122 research outputs found
Time course of health complaints attributed to RF-EMF exposure and predictors of electromagnetic hypersensitivity over 10 years in a prospective cohort of Dutch adults
BACKGROUND: Some individuals attribute health complaints to radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposure. This condition, known as idiopathic environmental intolerance attributed to RF-EMFs (IEI-RF) or electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS), can be disabling for those who are affected. In this study we assessed factors related to developing, maintaining, or discarding IEI-RF over the course of 10 years, and predictors of developing EHS at follow-up using a targeted question without the condition of reporting health complaints attributed to RF-EMF exposure. METHODS: Participants (n = 892, mean age 50 at baseline, 52 % women) from the Dutch Occupational and Environmental Health Cohort Study AMIGO filled in questionnaires in 2011/2012 (T0), 2013 (T1), and 2021 (T4) where information pertaining to perceived RF-EMF exposure and risk, non-specific symptoms, sleep problems, IEI-RF, and EHS was collected. We fitted multi-state Markov models to represent how individuals transitioned between states ("yes", "no") of IEI-RF. RESULTS: At each time point, about 1 % of study participants reported health complaints that they attributed to RF-EMF exposure. While this percentage remained stable, the individuals who reported such complaints changed over time: of nine persons reporting health complaints at T0, only one reported IEI-RF at both T1 and T4, and two newly reported health complaints at T4. Overall, participants had a 95 % chance of transitioning from "yes" to "no" over a time course of 10 years, and a chance of 1 % of transitioning from "no" to "yes". Participants with high perceived RF-EMF exposure and risk had a general tendency to move more frequently between states. CONCLUSIONS: We observed a low prevalence of IEI-RF in our population. Prevalence did not vary strongly over time but there was a strong aspect of change: over 10 years, there was a high probability of not attributing symptoms to RF-EMF exposure anymore. IEI-RF appears to be a more transient condition than previously assumed
Attribution of physical complaints to the air disaster in Amsterdam by exposed rescue workers: an epidemiological study using historic cohorts
BACKGROUND: In 1992 a cargo aircraft crashed into a residential area of Amsterdam. A troublesome aftermath followed, with rumors on potential toxic exposures and health consequences. Health concerns remained even though no excess morbidity was predicted in retrospective risk evaluations. This study aimed to assess to what extent the rescue workers attribute long-term physical complaints to this disaster, including its aftermath, and to examine associations between such attribution and types of exposure and background variables. METHODS: Historic cohort study that collected questionnaire data on occupational disaster exposure, attribution of physical complaints, and background variables on average 8.5 years post-disaster. For the present study the workers who were exposed to the disaster were selected from the historic cohort, i.e. the professional firefighters (n = 334), police officers (n = 834), and accident and wreckage investigators (n = 241) who performed disaster-related tasks. RESULTS: Across the three occupational groups, a consistent percentage (ranging from 43% to 49%) of exposed workers with long-term physical complaints attributed these to the disaster, including its aftermath. Those with more physical complaints attributed these to a stronger degree. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that attribution was significantly more often reported by firefighters who rescued people, and by police officers who reported the identification and recovery of or search for victims and human remains, clean-up, or security and surveillance of the disaster area; who witnessed the immediate disaster scene; who had a close one affected by the disaster; and who perceived the disaster as the worst thing that ever happened to them. Age, sex and educational level were not significantly associated with attribution. CONCLUSION: This study provides further cross-sectional evidence for the role of causal attribution in post-disaster subjective physical health problems. After on average 8.5 years, almost a third (32%) of all the exposed workers, and almost half (45%) of the exposed workers with physical complaints, attributed these complaints to the disaster, including its aftermath. The similarity of the results across the occupational groups suggests a general rather than an occupation-specific attribution process. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine whether causal disaster attribution leads to persistence of post-disaster complaints and health care utilization
Spectral and spatial observations of microwave spikes and zebra structure in the short radio burst of May 29, 2003
The unusual radio burst of May 29, 2003 connected with the M1.5 flare in AR
10368 has been analyzed. It was observed by the Solar Broadband Radio
Spectrometer (SBRS/Huairou station, Beijing) in the 5.2-7.6 GHz range. It
proved to be only the third case of a neat zebra structure appearing among all
observations at such high frequencies. Despite the short duration of the burst
(25 s), it provided a wealth of data for studying the superfine structure with
millisecond resolution (5 ms). We localize the site of emission sources in the
flare region, estimate plasma parameters in the generation sites, and suggest
applicable mechanisms for interpretating spikes and zebra-structure generation.
Positions of radio bursts were obtained by the Siberian Solar Radio Telescope
(SSRT) (5.7 GHz) and Nobeyama radioheliograph (NoRH) (17 GHz). The sources in
intensity gravitated to tops of short loops at 17 GHz, and to long loops at 5.7
GHz. Short pulses at 17 GHz (with a temporal resolution of 100 ms) are
registered in the R-polarized source over the N-magnetic polarity
(extraordinary mode). Dynamic spectra show that all the emission comprised
millisecond pulses (spikes) of 5-10 ms duration in the instantaneous band of 70
to 100 MHz, forming the superfine structure of different bursts, essentially in
the form of fast or slow-drift fibers and various zebra-structure stripes. Five
scales of zebra structures have been singled out. As the main mechanism for
generating spikes (as the initial emission) we suggest the coalescence of
plasma waves with whistlers in the pulse regime of interaction between
whistlers and ion-sound waves. In this case one can explain the appearance of
fibers and sporadic zebra-structure stripes exhibiting the frequency splitting.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, in press; A&A 201
Epidemiological study air disaster in Amsterdam (ESADA): study design
BACKGROUND: In 1992, a cargo aircraft crashed into apartment buildings in Amsterdam, killing 43 victims and destroying 266 apartments. In the aftermath there were speculations about the cause of the crash, potential exposures to hazardous materials due to the disaster and the health consequences. Starting in 2000, the Epidemiological Study Air Disaster in Amsterdam (ESADA) aimed to assess the long-term health effects of occupational exposure to this disaster on professional assistance workers. METHODS/DESIGN: Epidemiological study among all the exposed professional fire-fighters and police officers who performed disaster-related task(s), and hangar workers who sorted the wreckage of the aircraft, as well as reference groups of their non-exposed colleagues who did not perform any disaster-related tasks. The study took place, on average, 8.5 years after the disaster. Questionnaires were used to assess details on occupational exposure to the disaster. Health measures comprised laboratory assessments in urine, blood and saliva, as well as self-reported current health measures, including health-related quality of life, and various physical and psychological symptoms. DISCUSSION: In this paper we describe and discuss the design of the ESADA. The ESADA will provide additional scientific knowledge on the long-term health effects of technological disasters on professional workers
Radioheliograph observations of microwave bursts with zebra structures
The so-called zebra structures in radio dynamic spectra, specifically their
frequencies and frequency drifts of emission stripes, contain information on
the plasma parameters in the coronal part of flare loops. This paper presents
observations of zebra structures in a microwave range. Dynamic spectra were
recorded by Chinese spectro-polarimeters in the frequency band close to the
working frequencies of the Siberian Solar Radio Telescope. The emission sources
are localized in the flare regions, and we are able to estimate the plasma
parameters in the generation sites using X-ray data. The interpretation of the
zebra structures in terms of the existing theories is discussed. The conclusion
has been arrived that the preferred generation mechanism of zebra structures in
the microwave range is the conversion of plasma waves to electromagnetic
emission on the double plasma resonance surfaces distributed across a flare
loop.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figure
Social and occupational factors associated with psychological distress and disorder among disaster responders: a systematic review
BACKGROUND: When disasters occur, there are many different occupational groups involved in rescue, recovery and support efforts. This study aimed to conduct a systematic literature review to identify social and occupational factors affecting the psychological impact of disasters on responders. METHODS: Four electronic literature databases (MEDLINE®, Embase, PsycINFO® and Web of Science) were searched and hand searches of reference lists were carried out. Papers were screened against specific inclusion criteria (e.g. published in peer-reviewed journal in English; included a quantitative measure of wellbeing; participants were disaster responders). Data was extracted from relevant papers and thematic analysis was used to develop a list of key factors affecting the wellbeing of disaster responders. RESULTS: Eighteen thousand five papers were found and 111 included in the review. The psychological impact of disasters on responders appeared associated with pre-disaster factors (occupational factors; specialised training and preparedness; life events and health), during-disaster factors (exposure; duration on site and arrival time; emotional involvement; peri-traumatic distress/dissociation; role-related stressors; perceptions of safety, threat and risk; harm to self or close others; social support; professional support) and post-disaster factors (professional support; impact on life; life events; media; coping strategies). CONCLUSIONS: There are steps that can be taken at all stages of a disaster (before, during and after) which may minimise risks to responders and enhance resilience. Preparedness (for the demands of the role and the potential psychological impact) and support (particularly from the organisation) are essential. The findings of this review could potentially be used to develop training workshops for professionals involved in disaster response. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40359-016-0120-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users
Review of Coronal Oscillations - An Observer's View
Recent observations show a variety of oscillation modes in the corona. Early
non-imaging observations in radio wavelengths showed a number of fast-period
oscillations in the order of seconds, which have been interpreted as fast
sausage mode oscillations. TRACE observations from 1998 have for the first time
revealed the lateral displacements of fast kink mode oscillations, with periods
of ~3-5 minutes, apparently triggered by nearby flares and destabilizing
filaments. Recently, SUMER discovered with Doppler shift measurements loop
oscillations with longer periods (10-30 minutes) and relatively short damping
times in hot (7 MK) loops, which seem to correspond to longitudinal slow
magnetoacoustic waves. In addition, propagating longitudinal waves have also
been detected with EIT and TRACE in the lowest density scale height of loops
near sunspots. All these new observations seem to confirm the theoretically
predicted oscillation modes and can now be used as a powerful tool for
``coronal seismology'' diagnostic.Comment: 5 Figure
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