Air conditioning and source-specific particles as modifiers of the effect of PM(10) on hospital admissions for heart and lung disease.

Studies on acute effects of particulate matter (PM) air pollution show significant variability in exposure-effect relations among cities. Recent studies have shown an influence of ventilation on personal/indoor-outdoor relations and stronger associations of adverse effects with combustion-related particles. We evaluated whether differences in prevalence of air conditioning (AC) and/or the contribution of different sources to total PM(10) emissions could partly explain the observed variability in exposure-effect relations. We used regression coefficients of the relation between PM(10) and hospital admissions for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cardiovascular disease (CVD), and pneumonia from a recent study in 14 U.S. cities. We obtained data on the prevalence of AC from the 1993 American Housing Survey and data on PM(10) emissions by source category, vehicle miles traveled (VMT), and population density from the U.S. EPA. We analyzed data using meta-regression techniques. PM(10) regression coefficients for CVD and COPD decreased significantly with increasing percentage of homes with central AC when cities were stratified by whether their PM(10) concentrations peaked in winter or non-winter months. PM(10) coefficients for CVD increased significantly with increasing percentage of PM(10) emission from highway vehicles, highway diesels, oil combustion, metal processing, decreasing percentage of PM(10) emission from fugitive dust, and increasing population density and VMT/mile(2). In multivariate analysis, only percentage of PM(subscript)10(/subscript) from highway vehicles/diesels and oil combustion remained significant. For COPD and pneumonia, associations were less significant but the patterns of the associations were similar to that for CVD. The results suggest that air conditioning and proportion of especially traffic-related particles significantly modify the effect of PM(10) on hospital admissions, especially for CVD

Совместная обработка траекторно измерительной информации при испытаниях сложных информационно-управляющих систем

Рассмотрен метод траекторных измерений, использующий совместную обработку измерительной информации, полученной от полигонных средств внешнетраекторных измерений и специальной бортовой измерительной аппаратуры при натурных испытаниях сложных информационно-управляющих систем на местах их постоянной дислокации.A method of trajectory measurements, which uses a joint processing of the measuring data, obtained from the proving ground means of external trajectory measurements and special onboard measuring equipment with the full-scale tests of the complex information-control systems at their constant disposition is considered

Green Space Visits among Adolescents: Frequency and Predictors in the PIAMA Birth Cohort Study.

Green space may influence health through several pathways, for example, increased physical activity, enhanced social cohesion, reduced stress, and improved air quality. For green space to increase physical activity and social cohesion, spending time in green spaces is likely to be important

Управління загрозами фінансовій безпеці підприємства

Розроблено блок-схему алгоритму управління загрозами фінансовій безпеці підприємства; виділено основні етапи здійснення цього процесу: оцінювання, аналіз та управління. Визначено сутність, зміст, переваги та недоліки застосування методів оцінювання загроз фінансовій безпеці в системі фінансового менеджменту підприємства. Ключові слова: підприємство, фінансова безпека, загрози, оцінювання, аналіз, управління.Составлена блок-схема алгоритма управления угрозами финансовой безопасности предприятия. Выделены основные этапы осуществления данного процесса: оценивание, анализ и управление. Определены сущность, содержание, преимущества и недостатки методов оценивания угроз финансовой безопасности в системе финансового менеджмента предприятия. Ключевые слова: предприятие, финансовая безопасность, угрозы, оценивание, анализ, управление.Enterprise financial security threats management main terms essence and contents were defined on the basis of financial and economic literature analysis and generalization: enterprise financial security threats management is a multistage process, which includes evaluation, management and analysis of enterprise financial security threats management; evaluation of enterprise financial security threats is a process of identification of threats influence on enterprise financial security; analysis of enterprise financial security threats is a process of threats identification, which influence on enterprise financial security. It is established that the majority of modern domestic and foreign scientists consider two groups of enterprise financial security threats estimation: qualitative or subjective (expert, probabilistic (concerning loss, favorable possibilities), consequences analysis) and quantitative or objective (statistical, analytical, rating, expense expediency, analogues, decision tree, normative). Comparative analysis of qualitative and quantitative enterprise financial security threats estimation enables to detect that use either of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. Some methods require using the considerable mass data and at the same time leave out of the account the time factor; others are insufficiently developed for using in the domestic economic conditions. Therefore the choice of the method is made only owing to the purpose of the enterprise financial security threats estimation. It is proved that the methods of the enterprise financial security threats management could be divided into three groups: reduction, maintenance and transmission. Reduction of enterprise financial security threats level provides preventive management and logistical measures implementation as to unfavorable events in financial and economic activities prevention or negative consequences liquidation. As measures, implemented for enterprise financial security threats level maintaining, could be referred the following: getting loans on compensation for losses, which enterprise got as a result of unforeseen, unfavorable events in its financial and economic activities, resumption of output production (goods, works, services) with the help of finance and credit establishments activities, government grants etc. Keywords: enterprise, financial security, threats, evaluation, analysis, management

Black carbon as an additional indicator of the adverse health effects of airborne particles compared with PM10 and PM2.5.

Current air quality standards for particulate matter (PM) use the PM mass concentration [PM with aerodynamic diameters ≤ 10 μm (PM(10)) or ≤ 2.5 μm (PM(2.5))] as a metric. It has been suggested that particles from combustion sources are more relevant to human health than are particles from other sources, but the impact of policies directed at reducing PM from combustion processes is usually relatively small when effects are estimated for a reduction in the total mass concentration

Asexuality: Classification and characterization

This is a post-print version of the article. The official published version can be obtaineed at the link below.The term “asexual” has been defined in many different ways and asexuality has received very little research attention. In a small qualitative study (N = 4), individuals who self-identified as asexual were interviewed to help formulate hypotheses for a larger study. The second larger study was an online survey drawn from a convenience sample designed to better characterize asexuality and to test predictors of asexual identity. A convenience sample of 1,146 individuals (N = 41 self-identified asexual) completed online questionnaires assessing sexual history, sexual inhibition and excitation, sexual desire, and an open-response questionnaire concerning asexual identity. Asexuals reported significantly less desire for sex with a partner, lower sexual arousability, and lower sexual excitation but did not differ consistently from non-asexuals in their sexual inhibition scores or their desire to masturbate. Content analyses supported the idea that low sexual desire is the primary feature predicting asexual identity

Design of the FemCure study: prospective multicentre study on the transmission of genital and extra-genital Chlamydia trachomatis infections in women receiving routine care

BACKGROUND: In women, anorectal infections with Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) are about as common as genital CT, yet the anorectal site remains largely untested in routine care. Anorectal CT frequently co-occurs with genital CT and may thus often be treated co-incidentally. Nevertheless, post-treatment detection of CT at both anatomic sites has been demonstrated. It is unknown whether anorectal CT may play a role in post-treatment transmission. This study, called FemCure, in women who receive routine treatment (either azithromycin or doxycycline) aims to understand the post-treatment transmission of anorectal CT infections, i.e., from their male sexual partner(s) and from and to the genital region of the same woman. The secondary objective is to evaluate other reasons for CT detection by nucleic acid amplification techniques (NAAT) such as treatment failure, in order to inform guidelines to optimize CT control. METHODS: A multicentre prospective cohort study (FemCure) is set up in which genital and/or anorectal CT positive women (n = 400) will be recruited at three large Dutch STI clinics located in South Limburg, Amsterdam and Rotterdam. The women self-collect anorectal and vaginal swabs before treatment, and at the end of weeks 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12. Samples are tested for presence of CT-DNA (by NAAT), load (by quantitative polymerase chain reaction -PCR), viability (by culture and viability PCR) and CT type (by multilocus sequence typing). Sexual exposure is assessed by online self-administered questionnaires and by testing samples for Y chromosomal DNA. Using logistic regression models, the impact of two key factors (i.e., sexual exposure and alternate anatomic site of infection) on detection of anorectal and genital CT will be assessed. DISCUSSION: The FemCure study will provide insight in the role of anorectal chlamydia infection in maintaining the CT burden in the context of treatment, and it will provide practical recommendations to reduce avoidable transmission. Implications will improve care strategies that take account of anorectal CT. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02694497

Green space, air pollution, traffic noise and mental wellbeing throughout adolescence: Findings from the PIAMA study

BACKGROUND: Green space, air pollution and traffic noise exposure may be associated with mental health in adolescents. We assessed the associations of long-term exposure to residential green space, ambient air pollution and traffic noise with mental wellbeing from age 11 to 20 years. METHODS: We included 3059 participants of the Dutch PIAMA birth cohort who completed the five-item Mental Health Inventory (MHI-5) at ages 11, 14, 17 and/or 20 years. We estimated exposure to green space (the average Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and percentages of green space in circular buffers of 300 m, 1000 m and 3000 m), ambient air pollution (particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide, PM2.5 absorbance and the oxidative potential of PM2.5) and road traffic and railway noise (Lden) at the adolescents' home addresses at the times of completing the MHI-5. Associations with poor mental wellbeing (MHI-5 score ≤ 60) were assessed by generalized linear mixed models with a logit link, adjusting for covariates. RESULTS: The odds of poor mental wellbeing at age 11 to 20 years decreased with increasing exposure to green space in a 3000 m buffer (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.78 [95% CI 0.68-0.88] per IQR increase in the average NDVI; adjusted OR 0.77 [95% CI 0.67-0.88] per IQR increase in the total percentage of green space). These associations persisted after adjustment for air pollution and road traffic noise. Relationships between mental wellbeing and green space in buffers of 300 m and 1000 m were less consistent. Higher air pollution exposure was associated with higher odds of poor mental wellbeing, but these associations were strongly attenuated after adjustment for green space in a buffer of 3000 m, traffic noise and degree of urbanization. Traffic noise was not related to mental wellbeing throughout adolescence. CONCLUSIONS: Residential exposure to green space may be associated with a better mental wellbeing in adolescents