Reforming textbooks, reshaping school knowledge: Taiwan's textbook deregulation in the 1990s1

This article examines the political and ideological complexities of deregulating national standardised textbooks within the context of state transformation in Taiwan, from 1989 to 2001. It analyses how discourses were constructed, how actions were adopted by the state and opposition forces, and how these reform practices were gradually incorporated into the state-led textbook deregulation project. The analysis concludes that the interplay of decentralisation, liberalisation and nativisation has profoundly affected power relations in schools, the form of textbook publication, and the principle of curriculum organisation during the transition towards market-driven textbook production. It suggests that although the discourse of deregulation often refers to democracy, it may become part of the legitimation needs of the state.     

News: Acid deposition may stunt forest growth, leach calcium, Hubbard Brook researchers report

Science.     

Changing trends in sulfur emissions in Asia: implications for acid deposition,air pollution,and climate

In the early 1990s, it was projected that annual SO2 emissions in Asia might grow to 80-110 Tg yr(-1) by 2020. Based on new high-resolution estimates from 1975 to 2000, we calculate that SO2 emissions in Asia might grow only to 40-45 Tg yr(-1) by 2020. The main reason for this lower estimate is a decline of SO2 emissions from 1995 to 2000 in China, which emits about two-thirds of Asian SO2. The decline was due to a reduction in industrial coal use, a slowdown of the Chinese economy, and the closure of small and inefficient plants, among other reasons. One effect of the reduction in SO2 emissions in China has been a reduction in acid deposition not only in China but also in Japan. Reductions should also improve visibility and reduce health problems. SO2 emission reductions may increase global warming, but this warming effect could be partially offset by reductions in the emissions of black carbon. How SO2 emissions in the region change in the coming decades will depend on many competing factors (economic growth, pollution control laws, etc.). However a continuation of current trends would result in sulfur emissions lower than any IPCC forecasts.     

News: Global warming may cause earlier spring, researchers say

Science.     

Communities, Markets and Traditional Values: Swedish schooling in the 1990s

During the last decade the comprehensive school system in Sweden has been called into question. Recent trends - marketisation, privatisation, religious-isation, language-isation - appear to Indicate a future school system characterised by regression to a segregationist, family-reproducing type of school, with great scope for private alternatives, and a strictly subject-based school giving priority to traditional areas of knowledge, a traditional view of knowledge, a Christian foundation, a fine-tooth system of grades and a strong evaluation system. This article is written as a commentary on the current course of events, with an attempt to stress the conceivable long-term consequences.     

Fat deposition, fatty acid composition and meat quality: A review

This paper reviews the factors affecting the fatty acid composition of adipose tissue and muscle in pigs, sheep and cattle and shows that a major factor is the total amount of fat. The effects of fatty acid composition on meat quality are also reviewed. Pigs have high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), including the long chain (C20-22) PUFA in adipose tissue and muscle. The full range of PUFA are also found in sheep adipose tissue and muscle whereas cattle ‘conserve’ long chain PUFA in muscle phospholipid. Linoleic acid (18:2n − 6) is a major ingredient of feeds for all species. Its incorporation into adipose tissue and muscle in relation to the amount in the diet is greater than for other fatty acids. It is deposited in muscle phospholipid at a high level where it and its long chain products eg aracidonic acid (20:4n − 6) compete well for insertion into phospholipid molecules. Its proportion in pig adipose tissue declines as fat deposition proceeds and is an index of fatness. The same inverse relationships are not seen in ruminant adipose tissue but in all species the proportion of 18:2n − 6 declines in muscle as fat deposition increases. The main reason is that phospholipid, where 18:2n − 6 is located, declines as a proportion of muscle lipid and the proportion of neutral lipid, with its higher content of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, increases. Oleic acid (18:1cis − 9), formed from stearic acid (18:0) by the enzyme stearoyl Co-A desaturase, is a major component of neutral lipid and in ruminants the same enzyme forms conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), an important nutrient in human nutrition. Like 18:2n − 6, -linolenic acid (18:3n − 3) is an essential fatty acid and is important to ruminants since it is the major fatty acid in grass. However it does not compete well for insertion into phospholipid compared with 18:2n − 6 and its incorporation into adipose tissue and muscle is less efficient. Greater biohydrogenation of 18:3n − 3 and a long rumen transit time for forage diets also limits the amount available for tissue uptake compared with 18:2n − 6 from concentrate diets. A positive feature of grass feeding is that levels of the nutritionally important long chain n − 3 PUFA are increased ie EPA (20:5n − 3) and DHA (22:6n − 3). Future research should focus on increasing n − 3 PUFA proportions in lean carcasses and the use of biodiverse pastures and conservation processes which retain the benefits of fresh leafy grass offer opportunities to achieve this. The varying fatty acid compositions of adipose tissue and muscle have profound effects on meat quality. Fatty acid composition determines the firmness/oiliness of adipose tissue and the oxidative stability of muscle, which in turn affects flavour and muscle colour. Vitamin E is an essential nutrient, which stabilises PUFA and has a central role in meat quality, particularly in ruminants.     

Perfluorinated acids in air, rain, snow, surface runoff, and lakes: relative importance of pathways to contamination of urban lakes

Concentrations of perfluorinated acids (PFAs) were measured in various environmental matrices (air, rain, snow, surface runoff water, and lake water) in an urban area, to enable identification of sources and pathways of PFAs to urban water bodies. Total PFA concentrations ranged from 8.28 to 16.0 pg/ m3 (mean 11.3) in bulk air (sum of vapor and particulate phases), 0.91 to 13.2 ng/L (6.19) in rainwater, 0.91 to 23.9 ng/L (7.98) in snow, 1.11-81.8 ng/L (15.1 ng/L) in surface runoff water (SRW), and 9.49 to 35.9 ng/L (21.8) in lake water. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was the predominant compound, accounting for > 35% of the total PFA concentrations, in all environmental matrices analyzed. Concentrations and relative compositions of PFAs in SRW were similar to those found for urban lakes. SRW contributes to contamination by PFOA in urban lakes. The measured concentration ratios of FTOH to PFOA in air were 1-2 orders of magnitude lower than the ratios calculated based on an assumption of exclusive atmospheric oxidation of FTOHs. Nevertheless, the mass balance analysis suggested the presence of an unknown input pathway that could contribute to a significant amount of total PFOA loadings to the lake. Flux estimates of PFOA at the air-water interface in the urban lake suggest net volatilization from water.     

Sociodemographic, insurance, and risk profiles of maternal smokers post the 1990s: how can we reach them?

Declines in prenatal smoking rates have changed the composition of maternal smokers while public policy during the 1990s has likely made it more difficult to reach them. Medicaid expansions during the 1980s/early 1990s insured more women some time during pregnancy, but the 1996 welfare reform unexpectedly reduced enrollment in Medicaid by eligible pregnant women; overall, insurance coverage has declined since 2000. As the public sector struggles with fewer resources, it is important to understand the sociodemographic characteristics of prenatal smokers, their patterns of care, and nonsmoking risk behaviors. Targeting scarce dollars to certain settings or sub-populations can strengthen the infrastructure for tobacco policy change. We provide more current information on maternal smokers in 2002 based on the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) for 21 states. Data on urban/rural location, insurance coverage, access patterns, and nonsmoking risk behaviors (e.g., abuse) among low-income (<16,000) and other maternal smokers are included. Low-income maternal smokers are the working poor living in predominately urban areas with fewer health care resources than low-income nonsmokers. Over 50% of low-income maternal smokers are uninsured pre-pregnancy and use a clinic as their usual source of care. Regardless of income, smokers exhibit rates of nonsmoking risks that are two to three times those of nonsmokers and high rates of unintended pregnancy (68%) of low-income smokers. These characteristics likely call for a bundle of social support services beyond cessation for smokers to quit and remain smoke-free postpartum.     

News: California electric vehicle delay may boost introduction of cleaner cars nationwide

Technology.