Designing environmental campaigns by using agent-based simulations: strategies for changing environmental attitudes

Agent-based computer simulation was used to create artificial communities in which each individual was constructed according to the principles of the elaboration likelihood model of Petty and Cacioppo [1986. The elaboration likelihood model of persuasion. In: Berkowitz, L. (Ed.), Advances in Experimental Social Psychology. Academic Press, New York, NY, pp. 123-205]. Campaigning strategies and community characteristics were varied systematically to understand and test their impact on attitudes towards environmental protection. The results show that strong arguments influence a green (environmentally concerned) population with many contacts most effectively, while peripheral cues have the greatest impact on a non-green population with fewer contacts. Overall, deeper information scrutiny increases the impact of strong arguments but is especially important for convincing green populations. Campaigns involving person-to-person communication are superior to mass-media campaigns because they can be adapted to recipients' characteristics.     

Absolute configuration of 2,2′,3,3′,6-pentachlorinatedbiphenyl (PCB 84) atropisomers

Nineteen polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners, such as 2,2′,3,3′,6-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 84), display axial chirality because they form stable rotational isomers, or atropisomers, that are non-superimposable mirror images of each other. Although chiral PCBs undergo atropselective biotransformation and atropselectively alter biological processes, the absolute structure of only a few PCB atropisomers has been determined experimentally. To help close this knowledge gap, pure PCB 84 atropisomers were obtained by semi-preparative liquid chromatography with two serially connected Nucleodex β-PM columns. The absolute configuration of both atropisomers was determined by X-ray single-crystal diffraction. The PCB 84 atropisomer eluting first and second on the Nucleodex β-PM column correspond to (aR)-(?)-PCB 84 and (aS)-(+)-PCB 84, respectively. Enantioselective gas chromatographic analysis with the β-cyclodextrin-based CP-Chirasil-Dex CB gas chromatography column showed the same elution order as the Nucleodex β-PM column. Based on earlier reports, the atropisomers eluting first and second on the BGB-172 gas chromatography column are (aR)-(?)-PCB 84 and (aS)-(+)-PCB 84, respectively. An inversion of the elution order is observed on the Cyclosil-B gas chromatography and Cellulose-3 liquid chromatography columns. These results advance the interpretation of environmental and human biomonitoring as well as toxicological studies.     

Atmospheric PCB congeners across Chicago

We have measured PCBs in 184 air samples collected at 37 sites in the city of Chicago using an innovative system of high-volume air samplers mounted on two health clinic vans. Here we describe results of sampling conducted from November 2006 to November 2007. The samples were analyzed for all 209 PCB congeners using a gas chromatograph with tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). The ΣPCBs (sum of 169 peaks) in Chicago ranged from 75 pg m(-3) to 5500 pg m(-3) and primarily varied as a function of temperature. The congener patterns are surprisingly similar throughout the city even though the temperature-corrected concentrations vary by more than an order of magnitude. The average profile resembles a mixture of Aroclor 1242 and Aroclor 1254, and includes many congeners that have been identified as being aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonists (dioxin-like) and/or neurotoxins. The toxic equivalence (TEQ) and neurotoxic equivalence (NEQ) in air were calculated and investigated for their spatial distribution throughout the urban-industrial complex of Chicago. The NEQ concentrations are linearly correlated with ΣPCBs while the TEQ concentrations are not predictable. The findings of this study suggest that airborne PCBs in Chicago are widely present and elevated in residential communities; there are multiple sources rather than one or a few locations of very high emissions; the emission includes congeners associated with dioxin-like and neurotoxic effects and congeners associated with unidentified sources.     

A simulation approach to evolutionary game theory: the evolution of time-sharing behaviour in a dragonfly mating system

Summary The time-sharing behaviour of dragonfly males (Aeschna cyanea, Odonata) at the mating place is investigated. By computer simulation of the males' interactions the expected number of copulations for different strategies is quantified. The simulation results show that a male's mating succes depends on his strategy and that a strategy's specific pay-off depends on the frequency distribution of strategies in the population. Based on these results, a method for the simulation of the evolutionary process is presented. This approach to evolutionary game theory allows the prediction of evolutionarily stable strategies (ESS), even when the system studied is far too complex for an analytical solution. For the time-sharing behaviour of Ac. cyanea males at the mating place the ESS predicted by the simulation approach complies with field observations.     

Exposure of the Roots of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Populus nigra</Emphasis> L. cv. Loenen to PAHs and its Effect on growth and water balance

Poplar cuttings were cultivated for 4 weeks in a substrate, which consisted of a combination of sand and nutrient solution. The plants were treated for 24 days with BaP, Chr, Ant, Phen, P and Flt, single or in combination. The concentration of the PAHs ranged from 0.1-200 mg/kg substrate. The results of the pollution experiments can be summarized as follows: 1. The most significant deviations between the test groups and the control can be observed for transpiration, nutrient solution uptake, and root mass. 2. Although transpiration and nutrient solution uptake are significantly lower for all the treated groups than for the control group, the water content of the leaves was not affected by PAHs. 3. The biomass of the shoots and the growth in shoot length do not react as strongly to exposure to PAHs as transpiration, nutrient solution uptake and the volume of the roots. 4. The differences in leaf weight and leaf surface area are significantly less pronounced compared to the control groups. Growth inhibition is most evident with Flt. Growth and absorption of the nutrient solution dropped with just Flt 0.1 mg/kg substrate. When the substrate concentration was increased, growth and nutrient solution uptake dropped considerably and at a concentration of Flt 200, 5 of the 11 test plants died before the end of the period of exposure. Nutrient solution uptake and shoot development of the test plants decreased in the following order: BaP H approximately = Chr > Ant > Phen > Pyr > Flt.     

Combating interference by unauthorised persons

Under the new threat situation it is necessary to impede and if necessary detect ingress by unauthorised persons into the relevant establishment. It may be necessary to take additional measures to protect installations or parts thereof that are especially hazardous or at risk from terrorist attacks from interference by unauthorised persons.

It is the duty of the state to take precautionary and preventive measures to impede or prevent external terrorist attacks or entry by force into establishments. The necessary resources for this purpose must be made available even in times of limited budgets.

Since total protection can never be guaranteed, external emergency measures have a particularly important role to play. The competent authorities in this sector must receive the necessary information from the operators and must take the measures within their sphere of responsibility without delay.

Much of the information necessary for assessment of the risk situation by the operators and the authorities is already available under the provisions on the safety report and the external alarm and emergency plans according to European Seveso II Directive (96/82/EC).

It is recommended that a restriction of disclosure of information on the grounds of public safety should only be permitted for establishments/installations which are to be regarded as security-relevant on the basis of the hazard and the risk analysis.

The outline of the systematic approach of a security analysis like it is proposed in Germany is described separately.     

Tumorlektinologie —Status und Perspektiven klinischer Anwendung

A detailed knowledge of the mechanisms of molecular recognition is a prerequisite to rationally improved diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in diseases. In addition to sequences of amino acids, carbohydrate structures apparently store biological information that is thought to be relevant for physiologically important processes. Such ligands, namely the carbohydrate part of cellular glycoconjugates, can be recognized by specific endogenous binding proteins like lectins. If their presence can be reliably ascertained and correlated to the clinical course of the disease, e.g. in oncology, lectinology may help to define a yet undisclosed role for this class of proteins in tumor progression and spread.