A survey of lakes in the Republic of Ireland: hydrochemical characteristics and acid sensitivity

In 1997, as part of a national program to determine and map critical loads, a lake survey was carried out in the Republic of Ireland. In total 200 lakes were sampled, which represents approximately 3.3% of the total lake population. The majority of lakes were situated in remote, high-altitude, acid-sensitive areas along the coastal margins of the country. Lake chemistry was dominated by marine inputs. Approximately 50% of the lakes had DOC > 5 mg L-1 due to the presence of organic soils in a large proportion of the catchments. Nonmarine sulfate concentrations were at background levels (< 20 mu eq L-1) in 50% of the lakes. Exceedance of critical load was observed in 7% of the sampled lakes (13 lakes). However, there are uncertainties in the critical load calculations due to the interference of sea salts and organic acids; accurate estimation under such conditions requires long-term lake and deposition chemistry.     

Burrow environment and coelomic fluid characteristics of the echiuran worm Urechis caupo from populations at three sites in northern California

The burrow microhabitat and physiology of the echiuran worm Urechis caupo at a high-density site (Elkhorn Slough, California, USA), were investigated from 1987 to 1990 to determine physical and chemical conditions, worm density and distribution, and coelomic fluid characteristics such as heme composition, pO₂, pH, and coelomocyte volume. During tidal exposure, worm burrows at this site exhibited, on average, 52% air-saturated water, 11M burrow-water sulfide, 85 g/mg wet weight sediment sulfide, and salinity and osmolalities similar to those of seawater. These conditions are compared to those of another California site, Bodega Bay, which had slightly lower oxygen concentrations, but higher water and sediment-sulfide levels. A more limited comparison to a third site, Princeton Harbor, California, is included. Worms from Bodega Bay, the higher sulfide site, had greater concentrations of hematin, a non-globin heme compound contained in the coelomocytes, and exhibited a greater tolerance to sulfide in the laboratory. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that hematin is a sulfide-detoxifying agent that may enhance survival of U. caupo in the sulfide-rich mudflat environment.     

Physicians' acceptability of termination of pregnancy after prenatal diagnosis in southern france

The acceptability of prenatal diagnosis for Down's syndrome has been extensively studied over the last 15 years but that of other pathologies remains largely unexplored. The main goals of this study were to approach physicians' opinions on six reasons for termination of pregnancy showing different deficiencies, i.e., Down's, Turner and Klinefelter syndromes, cystic fibrosis, spina bifida, and haemophilia, and to identify the origins of reserves. The influence of sociodemographic and professional characteristics of physicians on their opinions and attitudes during the consultation were studied. The data presented are based on information gathered in 1985 by a mailed questionnaire answered by 853 general practitioners, gynaecologists, obstetricians, and pediatricians in the Marseilles Genetic Centre's region. Stepwise logistic regression was used for the multivariate analysis. The results showed that 78 per cent of those answering favour termination of pregnancy for Down's syndrome and that only moral reticences were mentioned by the physicians opposed. Conversely, for haemophilia, only 21 per cent of the physicians considered this indication justified; those opposed were for the most part concerned that severity of illness did not justify termination of pregnancy. Overall, 33 per cent of physicians would voice their personal opinion on termination of pregnancy if so requested by consultees. Results on the influence of age and specialty evidenced their role on physicians' opinions. Indeed, 30 per cent of physicians opposed to pregnancy termination for one of the six fetal anomalies retained herein would modify their positions if diagnosis were possible in the first trimester of pregnancy.     

Using Land-use Planning to Manage Transport Demand: a survey of Scottish experience

Recent concerns surrounding the growth of mobility and associated increases in journey length and number of motorised journeys for an increasingly diverse pattern of trips have placed demands on the planning system in terms of the need to consider the land use-transport interaction. This paper first provides a review of relevant national planning policy in Scotland in particular. It then goes on to report findings from a recent survey which highlights the attitudes held by Scottish planning professionals to managing transport demand through land-use planning. The paper outlines the trade-offs encountered in practice between competing policy objectives. In Scotland there is no planning guidance equivalent to Planning Policy Guidance Note 13, which applies to England and Wales, around which there has been much debate on its impact on development control decisions and planning strategy. Draft guidance for Scotland was produced in 1996 for consultation and again in 1998, but at the time of writing has yet to be finalised. The findings from this study are timely in that they enable an assessment of the extent to which the planning system is being used to manage transport demand. Recent local government reorganisation in Scotland has resulted in significant changes to ways in which strategic planning and development control policy are likely to proceed. The paper focuses on the extent to which local authority policy emphasises the need to reduce travel through planning.     

The Nottingham Cycle-friendly Employers Project: lessons for encouraging cycle commuting

The Nottingham Cycle Friendly Employers Project studied the effectiveness of measures to promote cycling to work by eight large city employers under the 1995 governmentfunded Cycle Challenge. Progress was monitored by 'before' and 'after' surveys, by examination of the measures, and by discussions with the employers. Overall cycling awareness and activity were increased by the project: 42% of employees said their cycle commuting had increased. The main influences, about equally, were providing workplace cycling facilities, a house or job move making cycling more attractive, and heightened awareness of the importance of regular exercise for health. The most welcomed and best used measures were secure cycle parking, showering and changing facilities, and cycle purchase loans.     

Designing Optimal Strategies to Attain the New U.S. Particulate Matter Standards: Some Initial Concepts

ABSTRACT

This paper proposes that a fundamental principle for designing optimal strategies to attain new U.S. particulate matter (PM) standards be minimization of community and susceptible group exposure to, and inhaled dosage of, ambient PM. Properly done, such minimization maximizes human health risk reduction. To illustrate implementation of such a principle, an initial prototype model, PM Exposure (PMEX), is described that calculates PM exposure and inhaled dosage as figures-of-merit for control strategy optimization. The model accounts for age-occupation and susceptible group activity patterns, indoor-outdoor concentration differences, and geographical location. Modeling results are presented for a hypothetical example, apportioning inhaled dosage among different classes of sources, under alternative assumptions about the relative potency of different PM species categories. The results, while preliminary, demonstrate that conclusions about source class contribution based on inhaled dosage can be appreciably different than those based on ambient air measurements or emission inventories.     

To vote or not to vote: abstaining from voting in union representation elections

We conducted two studies addressing abstaining from voting in union representation elections. In Study 1 of a faculty representation election, we showed that compared to voters abstainers possessed less extreme work and union attitudes, believed less in the ability of their vote to affect the election outcomes, and were less involved in the election (e.g., less interested, felt less responsibility to vote). To assess the practical utility of these findings, Study 2 used vignettes in a 2 (traditional bread‐and‐butter issues) × 2 (emerging issues related to fairness) × 2 (voting instrumentality) × 2 (responsibility to vote) experimental manipulation. Results showed that the likelihood of abstaining is reduced when efforts to emphasize the responsibility to vote are presented together with information on both traditional and emerging issues. The two studies show why people abstain from voting in union representation elections, and suggest how abstaining might be reduced. Conceptual implications, practical interventions and research directions raised by the two studies are discussed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.