Fairness and siting: Introduction to a symposium

The symposium editors note that, while there is no recipe for successful siting, some of the critical ingredients are identified here

Transboundary Risk Management

Environmental hazards do not respect international boundaries. In this volume, distinguished international researchers make a significant contribution to the understanding and management of transboundary environmental risks. Numerous case studies of transboundary risks and the issues they raise are analyzed. They include: Nuclear power plants; Genetically modified crops; Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE); Air pollution; Dams; Risk communication; Public participation; International Negotiation. The transboundary risk topics addressed highlight the key political, economic, social, and cultural issues of our times, such as how transboundary risks are constructed, how they are communicated within and between countries, how the authorities can build trust in political mangement process, and what forms of democratic risk management institutions are appropriate. Useful practical lessons on the management of transboundary risk at the national and international levels are drawn from the case studies. The volume provides valuable evidence and analysis for those working on environmental issues and all aspects of risk management

Preliminary evaluation of dorsal muscle activity during resisted cervical extension in patients with longstanding pain and disability following anterior cervical decompression and fusion surgery

Objectives To compare mechanical activity (deformation and deformation rate) of the dorsal neck muscles between individuals with longstanding symptoms after anterior cervical decompression and fusion (ACDF) surgery and healthy controls. Design Preliminary cross-sectional study. Setting Neurosurgery clinic. Participants Ten individuals {mean age 60 [standard deviation (SD) 7.111 who had undergone ACDF surgery 10 to 13 years previously and 10 healthy age- and sex-matched controls. Main outcomes Mechanical activity of the different layers of dorsal neck muscles, measured at the C4 segment using ultrasonography (speckle tracking analysis) during a standardised, resisted cervical extension task. Results A significant group x muscle interaction was found for muscle deformation (Pless than0.03) but not for deformation rate (Pgreater than0.79). The ACDF group showed significantly less deformation of the semispinalis capitis muscle during the extension task compared with the control group [mean 3.12 (SD 2.06) and 6.64 (SD 4.17), respectively; mean difference 3.34 (95% confidence interval 0.54 to 7.21)]. Conclusions As the semispinalis capitis muscle is a powerful neck extensor, the finding of altered activation following ACDF surgery lends support to the inclusion of exercise to train neck muscle performance in the management of these patients. (C) 2014 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Funding Agencies|Swedish Medical Research Council; Wenner-Gren Foundation; Queensland Health; University of Queensland (NHMRC CCRE Spinal Pain, Injury and Health)</p

Determination of the double bond position in monounsaturated acetates from their mass spectra

A simple method of widespread applicability in determining double bond positions in C12, C14, and C16 straight-chain monounsaturated acetates is presented. The analysis is made with a capillary gas chromatograph coupled to a low-resolution mass spectrometer which is operated in the electron impact mode. No chemical derlvatlzation of the unknowns is needed. Five pairs of selected mass spectral fragments are chosen to distinguish positional isomers. A new mathematical model is introduced which permits simultaneous comparisons of all five ratios of unknowns and references. The method can be used for analyses of very small amounts (<5 ng) of unknown acetates in insect samples

The Read-out Processors of the Aleph Time Projection Chamber and Their Performance

The Aleph detector is installed on the LEP electron-positron storage ring. Its central tracking detector, a time projection chamber (TPC), has about 50000 channels of sampling electronics. The digitized signals are processed by 72 double-width Fastbus modules built around an MC 68020 processor. The time projection processor is described, and the solutions, both hardware and software, adopted to run and manage such a complex system in a Fastbus-VAX environment are discussed. Practical experience with the system is reporte