TREND WATCH

Airlines to Cooperate: As part of its plan to grab a bigger piece of the international market, USAir has entered into a marketing alliance with Air France in which the two will synchronize timetables and allow passengers to check bags through either carrier at the beginning of a trip. Also being considered are joint advertising and sales promotions, as well as reservation code sharing. The agreement follows USAir’s pacts with Alitalia and All Nippon Airways, which give it access to travel to and from Italy and Japan. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Japanese Airplane Strategy: In a change of policy, Japan’s Ministry of International Trade and Industry is intent on forging a long-term U.S.-Japan aerospace relationship--one that involves three Japanese aircraft makers and Boeing. The clearest sign of the new policy is MITI’s decision to subsidize the B777, Boeing’s next-generation 350-seat passenger plane, which will be ready in 1995. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Fuji Heavy Industries are expected to share 20% of the project, as well as some tasks in marketing and customer support. MITI officials said the cooperation will be in both countries’ interests, as together they will be better able to compete with European rival Airbus Industrie. Japan Economic Journal

Unix Agreement: Sequent Computer Systems of Beaverton, Ore., has been chosen by AT&T;’s Unix System Laboratories to develop a Unix system for multiprocessor computers. Sequent gained a competitive edge by using cheap, off-the-shelf microprocessors to build powerful machines. The Unix agreement will allow it to create a standard language. The team working on the operating system hopes to have it ready by the end of 1992. Portland Business Journal

More Tasks for ATMs: Automated teller machines are pushing the outer limits of their original uses. Machines in Seattle dispense postal stamps. Some at a few universities give out students’ grades and may be used for tuition deposits. In Baltimore, they are used to cash Supplemental Security Income checks for those without bank accounts. Future machines are likely to dispense everything from airline and movie tickets to fishing licenses. Atlanta Constitution

Mercury Watch: Autopsy studies in California and Sweden have shown that mercury used in “silver” fillings in teeth accumulates in the brain, liver and kidneys. The American Dental Assn. says 200 million Americans have amalgam fillings that are about 50% mercury. The element can cause a host of health problems, including insomnia and muscular tremors. Although mercury-based fillings have not been directly linked to these, 2% of the country’s 180,000 dentists have chosen alternatives, including gold, porcelain or a mixture of quartz and plastic. Atlanta Constitution