Evaluation of Flexible Spending Accounts for Active-Duty Service Members.

Unlike many large employers, the U.S. military does not offer flexible spending account (FSA) options to members of the armed services and their families.

Influence of a hyperlipidic diet on the composition of the non-membrane lipid pool of red blood cells of male and female rats.

Background and objectives. Red blood cells (RBC) are continuously exposed to oxidative agents, affecting their membrane lipid function. However, the amount of lipid in RBCs is higher than the lipids of the cell membrane, and includes triacylglycerols, which are no membrane components.

PCB and DDT levels do not appear to have enhanced the mortality of striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) in the 2007 Mediterranean epizootic.

In 2007, 17 years after the first reported Mediterranean epizootic of striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba), a new strain of the morbillivirus caused the deaths of dozens of striped dolphins that appeared dead on Western Mediterranean beaches. DDT and PCB levels were determined in these dolphins, and in individuals from sporadic strandings in the surrounding years. Comparison between the two epidemic events showed that organochlorine (OC) levels in the dolphins from 1990 epizootic were more than 10-fold higher for tPCB and 6-fold higher for tDDT than levels in dolphins from the 2007 outbreak.

Selective trapping of organochlorine compounds in mountain lakes of temperate areas.

The study of fish concentrations and sediment inventories in 19 European high mountain lakes (40-67 degrees N) shows that a fraction of organochlorine compounds (OCs), the less volatile compounds (LVC; subcooled liquid vapor pressure < or = 10(-2.5) Pa), are trapped in the higher locations. This general trend is not significantly influenced by possible local sources.

Assessment of the sample handling procedures in a labor-saving method for the analysis of organochlorine compounds in a large number of fish samples.

A rapid single step clean-up procedure with sulphuric acid oxidation for lipid removal has been assessed by a step-by-step recovery approach for its performance in the analysis of organochlorinated compounds in large numbers of fish samples (muscle). Recovery decreases are essentially due to losses by evaporation but their effect is compensated by correction of the recovery factor of tetrabromobenzene that is used as surrogate. Sample grounding with sodium sulphate provides significant higher concentrations than freeze-drying.