Pooled analysis of recent studies on magnetic fields and childhood leukaemia

BACKGROUND: Previous pooled analyses have reported an association between magnetic fields and childhood leukaemia. We present a pooled analysis based on primary data from studies on residential magnetic fields and childhood leukaemia published after 2000. METHODS: Seven studies with a total of 10 865 cases and 12 853 controls were included. The main analysis focused on 24-h magnetic field measurements or calculated fields in residences. RESULTS: In the combined results, risk increased with increase in exposure, but the estimates were imprecise. The odds ratios for exposure categories of 0.1-0.2 mu T, 0.2-0.3 mu T and >= 0.3 mu T, compared with <0.1 mu T, were 1.07 (95% Cl 0.81-1.41), 1.16 (0.69-1.93) and 1.44 (0.88-2.36), respectively. Without the most influential study from Brazil, the odds ratios increased somewhat. An increasing trend was also suggested by a nonparametric analysis conducted using a generalised additive model. CONCLUSIONS: Our results are in line with previous pooled analyses showing an association between magnetic fields and childhood leukaemia. Overall, the association is weaker in the most recently conducted studies, but these studies are small and lack methodological improvements needed to resolve the apparent association. We conclude that recent studies on magnetic fields and childhood leukaemia do not alter the previous assessment that magnetic fields are possibly carcinogenic. British Journal of Cancer (2010) 103, 1128-1135. doi: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6605838 www.bjcancer.com (c) 2010 Cancer Research UK

Magnetotelluric deep soundings, gravity and geoid in the south Sao Francisco craton: Geophysical indicators of cratonic lithosphere rejuvenation and crustal underplating

In the south Sao Francisco craton a circular and 8-m amplitude geoid anomaly coincides with the outcropping terrain of an Archean-Paleoproterozoic basement. Broadband magnetotelluric (MT) data inversions of two radial profiles within the positive geoid and Bouguer gravity anomaly yield geo-electrical crustal sections, whereby the lower crust is locally more conductive (10 to 100 Omega m) in spatial coincidence with a denser lower crust modeled by the gravity data. This anomalous lower crust may have resulted from magmatic underplating, associated with Mesoarchean and Proterozoic episodes of tholeiitic dike intrusion. Long-period MT soundings reveal a low electrical resistivity mantle (20 to 200 Omega m) from depths beyond 120 km. Forward geoid modeling, using the scope of the low electrical resistivity region within the mantle as a constraint, entails a density increase (40 to 50 kg/m(3)) possibly due to Fe enrichment of mantle minerals. However, this factor alone does not explain the observed resistivity. A supplemented presence of small amounts of percolated carbonatite melting (similar to 0.005 vol.%), dissolved water and enhanced oxygen fugacity within the peridotitic mantle are viable agents that could explain the less resistive upper mantle. We propose that metasomatic processes confined in the sub-continental lithospheric mantle foster the conditions for a low degree melting with variable CO(2), H(2)O and Fe content. Even though the precise age of this metasomatism is unknown it might be older than the Early Cretaceous based on the evidence that a high-degree of melting in a lithospheric mantle impregnated with carbonatites originated the tholeiitic dike intrusions dispersed from the southeastern border of the Sao Francisco craton, during the onset of the lithosphere extension and break-up of the western Gondwana. The proxies are the NE Parana and Espinhaco (130 Ma, Ar/Ar ages) tholeiitic dikes, which contain (similar to 3%) carbonatites in their composition. The occurrence of a positive geoid anomaly (+ 10 m) and pre-tholeiites (age > 138 Ma), carbonatites and kimberlites along the west African continental margin (Angola and Namibia) reinforces the presumed age of the Sao Francisco-Congo craton rejuvenation to be prior to its fragmentation in the Lower Cretaceous. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparing species and measures of landscape structure as indicators of conservation importance

P>1. The use of indicators to identify areas of conservation importance has been challenged on several grounds, but nonetheless retains appeal as no more parsimonious approach exists. Among the many variants, two indicator strategies stand out: the use of indicator species and the use of metrics of landscape structure. While the first has been thoroughly studied, the same cannot be said about the latter. We aimed to contrast the relative efficacy of species-based and landscape-based indicators by: (i) comparing their ability to reflect changes in community integrity at regional and landscape spatial scales, (ii) assessing their sensitivity to changes in data resolution, and (iii) quantifying the degree to which indicators that are generated in one landscape or at one spatial scale can be transferred to additional landscapes or scales. 2. We used data from more than 7000 bird captures in 65 sites from six 10 000-ha landscapes with different proportions of forest cover in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. Indicator species and landscape-based indicators were tested in terms of how effective they were in reflecting changes in community integrity, defined as deviations in bird community composition from control areas. 3. At the regional scale, indicator species provided more robust depictions of community integrity than landscape-based indicators. At the landscape scale, however, landscape-based indicators performed more effectively, more consistently and were also more transferable among landscapes. The effectiveness of high resolution landscape-based indicators was reduced by just 12% when these were used to explain patterns of community integrity in independent data sets. By contrast, the effectiveness of species-based indicators was reduced by 33%. 4. Synthesis and applications. The use of indicator species proved to be effective; however their results were variable and sensitive to changes in scale and resolution, and their application requires extensive and time-consuming field work. Landscape-based indicators were not only effective but were also much less context-dependent. The use of landscape-based indicators may allow the rapid identification of priority areas for conservation and restoration, and indicate which restoration strategies should be pursued, using remotely sensed imagery. We suggest that landscape-based indicators might often be a better, simpler, and cheaper strategy for informing decisions in conservation.

Circulating renin-angiotensin system and catecholamines in childhood: is there a role for birthweight?

There have been only a few reports on the sympathoadrenal and renin-angiotensin systems in children of small gestational age. The purpose of the present study was to investigate plasma levels of ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) activity, angiotensin and catecholamines in 8- to 13-year-old children and to determine whether there are correlations between the components of these systems with both birthweight and BP (blood pressure) levels. This clinical study included 66 children (35 boys and 31 girls) in two groups: those born at term with an appropriate birthweight [AGA (appropriate-for-gestational age) group, n = 31] and those born at term but with a small birthweight for gestational age [SGA (small-for-gestational age) group, n = 35]. Concentrations of angiotensin, catecholamines and ACE activity were determined in plasma. Circulating noradrenaline levels were significantly elevated in SGA girls compared with AGA girls (P = 0.036). In addition, angiotensin 11 and ACE activity were higher in SGA boys (P = 0.024 and P = 0.050 respectively). There was a significant association of the circulating levels of both angiotensin 11 and ACE activity with BP levels in our study population. Although the underlying mechanisms that link restricted fetal growth with later cardiovascular events are not fully understood, the findings in the present study support the link between low birthweight and overactivity of both sympathoadrenal and renin-angiotensin systems into later childhood.

Ecosystem health of Montevideo coastal zone: A multi approach using some different benthic indicators to improve a ten-year-ago assessment

A study on the benthic ecosystem health was performed to assess the environmental quality of Montevideo coastal zone, in view of the construction of a new sanitation system. Data were compared to previous research undertaken 10 years ago, and biochemical composition of organic matter, heavy metals, organic matter, phytopigments, benthic diatoms, macrofauna community structure and a biotic index (AMBI) were used as proxies. Results indicate an environmental quality-gradient, with the worst conditions within the inner stations of Montevideo Bay and an improvement towards the adjacent coastal zone. Higher levels of chromium, lead, phaeopigments, organic biopolymers and poor benthic macrofauna and diatom communities, characterised the hypertrophic innermost portion of Montevideo Bay. Data indicated a clear deterioration of the adjacent coastal zone comparatively to that observed 10 years ago. The complementary use of approaches not applied before (benthic diatoms and organic biopolymers) with those formerly applied improve our assessment of the trophic status and the environmental health of the area. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Solvation in Pure Liquids: What Can Be Learned from the Use of Pairs of Indicators?

The solvation of six solvatochromic probes in a large number of solvents (33-68) was examined at 25 degrees C. The probes employed were the following: 2,6-diphenyl-4-(2,4,6-triphenylpyridinium-1-yl) phenolate (RB); 4-[(E)2-(1-methylpyridinium-4-yl)ethenyl] phenolate, MePM; 1-methylquinolinium-8-olate, QB; 2-bromo-4-[(E)-2-(1-methylpyridinium-4-yl)ethenyl] phenolate, MePMBr, 2,6-dichloro-4-(2,4,6-triphenyl pyridinium-1-yl) phenolate (WB); and 2,6-dibromo-4-[(E)-2-(1-methylpyridinium-4-yl)ethenyl] phenolate, MePMBr(2), respectively. Of these, MePMBr is a novel compound. They can be grouped in three pairs, each with similar pK(a) in water but with different molecular properties, for example, lipophilicity and dipole moment. These pairs are formed by RB and MePM; QB and MePMBr; WB and MePMBr(2), respectively. Theoretical calculations were carried out in order to calculate their physicochemical properties including bond lengths, dihedral angles, dipole moments, and wavelength of absorption of the intramolecular charge-transfer band in four solvents, water, methanol, acetone, and DMSO, respectively. The data calculated were in excellent agreement with available experimental data, for example, bond length and dihedral angles. This gives credence to the use of the calculated properties in explaining the solvatochromic behaviors observed. The dependence of an empirical solvent polarity scale E(T)(probe) in kcal/mol on the physicochemical properties of the solvent (acidity, basicity, and dipolarity/polarizability) and those of the probes (pK(a), and dipole moment) was analyzed by using known multiparameter solvation equations. For each pair of probes, values of E(T)(probe) (for example, E(T)(MePM) versus E(T)(RB)) were found to be linearly correlated with correlation coefficients, r, between 0.9548 and 0.9860. For the mercyanine series, the values of E(T)(probe) also correlated linearly, with (r) of 0.9772 (MePMBr versus MePM) and 0.9919 (MePMBr(2) versus MePM). The response of each pair of probes (of similar pK(a)) to solvent acidity is the same, provided that solute-solvent hydrogen-bonding is not seriously affected by steric crowding (as in case of RB). We show, for the first time, that the response to solvent dipolarity/polarizability is linearly correlated to the dipole moment of the probes. The successive introduction of bromine atoms in MePM (to give MePMBr, then MePMBr(2)) leads to the following linear decrease: pK(a) in water, length of the phenolate oxygen-carbon bond, length of the central ethylenic bond, susceptibility to solvent acidity, and susceptibility to solvent dipolarity/polarizability. Thus studying the solvation of probes whose molecular structures are varied systematically produces a wealth of information on the effect of solute structure on its solvation. The results of solvation of the present probes were employed in order to test the goodness of fit of two independent sets of solvent solvatochromic parameters.

Probing the dependence of the properties of cellulose acetates and their films on the degree of biopolymer substitution: use of solvatochromic indicators and thermal analysis

Although cellulose acetates, CAs, are extensively employed there is scant information about the systematic dependence of their properties on their degree of substitution, DS; this is the subject of the present work. Nine CAs samples, DS from 0.83 to 3.0 were synthesized; their films were prepared. The following solvatochromic probes have been employed in order to determine the empirical polarity, E (T)(33); ""acidity, alpha""; ""basicity, beta"", and ""dipolarity/polarizability, pi*"" of the casted films: 2,6-dichloro-4-(2,4,6-triphenyl-pyridinium-1-yl) phenolate, WB; 4-nitroaniline; 4-nitroanisole; 4-nitro-N,N-dimethylaniline; 2,6-diphenyl-4-(2,4,6-triphenyl-pyridinium-1-yl)phenolate, RB. Additionally, two systems, ethanol plus ethyl acetate (EtOH-EtAc), and cellulose plus cellulose triacetate, CTA, were employed as models for CAs of different DS. Regarding the model systems, the following was observed: (i) For EtOH-EtAc, the dependence of all solvatochromic parameters on the ""equivalent-DS"" of the binary mixture was non-linear because of preferential solvation; (ii) The dependence of E (T)(33) on equivalent DS of the cellulose-CTA films is linear, but the slope is smaller than that of the corresponding plot for CAs. This is attributed to the more efficient hydrogen bonding in the model system, a conclusion corroborated by IR measurements. The dependence of solvatochromic parameters of CAs on their DS is described by the simple equations; a consequence of the substitution of the OH by the ester group. The thermal properties of bulk CAs samples were investigated by DSC and TGA; their dependence on DS is described by simple equations. The relevance of these data to the processing and applications of CAs is briefly discussed.

Surface Properties of Calcinated Titanium Dioxide Probed by Solvatochromic Indicators: Relevance to Catalytic Applications

Titanium dioxide was obtained by hydrolysis of the corresponding ethoxide, followed by washing, drying, and calcination at 80, 160, 240, 320, 400, and 700 C, respectively. The following surface properties of the solids obtained were determined as a function of the calcinations temperature: T(Calcn); area by the BET method; BrOnsted acidity by titration with sodium hydroxide; empirical polarity, ET(30); Lewis acidity, alpha(Surf); Lewis basicity, beta(Surf); and dipolarity/polarizability pi*(Sturf), by use of solvatochromic indicators. Except for le surf whose value increased slightly, heating the samples resulted in a decrease of all of the above-mentioned surface properties, due to the decrease of surface hydroxyl groups. This conclusion has been corroborated by FTIR. Values of E(T)(30), alpha(Surf), and pi*(Surf) are higher than those of water and alcohols; the BrOnsted and Lewis acidities of the samples correlate linearly. The advantages of using solvatochromic indicators to probe the surface properties and relevance of the results to the applications of TiO(2) are discussed.

Temporal indicators of language dominance in bilingual children

In the field of bilingualism it is of particular interest to stablish which, if any, of a speaker’s languages is dominant. Earlier research has shown that immigrants who acquire a new language tend to use elements of the timing patterns of the new language in their native language. It is shown here that measurements of timing in the two languages spoken by bilingual children can give information about the relative dominance of the languages for the individual speaker.