Exploring Epoxy Use at the Oak Ridge K-25 Facility and New Concerns about Neurotoxic Risks

Epoxies are used widely in industrial and domestic applications, and apart from carcinogenic concerns, they are best known as both sensitizers and irritants in terms of dermatological and respiratory impacts. Neurological impacts from epoxy use, however, have not been reported thus far in the occupational or environmental health literature. This project was designed to further the understanding of epoxy materials and their applications in terms of the potential for harmful exposures, to understand what is presented in the industry, agency, and other scientific literature relative to exposure opportunities and the potential for neurotoxic impacts, and to document past usage of epoxies at the K-25 facility as a representation of circumstances involving higher exposures. With this information a public health strategy specific to the K-25 population and the epoxy industry as a whole was to be formulated to address potential neurotoxic concerns including the need for further medical care, industrial hygiene measurements, protective measures, toxicology, and epidemiology. To accomplish these tasks, comprehensive and current industry textbooks and literature were reviewed on epoxy formulation and usage. Key epoxy constituents were identified to complete the search for any existing literature on neurotoxic findings. Regulatory or agency investigations were explored to identify what is known thus far about exposures to these constituents and effects on workers. Relative to K-25 activities, a formal survey instrument was developed for information gathering purposes only, to ask workers about typical epoxy use practices, and to gain an understanding of the potential level of epoxy exposures in these settings. This research was completed money allocated during Round 5 of the Citizens’ Monitoring and Technical Assessment Fund (MTA Fund). Clark University was named conservator of these works. If you have any questions or concerns please contact us at [email protected]://commons.clarku.edu/iatp/1000/thumbnail.jp

WTO加盟後における中国の貿易の発展と新たな貿易政策への転換

はじめに 1. WTO加盟後中国の貿易発展の概況 2. 貿易形態とその構造的特質 2.1 貿易形態的特徴 2.2 貿易における企業性格別特徴 3. 新たな貿易政策への転換 3.1 輸出入関税の調整 3.2 輸出還付税の調整 3.3 加工貿易の厳格化管理 おわり

Sustained Impacts of Kaizen Training

We conducted a randomized controlled trial of short-term management training for small manufacturers in two study sites in Vietnam and collected follow-up data repeatedly for two years to assess longer-term impacts than the existing studies of management training. Our training programs introduced participants to Kaizen, a common-sense approach to production management. In both sites, many participants started to recognize the importance of learning about management and improved their management skills. The impacts on management skills were statistically significant two years after the programs. Our results suggest that the training program increased participants’ value added in one of the two study sites, likely because they learned how to eliminate wastes in production.Emerging State ProjectJEL Classification Codes: L2, M1, O1http://www.grips.ac.jp/list/jp/facultyinfo/sonobe_tetsushi

Enhancing local medicine production in east and southern Africa

The policy brief identifies the barriers to local medicine production in East and Southern Africa (ESA) as: lack of supportive policies, capital and skills constraints, gaps in regulatory framework, small market size and weak research and development capacities. It provides highlights from case study work in selected countries, and references potential opportunities for strengthening local production. The paper proposes that African countries strengthen domestic capacities, co-operation between domestic private and public sectors within ESA countries, and regional co-operation across ESA countries to address bottlenecks

Sustainable Agricultural Productivity Growth and Bridging the Gap for Small-Family Farms: Interagency Report to the Mexican G20 Presidency

In 2011, G20 leaders committed to sustainably increase agricultural (production and) productivity (paragraph 43 of the Cannes Declaration). They "agree(d) to further invest in agriculture, in particular in the poorest countries, and bearing in mind the importance of smallholders, through responsible public and private investment," they "decide(d) to invest in research and development of agricultural productivity. Early in 2012 Mexico, as G20 President, invited international organisations to examine practical actions that could be undertaken to sustainably improve agricultural productivity growth, in particular on small family farms. The preparation of this report, co-ordinated by the FAO and the OECD, responds to this request. It is a collaborative undertaking by Bioversity, CGIAR Consortium, FAO, IFAD, IFPRI, IICA, OECD, UNCTAD, Coordination team of UN High Level Task Force on the Food Security Crisis, WFP, World Bank, and WTO. We, the international organisations, are pleased to provide you with this joint report and look forward to continuing collaboration within the G20 framework to further elaborate and, as appropriate, implement the recommendations that it contains

Macroalgae Decrease Growth and Alter Microbial Community Structure of the Reef-Building Coral, Porites astreoides

This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the Public Library of Science and can be found at: http://www.plosone.org/home.action.With the continued and unprecedented decline of coral reefs worldwide, evaluating the factors that contribute to coral demise is of critical importance. As coral cover declines, macroalgae are becoming more common on tropical reefs. Interactions between these macroalgae and corals may alter the coral microbiome, which is thought to play an important role in colony health and survival. Together, such changes in benthic macroalgae and in the coral microbiome may result in a feedback mechanism that contributes to additional coral cover loss. To determine if macroalgae alter the coral microbiome, we conducted a field-based experiment in which the coral Porites astreoides was placed in competition with five species of macroalgae. Macroalgal contact increased variance in the coral-associated microbial community, and two algal species significantly altered microbial community composition. All macroalgae caused the disappearance of a γ-proteobacterium previously hypothesized to be an important mutualist of P. astreoides. Macroalgal contact also triggered: 1) increases or 2) decreases in microbial taxa already present in corals, 3) establishment of new taxa to the coral microbiome, and 4) vectoring and growth of microbial taxa from the macroalgae to the coral. Furthermore, macroalgal competition decreased coral growth rates by an average of 36.8%. Overall, this study found that competition between corals and certain species of macroalgae leads to an altered coral microbiome, providing a potential mechanism by which macroalgae-coral interactions reduce coral health and lead to coral loss on impacted reefs

中国改革・開放端緒期の対外経済貿易推進各種優遇政策

まえがき 　一　重点的貿易政策，貿易形態，輸出入促進税制・外貨優遇政策措置 　　１　関税上の優遇措置 　　２　工商税の優遇措置 　　３　工商所得税の減免措置 　　４　外貨留成 　二　外資系企業に対する関税，工商統一税優遇政策措置 　三　外資系企業所得税優遇政策措置 　四　改革・開放端緒期の試行的対外経済貿易政策の位置づ

Towards an Economy of Higher Education

This paper draws a distinction between ways thinking and acting, and hence of policy and practice in higher education, in terms of different kinds of economy: economies of exchange and economies of excess. Crucial features of economies of exchange are outlined and their presence in prevailing conceptions of teaching and learning is illustrated. These are contrasted with other possible forms of practice, which in turn bring to light the nature of an economy of excess. In more philosophical terms, and to expand on the picture, economies of excess are elaborated with reference, first, to the understanding of alterity in the work of Emmanuel Levinas and, second, to the idea of Dionysian intensity that is to be found in Nietzsche. In the light of critical comment on some current directions in policy and practice, the implications of these ways of thinking for the administrator, the teacher and the student in higher education are explored