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Notes: The abundance and morphology of microdiamond in dolomite marble from Kumdy-kol in the Kokchetav Massif, are unusual; a previous study estimated the maximum content of diamonds in dolomite marble to be about 2700 carat ton−1. Microdiamond is included primarily in garnet, and occasionally in diopside and phlogopite pseudomorphs after garnet. They are classified into three types on the basis of their morphology: (1) S-type: star-shaped diamond consisting of translucent cores and transparent subhedral to euhedral very fine-grained outer parts; (2) R-type: translucent crystals with rugged surfaces; and (3) T-type: transparent, very fine-grained crystals. The S-type is the most abundant.Micro-Laue diffraction using a 1.6-µm X-ray beam-size demonstrated that the cores of the star-shaped microdiamond represent single crystals. In contrast, the most fine-grained outer parts usually have different orientations compared to the core. Laser–Raman studies indicate that the FWHM (Full Width at Half Maximum) of the Raman band of the core of the S-type diamond is slightly larger than that for the outer parts. Differences in morphology, crystal orientations, and in the FWHM of the Raman band between the core and the fine-grained outer-parts of S-type microdiamond suggest that the star-shaped microdiamond was formed discontinuously in two distinct stages.

Notes: Oscillatory zoning in low δ18O skarn garnet from the Willsboro wollastonite deposit, NE Adirondack Mts, NY, USA, preserves a record of the temporal evolution of mixing hydrothermal fluids from different sources. Garnet with oscillatory zoning are large (1–3 cm diameter) euhedral crystals that grew in formerly fluid filled cavities. They contain millimetre-scale oscillatory zoning of varying grossular–andradite composition (XAdr = 0.13–0.36). The δ18O values of the garnet zones vary from 0.80 to 6.26‰ VSMOW and correlate with XAdr. The shape, pattern and number of garnet zones varies from crystal to crystal, as does the magnitude of the correlated chemistry changes, suggesting fluid system variability, temporal and/or spatial, over the time of garnet growth. The zones of correlated Fe content and δ18O indicate that a high Fe3+/Al, high δ18O fluid mixed with a lower Fe3+/Al and δ18O fluid. The high δ18O, Fe enriched fluids were likely magmatic fluids expelled from crystallizing anorthosite. The low δ18O fluids were meteoric in origin.These are the first skarn garnet with oscillatory zoning reported from granulite facies rocks. Geochronologic, stable isotope, petrologic and field evidence indicates that the Adirondacks are a polymetamorphic terrane, where localized contact metamorphism around shallowly intruded anorthosite was followed by a regional granulite facies overprint. The growth of these garnet in equilibrium with meteoric and magmatic fluids indicates an origin in the shallow contact aureole of the anorthosite prior to regional metamorphism. The zoning was preserved due to the slow diffusion of oxygen and cations in the large garnet and protection from deformation and recrystallization in zones of low strain in thick, rigid, garnetite layers. The garnet provide new information about the hydrothermal system adjacent to the shallowly intruded massif anorthosite that predates regional metamorphism in this geologically complex, polymetamorphic terrane.

Notes: The blueschist and greenschist units on the island of Sifnos, Cyclades were affected by Eocene high-pressure (HP) metamorphism. Using conventional geothermobarometry, the HP peak metamorphic stage was determined at 550–600 °C and 20 kbar, close to the blueschist and the eclogite facies transition. The retrograde P–T paths are inferred with phase diagrams. Pseudosections based on a quantitative petrogenetic grid in the model system Na2O–CaO–FeO–MgO–Al2O3–SiO2–H2O reveal coeval decompression and cooling for both the blueschist and the greenschist unit. The conditions of the metamorphic peak and those of the retrograde stages conform to a similar metamorphic gradient of 10–12 °C km−1 for both units. The retrograde overprint can be assigned to low-pressure blueschist to HP greenschist facies conditions. This result cannot be reconciled with the (prograde) Barrovian-type event, which affected parts of the Cyclades during the Oligocene to Miocene. Instead, the retrograde overprint is interpreted in terms of exhumation, directly after the HP stage, without a separate metamorphic event. Constraints on the exhumation mechanism are given by decompression-cooling paths, which can be explained by exhumation in a fore-arc setting during on-going subduction and associated crustal shortening. Back-arc extension is only responsible for the final stage of exhumation of the HP units.

Notes: Metabasic rocks from the Adula Nappe in the Central Alps record a regional high-pressure metamorphic event during the Eocene, and display a regional variation in high-pressure mineral assemblages from barroisite, or glaucophane, bearing garnet amphibolites in the north to kyanite eclogites in the central part of the nappe. High-pressure rocks from all parts of the nappe show the same metamorphic evolution of assemblages consistent with prograde blueschist, high-pressure amphibolite or eclogite facies conditions followed by peak-pressure eclogite facies conditions and decompression to the greenschist or amphibolite facies. Average PT calculations (using thermocalc) quantitatively establish nested, clockwise P–T paths for different parts of the Adula Nappe that are displaced to higher pressure and temperature from north to south. Metamorphic conditions at peak pressure increase from about 17 kbar, 640 °C in the north to 22 kbar, 750 °C in the centre and 25 kbar, 750 °C in the south. The northern and central Adula Nappe behaved as a coherent tectonic unit at peak pressures and during decompression, and thermobarometric results are interpreted in terms of a metamorphic field gradient of 9.6 ± 2.0 °C km−1 and 0.20 ± 0.05 kbar km−1. These results constrain the peak-pressure position and orientation of the nappe to a depth of 55–75 km, dipping at an angle of approximately 45° towards the south. Results from the southern Adula Nappe are not consistent with the metamorphic field gradient determined for the northern and central parts, which suggests that the southern Adula Nappe may have been separated from central and northern parts at peak pressure.

Notes: The Priest pluton contact aureole in the Manzano Mountains, central New Mexico preserves evidence for upper amphibolite contact metamorphism and localized retrograde hydrothermal alteration associated with intrusion of the 1.42 Ga Priest pluton. Quartz–garnet and quartz–sillimanite oxygen isotope fractionations in pelitic schist document an increase in the temperatures of metamorphism from 540 °C, at a distance of 1 km from the pluton, to 690 °C at the contact with the pluton. Comparison of calculated temperature estimates with one-dimensional thermal modelling suggests that background temperatures between 300 and 350 °C existed at the time of intrusion of the Priest pluton. Fibrolite is found within 300 m of the Priest pluton in pelitic and aluminous schist metamorphosed at temperatures 〉580 °C. Coexisting fibrolite and garnet in pelitic schist are in oxygen isotope equilibrium, suggesting these minerals were stable reaction products during peak metamorphism. The fibrolite-in isograd is coincident with the staurolite-out isograd in pelitic schist, and K-feldspar is not observed with the first occurrence of fibrolite. This suggests that the breakdown of staurolite and not the second sillimanite reaction controls fibrolite growth in staurolite-bearing pelitic schist. Muscovite-rich aluminous schist locally preserves the Al2SiO5 polymorph triple-point assemblage – kyanite, andalusite and fibrolite. Andalusite and fibrolite, but not kyanite, are in isotopic equilibrium in the aluminous schist. Co-nucleation of fibrolite and andalusite at 580 °C in the presence of muscovite and absence of K-feldspar suggests that univariant growth of andalusite and fibrolite occurred. Kyanite growth occurred during an earlier regional metamorphic event at a temperature nearly 80 °C lower than andalusite and fibrolite growth. Quartz–muscovite fractionations in hydrothermally altered pelitic schist and quartzite are small or negative, suggesting that late isotopic exchange between externally derived fluids and muscovite, but not quartz, occurred after peak contact metamorphism and that hydrothermal alteration in pelitic schist and quartzite occurred below the closure temperature of oxygen self diffusion in quartz (〈500 °C).

Notes: Abstract Concordant U–Pb ages of c. 530–510 Ma and c. 470–420 Ma on titanite from calcsilicate, orthogneiss and amphibolite rocks constrain the age of high-T metamorphism in the Early Palaeozoic mobile belt at the western margin of Proterozoic Gondwana (Argentina, 26–29°S). The U–Pb ages document the time of titanite formation at high-T conditions according to the stable mineral paragenesis and occurrence of titanite in the metamorphic fabric. The presence of migmatite at all sample sites indicates temperatures were 〉 c. 650 °C. Titanite formed at similar metamorphic conditions at different times on the regional and on the outcrop scale. The titanite crystals preserved their U–Pb isotopic signatures and chemical composition under ongoing upper amphibolite to granulite facies temperatures. Different thermal peaks or deformations are only detected by the different U–Pb ages and not by changes in the mineral paragenesis or metamorphic fabric of the samples. The range of U–Pb ages, e.g. in the Ordovician and Silurian (c. 470, 460, 440, 430, 420 Ma), is interpreted as the effect polyphase deformation with deformation-enhanced recrystallization of titanite and/or different thermal peaks during a long-standing, geographically fixed, high-T regime in the mid-crust of a continental magmatic arc. A clear correlation of the different ages with distinct tectonic events, e.g. collision of terranes, is not possible based on the present knowledge of the region.

Notes: Abstract The garnet blueschists from the Ile de Groix (Armorican Massif, France) contain millimetre- to centimetre-sized pseudomorphs consisting of an aggregate of chlorite, epidote and paragonite. The pseudomorphed phase developed at a late stage of the deformation history, because it overgrows a glaucophane–epidote–titanite foliation. Garnet growth occurred earlier than the beginning of the ductile deformation, and thus garnet is also included in the pseudomorphs. Microprobe analyses show that garnet is strongly zoned, with decreasing spessartine and increasing almandine and pyrope contents from core to rim. Grossular content is higher in garnet cores (about 35 mole%) compared to garnet rims (about 30 mole%). Blue amphibole has glaucophane compositions with a low Fe3+ content and become more magnesian when inclusions in garnet (XMg = 0.62–0.65) are compared with matrix grains (XMg = 0.67–0.70). Matrix epidote has a pistacite content of about 50 mole%. On the basis of their shape and the nature of the breakdown products, the pseudomorphs are attributed to lawsonite. A numerical model (using Thermocalc) has been developed in order to understand the reactions controlling both the growth and the breakdown of lawsonite. Lawsonite growth could have taken place through the continuous hydration reaction Chl + Ep + Pg + Qtz + Vap = Gln + Lws, followed by the fluid-absent reaction Chl + Ep + Pg = Grt + Gln + Lws. Peak P–T conditions are estimated at about 18–20 kbar, 450 °C. This indicates that lawsonite growth took place at increasing P and T, hence can be used as a geobarometer in the buffering assemblage garnet–glaucophane–epidote. The final part of the history is recorded by lawsonite breakdown, after cessation of the ductile deformation, and recording the earliest stages of the exhumation.

Notes: Previous models of hydrodynamics in contact metamorphic aureoles assumed flow of aqueous fluids, whereas CO2 and other species are also common fluid components in contact metamorphic aureoles. We investigated flow of mixed CO2–H2O fluid and kinetically controlled progress of calc-silicate reactions using a two-dimensional, finite-element model constrained by the geological relations in the Notch Peak aureole, Utah. Results show that CO2 strongly affects fluid-flow patterns in contact aureoles. Infiltration of magmatic water into a homogeneous aureole containing CO2–H2O sedimentary fluid facilitates upward, thermally driven flow in the inner aureole and causes downward flow of the relatively dense CO2-poor fluid in the outer aureole. Metamorphic CO2-rich fluid tends to promote upward flow in the inner aureole and the progress of devolatilization reactions causes local fluid expulsion at reacting fronts. We also tracked the temporal evolution of P-T-XCO2conditions of calc-silicate reactions. The progress of low- to medium-grade (phlogopite- to diopside-forming) reactions is mainly driven by heat as the CO2 concentration and fluid pressure and temperature increase simultaneously. In contrast, the progress of the high-grade wollastonite-forming reaction is mainly driven by infiltration of chemically out-of-equilibrium, CO2-poor fluid during late-stage heating and early cooling of the inner aureole and thus it is significantly enhanced when magmatic water is involved. CO2-rich fluid dominates in the inner aureole during early heating, whereas CO2-poor fluid prevails at or after peak temperature is reached. Low-grade metamorphic rocks are predicted to record the presence of CO2-rich fluid, and high-grade rocks reflect the presence of CO2-poor fluid, consistent with geological observations in many calc-silicate aureoles. The distribution of mineral assemblages predicted by our model matches those observed in the Notch Peak aureole.

Notes: The Swakane Gneiss and the overlying Napeequa Complex in the North Cascade range, Washington, were metamorphosed and deformed during development of a Cretaceous-Paleogene continental arc, and are among the structurally deepest exposed rocks within the Cordilleran arcs of North America. Peak metamorphic conditions in both the Swakane Gneiss and Napeequa Complex were c. 640–750 °C, 9–12 kbar. Clockwise paths and widespread evidence for high-P metamorphism in meta-supracrustal rocks (burial to 〉40 km) document major vertical tectonic motion during arc construction and unroofing.These and other moderately high-pressure rocks in the North Cascades-Coast Mountains experienced a dramatically different tectonometamorphic history than metamorphic rocks within other Cordilleran arcs. The exhumed arc complexes of the Sierra Nevada and Peninsular Ranges are dominated by relatively low-P metamorphic and plutonic rocks (typically 〈6 kbar). There is no evidence that the northern Cordillera was thickened to a greater degree than these other belts, suggesting that the greater magnitude of vertical motion in the Cascades may have been related to exhumation mechanisms: Eocene extension in the northern Cordillera vs. erosional unroofing in the central and southern Cordillera.

Notes: High-pressure (HP) granulites and eclogitized metagabbro are exposed along an orogen-parallel high-P belt that was developed at c. 1050–1020 Ma in the NE Grenville Province. Among these rocks, mafic granulites derived from a Labradorian anorthosite suite of the Lelukuau terrane contain garnet, Al-Na diopside, and, depending on bulk composition, plagioclase and kyanite. Moreover, the distribution of phases is influenced by the original igneous texture. For instance, in high XMgO leucocratic varieties, garnet porphyroblasts nucleated together with kyanite in An-rich cores of plagioclase domains whereas in low XMgO rocks garnet occurs together with clinopyroxene within formerly igneous ferromagnesian domains and kyanite is missing. In contrast, garnet pseudomorphs after igneous plagioclase in melanocratic varieties display evidence of earlier corona development. Metamorphic textures are consistent with a two stage evolution: (a) development of garnet and Al-Na-diopside (Cpx1) under high-P metamorphic conditions, concomitant with elimination of plagioclase in the mesocratic to melanocratic varieties; and (b) partial loss of Al-Na from Cpx1 resulting in production of new andesitic plagioclase, and growth of new clinopyroxene (Cpx2) after garnet and quartz in leucocratic to mesocratic rocks consistent with decompression. Widespread equilibrium textures between garnet-Pl2-Cpx2 and/or reset Cpx1 are consistent with development at the thermal peak. Estimated P–T conditions for the presumed thermal peak fall in the range 1500–1800 MPa and 800–900 °C and are comparable to those recorded by eclogitized gabbros from other parts of the high-P belt of the NE Grenville province. Low jadeite content of clinopyroxene from the HP granulites is attributed to the low bulk Na2O/(Na2O + CaO) of these rocks relative to common basaltic compositions. Scarcity of apparent retrograde textural overprint in both the HP granulites and the eclogites suggests fast subsequent cooling, consistent with extrusion of the high-P belt towards the foreland shortly after the metamorphic peak.

Notes: The upper deck of the East Athabasca mylonite triangle (EAmt), northern Saskatchewan, Canada, contains mafic granulites that have undergone high P–T metamorphism at conditions ranging from 1.3 to 1.9 GPa, 890–960 °C. Coronitic textures in these mafic granulites indicate a near-isothermal decompression path to 0.9 GPa, 800 °C. The Godfrey granite occurs to the north adjacent to the upper deck high P–T domain. Well-preserved corona textures in the Godfrey granite constrain igneous crystallization and early metamorphism in the intermediate-pressure granulite field (Opx + Pl) at 1.0 GPa, 775 °C followed by metamorphism in the high pressure granulite field (Grt + Cpx + Pl) at 1.2 GPa, 860 °C. U–Pb geochronology of zircon in upper deck mafic granulite yields evidence for events at both c. 2.5 Ga and c. 1.9 Ga. The oldest zircon dates are interpreted to constrain a minimum age for crystallization or early metamorphism of the protolith. A population of 1.9 Ga zircon in one mafic granulite is interpreted to constrain the timing of high P–T metamorphism. Titanite from the mafic granulites yields dates ranging from 1900 to 1894 Ma, and is interpreted to have grown along the decompression path, but still above its closure temperature, indicating cooling following the high P–T metamorphism from c. 960–650 °C in 4–10 Myr. Zircon dates from the Godfrey granite indicate a minimum crystallization age of 2.61 Ga, without any evidence for 1.9 Ga overgrowths. The data indicate that an early granulite facies event occurred at c. 2.55–2.52 Ga in the lower crust (c. 1.0 GPa), but at 1.9 Ga the upper deck underwent high P–T metamorphism, then decompressed to 0.9–1.0 GPa. Juxtaposition of the upper deck and Godfrey granite would have occurred after or been related to this decompression. In this model, the high P–T rocks are exhumed quickly following the high pressure metamorphism. This type of metamorphism is typically associated with collisional orogenesis, which has important implications for the Snowbird tectonic zone as a fundamental boundary in the Canadian Shield.

Notes: Orthopyroxene-free garnet + clinopyroxene + plagioclase ± quartz-bearing mineral assemblages represent the paragenetic link between plagioclase-free eclogite facies metabasites and orthopyroxene-bearing granulite facies metabasites. Although these assemblages are most commonly developed under P–T conditions consistent with high pressure granulite facies, they sometimes occur at lower grade in the amphibolite facies. Thus, these assemblages are characteristic but not definitive of high pressure granulite facies. Compositional factors favouring their development at amphibolite grade include Fe-rich mineral compositions, Ca-rich garnet and plagioclase, and Ti-poor hornblende. The generalized reaction that accounts for the prograde development of garnet + clinopyroxene + plagioclase ± quartz from a hornblende + plagioclase + quartz-bearing (amphibolite) precursor is Hbl + Pl + Qtz=Grt + Cpx + liquid or vapour, depending on whether the reaction occurs above or below the solidus. There are significant discrepancies between experimental and natural constraints on the P–T conditions of orthopyroxene-free garnet + clinopyroxene + plagioclase ± quartz-bearing mineral assemblages and therefore on the P–T position of this reaction. Semi-quantitative thermodynamic modelling of this reaction is hampered by the lack of a melt model and gives results that are only moderately successful in rationalizing the natural and experimental data.

Notes: Schlieren are trains of platy or blocky minerals, typically the ferromagnesian minerals and accessory phases, that occur in granites and melt-rich migmatites, such as diatexites. They have been considered as: (1) unmelted residue from xenoliths or the source region; (2) mineral accumulations formed during magma flow; (3) compositional layering; and (4) sites of melt loss. In order to help identify schlieren-forming processes in the diatexites at St Malo, differences in the size, shape, orientation, distribution and composition of the biotite from schlieren and from their hosts have been investigated.Small biotite grains are much less abundant in the schlieren than in their hosts. Schlieren biotite grains are generally larger, have greater aspect ratios and have, except in hosts with low (〈 10%) biotite contents, a much stronger shape preferred orientation than host biotite. The compositional ranges of host and schlieren biotite are similar, but schlieren biotite defines tighter, sharper peaks on composition-frequency plots. Hosts show magmatic textures such as imbricated (tiled), unstrained plagioclase. Some schlieren show only magmatic textures (tiled biotite, no crystal-plastic strain features), but many have textures indicating submagmatic and subsolidus deformation (e.g. kinked grains) and these schlieren show the most extensive evidence for recrystallization.Magmas at St Malo initially contained a significant fraction of residual biotite and plagioclase crystals; smaller biotite grains were separated from the larger plagioclase crystals during magma flow. Since plagioclase was also the major, early crystallizing phase, the plagioclase-rich domains developed rapidly and reached the rigid percolation threshold first, forcing further magma flow to be concentrated into narrowing melt-rich zones where the biotite had accumulated, hence increasing shear strain and the degree of shape preferred orientation in these domains. Schlieren formed in these domains as a result of grain contacts and tiling in the grain inertia-regime. Final amalgamation of the biotite aggregates into schlieren involved volume loss as melt trapped between grains was expelled after the rigid percolation threshold was reached in the biotite-rich layers.

Notes: The eclogite type locality in the Eastern Alps (the Koralpe and Saualpe region) is the largest region in the Eastern Alps that preserves high-pressure metamorphic rocks from the Eo-Alpine orogenic event of the Cretaceous age. Thermobarometric data from the metapelitic gneisses in the region indicate that a metamorphic field gradient across the region can be divided into three parts. The northern part shows continuously increasing P–T from 10 ± 1.5 to 14 ± 1.5 kbar and 500 ± 68 to 700 ± 68 °C over a distance of 40 km. The continuous increase in P–T indicates that no major tectonic boundaries were active in this part during the Eo-Alpine orogeny. Small discontinuities in the pressure gradient of the northern part can be correlated with more localized deformation. The central part exposes amphibolite–eclogite facies rocks with 15 ± 1.5 kbar and 700 ± 68 °C over about 20 km length. The southern part shows decreasing P–T conditions from 15 ± 1.5 to 10 ± 1.5 kbar and 700 ± 68 to 600 ± 63 °C over a distance of 10 km beyond which conditions remain roughly constant for the remainder of the profile.Overall, the field gradient is characterized by: (i) an increase in age with decreasing metamorphic grade and (ii) a T/P ratio that is lower than common metamorphic geotherms. The age–grade relationship is consistent with the timing relationship along piezothermal arrays predicted by simple models for regional metamorphism. However, the T/P ratio of the field gradient is inconsistent with such an interpretation. These inconsistencies indicate that the profile is not simply an obliquely exposed crustal section. We suggest that the exhumation of the transect is best explained with a two dimensional model of an extruding wedge, as has recently been suggested as a typical scenario for other large scale compressional orogens.

Notes: A largely undocumented region of eclogite associated with a thick blueschist unit occurs in the Kotsu area of the Sanbagawa belt. The composition of coexisting garnet and omphacite suggests that the Kotsu eclogite formed at peak temperatures of around 600 °C synchronous with a penetrative deformation (D1). There are local significant differences in oxygen fugacity of the eclogite reflected in mineral chemistries. The peak pressure is constrained to lie between 14 and 25 kbar by microstructural evidence for the stability of paragonite throughout the history recorded by the eclogite, and the composition of omphacite in associated eclogite facies pelitic schist. Application of garnet-phengite-omphacite geobarometry gives metamorphic pressures around 20 kbar. Retrograde metamorphism associated with penetrative deformation (D2) is in the greenschist facies. The composition of syn-D2 amphibole in hematite-bearing basic schist and the nature of the calcium carbonate phase suggest that the retrograde P–T path was not associated with a significant increase or decrease in the ratio of P–T conditions following the peak of metamorphism. This P–T path contrasts with the open clockwise path derived from eclogite of the Besshi area. The development of distinct P–T paths in different parts of the Sanbagawa belt shows the shape of the P–T path is not primarily controlled by tectonic setting, but by internal factors such as geometry of metamorphic units and exhumation rates.

Notes: Previous studies suggest that the metamorphic evolution of the ultrahigh-pressure garnet peridotite from Alpe Arami was characterized by rapid subduction to a depth of c. 180 km with partial chemical equilibration at c. 5.9 Gpa/1180 °C and an initial stage of near-isothermal decompression followed by enhanced cooling. In this study, average cooling rates were constrained by diffusion modelling on retrograde Fe–Mg zonation profiles across garnet porphyroclasts. Considering the effects of temperature, pressure and garnet bulk composition on the Fe–Mg interdiffusion coefficient, cooling rates of 380–1600 °C Myr−1 for the interval from 1180 to 800 °C were obtained. Similar or even higher average cooling rates resulted from thermal modelling, whereby the characteristics of the calculated temperature-time path depend on the shape and size of the hot peridotite body and the boundary conditions of the cooling process. The very high cooling rates obtained from both geospeedometry and thermal modelling imply extremely fast exhumation rates of c. 15 mm yr−1 or more. These results agree with the range of exhumation rates (16–50 mm yr−1) deduced from geochronological results. It is suggested that the Alpe Arami peridotite passively returned towards the surface as part of a buoyant sliver, caused as a consequence of slab breakoff.

Notes: We report SHRIMP U–Th–Pb monazite, conventional U–Pb titanite, Sm–Nd garnet and Rb–Sr muscovite and biotite ages for metamorphic rocks from the Danba Domal Metamorphic Terrane in the eastern Songpan-Garzê Orogenic Belt (eastern Tibet Plateau). These ages are used to determine the timing of polyphase metamorphic events and the subsequent cooling history. The oldest U–Th–Pb monazite and Sm–Nd garnet ages constrain an early Barrovian metamorphism (M1) in the interval c. 204–190 Ma, coincident with extensive Indosinian granitic magmatism throughout the Songpan-Garzê Orogenic Belt. A second, higher-grade sillimanite-grade metamorphic event (M2), recorded only in the northern part of the Danba terrane, was dated at c. 168–158 Ma by a combination of U–Th–Pb monazite and titanite and Sm–Nd garnet ages. It is suggested that M1 was a thermal event that affected the entire orogenic belt while M2 may represent a local thermal perturbation. Rb–Sr muscovite ages range from c. 138–100 Ma, whereas Rb–Sr biotite ages cluster at c. 34–24 Ma. These ages document regional cooling at rates of c. 2–3 °C Myr−1 following the M1 peak for most of the terrane. However, those parts of the terrane affected by the higher-temperature M2 event (e.g. the migmatite zone) experienced initially more rapid (c. 8 °C Myr−1) cooling after peak M2 before joining the regional slow cooling path defined by the rest of the terrane at c. 138 Ma. Regional slow cooling between c. 138 and c. 30 Ma is thought to be the result of post-tectonic isostatic uplift after extensive crustal thickening caused by collision of the South and North China Blocks. The clustering of biotite Rb–Sr ages marks the onset of rapid uplift across the entire terrane commencing at c. 30–20 Ma. This cooling history is shared with many other regions of the Tibet Plateau, suggesting that uplift of the Tibet Plateau (including the Songpan-Garzê Orogenic Belt) occurred predominantly in the last c. 30 Myr as a response to the continuing northwards collision of India with Eurasia.

Notes: Recent studies have used the relative rotation axis of sigmoidal and spiral-shaped inclusion trails, known as Foliation Inflexion/Intersection Axis (FIA), to investigate geological processes such as fold mechanisms and porphyroblast growth. The geological usefulness of this method depends upon the accurate measurement of FIA orientations and correct correlation of temporally related FIAs. This paper uses new data from the Canton Schist to assess the variation in FIA orientations within and between samples, and evaluates criteria for correlating FIAs. For the first time, an entire data set of FIA measurements is published, and data are presented in a way that reflects the variation in FIA orientations within individual samples and provides an indication of the reliability of the data. Analysis of 61 FIA trends determined from the Canton Schist indicate a minimum intrasample range in FIA orientations of 30°. Three competing models are presented for correlation of these FIAs, and each of the models employ different correlation criteria. Correlation of FIAs in Model 1 is based on relative timing and textural criteria, while Model 2 uses relative timing, orientation and patterns of changing FIA orientations, and Model 3 uses relative timing and FIA orientation as correlation criteria. Importantly, the three models differ in the spread of FIA orientations within individual sets, and the number of sets distinguished in the data. Relative timing is the most reliable criterion for correlation, followed by textural criteria and patterns of changing FIA orientations from core to rim of porphyroblasts. It is proposed that within a set of temporally related FIAs, the typical spread of orientations involves clustering of data in a 60° range, but outliers occur at other orientations including near-normal to the peak distribution. Consequently, in populations of FIA data that contain a wide range of orientations, correlation on the basis of orientation is unreliable in the absence of additional criteria. The results of this study suggest that FIAs are best used as semiquantitative indicators of bulk trends rather than an exact measurement for the purpose of quantitative analyses.

Notes: Documentation of pressure–temperature (P–T) histories across an epidote-amphibolite facies culmination provides new insight into the tectono-thermal evolution of the Brooks Range collisional orogen. Thermobarometry reveals that the highest grade rocks formed at peak temperatures of 560–600 °C and at pressures of 8–9.5 kbar. The thermal culmination coincides with the apex of a structural dome defined by oppositely dipping S2 crenulation cleavages suggesting post-metamorphic doming. South of the thermal culmination, greenschist facies and lowermost epidote-amphibolite facies rocks preserve widespread evidence for an early blueschist facies metamorphism. In contrast, no evidence for an early blueschist facies metamorphism was found in similar grade rocks of the northern flank, indicating that the southern flank underwent initial deeper burial during southward underthrusting of the continental margin. Thus, while the dome shows a symmetric distribution of peak temperatures, the P–T paths followed by the two flanks must have varied. This variation suggests that final thermal re-equilibration to greenschist and epidote–amphibolite facies conditions did not result from a simple process of southward underthrusting followed by thermal re-equilibration from the bottom upward. The new data are inconsistent with a previous model that invokes such re-equilibration, along with northward thrusting of epidote–amphibolite facies rocks over lower grade rocks presently on the southern flank of the culmination, to produce an inverted metamorphic field gradient. Instead, it is suggested that following blueschist facies metamorphism, rocks of the southern and northern flanks were juxtaposed, during which time the more deeply buried south flank was partially emplaced above rocks to the north, where they escaped Albian epidote–amphibolite facies overprinting. Porphyroblast growth, which post-dates the main fabric on the north flank of the culmination may be the result of Albian thermal re-equilibration following this deformation. Post-metamorphic doming resulted from a combination of Albian-Cenomanian extension and Tertiary deformation.

Notes: Spiral inclusion trails in garnet porphyroblasts are likely to have formed due to simultaneous growth and rotation of the crystals, during syn-metamorphic deformation. Thus, they contain information on the strain rate of the rock. Strain rates may be interpreted from such inclusion trails if two functions are known: (1) The relationship between rotation rate and shear strain rate; (2) the growth rate of the crystal. We have investigated details of both functions using a garnetiferous mica schist from the eastern European Alps as an example. The rotation rate of garnet porphyroblasts was determined using finite element modelling of the geometrical arrangement of the crystals in the rock. The growth rate of the porphyroblasts was determined by using the major and trace element distributions in garnet crystals, thermodynamic pseudosections and information on the grain size distribution. For the largest porphyroblast size fraction (size L=12 mm) we constrain a growth interval between 540 and 590 °C during the prograde evolution of the rock. Assuming a reasonable heating rate and using the angular geometry of the spiral inclusion trails we are able to suggest that the mean strain rate during crystal growth was of the order of 〈inlineGraphic alt="inline image" href="urn:x-wiley:02634929:JMG441:JMG_441_mu1" location="equation/JMG_441_mu1.gif"/〉=6.6 × 10−14 s−1. These estimates are consistent with independent estimates for the strain rates during the evolution of this part of the Alpine orogen.

Notes: Mineral textures in metapelitic granulites from the northern Prince Charles Mountains, coupled with thermodynamic modelling in the K2O–FeO–MgO–Al2O3–SiO2–H2O–TiO2–Fe2O3 (KFMASHTO) model system, point to pressure increasing with increasing temperature on the prograde metamorphic path, followed by retrograde cooling (i.e. an anticlockwise P–T path). Textural evidence for the increasing temperature part of the path is given by the breakdown of garnet and biotite to form orthopyroxene and cordierite in sillimanite-absent rocks, and through the break-down of biotite and sillimanite to form spinel, cordierite and garnet in more aluminous assemblages. This is equated to the advective addition of heat from the regional emplacement of granitic and charnockitic magmas dated at c. 980 Ma. A subsequent increase in pressure, inferred from the break-down of spinel and quartz to sillimanite, cordierite and garnet in aluminous rocks, is attributed to crustal thickening related to upright folding dated at 940–910 Ma. The terrane attained peak metamorphic temperatures of c. 880 °C at pressures of c. 6.0–6.5 kbar during this event. Subsequent cooling is inferred from the localised breakdown of cordierite and garnet to form biotite and sillimanite that developed in the latter stages of the same event. The textural observations described are interpreted via the application of P–T and P–T–X pseudosections. The latter show that most rock compositions preserve only fragments of the overall P–T path; a result of different rock compositions undergoing mineral assemblage changes, or changes in mineral modal abundance, on different sections of the P–T path. The results also suggest that partial melting during granulite facies metamorphism, coupled with melt loss and dehydration, initiated a switch from pervasive ductile, to discrete ductile/brittle deformation, during retrograde cooling.

Notes: Fluid flow at greenschist facies conditions during exhumation of the western Alps occurred in several penecontemporaneous systems, including shear zones at lithological contacts, deformed contacts between serpentinite bodies and metabasalts, albite veins within metabasalts, and calcite + quartz veins within calcareous schists. Fluid flow in shear zones that juxtapose metasediments and ophiolitic rocks within the Piemonte Unit reset O and H isotope ratios. δ18O values are buffered by the wall rocks; however, calculated fluid δ2H values are similar within all the shear zones suggesting that they formed an interconnected network. The similarity of δ2H values of the sheared rocks and those of unsheared calcareous schists suggests that the fluids were derived from, or had equilibrated with, the schists that envelop the ophiolite rocks. Time-integrated fluid fluxes at the sheared contacts estimated from changes in Si in metabasalts were up to 105 m3 m−2, with the fluid flowing up temperature driven either by topography or seismic pumping. Individual shear zones were active for c. 2–3 Myr, implying average fluid fluxes of up to 10−9 m3 m−2 s−1. Rocks in shear zones within the ophiolite away from contacts with the metasediments show much less marked isotopic and geochemical changes, implying that fluid volumes decreased into the ophiolite unit, consistent with the source of fluids being the metasediments. Fluids were generated by dehydration reactions that were intersected during exhumation and, while many rocks show the affects of fluid–rock interaction, large-scale fluid flow between major units was not common.

Notes: Eclogites from the south Tianshan, NW China are grouped into two types: glaucophane and hornblende eclogites, composed, respectively, of garnet + omphacite + glaucophane + paragonite + epidote + quartz and garnet + omphacite + hornblende (sensu lato) + paragonite + epidote + quartz, plus accessory rutile and ilmenite. These eclogites are diverse both in mineral composition and texture not only between the two types but also among the different selected samples within the glaucophane eclogite. Using thermocalc 3.1 and recent models of activity–composition relation for minerals, a P–T projection and a series of P–T pseudosections for specific samples of eclogite have been calculated in the system Na2O–CaO–FeO–MgO–Al2O3–SiO2–H2O (NCFMASH) with quartz and water taken to be in excess. On the basis of these phase diagrams, the phase relations and P–T conditions are well delineated. The three selected samples of glaucophane eclogite AK05, AK11 and AK17 are estimated to have peak P–T conditions, respectively, of 540–550 °C at c. 16 kbar, c. 560 °C at 15–17 kbar and c. 580 °C at 15–19 kbar, and two samples of hornblende eclogite AK10 and AK30 of 610–630 °C and 17–18 kbar. Together with H2O-content contours in the related P–T pseudosections and textural relations, both types of eclogite are inferred to show clockwise P–T paths, with the hornblende eclogite being transformed from the glaucophane eclogite assemblage dominantly through increasing temperature.

Notes: This study uses field, petrographic and geochemical methods to estimate how much granitic melt was formed and extracted from a granulite facies terrane, and to determine what the grain- and outcrop-scale melt-flow paths were during the melt segregation process. The Ashuanipi subprovince, located in the north-eastern Superior Province of Quebec, is a large (90 000 km2) metasedimentary terrane, in which 〉 85% of the metasediments are of metagreywacke composition, that was metamorphosed at mid-crustal conditions (820–900 °C and 6–7 kbar) in a late Archean dextral, transpressive orogen. Decrease in modal biotite and quartz as orthopyroxene and plagioclase contents increase, together with preserved former melt textures indicate that anatexis was by the biotite dehydration reaction: biotite + quartz + plagioclase = melt + orthopyroxene + oxides. Using melt/orthopyroxene ratios for this reaction derived from experimental studies, the modal orthopyroxene contents indicate that the metagreywacke rocks underwent an average of 31 vol% partial melting.The metagreywackes are enriched in MgO, CaO and FeOt and depleted in SiO2, K2O, Rb, Cs, and U, have lower Rb/Sr, higher Rb/Cs and Th/U ratios and positive Eu anomalies compared to their likely protolith. These compositions are modelled by the extraction of between 20 and 40 wt %, granitic melt from typical Archean low-grade metagreywackes. A simple mass balance indicates that about 640 000 km3 of granitic melt was extracted from the depleted granulites.The distribution of relict melt at thin section- and outcrop-scales indicates that in layers without leucosomes melt extraction occurred by a pervasive grain boundary (porous) flow from the site of melting, across the layers and into bedding planes between adjacent layers. In other rocks pervasive grain boundary flow of melt occurred along the layers for a few, to tens of centimetres followed by channelled flow of melt in a network of short interconnected and structurally controlled conduits, visible as the net-like array of leucosomes in some outcrops. The leucosomes contain very little residual material (〈 5% biotite + orthopyroxene) indicating that the melt fraction was well separated from the residuum left in situ as melt-depleted granulite. Only 1–3 vol percentage melt remained in the melt-depleted granulites, hence, the extraction of melt generated by biotite dehydration melting in these granulites, was virtually complete under conditions of natural melting and strain rates in a contractional orogen.

Notes: Abstract  This article describes the development and pilot testing of the Good-Fit Measure (GFM), a measure that public health nurses and other providers involved with planning multidisciplinary violence prevention efforts can use. Themes derived from a series of focus group discussions from a larger study, including individuals (n = 83) from multiple community sectors, guided development of the measure. Participants in three follow-up focus groups (n = 32 participants) reviewed the measure, which was then pilot tested in two phases. Guided by information from the first phase, in which respondents indicated the measure was too complex, the measure was simplified and field tested in phase two. Results from both phases were similar. The GFM score was significantly higher for the program selected by the respondent before completing the measure than the nonselected program (p 〈 0.01). Participants indicated that the tool was helpful in articulating the specific factors for their decisions. Participants underscored the utility of the tool in facilitating program planning by individual providers and interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary teams. The GFM provides systematic consideration of multiple factors that motivate public health nurses and other community providers in their decision-making process when planning prevention strategies, increasing the likelihood of successful programs.

Notes: Abstract  Focus groups provide an effective means of incorporating the perspectives of “hidden” populations in assessments of community health needs and assets. A series of focus groups was conducted with specifically targeted segments of a community to develop a comprehensive picture of community health. The authors describe the focus group process, major findings, and the use of focus group results in a highly multicultural community. Despite differences in age, length of residence, and ethnicity, the focus groups were remarkably similar in the issues raised. The majority of participants viewed the multicultural nature of the community as an asset but voiced some of the difficulties of living in a multiethnic and multilanguage environment. Similar areas of concern in the community arose from all of the focus groups, including housing and other environmental issues and problems of access to health care. Focus group findings have been used to initiate activity addressing identified community problems. Focus group participation had the added benefit of increasing community members' participation in other community endeavors.

Notes: Abstract  Disparity of health outcomes has been identified as a key concern in the health of Americans. Marginalization of the African American population may be a contributing factor. Identification of health protectors may prove key in decreasing disparities. The effect of spirituality on health is discussed. A historical overview of the African American experience in the Islam faith, from the Nation of Islam to universal Islam, is presented. A systematic assessment of the Islamic faith, with emphasis on the African American Muslim, was conducted as an assessment for a Community Health Nursing class. Leininger's Sunrise Model of Culture Care Diversity and Universality, with the ethnonursing model of data collection, served as the framework for data collection and analysis. The Islamic faith was noted to offer holistic direction for a “way of life” that promotes health and harmony of the mind, body, and soul. Implications for research were discussed.

Notes: Abstract  The purpose of this study was to examine comprehensive prenatal case management programs in terms of organizational, program, and process characteristics. Data from 66 program surveys of government agencies were used. Organizational capacity was measured as extent of organizational change and extent of interagency agreements. Program data included age and size of the program, reasons for having case management, and funding diversity. Process data were eight types of interventions.The most highly rated reason for having case management was to improve client outcomes. The greatest organizational change was in the area of the organizational structure, followed by financial status and types of services provided. Contracts with other agencies were rare. Agencies with more interagency contacts reported higher levels of change in the case management department and turnover among mid-level managers. Older programs had fewer employees. Approximately 49% of client contacts were not billed to Medicaid. Larger programs had significantly less time allocated to emotional support and coaching.Data on organizational characteristics, program, and process variables provide insights into comprehensive case management. Relationships among these variables underscore the importance of studying client outcomes within the context of program and organizational idiosyncrasies. Future studies of comprehensive prenatal case management should focus on cross-level questions.

Notes: Abstract  The potential for risky sexual behaviors and adolescent unplanned pregnancy has become a main concern in the health care system for aborigines in eastern Taiwan. Using aboriginal nurses to provide information on sexual behaviors may have potential as a means of promoting healthy sexual practices among aborigines. This study explored aboriginal nurses' perceptions of facilitators and barriers for taking a sexual history. Several health centers in eastern Taiwan were randomly selected to recruit subjects in 2000. A self-report questionnaire was administered to 206 female nurses (age = 28.4, SD = 7.4) who worked in various clinical units. These aboriginal nurses perceive the major facilitators in taking a sexual history to be having attended a communication training course and experiencing a needle stick accident; they want to prevent themselves or colleagues from becoming infected. The major perceived barriers to taking sexual history result from patients' feeling embarrassed and not knowing how to answer the questions and patients' purposely concealing information. Decreasing these barriers and reinforcing facilitators about taking a sexual history is an important task for nursing education, and nurses can play an important role in promoting aborigines' sexual health and decreasing the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases in this population.

Notes: Abstract  This descriptive-correlational study examined the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of behavior change in relationship to the physical activity behavior of mothers receiving assistance from the Women, Infants, and Children program. A purposive sample (N = 30) of six women at each of the five stages of readiness for behavior change was used. Relationships between stage of behavior change (measured using the Stage of Exercise Adoption tool) and other TTM constructs were examined. The constructs and corresponding instruments included physical activity behavior (Seven-Day Physical Activity Recall), pros, cons, decisional balance (Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale and two open-ended questions), self-efficacy (Self-efficacy for Exercise scale), and processes of behavior change (Processes of Exercise Adoption tool and the Social Support for Exercise scale). Significant relationships were found between stage of behavior change and two physical activity energy expenditure indices (rs = 0.71–0.73, p 〈 0.01), daily minutes of moderate to very hard physical activity (rs = 0.81, p 〈 0.01), pros (rs = 0.56, p 〈 0.01), cons (rs = −0.52, p 〈 0.05), decisional balance (rs = 0.56, p 〈 0.01), and self-efficacy (rs = 0.56, p 〈 0.01). Use of the 10 processes of change differed by stage of change. Pros to physical activity included a sense of accomplishment, increased strength, stress relief, and getting in shape after pregnancy. Cons included fatigue, childcare, and cold weather. Results support the TTM as relevant to WIC mothers and suggest strategies to increase physical activity in this population.

Notes: Abstract  The purpose of this pilot study was to gather information on Arab American adolescent tobacco use behavior. This information was used to modify the Project Toward No Tobacco Use cessation program so that it would reflect the cultural values of Arab American youths. Focus group interviews were conducted to collect qualitative data from 28 Arab American adolescents between the ages of 14 and 18 years. The number of participants in the focus groups ranged from three to eight; four sessions were conducted. A moderator, fluent in Arabic and English, facilitated the group's interactions. Each group addressed five interview questions. Discussions were audiotaped and transcribed with the expressed permission of study participants. Qualitative analysis consisted of careful reading of the transcripts and of the field notes for the purpose of identifying recurring themes around tobacco use. Those that emerged were Being Cool; Being able to “Nshar ma'a al shabab” (hang out with the guys); Present Orientation; Smoking feels good, tastes good, and keeps your mind off trouble; Availability and Accessibility of tobacco; and Barriers to Smoking Cessation Programs. The results of the focus group discussions provided valuable information about the tobacco use perceptions and behaviors of Arab American adolescents and the youths' need for a culturally relevant smoking cessation program.

Notes: Abstract  This article describes the outcomes at 1 year for a randomized clinical trial of Resources, Education and Care in the Home—Futures: a program to reduce infant mortality through home visits by a team of trained community residents led by a nurse. Low-income, inner-city pregnant women who self-identified as African American or Mexican American were recruited in two university prenatal clinics in Chicago. Because African Americans and Mexican Americans differed greatly at intake, we compared their outcomes at 12 months and then examined the effects of the intervention separately for these two groups. Participants were randomly assigned to the intervention or control group and were interviewed during the last trimester of pregnancy and at 2, 6, and 12 months after birth. The effects of the program varied by race/ethnicity. For African Americans, the program was associated with better maternal documentation of infant immunizations, more developmentally appropriate parenting expectations, and higher 12-month infant mental development scores. For Mexican Americans, the program had positive effects on maternal daily living skills and on the play materials subscale of the Home Observation for the Measurement of the Environment assessment. This study, along with previous research, suggests that home visits by a nurse-health advocate team can improve maternal and infant outcomes even for inner-city, low-income, minority families. Effective programs must be culturally sensitive, intensive, and adequately staffed and financed.

Notes: Abstract  Jane Elizabeth Hitchcock was one of many distinguished nursing leaders of the 19th and early 20th centuries who attended a women's college before enrolling in a nurse training school. Like many of her contemporaries with equally impeccable family credentials, Hitchcock was something of an enigma to her family for choosing nursing over teaching, the most common acceptable career for women of her social class. Hitchcock's endowment of character, according to contemporary Lavinia Dock, exemplified the best of her Puritan roots. Her contributions to the evolution of public health nursing and the integration of public health nursing content into curriculums of training schools rivaled the achievements in higher education of her famous father, grandfather, and brother but garnered no comparable recognition. Her life presents an interesting case for analysis of an independent woman, a characteristic shared by many pioneers in the early years of public health nursing: 1893 to 1920.

Notes: Abstract  Parish nursing is a model of nursing care that focuses on health promotion and disease prevention within a faith community. A descriptive study was conducted in the intermountain West to determine how faith communities form parish nursing programs and what their effect is. Thirteen congregations representing eight denominations with parish nurse/health ministries participated. Parish nurses, parish nurse coordinators from two medical centers, pastors, and hospital chaplains (n = 24) were interviewed and provided documents from their programs. Over time, congregations formed parish nursing/health ministries using strategies in a developmental process. The process involved significant support from the pastor, congregation members, and the parish nurses. Collaboration between faith communities and health organizations were successful using a limited domain approach to attain specific health goals. Parish nursing is making a contribution to integrating faith and health practices, promoting health, and increasing accessibility to health care and congregational activities. Conclusions and recommendations are included for future research, practice, and education.

Notes: Abstract  In Western cultures, adverse health effects resulting from providing care for impaired elders is well documented for family caregivers, but little is known about the health of Korean caregivers. This study examined the level of depression and physical health of 120 daughter and daughter-in-law caregivers who cared for cognitively or functionally impaired elderly in Korea. It was hypothesized that cultural factors would have a greater effect on caregivers' health outcomes than noncultural factors, but, contrary to this expectation, the effects of noncultural factors were found to outweigh those of cultural factors. Moreover, the caregivers in this study reported a relatively high level of depression, and more caregivers rated their own health as “poor” than did Western caregivers in previous studies.Family caregiving for the impaired elderly is stressful and negatively affects Korean caregivers' health outcomes regardless of societal values such as filial piety and familism regarding parent care in Korea. Culturally acceptable and sensible support programs may be useful in sustaining long-term care at home by Korean daughter and daughter-in-law caregivers. Further family caregiving studies in the Korean sociocultural context are recommended.

Notes: Abstract  The need to change the sedentary habits of many American adults is well recognized. Middle-aged women are an important target group for increased physical activity because of certain health risks such as osteoporosis. In the current study, 31 women between the ages of 30 and 60 from high- and low-income groups (high-income 〉$50,000; low-income 〈$50,000 per year) took part in a physical activity intervention. The goal was to increase walking activity to a minimum of 90 min per week. Each woman received 16 telephone calls over a 6-month period in which she was asked to reflect upon the benefits of walking, goal setting, restructuring plans, social support, exercise efficacy, relapse prevention, and maintenance. Content analysis revealed a number of themes emerging from intervention conversations. There were differences between races in walking location and walking partners. Furthermore, there were differences between income groups in beliefs about the benefits of walking and social support. Overall, the intervention appeared to provide a basis for women to develop a walking routine. The women were able to reflect upon their walking routine and attempts to begin a walking routine and to identify how each component of the intervention affected their individual daily routine.

Notes: Abstract  The purpose of this study was to describe the primary and secondary health promotion activities of a group of older adults living independently in a continuing care retirement community. Primary and secondary health promotion activities were described and compared among the young old (ages 65–80), the old (ages 81–85), and the old-old (ages 86–101). Model testing of the factors that influence participation in health-promoting activities was also completed. This descriptive study included 206 of 210 residents who participated in a single face-to-face interview. The majority of the participants were female (79%), white (99%), and cognitively intact. Those in the old-old age group were less likely than the old and young-old groups to have: (1) their stools checked for occult blood; (2) their skin checked for lesions; or (3) a recent mammogram, Pap test, or prostate exam. Model testing found that age, chronic illnesses, degree of physical and mental health, and cognitive status directly or indirectly influenced older adults' participation in primary and secondary health behaviors.

Notes: Abstract  Findings are presented from focus group data collected during a larger study describing factors that inhibit, support, and sustain women's abilities to leave and stay out of abusive relationships. A subset (n = 24) of the larger study sample (N = 40) participated in one of four focus groups. Participants had left or were currently in abusive intimate relationships. Women reported diverse experiences and were in various stages of abusive relationships. Ages ranged from 21 to 51; 67% were Caucasian, and 20% African American. Most women (71%) had at least a high school education and were employed (60%), but 83% reported annual incomes less than $20,000. NVIVO software facilitated content analysis of transcriptions. After initial synthesis of data, 20 women participated in one of two confirmatory focus groups. Four primary themes emerged from the content analysis: (1) Living an Unnatural Experience included maladaptive physical and emotional responses to chronic violence; (2) The Experience of Telling included multiple intrapersonal, interpersonal, and societal barriers to disclosure; (3) The Experience of Leaving included descriptions of acute and long-term experiences and difficulties; and (4) Reducing Barriers included participant ideas on ways to reduce barriers to assistance. Recommendations are made to improve community interventions and programs that will facilitate the choices and enhance the successes of women who have experienced domestic violence.

Notes: Abstract Three experiments were undertaken to investigate the influence of seed mixture on the establishment of a target grassland community on a site with high available phosphorus. In the first experiment autumn- and spring-sown commercial seed mixtures were compared with seed harvested from a nature reserve with respect to their ability to produce an inundation grassland community similar to that described by the British National Vegetation Classification (NVC) as Agrostis stolonifera–Alopecurus geniculatus grassland (MG13). In the second experiment the composition and sowing rate of a commercial seed mixture were altered to investigate whether these factors were significant in the establishment of a sward similar to MG13. Similarly, in the third experiment the composition of a commercial seed mixture designed to achieve an alternative community, Cynosurus cristatus–Caltha palustris grassland (NVC code MG8), was sown. The vegetation resulting from each of these treatments was monitored with permanent quadrats for a 3-year period, and the hydrological regime of each quadrat location was modeled and quantified. The results showed that seed mixture, timing of sowing, and seeding rate had an initial effect on the vegetation that established. However, by the third year of monitoring there were no significant differences between these treatments, and hydrological regime had become the most important factor in determining the distribution of species. The vegetation was less diverse than predicted from germination tests and decreased in diversity over the monitoring period. It is suggested that this may be a result of the hydrological regime being unsuitable for several of the sown species or due to the extremely high available phosphorus concentration in the soil. This study highlights the need to understand the soil and hydrological conditions of a site before choosing a target community and designing a seed mixture.

Notes: Abstract Introduced perennial grasses are one of the greatest constraints to prairie restoration. Herbicides suppress but do not eliminate introduced grasses, so we explored the interaction of herbicide with two additional controls: heavy clipping (to simulate grazing) and competition from native species. A 50-year-old stand of the introduced perennial grass Agropyron cristatum (crested wheatgrass) in the northern Great Plains was seeded with native grasses and treated with herbicide annually for 7 years in a factorial experiment. Clipping was applied as a subplot treatment in the final 3 years. Both herbicide and clipping significantly reduced the cover of A. cristatum, but clipping produced an immediate and consistent decrease, whereas herbicide control varied among years. The cover of A. cristatum decreased significantly with increasing cover of a seeded native grass, Bouteloua gracilis (blue grama), suggesting that both top-down (i.e., grazing) and bottom-up (i.e., resource competition) strategies can contribute to A. cristatum control. No treatment had any effect on the seed bank of A. cristatum. Even in the most effective control treatments, A. cristatum persisted at low amounts (approximately 5% cover) throughout the experiment. The cover of B. gracilis increased significantly with seed addition and herbicide, and, after 7 years, was similar to that in undisturbed prairie. The total cover of native species increased significantly with clipping and herbicide, and species richness was significantly higher in plots receiving herbicide. Clipping season had no effect on any variable. In summary, no method extirpated A. cristatum, but clipping reduced its cover by 90% and doubled the cover of native species. Extirpation might not be a realistic goal, but relatively simple management allowed coexistence of native species.

Notes: Abstract The reduction and fragmentation of forest habitats is expected to have profound effects on plant species diversity as a consequence of the decreased area and increased isolation of the remnant patches. To stop the ongoing process of forest fragmentation, much attention has been given recently to the restoration of forest habitat. The present study investigates restoration possibilities of recently established patches with respect to their geographical isolation. Because seed dispersal events over 100 m are considered to be of long distance, a threshold value of 100 m between recent and old woodland was chosen to define isolation. Total species richness, individual patch species richness, frequency distributions in species occurrences, and patch occupancy patterns of individual species were significantly different among isolated and nonisolated stands. In the short term no high species richness is to be expected in isolated stands. Establishing new forests adjacent to existing woodland ensures higher survival probabilities of existing populations. In the long term, however, the importance of long-distance seed dispersal should not be underestimated because most species showed occasional long-distance seed dispersal. A clear distinction should be made between populations colonizing adjacent patches and patches isolated from old woodland. The colonization of isolated stands may have important effects on the dynamics and diversity of forest networks, and more attention should be directed toward the genetic traits and viability of founding populations in isolated stands.

Notes: Abstract The effects of the earthworm Pontoscolex corethrurus (Muller) on the rate of mineralization of cattle dung-amended iron (Fe2+) ore mine wastes and its preference for partially decomposed leaf litter with contrasting chemical composition were studied in pot trials. The growth and survival rates of earthworms showed significant positive correlations with percent of organic matter. During 96 days of exposure, the earthworms significantly increased exchangeable Ca2+, Mg2+, PO43− and NH4-N. Iron ore mine wastes amended with 5–10% organic matter supported earthworm fauna better than mine wastes amended with 0–3% organic matter. The leaf litter preference shown by the earthworm was, in descending order, Phyllanthus reticulatus, Tamarindus indica, Anacardium occidentale, Casuarina equisetifolia, Acacia auriculiformis, and Eucalyptus camaldulensis. A significant positive correlation was observed between the survival and growth rates of earthworms and the nutrient contents of partially decomposed leaf litter. The first three plant species were significantly richer in nutrients, mainly organic carbon, calcium, phosphorus, and nitrogen, than the other two plant species. Acacia auriculiformis and E. camaldulensis litter were preferred less because of their high lignin and polyphenolic compounds, despite being rich in other macronutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. It is concluded that the introduction of P. corethrurus to cattle dung-amended (5–10%) iron ore mine wastes or revegetation of the sites with P. reticulatus, T. indica, and A. occidentale plant species should be attempted before earthworm introduction. The litter from these species acts as a source of food for earthworms, thereby hastening the process of restoration of abandoned iron ore mines of Goa, India.

Notes: Abstract River and stream rehabilitation projects are increasing in number, but the success or failure of these projects has rarely been evaluated, and the extent to which buffers can restore riparian and stream function and species composition is not well understood. In New Zealand the widespread conversion of forest to agricultural land has caused degradation of streams and riparian ecosystems. We assessed nine riparian buffer zone schemes in North Island, New Zealand that had been fenced and planted (age range from 2 to 24 years) and compared them with unbuffered control reaches upstream or nearby. Macroinvertebrate community composition was our prime indicator of water and habitat quality and ecological functioning, but we also assessed a range of physical and water quality variables within the stream and in the riparian zone. Generally, streams within buffer zones showed rapid improvements in visual water clarity and channel stability, but nutrient and fecal contamination responses were variable. Significant changes in macroinvertebrate communities toward “clean water” or native forest communities did not occur at most of the study sites. Improvement in invertebrate communities appeared to be most strongly linked to decreases in water temperature, suggesting that restoration of in-stream communities would only be achieved after canopy closure, with long buffer lengths, and protection of headwater tributaries. Expectations of riparian restoration efforts should be tempered by (1) time scales and (2) spatial arrangement of planted reaches, either within a catchment or with consideration of their proximity to source areas of recolonists.

Notes: Abstract One of the greatest challenges for ecologists this century will be restoring forests on degraded tropical lands. This restoration will require understanding complex processes that shape successional pathways, including interactions between trees and other plants. Shrub species often quickly invade disturbed tropical lands, yet little is known about whether they facilitate or inhibit subsequent tree recruitment and growth. We examined how shrubs and other vegetation (e.g., vines, grasses, herbs) affect tree recruitment, survival, and growth during the first 6 years of forest succession in Kibale National Park, Uganda. The study was undertaken in two recently logged exotic softwood plantations. We studied the successional trajectories in two recently logged areas that varied in their initial densities of trees and shrubs. Analyses suggested tree seedling presence and density were not strongly related to shrub density or height during succession. Tree sapling presence and density were positively significantly related to shrub density and height. We found little response in the tree community to experimental shrub removal, and although removal of all nontree vegetation temporarily enhanced tree growth, the effect disappeared after 2 years. Some early-successional trees benefited from reduced competition, whereas some mid-successional trees benefited from the presence of other vegetation. Some specific tree species responded strongly to vegetation removal. We interpret our findings in light of designing manipulations promoting forest restoration for biodiversity conservation and conclude with four tentative guidelines: (1) manage at the species level, not the community level; (2) increase facilitation for seedlings, reduce competition for saplings; (3) be cautious of assumptions about plant interactions; and (4) be adaptable and creative with new strategies when manipulations fail.

Notes: Abstract Soil chemical properties and soil mesofauna composition were assessed at a forest site in northern Austria, where 20 years earlier an amelioration treatment had been performed. The site had been treated with limestone, a high P slag, and ammonium nitrate to replace the poorly growing pine (Pinus sylvestris) forest with a Norway spruce (Picea abies) stand. This treatment was at that time a common means for the amelioration of nutrient-poor forest soils with recalcitrant forest floor layers. After treatment, a dense cover of a nitrophilic stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) developed. Most likely, the site had been over-fertilized, and inadvertently, an experiment with extreme N enrichment had been conducted. The abundance of collembolans increased, and dominance structure shifted from Isotomiella minor, Lipothrix lubbocki, and Isotoma notabilis at fertilizer treatment to Friesea mirabilis, Isotomiella minor, and Sphaeridia pumilis in the control, but the abundance of soil mesofauna generally decreased in the fertilizer treatment. Fertilization reduced the mass of the litter layer from 7.6 to 2.4 kg/m2. The total carbon pool in the soil was reduced due to reduction of the litter layer. However, the content of soil organic matter in the upper mineral soil was significantly increased. A part of the applied and mineralized nitrogen had been lost from the soil, but N retention in the upper mineral soil was still considerable. Soil pH and the base saturation were sustainably increased. Carbon losses upon mineralization of the litter layer were not offset by the increase in C content of the mineral soil. Presently, the C pool in the soil of the fertilized treatment is lower than in the control. However, the overall nutrient enrichment of the soil may facilitate C sequestration in the fertilized site in the future.

Notes: Abstract Poor growth of Quercus robur L. (oak) trees has been reported on mine sites where overburden and subsoil have been used in the reinstatement of surface layers. This stunting has been attributed to a lack of macronutrients and to an adverse soil environment for root growth and mycorrhizal development. Growth, mineral nutrition, and ectomycorrhizal colonization of Q. robur seedlings were studied in an experiment carried out under controlled growing conditions in which mine spoil material was enriched with a leaf litter mulch. Enrichment of mine spoil material was found to produce a significant increase in growth and foliar N concentrations of oak seedlings. Inoculation with three taxa of ectomycorrhizal fungi did not benefit seedlings when mine spoil was the only substrate, possibly due to the poor physical properties of the unamended spoil and lack of nutrients. Inoculation with two taxa, Laccaria laccata and Hebeloma crustuliniforme, isolated from 3-year-old trees produced a significant stimulation of growth in the organically enriched treatment, which was believed to be due to greater uptake of mineralized N. However, Cortinarius anomalus isolated from fruit bodies associated with a 15-year-old tree did not increase biomass. The presence of organic matter was found to result in a significant stimulation of mycorrhizal infection by both inoculum and contaminant mycobionts. Recommendations are made for improving the establishment and growth of oak seedlings on reinstated sites.

Notes: Abstract Prairie restoration at the northern edge of the Great Plains can be frustrated by previously established non-native perennial grasses. We compared the emergence of a widely introduced grass, Agropyron cristatum, and a common native grass, Bouteloua gracilis, in a 4-year-old field experiment in which the Agropyron-dominated vegetation had either been left intact or treated annually with herbicide. This was done at two levels of water supply, reflecting conditions expected in wet and dry years, to examine the effects of among-year variability in precipitation. Water addition significantly increased the emergence of both surface-sown and buried (1 cm deep) seeds. Herbicide treatment of neighbors did not increase the emergence of experimentally added seeds. Emergence was much greater for buried (80%) than surface-sown seeds (20%). Significantly more Bouteloua than Agropyron germinated from experimentally buried seeds. Whereas only a single seedling of Bouteloua emerged from the existing seed bank, the mean density of Agropyron seedlings emerging from the seed bank was 930/m2 (range, 0 to 6,455/m2). Surprisingly, the emergence of Agropyron from the seed bank was not decreased by 4 years of herbicide treatment, possibly because herbicide may release Agropyron from intraspecific competition and allow increased seed production to compensate for decreased plant abundance. In summary, we found few differences between Agropyron and Bouteloua in spring and summer emergence at high or low water availability. The persistence of Agropyron stands despite repeated herbicide application may be partly due to increased seed production.

Notes: Abstract The effect of increasing planting unit size and stabilizing sediment was examined for two seagrass planting methods at Carnac Island, Western Australia in 1993. The staple method (sprigs) was used to transplant Amphibolis griffithii (J. M. Black) den Hartog and the plug method was used to transplant A. griffithii and Posidonia sinuosa Cambridge and Kuo. Transplant size was varied by increasing the number of rhizomes incorporated into a staple and increasing the diameter of plugs. Planting units were transplanted into bare sand, back into the original donor seagrass bed, or into a meadow of Heterozostera tasmanica, which is an important colonizing species. Sprigs of A. griffithii were extracted from a monospecific meadow; tied into bundles of 1, 2, 5, and 10 rhizomes; and planted into unvegetated areas. Half the units were surrounded by plastic mesh and the remainder were unmeshed. All treatments were lost within 99 days after transplanting, and although larger bundles survived better than smaller ones, no significant differences could be attributed to the effects of mesh or sprig size. Plugs of P. sinuosa and A. griffithii were extracted from monospecific meadows using polyvinyl chloride pipe of three diameters, 5, 10, and 15 cm, and planted into unvegetated areas nearby. Half the units were surrounded by plastic mesh and the remainder were unmeshed. Posidonia sinuosa plugs were also placed within a meadow of H. tasmanica (Martens ex Aschers.) den Hartog. Only 60% of A. griffithii plug sizes survived 350 days after transplanting back into the donor bed; however, survival of transplants at unvegetated areas varied considerably, and analysis of variance indicated a significant two-way interaction between treatment and plug size. Transplants survived better when meshed (90% survived) and survival improved with increasing plug size. Posidonia sinuosa transplants survived poorly (no plugs survived beyond 220 days in bare or meshed treatments) regardless of size. Survival of 10- and 15-cm plugs was markedly better than the 5-cm plugs in vegetated areas, including the H. tasmanica meadow. The use of large seagrass plugs may be appropriate for transplantation in high-energy wave environments.

Notes: Abstract Dominance-diversity curves have been previously constructed for a range of ecosystems around the world to illustrate the dominance of particular species and show how their relative abundances compare between communities separated in time or space. We investigate the usefulness of dominance-diversity curves in rehabilitated areas to compare the floristic composition and abundance of “undisturbed” areas with disturbed areas, using bauxite mining rehabilitation in Western Australia as an example. Rehabilitated pits (11–13 years old) subjected to prescribed fire in autumn and spring were compared with unburned rehabilitated areas and the native jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) forest. Dominance diversity curves were constructed by ranking the log of the species density values from highest to lowest. Species were categorized according to a variety of functional responses: life form (trees, shrubs, subshrubs, and annuals), fire response syndrome (seeder or resprouter), nitrogen fixing capability, and origin (native or adventive). Exponential functions showed extremely good fits for all sites (r2 = 0.939–0.995). Dominance diversity graphs showed that after burning of rehabilitated areas, sites exhibited a more similar dominance-diversity curve than before burning. This was emphasized in a classification (UPGMA) of the regression equations from the dominance-diversity curves that showed that sites burned in spring were more similar to the native forest than sites burned in autumn. There was no significant segregation of the nitrogen-fixing and species origin categories, although the life form and fire response groupings showed significant segregation along the dominance-diversity curve. Resprouters tended to be over-represented in the lower quartiles and under-represented in the upper quartiles of post-burn sites. It is suggested that using dominance-diversity curves in the monitoring of rehabilitated areas may be a useful approach because it provides an easily interpretable visual representation of both species richness and abundance relationships and may be further utilized to emphasize categories of plants that are over- or under-represented in rehabilitated areas. This will assist in the post-rehabilitation management of these sites.

Notes: Abstract The wave-exposed nature of much of the southwestern Australian coastline considerably reduces the protective influence of seagrasses, and sediment movement appears to be relatively unaffected by their presence. Present seagrass restoration efforts focus on the deployment of large mechanically transplanted “sods” of seagrass as a means of combating the negative effects of water motion on transplant survival. The aim of this study was to investigate the combined role of wave energy and transplant spacing on sediment movement and transplant survival to provide guidance for seagrass transplantation in areas of high wave energy. One hundred sixty sods (0.25 m2) of seagrass were mechanically extracted from a mixed meadow consisting of Amphibolis griffithii (Cymodoceaceae) and Posidonia coriacea (Posidoniaceae) and planted in a high wave energy site with the treatments configured as three replicates of 16 sods placed in 4 × 4–meter squares at distances of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 meters apart. An additional 16 single sods were planted randomly throughout the site. Monitoring was conducted at two monthly intervals and consisted of counting the number of sods surviving and measuring the shoot density of seagrass species within each surviving sod. Sediment height was monitored using a series of sediment plates and an electronic sediment level sensor. Sod spacing had no significant effect upon transplant survival, which remained above 90% for 4 months after transplantation and then declined with the onset of winter (June to August). After 14 months individual sod survival was between 9% and 40%. Initial shoot densities were 200 to 500 shoots/m2 and declined to less than 50 shoots/m2. Sediment fluctuations up to 35 cm were noted, occasionally taking place over a matter of hours, and storms during winter caused significantly increased sediment movement. This probably curtailed rhizome extension and prevented the expansion of the transplants. This study indicates that the ability of seagrasses to influence sediment would appear to vary with the prevailing hydrodynamic regime and that a reappraisal of the notion that all seagrass communities trap sediment is necessary.

Notes: The synthetic compound DX-9065a represents a low molecular weight, direct, competitive inhibitor of factor Xa (FXa) with a high affinity and selectivity for the enzyme. Under experimental conditions DX-9065a exerts strong anticoagulant actions in vitro and in vivo and is antithrombotically effective in various thrombosis models. It inhibits proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells in cell culture systems as well as in in vivo models. As a small molecule inhibitor, DX-9065a inactivates both free and fibrin-bound FXa. By this mechanism it effectively affects the clot-associated procoagulant activity which might be responsible for the propagation of intravascular thrombi as well as for recurrent thrombosis and thrombotic reocclusion after lysis. Although DX-9065a is effective after oral administration, its oral bioavailability is relatively low and seems not to be sufficient for a long-term therapeutic use of the drug. However, first clinical trials in healthy volunteers and in patients with cardiovascular diseases demonstrated a predictable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic behavior of DX-9065a after either intravenous bolus injection or constant infusion, as well as its high safety, especially a lower bleeding risk compared with other commonly used drugs. Further experimental studies and ongoing clinical trials will evaluate the inhibitory profile of the drug, its effectiveness and its possible superiority over other drug regimens in various cardiovascular indications.

Notes: Endothelins are powerful vasoconstrictor agents produced by endothelial cells and identified by Yanagisawa et al. in 1988. Two types of receptors for endothelins have been identified: ETA receptors are located on smooth muscle cells of the vascular wall and are responsible for endothelin-induced vasoconstriction while ET B receptors are located on endothelial cells and induce these cells to release NO and prostacyclin. Moreover, these peptides not only cause a potent and prolonged vasoconstriction but are also known to enhance cell proliferation and to stimulate extracellular matrix accumulation. High levels of plasma or tissue endothelins have been found in patients with heart failure, diabetes, stroke, primary pulmonary hypertension, liver cirrhosis and other diseases. Given these effects of endothelins, blocking their receptors might be a new way to reduce blood pressure and to treat other illnesses. Accordingly, many endothelin antagonists have been developed and evaluated in animals and humans. Enrasentan is a mixed ETA and ETB receptor antagonist with a higher affinity for ETA receptors, although it cannot be considered a selective antagonist. In an animal model of hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy the drug has reduced blood pressure, prevented cardiac hypertrophy and preserved myocardial function. In rats with hyperinsulinemia and hypertension enrasentan normalized blood pressure and prevented cardiac and renal damage. In rats with stroke the drug reduced the ischemic area in the brain. Enrasentan has been added to conventional treatment in patients with heart failure (NYHA Class 2-3) and no addictive effect of the drug has been observed. This is in contrast with results obtained in animal models and still has not been explained. In conclusion, many possible clinical applications can be suggested for this drug, but further studies are necessary to better evaluate its therapeutic efficacy.

Notes: Significant numbers of patients at risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) fail to reach National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP)-designated low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) goals in spite of the wide range of currently available treatments, including combination therapies. Ezetimibe, the first in a class of novel cholesterol absorption inhibitors, demonstrated lipid-lowering and antiatherosclerotic activity in experimental and clinical hypercholesterolemia. Studies in hypercholesterolemic dogs showed that ezetimibe coadministered with statins caused greater lipid-lowering effects compared to either drug alone. These effects were confirmed in clinical studies of patients with primary hypercholesterolemia where initiation of treatment with ezetimibe plus a statin, or addition of ezetimibe to ongoing statin therapy, produced significant incremental reductions in LDL-C, as well as incremental increases in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and reductions in triglyceride levels. Combination therapy also significantly increased the number of patients attaining LDL-C goal at the end of treatment, compared to statin monotherapy. In studies using simvastatin, atorvastatin, pravastatin, and lovastatin, addition of ezetimibe to low dose statin was as effective as a 2- to 3-fold upward titration of the corresponding statin dose. Ezetimibe-statin combination therapy provided similar improvements in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia, as well as with heterozygous and homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. Ezetimibe monotherapy effectively reduced plasma campesterol and sitosterol in patients with homozygous sitosterolemia. Clinical studies showed that ezetimibe was well tolerated, with a safety profile comparable to placebo when administered as monotherapy and comparable to statin alone when coadministered with a statin. These data provide strong evidence that, through their complementary lipid-lowering mechanisms, ezetimibe coadministered with a statin offers an effective combination treatment option for patients with hypercholesterolemia, including those with genetically inherited disease.

Notes: FM-VP4 is a novel inhibitor of cholesterol absorption that has lipid lowering and body weight reducing properties. In vitro and in vivo studies were performed to investigate the lipid-lowering effects, mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity of FM-VP4. FM-VP4 decreased cholesterol accumulation in Caco-2 cells by approximately 50%; its activity appeared to be independent of pancreatic lipase, p-glycoprotein, or cholesterol incorporation in micelles. In animal studies, FM-VP4 was added to the diet or drinking water and the following results were obtained. In gerbils 2% FM-VP4 produced mean 56 and 53% reduction in total cholesterol (TC) after 4 and 8 weeks, respectively. This reduction was entirely due to the loss of the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) pool, which was reduced to undetectable levels at either time point. At 8 weeks, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) concentration had risen by a mean of 34% whereas total triglyceride (TG) concentrations had decreased by a mean of 60%. FM-VP4 also had a profound effect on body weight in these animals. At 8 weeks, the mean body weight was in the 4% FM-VP4 treatment group 25% lower than in the control group. No hepatic or renal toxicity was associated with these changes. In Apo E-deficient mice, after 4- and 8-week treatments FM-VP4 caused a significant decrease in both TC and TG concentrations compared to controls. After 12 weeks, the areas of atherosclerotic lesion involvement in the aortic roots were decreased by a mean of 80% in the 0.5, 1, and 2% FM-VP4 treatment groups compared to controls. Taken together, these results suggest that FM-VP4 is a potential new drug with lipid-lowering and weight loss potential, without apparent toxicity.

Notes: The use of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors, statins, has been shown to reduce major cardiovascular events in both primary and secondary prevention, and statins became one of the most widely prescribed classes of drugs throughout the world. Previously, statins have been well tolerated and have shown favorable safety profiles. However, the voluntary withdrawal of cerivastatin from the market because of a disproportionate number of reports of rhabdomyolysis-associated deaths drew attention to the pharmacokinetic profile of statins, which may possibly have been related to serious drug-drug interactions.Pitavastatin (NK-104, previously called itavastatin or nisvastatin, Kowa Company Ltd., Tokyo) is a novel, fully synthetic statin, which has a potent cholesterol-lowering action. The short-term and long-term lipid-modifying effects of pitavastatin have already been investigated in subjects with primary hypercholesterolemia, heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and type-2 diabetes mellitus accompanied by hyperlipidemia. Within the range of daily doses from 1 to 4 mg, the efficacy of pitavastatin as a lipid-lowering drug seems to be similar, or potentially superior, to that of atorvastatin.According to the results of pharmacokinetic studies, pitavastatin showed favorable and promising safety profile; it was only slightly metabolized by the cytochrome P450 (CYP) system, its lactone form had no inhibitory effects on the CYP3A4-mediated metabolism of concomitantly administered drugs; P-glycoprotein-mediated transport did not play a major role in its disposition, and pitavastatin did not inhibit P-glycoprotein activity.It could be concluded that pitavastatin could provide a new and potentially better thera-peutic choice for lipid-modifying therapy than do the currently available statins. The ef-ficacy and safety of higher dose treatment, as well as its long-term effects in the pre-vention of coronary artery disease, should be further investigated.

Notes: Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is a rate-limiting enzyme that hydrolyzes circulating triglyceride-rich lipoproteins such as very low-density lipoproteins and chylomicrons. A decrease in LPL activity is associated with an increase in plasma triglycerides (TG) and a decrease in plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). The increase in plasma TG and decrease in plasma HDL-C are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Tsutsumi et al. hypothesized that elevating LPL activity would cause a reduction of plasma TG and an increase in plasma HDL-C, resulting in protection against the development of atherosclerosis. To test this hypothesis, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory, Inc. synthesized the LPL activator NO-1886.NO-1886 increased LPL mRNA and LPL activity in adipose tissue, myocardium and skeletal muscle, resulting in an elevation of postheparin plasma LPL activity and LPL mass in rats. NO-1886 also decreased plasma TG concentration and caused a concomitant rise in plasma HDL-C. Long-term administration of NO-1886 to rats and rabbits with experimental atherosclerosis inhibited the development of atherosclerotic lesions in coronary arteries and aortas. Multiple regression analysis suggested that the increase in plasma HDL-C and the decrease in plasma TG protect from atherosclerosis. The atherogenic lipid profile is changed to an antiatherogenic profile by increasing LPL activity, resulting in protection from atherosclerosis. Therefore, the LPL activator NO-1886 or other possible LPL activating agents are potentially beneficial for the treatment of hyper-triglyceridemia, hypo-HDL cholesterolemia, and protection from atherosclerosis.

Notes: Avasimibe is a novel orally bioavailable ACAT inhibitor, currently under clinical development (phase III trials). It was safe when administered to rats, dogs, and humans. In vitro studies in human macrophages demonstrated that avasimibe reduces foam cell formation not only by enhancing free cholesterol efflux, but also by inhibiting the uptake of modified LDL. The concentration-dependent reduction in cellular cholesteryl ester content in these cells was not accompanied by an increase in intracellular free cholesterol, which is in agreement with a good safety profile for avasimibe. In the liver, avasimibe caused a significant reduction in the secretion of apo B and apo B-containing lipoproteins into plasma. Avasimibe induced cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase and increased bile acid synthesis in cultured rat hepatocytes, and its administration to rats did not produce an increase in lithogenicity index of the bile. The hypolipidemic efficacy of the compound was demonstrated in cholesterol-fed as well as in non-cholesterol-fed animals. In these models, plasma cholesterol levels were reduced, mainly due to the decrease in the non-HDL cholesterol fraction. Clinical data are scarce, but in a study performed in 130 men and women with combined hyperlipidemia and hypoalphalipoproteinemia, avasimibe, 50–500 mg/day, significantly reduced plasma total triglyceride and VLDL-cholesterol. Although total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and HDL-cholesterol were unchanged, it must be stressed that animal data suggest that avasimibe may have direct antiatherosclerotic activity in addition to its cholesterol-lowering effect. Avasimibe treatment can also contribute to increase plaque stability, as it reduces the accumulation of lipids in the arterial wall, inhibits macrophage infiltration into the media and reduces matrix metalloproteinase expression and activity. Moreover, avasimibe and statins have been shown to have synergistic effects, and the combination therapy may not only inhibit atherosclerotic lesion progression but also induce lesion regression, independently of changes in plasma cholesterol.

Notes: The Angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE, EC 3.4.14.1, kininase II) and neutral endopeptidases (NEP, NEP 24.11) are mechanistically related metallopeptidases. They play a key role in the regulation of blood pressure, body fluid homeostasis and cell growth. Therefore, they are implicated in the pathogenesis of arterial hypertension, congestive heart failure, left ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction and other cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, since these two metallopeptidases possess some subsite and substrate similarities, as indicated by their interaction with certain mercaptoalkanoyl inhibitors, they are regarded as an important common target for pharmacological inhibition with a single drug. MDL 100,240 is a pro-drug that, upon conversion to MDL 100,173, acts as a potent dual inhibitor of ACE and NEP with a balanced activity on both enzymes. Only very limited pharmacokinetic studies with MDL 100,240 have been published. These studies used a high pressure liquid chromatography method with UV absorbance detection to quantify the drug. According to the studies in dogs the terminal t1/2 of MDL 100,173 was 35.7 h. The area under the curve for total MDL 100,173 was nearly 10-fold greater than the sum of the areas under the curve for MDL 100,240 and for unconjugated MDL 100,173. These results support the hypothesis that MDL 100,240 is hydrolyzed in plasma to the active thiol, MDL 100,173, which is rapidly conjugated with endogenous plasma thiols thus providing a pathway for elimination. Studies in vivo in experimental models of hypertension and congestive heart failure confirmed the vasodilatory and natriuretic effects of MDL, which appear to be independent of the degree of activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. In addition, MDL 100,240 showed an impressive effectiveness both in preventing and in regressing hypertension-induced vascular remodeling and cardiac hypertrophy. Accordingly, MDL 100,240 is being developed for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension and congestive heart failure. If the promises of this novel therapeutic strategy are fulfilled, clinical trials are expected to demonstrate advantages of MDL 100,240 over pure ACE inhibitors.

Notes: Purpose In 2001, a survey of U.S. dental schools was conducted to determine the curricular structure, teaching philosophies, and techniques used in preclinical removable partial denture (RPD) courses and to also establish what newer educational techniques and materials are currently being used by U.S. dental schools.Materials and Methods The questionnaire was mailed to the chairpersons of the prosthodontic/restorative departments of 54 U.S. dental schools. Of these, 43 schools returned the completed survey, resulting in a response rate of 80%. The mean, median, and range of responses were computed where applicable.Results Results from this survey show that the mean student-to-faculty ratio in the preclinical RPD course was 12:1, with a median of 10:1 and a range of 6:1 to 27:1. The mean number of laboratory hours was 55, with a median of 50 and a range of 13.5 to 120. The mean number of lecture hours reported was 21, with a median of 20.5 and a range 10 to 60. The mean number of practical examinations was 2, with a median of 3 and a range of 0 to 8. The mean number of written examinations given was 2, with a median of 2 and a range of 1 to 6. Ninety-five percent of the schools have prosthodontists teaching this course. The mean number of months that this course is taught is 4.4 months, with a median of 4 and a range of 1.5 to 10. Fifty-five percent of the schools used the Hanau semiadjustable articulator. One hundred percent of the schools teach students to use a surveyor when designing an RPD, and 84% percent of the schools teach the Krol or the Kratochvil RPI design or a combination of the 2 designs.Conclusions Preclinical RPD educational programs vary from school to school, yet a large percentage of schools agree on certain topics. Only 19% of dental schools are incorporating new technologies, such as the use of the internet, in their preclinical RPD curriculum.

Notes: Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare recordings of mandibular movements obtained with a Denar mechanical pantograph to those obtained with a Denar computerized axiograph (Cadiax compact).Materials and Methods Pantographic recordings and computerized axiograms were collected on 10 subjects. All of the subjects had intact dentition and no clinical signs or symptoms of temporomandibular dysfunction. Tracings produced with the 2 instruments were compared using pantographic reproducibility indices (PRIs). Recordings with each instrument were repeated twice and assessed for consistency. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to compare PRI scores obtained with the pantograph and the axiograph. Recordings with both instruments were repeated 2 weeks to 1 month later, and new PRI scores were calculated. Consistency between initial and second PRI scores for each instrument was assessed using a coefficient of stability.Results The coefficients of stability between the initial and second recordings were r = 0.91 for mechanical pantography and r =−0.06 for computerized axiography. Comparison of recordings made by mechanical pantography and computerized axiography at the initial and second recordings showed poor concordance, with coefficients of 0.23 and −0.11, respectively.Conclusions PRI scores recorded with the mechanical pantograph were consistent between the initial and second recordings. In contrast, recordings with the computerized axiograph appeared highly inconsistent across time. PRI scores calculated from the axiographs were significantly higher than PRI scores calculated from pantographic tracings for the same subject.

Notes: Organizing multiple and varied implant components in preparation for providing treatment for a patient with a complex implant prosthesis can be a challenge to even the most experienced practitioner. The many implant abutment component options available, especially when different sizes and types of abutments will be used in 1 arch, can create confusion for both dentist and assistant, hindering chairside efficiency. This article describes the fabrication and use of a custom chairside implant components organizer.

Notes: To maintain a harmonious craniofacial system, the dental practitioner must establish an appropriate occlusal vertical dimension (OVD). Several methods can be used to determine an appropriate OVD. The patient presenting with decreased OVD represents a particular challenge for the dental practitioner in fabricating conventional dentures. This clinical report describes the use of a diagnostic treatment prosthesis to evaluate the patient's ability to manage such an increase in vertical dimension and to reestablish an appropriate occlusal vertical dimension. The use of a diagnostic treatment prosthesis at a vertical dimension 5 mm greater than what the patient presented with was determined to not cause discomfort over a 2-month period. A conventional complete denture was fabricated based on the patient's ability to handle the increase during the trial period. This report reviews the literature on this topic and describes a clinical technique for reestablishing the OVD in edentulous patients.

Notes: Purpose A survey of recently board-certified prosthodontists was conducted in 2001. The purpose of this survey was to identify trends that assisted candidates in attaining diplomate status.Materials and Methods A questionnaire was mailed to 176 diplomates who had become board certified between the years 1993 and 2001. Of these, 131 board-certified prosthodontists returned the completed survey, resulting in a response rate of 74%. The mean, median, and range of responses were computed when applicable.Results Results from this survey show that the mean number of years from completion of a postdoctoral program to achieving board certification was 6 years, with a median of 4 years and a range of 1 to 23 years. The mean number of years from the time of completion of a postdoctoral program to board eligibility was 2.3 years, with a median of 1 year and a range of 0 to 22 years. The mean number of years from board eligibility to board certification was 3.9 years, with a median of 3 years and a range of 0 to 17 years. The military was the most frequently reported employment status at the time the respondents took Parts 1–4 of the boards. A total of 54% of the diplomates reported that they challenged Part 1 separately, and then challenged Parts 2, 3, and 4 together; 79% of the diplomates were encouraged by their graduate program director/faculty to challenge the board; and 48% of the diplomates reported that their patients received free dental treatment.Conclusions Certain trends were observed regarding diplomates who succeeded in their efforts to challenge the board examination. The largest group who challenged the board certification examinations comprised members of the armed forces. Most prosthodontists challenged Part 1 before challenging the remaining 3 parts. In an effort to encourage more prosthodontists to challenge the board examination, numerous changes were made between 1992 and 1998; however, most of the diplomates did not take advantage of those changes.

Notes: Purpose The purpose of this article was to obtain dentists’ opinions via an Internet survey as to the prevalence, causes, and prevention of postcementation sensitivity and compare their responses with published data on the problem.Materials and Methods Information as to respondents opinions of postcementation sensitivity was obtained from an Internet survey asking about their experience and for a ranking of the importance of each of 15 factors.Results A total of 466 valid responses were received. The incidence of postcementation sensitivity was estimated to be less than 2% by more than 2/3 of the dentists. The factors considered “very important” in reducing sensitivity by more than 50% of the respondents were desiccation, luting agent, occlusion, provisional, and water spray.Conclusions Comparing respondents’ opinions with published clinical studies, the incidence of postcementation sensitivity appears to be underestimated. There is little published evidence to support the importance of antimicrobials, desensitizing, or bonding agents, although these are considered effective by some dentists. Many respondents consider luting agent to be an important variable.

Notes: A new implant analog system that improves the efficiency of the implant restoration's fabrication process is described. This 2-piece analog contains an outer plastic sleeve that is retained within the stone cast. The inner portion, a metal analog, can be easily removed and replaced within the plastic sleeve. Because the metal analog is removable, the time-consuming process of screwing and unscrewing the prosthesis- or abutment-retaining screws during laboratory procedures can be minimized. The prosthesis can remain secured to the analog during waxing, metal finishing, and porcelain buildup, yet is easily removed from the cast for inspection.

Notes: Purpose A new experimental resilient denture liner (MPDS-SL; Lai Laboratories, Burnsville, MN) and Molloplast-B (Buffalo Dental Manufacturing, Syosset, NY) were clinically evaluated for compliance and color change over a 1-year period.Materials and Methods In this crossover study, each of 20 patients had 2 dentures fabricated with long-term, silicone-based resilient liners, 1 denture with Molloplast-B and the other with MPDS-SL. Each denture was used for 6 months, during which time each patient kept a journal detailing his or her use and cleaning regimen. The 2 materials were assessed for compliance and color at the beginning of the study and again after 3 months and 6 months of use. Compliance was determined by applying a 3-lb force to the surface of the material following a square-wave pattern, using a closed-loop servohydraulic testing system. The force and position values were recorded using a storage oscilloscope. Compliance was measured at 3 locations on each denture and analyzed using data-acquisition software. Images of the dentures were captured using a zoom stereomicroscope with a charge-coupled video camera and image analysis software. The color was measured at 3 locations on each denture; RGB and L* a* b* were calculated.Results Compliance increased from baseline to 3 months and from 3 months to 6 months for almost all locations on both materials. Molloplast-B and MPDS-SL differed in average change in compliance at 6 months; the average change in compliance from baseline to 6 months was 453 (standard error, 46) for Molloplast-B and 284 (standard error, 46) for MPDS-SL (p= 0.019). For both materials, color changed significantly from baseline to 3 months and from baseline to 6 months (p 〈0.01). MPDS-SL changed significantly less than Molloplast-B from baseline to 6 months for R (p= 0.039), G (p= 0.037), B (p= 0.005), and L* (p= 0.042).Conclusion For both materials, compliance increased over 6 months of wear. The color change for MPDS-SL was considerably less significant than that for Molloplast-B.

Notes: Recent events have increased awareness of the risk posed by terrorist attacks. Bacillus anthracis has resurfaced in the 21st century as a deadly agent of bioterrorism because of its potential for causing massive civilian casualties. This analysis presents the results of a computer simulation of the dispersion of anthrax spores in a typical 50-story, high-rise building after an intentional release during a bioterrorist incident. The model simulates aerosol dispersion in the case of intensive, small-scale convection, which equalizes the concentration of anthrax spores over the building volume. The model can be used to predict the time interval required for spore dispersion throughout a building after a terrorist attack in a high-rise building. The analysis reveals that an aerosol release of even a relatively small volume of anthrax spores during a terrorist incident has the potential to quickly distribute concentrations that are infectious throughout the building.

Notes: Human health risk assessments use point values to develop risk estimates and thus impart a deterministic character to risk, which, by definition, is a probability phenomenon. The risk estimates are calculated based on individuals and then, using uncertainty factors (UFs), are extrapolated to the population that is characterized by variability. Regulatory agencies have recommended the quantification of the impact of variability in risk assessments through the application of probabilistic methods.In the present study, a framework that deals with the quantitative analysis of uncertainty (U) and variability (V) in target tissue dose in the population was developed by applying probabilistic analysis to physiologically-based toxicokinetic models. The mechanistic parameters that determine kinetics were described with probability density functions (PDFs). Since each PDF depicts the frequency of occurrence of all expected values of each parameter in the population, the combined effects of multiple sources of U/V were accounted for in the estimated distribution of tissue dose in the population, and a unified (adult and child) intraspecies toxicokinetic uncertainty factor UFH-TK was determined.The results show that the proposed framework accounts effectively for U/V in population toxicokinetics. The ratio of the 95th percentile to the 50th percentile of the annual average concentration of the chemical at the target tissue organ (i.e., the UFH-TK) varies with age. The ratio is equivalent to a unified intraspecies toxicokinetic UF, and it is one of the UFs by which the NOAEL can be divided to obtain the RfC/RfD. The 10-fold intraspecies UF is intended to account for uncertainty and variability in toxicokinetics (3.2×) and toxicodynamics (3.2×). This article deals exclusively with toxicokinetic component of UF.The framework provides an alternative to the default methodology and is advantageous in that the evaluation of toxicokinetic variability is based on the distribution of the effective target tissue dose, rather than applied dose. It allows for the replacement of the default adult and children intraspecies UF with toxicokinetic data-derived values and provides accurate chemical-specific estimates for their magnitude. It shows that proper application of probability and toxicokinetic theories can reduce uncertainties when establishing exposure limits for specific compounds and provide better assurance that established limits are adequately protective. It contributes to the development of a probabilistic noncancer risk assessment framework and will ultimately lead to the unification of cancer and noncancer risk assessment methodologies.

Notes: The treatment of uncertainties associated with modeling and risk assessment has recently attracted significant attention. The methodology and guidance for dealing with parameter uncertainty have been fairly well developed and quantitative tools such as Monte Carlo modeling are often recommended. However, the issue of model uncertainty is still rarely addressed in practical applications of risk assessment. The use of several alternative models to derive a range of model outputs or risks is one of a few available techniques. This article addresses the often-overlooked issue of what we call “modeler uncertainty,” i.e., difference in problem formulation, model implementation, and parameter selection originating from subjective interpretation of the problem at hand. This study uses results from the Fruit Working Group, which was created under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) BIOMASS program (BIOsphere Modeling and ASSessment). Model-model and model-data intercomparisons reviewed in this study were conducted by the working group for a total of three different scenarios. The greatest uncertainty was found to result from modelers' interpretation of scenarios and approximations made by modelers. In scenarios that were unclear for modelers, the initial differences in model predictions were as high as seven orders of magnitude. Only after several meetings and discussions about specific assumptions did the differences in predictions by various models merge. Our study shows that parameter uncertainty (as evaluated by a probabilistic Monte Carlo assessment) may have contributed over one order of magnitude to the overall modeling uncertainty. The final model predictions ranged between one and three orders of magnitude, depending on the specific scenario. This study illustrates the importance of problem formulation and implementation of an analytic-deliberative process in risk characterization.

Notes: This article presents the results of an analysis of the accident history data reported under section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act Amendments. These data provide a fairly complete record of the consequences of reportable accidental releases occurring during the time frame 1995–1999 in the U.S. chemical industry and covering 77 toxic and 63 flammable substances subject to the provisions of section 112(r). As such, these results are of fundamental interest to the affected communities, regulators, and insurers, as well as to owners and managers in the chemical industry. The results show the statistical associations between accident frequency and severity and a number of characteristics of reporting facilities, including their size, the hazardousness of the processes and chemicals inventoried, and the regulatory programs (in addition to section 112(r)) to which these facilities are subject. The results are interpreted in light of economic drivers of protective activity and regulatory priorities for monitoring and enforcement.

Notes: Unlike other waste streams, municipal solid waste (MSW) is collected manually, and MSW collection has recently been found to be among the highest-risk occupations in the United States. However, as for other occupational groups, actual total injury rates, including the great majority of injuries not compensated and those compensated by other insurance, are not known. In this article a predictive Bayesian method of assessing total injury rates from available information without computation is presented, and used to assess the actual numbers of musculoskeletal and dermal injuries requiring clinical care of MSW workers in Florida. Closed-form predictive Bayesian distributions that narrow progressively in response to information, representing both uncertainty and variability, are presented. Available information included workers' compensation (WC) data, worker population data, and safety records for one private and one public collection agency. Subjective input comprised epidemiological and medical judgment based on a review of 165 articles. The number of injuries was assessed at 3,146 annually in Florida, or 54 ± 18 injuries per 100 workers per year with 95% confidence. Further, WC data indicate that the injury rate is 50% higher for garbage collectors specifically, indicating a rate of approximately 80 per 100 workers. Results, though subject to uncertainty in worker numbers and classification and reporting bias, agreed closely with a survey of 251 MSW collectors, of whom 75% reported being injured (and 70% reported illness) within the past 12 months. The approach is recommended for assessment of total injury rates and, where sufficient information exists, for the more difficult assessment of occupational disease rates.

Notes: Statistical fatigue life of a ductile alloy specimen is traditionally divided into three stages, namely, crack nucleation, small crack growth, and large crack growth. Crack nucleation and small crack growth show a wide variation and hence a big spread on cycles versus crack length graph. Relatively, large crack growth shows a lesser variation. Therefore, different models are fitted to the different stages of the fatigue evolution process, thus treating different stages as different phenomena. With these independent models, it is impossible to predict one phenomenon based on the information available about the other phenomenon. Experimentally, it is easier to carry out crack length measurements of large cracks compared to nucleating cracks and small cracks. Thus, it is easier to collect statistical data for large crack growth compared to the painstaking effort it would take to collect statistical data for crack nucleation and small crack growth. This article presents a fracture mechanics-based stochastic model of fatigue crack growth in ductile alloys that are commonly encountered in mechanical structures and machine components. The model has been validated by Ray (1998) for crack propagation by various statistical fatigue data. Based on the model, this article proposes a technique to predict statistical information of fatigue crack nucleation and small crack growth properties that uses the statistical properties of large crack growth under constant amplitude stress excitation. The statistical properties of large crack growth under constant amplitude stress excitation can be obtained via experiments.

Notes: An occupational risk assessment for manganese (Mn) was performed based on benchmark dose analysis of data from two epidemiological studies providing dose-response information regarding the potential neurological effects of exposure to airborne Mn below the current Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Permissible Exposure Level (PEL) of 5 mg Mn/m3. Based on a review of the scientific evidence regarding the toxicity of Mn, it was determined that the most appropriate measure of exposure to airborne Mn for the subclinical effects measured in these studies is recent (rather than historical or cumulative) concentration of Mn in respirable (rather than total) particulate. For each of the studies analyzed, the individual exposure and response data from the original study had been made available by the investigators. From these two studies benchmark concentrations calculated for eight endpoints ranged from 0.09 to 0.27 mg Mn/m3. From our evaluation of these results, and considering the fact that the subtle, subclinical effects represented by the neurological endpoints tested in these studies do not represent material impairment, we believe an appropriate occupational exposure guideline for manganese would be in the range of 0.1 to 0.3 mg Mn/m3, based on the respirable particulate fraction only, and expressed as an 8-hour time-weighted average.

Notes: The Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996 required U.S. utilities to report on drinking water quality to their customers annually, beginning in fall 1999, on the assumption that such reports would alert them to quality problems and perhaps mobilize pressure for improvement. A random sample of New Jersey customers read alternative versions of a water quality report, in an experiment on reactions to water quality information under U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) rules. Experiment design was 2 × 3 + 1: two versions each—one with, one without, a violation of a health standard—of a report that was (1) Qualitative (without water quality numbers, thus not meeting USEPA rules); (2) Basic, with minimal information meeting the rules; or (3) Extended, adding reading aids and utility performance information; plus a control instrument without any hypothetical report. Results of ANOVA suggest the reports will have less effect than hoped or feared. These manipulations were successful: people reading the Qualitative versions were less likely to say that the report gave the amounts of substances found in the water, and those reading Violation versions were more likely to report a violation of a health standard. The main differences in responses to the report involved the judged adequacy of the information, and to a lesser extent responses on a Concern scale (constructed from measures of concern, judged risk, clean-up intentions, distrust of utility information, and doubt that the utility was doing all it could to improve water quality). Overall judgments of water quality and utility performance did not change, either relative to the controls or in before versus after responses. Qualitative reports performed worse than others, confirming the decision to have utilities report actual contaminant levels. Extended reports did only slightly better than the Basic versions on these measures. Many respondents had trouble identifying the presence or absence of substance amounts or violations, despite their seeming obviousness (e.g., in a “bottom line” summary on the front page of each report), suggesting many were not processing this information carefully. However, the pattern of responses for those who accurately identified the presence or absence of substance amounts or violations did not differ substantially from that for the group as a whole. Generic risk beliefs (serious local environmental problems; lack of control over risks to one's health) dominated demographic variables, attitudes toward utility water quality or trustworthiness, and the content and format of water quality reports in influencing concern about drinking water quality. Previous empirical and theoretical evidence for lack of change in public risk attitudes due to one-time or infrequent communications—e.g., role of personal experience, perseverance of prior trust or distrust—seems to be confirmed for annual water quality reports.

Notes: Polluted soils have become a public health problem. While population exposure to soil pollutants is generally quantified using multimedia models, their estimations have not been validated, and studies that attempted to do so are scarce. The objective of the SOLEX study was to compare the predictions of pyrene exposure levels (converted into 1 hydroxypyrene) computed by several models with the results of urinary 1-hydropyrene (1-HOP) assays among 110 employees working at three sites polluted during their past use as manufactured gas plants. Four models were used: AERIS (Canada), CalTOX (California, USA), CLEA (UK), and HESP (The Netherlands). Three occupational exposure scenarios—with office, mixed, and outdoor workers—were constructed, based upon job activities during two measurement campaigns, one in winter and one in summer. The exposure levels estimated by the four models could differ markedly (from 7 up to 80 times) according to the exposure scenario. Also, the predominant exposure routes differed according to the model (direct soil ingestion for HESP and CalTOX, inhalation for AERIS, and dermal absorption for CLEA). The predictions of CalTOX are consistent with the 1-HOP measurements for all the scenarios. For HESP, the consistency is observed for the scenarios, office and mixed, for which the pyrene level in the soil is low. AERIS and CLEA yield results that are systematically above the 1-HOP measurements. This study confirms that validation of the models is crucial and points out to the need to proceed to assess components of the models that are the most influential using appropriate statistical analysis in combination with true field data.