Two-month Lag Research Articles

A comparative seasonal study of two populations of Hypnea musciformis from the East and West Coasts of Florida, USA I. Growth and chemistry

Dry weight levels of the red alga Hypnea musciformis (Wulfen) Lamouroux from Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastal sites in florida, USA were lowest in the late winter and early spring, increasing through the summer and highest in the fall. There was a two-month lag in the Gulf coast population's dry weight pattern, indicating differing growth patterns. Chlorophyll a, phycoerythrin and phycoerythrin/chlorophyll a ratios were highest in the winter and lowest in the summer for both populations. Total pigment levels for H. musciformis from the Atlantic coast site were significantly greater than those of the Gulf coast. Protein and carbohydrate percentages were inversely related in both populations, with carbohydrate levels highest in summer and protein levels highest in winter. The Gulf coast population contained significantly more protein than the Atlantic coast plants. Carrageenan levels were highest in spring and lowest in fall, the Atlantic coast population generally had higher levels than the Gulf coast population. The differences in seasonal patterns and levels of the chemical constituents were reflected by distinct morphological characteristics for each population. The Atlantic coast population was larger, darker, more coarse in texture and possessed more crozier branch tips than the Gulf coast plants. These distinctions represent acclimitization responses that relate to habitat differences.

Forecasting Specific Turning Points

Abstract The trade-off between accuracy of the call of a specific turn and the recognition lag is calculated for 17 monthly series from the NBER short list of indicators based on smoothing by Months of Cyclical Dominance (MCD), Average Duration of Run (ADR), and Declining Weights (DW). With a two-month recognition lag and only 1/3 of calls correct, both MCD and DW outperformed ADR. MCD was relatively better for smooth and ADR for irregular series. With each series smoothed to obtain 50 percent likelihood changes are cyclical, the typical leading series led reference peaks by seven months but showed no lead at troughs.

Strontium-89 and Strontium-90 Levels in Breast Milk and in Mineral Supplement Preparations

Strontium-90, strontium-89 and S.U. values were determined in human milk before and after the resumption of atmospheric nuclear testings in 1961, and the levels were compared to cows' milk values reported during the same time. S.U.(90) levels in human milk were approximately one-fifth of those found in cows' milk. Assuming an average dietary intake of 11-13 S.U.(90) during the period tested, the mean strontium/calcium ratio of 1.78 found in human milk represents an Observed Ratio milk-diet of approximately 0.14-0.16. Although strontium-89 was present in cows' milk already in September 1961, it did not appear in human milk until November 1961. It seems, therefore, that there was a two-month lag period between the appearance of fresh fallout in cows' milk and human milk. Calcium-supplement mineral preparations used by pregnant and lactating women were tested to find their strontium-89, strontium-90 and S.U. levels, because strontium isotopes, if present in these products, will be transferred to the fetus and to breast-fed infants. The compounds tested had S.U.(90) levels of 0.13-2.62; in none of the preparations was Sr(89) present.