Risk factors for dissatisfaction with the indoor environment in open-plan offices: an analysis of COPE field study data.

UNLABELLED: We applied binary logistic regression techniques to data collected from 779 participants in a field study of open-plan ('cubicle') offices conducted in nine buildings. Independent variables were physical conditions in the workplace, and dependent variables were derived from occupant satisfaction measures; personal characteristics were included as covariates. There was a significantly higher risk of dissatisfaction with privacy and acoustics (defined as being below the 20th percentile as opposed to being above the 80th percentile) associated with being in a small workstation, or being seated next to a window. A higher risk of dissatisfaction with ventilation was associated with being seated next to a window, temperatures substantially higher than the average neutral temperature, and a carbon dioxide concentration greater than 650 ppm. A higher risk of dissatisfaction with lighting was associated with panel heights greater than 66 inches (1.7 m), high reflected glare on computer screens, desktop illuminances outside 300-500 lux, desktop illuminance uniformity (min/max ratio) less than 0.5, and being in a workstation distant from a window. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: We have demonstrated statistically significant relationships between indoor environment conditions in office spaces and environmental dissatisfaction risk. Although generally supported by prior research, not all of these risk factors are reflected in existing recommended practice documents for office design. Consideration of these findings in future revisions of such documents may be warranted.

Full-spectrum fluorescent lighting: a review of its effects on physiology and health.

BACKGROUND: Full-spectrum fluorescent lighting (FSFL) has been credited with causing dramatic beneficial effects on a wide variety of behaviours, mental health outcomes and physical health effects, as compared to other fluorescent lamp types. These effects are hypothesized to occur because of similarity between FSFL emissions and daylight, which is said to have evolutionary superiority over other light sources. METHOD: This review, covering the period 1941-1999, critically considers the evidence for direct effects of FSFL through skin absorption as well as indirect effects on hormonal and neural processes. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the evidence does not show dramatic effects of fluorescent lamp type on behaviour or health, neither does it support the evolutionary hypothesis.

A critical examination of perceptual and cognitive effects attributed to full-spectrum fluorescent lighting.

Full-spectrum fluorescent lighting (FSFL) has been credited with causing dramatic improvements in vision, perception and cognitive performance as compared with other fluorescent lamp types. These effects are hypothesized to occur because of similarity between FSFL emissions and daylight, which is said to have evolutionary superiority over other light sources. This review, covering 1945-98, critically considers the evidence for these claims. In general, poor-quality research has resulted in an absence of simple deterministic effects that can be confidently attributed to fluorescent lamp type. Promising avenues for lighting behaviour research include investigations of cognitive mediators of lighting-behaviour relationships, and flicker rates and colour rendering effects on visual processing, appearance judgements and affect. Good lighting solutions are more complex than lamp type specification.

Glucolipsin A and B, two new glucokinase activators produced by Streptomyces purpurogeniscleroticus and Nocardia vaccinii.

During the screening of the natural products for their ability to increase the activity of glucokinase by relieving inhibition by long chain fatty acyl CoA esters (FAC), two novel compounds, glucolipsin A (1) and B (2) were isolated from the butanol extracts of Streptomyces purpurogeniscleroticus WC71634 and Nocardia vaccinii WC65712, respectively. The structures of these two compounds were established by spectroscopic methods and chemical degradation. Glucolipsin A (1) and B (2) relieved the inhibition of glucokinase by FAC with RC50 values of 5.4 and 4.6 microM.

1-Methoxy-agroclavine from Penicillium sp. WC75209, a novel inhibitor of the Lck tyrosine kinase.

A high-throughput screen was developed and implemented to identify inhibitors of the Lck tyrosine kinase. This report describes the identification of a specific inhibitor of this enzyme from the solid fermentation culture of the Penicillium sp., WC75209. The active compound was isolated and structurally characterized as 1-methoxy-5R, 10S-agroclavine, a new member of the ergot alkaloid family.

Bripiodionen, a new inhibitor of human cytomegalovirus protease from Streptomyces sp. WC76599.

Bripiodionen (1), a new natural product, was isolated from Streptomyces sp. WC76599 during the screening of microbial fermentation extracts for their ability to inhibit human cytomegalovirus protease. The structure of 1 was elucidated by spectroscopic methods. Compound 1 displayed inhibitory activity against human cytomegalovirus protease with an IC50 value of 30 microM.

The effect of carbon source, temperature and aeration on the production of ascosteroside, a novel antifungal agent, by Ascotricha amphitricha.

This paper describes the optimization of production of ascosteroside, a novel antifungal agent with an alpha-linked glycoside of a lanosterone-type triterpenoid structure. Glucose, sorbose and inositol were determined to be the best carbon sources for the production of ascosteroside. Temperature affected levels of ascosteroside, with production being highest at 16 degrees C with 1% glucose, and lowest at 32 degrees C. Dissolved oxygen levels were found to be critical in the production of ascosteroside in fermenter cultures. In order for production of ascosteroside to occur in fermenter cultures, the threshold level of dissolved oxygen was found to be above 26%.

BMS-182123, a fungal metabolite that inhibits the production of TNF-alpha by macrophages and monocytes.

A fungal metabolite, BMS-182123, which inhibited bacterial endotoxin-induced production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) in murine macrophages and human peripheral blood monocytes (in vitro), was isolated from the culture broth of Penicillium chrysogenum strain V39673. The effective BMS-182123 concentration (IC50) resulting in 50% inhibition of lipopolysaccharide-induced TNF-alpha production in murine macrophages and human monocytes was 600 ng/ml and 4.0 microgram/ml, respectively. BMS-182123 suppressed the lipopolysaccharide-induced TNF-alpha promoter activity and did not affect the stability of posttranscriptional mRNA. Addition of hydrophobic resin, Amberlite XAD-8 (1%), to the fermentation enhanced the production of BMS-182123 by 5.5 fold. A total of 577 mg pure BMS-182123 was recovered from a 250-liter fermentation supplemented with 1% Amberlite XAD-8.

The effect of cerulenin on the production of esperamicin A1 by Actinomadura verrucosospora.

Addition of cerulenin (0.25-1.0 mM) to cultures of Acinomadura verrucosospora before the onset of esperamicin synthesis inhibited the production of esperamicin A1 by the microorganism. This result indicates that esperamicin A1 is biosynthesized in part by the polyketide pathway. Addition of cerulenin to the cultures during the active production phase led to a net decrease in esperamicin A1 production. The 14C-acetate labeling pattern of esperamicin A1 in the cultures with or without addition of cerulenin at the active production phase also demonstrated the instability of esperamicin A1 in the fermentation. This suggests that esperamicin A1 is unstable and degradation occurs during the active production phase. Addition of the neutral resin Diaion HP-20 (1%) to the fermentation enhanced the production of esperamicin A1 by 53%.

Biosynthesis of elsamicin A, a novel antitumor antibiotic.

The 1H noise-decoupled 13C-nmr spectrum of elsamicin A [1] prepared from the cultures of an unknown actinomycete species (ATCC 39417) supplemented with [1-13C]acetate and [2-13C]acetate showed enrichment of all 19-carbons in the aglycone. In addition, L-[methyl-13C]methionine- and D-[1-13C]glucose-supplemented cultures enriched the carbons of the two methyl groups on the disaccharide moiety and the C-1 carbons of the disaccharide, respectively. The results demonstrated that the aglycone of elsamicin A is derived entirely from acetate and the disaccharide portion is biosynthesized from two units of glucose and methionine.