medrxiv Subject Collection: Occupational And Environmental Health This feed contains articles for medRxiv Subject Collection "Occupational And Environmental Health"
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Enhancing Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression: A Dynamic Thresholding Framework to Address Variability and Skewness in High-Dimensional Environmental Health Databy Hasan, K. T., Odom, G., Bursac, Z., Lucchini, R., Ibrahimou, B. on April 16, 2025 at 12:00 am
Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR) is widely used in environmental health research to model complex, nonlinear, and interactive relationships in high – dimensional datasets. However, using a fixed posterior inclusion probability (PIP) threshold can lead to inconsistent test size control, influenced by the coefficient of variation (CV) and sample size. This study introduces a dynamic thresholding approach […]
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Dried blood spots analysis for targeted and non-targeted exposomicsby Verri Hernandes, V., Zeyda, M., Wisgrill, L., Warth, B. on April 16, 2025 at 12:00 am
Dried blood spots (DBS) are an established sample type, widely used in newborn screening programs for monitoring metabolic diseases. Their minimally invasive nature offers great promise for assessing chemical exposures, particularly during early life stages and in large-scale epidemiological studies. However, comprehensive evaluations of key analytical parameters such as extraction efficiency and matrix effects […]
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Association of Long-Term Outdoor Air Pollution Exposure with Incidence of Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis and Motor Neuron Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysisby Tien-Smith, A. Z., Absar, S., Best Rogowski, C., Phillips, V., Andersen, Z. J., Bredell, C., Fung, K. W., Hong, L., Szybka, M., Woodcock, J., Brayne, C., Khreis, H., Navaratnam, A. M. D. on April 16, 2025 at 12:00 am
BackgroundParkinsons disease (PD), multiple sclerosis (MS) and motor neurone disease (MND) are progressive and debilitating diseases that are increasing in prevalence globally. Some primary studies show an increased risk from long-term outdoor air pollution exposure, while others contradict this association. MethodsAs per Khreis et al.1 protocol, a systematic review and meta-analysis was undertaken to assess the […]
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Evaluation of two easy-to-implement digital breathing interventions in the context of daily stress levels in a series of N-of-1 trials: results from the Anti-Stress Intervention Among Physicians (ASIP) Studyby Vetter, V. M., Kurth, T., Konigorski, S. on April 11, 2025 at 12:00 am
Physicians face intense work-related stress, which can harm their health, increase the risk of medical errors, lower healthcare quality, and increase costs within the healthcare system. In this 4-week intervention study, individual-level and population-level effects of two short and easy-to-perform breathing exercises designed to reduce stress are evaluated among 76 physicians in residency in Germany in a series […]
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Short-term ambient heat exposure and low APGAR score in newborns: A time-stratified case-crossover analysis in Sao Paulo state, Brazil (2013-2019)by Del Carretto, M. M., Godin, A., Neves, D., Paixao, E. S., Wan, K., Pescarini, J., Ferreira, A., Cortes, T. R., Smeeth, L., Barreto, M. L., Brickley, E. B., Part, C. on April 10, 2025 at 12:00 am
Exposure to high ambient temperatures near the time of delivery has been associated with adverse birth outcomes, but studies examining the impact on immediate newborn health remain limited. We used a time-stratified case-crossover design combined with a distributed lag nonlinear model to evaluate the short-term effects of ambient heat (0-1 day lag) on low 5-minute APGAR score ([≤]7; sub-categories: 6-7, 3-5, […]
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Epigenome-wide association study of household air pollution exposure in an area with high lung cancer incidenceby Rahman, M. L., Portengen, L., Blechter, B., Breeze, C. E., Wong, J. Y. Y., Hu, W., Downward, G. S., Zhang, Y., Cardenas, A., Ning, B., Li, J., Yang, K., Hosgood, H. D., Silverman, D. T., Rothman, N., Huang, Y., Vermeulen, R., Lan, Q. on April 4, 2025 at 12:00 am
BackgroundLung cancer incidence among never-smoking women in Xuanwei, China, ranks among the highest worldwide and is largely attributed to household air pollution (HAP) from smoky (bituminous) coal combustion, with early-life exposures possibly playing a critical role. We conducted an epigenome-wide DNA methylation (DNAm) analysis across multiple exposure windows to elucidate molecular mechanisms. […]
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Indoor and Outdoor Volatile Organic Compound Levels During and After the 2025 Los Angeles Wildfiresby Yao, Y., Garcia-Gonzales, D., Li, J., Niu, M., Jerrett, M., Zhu, Y. on April 1, 2025 at 12:00 am
The January 2025 Los Angeles urban wildfires caused extensive destruction and exposed millions to wildfire smoke containing hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs). To evaluate exposure risks, we conducted indoor and outdoor VOC sampling at 24 locations during three phases: active burning, smoldering, and off-gassing. Outdoor benzene concentrations peaked during active burning but remained below OEHHA health […]
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18F-FAPI PET/CT Imaging in Pneumoconiosis: a new tool for early diagnosis and guiding treatment of pulmonary fibrosisby Liu, C., Guo, Z., Shi, Y. w., Wu, Z., Xiang, Z., Yao, T., Liang, G., Wang, H., Pang, M., Li, S. on March 31, 2025 at 12:00 am
PurposePneumoconiosis is characterized by pulmonary fibrosis. The activation of fibroblasts play an important role in the pathological development of pulmonary fibrosis. Chest CT, as a conventional examination to diagnose pulmonary fibrosis of pneumoconiosis, cannot evaluate the fibrosis activity. The application value of 18F-FAPI in pneumoconiosis is unclear. This study aimed to clarify the feasibility of […]
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The Effects of Daily Six Major Pollutants on the Risk of Respiratory Disease-Related Emergency Ambulance Calls: A Six-Year Time Series Studyby Jiang, H., Zhang, Z., Peng, L., Lu, W., Zhu, J., Hu, Y., Liu, X. on March 26, 2025 at 12:00 am
BackgroundIn recent years, the impact of air pollution on the emergency departments of medical institutions has become increasingly evident. Emergency Ambulance Calls (EACs), compared to traditional health indicators such as mortality and hospitalization rates, provide a more direct reflection of the short-term effects of air pollution on public health. This study aims to explore the short-term association between […]
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Inequalities in NHS Staff Support among those from Ethnic Minority and Migrant groups during the COVID-19 Pandemic.by Croak, B., Lamb, D., Stevelink, S., Bhundia, R., Onwumere, J., Dempsey, B., Almeida-Meza, P., Chui, Z., Greenberg, N., Raine, R., Woodhead, C., Hatch, S., Rhead, R. on March 20, 2025 at 12:00 am
ObjectivesDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, NHS staff support services aimed to support healthcare workers (HCWs) wellbeing, alongside informal support from colleagues and managers. However, bullying, harassment, and discrimination against HCWs from ethnic minority and migrant groups, along with low wellbeing support uptake, suggest disparities in workplace support. This study aimed to address the following research […]
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Scarlet Fever and Meteorological Exposures in Jiangsu, China: A Time-stratified Case-crossover Studyby Wang, K., Liu, W., Zhu, H., Tang, Y., Ji, H., Wang, Y., Zhu, L., Ling, C. on March 13, 2025 at 12:00 am
BackgroundIncreasing interest arises in the association between short-term meteorological exposure and scarlet fever risk, but the association with individual-level infection risk remains poorly understood. MethodsWe collected weather data from ERA5-Land (hourly, 9 km x 9 km) and aggregated into daily exposures to match all scarlet fever cases data in Jiangsu, reported the Nationwide Notifiable Infectious […]
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Short-Term Effect of Ambient Meteorological Factors on Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease: An Individual-Level Case-Crossover Study in Jiangsu, Chinaby Tang, Y., Hong, J., Zhu, H., Wang, X., Bai, L., Liu, W., Wang, K., Wen, C., Wang, Y., Ling, C. L., Zhu, L. on March 13, 2025 at 12:00 am
BackgroundHand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) represent a significant public health concern in the Asia-Pacific region, imposing a substantial burden that warrants urgent attention. However, the associations between individual-level exposure to ambient meteorological factors and the HFMD risk remain poorly understood. MethodsUsing a time-stratified case-crossover design, we examine the individual-level […]
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Atopy, asthma symptoms, and eosinophilic airway inflammation in British woodworkersby Wiggans, R. E., Sumner, J., Robinson, E., Young, C., Yates, T., Simpson, A., Fishwick, D., Barber, C. M. on March 7, 2025 at 12:00 am
ObjectivesAlthough wood dust remains a leading cause of occupational asthma (OA) in Great Britain, there have been no recent studies in British woodworkers. This cross-sectional study examined asthma risk factors in woodworkers across exposure groups. MethodsParticipants answered a respiratory questionnaire and underwent fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO), spirometry, and specific immunoglobulin E […]
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Electric Fan Use During an Eight-hour Replicated Extreme Heat Event: Sex Differences in Systemic Biomarkers and Thermoregulationby Wang, F., Wang, H., Lei, T.-H., Xu, H., Lu, C., Mundel, T. on March 7, 2025 at 12:00 am
Health agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), recommend different temperature thresholds for electric fan use during heat events (CDC: 32.2{degrees}C, WHO: 40{degrees}C). However, these guidelines do not account for the fans physiological effects on immune and inflammatory responses in males and females. This study evaluated the efficacy of […]
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The Association Between Information Technology-Profession-Specific Stressors and Mental Health Conditions Plus the Role of Mental Health Literacy in Help-Seekingby Garcia, E., Liu, N., Chow, A., Sherwood-Laughlin, C., Macy, J. T. on February 25, 2025 at 12:00 am
BackgroundThe Information Technology (IT) sector is growing and encompasses all professions, from leisure and recreation to hospitals and emergency response groups. IT professionals are experiencing increased threats (e.g., ransomware attacks), but little is known about the relationship between these IT-profession-specific stressors and the professionals mental health. This study aimed to 1) estimate the […]
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A Rest-Shade-Hydration-Hygiene program reduces acute kidney injury and increases production at a sugar mill in Nicaragua, an economic analysisby Schlader, Z., Boswell, T., Prince, H., Wesseling, C., Amorim, F., Arias, E., Poveda, S., Hansson, E., Lucas, R., Jakobsson, K., Wegman, D., Glaser, J. on February 21, 2025 at 12:00 am
BackgroundOccupational heat stress mediated acute kidney injury (AKI) has been linked to the development of chronic kidney disease of non-traditional causes (CKDnt) in agriculture workers. Rest-shade-hydration-hygiene (RSHH) programs are promising interventions for preventing CKDnt. An obstacle to the implementation of RSHH programs is the concern that the reduced work time associated with these programs may […]
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Occupational fall incidence associated with heated tobacco product smoking and lifestyle behaviors: a nationwide cross-sectional study in Japanby Tsushima, S., Watanabe, K., Hirohashi, S., Yoshimi, T., Fujino, Y., Tabuchi, T., Zaitsu, M. on February 18, 2025 at 12:00 am
ObjectivesTo identify the association between heated tobacco product (HTP) smoking and occupational falls, particularly combined with other lifestyle variables, including sleeping duration and comorbidities. MethodsThis web-based nationwide cross-sectional study (September-November 2023) involved 18,440 current workers (mean age, 43 years; women, 43.9%) in Japan. The primary outcome was occupational fall […]
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Occurrence, Risk factors and Antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter from Poultry and Humans in Central Ethiopia: A One Health Approachby Kflewahd, F. Z., Adamu, H., Woldearegay, Y. H., Sisay Tessema, T., Hansson, I., Boqvist, S. on February 16, 2025 at 12:00 am
BackgroundCampylobacter is a leading foodborne pathogen posing a significant One Health challenge due to its broad animal reservoirs and serious antibiotic resistance issues. Despite frequent human-animal-environment interactions in Ethiopia, One Health studies on the occurrence and transmission of Campylobacter are crucial but lacking. Methodology/Principal FindingsA cross-sectional study from March 2021 to […]
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Notification and recordkeeping of occupational mesothelioma in India.by Singh, R., Frank, A. L. on February 14, 2025 at 12:00 am
This paper studies the number of occupational mesothelioma cases that have been reported as per law to the factories and mines regulators in India. Zero cases of mesothelioma, which is a notified/notifiable disease under the Mines Act 1952, and notified/notifiable under the broad category of occupational cancers under the Factories, Act 1948 have been notified between 2004 to 2024 (with the factory data compiled […]
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Development of a questionnaire library for rapid health data acquisition during wildfire eventsby Liu, L., Loftus, C., Rohlman, D., Seto, E., Austin, E. on February 13, 2025 at 12:00 am
Rapid health outcome data acquisition using existing questionnaires can greatly facilitate time-sensitive research during or after a wildfire event. We aimed to develop a readily available library of questionnaires for self-reported health outcomes to serve as a centralized platform for wildfire researchers seeking to quickly design instruments tailored to their research aims. In this paper, we describe the […]
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MicroRNA Expression in Asymptomatic Welders: Implications for Biomarker Discovery for Environmentally-Linked Neurodegenerative Disordersby Bargues-Carot, A., Prado-Rico, J. M., Imamura Kawasawa, Y., Cai, J., Yanosky, J. D., Zenitsky, G., Jin, H., Lewis, M. M., Ma, P., Anantharam, V., Kanthasamy, A., Garao Rico, A. L., Hall, M., Mailman, R. B., Kanthasamy, A. G., Huang, X. on February 12, 2025 at 12:00 am
Chronic occupational exposure to metals in welding fumes has been implicated in the etiology of neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), including Parkinsons disease (PD) and Alzheimers disease (AD). Changes in microRNA (miRNA) expression have been associated with various neurodegenerative conditions. Circulating miRNAs, in particular, have emerged as promising, minimally invasive biomarkers for diagnosing and […]
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Integrated Explainable Ensemble Machine Learning Prediction of Injury Severity in Agricultural Accidentsby Mermer, O., Zhang, E., Demir, I. on February 7, 2025 at 12:00 am
Agricultural injuries remain a significant occupational hazard, causing substantial human and economic losses worldwide. This study investigates the prediction of agricultural injury severity using both linear and ensemble machine learning (ML) models and applies explainable AI (XAI) techniques to understand the contribution of input features. Data from AgInjuryNews (2015-2024) was preprocessed to extract relevant […]
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Prevalence of lead poisoning among artisanal gold miners in French Guiana in 2022by Korsec, V., Lambert, Y., Sanna, A., Plessis, L., Bardon, T., Adenis, A., nacher, m., Suarez-Mutis, M., Vreden, S., Mathieu, O., Douine, M. on February 2, 2025 at 12:00 am
ObjectivesLead poisoning is a major public health problem worldwide. In French Guiana, a French overseas territory in South America, several studies have highlighted the massive lead impregnation of the local population, but the risk factors have not yet been fully elucidated. People working in informal gold mining share part of their lifestyle with French Guianese communities. The aim of this was therefore to […]
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Indoor air quality at a French university: a participatory CO2 measurement campaign highlights the wide gap between reality and the lawby CINQUIN, P. on February 2, 2025 at 12:00 am
Poor indoor air quality has been demonstrated to increase the risk of transmitting infectious agents and to expose individuals to the phenomenon of sick building syndrome. In light of these findings, most countries have established specific guidelines regarding indoor air quality in university rooms. In France, for instance, the maximum permissible concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in university rooms without […]
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Sociodemographic Inequalities in Heat-Related Mortality across Summer Seasons from 2022 to 2024 in Peruby Intimayta-Escalante, C. on February 2, 2025 at 12:00 am
AimTo assess sociodemographic inequalities in Heat-Related Mortality (HRM) across Peruvian departments during the summer seasons from 2022 to 2024. MethodsAn ecological study was conducted to analyze excess mortality during the summers of 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 in relation to maximum temperature records across 24 Peruvian departments. Sociodemographic factors, including sex, age group (<60 years or[≥] 60 […]
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Modelling exposure to aerosols from showers: implications for microbial risk assessment.by Tang, L., Eichelberg, A., Böni, F., Hamilton, K. A., Sylvestre, E., Hammes, F., Julian, T. R. on January 31, 2025 at 12:00 am
Inhalation of aerosols produced during showering exposes people to chemical and microbial contaminants present in the water. To improve quantitative estimates of exposure and to inform the efficacy of potential interventions to reduce exposures, we conducted empirical measurements of aerosol concentration and size distribution during showering events. We measured aerosol count concentrations and size distributions […]
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Biomarkers of pesticide exposure predict Depressive Symptoms in rural and urban workers of the Maule Region, Chileby LUCERO, B. A., MUNOZ QUEZADA, M. T., Canales-Johnson, A., Carrasco, C., Rodriguez, M. V., Reid, T., Mendez, P., Adonis, J., Bekinschtein, T. A. on January 31, 2025 at 12:00 am
BackgroundAgricultural workers are routinely exposed to pesticides, which are associated with a range of adverse health outcomes, including potential impacts on mental health such as depressive symptoms. In the Maule region of Chile, an area characterized by intensive pesticide use, this study investigates the association between exposure to organophosphate (OP) pesticides and the prevalence of depressive symptoms […]
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Test-Retest Reliability of Assessment of Work Performance for Thai Homeless Peopleby Chatthong, W., Thanapet, U., Ammawat, W., Rueankam, M., Khemthong, S. on January 28, 2025 at 12:00 am
PurposeThis study aims to conduct test-retest reliability of the AWP – Thai version. Internal consistency has been tested after completing an approval process of forward-backward translation and achieving good content validity. Under the shortage of mental workforce, vocational rehabilitation (VR) has been trained to enhance supported employment in homeless people with mental illness (MI). The Assessment of Work […]
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Known Group Validity of Assessment of Work Performance for Thai Homeless Peopleby Thanapet, U., Ammawat, W., Rueankam, M., Chatthong, W., Khemthong, S. on January 25, 2025 at 12:00 am
BackgroundSubstance use and mental disorders are highly prevalent in Thai homeless people living with no mental health recovery. The lack of psychosocial occupational therapists may be one huge problem for none of the measurement outcomes for clinical utility. We aimed to determine the known-group validity of the Assessment of Work Performance (AWP) with good content and internal consistency reliability. […]
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Molecular profiling of neuronal extracellular vesicles reveals brain tissue specific signalsby Kalia, V., Jackson, G., Dominguez, R. J., Pinto-Pacheco, B., Bloomquist, T., Furnari, J., Banu, M., Volpert, O., Manz, K. E., Walker, D. I., Pennell, K. D., Canoll, P. D., Bruce, J. N., Eitan, E., Wu, H., Baccarelli, A. A. on January 25, 2025 at 12:00 am
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by neurons (nEVs) provide an opportunity to measure biomarkers from the brain circulating in the periphery. No study yet has directly compared molecular cargo in brain tissue to nEVs found in circulation in humans. We compared the levels microRNAs and environmental chemicals because microRNAs are one of the most studied nEV cargoes and offer great potential as biomarkers and […]