Eternity and the cosmological constant

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the stability of interacting matter in the presence of a cosmological constant. Using an approach based on the heat equation, no imaginary part is found for the effective potential in the presence of a fixed background, which is the n-dimensional sphere or else an analytical continuation thereof, which is explored in some detail.Comment: 45 pages, 6 figure

Effect of reduced food intake on toxicokinetics of halogenated organic contaminants in herring gull (Larus argentatus) chicks

The aim of the present study was to investigate how contaminant exposure and reduced food intake affect tissue distribution and biotransformation of halogenated organic contaminants (HOCs) in Arctic seabirds using herring gull (Larus argentatus) as a model species. Herring gull chicks were exposed for 44 d to cod liver oil containing a typical mixture of contaminants. Following exposure, food intake was reduced for a one-week period in a subgroup of the chicks. Polyclorinated biphenyls, organochlorine pesticides, and brominated flame retardants, as well as a wide range of hydroxy, methyl sulfone, and methoxy compounds were measured in liver, brain, and plasma samples. Additionally, phase I biotransformation enzyme activities and phase I and II messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression were investigated in the liver, brain, or both. Both contaminant exposure and reduced food intake had an increasing effect on the concentrations of HOCs and their metabolites. The HOC exposure and reduced food intake also led to increased 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylation (EROD) activity, whereas mRNA expression of the biotransformation enzymes increased only following the reduced food intake. Tissue distribution of HOCs and their metabolites was not affected by either contaminant exposure or reduced food intake. In conclusion, the results indicate that biotransformation capacity and formation of HOC metabolites increase during reduced food intake. This finding supports the hypothesis that reduced food intake increases the susceptibility of Arctic animals to the effects of lipophilic HOCs. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2013;32:156164. (c) 2012 SETA

Mapping selected organic contaminants in the Barents Sea 2007 - Kartlegging av utvalgte organiske miljøgifter fra Barentshavet 2007

Årsliste 2008The report covers five investigations on chlorinated paraffins, alkyl phenols and alkyl phenol etoxilates, pentachlorophenol, tensides, polyfluorinated compounds, polybrominated diphenylethers, hexabromocyclododecane, tetrabromobisphenol A, bisphenol A, synthetic musk compounds, siloxanes, phosphorus flame retardants, diethylhexylphtalate, dioxins and furans, PCBs, organohalogens, biocides (toxaphenes, DDT, chlordanes, HCH, TBT), PAHs, trace metals and stable isotopes of C and N in samples of sediment, blue mussel, shrimp, capelin, cod and Brünnich’s guillemot eggs from the Barents Sea region. The report is a contribution to closing an information gap pointed out in the Governmental White Paper (St.mld. 8, 2005/2006, Management Plan Barents).Statens Forurensningstilsyn

Mapping selected organic contaminants in the Barents Sea 2007 - Kartlegging av utvalgte organiske miljøgifter fra Barentshavet 2007

The report covers five investigations on chlorinated paraffins, alkyl phenols and alkyl phenol etoxilates, pentachlorophenol, tensides, polyfluorinated compounds, polybrominated diphenylethers, hexabromocyclododecane, tetrabromobisphenol A, bisphenol A, synthetic musk compounds, siloxanes, phosphorus flame retardants, diethylhexylphtalate, dioxins and furans, PCBs, organohalogens, biocides (toxaphenes, DDT, chlordanes, HCH, TBT), PAHs, trace metals and stable isotopes of C and N in samples of sediment, blue mussel, shrimp, capelin, cod and Brünnich’s guillemot eggs from the Barents Sea region. The report is a contribution to closing an information gap pointed out in the Governmental White Paper (St.mld. 8, 2005/2006, Management Plan Barents)