The effect of an ergonomic intervention on musculoskeletal, psychosocial and visual strain of VDT data entry work: the Norwegian part of the international study.

The Norwegian MEPS (musculoskeletal--visual--psychosocial--stress) study included 3 groups: data entry, data dialogue (female) and data dialogue (male). Before intervention, the data entry group reported significantly more symptoms and signs of musculoskeletal illness and had longer periods in front of the video display terminal (VDT) without a break. The ergonomic intervention consisted mainly of ergonomic information and training. After intervention, the data dialogue female group reported a significant reduction in shoulder pain in parallel with a reduction in trapezius load. Increasing the understanding in how to adjust the work stand and chair may have been contributing factors to reducing the pain level. There was a significant reduction in eye problems in all groups; the greatest reduction in eye symptoms was seen in the groups who had new optometric corrections.     

Sampling Scale Effects in Random Fields and Implications for Environmental Monitoring

The concept of a sampling scale triplet of spacing, extent and support is used to define the spatial dimensions of a monitoring network or a field study. The spacing is the average distance between samples, the extent is the size of the domain sampled and the support is the averaging area of one sample. The aim of this paper is to examine what is the bias and the random error (uncertainty) introduced by the sampling scale triplet into estimates of the mean, the spatial variance and the integral scale of a variable in a landscape. The integral scale is a measure of the average distance over which a variable is correlated in space. A large number of two dimensional random fields are generated from which hypothetical samples, conforming to a certain sampling scale triplet, are drawn which in turn are used to estimate the sample mean, spatial variance and integral scale. The results indicate that the biases can be up to two orders of magnitude. The bias of the integral scale is positively related to the magnitude of any of the components of the scale triplet while the bias of the spatial variance is different for different components of the scale triplet. All sampling scale effects are relative to the underlying correlation length of the variable of interest which is closely related to the integral scale. The integral scale can hence be used for sampling design and data interpretation. Suggestions are given on how to adjust a monitoring network to the scales of the variables of interest and how to interpret sampling scale effects in environmental data.     

Airborne exposure and biological monitoring of bar and restaurant workers before and after the introduction of a smoking ban

The aims were to assess the impact of a total smoking ban on the level of airborne contaminants and the urinary cotinine levels in the employees in bars and restaurants. In a follow up design, 13 bars and restaurants were visited before and after the implementation of a smoking ban. Ninety-three employees in the establishments were initially included into the study. The arithmetic mean concentration of nicotine and total dust declined from 28.3 microg m(-3) (range, 0.4-88.0) and 262 microg m(-3) (range, 52-662), respectively, to 0.6 microg m(-3) (range, not detected-3.7) and 77 microg m(-3) (range, not detected-261) after the smoking ban. The Pearson correlation coefficient between airborne nicotine and total dust was 0.86 (p < 0.001; n = 48). The post-shift geometric mean urinary cotinine concentration declined from 9.5 microg g(-1) creatinine (cr) (95% CI 6.5-13.7) to 1.4 microg g(-1) cr (95% CI 0.8-2.5) after the ban (p < 0.001) in 25 non-snuffing non-smokers. A reduction from 1444 microg g(-1) cr (95% CI 957-2180) to 688 microg g(-1) cr (95% CI 324-1458) was found (p < 0.05) in 29 non-snuffing smokers. The urinary cotinine levels increased from 11.7 microg g(-1) cr (95% CI 7.0-19.6) post-shift to 21.9 microg g(-1) cr (95% CI 13.3-36.3) (p < 0.01) in the next morning in 24 non-snuffing non-smokers before the smoking ban. A substantial reduction of airborne nicotine and total dust was observed after the introduction of a smoking ban in bars and restaurants. The urinary cotinine levels were reduced in non-smokers. The decline found in smokers may suggest a reduction in the amount of smoking after intervention. In non-smokers cotinine concentrations were higher based on urine sampled the morning after a shift than based on urine sampled immediately post-shift.     

Justifying Sustainability

In the framework of ethical social choice theory, sustainability is justified by efficiency and equity as ethical axioms. These axioms correspond to the Suppes–Sen grading principle. In technologies that are productive in a certain sense, the set of Suppes–Sen maximal utility paths is shown to equal the set of non-decreasing and efficient paths. Since any such path is sustainable, efficiency and equity can thus be used to deem any unsustainable path as ethically unacceptable. This finding is contrasted with results that seem to indicate that an infinite number of generations cannot be treated equally.     

Effects of environmental exposure and diet on levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in eggs of a top predator in the North Atlantic in 1980 and 2008

Concentrations of POPs in Great skua eggs from Shetland are among the highest in North Atlantic seabirds, with up to 11,600 μg/kg (ww) DDE and up to 17,900 μg/kg ww ∑PCB. Concentrations of legacy POPs were significantly lower in 2008 than 1980. Decreases were greatest for least persistent compounds. Median ∑PBDEs increased from 99 μg/kg ww in 1980 to 173 μg/kg ww in 2008. There were changes in Great skua breeding season diet, with more adult Herring and Mackerel and less Sandeel. These changes increase exposure to POPs, since Herring and Mackerel accumulate more POPs than Sandeels. In both years, eggs with higher δ¹⁵N had higher POP concentrations. In 1980, birds feeding more on demersal discard fish from trawl fisheries and less on Sandeels, had higher POP levels in eggs. In 2008, individuals feeding more on Herring and Mackerel, and less on discards, had higher POP levels in eggs.     

A qualitative reliability and operability analysis of an integrated reforming combined cycle plant with CO2 capture

Most of the current CO₂ capture technologies are associated with large energy penalties that reduce their economic viability. Efficiency has therefore become the most important issue when designing and selecting power plants with CO₂ capture. Other aspects, like reliability and operability, have been given less importance, if any at all, in the literature.This article deals with qualitative reliability and operability analyses of an integrated reforming combined cycle concept. The plant reforms natural gas into a syngas, the carbon is separated out as CO₂ after a water-gas shift section, and the hydrogen-rich fuel is used for a gas turbine. The qualitative reliability analysis in the article consists of a functional analysis followed by a failure mode, effects, and criticality analysis (FMECA). The operability analysis introduces the comparative complexity indicator (CCI) concept.Functional analysis and FMECA are important steps in a system reliability analysis, as they can serve as a platform and basis for further analysis. Also, the results from the FMECA can be interesting for determining how the failures propagate through the system and their effects on the operation of the process. The CCI is a helpful tool in choosing the level of integration and to investigate whether or not to include a certain process feature. Incorporating the analytical approach presented in the article during the design stage of a plant can be advantageous for the overall plant performance.     

Size-related bioaccumulation and between-year variation of organochlorines in ice-associated amphipods from the Arctic Ocean

Organochlorines are found even in organisms living in remote areas such as the Arctic marginal ice zone. Organochlorine concentrations in ice-associated (sympagic) amphipods are related to their diet. Therefore, the size-dependent diet shift of Gammarus wilkitzkii may influence its organochlorine content. In this preliminary study, the organochlorine concentrations in two size classes (small 29 mm and large >29 mm) of G. wilkitzkii were analysed. The concentrations of more lipophilic compounds [e.g. polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)] were lower in the small than the large size class, whereas concentrations of less lipophilic compounds [e.g. hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs)] did not differ by size class.

Since contamination transport by the atmosphere, ocean currents and sea ice may vary, the organochlorine burden in sympagic organisms may also vary. There are no data available on temporal variation of organochlorine burden in Arctic sympagic fauna. Therefore, we compared organochlorine concentrations in sympagic amphipods (G. wilkitzkii, Apherusa glacialis and Onisimus spp.) between 1998 and 1999. Organochlorine concentrations in all amphipods were low in both years, with sum organochlorines from 50.7 to 621.9 ng g⁻¹ lipid weight. The concentrations of hexachlorobenzene (HCB), chlordanes, DDTs and PCBs were higher in 1999 than 1998, whereas the HCH concentrations were lower in 1999 than 1998. The organochlorine concentrations differed between the taxa in both years in a similar increasing manner from A. glacialis to both G. wilkitzkii and Onisimus spp.

In studies of bioaccumulation relative to body size and temporal variation, a thorough interpretation requires samples from several size classes and years. Nevertheless, the present data provide new knowledge on contaminants in Arctic invertebrates where data are scarce.     

Maternal nutrition affects offspring performance via maternal care in a subsocial spider

Provisioning of nutrients to the young during parental care is one of the mechanisms by which parents can affect growth and survival of their young and thus their reproductive success. We examined the hypothesis that food quality, i.e., ratio of macronutrients, provided to the young via maternal care affects their performance and the female’s reproductive success. The subsocial spider Stegodyphus lineatus exhibits intensive maternal care behaviors, including feeding the young and matriphagy (consumption of the mother). Our results showed that a protein-enriched diet resulted in larger females at maturation and higher survival of young, relative to intermediate or lipid-enriched diets. However, fecundity was not affected by female diet. We suggest that most of the nutrients are provided to the young during maternal care rather than deposited in the eggs, allowing females to economize on limited nutritional reserves. Females before maternal care showed a low protein and high lipid content relative to females before maturation and oviposition, suggesting a change in the nutritional requirement of females before maternal care. This change in macronutrient composition may be adaptive for the success of the young in the wild and shows a novel approach to animals’ ability to increase their reproductive success. Field-collected females showed a similar macronutrient composition as that of protein-enriched females in the lab, suggesting a high reproductive success of females in the wild. To our knowledge, this is the first time the importance of different macronutrients to females’ reproductive success is examined during reproduction.     

Inclusion of sex chromosomes in noninvasive prenatal testing in Asia,Australia, Europe and the USA: A survey study

Objective

To examine the extent to which sex chromosomes are included in current noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) and the reporting practices with respect to fetal chromosomal sex and sex chromosome aberrations (SCAs), in addition to an update on the general implementation of NIPT.

Method

A questionnaire addressing the research objectives was distributed by email to fetal medicine and clinical genetics experts in Asia, Australia, Europe and the USA.

Results

Guidelines on NIPT are available in the majority of the included countries. Not all existing guidelines address reporting of fetal chromosomal sex and SCAs. In most settings, NIPT frequently includes sex chromosomes (five Australian states, China, Hong Kong, Israel, Singapore, Thailand, USA and 23 of 31 European countries). This occurs most often by default or when parents wish to know fetal sex. In most settings, a potential SCA is reported by stating the risk hereof as “low” or “high” and/or by naming the SCA. Less than 50% of all pregnant women receive NIPT according to respondents from three Australian states, China, Israel, Singapore, Thailand and 24 of 31 European countries. However, this percentage, the genomic coverage of NIPT and its application as primary or secondary screening vary by setting.

Conclusion

In most of the studied countries/states, NIPT commonly includes sex chromosomes. The reporting practices concerning fetal chromosomal sex and SCAs are diverse and most commonly not addressed by guidelines. In general, NIPT is variably implemented across countries/states.