Grain workers

Chronic (long-term) occupational exposure of workers to phosphine may cause inflammation of the nasal cavity and throat, weakness, dizziness, nausea, gastrointestinal, cardiorespiratory, and central nervous system symptomology, jaundice, liver effects, and increased bone density. Chronic exposure to very low concentrations may result in anemia, bronchitis, gastrointestinal disturbances, and visual, speech, and motor disturbances. Chronic exposure may be more serious for children because of their potential longer latency period. There is no evidence of cumulative effect in grain workers exposed for long periods to phosphine. Intermittent exposures for months led to headaches but no other symptoms. 

Grain dust. No studies have been published in grain-exposed workers where COPD has been the outcome, but studies in Canadian grain workers have shown a significant association between grain dust exposure and reduction in FEVj in non-smokers, exsmokers and in smokers (Pahwa et al. 2003). 

A variety of antigens, some of them proper to a region, because of weather and/or local agricultural context has been associated with FLD (Table 13.1). This is especially the case for grain workers, swine farmers, and hay packing, storage, and harvesting conditions. 

A step closer toward realism is taken by off-lattice models in which the backbone is specified in some detail, while side chains, if they are represented at all, are taken to be single, unified spheres [44-50]. One indication that this approach is too simplistic was given in [51], which proved that for a backbone representation in which only Ca carbons were modeled, no contact potential could stabilize the native conformation of a single protein against its nonnative ( decoy ) conformations. However, Irback and co-workers were able to fold real protein sequences, albeit short ones, using a detailed backbone representation, with coarse-grained side chains modeled as spheres [49, 52-54]. 

An important result of this study is the conclusion of a particle-size-dependent COads surface mobility. The value obtained for large Ft particles is significantly smaller than Deo at a solid/gas interface. However, Kobayashi and co-workers, using solid state NMR, performed measurements of the tracer diffusion coefficient Deo at the solid/electrolyte interface and for Ft-black particles (about 5nm grain... 

Environmental factors have been identified as contributing to the development of NHL. Certain occupations such as wood and forestry workers, butchers, exterminators, grain millers, machinists, mechanics, painters, printers, and industrial workers have a higher prevalence of disease. Industrial chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, organic chemicals (e.g., benzene), solvents, and wood preservatives are also associated with NHL. 

The youngest larvae weigh less than a small grain of salt but do not hesitate to take on termite workers thirty times their size. A tiny larva repeatedly approaches a termite and then retreats. Eventually, it maneuvers into a position with the tip of its abdomen pointing at the termite s head. The larva lifts the tip and waves it in front of the termite. This is its way of launching a deadly gas attack. Though termites are blind, they are extremely sensitive to nearby movement and defend themselves vigorously when assaulted. Nonetheless, the termite seems unconcerned by the larva s performance and makes no attempt to turn away or escape. 

Du and co-workers [48, 66] studied the effect of carbon on the grain refinement of Mg-3A1 alloy. High grain refining efficiency was obtained when these alloys were refined by carbon. A further increase in efficiency was obtained by the combination of 0.2 wt% C and less than 0.2 wt% of a solute element (Ca, Sr) [48, 66], Addition of a higher Ca amount would increase the brittleness of the alloy [60, 66]. Similar results were demonstrated when 0.2 wt% Sr was added in the alloys instead of Ca [48]. 

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