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- Krebs, C. J., et al.
(author)
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Terrestrial trophic dynamics in the Canadian Arctic
- 2003
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In: Canadian Journal of Zoology-Revue Canadienne De Zoologie. ; 81, s. 827-843
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Swedish Tundra Northwest Expedition of 1999 visited 17 sites throughout the Canadian Arctic. At 12 sites that were intensively sampled we estimated the standing crop of plants and the densities of herbivores and predators with an array of trapping, visual surveys, and faecal-pellet transects. We developed a trophic-balance model using ECOPATH to integrate these observations and determine the fate of primary and secondary production in these tundra ecosystems, which spanned an 8-fold range of standing crop of plants. We estimated that about 13% of net primary production was consumed by herbivores, while over 70% of small-herbivore production was estimated to flow to predators. Only 9% of large-herbivore production was consumed by predators. Organization of Canadian Arctic ecosystems appears to be more top-down than bottom-up. Net primary production does not seem to be herbivore-limited at any site. This is the first attempt to integrate trophic dynamics over the entire Canadian Arctic.
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- Baigi, A, et al.
(author)
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Causes of death between 1911-1950 in a Swedish province with a population characterized by longevity: Effects on life expectancy
- 2003
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In: Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. - : SAGE Publications. - 1651-1905 .- 1403-4948. ; 31:6, s. 418-427
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aims: Life expectancy in Sweden is among the highest in the world, and the province of Halland has the highest life expectancy in Sweden today. In an earlier paper the authors reported that life expectancy in the province of Halland in the south-west of the country was approx. 3.5 years above the national average between 1911 and 1950. The aim of this study was to explore the influence of different causes of death on life expectancy in Sweden and the distribution of these causes of death in Halland compared with Sweden as a whole during the same period of time. Method: Causes of death between 1911 and 1950 in the whole of Sweden and in Halland were obtained from the archives of Statistics Sweden. A trend analysis was performed on the impact of the various causes of death on life expectancy in Sweden. Calendar year, age, and sex were controlled for in a Poisson model. The distribution and incidence of the most frequent causes of death were compared between Halland and Sweden as a whole. Results: The decreasing mortality risk due to infectious diseases and the simultaneous increase in the risk of mortality from tumours and circulatory diseases contributed most to the change in life expectancy in Sweden. In Halland there was a lower mortality risk in the seven most important causes of death, which accounted for approx 80% of all deaths during the study period. Conclusions: The lower mortality risk from infectious diseases mostly favoured the improvement in life expectancy in Halland up to the mid-1930s. Thereafter, a low mortality risk from tumours and particularly circulatory diseases gained increasing importance although there was always a difference in favour of Halland from the beginning of the study period. Thus, the positive trend in life expectancy that favours Halland today seems to have existed for a long period of time.
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- Carstensen, U, et al.
(author)
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Influence of genetic polymorphisms of biotransformation enzymes on gene mutations, strand breaks of deoxyribonucleic acid, and micronuclei in mononuclear blood cells and urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine in potroom workers exposed to polyaromatic hydrocarbons
- 1999
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In: Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health. - : Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health. - 0355-3140 .- 1795-990X. ; 25:4, s. 351-360
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: Airborne exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in the potroom of an aluminum reduction plant was studied in relation to genotoxic or mutagenic effects, and the possibility of host genotypes of different metabolizing enzymes modifying associations between PAH exposure and genotoxic or mutagenic response was assessed. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Ninety-eight male potroom workers and 55 male unexposed blue-collar workers constituted the study population. Micronuclei in CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes, DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) single-strand breaks, hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HPRT) mutation frequency, and genotype for cytochrome P-4501A1, glutathione transferases M1, T1 and P1, and microsomal epoxide hydrolase were analyzed using peripheral mononuclear cells. Urine samples were collected for the analysis of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine. RESULTS: Micronuclei in peripheral CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes, DNA single-strand breaks, HPRT mutation frequency, and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine in urine did not differ between the potroom workers and the unexposed referents. With the exception of an observed exposure-response relationship for potroom workers with Tyr/Tyr genotype for microsomal epoxide hydrolase, between airborne PAH and CD8+ micronuclei, no correlations were found between any of the genotoxicity biomarkers and any of the exposure measures (airborne particulate PAH, airborne gas phase PAH, length of employment in the potroom, 1-hydroxypyrene in urine, or PAH-DNA adducts in peripheral lymphocytes), also when genotypes for biotransforamtion enzymes were considered. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that the employed biomarkers of mutagenic or genotoxic effects are not appropriate for surveillance studies of potroom workers exposed to current airborne levels of PAH. The significance of the correlation between airborne PAH and CD8+ micronuclei in Tyr/Tyr genotype subjects should be evaluated.
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- Reuterwall, C, et al.
(author)
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Higher relative, but lower absolute risks of myocardial infarction in women than in men : analysis of some major risk factors in the SHEEP study. The SHEEP Study Group.
- 1999
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In: Journal of Internal Medicine. - : Wiley. - 0954-6820 .- 1365-2796. ; 246:2, s. 161-74
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: Middle-aged men have often been the subjects of multifactorial studies of myocardial infarction (MI) risk factors. One major objective of the SHEEP study was to compare the effects of different MI risk factors in women and men. DESIGN: SHEEP (Stockholm Heart Epidemiology Program) is a population-based case-referent study of causes of MI (first event) in Swedish women and men aged 45-70 years. During the period 1992-94, 2246 cases of MI were identified; 34% of the cases were women and 27% of the cases were fatal. One referent per case was chosen randomly from the Stockholm County population after stratification for the case's sex and age. Logistic regression was used to estimate the relative risks associated with risk factors of primary interest (diabetes, hypercholesterolaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia, hypertension, overweight, physical inactivity, smoking and job strain). RESULTS: The relative risk estimates ranged from 1.5 to 4.4 in women and from 1.3 to 2.9 in men (results for nonfatal cases and their referents). None of the 95% confidence intervals included 1.0. The relative risks were higher in the women than in the men (101-180%). The absolute risks, however, were all lower in the women than in the men. Estimates of Rothman's synergy index for gender ranged from 1.0 (hypertension) to 1.8 (current smoking). CONCLUSIONS: The indications of some effect modification due to sex (stronger risks in men for certain exposures) invoke the question of possible mechanisms.
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- Baigi, Amir, et al.
(author)
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Life expectancy in the province of Halland, Sweden, 1911-50: the progress of public health in a long-living population
- 2002
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In: Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. - : SAGE Publications. - 1651-1905 .- 1403-4948. ; 30:3, s. 231-237
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Life expectancy in Sweden is currently one of the longest in the world. The population of Halland has the longest life expectancy in Sweden. Aim: Life expectancy in the province of Halland and Sweden as a whole during 1911-50 was studied and the findings are discussed in the light of local historical data. Method: A trend analysis of risk ratio of death and life expectancy for Halland and Sweden was done for the period 1911-50 with regard to calendar year, age, and sex using a Poisson model. Results: The risk ratio between Halland and Sweden was 0.83 for 1911 and 0.76 for 1950. The risk ratio of death for women was lower compared with men and this difference increased over time. At the start of the study period life expectancy for men and women was higher in Halland (58.5 and 60.1 years, respectively) compared with Sweden (54.7 and 56.4 years, respectively) with a difference of approximately 3.8 years. At the end of the study period this difference in life expectancy for men and women in Halland (71.3 and 72.3 years, respectively) and the nation ( 68.0 and 69.2 years, respectively) had decreased to approximately 3.3 years. Conclusion: The long life expectancy seen in Halland today can be traced back to the early twentieth century. The starting point for this development seems to be a lower infant mortality in Halland compared with Sweden as a nation during the 1880-90. The basis for this might have been a greater increase of food production during the whole nineteenth century as well as other socioeconomic characteristics of Halland compared with the rest of the country.
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- Bodin, T., et al.
(author)
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Intervention to reduce heat stress and improve efficiency among sugarcane workers in El Salvador: Phase 1
- 2016
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In: Occupational and Environmental Medicine. - : BMJ. - 1351-0711 .- 1470-7926. ; 73:6, s. 409-416
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Chronic heat stress and dehydration from strenuous work in hot environments is considered an essential component of the epidemic of chronic kidney disease in Central America. Objective (1) To assess feasibility of providing an intervention modelled on OSHA's Water. Rest. Shade programme (WRS) during sugarcane cutting and (2) to prevent heat stress and dehydration without decreasing productivity. Methods Midway through the 6-month harvest, the intervention introduced WRS practices. A 60-person cutting group was provided water supplied in individual backpacks, mobile shaded rest areas and scheduled rest periods. Ergonomically improved machetes and efficiency strategies were also implemented. Health data (anthropometric, blood, urine, questionnaires) were collected preharvest, preintervention, mid-intervention and at the end of harvest. A subsample participated in focus group discussions. Daily wet bulb globe temperatures (WBGT) were recorded. The employer provided individual production records. Results Over the harvest WBGT was >26 degrees C from 9:00 onwards reaching average maximum of 29.3 +/- 1.7 degrees C, around 13:00. Postintervention self-reported water consumption increased 25%. Symptoms associated with heat stress and with dehydration decreased. Individual daily production increased from 5.1 to a high of 7.3 tons/person/day postintervention. This increase was greater than in other cutting groups at the company. Focus groups reported a positive perception of components of the WRS, and the new machete and cutting programmes. Conclusions A WRS intervention is feasible in sugarcane fields, and appears to markedly reduce the impact of the heat stress conditions for the workforce. With proper attention to work practices, production can be maintained with less impact on worker health.
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- Herrstrom, Per, et al.
(author)
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Dental amalgam, low-dose exposure to mercury, and urinary proteins in young Swedish men
- 1995
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In: Archives of Environmental Health. - 0003-9896. ; 50:2, s. 103-108
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Chronic exposure to inorganic mercury can cause kidney injury. Evidence gained from occupational medicine indicates that individuals who are exposed to only environmental sources, including amalgam tooth fillings, are at very little risk. Animal experiments, however, have revealed glomerular lesions of immunologic origin after low-dose exposure to inorganic mercury. In this study, the association between the number of amalgam tooth surfaces, urinary mercury, and proteinuria was explored in a sample of 48 randomly selected, apparently healthy male students who were 17-22 y of age. Presence of any of the following proteins in two separate urine samples was considered to be potentially indicative of any tubular and/or glomerular lesion: albumin, alpha-1-microglobulin (HC-protein), kappa and lambda light chains, and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase. No significant relationship was found between any of the proteins and amalgam or urinary mercury. The results of this study did not suggest that amalgam fillings cause kidney dysfunction in humans.
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- Matilla-Santander, N., et al.
(author)
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COVID-19 and Precarious Employment : Consequences of the Evolving Crisis
- 2021
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In: International Journal of Health Services. - : Sage Publications. - 0020-7314 .- 1541-4469. ; 5:2, s. 226-228
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The world of work is facing an ongoing pandemic and an economic downturn with severe effects worldwide. Workers trapped in precarious employment (PE), both formal and informal, are among those most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Here we call attention to at least 5 critical ways that the consequences of the crisis among workers in PE will be felt globally: (a) PE will increase, (b) workers in PE will become more precarious, (c) workers in PE will face unemployment without being officially laid off, (d) workers in PE will be exposed to serious stressors and dramatic life changes that may lead to a rise in diseases of despair, and (e) PE might be a factor in deterring the control of or in generating new COVID-19 outbreaks. We conclude that what we really need is a new social contract, where the work of all workers is recognized and protected with adequate job contracts, employment security, and social protection in a new economy, both during and after the COVID-19 crisis.
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- Theorell, T, et al.
(author)
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Decision latitude, job strain, and myocardial infarction : a study of working men in Stockholm. The SHEEP Study Group. Stockholm Heart epidemiology Program.
- 1998
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In: American Journal of Public Health. - 0090-0036 .- 1541-0048. ; 88:3, s. 382-8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: This study examined the role of decision latitude and job strain in the etiology of a first myocardial infarction. METHODS: Eligible case patients were all full-time working men 45 to 64 years of age who suffered a first myocardial infarction during the period January 1992 to January 1993 in the greater Stockholm region. Referents were selected from the general population. Participation rates were 82% (case patients) and 75% (referents). RESULTS: Both inferred and self-reported low decision latitude were associated with increased risk of a first myocardial infarction, although this association was weakened after adjustment for social class. A decrease in inferred decision latitude during the 10 years preceding the myocardial infarction was associated with increased risk after all adjustments, including chest pain and social class. The combination of high self-reported demands and low self-reported decision latitude was an independent predictor of risk after all adjustments. CONCLUSIONS: Both negative change in inferred decision latitude and self-reported job strain are important risk indicators in men less than 55 years of age and in blue-collar workers.
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- Wegman, D. H., et al.
(author)
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Intervention to diminish dehydration and kidney damage among sugarcane workers
- 2018
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In: Scandinavian Journal of Work Environment & Health. - : Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health. - 0355-3140 .- 1795-990X. ; 44:1, s. 16-24
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective The aim of this study was to assess the potential to reduce kidney function damage during the implementation of a water, rest, shade (WRS) and efficiency intervention program among sugarcane workers. Methods A WRS intervention program adapted from the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) coupled with an efficiency program began two months into the 5-month harvest. One of the two groups of workers studied was provided with portable water reservoirs, mobile shaded tents, and scheduled rest periods. Health data (anthropometric and questionnaires), blood, and urine were collected at baseline and at three subsequent times over the course of the harvest. Daily wet bulb globe temperatures (WBGT) were recorded. Results Across a working day there were changes in biomarkers indicating dehydration (urine osmolality) and serum albumin and reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Cross-shift eGFR decrease was present in both groups; -10.5 mL/min/1.73m(2) [95% confidence interval (95% CI) -11.8- -9.1], but smaller for the intervention group after receiving the program. Decreased eGFR over the 5-month harvest was seen in both groups: in the one receiving the intervention -3.4 mL/min/1.73m(2) (95% CI -5.5- -1.3) and in the other -5.3 (95% CI -7.9-2.7). The decrease appeared to halt after the introduction of the intervention in the group receiving the program. Conclusion A WRS and efficiency intervention program was successfully introduced for workers in sugarcane fields and appears to reduce the impact of heat stress on acute and over-harvest biomarkers of kidney function. Further research is needed to determine whether biomarker changes predict reduced risk of chronic kidney disease in this type of work.
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- Wesseling, C., et al.
(author)
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Chronic kidney disease of non-traditional origin in Mesoamerica: a disease primarily driven by occupational heat stress
- 2020
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In: Revista Panamericana De Salud Publica-Pan American Journal of Public Health. - : Pan American Health Organization. - 1020-4989. ; 44
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The death toll of the epidemic of chronic kidney disease of nontraditional origin (CKDnt) in Mesoamerica runs into the tens of thousands, affecting mostly young men. There is no consensus on the etiology. Anecdotal evidence from the 1990s pointed to work in sugarcane; pesticides and heat stress were suspected. Subsequent population-based surveys supported an occupational origin with overall high male-female ratios in high-risk lowlands, but small sex differences within occupational categories, and low prevalence in non-workers. CKDnt was reported in sugarcane and other high-intensity agriculture, and in non-agricultural occupations with heavy manual labor in hot environments, but not among subsistence farmers. Recent studies with stronger designs have shown cross-shift changes in kidney function and hydration biomarkers and cross-harvest kidney function declines related to heat and workload. The implementation of a water-rest-shade intervention midharvest in El Salvador appeared to halt declining kidney function among cane cutters. In Nicaragua a water-rest-shade program appeared sufficient to prevent kidney damage among cane workers with low-moderate workload but not among cutters with heaviest workload. Studies on pesticides and infectious risk factors have been largely negative. Non-occupational risk factors do not explain the observed epidemiologic patterns. In conclusion, work is the main driver of the CKDnt epidemic in Mesoamerica, with occupational heat stress being the single uniting factor shown to lead to kidney dysfunction in affected populations. Sugarcane cutters with extreme heat stress could be viewed as a sentinel occupational population. Occupational heat stress prevention is critical, even more so in view of climate change.
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