Particulate matter (PM) 2.5 levels in ETS emissions of a Marlboro Red cigarette in comparison to the 3R4F reference cigarette under open- and closed-door condition

Introduction: Potential health damage by environmental emission of tobacco smoke (environmental tobacco smoke, ETS) has been demonstrated convincingly in numerous studies. People, especially children, are still exposed to ETS in the small space of private cars. Although major amounts of toxic compounds from ETS are likely transported into the distal lung via particulate matter (PM), few studies have quantified the amount of PM in ETS. Study aim The aim of this study was to determine the ETS-dependent concentration of PM from both a 3R4F reference cigarette (RC) as well as a Marlboro Red brand cigarette (MRC) in a small enclosed space under different conditions of ventilation to model car exposure. Method: In order to create ETS reproducibly, an emitter (ETSE) was constructed and mounted on to an outdoor telephone booth with an inner volume of 1.75 m3. Cigarettes were smoked under open- and closed-door condition to imitate different ventilation scenarios. PM2.5 concentration was quantified by a laser aerosol spectrometer (Grimm; Model 1.109), and data were adjusted for baseline values. Simultaneously indoor and outdoor climate parameters were recorded. The time of smoking was divided into the ETS generation phase (subset "emission") and a declining phase of PM concentration (subset "elimination"); measurement was terminated after 10 min. For all three time periods the average concentration of PM2.5 (Cmean-PM2.5) and the area under the PM2.5 concentration curve (AUC-PM2.5) was calculated. The maximum concentration (Cmax-PM2.5) was taken from the total interval. Results: For both cigarette types open-door ventilation reduced the AUC-PM2.5 (RC: from 59 400 +/- 14 600 to 5 550 +/- 3 900 mug*sec/m3; MRC: from 86 500 +/- 32 000 to 7 300 +/- 2 400 mug*sec/m3; p < 0.001) and Cmean-PM2.5 (RC: from 600 +/- 150 to 56 +/- 40 mug/m3, MRC from 870 +/- 320 to 75 +/- 25 mug/m3; p < 0.001) by about 90%. Cmax-PM2.5 was reduced by about 80% (RC: from 1 050 +/- 230 to 185 +/- 125 mug/m3; MRC: from 1 560 +/-500 mug/m3 to 250 +/- 85 mug/m3; p < 0.001). In the subset "emission" we identified a 78% decrease in AUC-PM2.5 (RC: from 18 600 +/- 4 600 to 4 000 +/- 2 600 mug*sec/m3; MRC: from 26 600 +/- 7 200 to 5 800 +/- 1 700 mug*sec/m3; p < 0.001) and Cmean-PM2.5 (RC: from 430 +/- 108 to 93 +/- 60 mug/m3; MRC: from 620 +/- 170 to 134 +/- 40 mug/m3; p < 0.001). In the subset "elimination" we found a reduction of about 96-98% for AUC-PM2.5 (RC: from 40 800 +/- 11 100 to 1 500 +/- 1 700 mug*sec/m3; MRC: from 58 500 +/- 25 200 to 1 400 +/- 800 mug*sec/m3; p < 0.001) and Cmean-PM2.5 (RC: from 730 +/- 200 to 27 +/- 29 mug/m3; MRC: from 1 000 +/- 450 to 26 +/- 15 mug/m3; p < 0.001). Throughout the total interval Cmax-PM2.5 of MRC was about 50% higher (1 550 +/- 500 mug/m3) compared to RC (1 050 +/- 230 mug/m3; p < 0.05). For the subset "emission" - but not for the other periods - AUC-PM2.5 for MRC was 43% higher (MRC: 26 600 +/- 7 200 mug*sec/m3; RC: 18 600 +/- 4 600 mug*sec/m3; p < 0.05) and 44% higher for Cmean-PM2.5 (MRC: 620 +/- 170 mug/m3; RC: 430 +/- 108 mug/m3; p < 0.05). Conclusion: This method allows reliable quantification of PM2.5-ETS exposure under various conditions, and may be useful for ETS risk assessment in realistic exposure situations. The findings demonstrate that open-door condition does not completely remove ETS from a defined indoor space of 1.75 m3. Because there is no safe level of ETS exposure ventilation is not adequate enough to prevent ETS exposure in confined spaces, e.g. private cars. Additionally, differences in the characteristics of cigarettes affect the amount of ETS particle emission and need to be clarified by ongoing investigations

Изготовление и исследование образцов из неметаллического материала для визуального контроля

В ходе практических экзаменов в рамках аттестации персонала в области неразрушающего контроля используются аттестационные образцы, содержащие один или несколько дефектов. В настоящее время существуют разные образцы для аттестации персонала, например стальные трубы, металлические пластины с дефектными сварными швами, но они выполнены из металлов, а т. к. аттестовать специалистов необходимо на образцах из материала, соответствующего действительному объекту контроля из перечня опасных производственных объектов, то предлагается вариант изготовления экзаменационного образца из неметаллического материала. Был разработан аттестационный образец из неметаллического материала для аттестации персонала в области неразрушающего контроля по визуальному и измерительному контролю.During the practical examinations in the framework of personnel certification in the field of nondestructive testing, attestation samples containing one or more defects are used. Currently, there are different samples for personnel certification, for example steel pipes, metal plates with defective welds, but they are made of metals, and since it is necessary to certify specialists on samples from the material corresponding to the actual object of control from the list of hazardous production objects, a variant of manufacturing an examination sample made of nonmetallic material. A certification sample was prepared from non-metallic material for the certification of personnel in the field of nondestructive testing by visual and measuring control

Diskontinuität und Berufsbiographie: das Beispiel der Zeitarbeit

Der Beitrag geht von der Annahme aus, daß sich im Zuge der anhaltenden Krise auf dem Arbeitsmarkt neue Randbelegschaften ausbilden. Am Beispiel der Zeitarbeit werden die Konturen dieser Beschäftigungssegmente hinsichtlich ihrer sozialen und biographischen Konstitutionsmechanismen herausgearbeitet. Es wird gezeigt, daß das Problem der beruflichen und biographischen Diskontinuität eine besondere Relevanz besitzt. Als spezifisch berufsbiographische Probleme von Zeitarbeitnehmer/ innen werden herausgearbeitet: Integration und Reintegration ins Beschäftigungssystem; der Anschluß an schulische und berufliche Bildungsgänge; die Aufrechterhaltung von Beschäftigungsoptionen, die psycho-soziale Verarbeitung von Brüchen. Die Untersuchung verdeutlicht, daß Zeitarbeit gegenüber anderen Randbelegschaftsgruppen und anderen Formen flexibler Beschäftigung ein besonderes Profil aufweist, das charakterisiert wird durch ein vergleichsweise hohes Qualifikationsniveau, einen diskontinuierlichen Arbeitseinsatz und diskontinuierliche Berufsverläufe. Aus dieser spezifischen Verknüpfung von Randständigkeit, Qualifikation und Diskontinuität werden Schlußfolgerungen für allgemeinere Transformations- und Erosionstendenzen im Beschäftigungssystem gezogen. (RW)This article analyses the import of occupational and biographical factors for the constitution of a 'new peripheral workforce', for which the group of temporary workers is taken as an example. A high percentage of this workforce is considerably highly qualified. Temporary workers are mostly people who want to integrate or reintegrate themselves into the employment system, trying to avoid unemployment. It is shown that discontinuous work-careers are of a specific relevance in this segment. Discontinuities articulate themselves in a high frequency of workplace-changes, problematic passages from education to employment, reentering employment (especially by women after time off for family reasons) and also in processes of professional mobility, which are inherent to this particular form of employment. In this respect, tendencies of occupational de-differentiation and de-qualification are of major importance

Zeitarbeit: Konturen eines "neuen" Beschäftigungsverhältnisses

Dieser Beitrag basiert auf einer detailierten quantitativ-statistischen Rekonstruktion des Zeitarbeitmarktes in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Einige Aspekte der französischen Arbeitsmarktentwicklung werden kurz angesprochen. Die durchschnittliche Anzahl der Arbeitnehmer, die in trilateralen Arbeitsverhältnissen (Verleiher/ Arbeitnehmer/ Entleiher) stehen, hat in den letzten Jahren rapide zugenommen. Der Wechsel in diesem Arbeitsmarktsegment ist relativ hoch. Die Berufsstruktur der Zeitarbeitnehmer hat sich in den letzten zehn Jahren stark verändert. Die Schwerpunktverlagerung erfolgte von den Büroberufen zu den industriellen und zu teils hochqualifizierten Berufen. Zeitarbeit wird hauptsächlich im industriellen Fertigungsbereich und zu einem kleineren Teil im Dienstleistungssektor genutzt. Die Zeitarbeitsbranche ihrerseits besteht aus einer sehr großen und wachsenden Anzahl kleinerer Agenturen und einer kleinen Anzahl großer Zeitarbeitunternehmen, die allerdings mehr als die Hälfte des Marktanteils halten.This article gives a first systematic overview of the labor market segment of temporary work in West Germany and, in some respects, in France. The average daily number of people working in this trilateral employment-relation has - on a still relatively low level of 0,3 per cent of the entire workforce - grown very rapidly in the recent years: up to 70 000 in 1986. As most (about 75 per cent) of these employment relations last only for less than three months, the turnover in this particular segment is very high and, as a consequence, the number of temporary workers in a whole year at least three times as high as the daily average. The occupational structure has changed in the last 10 years from more office-oriented qualifications to industrial, and to a great part highly qualified, occupations. Temporary work is used mainly in the core sector of industry, and a smaller part is used in the service sector. The business of temporary work organizations itself consists of a very big, and even growing, number of small agencies on one hand, and of a smaller number of big units, covering about half of this particular market on the other

National registry for patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRD) infected with SARS-CoV-2 in Germany (ReCoVery): a valuable mean to gain rapid and reliable knowledge of the clinical course of SARS-CoV-2 infections in patients with IRD

Objectives: Patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRD) infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) may be at risk to develop a severe course of COVID-19. The influence of immunomodulating drugs on the course of COVID-19 is unknown. To gather knowledge about SARS-CoV-2 infections in patients with IRD, we established a registry shortly after the beginning of the pandemic in Germany. Methods Using an online questionnaire (www.COVID19-rheuma.de.), a nationwide database was launched on 30 March 2020, with appropriate ethical and data protection approval to collect data of patients with IRD infected with SARS-CoV-2. In this registry, key clinical and epidemiological parameters-for example, diagnosis of IRD, antirheumatic therapies, comorbidities and course of the infection-are documented. Results Until 25 April 2020, data from 104 patients with IRD infected with SARS-CoV-2 were reported (40 males;63 females;1 diverse). Most of them (45%) were diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, 59% had one or more comorbidities and 42% were treated with biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Hospitalisation was reported in 32% of the patients. Two-thirds of the patients already recovered. Unfortunately, 6 patients had a fatal course. Conclusions: In a short time, a national registry for SARS-CoV2-infected patients with IRD was established. Within 4 weeks, 104 cases were documented. The registry enables to generate data rapidly in this emerging situation and to gain a better understanding of the course of SARS-CoV2-infection in patients with IRD, with a distinct focus on their immunomodulatory therapies. This knowledge is valuable for timely information of physicians and patients with IRD, and shall also serve for the development of guidance for the management of patients with IRD during this pandemic

Patient Age, Sex, and Inflammatory Bowel Disease Phenotype Associate With Course of Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is an orphan hepatobiliary disorder associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We aimed to estimate the risk of disease progression based on distinct clinical phenotypes in a large international cohort of patients with PSC. METHODS: We performed a retrospective outcome analysis of patients diagnosed with PSC from 1980 through 2010 at 37 centers in Europe, North America, and Australia. For each patient, we collected data on sex, clinician-reported age at and date of PSC and IBD diagnoses, phenotypes of IBD and PSC, and date and indication of IBD-related surgeries. The primary and secondary endpoints were liver transplantation or death (LTD) and hepatopancreatobiliary malignancy, respectively. Cox proportional hazards models were applied to determine the effects of individual covariates on rates of clinical events, with time-to-event analysis ascertained through Kaplan-Meier estimates. RESULTS: Of the 7121 patients in the cohort, 2616 met the primary endpoint (median time to event of 14.5 years) and 721 developed hepatopancreatobiliary malignancy. The most common malignancy was cholangiocarcinoma (n = 594); patients of advanced age at diagnosis had an increased incidence compared with younger patients (incidence rate: 1.2 per 100 patient-years for patients younger than 20 years old, 6.0 per 100 patient-years for patients 21-30 years old, 9.0 per 100 patient-years for patients 31-40 years old, 14.0 per 100 patient-years for patients 4150 years old, 15.2 per 100 patient-years for patients 51-60 years old, and 21.0 per 100 patient-years for patients older than 60 years). Of all patients with PSC studied, 65.5% were men, 89.8% had classical or large-duct disease, and 70.0% developed IBD at some point. Assessing the development of IBD as a time-dependent covariate, Crohn's disease and no IBD (both vs ulcerative colitis) were associated with a lower risk of LTD (unadjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.62; PPeer reviewe