Health profile for Danish adults with activity limitation: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Studies have indicated that people with disabilities die earlier and may experience a poorer health than the general population. This study investigated 31 factors related to health and well-being, health behaviour and social relations among Danish adults with activity limitation (AL). Methods This study was based on data from the Danish Health and Morbidity Survey (DHMS) 2013 where 25,000 men and women aged 16 years or older were selected randomly from the adult Danish population. A total of 14,265 individuals answered the self-administered questionnaire including 100 questions on health-related quality of life, health behaviour, morbidity, consequences of illness and social relations. Based on an international standard question on AL, 888 individuals (6%) were defined as having profound AL and 4180 (29%) as having some AL. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to analyse the associations between activity limitation and 31 indicators of health. The results were presented as relative risks 95% confidence intervals. Results Twenty-eight of 31 indicators showed consistently poorer health and well-being, health behaviour and social relations among individuals with AL as compared to individuals without AL. The increased relative risks were in a range of 7-661% the risk among individuals without AL. An example is obesity where RR (95% CI) was 2.07 (1.82–2.37). Only contact with internet friends was significantly higher among individuals with AL as compared to individuals with no AL. There was no association between alcohol and AL and no association between fast food and some AL. Conclusion Danish adults with AL experience a poorer health and well-being, and have an unhealthier lifestyle and poorer social relations than adults without AL. People with activity limitation should be prioritized in public health and efforts done to secure availability and flexibility of health care services and primary prevention programs. Policies should address accessibility, availability and affordability of health care and health behaviour among people with activity limitation

Establishment of review groups on US Department of Energy Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Program. Final report

A primary purpose of this grant was the establishment of expert research review groups to help facilitate expanded and improved communications and information among states, public, federal agencies, contractors, and DOE, relative to national environmental and waste management issues/problems. The general objectives of this grant were: Research on the further participation avenues of industry and academia and provide appropriate research documentation concerning the implementation of multi-party agreements; Analysis of the impediments that delay the accomplishment of agreements between states and the federal government for environmental compliance, as well as an assessment of the public need for research because of the above agreements; Analysis of the impact of environmental actions on states, industry, academia, public and other federal agencies; Provide research to help facilitate an interactive system that provides the various involved parties the capability and capacity to strengthen their commitment to national environmental and waste management goals and objectives; and Furthering research of public education in the environmental arena and research of needed national education resources in scientific and technical areas related to environmental restoration and waste management

Impacts of hazardous waste regulation on low-level waste management

The Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984 have greatly expanded the universe of what, and who, is regulated under Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Handling requirements for hazardous waste are becoming increasingly more stringent, particularly where land disposal is concerned. DOE needs to begin actively pursuing strategies directed at keeping the management of LLW clearly separated from wastes that are legitimately regulated under RCRA. Such strategies would include instituting systemwide changes in internal management practices, establishing improved location standards for LLW disposal, and negotiating interagency compromise agreements to obtain variances from RCRA requirements where necessary and appropriate

Department of Energy Hazardous Waste Remedial Actions Program: An overview. [HAZWRAP]

This paper describes the national Department of Energy (DOE) program for managing hazardous waste. An overview of the DOE Hazardous Waste Remedial Actions Program (HAZWRAP), including its mission, organizational structure, and major program elements, is given. The paper focuses on the contractor support role assigned to Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., through the establishment of the HAZWRAP Support Contractor Office (SCO). The major SCO programs are described, and the organization for managing the programs is discussed. The HAZWRAP SCO approaches to waste management planning and to technology research, development, and demonstration are presented. The role of the SCO in the DOE Environmental Restoration Program and the development of the DOE Waste Information network are reviewed. Also discussed is the DOE Work for Others Program, where waste management decentralized support, via interagency agreements between DOE and the Department of Defense and DOE and the Environmental Protection Agency, is provided for those sponsors planning remedial response actions. 2 refs

Role of mathematical modeling in low-level radioactive waste management

With increased experience in shallow land burial of radioactive wastes, there is general recognition of the need for improved practices to reduce the release of radioactivity to the biosphere. One approach is to use mathematical models to gain insights into the impact of possible preventive and corrective engineering measures. Two deterministic models of hydrologic processes have been examined. On a watershed scale, a unified hydrologic model has been applied to the White Oak Creek Watershed in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Comparison of predicted and observed streamflow at the basin outlet are favorable. The model has been applied to evaluate the consequences of a disposal area development, operation, and management; including clear-cutting of forested areas, installing near-surface infiltration-reduction seals, and surface water diversion channels. On a localized scale, a near-surface infiltration-reduction seal has been studied using a finite-element model for subsurface flow. The model has been used to calculate spatial moisture content and velocity distributions near the seal. Model results show how the path of infiltrating rainwater is altered. 7 figures

Analysis of the 1957-58 Soviet nuclear accident

The occurrence of a Soviet accident in the winter of 1957-58, involving the atmospheric release of reprocessed fission wastes (cooling time approximately 1-2 yrs.), appears to have been confirmed, primarily by an analysis of the USSR radioecology literature. Due to the high population density in the affected region (Cheliabinsk Province in the highly industrialized Urals Region) and the reported level of /sup 90/Sr contamination , the event probably resulted in the evacuation and/or resettlement of the human population from a significant area (100-1000 km/sup 2/). The resulting contamination zone is estimated to have contained approximately 10/sup 6/ Ci of /sup 90/Sr (reference radionuclide); a relatively small fraction of the total may have been dispersed as an aerosol. Although a plausible explanation for the incident exists (i.e., use of now-obsolete waste storage-/sup 137/Cs isotope separation techniques), it is not yet possible, based on the limited information presently available, to completely dismiss this phenomenon as a purely historical event. It seems imperative that we have a complete explanation of the causes and consequences of this incident. Soviet experience gained in application of corrective measures would be invaluable to the rest of the world nuclear community