| 1. |
- Bravo, L, et al.
(author)
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- 2021
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swepub:Mat__t
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| 2. |
- Tabiri, S, et al.
(author)
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- 2021
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swepub:Mat__t
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Abdellaoui, G., et al.
(author)
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Meteor studies in the framework of the JEM-EUSO program
- 2017
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In: Planetary and Space Science. - : Elsevier. - 0032-0633 .- 1873-5088. ; 143, s. 245-255
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We summarize the state of the art of a program of UV observations from space of meteor phenomena, a secondary objective of the JEM-EUSO international collaboration. Our preliminary analysis indicates that JEM-EUSO, taking advantage of its large FOV and good sensitivity, should be able to detect meteors down to absolute magnitude close to 7. This means that JEM-EUSO should be able to record a statistically significant flux of meteors, including both sporadic ones, and events produced by different meteor streams. Being unaffected by adverse weather conditions, JEM-EUSO can also be a very important facility for the detection of bright meteors and fireballs, as these events can be detected even in conditions of very high sky background. In the case of bright events, moreover, exhibiting some persistence of the meteor train, preliminary simulations show that it should be possible to exploit the motion of the ISS itself and derive at least a rough 3D reconstruction of the meteor trajectory. Moreover, the observing strategy developed to detect meteors may also be applied to the detection of nuclearites, exotic particles whose existence has been suggested by some theoretical investigations. Nuclearites are expected to move at higher velocities than meteoroids, and to exhibit a wider range of possible trajectories, including particles moving upward after crossing the Earth. Some pilot studies, including the approved Mini-EUSO mission, a precursor of JEM-EUSO, are currently operational or in preparation. We are doing simulations to assess the performance of Mini-EUSO for meteor studies, while a few meteor events have been already detected using the ground-based facility EUSO-TA.
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| 5. |
- Blanton, Michael R., et al.
(author)
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Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV : Mapping the Milky Way, Nearby Galaxies, and the Distant Universe
- 2017
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In: Astronomical Journal. - : IOP Publishing Ltd. - 0004-6256 .- 1538-3881. ; 154:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We describe the Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV (SDSS-IV), a project encompassing three major spectroscopic programs. The Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment 2 (APOGEE-2) is observing hundreds of thousands of Milky Way stars at high resolution and. high signal-to-noise ratios in the near-infrared. The Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey is obtaining spatially resolved spectroscopy for thousands of nearby galaxies (median z similar to 0.03). The extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS) is mapping the galaxy, quasar, and neutral gas distributions between z similar to 0.6 and 3.5 to constrain cosmology using baryon acoustic oscillations, redshift space distortions, and the shape of the power spectrum. Within eBOSS, we are conducting two major subprograms: the SPectroscopic IDentification of eROSITA Sources (SPIDERS), investigating X-ray AGNs. and galaxies in X-ray clusters, and the Time Domain Spectroscopic Survey (TDSS), obtaining spectra of variable sources. All programs use the 2.5 m Sloan Foundation Telescope at the. Apache Point Observatory; observations there began in Summer 2014. APOGEE-2 also operates a second near-infrared spectrograph at the 2.5 m du Pont Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory, with observations beginning in early 2017. Observations at both facilities are scheduled to continue through 2020. In keeping with previous SDSS policy, SDSS-IV provides regularly scheduled public data releases; the first one, Data Release 13, was made available in 2016 July.
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| 6. |
- Abdellaoui, G., et al.
(author)
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First observations of speed of light tracks by a fluorescence detector looking down on the atmosphere
- 2018
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In: Journal of Instrumentation. - : IOP PUBLISHING LTD. - 1748-0221. ; 13
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- EUSO-Balloon is a pathfinder mission for the Extreme Universe Space Observatory onboard the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM-EUSO). It was launched on the moonless night of the 25(th) of August 2014 from Timmins, Canada. The flight ended successfully after maintaining the target altitude of 38 km for five hours. One part of the mission was a 2.5 hour underflight using a helicopter equipped with three UV light sources (LED, xenon flasher and laser) to perform an inflight calibration and examine the detectors capability to measure tracks moving at the speed of light. We describe the helicopter laser system and details of the underflight as well as how the laser tracks were recorded and found in the data. These are the first recorded laser tracks measured from a fluorescence detector looking down on the atmosphere. Finally, we present a first reconstruction of the direction of the laser tracks relative to the detector.
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| 7. |
- Abolfathi, Bela, et al.
(author)
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The Fourteenth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey : First Spectroscopic Data from the Extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey and from the Second Phase of the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment
- 2018
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In: Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. - : IOP Publishing Ltd. - 0067-0049 .- 1538-4365. ; 235:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The fourth generation of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-IV) has been in operation since 2014 July. This paper describes the second data release from this phase, and the 14th from SDSS overall (making this Data Release Fourteen or DR14). This release makes the data taken by SDSS-IV in its first two years of operation (2014-2016 July) public. Like all previous SDSS releases, DR14 is cumulative, including the most recent reductions and calibrations of all data taken by SDSS since the first phase began operations in 2000. New in DR14 is the first public release of data from the extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey; the first data from the second phase of the Apache Point Observatory (APO) Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE-2), including stellar parameter estimates from an innovative data-driven machine-learning algorithm known as "The Cannon"; and almost twice as many data cubes from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at APO (MaNGA) survey as were in the previous release (N = 2812 in total). This paper describes the location and format of the publicly available data from the SDSS-IV surveys. We provide references to the important technical papers describing how these data have been taken (both targeting and observation details) and processed for scientific use. The SDSS web site (www.sdss.org) has been updated for this release and provides links to data downloads, as well as tutorials and examples of data use. SDSS-IV is planning to continue to collect astronomical data until 2020 and will be followed by SDSS-V.
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| 8. |
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The Seventeenth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Surveys : Complete Release of MaNGA, MaStar, and APOGEE-2 Data
- 2022
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In: Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. - : Institute of Physics (IOP). - 0067-0049 .- 1538-4365. ; 259:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper documents the seventeenth data release (DR17) from the Sloan Digital Sky Surveys; the fifth and final release from the fourth phase (SDSS-IV). DR17 contains the complete release of the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey, which reached its goal of surveying over 10,000 nearby galaxies. The complete release of the MaNGA Stellar Library accompanies this data, providing observations of almost 30,000 stars through the MaNGA instrument during bright time. DR17 also contains the complete release of the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment 2 survey that publicly releases infrared spectra of over 650,000 stars. The main sample from the Extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS), as well as the subsurvey Time Domain Spectroscopic Survey data were fully released in DR16. New single-fiber optical spectroscopy released in DR17 is from the SPectroscipic IDentification of ERosita Survey subsurvey and the eBOSS-RM program. Along with the primary data sets, DR17 includes 25 new or updated value-added catalogs. This paper concludes the release of SDSS-IV survey data. SDSS continues into its fifth phase with observations already underway for the Milky Way Mapper, Local Volume Mapper, and Black Hole Mapper surveys.
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| 9. |
- Garshick, Eric, et al.
(author)
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Respiratory Health after Military Service in Southwest Asia and Afghanistan An Official American Thoracic Society Workshop Report
- 2019
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In: Proceedings of the American Thoracic Society online. - : American Thoracic Society. - 1546-3222 .- 1943-5665. ; 16:8, s. E1-E16
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Since 2001, more than 2.7 million U.S. military personnel have been deployed in support of operations in Southwest Asia and Afghanistan. Land-based personnel experienced elevated exposures to particulate matter and other inhalational exposures from multiple sources, including desert dust, burn pit combustion, and other industrial, mobile, or military sources. A workshop conducted at the 2018 American Thoracic Society International Conference had the goals of: 1) identifying key studies assessing postdeployment respiratory health, 2) describing emerging research, and 3) highlighting knowledge gaps. The workshop reviewed epidemiologic studies that demonstrated more frequent encounters for respiratory symptoms postdeployment compared with nondeployers and for airway disease, predominantly asthma, as well as case series describing postdeployment dyspnea, asthma, and a range of other respiratory tract findings. On the basis of particulate matter effects in other populations, it also is possible that deployers experienced reductions in pulmonary function as a result of such exposure. The workshop also gave particular attention to constrictive bronchiolitis, which has been reported in lung biopsies of selected deployers. Workshop participants had heterogeneous views regarding the definition and frequency of constrictive bronchiolitis and other small airway pathologic findings in deployed populations. The workshop concluded that the relationship of airway disease, including constrictive bronchiolitis, to exposures experienced during deployment remains to be better defined. Future clinical and epidemiologic research efforts should address better characterization of deployment exposures; carry out longitudinal assessment of potentially related adverse health conditions, including lung function and other physiologic changes; and use rigorous histologic, exposure, and clinical characterization of patients with respiratory tract abnormalities.
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| 10. |
- Fishwick, D., et al.
(author)
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Determinants of health-related quality of life among residents with and without COPD in a historically industrialised area
- 2015
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In: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0340-0131 .- 1432-1246. ; 88:6, s. 799-805
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with substantial morbidity, including impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Despite the prominent role of occupational factors in the aetiology of COPD, the relationship between these exposures and HRQoL has not been well elucidated. A subpopulation from an epidemiological study, designed to assess the workplace contribution to COPD, was administered the EQ5D HRQoL tool. Demographics, an index of economic deprivation, health endpoints including the presence of COPD and lung function were also recorded. Workplace exposures were categorised using both self-reported exposures and also by the use of an established job exposure matrix (JEM). A total of 623 individuals participated (mean age 67.1 years). One hundred and forty-eight (24 %) reported having received a physician diagnosis of COPD, 355 (57 %) were male, and 386 (62 %) were ever smokers. As anticipated, the presence of COPD was associated with a poorer HRQoL. Additionally, however, HRQoL was significantly lower in the presence of both self-reported vapours, gases, dusts and fumes exposure and JEM-based exposure irrespective of the presence of COPD. Regression analysis, adjusting for a variety of covariates including the presence of COPD, confirmed a persisting higher likelihood of occupational exposure categorised by JEM being associated with poorer HRQoL scores (beta estimate: -0.069; p < 0.05). Our findings suggest that work may have an important link to HRQoL and that this effect can persist even among those who have retired. In those with COPD, HRQoL is worse than among those without this condition, but the work-associated decrement appears to be similar across both groups.
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| 11. |
- Kogevinas, Manolis, et al.
(author)
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Exposure to substances in the workplace and new-onset asthma : an international prospective population-based study (ECRHS-II)
- 2007
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In: The Lancet. - 0140-6736 .- 1474-547X. ; 370:9584, s. 336-341
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background The role of exposure to substances in the workplace in new-onset asthma is not well characterised in population-based studies. We therefore aimed to estimate the relative and attributable risks of new-onset asthma in relation to occupations, work-related exposures, and inhalation accidents. Methods We studied prospectively 6837 participants from 13 countries who previously took part in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (1990-95) and did not report respiratory symptoms or a history of asthma at the time of the first study. Asthma was assessed by methacholine challenge test and by questionnaire data on asthma symptoms. Exposures were defined by high-risk occupations, an asthma-specific job exposure matrix with additional expert judgment, and through self-report of acute inhalation events. Relative risks for new onset asthma were calculated with log-binomial models adjusted for age, sex, smoking, and study Centre. Findings A significant excess asthma risk was seen after exposure to substances known to cause occupational asthma (Relative risk=1.6, 95% CI 1.1-2.3, p=0.017). Risks were highest for asthma defined by bronchial hyper-reactivity in addition to symptoms (2.4,1.3-4.6, p=0.008). Of common occupations, a significant excess risk of asthma was seen for nursing (2.2,1.3-4.0, p=0.007). Asthma risk was also increased in participants who reported an acute symptomatic inhalation event such as fire, mixing cleaning products, or chemical spills (RR=3.3, 95% CI 1.0-11.1, p=0.051). The population-attributable risk for adult asthma due to occupational exposures ranged from 10% to 25%, equivalent to an incidence of new-onset occupational asthma of 250-300 cases per million people per year. Interpretation Occupational exposures account for a substantial proportion of adult asthma incidence. The increased risk of asthma after inhalation accidents suggests that workers who have such accidents should be monitored closely.
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| 12. |
- Le Moual, Nicole, et al.
(author)
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Occupational exposures and uncontrolled adult-onset asthma in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey II
- 2014
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In: European Respiratory Journal. - : European Respiratory Society (ERS). - 0903-1936 .- 1399-3003. ; 43:2, s. 374-386
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Occupational exposure is a well-recognised modifiable risk factor for asthma, but the relationship between occupational exposure and asthma control has not been studied. We aimed to study this association among working-age adults from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS). Data were available for 7077 participants (mean age 43 years, 45% never-smokers, 5867 without asthma and 1210 with current asthma). Associations between occupational exposure to specific asthmagens and asthma control status (33% with uncontrolled asthma, based on the Global Initiative for Asthma guidelines) were evaluated using logistic and multinomial regressions, adjusted for age, sex and smoking status, with study areas included as a random effect. Statistically significant positive associations were observed between uncontrolled adult-onset asthma and both past 12-month and 10-year exposure to any occupational asthmagens (OR (95% CI) 1.6 (1.0-2.40) and 1.7 (1.2-2.5), respectively); high (1.7 (1.0-2.8) and 1.9 (1.3-2.9), respectively) and low (1.6 (1.0-2.7) and 1.8 (1.2-2.7), respectively) molecular weight agents; and cleaning agents (2.0 (1.1-3.6) and 2.3 (1.4-3.6), respectively), with stronger associations for long-term exposures. These associations were mainly explained by the exacerbation domain of asthma control and no associations were observed between asthmagens and partly controlled asthma. These findings suggest that occupational exposure to asthmagens is associated with uncontrolled adult-onset asthma. Occupational risk factors should be quickly identified to prevent uncontrolled asthma.
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| 13. |
- Mirabelli, Maria C, et al.
(author)
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Occupational risk factors for asthma among nurses and related healthcare professionals in an international study
- 2007
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In: Occupational and Environmental Medicine. - : BMJ. - 1351-0711 .- 1470-7926. ; 64:7, s. 474-479
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: The authors examined the relations between self-reported work tasks, use of cleaning products and latex glove use with new-onset asthma among nurses and other healthcare workers in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS II). Methods: In a random population sample of adults from 22 European sites, 332 participants reported working in nursing and other related healthcare jobs during the nine-year ECRHS II follow-up period and responded to a supplemental questionnaire about their principal work settings, occupational tasks, products used at work and respiratory symptoms. Poisson regression models with robust error variances were used to compare the risk of new-onset asthma among healthcare workers with each exposure to that of respondents who reported professional or administrative occupations during the entire follow-up period (n=2481). Results: Twenty (6%) healthcare workers and 131 (5%) members of the referent population reported new-onset asthma. Compared to the referent group, the authors observed increased risks among hospital technicians (RR 4.63; 95% Cl 1.87 to 11.5) and among those using ammonia and/or bleach at work (RR 2.16; 95% Cl 1.03 to 4.53). Conclusions: In the ECRHS II cohort, hospital technicians and other healthcare workers experience increased risks of new-onset current asthma, possibly due to specific products used at work.
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| 14. |
- Vinnikov, D., et al.
(author)
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Risk factors for occupational acute mountain sickness
- 2014
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In: Occupational Medicine-Oxford. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0962-7480 .- 1471-8405. ; 64:7, s. 483-489
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Studies of occupational acute mountain sickness (AMS) have not focused on the more severe end of the spectrum to date. Aims To examine risk factors associated with the development of occupational AMS severe enough to receive treatment in a compression chamber. Methods A nested case referent study in a cohort of high-altitude (4000 m) mine workers, comparing cases of severe, chamber-treated AMS to matched referents. Using logistic regression, we tested potential risk factors based on premorbid surveillance examinations, including cigarette smoking (current smoking, smoking intensity and exhaled carbon monoxide [CO]). Results There were 15 cases and 30 controls. In multivariate analysis including age, sex and place of residence, current smoking was associated with increased risk of severe AMS (odds ratio [OR] 10.0; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.5-67.4), taking into account any prior, less severe AMS event, which was also a potent risk factor (OR 33.3; 95% CI 2.8-390). Smoking intensity (cigarettes per day) and exhaled CO were also statistically significantly associated with severe AMS. Conclusions Cigarette smoking is a strong, previously under-appreciated risk factor for severe AMS. Because this is a modifiable factor, these findings suggest that workplace-based smoking cessation should be tested as an intervention to prevent such morbidity.
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| 15. |
- Zock, Jan-Paul, et al.
(author)
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Domestic use of hypochlorite bleach, atopic sensitization, and respiratory symptoms in adults
- 2009
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In: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0091-6749 .- 1097-6825. ; 124:4, s. 731-738
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Professional use of hypochlorite (bleach) has been associated with respiratory symptoms. Bleach is capable of inactivating allergens, and there are indications that its domestic use may reduce the risk of allergies in children. OBJECTIVE: To study the associations between household use of bleach and atopic sensitization, allergic diseases, and respiratory health status in adults. METHODS: We identified 3626 participants of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey II in 10 countries who did the cleaning in their homes and for whom data on specific serum IgE to 4 environmental allergens were available. Frequency of bleach use and information on respiratory symptoms were obtained in face-to-face interviews. House dust mite and cat allergens in mattress dust were measured in a subsample. Associations between the frequency of bleach use and health outcomes were evaluated by using multivariable mixed logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: The use of bleach was associated with less atopic sensitization (odds ratio [OR], 0.75; 95% CI, 0.63-0.89). This association was apparent for specific IgE to both indoor (cat) and outdoor (grass) allergens, and was consistent in various subgroups, including those without any history of respiratory problems (OR, 0.85). Dose-response relationships (P < .05) were apparent for the frequency of bleach use and sensitization rates. Lower respiratory tract symptoms, but not allergic symptoms, were more prevalent among those using bleach 4 or more days per week (OR, 1.24-1.49). The use of bleach was not associated with indoor allergen concentrations. CONCLUSION: People who clean their homes with hypochlorite bleach are less likely to be atopic but more likely to have respiratory symptoms.
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| 16. |
- Blanc, Paul D.
(author)
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"Acute" silicosis at the 1930 Johannesburg Conference on silicosis and in its aftermath: Controversies over a distinct entity later recognized as silicoproteinosis
- 2015
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In: American Journal of Industrial Medicine. - : Wiley. - 0271-3586. ; 58:S1, s. 39-47
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BackgroundVery rapidly progressive acute silicosis was observed prior to the 1930 International Labour Office Conference on silicosis, but its clinical significance and pathologic relationship to classic silica caused pneumoconiosis were not settled. MethodsTextual analysis of the 1930 Conference proceedings identified data relevant to rapidly progressive silicosis. Standard bibliographic searches identified relevant biomedical literature dating from before and after the Conference. ResultsThe 1930 Johannesburg Conference contained descriptions of acute silicosis, especially in the abrasive powders industry, but acute silica-related lung disease did not conform to a three-stage disease model in which tuberculosis supra-infection caused advanced disease, a model accepted at the Conference. Over following decades, additional reports appeared of rapidly progressive silicosis, unrelated to tuberculosis. Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis was identified only in 1958. ConclusionsAdoption by the 1930 Johannesburg Conference of a classification scheme into which acute rapidly progressive disease unrelated to tuberculosis fitted poorly may have impeded the understanding of acute silicosis and its importance.
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| 17. |
- Blanc, Paul D., et al.
(author)
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Occupation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic bronchitis: an update
- 2007
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In: Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. - 1027-3719. ; 11:3, s. 251-7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This review critically evaluates the recent scientific literature relevant to occupational risk factors for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic bronchitis. The 2003 American Thoracic Society statement on the occupational contribution to the burden of airway disease synthesized relevant data on this topic through 1999. Since 2000, 14 separate studies have published values or provide data that allow estimation of the population attributable risk per cent (PAR%) for the proportion of chronic bronchitis or COPD due to work-related factors. Based on data since 2000, the median PAR% value for both chronic bronchitis and COPD is 15%. A number of additional studies have been published that underscore the association between specific occupational exposures and airflow obstruction. In addition, data are emerging that indicate the extent to which COPD is a cause of work disability; limited data raise the possibility that among those with occupational COPD, disability may be even more prominent. This review supports previous analyses concluding that there is a causal association between work-related exposures and COPD.
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| 18. |
- Blanc, Paul D., et al.
(author)
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The prevalence and predictors of respiratory-related work limitation and occupational disability in an international study
- 2003
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In: Chest. ; 124:3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Work-related symptoms and disability due to respiratory disease are common and costly among working-age adults. To investigate this problem, we analyzed data on respiratory symptoms related to the workplace and occupational disability from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS). METHODS: The ECRHS is a population-based sample of adults aged 20 to 44, with oversampling of subjects with symptoms that are consistent with respiratory disease. We analyzed structured interviews from 17,567 subjects, of whom 15,039 were from a general random population sample and 2,528 were from the respiratory symptom oversample. We defined work-related respiratory symptoms as self-reported wheeze or chest tightness at work, and work-related respiratory disability as reported job change due to breathing difficulties at work. We used binary generalized linear modeling with a log link to estimate the risk of symptoms and disability. FINDINGS: Wheeze at work was reported in the general population sample by 1,552 subject (10%), ranging from 4 to 15% among the 16 countries analyzed. Work-related respiratory disability was reported by 540 subjects (4%), ranging from 1 to 8%. Reported workplace exposure to vapors, gases, dust, or fumes was associated with increased risk of respiratory symptoms at work (prevalence ratio [PR], 2.1; 95% CI 1.8-2.4) and work-related respiratory disability (PR, 3.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.0 to 5.1). Workplace environmental tobacco smoke exposure was associated with symptoms (PR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.2 to 1.5) but not with disability (PR, 1.1; 95% CI, 0.9 to 1.4). INTERPRETATION: These data indicated that work-related respiratory symptoms and disability vary widely in this international sample but, nonetheless, are associated with workplace exposures that could be addressed through preventive measures.
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| 19. |
- Kim, Jeong-Lim, et al.
(author)
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Predictors of respiratory sickness absence: An international population-based study
- 2013
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In: American Journal of Industrial Medicine. - : Wiley. - 0271-3586 .- 1097-0274. ; 56:5, s. 541-549
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Respiratory tract-related occupational disability is common among adults of working age. We examined occupational vapors, gas, dust, or fume (VGDF) exposure as a predictor of disability, based on respiratory sickness absence among the actively employed, at an early point at which prevention may be most relevant. Methods: Currently employed European Community Respiratory Health Survey II participants (n=6,988) were classified into three mutually exclusive, condition/symptom-based categories: physician-diagnosed asthma, self-reported rhinitis, and wheeze/breathlessness (n=4,772). Logistic regression analysis estimated the odds of respiratory sickness absence (past 12 months) by VGDF exposure. Results: In the condition/symptom groups, 327 (6.9%) reported respiratory sickness absence. Exposure to VGDF was associated with increased odds of respiratory sickness absence: asthma odds ratio [OR] 2.0 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1-3.6), wheeze/breathlessness OR 2.2 (95% CI 1.01-4.8); rhinitis OR 1.9 (95% CI 1.02-3.4). Conclusion: One in 15 currently employed with asthma, breathlessness, or rhinitis reported respiratory sickness absence. VGDF exposure doubled the odds of respiratory sickness absence, suggesting a focus for disability prevention. Am. J. Ind. Med. 56:541-549, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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| 20. |
- Moitra, S., et al.
(author)
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Airflow obstruction among street vendors who refill cigarette lighters with liquefied petroleum gas
- 2014
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In: The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. - : International Union against Tubercul. and Lung Dis.. - 1027-3719. ; 18:9, s. 1126-1131
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Manual cigarette lighter refilling with butane/propane admixed liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is a common low-income occupation in India. This practice may cause adverse health effects from LPG exposure among such workers. OBJECTIVE: To assess respiratory status among LPG-exposed workers and non-exposed controls. METHODS: We quantified the exposure and evaluated respiratory symptoms and lung function among 113 LPG refilling workers (aged 41.9±9.9 years) and 79 controls (aged 40.8±7.2 years). We used multiple linear regression analysis to estimate the LPG exposure response within the group of refilling workers, adjusting for age, height and smoking status. RESULTS: Compared to the controls, the LPG-exposed lighter refillers manifested a 190 ml decrement in 1-second forced expiratory volume (FEV1) (2.55±0.4 vs. 2.26±0.3 l) and a 6% decrement in FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC) (both P < 0.05). We found a significantly negative exposure response among the LPG workers: for FVC and FEV1, 44 ml per ml of reported daily LPG use in refilling (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Likely heavy exposure to LPG through manually refilling cigarette lighters is associated with airflow decrements. This adverse effect may be relevant to other occupational groups heavily exposed to volatile hydrocarbons, especially those in marginal employment sectors. © 2014 The Union.
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| 21. |
- Torén, Kjell, 1952, et al.
(author)
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Asthma caused by occupational exposures is common - a systematic analysis of estimates of the population-attributable fraction.
- 2009
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In: BMC pulmonary medicine. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2466. ; 9:7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The aim of this paper is to highlight emerging data on occupational attributable risk in asthma. Despite well documented outbreaks of disease and the recognition of numerous specific causal agents, occupational exposures previously had been relegated a fairly minor role relative to other causes of adult onset asthma. In recent years there has been a growing recognition of the potential importance of asthma induced by work-related exposures METHODS: We searched Pub Med from June 1999 through December 2007. We identified six longitudinal general population-based studies; three case-control studies and eight cross-sectional analyses from seven general population-based samples. For an integrated analysis we added ten estimates prior to 1999 included in a previous review. RESULTS: The longitudinal studies indicate that 16.3% of all adult-onset asthma is caused by occupational exposures. In an overall synthesis of all included studies the overall median PAR value was 17.6%. CONCLUSION: Clinicians should consider the occupational history when evaluating patients in working age who have asthma. At a societal level, these findings underscore the need for further preventive action to reduce the occupational exposures to asthma-causing agents.
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| 22. |
- Vandenplas, O., et al.
(author)
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Health and socioeconomic impact of work-related asthma
- 2003
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In: Eur Respir J. ; 22:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- There is accumulating evidence that the workplace environment contributes significantly to the general burden of asthma. The purpose of this review is to explore the respiratory health and socioeconomic consequences of work-related asthma by addressing a series of controversial issues: 1) what is the natural history of occupational asthma and in what ways does ongoing exposure to the causal agent impact clinical outcomes?; 2) how does the natural history of irritant-induced asthma differ in its health outcomes from immunologically-mediated occupational asthma?; 3) do working conditions have a significant impact on asthma regardless of the aetiology of the disease?; 4) what is the scope of work disability from work-related-asthma in social and economic terms?; 5) what is the clinician's role in reducing the respiratory health consequences of work-related asthma? 6) to what extent do existing compensation and other social insurance schemes successfully address occupational asthma and work-aggravated asthma?
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