Size and shape correlation of birds' pelvis and egg: Impact of developmental mode, habitat, and phylogeny.

While eggs shapes and sizes have been subject of many studies, we still know little about factors affecting these characteristics of birds' eggs. We revealed that shapes of pelvis and egg correlated less than their respective sizes. Egg measurements (length or diameter) scaled with negative allometry against pelvis size, that is, eggs become relatively larger with decreasing pelvis size.

Environmental management master's programme in Kazakhstan: course structure and content.

The paper briefly considers changes in the higher education system in Kazahkstan since the break-up of the former Soviet Union. At that time master's programmes did not exist and there was no unified system for their introduction. The one-year environmental management course described was the first of its type and was set up with special permission from the Ministry of Education and Science, Republic of Kazakhstan to run on an experimental basis.

Environmental management master's programme in Kazakhstan: development and operation.

The paper looks at the origins of the environmental management master's programme in Kazakhstan course and its development over the 7 years for which it has operated. It considers the difficulties of teaching, in particular issues covering the diverse range of topics covered, the need for staff training and development and how this has been approached, and the need to gain financial aid to support the students. Details are given of how students are selected, the range of backgrounds and geographical regions from which they come, and the types of employment they take on graduation.

Analysis of breast milk to assess exposure to chlorinated contaminants in Kazakstan: high levels of 2,3,7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in agricultural villages of southern Kazakstan.

To assess levels of chlorinated contaminants in breast milk, we measured organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in breast milk samples collected in 1994 according to the World Health Organization protocol from 92 donors that were representative of regional populations in southern Kazakstan. High levels (10-120 pg/g fat) of 2,3,7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), the most toxic of the PCDD/PCDF congeners, were found in breast milk samples from an agricultural region. TCDD was the major contributor (75%) to the international toxicity equivalents of these samples.