South Pacific islands

Figure 9. Plots of Li and radiogenic isotopes for mantle rocks, (a) 5 Li vs. Sr/ Sr (b) 5 Li vs. Nd/ Nd (c) "Sr/ Sr vs. Pb/ Pb (d) 5"Li vs. Pb/ Pb (Nishio et al. 2003, 2004). Symbols + = south Pacific island basalts (six islands) O = Iherzolite xenolith, Bullenmerri, Australia = Iherzolite xenolith, Sikhote-Alin, Russia (three localities) A = dunite-peridotite-pyroxenite xenolith, Kyushu, Japan (two localities) V = Iherzolite xenolith, Ichinomegata, Japan. The ocean island data are from bulk rocks, the xenolith data are clinopyroxene separates. For explanations of the derivation of radiogenic isotope fields (DM, EMI, EM2, HIMU), see Zindler and Hart (1986). The estimate for Li isotopes in DM is based on MORE. The Li isotopic ranges for the other mantle reservoirs are based on Nishio et al. (2004) and Nishio et al. (2003), but these will require further examination (hence the use of question marks).

Agricultural phosphates can also be obtained from steelmaking slags (Section 17.7) and from guano, the droppings of seabirds, accumulated over millennia on certain South Pacific islands such as Ocean Island and Nauru. The latter source has been heavily exploited and is now almost exhausted, bringing a catastrophic decline in the fortunes of the islands inhabitants. 

Kava originates from the root of the Piper methysticum (kava) plant that grows predominately in the South Pacific islands. This drug has been used for centuries by various local cultures because of its sedative and antianxiety effects. Kava has likewise gained popularity in western societies, and studies suggest that kava extracts can be used as an alternative to traditional sedative-hypnotic and anxiolytic drugs, such as benzodiazepines (see Chapter 6).21,39 Kava may also produce... 

Material Root pulp and lower stems of tall perennial shrub from South Pacific islands, Hawaiian Islands, and New Guinea. 

Kava-kava comes from the root pulp and lower stems of a tall perennial shrub native to the South Pacific islands. It was mentioned by a Swedish... 

The rhizome of Piper methysticum (kava kava) has been used for hundreds of years in the South Pacific islands as a recreational drug, the main constituents of which are non-alkaloidal pyrone derivatives. These compounds cause sedation and centrally induced muscle relaxation. Kava has also been marketed in the West as a herbal pharmaceutical for use in the treatment of anxiety, for which it seems to be effective (1). However, the formulation used indigenously is an aqueous extract, while the pharmaceutical formulation is prepared from a lipid extract. Thus, the formulation that has been used in the West may contain compounds that are not present in the drink that is commonly prepared in the South Pacific and may therefore have different adverse effects (2). This may explain the risk of liver damage that has been seen in the West, not having previously been reported. 

Usage in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific Islands... 

USAGE IN SOUTH EAST ASIA AND THE SOUTH PACIFIC ISLANDS... 

Kava is used in the South Pacific islands as a beverage to induce relaxation prior to ceremonies. It may also be used as a sedative and to treat anxiety. The herb has been postulated to have anticonvulsant, antifungal, aphrodisiac, and antiseptic properties. 

The relationship between UV-B radiation and skin cancer is by now well documented and accepted. The US EPA has estimated that each 1 % decrease in stratospheric ozone concentration will result world wide in a 2% rise in cutaneous malignant melanoma. Among the Asian and Pacific region, people of many countries, such as Australia, New Zealand, South Pacific Islands, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, etc, are the most vulnerable to the exposure of UV-B radiation. For example, between 1980 and 1991, when the growth of CFCs production was the maximum, melanoma cancer registration rates in New Zealand increased by 22% (ESC AP, 1995). 

Gregory MR. Plastics and South Pacific island shores environmental implications. Ocean Coast Manag 1999 42 (6-7) 603-661. 

New Zealand is a collection of South Pacific islands about the size of Great Britain, 2,000 km east of Australia. The two main islands are simply known as the North Island (pop. 2.8 million) and the South Island (pop. 0.9 million), and to the south of the South Island is Stewart Island (pop. 400) a haven for fishermen and tourists. 

The relatively static nature of the battle for the perimeter around Empress Augusta Bay eased the problem of maintenance. On the coral rock soil of Arundel, Company B had broken five base plates, bent five or six tie rods, and cracked several barrel cups and base plate spades. On Bougainville, despite the heavy and continuous fire, the softer ground and the fact that time was available to construct adequate emplacements resulted in a minimum of damage to mortar parts. The torrential rains, high humidity, and intense heat of South Pacific islands created serious problems both in the maintenance of mortar shell and its... 

Most chemists and biologists spend the majority of their time in the laboratory. A few, however, spend their days scuba diving off South Pacific islands or trekking through the rainforests of South America and Southeast Asia. They aren t on vacation, though they re at work as bioprospectors, and their job is to hunt for new and unusual natural products that might be useful as drugs. 

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