing parametrizations, nd (iii) with the tensor force and with tensor and spin-orbit parameters adjusted simultaneously on top of existing parametrizations. We predict in cases (ii) and (iii) a non-negligible reduction of both $p$ and $f$ splittings, associated with neutron-proton tensor effects, from $^{40}\mathrm{Ca}$ to $^{36}\mathrm{S}$. The two splittings are further decreased for the three types of interactions, going from $^{36}\mathrm{S}$ to $^{34}\mathrm{Si}$. This reduction is produced by the spin-orbit force and is not affected by tensor-induced contributions. For both reductions, from $^{40}\mathrm{Ca}$ to $^{36}\mathrm{S}$ and from $^{36}\mathrm{S}$ to $^{34}\mathrm{Si}$, we predict in all cases that the modification is more pronounced for $p$ than for $f$ splittings. The measurement of the centroids for neutron $2p$ and $1f$ states in the nuclei $^{36}\mathrm{S}$ and $^{34}\mathrm{Si}$ would be interesting to validate this prediction experimentally. We show the importance of using interactions of type (iii), because they provide $p$ and $f$ splittings in the nucleus $^{40}\mathrm{Ca}$ which are in agreement with the corresponding experimental values.

We make use of a subtraction procedure, introduced to overcome double--counting problems in beyond--mean--field theories, in the second random--phase--approximation (SRPA) for the first time. This procedure guarantees the stability of SRPA (so that all excitation energies are real). We show that the method fits perfectly into nuclear density--functional theory. We illustrate applications to the monopole and quadrupole response and to low--lying $0^+$ and $2^+$ states in the nucleus $^{16}$O. We show that the subtraction procedure leads to: (i) results that are weakly cutoff dependent; (ii) a considerable reduction of the SRPA downwards shift with respect to the random--phase approximation (RPA) spectra (systematically found in all previous applications). This implementation of the SRPA model will allow a reliable analysis of the effects of 2 particle--2 hole configurations ($2p2h$) on the excitation spectra of medium--mass and heavy nuclei., 1 tex, 16 figures

Research on the marketing of green products has shown that consumers’ level of social responsibility and their attitude toward the environment may influence their “green” behavior. This paper explores the interaction between these three phenomena, and shows that while environmental concern interacts strongly with green consumer behavior, social responsibility does not. The paper also reveals the importance of gender in the process.

Assessment of air quality impact of Brindisi harbour

(2006). Artificial substrate colonization by invertebrates in two high altitude alpine streams. SIL Proceedings, 1922-2010: Vol. 29, No. 4, pp. 1866-1870.

We carry out a microscopic analysis of the ground and excited states of the Na_8 metal cluster within the jellium model. We perform a series of configuration interaction calculations on a Hartree-Fock basis and construct eigenstates of the Hamiltonian which carry up to 4-particle 4-hole components. Based on the analysis of the dipole transition strengths, we single out those states which can be interpreted as the collective dipole plasmon and its double excitations. These modes are found to possess a high degree of harmonicity, deviations from the harmonic limit remaining, however, of the order of 10%., Comment: 14 pages, 1 figure. in press, Physics Letters A

For decades, the United States has been aggressively enforcing its environmental laws. Beginning in the mid-1990s and continuing through present, this effort has been directed at the maritime industry through the U.S. Department of Justice's “Vessel Initiative.” The U.S. trend is now being felt in Europe, as exemplified by the European Commission ship-pollution directive, focused on criminal enforcement. With this worldwide focus on prosecuting environmental crimes against the maritime industry, companies must take a hard look at their corporate compliance programs to minimize chances of being targeted for criminal prosecution. This paper will identify worldwide trends, discuss recent criminal prosecutions, and make recommendations on how companies can best protect themselves.

The R2726W mutation in the fibrillin 1 (FBN1, Marfan syndrome) gene segregates with isolated skeletal features of Marfan syndrome and/or high stature. Here we report a family in which two out of four individuals, an 18-year-old son and his mother, a 41-year-old woman, had the R2726W mutation of FBN1. Both family members carrying the mutation were of average height. The son had a Marfan-like phenotype, but his mother did not. The FBN1 R2776W mutation, which is associated with skeletal features of Marfan syndrome, appears incompletely penetrant. Consequently, genetic counselling in the presence of this mutation is difficult.

Fully quantal calculation of the total reaction cross sections and interaction cross sections, induced by stable and unstable He, Li, C and O isotopes on 12C target at E1ab≈0.8 and 1 GeV/nucleon has been performed using the microscopic (complex) optical potential given by the folding model. Realistic nuclear densities for the projectiles and 12C target as well as the complex t-matrix parameterization of free nucleon-nucleon interaction by Franey and Love were used as inputs for the folding calculation. Given the interaction cross sections measured with high accuracy, the presented folding approach was shown to be very efficient in testing the nuclear ground state densities and is thus a reliable (microscopic) alternative to the Glauber model in deducing the nuclear radius from the measured nucleus-nucleus interaction cross section.

Since the enactment of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (“OPA 90”) more than 10 years ago, many states took aggressive action regulating the marine industry. States, sometimes stepping well beyond their bounds, enacted comprehensive oil pollution laws that imposed additional liability, as well as prevention and response planning requirements, beyond those contained in OPA 90. Washington State was clearly the most aggressive when it implemented its Best Achievable Protection (BAP) regulations in the early 1990s. The International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (Intertanko) challenged the BAP regulations, and the Supreme Court sided with Intertanko and reaffirmed that states may not regulate vessel construction, design, operation, and manning. States, however, have not given up the gauntlet and continue to aggressively regulate the marine industry by expanding their regulation beyond tank vessels to include passenger vessels, cargo vessels, and tugs/barges. This paper will review newly enacted laws and regulations, including financial responsibility, response/contingency plans, drills and exercises, ballast water, vessel inspection programs, and implications associated with discharges from cruise vessels. The paper will conclude by identifying potential trends for the future.

Everything has changed since the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. With more than 360 ports and 3,700 terminals handling passengers and cargo, the U.S. government quickly realized that the maritime industry was vulnerable and that the apparent gaping hole in our national security must be fixed. Numerous initiatives, including legislative, regulatory, and ad hoc actions, are being implemented to ensure the maritime industry is ready in case it is the “next target.” Concomitant with these efforts, come changes in existing standards and liabilities, including reduced rights and enhanced enforcement. This paper discusses the maritime-related implications of the emerging security regime in the United States post-September 11 including: (1) new and proposed legislation affecting vessel and facility owners and operators, (2) how increased security inspections may be used to enhance enforcement efforts, and (3) how the terrorist attacks have “raised the bar” with regard to owner and operator liability. Pollution preparedness and liability implications are also explored, including changes in liability and response actions resulting from a terrorist attack. Lastly, recommendations on appropriate preventive measures are provided.

Owners and operators of vessels, shoreside personnel, facility managers, and corporate officers, among others, have become prime targets of environmental crimes prosecutors. With respect to the marine business, the trend began in the mid-1990s with tankers, continued with cruise ships and cargo ships, and now includes fishing vessels and tugs/barges. Shoreside facilities and pipelines are in the crosshairs as well, with increased environmental enforcement actions being filed. Prosecutors rely on theories of liability beyond those contained in environmental statutes, such as false statements and obstruction of justice, and now include regulatory violations as a basis for criminal prosecution; e.g., deficiencies in reporting and record keeping requirements. Despite numerous criminal prosecutions over the last ten years for bypassing oil-water separators on vessels or otherwise discharging oily bilge water into the ocean, such prosecutions continue at an alarming rate. Far too few companies seem to be learning from the mistakes of others. With federal and state authorities aggressively targeting environmental crimes, companies must take a hard look at their corporate compliance policies to minimize chances of being targeted for criminal prosecution. This paper will identify trends in criminal enforcement in the marine and marine-related industries and make recommendations on how companies can protect themselves and at the same time be prepared for criminal investigations.

Glucocorticoids, taken chronically at certain dosages (5mg/day of prednisone >3 months), interfere with bone metabolism (both the quality and quantity), making bone more fragile and increasing the risk of fractures. The osteopenic effect is most rapid during the first 6–12 months of treatment, especially at the level of the trabecular bone. The literature shows that patients chronically treated with glucocorticoids, at a minimum dose of 5 mg/day for more than 1 year, have a high risk of fragility fractures and that at least 30–50% of them sustain at least one osteoporotic fracture (vertebral body, ribs, femur). Glucocorticoids are strong inhibitors of new bone formation, an effect mediated by direct inhibition of the activity and replication of osteoblasts; at the same time, they inhibit osteoclast apoptosis and thus increase bone resorption. The aim of our study was to evaluate the frequency of use of oral glucocorticoids in a sample of subjects with hip fracture, compared with an age-matched sample of fracture-free subjects.Materials and methods: As part of an epidemiological survey (Indaco 2 study), proposed by SIOT (the Italian Society of Orthopaedics and Traumatology), 7355 patients attending over 100 orthopaedics and traumatology clinics throughout Italy were recruited over a 6-month period. At each centre 30 patients with a femoral fracture and 30 fracture-free patients aged over 65 years were recruited. These patients were administered a questionnaire that investigated their reason for attending the clinic, various aspects of their history (walking capacity by means of the FAC scale), cognitive status, and presence/absence of chronic treatment with oral glucocorticoids.Results: Of the 7355 questionnaires processed, 954 (12.97%) were excluded, because they referred to patients aged under 65 years or because of missing data (failure to indicate the presence/absence of treatment with glucocorticoids). Therefore, the number of questionnaires actually assessed was 6401 (87% of the recruited subjects), 2875 (44.9%) from fracture patients and 3526 (55%) from fracture-free subjects. Of the 592 (9.2%) patients found to be under chronic treatment with glucocorticoids, 11 were excluded because gender was not indicated. The population whose data we process thus comprised 581 patients: 93 males and 488 females. Of the 93 males (16%), 33 (35.5%) had fractures and 60 (64.5%) did not. Of the 488 females (84%), 185 (38%) had femoral fractures and 303 (62%) were fracture-free.Discussion and conclusions: In the population we assessed it was found that chronic treatment with prednisone or equivalent drugs at a dose of at least 5 mg/day for more than 3 months does not further increase the risk of proximal femur fracture. Presumably, this finding depends on the very advanced mean age of the subjects examined, which probably created a “ceiling effect” for the FRAX algorithm.

Heat-based processes have been used for centuries for food preservation and still remain the most widely used preservation technique in food manufacturing. However, thermal processing treatments are not as efficacious in the destruction of pathogenic microorganisms at low water activities compared to moist environments. Several dry-heat processes have been applied to low-moisture foods and include drying, hot air and baking, air impingement, dry roasting, and oil roasting. These applications require higher temperatures and longer heat times to obtain equivalent lethality to moist-heat processes. Moist-heat processes, which include blanching, moist-air impingement, and controlled condensation steam, are very effective at inactivating microorganisms because the added moisture significantly reduces microbial thermal resistance. However, an increased moisture content of the product can reduce the shelf life, often resulting in the necessity for the (energy consuming) re-drying of product to remove the added moisture. Lastly, extrusion has been shown to be an effective process for microbial inactivation.

Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis is a viral-induced disease, associated with exophytic epithelial lesions affecting the upper airways. Problem of treatment is the high recurrence of papilloma growth after surgical removal; therefore, adjuvant therapy schemes have been established. We used cidofovir, 7.5 mg/ml, in adjuvant therapy in the past years. Out of 31 adult patients treated with the drug, 26 (83.9 %) are at the moment in complete response. 19 (73 % of pts with CR) of those 26 patients were cured with a number of injections between 1 and 4 (mean 2.5). We did not see any clinical manifestation of renal toxicity or neutropenia (superinfection) necessitating a blood test. Six patients presented dysplasia during the treatment with the drug, while six patients had dysplasia prior to cidofovir injection. Due to recurrent nature of the disease and the high number of mechanical and laser surgeries required we treated one tracheal stenosis, two scarred larynx, and two glottic synechiaes. There is still an ongoing discussion within the European Laryngological Society about the effectiveness and possible side effects of this drug. Results show promising long-term effects of adjuvant use of cidofovir, without any relevant side effects.

The aim of this study is gaining further understanding of the structure of the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) and its interaction with the synoptic scale forcing. A possible application of this study is to simulate mean and turbulent spatial and temporal structure of the marine boundary layer in order to optimise the structural design of offshore large wind turbines that now-a-days reach height up to 200 m. Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) have been performed and compared with offshore experimental data collected during the LASIE campaign performed in the Mediterranean in Summer 2007. Two simulations are performed: in the LES-NOFR run, the LES is left free to evolve without any external forcing, while in the LES-FR run a force-restore nudging technique has been implemented in LES, in order to force the model to the large-scale evolving situation. Model results have been compared against experimental soundings. Results show that the LES-FR outperforms the simulation without force-restore nudging for all the fields, demonstrating that incorporating changes in the large-scale features into the model is necessary in order to provide a realistic evolution of the meteorological fields at local scale. Thus, LES appears as a promising technique to be applied to the simulation of offshore cases, particularly suitable for wind energy applications.

Criminal enforcement of environmental laws has evolved rapidly in the past few years. Recent environmental prosecutions have targeted subtle conduct in innovative and aggressive ways by using expansive theories of liability beyond those contained in environmental statutes. Prosecutions for criminal negligence also are becoming more common. Because of aggressive federal and state efforts targeting environmental crimes, it is time for companies to take a hard look at their corporate policies and environmental compliance records to help ensure that they do not become a target of a criminal prosecution. This paper will review recent criminal environmental cases and discuss ways in which companies can best protect themselves and prepare for an environmental criminal investigation of their companies, officers, and employees.

Numerous surveys show that consumers are concerned about the environment hut that their concern does not always lead to actions, such as the purchase of environmentally responsible products. It is the intent of this study to assess the impact of extrinsic cues such as price and environmental-labeling information on consumer-purchase decisions. A simulated retail setting was used for data collection. Price had a major influence on the purchase of the recycled textile products. The patterns of purchase varied by gender. No effects were found for level of income or attitudes. The results reinforce evidence of the limited effectiveness of labeling and suggest that manufacturers may need to find a more effective means of encouraging consumers to purchase recycled textile products.

It has long been known that amino acid substitutions in proteins of organisms living at moderate and high temperatures (mesophiles and thermophiles, respectively) are not all symmetrical; for example, more aligned sites have lysine in mesophiles and arginine in thermophiles than have the opposite pattern. This is generally taken to indicate that certain amino acids are favored over others by selection at different temperatures. Previous comparisons of protein sequences from mesophiles and thermophiles have used relatively small numbers of sequences from a diverse array of species, meaning that only the most common amino acid substitutions could be examined and any taxon-specific patterns would be obscured. Here, we compare a large number of proteins between mesophiles and thermophiles in the archaeal genus Methanococcus and the bacterial genus Bacillus. Each genus exhibits dramatically asymmetrical substitution patterns for many pairs of amino acids. There are several pairs of amino acids for which one amino acid is favored in thermophilic Bacillus and the other is favored in thermophilic Methanococcus; this appears to result from the higher G + C content of the DNA of thermophilic Bacillus, a complication not seen in Methanococcus.

We sought to evaluate the ability of an E1(-), E3(-) adenovirus (Ad) vector (Ad(GV)CFTR.10) to transfer the normal human cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) cDNA to the airway epithelium of individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF). We administered Ad(GV)CFTR.10 at doses of 3 x 10(6) to 2 x 10(9) plaque-forming units over 9 months by endobronchial spray to 7 pairs of individuals with CF. Each 3-month cycle, we measured vector-derived versus endogenous CFTR mRNA in airway epithelial cells prior to therapy, as well as 3 and 30 days after therapy. The data demonstrate that (a) this strategy appears to be safe; (b) after the first administration, vector-derived CFTR cDNA expression in the CF airway epithelium is dose-dependent, with greater than 5% endogenous CFTR mRNA levels at the higher vector doses; (c) expression is transient, lasting less than 30 days; (d) expression can be achieved with a second administration, but only at intermediate doses, and no expression is observed with the third administration; and (e) the progressive lack of expression with repetitive administration does not closely correlate with induction of systemic anti-Ad neutralizing antibodies. The major advantage of an Ad vector is that it can deliver sufficient levels of CFTR cDNA to the airway epithelium so that CFTR expression protects the lungs from the respiratory manifestations of CF. However, this impressive level of expression is linked to the challenging fact that expression is limited in time. Although this can be initially overcome by repetitive administration, unknown mechanisms eventually limit this strategy, and further repetitive administration does not lead to repetitive expression.

Background —Therapeutic angiogenesis, a new experimental strategy for the treatment of vascular insufficiency, uses the administration of mediators known to induce vascular development in embryogenesis to induce neovascularization of ischemic adult tissues. This report summarizes a phase I clinical experience with a gene-therapy strategy that used an E1 − E3 − adenovirus (Ad) gene-transfer vector expressing human vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) 121 cDNA (Ad GV VEGF121.10) to induce therapeutic angiogenesis in the myocardium of individuals with clinically significant coronary artery disease. Methods and Results —Ad GV VEGF121.10 was administered to 21 individuals by direct myocardial injection into an area of reversible ischemia either as an adjunct to conventional coronary artery bypass grafting (group A, n=15) or as sole therapy via a minithoracotomy (group B, n=6). There was no evidence of systemic or cardiac-related adverse events related to vector administration. In both groups, coronary angiography and stress sestamibi scan assessment of wall motion 30 days after therapy suggested improvement in the area of vector administration. All patients reported improvement in angina class after therapy. In group B, in which gene transfer was the only therapy, treadmill exercise assessment suggested improvement in most individuals. Conclusions —The data are consistent with the concept that direct myocardial administration of Ad GV VEGF121.10 to individuals with clinically significant coronary artery disease appears to be well tolerated, and initiation of phase II evaluation of this therapy is warranted.

We studied and developed ureteroscopic technique and instrumentation beyond our initial experience with small diameter, actively deflectable, flexible ureteropyeloscopy.Flexible ureteropyeloscopy was performed at 2 university centers in 492 consecutive patients. Endoscope designs and development were based on strict specifications, including 8F or less tip diameter, 3.6F or greater working channel, 2-way active tip deflection and secondary deflection for lower pole intrarenal access. Flexible ureteroscopes manufactured by 5 companies were studied through various prototypic steps and surgical technique. Complementary accessories were developed for specific treatments, including endoscopic lithotripsy, management of urothelial lesions, treatment of upper urinary tract obstruction (that is strictures) and percutaneous access with ureteroscopic assistance in select complex cases.A total of 584 procedures were performed with the small diameter, actively deflectable, flexible ureteroscopes. Flexible ureteropyeloscopic access was always preformed over a working guide wire without an operative sheath. In addition, the 10F dual lumen catheter was the primary device used to obtain 2 guide wires (working and safety), and gently and minimally dilate the intramural segment. Larger dilators were required in only 12% of procedures. The entire intrarenal collecting system was accessed in 94% of cases with lower pole access requiring secondary or passive deflection in 60% of procedures. Endoscopic lithotripsy was the most common procedure performed in this series (303, 52%). Small diameter, flexible ureteroscopy and holmium laser lithotripsy were successful in 97% of patients with ureteral and 79% with intrarenal calculi. When a 2-stage ureteropyeloscopy procedure was used for large upper urinary tract calculi, the success rate for intrarenal calculi increased to 91%. Endoscopic biopsy and treatment of upper urinary tract transitional cell carcinoma were performed in 101 procedures (17%), while retrograde ureteroscopic incision for stricture disease was performed in 36 (6%). The overall major complication rate was less than 1% and there were no ureteral perforations, avulsions, sepsis or deaths. These new endoscopes were more fragile than larger predecessors but a maximum of 30 procedures were performed between interval repair.Small diameter, actively deflectable, flexible ureteropyeloscopy facilitates various minimally invasive endoscopic therapies. Although this class of endoscope has greater fragility, it is easy to use and has broadened the therapeutic range of ureteroscopic treatment to include intrarenal lesions.

The Late Miocene to Pleistocene evolution of the northwestern Iblean plateau (Sicily) is marked by a complex interplay of subaerial and submarine volcanism, subsidence and uplift, eustatic sea-level changes, and shallow-water carbonate and clay sedimentation. Volcanic activity occurred in distinct phases, differing drastically in volume, chemical composition, eruptive and depositional sites, and eruptive mechanisms. Six of the newly defined formations in the northwestern Iblean plateau are either entirely volcanic or contain significant amounts of volcanics. The eastern part of a shallow marine basin was filled completely by Late Pliocene tholeiitic lava flows (Militello Formation) that had advanced subaerially from the south–southeast. Lava deltas advanced southwestward on top of earlier pillow breccia debris flow deposits intertongued with soft Trubi marls and chalks. True submarine eruptions (Monte Caliella Formation) simultaneously produced densely packed pillow piles up to 250 m thick. Inferred water depths based on volcanologic and paleoecologic criteria of interbedded and overlying calcarenites agree well.

Recent reports have described families in whom a combination of elevated serum ferritin not related to iron overload and congenital nuclear cataract is transmitted as an autosomal dominant trait. We have studied the molecular pathogenesis of hyperferritinemia in two families showing different phenotypic expression of this new genetic disorder. Serum ferritin levels ranged from 950 to 1,890 μg/L in affected individuals from family 1, and from 366 to 635 μg/L in those from family 2. Cataract was clinically manifested in family 1 and asymptomatic in family 2. By using monoclonal antibodies specific for the H and L ferritin subunits, serum ferritin was found to be essentially L type in both normal and affected individuals. The latter also showed normal amounts of H-type ferritin in circulating mononuclear cells; on the contrary, L-type ferritin contents were 13 times normal in family 1 and five times normal in family 2 on average. Serum ferritin was glycosylated in both normal and affected individuals. There was a close relationship between mononuclear cell L-type ferritin content and serum ferritin concentration (r = 0.95, P < .00001), suggesting that the excess production of ferritin in cells was directly responsible for the hyperferritinemia. The dysregulated L-subunit synthesis was found to result from different point mutations in a noncoding sequence of genomic L-subunit DNA, which behaves as an mRNA cis-acting element known as iron regulatory element (IRE). Affected individuals from family 1 were heterozygous for a point mutation (a single G to A change) in the highly conserved, three-nucleotide motif forming the IRE bulge. Affected members from family 2 were heterozygous for a double point mutation in the IRE lower stem. Using a gel retardation assay, the observed molecular lesions were shown to variably reduce the IRE affinity for an iron regulatory protein (IRP), which inhibits ferritin mRNA translation. The direct relationship between the degree of hyperferritinemia and severity of cataract suggests that this latter is the consequence of excessive ferritin production within the lens fibers. These findings provide strong evidence that serum ferritin is a byproduct of intracellular ferritin synthesis and that the L-subunit gene on chromosome 19 is the source of glycosylated serum ferritin. From a practical standpoint, this new genetic disorder should be taken into account by clinicians when facing a high serum ferritin in an apparently healthy person.

The effect of textile properties—openness of weave, fiber cross section, and fabric structure—on the distribution and redirection of sunlight is reported in this paper. A new scanning radiometer apparatus evaluates the performance of directional shading fabrics through measurements of biconical transmittance distributions. A Z-pleat cross-sectional shade design (aspect ratio 1.5:1) with a round fiber cross section and variable pitch, specular reflecting tape has evolved from an evaluation of several exploratory designs. The effect of the Z-pleat configuration on enhancing the redirection of light is discussed as it relates to the daylighting performance evaluation of a directional shading fabric.