A multimedia, multiple pathway exposure assessment of atrazine: fate, transport and uncertainty analysis

The potential danger posed to human health from pesticides and herbicides has been a growing national concern due to the increased frequency of agrochemical residues found in food and water. It is becoming critical to determine the concentration in all environmental media for a complete picture of potential human exposure. A multimedia transport model is used to determine the concentration of atrazine in surface water, ground water, surface soil, root zone soil, plants, and air at a typical mid-western location. A range of values is used for each model input, resulting in a distribution of possible concentrations in each medium. A sensitivity analysis determines the influence each parameter has on the outcome variance for each environmental media concentration. The concentrations determined for ground and surface water are then compared to measured concentrations in the region to validate the model. The concentrations are then compared to measured concentrations in the region to validate the model. A companion paper utilizes these concentrations and translates them into human exposure and risk.     

Pheromonal attraction and allomonal interruption ofIps pini in California by the two enantiomers of ipsdienol

Air containing volatile compounds from around maleIps pini boring in ponderosa pine logs from California was condensed, fractionated by GC, and assayed in the laboratory and field. The only fraction that showed consistent activity in laboratory assays contained a single compound identified as ipsdienol (2-methyl-6-methylene-2,7-octadien-4-ol). Synthetic racemic ipsdienol showed no activity in either the laboratory or field. However, (–)-ipsdienol, the naturally occurring enantiomer, was attractive toI. pini in the laboratory and field, whereas (+)-ipsdienol interrupted the response ofI. pini to a natural source of attraction in field tests. (–)-Ipsdienol is a major component of the attractant pheromone of this species, since its level of activity in laboratory assays was quantitatively comparable to that of the condensed volatiles, and it was as attractive as maleI. pini boring in ponderosa pine in the field. (+)-Ipsdienol is a component of the pheromone of the competing species,I. paraconfusus.(C.B.R.I. Contribution No. 1043.)     

Zapallar II住宅

此度假屋的地面长且陡峭,自北向南落下,高处连接一条通往海边的高速路,低处连接去本地Zapallar街的道路。从高处到低处可以在这里看到度假村和海湾壮丽优美的景色。     

Postprandial Lipemia Detects the Effect of Soy Protein on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Compared with the Fasting Lipid Profile

Studies examining the effect of soy protein on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors have not taken advantage of the postprandial state as an adjunct to the fasting lipid profile. The American Heart Association has acknowledged the efficacy of soy protein in reducing CVD risk factors to be limited. We hypothesized that the postprandial state would be more sensitive to any favorable changes associated with consuming soy protein compared with the fasting lipid profile. Furthermore, the presence of isoflavones in soy would enhance this effect. Thirty sedentary males aged 18–30 years were randomly assigned to milk protein (Milk), isoflavone-poor soy (Soy−), or isoflavone-rich soy (Soy+). Usual diets were supplemented with 25 g/day of protein for 28 days. Serum samples were collected before and after supplementation in a fasted state and postprandially at 30, 60, 120, 240, and 360 min after a high-fat, 1,000 kcal shake. Triacylglycerol (TAG), total cholesterol, non-esterified fatty acids, apolipoproteins B-100 and A-I and glucose concentrations were quantified. Fasting concentrations were not different after any protein supplementation. Postprandial TAG and TAG AUC increased after Soy-consumption supporting the postprandial state as a more sensitive indicator of soy ingestion effects on CVD risk factors compared with the fasting lipid profile. Furthermore, the absence of isoflavones in soy protein may have deleterious consequences on purported cardio-protective effects.     

A review of probabilistic analysis in orthopaedic biomechanics

Probabilistic analysis methods are being increasingly applied in the orthopaedics and biomechanics literature to account for uncertainty and variability in subject geometries, properties of various structures, kinematics and joint loading, as well as uncertainty in implant alignment. As a complement to experiments, finite element modelling, and statistical analysis, probabilistic analysis provides a method of characterizing the potential impact of variability in parameters on performance. This paper presents an overview of probabilistic analysis and a review of biomechanics literature utilizing probabilistic methods in structural reliability, kinematics, joint mechanics, musculoskeletal modelling, and patient-specific representations. The aim of this review paper is to demonstrate the wide range of applications of probabilistic methods and to aid researchers and clinicians in better understanding probabilistic analyses.     

Ca2+ coordination to backbone carbonyl oxygen atoms in calmodulin and other EF-hand proteins: 15N chemical shifts as probes for monitoring individual-site Ca2+ coordination

Examination of the NMR 15N chemical shifts of a number of EF-hand proteins shows that the shift value for the amido nitrogen of the residue in position 8 of a canonical EF-hand loop (or position 10 of a pseudo EF-hand loop) provides a good indication of metal occupation of that site. The NH of the residue in position 8 is covalently bonded to the carbonyl of residue 7, the only backbone carbonyl that coordinates to the metal ion in a canonical EF-hand loop. Upon metal coordination to this carbonyl, there is an appreciable deshielding of the 15N nucleus at position 8 (+4 to +8 ppm) due to the polarization of the O(7)=C(7)-N(8) amido group and the corresponding reduction in the electron density of the nitrogen atom. This deshielding effect is effectively independent of the binding of metal to the other site of an EF-hand pair, allowing the 15N shifts to be used as probes for site-specific occupancy of metal binding sites. In addition, a Ca2+-induced change in side-chain Halpha-Calpha-Cbeta-Hbeta torsion angle for isoleucine or valine residues in position 8 can also contribute to the deshielding of the amide 15N nucleus. This conformational effect occurs only in sites I or III and takes place upon binding a Ca2+ ion to the other site of an EF-hand pair (site II or IV) regardless of whether the first site is occupied. The magnitude of this effect is in the range +5 to +7 ppm. A Ca2+ titration of 15N-labeled apo-calmodulin was performed using 2D 1H-15N HSQC NMR spectra. The changes in the 15N chemical shifts and intensities for the peaks corresponding to the NH groups of residues in position 8 of the EF-hand loops allowed the amount of metal bound at sites II, III and IV to be monitored directly at partial degrees of saturation. The peak corresponding to site I could only be monitored at the beginning and end of the titration because of line broadening effects in the intermediate region of the titration. Sites III and IV both titrate preferentially and the results demonstrate clearly that sites in either domain fill effectively in parallel, consistent with a significant positive intradomain cooperativity of calcium binding.