Traffic exposure in a population with high prevalence type 2 diabetes – Do medications influence concentrations of C-reactive protein?

Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) and particulate air pollution are associated with inflammatory dysregulation. We assessed the modifying effects of diabetes medications on the association of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation, and traffic exposure in adults with T2D (n = 379). CRP concentrations were significantly positively associated with residence ≤100 m of a roadway, >100 m and ≤200 m of a roadway and increased traffic density for individuals using insulin. For individuals using oral hypoglycemic medications (OHAs), CRP was significantly negatively associated with residence >100 m - ≤200 m of a roadway and multiple roadway exposure in an interaction model. Among people with diabetes, individuals on insulin appear to be most vulnerable to the effects of traffic exposure. Disease severity among insulin users may promote the pro-inflammatory response to traffic exposure, though diabetes medications may also modify the response. Possible anti-inflammatory effects of OHAs with traffic exposure merit further evaluation.     

Residential satisfaction among aging people living in place

Residential satisfaction is a significant topic in environmental psychology yet there is little research on residential satisfaction among elders. This research aims to identify the cognitive structure of residential satisfaction of elderly persons living in their own dwellings and to identify demographic and psychological variables related to this residential satisfaction. One hundred and three participants, ranging in age from 72 to 86 years old and living at home in the central France, answered (a) a purpose-developed questionnaire to measure their residential satisfaction, (b) an environmental quality questionnaire aimed at evaluating both the physical and social environments, and (c) several psychological variables including: the ESV, a French adaptation of the Satisfaction with Life Scale which examines the general well-being of aging people; and three single well-being items assessing financial well-being, perceived health, and perception of oneself as active. The results indicated that in this sample, residential satisfaction corresponds to a four-dimension structure organized by physical location rather than psychological or behavioral aspects. The four components were the local area, access to services, relations with neighbors, and the home itself. Satisfaction with each component was related to different predictors, supporting the idea that elders hold complex and nuanced views of their homes and neighborhoods.     

An economic analysis of China’s domestic crude oil supply policies

ABSTRACT

China’s domestic oil production has lagged the growth in domestic oil consumption since the beginning of the 21st century, leading to a growing reliance on imports. In response, the Chinese government has introduced a number of policies, including import license constraints, to support domestic suppliers. In an effort to measure the economic impact of these policies we develop a short-run equilibrium model of China’s wholesale oil and gas market at the provincial scale. We construct counterfactual scenarios that suggest that relaxing policies that prioritize domestic production in 2016, when the average price of Chinese oil imports was US$42 per barrel (bbl), could have increased China’s import demand by 0.29 million barrels per day (MMbbl/d). This results in a substitution of 9% of China’s domestic production in 2016, and a reduction of US $2.8 billion in crude supply costs including transportation as the imported oil has more direct access to the country’s pipeline network, compared to the displaced domestic production. In addition, rising import prices since mid-2017 may provide a window of opportunity for Chinese policymakers to proceed with further deregulation of the domestic oil sector, as the short-term impact on domestic producers is reduced.     

Geochemistry of Iron and Sulfur in the Zone of Microbial Sulfate Reduction in Mine Tailings

The cycling of iron and sulfur in mine tailings depends on various chemical and microbial reactions. The present study was undertaken in order to assess the role played by populations of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) on the fate of Fe and SO₄ ^2- in Cu–Zn and Au tailings. Samples were taken along a 50-cm deep profile at all sites and analyzed for SRB populations, solid-phase mineralogy and porewater geochemistry. Results indicated that the Cu–Zn tailings were highly oxidized near the surface, as shown by the very low pH, high redox potential, large concentrations of soluble Cu, Zn and sulfate in the porewaters, and the depletion of pyrite. On the other hand, Au tailings were more pH neutral, slightly anoxic, and showed low concentrations of Fe and SO₄ ^2- in the porewaters and very little pyrite oxidation. SRB populations in the Cu–Zn tailings increased with depth, just below the oxic/anoxic interface and were linked to a decline of sulfate and DOC concentrations around the same depths. However, large concentrations of dissolved Fe were also observed around the same depth intervals. Our results suggest that SRB could be involved in sulfate reduction in the Cu–Zn tailings, because the solubility of sulfate was not controlled by the precipitation of sulfate-rich minerals. However, the presence of soluble Fe in the reduced portion of the tailings was also indicative of the presence of iron reducing bacteria (IRB). These bacteria were not enumerated in the present study, but their co-occurrence with SRB has been reported in the past in similar mining environments. The decline of sulfate and the release of soluble iron into the porewaters were also paralleled by a pH increase and the generation of alkalinity. In the Au tailings, SRB populations were generally constant throughout the depth profile and could not be ascribed to sulfate reduction in the porewaters. The solubilities of sulfate and iron in these tailings were partially controlled by jarosite and Fe-oxide minerals. It is then clear that SRB populations could be recovered from various mining sites, but their activity cannot be ascertained based on microbial enumeration and geochemical data.     

Noise annoyance from industrial and road traffic combined noises: A survey and a total annoyance model comparison

The literature on noise annoyance emphasizes that acoustical factors cannot totally explain the annoyance felt by a population exposed to community noises, and that some non-acoustical factors have an effect on annoyance. This research paper deals with the annoyance caused by combined noises coming from road traffic and an industrial site. This type of combination has been very little studied to date. An in situ study was conducted in an area of a French town exposed to these two noise sources. To investigate the annoyance caused by these combined noises, the work involved both a mapping of the industrial and road traffic noises present in the survey area and a questionnaire designed to evaluate the noise annoyance experienced by residents and to identify the factors that probably influence noise annoyance. The results highlight the link between the noise levels measured and the annoyance felt by the respondents. They also show that certain non-acoustical factors have an impact on annoyance felt. Indeed, the results highlight a positive correlation between fear of industrial sites and the annoyance expressed. They also show correlations between some items to evaluate noise sensitivity and the annoyance expressed. No significant correlation has been found between annoyance and the other non-acoustical factors such as age, sex and length of residence. Finally, several total annoyance models were tested for this noise combination. Two of them, namely the strongest component model and a proposed perceptual version of the mixed model, were able to better predict total annoyance than the other tested models.     

SNAKES USED IN ETHNOMEDICINE IN NORTHEAST BRAZIL

This paper documents zootherapeutic practices in Northeast Brazil. It is primarily based on field surveys carried out in fishing villages located in the States of Maranhão and Paraíba, where dwellers provided information on snake species used as medicine, body parts used to prepare the remedies, and the illnesses to which the remedies were prescribed. The species used as medicinal drug and their respective families were: Crotalus durissus (rattlesnake), Bothrops leucurus (‘lance head’, a venomous snake), and Lachesis muta (bushmaster) of the family Crotalidae; and Boa constrictor (boa constrictor), Epicrates cenchria (‘salamanta’), and Eunectes murinus (anaconda) of the family (Boidae). These zootherapeutical resources were used for the cure of 14 illnesses. The most commonly cited species were Crotalus durissus (n=26) e Boa constrictor (n=6), Apparently, the medicinal use of snakes does not pose a threat for their population in the studied sites.