Bonding and supportive relationships among black professional women: Rituals of restoration

In two-day assessment workshops 71 black professional women explored the kinds of supportive relationships they have formed with significant black women friends and the consequences of these supportive relationships for their growth and development. Findings show two major types of supportive relationships: (1) other-oriented relationships, in which participants' bonds with other black women emphasize the provision of support to the other, and (2) self-enhancing relationships, in which participants' bonds with other black women are reciprocal in nature or are oriented toward self. Within these two types of relationships, three main functions of support were found: (1) social companionship, (2) task help, and (3) supportiveness. Of these three functions, the receipt of supportiveness consisting of emotional support, high commitment to one another, and encouragement to tackle life's obstacles resulted in the highest levels of growth and development among the participants, thus most effectively validating and addressing their experience of bicultural stress.     

Comparative health impact assessment of local and regional particulate air pollutants in Scandinavia

The ongoing program Clean Air for Europe (CAFE) is an initiative from the EU Commission to establish a coordinated effort to reach better air quality in the EU. The focus is on particulate matter as it has been shown to have large impact on human health. CAFE requested that WHO make a review of the latest findings on air pollutants and health to facilitate assessments of the different air pollutants and their health effects. The WHO review project on health aspects of air pollution in Europe confirmed that exposure to particulate matter (PM), despite the lower levels we face today, still poses a significant risk to human health. Using the recommended uniform risk coefficients for health impact assessment of PM, regardless of sources, premature mortality related to long-range transported anthropogenic particles has been estimated to be about 3500 deaths per year for the Swedish population, corresponding to a reduction in life expectancy of up to about seven months. The influence of local sources is more difficult to estimate due to large uncertainties when linking available risk coefficients to exposure data, but the estimates indicate about 1800 deaths brought forward each year with a life expectancy reduction of about 2-3 months. However, some sectors of the population are exposed to quite high locally induced concentrations and are likely to suffer excessive reductions in life expectancy. Since the literature increasingly supports assumptions that combustion related particles are associated with higher relative risks, further studies may shift the focus for abatement strategies. CAFE sets out to establish a general cost effective abatement strategy for atmospheric particles. Our results, based on studies of background exposure, show that long-range transported sulfate rich particles dominate the health effects of PM in Sweden. The same results would be found for the whole of Scandinavia and many countries influenced by transboundary air pollution. However, several health studies, including epidemiological studies with a finer spatial resolution, indicate that engine exhaust particles are more damaging to health than other particles. These contradictory findings must be understood and source specific risk estimates have to be established by expert bodies, otherwise it will not be possible to find the most cost effective abatement strategy for Europe. We are not happy with today's situation where every strategy to reduce PM concentrations is estimated to have the same impact per unit change in the mass concentration. Obviously there is a striking need to introduce more specific exposure variables and a higher geographical resolution in epidemiology as well as in health impact assessments.     

Conflict resolution by participatory management: remote sensing and GIS as tools for communicating land-use needs for reindeer herding in northern Sweden

When seeking to resolve complex land-management issues, geographical assessment of resources that are in short supply or in dispute can aid the communication of knowledge and the understanding among and between different stakeholders. In this paper, we illustrate how remote sensing and GIS can be used to gather and compile information regarding land-use activities and patterns among reindeer herders and other land users (forestry, mining, tourism, etc) in northern Sweden. The project represents a novel user-oriented effort largely based on the work carried out by the principal end user, i.e. the reindeer herders themselves. The basis for development of land-use plans for reindeer husbandry, was the following: to collect and digitally systemize traditional ecological and landscape knowledge of reindeer habitat use; to integrate this information with results from field inventories and satellite-based vegetation classifications; to map activities of other land users. The resulting land-use plans provide information that can facilitate consultation between the reindeer herders and other stakeholders and can facilitate operational work in reindeer management. This project can serve as a model for participatory involvement and planning, bringing indigenous knowledge and advanced remote-sensing techniques together in an interactive process.     

Structural characterisation of humic acid-bound PAH residues in soil by 13C-CPMAS-NMR-spectroscopy: evidence of covalent bonds

The fate of 13C-labelled phenanthrene and fluoranthene in different soil systems during biodegradation was studied. The soil humic acid fraction was isolated followed by structural characterisation using 13C-cross polarisation magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (13C-CPMAS-NMR). It could be demonstrated that especially the ratio between the concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and soil humus matrix limits the usefulness of this analytical tool. Based on these results a ratio of 13C-activity(PAH)/13C-activity(soil) approximately 1.5/1.0 in the test material was suggested. The chemical transformation of a PAH and its bound residue formation in a soil system detected by changes of chemical shifts in the 13C-NMR spectrum was proven for the first time. Structural information obtained by NMR spectra were verified by alkaline hydrolysis of PAH/humus-associations and following identification of cleavage products. Ester-bound phenanthrene metabolites such as 1-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid, ortho-phthalic acid and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid were detected. Additional structural assignments indicated the presence of ether-bound phenanthrene derivatives as well. Using isotopic labelling techniques a quantitative evaluation of bound residue distribution was undertaken. Fifty to seventy percent of phenanthrene metabolites which could be related to the added 13C(1)-phenanthrene were ester bound via their carboxyl groups.     

NitroGenius: a nitrogen decision support system. A game to develop the optimal policy to solve the Dutch nitrogen pollution problem

A nitrogen decision support system in the form of a game (NitroGenius) was developed for the Second International Nitrogen Conference. The aims were to: i) improve understanding among scientists and policy makers about the complexity of nitrogen pollution problems in an area of intensive agricultural, industrial, and transportation activity (The Netherlands); and ii) search for optimal policy solutions to prevent pollution effects at lowest economic and social costs. NitroGenius includes a model of nitrogen flows at relevant spatial and temporal scales including emissions of ammonia and nitrogen oxides and contamination of surface- and groundwaters. NitroGenius also includes an economic model describing relationships for important sectors and impacts of different nitrogen control measures on Gross Domestic Product (GDP), unemployment, energy use, and environmental costs. About 50 teams played NitroGenius during the Second International Nitrogen Conference. The results show that careful planning and selection of abatement options can solve Dutch nitrogen problems at reasonable cost.     

The past impact of livestock husbandry on dispersal of plant seeds in the landscape of Denmark

The recent decline in species richness in (semi)-natural habitats in northern Europe has largely been attributable to habitat destruction, and to subsequent limitation in seed dispersal among fragments. However, some habitat types were probably split up already in the historical landscape, but the segregated parts were probably not isolated to the present degree. This paper seeks evidence for livestock as vectors for propagules at 3 spatial scales in the past cultural landscape. Three main scales at which livestock acted as seed dispersers are important: free movement in the landscape (1-10 km), driving animals to mast feeding or to manors (10-50 km), and the export of living animals (hundreds of km). The emerging picture is for most plant species a dramatically decreased chance of dispersal in the modern landscape. The consequence is probably decreasing species richness in (semi)-natural plant communities, such as pasture, meadow, and heathland.     

Kin discrimination in the spotted hyena (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Crocuta crocuta</Emphasis>): nepotism among siblings

We examined patterns of affiliation, association, and aggression to inquire whether spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) can distinguish among various groups of maternal and paternal siblings. If so, and if these animals conform to predictions of kin selection theory, then behavioral interactions among hyenas should vary with relatedness. We also considered familiarity-based recognition and phenotype matching as mechanisms hyenas might use to recognize kin. Patterns of affiliative behavior indicated that hyenas favored full-sibling littermates over half-sibling littermates or any other group of half-siblings. Rates of dyadic aggression generally did not vary with kinship. Hyenas associated more closely with half-sibling littermates than with non-littermate half-siblings, and hyenas affiliated more with maternal half-siblings than with paternal half-siblings, suggesting that familiarity-based cues might mediate discrimination among these sibling classes. In addition, operation of a phenotype-matching mechanism was suggested by the preference hyenas demonstrated during affiliative interactions for full- over half-sibling littermates, and by their lack of preference in these interactions for half-sibling littermates over non-littermate half-siblings. Phenotype matching was also suggested by our observation that paternal half-siblings cooperated more, and fought less, than did non-kin. Our data indicate that hyenas can discriminate among various types of siblings, that their social behavior conforms to predictions of kin selection theory, and that they recognize kin using mechanisms of both familiarity and phenotype matching.Communicated by S. Alberts