This document includes a table which summarises descriptions of existing models and tools used for exposure assessment, as well as responses to a 2010 survey – conducted by the OECD Task Force on Exposure Assessment - upon which the table was based. The summary table and the responses are also available in the OECD Environmental Risk Assessment Toolkit (http://envriskassessmenttoolkit.oecd.org/).

This document provides guidance for performing an exposure assessment based on environmental monitoring data.It covers topics such as environmental levels and distribution of contaminants, ways of using monitoring data in exposure assessments for differing purposes, the collection of data, quality of monitoring activities, as well as several examples of data compilation in member countries and their use in exposure assessment.

This biocide document provides guidance on the conduct of laboratory and field tests aimed to assess the efficacy of anti-ants baits for indoor use. A bait contains one or more insecticidal active ingredients combined with food for garden ants.

This document follows on from a report entitled Important Issues on Risk Assessment of Manufactured Nanomaterials [ENV/JM/MONO(2012)8]. This report identified a range of issues which the WPMN considered important in risk assessment and which should be addressed in the future. It summarised results of a survey which was circulated to delegations of the WPMN, methodologies used to analyze the survey, and the identified priorities.

This Biosafety document aims to serve as an aid to risk assessors and regulators; providing guidance on handling the aspects of an environmental safety assessment, accessing and using information in situations of low-level presence (LLP) of transgenic plants in seed and grain commodities.

The OECD is to review its chemical hazard assessment programme with the aim of providing a more specialised service for member countries from 2015.

The OECD has published a guidance for characterising oleochemical substances. The method presented gives guidance on how these complex substances can be characterised in a way that their composition is accurately and consistently reflected to ensure that substances with the same chemical composition, manufactured in different countries, can be characterised with the same description for hazard assessment purposes.

A report of the 2013 joint OECD/Swedish Chemicals Agency/European Commission workshop on the assessment and management of risks of microbial pesticides that resulted in 20 recommendations for approaches that could be taken now and areas for follow-up work to be undertaken by OECD or Member countries.

This document compiles information on the current methodologies, tools and models and helps readers identify appropriate models/ and methodologies for estimating substance-specific removal/emissions from wastewater treatment systems. It could support efforts to improve these models and tools.

This OECD monograph demonstrates how a chemical hazard assessment that considers and ranks all available relevant information - a so-called weight of evidence approach - can be constructed to conclude on a particular hazard endpoint for a chemical, in this case, skin sensitisation for 4-isopropylaniline.

This guidance document proposes an integrated approach on testing and assessment for skin corrosion and irritation, in view of replacing the "testing and evaluation strategy" provided in the supplement to OECD TG404 (to be updated), provides information on key performance characteristics of each information source comprising the IATA, and guidance on how to integrate information for decision making for classification and labeling.

OECD has published a report of a survey that provides information and recommendations on how to deal with stocks of “obsolete” pesticides in OECD member (and partner) countries. Such pesticides’ obsolescence can arise for a number of reasons including product deterioration, product de-registration, and product revision.

This toolbox is a compilation of resources relevant to chemical substitution and alternatives assessments. Alternative assessments are processes for identifying, comparing and selecting safer alternatives to replace hazardous chemicals with the objective of promoting sustainable production and consumption.

The OECD has published guidance to facilitate the ecological risk assessment of organometallic and organic metal salt substances. A strategy is presented based on key steps that first consider the fate of these substances in the environment, the identification of moieties of concern, and subsequently the selection of an appropriate path forward to either assess the inorganic moiety and/or the individual substance.

Volume I of this series compiles the science-based consensus documents of the OECD Task Force for the Safety of Novel Foods and Feeds from 2002 to 2008.

Two new cases have been published that focus on use of metabolism information to support read-across and use of a combination of novel methods to identify potential endocrine disruptors, respectively. In addition a considerations document includes lessons and learnings from analysis across case studies and an analysis of uncertainties in six read-across cases.

On 27 September 2019, Anne Gourmelon of the Environment Directorate presented an overview of the various alternative test methods developed as OECD Test Guidelines and relevant guidance material to address eye irritation and serious eye damage for hazard classification of chemicals.

This document is intended to provide universal Guiding Principles that should be considered when developing or augmenting systematic approaches to Weight of Evidence (WoE) for chemical evaluation and Key Elements to formulating a systematic approach to WoE. The ultimate goal is to facilitate that regulators follow a consistent, clear and transparent delivery of evidence using the Principles and Elements described in this document.

As part of a stimulus package for the coronavirus-hit economy, the government is working on a credit guarantee scheme to enable banks to provide additional 10-15 per cent working capital to MSMEs for payment of wages, sources said. Currently, banks are offering an extra line of credit of 10 per cent based on working capital limits, which the government intends to increase further. Since units are closed due to lockdown and there has been no operation for the past two months, most micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) do not have money for paying wages and financial assistance for them is under consideration of the government, the sources said. One of the proposals under consideration is to provide 10-15 per cent additional line of credit by banks over the working capital limit of the MSME sector, which is the largest employer in the country after agriculture. This loan, especially for wage payment, will be backed by a proposed credit guarantee fund so that lenders' money is ...

The issue of sexual harassment is out in the open and is being discussed. It gives a chance to hundreds of women who have faced situations for which they thought there was no solution to come forward and share their experiences, writes Kalpana Sharma.

To revive industrial activities in the state and give boost to medium small and micro enterprises (MSME) Units, Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday announced to intensify the state government's efforts of setting up specialised industries in all its 22 districts.

Of lately, Kerala was shocked after the news of the ace filmmaker and Kerala State Chalchithra Academy Chairman Kamal being accused of sexual harassment surfaced. The serious allegations were made by a young actress of Mollywood, who complained that he had

As of 20 April 2020, the coronavirus cases have increased to 2,415,294 and have caused 165,192 deaths worldwide. In India, the confirmed cases have risen to 17,265 and caused 543 deaths. The researchers and scientists from all around the world are

Archives, Room Use Only - HE7677.M6 M36 1895

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Several micro, small and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs) in Coimbatore Corporation limits are expected to start operations on Monday. “The order issu

Request for registering retailers, construction professionals as MSMEs to be examined: Gadkari

Centre plans to raise the total borrowings to ₹12 lakh crore this fiscal

Decision day looms over Ellesmere Port shale gas plan  Cheshire Live

Mycobacterium tuberculosis produces glycogen (also known as α-glucan) to help evade human immunity. This pathogen uses the GlgE pathway to generate glycogen rather than the more well known glycogen synthase GlgA pathway, which is absent in this bacterium. Thus, the building block for this glucose polymer is α-maltose-1-phosphate rather than an NDP-glucose donor. One of the routes to α-maltose-1-phosphate is now known to involve the GlgA homologue GlgM, which uses ADP-glucose as a donor and α-glucose-1-phosphate as an acceptor. To help compare GlgA (a GT5 family member) with GlgM enzymes (GT4 family members), the X-ray crystal structure of GlgM from Mycobacterium smegmatis was solved to 1.9 Å resolution. While the enzymes shared a GT-B fold and several residues responsible for binding the donor substrate, they differed in some secondary-structural details, particularly in the N-terminal domain, which would be expected to be largely responsible for their different acceptor-substrate specificities.

It is one of the most sensitive noses in the animal kingdom but what its owner seeks is no pungent bed of roses, in fact […]

The post Study shows turkey vulture is doubly blessed with acute vision and sense of smell appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Have an upset stomach? Pop a chalky, chewable antacid. Maybe you’ve got a painful cut or burn. No problem; reach for a healing ointment or […]

The post Glittering, mesmerizing, lifesaving: Hospital exhibit showcases minerals used in medicine appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Ted Schultz, research entomologist at Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, describes how ants use their incredible sense of smell along with their ability to […]

The post Ant Communication: Do Ants Use Smell to Talk? appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

(The Paypers) Chubb’s SME Cyber Preparedness Report has revealed that 84% of small and medium...

File photo: LAUSD Superintendent Ramon Cortines faces a suit brought by a school district employee, who has sued him twice before.; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

A Los Angeles Unified School District employee filed suit Wednesday accusing Superintendent Ramon Cortines of sexual harassment and retaliation, and alleging officials failed to intervene when told of the situation.

The lawsuit is the third one filed by Scot Graham, LAUSD's real estate director, who has made similar charges in previous complaints. The suit was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

LAUSD General Counsel David Holmquist issued a statement Tuesday saying the courts have previously ruled on the case and the district is not aware of any new charges. "This is simply a frivolous refiling of the same allegations," he stated.

The latest suit alleges Cortines made sexual advances to Graham in 2000 soon after Cortines helped Graham get a job with the school district’s real estate leasing operations. Cortines left the school district that same year and Graham didn’t report what allegedly happened, according to the suit.

Graham claims that Cortines made additional sexual advances in 2010, the year the school board hired Cortines a second time to run the school district. The sexual advances were made at Cortines’ second home in Kern County, the suit alleges.

“Cortines’ advance shocked and disturbed Graham, who feared that declining Cortines’ request for sex would lead to unwarranted retaliatory consequences,” according to the lawsuit.

Graham said he notified his boss John Creer, and his boss’ boss James Sohn, but the school district conducted no investigation. Then in an October 2010 meeting, the suit claims General Counsel Holmquist “discouraged Graham from pursuing his claims, and suggested, in an intimidating and patronizing manner, that the incidents at the Ranch and Cortines’ unsolicited phone call were better left unreported.”

In May 2012, the district announced that it would pay $200,000 to Graham to settle his sexual harassment claims against Cortines, who by then had left the post. In the announcement, the district said Cortines denied sexually harassing Graham, but acknowledged they had a consensual relationship.

Graham later declined to sign off on the settlement. He filed one lawsuit in 2013 that was dismissed on a legal technicality and then a second one that was withdrawn in May 2014.

Five months later, the LAUSD school board rehired Cortines as an interim superintendent after the resignation of his predecessor, John Deasy. Cortines is expected to serve until a permanent replacement is chosen by the board later this year.

“What makes this different and new is the school board has rehired Ramon Cortines despite documented history of sexual harassment and sexual assault against Scot Graham,” said Rob Hennig, Graham’s lawyer.

By failing to investigate whether there was any merit to Graham’s allegations, the lawsuit argues, the school district failed in its duty to protect an employee from potential sexual harassment.

“Cortines shouldn’t have been rehired by the school board,” Hennig said.

In his statement, Holmquist said the district intends to "seek reimbursement for the taxpayers' dollars that are having to be expended in attorney's fees and costs" in dealing with Graham's allegations. The district said it spent about $240,000 defending itself against Graham's first two lawsuits.

Graham said in an interview Tuesday that he has been on leave since late last year because he’s developed a type of seizure disorder that prevents him from driving long distances.

He said he filed the latest lawsuit after the school board rehired Cortines and he was running into him in the workplace. Graham also said he felt his allegations were swept under the rug.

“No one came to talk to me…it was like being in a fraternity house,” he said.

The suit does not say how much in damages Graham is seeking, but it asks among other items for back pay, future pay, benefits, and compensation for medical treatment. It also seeks an investigation into Graham's accusations against the superintendent.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

The National Research Council today released its assessment of U.S. doctoral programs, which includes data on over 5,000 programs in 62 fields at 212 universities nationwide.

While scientists have made remarkable advancements in astronomy and astrophysics since the beginning of this decade – notably the first detection of gravitational waves and the discovery of distant Earth-like planets – unforeseen constraints have slowed progress toward reaching some of the priorities and goals outlined in the Academies’ 2010 decadal survey of these disciplines, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

A new book from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine outlines how educators can develop and adapt student assessments for the classroom that reflect the approach to learning and teaching science described in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and similar standards.

The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) is making progress toward achieving its statutory mission and goals, says a new congressionally mandated report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine today announced grant awards for seven new projects totaling $5.3 million.

The U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) asked the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to review the draft Fourth National Climate Assessment (NCA4) – a congressionally mandated report that evaluates the state of climate science and the broad range of impacts of climate change in the United States every four years – and the draft Second State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR2) – a report that feeds into the overall assessment process developed by the USGCRP.

Sexual harassment in science, engineering, and medicine diminishes the integrity of the U.S. research enterprise.