106 results
Search Results
2. A model in environmental training--The University / Elementary School / Municipality Cooperation.
- Author
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Hapçioğul B, Karabey S, Ince N, and Ince H
- Subjects
- Analysis of Variance, Attitude, Child, Humans, Models, Educational, Paper, Turkey, Conservation of Natural Resources, Environmental Health, Health Education, School Health Services
- Abstract
This study targets development of an effective training scheme model that can be implemented at elementary school level with focus on recovery and recycling of wasted papers in Turkey. For this purpose, three schools were chosen from a district within Istanbul. They were separated from one another as full intervention (FI), semi-intervention (SI) and control (C) schools. Different levels of educational activities carried out in the schools, mostly in the FI school, were directed toward being informative as regards recycling and the development of a positive attitude. Afterwards, in order to evaluate the effects of the training, paper wastes were collected in recycle bins placed at appropriate points in schools and weighed on a weekly basis. Quite a significant result was found (p = 0.0001), when the difference was calculated through the Kruskal Wallis Variance Analysis method, regarding the weekly average amount of paper in each of the three schools against per person. Furthermore, when the results were evaluated and compared as to the ones before the 2.5 months summer vacation and the ones after it, the seven measurements taken before (p = 0.001) and the eight taken afterwards (p = 0.0001), were found to have valid differences, once again, as against schools. The results show that the approach we provided to education is an effective method not only for the collection of paper wastes but also for applications in various areas of health education.
- Published
- 2004
3. Environmental implications of HIPAA.
- Author
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Thompson M
- Subjects
- Computer Security, Confidentiality, Guideline Adherence, Guidelines as Topic, Humans, United States, Environmental Health, Equipment Reuse, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, Paper
- Published
- 2003
4. Reducing the sea of paper in nursing education.
- Author
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Kenny JC and Clifford C
- Subjects
- Humans, Education, Nursing, Environmental Health, Paper
- Published
- 1993
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
5. It's not easy being green.
- Author
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Carroll-Johnson RM and Sullivan AE
- Subjects
- Humans, Environmental Health, Paper, Publishing standards
- Published
- 1992
6. [The health problems related to atmospheric pollution in large industrial regions of Bulgaria].
- Author
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Basmadzhieva K and Tabakova S
- Subjects
- Bulgaria, Chemical Industry, Humans, Metallurgy, Paper, Air Pollution adverse effects, Environmental Exposure adverse effects, Environmental Health, Industry
- Abstract
Epidemiological studies are performed in some towns and large industrial regions of the country, in order to establish the changes in the health state of the population, due to atmospheric pollutants. The attention is directed to regions with national industrial branches, most intensively polluting the atmospheric air (metallurgy, chemistry, petroleum-chemistry, cellulose-paper industry) and such, where the air pollution is related first of all to transport across the border-line. The unfavourable effect of the atmospheric pollution on the exposed population is proved. It is however, the reason for increased morbidity according to a number of nozologics and on first place--of respiratory and allergic diseases. Parallel to that are interpreted the results of the performed inquiries and paraclinical studies, revealing the presence of prior to the disease changes in the population of the examined regions.
- Published
- 1991
7. Letter: Children and lead.
- Author
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Bogden JD
- Subjects
- Air Pollution, Child, Color, Humans, Lead blood, Paint adverse effects, Paper, Periodicals as Topic, Environmental Health, Lead Poisoning etiology
- Published
- 1974
8. [Experimental data toward substantiating the maximum permissible concentration of methylmercaptan dimethylsulphide and dimethyldisulphide in the work area atmosphere of cellulose-paper plants].
- Author
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Seliuzhitskiĭ GV
- Subjects
- Animals, Cellulose, Disulfides toxicity, Maximum Allowable Concentration, Methane, Mice, Paper, Rats, Environmental Health, Occupational Medicine, Sulfhydryl Compounds toxicity, Sulfides toxicity
- Published
- 1972
9. [CHANGES IN THE UPPER RESPIRATORY SYSTEM IN WORKERS IN AN ACID AND ALKALINE MILIEU OF PAPER MILLS].
- Author
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VENCLIK H and HAJEK E
- Subjects
- Humans, Environmental Health, Occupational Diseases, Paper, Respiratory System, Respiratory Tract Diseases, Spirometry
- Published
- 1964
10. The convergence of environmental disruption.
- Author
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Goldman MI
- Subjects
- Air Pollution, Economics, Fossil Fuels, Health Resorts, Industrial Waste, Paper, Population Growth, Socialism, USSR, United States, Water Pollution, Ecology, Environmental Health
- Published
- 1970
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
11. Tung oil-based coatings towards sustainable paper packaging materials.
- Author
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Silva, Fábio M., Pinto, Ricardo J.B., Barros-Timmons, Ana M., and Freire, Carmen S.R.
- Subjects
- *
PACKAGING materials , *PRESERVATION of materials , *CONTACT angle , *SURFACE coatings , *TENSILE strength , *ENVIRONMENTAL health - Abstract
Nowadays, the dependence on synthetic plastic-based materials for the preservation and transport of different types of products is very high, leading to major environmental and human health concerns, which highlights the importance of investigating sustainable options. Paper is a widely used bio-based material for packaging however, the development of newer and straightforward approaches to produce paper-based materials with increased functionalities and performance is still highly desired. In this work, we report the use of a bio-based photopolymerizable coating formulation, composed of tung oil, and using Darocur 1173 as photoinitiator, to develop functional papers with hydrophobic and improved water barrier properties, without compromising other properties. Coated paper samples were prepared, using different irradiation times (0, 15, 30, 60, and 300 s), to study the effect of this parameter on the properties of the coated papers. The ensuing coated papers presented pick-up values between 6 and 7 g/m2. Their hydrophobicity was significantly improved as evidenced by the increase in the contact angle values from about 71° to 127° and the significant decrease in the water absorption, measured by the Cobb test, from 108 down to 17 g/m2, upon a curing time of only 15 s. Furthermore, with this time of curing, the optical (viz. whiteness, brightness, and opacity) and mechanical properties (viz. tensile and burst strength) of paper were not affected. These results highlight the great potential of tung oil photopolymerizable coating formulations as a simple and promising alternative for the fabrication of more sustainable and functional paper packaging materials. [Display omitted] • Photopolymerizable bio-based coating for paper-based packaging materials • The obtained coatings confer high hydrophobicity to paper. • Papers with improved air barrier and mechanical properties were obtained. • Optimized curing time (15 s) compatible with manufacturing constraints [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
12. Time use and mental health in UK adults during an 11-week COVID-19 lockdown: a panel analysis
- Author
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Andrew Steptoe, Daisy Fancourt, Hei Wan Mak, and Feifei Bu
- Subjects
Paper ,Adult ,Isolation (health care) ,PsycINFO ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Environmental health ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Humans ,030212 general & internal medicine ,life satisfaction ,Pandemics ,Depression (differential diagnoses) ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Life satisfaction ,COVID-19 ,anxiety ,Mental health ,United Kingdom ,Psychiatry and Mental health ,Panel analysis ,Mental Health ,depression ,Communicable Disease Control ,Anxiety ,medicine.symptom ,Psychology ,Time use ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery - Abstract
BackgroundThere is currently major concern about the impact of the global COVID-19 outbreak on mental health. But it remains unclear how individual behaviours could exacerbate or protect against adverse changes in mental health.AimsTo examine the associations between specific activities (or time use) and mental health and well-being among people during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodData were from the UCL COVID-19 Social Study, a panel study collecting data weekly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The analytical sample consisted of 55 204 adults living in the UK who were followed up for the 11-week strict lockdown period from 21 March to 31 May 2020. Data were analysed using fixed-effects and Arellano–Bond models.ResultsChanges in time spent on a range of activities were associated with changes in mental health and well-being. After controlling for bidirectionality, behaviours involving outdoor activities such as gardening and exercising predicted subsequent improvements in mental health and well-being, whereas increased time spent following news about COVID-19 predicted declines in mental health and well-being.ConclusionsThese results are relevant to the formulation of guidance for people obliged to spend extended periods in isolation during health emergencies and may help the public to maintain well-being during future lockdowns and pandemics.
- Published
- 2022
13. Association between air pollution exposure and mental health service use among individuals with first presentations of psychotic and mood disorders: retrospective cohort study
- Author
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Ryan Hammoud, Megan Pritchard, Joanne B. Newbury, Margaret Heslin, Stephani L. Hatch, Sean Beevers, Robert Stewart, Matthew Broadbent, Narushige Shiode, Helen L. Fisher, Ian Mudway, Ioannis Bakolis, Matthew Hotopf, and David Dajnak
- Subjects
Paper ,Mental Health Services ,Air pollution exposure ,Nitrogen Dioxide ,Mental health service ,Recurrence ,Environmental health ,psychotic disorders ,Air Pollution ,medicine ,cohort study ,Humans ,Association (psychology) ,11 Medical and Health Sciences ,Retrospective Studies ,Psychiatry ,RISK ,Air Pollutants ,Science & Technology ,business.industry ,Mood Disorders ,LIFETIME PREVALENCE ,Mental Disorders ,COST ,illness severity and relapse ,Retrospective cohort study ,Environmental Exposure ,medicine.disease ,DEPRESSION ,17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences ,Psychiatry and Mental health ,Mood disorders ,Particulate Matter ,business ,Life Sciences & Biomedicine ,Cohort study - Abstract
BackgroundGrowing evidence suggests that air pollution exposure may adversely affect the brain and increase risk for psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and depression. However, little is known about the potential role of air pollution in severity and relapse following illness onset.AimsTo examine the longitudinal association between residential air pollution exposure and mental health service use (an indicator of illness severity and relapse) among individuals with first presentations of psychotic and mood disorders.MethodWe identified individuals aged ≥15 years who had first contact with the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust for psychotic and mood disorders in 2008–2012 (n = 13 887). High-resolution (20 × 20 m) estimates of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) levels in ambient air were linked to residential addresses. In-patient days and community mental health service (CMHS) events were recorded over 1-year and 7-year follow-up periods.ResultsFollowing covariate adjustment, interquartile range increases in NO2, NOx and PM2.5 were associated with 18% (95% CI 5–34%), 18% (95% CI 5–34%) and 11% (95% CI 3–19%) increased risk for in-patient days after 1 year. Similarly, interquartile range increases in NO2, NOx, PM2.5 and PM10 were associated with 32% (95% CI 25–38%), 31% (95% CI 24–37%), 7% (95% CI 4–11%) and 9% (95% CI 5–14%) increased risk for CMHS events after 1 year. Associations persisted after 7 years.ConclusionsResidential air pollution exposure is associated with increased mental health service use among people recently diagnosed with psychotic and mood disorders. Assuming causality, interventions to reduce air pollution exposure could improve mental health prognoses and reduce healthcare costs.
- Published
- 2022
14. Food-based strategies for prevention of vitamin D deficiency as informed by vitamin D dietary guidelines, and consideration of minimal-risk UVB radiation exposure in future guidelines
- Author
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Kevin D. Cashman
- Subjects
Paper ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Minimal risk ,Ultraviolet Rays ,business.industry ,Public health ,Food fortification ,Biofortification ,Vitamin D Deficiency ,medicine.disease ,vitamin D deficiency ,Nutrition Policy ,Environmental health ,Dietary Supplements ,medicine ,Vitamin D and neurology ,Humans ,Health maintenance ,Vitamin D ,Physical and Theoretical Chemistry ,business ,UVB Radiation - Abstract
There is widespread acknowledgement of the presence of vitamin D deficiency in the community and the pressing need to address this. From a public health perspective, emphasis has been placed on addressing vitamin D deficiency through dietary means. However, naturally rich food sources of vitamin D are few and infrequently consumed, and nutrition survey data from various countries have indicated that habitual vitamin D intakes in the community are much lower than the current vitamin D dietary guidelines. This review will briefly overview the extent of vitamin D deficiency within the community, its causes, and how our food chain, once its embraces the evidence-based practise of food fortification and potentially biofortification, can cater for meeting the dietary vitamin D needs of the community. Finally, international authorities, briefed with establishing vitamin D dietary guidelines over the past decade, have struggled with uncertainties and gaps in our understanding of the relative contribution of sunshine and diet to vitamin D status and vitamin D requirements for health maintenance. The review will also consider how emerging evidence of a possible minimal-risk UVB radiation exposure relative to skin cancer that also enables vitamin D production could greatly inform future vitamin D dietary guidelines.
- Published
- 2020
15. Evaluation of the environmental performance of printing and writing paper using life cycle assessment
- Author
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Cláudia Dias, Ana, Louro, Margarida, Arroja, Luís, and Capela, Isabel
- Published
- 2004
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
16. Lung function and paper dust exposure among workers in a soft tissue paper mill
- Author
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Susanna Lohman, Kjell Torén, Gerd Sallsten, Richard L. Neitzel, and Eva Andersson
- Subjects
Adult ,Lung Diseases ,Male ,Paper ,Spirometry ,Vital capacity ,Vital Capacity ,Cumulative Exposure ,Air Pollutants, Occupational ,law.invention ,FEV1/FVC ratio ,law ,Forced Expiratory Volume ,Occupational Exposure ,Environmental health ,medicine ,Humans ,COPD ,Lung Diseases, Obstructive ,Sweden ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,business.industry ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Dust ,Obstructive lung disease ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Occupational ,Confidence interval ,respiratory tract diseases ,Organic dust ,Female ,Particulate Matter ,Original Article ,business ,Spirometer - Abstract
Purpose To study respiratory effects of exposure to soft paper dust exposure, a relationship that is rarely studied. Methods Soft tissue paper mill workers at a Swedish paper mill were investigated using a questionnaire and lung function and atopy screening. Spirometry without bronchodilation was performed with a dry wedge spirometer, and forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) were obtained and expressed as percent predicted. Exposure to soft paper dust was assessed from historical stationary and personal measurements of total dust, in addition to historical information about the work, department, and production. The impact of high exposure to soft paper dust (> 5 mg/m3) vs. lower exposure ≤ 5 mg/m3, as well as cumulative exposure, was analyzed using multiple linear regression models. Multivariate models were adjusted for smoking, atopy, gender, and body mass index. Results One hundred ninety-eight current workers (124 male and 74 female) were included. There were significant associations between both cumulative exposure and years of high exposure to soft paper dust and impaired lung function. Each year of high exposure to soft paper dust was associated with a 0.87% decrease in FEV1 [95% confidence interval (CI) − 1.39 to − 0.35] and decreased FVC (− 0.54%, 95% CI − 1.00 to − 0.08) compared to the lower exposed workers. Conclusions The present study shows that occupational exposure to soft paper dust (years exceeding 5 mg/m3 total dust) is associated with lung function impairment and increased prevalence of obstructive lung function impairment.
- Published
- 2019
17. RISK ASSESSMENT FOR RADON EXPOSURE IN VARIOUS INDOOR ENVIRONMENTS
- Author
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Jing Chen
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,Paper ,Canada ,Lung Neoplasms ,Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced ,Adolescent ,Air pollution ,chemistry.chemical_element ,Radon ,010501 environmental sciences ,medicine.disease_cause ,Risk Assessment ,01 natural sciences ,030218 nuclear medicine & medical imaging ,Radon exposure ,Young Adult ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Air pollutants ,Environmental health ,medicine ,Humans ,Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and imaging ,Child ,Aged ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,Aged, 80 and over ,Radiation ,Radiological and Ultrasound Technology ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Infant ,Environmental Exposure ,General Medicine ,Middle Aged ,respiratory tract diseases ,chemistry ,Air Pollutants, Radioactive ,Radon Progeny ,Air Pollution, Indoor ,Child, Preschool ,Housing ,Environmental science ,Female ,Risk assessment - Abstract
Using data from a number of radon surveys, it was assessed that on average, radon progeny concentrations in Canadian homes are about three times higher than in school buildings, 4.7 times higher than in public buildings and indoor workplaces, and 12 times higher than in outdoor air. Canadian statistics show that most Canadians spend ~70% of their time indoors at home, 20% indoors away from home and 10% in outdoors. Due to relatively higher radon concentration in residential homes and longer time spent indoors at home, the exposure at home contributes to 90% of the radon-induced lung-cancer risk.
- Published
- 2019
18. Investigations by the Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection of food and food-borne infections in the Mediterranean Basin and in sub-Saharan Africa
- Author
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Jean-Marc Rolain, Philippe Colson, C. Abat, Microbes évolution phylogénie et infections (MEPHI), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Aix Marseille Université (AMU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Aix Marseille Université (AMU)
- Subjects
Paper ,0301 basic medicine ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Sub saharan ,030106 microbiology ,Developing country ,food-borne ,virus ,Microbiology ,Mediterranean Basin ,lcsh:Infectious and parasitic diseases ,03 medical and health sciences ,[SDV.MHEP.MI]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Human health and pathology/Infectious diseases ,Environmental health ,medicine ,lcsh:RC109-216 ,infections ,bacteria ,ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS ,2. Zero hunger ,[SDV.MHEP.ME]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Human health and pathology/Emerging diseases ,Transmission (medicine) ,food ,Public health ,fungus ,digestive, oral, and skin physiology ,Zoonosis ,zoonosis ,medicine.disease ,[SDV.MP.BAC]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Microbiology and Parasitology/Bacteriology ,3. Good health ,IHU Mediterranée Infection ,030104 developmental biology ,Infectious Diseases ,Geography ,Food products ,Food borne ,Africa - Abstract
Food-borne infections are major causes of public health concern in developing and developed countries. During the past decade, the Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection has conducted or been involved in multiple investigations that aimed at identifying the sources and strains responsible for food-borne diseases and therefore at improving the understanding, diagnosis, prevention and control of these infections. Investigations were conducted in the Mediterranean area and in sub-Saharan Africa on more than 15 food-borne agents, 17 food products and 14 antibiotic resistance-associated genes. Multiple sources, including unexpected ones, and pathogens, including emerging ones, were involved. Travelling in developing countries and zoonoses are major contributors to food-borne infections, while food-borne transmission of resistance-associated genes is increasingly reported. However, risk factors and pathogens associated with food-borne infections likely remain untapped and must be more extensively investigated, monitored and regularly reassessed. Diagnostic tests based on new technologies and real-time surveillance tools based on microbiology laboratory data are promising approaches to detect known food-borne infections and decipher new ones. Studies of the microbiota and its relationships with dietary patterns are also worth being conducted. Keywords: Africa, bacteria, food, food-borne, fungus, IHU Mediterranée Infection, infections, Mediterranean Basin, virus, zoonosis
- Published
- 2018
19. Paper based platform for colorimetric sensing of dissolved NH3 and CO2.
- Author
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Chen, Yu, Zilberman, Yael, Mostafalu, Pooria, and Sonkusale, Sameer R.
- Subjects
- *
COLORIMETRIC analysis , *AMMONIA , *COMPOSITION of water , *CARBON dioxide in water , *BIODEGRADABLE materials , *BIOMARKERS , *ENVIRONMENTAL health - Abstract
Paper, a cheap and ubiquitous material, has great potential to be used as low-cost, portable and biodegradable platform for chemical and biological sensing application. In this paper, we are exploring a low-cost, flexible and reliable method to effectively pattern paper for capturing optical dyes and for flow-based delivery of target samples for colorimetric chemical sensing. In this paper, we target the detection of ammonia (NH 3 ) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), two of the important environmental and health biomarkers. By functionalizing the paper platform with diverse cross-reactive dyes sensitive to NH 3 and CO 2 , their selective sensing within a certain pH range, as well as their detection at different concentrations can be achieved. The images of paper based device were captured by a flatbed scanner and processed in MATLAB ® using a RGB model and PCA for quantitative analysis. Paper based devices with readout using ubiquitous consumer electronic devices (e.g. smartphones, flatbed scanner) are considered promising approaches for disease screening in developing countries with limited resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
20. Exposure To Extremely Low-Frequency Magnetic Fields In Low- And Middle-Income Countries: An Overview
- Author
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Daniel Wollschläger, Dan Baaken, Isabelle Deltour, Joachim Schüz, and Theodoros Samaras
- Subjects
Paper ,education.field_of_study ,Radiation ,AcademicSubjects/SCI00180 ,Radiological and Ultrasound Technology ,Population ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,General Medicine ,030218 nuclear medicine & medical imaging ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Low and middle income countries ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,Environmental health ,Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and imaging ,Extremely low frequency ,education ,Exposure assessment ,Systematic search - Abstract
To compare extremely low-frequency magnetic field (ELF-MF) exposure in the general population in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) with high-income countries (HIC), we carried out a systematic literature search resulting in 1483 potentially eligible articles; however, only 25 studies could be included in the qualitative synthesis. Studies showed large heterogeneity in design, exposure environment and exposure assessment. Exposure assessed by outdoor spot measurements ranged from 0.03 to 4μT. Average exposure by indoor spot measurements in homes ranged from 0.02 to 0.4μT. Proportions of homes exposed to a threshold of ≥0.3μT were many times higher in LMICs compared to HIC. Based on the limited data available, exposure to ELF-MF in LMICs appeared higher than in HIC, but a direct comparison is hampered by a lack of representative and systematic monitoring studies. Representative measurement studies on residential exposure to ELF-MF are needed in LMICs together with better standardisation in the reporting.
- Published
- 2020
21. Detection and quantitation of synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists in infused papers from prisons in a constantly evolving illicit market
- Author
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Niamh Nic Daeid, Daniel A. Fletcher, Brian McKirdy, Craig R. M. McKenzie, Gillian Walker, Lysbeth H. Antonides, Caitlyn Norman, Ciara McDonald, and Oliver B. Sutcliffe
- Subjects
Paper ,Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ,Drug misuse ,Impurity profiling ,Pharmaceutical Science ,01 natural sciences ,Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ,Analytical Chemistry ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Environmental health ,Illicit market ,Environmental Chemistry ,Medicine ,Humans ,030216 legal & forensic medicine ,Ultra high pressure ,Spectroscopy ,Representative sampling ,Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ,Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists ,Harm reduction ,Psychotropic Drugs ,business.industry ,Cannabinoids ,Illicit Drugs ,010401 analytical chemistry ,Forensic chemistry ,0104 chemical sciences ,Prisons ,business - Abstract
© 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Drug misuse in prisons contributes to increased disruption and violence and negatively impacts prisoner safety, rehabilitation, and recovery. Synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs), colloquially known as “spice”, are infused into papers and are of particular concern in a prison setting where they are commonly vaped. Methods for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of SCRA infused papers, including impurity profiling, were developed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) with qualitative confirmation by ultra high pressure liquid chromatography with photodiode array and quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry detection (UPLC-PDA-QToF-MS) and applied to 354 individual seized paper samples originating from 168 seizures from three Scottish prisons. Of these samples, 41% (146 samples from 101 seizures) contained at least one SCRA and multiple SCRAs were detected on 23% of these papers. Concentrations ranged from < 0.05–1.17 mg/cm2 paper, representing the first reported quantitative data for SCRA infused papers. An evolution in the SCRAs detected was demonstrated; 5F-MDMB-PINACA (5F-ADB) predominated until late 2018, after which time 5F-MDMB-PICA and 4F-MDMB-BINACA became increasingly more prevalent, followed by the arrival of MDMB-4en-PINACA in June 2019. Concentration mapping data from two seized paper samples demonstrated that SCRA concentrations across larger papers were highly variable (0.47–2.38 mg/cm2 paper) making consistent dosing by users, and representative sampling by laboratory analysts, difficult. Near real-time qualitative and quantitative information on SCRAs circulating in prisons acts as an early warning system for SCRAs emerging on the wider illicit market, inform the methods used to detect them and limit supply, and provide information to support harm reduction measures.
- Published
- 2020
22. CURRENT STATUS OF THE FUKUSHIMA HEALTH MANAGEMENT SURVEY
- Author
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Koichi Tanigawa and Atsushi Kumagai
- Subjects
Paper ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Fukushima Nuclear Accident ,Thyroid Gland ,Overweight ,030218 nuclear medicine & medical imaging ,Disasters ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Japan ,Radiation Monitoring ,Environmental health ,Epidemiology ,medicine ,Humans ,Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and imaging ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Life Style ,Risk Management ,Radiation ,Radiological and Ultrasound Technology ,Health management system ,business.industry ,Incidence (epidemiology) ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,General Medicine ,Health Surveys ,Mental health ,Ultrasound techniques ,Mental Health ,medicine.symptom ,Liver dysfunction ,business - Abstract
The Fukushima Health Management Survey (FHMS) was implemented in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. The primary purpose of this survey was to monitor the long-term health of residents, promote their future well-being and confirm whether long-term low-dose radiation exposure affects health. The FHMS results indicated very low-radiation exposure doses among residents and that no discernible increased incidence of radiation-related health effects could be expected. However, psychological distress was found to be far greater among people in Fukushima than those in other areas affected by the accident’s preceding Great East Japan Earthquake and the resultant tsunami. Additionally, prevalence of lifestyle-related health problems such as being overweight, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia and liver dysfunction increased among evacuees. Thyroid examinations of asymptomatic individuals, using ultrasound techniques, also contributed to public concern and fear about the health effects of radiation. The FHMS ultimately revealed that ethical considerations are important in the design and implementation of health surveillance and epidemiological studies.
- Published
- 2018
23. Exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields From Wi-Fi in Australian Schools
- Author
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Ken Karipidis, Rick Tinker, Don Wijayasinghe, Stuart Henderson, and Lydiawati Tjong
- Subjects
Electromagnetic field ,Paper ,Rf exposure ,Radio Waves ,010501 environmental sciences ,01 natural sciences ,030218 nuclear medicine & medical imaging ,03 medical and health sciences ,Base station ,0302 clinical medicine ,Electromagnetic Fields ,Environmental health ,Humans ,Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and imaging ,Child ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,Radiation ,Schools ,Radiological and Ultrasound Technology ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Australia ,Public concern ,General Medicine ,Environmental exposure ,Environmental Exposure ,Environmental science ,Cell Phone ,Radio wave - Abstract
The increasing use of Wi-Fi in schools and other places has given rise to public concern that the radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields from Wi-Fi have the potential to adversely affect children. The current study measured typical and peak RF levels from Wi-Fi and other sources in 23 schools in Australia. All of the RF measurements were much lower than the reference levels recommended by international guidelines for protection against established health effects. The typical and peak RF levels from Wi-Fi in locations occupied by children in the classroom were of the order of 10−4 and 10−2% of the exposure guidelines, respectively. Typical RF levels in the classroom were similar between Wi-Fi and radio but higher than other sources. In the schoolyard typical RF levels were higher for radio, TV and mobile phone base stations compared to Wi-Fi. The results of this study showed that the typical RF exposure of children from Wi-Fi at school is very low and comparable or lower to other sources in the environment.
- Published
- 2017
24. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE RUSSIAN HEALTH STUDIES PROGRAM AND UPDATED RESEARCH FINDINGS
- Author
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Barrett N. Fountos
- Subjects
Paper ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Economic growth ,Nuclear weapon ,Russia ,030218 nuclear medicine & medical imaging ,03 medical and health sciences ,Radiation Protection ,0302 clinical medicine ,Environmental health ,Return on investment ,Epidemiology ,Humans ,Medicine ,Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and imaging ,Neutrons ,Nuclear Weapons ,Radiation ,Radiological and Ultrasound Technology ,business.industry ,Research ,Public health ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,General Medicine ,Research findings ,Biorepository ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,Radiation protection ,business ,Cancer risk - Abstract
Recognized for conducting cutting-edge science in the field of radiation health effects research, the Department of Energy's (DOE) Russian Health Studies Program has continued to generate excitement and enthusiasm throughout its 23-year mission to assess worker and public health risks from radiation exposure resulting from nuclear weapons production activities in the former Soviet Union. The three goals of the Program are to: (1) clarify the relationship between health effects and chronic, low-to-medium dose radiation exposure; (2) estimate the cancer risks from exposure to gamma, neutron, and alpha radiation; and (3) provide information to the national and international organizations that determine radiation protection standards and practices. Research sponsored by DOE's Russian Health Studies Program is conducted under the authority of the Joint Coordinating Committee for Radiation Effects Research (JCCRER), a bi-national committee representing Federal agencies in the United States and the Russian Federation. Signed in 1994, the JCCRER Agreement established the legal basis for the collaborative research between USA and Russian scientists to determine the risks associated with working at or living near Russian former nuclear weapons production sites. The products of the Program are peer-reviewed publications on cancer risk estimates from worker and community exposure to ionizing radiation following the production of nuclear weapons in Russia. The scientific return on investment has been substantial. Through 31 December 2015, JCCRER researchers have published 299 peer-reviewed publications. To date, the research has focused on the Mayak Production Association (Mayak) in Ozersk, Russia, which is the site of the first Soviet nuclear weapons production facility, and people in surrounding communities along the Techa River. There are five current projects in the Russian Health Studies Program: two radiation epidemiology studies; two historical dose reconstruction studies and a worker biorepository. National and international standard-setting organizations use cancer risk estimates computed from epidemiological and historical dose reconstruction studies to validate or revise radiation protection standards. An overview of the most important research results will be presented.
- Published
- 2016
25. The Russian Human Radiobiological Tissue Repository: A Unique Resource for Studies of Plutonium-Exposed Workers
- Author
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Valentina Revina, Christopher A. Loffredo, Svetlana Sokolova, David S. Goerlitz, Mariya Zakharova, Evgeniya Kirillova, and Leonidas Leondaridis
- Subjects
Paper ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Tissue Repository ,Resource (biology) ,Medical information ,Tissue Banks ,Russia ,030218 nuclear medicine & medical imaging ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Informed consent ,Occupational Exposure ,Radiation, Ionizing ,Environmental health ,medicine ,Humans ,Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and imaging ,Medical physics ,Radiation ,Radiological and Ultrasound Technology ,Health consequences ,business.industry ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Radiobiology ,General Medicine ,Plutonium ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,Tissue bank ,Occupational exposure ,business - Abstract
The Russian Radiobiological Human Tissue Repository (RHTR) at the Southern Urals Biophysics Institute in Ozyorsk, Russia, was established to collect and store biospecimens supporting research on health consequences of chronic, low-dose radiation exposures. The purpose of this paper is to describe the RHTR resources and the availability of high-quality biological specimens. RHTR has enrolled two groups of subjects from 1951 to the present time: exposed workers at the Mayak Production Association facilities and residents of Ozyorsk who were never occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation (controls). Biospecimens are collected with informed consent of participants and are annotated with demographic, occupational, dosimetry and medical information. To date, 900 individuals have provided surgical tissues and 1000 have provided autopsy tissues. Blood samples are also collected and stored. Familial DNA is available from parent–offspring triads. Biospecimens and annotated data are available to interested scientists worldwide, via the RHTR website.
- Published
- 2016
26. Local availability of green and blue space and prevalence of common mental disorders in the Netherlands
- Author
-
Sjerp de Vries, Margreet ten Have, Tia Hermans, Manja van Wezep, Saskia van Dorsselaer, and Ron de Graaf
- Subjects
Paper ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Declaration ,WASS ,Regional Development and Spatial Use ,010501 environmental sciences ,Space (commercial competition) ,01 natural sciences ,Health data ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Negatively associated ,Environmental health ,medicine ,Life Science ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Psychiatry ,License ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,Regionale Ontwikkeling en Ruimtegebruik ,medicine.disease ,Mental health ,Psychiatry and Mental health ,Mood disorders ,Anxiety ,medicine.symptom ,Psychology - Abstract
BackgroundPrevious studies revealed a relationship between residential green space availability and health, especially mental health. Studies on blue space are scarcer and results less conclusive.AimsTo investigate the hypotheses that green and blue space availability are negatively associated with anxiety and mood disorders, and positively associated with self-reported mental and general health.MethodHealth data were derived from a nationally representative survey (NEMESIS-2, n=6621), using a diagnostic interview to assess disorders. Green and blue space availability were expressed as percentages of the area within 1 km from one's home.ResultsThe hypotheses were confirmed, except for green space and mood disorders. Associations were generally stronger for blue space than for green space, with ORs up to 0.74 for a 10%-point increase.ConclusionsDespite the different survey design and health measures, the results largely replicate those of previous studies on green space. Blue space availability deserves more systematic attention.
- Published
- 2016
27. Radiofrequency Exposure Amongst Employees of Mobile Network Operators and Broadcasters
- Author
-
Martie van Tongeren, Ian Litchfield, and Tom Sorahan
- Subjects
Paper ,Occupational group ,Activities of daily living ,Rf exposure ,Radio Waves ,Broadcasting ,030218 nuclear medicine & medical imaging ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Electromagnetic Fields ,Adverse health effect ,Environmental health ,Journal Article ,Humans ,Industry ,Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and imaging ,Radiation ,Radiological and Ultrasound Technology ,business.industry ,Rf radiation ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,General Medicine ,Radiation Exposure ,030210 environmental & occupational health ,Workforce ,Cellular network ,Telecommunications ,Television ,Business - Abstract
Little is known about personal exposure to radiofrequency (RF) fields amongst employees in the telecommunications industry responsible for installing and maintaining transmitters. IARC classified RF exposure as a possible carcinogen, although evidence from occupational studies was judged to be inadequate. Hence, there is a need for improved evidence of any potentially adverse health effects amongst the workforce occupationally exposed to RF radiation. In this study, results are presented from an exposure survey using data from personal monitors used by employees in the broadcasting and telecommunication industries of the UK. These data were supplemented by spot measurements using broadband survey metres and information on daily work activities provided by employee questionnaires. The sets of real-time personal data were categorised by four types of site determined by the highest powered antenna present (high, medium or low power and ground-level sites). For measurements gathered at each type of site, the root mean square and a series of box plots were produced. Results from the daily activities diaries suggested that riggers working for radio and television broadcasters were exposed to much longer periods as compared to colleagues working for mobile operators. Combining the results from the measurements and daily activity diaries clearly demonstrate that exposures were highest for riggers working for broadcasting sites. This study demonstrates that it is feasible to carry out exposure surveys within these populations that will provide reliable estimates of exposure that can be used for epidemiological studies of occupational groups exposed to RF fields.
- Published
- 2016
28. A semi-quantitative job exposure matrix for dust exposures in Swedish soft tissue paper mills
- Author
-
Susanna Lohman, Eva Andersson, Richard L. Neitzel, Gerd Sallsten, Kjell Torén, and Marianne Andersson
- Subjects
Paper ,Sweden ,business.industry ,Job-exposure matrix ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Dust ,Air Pollutants, Occupational ,complex mixtures ,Environmental health ,Occupational Exposure ,Cohort ,Manufacturing Industry ,Medicine ,Humans ,Dust exposure ,Occupational exposure ,Exposure control ,business ,Semi quantitative ,Exposure assessment ,Paper dust ,Environmental Monitoring - Abstract
Background Total paper dust exposure has been associated with respiratory problems among workers in the soft tissue paper industry. However, a comprehensive job exposure matrix (JEM) has not been developed for application to this industry. Our study was intended to address this need and to support further studies of mortality and morbidity in a cohort of Swedish workers from this industry. Methods We evaluated four participating soft tissue paper mills in Sweden. We combined information on process and equipment status from the mills with knowledge of the mills obtained through research efforts and paper dust measurements made at all four mills to develop a semi-quantitative JEM with seven dust exposure levels. The JEM was targeted at workers enrolled into a soft tissue paper mill cohort and working any time between 1960 and 2009. Results The JEM includes a total of 14 421 cells, with each cell corresponding to the exposure for a job title, department, or work location for a one-year period. Exposure levels in the JEM were estimated to decline at three of the four mills from 1971 to 2009, but overexposures (ie, exceedances of the relevant occupational exposure limits) remained common at the end of the period. Conclusions The JEM results highlight the need for ongoing exposure control efforts in the soft tissue paper industry, and will inform ongoing epidemiological studies of the health effects of exposure to paper dust in Sweden. It is freely available for use by other researchers.
- Published
- 2019
29. Evaluation of a population mobility, mortality, and birth surveillance system in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Author
-
Augustin Karume, Jennifer O'Keefe, Marius Nshombo, Prudence Jarrett, Les Roberts, and Frank J. Zadravecz
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,Paper ,Geographic mobility ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Human Migration ,Population ,0211 other engineering and technologies ,02 engineering and technology ,South Kivu ,01 natural sciences ,Birth rate ,Household survey ,community‐based surveillance ,Environmental health ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,Humans ,survey ,education ,Birth Rate ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,media_common ,Retrospective Studies ,021110 strategic, defence & security studies ,education.field_of_study ,evaluation ,General Social Sciences ,Reproducibility of Results ,Relief Work ,mortality ,Democracy ,Geography ,South kivu ,General partnership ,Population Surveillance ,Papers ,Democratic Republic of the Congo ,General Earth and Planetary Sciences ,Christian ministry ,Female - Abstract
Prospective, community-based surveillance systems for measuring birth, death, and population movement rates may have advantages over the 'gold-standard' retrospective household survey in humanitarian contexts. A community-based, monthly surveillance system was established in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, in partnership with a local implementing partner and the national ministry of health. Data were collected on the occurrence of births, deaths, arrivals, and departures over the course of one year, and a retrospective survey was conducted at the end of the period to validate the information. Discrepancies between the two approaches were resolved by a third visit to the households with discordant records. The study found that the surveillance system was superior in terms of its specificity and sensitivity in measuring crude mortality and birth rates as compared to the survey, demonstrating the method's potential to measure accurately important population-level health metrics in an insecure setting in a timely, community-acceptable manner.
- Published
- 2019
30. Mix of new substances psychoactive, NPS, found in blotters sold in two Colombian cities
- Author
-
Fabian López-Vallejo, Catrin Y. Mendoza-Valencia, Daniel Trespalacios Rodríguez, Diana Jazmín Mariño Gaviria, Álvaro Emilio Sarmiento Gutiérrez, and Nancy Patiño Reyes
- Subjects
Paper ,2,5-Dimethoxy-4-Methylamphetamine ,Illicit Drugs ,Substance-Related Disorders ,N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine ,010401 analytical chemistry ,Administration, Sublingual ,Acute intoxication ,Colombia ,01 natural sciences ,0104 chemical sciences ,Pathology and Forensic Medicine ,Designer Drugs ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Environmental health ,Dimethoxyphenylethylamine ,Humans ,030216 legal & forensic medicine ,Business ,Drug Trafficking ,Drug Contamination ,Law - Abstract
The new psychoactive substances (NPS) in Colombia are detected by national authorities, in blotters strip, in different circumstances and places: airports, music concerts, discos and parks. Blotters are marketed as LSD and cause several cases of intoxication and death in some consumers: due to acute intoxication or when mixed with other drugs and may have different effects on the central nervous system (CNS). This study was conducted to research into and identify the chemical composition of the drugs impregnated in the blotters sold in two Colombian cities. This research provides the analysis of 70 doses coming from forensic cases of the Colombian Attorney General's Office in Bogota and from the Laboratory of Narcotics of the Colombian National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences (North Headquarter) in Barranquilla. Mixtures of drugs, such as DOB, 25I-NBOMe, MDMA and 25I-NBOMe imine were found within the blotters through gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (CGMS); these drugs are classified by international authorities as NPS belonging to the phenylethylamines group. The results clearly warn about a growing public health problem in the country.
- Published
- 2019
31. Role of Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection in the surveillance of resistance to antibiotics and training of students in the Mediterranean basin and in African countries
- Author
-
L. Peyclit, A. Chanteloup, Linda Hadjadj, J.-M. Rolain, Microbes évolution phylogénie et infections (MEPHI), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Aix Marseille Université (AMU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and Institut Hospitalier Universitaire Méditerranée Infection (IHU Marseille)
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,Paper ,medicine.drug_class ,Antibiotic resistance ,030106 microbiology ,Antibiotics ,education ,Resistance (psychoanalysis) ,Mediterranean ,Microbiology ,Mediterranean Basin ,lcsh:Infectious and parasitic diseases ,03 medical and health sciences ,[SDV.MHEP.CSC]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Human health and pathology/Cardiology and cardiovascular system ,[SDV.MHEP.MI]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Human health and pathology/Infectious diseases ,Environmental health ,medicine ,lcsh:RC109-216 ,[SDV.MP.PAR]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Microbiology and Parasitology/Parasitology ,ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS ,[SDV.MHEP.ME]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Human health and pathology/Emerging diseases ,[SDV.MP.BAC]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Microbiology and Parasitology/Bacteriology ,3. Good health ,IHU Méditerranée Infection ,Multi-drug resistance ,Infectious Diseases ,Geography ,Africa ,[SDV.MP.VIR]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Microbiology and Parasitology/Virology ,Colistin ,Vancomycin ,medicine.drug ,Antibiotic resistance genes - Abstract
Surveillance of antibiotic resistance has become a public global concern after the rapid worldwide dissemination of several antibiotic resistance genes. Here we report the role of the Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection created in 2011 in the identification and description of multidrug-resistant bacteria thanks to collaborations and training of students from the Mediterranean basin and from African countries. Since the creation of the institute, 95 students and researchers have come from 19 different countries from these areas to characterize 6359 bacterial isolates from 7280 samples from humans (64%), animals (28%) and the environment (8%). Most bacterial isolates studied were Gram-negative bacteria (n = 5588; 87.9%), mostly from Algeria (n = 4190), Lebanon (n = 946), Greece (n = 610), Saudi Arabia (n = 299) and Senegal (n = 278). Antibiotic resistance was diversified with the detection and characterization of extended-spectrum β-lactamases, carbapenemases and resistance to colistin, vancomycin and methicillin. All those studies led to 97 indexed international scientific papers. Over the last 6 years, our institute has created a huge network of collaborations by training students that plays a major role in the surveillance of resistance to antibiotics in these countries. Keywords: Africa, Antibiotic resistance, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Mediterranean, Multi-drug resistance
- Published
- 2018
32. Installing biosafety level 3 containment laboratories in low- and middle-income countries: challenges and prospects from Mali's experience
- Author
-
B. Kouriba, F.X. Babin, L. Raskine, A. Toure, B. Traoré, and O. Ouwe Missi Oukem-Boyer
- Subjects
Paper ,Tuberculosis ,media_common.quotation_subject ,030231 tropical medicine ,Mali ,Microbiology ,LMICs ,lcsh:Infectious and parasitic diseases ,03 medical and health sciences ,Biosafety ,0302 clinical medicine ,Hygiene ,Biosafety level ,Environmental health ,medicine ,DST ,National level ,lcsh:RC109-216 ,030212 general & internal medicine ,media_common ,Capacity building ,biosafety ,medicine.disease ,culture ,BSL3 ,capacity-building ,Infectious Diseases ,Containment ,Low and middle income countries ,Business - Abstract
In Mali, the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) is estimated at 56 cases per 100 000 people, with a prevalence of multidrug-resistant TB in new cases of 1.7% (range, 0.3–3.1%) and in retreatment cases of 17% (range, 4.4–30%). Appropriate biosafety conditions for performing routine TB culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing have been lacking. In 2015, a biosafety level 3 (BSL3) laboratory set up in a shipping container was donated to the Malian Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene to provide capacity for TB testing. This laboratory is now managed by Malian laboratory staff and is processing samples at the national level. We explain the necessary steps for establishing and running a BSL3 laboratory. Despite the acute need for functioning and sustainable BSL3 laboratories, low- and middle-income countries are faced with a complex process and must overcome many challenges. Keywords: biosafety, BSL3, capacity-building, culture, DST, LMICs, Mali, Tuberculosis
- Published
- 2018
33. LONG-TERM BIODOSIMETRY REDUX
- Author
-
Steven L. Simon and André Bouville
- Subjects
Paper ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Population ,Redux ,030218 nuclear medicine & medical imaging ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Biodosimetry ,Radiation Monitoring ,Environmental health ,Epidemiology ,Humans ,Medicine ,Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and imaging ,Longitudinal Studies ,education ,Exposure assessment ,education.field_of_study ,Radiation ,Radiological and Ultrasound Technology ,business.industry ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Environmental Exposure ,General Medicine ,Environmental exposure ,Population Surveillance ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,Radiation monitoring ,Biological Assay ,business ,Algorithms ,Forecasting ,Nuclear terrorism - Abstract
This paper revisits and reiterates the needs, purposes and requirements of biodosimetric assays for long-term dose and health risk assessments. While the most crucial need for biodosimetric assays is to guide medical response for radiation accidents, the value of such techniques for improving our understanding of radiation health risk by supporting epidemiological (long-term health risk) studies is significant. As new cohorts of exposed persons are identified and new health risk studies are undertaken with the hopes that studying the exposed will result in a deeper understanding of radiation risk, the value of reliable dose reconstruction is underscored. The ultimate application of biodosimetry in long-term health risk studies would be to completely replace model-based dose reconstruction-a complex suite of methods for retrospectively estimating dose that is commonly fraught with large uncertainties due to the absence of important exposure-related information, as well as imperfect models. While biodosimetry could potentially supplant model-based doses, there are numerous limitations of presently available techniques that constrain their widespread application in health risk research, including limited ability to assess doses received far in the past, high cost, great inter-individual variability, invasiveness, higher than preferred detection limits and the inability to assess internal dose (for the most part). These limitations prevent the extensive application of biodosimetry to large cohorts and should be considered a challenge to researchers to develop new and more flexible techniques that meet the demands of long-term health risk research. Events in recent years, e.g. the Fukushima reactor accident and the increased threat of nuclear terrorism, underscore that any event that results in significant radiation exposures of a group of people will also produce a much larger population, exposed at lower levels, but that likewise needs (or demands) an exposure assessment. Hence, the needs for retrospective dose estimation are likely to be greater in the future. The value of biodosimetry can be considerably enhanced with the development of new or improved methods, particularly with suitability for application at long periods of time after exposure.
- Published
- 2016
34. EXPOSURE OF THE SWISS POPULATION BY RADIODIAGNOSTICS: 2013 REVIEW
- Author
-
Régis Le Coultre, David Wittwer, Philipp R. Trueb, Mélanie Champendal, Abbas Aroua, Julie Bize, Francis R. Verdun, and Nick Ryckx
- Subjects
Paper ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Databases, Factual ,Population ,Computed tomography ,Pilot Projects ,Radiation Dosage ,Radiography, Interventional ,Effective dose (radiation) ,030218 nuclear medicine & medical imaging ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Radiation Monitoring ,Environmental health ,Medicine ,Humans ,Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and imaging ,Medical physics ,education ,education.field_of_study ,Radiation ,Radiological and Ultrasound Technology ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,business.industry ,X-Rays ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,General Medicine ,Environmental exposure ,Environmental Exposure ,Hybrid approach ,Radiography ,Tomography x ray computed ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,Western europe ,Total dose ,business ,Tomography, X-Ray Computed ,Switzerland - Abstract
In 2013, a nationwide investigation was conducted in Switzerland to establish the population's exposure from medical X rays. A hybrid approach was used combining the Raddose database accessible on-line by the participating practices and the Swiss medical tariffication system for hospitals. This study revealed that the average annual number of examinations is 1.2 per inhabitant, and the associated annual effective dose is 1.4 mSv. It also showed that computed tomography is the most irradiating modality and that it delivers 70 % of the total dose. The annual effective dose per inhabitant registered a 17 % increase in 5 y and is comparable with what was recently reported in neighbouring countries.
- Published
- 2016
35. Ovarian Cancer Incidence in the U.S. and Toxic Emissions from Pulp and Paper Plants: A Geospatial Analysis
- Author
-
Carol Hanchette, Gary G. Schwartz, and Charlie H. Zhang
- Subjects
Adult ,Paper ,Geospatial analysis ,Pollutant emissions ,ovarian cancer incidence ,Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis ,Level data ,toxic emissions ,lcsh:Medicine ,Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial ,Positive correlation ,computer.software_genre ,Article ,pulp and paper ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Environmental risk ,Environmental health ,medicine ,Cluster Analysis ,Humans ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Aged ,whites ,Aged, 80 and over ,Ovarian Neoplasms ,Air Pollutants ,Spatial Analysis ,business.industry ,Incidence (epidemiology) ,Incidence ,lcsh:R ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Environmental Exposure ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,geospatial analysis ,United States ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,Pulp (tooth) ,Female ,Ovarian cancer ,business ,computer - Abstract
Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of female cancer mortality in the U.S. and accounts for five percent of all cancer deaths among women. No environmental risk factors for ovarian cancer have been confirmed. We previously reported that ovarian cancer incidence rates at the state level were significantly correlated with the extent of pulp and paper manufacturing. We evaluated that association using county-level data and advanced geospatial methods. Specifically, we investigated the relationship of spatial patterns of ovarian cancer incidence rates with toxic emissions from pulp and paper facilities using data from the Environmental Protection Agency&rsquo, s Toxic Release Inventory (TRI). Geospatial analysis identified clusters of counties with high ovarian cancer incidence rates in south-central Iowa, Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania, Alabama, and Georgia. A bivariate local indicator of spatial autocorrelation (LISA) analysis confirmed that counties with high ovarian cancer rates were associated with counties with large numbers of pulp and paper mills. Regression analysis of state level data indicated a positive correlation between ovarian cancer and water pollutant emissions. A similar relationship was identified from the analysis of county-level data. These data support a possible role of water-borne pollutants from pulp and paper mills in the etiology of ovarian cancer.
- Published
- 2018
36. A comparison of smartphone and paper data-collection tools in the Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study in Gezira state, Sudan
- Author
-
Peter Burney, R Robinson, Kevin Mortimer, S. Bertel Squire, Asma Elsony, Rachael Thomson, Rana Ahmed, Rasmus Malmborg, Kodgule, Rahul, and Wellcome Trust
- Subjects
Male ,Rural Population ,Questionnaires ,Pulmonology ,020205 medical informatics ,Electronic data capture ,Physiology ,lcsh:Medicine ,Social Sciences ,Pilot Projects ,02 engineering and technology ,Pathology and Laboratory Medicine ,ELECTRONIC DATA CAPTURE ,Medical Records ,Sudan ,Geographical Locations ,Random Allocation ,Habits ,0302 clinical medicine ,Cohen's kappa ,Sociology ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,Smoking Habits ,Medicine and Health Sciences ,Coughing ,0202 electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering ,Electronic Health Records ,Public and Occupational Health ,030212 general & internal medicine ,lcsh:Science ,Medical History Taking ,Observer Variation ,education.field_of_study ,wa_30 ,Schools ,Multidisciplinary ,Data Collection ,Smoking ,wa_900 ,Information quality ,Middle Aged ,Socioeconomic Aspects of Health ,Obstructive lung disease ,Multidisciplinary Sciences ,Open data ,Research Design ,Science & Technology - Other Topics ,Engineering and Technology ,Female ,Smartphone ,Symptom Assessment ,wf_600 ,Research Article ,Adult ,Paper ,wa_950 ,Adolescent ,General Science & Technology ,Population ,Equipment ,Research and Analysis Methods ,Sampling Studies ,Education ,Young Adult ,03 medical and health sciences ,Signs and Symptoms ,Diagnostic Medicine ,Environmental health ,MD Multidisciplinary ,medicine ,Humans ,Lung Diseases, Obstructive ,education ,c941fbbd ,Aged ,Communication Equipment ,Behavior ,Science & Technology ,Survey Research ,Data collection ,business.industry ,lcsh:R ,Biology and Life Sciences ,medicine.disease ,Health Care ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Dyspnea ,Data quality ,People and Places ,Africa ,Feasibility Studies ,lcsh:Q ,Forms and Records Control ,Cell Phones ,Physiological Processes ,business - Abstract
Introduction \ud Data collection using paper-based questionnaires can be time consuming and return errors affect data accuracy, completeness, and information quality in health surveys. We compared smartphone and paper-based data collection systems in the Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study in rural Sudan. \ud Methods \ud This exploratory pilot study was designed to run in parallel with the cross-sectional household survey. The Open Data Kit was used to programme questionnaires in Arabic into smartphones. We included 100 study participants (83% women; median age = 41.5 ± 16.4 years) from the BOLD study from 3 rural villages in East-Gezira and Kamleen localities of Gezira state, Sudan. Questionnaire data were collected using smartphone and paper-based technologies simultaneously. We used Kappa statistics and inter-rater class coefficient to test agreement between the two methods. Results Symptoms reported included cough (24%), phlegm (15%), wheezing (17%), and shortness of breath (18%). One in five were or had been cigarette smokers. The two data collection methods varied between perfect to slight agreement across the 204 variables evaluated (Kappa varied between 1.00 and 0.02 and inter-rater coefficient between 1.00 and -0.12). Errors were most commonly seen with paper questionnaires (83% of errors seen) vs smartphones (17% of errors seen) administered questionnaires with questions with complex skip-patterns being a major source of errors in paper questionnaires. Automated checks and validations in smartphone-administered questionnaires avoided skip-pattern related errors. Incomplete and inconsistent records were more likely seen on paper questionnaires. \ud Conclusion \ud Compared to paper-based data collection, smartphone technology worked well for data collection in the study, which was conducted in a challenging rural environment in Sudan. This approach provided timely, quality data with fewer errors and inconsistencies compared to paper-based data collection. We recommend this method for future BOLD studies and other population-based studies in similar settings.
- Published
- 2018
37. Improving the impact of disease control strategies with limited resources: where to invest?
- Author
-
Katharina D.C. Stärk
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,Paper ,040301 veterinary sciences ,030106 microbiology ,Biosecurity ,Control (management) ,MEDLINE ,Psychological intervention ,Animal Diseases ,0403 veterinary science ,03 medical and health sciences ,Intervention (counseling) ,Environmental health ,Animal welfare ,Animals ,health care economics and organizations ,Data collection ,General Veterinary ,business.industry ,04 agricultural and veterinary sciences ,General Medicine ,linear model ,cattle export market ,Livestock ,Business ,programme expenses ,BTV - Abstract
Bluetongue virus (BTV) is an emerging transboundary disease in Europe, which can cause significant production losses among ruminants. The analysis presented here assessed the costs of BTV surveillance and vaccination programmes in Austria and Switzerland between 2007 and 2016. Costs were compared with respect to time, type of programme, geographical area and who was responsible for payment. The total costs of the BTV vaccination and surveillance programmes in Austria amounted to €23.6 million, whereas total costs in Switzerland were €18.3 million. Our analysis demonstrates that the costs differed between years and geographical areas, both within and between the two countries. Average surveillance costs per animal amounted to approximately €3.20 in Austria compared with €1.30 in Switzerland, whereas the average vaccination costs per animal were €6.20 in Austria and €7.40 in Switzerland. The comparability of the surveillance costs is somewhat limited, however, due to differences in each nation’s surveillance (and sampling) strategy. Given the importance of the export market for cattle production, investments in such programmes are more justified for Austria than for Switzerland. The aim of the retrospective assessment presented here is to assist veterinary authorities in planning and implementing cost-effective and efficient control strategies for emerging livestock diseases.
- Published
- 2018
38. Mansonellosis, the most neglected human filariasis
- Author
-
Stéphane Ranque, Oleg Mediannikov, Fournier, P.E. (ed.), Paddock, C. (ed.), Microbes évolution phylogénie et infections (MEPHI), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Aix Marseille Université (AMU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut Hospitalier Universitaire Méditerranée Infection (IHU Marseille), Vecteurs - Infections tropicales et méditerranéennes (VITROME), Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées (IRBA)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Aix Marseille Université (AMU), and Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Aix Marseille Université (AMU)-Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées [Brétigny-sur-Orge] (IRBA)
- Subjects
Paper ,food.ingredient ,030231 tropical medicine ,MALADIE NEGLIGEE ,Health outcomes ,Microbiology ,lcsh:Infectious and parasitic diseases ,Filariasis ,RELATION HOTE PARASITE ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,food ,[SDV.MHEP.CSC]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Human health and pathology/Cardiology and cardiovascular system ,[SDV.MHEP.MI]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Human health and pathology/Infectious diseases ,Environmental health ,Mansonella ozzardii ,medicine ,lcsh:RC109-216 ,Mansonella perstans ,[SDV.MP.PAR]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Microbiology and Parasitology/Parasitology ,030212 general & internal medicine ,neglected tropical diseases ,ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS ,[SDV.MHEP.ME]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Human health and pathology/Emerging diseases ,Mansonella streptocerca ,biology ,FILARIOSE ,BIOLOGIE ,Mansonella ,medicine.disease ,biology.organism_classification ,[SDV.MP.BAC]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Microbiology and Parasitology/Bacteriology ,3. Good health ,Infectious Diseases ,Geography ,[SDV.MP.VIR]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Microbiology and Parasitology/Virology ,Neglected tropical diseases ,Treatment strategy ,AGENT PATHOGENE - Abstract
Human mansonellosis is caused by M. perstans, M. ozzardi and M. streptocerca, the three main filarial species in the genus Mansonella. Despite accumulating evidence of a high prevalence in endemic areas, there is currently no filariasis control programme targeting mansonellosis. The health-related impact on people living with these filariae remains unknown, and evidences regarding treatment strategies are scarce. Like other neglected diseases, it mainly affects poor populations living in tropical and subtropical climates. Mansonellosis can be considered one of the most neglected tropical infectious diseases. The objective of this literature review was to draw attention to the gap of knowledge regarding Mansonella spp. taxonomy, the transmission of these arthropod-borne filariasis and the health outcomes of people living with mansonellosis. Keywords: Filariasis, Mansonella perstans, Mansonella ozzardii, Mansonella streptocerca, neglected tropical diseases
- Published
- 2018
39. Determination of cocaine in Real banknotes circulating at the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Author
-
Wagner F. Pacheco, Ricardo J. Cassella, and Vanessa G. K. Almeida
- Subjects
Narcotics ,Paper ,Banknote ,virus diseases ,Drug trafficking ,Pathology and Forensic Medicine ,Spectrometry, Fluorescence ,Cocaine ,Environmental protection ,Environmental health ,Solvents ,Humans ,Circulation (currency) ,Business ,Drug Trafficking ,Law ,Brazil ,Chromatography, Liquid - Abstract
This paper shows the result of a study on the extent of cocaine contamination in Real banknotes in circulation in the state of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). A study of the percentage of contaminated banknotes was made, as well as a study on the contamination of banknotes based on different values, and a study of contamination depending on the region where the banknote was collected. The idea of this last study was to verify if the peculiar characteristics of the region of study (in particular, the city of Rio de Janeiro) influence the amount of cocaine in the banknotes. Some regions have higher consumption/drug trafficking of cocaine than others. Also, some contaminated banknotes confiscated directly from drug dealers and users were analyzed. Also, is showed in this paper all the optimization of the available analytical techniques for making the measurements possible.
- Published
- 2015
40. Cocaine contamination of banknotes: A review
- Author
-
Massimo Lancia, Gianmarco Troiano, Isabella Mercurio, Nicola Nante, Paola Melai, Mauro Bacci, and Marco Golfera
- Subjects
Paper ,education.field_of_study ,Banknote ,business.industry ,010401 analytical chemistry ,Population ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,01 natural sciences ,0104 chemical sciences ,Cocaine-Related Disorders ,03 medical and health sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,0302 clinical medicine ,Search terms ,Cocaine ,chemistry ,Environmental health ,Benzoylecgonine ,Equipment Contamination ,Humans ,Medicine ,030216 legal & forensic medicine ,business ,education ,Systematic search - Abstract
Background The analysis of drug traces on banknotes with different validated techniques can provide important information about the types of substances that are used in a geographical region. The aim of our review was to investigate banknotes' contamination by cocaine, by its metabolite, but also by other drugs. Methods A systematic literature search (English written literature) was conducted in MEDLINE, and Scopus, collecting studies from 1974 till 2017. The Key search terms included: 'banknote AND drug'; 'banknote AND cocaine'. Results The literature search yielded 88 publications; 9 were included in our review. In six studies that showed banknotes' positivity to cocaine, the percentage ranged from 2.5% to 100%. The concentration of cocaine ranged from 0.09 ng/note to 889 µg/note. Benzoylecgonine was indentified only in three studies with a range from 0.71 to 130 ng/note. Other indentified drugs were: amphetamine derivatives, opiates, benzodiazepines. Conclusions Circulating banknotes could be used to indicate substances used in a population, and those recently introduced in a geographical macro-area. The identification of very high amounts of cocaine can provide important information for the identification of banknotes used in illegal trafficking.
- Published
- 2017
41. Mental health, life functioning and risk factors among people exposed to frequent natural disasters and chronic poverty in Vietnam
- Author
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Lam Tu Trung, Bahr Weiss, and Amie Pollack
- Subjects
Paper ,medicine.medical_specialty ,business.industry ,Alcohol dependence ,1. No poverty ,Poison control ,Alcohol abuse ,medicine.disease ,Suicide prevention ,Mental health ,Occupational safety and health ,030227 psychiatry ,3. Good health ,03 medical and health sciences ,Psychiatry and Mental health ,0302 clinical medicine ,13. Climate action ,Environmental health ,medicine ,Anxiety ,030212 general & internal medicine ,medicine.symptom ,Psychiatry ,business ,Depression (differential diagnoses) - Abstract
BackgroundPeople living in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) are at increased risk for exposure to major natural disasters, which places them at increased risk for mental health problems. Evidence is less clear, however, regarding the effects of less severe but more frequent natural disasters, which are likely to increase due to global climate change.AimsTo examine the mental health and life functioning, and their predictors, of people living in central coastal Vietnam – an area characterised by high risk for natural disasters and poverty.MethodOne thousand individuals were randomly selected from five provinces in central coastal Vietnam. Individuals were assessed cross-sectionally for exposure to major storms and other traumatic events (Post-traumatic Diagnostic Scale, or PDS), financial stress (Chronic Financial Stress Scale), depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (PDS), somatic syndrome (SCL-90-R), alcohol dependence (ICD-10), self-perceived general physical health (SF-36), and functional impairment (PDS life functioning section); caseness was determined using the various measures' algorithms.Results22.7% of the sample (n=227) met caseness criteria in one or more mental health domains, and 22.1% (n=221) reported moderate to severe functional impairment. Lifetime exposure to typhoons and other major storms was 99% (n=978), with 77% (n=742) reporting traumatic major storm exposure. Moderate to high levels of financial stress were reported by 30% (n=297). Frequency of exposure to major storms was not associated with increased risk for mental health problems but traumatic exposure to a major storm was. Overall, the strongest predictor of mental health problems was financial stress. Number of traumatic typhoons and other major storms in turn were significant predictors (r2=0.03) of financial stress. The primary predictor of alcohol dependence was male gender, highlighting the importance of gender roles in development of alcohol abuse in countries like Vietnam.ConclusionsIndividuals living in central coastal Vietnam have elevated rates of PTSD, somatic syndrome, and functional impairment but not depression or anxiety. Financial stress was the strongest predictor of mental health problems. Results suggest the importance of conducting broad assessments when providing mental health support for disaster-impacted communities. Study results suggest that one indirect consequence of predicted global climate change may be increased prevalence of mental health problems in communities such as that assessed in the present study, due to increased risk for traumatic storm-related exposure and through indirect effects on financial stress, but not through a general increased risk for major storms. Such results also indicate that when supporting LMIC communities that have experienced natural disasters, it will be important to consider the broader community context including poverty, in addition to the direct effects of the disaster.
- Published
- 2016
42. Respiratory hospital admissions in young children living near metal smelters, pulp mills and oil refineries in two Canadian provinces
- Author
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Ling Liu, Tom Kosatsky, Allan Brand, Audrey Smargiassi, Michel Fournier, Sarah B. Henderson, and Kathleen E. McLean
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Paper ,Pollutant emissions ,Nitrogen Dioxide ,Oil and Gas Industry ,010501 environmental sciences ,complex mixtures ,01 natural sciences ,03 medical and health sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,0302 clinical medicine ,Air pollutants ,Environmental health ,Medicine ,Humans ,Sulfur Dioxide ,Nitrogen dioxide ,030212 general & internal medicine ,lcsh:Environmental sciences ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,General Environmental Science ,lcsh:GE1-350 ,Pollutant ,Air Pollutants ,Waste management ,British Columbia ,business.industry ,Oil refinery ,Quebec ,Asthma ,Hospitalization ,chemistry ,Child, Preschool ,Smelting ,Metallurgy ,Bronchiolitis ,Particulate Matter ,business ,Environmental Monitoring - Abstract
Background: Industrial plants emit air pollutants like fine particles (PM2.5), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) that may affect the health of individuals living nearby. Objective: To assess the effects of community exposure to air emissions of PM2.5, SO2, and NO2 from pulp mills, oil refineries, metal smelters, on respiratory hospital admissions in young children in Quebec (QC) and British Columbia (BC), Canada. Methods: We assessed QC, BC and pooled associations between the following estimates of exposure and hospital admissions for asthma and bronchiolitis in children aged 2–4 years for the years 2002–2010: i) Crude emission exposures at the residential postal codes of children, calculated by multiplying estimated daily emissions of PM2.5, SO2, or NO2 from all nearby (
- Published
- 2016
43. Natural resource-based industries and prostate cancer risk in Northeastern Ontario: a case-control study
- Author
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Paul A. Demers, Nancy Lightfoot, Donald C. Cole, Jeavana Sritharan, Shelley A. Harris, Andrea M. Sass-Kortsak, and Nancy Kreiger
- Subjects
Gerontology ,Employment ,Male ,Paper ,Work ,Logistic regression ,Mining ,03 medical and health sciences ,Prostate cancer ,0302 clinical medicine ,Risk Factors ,Environmental health ,Natural Resources ,Occupational Exposure ,Manufacturing Industry ,Odds Ratio ,Medicine ,Humans ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Exposure assessment ,Aged ,Aged, 80 and over ,Ontario ,business.industry ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Case-control study ,Cancer ,Prostatic Neoplasms ,Agriculture ,Forestry ,Odds ratio ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Natural resource ,Wood ,Cancer registry ,Occupational Diseases ,Logistic Models ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,Case-Control Studies ,business - Abstract
Objective Prostate cancer continues to be the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men, and there is limited knowledge on its preventable risk factors. A number of occupational exposures in natural resource-based industries are suspected to be related to prostate cancer risk. This study investigates associations between employment in these industries and prostate cancer. Methods Data were from a population-based, case–control study previously conducted in Northeastern Ontario. Incident cases (N=760) aged 45–85 years and diagnosed with prostate cancer between 1995 and 1998 were identified from the Ontario Cancer Registry. Controls (N=1632) were recruited using telephone listings, and were frequency matched to cases by age. Lifetime occupational history was collected for all participants. Logistic regression was used to estimate ORs and their associated 95% CIs. Results Elevated risks were observed for employment in forestry and logging industries (OR=1.87, 95% CI 1.32 to 2.73) and occupations (OR=1.71, 95% CI 1.24 to 2.35), and these risks increased with duration of employment for ≥10 years. Elevated risks were also found for employment in wood products industries (OR=1.45, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.97), and paper and allied products industries (OR=1.43, 95% CI 1.03 to 2.00), and when duration of employment was ≥10 years. There were also elevated risks in agriculture and mining-related work; however, these findings were not consistent across industry and occupation categories. Conclusions Prostate cancer risk may be associated with work in several natural resource industries, primarily in the forest industries. To further evaluate observed associations, studies should focus on natural resource-based exposures in larger populations with improved exposure assessment.
- Published
- 2016
44. Virological Surveillance of Dengue in Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy, French West Indies, Using Blood Samples on Filter Paper
- Author
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Séverine Matheus, Alain Winicki, Patricia Huc-Anais, Laetitia Bremand, Franck Berger, Philippe Quénel, Philippe Dussart, Sylvie Cassadou, Bhetty Labeau, J. L. Chappert, Centre National de Référence pour les Arbovirus - Laboratoire de Virologie [Cayenne, Guyane française] (CNR - laboratoire associé), Institut Pasteur de la Guyane, Réseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP)-Réseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP), Cellule Interrégionale d'Epidémiologie Antilles-Guyane, Cellule interrégionale d'épidémiologie Antilles-Guyane [CIRE], Réseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP), Laboratoire d'Analyses Médicales, and This study was supported by the Conseil Régional de la Guyane (agreement no. 60/2007/CR). The laboratory of virology, as National Reference Center, receives financial support from Institut Pasteur and Institut de Veille Sanitaire.
- Subjects
Male ,MESH: Blood Specimen Collection ,MESH: Dengue ,Dengue virus ,MESH: Dengue Virus ,medicine.disease_cause ,Dengue fever ,Dengue ,0302 clinical medicine ,MESH: Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ,Prospective Studies ,030212 general & internal medicine ,West indies ,Blood Specimen Collection ,Caribbean island ,Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ,Articles ,Saint Barthelemy ,3. Good health ,Infectious Diseases ,Population Surveillance ,Female ,MESH: Paper ,Paper ,Financial costs ,MESH: West Indies ,West Indies ,030231 tropical medicine ,Early detection ,Sensitivity and Specificity ,MESH: Population Surveillance ,03 medical and health sciences ,Virology ,Environmental health ,medicine ,Humans ,Serotyping ,MESH: Humans ,business.industry ,MESH: Serotyping ,Dengue Virus ,medicine.disease ,MESH: Sensitivity and Specificity ,MESH: Male ,MESH: Prospective Studies ,MESH: Filtration ,[SDV.SPEE]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Santé publique et épidémiologie ,Parasitology ,business ,MESH: Female ,Filtration - Abstract
International audience; To strengthen active dengue surveillance in Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy, two French Caribbean islands, we evaluated the epidemiological usefulness of collecting blood samples from NS1-positive dengue patients on filter paper to identify the dengue serotypes circulating in these regions during a 27-month period. This approach allowed dengue serotypes to be identified by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction in 90.1% of the total set of 666 samples analyzed and, in 95.5% of the samples collected during the acute phase of the disease. This prospective virological surveillance using blood samples absorbed onto filter paper, which were stored at 4°C and shipped at ambient temperature to a specialized laboratory for analysis, allowed us to avoid the logistic and financial costs associated with shipping frozen venous blood samples. This surveillance system offers a low-cost alternative for reinforcing dengue prevention in areas where specialized laboratories do not exist, notably by facilitating the early detection of potentially new dengue serotypes.
- Published
- 2012
45. Finding a Place for Genomics in Health Disparities Research
- Author
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Sarah Knerr, Stephanie M. Fullerton, and Wylie Burke
- Subjects
Paper ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Health Status ,Population ,Psychological intervention ,Public policy ,Benefit ,Health Services Accessibility ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Environmental health ,Health care ,Humans ,Medicine ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Healthcare Disparities ,education ,Genetics (clinical) ,030304 developmental biology ,0303 health sciences ,education.field_of_study ,Research policy ,Genome, Human ,business.industry ,Public health ,Infant, Newborn ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Health services research ,Genomics ,Health Status Disparities ,Bioethics ,Public relations ,Asthma ,Health equity ,3. Good health ,Drug Design ,Kidney Failure, Chronic ,Premature Birth ,Health Services Research ,Public Health ,Health disparities ,business ,Delivery of Health Care - Abstract
The existence of pronounced differences in health outcomes between US populations is a problem of moral significance and public health urgency. Pursuing research on genetic contributors to such disparities, despite striking data on the fundamental role of social factors, has been controversial. Still, advances in genomic science are providing an understanding of disease biology at a level of precision not previously possible. The potential for genomic strategies to help in addressing population-level disparities therefore needs to be carefully evaluated. Using 3 examples from current research, we argue that the best way to maximize the benefits of population-based genomic investigations, and mitigate potential harms, is to direct research away from the identification of genetic causes of disparities and instead focus on applying genomic methodologies to the development of clinical and public health tools with the potential to ameliorate healthcare inequities, direct population-level health interventions or inform public policy. Such a transformation will require close collaboration between transdisciplinary teams and community members as well as a reorientation of current research objectives to better align genomic discovery efforts with public health priorities and well-recognized barriers to fair health care delivery.
- Published
- 2012
46. Toxicological evaluation of cigarettes with two banded cigarette paper technologies
- Author
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Betsy Bombick, W. Keith Shreve, Paul H. Ayres, Michael F. Borgerding, Eugenia H. Theophilus, Charles D. Garner, Deborah H. Pence, James E. Swauger, and Daniel R. Meckley
- Subjects
Male ,Paper ,Salmonella typhimurium ,Test strategy ,Test battery ,Technology ,Skin Neoplasms ,Tobacco chemistry ,Cell Survival ,Administration, Topical ,Tobacco Industry ,CHO Cells ,Fire safety ,Toxicology ,Mice, Inbred SENCAR ,Biological Testing ,Pathology and Forensic Medicine ,Rats, Sprague-Dawley ,Mice ,Cricetulus ,Cricetinae ,Smoke ,Environmental health ,Administration, Inhalation ,Tobacco ,Toxicity Tests ,Animals ,Cigarette smoke ,Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ,Dermal Tumor ,Cell Biology ,General Medicine ,Tars ,Rats ,Sprague dawley ,Neutral Red ,Female ,Sister Chromatid Exchange ,Immunosuppressive Agents - Abstract
A tiered testing strategy has been employed to evaluate the potential of tobacco processes, ingredients, or technological developments to change the biological activity resulting from burning cigarette tobacco. The strategy is based on comparative chemical and biological testing. The introduction of banded cigarette papers in cigarettes to meet New York state "Fire Safety Standards for Cigarettes" constitutes an example of a technological development evaluated utilizing this tiered testing strategy that included a comparison of the chemical and biological effects of cigarettes with and without the banded cigarette paper technologies (BCPT) (representative of current marketed technologies). Specific testing included mainstream cigarette smoke chemistry studies; in vitro studies included genotoxicity (Ames and sister chromatid exchange) and cytotoxicity studies (neutral red); in vivo studies included a 13-week inhalation study in Sprague-Dawley rats and a 30-week dermal tumor promotion study in SENCAR mice. Collectively, data indicated that cigarettes with and without BCPT had a similar toxicological profile in this test battery.
- Published
- 2007
47. Cardiovascular mortality among Swedish pulp and paper mill workers
- Author
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Håkan Westberg, Bodil Persson, Kjell Torén, Eva Andersson, Anders Magnusson, Gun Wingren, and Olav Axelson
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Male ,Paper ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Extraction and Processing Industry ,Cohort Studies ,Occupational medicine ,Occupational Exposure ,Diabetes mellitus ,Environmental health ,Epidemiology ,medicine ,Humans ,Cardiovascular mortality ,Sweden ,business.industry ,Vascular disease ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Paper mill ,medicine.disease ,Wood ,Surgery ,Occupational Diseases ,Stroke ,Cardiovascular Diseases ,Cohort ,Female ,business ,Cohort study - Abstract
Background Malignant diseases but also cardiovascular and respiratory disorders and diabetes mellitus have been associated with work in pulp and paper production. The present cohort focuses on cardiovascular mortality in relation to various exposures in this industry. Methods The cohort, followed-up for mortality, includes 7,107 workers, 6,350 men and 757 women, from three major old mills in the middle of Sweden. Results Instead of a healthy-worker effect, a slightly increased risk for death in diseases of the circulatory system was found for male workers. Notably, work with sulfate digestion, steam and power generation and maintenance was associated with significantly increased risks. Cerebrovascular diseases showed non-significantly increased risks for maintenance and paper and paperboard production and manufacture. Conclusions The differences in risk among various parts of the production are striking although it is hard to pinpoint any specific exposures. Dust and small particles along with sulfur compounds might be suspected.
- Published
- 2007
48. The relation between cigarette price and hand-rolling tobacco consumption in the UK: an ecological study
- Author
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Lucas Rothwell, John Britton, and Ilze Bogdanovica
- Subjects
Inflation ,Male ,Paper ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Epidemiology ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Public Policy ,cigarette prices ,Environmental health ,Tobacco in Alabama ,Tobacco ,Prevalence ,Medicine ,Humans ,hand rolling tobacco prices ,health care economics and organizations ,media_common ,Tobacco harm reduction ,Consumption (economics) ,business.industry ,Public health ,Research ,Tobacco control ,Smoking ,Commerce ,Ecological study ,General Medicine ,Tobacco Products ,Taxes ,United Kingdom ,Price index ,cigarette prices, hand rolling tobacco prices, smoking prevalence ,Female ,business ,smoking prevalence - Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Cigarette price increases reduce smoking prevalence but as a tobacco control policy are undermined by the availability of lower cost alternatives such as hand-rolling tobacco. The aim of this descriptive study is to explore time trends in the price of manufactured cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco, and in the numbers of people who smoke these products, over recent years in the UK. SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS: UK. OUTCOME MEASURES: Trends in the most popular price category (MPPC) data for cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco from 1983 to 2012 adjusted for inflation using the Retail Price Index, and trends in smoking prevalence and the proportion of smokers using hand-rolling tobacco from 1974 to 2010. RESULTS: After adjustment for inflation, there was an increase in prices of manufactured cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco between 1983 and 2012. Between 1974 and 2010, the prevalence of smoking fell from 45% to 20%, and the estimated total number of smokers from 25.3 to 12.4 million. However the number of people smoking hand-rolling tobacco increased from 1.4 to 3.2 million, and MPPC cigarette price was strongly correlated with number of people smoking hand-rolling tobacco. CONCLUSIONS: Although the ecological study design precludes conclusions on causality, the association between increases in manufactured cigarette price and the number of people smoking hand-rolling tobacco suggests that the lower cost of smoking hand-rolling tobacco encourages downtrading when cigarette prices rise. The magnitude of this association indicates that the lower cost of hand-rolling tobacco seriously undermines the use of price as a tobacco control measure.
- Published
- 2015
49. Assessment of Exposure in an International Study on Cancer Risks Among Pulp, Paper, and Paper Product Workers
- Author
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Tuula Liukkonen, Håkan Westberg, Anya Keefe, Brian Pannett, Paolo Boffetta, Kari Korhonen, Anne-Marie Nicol, Timo Kauppinen, George Astrakianakis, Kay Teschke, and Didier Colin
- Subjects
Paper ,medicine.medical_specialty ,business.industry ,International Cooperation ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,MEDLINE ,Risk Assessment ,Occupational medicine ,Epidemiologic Studies ,Inter-rater reliability ,Documentation ,Occupational hygiene ,Neoplasms ,Occupational Exposure ,Environmental health ,Information system ,medicine ,Forensic engineering ,Humans ,Industry ,Risk assessment ,business ,Information Systems ,Exposure assessment - Abstract
A data management system and a department-exposure matrix (PAPDEM) was designed and constructed to facilitate exposure assessment for a large multinational study on cancer risks among pulp, paper, and paper product workers. Exposure to 25 major agents was described by prevalence, P (i.e., proportion of the exposed, classified %-range), and level, L (i.e., annual mean concentration at work, classified). Some agents could be assessed only in qualitative terms. The assessment was specific to mill, work department, agent, and time period. The results of industrial hygiene measurements, information from detailed company questionnaires, and the professional judgments of the assessment team were the cornerstones of the assessment. Validity and consistency of the assessment were aimed at by setting default values for P and L prior to the assessment, accurately defining agents and exposure classes, dividing assessment work by subindustry, working in pairs, testing interrater agreement, and finalizing the estimates in a meeting. In spite of these precautions, good agreement between different assessors was difficult to reach. Exposure to chemical agents turned out to be widespread and complex with frequent multiple exposures. A computer-assisted exposure assessment system such as PAPDEM may save time and facilitate assessment in large epidemiological studies requiring complicated exposure assessment procedures. It also provides a good documentation of exposure assignments, which may be useful in the interpretation of the results and in future updates of the study.
- Published
- 2002
50. Nested case-control study of lung cancer among pulp and paper workers in relation to exposure to dusts
- Author
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Wiełsaw Szymczak and Irena Szadkowska-Stańczyk
- Subjects
Male ,Paper ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Lung Neoplasms ,Air Pollutants, Occupational ,Occupational medicine ,Occupational Exposure ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,Environmental health ,Epidemiology ,Odds Ratio ,Humans ,Medicine ,Lung cancer ,business.industry ,Smoking ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Case-control study ,Dust ,Odds ratio ,Silicon Dioxide ,medicine.disease ,Wood ,Surgery ,Occupational Diseases ,Logistic Models ,Standardized mortality ratio ,Case-Control Studies ,Multivariate Analysis ,Nested case-control study ,Cohort ,Female ,business - Abstract
Background Numerous studies have indicated an increased risk of lung cancer in pulp and paper industry workers. In a 1990 survey, standardized mortality ratio (SMR) was found to be 122 (95% CI:96–153) for lung cancer in Polish male workers in the pulp and paper industry, and 166 (95% CI:95–270) among workers engaged in paper production. Methods A nested case-control design within a cohort of pulp and paper workers was applied. Seventy-nine lung cancer cases and 237 “healthy” controls were selected from the cohort of 10,460 workers employed during the years 1968–1990, and observed until the end of 1995. Based on personnel files, occupational exposure was reconstructed by experts. Using a questionnaire, data on smoking habits were collected. ORs unadjusted and adjusted for smoking were calculated applying the model of conditional logistic regression. Results Occupational exposure to inorganic dusts (kaolin, lime, cement, brick, grindstone) adjusted for smoking was a significant lung cancer risk factor, with a 4.0-fold risk (95% CI:1.3–12.6), and a dose-response by cumulative dose index. Among organic dusts only wood dust increased albeit insignificantly the risk for those exposed (adjusted for smoking OR = 2.1, 95% CI:0.9–4.9), but without dose-response relationship. Conclusions Exposure to occupational dust with relatively low content of silica, but at high concentrations may be considered as a factor increasing lung cancer risk. However, the observation made in this study should be viewed with caution as it was based on a small number of cases, and further evidence is needed to confirm or refute the authors' hypothesis. Am. J. Ind. Med. 39:547–556, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
- Published
- 2001
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