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Biomonitoring of selected persistent organic pollutants (PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PBDEs) in Finnish and Russian terrestrial and aquatic animal species
Environmental Sciences Europe volume 28, Article number: 5 (2016)
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The Finnish and Russian animal species (semi-domesticated reindeer, Finnish wild moose, Baltic grey seal and Baltic herring) samples were biomonitored in terrestrial and aquatic environments for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs).
Grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) was clearly the most contaminated species. The mean PBDE concentration in grey seal was 115 ng/g fat, and the highest WHO-PCDD/F-PCB-TEQ (toxic equivalent set by WHO) was 327 pg/g fat. In Finnish, reindeer WHO-PCDD/F-TEQ varied from 0.92 pg/g fat in muscle to 90.8 pg/g fat in liver. WHO-PCDD/F-TEQ in moose liver samples was in the range of 0.7–4.26 pg/g fat, and WHO-PCB-TEQ in the range of 0.42–3.34 pg/g fat. Overall moose had clearly lower PCDD/F and DL-PCB concentrations in their liver than reindeer.
Terrestrial animals generally had low POP concentrations, but in reindeer liver dioxin levels were quite high. All Finnish and Russian reindeer liver samples exceeded the EU maximum level [8] for PCDD/Fs (10 pg/g fat), which is currently set for bovine animals.
Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), dioxin-like PCBs (DL-PCBs) and polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs) are lipophilic persistent organic pollutants with generally low water solubilities. They are threatening animals and humans when entering into the terrestrial and aquatic food chains [7]. These contaminants can cause severe health effects in humans and wildlife. Wild terrestrial animals, such as moose (Alces alces) and semi-domesticated reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus), are known to accumulate environmental contaminants effectively, because their diet consists of plants from natural pastures contaminated due to long-range transport of atmospheric emissions [13]. Based on the studies on the other species (for e.g. sheep), different tissues of reindeer and moose are assumed to gather varying concentrations of contaminants.
From the aquatic point of view, the Baltic Sea is considered to be one of the most polluted waters in the world contaminated by Persistent organic pollutants (POPs). They are discharged from industrialized countries surrounding and transported from distant sources by an atmospheric deposition [23, 33]. There have been remarkable efforts to restrict the usage and production of the long-range transporting and bioaccumulate chemicals. However, they still can be found from the marine environment of the Baltic Sea [5]. It is considered that herring (Clupea harengus membras) and grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) from the Baltic Sea contain higher PBDE levels than the same or similar species from other waters. The adverse health effects of organohalogen chemicals have been seen clearly with grey seal, the population of which declined to minimum (about 4000 individuals) in the mid-1970s in the Baltic Sea because of reduction in pregnancy rates [12]. Thus, Baltic herring and grey seal may indicate well the contamination in aquatic environment. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), for its part, may indicate the contamination status of semi-aqueous environment.
Atmospheric deposition is believed to be a major source of some POPs in the Baltic Sea [17, 33] and also in terrestrial environment, e.g. in Finnish Lapland [11]. The emissions of PBDEs to environmental compartments within the Baltic Sea region were recently estimated in the COHIBA Project (http://www.cohibaproject.net/home/en_GB/home/). While the emissions to land tended to originate mainly from the application of contaminated sewage sludge, the main emissions to air came during service life of flame-retarded products in the form of release from the indoor environment, steel industry and the accidental fires of waste.
In order to assess the exposure of people to POPs, it is important to notice that in Finland, hunting is a popular hobby among population, and over 300,000 people had an official hunting card in 2005 allowing them to hunt according to legislation (www.mmm.fi). Hunting big game, like moose, results that a group of people might consume more moose meat than pork or poultry meat. On the other hand, reindeer husbandry (including meat production and tourism, by-products) is an important livelihood in the northern Finland and also in Russia. Exposure to POPs via game meat, liver, and other organs may be a problem in some specific populations [7].
The distribution of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs in animal body has been studied in different animal species. There have been variations in the concentrations of contaminants in different tissues. Although fatty tissues are known to be the pool of lipophilic POPs, certain organs, such as liver, are high-risk edible tissues for dioxin-like pollutants [27]. Tissue distribution data have shown that liver has a higher potential to accumulate dioxin than the other tissues in rat [34], beef cattle [31], pig [27] and reindeer [29]. In the Danish study liver, leaf fat, flank and shank of sheep were analysed. The highest PCDD/Fs were observed in sheep liver [20]. Furthermore, PCDD/Fs have been noticed to be 8–27 times higher in liver of sheep than its muscle tissue. However, similar phenomenon had not seen with the studied cows [26].
In the study of pigs, it was found that liver was again the main collector of dioxins when comparing compounds in liver, lung, kidney, subcutaneous fat, mesentery and muscle [27]. The property of liver to accumulate dioxins appeared also in the study of lamb organs: liver had clearly higher PCDD/Fs than kidneys and heart [9]. Offal products (e.g. paté, haggis, tripe and black budding) of the animals (lamb, ox, deer and pig) have generally low contaminant levels probably as a result of processing or dilution. On the other hand, quite high concentrations of PCDD/Fs and PCBs have been reported in some offals, such as deer and lamb liver, and consumption of portions more than 100 g may therefore lead to exceeded tolerably daily intake (TDI) (2 pg WHO-TEQ/kg of body weight) [9, 7]. Fish and fish products play a significant role in the Finnish dietary intake of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/F; dioxins) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB). If one considers the PCDD/F intake, then fish and fish products accounted for 82 %, and Baltic herring (C. harengus L.) alone 52 % of the total intake [16].
In this study, POP concentrations have been reported in different terrestrial and aquatic animal species in Finland and Russia. The purpose was to report POP concentrations in the aquatic and terrestrial game species representing different environments and variable trophic levels in the ecosystem. Knowledge of organic pollutants in game and semi-domesticated animals is highly needed in order to give advice, if needed, to minimize the exposure of the hunting population.
Terrestrial samples
Organs of Finnish and Russian semi-domesticated reindeer were analysed for PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs to figure out how contaminants are distributed in the reindeer body. Reindeer liver PCDD/F and DL-PCB concentrations were compared between adult reindeer and reindeer calves from Finnish Lapland and Kola Peninsula in Russia. In addition, PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs were analysed in Finnish wild moose liver.
The reindeer tissue samples: muscle (rump, rib and shoulder muscle), liver, kidneys, abdominal fat, lymph nodes (from thoracic cavity) and bone marrow (from legs), lungs, brain, placenta (from adult female) and spleen were gathered from one adult female (age ca. 10 years) and one male calf (age ca. 6 months) from southern reindeer herding area in Finland in 2008. In addition, blood and udder samples were gathered from two adult female reindeer (age ca. 10 years) from northern reindeer herding area in Finland in 2010.
The Finnish reindeer liver samples were sampled in the northern (calves n = 5, adult n = 5), middle (calves n = 3, adult n = 2) and southern (calves n = 3, adult n = 1) Lapland in 2006 and 2010. The Russian reindeer liver (n = 7), muscle (n = 4) and kidney (n = 3) samples were gathered from adult reindeer in Lovozero district in Murmansk area, Kola Peninsula in 2013.
The sampling areas of Finnish moose liver samples located in Northern (Koillismaa) and Central (North-Savo) Finland. The moose liver samples were pooled by the sampling area, sex and age. Pooling resulted in six samples: four from moose calves, age <1 year (of which two were individual moose livers, one pool with two subsamples and one pool with three subsamples), one young adult, age 1.5 years (one subsample,) and one pooled adult liver sample (two subsamples, ages 3 and 4 years).
In addition to individual reindeer and moose samples, in 2007, in a regular market surveillance, meat samples of semi-domesticated reindeer (n = 9) and moose (n = 3) were taken. Sampling and pooling complied the Commission regulation 1883/2006/EC4 and was targeted to the game or semi-domesticated reindeer sold in food stores representing different types and quality of meat. Samples included fillet, tenderloin, flank and rump. Also the muscle meat sample of European hare (Lepus europaeus) (n = 1) was collected from adult hare in southern Finland in 2007.
Aquatic and semi-aquatic samples
The muscle samples (n = 12) of Baltic herring were gathered from the Finnish market in 2006 and 2007. Origin of herring was the Baltic Sea; in particular Bothnian Sea and Archipelago Sea. A part of herring was sampled from unidentified area (Finnish) of the Baltic Sea. The muscle samples of grey seals were gathered as six pooled (3 × 300 g) samples from different catching areas from the northern to southern Finnish coast of the Baltic Sea in 2006–2007. The samples were rolled to aluminium foil and packaged to Minigrip bags. The pooled muscle meat sample of mallard (n = 2) were collected from mallard in the middle of Finland in 2007.
Sample preparation and analyses
The tissues were cut using clean instruments and nitric gloves to prevent contamination. The samples were stored in polyethylene bags and preserved at −20 °C until the analysis was accomplished. The chemical analyses were carried out at the Chemical Exposure Unit of the National Institute for Health and Welfare. The laboratory has been accredited according to the EN ISO/IEC 17025 standard by FINAS. The scope of accreditation includes PCDD/F and DL-PCB analyses from biological matrices. The Russian samples were analysed with Waters Autospec system in the Russian State Center for Quality and Standardization of Veterinary Drugs and Feed (VGNKI). The institution is certified by RF Standardization, Metrology and Certification Committee (Gostandart) as the Veterinary Drugs and Feed certification and testing centre.
After homogenization, the samples were freeze dried, and fat was extracted with ethanol-toluene (15/85 %, v/v) using Accelerated Solvent Extractor (Dionex ASE 300) equipment. The extraction solvent was evaporated to almost dryness and the samples were transferred into hexane, from which the fat content was measured gravimetrically. 13C-labelled PCDD/PCDF (altogether 16 standards) were used as internal standards to quantitate the amount of PCDDs/PCDFs. 13C-labelled PCB congeners were used as internal standards for non-ortho-PCBs. 13C-labelled PBDE standards (BDE 28, 47, 77, 99, 100, 153, 183 and 209) were used for quantification of PBDEs. The recoveries of the individual internal standards of PCDD/F and PCB congeners were determined by adding the recovery standards just before mass spectral analysis. The recoveries of the internal standards were 60–120 %. The limits of quantification (LOQ) for individual congeners were determined by a signal-to-noise ratio of 3:1 [based on Commission regulation (EU) No 252/2012] in the chromatogram or in case of analyte peak existing in the blank sample, concentration of the analyte in blank sample.
After that slurry with sodium sulphate, silica gel, hexane and concentrated sulphuric acid was mixed with a sample. The sample slurry was poured into an acidic multilayer silica gel column [with sodium sulphate, sulphuric acid–silica gel (15 and 44 % w/w) and silica gel layers]. The sample was eluted from the column with hexane and concentrated into small volume (0.5 ml) of hexane. The sample was further purified and fractionated on a carbon column with an alumina column on top of it. The columns were eluted with 20 % dichloromethane-hexane (v/v) and the elute contained ortho and mono-ortho substituted PCBs.
The solvent was evaporated into 0.5 ml of hexane, and after the addition of recovery standards, it was introduced into high-resolution gas chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS; VG 70 SE or Autospec Ultima). The carbon column was then inverted and eluted with toluene. After the addition of recovery standards into toluene fraction, it was evaporated into 20 µl of nonane. This fraction containing PCDD/Fs and non-ortho-PCBs was analysed with HRGC/HRMS; VG 70 SE or Autospec Ultima. The column used for PCDD/Fs and PCBs was DB-Dioxin column (J&W Scientific, 60 m, ID 0.25 mm, 0.15 µm). SIR was used with 10,000 resolution.
The analysed PCDD/F congeners included 17 toxic 2378-substituted congeners (2378-TCDD, 12378-PeCDD, 123478-HxCDD, 123678-HxCDD, 123789-HxCDD, 1234678-HpCDD, OCDD, 2378-TCDF, 12378-PeCDF, 23478-PeCDF, 123478-HxCDF, 123678-HxCDF, 234678-HxCDF, 123789-HxCDF, 1234678-HpCDF, 1234789-HpCDF, OCDF). PCB congeners included 12 dioxin-like PCBs (Non-ortho-PCBs; -77, -81, -126, -169 and mono-ortho-PCBs; -105, -114, -118, -123, -156, -157, -167, -189). PBDEs consisted of congeners BDE-28, -75, -71, -47, -66, -77, -100, -119, -99, -85, -154, -153, -138, -183 and -209.
The results are reported as fat-based lower bound concentrations i.e. the results below the limit of quantification (LOQ) are treated as zero.
Results and discussion
The fat-based WHO-PCDD/F-TEQ and WHO-PCB-TEQ concentrations (lowerbound results) in Finnish reindeer are shown in Fig. 1.
It is seen that the concentrations of WHO-PCDD/F- and WHO-PCB-TEQs were quite equal in the studied organs. However, the liver is an exception, because it accumulates clearly more dioxin-like compounds than other organs. It may be the detoxification properties of liver, which makes it to gather toxic compounds in the greater extent than the other internal organs [21]. Some studies have shown that lipid difference in the tissues and the pollutant lipophilic property conducted transfer, cannot explain the elevated levels of dioxin-like compounds in liver. This may be the result of function of CYP1A2 in the liver. CYP1A2 is an important determinant of PCDD/F sequestration. In addition, liver's high potency of accumulating pollutants may come from their physiological function as the biggest detoxification organ in mammals [27].
The reason for the elevated concentrations in the liver is called the first-pass effect. The venous blood from the gastrointestinal tract of all mammals, if not all vertebrates, is collected in the portal vein system and thus directly passed to the liver before reaching the rest of the body. Thus, the liver will always accumulate higher concentrations compared to the other organs simply because it is the organ that makes first contact within the blood flow.
WHO-PCDD/F-TEQ contributed more (69 %) to total WHO-TEQ in liver while the contributions of WHO-PCDD/F-TEQ and WHO-PCB-TEQ were more equal in other organs. However, WHO-PCB-TEQ shared 61 % of total TEQ in bone marrow sample and even 92 % of total TEQ in blood sample. The most abundant PCDD/F congeners in reindeer internal organs were 23478-PeCDF and 2378-TCDF. Of the non-ortho PCBs, the dominating congener was PCB-126, but also PCB-77 contributed significantly to the total non-ortho-PCB sum, especially in lymph nodes of reindeer.
PCDD/F- and DL-PCB concentrations (as fat-based WHO-TEQs) in Russian reindeer organ samples are shown in Table 1.
It can be noted that PCDD/F levels in Russian reindeer muscle, kidney and liver samples are close to Finnish reindeer samples, but DL-PCB concentrations in all tissues from Russia are several-fold higher than in tissues from Finland. The main contributor to toxicity equivalents in Russian samples was PCB-126. That may be point at a common intensive PCB contamination source located on the territory of Kola Peninsula.
Considering the food safety aspect, it is seen that PCDD/Fs in Russian reindeer muscle samples are below the limits (3 pg/g fat in Russia, 2.5 pg/g fat in EU), but total WHO-PCDD/F-PCB-TEQs are over the EU limit (4 pg/g fat). PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs are ca. two times higher in kidneys than in muscle. PCDD/Fs in liver are higher by an order of magnitude than the current Russian limits (6 pg/g fat).
PCDD/F and DL-PCB concentrations (as fat-based WHO-TEQs) in Finnish and Russian reindeer liver samples are shown in Fig. 2. The results are compared to earlier studies on reindeer in Finland.
It is seen that in Finnish Lapland reindeer calves had higher WHO-PCDD/F- and WHO-PCB-TEQs than adult reindeer. The common trend in Finnish reindeer is that contaminant concentrations increase from northern to southern areas. However, the highest total TEQ level is observed in adult reindeer liver from Kola district, which is high in the north. It seems that in Kola Peninsula, there may be the local pollution sources which affect to the contaminant concentrations seen in reindeer liver.
In addition, WHO-PCDD/F-TEQs were quite equal in Russian adult reindeer liver samples and southern Lapland calf samples from Finland in 2006. That could mean there was also some local contamination source of PCDD/Fs in southern Lapland, too. It is generally seen in the Finnish samples that liver accumulates more PCDD/Fs than DL-PCBs. However, in the calf and adult reindeer samples from northern Lapland in 2010, there were more DL-PCBs than PCDD/Fs of total TEQs. Also adult reindeer samples from Kola district had relatively big contribution of DL-PCBs that may indicate the contamination source near the border area of Northern Finland and Russia in more recent years, while the samples of these areas had been collected in 2010–2013. The reindeer samples from northern Lapland in 2006 had smaller contribution of DL-PCBs of total TEQ than samples gathered in 2010. There could be varying exposure conditions between the years.
WHO-PCDD/F-TEQs and WHO-PCB-TEQs in Finnish moose liver are shown in Table 2.
It can be seen that a young adult moose from the central Finland had the highest WHO-PCDD-TEQ of the all samples studied (4.26 pg/g fat). This may indicate higher exposure to PCDD/Fs in more southern regions in Finland. The lowest WHO-PCDD/F-TEQ (0.7 pg/g fat) and WHO-PCB-TEQ (0.42 pg/g fat) concentrations were seen in adult female moose from northern Finland. However, most of the calves from northern Finland had WHO-PCDD/F-TEQs and WHO-PCB-TEQs over 3.0 pg/g fat.
Low concentrations of WHO-PCB-TEQs of the calves and adult moose correlated with WHO-PCDD/F-TEQs: One moose calf and one moose adult had lower WHO-PCB-TEQ concentrations than the other samples studied from the northern Finland. Lower WHO-PCB-TEQs of these samples may indicate different exposure conditions to PCBs. It has been found in earlier studies that Finnish reindeer calves' livers contained more PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs than adult reindeer livers, which could be the case for moose as well [24, 29].
The fat contents of the moose liver samples were very similar (on average 5.3 %), so they do not explain variation in contamination levels. An earlier study does not support the concept that PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs accumulate into liver tissue via the lipid partitioning only. Instead, there may be other functionally important factors such as CYP1A2, in liver [29]. In this study, we do not have information on moose liver enzymes in a relation to contaminant accumulation. However, accumulation of compounds in liver may be due to cytoplasmic and microsomal binding [6, 2]. However, other than the DL-PCBs (namely non-DL-PCBs) can act as inhibitors of CYPs and may thus lead to reduced biotransformation.
In this study, adult moose from the northern Finland seemed to have somewhat lower DL-PCB concentrations than calves from the same area, but generally it seems that in northern Finland, there is higher exposure to DL-PCBs than in southern Finland. This is supported by the observation that WHO-PCB-TEQs were generally higher in the northern than in southern Finland.
The most abundant PCDD/F congeners found in moose liver samples were 23478-PeCDF and 2378-TCDF. Also 123478-HxCDF, 123678-HxCDF and 234678-HxCDF were well representative in some of the liver samples. Of the non-ortho dioxin-like PCBs, the most dominating congener was clearly PCB-126.
A German study had observed that liver of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) was highly contaminated with PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs in natural surroundings in Germany (WHO-PCDD/F-PCB-TEQ 61 pg/g fat) [25]. High levels have been detected in Finnish reindeer livers [24, 30], too. However, PCDD/F and PCB levels in reindeer and moose muscle samples were clearly lower than in liver in Finland [30]. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) sampled near the magnesium smelter in Canada had PCDD/F-TEQ concentration of 26 pg/g fat in adipose tissue [32], which is still below the concentration in liver samples of reindeer in this study.
WHO-PCDD/F-PCB-TEQ in moose muscle samples in Sweden (on average 8.1 pg/g fat) [3] has shown higher level than moose muscle samples [30], and according to this study, also moose liver samples in Finland. This may indicate that Finnish moose is less exposed to PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs. However, contaminations of Finnish reindeer liver do not support the idea of minimal environmental pollution in Finland. There also can be some individual metabolic differences, which influence to the contamination levels in moose. A comparison of WHO-PCDD/F-TEQs and WHO-PCB-TEQs between Finnish reindeer and moose muscle and liver is shown in Fig. 3.
It is clearly seen that moose have lower concentrations of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs in liver than reindeer. It could be possible that there are naturally more binding CYP1A2 enzymes in reindeer liver than in moose liver. Other explanation may be that moose is metabolizing these compounds more effectively than reindeer. Or, it could be the differences in the diets of these Cervid species which have influence to PCDD/F and DL-PCB levels in their liver. It is also possible that all these explanations are affecting to the outcome.
In hare meat, the concentrations of WHO-PCDD/F-TEQ were 1.2 pg/g fat and WHO-PCB-TEQ 0.89 pg/g fat. It is seen that PCDD/Fs contributed more to total WHO-TEQ in hare. PBDE concentration was 1.7 ng/g fat. BDE-209 was clearly the most dominating PBDE congener in hare.
PBDE congener profile in reindeer was largely different than in Baltic herring and grey seal. BDE-209 was the most dominating congener; its share was as much as 79 % of total PBDE sum. BDE-47 (6 %), BDE-99 (6 %) (Indicators of Penta-mix exposure) and BDE-153 (5 %) were three other congeners building mainly PBDE congener profile of reindeer. BDE-154 and -183 (Octa-mix congeners) were observed to show low contribution (1 % from total sum) in reindeer. An earlier study with moose (A. alces) in Finland had shown that Penta- and Octa-BDEs were the most dominating PBDEs in muscle samples. However, BDE-209 has been observed to exist in high levels (up to 177 ng/g lipid weight) in moose muscle samples, too [29]. It is concluded that BDE-209 is minimally absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract of mammals because of its high molecular mass [4]. Our study, however, shows high BDE-209 levels in terrestrial herbivore mammals.
The mean WHO-PCDD/F-TEQ was 22 pg/g fat and WHO-PCB-TEQ 191 pg/g fat in grey seal (Table 3). In the meat of grey seal, the concentration of dioxins was clearly higher when compared to results in terrestrial animals implicating their different position in the food web. There may be harmful health effects for grey seal because of high dioxin contamination. The contribution of PCB to total TEQ was higher in grey seal while the opposite was true for meat of moose, mallard and hare (Table 4) as well as for liver of reindeer.
It was observed that grey seal had clearly the highest mean PBDE concentrations, 115 ng/g lw) (Table 5). The secondly highest PBDE level was observed to be in Baltic herring (12.2 ng/g lw), followed by reindeer (1.85 ng/g lw). The lipid content was on average highest in Baltic herring (9.5 %). Grey seal (4.6 %) and reindeer (3.4 %) had more equal fat contents. Therefore, it is not a necessity to have a highest lipid content to have the highest PBDE levels in muscle tissue as the results with grey seal indicate. It may be still the ecophysiological factors, like feeding behaviour and metabolic capacity, which affect to the PBDE concentrations detected in animal tissues.
Considering the individual PBDE congeners in Baltic herring, a proportion of BDE-47 was remarkable, namely 59 %, and it was followed by BDE-100 with 14 % share of total PBDEs measured (Table 2). Though, this indicates strong Penta-mix exposure of Baltic herring. Parallel results have been observed by previous studies on Baltic herring [15, 22]. BDE-47 is typically found from animals in the marine environment. For example, in the livers of piscivorous cormorants (Phalocrocorax carbo) BDE-47 contributed 24-100 % of the total PBDEs present [1, 18]. Haglund et al. [10] have reported BDE-47 concentrations 3.2–27 µg/kg lipid weight in different age groups of Baltic herring. Though, age-related accumulation of PBDEs in fish had been observed [28]. Shares of BDE-99, -154 and -209 were quite equal (on average 6 % of each) in Baltic herring.
The most dominant PBDE congeners in grey seal were BDE-47 and -100 as they were in Baltic herring, too (Table 2). BDE-47 was contributed on average 68 % of the total PBDE sum of grey seal. Contribution of BDE-100 was 9 %. In contrast to high BDE-47 concentration and thus indication of the presence of Penta-BDE formulation, the Octa-mix indicative BDE-183 concentration was negligible in the grey seal samples (that was true also for Baltic herring). However, BDE-154 and -153 (Octa-mix exposure indicators) have on average 5 % representation of total PBDE profile in grey seal.
BDE-28 and -66 were not seen in grey seal samples although these congeners exist in Baltic herring samples (2 % contribution both). This may be explained by the higher metabolic rate of these congeners in grey seal. Tetra- to Hexa-BDEs have been reported found widely from the wildlife in remote areas [14, 19].
The overall PBDE congener profile of Baltic herring reflected well a profile of grey seal; correlation coefficient was 0.99 between the species. Only exceptions were early mentioned BDE-66 and -28. Species-specific differences in accumulation of compounds may be caused by absorption efficiency, elimination rates and/or metabolism.
Dioxin concentrations in the meat of semi-domesticated reindeer and terrestrial game animals were generally low. However, reindeer liver contained about 20 times more PCDD/Fs when compared to reindeer meat. PCDD/Fs were quite equally distributed in the lipid compartment in all Finnish reindeer tissues, despite the varying fat contents in different tissues. However, in liver there was overwhelmingly highest PCDD/F level. That may be the result of existing CYP1A2 and high affinity of dioxin-like compounds to it. DL-PCBs were behaved with similar manner than PCDD/Fs. However, there was somewhat higher DL-PCB concentration in bone marrow than in other organs. Again liver was an exception with the highest DL-PCB load.
Reindeer liver samples showed varying concentrations of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs. Finnish reindeer calves had higher contaminant levels than adult reindeer, but adult reindeer from Kola Peninsula showed to have the highest concentration of total TEQ (ca. 190 pg/g fat). All Finnish and Russian reindeer liver samples exceeded the EU maximum level for PCDD/Fs (10 pg/g fat), which is currently set for bovine animals.
A young adult moose from the central Finland had the highest concentrations of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs of all moose liver samples studied. Generally studied calves from the northern sampling site had equal concentrations of WHO-PCDD/F- and WHO-PCB-TEQs in their liver. Overall moose had clearly lower PCDD/F and DL-PCB concentrations in their liver than reindeer. There could be differences between the diets or metabolic capacities or both.
Grey seal had clearly the highest mean PBDE concentrations. The secondly highest PBDE level was observed to be in Baltic herring, followed by reindeer. PBDE congener profiles were very similar in Baltic herring and grey seal (representing an aquatic food chain). However, PBDE profiles in terrestrial environment differed significantly from aquatic one. This may indicate different deposition mechanisms and exposure of PBDEs and also possible different biotransform capacity of animals.
Being herbivores, terrestrial animals have congener profiles closer to deposited (technical) mixtures of PCBs and PBDEs when compared to e.g. Baltic Sea seal (tetra- and penta congeners of PCBs and congeners BDE47, 99 and 100 contribute significantly).
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Kiviranta H, Hallikainen A, Ovaskainen M-L, Kumpulainen J, Vartiainen T (2001) Dietary intakes of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans and polychlorinated biphenyls in Finland. Food Addit Contam 18:945–953
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Koistinen J, Kiviranta H, Ruokojärvi P, Parmanne R, Verta M, Hallikainen A, Vartiainen T (2008) Organohalogen pollutants in herring from the northern Baltic Sea: concentrations, congener profiles and explanatory factors. Environ Pollut 154:172–183
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Law RJ, Allchin CR, Bennett ME, Morris S, Rogan E (2002) Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in two species of marine top predators from England and Wales. Chemosphere 46:673–681
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Lund KH, Sørensen S, Cederberg TL (2008) PCDD/F and PCB content in different parts of sheep. Organohalogen Compd 70:001724
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Authors' contributions
AHS performed sampling and data analyses and wrote the manuscript. PR performed chemical analyses and prepared the manuscript. AK performed data analyses. DM performed data analyses and prepared the manuscript. VO performed data analyses. AP performed data analyses. HK performed chemical analyses and prepared the manuscript. SL performed sampling and data analyses and prepared the manuscript. MN prepared the manuscript. MV prepared the manuscript preparing. AH performed data analyses and prepared the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira, Finnish Cultural Foundation and Thule-institute and Oulun läänin Talousseuran maataloussäätiö are acknowledged for funding of this study. The staff of Unit of Chemical Exposure in THL is thanked for their technical assistance.
Competing interests
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
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Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.
About this article
Cite this article
Holma-Suutari, A., Ruokojärvi, P., Komarov, A.A. et al. Biomonitoring of selected persistent organic pollutants (PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PBDEs) in Finnish and Russian terrestrial and aquatic animal species. Environ Sci Eur 28, 5 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-016-0071-z
- Biomonitoring
- Animals
- Dioxins
- Liver
- Organs


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Of the 164,690 diagnosed cases of prostate cancer last year, approximately 29,500 deaths occurred. Almost a third of cancer diagnoses in men are from prostate cancer, and nearly all patients are over 50 at the time of diagnosis. One of the biggest problems is that initially, the symptoms go unnoticed.
Sometimes Problems Can Go Undetected
When it comes to any prostate cancer symptoms bourbonnais il physicians say at the early stage, there are no typical symptoms that indicate a malignant tumor. The person concerned initially does not notice anything. Complaints usually do not appear until the tumor has become so large that it spreads to the urethra or when metastases have formed outside the prostate, typically in the bones.
At an early stage only examinations can reveal prostate cancer. Symptoms begin to appear as the enlarged gland starts to grow. Perhaps you notice your urine flow is just a small trickle, compared to the flow in earlier times, and it takes a long time to empty your bladder. Also, those bathroom breaks are occurring much more frequently. That progression of events is typical of men undergoing a common phenomenon of an enlarged prostate.
While it doesn't mean cancer is on the horizon, men should get a full examination of the prostate to check its healthy status. The goal of early detection measures is to make a timely diagnosis if there is a problem. Doctors point out, it's far better to diagnose a tumor when it small, and not causing any discomfort. Because then the treatment and thus chances of recovery are greatest.
Specialists in urology recommend to all men from the age of 40 to have their prostate examined once a year. Doctors will perform a PSA test. The PSA is a protein that is formed by the glandular cells of the prostate. The normal PSA level in healthy men is in the range of zero to two and one-half billionths of a gram. In prostate cancer, the PSA concentration in the blood is usually increased.
PSA alone is not a sure sign of cancer, because there are many more reasons for an altered PSA value. Research shows that only one in four men with a PSA between four and ten nanograms per milliliter actually have prostate cancer. Conversely, just as elevated PSA levels may not always indicate prostate cancer, "normal" PSA levels do not fully exclude prostate cancer. Therefore, in addition to PSA testing doctors will examine external organs, like genitalia and rectum.
Practicing An Ounce Of Prevention
Things you can do that may lower the risk of prostate cancer is eat healthier. Low-fat, high-fiber foods and a menu rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and staying physically active are the best prevention tools for cancer. Experts say fish, like salmon and sardines, tomatoes, and vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage are just a few food choices that diminish any risk of cancer. The right treatment for each man depends on his stage of cancer and how aggressively the cancer cells are growing, so it's best to consult with a doctor.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Peter Serrano, a regular sighting in Toronto, just won Best New Artist at the Portuguese Music Awards! Born in Toronto, he has a soulful acoustic sound, and raspy voice, vivid imagery, and poignant lyrics. Check out his video for 'Sunset and a City', and the next time he performs in T.O., you won't be disappointed!


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About Dee Dee Becker
Community Building Strategist. Writer. Story Teller.
Leveraging the power of digital media to maximize online presence, build and engage communities and strengthen brand loyalty.
Dee Dee Becker
Dee Dee Becker offers a wealth of marketing, communications and PR experience which began in non-profit more than thirty years ago with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, American Diabetes Association and Sentara Healthcare (Norfolk). In 1998, she founded Becker Communications, consulting with clients in the entertainment, transportation, education and legal sectors, including The New York Times Company, Virginia Port Authority and ESPN.
As a Facebook Power Admin, Dee Dee's talents include crafting and telling stories of healthcare systems and other industries "doing good" for the communities they serve. Results driven, nothing energizes her more than leveraging the power of digital media to maximize online presence, build and engage communities and strengthen brand loyalty.
Dee Dee's expertise is rooted in communications planning, writing and management across multiple platforms including traditional, web and social media. Her background includes planning and managing major corporate communications and PR initiatives for healthcare organizations, ranging from mergers and acquisitions to program/service line publicity and crisis management. Ask her about the time a Navy jet crashed in Virginia Beach (all survived!), or when a hospital patient caused a shocking stir with a fake bomb threat – her biggest exercises in crisis communications.
When not consulting, this University of Mary Washington graduate wears numerous other hats: Virginia Tech Hokie mom. Wife. Eldest of six girls – the #sixters. Dee Dee's latest passion includes serving as lead admin for the Virginia Tech Parents Facebook group as well as moderator for the nationally acclaimed and award-winning Grown and Flown Parents group. She is wildly exhilarated by sharing (and commiserating in!) the wiles and trials of other "Grown and Flown" parents – and never lacks inspiration for an entertaining story.
What's New
Facebook Community Leader Series: NYC Edition
I was honored to participate in Facebook's Community Leadership Panel in October 2019. I met with the Facebook Groups and Products teams and discussed my role as admin for the Virginia Tech Parents group. The panel was live-fed to other Facebook team members across the country, where I shared how the social media platform helps me in running groups as well as suggested enhancements to the tools and features I use. Facebook takes this feedback to develop new products that ultimately help admins create greater, more meaningful impact within our communities. Want to see more behind the scenes photos? Check out my Facebook page here.
Facebook Communities Summit
Since my return from the Facebook Communities Summit in early February, many asked about the event and how I was chosen to attend. Held for the first time at Facebook HQ in Menlo Park, CA, the Facebook Communities Summit is an invite-only event hosted by Facebook to connect, support and celebrate community leaders – those of us who admin pages or groups on Facebook whether they be a business, non-profit or cause related organization.
As one of less than 450 participants and 12 speakers chosen to attend, I heard announcements from CEO Mark Zuckerberg, COO Sheryl Sandberg and others at Facebook about the tools and programs they're building to support our initiatives. It was my version of attending a Super Bowl, or maybe more apropos, visiting the Mother Ship of technology giants. I'm grateful for the opportunity to share more about this unique experience which was highlighted recently in Inside Business magazine.
Facebook Communities Summit Crisis Panel
Pictured left to right: Kevin Chan, Facebook director of public policy; Becker; Christopher Stephens, admin for Boundary Neighbourhood Watch; Ebonie Gipson, admin for I'm Building Something; Andrew Schroeder, admin for Direct Relief
Crisis Management Case Study: 5 Tips for managing a crisis in a large Facebook group
Perhaps you will recall a national news story last year about a Virginia Tech freshman who was arrested for illegally possessing assault rifles. According to court records, he also tried to buy 5,000 rounds of ammunition, researched bullet proof vests and bought a former police car which he outfitted with special bumpers. In short, he is no longer a student – and numerous stories made the news from local to regional and national outlets, too. Learn how this event played out over social media and the strategy used to manage the group crisis.
Business Partnerships
As a leading communications firm based in Virginia Beach, Dee Dee partners with other best-of-breed service providers, including Corrigan Consulting (Norfolk), Feedback (Richmond), Red Orange Studio (Richmond), and Access (Roanoke). She works together or independently depending on engagement specifics.
- Marketing
- Public Relations
- Social Media
- Crisis Management
- Community Management


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Live in Wythenshawe
Wythenshawe was planned as a 'Garden City' in the 1920s and as a result almost every home has its own garden, making Wythenshawe one of the greenest areas in Manchester.
Garden City Homes continues the development of providing homes with easy access to both city centre and countryside. Wythenshawe is the proud home of Manchester International Airport and Wythenshawe Hospital.
Wythenshawe is located just 6 miles away from Manchester city centre and therefore is a great place to live with everything you could need at your doorstep. Wythenshawe is well located for a wide range of retail and leisure activities from local independent shopping to museums, theatres and galleries. If it's eating and drinking out you enjoy, Wythenshawe is spoilt for choice to suit all tastes. Community life in Wythenshawe is based around strong neighbourhoods, the many green spaces of a garden-city environment and the vibrant community and voluntary sector that thrives here. Community venues range from the large-scale Forum complex to local youth and community centres and smaller-scale church halls. Voluntary organisations also come in various shapes and sizes from Tree of Life, which has one centre in the area, to small groups such as scouts, guides, cultural groups and sports clubs.


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Ever since it was revealed that Jax Taylor cheated on his girlfriend with Faith Stowers, she's been spilling the tea on what really goes down between the employees on "Vanderpump Rules." This time she's addressing James Kennedy's relationship with Logan Noh.
Logan is an openly gay new cast member that we were introduced to weeks ago. He's one of James's best friends and he is noticeably jealous when Kennedy's girlfriend, Raquel Leviss, comes around.
In the latest episode, Noh and Kennedy professed their love for each other as friends but also as more than that. It was even pointed out by Leviss herself that something is going on between the two of them.
The moment left fans wondering if the DJ is bisexual. Stowers, who was close to James and Lala Kent at one point, told Radar Online what the deal was.
She claims that not only are the two friends extremely close, but they have a hot and cold relationship where one minute they're arguing and the next minute they're kissing.
She knows this because Faith, Logan, James, and Raquel used to go to one of WEHO's most popular gay clubs together called The Abbey.
The former SURver also explained: "I'm not going to not say he's gay. I think he has one foot in the closet, and one foot out."
"Vanderpump Rules" has always been a very pro-LGBT show. They have an episode that takes place on the day of the world-famous pride parade every year and has introduced a new friend of the cast named Billie Lee who is openly transgender.
Viewers are split on how they feel about the ongoing storyline of James' sexuality.
Some think that it's wrong to put James on the spot if he's not ready to come out yet while other's feel that he may not be bisexual or gay at all but instead just close with Logan.
Many fans suggest that Raquel is only with James in order to be on the show. They feel the same way about Brittany Cartwright after she chose to stay with Jax Taylor after he constantly disrespected her.
What do you think about the new drama? Do you think people should stop making such a big deal about sexuality or do you feel it needs to be addressed?


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Stock No: 16339
Draper TX-STAR® products are compatible with †Torx fixing systems
Expert Quality, 10 Draper TX - STAR® Plus socket bits, 48mm long. All sockets manufactured from hardened and tempered chrome vanadium steel with sand blasted bits of S2 silicon steel. Each socket has a knurled ring for extra grip. Supplied on a steel socket retaining rail. Display packed.
|Bit Length
View product in our catalogue: Page 90
View more products in this category
VAT rated at: 20.00 %


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A gravity racer is a non-motor vehicle driven on a sloping road – either against the clock or against a competitor. It is usually made of wood. Mostly, it is built for recreation.
Propelled by gravity, the vehicle can achieve speeds over 70 miles per hour. To steer the vehicle, one must use both feet and hands simultaneously. A gravity racer derives its energy entirely from the force of gravity (minus starting push) – that is in effect equal for any combination of course and racer design. However, performance could be greatly influenced by the combined impact of different forms of drag, moment of inertia of the wheels, and the driver's skill in choosing optimal lines.
Originally, gravity racer cars were built from roller-skate wheels & wooden soap/apple crates, but over time, they have grown more sophisticated with materials like fibreglass, aluminium, etc.
An Interesting DIY Activity
Building a gravity racer is an interesting and fairly simple task, provided all the materials needed are available. Wooden plank/sheet timber, hammer, split pin, screwdriver, brakes (bike brakes could be used), trolley wheels, ropes, wood screws, drill and electric jigsaw are the basic requirements. Once all the materials are gathered, you can start building the racer.
The following are the steps to be followed:
- cutting the chassis plank to its optimal size
- clipping the axle planks to the requisite length
- making the pivot
- binding the rear/back side axle planks
- placing/fastening the driver seat
- building the steering, &
- sliding the wheels onto the axles and securing them
One could find a detailed pictorial description of the same on http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Gravity-Racer#Design_It_Yourself.2C_For_Fun_sub.
Generally, wooden gravity racers are for kids' recreational purposes and are a fun sport. The racers are, therefore, made of wood to render them a lightweight body, which helps kids easily manoeuvre the vehicle. Even otherwise, if it was meant for adults, wood is still preferred over steel. Metal is typically used within competitive circuits.
Driven by Competitive Spirit
Though majorly a popular hobby among kids, there are proper competitions and races called soapbox/billycart derby conducted. However, these events are usually fun contests and cannot be viewed as regular sporting events. Usually, such racing tournaments are a part of fund-raisers or conducted for charitable reasons. Many such events impose certain rules that need to be kept in mind while building the gravity racer, so that the machine serves the purpose.
These rules are:
- There must be no motor in the car
- The car must have 4 wheels at least
- Some types of brakes must be in use
- A helmet is a must for the driver
- For speed, a push at the top is allowed
Gravity racers weigh 150 pounds on an average and attain top speeds of in the 20-30 mph range. Many cities have dedicated tracks where people compete for prizes. Gravity racer carts are unpowered. Whether running down a suitable slope or pushed by willing helpers, skill has a major role to play in the race's outcome.


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Saint Vincent College is a welcoming environment, sharing the core values of the Benedictine tradition, especially hospitality, community, love, prayer and respect for the dignity of all.
Founded in 1846 by Boniface Wimmer, a monk from Bavaria, we are the first Benedictine college in the United States. Saint Vincent College has striven to embody the ideals and character of the 1,500-year-old heritage of Benedictine education. For 170 years, the monks of Saint Vincent have exemplified and carried on this living Benedictine tradition.
Got monks? We do, and we're proud of it.
Feb. 4, 2019
Saint Vincent College President Br. Norman W. Hipps, O.S.B., Ph.D., has announced the appointment of Dr. Margaret Watkins, professor of philosophy, to the position of Dean of the School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.
"We are grateful for Dr. Watkins' exemplary work as interim dean, in addition to her scholarly accomplishments as a member of the Philosophy Department," said Br. Norman. "We look forward to her continuing contributions and leadership of the school as it moves forward."
"I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to continue to serve the College and our School in this position," Watkins said. "We have enormous opportunities for innovation and collaboration, and a wealth of resources in our dedicated and accomplished faculty and staff."
A Hume scholar, Watkins has presented at nearly 50 professional conferences, and has had more than a dozen scholarly articles published. Her book "The Philosophical Progress of Hume's 'Essays'" has just been published by Cambridge University Press.
Watkins is a member of the Executive Committee of the Hume Society and served as program director for the International Hume Society Conference held in Budapest in July 2018, a multi-year project involving leadership of a committee of four conference organizers.
Watkins was hired at Saint Vincent in 2009 as an assistant professor of philosophy, attaining the rank of associate professor in the fall of 2013, and professor in 2018. She has taught more than a dozen different courses in philosophy and ethics at Saint Vincent, from introductory to the senior and honors levels.
During her time as interim dean, she has been active in promoting new programs within the School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, including Saint Vincent's digital art and media program, and the new major in literary translation. Under her leadership, faculty from the Anthropology, English and History departments collaborated with Carlow University and Ursuline College on a grant recently funded by the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC). This grant will support innovative work and teaching in the humanities at all three schools.
Watkins graduated Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude from the College of William and Mary. She went on to earn both a master of arts and Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Notre Dame. Her doctoral dissertation was entitled "The Autonomous Hume: On the Search for the Kantian Moral Motive in Hume's Moral Philosophy."
Photo: Dr. Margaret Watkins, Dean of the Saint Vincent College School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Twitter: @MySaintVincent
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/saintvincentcollege
Instagram: @SaintVincentCollege
YouTube: Saint Vincent College
Phone: 724-805-2010
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has updated the credit ratings of 50 commercial banks, microfinance banks, and Development Finance Institutions operating in Pakistan.
According to the details, the credit ratings have been classified in seven segments including public sector banks, specialized and private banks, Islamic Banks, foreign banks, DFIs, and microfinance banks.
Among public sector banks, there are five banks such as National Bank of Pakistan, Sindh Bank and Bank of Punjab.
SBP Releases Branch Codes For Issuance of Fresh Currency Notes for 2018
There are two specialized banks including SME Bank and Zarai Taraqiati Bank.
- Commercial Banks include Silk Bank, Askari Bank, JS Bank, Allied Bank, Habib Bank, United Bank, and etc.
- Islamic Banks include Meezan Bank, BankIslami, Dubai Islamic Bank, and etc.
- Foreign Banks include Citibank, Deutsche Bank, and etc,.
- DFIs include House Building Finance Company, Pak Kuwait Investment Bank, Pakistan Oman Investment Bank, etc.
- Microfinance Banks including U Microfinance Bank, Telenor Microfinance Bank, Mobilink Microfinance Bank, and etc.
There are two certified credit rating agencies in Pakistan—PACRA and JCR-VIS – that issue rating to local banks. Ratings of foreign banks are issued by Moody, Standard and Poor's, and Fitch.
The credit ratings of all banks and DFIs could be viewed here in detail.
What is Credit Rating?
A credit rating is an evaluation of the credit risk of a prospective debtor (a bank, a DFI, company or a government), predicting their ability to pay back the debt, and an implicit forecast of the likelihood of the debtor defaulting. Credit ratings for borrowers are based on substantial due diligence conducted by the rating agencies.
While a borrowing entity will strive to have the highest possible credit rating since it has a major impact on interest rates charged by lenders, the rating agencies must take a balanced and objective view of the borrower's financial situation and capacity to service/repay the debt.
A credit rating not only determines whether or not a borrower will be approved for a loan, but also determines the interest rate at which the loan will need to be repaid. Since companies depend on loans for many start-ups and other expenses, being denied a loan could spell disaster, and a high interest rate is much more difficult to pay back.
Credit ratings also play a large role for a potential investor to determine whether or not to purchase bonds. A poor credit rating is a risky investment; it indicates a larger probability that the company will be unable to make its bond payments
Current credit ratings of commercial banks and financial institutions is not available on the site


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A teachers union has demanded the government raise pensions for retired civil servants, police and soldiers at the same time as increasing public sector salaries.
In letter delivered yesterday, Cambodian Independent Teachers Association president Rong Chhun called on Prime Minister Hun Sen to support retired government workers, who he said were languishing in poverty.
The problem, Chhun said, is while Hun Sen announced another wage bump for civil servants on January 12, there's been no corresponding pension rise. He said workers who retired with low salaries were stuck with meager pensions as low as $25 a month.
Given that family support payments were cut on retirement, Chhun said retirees were struggling.
"The government should increase pensions and give retirees the modest salary they deserve for the many years they have served the nation," he said.
The Pension Department at the Ministry of Social Affairs could not be contacted for comment yesterday.


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|Xbox 360
Emperor: Battle for Dune
Game Review - by James Allen
Sound FX:
The units themselves are very different between houses, and the balancing that went into them is very well done. Depending on your playing style, you'll find that one of the three sides tailors to your individual desires. The units range from infantry to tanks to planes, all of which have different offensive capabilities and defensive ability. All of the buildings and units are rendered in full 3D, and the x, y, AND z axes are very well rendered in Emperor, and, more importantly, the game is very easy to navigate. Too often I've seen a poor implementation of the 3D camera position, which just tends to confuse the player rather than using 3D to enhance the experience. Emperor: Battle of Dune is the most painless use of 3D I've seen, and mostly because the game is seen from the classic RTS 2D perspective, although you can zoom, rotate, and move your viewpoint. A very smart decision was made in zooming: as you close in on the landscape, your camera pitch raises up so that you can actually see what's going on. Leaving the tilt of the camera out of the control of the user makes zooming in and out a refreshingly painless process, and I'm especially thankful for that.
The last couple of innovations (which are unrelated, but I waited until now to address them) are the giant sandworms and retreating. You can construct your base on any area of solid rock, because underneath the tranquil sand landscapes lies sandworms, which instantly destroy any unit which it consumes. This doesn't completely alter the course of a battle, but it is a neat addition that will frustrate you (in a good way) more than once. Lastly, in single player campaigns, you are given the option to retreat from an area. Why is this useful? Well, you surviving units are carried over between battles, and their experience points can mean the difference among victory and defeat. To make a long story short (too late), Emperor finally perfects the Westwood RTS formula. About time!
© 1996- Danworld, Inc.


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Send SMS using GSM AT commands.
It is possible to connect GSM modem to RouterOS device and use it to send SMS messages. RouterOS lists such modem as serial port that appears in '/port print' listing. GSM standard defines AT commands for sending SMS messages, and defines how messages should be encoded in these commands.
'advanced-tools' package provides command '/tool sms send' that uses standard GSM AT commands to send SMS.
'/tool sms port dst smsc=smsc message=message type=type
- port - Name of port from '/port' list that GSM modem is attached to.
- dst - Recepient phone number. Allowed characters are "0123456789*#abc". If first character is "+" then phone number type is set to 'international', otherwise it is set to 'unknown'.
- message - Message contents. It is encoded using GSM 7 encoding (UCS2 currently is not supported), so message length is limited to 160 characters (characters ^{}\[]~| are counted as two characters each). Concatenated messages and non-ASCII characters are currently not supported.
- type - If set to 'class-0', then send class 0 SMS message. It is displayed immedeately and not stored in phone.
/tool sms send usb3 "20000000" message="ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz!@#\$%^&*(){}[]\"'~"
'/tool sms send' command logs data it writes and reads. It is logged with tags gsm,debug,write and gsm,debug,read.
Implementation details
This command uses "AT+CMGS" and "AT+CMGF" commands. Port is acquired for the duration of this command, and cannot be used concurently by another RouterOS component. Sending message can take a long time, this command timeouts after a minute while sending message data, and after two seconds during initial AT command exchange.


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Cabbage can be pickled, fermented for dishes such as sauerkraut, stewed, steamed, braised, sautéed or eaten raw. The general cabbage family includes the non-crinkly-leaved common green cabbage, dark red, long-leaved bok choy and the tiny Brussels sprouts. Crinkly-leaved cabbages are Savoy and longer-leaved Napa. This article will concentrate on ways prepare regular or savoy green cabbage.
Cabbage's variety of preparation textures.
Raw, sharp-flavored, crunchy
Crisp when quickly stir fried
Tender and sweeter when cooked a long period
Different nationalities tended to adapt cabbage differently.
The Dutch pickled it as sauerkraut used a lot on sailing vessels
The Germans adopted it mightly and became known as "Krauts."
The English created their Bubble and Squeak
The Irish loved their Colcannon
North Americans heavily adopted cole slow and many other dishes.
The ancient Celtic are credited with introducing wild cabbage to Europe as early as 600 B.C.E., where the ancient Greeks and Romans honored it for its health benefits. Cultivated cabbage spread soon over all of Europe. During the 16th century cabbage was being grown in the colonies, and by the 18th century, Australians began eating cabbage.
Cabbage is a good source of vitamins K, C, B and A. Raw, or cabbage steamed for 5 minutes tends to retain more of its nutrients. Longer cooking tends to yield cabbage with less health benefits. Lightly-steamed cabbage is often found beneficial for those with intestinal disturbances.
When selecting regular green cabbage, go for the greenest. Make sure any browning or limpness is missing. Heaviness for its size denotes it has moisture and is not dried out.
- Apple
- Bell peppers
- Carrots
- Celery
- Chili
- Garlic
- Ginger root
- Mango
- Nuts
- Raisins
- Red onion
- Rice vinegar
- Sesame seed/oil
- Soy sauce
- Steamed quickly, topped with olive oil and lemon
Below are recipes for using cabbage.


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Bulgaria's fifty largest construction companies had a total turnover of BGN 2,7 B in 2007, the Bulgarian Construction Chamber (BCC) announced Wednesday.
The Chamber has prepared its annual rankings of the top 50 Bulgarian construction firms, and is going to award the most successful of them at a special ceremony on October 24.
A total of 2 400 construction companies, which are members of the BCC, applied for a spot among the top 50.
The largest Bulgarian construction enterprise remains Glavbolgarstroy JSC with a total turnover of BGN 228,9 M. It is followed by Patishta ("Roads") Holding with a turnover of BGN 151,7 M, which is owned by the richest Bulgarian Vasil Bozhkov.
Glavbolgarstroy JSC is the leading company in the high construction field, whereas Patishta Holding is the number one in the infrastructure category.
The engineering company Enemona with a total turnover of BGN 56 M has been ranked first in the energy projects category, whereas Geotechmin is the leader in the public works field with a turnover of BGN 109,3 M.
According to the BCC, in 2007 Bulgaria's construction sector registered its usual growth of 15-16%. However, the chamber predicts that in 2008 the sector would be in stagnation because of the reduced volume of investments.
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Tuesday, June 27, 2006
7 Comments:
- Dave MacIntyre said...
Great series of greenery and insects!
- Unknown said...
Wow, how did you capture those magnificient shots of the bee coming in for landing on the flower? Incredible imagery!
- Sicilian said...
I love ferns. . . what an awesome picture. . . somehow botanical gardens and Alaska seem like odd words in the same sentence. What a fantastic day that must have been.
- Dave said...
Thanks Dave
Tiff, heh lucky... course the bee wasn't in focus but i think i like it that way. :)
Sicilian, hah yeah I hear that a lot... we do get a buncha sun in the summer tho ;)
- Karen said...
I love the fern and the unblurry bee. (Is "unblurry" a word?) I mean the second bee picture, where the edges are more defined. I kind of like the Siberian iris, too, except I'd like it better if it was a different colour. That's not the iris's fault though (or yours, for that matter).
Macro nature shots are one of my favourite types of photography.
- SRB said...
You don't know me and I don't know you, but I stumbled upon your blog... I love the pictures on your site.
The fern is my favorite in this post. Gorgeous.
- Norwood Matt said...
That fern, Dave. Just a lame-ass suggestion, but what if you were to do some of your monochromatic magic on that fern image?


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Nancy Sims, University of Minnesota
The library world tends to be a bit risk- and conflict-avoidant – often for pretty good reasons related to our public interest values! The non-libraries tech world tends to be more cavalier about risk, and embrace confrontation, in ways that create both benefits and harms for many people. Nancy will offer some thoughts through the lenses of her legal and tech background, in how libraries need to take savvy risks and engage in strategic confrontation to forward our public interest values and reduce harms to our users and our communities in a time of increasing instability.


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Town, Julian go into arbitration as criminal case presented to States Attorney's Office
FAIRFIELD — As the town and Julian Enterprises go behind closed doors for an arbitration hearing, police have confirmed they are in consultation with the States Attorney's Office regarding a criminal investigation into the fill pile at Richard White Way.
Since July 2017, Fairfield police have undertaken a criminal investigation into allegations of misconduct at the fill pile.
The investigation, Police Chief Lyddy has previously said, was started when police received complaints from town residents about the volume of material at the pile and the excessive truck traffic traveling in the beach area.
The criminal investigation would be submitted to the State's Attorney's Office for review if it merited probable cause, Lyddy has said, a move that occurred as early as mid-April according to an opinion column in The Day, a New London-based newspaper.
An opinion column in The Day reported that police "have presented a case to the state's attorney and expect to hear back within a few weeks."
"It's taking a little longer than usual. It's a far more complex case than usual," Lyddy is quoted in the column.
In response to questions from the Citizen, Lyddy confirmed that police "have an active investigation and are in consultation with the States Attorney's Office."
A request for comment sent to Chief State's Attorney Kevin Kane's office was redirected to State's Attorney John Smriga, the Fairfield States Attorney.
As of press time, Smriga was not immediately available for comment. In previous reporting, Smriga has said he could not comment on a pending investigation.
The arbitration hearing, typically a closed-door affair according to Town Attorney Stanton Lesser, is scheduled for June 6-7. Former Connecticut Superior Court judge from 1988-2011, Judge Elaine Gordon, was selected as the arbitrator.
Lesser, on June 5, said that a court reporter had been hired for the hearing. The members of the Board of Selectmen can attend the arbitration hearing if they so choose.
Back in April, First Selectman Mike Tetreau confirmed that the arbitration hearing between the town and Julian would not be open to the public.
As of press time, Thomas Cotter, an attorney representing Julian, did not respond to a request for comment.
"We intend to succeed in arbitration," Cotter is quoted in The Day's column.
The legal back and forth between the town and the property management company goes all the way back to May 2017 when the town sued for breach of contract, claiming that Julian had not reduced the amount of construction debris at the Richard White Way fill pile.
Shortly thereafter, Julian countersued for defamation.
The two lawsuits were withdrawn in November as both parties chose to go into an arbitration hearing, a move that garnered criticism and pushback among members of the Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance.
An attempt by the town's counsel to restore the case to the court docket in late January was turned down by Judge Barbara Ellis and the arbitration hearing was rescheduled for June.


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Harten Group is one of Europe's leading providers of flexible resourcing solutions to companies in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, with clients ranging from global players through to smaller start-ups.
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Harten Group consultant handles all regulatory requirements for compiling and submitting monthly safety updates for a global pharma company's antiviral during flu epidemic.


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Now he's done battling Cybermen Matt Smith will turn his attention to cyberdyne.
The former Doctor Who star has been cast in the upcoming Terminator trilogy.
His character will play a small role in the first movie, but his involvement will expand in the sequels. Smith will play someone who has strong connections to John Connor.
Shooting has already started and the cast includes Emilia Clarke, Jason Clarke, Jai Courtney, Arron Williamson and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Skydance tweeted "We don't have a TARDIS, but we do have a Time Lord: we're pleased to welcome Matt Smith to the cast of #Terminator"
Terminator: Genesis is set for release in July 2015 and is directed by Alan Taylor.


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My name is Ioannis Gauthier and I am the creator of IG Fitness Training.
Why am I doing this? The answer is simple, I want to help people. I would have loved to have someone guide me and show me the proper way to workout, get my results faster and keep me injury free. Think of me as your personal fitness guide.
I also love being creative and I believe that everyone can use a bit of creativity to forge their own fitness journey with their own personal goals.
I believe that fitness should be a holistic practice. Ultimately, we are trying to improve our health, so we need to eat well, get quality rest and sleep, manage our emotions and stress, get some sun and of course have a variety of physical exercises that will keep us active and strong.
Certified Personal Trainer
Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist
Naturopath N.D.
The 3 Pillars of Fitness
Each of these is very important and should not be neglected. Everything I teach takes into consideration each pillar for maximum results.
I studied with ISSA, where I obtained my certification for personal training. I am also a certified specialist in fitness nutrition.
Further, working for my local gym, I have obtained an additional strength and conditioning certification with ATARAXIA. I am currently studying to become a Naturopath, which will help bring all of these concepts together with health!
I have 10+ years of serious experience with fitness. During this time, I experimented with A LOT of different training methods and learned something from each
one of them.
Currently, I do workouts that I enjoy and I stay in shape year round using the same strategies that I recommend to my clients. I still keep a healthy, active lifestyle and constantly try to learn new things. Because of this, I am now in the best shape of my life. My performance is constantly improving and I feel fantastic. I'm always finding new ways to improve myself and I enjoy every step of the process.
Now I want to help others because I know how much health and fitness can change someone's life for the better. When people come to me and say : "I got the body I've always wanted", "I'm much happier and in a good mood a lot more often!", "More confident than I ever imagined", "I feel great about myself", "More energy! No more digestive issues and I threw away "X" pills!!" This is why I do this and what motivates me to see how many lives we can improve here at IG Fitness Training!


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Taking place in January, the BRAFA Art Fair is the first major art event of the year and a reliable barometer of the art market.
Organized every year by the nonprofit Belgian Antiques Fair Association, it is one of the longest-running and most prestigious fairs in the world, bringing a record number of antiques, art and furniture galleries to Brussels.
Presenting an eclectic selection of rare pieces from all over the world, BRAFA attracts more than 60,000 visitors each year.
Coming back for its 63rd edition to Tour & Taxis from January 27th until February 4th, 2018, BRAFA 2018 will welcome 134 galleries from 16 countries, presenting 20 specialties and showing between 10,000 and 15,000 pieces, all accompanied by a comprehensive series of art talks.
A special treat to all art lovers, it will welcome Christo as a special guest of honor, one of the most renowned and influential contemporary artists working today. The fair will feature one of his historic work from the 1960s, titled Three Store Fronts (1965-66).
We had a chat with Beatrix Bourdon, the managing director of BRAFA Art Fair, to find out more about this year's edition. In an exclusive Widewalls interview, Beatrix talks about the secret of the fair's excellence, this year's exhibitors, the collaboration with Christo, the complex vetting process, and much more.
Widewalls: BRAFA is one of the longest-running and most prestigious fairs in the world, bringing a record number of art and antique galleries to Brussels. What is the secret of its excellence?
Beatrix Bourdon: More eclectic than ever, 2018 may be BRAFA's best year yet. Fifteen new exhibitors are participating in this edition, enriching the range of specialties on view. All appreciate the demanding standards imposed by the highly professional vetting team. Brafa was, in fact, one of the first fairs to set up such a system, calling on experts from all over Europe and the United States.
Another important element of the fair's success is the fidelity of participating galleries. Rotation doesn't exceed 10%, a testament to the fair's stability. A new selection is, of course, made each year.
Our aim is to offer the best in a wide variety of domains. We need to meet the expectations of experienced, highly knowledgeable collectors, while also inspiring art lovers to begin a collection or simply acquire their first work of art. The works on view need to appeal to these different clients: next to museum-quality pieces we must present more accessible works of art.
I believe that first and foremost Brafa should remain a fair that is attractive, welcoming and open to all!
Widewalls: The Fair is opening its doors on its 63rd edition, bringing together 134 galleries from 16 countries. Are there any highlights you would like to mention?
BB: Our goal is to maintain a certain balance among specialties, and the 2018 selection will bring its share of novelty.
One new exhibitor specializes in Arte Povera, a domain seldom represented in previous years at Brafa, another in modern British painting and sculpture, and a third offers a highly contemporary take on the curiosity cabinet...
The inclusion of fifteen new galleries, all foreign and of international caliber, will add a new dimension to the fair and guarantee an overall quality unparalleled by other art fairs in Belgium.
Widewalls: This year, the Fair will welcome Christo as a guest of honor. Could you tell us something about the reasons behind this choice, and about the works created by him that will be presented at the fair?
BB: The Christo project was both the fulfillment of a slightly crazy dream and the culmination of longstanding effort! You can well imagine that even getting an appointment with such an artist is quite an achievement. We knew that a major retrospective was being planned in Brussels, so we used all our resources to arrange to meet the artist and persuade him to get involved.
Evidently, Christo was interested in our proposal and a meeting was set up to coincide with his visit to Brussels. After that, everything fell into place very quickly!
Christo had a specific idea of what he wanted to present to us and was both enthusiastic and charming, a truly great man of the art world. By way of anecdote, we met at a famous restaurant in the Sablon and he drew his proposal on the back of a placemat. I preserved the magical moment in a photo. The drawing complete, he signed it and gave it to us.
Since then, it has been on display in the Brafa office. It is a wonderful souvenir and a magnificent gift.
Christo wished to exhibit a key work from his artistic journey at an event attended by collectors. His decision was not, of course, to 'wrap the fair', something one might perhaps have expected, but rather to invite us to enter into his universe and thought processes. The work to be shown will be the largest ever exhibited at Brafa!
But aside from its dimensions, its historic character is also of particular interest. It is an early work, dating from 1965-66. This was a period when Christo focused on Show Cases, Show Windows and Store Fronts; imaginary display windows and storefronts made primarily of elements recovered from demolished buildings.
The one we will exhibit was made for a museum, and has not been on display since 2001.
Generally, people only associate Christo with his wrapping of monuments such as the Pont-Neuf in Paris, the Reichstag in Berlin and with his enormous landscape installations such as The Gates in Central Park, New York and Floating Piers on Lake Iseo in Italy. The aspect of his work we are presenting at Brafa will give us, I hope, a new understanding of the trajectory of this engaging and unparalleled artist.
Widewalls: In addition to an excellent exhibition program, the Fair will also hold a series of Art Talks. Which themes will be addressed this year?
BB: The Brafa Art Talks are another of Brafa's strengths, for they really add value to the artistic content of the fair. Speakers include museum directors, collectors and gallerists with diverse art-related specialties who address a wide range of topics.
This year we are hosting Angela Rosengart, a Swiss gallerist and collector who grew up - quite literally - with the masters of the 20th-century art. From early childhood, she accompanied her father, also a gallery owner, to the studios of Picasso, Matisse, Braque, Miró, and many other now-renowned artists. She built her collection within a foundation, and then a museum, in Lucerne. Today it is one of the largest collections of modern paintings in the world.
We will also welcome Dominique Szymusiak, Honorary Curator of the Matisse Museum in Le Cateau-Cambrésis, whose decisive approach has made the museum one of the most remarkable in France. We are delighted that the Tretyakov Gallery from Moscow is also on the programme.
Closer to home, Léon Spilliaert will be the subject of a lecture given by Anne Adriaens-Pannier, Honorary Curator of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium.
Michel Draguet, the Royal Museums' current Director General, will speak on Magritte and contemporary art. Not to forget a voyage into the arts of Oceania in the company of Nicolas Cauwe, Curator of the Royal Museums of Art and History, or a discussion of the art of the Wunderkammer (cabinet of curiosities).
Widewalls: BRAFA has always maintained high standards for selecting exhibitors and a hundred experts from all over the world participate in assessing the objects on display before the Fair opens. What's behind this complex process?
BB: The selection of exhibitors is made by a Board of Directors made up of specialized art and antique dealers who know the art market and the world of art fairs. Their choice, therefore, reflects the art market and public demand.
Selection criteria are wide-ranging. The exhibitor's professionalism and the quality of their pieces play a natural part, but their specialty has become increasingly important because we aim to retain a certain balance between the areas we represent. The gallery's location and the extent to which they participate in other fairs also matter because it's vital that new exhibitors bring or draw new visitors.
The vetting process is also crucial because it guarantees that all objects presented by the galleries - and thus by the fair - are of the highest quality. This also gives buyers added security. The independent experts examine the supporting documents and descriptions of all objects supplied by the galleries in detail. They also check that the object meets the exacting quality standard required by Brafa.
Widewalls: As the first major art event of the year, BRAFA is considered a reliable barometer of the art market. However, the scope and variety of works on display could be overwhelming for someone starting a collection. What would be your advice to a new collector?
BB: I think that all new collectors should first train their eye by visiting museums and refining their taste. Then, they should establish a relationship with a trustworthy gallery, ask questions and obtain as much information as possible about the pieces they like.
When it comes to buying, they should do so because they love a piece, not just buy to invest. Which means they shouldn't buy something simply because they've heard the artist's work is worth something.
The art market is still closely bound to emotion. This is why art fairs and associated events at which art dealers, collectors and art lovers meet are so important. They are key for new meetings and discoveries - real high points in the year.
Widewalls: Having existed for over six decades, the Fair continues to evolve and surprise. What is next for BRAFA?
BB: Brafa needs to keep on developing while retaining the attributes so appreciated by those who visit. I believe the fair's success lies as much in the wonderful diversity of pieces on view as in the changing floor-plan. Not to forget the incredible expertise represented in certain domains of course.
Brafa also aims to surprise its guests each year with a re-design. This new look is always eagerly anticipated by exhibitors and visitors. For the last fifteen years, the duo Nicolas de Liedekerke and Daniel Culot from Volume Architecture have been in charge. Each year, they are invited to take on the joyful task of creating a dreamlike, ephemeral universe.
Brafa is one of the only fairs in the world that manages to completely re-think its entire interior design for every new edition. With this in mind, the fair also organizes a yearly competition for students at La Cambre (L'Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Visuels) who design the carpet that lies on the fair's principal walkways.
The result is always greatly appreciated by visitors. Coming to Brafa really is a unique experience.
Featured image: Beatrix Bourdon. All images courtesy BRAFA.
Neuchatel, Switzerland
Brooklyn, New York, United States of America
New York City, United States of America


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Eston International Zrt. hereby reports the Budapest Research Forum's (BRF) Q2 2016 office market analysis.
One new speculative office building was delivered to the market in the second quarter of 2016 extending to 5,700 sq m in the CBD, whereas one office building (3,490 sq m) was excluded from the stock, as it was sold and is expected to change its function in the near future. The total modern office stock is currently 3,297,360 sq m. The total modern office stock comprises 2,632,780 sq m of Category 'A' and 'B' speculative, and 664,580 sq m of owner occupied buildings.
The office vacancy rate continued to decline further by 3.9 pps year-on-year and 1.0 pps quarter-on-quarter bottoming at 10.3%, the lowest level since the financial crises. The lowest vacancy rate (5.8%) was measured in South Buda submarket, whereas the Periphery region suffered from a 31.2% vacancy rate. The vacancy rate of the Non-Central Pest submarket improved the most by 8.1 pps y-o-y standing at 7.9% at the end of Q2 2016.
Download the report here:
- BRF office market report 2016 Q2 (146.5 Kbyte)