Regional, disease specific patterns of smoking-attributable mortality in 2000

Background: Smoking has been causally associated with increased mortality from several diseases, and has increased considerably in many developing countries in the past few decades. Mortality attributable to smoking in the year 2000 was estimated for adult males and females, including estimates by age and for specific diseases in 14 epidemiological subregions of the world.

Methods: Lung cancer mortality was used as an indirect marker of the accumulated hazard of smoking. Never-smoker lung cancer mortality was estimated based on the household use of coal with poor ventilation. Estimates of mortality caused by smoking were made for lung cancer, upper aerodigestive cancer, all other cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), other respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and selected other medical causes. Estimates were limited to ages 30 years and above.

Results: In 2000, an estimated 4.83 million premature deaths in the world were attributable to smoking, 2.41 million in developing countries and 2.43 million in industrialised countries. There were 3.84 million male deaths and 1.00 million female deaths attributable to smoking. 2.69 million smoking attributable deaths were between the ages of 30–69 years, and 2.14 million were 70 years of age and above. The leading causes of death from smoking in industrialised regions were cardiovascular diseases (1.02 million deaths), lung cancer (0.52 million deaths), and COPD (0.31 million deaths), and in the developing world cardiovascular diseases (0.67 million deaths), COPD (0.65 million deaths), and lung cancer (0.33 million deaths). The share of male and female deaths and younger and older adult deaths, and of various diseases in total smoking attributable deaths exhibited large inter-regional heterogeneity, especially in the developing world.

Conclusions: Smoking was an important cause of global mortality in 2000, affecting a large number of diseases. Age, sex, and disease patterns of smoking-caused mortality varied greatly across regions, due to both historical and current smoking patterns, and the presence of other risk factors that affect background mortality from specific diseases.

     

Individual monitoring for internal exposure in Europe and the integration of dosimetric data

The European Radiation Dosimetry Group, EURADOS, established a working group consisting of experts whose aim is to assist in the process of harmonisation of individual monitoring as part of the protection of occupationally exposed workers. A catalogue of facilities and internal dosimetric techniques related to individual monitoring in Europe has been completed as a result of this EURADOS study. A questionnaire was sent in 2002 to services requesting information on various topics including type of exposures, techniques used for direct and indirect measurements including calibration and sensitivity data and the methods employed for the assessment of internal doses. Information relating to Quality Control procedures for direct and indirect measurements, Quality Assurance Programmes in the facilities and legal requirements for "approved dosimetric services" were also considered. A total of 71 completed questionnaires were returned by internal dosimetry facilities in 26 countries. This results in an overview of the actual status of the processes used in internal exposure estimation in Europe. In many ways harmonisation is a reality in internal dose assessments, especially when taking into account the measurements of the activity retained or excreted from the body. However, a future study detailing the estimation of minimum detectable activity in the laboratories is highly recommended. Points to focus on in future harmonisation activities are as follows: the process of calculation of doses from measured activity, establishment of guidelines, similar dosimetric tools and application of the same ICRP recommendations. This would lead to a better and more harmonised approach to the estimation of internal exposures in all European facilities.     

Tannery wastewater treatment by sequencing batch biofilm reactor

The paper reports the results of an investigation aimed to evaluate the performances of an innovative process for treating tannery wastewater. In such a process biological degradation, carried out in a sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SBBR), is combined with chemical oxidation by ozone. The treatment was carried out at laboratory scale on a real primary effluent coming from a centralized plant treating the wastewater of a large tannery district in Northern Italy. SBBR performances without and with ozonation were compared with very satisfactory results particularly in the latter instance when the recorded COD, TKN, and TSS average removals, (96%), (92%), and (98%), respectively, permitted to achieve the fixed limits enforced by Italian regulation without needing any additional polishing step. With or without ozonation, the process that resulted was characterized by a specific sludge production (0.1 kgVSS/kg CODremoved) significantly lower than the values featuring conventional biological systems (i.e., 0.3-0.5 VSS/kg CODremoved). Moreover, as in the reactor the biomass density results were very high, i.e., 98 gVSS/Lsludge, it was possible to achieve and maintain biomass concentration as high as 20 gVSS/L.     

Guidance on individual monitoring programmes for radioisotopic techniques in molecular and cellular biology

The radioisotope techniques used in molecular and cellular biology involve external and internal irradiation risk. The personal dosemeter may be a reasonable indicator for external irradiation. However, it is necessary to control the possible internal contamination associated with the development of these techniques. The aim of this project is to analyse the most usual techniques and to establish programmes of internal monitoring for specific radionuclides (32P, 35S, 14C, 3H, 125I and 131I). To elaborate these programmes it was necessary to analyse the radioisotope techniques. Two models have been applied (NRPB and IAEA) to the more significant techniques, according to the physical and chemical nature of the radionuclides, their potential importance in occupational exposure and the possible injury to the genetic material of the cell. The results allowed the identification of the techniques with possible risk of internal contamination. It was necessary to identify groups of workers that require individual monitoring. The risk groups have been established among the professionals exposed, according to different parameters: the general characteristics of receptor, the radionuclides used (the same user can work with one, two or three radionuclides at the same time) and the results of the models applied. Also a control group was established. The study of possible intakes in these groups has been made by urinalysis and whole-body counter. The theoretical results are coherent with the experimental results. They have allowed guidance to individual monitoring to be proposed. Basically, the document shows: (1) the analysis of the radiosotopic techniques, taking into account the special containment equipment; (2) the establishment of the need of individual monitoring; and (3) the required frequency of measurements in a routine programme.     

Effect of water soluble extract of nacre (Pinctada maxima) on alkaline phosphatase activity and Bcl-2 expression in primary cultured osteoblasts from neonatal rat calvaria

The nacre (mother of pearl) layer of the oyster Pinctada maxima shell can initiate bone formation by human osteoblasts in vivo and in vitro and is a new biomaterial that induces osteogenesis. This activity of nacre could be due to its water-soluble matrix. We examined the action of a water-soluble extract of nacre on the osteoblast phenotype of cells isolated from rat neonatal calvaria by measuring alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and by localization of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 by immunocytochemistry. ALP activity was increased 7% (p<0.001) by 100 g proteins/ml extract and 20% (p<0.001) by 50 g proteins/ml extract, but a low concentration of extract decreased the ALP activity by 8%. Cells treated with a high aspartic acid content fraction of the extract had increased ALP activity (23%, p<0.0001). Nacre extract and the fraction have no effect on the proliferation of mature osteoblasts. Immunoreactive Bcl-2 was overproduced in the cytoplasm and nuclei of osteoblasts at all stages of culture. Bcl-2 was found over the whole chromatin in quiescent and mitotic cells at the end of mitosis in the two nuclei in one cell, before cytodieresis. Bcl-2 was also found over chromosomes. Thus, nacre extract stimulates Bcl-2 production in osteoblasts, that is correlated with the cell cycle. Bcl-2 was also abundant in the nucleoli of extract-treated cells. Thus, the concentration and subcellular distribution of Bcl-2 in osteoblasts in primary cultures is influenced by nacre extract, and related to the cell cycle and the regulation of gene expression. Hence, knowledge of how water-soluble extracts of Pinctada maxima nacre act on osteoblasts in vitro may reveal the mechanisms involved in its action in vivo on bone cells and bone regeneration.     

Subwavelength surface-relief gratings fabricated by microcontact printing of self-assembled monolayers

We have designed and tested subwavelength diffractive optical elements consisting of surface-relief gratings made by microcontact printing of self-assembled monolayers. The first device is a beam deflector for 1.55-mum operation consisting of a surface-relief grating made up of eight pillars over one period (9.3 mum) of the grating. The widths of the pillars vary to approximate a linear phase profile within each grating period. The second device is a quarter-wave plate for 632.8-nm operation consisting of a subwavelength surface-relief grating with a 300-nm period and 58% duty cycle.     

By-products formation during degradation of isoproturon in aqueous solution. II: Chlorination

After a previous study in which the considered oxidant was ozone (Part I), a laboratory investigation has been carried out to study the degradation of the herbicide isoproturon during its reaction with another oxidant, i.e. chlorine, in aqueous solution (Part II; this paper). The specific aim was to identify the by-products formed. The effects of pH and the presence of bromide ions were studied. Reactions have been carried out at room temperature, in phosphate buffered aqueous solutions, at four pHs (6, 7, 8 and 9). By-products identification was first performed using relatively high initial reagent concentrations which were analytically convenient ([isoproturon] = 40 mg/l, [HClO + ClO-] = 160 mg Cl/l, [Br-] = 80 mg/l). In follow-up studies, the by-products identified during this preliminary step were searched for when using concentration values closer to those actually encountered at real water treatment plants ([isoproturon] = 0.4 and 0.004 mg/l, [HClO + ClO-] = 1.6 mg Cl/l, [Br-] = 0.8 and 0.008 mg/l). Under all of the studied conditions, the results showed that isoproturon is completely degraded and that it decays much faster in the presence of bromide. The pH has a negligible influence when bromide ions are absent. On the contrary, if bromide ions are present, the isoproturon decay is slower at higher pH values. High-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) analyses have led to the identification of several by-products as a result of simultaneous oxidation and substitution reactions, both occurring on the aromatic ring of the herbicide. However, the more abundant by-products are those resulting from the oxidation of the isoproturon aromatic ring. As far as halogenated by-products are concerned, the higher the bromide ion concentration the higher the ratio of brominated to chlorinated by-products. On the basis of the analytical results, a pathway for isoproturon degradation under the studied conditions is proposed.     

Relating Cost Growth from the Initial Estimate to Design Fee for Transportation Projects

Intuitively, there should be a relationship between the size of the design fee for a transportation project and the quality of the resulting design. This study sought that relationship by looking at the fee expressed as a percentage of the construction cost and the final construction cost growth from the engineer’s initial estimate of the construction cost at the time the design contract was awarded. The research team analyzed 31 projects from the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority with a total construction value of $90 million. The projects were divided into road and bridge projects. Based on the results of the analysis, it seems that as the design fee decreases, the absolute percentage of construction cost growth from the engineer’s early estimate increases. The relationship is strongest for bridge projects, which tend to be more technically complex to design than roadway projects. This confirms for U.S. projects the result of an earlier study in Saudi Arabia. This paper concludes that the design fee should be viewed as an investment at a point in time where the ability to impact the project is the highest and can accrue the benefit of reduced cost growth.