Abstract Micronutrient deficiencies are a public health concern among young children in low-income countries, and novel strategies are needed to improve the nutritional status of children at risk. One promising approach is the use of lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS), which can be added to complementary food at the time of consumption. The optimal amount of zinc to include in LNS is uncertain, and concerns have been expressed about possible adverse effects of zinc on sensory characteristics of LNS. We conducted a series of acceptability studies of LNS containing either 0 or 10-mg of zinc per daily 20-g LNS dose among Burkinabe children 9-15 months old and their mothers. These acceptability studies included observations of children's consumption, maternal and child sensory reaction to ...
For the development of a long-lived, electrically rechargeable zinc-air battery the structure and wettability of pasted zinc electrodes were optimized. Pasted zinc electrodes containing 1 to 10% cellulose, but having almost the same nominal capacities, were prepared and tested in zinc/oxygen cells. The effect of discharge rate on cell voltage and delivered capacity, as well as the maximum power, were measured. Furthermore, cell charge-discharge behaviour and cycle life were examined. After different times of operation, the porosity and the pore size distribution of the pasted zinc electrodes were measured by means of mercury porosimetry. The life cycle and peak power drain capability of the Zn/oxygen battery could be substantially improved by the addition of 10 wt% cellulose to the pasted zinc electrode. (author)
Zinc-fingers, which widely exist in eukaryotic cell and play crucial roles in life processes, depend on the binding of zinc ion for their proper folding. To computationally study the zinc coupled folding of the zinc-fingers, charge transfer and metal induced protonation/deprotonation effects have to be considered. Here, by attempting to implicitly account for such effects in classical molecular dynamics and performing intensive simulations with explicit solvent for the peptides with and without zinc binding, we investigate the folding of the Cys2His2 type zinc-finger motif and the coupling between the peptide folding and zinc binding. We find that zinc ion not only stabilizes the native structure, but also participates in the whole folding process. It binds to the peptide at ...
The addition of ZnO, depleted in the Zn-64 isotope, to the water of boiling water nuclear reactors lessens the accumulation of Co-60 on the reactor interior surfaces, reduces radioactive wastes and increases the reactor service-life because of the inhibitory action of zinc on inter-granular stress corrosion cracking. To the same effect depleted zinc in the form of acetate dihydrate is used in pressurized water reactors. Gas centrifuge isotope separation method is applied for production of depleted zinc on the industrial scale. More than 20 years of depleted zinc application history demonstrates its benefits for reduction of NPP personnel radiation exposure and combating construction materials corrosion.
1. Proteolytic enzyme activities were examined in the pancreas of zinc-deficient and control rats. 2. No change was detected in trypsin-plus-chymotrypsin activity. 3. Carboxypeptidase activity was...Full Text Available
Objective: To evaluate effects of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on the viability, membrane properties, and zinc distribution, with and without the presence of Zn2+, in human prostate...Full Text Available
Hemoglobin and zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) tests are commonly used to screen for iron deficiency, but little research has been done to systematically evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of these...Full Text Available
Abstract in english The rate of copper II/zinc cementation from copper sulphate solutions in the absence and in the presence of methanol (CH3OH) and dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) has been studied and the reaction was found to follow first-order kinetics. The influence of several parameters on the course of the reaction, such as cylinder rotation speed, initial concentration of Cu2+ ions, temperature and concentration of organic solvent, was investigated. In the case of CH3OH, rotating zinc cyli (more) nder was used, while in the presence of DMSO stationary zinc sheet and rotating zinc cylinder were used. It was found that (1) the percentage inhibition caused by methanol ranged from 10.70 to 58.38 depending on the concentration of the alcohol used; (2) the rate of cementation in the presence of DMSO using rotating zinc cylinder > the rate of cementation in the presence of DMSO using ...
PurposeDescription and analysis of the effects and side-effects of integrated mental health care in the Netherlands.Context of caseDue...Full Text Available
Research was conducted to determine the effect of electrochemical aging on large area arc-sprayed zinc anodes for cathodic protection of bridges and other reinforced concrete structures. The study focused on the influence of total charge passed and concrete surface preparation on the bonding of the zinc to the concrete. Half of the samples were preheated prior to being arc-sprayed with zinc. The preheated samples had initial bond strengths that were 80% higher than the unheated samples. This difference in bond strength became insignificant after the passage of approximately 200 kC/m{sup 2} (5.2 A-h/ft{sup 2}) and bond strengths for all samples started to decrease after approximately 600 kC/m{sup 2} (15.5 A-h/ft{sup 2}). These changes in bond strength were correlated with observed changes in the permeability of the zinc coating to water, the electrical behavior of the ...
Studies of healtheffects of urea formaldehyde foam insulation (UFFI) were critically reviewed by means of accepted rules for evidence of causation. Three categories of healtheffects were examined:...Full Text Available
This report is an examination and analysis of the zinc-air system as the motive power source for electric vehicle propulsion. Various versions of the zinc-air system and operating schemes along with their advantages and disadvantages are discussed. Baseline cost calculations are also presented in order to compare the cost effectiveness of each of the systems. The treatise is conceptual in nature and is not based on new experimental work. The information is based on published literature and investigations carried out at ERC in the past. The study also includes recommendations and suggestions in areas that require further research and development work to achieve a smooth transition from the conceptual stage to a practical, viable, and cost effective system.
Abstract BACKGROUND: In Brazil, the usual forms of zinc (Zn) supply to coffee plants have limitations that compromise the element availability to the plant. This study proposes to test an alternative approach to supplying the nutrient to Coffea arabica L. using trunk implanted zinc tablets. Additionally, the effect of Zn on the production and quality of coffee beans was also evaluated. RESULTS: The highest total coffee bean production was recorded in plants implanted with Zn tablets (TA), while the lowest was recorded in the control treatment, without zinc supply (WZn), reaching a bianual production of 188.2 and 130.1 60-kg bags of processed beans per hectare, respectively. In the treatments where Zn were applied as tablet implantation or as foliage spraying (SZn); the bean size was larger...
The dithiocarbamate and thiuram compounds, including disulfiram, were compared for their efficacies in influencing tissue distribution of a trace dose of intravenously injected lead plus "2"0"3Pb in rats. The tested compounds were sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (DEDTC), sodium dimethyldithiocarbamate (DMDTC), tetraethylthiuram disulfide (disulfiram), a complex of zinc and manganese ethylenebisdithiocarbamate (mancozeb), manganese ethylenebisdithiocarbamate (maneb), sodium monomethyldithiocarbamate (metham), zinc propylene bisdithiocarbamate (propineb), tetramethylthiuram disulfide (thiram), zinc ethylenebisdithiocarbamate (zineb), and zinc dimethyldithiocarbamate (ziram). The results of this study show that interactions can occur between lead and DEDTC, DMDTC, disulfiram, metham, thiram, and ziram, resulting in increased levels of lead in brain and probably potentiation of the neurotoxic ...
The effect of pigments on the development of corrosion products between the painting system and metal surface when exposed to marine environments has been discussed. The pigments studied were: red mud zinc chromate, zinc chromate, red oxide zinc phosphate, manganese phosphate barium chromate and basic lead silico chromate. Moessbauer spectroscopy revealed that the upper rust layer in all the cases consisted of #gamma#-Fe_2O_3, #gamma#-FeOOH and #alpha#-FeOOH. The lower rust layer immediately in contact with the metal surface consisted of an asymmetrical doublet due to #gamma#-FeOOH. (Auth.).
In response to a request from the International Chemical Workers Union, Akron, Ohio, an investigation was made into possible hazardous working conditions at two American Smelting and Refining Company (SIC-1031) zinc mines (New Market and Young) in Mascot, Tennessee. Specifically, exposures to asbestos (1332214), silica (14808607), and diesel emissions were determined. At both mines overexposures were found to nitrogen-dioxide (10102440) (NO2) and coal-tar pitch volatiles. Twenty-four percent of the NO2 measurements taken were above the NIOSH recommended ceiling of 1 part per million (ppm), but none exceeded the Mine Safety and Health Administration's (MSHA) ceiling of 5ppm. Exposure to diesel particulates ranged from 0.24 to 1.06mg/cu m. None of the 52 respirable dust samples collected exceeded the calculated MSHA limits for free silica exposure. A medical evaluation was offered and 83 of the 400 current employees and one retired ...
Recent years have seen closer links developing between general practitioners and mental health specialists. A study was undertaken in Manchester to determine the effects of a new community mental health...Full Text Available
Introduction:Although radical prostatectomy (RP) is an effective treatment for prostate cancer, it has potentially deleterious effects on health-related quality of life (HRQoL)....Full Text Available
A brief tutorial on the healtheffects of ionising radiation is presented. The distinction between somatic and genetic healtheffects is explained. The two types of somatic healtheffects, i.e., acute and chronic effects, are discussed, as well as the concepts of ''deterministic'' and ''stochastic'' (also called ''probabilistic'') healtheffects. The possibility of cancer caused by DNA damage is discussed. The document ends with the definition of some key radiation terms.
A community health survey of 438 individuals was taken to detect health problems related to high voltage electrical transmission among an adjacent residential population. Results revealed no significant or consistent relationships between exposure to a high voltage DC power line and the perceived health problems that were measured. The sample was not, however, large enough to draw statistically significant conclusions regarding possible healtheffects with a very low incidence.
AbstractObjective: This study examined the effectiveness of a telephone-based referral-care management (TBR-CM) intervention on psychiatric health...Full Text Available
Recent increases in births to unmarried parents, and the instability surrounding these relationships, have raised concerns about the possible healtheffects associated with changes in family...Full Text Available
Background The Internet is becoming an increasingly important resource for health-information seekers. However, consumers often do not use effective search...Full Text Available
People assess the quality of the air indoors primarily on the basis of its odors and on their perception of associated health risk. The major current contributors to indoor odorants are human occupant...Full Text Available
Background:The US military is currently involved in large, lengthy, and complex combat operations around the world. Effective military operations require optimal health of deployed...Full Text Available
A community health survey of 438 individuals was taken to detect health problems related to high voltage electrical transmission among an adjacent residential population. Results revealed no significant...Full Text Available
ObjectiveTo assess the perceived effectiveness of cigarette health warnings in China, compared with picture and text-only warnings from other countries.Method1169...Full Text Available
BackgroundDuring the past 2 decades, there has been a rapid proliferation of "health examination center (HEC)" across China. The effects of their services on public's health have...Full Text Available
BackgroundMany interventions found to be effective in health services research studies fail to translate into meaningful patient care outcomes across multiple contexts. Health services...Full Text Available
The concentrations of iron, chromium, zinc, and aluminum were measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy in the lipid-soluble fractions of tar from the process stream of an experimental coal gasifier as part of large study on the health risks of coal gasification. Lipid solubility was inferred from octanol/water-partitioning and benzene-solubility tests. The properties of the lipid-soluble metals were compared to reference compounds by Sephadex LH-20 chromatography. The ability of the lipid-soluble metals to remain lipid soluble after treatment with acid and base was also tested. Lipid-soluble iron, chromium, zinc, and aluminum were present at 360, 12, 3, and 1 ppM, respectively, in the gasifier coal tar. The presence of these metals in lipid-soluble form may have important consequences relative to the potential toxicity of the tar if persons are exposed to it.
BackgroundChanges in ionic concentration have a fundamental effect on numerous physiological processes. For example, IP3-gated thapsigargin sensitive intracellular calcium...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe composition of habitual diets is associated with adverse or protective effects on aspects of health. Consequently, UK public health policy strongly advocates dietary...Full Text Available
We prepared cathodes with various types of activated carbon and measured the cathodes' electrochemical performance according to the kind of activated carbon. Activated carbon supplies airflow channels and reaction sites in the cathode of zinc air batteries. When we use activated carbon with a high specific surface area as the cathode's catalyst substrate, we expect high electrochemical performance because this type of carbon provides more air flow channels and reaction sites. We focused on investigating the relationship between the cathode's pore structure and its electrochemical characterizations. We also studied the effects of the various activated carbon materials on the zinc air batteries' performance. Increasing the macropores or mesopores in the activated carbon resulted in achieving more power from the battery. (author)
A protective film has been developed on the surface of carbon steel in low chloride aqueous environment using a synergistic mixture of an environmentally friendly phosphonic acid, N,N-bis(phosphonomethyl) glycine (BPMG), and zinc ions. Impedance studies of the metal/solution interface indicated that the surface film is highly protective against the corrosion of carbon steel in the chosen environment. Potentiodynamic polarization studies showed that the inhibitor is a mixed inhibitor. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis (XPS) of the film showed the presence of the elements iron, phosphorus, nitrogen, oxygen, carbon, and zinc. Deconvolution spectra of these elements in the surface film showed the presence of oxides/hydroxides of iron(III), Zn(OH)2, and [Zn(II)-BPMG] complex. This infe...
We present a novel fabrication route yielding Raney-platinum film electrodes intended as glucose oxidation anodes for potentially implantable fuel cells. Fabrication roots on thermal alloying of an extractable metal with bulk platinum at 200^oC for 48h. In contrast to earlier works using carcinogenic nickel, we employ zinc as potentially biocompatible alloying partner. Microstructure analysis indicates that after removal of extractable zinc the porous Raney-platinum film (roughness factor ~2700) consists predominantly of the Pt3Zn phase. Release of zinc during electrode operation can be expected to have no significant effect on physiological normal levels in blood and serum, which promises good biocompatibility. In contrast to previous anodes based on hydrogel-bound catalyst particles the ...
A new method for the separation and determination of trace amounts of cadmium and zinc in water as their thenoyltrifluoroacetone (TTA) complexes with dibenzo-18-crown-6 (DB18C6) in o-dichlorobenzene has been established by means of synergistic extraction and back-extraction combined with atomic absorption spectrometry. The effect of various factors (synergism with TTA and DB18C6, shaking time, composition of the extracted species, and mutual separation etc.) on the extraction and back-extraction of cadmium and zinc has been in- vestigated. When the mixtures were extracted for 4 min at pH 4.9, only zinc was extracted quantitatively, whereas cadmium remained in the aqueous phase. After the phases were separated, cadmium was again extracted quantitatively at pH 7.5. Then, the two phases were each shaken with 0.05-0.1 mol/l HCl in order to back-extract cadmium and zinc from the organic ...
A flexible battery is printed on paper by screen-printing a zinc/carbon/polymer composite anode on one side of the sheet, polymerising a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) cathode on the other side of the sheet, and applying a lithium chloride electrolyte between the two electrodes. The PEDOT cathode is prepared by inkjet printing a pattern of iron(III)p-toluenesulfonate as a solution in butan-1-ol onto paper, followed by vapour phase polymerisation of the monomer. The electrolyte is prepared as a solution of lithium chloride and lithium hydroxide and also applied by inkjet printing on to paper, where it is absorbed into the sheet cross-section. Measurements on a zinc/carbon-PEDOT/air battery in a similar configuration on a polyethylene naphthalate substrate shows a discharge capacity of up to 1.4 mAh cm{sup -2} for an initial load of 2.5 mg zinc, equivalent to almost 70% of the zinc content of ...
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has sponsored several studies to identify and quantify, through the use of models, the potential healtheffects of accidental releases of radionuclides from nuclear power plants. The Reactor Safety Study provided the basis for most of the earlier estimates related to these healtheffects. Subsequent efforts by NRC-supported groups resulted in improved healtheffects models that were published in the report entitled {open_quotes}HealthEffects Models for Nuclear Power Plant Consequence Analysis{close_quotes}, NUREG/CR-4214, 1985 and revised further in the 1989 report NUREG/CR-4214, Rev. 1, Part 2. The healtheffects models presented in the 1989 NUREG/CR-4214 report were developed for exposure to low-linear energy transfer (LET) (beta and ...
This patent describes an improved zinc electrode for a rechargeable zinc-air battery comprising an outer frame and a porous foam electrode support within the frame which is treated prior to the deposition of zinc thereon to inhibit the formation of zinc dendrites on the external surface thereof. The outer frame is provided with passageways for circulating an alkaline electrolyte through the treated zinc-coated porous foam. A novel rechargeable zinc-air battery system is also disclosed.
A total of 272 tap water samples were collected from 68 homes throughout the city of Tehran. Analysis for cadmium, zinc, lead, copper, arsenic, iron and manganese showed some accumulation of these metals in household piping overnight. However, the concentration of all metals was in the parts per billion (ug/l) range and well below international standards. Heavy metals in Tehran's drinking water therefore, do not pose a significant acute health hazard. 19 references, 2 tables.
The gel electrolyte for the zinc-air cell was prepared by mixing hydroponics gel with a 6M potassium hydroxide aqueous solution. The self-discharge of cells was characterized by measuring the open-circuit voltage. The effect of a discharge rate of 50mA constant current on cell voltage and plateau hour, as well as the voltage-current and current density-power density were measured and analysed. The electrode degradation after discharge cycling was characterized by structural and surface methods. The oxidation of the electrode surface further blocked the utilization of the Zn anode and was identified as a cause for the failure of the cell. (author)
The possibility of using lead and lead-bismuth mixed oxides as positive active materials in organic electrolyte lithium cells with a working voltage similar to those of silver zinc cells has been considered. Button cells of SR 44 size have been developed as a test vehicle and studied under various conditions of discharge rate and storage. This paper describes the performance characteristics obtained under these conditions and suggests in conclusion the possible replacement of silver zinc cells by such systems for a large range of low-rate applications on the basis of cost effectiveness.
The electrolyte was brought into contact with air and potassium carbonate was measured with various contact time in order to check the defect of carbon dioxide in the air on zinc-air cell. The relationship between potassium carbonate concentration in electrolyte and battery capacity was also studied. The potassium carbonate concentration in the electrolyte. The rate of carbon dioxide absorption was mainly affected by the pore size of hydrophobic membrane. Our study showed that adapting the pore of hydrophobic membrane decreased the loss of cell discharge performance due to the presence of carbon dioxide or water vapor in the atmosphere. 7 refs., 12 figs., 1 tab.
The invention comprises an improved rechargeable zinc-air cell/battery having recirculating alkaline electrolyte and a zinc electrode comprising a porous foam support material which carries the active zinc electrode material. 5 figs.
BackgroundHIV/AIDS is a major public health concern in Uganda. There is widespread consensus that weak health systems hamper the effective provision of HIV/AIDS services. In recent...Full Text Available
Objective To compile and evaluate the evidence on the effects on health and social outcomes of computer based peer to peer communities and electronic self support groups, used by people...Full Text Available
ObjectiveThe study aimed to examine the effect of household and community characteristics on financial catastrophe and impoverishment due to health payment in Western and Central...Full Text Available
The health of professional bus drivers is a critical factor in their driving performance; any impairment may lead to undesired consequences. In an attempt to develop and prioritize health and wellness programs, this study investigates the factors significantly affecting the health conditions of professional bus drivers, as well as the strength of these factors. This study uses self-rated health as the examination measurement. This simple assessment is an inclusive measure of health status for judging health trajectory, and is highly associated with changes in functional ability, including perceived control over driving. This study evaluates driver responses of self-rated health with ordered response models that consider factors such as the driver reported health problems, physical and psychological conditions, ...
Transparent aluminum doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al, AZO) conducting thin films with a high-preferential c-axis orientation were synthesized using a new sol-gel formula. The films were deposited using a spin-coating route onto borosilicate glass substrates. We used propylene glycol methyl ether (PGME) as the solvent in place of ethylene glycol monomethyl ether (EGME), which is commonly used because it is easier to deposit onto the substrates. PGME is also superior in terms of health and safety. PGME solvent does not need to settle for several days before use and can be spin-coated as soon as the raw material and solvent are mixed. The effects of this novel solvent on the structural, morphological, electrical and optical properties are discussed using XRD, SEM, a four-point probe and UV-VIS spectrophotometry. It was found that the films produced with PGME showed a high-preferential c-axis orientation and compact microstructure in ...
During the second half of 1993, the groundwater at the F-Area Seepage Basins (FASB) was monitored in compliance with Module 3, Section C, of South Carolina Hazardous Waste Permit SC1-890-008-989, effective November 2, 1992. The monitoring well network is composed of 87 FSB wells screened in the three hydrostratigraphic units that make up the uppermost aquifer beneath the FASB. A detailed description of the uppermost aquifer is included in the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Part B post-closure care permit application for the F-Area Hazardous Waste Management Facility submitted to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) in December 1990. Beginning in the first quarter of 1993, the standard for comparison became the SCDHEC Groundwater Protection Standard (GWPS) specified in the approved F-Area Seepage Basins Part B permit. Currently and historically, gross alpha, nitrate, nonvolatile beta, and tritium are ...
Abstract Introduction.- Cannabis (marijuana) is the most widely used illicit drug globally. Given the prevalence of nonprescription illicit drug abuse, there is a growing interest in the study of its potential effects on male sexual health. In this review, we discuss the effects of cannabis on male sexual health. Objective.- In this review, we discuss the effects of cannabis on male sexual health. Methods and Main Outcome Measure.- Critical review of scientific literature examining the impact of cannabis use on male sexual health. Results.- Studies examining the effects of cannabis use on male sexual function have been limited in both quality and quantity. Most results of these studies are conflicting and contradictory. While some did outline the beneficial effects of cannabis in enhancing...
Background: Despite the fact that adverse healtheffects are not confirmed for exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RFEMF) levels below the limit values, as defined in the guidelines of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, many persons are worried about possible adverse healtheffects caused by the RF-EMF emitted from mobile phone base stations, or they attribute their unspecific health complaints like headache or sleep disturbances to these fields. Method: In the framework of a cross-sectional study a questionnaire was sent to 4150 persons living in predominantly urban areas. Participants were asked whether base stations affected their health. Health complaints were measured with standardized health questionnaires for sleep disturbances, headache, health ...
A summary of the effects presented here is given in the table. The designation "factor present" implies that there is knowledge (from human or animal studies, or both) of a specific factor(s) present...Full Text Available
BackgroundThere has been substantial research on psychosocial and health care determinants of health disparities in the United States (US) but less on the role of modifiable risk...Full Text Available
Objectives. We assessed the effectiveness of various systems of community participation in ethical review of environmental health research.Methods. We used situation...Full Text Available
BackgroundInternet education is increasingly provided to health professionals, but little is known about the most effective strategies for delivering the content. The purpose of...Full Text Available
Government agencies responsible for protecting the public from the adverse effects of toxic chemicals must set priorities for research, regulatory action, protocol testing, and monitoring due to the...Full Text Available
BackgroundHealth related quality of life (HRQoL) is one of the most important outcomes to measure effectiveness of an intervention, especially for islet transplantation...Full Text Available
Air pollution measurements were conducted over a 1-year period in 24 North American communities participating in a respiratory health study. Ozone, particle strong acidity, sulfate, and mass (PM10 and...Full Text Available
The risks to human health from small doses of ionizing radiation raise questions which remain largely unanswered. This paper begins by explaining the historical background to this subject; it goes on to discuss recent developments and concludes with a personal view of the dose-reponse relationship. (author).
The risks to human health from small doses of ionizing radiation raise questions which remain largely unanswered. This paper begins by explaining the historical background to this subject; it goes on to discuss recent developments and concludes with a personal view of the dose-reponse relationship. (author).
BackgroundChina has had no effective and systematic information system to provide guidance for strengthening PHC (Primary Health Care) or account to citizens on progress. We report...Full Text Available
Public health activities, especially infectious disease control, depend on effective teamwork. We present the results of a pilot audit questionnaire aimed at assessing the quality of public health services...Full Text Available
Objective: Health information retrieval (HIR) on the Internet has become an important practice for millions of people, many of whom have problems forming effective queries. We have developed...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe effects of intervention programs on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients with hip fracture have not been well studied. We hypothesized that older patients...Full Text Available
Part one of this study investigated the effect of aging on social-cognitive characteristics related to physical activity (PA) among adults in the baseline phase of a health promotion...Full Text Available
A new heterogeneous catalyst for the esterification of free fatty acids and the transesterification of vegetable oils is reported. The layered compound zinc hydroxide nitrate (Zn5(OH)8(NO3)22H2O) was very effective in the alcoholysis of palm oil and the esterification of lauric acid with m(ethanol), even when hydrated ethanol was used. Over the range of 100-140degreeC, the ester yield was the highest at 140degreeC, while the catalyst concentration had a much greater effect on ester yields than the molar ratio of alcohol to acid did. Total ester contents above 95wt% were obtained in both reactions and 93.2wt% glycerin streams were recovered as a result of methanolysis.
The implementation of information technology will continue to have important effects on the practice of emergency medicine. Patient registration and tracking systems, telemedicine electronic order entry systems, and the advent of electronic health records are some examples of applications that influence patient care in emergency departments. We review the literature regarding information technology advances in emergency medicine and outline the important role that emergency physicians play in developing and implementing a national health information technology strategy. PMID:16712540
The role of macroinvertebrates and diatoms as indicator for metal pollution was investigated by assessing both biota along a metal gradient in the Belgian river the Dommel. Macroinvertebrates and diatoms were sampled in summer and winter and physical-chemical characteristics of the water were measured at four different sample periods and related to sediment characteristics. Although metal concentrations, except cadmium, in the water nowhere exceeded water quality standards, high metal concentrations were measured in the sediment, indicating historical contamination of the Dommel. At the sites that were situated downstream of the pollution source, high levels of conductivity and chloride were measured in the water. Redundancy Analysis (RDA) indicated pH, phosphate and zinc as the significant environmental variables explaining each respectively 7.7%, 11.6% and 22.6% of the macroinvertebrate community composition. Two clusters could be separated, with Gammarus pulex, ...
A zinc-air battery using zinc regeneration electrolysis with propanol oxidation as a counter electrode reaction is reported in this paper. It possesses functions of both zincate reduction and electrochemical preparation, showing the potential for increasing the electronic energy utilization. Charge/discharge tests and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs reveal that when a nickel sheet plated with the high-H{sub 2}-overpotential metal, cadmium, was used as the negative substrate electrode, the dendritic formation and hydrogen evolution are suppressed effectively, and granular zinc deposits become larger but relatively dense with the increase of charge time. The performance of batteries is favorable even if the charge time is as long as 5 h at the current density of 20 mA cm{sup -2}. Better discharge performance is achieved using a 'cavity-opening' configuration for the ...
The term 'health/functional food' (HFF) refers to food supplements containing nutrients or other substances (in a concentrated form) that have a nutritional or physiological effect whose purpose is to supplement the normal diet. The Korean Health/Functional Food Act that came into effect in 2004 requires these products to be marketed in measured doses, such as in pills, tablets, capsules, and liquids. HFFs are of two types: generic and product-specific. There are 37 ingredients listed in the act for generic HFFs, and if an HFF contains a new active ingredient that is not included in the generic 37 products, it is considered a product-specific HFF. The standardization, safety, and efficacy of a new active ingredient are reviewed by the Korean Food and Drug Administration in order to receive approval as a product-specific HFF. Conforming with international standards and protecting public ...
Polycrystalline ZnO doped with Mn (5 and 10at%) was prepared by the co-precipitation method. The effect of Mn doping on the photocatalytic, antibacterial activities and the influence of doping concentration on structural, optical properties of nanoparticles were studied. Structural and optical properties of the particles elucidated that the Mn2+ ions have substituted the Zn2+ ions without changing the Wurtzite structure of ZnO. The optical spectra showed a blue shift in the absorbance spectrum with increasing dopant concentration. The photocatalytic activities of ZnO powders were evaluated by measuring the degradation of methylene blue (MB) in water under the UV region. It was found that undoped ZnO bleaches MB much faster than manganese doped ZnO upon its exposure to the U...
A theoretical study of electron and positron band structures of zinc-blende AlN and InN and their alloy Al_0_._5In_0_._5N is presented using the first-principles full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave method. Equilibrium lattices constants are determined from the total-energy minimization method. The results are compared with previous calculations and with experimental measurement. Electron and positron charge densities are computed as function of position in the unit cell. Detailed plots of distributions are along the direction. The ionicity factors are calculated by means of three different approaches. The calculated results of the positron charge density reflect the high insight for the annihilation effect.
There have been a number of studies considering the possibility of removing and recovering heavy metals from diluted solutions. These are due, principally, because of the commercial value of some metals as well as in the environmental impact caused by them. The traditional methods for removing have several disadvantages when metals are present in concentrations lower than 100 mg/l. Biosorption, which uses biological materials as adsorbents, has been considered as an alternative method. In this work, variables like pH and biomass chemical pretreatment have been studied for its effect on the capacity for zinc biosorption by Thiobacillus ferrooxidans. Also, studies to determinate the time for zinc adsorption were carried out. Results indicate that a capacity as high as 82.61 mg of Zn(II)/g of dry biomass can be obtained at a temperature of 25 C and that the biosorption process occurs in a time of 30 min. (orig.)
The initiation and characteristics of mossy zinc electrodeposits have been investigated. Batteries with zinc electrodes are candidates for electric vehicle applications; however, this electrode is prone to form non-compact deposits that contribute to capacity loss and battery failure. Moss is deposited when the current density is far from the limiting current. This morphology first appears only after the bulk deposit is approximately 1 {mu}m thick. In this investigation, the effects of flow rate (Re=0--4000), current density (0--50 mA/cm{sup 2}), concentration of the electroactive species (0.25 and 0.5 M), and the concentration of supporting electrolyte (3, 6, and 12 M) on the initiation of moss were examined. The rotating concentric cylinder electrode was employed for most of the experiments; and a flow channel was used to study the development of morphology. After the experiment, the deposit was characterized using ...
Coaxial nanocables with a single-crystalline zinc telluride (ZnTe) nanowire core and an amorphous silicon oxide (SiO_x) shell have been synthesized via a simple one-step chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method on gold-decorated silicon substrates. The single-crystal ZnTe nanowire core is in zinc-blende structure along the [111] direction, while the uniform SiO_x shell fully covers the core with no observable pin-hole or crack. Formation mechanisms of the ZnTe-SiO_x nanocables are discussed. The ZnTe nanowire core shows p-type electrical properties while the SiO_x shell acts as an effective insulating layer. The ZnTe-SiO_x nanocables may have potential applications in nanoscale devices, such as p-type FETs and nanosensors.
An evaluation was made of the effectiveness of the action of reagents used for cleaning cyan-containing waste water for conditioning of the overflow of copper concentrate thickners of the Belousovskiy enrichment before sorption extraction of gold by activated charcoal. It was established that conditioning of the overflow by iron sulfates (II), copper and zinc diminshes, and by hypochlorite increases the capacitance of the activated charcoal for gold.
A number of alloys of zirconium have been investigated as part of a program aimed at improving the high-temperature tensile and creep strength of zirconium. These alloys include aluminum, beryllium, lead, magnesium, molybdenum, niobium, tantalum, tin, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, and zinc, binary and ternary alloys. The data indicate that aluminum, lead, molybdenum niobium, tin, titanium, tungsten, and vanadium can be used successfully to harden zirconium, and that aluminum, tin, titanium, and vanadium are particularly effective in maintaining the strength of zirconium at elevated temperatures.
Obesity is characterized by the abnormal or excessive deposition of fat in the adipose tissue. Its consequences go far beyond adverse metabolic effects on health, causing an increase in oxidative stress,...Full Text Available
Objective and sourcesWe reviewed the epidemiologic literature for PFOA.Data synthesisPerfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) does not occur naturally but is...Full Text Available
The immune system plays a crucial role in maintaining health; however, accumulating evidence indicates that this system can be the target for immunotoxic effects caused by a variety of chemicals including...Full Text Available
New methods for the reduction and remediation of hazardous wastes like carcinogenic organic solvents, toxic materials, and nuclear contamination are vital to environmental health. Procedures for effective...Full Text Available
With more women entering the labor market, concern about adverse effects of occupational exposure on reproductive health has been increasing. Of special importance are those agents which might cause...Full Text Available
BackgroundNatural disasters result in significant numbers of disabling impairments. Paradoxically, however, the traditional health system response to natural disasters largely neglects health-related rehabilitation as a strategic intervention.ObjectivesTo examine the role of health-related rehabilitation in natural disaster relief along three lines of inquiry: (1) epidemiology of injury and disability, (2) impact on health and rehabilitation systems, and (3) the assessment and measurement of disability.DesignQualitative literature review and secondary data analysis.ResultsAbsolute numbers of injuries as well as injury to death ratios in natural disasters have increased significantly over the last 40 years. Major impairments requiring health-related rehabilitation include amputations, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries (SCI), and long bone fractures. Studies show that ...
Using longitudinal data from Ukraine we examine the extent of any long-lasting effects of exposure to the Chernobyl disaster on the health and labour market performance of the adult workforce. Variation in the local area level of radiation fallout from the Chernobyl accident is considered as a random exogenous shock with which to try to establish its causal impact on poor health, labour force participation, hours worked and wages. There appears to be a significant positive association between local area-level radiation dosage and perception of poor health, though much weaker associations between local area-level dosage and other specific self-reported health conditions. There is also some evidence to suggest that those who lived in areas more exposed to Chernobyl-induced radiation have sig...
This paper describes zinc-air battery for electric vehicle (EV). This battery is composed of air electrode, zinc electrode, and alkali electrolyte. During the discharge, oxygen taken from the air is reduced at the air electrode, and zinc is dissolved at the zinc electrode. The whole reaction is formation of zinc oxide from oxygen and zinc. This is taken out to use as a secondary battery through exchange and regeneration, which is called mechanical charge. For Electric Fuel, discharged products in the zinc electrode from a spent EV are extracted by a vibrating crusher, and are dissolved in KOH to prepare zinc ion electrolyte. Thus, zinc is obtained through the electrolytic refining. Since the regenerated zinc is separated from the electrolytic electrode as a form of dendritic ...
According to the invention, a zinc foil is arranged between the negative electrode of a zinc/air battery (round cell) and the expansion space compensating for the reactive increase in volume of the zinc powder. This zinc foil functioning as a stop diaphragm particularly ensures, from the very onset, that the zinc filling has a density and compactness necessary for good electronic conductance.
Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) are one of most common nutritional deficiencies in the world. The nuclear analytical methods (ENAA, SRXRF and XRF) were employed to study the effect of iodine deficiency on the metal ion changes during the stage of brain development, combined with biochemical methods. The results show that the distributions of iron, copper and zinc varied to different extent in different brain regions and subcellular fractions of the ID rat brains. These distributional changes of trace elements might be associated with the brain damage caused by the iodine deficiency. (author)
This paper presents an overview of issues related to surface water contamination arising from uranium mining activities in the Alligator Rivers Region (ARR) of northern Australia, and a program of research and monitoring that must assess the potential and actual effects on ecosystem and human health. The program of assessing effects on aquatic ecosystems involves a four-tiered approach including the derivation of local water quality guideline trigger values, direct toxicity assessment of mine waters prior to their release, creekside or in situ monitoring for early warning of adverse effects during mine water release, and longer-term monitoring of macroinvertebrate and fish communities. Bioaccumulation in aquatic biota is also assessed, and is an issue of importance not only to ecosystem health, but also to the health of local Aboriginal people. The aquatic ...
In this study, six groups of rats were fed as follows: Groups 1 and 2 were fed formulated diets supplemented with zinc or without zinc respectively. Groups 3 and 4 were fed formulated diets supplemented with zinc plus phytic acid extracted from sweet potato (Ipomea batatas) or commercial phytic acid respectively. Groups 5 and 6 were fed formulated diets supplemented with phytic acid extract from sweet potato or commercial phytic acid respectively. The animals were fed for three weeks and then sacrificed The activities of key enzymes of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism as well as transaminases in the liver were determined. Blood glucose level was also assessed. Phytic acid extract consumption from sweet potato and commercial phytic acid plus zinc supplement lowered blood glucose levels. There was no significant change in the activity of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase among the groups. Similarly, ...
Energy storage can be a cost-effective component of hybrid remote power systems. Storage serves the special role of taking advantage of intermittent renewable power sources. Traditionally this role has been played by lead-acid batteries, which have high life-cycle costs and pose special disposal problems. Hydrogen or zinc-air storage technologies can reduce life-cycle costs and environmental impacts. Using projected data for advanced energy storage technologies, LLNL ran an optimization for a hypothetical Arctic community with a reasonable wind resource (average wind speed 8 m/s). These simulations showed the life-cycle annualized cost of the total energy system (electric plus space heating) might be reduced by nearly 40% simply by adding wind power to the diesel system. An additional 20 to 40% of the wind-diesel cost might be saved by adding hydrogen storage or zinc-air fuel cells to the system. Hydrogen produced by ...
The reduction of CO{sub 2} concentration in a gas stream containing 500ppm of CO{sub 2} by a technique combining chemical absorption with Higee (high gravity) was investigated in this study. Using a 2.0L aqueous amine-based solution to treat the feed gas with a flow rate which varied from 12.9 to 20.6Lmin{sup -1}, piperazine (PZ) was found to be more effective than 2-(2-aminoethylamino) ethanol (AEEA) and monoethanolamine (MEA) for reducing the CO{sub 2} concentration to a level below 20ppm. The effects of temperature, rotating speed, amine solution flow rate, and gas flow rate on the removal efficiency of CO{sub 2} were systematically examined. The results indicated that the proposed compact device could effectively reduce CO{sub 2} to a level below 20ppm, as required by a zinc/air battery, for a long period of time using PZ and its mixture with AEEA and MEA as the absorbents. (author)
This paper describes a new idea for zinc-air battery design. The novel idea is a porous zinc electrode surrounded with a supersaturated zincate solution. 3 figs. (JDH)
Data from exposure of experimental animals and human subjects to sulfuric acid presents a consistent picture of its toxicology. Effects on airway resistance in asthmatic subjects were well predicted...Full Text Available
Aims: To investigate the exposure to dinitrotoluene (DNT) and trinitrotoluene (TNT) and the resulting effects in workers which occur during the disposal of military waste. Methods:...Full Text Available
Evaluation of the impact and effectiveness of courses is necessary so that strengths and weaknesses can be identified and improvements made. This article uses Kirkpatrick's evaluation framework to present...Full Text Available
Fish living in contaminated environments accumulate toxic chemicals in their tissues. Biomarkers are needed to identify the resulting healtheffects, particularly focusing on early changes at a subcellular...Full Text Available
BackgroundSocial isolation affects a significant proportion of older people and is associated with poor health outcomes. The current evidence base regarding the effectiveness of...Full Text Available
For the development of a long-lived electrically rechargeable zinc/air battery, the structure and wettability of pasted zinc electrodes were optimized. Pasted zinc electrodes, having the same nominal capacities but containing 1% to 10% cellulose, were prepared and tested under defined charge and discharge conditions in zinc-oxygen cells. The maximum power as well as the cycle life of these cells were measured. After different times of operation, the porosity and the pore size distribution of the pasted zinc electrodes were measured by means of mercury porosimetry. (author) 4 figs., 1 tab., 6 refs.
The verification test program on zinc injection applicability to Japanese BWRs was started in 1997. Laboratory tests using high temperature water loops under BWR reactor water conditions are in progress. This paper is an interim report on results obtained so far. Co-58 and Zn-65 were simultaneously used in the Co radioactivity buildup test to evaluate zinc injection suppression effects towards cobalt deposition on pre-oxidized stainless steel. The following results were obtained. The Co deposition was suppressed effectively by Zn injection, even when there was a pre-oxide film. For the test piping that had the pre-oxide film formed under the NWC (normal water chemistry) condition, when soaked under the HWC (hydrogen water chemistry) condition a large amount of Co-58 was taken into a small part of the inner layer. The distribution ratio of Co-58 in the inner layer and outer layer of the oxide film was ...
Aim: This paper aims to describe self-rated health (SRH) status among older adults in a rural community of Vietnam, and examine individual and household-level factors associated with good health rating among the study populations. Methods: The study was carried out in the Bavi district, a rural community located 60 km west of Hanoi, the capital, within the Epidemiological Field Laboratory of Bavi (FilaBavi) in Vietnam in 2006. All people aged 50 years and over who lived within the district were surveyed. Face-to-face household interviews were conducted by trained surveyors using standard World Health Organization/INDEPTH network questionnaire-summary version. A logistic multilevel modeling approach was applied to analyze the association between SRH and both individual and household-level f...
Levin KA, Jones CM, Wight C, Valentine C, Topping GVA, Naysmith R. Fluoride rinsing and dental health inequalities in 11-year-old children: an evaluation of a supervised school-based fluoride rinsing programme in Edinburgh. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2009; 37: 19-26. Copyright 2009 The Authors. Journal compilation Copyright 2009 John Wiley &Sons A/S Abstract - Objectives: Previous studies have shown that fluoride mouthrinsing programmes are effective in reducing caries among children and adolescents. National surveys of child dental health in the UK confirm that there is variation in oral health. In particular, children of low socioeconomic status in Scotland have a disproportionately high share of dental disease. This study aimed to evaluate an existing school-based fluoride mouthrinsi...
The long term goal is to determine the ecological importance of specific toxic metals (copper and zinc) in harbors, through an understanding of their chemistry and biological effects at the base of marine food chains. This work provides information on potential problems with Zn and Cu, which may help to foresee problems in the future. Anthropogenic inputs of both metals are increasing; they are derived from diverse sources and are a simple function of population growth in coastal regions.
Radioactive "1"4C sucrose was found to be an ideal marker for microleakage because it did not penetrate tooth tissue, dental cement, or mounting resin. The main finding is that the adhesive cements--the glass-ionomer and polycarboxylate--are significantly more effective at preventing microleakage than are the traditional phosphate cements--silicate and zinc phosphate. The differences can be as high as two orders of magnitude. The adhesive cements provide almost perfect and reliable seals. By contrast, the nonadhesive cements are erratic sealants with most of the restorations leaking.
With the increasing use of high voltage alternating current (HVAC) transmission lines there is a growing concern among the public about possible human healtheffects resulting from exposure to the electric fields associated with these lines. While there is no definitive evidence of such effects, mounting public fear and activism over hypothesized health risks is already causing delays in the licensing and constuction of major power transmission facilities, and is encouraging the formation of regulatory policy. This paper briefly reviews the concerns, biological effects data and standards for HVAC transmission lines.
The main objectives of research in the field of healtheffects at the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK-CEN are: (1) to study cancer mortality and morbidity in nuclear workers in Belgium; (2) to document the feasibility of retrospective cohort studies in Belgium; (3) to participate in the IARC study; (4) to elucidate the mechanisms of the effects of ionizing radiation on the mammalian embryo during the early phases of its development; (5) to assess the genetic risks of material exposure to ionizing radiation; (6) to elucidate the cellular mechanisms leading to brain damage after prenatal irradiation; (7) to advise authorities and to provide the general population with adequate information concerning the health risk arising from radiation exposure. Progress and major achievements in these topical areas for 1997 are reported.
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Simulated atmospheric corrosion studies were performed to determine the corrosion protection provided by galvanized zinc coatings on depleted uranium, U-0.75 Ti alloy, and U-6 Nb alloys. The accelerated ASTM tests consisted of exposing the galvanized samples to aqueous and aqueous chloride environments. The test results showed that anodic protection was provided by the electronegative zinc coatings on uranium and uranium alloys. Treating zinc with chromate conversion coatings also provided more protection.
The thermal desorption of stearic acid on superhydrophobic zinc oxide nanotowers has been investigated. The stearic acid passivated zinc oxide nanotowers provide a very high contact angle of {approx}173 {+-} 1.1 deg. with a very low hysteresis of {approx}1.4 {+-} 0.5 deg. due to the presence of a binary structure composed of several nanosteps on each nanotower of height {approx}700 nm that eventually reduces the area of contact between the drop and the nanotowers and trapping more air as revealed by the field emission scanning electron microscopy images. The superhydrophobic performance of these nanotowers, however, declines following annealing at elevated temperatures. Fourier transform infrared spectra show a reduction in the intensity of stearic acid -CH{sub n} peaks at elevated temperatures revealing the cause of the decrease in contact angle and confirming the occurrence of thermal desorption at 184 deg. C. The corresponding activation ...
The electrochemical method has been used to deposit zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films from aqueous zinc nitrate solution at 80 deg. C onto fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass substrates. ZnO thin films were grown between - 0.900 and - 1.025 V vs Ag/AgCl as established by voltammogram. Characterisation of ZnO films was carried out for both as-deposited and annealed films in order to study the effect of annealing. Structural analysis of the ZnO films was performed using X-ray diffraction, which showed polycrystalline films of hexagonal phase with (002) preferential orientation. Atomic force microscopy was used to study the surface morphology. Optical studies identified the bandgap to be {approx} 3.20 eV and refractive index to 2.35. The photoelectrochemical cell signal indicated that the films had n-type electrical conductivity and current-voltage measurements showed the glass/FTO/ZnO/Au devices exhibit rectifying ...
Apparatus and methods are described for generating heat and electricity from the consumption of a variety of aluminum products. The method consists of (A) a reaction chamber containing an aqueous electrolyte solution and adapted for introduction therein of aluminum pieces of various shapes and sizes up to a certain maximum predetermined size and for effecting a chemical reaction between said aqueous electrolyte and said aluminum pieces yielding aluminum hydroxide and an intermediate reactant; (B) means for feeding said aluminum pieces into said reaction chamber in small quantities upon demand; (C) means for removing the heat generated in said chamber as a result of said reaction; (D) means for removing said aluminum hydroxide reaction product; and (E) means for oxidizing said intermediate reactant in an electrochemical cell, thereby generating electrical energy. The intermediate reactant is preferably hydrogen or zinc. The latter may be used in ...
Apparatus and methods for generating heat and electricity from the consumption of a variety of aluminum products comprise: (A) a reaction chamber containing an aqueous electrolyte solution and adapted for introduction therein of aluminum pieces of various shapes and sizes up to a certain maximum predetermined size and for effecting a chemical reaction between said aqueous electrolyte and said aluminum pieces yielding aluminum hydroxide and an intermediate reactant; (B) means for feeding said aluminum pieces into said reaction chamber in small quantities upon demand; (C) means for removing the heat generated in said chamber as a result of said reaction; (D) means for removing said aluminum hydroxide reaction product; and (E) means for oxidizing said intermediate reactant in an electrochemical cell, thereby generating electrical energy. The intermediate reactant is preferably hydrogen or zinc. The latter may be used in a slurry type ...
The zinc-air battery/fuel cell is an old technology invented one hundred years ago. However, there is renewed interest in this technology in response to the growing need for clean energy technology. The zinc-air battery/fuel cell is more attractive than similar technologies because its characteristics include high power density, safe operation and storage, and low cost. Zinc-air battery/fuel cells can be made in milliwatts to mega watts to accommodate different applications. The zinc-air battery/fuel cell has four major designs, namely primary, mechanically rechargeable, continuous feed and electrically rechargeable zinc-air battery/fuel cells. Among the different designs, the most common is the air cathode. There are 3 generations of catalysts used in the air cathodes. This paper discussed the different designs of the zinc-air battery/fuel cell, and more ...
PURPOSE We wanted to examine how coordinated care is implemented in primary care practices to address patients' health behavior change needs. METHODS Site visit notes, documents, interviews, and online implementation diaries were collected from July 2005 to September 2007 from practice-based research networks (PBRNs) participating in Prescription for Health: Promoting Healthy Behaviors in Primary Care Research Networks (P4H). An iterative group process was used to conduct a cross-case comparative analysis of 9 interventions. Published patient outcomes reports from P4H interventions were referenced to provide information on intervention effectiveness. RESULTS In-practice health risk assessment (HRA) and brief counseling, coupled with referral and outreach to a valued and known counseling resource, emerged as the best way to consistently coordinate and encourage follow-through for ...
...2010-10-01 false Standards for health information technology to protect electronic health information...DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY STANDARDS, IMPLEMENTATION...
This report summarizes the results of research conducted during the sixteen month continuation of a program to develop rechargeable zinc-air batteries for electric vehicles. The zinc-air technology under development incorporates a metal foam substrate for the zinc electrode, with flow of electrolyte through the foam during battery operation. In this ``soluble`` zinc electrode the zincate discharge product dissolves completely in the electrolyte stream. Cycle testing at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, where the electrode was invented, and at MATSI showed that this approach avoids the zinc electrode shape change phenomenon. Further, electrolyte flow has been shown to be necessary to achieve significant cycle life (> 25 cycles) in this open system. Without it, water loss through the oxygen electrode results in high-resistance failure of the cell. The Phase I program, which focused ...
This report summarizes the results of research conducted during the sixteen month continuation of a program to develop rechargeable zinc-air batteries for electric vehicles. The zinc-air technology under development incorporates a metal foam substrate for the zinc electrode, with flow of electrolyte through the foam during battery operation. In this soluble'' zinc electrode the zincate discharge product dissolves completely in the electrolyte stream. Cycle testing at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, where the electrode was invented, and at MATSI showed that this approach avoids the zinc electrode shape change phenomenon. Further, electrolyte flow has been shown to be necessary to achieve significant cycle life (> 25 cycles) in this open system. Without it, water loss through the oxygen electrode results in high-resistance failure of the cell. The Phase I program, ...
Depleted uranium (DU) is a dense heavy metal used primarily in military applications. Although the healtheffects of occupational uranium exposure are well known, limited data exist regarding the long-term...Full Text Available
Background Microbial water-quality indicators, in high concentrations in sewage, are used to determine whether water is safe for recreational purposes. Recently, the use of these indicators...Full Text Available
BackgroundContrast-induced nephropathy is the leading cause of in-hospital acute renal failure. This side effect of contrast agents leads to increased morbidity, mortality, and health...Full Text Available
Background:Smoking cessation is an important strategy for reducing the harmful effects of tobacco, particularly in the prevention of lung cancer; however, prospective data on the...Full Text Available
BackgroundSafety for diabetic patients means providing the most suitable treatment for each type of diabetic in order to improve monitoring and to prevent the adverse effects of...Full Text Available
BackgroundQuality of Life measurements are necessary tools for effectively evaluating health services. In the population of patients afflicted with war-related blindness in Iran,...Full Text Available
Despite the health-related benefits of exercise, many people do not engage in enough activity to realize the rewards, and little is known regarding the genetic or environmental components that account...Full Text Available
The evolution of drug resistant bacteria is a severe public health problem, both in hospitals and in the community. Currently, some countries aim at concentrating highly specialized services in large...Full Text Available
BackgroundA key question in the risk assessment of exposures to multiple chemicals is whether mixture effects may occur when chemicals are combined at low doses which individually...Full Text Available
BackgroundIn retrospective studies of the healtheffects of home and garden pesticides, self-reported information typically forms the basis for exposure assessment. Study participants...Full Text Available
PurposePrevious studies suggest that some common medications alter prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. It remains unclear whether these reported medication effects are due to...Full Text Available
Exercise is essential for health, yet the amount, duration, and intensity that individuals engage in are strikingly variable, even under prescription. Our focus was to identify the locations and effects...Full Text Available
Peer relationships are commonly thought to be critical for adolescent socialization, including the development of negative health behaviors such as alcohol and tobacco use. The interplay between...Full Text Available
AimsTo determine the effect of exercise training on clinical events and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with systolic heart failure.Methods...Full Text Available
The purpose of the Air Force Health Study is to determine whether those individuals involved in the spraying of herbicides in Vietnam during the Ranch Hand operation have experienced any adverse healtheffects as a result of their participation in that program. The study is designed to evaluate both the mortality (death) and morbidity (disease) in these individuals over a 20-year beginning in 1982. The Baseline Mortality Report was released in June 1983, the Baseline Morbidity Report in February 1984. Follow-up mortality reports were released in 1984, 1985, and 1986. This study has not demonstrated healtheffects which can be conclusively attributed to herbicide or dioxin exposure. This report contains analyses of cumulative deaths occurring up to 31 December 1987. The overall cumulative mortality of the Ranch Hands remains statistically indistinguishable from that of both their ...
Much public health research has been directed to studies of cancer risks due to chemical agents. Recently, increasing attention has been given to adverse reproductive outcomes as another, shorter-term...Full Text Available
Data from 8,032 Manitoba respondents to the 1996/97 Canadian National Population Health Survey were linked to the 1996 census to study whether measures of morbidity, both self-reported and objectively...Full Text Available
Inadequate measures of water quality have been used in many studies of the healtheffects associated with water supplies in developing countries. The present 1-year epidemiological-microbiological study...Full Text Available
BackgroundTranslating research to make it more understandable and effective (research translation) has been declared a priority in environmental health but does not always include...Full Text Available
There is increasing concern for the potential adverse healtheffects of human exposures to chemical mixtures. To better understand the complex interactions of chemicals within a mixture, it is essential...Full Text Available
The authors report a novel configuration for a zinc-particle, packed-bed anode in which an open structure of high hydraulic permeability is maintained indefinitely in a cell with closely spaced walls by the formation of particle bridges and associated gaps. The configuration minimizes electrolyte pumping costs, allows rapid refueling and partial recharge, and provides for 100% zinc consumption. This approach benefits zinc/air fuel batteries by allowing nearly continuous operation and fuel recycle without commercial infrastructure; it benefits Zn/[Fe(CN){sub 6}]{sup {minus}3} batteries by eliminating shape-change and polarization problems found with planar anodes.
Abstract Background Atopic dermatitis (AD) affects health and quality of life and it has great impact on both health-care costs and costs to the society. Objectives The objective of this study was to develop a model to analyse the cost-effectiveness of a barrier-strengthening moisturizing cream as maintenance therapy compared with no treatment after initial treatment with betamethasone valerate in adult patients with AD in Sweden. A further aim was to apply a similar health-economic analysis for Denmark, Norway and Finland. Methods A Markov simulation model was developed including data from three sources: (i) efficacy data from a randomized controlled trial including patients with moderate AD treated with either a moisturizing cream or no treatment, (ii) resource utilization and quality of...
The focus of the Chernobyl Studies Project has now turned to the issue of healtheffects from the Chernobyl accident. Currently, we are involved in and making progress on the case-control and co-hort studies of thyroid diseases among Belarussian children. Dosimetric aspects are a fundamental part of these studies. We are working to implement similar studies in Ukraine. A major part of the effort of these projects is supporting these studies, both by providing methods and applications of dose reconstruction and by providing support and equipment for the medical teams.
The Pawtucket Heart Health Program is one of the community studies examining whether population-based efforts to lower cardiovascular risk factors will reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The Pawtucket Heart Health Program intervention is based on a blend of social learning theory, community organization models, community psychology tenets, and diffusion research. This model allows for multifaceted programs that target individuals, groups, organizations, and the entire community to alter their cardiovascular risk through managing blood pressure, lowering blood cholesterol, quitting smoking, increasing fitness, and maintaining desirable weight levels. A dominant feature of the intervention is the emphasis that it places on volunteers for program delivery. The role of volunteers in providing direct services to help citizens lower their blood pressure and lose weight is highlighted to demonstrate the feasibility and ...
Energy is a critical factor which determines the progress of rural development. Energy is therefore an area of concern. The quality, availability and cost of conventional energies, plus the associated environmental effects are a growing problem - not only for the health infrastructure but also for agriculture and domestic life. This is true not only in developing countries where the fast growing industries and urban populations demand a soaring proportion of available energy at the expense of the rural communities, but also in the poorest countries with weak energy infrastructure. Renewable energies, much studied in the last 20 years, can meet the needs of rural health and education services and communities by providing high quality, low cost, non-polluting energy. Solar energy, in particular, has the flexibility to produce electricity, heat and cooling. Solar technologies, furthermore, are backed by an established and ...
This paper presents the results of a study carried out at three sites in Madurai, India in order to assess ambient air quality levels and their impact on public health in urban areas. Indicators of public health were sought through primary and secondary health data and blood lead concentrations of male and female inhabitants and shopkeepers. Lean concentrations in blood samples were examined according to distance from the road, age, smoking status, hours of stay per day in the city, and period of stay in years in Madurai. Ambient air quality level indicators included the level of gaseous and particulate pollution using Central Pollution Control Board standard estimation methods. Observed atmospheric conditions across the three sites are examined according to mean solar insolation, mean temperature, mean relative humidity and mean wind velocity. The study concluded that pollution abatement measures must be implemented to ...
The term {open_quotes}hazardous{close_quotes} waste is used primarily in reference to potential hazards to human health and, to a lesser decree, hazards to wildlife and the ecosystem. Many of the chemicals associated with hazardous waste sites are also widely distributed throughout the environment; therefore, the health hazards associated with hazardous waste sites are not different from those associated with general environmental contamination. Until recently, it was generally assumed that cancer was the human disease of greatest concern associated with toxic chemicals. In fact, most governmental regulations related to exposure are designed on the basis of presumed cancer risks. Since the evidence that hazardous chemicals can cause cancer is strong, it is appropriate to be concerned about cancer risk. Recent evidence, however, has triggered a reevaluation of the assumption that only cancer is of concern. New evidence suggests that noncancer ...
This case study is an application, to a nuclear power plant, of the methodology for quantifying environmental costs and benefits, contained in the regional energy plan, adopted in April, 1983, by the Northwest Power Planning Council, pursuant to Public Law 96-501.The study is based on plant number 2 of the Washington Public Power Supply System (WNP-2), currently nearing completion on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in eastern Washington State. This report describes and documents efforts to quantify and estimate monetary values for the following seven areas of environmental effects: radiation/healtheffects, socioeconomic/infrastructure effects, consumptive use of water, psychological/healtheffects (fear/stress), waste management, nuclear power plant accidents, and decommissioning costs. 103 references.
The present volume on modeling of batteries and fuel cells discusses the significance of the effectiveness factor for flooded porous electrodes, active pore distribution spectroscopy for characterizing porous battery electrodes, the agglomerate model for porous electrodes, and dynamic-performance measurements of battery cells for electric vehicles and other applications. Attention is given to mathematical modeling of a primary zinc/air battery, mathematical modeling of Grace Li-TiS2 cells, modeling of electrocrystallization processes in battery systems, and rotating disk electrode studies in molten Li/K carbonate eutectic. Topics addressed include the variability of nickel oxide cathode dissolution in molten carbonate fuel cells, water transport properties of fuel cell ionomers, modeling water content effects in polymer electrolyte fuel cells, and computer algebra applied in electrochemistry and fuel cell modeling.
This paper reports on the mathematical model developed by Sunu and Bennion that has been extended to include the separator, precipitation of both solid ZnO and K{sub 2}Zn(OH){sub 4}, and the air electrode, and has been used to investigate the behavior of a primary Zn-Air battery with respect to battery design features. Predictions obtained from the model indicate that anode material utilization is predominantly limited by depletion of the concentration of hydroxide ions. The effect of electrode thickness on anode material utilization is insignificant, whereas material loading per unit volume has a great effect on anode material utilization; a higher loading lowers both the anode material utilization and delivered capacity. Use of a thick separator will increase the anode material utilization, but may reduce the cell voltage.
A food supplement containing fish oils, urtica dioica, zinc, and vitamin E (Phytalgic) for osteoarthritis (OA) has now been tested in a placebo-controlled trial for 3 months and according to the authors has a very large clinical effect, considerably larger than that of any other known product. Even experts endorsing nutraceuticals for OA symptoms would probably agree that a nutraceutical with an effect size above 0.5 is rarely seen. Despite our concerns about the fact that trial registration took place after the study was completed and the likelihood that patients would note the taste of fish, a circumstance that would lead to detection bias, we consider these data promising though with a high risk of bias.
Previous studies indicate that the hatching success of brine shrimp (Artemia franciscana) cysts is surprisingly sensitive to ambient metal concentrations. These studies estimated median effective concentrations (EC50s) of 7, 5, and 28??g l?1 for Cd, Cu, and Zn, suggesting that the hatching end point for A. franciscana is the most sensitive tested to date for Cd and Zn in saline environments and comparable in sensitivity with the most sensitive tested to date for Cu. Furthermore, these data suggest that brine shrimp are at significant risk from Cu and Zn in Great Salt Lake (GSL), UT, where ambient concentrations as high as 10 and 14??g l?1, respectively, have been measured. Given that brine shrimp appear to be successfully reproducing in GSL, we hypothesized that these toxicity values were ...
This study is concerned to the perforation phenomena of the oblique dual-plate by projectile. Experiment and simulation related to that was carried out. the variables considered in this phenomena include the electrolytic zinc coated steel sheet and carbon steel rod. In the former, the confirmation and projectile velocity possible phenomena of real phenomena is done, the latter, the effect of parameter such as time-step and grid space length is analyzed by using the three-dimensional Lagrangian explicit time-integration finite element code, HEMP. This code use the eight node hexahedral elements and in this study, Von-Mises Criteria is used as the strength model, Mie-Gruneisen is as the Equation of State. The simulation was performed by contrast with the experiment. Through the calibration of the parameter of Lagrangian code, reasonable result was approached.
Now, more than ever, there are serious health concerns for obese and overweight children. Schools are the perfect setting for children to learn, and this influence can play an important role in preventing children from becoming obese and overweight. The study concerns the behaviors of Health Promoting School (HPS) according to a broad definition of HPS in World Health Organization (WHO), or dependent on schools own health promoting policies. The purpose of study research is to examine whether promoting physical activity among the children at schools in relation to a school health policy such as Food and Nutrition Policy (FNP). This was determined through the comparisons between the FNP based schools and non policy based schools. The study undertook surveys among school food coordinators in the selected Danish primary schools through a web-based questionnaire. The questions in the ...
Devolution, as other types of decentralization (e.g. deconcentration, delegation, privatization), profoundly changes governance relations in the health system. Devolution is meant to affect performance of the health system by transferring responsibilities and authority to locally elected governments. The key question of this article is: what does devolution mean for human resources for health in Mali?This article assesses the key advantages and dilemmas associated with devolution such as responsiveness to local needs, downward accountability and health worker retention. Challenges of politics and capacities are also addressed in relation to human resources for health at the local level. Examples are derived from experiences in Mali with a capacity development programme and from case studies of other countries. It is not research findings that are presented, but highlights of key ...
The harmful effects of high-intensity electric fields on human beings are discussed. Formulas for determining the field strength of high voltage transmission lines and track lines and experimental data of these effects on mice are given. Protective measures from these hazards are introduced. 18 references, 7 figures, 5 tables.
The Electric Fuel Limited (EFL) refuelable zinc-air battery system is currently being tested in a number of electric vehicle demonstration projects, the largest of which is a field test of zinc-air postal vans sponsored chiefly by Deutsche Post AG (the German Post Office). The zinc-air battery is not recharged electrically, but rather is refueled through a series of mechanical and electrochemical steps that will require a special infrastructure in commercial application. As part of the German Post Office field test program, Electric Fuel designed and constructed a pilot zinc anode regeneration plant in Bremen, Germany. This plant is capable of servicing up to 100 commercial vans per week, which is adequate for the field test vehicle fleet. This paper will describe the design and operation of each of the areas and devices within the plant.
For the development of a rechargeable zinc/air battery, La[sub 0.6]Ca[sub 0.4]CoO[sub 3]-catalyzed (perovskite) bifunctional oxygen electrodes and pasted zinc electrodes were prepared and tested in monopolar zinc/air cells. In addition, a bipolar Zn/air stack was tested using reticulated copper foam as substrate for the zinc deposit. The cells were cycled in moderately alkaline ZnO-saturated electrolyte with KF as an electrolyte additive. The maximum power as well as the cycle life of the cells was investigated. The differences in porosity of the zinc electrode before and after the long-term test were analyzed using mercury porosimetry. (author) 8 figs., 13 refs.
42 Public Health 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false 2-Health Professions Recruitment Program for Indians J Subdivision J Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES...
42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Health benefits plan: Supplemental health services. 417.102 Section 417.102 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF...
Cellular telephones emit a radiofrequency electromagnetic field, part of which is absorbed in the user's head. Many studies have been conducted to look for their possible health hazard to human, at the experimental, epidemiological or clinical level. After a short recall on dosimetry, the author describes the state-of-the art about harmful and irreversible effects, up to now not confirmed, and about some benign symptoms which look absolutely actual. A causal relationship of the electromagnetic field on these benign symptoms is however not proven; other, studies are running to evaluate their possible long-term consequences. Interferences with cardiac pacemakers can easily be avoided by holding the telephone handset farther than 10 cm. (author)
Abstract In response to growing consumer concerns, developed-country governments have reduced permissible pesticide residue levels in food. Many food retailers have developed even more stringent private food safety protocols relating to pesticide use, storage and disposal and passed them on to their suppliers. Exporters in developing countries enforce these developed-country pesticide standards (DC-PS) by subjecting farmers to close monitoring. This study explores the effects of enforcing compliance with DC-PS on smallholder farmers' pesticide-related health costs. Results suggest that enforcing DC-PS encourages farmers to use protection that lowers pesticide-induced morbidity, hence reducing farmers' health costs from pesticide exposure. The study concludes that there are health benefits ...
In quantifying health risks arising from radiation exposure and synergistic effects promoted by radiation the dose-effect relationship must be used as a basis. Special problems arise in the extrapolation of experimental results or in the treatment of data in the region of low doses administered over long periods of time. For radiation protection purposes, especially manifestations of cancer and genetic effects are significant. The International Commission on Radiation Protection has published binding guiding values on the basis of which to assess the risk of cancer. The cancer risk and genetic risks are estimated for relevant dose ranges and compared with other factors of civilization. For the most important chemical pollutants emitted into the environment the possibilities of impacts arising from synergistic effects are discussed on the basis of the rules and regulations specified ...
An assessment is made of the biological effects and physical hazards of static and time-varying fields associated with the NMR devices that are being used for clinical imaging and in vivo spectroscopy. A summary is given of the current state of knowledge concerning the mechanisms of interaction and the bioeffects of these fields. Additional topics that are discussed include: (1) physical effects on pacemakers and metallic implants such as aneurysm clips, (2) human health studies related to the effects of exposure to nonionizing electromagnetic radiation, and (3) extant guidelines for limiting exposure of patients and medical personnel to the fields produced by NMR devices. On the basis of information available at the present time, it is concluded that the fields associated with the current generation of NMR devices do not pose a significant health risk in themselves. However, ...
The public expects that the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) will operate in a manner that prevents negative impacts to the environment and protects the safety and health of its employees and the public. To achieve this goal within budget, the Department of Energy (DOE) and LANL must develop new and improved environment, safety, and health (ES and H) technologies and implement innovative, more cost-effective ES and H approaches to operations. In FY95, the Environment, Safety, and Health (ESH) Division initiated a Technology Development, Evaluation, and Application (TDEA) program. The purpose of this unique program is to test and develop technologies that solve LANL ES and H problems and improve the safety of LANL operations. This progress report presents the results of 10 projects funded in FY97 by the TDEA Committee of the Environment, Safety, and Health Division. Products ...
With the recent advance of the utilization of nuclear energy in a large scale, social interest is being focussed in the potential risk which the nuclear technology will accompany. Especially after the accidents in Chernobyl and other nuclear facilities, serious anxiety to the utilization of nuclear energy is prevailing among the general public. In order to meet the anxiety and distrust of the population in the use of the nuclear power, the healtheffect or risk which radioactive materials released into the environment will bring about should be comprehensively and properly evaluated, and then should be widely reported to the population. The development of HESANS code system (Health and Environmental Safety Assessment Network System) was planned to set up such a comprehensive computer code that covers a whole pathway of radioactive material from its release to estimates of derived health ...
High-voltage transmission lines can pose an environmental problem, especially in countries where the electricity production is at a distance from the demand location. Planning, construction, and operation of high voltage transmission lines should be conducted within a comprehensive environmental policy, which may include assessment of visual impact, landscape and wildlife protection, and reduction of health risks. This paper reviews the environmental policies and action in planning, construction, and operation as developed by the utilities members of the Union Internationale des Producteurs et Distributeurs d`Energie Electrique (UNIPEDE). The paper also presents a brief outline of the health issues associated with the effects of electromagnetic fields to humans.
High-voltage transmission lines can pose an environmental problem, especially in countries where the electricity production is at a distance from the demand location. Planning, construction, and operation of high voltage transmission lines should be conducted within a comprehensive environmental policy, which may include assessment of visual impact, landscape and wildlife protection, and reduction of health risks. This paper reviews the environmental policies and action in planning, construction, and operation as developed by the utilities members of the Union Internationale des Producteurs et Distributeurs d'Energie Electrique (UNIPEDE). The paper also presents a brief outline of the health issues associated with the effects of electromagnetic fields to humans.
The paper outlines the underlying physical mechanisms by which electric and magnetic fields exist, with particular reference to high voltage transmission lines. Epidemiological and laboratory studies are the two approaches used in research into the subject and the shortcomings and inconstancies in the results are mentioned. Recent epidemiological results are presented together with possible mechanisms between fields and the human body. Attention is drawn to the work of certain international and national bodies concerning the alleged association between electromagnetic fields and ill-health, and their conclusions are reported. Finally, the policy of the Electricity Supply Board in Ireland is outlined. 2 figs.
Models of the human airways have played a major role in evaluating the healtheffects of inhaled radionuclides. While models such as those of Weibel (1963) provide data necessary for characterizing deposition of aerosol, they have not characterized the cells at risks in the airspaces. Given the advancements in techniques and study of cell cultures exposed to ionizing radiation there is a need to extrapolate between the simple structures of cell culture systems and the complex architecture of the human airways. The preliminary data in this paper provide a complete characterization of the size and number of cells in the airways and represents a significant advance in our study of the health consequences of exposure to inhaled radionuclides. 26 refs., 2 figs., 4 tabs.
Nanoparticle metal oxides offer a wide variety of potential applications in medicine due to the unprecedented advances in nanobiotechnology research. In this work, the effect of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles prepared by mechano-chemical method on the antibacterial activity of different antibiotics was evaluated using disk diffusion method against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The average size of ZnO nanoparticles was between 20 nm and 45 nm. Although ZnO nanoparticles (500 mg/disk) decreased the antibacterial activity of amoxicillin, penicillin G, and nitrofurantoin in S. aureus, the antibacterial activity of ciprofloxacin increased in the presence of ZnO nanoparticles in both test strains. A total of 27% and 22% increase in inhibition zone areas was observed for ciprofloxac...
Biosorption behaviour of and toxic effects of heavy metals in submersed and immobilised microorganisms was studied in batches and in continuous processes in an airlift-recycle reactor. Nickel, cadmium, and zinc were used as heavy metals. (orig./VHE) [Deutsch] Am Beispiel einer Naphthalin-2-sulfonsaeure-abbauenden Kultur wurde das Biosorptionsverhalten und die toxische Wirkung von Schwermetallen auf submerse und immobilisierte Mikroorganismen im Batch-Ansatz und im kontinuierlichen Betrieb in einem Airlift-Schlaufenreaktor untersucht. Als Schwermetalle wurden Nickel, Cadmium und Zink eingesetzt. (orig./VHE)
The study was conducted during 2000 to determine the role of various chemical plant factors viz., total minerals, nitrogen, fat contents, carbohydrate, macro an micro nutrients in the leaves of five genotypes of sugarcane i.e., BF-162, SPSG-26, L-118, CP-43/33 and CP-72/2086 by correlating the infestation of top borer, Scirpophaga Nivella F. at tillering stage. None of the genotype was found completely resistant to the pest. CP-43/33 and BF-162 proved susceptible and resistant varieties, respectively. Total mineral, manganese and copper contents did not show significant correlation with the pest infestation, whereas nitrogen, potassium, calcium, magnesium and ferrous contents played a positive and significant role. Phosphorous, carbohydrates, fats and zinc contents played a significant and negative effect on the pest infestation at tillering stage. (author)
In the dehydrodesulfurization of ethanethiol at 400/sup 0/C, the activities of sodium X, Y, and A zeolites decreased in the order given as did the activities of nickel, cobalt, zinc, cadmium, copper, silver, lead, manganese, barium, calcium, sodium, and iron Y zeolite catalysts. A volcano-shape order was observed between the catalytic activity and the electronegativity of the metal ions. The changes in the activity of hydrogen Y zeolite catalyst in ethanethiol dehydrodesulfurization and cumene dealkylation by calcination agreed with the decrease in the Broensted acidity but were independent of Lewis acidity. For hydrodesulfurization of thiophene, the activities of nickel, cobalt, copper, and silver Y zeolite catalysts decreased in the order given and were greater than for a commercial hydrodesulfurization catalyst; reduced and presulfided catalysts showed selective hydrodesulfurization activity. Addition of 5% of nickel or molybdenum oxides to cobalt or nickel Y ...
The assumed linear relationship between exposure to radiation and cancer incidence is questioned in this article. The current research data on radiation effects at the cellular level is reviewed, as are epidemiological studies of background radiation effects and healtheffects of populations exposed to low levels of radiation exposure via employment or medical treatments. Statistics reveal that threshold levels currently in force need to be reviewed. Some evidence of beneficial effects of low level radiation exposure effects of low level radiation exposure is also presented, and so regulations should be reviewed at an international level. (UK).
Known vertebrate GATA proteins contain two zinc fingers and are required in development, whereas invertebrates express a class of essential proteins containing one GATA-type zinc finger. We isolated...Full Text Available
With specific energy of more than 200 Wh/kg, the Electric Fuel zinc-air battery delivers as much as eight times the energy of lead-acid traction battery, more than twice the energy of the nearest advanced-battery competitor, and as much energy as a tank of gasoline. (author)
BackgroundZhx1 to 3 (zinc-fingers and homeoboxes) form a set of paralogous genes encoding multi-domain proteins. ZHX proteins consist of two zinc fingers followed...Full Text Available
Zinc is an essential trace metal ion for growth, but an excess of Zn is toxic and microorganisms express diverse resistance mechanisms. To understand global bacterial responses to excess Zn, we conducted...Full Text Available
Zinc modulates the activity of glutamic acid decarboxylase, the rate limiting enzyme in the synthesis of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter. Low cerebrospinal...Full Text Available
BackgroundFormation of site specific genomic double strand breaks (DSBs), induced by the expression of a pair of engineered zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs), dramatically increases the...Full Text Available
We analyzed the effects of the Colorado Medicaid Capitation Program on the duration and services of over 21,000 outpatient mental health episodes for young children. The study spanned a three year period before and after capitation was implemented, and compared episodes of outpatient care for children from 14 capitated Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) with those from three CMHCs that remained fee-for-service. Proportional hazards regressions revealed that capitation resulted in an increase in outpatient episode duration, over and above similar effects for the comparison fee-for-service episodes. The hypothesis that there were longer capitated episodes for children who were hospitalized was not supported. Children with behavioral and anxiety disorders had longer capitated episodes. Service intensity decreased over time in the managed care sites. Changes in case mix may have had an impact on ...
We report tests of a refuelable zinc/air battery of modular, bipolar-cell design, intended for fleet electric busses and vans. The stack consists of twelve 250-cm{sup 2} cells built of two units: (1) a copper-clad glass-reinforced epoxy board supporting anode and cathode current collectors, and (2) polymer frame providing for air- and electrolyte distribution and zinc fuel storage. The stack was refueled in 4 min. by a hydraulic transfer of zinc particles entrained in solution flow.
For the development of a rechargeable zinc/air battery, La{sub 0.6}Ca{sub 0.4}CoO{sub 3}-catalyzed (perovskite) bifunctional oxygen electrodes and pasted zinc electrodes were prepared and tested in monopolar zinc/air cells. The cells were cycled in moderately alkaline electrolyte. The maximum power as well as the cycle life of the cells were investigated. Up to 450 cycles could be reached, and attractive specific energies and powers were obtained. (author) 3 figs., 4 refs.
The paper reports the recovery of zinc and cadmium following 6.1 MeV alpha particle irradiation at 4.2 K as studied by means of electrical reistivity measurements. Specimens of 10 #mu#m thick have been used in order to obtain a homogeneous defect distribution over the whole thickness of the specimen. The pre-irradiation resistivity ratios were 700 and 750 for cadmium and zinc, respectively. (Auth.).
Government agencies responsible for protecting the public from the adverse effects of toxic chemicals must set priorities for research, regulatory action, protocol testing, and monitoring due to the vast number of toxic chemicals and the limited resources available to these agencies. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) must set priorities for research on hazards encountered in the workplace. Priorities are also utilized by NIOSH in preparing criteria for recommended occupational standards which are forwarded to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Department of Labor, for possible promulgation. For various reasons, including rapidly changing conditions in the American workplace, NIOSH has instituted a revised priorities program. In the future, NIOSH research and recommended standards activities will focus not only on individual chemicals, but also on industries, ...
The article deals with the effects of various hazardous materials in the working environment. Some of these may be detrimental to the safety and health of the worker. The absorption of hazardous substances by the human body is discussed, as well as the effects of toxic substances. The hazardous substances are classified into the following categories: irritants, asphyxiants, anaesthetics and narcotics, carcinogens, mutagens, teratogens, systemic poisons, hazardous particulate matter and the biotransformation of toxic substances. Examples of hazardous substances include: industrial solvents, fumes and vapours, lead, mercury and uranium.
Medico-biological aspects of Chernobyl accident among suffered children and adult population in Ukraine are exposed. Health condition of children irradiated in postnatal period and born from irradiated parents are described. Results of the most important organs and systems monitoring in different categories of suffered adults and data about non-stochastic and stochastic effects are given. Special attention is given to neuropsychiatric and endocrinological effects, conditions of visceral systems
The objective of this study was to identify and assess the present and future dimensions of environmental effects and impacts of various energy generation alternatives, and to place safety and environmental risks associated with the nuclear industry in Canada in perspective with the risks from other sources. It was found that nuclear power generation involves a comparable risk to that of conventional methods of thermoelectric power generation.
The extent to which the effect of risk factors on cognitive ageing is dependent on APOE ε4 remains unclear. The objective of this study is to examine whether APOE ε4 allele modifies...Full Text Available
This standard addresses the design bases for light water reactor, nuclear power plant structures and components essential for the protection of public health and safety from the potential adverse effects of pipe whip, jet impingement, pressurization of compartments outside containment, environmental conditions and flooding associated with a postulated pipe rupture. The design bases for missile protection and the design bases for containment pressurization are not within this standard.
The physical principals of the interaction between microwaves and matter are considered along with the physical-chemical mechanisms for the absorption of microwave energy by biological tissue. Consideration is given to results of studies of the effects of microwaves on cells, subcellular structures, and membranes. Medical applications of microwaves are discussed along with the development of health standards for the use of microwaves. 122 references.
Late somatic and genetic radiation effects are imperfectly understood, particularly in the human species. However the available information is sufficient to draw reasonably precise risk estimates in man for many types of damage by means of scientifically justifiable procedures and with the necessary caution. This overall absolute risk of major somatic and genetic damage may be set at around 10"-"4/rad of chronic whole-body doses.
This standard addresses the design bases for light water reactor, nuclear power plant structures and components essential for the protection of public health and safety from the potential adverse effects of pipe whip, jet impingement, pressurization of compartments outside containment, environmental conditions and flooding associated with a postulated pipe rupture. The design bases for missile protection and the design bases for containment pressurization are not within this standard.
The HIPAA privacy rule (HIPAA) has had both positive and negative effects on the release of patient information by healthcare facilities. Although the intention of HIPAA was to protect patient privacy and to promote security and confidentiality of patient information, it has had unintended consequences for facilities. To identify some of these unintended effects, two expert panels of health information management directors from healthcare facilities participated in the nominal group technique meetings. They identified 70 barriers related to release of patient information associated with the implementation of HIPAA. The perceived biggest barriers were increases in the public's misunderstanding about release of patient information, lack of an umbrella policy or regulation defining infractions and enforcement that allows individual institutions to make their own interpretations, and challenges to health ...
Organohalogen compounds such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) are global environmental pollutants and highly persistent, bioaccumulative chemicals that produce adverse effects in humans and wildlife. Because of the widespread use of these organohalogens in household items and consumer products, indoor contamination is a significant source of human exposure, especially for children. One significant concern with regard to healtheffects associated with exposure to organohalogens is endocrine disruption. Toxicological studies on organohalogen pollutants primarily focused on sex steroid and thyroid hormone actions, and findings have largely shaped the way one envisions their disruptive effects occurring. Organohalogens exert additional effects on oth...
Water and soil samples from the area were therefore analyzed for their lead and zinc content. Computation of pollution statuses of lead and zinc revealed topsoil lead geoaccumulation indices of ?0.143 and ?0.069 and zinc geoaccumulation indices of 1.168 and 0.713 for Ishiagu and Uburu respectively. The pollution indices were determined to be 0.499 and 0.3564 for soil in Ishiagu and Uburu respectively and also 5.11 and 2.42 for water in Ishiagu and Uburu communities respectively. Water/soil concentration ratio were found to be 0.0018 and 0.0014 for lead in Ishiagu and Uburu respectively. On the other hand, the water/soil concentration ratio for zinc was computed to be 0.001 and 0.0008 for Ishiagu and Uburu respectively. These results seem to suggest that the pollution of the environment by ...
Psychology as both a science and a profession has been closely identified with other disciplines in the broad field of health since the turn of the present century. Recent advances in health care have...Full Text Available
The mouth is an obvious portal of entry to the body, and oral health reflects and influences general health and well being. Maternal oral health has significant implications for birth outcomes and infant...Full Text Available
"Correctional Health Care: Implications for Public Health Policy" is the first in a series of articles that examines the special health care needs of persons who are incarcerated in America's correctional...Full Text Available
This article addresses the problem of how to ensure consistency in messages communicating public health recommendations on environmental health and on child health. The World Health Organization states...Full Text Available
...standards and implementation specifications for exchanging electronic health information. 170.205 Section 170.205 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY...
...dates of the implementation of the standard unique health identifier for health care providers. 162.404 Section 162.404 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ADMINISTRATIVE DATA...
...2010-10-01 false Special rules relating to group health plans. 146.145 Section 146.145 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO HEALTH CARE ACCESS REQUIREMENTS FOR THE GROUP HEALTH...
...discrimination against participants and beneficiaries based on a health factor. 146.121 Section 146.121 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO HEALTH CARE ACCESS REQUIREMENTS FOR THE GROUP HEALTH...
42 Public Health 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false 8-Health Professions Pregraduate Scholarship Program for Indians J Subdivision J Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF...
42 Public Health 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false 3-Health Professions Preparatory Scholarship Program for Indians J Subdivision J Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF...
In order to discuss effectiveness of physical exploration in the Sakonishi prospect in the Hida area, physical exploration was carried out by utilizing bored wells. This area contains the Kamioka mine, one of the major base metal mines in Japan, where electrical exploration has been attempted several times in the past. No effective results have been obtained, however, because specific resistance contrast between mine beds and base rocks is too small, and the topography is too steep making site workability inferior. As part of the investigations on geological structures over wide areas, electrical logging (specific resistance and natural potential) was performed in fiscal 1995 and 1996 by utilizing the boreholes. Induced polarization logging was also conducted on the same boreholes. A traverse line on the ground with a length of 600 m and boreholes were used to execute specific resistance tomography. Clear extraction was possible on a fault ...
Studies on the effects of electromagnetic fields (EMF)on human health have been conducted for more than 20 years. None have categorically established or eliminated any connection between EMF and adverse healtheffects. Nonetheless, 96% of the risk managers working in the utility sector view EMF as an over-riding concern. Public concern over EMF has erupted into legal, as well as regulatory, actions. To date, some utilities have had lawsuits brought against them by customers who claim they developed cancer as a result of nearby high-voltage transmission lines. What`s more, a small handfull of cities have adopted ordinances that specifically limit where and how utilities handle the placement of their transmission lines.
The Toxicological Evaluation of Realistic Emissions of Source Aerosols (TERESA) study involved withdrawal, aging, and atmospheric transformation of emissions of three coal-fired power plants. Toxicological evaluations were carried out in rats exposed to different emission scenarios with extensive exposure characterization. Data generated had multiple levels of resolution: exposure, scenario, and constituent chemical composition. Here, we outline a multilayered approach to analyze the associations between exposure and healtheffects beginning with standard ANOVA models that treat exposure as a categorical variable. The model assessed differences in exposure effects across scenarios (by plant). To assess unadjusted associations between pollutant concentrations and health, univariate analyses...
Increased concern about potential health problems related to exposure to nonionizing electromagnetic fields (EMF) has occurred recently. The most recent epidemiological studies have dealt mainly with effects of extremely low frequency EMF on fetal development and cancer. This paper summarizes noteworthy aspects or recent reviews and studies in this area of research. There has been increased concern recently about potential health problems related to exposure to nonionizing electromagnetic fields (EMF). Although some questions have been raised concerning exposure to radiofrequency radiation (at frequencies up to 300 GHz), the major focus has been on fields of extremely low frequency (especially 60 Hz). The most recent epidemiologic studies have dealt mainly with effects of extremely-low-frequency EMF on fetal development and with the initiation or promotion of cancer.
Objectives1. We will use reduction of lysosomal stability as an indicator of cell injury induced by C-60 fullerenes and carbon nanotubes in the liver analogue or digestive gland (hepatopancreas) of marine mussels. Molluscan hepatopancreatic digestive cells are key to normal function and are a sensitive key interface with the environment. Reduction of lysosomal stability is mechanistically linked with impaired health of the whole animal. 2. We will also test the hepatopancreatic digestive cells for evide [continued...]DescriptionNanotechnology is a major innovative scientific and economic growth area, which may present a variety of hazards for environmental and human health. The surface properties and very small size of nanoparticles and nanotubes provides surfaces that may bind and transport toxic chemical pollutants, as well as possibly being toxic in their own right by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS). There is a wealth of evidence ...
Without administrative terminologies there is no revenue to manage. The use of healthcare IT to capture the codes for administrative and financial support functions will impact the revenue cycle and the management of it. This is presumed to occur because clinical data coded at the point of care becomes the source for claims data. Thus, as electronic health record system applications utilizing terminologies are implemented, healthcare providers need to systematically consider the effect on the coding function and management of the revenue cycle. A key factor is the sequence of events changes, i.e., instead of a health information management professional selecting billing codes at the conclusion of an encounter based on the review of the record, clinical data generates the claims data via mapping. Efficiencies and management challenges result. PMID:19267004
The effects of a maltodextrin (dextrose equivalent 12)-electrolyte solution and a maltodextrin-electrolyte solution with added nutrients on net water and electrolyte transport in the secreting rat intestine was compared with the citrate-World Health Organization oral rehydration solution to determine the need for a clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of these maltodextrin solutions in acute diarrhoea treatment. Cholera toxin consistently produced net water secretion (-36.5 +/- 9.9 mean +/- SEM microliter/min/g dry weight of intestine). All three solutions reversed the cholera toxin-induced net intestinal water secretion to net absorption. Significantly greater net water absorption occurred from the maltodextrin-electrolyte solution compared to the World Health Organization solution (P < 0.05) but not when compared to the maltodextrin-electrolyte-nutrient solution. Net sodium, potassium and chloride fluxes due to the ...
Fe{sub x}Zn{sub 1-x} alloys were electrochemically deposited on aluminum substrates from a sulfate bath. The K{beta}/K{alpha} x-ray intensity ratios of Zn and Fe in Fe{sub x}Zn{sub 1-x} thin films have been experimentally studied. The energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) technique was used to measure K x-ray photons. Samples were excited by using 59.5 keV photons emitted by a 50 mCi {sup 241}Am radioactive source. The emitted K x-rays were detected by an Ultra-LEGe detector having a resolution of 150 eV at 5.9 keV. In addition, the effect of bath composition on the phase structure was investigated by x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The composition of the thin films was analyzed by atomic absorption spectrometry analysis. Iron content was shown to strongly affect the structure of Zn-Fe alloys. It was found that the K-shell x-ray intensity ratio changed in Fe{sub x}Zn{sub 1-x} thin films for different values of x. The reason for this change may be that the ...
FexZn1-x alloys were electrochemically deposited on aluminum substrates from a sulfate bath. The K?/K? x-ray intensity ratios of Zn and Fe in FexZn1-x thin films have been experimentally studied. The energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) technique was used to measure K x-ray photons. Samples were excited by using 59.5 keV photons emitted by a 50 mCi 241Am radioactive source. The emitted K x-rays were detected by an Ultra-LEGe detector having a resolution of 150 eV at 5.9 keV. In addition, the effect of bath composition on the phase structure was investigated by x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The composition of the thin films was analyzed by atomic absorption spectrometry analysis. Iron content was shown to strongly affect the structure of Zn-Fe alloys. It was found that the K-shell x-ray intensity ratio changed in FexZn1-x thin films for different values of x. The reason for this change may be that the electronegativity of iron is higher than that of ...
Since 1984 the Environmental Protection Agency (LfU) of the State of Baden-Wuerttemberg has been investigating the heavy metal burden of earthworms from representative long-term forest observation plots. These investigations are aimed at elucidating and assessing adverse effects of pollutants on the soil biocenosis. Methods: At first only lead and cadmium were measured in the worms; in repetitive measurements over the years further metals or metalloid elements such as aluminum, arsenic, chromium, cobalt, copper, manganese, mercury, nickel, thallium, vanadium, and zinc were added to the agenda. Results and conclusion: The frequency distribution of the metals in the earthworms was characterized statistically. For the first time state-wide background values, normal values and threshold values were established for all the elements measured. A comparable study with a similar range of parameters is known neither nationally nor internationally. Time ...
In response to the 1990 Clean Air Act, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) developed a compliance plan known as the Low Emission Vehicle Program. An integral part of that program was a sales mandate to the top seven automobile manufacturers requiring the percentage of Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) sold in California to be 2% in 1998, 5% in 2001 and 10% by 2003. Currently available ZEV technology will probably not meet customer demand for range and moderate cost. A potential option to meet the CARB mandate is to use two Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) technologies, namely, zinc-air refuelable batteries (ZARBs) and electromechanical batteries (EMBs, i. e., flywheels) to develop a ZEV with a 384 kilometer (240 mile) urban range. This vehicle uses a 40 kW, 70 kWh ZARB for energy storage combined with a 102 kW, 0.5 kWh EMB for power peaking. These technologies are sufficiently near-term and cost-effective to plausibly be in ...
42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Health benefits plan: Basic health services. 417.101 Section 417.101 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND...
One of the most challenging topics in the area of organic electronic devices is the growth of transparent electrodes onto flexible polymeric substrates that will be characterized by enhanced conductivity in combination with high optical transparency. An essential aspect for these materials is their synthesis and/or microstructure which define the transparency, the stability and the interfacial chemistry which in turn determine the performance and stability of the organic electronic devices, such as organic light emitting diodes, organic photovoltaics, etc. In this work, we will discuss the latest advances in the growth of organic (e.g. PEDOT:PSS) and inorganic (e.g. zinc oxide-ZnO, indium tin oxide-ITO) conductive materials and their deposition onto flexible polymeric substrates. We will compare the optical, structural, nano-mechanical and nano-topographical properties of the inorganic and organic materials and we investigate the effect of ...
In VHTGR (Very High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor), the radiation plays an important role in heat transfer through the cavity in RCCS (Reactor Cavity Cooling System). We performed the series of experiments to measure the emissivity using the infrared thermometer with wavelength range of 8#approx#14 #mu#m. As the first step, the transmittance of Zinc Selenide (ZnSe) window was measured to estimate the emissivity that can compensate the attenuation effect of window. The kind of gas with various concentrations in the cavity will be released during postulated accidents to the coolant type, so it is essential to estimate the effects of gas on the measurement of emissivity. In this manner we measured the emissivity with the air, the helium and the steam inside chamber. The results represent that the concentration of the air and the helium do not affect the emissivity significantly while the steam decreases the measured ...
The report shows that in Europe mountain regions, coastal zones, wetlands and the Mediterranean region are particularly vulnerable to climate change. Although there could be some positive effects, many impacts are likely to be adverse. Existing adaptive measures are concentrated in flood defence, so there is considerable scope for adaptation planning and implementation in other areas, such as public health, water resources and management of ecosystems. (au)
... By applying non-market valuation methods, we focus on analysing individual preferences in respect of (environmental) non-market goods. The principal object of research interest is the valuation of pollution impacts and effects of working processes on human health resulting in premature deaths, risk alterations, and various disease symptoms. We also deal with valuation of non-production ecosystem (forest) functions and benefits, inter alia ...
PRESTO-II is a computer code developed to evaluate possible healtheffects from shallow land disposal of low level radioactive wastes. PRESTO-PREP is a data preprocessor that has been developed to expedite the formation of input data sets for PRESTO-II. PRESTO-PREP utilizes a library of nuclide and risk-specific data. Given an initial waste inventory, the code creates the radionuclide portion of the associated input data set for PRESTO-II. 2 references.
Atrazine (ATR) has been widely applied in the US and Mid Western states. Recently, public health and ecological concerns have been raised about contamination of surface and ground water by ATR and its chlorinated metabolites, due to their toxicity and potential carcinogenic or endocrinology effects....
The article tries to assess the radiation effects as objectively as possible. In conclusion, some steps that should be taken in future are listed, as e.g.: continuous monitoring of the radioactivity levels in air and soil, and recording of data for complete information. Further, investigation and assessment of radiation exposure of children, especially in regions most heavily affected; radioactivity monitoring of the food and milk given to children, and scientific research into the problem by pediatrists, and determination of maximum acceptable radiation doses. (orig./HSCH).
BackgroundStudies of chronic healtheffects due to exposures to particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5) are often limited by sparse...Full Text Available
A field study was conducted under commercial feedlot conditions at 2 sites in western Canada to determine the relative effects of a univalent viral vaccine (MLV 1) program versus a multivalent viral...Full Text Available
This apper discusses whether health risks are associated with exposure to electromagnetic fields that exist beneath high-voltage transmission lines. This is a question receiving increasing attention as the electric utility industry prepares to supply its customers with increased amounts of electric power. 26 refs.
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The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is a public health agency with responsibility for assessing the public health implications associated with uncontrolled releases of hazardous...Full Text Available
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This paper summarizes the current scientific evidence that improved indoor environmental quality can improve work performance and health. The review indicates that work and school work performance is affected by indoor temperature and ventilation rate. Pollutant source removal can sometimes improve work performance. Based on formal statistical analyses of existing research results, quantitative relationships are provided for the linkages of work performance with indoor temperature and outdoor air ventilation rate. The review also indicates that improved health and related financial savings are obtainable from reduced indoor tobacco smoking, prevention and remediation of building dampness, and increased ventilation. Example cost-benefit analyses indicate that many measures to improve indoor temperature control and increase ventilation rates will be highly cost effective, with benefit-cost ratios as high as 80 and annual ...
Background and aimModification of low-density lipoprotein due to oxidative stress is essential in the development of coronary atherosclerosis. Data of specific carotenoids except b-carotene on cardioprotective effects in humans are limited. Methods and resultsThis study examined the associations between plasma concentrations of specific carotenoids and incidence of acute myocardial infarction. The study included 280 incident cases of acute myocardial infarction and 560 matched controls nested within the Singapore Chinese Health Study, a prospective cohort of 63,257 Chinese men and women aged 45-74 years old enrolled in 1993-1998 in Singapore. Retinol and carotenoids in prediagnostic plasma were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography. High levels of plasma b-cryptoxanthin a...
A methodology and hypothetical case study are presented for incorporation of uncertainty and variability into calculations of human health risk appropriate for regional, or basin-scale, groundwater management problems. Uncertainty in well water concentration is introduced through complex contaminant migration patterns in the subsurface. Variability is considered in parameters related to individual behavior patterns and biological effects and to groundwater extraction and distribution networks. A joint uncertainty and variability (JUV) analysis is used to generate a two-dimensional distribution or risk surface that spans both transport uncertainty as well as individual variability. Cuts in this distributional surface (fractiles of variability and percentiles of uncertainty) are presented and discussed. Comparisons with alternative approaches based upon deterministic transport models are also made. In addition, important distinctions are made ...
A wide variety of phytochemicals present in our diet, including fruits, vegetables, and spices, have been shown to possess a broad range of health-beneficial properties. The cytoprotective and restorative effects of dietary phytochemicals are likely to result from the modulation of several distinct cellular signal transduction pathways. Many dietary phytochemicals that are synthesized as secondary metabolites function as toxins, that is, -phytoalexins,- and hence protect plants against insects and other damaging organisms and stresses. However, at the relatively low doses consumed by humans and other mammals, these same toxic plant-derived chemicals, as mild stressors, activate adaptive cellular response signaling, conferring stress resistance and other health benefits. This phenomenon has...
Since the end of the 1990s, good quality lighting was that which balanced the needs of humans, economic and environmental issues, and architectural design. Recent studies aimed to find a correlation between environmental lighting and human performance and health, with positive results. What is known, is that insufficient or inappropriate light exposure can disrupt standard human rhythms which may result in adverse consequences for performance, safety, health. By studying the relationship between human physiology and light, research in photobiology has advanced to the point where some attempts to foresee what the lighting practice will be in future. The question is if lighting practice and lighting practitioners are ready for changes. This paper has the aim of introducing the recent discove...
Around the world there is a small industry of non-governmental organisations that provide health care in niche areas that cannot be met by national health care provision. One topic is facial deformity that can have a dramatic effect on quality of life. In this study we investigate the morbidity and outcome of a British surgical team working for a 2-week period in Ethiopia. Thirty-five patients who presented with facial deformities had 47 operations during a 2-week period. Data were recorded for a minimum of 3 weeks postoperatively. Operative techniques were classified as simple or complex. Postoperative complications were assessed and classified as major, intermediate, and minor. In addition, the character of each complication was recorded and the cause elucidated. After 3 weeks the clinic...
Concerns are sometimes expressed about an alleged link between exposure to the extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields occurring in proximity to electricity networks or equipment. Transmission lines are specifically mentioned. The underlying physical mechanisms are described by which electric and magnetic fields exist, with particular reference to high voltage transmission lines. Epidemiological and laboratory studies are the two approaches used in research into the subject and the shortcomings inherent in many such studies and the inconsistencies in the results are mentioned. Some of the more recent epidemiological studies are referred to, also the possible interaction mechanisms between fields and the human body. The work of certain international and national bodies which were established to review the results of research into the alleged association between electromagnetic fields and ill-health are reported. (R.P.)
This document reports the progress and accomplishments of a 16 month program to develop a rechargeable zinc-air battery for electric vehicle propulsion, from October 1988 through January 1990. The program was the first stage in the transition of alkaline zinc electrode technology, invented at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, to private industry. The LBL invention teaches the use of a copper metal foam substrate for the zinc electrode, in combination with forced convection of electrolyte through the foam during battery operation. Research at LBL showed promise that this approach would avoid shape change (densification and dendrite growth), the primary failure mode of this electrode. The program comprised five tasks; (1) cell design, (2) capacity maximization, (3) cycle testing, (4) materials qualification, and (5) a cost/design study. The cell design contemplates a plate and frame stack, with alternating ...
Concerning the above, it is discussed whether such a system is feasible in Japan. A zinc/air cell system requires some special plants for zinc regeneration, etc. It is necessary to build a zinc refining plant and to install dozens of electrode replacing facilities in an area dozens of kilometers in diameter with the plant at the center. For such a system to be functional, there have to be several tens of thousands of automobile users in a limited area. In Japan, so large a number will not be found anywhere even if the appeal is directed to those in the postal service and electric utilities. There will be no economic success in Japan, different from in Germany. As for the economic comparison between a zinc/air cell system and natural gas system, the two will be equivalent to each other as far as the use of the quick filling stations for the natural gas automobiles remains as it is. When the number in ...
SummaryIntended Outputs: Farmers' priorities in dairy health and production in the smallholder crop dairy production system defined.Methodology for applying FFS approach in the AH/LP setting developed, tested and promoted.Impact assessment of the livestock FFS approach.Establishment of a plan of action for the large-scale implementation including proposals for the Government of Kenya to seek funding.Livestock FFS manual: guidelines and reference material suitable for [continued...]ObjectivesTo adapt and test Farmer Field School (FFS) methodology for animal health and production, focussing upon smallholder dairy farmers.DescriptionProject Background: Dissemination has traditionally been seen by research and extension as finding effective ways of transferring technology, and passing on relevant, usable information to farmers. In complex situations, where farmers need to adjust to a changing situation -such as crop protection, ...
Colon cancer is one of the leading causes of death and a major public health problem in western countries. We examined the isoflavone content of 70% ethanol extract of soy germ (SG) and its apoptotic effect in HT-29 colon cancer cells. Our results showed that the major isoflavones of the SG extract were daidzein and genistein, and it effectively induced apoptosis in HT-29 cancer cells. In addition, nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB) expression was reduced in cells treated with the SG extract, which reduced cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression. These combined effects ultimately resulted in apoptosis via caspase-3 activation. In addition, daidzein and genistein, the major isoflavones of SG extract, also exerted the apoptotic effect against HT-29 cancer cells. Thes...
The types of investigations undertaken to test for possible biological effects of extremely low frequency electric fields have been numerous. However, neither animal and plant experimentation nor clinical studies nor experience with operating extremely high voltage transmission lines have to date provided convincing evidence of a harmful effect from exposure to electric fields associated with transmission lines in spite of numerous attempts to find such effects. Analysis of internal fields and currents supports these observations as the levels appear to be too low to affect mammalian cells. Thus, while one can never prove the negative (i.e. that there is no effect), the overwhelming body of evidence indicates that the electric fields associated with high-voltage lines have no deleterious biological effects. (author).
X-ray fluorescence analysis was used to determine the zinc content of the ''Perilacin'' powder and the ZnO content of the ''Epiderman-pix'' powder. The characteristic Ksub(#alpha#) line of zinc was excited using a "1"4"7Pm/Mo source (10"7 s"-"1) and the molybdenum Ksub(#alpha#) line (17.47 keV). 4 to 5% Zn and 45 to 49% ZnO were determined with a NaI(Tl) scintillation detector. The radiation intensity was found to decrease with particle size. (M.K.).
A numerical model has been developed to simulate the charging and discharge behaviour of an electrically rechargeable alkaline zinc-air battery. Further a galvanostatic experiment including three charge/discharge cycles has been performed. The cell voltages, the Zn electrode potentials versus a Zn reference, and the O{sub 2} electrode potentials versus a Zn reference calculated with the model are in fairly good agreement with the corresponding experimental data. The model is expected to be useful for zinc-air battery design and for analysis of experimental data. (author)
A zinc/air battery is claimed whose performance is improved by omitting separating elements such as diaphragms etc. The cathode and anode spaces are separated by a collector with holes big enough to permit the electrons to pass freely while restraining the anode material. Further, the active material consists of a spherical care of inert material with a zinc coating. Under the zinc coating, the spherical particles have another thin coating of an electropositive material, e.g. nickel. The cell also contains means for circulating the anode suspension.
The objectives of the research in the field of epidemiology , performed at the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK-CEN are (1) to study cancer mortality and morbidity in nuclear workers in Belgium; (2) to document the feasibility of retrospective cohort studies in Belgium; (3) to participate in the IARC study. For radiobiology, the main objectives are: (1) to elucidate the mechanisms of the effects of ionizing radiation on the mammalian embryo during the early phase of its development, (2) to assess the genetic risks of maternal exposure to ionizing radiation, (3) to elucidate the mechanisms by which damage to the brain and mental retardation are caused in man after prenatal irradiation. The main achievements in these domains for 1997 are presented.
Electric Fuel Ltd. is engaged in the design, development and commercialization of its proprietary zinc/air battery technology for electric vehicles, consumer electronic products and defence applications. To meet the challenging requirements for propelling an all-electric bus, the Vehicle Division sought a unique solution: an all electric battery-battery hybrid propulsion system. The high energy zinc/air battery is coupled with a high-power auxiliary battery. The combined system offers zero emission, high power and long range in an economically viable package. The consumer battery group has developed a high power primary zinc/air cell aimed at cellular phone users, offering extended use, convenience and low cost. (orig.)
Micro-batteries are one of the key components that restrict the application of autonomous Microsystems. However little efforts were made to solve the problem. We have proposed a new planar zinc/air micro-battery, suitable for autonomous microsystem applications. The micro-battery has a layered structure of zinc electrode/alkaline electrolyte/air cathode. A 3D zinc electrode with a high density of posts was designed to obtain a high porosity, hence to offer a best performance. A model of the micro-battery is developed and the device performances were simulated and discussed. A four-mask process was developed to fabricate the prototype micro-batteries. The preliminary testing results showed the micro-batteries is able to deliver a maximum power up to 5 mW, and with an average power of 100 {mu}W at a steady period for up to 2hrs. Fabrication process is still under optimization for further improvement.
BackgroundIn 1998, the U.K. National Health Service Information for Health Strategy proposed the implementation of a National electronic Library for Health...Full Text Available
60 http://www.nih.gov/news/radio/healthmatters/index.htm 60-second Health Matters spots-one unique health report for each weekday of the month. en-us 2010 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 12:00:00...
Electronic personal health records (ePHRs) can potentially maximize access and coordination of health information and improve patient/clinician collaboration, patient self-management, and health outcomes....Full Text Available
...wood smoke, emissions, pollution, heaters, environment, Earthbeat - 25/5/2002: Woodsmoke, Health & the Environment Love that Planet All in the Mind The Buzz Health Report In Conversation Ockhams Razor Science Show The Lab Health Matters Catalyst Quantum ...
...false Additional requirements for health plans. 162.925 Section 162.925 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ADMINISTRATIVE...925 Additional requirements for health plans. (a) General rules....
... 2010-10-01 false Child mental health. 1304.24 Section 1304.24 Public...HUMAN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES THE ADMINISTRATION...AGENCIES Early Childhood Development and Health Services § 1304.24 Child...
... Title : Mental Health and Resilience: Soldiers' Perceptions about Psychotherapy, Medications, and Barriers to Care in the United States Military. ...
The extensive reserves of mined coal types, their great variety and the complexity of the composition and properties, as well as their important role as an energy fuel and industrial feedstock, cause one to give special attention to their classification. Of course, one of the principal fields of technological processing of coal is coking. In addition to the production of blast furnace coke, in the future specialized plants will be developed for production of coke and other carbonized materials for non-blast-furnace processes (electrothermal processes, production of calcium carbide, ferroalloys, zinc, yellow phosphorus, copper, etc.). One important area is new nonfuel uses, including a number of processes for processing of coal feedstocks to obtain a wide range of carbonaceous materials (coal-graphite products, carbon black, adsorbents, etc.), liquid fuels, and chemical products. In choosing a given area of coal utilization a determining factor is the ...
Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of compost addition to soil on fractionation and bioavailability of Cu, Mn, and Zn to four crops. Soils growing Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris var. cicla L.) and basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) were amended (by volume) with 0, 20, 40, and 60% Source-Separated Municipal Solid Waste (SS-MSW) compost, and dill (Anethum graveolens L.) and peppermint (Mentha X piperita L.) were amended with 0, 20, 40, and 60% of high-Cu manure compost (by volume). The SS-MSW compost applications increased the concentration of Cu and Zn in all fractions, increased Mn in acid extractable (ACID), iron and manganese oxides (FeMnOX), and organic matter (OM) fractions, but decreased slightly exchangeable-Mn. Addition of 60% high-Cu manure compost to the soil increased Cu EXCH, ACID, FeMnOX, and OM fractions, but decreased EXCH-Mn, and did not change EXCH-Zn. Addition of both composts to soil reduced bioavailability and transfer factors for Cu and ...
Micronutrient deficiencies in flooded rice have been recognized with increasing frequency in recent years. Zinc deficiency is the most widespread disorder, followed by Fe, Mn, and Cu deficiencies. Boron and Mo deficiencies have not been reported in field culture. The peculiar characteristics of a flooded soil are: 1) a layer of standing water; 2) absence of oxygen; 3) a soil profile largely in a reduced chemical state; 4) the presence of large biological carbon dioxide excesses; 5) the presence of high concentrations of soluble Fe"+"+ and Mn"+"+; 6) alteration of soil pH; 7) the presence of toxic substances; 8) increased soluble Na"+, K"+, Ca"+"+, Mg"+"+, NH_4"+, HCO_3"-, H_2PO_4"-, and Si(OH)_4 in the soil solution. Micronutrient availability in flooded soils is affected by: 1) increased solubility of relatively insoluble minerals due to dilution effects; 2) pH changes in relation to solubility and plant availability; 3) changes in ...
This poster presentation dealt with a brief overview of the practices in effect in British Columbia related to metal leaching and acid mine drainage. The metals mined in the province include coal, gold, silver, copper, molybdenum, lead, and zinc. Some mines operate under the surface, while others are strip mines, etc. under a variety of climactic conditions and a host of different mining companies, such as Cominco, Placer Dome and Noranda. The primary objective is the prevention of negative environmental impacts on land and in the water. Salmon and other fish need to be protected. A secondary objective is the minimization of impacts on the biota, which requires a detailed study of ecological risks. The solution often lies in soil covering. To illustrate, the author described the situation at Huckleberry Mines Ltd. and the remedial action that was implemented, and discussed the results on the beavers. In conclusion, the author discussed the ...
Metal cations of arsenic, antimony, tin, manganese, zinc, cadmium, indium, and thallium have been evaluated in a preliminary way as possible3 inhibitors for controlling denting corrision observed in steam generators used with pressurized water reactors (PWR). The rationale for this approach was based upon the well-known inhibition effects of metal cations on corrosion rates in electrolyte/metal systems. A review of corrosion inhibition by metal cations (H. Leidheiser, Jr., Corrosion 36, 339 (1982)) has identified eleven inhibition mechanisms. The major test methods used for this evaluation were: (1) Isothermal capsule tests of carbon/steel/Inconel 600 tube bulging rates at temperatures up to 288/sup 0/C in seawater/copper-nickel chloride bulge-accelerating solutions. (2) Immersion weight-loss tests of steel coupled to Inconel 600 in boiling (102/sup 0/C) 3% sodium chloride solutions. In addition, electrochemical measuremens and surface analyses ...
Recent investigations of wood plastic composites have revealed a detrimental effect of using lubricant systems in production. This includes nullifying part or all of the mechanical benefit of using a polar compatibilizer, maleic anhydride polypropylene (MAPP), in the composite formulation. This investigation utilizes lubricants labeled with deuterium in conjunction with Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy to allow for the separation of individual lubricants from all other material constituents. All of the deuterium labeled lubricants, used without MAPP, revealed their expulsion from the wood interface during crystallization. MAPP coupling agent was found to exist near the wood, but it is unclear if any covalent bonding with the hydroxyl functionality on the wood surface occurred. The addition of zinc stearate lubricants appears to nullify the activity of the anhydride functionality near the wood surface as evidenced by a shift in ...
The isotherms, kinetics and thermodynamics of Cd(II), Zn(II) and Pb(II) biosorption by Penicillium simplicissimum were investigated in a batch system. The effects of pH, initial metal ions concentration, biomass dose, contact time, temperature and co-ions on the biosorption were studied. Adsorption data were well described by both the Redlich-Peterson and Langmuir model. Chemical ion-exchange was found to be an important process based on free energy value from Dubini-Radushkevich isotherm for all metal ions. The results of the kinetic studies of all metal ions at different temperature showed that the rate of adsorption followed the pseudo second-order kinetics well. The thermodynamics constants {delta}G{sup o}, {delta}H{sup o} and {delta}S{sup o} of the adsorption process showed that biosorption of Cd(II), Zn(II) and Pb(II) ions on Penicillium simplicissimum were endothermic and spontaneous.
We present a comprehensive, up-to-date compilation of band parameters for the technologically important III - V zinc blende and wurtzite compound semiconductors: GaAs, GaSb, GaP, GaN, AlAs, AlSb, AlP, AlN, InAs, InSb, InP, and InN, along with their ternary and quaternary alloys. Based on a review of the existing literature, complete and consistent parameter sets are given for all materials. Emphasizing the quantities required for band structure calculations, we tabulate the direct and indirect energy gaps, spin-orbit, and crystal-field splittings, alloy bowing parameters, effective masses for electrons, heavy, light, and split-off holes, Luttinger parameters, interband momentum matrix elements, and deformation potentials, including temperature and alloy-composition dependences where available. Heterostructure band offsets are also given, on an absolute scale that allows any material to be aligned relative to any other. [copyright] 2001 American ...
We present a proof-of-concept analysis of the measurement of the health damage of ozone (O_3) produced from nitrogen oxides (NO_x=NO+NO_2) emitted by individual large point sources in the eastern United States. We use a regional atmospheric model of the eastern United States, the Comprehensive Air quality Model with Extensions (CAMx), to quantify the variable impact that a fixed quantity of NO_x emitted from individual sources can have on the downwind concentration of surface O_3, depending on temperature and local biogenic hydrocarbon emissions. We also examine the dependence of resulting O_3-related health damages on the size of the exposed population. The investigation is relevant to the increasingly widely used 'cap and trade' approach to NO_x regulation, which presumes that shifts of emission over time and space, holding the total fixed over the course of the summer O_3 season, will have minimal effect on the ...
This project has intended to develop alternative techniques to be used in food industry for food processing and utilization by safe irradiation methods. For improvement of rheology and processing in corn starch by irradiation, the production of modified starch with low viscosity as well as with excellent viscosity stability became feasible by the control of gamma irradiation dose levels and the amount of added inorganic peroxides to starch. Also, this project was developed the improvement methods of hygienic quality and long-term storage of dried red pepper by gamma irradiation. And, in Korean medicinal plants, 10 kGy gamma irradiation was effective for improving sanitary quality and increasing extraction yield of major components. For the sanitization of health and convenience foods, gamma irradiation was more effective than ozone treatment in decontamination of microorganisms, with minimal effect on ...
The introduction of positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance (MR) systems into medical practice in the foreseeable future may not only lead to a gain in clinical diagnosis compared to PET/computed tomography (CT) imaging due to the superior soft-tissue contrast of the MR technology but can also substantially reduce exposure of patients to ionizing radiation. On the other hand, there are also risks and healtheffects associated with the use of diagnostic MR devices that have to be considered carefully. This review article summarizes biophysical and biological aspects, which are of relevance for the assessment of healtheffects related to the exposure of patients to both ionizing radiation in PET and magnetic and electromagnetic fields in MR. On this basis, some considerations concerning the justification and optimization of PET/MR examinations are presented - as far as this is possible at ...
An investigation was conducted into alternative techniques for zinc and electrolyte regeneration and reuse in the refuelable zinc/air battery that was developed by LLNL and previously tested on a moving electric bus using cut wire. Mossy zinc was electrodeposited onto a bipolar array of inclined Ni plates with an energy consumption of 1.8 kWh/kg. Using a H{sub 2}-depolarized anode, zinc was deposited at 0.6 V (0.8 kA/m{sup 2}); the open circuit voltage was 0.45 V. Three types of fuel pellets were tested and compared with results for 0.75 mm cut wire: spheres produced in a spouted bed (UCB); coarse powder produced by gas-atomization (Noranda); and irregular pellets produced by chopping 1-mm plates of compacted zinc fines (Eagle-Picher, Inc.). All three types transported within the cell. The coarse powder fed continuously from hopper to cell, as did the compacted pellets (< ...
... Zinc-carbon/air and alkaline-manganese batteries can be reprocessed using a number of different methods, which include smelting and other thermal-metallurgical processes to ... Citron in France - thermal-metallurgical reprocessing primarily of zinc-carbon/air and alkaline-manganese (including older ones containing mercury), but also NiMH, ...
A Zinc/Air Battery Review and Strategic Planning Meeting was held in 1993. One outcome of the meeting was recognition of the need for a report on the current status of the technology. This report contains contributions from many of the attendees at the above meeting and expresses their views on where the technology is today and what could/should be done to improve its performance.
Zinc tetraaminophthalocyanine-Fe3O4 nanoparticle composites were prepared by organic-inorganic complex technology and characterized. It has been proved that the ZnTAPc dispersed...Full Text Available
To evaluate the relationship between sperm motility and total seminal plasma zinc concentration and high molecular weight zinc bound protein values in infertile Iraqi men. A case-control study was conducted at the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, College of Medicine, Al-Nahrain University, Baghdad, Iraq between March 2005 to February 2006. The subjects for the study included 60 infertile male patients who were recruited Al-Kadhimiya Teaching Hospital, and Institute of Embryo Research and Infertility Treatment, Baghdad, Iraq. They were categorized according to their seminal parameters to oligozoospermia (n=32), azoospermia (n=22), and asthenozoospermia (n=6). Thirty nine fertile men (age range 31.87 +/- 3.76 years) were selected as controls, whose partners had conceived within the last year before participation with this study, and having normal spermiogram parameters. Seminal plasma zinc concentration and high ...
Prior to an industrial-scale test of zinc/air batteries at Greven, the TUeV Bayern-Sachsen carried out preliminary tests on behalf of the Deutsche Bundespost. The results were quite promising: The energy density of the new battery is ten times as high as that of conventional lead batteries, and the battery-powered test vehicle had a range of up to 300 km. (orig.)
A zinc-air battery in a case including a zinc particle bed supported adjacent the current feeder and diaphragm on a porous support plate which holds the particles but passes electrolyte solution. Electrolyte is recycled through a conduit between the support plate and top of the bed by convective forces created by a density of differential caused by a higher concentration of high density discharge products in the interstices of the bed than in the electrolyte recycle conduit.
A zinc-air battery in a case is described including a zinc particle bed supported adjacent the current feeder and diaphragm on a porous support plate which holds the particles but passes electrolyte solution. Electrolyte is recycled through a conduit between the support plate and top of the bed by convective forces created by a density of differential caused by a higher concentration of high density discharge products in the interstices of the bed than in the electrolyte recycle conduit. 7 figures.
Because of its high energy density, compatibility with aqueous electrolytes and the low toxicity of its active materials, the zinc-air battery system is an interesting candidate for electric vehicle applications. The use of O{sub 2} from the air as a reactant requires a partially open cell construction and a technologically challenging air interface. This report describes the research and development program at the Paul Scherrer Institute which finally led to the demonstration of a durable, electrically rechargeable zinc-oxygen battery. In a first phase the research program was focused on the development of bifunctional oxygen diffusion electrodes and pasted zinc electrodes. The current-potential behaviour and the cycle life performance of anodes and cathodes was tested in single electrode measurements (three-electrode arrangements) as well as in complete monopolar zinc-oxygen and ...
Defects are produced in zinc by 6.1 MeV #alpha#-particle irradiation at 4.2 K and the subsequent recovery between 4.2 and 22 K. No evidence is found for free migration of an interstitial in the temperature range investigated. The recovery spectra reveal a series of substages which are ascribed to recombination of close Frenkel pairs. (author).
In our continued efforts for improving the performance of zinc anodes for a Zn/air battery, we now report the preparation of three alloys and improved performances of anodes made up with these alloys. The alloys contained zinc, nickel, and indium with different weight percentages and were calcined at two different temperatures. Out of the six alloys, the alloy which has a composition of zinc 90%, nickel 7.5% and Indium 2.5% and fired at 500{sup o}C is found to be the best. In the case of the hydrogen evolution reaction, this alloy had its potential shifted to a more negative potential. As far as the cyclic voltammograms were concerned, the difference between the anodic and cathodic part was minimal when compared with other alloys. Surprisingly, this alloy had reversibility even after 100 cycles of the cyclic voltammogram. This is a clear indication that dendrite formation was reduced to a considerable extent. Images taken ...
Proof-of-principle experiments are reported for a new concept in electrically rechargeable zinc-air battery. The zinc electrode is a porous flow-thru type using a copper foam metal substrate with zinc deposition onto the foam metal from concentrated zincate electrolyte (as used in zinc-slurry type batteries). The bifunctional air electrode employs low-cost materials, being fabricated entirely from carbon-based precursors and small amounts of nickel and/or cobalt oxide. Corrosion measurements on the graphite materials in the air electrode indicate sufficient corrosion resistance for 8000 h life on charge. A prototype single cell was constructed having 1.5 Ah capacity producing 1.2 V discharge -2.0 charge at the three hour rate and has produced stable voltages for more than 150 cycles. Based on the 1.5 Ah prototype characteristics, design calculations for a 32 kWh battery project an energy density of ...
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission is currently considering revision of rule 10 CFR Part 20, which covers disposal of solid wastes containing minimal radioactivity. In support of these revised rules, we have evaluated the consequences of disposing of four waste streams at four types of disposal areas located in three different geographic regions. Consequences are expressed in terms of human exposures and associated healtheffects. Each geographic region has its own climate and geology. Example waste streams, waste disposal methods, and geographic regions chosen for this study are clearly specified. Monetary consequences of minimal activity waste disposal are briefly discussed. The PRESTO methodology was used to evaluate radionuclide transport and healtheffects. This methodology was developed to assess radiological impacts to a static local population for a 1000-year period following disposal. ...
There are many sources of population exposures to power-frequency (50/60 Hz) electric and magnetic fields including household appliances and wiring, neighborhood distribution circuits, and high-voltage transmission lines. Bioeffects studies were unable to demonstrate that exposures to power-frequency fields can affect public health. Researcher have likewise been unable to show that the healtheffects of such exposures are negligible. State and federal regulatory agencies are, therefore, grappling with questions of whether and how to regulate the sitting or design of new extra high-voltage transmission lines so as to control the ground-level fields to which people are exposed. The purpose of this dissertation is to illuminate some of the exposure-related aspects of these question. A taxonomy of the relationship between field encounter and effect is developed to clarify the meaning of terms such as ...
More than 30 environmental concerns were analyzed for the transportation of coal by rail, roads (trucks), high voltage transmission lines (that is, from mine-mouth generating plants to distribution networks), coal slurry pipelines, and barges. The following criteria were used to identify these problems: (1) real physical environmetal impacts for which control technologies must be developed, or regulation made effective where control technologies presently exist; (2) the level of impact is uncertain, although the potential impact may be moderate to high; (3) the concerns identified by the first two criteria are specific to or exacerbated by coal transportation. Generic transportation problems are not included. The significant environmental problems identified as a result of this study are: (1) rail transport - community traffic disruption and human health, safety, and habitat destruction; (2) coal haul roads - road degradation, traffic ...
In recent years, there has been a significant increase in concern over the health and safety aspects of high voltage transmission lines (HVTL). The majority of research has focused on effects directly or indirectly involved with the central nervous system, including physiological, ultrastructural, and biochemical alterations, changes in blood composition, behaviour, reproduction, and development. Several recent epidemiological reports have presented preliminary data suggesting an increase in the incidence of cancer among children and adults exposed to magnetic fields through living close to various types of electrical power lines or devices. With the increase in environmental concerns there has been a concomitant consideration of biological effects and health implications related to presently existing HVTL and those planned in the future. It was concluded that the electric and magnetic field strengths ...
In rare instances, carbon monoxide (CO) levels in houses can reach dangerously high concentrations, causing adverse healtheffects ranging from mild headaches to, under extreme conditions, death. Hundreds of fatal accidental carbon monoxide poisonings occur each year primarily due to the indoor operation of motor vehicles, the indoor use of charcoal for cooking, the operation of malfunctioning vented and unvented combustion appliances, and the misuse combustion appliances. Because there is a lack of simple, inexpensive, and accurate field sampling instrumentation, it is difficult for gas utilities and researchers to conduct field research studies designed to quantify the concentrations of CO in residences. Determining the concentration of CO in residences is the first step towards identifying the high risk appliances and high-CO environments which pose health risks. Thus, there exists an urgent need to develop and ...
The DOE-Idaho Operations Office (DOE-ID) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) on the replacement of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Health Physics Instrumentation Laboratory at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). The purpose of this project is to replace the existing Health Physics Instrumentation Laboratory (HPIL) with a new facility to provide a safe environment for maintaining and calibrating radiation detection instruments used at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. The existing HPIL facility provides portable health physics monitoring instrumentation and direct reading dosimetry procurement, maintenance and calibration of radiation detection instruments, and research and development support-services to the INEL and others. However, the existing facility was not originally designed for laboratory activities and does not provide an adequate, safe environment for calibration ...
Background: Anxiety disorders are known to be common in the general population. Previous studies with adults with intellectual disabilities (IDs) report a prevalence of general anxiety disorder ranging from less than 2% to 17.4%. Little is known about associated factors in this population. This study investigates point prevalence of anxiety disorders and determines the factors independently associated with them. Methods: Information was collected with 1023 adults with IDs who participated in a large-scale, population-based study. All had a comprehensive physical and mental health assessment. The point prevalence of anxiety disorders according to different diagnostic criteria was determined, as were independently associated factors by using logistic regression analysis. Results: Three point eight per cent (95% CI = 2.7-5.2%) of the cohort had an anxiety disorder at the time of assessment. Generalised anxiety disorder was the most common (1.7%), then agoraphobia ...
The University of Maryland at Baltimore was awarded a grant from the Department of Energy to test a specially modified incinerator to burn biomedical radioactive waste. In preparation for the incinerator, the Radiation Safety Office devised a comprehensive plan for its safe and effective use. The incinerator plan includes a discussion of regulations regarding on-site incineration of radioactive waste, plans for optimum use in burning four principal waste forms, controlled air incineration technology, and standard health physics safety practices; a use plan, including waste categorization and segregation, processing, and ash disposition; safety procedures, including personnel and area monitoring; and methods to evaluate the incinerator's effectiveness by estimating its volume reduction factors, mass and activity balances, and by determining the cost effectiveness of incineration versus ...
Several studies on individual control of the thermal indoor climate and indoor air quality are discussed. A distinction is made between the effect on health, the effect on comfort and the effect on performance. The underlying mechanisms are examined more closely, and concrete recommendations are made for future design norms. [Dutch] Een aantal studies op het gebied van beinvloeding van thermisch binnenklimaat en binnenluchtkwaliteit wordt besproken. Hierbij wordt onderscheid gemaakt tussen invloed op gezondheid, comfort en prestaties. Vervolgens wordt dieper ingegaan op achterliggende mechanismen en worden concrete aanbevelingen gedaan voor toekomstige ontwerpen.
Ozone is a principal component of photochemical air pollution endogenous to numerous metropolitan areas. It is primarily formed by the oxidation of NOx in the presence of sunlight and reactive organic compounds. Ozone is a highly active oxidizing agent capable of causing injury to the lung. Lung injury may take the form of irritant effects on the respiratory tract that impair pulmonary function and result in subjective symptoms of respiratory discomfort. These symptoms include, but are not limited to, cough and shortness of breath, and they can limit exercise performance. The effects of ozone observed in humans have been primarily limited to alterations in respiratory function, and a range of respiratory physiological parameters have been measured as a function of ozone exposure in adults and children. These affects have been observed under widely varying (clinical experimental and environmental settings) conditions
The national energy research programme LVIS-2000: Future Building Services is concerned with the control of energy use and indoor climate in buildings of the future. The projects were presented at a one day seminar arranged by the Laboratory of Heating and Ventilation of the Technical Research Centre in Finland which is coordinating the programme. The presentations at the seminar were: Impurity emission from materials, Building materials and indoor air quality, analysis of organic compounds in indoor air, effect of the return air, effect of the return air on health and comfort, electric heating as an indoor climate factor, calculations of air flows in ventilated rooms, effect of energy saving measures on hospital hygiene, application of modern aerosol measurement technique on indoor climate research.
During the early 1970s, controversy developed over the possible biological effects of electric fields from new 500-kilovolt and 765-kilovolt transmission lines. This, along with growing interest in advancing transmission voltage into the ultrahigh-voltage range (1000 kilovolts and above), led to the initiation of numerous research projects. Several reviews of this research by scientists in the US and other countries indicate that transmission lines have not been proven to be a health hazard to people or animals. The issue remains controversial, however, because research has confirmed some subtle effects of electric fields, and because it is an inseparable part of the public opposition that often accompanies the siting of high-voltage transmission lines. In addition, there is renewed interest in magnetic fields, including a possible association between such fields and human cancers. 2 figures, 2 tables.
Background, aim and scope Treatment performance of constructed wetlands (CWs) is largely dependent on the characteristics of the wastewater. Although livestock wastewater is readily biodegradable in general, its variety in biodegradability can still be significant in practice. In addition, it is a common practice to periodically use disinfectants in livestock activities for health concerns. Obviously, the residual of the disinfectants in livestock wastewater may have serious inhibitory effect on the microbial activities during wastewater treatment. Thus, the main objective of this study was to examine the variety of livestock wastewater in biodegradability and its effect on the performance of a pilot scale tidal flow CWs (TFCWs) in organic matter and nitrogen removal. Furthermore, investig...
This paper has two key objectives. Firstly, using the findings from case study research undertaken in Colombo (Sri Lanka), Faisalabad (Pakistan) and Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), the paper seeks to demonstrate the importance of an appropriate regulatory framework and effective mechanisms of enforcement for sustainable urban transport systems in developing countries. Secondly, the paper highlights the critical importance of communication and co-ordination between stakeholders (defined here as transport users, providers and regulators) if regulation is to be effective. The views of poor and disadvantaged passenger groups-women, children, the elderly and disabled-are used in the paper to illustrate the importance of transport systems to their livelihoods, such as work, education, health and socia...
Summary Objective To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of an educational outreach intervention to improve primary respiratory care by South African nurses. Methods Cost-effectiveness analysis alongside a pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial, with individual patient data. The intervention, the Practical Approach to Lung Health in South Africa (PALSA), comprised educational outreach based on syndromic clinical practice guidelines for tuberculosis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia and other respiratory diseases. The study included 1999 patients aged 15 or over with cough or difficult breathing, attending 40 primary care clinics staffed by nurses in the Free State province. They were interviewed at first presentation, and 1856 (93%) were interviewed 3 months late...
Atrazine is one of the most commonly used herbicides in the United States. While effective on target plants, it has been associated with harmful healtheffects in non-target organisms such as fish, amphibians and mammals. In this study, growth effects on human liver cells were determined after exposure to increasing concentrations of this herbicide. Growth of immortalized human hepatoma HepG2 cells was inhibited by atrazine concentrations of 625 ppb after 72 h exposure and flow cytometry analysis demonstrated HepG2 cells exposed to 100 ppb atrazine accumulated in S phase after 48 h compared to untreated cells. Expression of cell cycle specific cyclin proteins was altered after atrazine exposure with cyclin E levels significantly decreased after a 24 h exposure and cyclin B levels decreased...
Oil and gas industry is the largest user of radioactive materials in Nigeria. They make use of radiation generators, sealed and unsealed radioactive sources.Some of these are potentially dangerous to human health and environment if not properly controlled. here is also the need to maintain control over occupational exposures to radiation, as well as to protect the public and the environment through proper management of wastes that may be radiologically hazardous. To minimize these, effective regulatory infrastructure is being put in place.For a smooth take-off of the nuclear power program, the National Nuclear Regulatory Authority and other stake holders in the nuclear industry need to start to put together licensing procedure for these.
... For example, one study used aerial photographs and on-ground observation to determine that Kenai Peninsula in Alaska has been losing wetlands to a dryer, wooded landscape since at least 1950, which has also meant a reduction in habitat for migratory birds, many of which are favorites for birdwatchers (National Research Council of Canada, 2005). In the Arctic, important breeding and nesting areas for migratory birds may be lost, affecting bird watching opportunities at various latitudes in the U.S. (Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, ...
Doses to the salivary glands, thyroid gland, breast, lung, stomach and colon during mass radiological gastric screening, mass radiographic chest screening, upper gastrointestinal series and computed tomography were determined by exposing a female human phantom to simulated radiological X-ray examinations as performed in community hospitals. The doses were measured using thermoluminescent dosemeters, and the results will be used to document organ doses received by participants in the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission/Radiation Effects Research Foundation Adult Health Study. (Author).
Doses to the salivary glands, thyroid gland, breast, lung, stomach and colon during mass radiological gastric screening, mass radiographic chest screening, upper gastrointestinal series and computed tomography were determined by exposing a female human phantom to simulated radiological X-ray examinations as performed in community hospitals. The doses were measured using thermoluminescent dosemeters, and the results will be used to document organ doses received by participants in the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission/Radiation Effects Research Foundation Adult Health Study. (Author).
For the performance assessment of radioactive and hazardous waste disposal sites, risk assessments are usually performed for the long term, i.e., over an interval in space and time for which one can predict movement and behavior of toxic agents in the environment. This approach is based on at least three implicit assumptions: One, that the engineering layout will take care of the immediate endangerment of potential receptors; two, that one has carefully evaluated just how far out in space and time the models can be extrapolated, and three, that one can evaluate potential healtheffects for very low exposures. A few of these aspects will be discussed here in the framework of the scientific method.
The Dental Investigation Service, USAFSAM, Brooks AFB, has outlined the need for a vacuum unit to be used in the Air Force dental clinics. The unit must be capable of effectively picking up mercury and at the same time not redistribute mercury vapors throughout the dental clinic during normal operations or mercury-spill situations. The Dental Investigation Service selected the MRS-3, Minuteman Mercury Recovery System, product of American Cleaning Equipment Corporation as the mercury vacuum to be used for T E. The USAF OEHL/ECH was requested by the Dental Investigation Service to perform the T E on the MRS-3 for possible health hazards due to exposures of mercury vapors.
The UFIP (French Petroleum Industry Association) studies concerning polluted sites and soils and their rehabilitation are presented: characterization of the admissible maximum fuel or gas oil content in the ground, the issue of time effects, and the risks it may induce for public health; study on the various pollutant impacts on the environment (underground waters, biotope...); approach to the development of a dynamical model describing these phenomena and their influence on man, in order to derive consistent and reasonable decontamination objectives
This seminar on the subject of ``electrical smog`` welcomed participants from Bavarian environmental consultancy agencies, rural and urban district authorities, ministries, consume-consultancy agencies and public health authorities. Leading scientists from research and authorities gave papers on the sources, exposure and effects/actions of electromagnetic fields and present the current state of knowledge about the hazards and risk of this radiation for human health. The proceedings in hand provide the papers given on the following topics: electromagnetic fields - and introduction to relevant issues; low-frequency fields - sources and exposure; high-frequency fields - sources and exposure; biological actions and effects of low-frequency fields; biological actions and effects of high-frequency fields; low-frequency fields - helath risk assessment; high-frequency fields - ...
Efforts to assess and quantify deleterious effects from toxicants concentrate mainly on single agents whereas real world environmental and occupational exposures to natural and anthropogenic agents entail quite often the concomitant presence of several toxicants. For occupational important exposure situations, combined exposures to physical and chemical agents such as radon and smoking or asbestos and smoking, respectively, were shown to produce over-additive effects at exposure levels typical for earlier workplaces. Already the elucidation of possible health risks from a single agents, its dependence on exposure level, exposure rates, age at exposure and its expression in time is a complex endeavour. Therefore in the past and the present the main emphasis in radiation protection, toxicology, and public health is on the study and assessment of single toxicants. The existing data base on combined ...
Personal health information management (PHIM) refers to activities that support consumers' access, integration, organization, and use of their personal health information. We investigated PHIM in the health consumer population using a focus group and participatory design. In collaboration with health consumers, we identified PHIM activities and explored the design of new supportive technology. Our findings describe prominent PHIM activities such as monitoring and assessing health, as well as health-related decision making, planning, and action. We describe design principles our participants used during the participatory design of a PHIM tool. These include individual control, sharing, integration, security and flexibility. These findings provide new insights into emerging ideas in consumer health informatics research and technology design. ...
The ecological effects of acid mine drainage were investigated during the summer of 1993 on St. Kevin Gulch, a headwater stream near Leadville, Colorado. The stream currently receives acidic water from an abandoned mine. The pH downstream of the mine is between 3.5 and 4.5, and several metals exceed concentrations toxic to aquatic organisms. Zinc is present at especially high concentrations (1 to 10 mg/L) Furthermore, the stream bottom is covered with a thick layer of iron hydroxide precipitates. Effects on stream biota have been dramatic. Aquatic flora in the affected reach is limited to a green filamentous alga, Ulothrix subtilissima. Macroinvertebrate densities are significantly lower in the affected reach (mean = 99 indiv/m"2; SD = 88 indiv/M"2) compared to an upstream (pristine) reference reach (mean = 1,735 indiv/m"2; SD = 652 indiv/M"2). Functional processes were also studied in the stream. Net primary production ...
A study of mine-waste contamination effects on Methow River habitat on the eastern slopes of the north Cascade Mountains in Washington state, U.S.A., revealed impacts at ecosystem, community, population, individual, tissue, and cellular levels. Ore deposits in the area were mined for gold, silver, copper and zinc until the early 1950's, but the mines are now inactive. An above-and-below-mine approach was used to compare potentially impacted to control sites. The concentrations of eleven trace elements (i.e., Al, As, B, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb, Se, and Zn) in Methow River sediments downstream from the abandoned mine sites were higher than background levels. Exposed trout and caddisfly larvae in the Methow River showed reduced growth compared to controls. Samples of liver from juvenile trout and small intestine from exposed caddisfly larvae were examined for evidence of metal accumulation, cytopathological change, and chemical toxicity. ...
From 1946 - 1990, i.e. from shortly after the end of World War II and the rise of the cold war until the German reunification, there had been extensive uranium mining both in Saxony and Thuringia, which formed the southern parts of the former German Democratic Republic. Mining activities started in Saxony in the Ore Mountains (German: Erzgebirge). Mining was conducted by a Soviet, since 1954 by a Soviet- German Incorporated Company named Wismut. It is estimated that about 400,000 persons may have worked in this time period with the company, most of them underground or in uranium ore processing facilities. In the early years, exposure to radiation and dust was particularly high for underground workers. After introduction of several ventilation measures and wet drilling from 1955 onwards, the levels of exposures to the various agents steadily decreased. After German reunification, it was decided by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment to save health data ...
There is a continuing need to understand dose-response relationships for ionizing radiation in order to protect the health of the public and nuclear workers from undue exposures. However, relatively few human populations have been exposed to doses of radiation high enough to cause observable, long-term healtheffects from which to derive dose-response relationships. This is particularly true for internally deposited radionuclides, although much effort has been devoted to epidemiological studies of the few types of exposures available, including lung cancers in uranium miners form the inhalation of the radioactive decay products of Ra, liver cancers in patients injected with Thorotrast X-ray contrast medium containing Th, bone cancers in radium dial painters who ingested Ra, and bone cancers in patients who received therapeutic doses of Ra. These four types of exposures to internally deposited radionuclides provide a basis ...
This article is a case study of an Internet chat room outreach project in Perth, Western Australia. The CyberReach project sought to adapt current peer based health promotion outreach, training and supervision frameworks to an online outreach setting in a way that was effective and supported by the online community. It targeted marginalised groups to trial the provision of online mental and sexual health promotion incorporating a participatory action research model into its development and implementation. Three 6-week trial periods were conducted and significant changes were made in response to changes in the online environment and to improve sustainability and effectiveness of the protocols. Four themes arose from CyberReach's experience: online group processes are unique due to the creation of extensive personal networks and occurrence of disclosure without face-to-face contact across potentially ...
The biosorption of lead, copper and zinc ions on Rhizopus arrhizus has been studied for three single-component and two binary systems. The equilibrium data have been analysed using the Freundlich adsorption model. The characteristic parameters for the Freundlich adsorption model have been determined and the competition coefficients for the competitive biosorption of Pb(II)-Cu(II) at pH 4.0 and 5.0, and Pb(II)-Zn(II) at pH 5.0 have been calcualted. For the individual single-component isotherms, lead has the highest biosorption capacity followed by copper, then zinc. The capacity of lead in the two binary systems is always significantly greater than those of the other metal ions, in agreement with the single-component data. Only a partial selectivity for copper ions has been obtained at pH 4.0. (orig.)
The glass gene is required for proper photo-receptor differentiation during development of the Drosophila eye glass codes for a DNA-binding protein containing five zinc fingers that we show is a transcriptional activator. A comparison of the sequences of the glass genes from two species of Drosophila and a detailed functional domain analysis of the Drosophila melanogaster glass gene reveal that both the DNA-binding domain and the transcriptional-activation domain are highly conserved between the two species. Analysis of the DNA-binding domain of glass indicates that the three carboxyl-terminal zinc fingers alone are necessary and sufficient for DNA binding. We also show that a deletion mutant of glass containing only the DNA-binding domain can behave in a dominant-negative manner both in vivo and in a cell culture assay that measures transcriptional activation. PMID:7604032
ObjectiveThis report provides updated estimates on use of electronic medical records (EMRs) in US home health and hospice (HHH) agencies, describes utilization of EMR functionalities,...Full Text Available
Personal Health Records (PHRs) are increasingly recognized as a strategy to improve patient-provider communication, availability of health information, and quality of care, by making the delivery of...Full Text Available
The article is divided into three sections: (i) an overview of the main ethical models in public health (theoretical foundations); (ii) a summary of several published frameworks for public health ethics...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe aim of this study is to validate the questionnaire ECOS-16 (Assessment of health related quality of life in osteoporosis) for the evaluation of health related quality...Full Text Available
BackgroundWith a growing number of genetic tests becoming available to the health and consumer markets, genetic health care providers in Canada are faced with the challenge of developing...Full Text Available
...Programme Manager Interests Multilevel Statistical Modelling Geography of Health and Health Care Geographical Data Analysis Census Data Analysis Health Services Research (in particular Research Design, Statistical Analysis and Epidemiology) people/mgould.html Homepage | Contacts | Site Map | Privacy Statement | Webmaster | ...
BackgroundObtaining comprehensive health outcomes and health services utilization data on stroke patients has been difficult. This research grew out of a memorandum...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe prevalence of tobacco use among individuals with mental illness remains a serious public health concern. Tobacco control has received little attention in community...Full Text Available
Objectives:Despite its impact on health policy, the relationship between geographical proximity and health care seeking has received scant attention in the medical literature. This...Full Text Available
BackgroundMigrants everywhere face several demands for health and maintaining good health and quality of life could be challenging. Iraqis are the second largest refugee group that...Full Text Available
Background and objectives: Few studies have examined health literacy in patients with end stage kidney disease. We hypothesized that inadequate health literacy in a hemodialysis population is common...Full Text Available
Health has long been intertwined with the foreign policies of states. In recent years, however, global health issues have risen to the highest levels of international politics and have become accepted...Full Text Available
Despite an accumulating body of literature addressing racial/ethnic disparities in children’s health and health care, there have been few published studies of interventions that have...Full Text Available
The causality of observed associations between air pollution and respiratory health in children is still subject to debate. If reduced air pollution exposure resulted in improved respiratory health...Full Text Available
ObjectivesTo see whether there are age variations in the relationships between having a close companion friend at church, health, and outpatient physician visits.Full Text Available
Patients do considerable information work. Technologies that help patients manage health information so they can play active roles in their health-care, such as personal health records, provide...Full Text Available
This article compared conceptual and empirical strengths of alternative methods for estimating racial disparities using non-linear models of health care access. Three methods were presented...Full Text Available
There are a range of barriers precluding patients from fully engaging in and benefiting from the spectrum of eHealth interventions developed to support patient access to health information, disease...Full Text Available
...retardation, behavioral disorders or...blood. (3) Health protection goals...protecting your health. You are strongly...an independent analysis. The two...impairment of health. One of...although most cases of lead-induced...in the form of behavioral...
The project was designed to solve the infra structural problem required for commercialization of food irradiation. In improvement of physical properties of corn starch, gamma irradiation was effective for increasing glucose productivity and for substituting traditional modified starches (acid modified starch, oxidized starch). In immobilization of microorganisms, the mass production method of natural red pigment was developed by using immobilized mold pellets. In Korean medicinal plants, 10 kGy gamma irradiation was effective for improving sanitary quality and increasing extraction yield. In evaluation of wholesomeness, gamma irradiated red ginseng could be safe on the genotoxic point of view. And also, six items of irradiated foods approved for human consumption from Korea ministry of health and welfare in May 19, 1995. 30 figs, 20 tabs, 54 refs. (Author).
This report is submitted to Congress by the Secretary of the Air Force, the Secretary of the Navy, and the Secretary of the Interior pursuant to Section 6 of the Military Lands Withdrawal Act of 1986. It contains an analysis and evaluation of the effects on public health and safety resulting from DOD and Department of Energy (DOE) military and defense-related uses on withdrawn public lands in the State of Nevada and in airspace overlying the State. This report describes the cumulative impacts of those activities on public and private property in Nevada and on plants, fish and wildlife, cultural, historic, scientific, recreational, wilderness and other resources of the public lands of Nevada. An analysis and evaluation of possible measures to mitigate the cumulative effects of the withdrawal of lands and the use of airspace in Nevada for defense-related purposes was conducted, and those considered practical are listed.
Over the last several years considerable concern has been expressed regarding the potential detrimental effects of radon and radon progeny on our health. The complex nature of the radon decay scheme, which involves the emission of a variety of radiations including several [alpha] particles, [beta] particles, and [gamma]-rays, does not lend itself to clear delineation of the biological effects of the [alpha] particles alone. Polonium-210, the terminal radionuclide of the radon decay series, is useful for this purpose because it has a relatively long shelf-life ([tau][sub 1/2] = 138 d), and it only emits a single 5.3 MeV [alpha] particle in its decay to stable [sup 206]Pb. Accordingly, it has been used extensively in radiobiological studies with incorporated radionuclides. The radionuclide [sup 210]Po is produced in a reactor from [sup 209]Bi. (Author).
Radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (EMF) are harmful to public health, but the certain anti-irradiation mechanism is not clear yet. The present study was performed to investigate the possible protective effects of green tea polyphenols against electromagnetic radiation-induced injury in the cultured rat cortical neurons. In this study, green tea polyphenols were used in the cultured cortical neurons exposed to 1800?MHz EMFs by the mobile phone. We found that the mobile phone irradiation for 24?h induced marked neuronal cell death in the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide) and TUNEL (TdT mediated biotin-dUTP nicked-end labeling) assay, and protective effects of green tea polyphenols on the injured cortical neurons were demonstrated by testing the content ...
The biological effects of ionizing radiation exposure are the result of a complex sequence of physical, chemical, biochemical, and physiological interactions. One way to begin a search for an understanding of healtheffects of radiation is through the development of phenomenological models of the response. Many models have been presented and tested in the slowly evolving process of characterizing cellular response. A range of models covering different endpoints and phenomena has developed in parallel. Many of these models employ similar assumptions about some underlying processes while differing about the nature of others. An attempt is made to organize many of the models into groups with similar features and to compare the consequences of those features with the actual experimental observations. It is assumed that by showing that some assumptions are inconsistent with experimental observations, the job of devising and ...
When evaluating the risks of oncogenesis and cancer mortality following exposure to the radiations of the atomic bombs (A-bombs), the medical X-ray doses received by the A-bomb survivors must also be estimated and considered. Using a human phantom, dosimetry was performed to estimate the X-ray doses received by A-bomb survivors during medical examinations at the Radiation Effects Foundation (RERF) as part of the long-term follow-up on the Adult Health Study (AHS). These examinations have been estimated to represent nearly 45% of the survivors' cumulative medical irradiation dose. Doses to the salivary glands, thyroid gland, lung, breast, stomach and colon were measured using thermoluminescent dosemeters. The results, which are reported here, will aid in estimating organ doses received by individual AHS participants. (Author).
When evaluating the risks of oncogenesis and cancer mortality following exposure to the radiations of the atomic bombs (A-bombs), the medical X-ray doses received by the A-bomb survivors must also be estimated and considered. Using a human phantom, dosimetry was performed to estimate the X-ray doses received by A-bomb survivors during medical examinations at the Radiation Effects Foundation (RERF) as part of the long-term follow-up on the Adult Health Study (AHS). These examinations have been estimated to represent nearly 45% of the survivors' cumulative medical irradiation dose. Doses to the salivary glands, thyroid gland, lung, breast, stomach and colon were measured using thermoluminescent dosemeters. The results, which are reported here, will aid in estimating organ doses received by individual AHS participants. (Author).
Asthma, affecting as many as 400 million individuals worldwide, is one of the most prevalent chronic health condition in the United States. With an increasing number of patients with asthma and the frequent inability of conventional lifestyle modification and therapy to effectively control the problem, nutritional and dietary therapies are being sought. This study was undertaken to investigate the efficacy of the purple passion fruit peel (PFP) extract, a novel mixture of bioflavonoids, on asthma symptoms. Patients with asthma were studied in a 4-week randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial with oral administration of PFP extract (150 mg/d) or placebo pills. The effects of PFP extract were evaluated by assessing the clinical symptoms of asthma and spirometry tests. Most clinical...
This introductory paper surveys potential sources of electric magnetic, and electro-magnetic fields. Various cases are discussed to exemplify the total frequency range: nuclear magnetic resonance tomography, high-voltage transmission lines, transformer stations, effect lighting balls, military transmitters, transmitter towers of the Postal Services and other operators, mobile radiotelephone equipment, large broadcasting transmitters, radar radiation, high-frequency heat therapy. There is evidence suggesting that electric, magnetic and electro-magnetic fields may possibly represent a certain nuisance or health hazard even at field strength occuring in equipment used for every-day-life purposes, with an emphasis on their possible actions and effects in children and adolescents. The author discusses, in conclusion, the aerial equipment ordinance issued by Lower Saxony. (Uhe).
Pesticides are widely used in food production to increase food security despite the fact that they can have negative healtheffects on consumers. Pesticide residues have been found in various fruits and vegetables; both raw and processed. One of the most common routes of pesticide exposure in consumers is via food consumption. Most foods are consumed after passing through various culinary and processing treatments. A few literature reviews have indicated the general trend of reduction or concentration of pesticide residues by certain methods of food processing for a particular active ingredient. However, no review has focused on combining the obtained results from different studies on different active ingredients with differences in experimental designs, analysts and analysis equipment. In...
This report estimates the economic and financial effects and the benefits of compliance with the proposed effluent limitations guidelines and standards for the Centralized Waste Treatment (CWT) industry. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has measured these impacts in terms of changes in the profitability of waste treatment operations at CWT facilities, changes in market prices to CWT services, and changes in the quantities of waste management at CWT facilities in six geographic regions. EPA has also examined the impacts on companies owning CWT facilities (including impacts on small entities), on communities in which CWT facilities are located, and on environmental justice. EPA examined the benefits to society of the CWT effluent limitations guidelines and standards by examining cancer and non-cancer healtheffects of the regulation, recreational benefits, and cost savings to publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) to ...
This report documents the results of the Department of Energy's (DOE's) Tiger Team Assessment conducted at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) in Upton, New York, between March 26 and April 27, 1990. The BNL is a multiprogram laboratory operated by the Associated Universities, Inc., (AUI) for DOE. The purpose of the assessment was to provide the status of environment, safety, and health (ES H) programs at the laboratory. The scope of the assessment included a review of management systems and operating procedures and records; observations of facility operations; and interviews at the facilities. Subteams in four areas performed the review: ES H, Occupational Safety and Health, and Management and Organization. The assessment was comprehensive, covering all areas of ES H activities and waste management operations. Compliance with applicable Federal, State, and local regulations; applicable DOE Orders; and internal BNL ...
The European Commission recently has adopted a new European Strategy for Environment and Health focusing on the growing concern over the adverse healtheffects caused by environmental pollution. Based on the results of various studies carried out in recent years polychlorinated dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs) and PCBs are playing an important role in this strategy. In view of the enlargement of the European Union (EU) to include Candidate Countries (CCs) the Commission stressed the need to involve the Candidate Countries from an early stage on in the development of such a strategy. Thus two studies have been commissioned which are particularly directed to provide a) an overview on environmental levels and human exposure of dioxins and PCBs and b) an harmonised PCDD/F emission inventory for the target matrices air, water and land The latter study, entitled ''Dioxin Emissions in Candidate ...
Activities of the Referenzlaboratorium Reinhaltung der Luft at Magdeburg as well as existing air pollution standards in the German Democratic Republic are reviewed. The laboratroy coordinates research and standardization in the field of industrial air pollution for the Ministry of Health. The standards provide orientation for emission control by state district health inspectorates. Emission limits (in g/m/sup 3/) which are international standards for 15 selected industries are listed. Emission limits (in g/m/sup 3/) of GDR standards, issued between 1971 and 1984 are also provided. They concern emission of brown coal dust from coal preparation plants, dust and chemical compound emission from metallurgical plants, dust emission from plants of the limestone and cement industry as well as from cupola furnace plants, boiler plants, plants of the wood industry and road asphalt mixing. Six additional standards which entered effect ...
Irradiation of live bivalve molluscs is a promising new technique to reduce the public health threats of viral and bacterial pathogens in the consumption of raw shellfish. In studies conducted within the past year, live hardshelled clams and oysters were innoculated with Simian Rotavirus SA-11, Poliovirus I, and Hepatitis-A virus and treated with gamma ray ionizing radiation from University of Lowell/DOE 800,000 Curie "6"0Co source over a dose range of 0.5--10 kiloGray (50--1000 kilorad) to determine the effectiveness of the process in eliminating viral activity and thus easing the potential viral health threats associated with uncooked bivalves. Two viral strains, SA-11 and Poliovirus I, were employed as models to perfect laboratory technique and to estimate the most appropriate range of dose exposures necessary for optimal inactivation of the infectious pathogen, Hepatitis A. Post-irradiation survivorship of the oysters ...
This paper use data from a pilot study to analyse relationships between type of resettlement (voluntary or involuntary) and individuals' everyday feelings, perceptions of risk, health status and control. The data were collected in 1995, within the Joint Study Project 2, i.e., a collaborative research project of the European Union and the Commonwealth of Independent States of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, 1991/92 - 95/96. The aim of the study was to investigate reactions to change and new life conditions of people who had been resettled due to the Chernobyl accident. Participants from the respective countries included adult individuals sampled from two age groups of less than 45 years and 45 years and older, with approximately the same number of men and women. The questionnaire presented various topics to which responses were indicated on quantitative response scales, as well as in open ended response formats. The results presented here focus on emotional reactions, ...
There is increasing use of radiofrequency radiation (RFR) in industry for communications, welding, security, radio, medicine, navigation etc. It has been recognised for some years that RFR may interact with cardiac pacemakers and steps have been taken to prevent this interference. It is less well recognised that other metallic implants may also act as antennas in an RFR field and possibly cause adverse healtheffects by heating local tissues. There are a large and increasing number of implants having metal components which may be found in RFR workers. These implants include artificial joints, rods and plates used in orthopaedics, rings in heart valves, wires in sutures, bionic ears, subcutaneous infusion systems and (external) transdermal drug delivery patches"1. The physician concerned with job placement of such persons requires information on the likelihood of an implant interacting with RFR so as to impair health. The ...
This report examines the concept of climate surprise and its implications for environmental policymaking. Although most integrated assessment models of climate change deal with average values of change, it is usually the extreme events or surprises that cause the most damage to human health and property. Current models do not help the policymaker decide how to deal with climate surprises. This report examines the literature of surprise in many aspects of human society: psychology, military, health care, humor, agriculture, etc. It draws together various ways to consider the concept of surprise and examines different taxonomies of surprise that have been proposed. In many ways, surprise is revealed to be a subjective concept, triggered by such factors as prior experience, belief system, and level of education. How policymakers have reacted to specific instances of climate change or climate surprise in the past is considered, particularly with ...
The Abrasive Waterjet Cutting process was evaluated to determine if the equivalent could be utilized for cutting uranium metal at the Feed Materials Production Center (FMPC). In the process, a thin stream of ultrahigh pressure water carried grit material through a designated piecepart. In order to be acceptable for use at the FMPC, the equipment must be cost effective, minimize waste, and be adaptableto operating in an enclosure, and improve health and safety conditions. Observation of the cutting process showed that health and safety aspects could be optimized with an enclosed ventilated system. Also the equipment can be easily automated. The cutting action produced sparks similar to the sparks caused by a grinding operation. The sparks are captured in a water container under the workpiece that not only catches the sparks, but also serves to dissipiate the stream of water and residues produced by the cut. Metallographic ...
This is a review of health and sports monitoring research that uses or could benefit from wireless connectivity. New, enabling wireless connectivity standards are evaluated for their suitability, and...Full Text Available
Vitamin D is now known to be of physiological importance outside of bone health and calcium homeostasis, and there is mounting evidence that it plays a beneficial role in the prevention and/or treatment...Full Text Available
Contagious diseases are a threat to animal health and productivity, both nationally and at the farm level. This makes implementation of biosecurity measures to prevent their introduction and...Full Text Available
The precautionary principle has provoked a spirited debate among environmentalists worldwide, but it is equally relevant to public health and shares much with primary prevention. Its central components...Full Text Available
BACKGROUND:Despite increasing attention to the epidemiology of pain, relatively little is known about the association between pain and health in children. In particular, no studies...Full Text Available
BackgroundPrior research links optimism to physical health, but the strength of the association has not been systematically evaluated.PurposeFull Text Available
In this paper information about monograph construction is provided and some sample nomographs constructed by the author are included to encourage the use of these tools in operational health physics applications.
BackgroundThe ongoing epidemiological transition in Mexico minimizes the relative impact of neurocysticercosis (NC) on public health. However, hard data on the disease frequency...Full Text Available
health research agency, NIMH is dedicated to reducing the burden of mental and behavioral disorders through research on mind, brain, and behavior. As part of that mission, NIMH...
The obligations of organisations associated with policy formation and implementation of international mass public health programmes are explored. Lines of responsibility are considered to become unclear...Full Text Available
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PurposeHealth information technology (HIT) and physician career satisfaction are associated with higher-quality medical care. However, the link between HIT and physician...Full Text Available
Issues Democracy and Human Rights Economic Issues Energy Security Food Security Haiti Health Iran Iraq Landmines Middle East Muslim Outreach Narcotics Nonproliferation North Korea...
A review of the literature is provided for the topic of health-related research and power frequency electromagnetic fields. Minimal evidence for concern is present on the basis of animal and plant research....Full Text Available
Health administration lies at the foundation of economic prosperity. It is a business and like other business is subject to commercial laws. Quality, whether of brain or brawn may be appraised by the...Full Text Available
Curriculums The Epilepsy Foundation, in partnership with CDC, is conducting a national education and outreach program to educate and train law enforcement officers, police...
This bibliography of nonserial publications consists of 610 annotations. It is intended as a guide to the development of a collection for librarians and for health professionals in research and education....Full Text Available
The US Department of the Army, Baltimore District Corps of Engineers, oversees a long-term monitoring study to assess and evaluate effects of the Jennings-Randolph reservoir on biota in the North Branch Potomac River. The reservoir was intended, in part, to mitigate effects of acid mine drainage originating in upstream and headwater area. The present study assessed recovery of benthos and fish in this system, six years after completion of the reservoir. Higher pH and lower iron and sulfate concentrations were observed upstream of the reservoir compared to preimpoundment conditions, suggesting better overall water quality in the upper North Branch. Water quality improved slightly directly downstream of the reservoir. However, the reservoir itself was poorly colonized by macrophytes and benthic organisms, and plankton composition suggested either metal toxicity and/or nutrient limitation. One large tributary to the North Branch and the reservoir ...
In this work, ZnO thin films have been grown on glass substrates by using a solution of propanol (C{sub 3}H{sub 8}O), water (H{sub 2}O) and zinc acetate (Z{sub n}(CH{sub 3}CO{sub 2}){sub 2}) in acidified medium (pH 5). The obtained films were n doped with ytterbium (Yb) at the rates of 100, 200 and 300 ppm. The structural features of the doped films were investigated using XRD, atomic force microscopy and scanning electronic microscopy techniques. XRD analysis shows a strong (0 0 2) X-ray diffraction line for increasing Yb-doping amounts. This c-axis preferential orientation of ZnO crystallites is naturally required to use this oxide as transparent conductor in optoelectronic applications. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis shows an enhancement in the surface roughness of the doped ZnO:Yb thin films. Optical measurements were performed in 300-1800 nm domain via transmittance T(lambda) and reflectance R(lambda) spectra. Conjoint optical and thermal properties ...
In this work, ZnO thin films have been grown on glass substrates by using a solution of propanol (C3H8O), water (H2O) and zinc acetate (Zn(CH3CO2)2) in acidified medium (pH 5). The obtained films were n doped with ytterbium (Yb) at the rates of 100, 200 and 300 ppm. The structural features of the doped films were investigated using XRD, atomic force microscopy and scanning electronic microscopy techniques. XRD analysis shows a strong (0 0 2) X-ray diffraction line for increasing Yb-doping amounts. This c-axis preferential orientation of ZnO crystallites is naturally required to use this oxide as transparent conductor in optoelectronic applications. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis shows an enhancement in the surface roughness of the doped ZnO:Yb thin films. Optical measurements were performed in 300-1800 nm domain via transmittance T(?) and reflectance R(?) spectra. Conjoint optical and thermal properties were deduced from the optical measurements in ...
Polymethlylmethacrylate (PMMA) is the most frequently used cement for percutaneous vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty. To aid visualisation during surgery cements are doped with radiopacifying agents such as Barium sulphate (Ba(2)SO(4)) or Zirconium Dioxide (ZiO(2)). Mounting research suggests that these agents may impair the biocompatibility of the cements. However, incorporating an alternative radiopacifier agent with excellent biocompatibility would be a significant step forward. Bioactive radiopaque glasses incorporating elements such as strontium (Sr) and zinc (Zn), known to have beneficial and therapeutic effects on bone, are of great interest in this respect. In this study, the Ba(2)SO(4) of the commercially available Spineplex was incrementally replaced with a radiopaque therapeutic glass composition. The resulting effects on cement setting time, peak isotherm, ultimate compressive strength, Young's modulus (up to 30 ...
Only within the past decade has the potential of metal biosorption by biomass materials been well established. For economic reasons, of particular interest are abundant biomass types generated as a waste byproduct of large-scale industrial fermentations or certain metal-binding algae found in large quantities in the sea. These biomass types serve as a basis for newly developed metal biosorption processes foreseen particularly as a very competitive means for the detoxification of metal-bearing industrial effluents. The assessment of the metal-building capacity of some new biosorbents is discussed. Lead and cadmium, for instance, have been effectively removed from very dilute solutions by the dried biomass of some ubiquitous species of brown marine algae such as Ascophyllum and Sargassum, which accumulate more than 30% of biomass dry weight in the metal. Mycelia of the industrial steroid-transforming fungi Rhizopus and Absidia are excellent biosorbents for lead, ...
BackgroundAKXD recombinant inbred strains of mice have proven to be very useful in the identification of potential oncogenes and tumor suppressors involved in the development of...Full Text Available
The development of new methods for gene addition to mammalian genomes is necessary to overcome the limitations of conventional genetic engineering strategies. Although a variety of DNA-modifying enzymes...Full Text Available
Thin, lightweight, and flexible gas-diffusion electrodes (GDEs) based on freestanding entangled networks of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) decorated with Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) are tested as the air-breathing cathode in a zinc-air battery. The SWNT networks provide a highly porous surface for active oxygen absorption and diffusion. The high conductivity of SWNTs coupled with the catalytic activity of AgNPs for oxygen reduction leads to an improvement in the performance of the zinc-air cell. By modulating the pH value and the reaction time, different sizes of AgNPs are decorated uniformly on the SWNTs, as revealed by transmission electron microscopy and powder X-ray diffraction. AgNPs with sizes of 3-5 nm double the capacity and specific energy of a zinc-air battery as compared with bare SWNTs. The simplified, lightweight architecture shows significant advantages over conventional carbon-based GDEs in terms of ...
The human zinc finger protein genes (ZFX/Y) were identified as a result of a systematic search for the testis-determining factor gene on the human Y chromosome. Although they play no direct role in sex determination, they are of particular interest because they are highly conserved among mammals, birds, and amphibians and because, in eutherian mammals at least, they have active alleles on both the X and the Y chromosomes outside the pseudoautosomal region. We used in situ hybridization to localize the homologues of the zinc finger protein gene to chromosome 1 of the Australian echidna and to an equivalent position on chromosomes 1 and 2 of the playtpus. The localization to platypus chromosome 1 was confirmed by Southern analysis of a Chinese hamster [times] platypus cell hybrid retaining most of platypus chromosome 1. This localization is consistent with the cytological homology of chromosome 1 between the two species. The ...
Radionuclide X-ray fluorescence analysis was used for the determination of iron, calcium, potassium, copper, manganese and zinc in waste water from the production process of citric acid.
Radionuclide X-ray fluorescence analysis was used for the determination of iron, calcium, potassium, copper, manganese and zinc in waste water from the production process of citric acid. (author).
Osterix (Osx) is a zinc-finger-containing transcription factor that is expressed in osteoblasts of all endochondral and membranous bones. In Osx null ...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe zinc-finger transcription factor GLI3 is an important mediator of Sonic hedgehog signaling and crucial for patterning of many aspects of the vertebrate body plan. In...Full Text Available
This paper describes a new concept in zinc-air battery technology and provides and insight into the role of the German Post Office and its former chairman in its commercial promotion. (UK)
The technical feasibility of the solar carbothermal reduction of ZnO has been successfully demonstrated in a pilot plant. The economics of this process is addressed by means of a single sensitivity analysis and a Monte-Carlo risk analysis. A medium-term and a long-term scenario have been investigated, each for a 5 and a 30 MW{sub th} plant. For a discount rate of 15% the zinc production costs vary between 482 and 245 $/t for the medium-term scenario and between 312 and 146 $/t for the long-term scenario, respectively. These costs do not account for the zinc oxide input material. In addition, a risk analysis was conducted for the 30 MW{sub th} long-term scenario. For each input parameter, a probability distribution was estimated and the probability distribution of the zinc production cost was calculated by means of a Monte-Carlo method. The expected mean zinc production costs vary from 95 $/t for a ...
The biocompatibility and corrosion resistance of various materials for use as sacrificial anodes in in vivo hybrid fuel cells were studied. Aluminium, zinc, and magnesium alloy AZ31B were studied, and the results are discussed.
A photon-induced x-ray fluorescence method allowing the simultaneous determination of iron, copper, zinc, bromine and rubidium in human blood and blood plasma samples is described. The method is reliable and has a good sensitivity for a wide range of elements. (author).
At the St. Joe Minerals Corp.'s zinc smelter powerplant, an SO2 emission control program evolved into a cooperative program with the Bureau of Mines for installation and initial operation of a citrate process flue gas desulfurization demonstration plant. ...
BackgroundEvidence on human semen quality as it relates to exposure to various metals, both essential (e.g., zinc, copper) and nonessential (e.g., cadmium, lead), is inconsistent....Full Text Available
Carbon steel, copper, zinc and aluminium samples were exposed in different sizes with known ambient parameters in Gran Canaria Island and atmospheric corrosion was investigated. Weight-loss measurements used to determine corrosion damage were complemented...
This document, Part 2 of Volume 2, provides appendices to this report and includes the following technologies, zinc/air battery; lithium/molybdenum disulfide battery; sodium/sulfur battery; nickel/cadmium battery; nickel/iron battery; iron/oxygen battery and iron/air battery. (FI)
Leaf senescence is a developmentally programmed degeneration process, which is fine tuned by a complex regulatory network for plant fitness. However, molecular regulation of leaf senescence is poorly...Full Text Available
A rechargeable cell is disclosed which is characterized in the following manner. A positive electrode is formed from a manganese oxide electrode material. This manganese oxide electrode material contains a heavy metal selected from the group comprising lead, bismuth, and mixtures of lead and bismuth. The cell also contains a negative electrode of zinc. A separator is provided between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. An alkaline electrolyte consisting essentially of an alcohol and an alkaline hydroxide is also contained in the rechargeable cell in contact with both the positive electrode and the negative electrode.
A theoretical study of structural and electronic properties of GeC, SnC and GeSn is presented using the full potential linearized augmented plane wave method. In this approach, the generalized gradient approximation was used for the exchange-correlation potential. Results are given for lattice constant, bulk modulus and its pressure derivative in both zinc-blende and rocksalt structures. Band structure, density of states and band gap pressure coefficients in zinc-blende structure are also given. The results are compared with previous calculations and with experimental measurements.
The key component for improving the energy efficiency and cycle life of the electrically rechargeable zinc-air battery is the bifunctional air electrode. The air electrodes described in this paper contained different types of carbon black as the substrate for the perovskite catalyst (La{sub 0.6}Ca{sub 0.4}CoO{sub 3}). Morphological and physical properties of the carbon substrates play an important role in enhancing the activity and stability of the bifunctional air electrode. Current-potential curves and cycle-life tests were applied in order to gather information on the activity and stability of these electrodes. (authors)
This contribution describes our research and development effort towards an electrically rechargeable zinc/air battery which is capable of meeting the demands of a scaled power profile (driving-cycle tests). The power profiles DST (Dynamic Stress Test) and ECE15-L (European Driving Cycle for alkaline Batteries) were applied to our 200 and 50 cm{sup 2} electrically rechargeable Zn/O{sub 2} cells with nominal capacities of 30 and 7.5 Ah, respectively. (authors)
A small scale biomass metal contacting experiment was performed to screen the optimal plant species for biosorption and bioaccumulation of cadmium, zinc, nickel, lead, and copper. Experiments were also conducted to test the ability of the biomass to lower the metal concentrations below the US Environmental Protection Agency surface water discharge criteria. The minimum residual concentration was 0.1 mg/L for zinc, 0.004 mg/L for lead, and about 0.01 mg/L for cadmium, nickel, and lead. Results indicate that water milfoil can be used for bioremoval of metals.
Carbon steel, copper, zinc and aluminium samples were exposed in different sizes with known ambient parameters in Gran Canaria Island and atmospheric corrosion was investigated. Weight-loss measurements used to determine corrosion damage were complemented with metallographic and XP S determination in order to characterize the structure and morphology of surface corrosion products. The ambient aggressiveness could be well evaluated from meteorological and pollution data. All atmospheric corrosion and environmental data were statistically processed for establishing general corrosion damage functions for carbon steel, copper, aluminium and zinc in terms of Gran Canaria extreme meteorological and pollution parameters. (Author)
By means of an audio frequency plasma polymerisation ultra-thin gradient plasma polymer layers were deposited on zinc and zinc-coated iron. The aim was to generate an interfacial polymeric layer which bonds to an oxidised metal as well as to a subsequently applied organic coating and acts as an interfacial barrier layer for ions and water. Surface modifications were done in an in situ plasma cell with infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS). The zinc surface was first activated by an oxygen plasma to provide a freshly oxidised and contamination free oxide surface. The intermediate stages of the surface reactions could be revealed. Carbon dioxide molecules as oxidation products adsorbed on the growing zinc oxide and were desorbed at a later stage. An organosilicon plasma polymer was deposited directly on top of the oxide layer from a hexamethyldisilane (HMDS) plasma. Afterwards a cyclohexene ...
Radiotherapy recent development in cancer treatment needs strong procedures and quality assessment to improve safety both for patients and professionals. In Ile de France territory, a coordinated action between ASN inspectors and medical doctors specialized in public health (MISP), working as civil servants in health administration, was initiated at the end of 2007. An inspection guideline was implemented in a workshop between ASN and Regional Hospital Agency (ARH). The MISP as health administrator has to verify if care organisation responds to treatment cancer regulatory framework: as a doctor he is authorized to access to patient records to know which treatment was chosen. He has to assure if the therapeutic guidelines are respected. His comprehensive approach is essentially patient-oriented. The MISP inspection coordinated with ASN inspectors is a very pertinent pluri-disciplinary approach, undeniably necessary in such a ...
Radiotherapy recent development in cancer treatment needs strong procedures and quality assessment to improve safety both for patients and professionals. In Ile de France territory, a coordinated action between ASN inspectors and medical doctors specialized in public health (MISP), working as civil servants in health administration, was initiated at the end of 2007. An inspection guideline was implemented in a workshop between ASN and Regional Hospital Agency (ARH). The MISP as health administrator has to verify if care organisation responds to treatment cancer regulatory framework: as a doctor he is authorized to access to patient records to know which treatment was chosen. He has to assure if the therapeutic guidelines are respected. His comprehensive approach is essentially patient-oriented. The MISP inspection coordinated with ASN inspectors is a very pertinent pluri-disciplinary approach, undeniably necessary in such a ...
The ''Enabling & Information Technology To Increase RAM for Advanced Powerplants'' program, by DOE request, was re-directed, de-scoped to two tasks, shortened to a 2-year period of performance, and refocused to develop, validate and accelerate the commercial use of enabling materials technologies and sensors for coal/IGCC powerplants. The new program was re-titled ''Enabling Technology for Monitoring & Predicting Gas Turbine Health & Performance in IGCC Powerplants''. This final report summarizes the work accomplished from March 1, 2003 to March 31, 2004 on the four original tasks, and the work accomplished from April 1, 2004 to July 30, 2005 on the two re-directed tasks. The program Tasks are summarized below: Task 1--IGCC Environmental Impact on high Temperature Materials: The first task was refocused to address IGCC environmental impacts on high temperature materials used in gas ...
... orthopaedics, waiting times, NHS, private hospitals,health news, medical news, health services, medical treatments, health tips NHS ...be sent to private hospitals for surgery in a bid to bring orthopaedic waiting times under control. Plan to send NHS patients for ...
The purpose of this document is to use existing documentation to review the effectiveness of subsurface flow and surface flow constructed wetlands in treating wastewater and to demonstrate the viability of treating effluent from Savannah River Site outfalls H-02 and H-04 with a subsurface flow constructed wetland to lower copper, lead and zinc concentrations to within National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit limits. Constructed treatment wetlands are engineered systems that have been designed and constructed to use the natural functions of wetlands for wastewater treatment. Constructed wetlands have significantly lower total lifetime costs and often lower capital costs than conventional treatment systems. The two main types of constructed wetlands are surface flow and subsurface flow. In surface flow constructed wetlands, water flows above ground. Subsurface flow constructed wetlands are designed to keep the water level ...
The effect of alloying Sn, Pb, As, Sb and P on the dezincification of commercial brass 60Cu-39Zn-1Pb has been investigated in 1% CuCl{sub 2} solution by immersion studies and electrochemical measurements. Specimens with a smooth surface finish exhibited more resistance to dezincification. Appreciable inhibitive effect on dezincification was observed for the 55Cu-40Zn-3Pb-2Sn brass composition. The galvanic coupling of lead phase with the matrix accelerated corrosion. To improve the dezincification resistance of the Sn containing brass, As, Sb and P were added at two different levels (0.05% and 0.1%). Brass of composition 48.95Cu-45Zn-5Pb-1Sn-0.05As was more resistant indicating the synergistic effect of Sn and As. The effect of 0.05 and 0.1% of arsenic addition with various concentrations of zinc was also studied. The alloy of composition 57.90Cu-40Zn-2Pb-0.1As showed better ...
Major advances in 'Energy and Materials Cycles' have been achieved in the removal of heavy metals from the solid residues of municipal waste incineration. It has been conclusively shown that the oxidation/reduction conditions established during the thermal treatment of filter ash have a decisive influence on the evaporation of groups of heavy metals. With respect to biomass gasification, studies have been carried out with respect to the best way of extracting pure hydrogen from the low calorific value gas that is typically obtained from a biomass gasifier. The overarching goal of the laboratory 'High Temperature Solar Technology' is the use of solar energy for the production of solar fuels, or for the reduction of CO{sub 2} emissions in large scale industrial processes that are conventionally carried out with the use of fossil fuels. In a short-term project targeted at the solar production of lime, highly encouraging results (98% degree of ...
As care shifts from institutional to home- and community-based settings, consumer health information technology (IT) must be designed to support patients' new health information management responsibilities. We developed and piloted a new methodology grounded in social network analysis and human factors engineering to explore two often overlooked aspects of this phenomenon: the task of health information communication with members of the social network and the context of culture. Such knowledge is necessary to inform the appropriate design of consumer health IT. We asked a culturally diverse sample of participants to describe what, to whom, why, and how they communicate health information and to provide direct feedback about the methodology. The methodology was acceptable to all participants and able to capture similarities and differences in their health ...
Studies were conducted of the bifunctional oxygen electrode. The development of a rechargeable metal-oxygen (air) cell has been hampered to a great extent by the lack of a stable and cost effective oxygen electrode capable of use during both charge and discharge. The first type of bifunctional electrode consists of two distinct catalytifc layers. The oxygen reduction catalyst layer containing a supported gold catalyst is in contact with a hydrophilic nickel layer in which evolution of oxygen takes place. Loadings of gold from 0.5 to 1.0 mg/cm/sup 2/ were investigated; carbon, graphite, metal, and spinel oxides were evaluated as substrates. The second part of the research effort was centered on developing a reversible oxygen electrode containing only one catalytic layer for both reduction and evolution of oxygen. The work was directed specifically to the study of perovskite type of oxides with the composition AA/sup 1/BO/sub 3/ where A is an element of the ...
Biosorption of cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) by six fractions of particle sizes, ranging from 0.063 to 1.4 mm of dry marine algal biomass of Sargassum fluitans and Ascophyllum nodosum, is examined. Equilibrium metal uptake by larger particles was higher than that by smaller particles in the order of Pb > Cd > Cu > Co > Zn > Ni for both biomass types, with S. fluitans sorbing slightly more than A. nodosum. Uptakes of metals ranged from the highest, q{sub max} = 369 mg Pb/g (particle size 0.84-1.00 mm), to the low Zn and Ni uptakes, q{sub max} = 77 mg/g (size 0.84-1.00 mm) for S. fluitans. A. nodosum adsorbed metals in the range from q{sub max} = 287 mg Pg/g (particle size 0.84-1.00 mm) to q{sub max} = 73 mg Zn/g (particle size 0.84-1.00mm). Harder stipe fractions of S. fluitans demonstrated generally higher metal uptakes than the softer fractions derived from its blades (leaves). The pH dependence of the ...
This work was carried out to understand the behavior of the solid and gas phases in a CFB riser. Only the riser is modeled as a straight pipe. A model with linear algebraic approximation to solids viscosity of the form, {musubs} = 5.34{epsisubs}, ({espisubs} is the solids volume fraction) with an appropriate boundary condition at the wall obtained by approximate momentum balance solution at the wall to acount for the solids recirculation is tested against experimental results. The work done was to predict the flow patterns in the CFB risers from available experimental data, including data from a 7.5-cm-ID CFB riser at the Illinois Institute of Technology and data from a 20.0-cm-ID CFB riser at the Particulate Solid Research, Inc., facility. This research aims at modeling the removal of hydrogen sulfide from hot coal gas using zinc oxide as the sorbent in a circulating fluidized bed and in the process indentifying the parameters that affect the performance of the ...
The mechanism of lead transport is presented, and especially the particular similarities or dissimilarities between lead and calcium in this process. The absorption of these metals was determined cockerels, raised on a commercial diet or on a specified diet, using in vivo ligated loop procedure. The dose administered into the loop contained 0.5 #mu#Ci "2"0"3Pb (and/or 0.1 #mu#Ci "4"7Ca), and 0.01 mM lead acetate (and/or mM CaCl_2) in 0.5 ml 0.15 M NaCl,pH 6.5. It was shown that lead is rapidly taken up by the mucosal tissue, and slowly transferred into the body, whereas less calcium is retained by the tissue and the transfer of calcium is many times as effective as that for lead. They appear to respond in a similar manner to a low calcium intake and vitamin D treatment. Increasing luminal stable lead concentration significantly reduced the percentage of radiolead significantly reduced the percentage of radiolead absorbed, but did not affect the absorption of ...
The concentration of trace elements in brain sections was measured by synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence. The relative concentration was calculated by means of the normalization of Compton scattering intensity approximately 22 keV, after the normalization for collecting time of X-ray spectrum and the counting of the ion chamber, and subtracting the contribution of the polycarbonate film for supporting sample. Furthermore, the statistical evaluation of the element distribution in various regions of the brain sections of the 20-day-old rats was tested. For investigating the distribution of elements in the brain of iodine deficient rats, Wistar rats were fed with iodine deficient diet and deionized water (ID group). The rats were fed the same iodine deficient diet, but drank KIO_3 solution as control (CT group). The results showed that the contents of calcium (Ca) in thalamus (TH) and copper (Cu) and iron (Fe) in cerebral cortex (CX) of ID rats were significantly lower than that of ...
A cross-sectional medical examination of a copper smelter work force included determination of blood lead (Pb-B), zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP), blood cadmium (Cd-B), urinary cadmium (Cd-U), and urinary arsenic (As-U), since it was known that such metal impurities were present in the copper concentrate. A total of 776 copper smelter employees (680 active and 96 retirees and ex-employees) were examined. Another 144 men, never employed in the smelter, but who had worked in copper mines (and sometimes in gold mines) were also examined. Mean Pb-B, ZPP, Cd-B, and As-U were significantly higher in active copper smelter employees than in retirees or miners, indicating exposure and absorption in the copper smelter. Significant correlations between Pb-B and Cd-B, and Cd-U and As-U were present, confirming the common source of absorption. Although there was evidence for an increased lead absorption, this was very moderate, with practically no Pb-B levels in excess of 60 ...
After being pre-plated a zinc layer, an amorphous Al-Mn alloy coating was applied onto the surface of AZ31B magnesium alloy with a bath of molten salts. Then the corrosion performance of the coated magnesium alloy was examined in 3.5% NaCl solution by potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results showed that the single Zn layer was active in the test solution with a high corrosion rate while the Al-Mn alloy coating could effectively protect AZ31B magnesium alloy from corrosion in the solution. The high corrosion resistance of Al-Mn alloy coating was ascribed to an intact and stable passive film formed on the coating. The performances of the passive film on Al-Mn alloy were further investigated by Mott-Schottky curve and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. It was confirmed that the passive film exhibited n-type semiconducting behavior in 3.5% NaCl solution with a carrier density two ...
The green mussel Perna viridis and the clam Ruditapes philippinarum have been frequently used as biomonitors of coastal contamination in subtropical and tropical waters, yet the physiological processes controlling metal uptake in these bivalves are unknown. Assimilation efficiency (AE) is an important physiological parameter quantifying metal bioavailability from ingested food. The authors determined the AEs of Cd, CR, and Zn in these bivalves feeding on five species of phytoplankton and one natural section. The influences of the cytoplasmic distribution of metals in the algal cells and the digestive physiology of bivalves on metal AEs were also examined. Among the three metals, Zn was generally assimilated at the highest efficiency, i.e., 21 to 36% in the mussels and 29 to 59% in the clams. Cr was the least assimilated metal, with AEs being 10 to 16% in the mussels and 11 to 24% in the clams. The AEs of Cd and Zn in the clams were 1.8 to 4.7 and 1.1 to 1.9 times higher, respectively, ...
Indoor air exposures to gaseous contaminants originating in soil can cause large human health risks. To predict and control these exposures, the mechanisms that affect vapor transport in near-surface soils need to be understood. In particular, radon exposure is a concern since average indoor radon concentrations lead to much higher risks than are generally accepted for exposure to other environmental contaminants. This dissertation examines an important component of the indoor radon problem: the impacts of wind on soil-gas and radon transport and entry into buildings. The research includes experimental and modeling studies of wind`s interactions with a building`s superstructure and the resulting soil-gas and radon flows in the surrounding soil. In addition to exploring the effects of steady winds, a novel modeling technique is developed to examine the impacts of fluctuating winds on soil-gas and radon transport.
Summary Objective Community-based information on the delivery and use of health interventions is important to monitor the effectiveness of the Roll Back Malaria programme. However, community surveys to determine coverage for insecticide-treated bed nets are time-consuming and costly. We wanted to assess whether schoolchildren's reports of household ownership of a bed net and coverage among high-risk groups monitored by schoolteachers through a questionnaire could be used as a proxy of household ownership of bed net and coverage at community level, for routine monitoring of malaria control programmes. Method 3602 schoolchildren in 39 randomly selected schools and 2798 heads of households in 39 villages were interviewed about their use of either insecticide-treated or untreated bed nets. Res...
Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) is increasingly used in food supplements due to its dietary and medicinal compounds with a beneficial role in human diet and health. As many other medicinal plants, sea buckthorn can be contaminated with microorganisms which exerts an important impact on the overall quality of the products. Irradiation is an effective method for food preservation because it is able to destroy pathogenic microorganisms keeping the organoleptic and nutritional characteristics of the foods. The objective of the present study was to investigate the application of electron beam irradiation in order to improve the microbiological safety of sea buckthorn. The experimental results indicated that the electron beam treatment might be a good method to remove undesirable microorganisms from sea buckthorn without significant changes in its active principles.
We verified and corrected inaccuracies in descriptive profile information on military working dogs (MWDs) that died from 1965 to 1980 and were reported in the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology Registry of Veterinary Pathology. Using other available military records, we determined which dogs served in Vietnam. Identified were 3,895 MWDs with a unique identity tattoo that served in Vietnam, of which 2,389 served exclusively with U.S. military forces and died in Vietnam. Another 479 Vietnam veteran MWDs completed their service elsewhere. This overall effort resulted in signalment corrections, generally age at death, in 21% of the Registry MWD accessions during the study period. The improved definition and characterization of the Vietnam cohort will lead to greater precision in epidemiologic investigations of the healtheffects from the Vietnam experience in U.S. military working dogs. PMID:7885593
Abstract Normal human aging is accompanied by progressive brain tissue loss and cognitive decline; however, several factors are thought to influence brain aging. We applied tensor-based morphometry to high-resolution brain MRI scans to determine whether educational level or physical activity was associated with brain tissue volumes in the elderly, particularly in regions susceptible to age-related atrophy. We mapped the 3D profile of brain volume differences in 226 healthy elderly subjects (130F/96M; 77.9 3.6 SD years) from the Cardiovascular Health Study-Cognition Study. Statistical maps revealed the 3D profile of brain regions whose volumes were associated with educational level and physical activity (based on leisure-time energy expenditure). After controlling for age, sex, and physical...
Home economics is a dynamic field that imparts knowledge intended to help people adapt to their environment by making effective use of human and material resources. Hence, the profession values global concerns for the environment, human rights, health, and well-being. In Nigeria, home economics teachers must also consider the role they play in programs such as family life education, poverty alleviation, and universal basic education. In particular, home economics is one of the subjects through which core messages of the country's Population and Family Life Education program are to be integrated at the secondary school level. In this article, the author discusses the outcomes of this program and provides recommendations for teachers teaching this subject. (Contains 1 table and 1 resource.)
Studies have suggested that skill-building through hands-on cooking as a nutrition education strategy, is effective to improve overall dietary quality among participants. FamilyCook Productions' ''Diet for a Healthy Planet with Teen Battle Chefs(TM)'' curriculum using this approach, was piloted in 2008 in a Brooklyn public high school resulting in a statistically significant improvements in dietary quality as well as attitudinal improvements and efforts by students to support changes in school food service. Program evaluation used the RE-AIM framework and employed both quantitative and qualitative strategies including pre and post program surveys, focus groups, and weekly electronic teacher feedback. The program has since grown to over 85 high schools in 16 states.
Objectification theory contends that women are socialized to view their body as an object to be evaluated by others (Fredickson and Roberts 1997). In contrast, pregnancy may be a time that women are more attuned to their body?s functionality. Extending objectification theory, we investigate relationships among body surveillance, awareness and appreciation of body functionality, depressive symptoms, and prenatal health behaviors among an on-line sample of 156 predominantly White, middle-class pregnant women from throughout the U.S recruited through maternity stores, message boards, listservs, and snowballing techniques. We examine whether higher levels of awareness and appreciation of body functionality may attenuate, and thereby possibly protect women from the negative effects of high body...
One hypothesis for the decline of the North American greater (Aythya marila) and lesser (A. affinis) scaup population is that contaminant burdens acquired on wintering or staging areas impair reproduction or cause lethal or sublethal healtheffects. Recent studies have found increased selenium (Se) concentrations in scaup but have focused on the fall and spring staging periods. From January to March 2006 and December to March 2006 and 2007, we analyzed liver tissues collected from greater scaup wintering in western Lake Ontario for 16 trace elements. We also measured Se concentrations in greater scaup blood and Dreissenid mussel tissue. Se was the only trace element that occurred at increased concentrations (>10??g/g liver dry weight) in a substantial proportion (99%) of greater scaup live...
Human exposure to environmental chemicals is most correctly characterized as exposure to mixtures of these agents. The metals/metalloids, lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and arsenic (As), are among the leading toxic agents detected in the environment. Exposure to these elements, particularly at chronic low dose levels, is still a major public health concern. Concurrent exposure to Pb, Cd, or As may produce additive or synergistic interactions or even new effects that are not seen in single component exposures. Evaluating these interactions on a mechanistic basis is essential for risk assessment and management of metal/metalloid mixtures. This paper will review a number of individual studies that addressed interactions of these metals/metalloids in both experimental and human exposure studies with...
A number of epidemiological studies indicate an association between depression and proximity to high voltage transmission lines. These studies have been criticized, however, for using surrogate measures of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and unstandardized measures of depression. In an effort to overcome these limitations, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) scale was administered to 152 women living either adjacent to a transmission line or one block away. Results indicate that homes adjacent to the transmission lines have an average EMF level of 4.86 milligauss at their front door and those one block away have an average of 0.68 milligauss. There was no significant difference in CES-D scores between the groups, controlling for demographic variables. There appeared to be an increase in other healtheffects, including cancer and miscarriages, but these findings were preliminary and need further investigation.
Objective Comorbidities predisposing cardiac surgical patients toward deep sternal wound infection, such as diabetes and obesity, are rising in the United States. Longitudinal analysis of risk factors, morbidity, and mortality was performed to assessed effects of these health trends on deep sternal wound infection rates. Methods In this retrospective analysis of all median sternotomies performed at a single institution from 1991 through 2006, demographic and surgical characteristics were identified from a prospective database. The cohort was separated into periods from 1992 through 2001 and 2002 through 2006 to identify longitudinal trends in risk factors for deep sternal wound infection. Univariate and matched multivariable analyses were performed. Results Overall, study population had in...
Radon measurements were carried out in Kozlu, Karadon and Uzulmez underground coal mines of Zonguldak bituminous coal basin in Turkey. Passive-time integrating method, which is the most widely used technique for the measurement of radon concentration in air, was applied by using nuclear etched track detectors (CR-39) in the study area. The radon concentration measurements were performed on a total of 42 points in those three mines. The annual exposure, the annual effective dose and lifetime fatality risk, which are the important parameters for the health of workers, were estimated based on chronic occupational exposure to the radon gas, which is calculated using UNCEAR-2000 and ICRP-65 models. The radon concentrations at several coal production faces are higher than the action level of 1000 Bq m{sup -3}. It is suggested that the ventilation rates should be rearranged to reduce the radon concentration.
Proper use of quality assurance will provide the basis for an effective management control system for nuclear waste management programs. Control is essential for achieving successful programs free from costly losses and failures and for assuring the public and regulators that the environment and health and safety are being protected. The essence of quality assurance is the conscientious use of planned and systematic actions, based on selecting and applying appropriate requirements from an established quality assurance standard. Developing a quality assurance program consists of using knowledge of the technical and managerial aspects of a project to identify and evaluate risks of loss and failure and then to select appropriate quality assurance requirements that will minimize the risks. Those requirements are integrated into the project planning documents and are carried out as specific actions during the life of the project.
Ozone is the most important regional-scale air pollutant causing risks for vegetation and human health in many parts of the world. Ozone impacts on yield and quality of crops and pastures depend on precursor emissions, atmospheric transport and leaf uptake and on the plant?s biochemical defence capacity, all of which are influenced by changing climatic conditions, increasing atmospheric CO2 and altered emission patterns. In this article, recent findings about ozone effects under current conditions and trends in regional ozone levels and in climatic factors affecting the plant?s sensitivity to ozone are reviewed in order to assess implications of these developments for future regional ozone risks. Based on pessimistic IPCC emission scenarios for many cropland regions elevated mean ozone lev...
Background Trauma centers are designated to provide systematized multidisciplinary care to injured patients. Effective trauma systems reduce patient mortality by facilitating the treatment of injured patients at appropriately resourced hospitals. Several U.S. studies report reduced mortality among patients admitted directly to a level I trauma center compared with those admitted to hospitals with less resources. It has yet to be shown whether there is an outcome benefit associated with the ?level of hospital? initially treating severely injured trauma patients in Australia. This study was designed to determine whether the level of trauma center providing treatment impacts mortality and/or hospital length of stay. Methods Outcomes were evaluated for severely injured trauma patients with an ...
The OSHA's chemical occupational exposure standard for laboratories is an outgrowth of the previously issued Hazard Communication Standard. The standard relieves laboratories from complying with general industry standards but does not require compliance with specific guidelines. The heart of the standard is the creation of a Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP) in every laboratory. The CHP addresses major issues such as safety equipment and procedures, work practices and training, the designation of a chemical hygiene officer, and the provision of medical consultation and examination for affected employees. This new standard, in effect as of 31 January, 1991, presents yet another regulatory challenge to laboratory managers but also will ensure a safer work environment for laboratory workers.
Precocious puberty is a significant child health problem, especially in girls, because 95% of cases are idiopathic. Our earlier studies demonstrated that low-dose levels of manganese (Mn) caused precocious puberty via stimulating the secretion of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH). Because glial-neuronal communications are important for the activation of LHRH secretion at puberty, we investigated the effects of prepubertal Mn exposure on specific glial-derived puberty-related genes known to affect neuronal LHRH release. Animals were supplemented with MnCl2 (10 mg/kg) or saline by gastric gavage from day 12 until day 22 or day 29, then decapitated, and brains removed. The site of LHRH release is the medial basal hypothalamus (MBH), and tissues from this area were analyzed by real-...
Mine rescue teams frequently must fight fires and guard against the propagation of fires or explosions during a rescue and recovery operation. The team's ability to fight fires depends a great deal on hands-on experience with different fire fighting agents and equipment. The team's work includes an assessment of fire conditions, mine fire gases and other potential hazards associated with fire fighting activity. This training module covers the underlying principles of the fire triangle and the different methods for controlling, containing and extinguishing fires in a mine. The manual also covers fire-fighting equipment, considerations involved in a sealing operation and the cause-effect of explosions.
Objective This report investigates epidemiologically whether exposure to silica is associated with lung cancer risks in individuals without silicosis. Methods We searched the PubMed reference data base from 1966 through 1/2007 for reports of lung cancer in silica-exposed persons without and with silicosis. To explore heterogeneity between studies, a multi-stage strategy was employed. First, fixed-effect summaries (FES) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) for various combinations of studies were calculated, weighting individual results by their precision. The homogeneity of the contributing results was examined using ?2 statistics. Where there was evidence of substantial heterogeneity, the CI around the FES was increased to take account of the between-study variability. Random-e...
The effect on human health of using food packaging made from recycled materials will depend on whether the elements will migrate into the food itself and at which levels that would be of concern. There is no EU directive for paper and board packaging, but guidelines on paper and board intended to come into contact with food are being developed in another forum. These do not propose limits for paper intended to come into contact with dry foods. However, for other foodstuffs, restriction limits in paper of 0.002 mg/dm"2 (Cd), 0.003 mg/dm"2 (Pb), and 0.002 mg/dm"2 (Hg) have been proposed. This paper describes a radiotracer method that has been applied to the determination of migration of trace elements from paper and board into real food samples.
The results of nine years of study of the 237 patients who suffered from acute radiation syndrome (ARS) as a consequence of the Chernobyl accident are reported. Thirty-eight of these patients have died, 28 in the acute period in 1986, 5 in 1987-90 and 5 in 1992-93. The reasons for death show no clear tendencies. They include: gangrene of the lung, organic disease of the brain and spinal chord, hypoplasia of haematopoeisis, coronary heart disease, sarcoma and an automobile accident. Investigations have been carried out on an annual obligatory basis of the patients` haemopoietic, immune, nervous and endocrine systems. An analysis of the data is presented. Histograms are included showing the incidence of digestive tract, nervous system, respiratory and cardiovascular disorders, the frequency and degree of disablement and serum prolactin concentration. The types of skin damage sustained by 39 of the patients are listed. (6 figures, 3 tables). (UK).
This study assessed the impact of the results of genetic testing for hereditary cancer from a multifactorial health psychology perspective, considering that emotional expression plays a key role in psychological adjustment. Measures of dispositional and transactional coping strategies, anxiety and alexithymia were filled out by 77 participants in a longitudinal study design. Statistical analyses were performed using general linear models and partial least squares path modelling, low-constraint methods that are particularly useful in the behavioural sciences. While anxiety levels prior to the result announcement were predictive of the distress experienced by noncarriers, considerable variability was observed for mutation carriers. Some subjects who had lower anxiety levels before the test d...
Good performance in extended lactations of dairy cattle may have a beneficial effect on food costs, health, and fertility. Because data for extended lactation performance is scarce, lactation persistency has been suggested as a suitable selection criterion. Persistency phenotypes were calculated in several ways: P1 was yield relative to an approximate peak, P2 was the slope after peak production, and P3 was a measure derived to be phenotypically uncorrelated to yield and calculated as a function of linear regressions on test-day deviations of days in milk. Phenotypes P1, P2, and P3 were calculated for sires as solutions estimated from a random regression model fitted to milk yield. Because total milk yield, calculated as the sum of daily sire solutions, was correlated to P1 and P2 (r=0.30 ...
Abstract This study examines the relationship between emotional/behavioral difficulties and obesity among US adolescents aged 12-17 using parent-reported data for 11,042 adolescents in the National Health Interview Survey. Obesity was defined as body mass index (BMI) ?sex/age-specific 95th percentile BMI cut-points from the 2000 CDC Growth Charts. Types of emotional/behavioral difficulties were identified using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Among females, emotional/behavioral difficulties were associated with obesity among non-Hispanic (NH) white and Hispanic adolescents (both those with interviews in English and interviews in Spanish). Among males, emotional/behavioral difficulties were associated with obesity among NH white adolescents and Hispanic males with interview...
Abstract BACKGROUND: Dietary plant materials have attracted much attention because of their health benefits to humans. Acrylamide is found in various heated carbohydrate-rich foods. Our previous results showed that crude aqueous extracts from diverse dietary plants and some phenolic compounds could mitigate acrylamide formation in an asparagine-glucose model system. Based on our previous study, several plant materials were selected to further investigate their inhibitory effects on acrylamide formation in cookies and starch-based model systems. RESULTS: Addition of raw powders from selected dietary plants and their crude aqueous extracts could considerably reduce acrylamide formation in both cookie and potato starch-based models. Aqueous extracts of clove at 4% caused the largest reduction...
We report on severe accident scenarios consequences evaluation in connection to the applied emergency countermeasures and use of the PC COSYMA code. We present some of the results for the reactor core melt accident assumed to happen at the 632 MWE PWR Krsko Nuclear Power Plant in Slovenia. The efficiency of several potential countermeasures in limiting the late healtheffects was studied. Regarding the source term, the majority of release parameters are as specified for category 2 in the German Risk Study. Site specific data were used. As the outside (meteorologic) conditions during the potential accident onset can be very different, the study limited to the deterministic runs, assuming the wind direction upstream the Sava river into the WNW direction, wind speed of 5 ms -1 and the C Pasquill stability category. The population distribution file was formed from the NEK-FSAR data for the 1991. (author)
Among pharmaceuticals and personal care products released into the aquatic environment, antibiotics are of particular concern, because of their ubiquity and healtheffects. Although scientists have recently paid more attention to the threat of antibiotics to coastal ecosystems, researchers have often focused on relatively few antibiotics, because of the absence of suitable analytical methods. We have therefore developed a method for the rapid detection of 36 antibiotic residues in coastal waters, including tetracyclines (TCs), sulfanilamides (SAs), and quinolones (QLs). The method consists of solid-phase extraction (SPE) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis, using electrospray ionization (ESI) in positive mode. The SPE was performed with Oasis HLB and Oasi...
Inputs on radiological conditions forms the basis of implementation of effective exposure control to plant personnel in nuclear power station. Radiation monitoring system provides this input to the plant operator as well as to health physics group. Several design modifications have been incorporated in the Radiation Monitoring System at Tarapur Atomic Power Station (TAPS 3 and 4) over the similar systems at Kakrapar Atomic Power Station (KAPS) and Kaiga Generating Station (KGS). The radiological monitoring systems installed at TAPS unit 3 and 4 includes on line Radiation Data Acquisition System (RADAS), Emergency sampling system, effluent monitoring system and environmental monitoring system. The design changes and the versatile use of these systems are presented in this paper. (author)
Electric utilities have been surprised by recent opposition to the construction of very-high-voltage transmission lines, which met with little resistance in the past. Concerns over health and safety factors are associated with the increase in the number of such lines, although their presence has always been an inconvenience and a hazard for those living and working in the immediate vicinity. The new lines present additional hazards due to the continuous flow of small electric currents and the charges that build up in the area of the towers and lines. The lines are also a threat to persons wearing cardiac pacemakers. There is experimental evidence from the Soviet Union and the U.S. that electric and magnetic fields at the frequencies of such power lines can have serious biological effects on growth rates and the functioning of the central nervous system. Full disclosure that possible risks are involved and the opportunity to avoid these risks is ...
This document represents the FY2002 BPA contract Statement of Work for the Yakama Nation (YN) portion of the project entitled 'Assessment of current and potential salmonid production in Rattlesnake Creek associated with restoration efforts'. The purpose of the project is to complete detailed surveys of water quality, fish populations, habitat conditions and riparian health in the Rattlesnake Creek sub-basin of the White Salmon River in south central Washington. Results of the surveys will be used to establish Rattlesnake Creek sub-basin baseline environmental factors prior to anticipated removal of Condit Dam in 2006 and enable cost-effective formulation of future watershed restoration strategies.
Beside yeasts, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are the most abundant microbes in must during vinification. Whereas Oenococcos oeni is commercially used as a starter culture for the biological acid reduction in wines, other species are responsible for different types of wine spoilage. Members of the genera Pediococcus, Weissella, Leuconostoc, and Lactobacillus are producers of exopolysaccharide slimes, biogenic amines, acetic acid, and other off-flavors. In order to control microbial growth, different procedures such as heating of must and addition of sulfite or lysozyme from egg white are generally applied. Yet, because of health risks, the application of sulfite should be reduced and lysozyme is not effective against all LAB. In this study, we describe exoenzymes from a Streptomyces sp. strain...
Abstract: We present a generic scoring system that compares the impact of alien species among members of large taxonomic groups. This scoring can be used to identify the most harmful alien species so that conservation measures to ameliorate their negative effects can be prioritized. For all alien mammals in Europe, we assessed impact reports as completely as possible. Impact was classified as either environmental or economic. We subdivided each of these categories into five subcategories (environmental: impact through competition, predation, hybridization, transmission of disease, and herbivory; economic: impact on agriculture, livestock, forestry, human health, and infrastructure). We assigned all impact reports to one of these 10 categories. All categories had impact scores that ranged f...
...named Chair at Epworth Hospital Professor Nilmini Wickramasinghe has been named Chair, Health Information Management , at Epworth HealthCare. Related links School of Business ...the College of Business at RMIT University has been named Epworth Chair, Health Information Management , by Epworth HealthCare. Professor Wickramasinghe has more than ... Professor Wickramasinghersquo;s appointment as Epworth Chair, Health Information Management , will help to further strengthen this clinical academic alliance, with RMIT now ...
In recent years, several groups, including the physician assistant, health information management, ophthalmic medical technician/technologist, and athletic training review committees, have left the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) system to form their own, profession-specific accrediting bodies. Their motivation was typically a desire for greater professional visibility and autonomy. Combined, these professions represented one third of the CAAHEP's programs. This article reviews the history of allied health and examines current attempts to bring cohesion and identity to this increasingly fractured segment of the U.S. health care system. PMID:18444439
In the United States, estimates show that more than 30,000 hazardous waste disposal sites exist, not including military installations, U.S. Department of Energy nuclear facilities, and hundreds and thousands of underground fuel storage tanks; these sites undoubtedly have their own respective hazardous waste chemical problems. When so many sites contain hazardous chemicals, how does one study the healtheffects of the chemicals at these sites? There could be many different answers, but none would be perfect. For an area as complex and difficult as the study of chemical mixtures associated with hazardous waste disposal sites, there are no perfect approaches and protocols. Human exposure to chemicals, be it environmental or occupational, is rarely, if ever, limited to a single chemical. Therefore, it is essential that we consider multiple chemical effects and interactions in our risk assessment process. Systematic toxicity ...
Red mud is a waste and tail material from primary aluminum production, and is named for its color, coming from its iron oxide content. The quantity of red mud is almost equal to the primary aluminum production and leads to a considerable environmental issue. Red mud of the ETI Seydisehir Aluminum Plant is considered as detrimental waste for storage due to its content of various metal oxides, elements and caustics. This detrimental effect is classified into two groups: first, environmental health and second, the cost of storage. In order to minimize the negative effect of red mud, there have been or are presently many investigations carried out on usage of red mud in building materials. However, no effective way of utilizing red mud has yet been found. In this study domestic red mud was investigated and chemical analyses were performed by EDAX and XRF techniques. Radioactivity of the samples was also ...
Pattern and model makers are skilled tradespersons who may be exposed to hardwoods, softwoods, phenol-formaldehyde resin-impregnated woods, epoxy and polyester/styrene resin systems, and welding and metal-casting fumes. The relationship of respiratory symptoms (wheezing, chronic bronchitis, dyspnea) and pulmonary function (FVC% predicted, FEV1% predicted, FEV1/FVC% predicted) with interview-derived cumulative exposure estimates to specific workplace agents and to all work with wood, plastic, or metal products was investigated in 751 pattern and model makers in southeast Michigan. In stratified analyses and age- and smoking-adjusted linear and logistic regression models, measures of cumulative wood exposures were associated with decrements in pulmonary function and dyspnea, but not with other symptoms. In similar analyses, measures of cumulative plastic exposures were associated with wheezing, chronic bronchitis, and dyspnea, but not with decrements in pulmonary function. Prior studies ...
The program package COSYMA for assessing the radiological and economic consequences of nuclear accidents, developed with the support of the European Commission, was applied to investigate the healtheffects and risks from accidental releases of radioactive material from the Daya Bay nuclear power plant. Population distribution data in the range of 80 km around the site and hourly meteorological data for the year 1985 representative of accident consequence analysis were used. The results showed that early effects are more important at distances closer to the site, while the number of fatal cancers is closely related to the population density and the late effects are still important at distances larger than 50 km from the site. The mean annual expected values for early mortality and late mortality estimated for the population within a circle of 80 km around the Daya Bay nuclear power plant are 4.5x10"-"3 ...