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Introduction The knowledge of previous exposure to a hazardous material like asbestos may lead to chronic psychological strain (Lebovits, Byrne, & Strain, 1986). Specifically, the information about an increased cancer risk can trigger emotional responses such as symptoms of depression and anxiety (Dilling, Mombour, & Schmidt, 1993) which in turn activate coping mechanisms. This applies in particular to those individuals who a have developed non-malignant changes like lung fibrosis and pleural plaques (Gietmann, Gerd Meier, & Trotschler, 1993). Resulting lung function impairment due to asbestos related diseases might occur even years after cessation of exposure. Consequently, it cannot be excluded that poor psychological well-being may also be associated with obstructive or restrictive lung function impairment. Methods The 619 male study participants (M_age=66.3 years, SD=9.6) attended a screening program for asbestos related diseases. Routine examinations included lung function testing and validated questionnaires for mental health (depression and anxiety) and coping. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted. Results The strongest predictor for mental health was the functional impairment due to restriction (e.g. for depression: beta=0.21, t=3.15). For predicting coping behaviour, the presence of a non-malignant asbestos related disease was most significant (e.g., for avoidant coping: beta=0.29, t=4.11). Discussion The presence of psychological health symptoms (i.e., depression, anxiety) is associated with ventilation problems, whereas the knowledge of an already initiated tissue change – resulting from the asbestos exposure – is primarily associated with mental strain. Specifically, the affected individuals are more prone to intrusive thoughts and engage more in coping behaviours. As an implication, physicians should be sensitised about possible consequences of risk communication and functional restrictions in order to counteract excessive fear or anxiety.

Improving Space Situational Awareness (SSA) remains one of the DoD’s top priorities. Current research at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) has shown that modeling and simulation of Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) SSA architectures can identify optimal combinations of ground and space-based sensors. This thesis extends previous research by expanding design boundaries and refining the methodology. A genetic algorithm examined this increased trade space containing 1022 possible architectures. Experimental trials that would have taken over 100 years on a desktop computer were completed in weeks using a high-performance computer containing over 125,000 cores. The results of the optimizer clearly favor 1.0-meter aperture ground telescopes combined with 0.15-meter aperture sensors in a 12-satellite polar GEO constellation. The 1.0-meter aperture ground telescopes have the best cost-performance combination for detecting Resident Space Objects (RSOs) in GEO. The polar GEO regime offers increased access to GEO RSOs since other orbits are restricted by the 40° solar exclusion angle. When performance is held constant, a polar GEO satellite constellation offers a 22.4% reduction in total system cost when compared to Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO), equatorial Low Earth Orbit (LEO), and near GEO constellations. This methodology has much greater utility than simply GEO SSA architecture evaluation. Scripting and parallel high-performance computing opens the possibility of solving an entirely new class of problems of interest to the DoD. The results of this research can educate national policy makers on the benefits of various proposed upgrades to current and future SSA systems.

Background: It has been suggested that asbestos exposure affects lung function, even in the absence of asbestos-related pulmonary interstitial or pleural changes or emphysema. Methods: We analyzed associations between well-known asbestos-related risk factors, such as individual cumulative asbestos exposure, and key lung function parameters in formerly asbestos-exposed power industry workers (N=207) with normal CT scans. For this, we excluded participants with emphysema, fibrosis, pleural changes, or any combination of these. Results: The lung function parameters of FVC, FEV1, DLCO/VA, and airway resistance were significantly associated with the burden of smoking, BMI and years since end of exposure (only DLCO/VA). However, they were not affected by factors directly related to amount (eg, cumulative exposure) or duration of asbestos exposure. Conclusions: Our results confirm the well-known correlation between lung function, smoking habits, and BMI. However, we found no significant association between lung function and asbestos exposure.

The aim of this study was to examine the association between workplace exposure to asbestos and risk factors for developing related chronic respiratory diseases, using the analysis of a cohort of 8,582 formerly asbestos-exposed workers, as well as to assess the grade value of three risk categories used for a focused surveillance procedure. The results showed that the participants who were aged over 65 (OR and 95% CI: 11.47 [5.48-23.99]) and active smokers (OR and 95% CI: 9.48 [4.07-22.09]), were at a significantly high risk for developing lung cancer. The risk of developing benign lesions of the lung or pleura (BLLP) was almost 6-times higher (OR and 95% CI: 5.76 [4.7-7]) for the age group over 65. The risk of developing mesothelioma was influenced by exposure duration (OR and 95% CI: 4.36 [1-19.01]); and for the age group over 65 (OR and 95% CI: 4.58 [1.86-11.27]). The study has demonstrated that the use of risk categories based on a combination of risk factors (age, smoking status, and duration of exposure) could be advantageous for planning the target health surveillance programmes.

Seminarberichte aus dem Fachbereich Mathematik der FernUniversität in Hagen: hrsg. von den Dozentinnen und Dozenten der Mathematik, no. 75

Annals of global health 86(1), 31 (2020). doi:10.5334/aogh.2630, Published by Elsevier, Amsterdam [u.a.]