Indirect Initiative and Unpopular Referendum in Missouri

Most governments in the United States operate as a representative democracy through elected officials. Over time, advocates have successfully reformed many of our institutions to give citizens themselves more power through direct democracy. The direct election of United States Senators, the presidential primary, recall, the direct initiative, and popular referendum are all developments in the governments of the United States that place power directly in the hands of voters. Direct initiatives and popular referendums, specifically, are lingering evidence of the Progressive Era of the 1900s. Like most reforms of that time, proponents of direct initiative and popular referendum believed it would aid in breaking up concentrated political power in corporations and their enablers in the state legislatures. Almost half the states instituted direct initiative and popular referendum before 1920

Oxygen Depletion and Formation of Toxic Gases following Sea Transportation of Logs and Wood Chips

Several recent accidents with fatal outcomes occurring during discharge of logs and wood chips from ships in Swedish ports indicate the need to better understand the atmospheric conditions in holds and connecting stairways. The principal aim of the present study was to assess the air levels of oxygen and toxic gases in confined spaces following sea transportation of logs and wood chips. The focus of the study was the conditions in the stairways, as this was the location of the reported accidents. Forty-one shipments of logs (pulpwood) and wood chips carried by 10 different ships were investigated before discharge in ports in northern Sweden. A full year was covered to accommodate variations due to seasonal temperature changes. The time from completion of loading to discharge was estimated to be 37–66 h (mean 46 h). Air samples were collected in the undisturbed air of altogether 76 stairways before the hatch covers were removed. The oxygen level was measured on-site by handheld direct-reading multi-gas monitors. On 16 of the shipments, air samples were additionally collected in Tedlar® bags for later analysis for carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The mean oxygen level was 10% (n = 76) but in 17% of the samples the oxygen level was 0%. The oxygen depletion was less pronounced during the cold season. The mean CO2 and CO levels were 7.5% (n = 26) and 46 p.p.m. (n = 28), respectively. More than 90% of the hydrocarbons were explained by monoterpenes, mainly α-pinene (mean 41 p.p.m., (n = 26). In conclusion, the measurements show that transport of logs and wood chips in confined spaces may result in rapid and severe oxygen depletion and CO2 formation. Thus, apparently harmless cargoes may create potentially life-threatening conditions. The oxygen depletion and CO2 formation are seemingly primarily caused by microbiological activity, in contrast to the oxidative processes with higher CO formation that predominate in cargoes of wood pellets. Improved technical and organizational measures are considered necessary to prevent future accidents. Recommendations given regarding safe entry procedures and technical preventive methods may also apply to other oxygen-depleting products

Low concentrations of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in municipal drinking water associated with serum PFAA concentrations in Swedish adolescents

While highly contaminated drinking water (DW) is a major source of exposure to perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs), the contribution of low-level contaminated DW (i.e. < 10 ng/L of individual PFAAs) to PFAA body burdens has rarely been studied. To address this knowledge gap, we evaluated the association between concentrations of perflurooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), and their sum (& sum;(4)PFAAs) in DW and serum in Swedish adolescents using weighted least squares regression. We paired serum PFAA concentrations in adolescents (age 10-21 years, n = 790) from the dietary survey Riksmaten Adolescents 2016-17 (RMA) with mean PFAA concentrations in water samples collected in 2018 from waterworks (n = 45) supplying DW to the participant residential and school addresses. The median concentrations of individual PFAAs in DW were < 1 ng/L. Median concentrations of PFNA and PFHxS in serum were < 1 ng/g, while those of PFOA and PFOS were 1-2 ng/g. Significant positive associations between PFAA concentrations in DW and serum were found for all four PFAAs and & sum;(4)PFAAs, with estimated serum/DW concentration ratios ranging from 210 (PFOA) to 670 (PFHxS), taking exposure from sources other than DW (background) into consideration. The mean concentrations of PFHxS and & sum;(4)PFAA in DW that would likely cause substantially elevated serum concentrations above background variation were estimated to 0.9 ng/L and 2.4 ng/L, respectively. The European Food Safety Authority has determined a health concern concentration of 6.9 ng & sum;(4)PFAAs/mL serum. This level was to a large degree exceeded by RMA participants with DW & sum;(4)PFAA concentrations above the maximum limits implemented in Denmark (2 ng & sum;(4)PFAAs/L) and Sweden (4 ng & sum;(4)PFAAs/L) than by RMA participants with DW concentrations below the maximum limits. In conclusion, PFAA exposure from low-level contaminated DW must be considered in risk assessment for adolescents

Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling of Nanoceria Systemic Distribution in Rats Suggests Dose- and Route-Dependent Biokinetics

Background: Cerium dioxide nanoparticles (nanoceria) are increasingly being used in a variety of products as catalysts, coatings, and polishing agents. Furthermore, their antioxidant properties make nanoceria potential candidates for biomedical applications. To predict and avoid toxicity, information about their biokinetics is essential. A useful tool to explore such associations between exposure and internal target dose is physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling. The aim of this study was to test the appropriateness of our previously published PBPK model developed for intravenous (IV) administration when applied to various sizes of nanoceria and to exposure routes relevant for humans. Methods: Experimental biokinetic data on nanoceria (obtained from various exposure routes, sizes, coatings, doses, and tissues sampled) in rats were collected from the literature and also obtained from the researchers. The PBPK model was first calibrated and validated against IV data for 30 nm citrate coated ceria and then recalibrated for 5 nm ceria. Finally, the model was modified and tested against inhalation, intratracheal (IT) instillation, and oral nanoceria data. Results: The PBPK model adequately described nanoceria time courses in various tissues for 5 nm ceria given IV. The time courses of 30 nm ceria were reasonably well predicted for liver and spleen, whereas the biokinetics in other tissues were not well captured. For the inhalation, IT instillation, and oral exposure routes, re-optimization was difficult due to low absorption and, hence, low and variable nanoceria tissue levels. Moreover, the nanoceria properties and exposure conditions varied widely among the inhalation, IT instillation, and oral studies, making it difficult to assess the importance of different factors. Conclusion: Overall, our modeling efforts suggest that nanoceria biokinetics depend largely on the exposure route and dose

Acute Effects of a Fungal Volatile Compound

Objective: 3-Methylfuran (3-MF) is a common fungal volatile product with active biologic properties, and previous studies have indicated a contribution to airway disease. The aim of the present study was to assess the acute health effects of this compound in humans. Design: Acute effects were assessed via chamber exposure to (1 mg/m(3)) 3-MF. Participants and measurements: Twenty-nine volunteers provided symptom reports, ocular electromyograms, measurement of eye tear film break-up time, vital staining of the eye, nasal lavage, acoustic rhinometry, transfer tests, and dynamic spirometry. Results: No subjective ratings were significantly increased during exposure. Blinking frequency and the lavage biomarkers myeloperoxidase and lysozyme were significantly increased, and forced vital capacity was significantly decreased during exposure to 3-MF compared with air control. Conclusions and relevance to clinical practice: Acute effects in the eyes, nose, and airways were detected and might be the result of the biologically active properties of 3-MF. Thus, 3-MF may contribute to building-related illness

Challenges in Characterizing the Environmental Fate and Effects of Carbon Nanotubes and Inorganic Nanomaterials in Aquatic Systems

The current lack of commonly used protocols for dispersion, characterization, and aquatic toxicity testing of nanomaterials (NMs) has resulted in inconsistent results, which make meaningful comparisons difficult. The need for standardized sample preparation procedures that allow the reproducible generation of relevant test conditions remains a key challenge for studies of the environmental fate and aquatic toxicity of NMs. Together with the further development of optimized and cost-effective analytical techniques for physicochemical characterization that depend on reproducible sample preparation, such methods have the potential to overcome the current uncertainties with regard to NM dispersion properties, effective dose, and particle dissolution. In this review, recent data available on the challenges are summarized, especially those associated with preparing and quantifying NM dispersions, determining NM uptake and accumulation in aquatic organisms, and the transformation of organic and inorganic NM in aquatic species. Additional limitations and challenges that are specific to certain types of NMs are highlighted. The release of highly persistent carbon nanotubes (CNTs) from nanocomposites is determined to be a potential source of environmental contamination. Furthermore, the role of NM dissolution and the contribution of ions versus particles to NM toxicity are discussed. A phenomenon of particular relevance for the environment is photoactivation of NMs. This is elucidated with regard to its consequences in complex aquatic ecosystems. Widespread implementation of standardized protocols alongside the consideration of phenomena associated with different life cycle stages of industrial products is crucial to the future establishment of NM environmental risk assessment.publishedVersio

Harmonisation framework for health based evaluation of indoor emissions from construction products in the European Union using the EU-LCI concept

This report describes a harmonised procedure for establishing a list of compounds and their associated LCI (Lowest Concentration of Interest) values for the evaluation of emissions from construction products taking into account existing procedures used in some Member States (i.e. ANSES in France and AgBB in Germany). It provides an appropriate health‐protective, science-based and transparent yet pragmatic approach with a flexible framework that enables review of the procedure to take into account new knowledge (e.g. data resulting from the REACH implementation process) for future revision of the EU-LCI master list in terms of both the compounds listed and their EU-LCI values.JRC.I.1-Chemical Assessment and Testin