Respiratory hospital admission risk near large composting facilities

AbstractBackgroundLarge-scale composting can release bioaerosols in elevated quantities, but there are few studies of health effects on nearby communities.MethodsA cross-sectional ecological small area design was used to examine risk of respiratory hospital admissions within 2500m of all 148 English large-scale composting facilities in 2008–10. Statistical analyses used a random intercept Poisson regression model at Census Output Area (COA) level (mean population 310). Models were adjusted for age, sex, deprivation and tobacco sales.ResultsAnalysing 34,963 respiratory hospital admissions in 4656 COAs within 250–2500m of a site, there were no significant trends using pre-defined distance bands of >250–750m, >750–1500m and >1500–2500m. Using a continuous measure of distance, there was a small non-statistically significant (p=0.054) association with total respiratory admissions corresponding to a 1.5% (95% CI: 0.0–2.9%) decrease in risk if moving from 251m to 501m. There were no significant associations for subgroups of respiratory infections, asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.ConclusionThis national study does not provide evidence for increased risks of respiratory hospital admissions in those living beyond 250m of an outdoor composting area perimeter. Further work using better measures of exposure and exploring associations with symptoms and disease prevalence, especially in vulnerable groups, is recommended to support regulatory approaches

Influences of Wind and Snow on Northern Tree-Line Environments at Churchill, Manitoba, Canada

The influences of wind and snow distribution at the tree line near Churchill, Manitoba, were studied. Wind profiles above the snow surface, snow crystal size and quantity were examined during abrasion experiments with white spruce branchlets. For white spruce, the abrasion zone was evidently within 80 cm above the snow surface, and needle removal by abrasion was strongly influenced by branch age. Removal by abrasion of similar-aged needles was highest in new branches and declined with branch age up to 7 or 8 years, and then increased again with older branches. Trees that grew 80 cm in height in 7 or 8 years were successful in passing through the abrasion zone. In forest-tundra environments the matted forms of trees were snow covered early in winter and received little abrasion. Sparsely needled islands of trees were largely covered with snow at the base. More densely needled trees and some trees within woodlands were less exposed to abrasion. The blockage of air flow resulted in high-speed jets, which cleared out snow within a "horseshoe-shaped vortex" around the base of the tree. Both in much of the woodlands and in the open forest, snow abrasion was minimal or non-existent and snow load on the branches (qali), becomes the prevalent stress. During winter, a large proportion of the snowfall was initially blown off the exposed surfaces of Hudson Bay and the coastal tundra regions, into the woodlands, and eventually across the tree line and into the open forest. As the woodlands filled up with snow in mid-winter, the rate of snow accumulation in the forest increased from double to triple the snowfall. Variations in the rate of accumulation occurred with wind speed and direction. ...Key words: tree line, wind, snow, white spruce, abrasionL'influence de la distribution du vent et de la neige à la limite forestière, près de Churchill, au Manitoba, constitue le thème de cette recherche. On a étudié le profil éolien au dessus de la surface de la neige, ainsi que la taille et la quantité des cristaux de neige au cours d'expériences d'abrasion faites sur des petites branches d'épinette blanche. Pour cette dernière, la zone d'abrasion se situait de toute évidence dans les 80 cm au-dessus de la surface de la neige et la disparition des aiguilles par abrasion était fortement influencée par l'âge de la branche. La disparition par abrasion des aiguilles d'âge semblable était plus élevée pour les nouvelles branches et diminuait avec l'âge de la branche, jusqu'à 7 ou 8 ans, pour augmenter à nouveau avec les branches plus vieilles. Les arbres qui poussaient de 80 cm en 7 ou 8 ans réussissaient à traverser la zone d'abrasion. Dans les environnements de toundra boisée, les arbres aux formes tassées et enchevêtrées étaient couverts de neige tôt en hiver et étaient peu sujets à l'abrasion. Les îlots d'arbres aux aiguilles clairsemées étaient largement couverts de neige à la base. Les arbres aux aiguilles plus fournies et quelques arbres de la forêt-parc étaient moins exposés à l'abrasion. Le blocage de la circulation d'air créait des courants très rapides qui soufflaient la neige en créant un tourbillon en fer à cheval au pied de l'arbre. Dans la plupart de la forêt-parc comme dans la forêt claire, l'abrasion par la neige était minime ou non existante et la charge nivale sur les branches (qali) était le principal agent de stress. Au cours de l'hiver, une grande quantité de la chute nivale était d'abord transportée par le vent, depuis la surface exposée des régions de la baie d'Hudson et de la toundra côtière, jusqu'à la forêt-parc, puis dépassait la limite forestière pour entrer dans la forêt claire. Comme la forêt-parc se remplissait de neige au milieu de l'hiver, le taux d'accumulation nivale dans la forêt passait du double au triple de la chute de neige. La vitesse et la direction du vent faisaient varier le taux d'accumulation. Durant le mois de mai, la fonte nivale se produisait d'abord dans la toundra et ruisselait en général sur la surface gelée. La fonte nivale se produisait environ 3 semaines plus tard dans la forêt claire et s'y caractérisait par une réduction du ruissellement, du fait que l'eau s'infiltrait plus facilement dans la tourbe en dégel. Les combes de neige tardives étaient caractéristiques de la toundra boisée de la forêt-parc et avaient généralement disparu au milieu de juillet. La forêt-parc était libre de neige pendant 1 mois et demi à 2 mois au cours d'une année, alors que la forêt claire était libre de neige durant environ 3 mois et la toundra pratiquement libre de neige durant au moins 6 mois.Mots clés : limite forestière, vent, neige, épinette blanche, abrasio

Dedekind order completion of C(X) by Hausdorff continuous functions

The concept of Hausdorff continuous interval valued functions, developed within the theory of Hausdorff approximations and originaly defined for interval valued functions of one real variable is extended to interval valued functions defined on a topological space X. The main result is that the set of all finite Hausdorff continuous functions on any topological space X is Dedekind order complete. Hence it contains the Dedekind order completion of the set C(X) of all continuous real functions defined on X as well as the Dedekind order completion of the set C_b(X) of all bounded continuous functions on X. Under some general assumptions about the topological space X the Dedekind order completions of both C(X) and C_b(X) are characterised as subsets of the set of all Hausdorff continuous functions. This solves a long outstanding open problem about the Dedekind order completion of C(X). In addition, it has major applications to the regularity of solutions of large classes of nonlinear PDEs

Are GPs under-investigating older patients presenting with symptoms of ovarian cancer? Observational study using General Practice Research Database

Background: Recent studies suggest that older patients in the United Kingdom are not benefiting as much from improvements in cancer treatments as their younger counterparts. We investigate whether this might be partly due to differential referral rates using ovarian cancer as an example. Methods: From the General Practice Research Database (GPRD), we identified all women aged 40–80 years on 1 June 2002 with a Read code for ovarian cancer between 1 June 2002 and 31 May 2007. Using these records, we compared the GPRD incidence of ovarian cancer with rates compiled from the UK cancer registries and investigated the relationship between age and coded investigations for suspected ovarian cancer. Results: The GPRD rates peaked earlier, at 70–74, and were lower than registry rates for nearly all ages particularly for patients over 59. The proportion investigated or referred by the GP decreased significantly with age and delays between first coded symptom and investigation showed a U-shaped distribution by age. Conclusions: GPs appear to be less likely to recognise and to refer patients presenting with ovarian cancer as they get older. If our findings extend to other cancers, lack of or delays in referral to secondary care may partly explain poor UK cancer mortality rates of older people

Health Technology Scenarios and Implications for Spectrum

Supporting Informatio

Теоретичні засади дослідження виборчих технологій в електоральному процесі України та проблеми їх ефективності

Здійснено політологічний аналіз ефективності виборчих технологій та проаналізо­вано їх вплив на електоральні процеси в Україні.Осуществлен политологический анализ эффективности избирательных технологий и проанализировано их влияние на электоральные процессы в Украине.Political analysis of electoral technologies effectiveness and analyzes of their impact on the electoral process in Ukraine are made

A Sensitivity Study on the Effects of Particle Chemistry, Asphericity and Size on the Mass Extinction Efficiency of Mineral Dust in the Earth's Atmosphere: From the Near to Thermal IR

To determine a plausible range of mass extinction efficiencies (MEE) of terrestrial atmospheric dust from the near to thermal IR, sensitivity analyses are performed over an extended range of dust microphysical and chemistry perturbations. The IR values are subsequently compared to those in the near-IR, to evaluate spectral relationships in their optical properties. Synthesized size distributions consistent with measurements, model particle size, while composition is defined by the refractive indices of minerals routinely observed in dust, including the widely used OPAC/Hess parameterization. Single-scattering properties of representative dust particle shapes are calculated using the T-matrix, Discrete Dipole Approximation and Lorenz-Mie light-scattering codes. For the parameterizations examined, MEE ranges from nearly zero to 1.2 square meters per gram, with the higher values associated with non-spheres composed of quartz and gypsum. At near-IR wavelengths, MEE for non-spheres generally exceeds those for spheres, while in the thermal IR, shape-induced changes in MEE strongly depend on volume median diameter (VMD) and wavelength, particularly for MEE evaluated at the mineral resonant frequencies. MEE spectral distributions appear to follow particle geometry and are evidence for shape dependency in the optical properties. It is also shown that non-spheres best reproduce the positions of prominent absorption peaks found in silicates. Generally, angular particles exhibit wider and more symmetric MEE spectral distribution patterns from 8-10 micrometers than those with smooth surfaces, likely due to their edge-effects. Lastly, MEE ratios allow for inferring dust optical properties across the visible-IR spectrum. We conclude the MEE of dust aerosol are significant for the parameter space investigated, and are a key component for remote sensing applications and the study of direct aerosol radiative effects

A Novel Non-Intrusive Method to Resolve the Thermal-Dome-Effect of Pyranometers: Radiometric Calibration and Implications

Traditionally the calibration equation for pyranometers assumes that the measured solar irradiance is solely proportional to the thermopile's output voltage; therefore only a single calibration factor is derived. This causes additional measurement uncertainties because it does not capture sufficient information to correctly account for a pyranometer's thermal effect. In our updated calibration equation, temperatures from the pyranometer's dome and case are incorporated to describe the instrument's thermal behavior, and a new set of calibration constants are determined, thereby reducing measurement uncertainties. In this paper, we demonstrate why a pyranometer's uncertainty using the traditional calibration equation is always larger than a-few-percent, but with the new approach can become much less than 1% after the thermal issue is resolved. The highlighted calibration results are based on NIST-traceable light sources under controlled laboratory conditions. The significance of the new approach lends itself to not only avoiding the uncertainty caused by a pyranometer's thermal effect but also the opportunity to better isolate and characterize other instrumental artifacts, such as angular response and non-linearity of the thermopile, to further reduce additional uncertainties. We also discuss some of the implications, including an example of how the thermal issue can potentially impact climate studies by evaluating aerosol's direct-radiative effect using field measurements with and without considering the pyranometer's thermal effect. The results of radiative transfer model simulation show that a pyranometer's thermal effect on solar irradiance measurements at the surface can be translated into a significant alteration of the calculated distribution of solar energy inside the column atmosphere

Protective Effects of Smoke-free Legislation on Birth Outcomes in England: A Regression Discontinuity Design

Background: Environmental tobacco smoke has an adverse impact on preterm birth and birth weight. England introduced a new law to make virtually all enclosed public places and workplaces smoke free on July 1 2007. We investigated the effect of smoke-free legislation on birth outcomes in England using Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) maternity data. Methods: We used regression discontinuity, a quasi-experimental study design, which can facilitate valid causal inference, to analyse short-term effects of smoke-free legislation on birth weight, low birth weight, gestational age, preterm birth and small for gestational age. Results: We analysed 1,800,906 pregnancies resulting in singleton live-births in England between January 1 2005 and December 31 2009. In the one to five months following the introduction of the smoking-free legislation, for those entering their third trimester, the risk of low birth weight decreased by between 8% (95% CI: 4%-12%) and 14% (95% CI: 5%-23%), very low birth weight between 28% (95% CI: 19%-36%) and 32% (95% CI: 21%-41%), preterm birth between 4% (95% CI: 1%-8%) and 9% (95% CI: 2%-16%), and small for gestational age between 5% (95% CI: 2%-8%) and 9% (95% CI: 2%-15%). The impact of the smoke-free legislation varied by maternal age, deprivation, ethnicity and region. Conclusions: The introduction of smoke-free legislation in England had an immediate beneficial impact on birth outcomes overall, although this benefit was not observed across all age, ethnic, or deprivation groups

Dissolved Organic Carbon in the North Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation

The quantitative role of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) export is evaluated by combining DOC measurements with observed water mass transports. In the eastern subpolar North Atlantic, both upper and lower limbs of the AMOC transport high-DOC waters. Deep water formation that connects the two limbs of the AMOC results in a high downward export of non-refractory DOC (197 Tg-C·yr-1). Subsequent remineralization in the lower limb of the AMOC, between subpolar and subtropical latitudes, consumes 72% of the DOC exported by the whole Atlantic Ocean. The contribution of DOC to the carbon sequestration in the North Atlantic Ocean (62 Tg-C·yr-1) is considerable and represents almost a third of the atmospheric CO 2 uptake in the region