Air Pollution and its Impact on Lung Function of Children in Delhi, the Capital City of India

Air pollution is a major contributor to several respiratory problems, it affects the whole population in general but children are more susceptible. Exposure to automobile exhaust is associated with increased respiratory symptoms and may impair lung function in children. In view of this, the study was conducted among the children of Delhi, the capital city of India, where ambient air quality was much above the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. The study was conducted in children aged 9–17 years. Pulmonary function test was carried out following the guideline of American Thoracic Society using a portable, electronic spirometer. Air quality data was collected from Central and State Pollution Control Boards. In addition, the level of particulate matter in indoor air was measured by portable laser photometer. Lung function was reduced in 43.5% schoolchildren of the urban area compared with 25.7% of control group. The urban children had increased prevalence of restrictive, obstructive, as well as combined type of lung functions deficits. Besides higher prevalence, the magnitude of lung function deficits was also much more in them. After controlling potential confounders like season, socioeconomic conditions and ETS, PM10 level in ambient air was found to be associated with restrictive (OR?=?1.35, 95% CI 1.07–1.58), obstructive (OR?=?1.45, 95% CI 1.16–1.82), and combined type of lung function deficits (OR?=?1.74, 95% CI 1.37–2.71) in children. Spearman's rank correlation test reaffirmed the association. The study confirms that the level of air pollution is affecting the children.     

Increasing Returns to Scale in Affluent Knowledge‐Rich Economies

This paper departs from the existing growth literature in not assuming a priori a specific production technology and offering instead a theory of production technology that captures the effects of changes in the level, composition, and forces of accumulation of capital on the productivity of an economy. The theory of production technology shows that an affluent knowledge‐rich economy violates the Inada second condition because of its high level of knowledge, human, and social capital. Substitution of knowledge capital for physical capital and the self‐reinforcing nature of the process of accumulation of knowledge, human, and social capital are the engines of growth in such economies. Poor economies, on the other hand, may exhibit neoclassical production technology of diminishing returns to capital and get trapped into a low‐level steady state owing to their ever‐growing need for physical capital and also to unfavorable supply conditions for knowledge capital, lower levels of knowledge, human, and social capital in these economies being inadequate to trigger the self‐reinforcing dynamics. The mechanics of endogenous growth are essentially different in rich and poor economies because the production possibility surface is non‐convex in the former, and this difference explains the sustained divergence of their growth rates.     

Relationship of morphological variables to rubber production in guayule

Summary The objective of this study was to find measurable characters to aid the plant breeder in predicting both rubber percentage and rubber yield of guayule (Parthenium argentatum Gray). A field of 234 guayule breeding lines was harvested by clipping in February 1986. Forty-two of these lines were selected for further evaluation on the basis of superior regrowth, rubber content and yield. These 42 lines were reharvested in February 1987. Nineteen variables were evaluated including percent rubber and resin, rubber and resin yield (g/plant), plant height (cm), width (cm), and volume (m³), fresh and dry weight (kg/plant), percent dry weight, stem number, mean stem diameter (cm), total and mean stem circumference (cm), total and mean stem area (cm²), total stem circumference/total stem area (cm^-1), and regeneration at two dates. Dry weight (kg/plant) had the best correlation to rubber yield (r=0.85), and plant volume best predicted dry weight (r=0.83). These variables did not correlate as highly with percent rubber. The best statistical regression model for percent rubber included four variables, fresh and dry weight, percent dry weight, and plant volume. This model accounted for 51% of the variation. In comparison, the best regression of rubber yield had an R²=0.85 for plant height and width, volume, and dry weight.     

PCDD and PCDF in air,soil, vegetation and oily runoff from a tire fire

In early February 1990, vandals set fire to a used tire storage facility near Hagersville, Ontario, Canada, During the fire, the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Energy (MOEE) monitored the site and surrounding impact zone for numerous organic contaminants. Samples of air, soil, vegetation, runoff water, and oily residue were collected and analyzed for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF). Air samples produced complex incineration patterns with a large number of isomers detected. Total toxicity equivalents (TEQ) at 1 km downwind of the fire were an order of magnitude higher than those at 3 km downwind. Soil samples collected during the fire did not show elevated PCDD or PCDF concentrations, however, low concentrations were detected in vegetation collected at 100 m and 200 m from the site. PCDD and PCDF concentrations in the foliage decreased with time but were still detectable for at least 200 days after the fire started. As the tires burned, water used to extinguish the fire caused runoff of oil and oily water. Unique patterns of PCDDs and PCDFs were detected in these samples.     

Inulin effects on bioavailability of soy isoflavones and their calcium absorption enhancing ability

The effect of inulin on isoflavone absorption and the effect of isoflavones and synergy with inulin on calcium absorption in rats was investigated. Rats (n = 48) were divided into three groups and fed inulin (50 mg/g), isoflavone (8 mg/g) or inulin + isoflavone (50 mg/g + 8 mg/g) diets for 21 days. After a 2-h fast, rats were given (45)Ca orally or intraperitoneally, together with 25 mg of calcium as calcium acetate. Blood and femurs were collected 4 days later. Sera were analyzed for isoflavones using HPLC-MS, femurs for (45)Ca by beta-scintillation counting, and total femoral calcium by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Both groups fed isoflavones had similar and significantly higher weight-adjusted total femoral calcium content compared to the inulin-fed group (p < 0.0001). (45)Ca absorption was significantly higher (p < 0.01) when isoflavones were added to the diet, and serum equol was significantly lower (p < 0.01) when inulin was added to the diet containing isoflavones. We conclude that isoflavones enhance calcium absorption, without synergy from inulin, and that inulin decreases equol production.