Determination of HBCD, PBDEs and MeO-BDEs in California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) stranded between 1993 and 2003

Author Posting. © Elsevier B.V., 2006. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Elsevier B.V. for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Marine Pollution Bulletin 52 (2006): 522-531, doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2005.09.045.Blubber samples from male California sea lions (Zalphophus californianus) stranded between 1993 and 2003 were analyzed for 27 polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners, three isomers of hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) and 14 methoxylated polybrominated diphenyl ether (MeO-BDE) congeners. Total PBDEs ranged from 450 ng/g to 4740 ng/g wet mass and total HBCD ranged from <0.3 ng/g to 12 ng/g wet mass. The concentration of HBCD increased from 0.7 ng/g to12.0 ng/g wet mass in sea lion blubber between 1993 and 2003. However, no significant temporal trend was observed for any of the other brominated compounds over this ten year period. Only one of the 14 MeO-BDE congeners was detected in the blubber samples, 6-methoxy- 2,2’,4,4’-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (6-MeO-BDE 47), and concentrations ranged from <0.2 ng/g to 12 ng/g wet mass. A bromo-, chloro- heterocyclic compound, 1,1’-dimethyl-tetrabromo-dichloro-2,2’-bipyrrole (DBP-Br4Cl2), previously reported in marine species along the Pacific coast, was also identified in the sea lion blubber. DBP-Br4Cl2 ranged from 44 ng/g wet mass to 660 ng/g wet mass and was present at concentrations rivaling the dominant PBDE congener, BDE 47 (2,2’,4,4’-tetrabromodiphenyl ether). Concentrations of DBP-Br4Cl2 were positively correlated with 6-MeO-BDE 47 (r= 0.7; p<0.05). Both of these compounds have been identified in marine algae and sponges, and studies suggest they are both produced from natural sources. This study demonstrates that brominated compounds from both anthropogenic and biogenic sources can accumulate to similar levels in marine mammals. In addition, HBCD concentrations appear to be increasing in California sea lion populations, whereas PBDE concentrations, between 1993 and 2003, were highly variable

Integration of agricultural and energy system models for biofuel assessment

This paper presents a coupled modeling framework to capture the dynamic linkages between agricultural and energy markets that have been enhanced through the expansion of biofuel production, as well as the environmental impacts resulting from this expansion. The framework incorporates the interactions between agricultural and energy markets at the macro-level, and an assessment of production practices and environmental impacts at the micro (field)-level. For macro-level analysis, we use two existing modeling frameworks: the CARD U.S. agricultural markets model and the MARKAL energy systems model. The integrated modeling of agricultural and energy markets will be useful in analyzing a range of scenarios regarding the role of biomass feedstocks from the agricultural sector in an expanding market for biomass-based fuels and energy. Moreover, by linking the macro-level analysis to the micro-scale (field-level) analysis, we can represent shifts in farming practices, average productivity, and costs of production, as well as the environmental consequences of farmers' decisions resulting from the expansion of biomass feedstock production.This article is published as Elobeid, Amani, Simla Tokgoz, Rebecca Dodder, Tim Johnson, Ozge Kaplan, Lyubov Kurkalova, and Silvia Secchi. "Integration of agricultural and energy system models for biofuel assessment." Environmental Modelling & Software 48 (2013): 1-16. doi:10.1016/j.envsoft.2013.05.007. Works produced by employees of the U.S. Government as part of their official duties are not copyrighted within the U.S. The content of this document is not copyrighted

Integration of agricultural and energy system models for biofuel assessment

This paper presents a coupled modeling framework to capture the dynamic linkages between agricultural and energy markets that have been enhanced through the expansion of biofuel production, as well as the environmental impacts resulting from this expansion. The framework incorporates the interactions between agricultural and energy markets at the macro-level, and an assessment of production practices and environmental impacts at the micro (field)-level. For macro-level analysis, we use two existing modeling frameworks: the CARD U.S. agricultural markets model and the MARKAL energy systems model. The integrated modeling of agricultural and energy markets will be useful in analyzing a range of scenarios regarding the role of biomass feedstocks from the agricultural sector in an expanding market for biomass-based fuels and energy. Moreover, by linking the macro-level analysis to the micro-scale (field-level) analysis, we can represent shifts in farming practices, average productivity, and costs of production, as well as the environmental consequences of farmers' decisions resulting from the expansion of biomass feedstock production.This article is published as Elobeid, Amani, Simla Tokgoz, Rebecca Dodder, Tim Johnson, Ozge Kaplan, Lyubov Kurkalova, and Silvia Secchi. "Integration of agricultural and energy system models for biofuel assessment." Environmental Modelling & Software 48 (2013): 1-16. doi:10.1016/j.envsoft.2013.05.007. Works produced by employees of the U.S. Government as part of their official duties are not copyrighted within the U.S. The content of this document is not copyrighted

A new phenomenon: shifted identical yrast bands in neighboring even-even nuclei

Identification of the levels in 160Sm and 162Gd in spontaneous fission studies led to the discovery of a new phenomenon, shifted identical bands (SIB). SIBs are yrast bands in neighboring nuclei (a,b) with moments of inertia which are identical when shifted by a constant amount [kappa] = -[Delta]J1/J1, so J1a(1+[kappa])= J1b, from 2+ to 8+ and higher to 16+. Building on that work, an analysis of yrast bands in even-even proton to neutron rich Xe to Pb nuclei was carried out. In over 700 comparisons, fifty-five SIBs were found for ground bands in stable to the most neutron rich Ce - W nuclei with [kappa] between 1.5% and 13%, where the spread in [kappa] is less than ±1%, and only four identical bands ([kappa][approximate, equals]0). As examples, we find for 158Sm-160Gd (from 2+ to 10+), [kappa] = -3.2+0.1-0.2% (where the ± is the total spread in [kappa] from -3.1 to -3.4) and [Delta]J2/J2 = 3.0±1.2%; 158Sm-160Sm, 3.4+0.5-0.3%; and 154Nd-158Gd, -10.4±0.2%. After the shifts, these J1 and J2 values have smaller spreads than do the outstanding examples of identical bands. The J1 values were fitted to a variable moment of inertia model with parameters J0 and C whose values correlate with the SIB J1 values. The SIBs are not correlated either with deformation, E(4+)/E(2+), or the NpNn product. Some excited bands are SIBs and IBs in proton rich Pt-Pb where nuclear shape coexistence is important.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6TVB-42WPXP1-F/1/7073267d6d2727e1d168eeb83da1550

Current experiments in elementary particle physics, 1989-1996

Contains more than 1,800 experiments in elementary particle physics from the Experience database. Search and browse by author; title; experiment number or prefix; institution; date approved, started or completed; accelerator or detector; polarization, reaction, final state or particle; or by papers produced. Maintained at SLAC for the Particle Data Group. Supplies the information for Current Experiments in Particle Physics (LBL-91). Print version updated every second year

A new phenomenon - shifted identical bands

From spontaneous fission data in the prompt [gamma]-ray emission of 252Cf, the isotopes 162Gd and 160Sm were identified and the level schemes of 160Gd and 158Sm were extended. From over 700 comparisons of even-even yrast bands from Xe to Os separated by 2n, 2p, [alpha], 4n, 4p, 2[alpha], [alpha]+2n, [alpha]+2p, 2n-2p, and other cases, from the ground state to 8+ and sometimes as high as 18+, 55 ground state shifted identical bands (SIB) and 4 identical bands (IB) were found. After the shift, these SIBs are seen to be more identical than previously known IBs and are not correlated with (NpNn)(NpNn)', [beta]2[beta]'2, E(4+)/E(2+), saturation of collectivity, or with the variation in the ground band - s band interaction strength. They are seen only in well-deformed stable to most neutron rich nuclei from Nd to Hf, and are not seen in [gamma] bands.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6TJC-4326C6W-Y/1/0c854f677d50927fac5144e0a8da1bb