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Air Levels (air + level)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	75%

Selected Abstracts

How to manage difficulties with colonoscope insertion

DIGESTIVE ENDOSCOPY, Issue 2 2001
Masaaki Miyaoka
Unsuccessful insertion of a colonoscope is usually as a result of bending or looping of the scope. Looping of the colonoscope increases when too much air is insufflated or the scope is inserted with undue force, resulting in increased pain and risk of perforation. Successful insertion therefore requires careful handling of the scope to keep it straight, careful regulation of air levels, shortening of the colon length by gathering of the colon folds and rapid correction of any looping that should occur. This can be complicated in cases with an unusually long colon or with adhesion. The use of a colonoscope with variable rigidity or a small-caliber colonoscope is recommended to increase the rate of successful insertion to relieve pain and to prevent accidents. [source]

Association between atmospheric ozone levels and damage to human nasal mucosa in Florence, Italy

ENVIRONMENTAL AND MOLECULAR MUTAGENESIS, Issue 3 2003
Stefania Pacini
Abstract We evaluated the effects of urban air pollutants on human nasal mucosa over an 8-month period on 102 subjects living in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. A group of subjects living in a city with a lower level of pollution (Sassari, Sardinia, Italy) was also analyzed. Nasal mucosa cells were harvested by brushing, a noninvasive procedure. Half of the cells were used for genotoxicity studies using the alkaline comet assay, and half for morphological studies. The levels of DNA damage in the nasal mucosa were considerably higher (+73%) in the subjects living in Florence than in Sassari. High levels of atmospheric ozone in Florence air correlated with DNA damage, and to the prevalence of inflammatory pathologies of the upper respiratory tract, although the ozone concentrations were below the Italian recommended attention level. Furthermore, higher levels of DNA damage were correlated with a dysfunction in the ability to maintain a normal epithelial cell structure. These data suggest an association between ozone air levels and damage in the upper respiratory tract. It remains unclear whether ozone itself or other associated pollutants are responsible for the observed alterations. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 42:127,135, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Process-related risk of beryllium sensitization and disease in a copper,beryllium alloy facility,

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 3 2005
Christine R. Schuler PhD
Abstract Background Chronic beryllium disease (CBD), which primarily affects the lungs, occurs in sensitized beryllium-exposed individuals. At a copper,beryllium alloy strip and wire finishing facility we performed a cross-sectional survey to examine prevalences of beryllium sensitization and CBD, and relationships between sensitization and CBD and work areas/processes. Methods Current employees (185) were offered beryllium lymphocyte proliferation testing (BeLPT) for sensitization, clinical evaluation for CBD (if sensitized), and questionnaires. We obtained historical airborne beryllium measurements. Results Participation was 83%. Prevalences of sensitization and CBD were 7% (10/153) and 4% (6/153), respectively; this included employees with abnormal BeLPTs from two laboratories, four diagnosed with CBD during the survey, and one each diagnosed preceding and following the survey. Potential BeLPT laboratory problems were noted; one laboratory was twice as likely to have reported an abnormal result (P,<,0.05, all tests), and five times as likely to have reported a borderline or uninterpretable result (P,<,0.05, first blood draw and all tests). CBD risk was highest in rod and wire production (P,<,0.05), where air levels were highest. Conclusions Sensitization and CBD were associated with an area in which beryllium air levels exceeded 0.2 ,g/m3, and not with areas where this level was rarely exceeded. Employees at this copper,beryllium alloy facility had similar prevalences of sensitization and CBD as workers at facilities with higher beryllium air levels. Am. J. Ind. Med. 47:195,205, 2005. Published 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]