Elevated mortality from nonalcohol-related chronic liver disease among female rubber workers: is it associated with exposure to nitrosamines?

BACKGROUND: Despite several case reports describing liver toxicity of nitrosamines and the fact that some N-nitroso compounds are used to induce cirrhosis of the liver in animal models, this association has not been investigated in epidemiological studies. METHODS: A cohort of 2,875 female rubber workers who were active on January 1, 1976, or hired thereafter, and who had been employed for at least 1 year in one of five plants producing tires or technical rubber goods was followed for mortality from January, 1976, through December, 1991. Work histories were reconstructed using routinely documented "cost center codes" and classified into six work areas. Age and calendar year standardized mortality ratios (SMR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated and stratified by plant, work area, year of hire, and years of employment in the respective work area. RESULTS: The excess mortality from cirrhosis of the liver was most pronounced for nonalcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver (ICD-9 571.4-571.9: 10 deaths, SMR 202; 95% CI 97-372). Mortality from alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver (ICD-9 571.0-571.3: 3 deaths, SMR 153; 95% CI 31-446) and from other alcohol-related diseases (organic psychoses, injury, and poisoning) was not statistically significantly elevated. All 10 cases of nonalcohol-related cirrhosis had worked in production of technical rubber goods (SMR 279; 95% CI 134-514) and risks increased with earlier years of hire and with longer duration of employment in this work area. DISCUSSION: Although our results must be interpreted with caution, they suggest that the observed excess deaths from cirrhosis of the liver are associated with occupational risk factors. In light of additional evidence from case reports and animal data, exposure to nitrosamines may be a plausible risk factor for the observed excess mortality.     

Intimate partner violence among female sex workers in two Mexico–U.S. Border cities: Partner characteristics and HIV risk behaviors as correlates of abuse.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has been associated with greater vulnerability to HIV infection among women. We examined prevalence and correlates of IPV among female sex workers (FSWs) in Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez, two large Mexico–U.S. border cities in which HIV prevalence is rising. Participants were 300 FSWs with a current spouse or a steady partner. Participants' mean age was 33 years, and mean number of years as a sex worker was 6. The prevalence of IPV in the past 6 months among participants was 35%. Using multivariate logistic regression, factors independently associated with IPV included having experienced abuse as a child, a partner who had sex with someone else, and lower sexual relationship power. Our findings suggest the need for previous abuse screening and violence prevention services for FSWs in the Mexico–U.S. border region. Careful consideration of relationship dynamics such as infidelity and relationship power is warranted when assessing for IPV risk. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Lessons Learned from a Design Competition for Structural Engineering Students: The Case of a Pedestrian Walkway at the Université de Sherbrooke

Competence in design is an engineering skill that can only be achieved with appropriate training and through accumulation of relevant experience. While in some fields of engineering there are numerous industry-oriented problems that can be investigated reasonably thoroughly, and for which the pinnacle of formation is attained when a team of university students builds a working prototype, there are unfortunately few genuinely realistic conceive-design-build-test (operate) opportunities in which structural engineering students can participate actively during their formative years. This stems from the very nature of structural engineering itself which, as in the case of most civil engineering designs, usually calls for a unique solution to a problem of relatively large scale. One way to provide a realistic and significant structural engineering design opportunity is through student design competitions. However, the conditions of success for such a competition depend on the appropriate coincidence of interest between program goals, commitment from the owner of the structure to be designed and eventually built, and support, both financial and technical, from professional or research organizations. This case study reports on a recent structural engineering student design competition for a pedestrian walkway in Sherbrooke, Canada. It highlights the key technical features of the competition, the organizational obstacles, and the professional benefits for the participants.