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PubMed1983

Foreign aid and its role in maintaining the exploitation of the agricultural sector: evidence from a case study in Africa.

Today most foreign aid donors are genuinely committed to the idea that development in Third World countries should start with rural development. Therefore, a sizable proportion of their development funds are invested in rural projects. However, donors channel these funds through local governments (most often representing local bourgeois interests) that are not as committed to the principle of rural development. These governments are often also embarked in policies that are actually--directly or indirectly--expropriating the surpluses generated by agriculture and investing them in the other sectors of the economy. The peasants are therefore footing most of the bill of overall national development. This paper contends that, because of this state of affairs, foreign aid directed toward rural development is actually filling the investment gap left by an internal system of unequal returns to production in agriculture. In so doing, foreign aid is indirectly financing the development of the other sectors of the economy, even if this result is unintended. This perpetrates maldevelopment without redressing the basic exploitation process of peasants which lies at the core of underdevelopment. Evidence to support this hypothesis is presented using data from a primarily agricultural exporting country: the United Republic of Cameroon.

Agriculture↗
PubMed1994

The divergence of federal and state policies on the charitable tax exemption of nonprofit hospitals.

Nonprofit hospitals have traditionally enjoyed charitable exemption from real estate taxes because they provide specific social benefits. However, in the past three decades, major health policy changes at the federal level--most significantly, implementation of the Medicare and Medicaid programs--have weakened this rationale. Federal tax regulations during this period have changed in ways that complement these federal health programs and the accompanying federal interests in encouraging efficiency and performance uniformity among hospitals. States and local governments, however, have different interests, and these may favor a strict set of tax exemption standards that disregard efficiency and elevate the importance of a measurable level of charitable service. Their divergent policies rest on a fundamental value judgment about whether nonprofit hospital care is intrinsically charitable or not. Increasingly, this judgment may be forced upon state courts and legislation by local governments seeking new tax revenues through the elimination of hospitals' exemption from real estate taxes.

Charities↗
PubMed2004

A hierarchy of nuclear localization signals governs the import of the regulatory factor X complex subunits and MHC class II expression.

Comprised of RFX5, RFXAP, and RFX-B/ANK, the regulatory factor X (RFX) complex is an obligate transcription factor required for the expression of MHC class II genes. RFX functions by binding to the conserved X1 box sequence located upstream of all MHC class II genes. Using a mutagenesis scheme and a yeast heterologous reporter system, the mechanism by which the RFX complex is transported into the nucleus was examined. The results have identified specific nuclear localization signals (NLS) in both RFX5 and RFXAP that direct the nuclear translocation and expression of MHC class II genes. Additionally, a nuclear export signal was identified in the N terminus of RFXAP. RFX-B was poorly localized to the nucleus, and no specific NLS was identified. Whereas RFX5 could import an RFXAP NLS mutant into the nucleus, it had no effect on the import of RFX-B. The results suggest that although RFX5 and RFXAP could assemble before nuclear import, RFX-B association with the complex does not take place until after the subunits enter the nucleus. The identification of nuclear import and export sites on RFX molecules provides potential targets to modulate MHC class II expression.

Active Transport, Cell Nucleus↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Support among smokers and nonsmokers for restrictions on smoking.

The responses of 387 smokers and 988 nonsmokers obtained in a population-based survey in Ontario, Canada, were compared with regard to knowledge, attitudes, and predicted behavior concerning restrictions on smoking. Responses were tabulated as percentages and weighted according to the sample design. Nonoverlapping 95% confidence intervals provided evidence to reject the null hypothesis. Although smokers were found to be less knowledgable about the health effects of smoking and environmental tobacco smoke, more than 90% of both smokers and nonsmokers agreed with restrictions on smoking in 14 specific settings; for some settings, they disagreed on the extent of restrictions. The groups differed concerning specific bans on cigarette sales, but support was uniformly strong for bans in hospitals, controls on vending machines, and enforcement of the law prohibiting sales to minors. Clear majorities of both groups agreed that local government should enact and enforce restrictions. Smokers were more likely than nonsmokers to predict that smokers would comply with more restrictions, and most smokers indicated that they, themselves, would comply. We conclude that general health education should be bolstered by strategies specifically targeted at smokers. There is a strong basis across the population for restrictions to reduce exposure to environmental tobacco smoke; support for the role of local government in this regard is clear. Noncompliance with more restrictions is unlikely to present enforcement problems. Measures limiting the physical access of youths to tobacco will be widely supported, but strategies to increase support for tax measures are needed.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Live viral vaccine potency: an index for assessing the cold chain system.

This study was carried out in the states of Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Nigeria and was designed to assess the efficiency of the cold chain and the potency of the vaccines from the National Cold Store through to the vaccination centres. Storage equipment was inspected and oral polio, measles and yellow fever vaccines were tested for potency. All 27 centres studied had adequately trained staff and storage was shown to be adequate at the National and State Cold Store Level. However, vaccines were adversely affected at the local Government Area Cold Store and Vaccination Centre Levels. Losses of potency of vaccines were shown: loss of titre of oral polio and yellow fever vaccine (0.03-0.9 log) was less than that of the measles vaccines (0.1-2.7 log). This was ascribed to thawing and refreezing due to equipment failure, to intermittent power supply in the absence of standby generators and mishandling of vaccines in the vaccine centres. This study revealed inadequacies at the Local Government Area and Vaccination Centre level. The cold chain should be examined in the remaining states of Nigeria and the inadequacies corrected.

Cold Temperature↗
PubMed1999

Global and local dimensions of vocal dynamics.

The global embedding dimension (dE) and the local dynamical dimension (dL) are calculated from the microphone and electroglottographic (EGG) signals elicited from five healthy subjects and seven dysphonic subjects with laryngeal pathology during phonation of sustained/a/. The data from each pathologic subject contain at least one bifurcation and are divided into periodic and irregular segments for analysis. The dE values from both the microphone and EGG signals elicited from the healthy subjects indicate that a relatively small coordinate space can be used to reconstruct the attractor, with little residual noise. Consistent across all healthy subjects, three dominant degrees of freedom (dL) are found to govern local dynamics of the trajectories on the attractor. From the pathologic subjects, many of the dE values suggest the presence of a high-dimensional component in the signals. However, the noise does not completely obscure the deterministic dynamics of the source signal or prevent extraction of an optimal global embedding dimension. The data do not reveal consistent differences in degrees of freedom between healthy and pathologic phonation, or between different modes of pathologic phonation. However, the dL values suggest that the pathologic vocal fold vibration of these subjects, even highly irregular vibration, is governed locally by a low number of dominant degrees of freedom, sometimes no greater than those calculated from the signals of healthy subjects. Only in the cases of severe breathiness are the microphone and EGG signals sufficiently contaminated by noise to obscure any deterministic component.

Humans↗
PubMed2002

[Management of patients with viral hemorrhagic fever in Germany a comparison with the current Japanese system based on the who guidelines on emerging viral diseases].

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the German system for managing patients with viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) in comparing with the current Japanese system. METHODS: In Germany, we visited the Robert Koch Institute and the isolation centers in Berlin and Leipzig. In Japan, we visited the isolation wards in the Narita Red Cross Hospital and the Rinku General Medical Center in Izumi-Sano, Osaka, to allow determination of differences in the systems. In terms of the "WHO program on emerging virus diseases, 1994", we then evaluated the two countries' systems. RESULTS: In Germany, the finding of a suspected case with VHF is promptly reported to the competent authorities at the local level. Public health physicians on 24-hour duty declare a quarantine alert and the case is transferred to one of five isolation centers not by plane but by ambulance car. The isolation rooms in Berlin, constructed some 20 years ago, are enclosed with plastic film and kept under negative pressure and this hinders it difficult to perform intensive care in the small space available. In contrast, intensive care and routine clinical tests can be readily conducted in the isolation facilities in Leipzig installed in 2000, since the rooms are spacious and kept under negative pressure. It is also noteworthy that the same ward is utilized for patients with drug-resistant infectious diseases to train medical staff. With 3 of the 4 goals in the WHO program, establishing efficient surveillance of infectious diseases, provision of a qualified national laboratory and performance on practical research on infectious diseases, there are no large differences, between the two countries, in continuous efforts in line with recently-modified infectious disease laws. However, we found differences with regard to an effective strategy to circumvent VHF, 1) local government has a main role against VHF and control team is promptly designated in Germany, 2) only 10 beds are equipped to deal with VHF in Germany, 3) management of air-droplet infection seems insufficient in Japan, 4) highly-equipped isolation rooms are not utilized for patients other than those with VHF in Japan. CONCLUSIONS: These findings require urgent discussion among Japanese experts concerning; 1) operation of BSL4 facilities in national laboratories; 2) collaboration among quarantine stations, local government and national reference laboratories; 3) the appropriate number of isolation wards; 4) practical procedures to run of isolation wards efficiently; 5) the possibility of utilizing isolation wards for non-VHF.

Disease Management↗
PubMed2002

An evaluation of chest X-ray screening for lung cancer in gunma prefecture, Japan: a population-based case-control study.

In order to evaluate the efficacy of annual chest X-ray screening for lung cancer, a case-control study was conducted in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. Population-based annual lung cancer screening programmes have been conducted by the local government in Gunma Prefecture since the mid-1970s. A total of 121 case subjects, including 91 high-risk males and 30 non-high-risk females between the ages of 40 and 79 years who died of lung cancer from 1992 to 1997 were evaluated. A total of 536 controls (3-5 controls for each case) were matched to case subjects by gender, year of birth, address and smoking habits. Controls were selected from screening programme lists provided by the local governments. All case subjects were also included on these lists. The smoking-adjusted odds ratio (OR) of lung cancer death for those subjects screened within 12 months prior to diagnosis versus those not screened was 0.68 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.44-1.05; P=0.084). When the analysis was conducted without matching case and control subjects by smoking habits, the OR was 0.79 (95% CI: 0.53-1.18). When stratified by histological type, the OR was 0.62 (95% CI: 0.31-1.24) for adenocarcinoma, and 1.01 (95% CI: 0.44-2.31) for squamous cell carcinoma. The results of this study suggest 20-30% of deaths attributable to lung cancer, especially adenocarcinoma, might be prevented by annual chest X-rays.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Can burn centers evacuate in response to disasters?

On August 29, 2005, the Gulf Coast was hit by Hurricane Katrina, a category 4 storm. The storm was responsible for more than 1000 deaths and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. Hospitals in the city of New Orleans evacuated because of the complete collapse of infrastructure. This event influenced the decisions and actions taken to protect patients, families, and staff of a 30-bed pediatric burn center in the projected path of a second catastrophic hurricane 3 weeks later. Approximately 80 hours before projected landfall, the local government announced that a mandatory evacuation of the community surrounding the burn center would occur. A coordinated decision was made by administration, nursing, and medical staff to cancel upcoming clinics and elective surgery and to evacuate all 14 inpatients, 52 outpatients, and 66 guardians to other facilities. The evacuation plan was successfully completed in 32 hours. The eye wall of the hurricane passed 65 miles east of the burn center. No significant damage to the physical plant was noted. Repopulation of the hospital by patients and acceptance of new acute burn referrals began approximately 40 hours after the local government permitted the population to return to the area. No morbidity or mortality was attributed to the evacuation. Emergent evacuation of threatened burn centers can be safely accomplished with adequate prior planning of evacuation sites, and modes of transportation. An established communication command center plays a key role in this process.

Burn Units↗
PubMed1989

Stigmatization of persons with AIDS: results of a survey of public sector personnel managers.

Public and private sector organizations increasingly are being faced with problems arising from AIDS in the workplace. As with the AIDS epidemic generally, experts have stressed the need for organizations to mount educational programs to combat the spread of AIDS and the fear it engenders. Support of top management and leadership are considered essential for the effectiveness of AIDS education programs in the workplace. This paper presents the survey findings of a national probability sample of local government personnel officers, persons who are likely to be key actors in the development and implementation of AIDS education and counseling efforts in their municipalities. Responses to the mail questionnaire indicate that there is considerable AIDS awareness among municipal personnel officers, but that there also exists strong negative attitudes toward persons with AIDS and an unwillingness to interact socially with these people, even in workplace situations where there is no threat of transmission of the AIDS virus. These findings raise concerns about the current climate for development of effective AIDS education programs and other policies for rank-and-file workers in many local government settings.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1992

Tax-exempt yardstick: defining the measurements.

Congress, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and state and local governments still are trying to determine requirements a hospital must meet to warrant tax exemption. Revisions to a bill introduced by Rep. Brian Donnelly (D-Mass.) likely will focus Congressional debate on whether charity care or the broader concept of community benefits is the most appropriate measure for not-for-profit hospitals to meet; the IRS may develop intermediate sanctions it could impose on errant not-for-profit facilities in lieu of a total revocation of tax-exempt status; and perhaps the most stringent clamp-down on healthcare facilities' tax-exempt status will come from state and local governments that develop boundaries for tax-exempt hospitals to maintain. Not-for-profit facilities can respond to increased scrutiny by viewing government challenges as opportunities to "tell their stories" about charity care and community benefits.

Charities↗
PubMed1998

[Factors associated with participation in chest X-ray screening by young and middle aged residents].

We investigated the factors that affect participation rates in chest X-ray mass screenings among 20-59 year-old residents in A city, Kagawa prefecture. 1) Participation rates in employees and non-employees were 78.3% and 33.9% respectively. In the employees whose firms do not provide health check-ups, participation rate was 15.9%. 2) Among participants, about 90% of the employees whose firms do not provide health check-ups and about 60% of non-employees utilized mass screenings provided by the local government. 3) Among non-participants, 53.7% of the employees whose firms do not provide health check-ups and 70% of the others (employees whose firms provide health check-ups and non-employees) were aware of the screening system. Most of the young did not know of the system. 4) Principal reasons for nonparticipation were "inconvenient" and "unnecessary because healthy" in job holders and "unnecessary because healthy" in non-job holders. 5) Participants had better health practices than non-participants. Participation rates of chest X-ray mass screenings were high in employees and low in non-employees. Local governments are expected to supplement the existing mass screening system at work-sites by providing accessibility screening. In tuberculosis prevention, nonparticipation in mass screenings is one of the main issues. The association between participation and health practice suggests that methods for linking with primary prevention activities are necessary for stimulating interest and promoting participation in mass screenings.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Automatic data processing equipment and services; conditions for federal financing participation--HCFA. Final Rule.

In September 1978, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-then the Department of Health, Education and Welfare) published a regulation containing requirements that State and local governments must observe to claim Federal reimbursement for the costs of automatic data processing (ADP) equipment or services. The regulations are applicable to certain public assistance programs under the Social Security Act. The regulations were modified in February 1980 and in January 1986 to implement certain changes. These regulations change requirements for the claiming of Federal matching funds for the acquisition of ADP equipment or services in the administration of public assistances programs under the Social Security Act Titles I, IV, X, XIV, (AABD), XXIX and XX. The change modifies the regulations to conform to legislative changes, raises the HHS prior approval threshold for most State and local government acquisitions, and limits the types of documents which are subject to prior approval requirements. The purpose of the change is to: Simplify and make these regulations consistent, to the maximum extent possible, with those regulations that govern availability of Federal Financial Participation (FFP) at the enhanced matching rate for computerized systems that support programs under Titles IV-A, IV-D, and XIX of the Social Security Act; Allow States more flexibility in implementing small systems; and reduce paperwork.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S.↗
PubMed1990

Serological prevalence of bovine leptospirosis in Plateau State, Nigeria.

Serum samples obtained from 1.537 cattle in the 14 local government areas (LGAs) of Plateau State of Nigeria were screened for the presence of leptospiral antibodies using 13 serovars in a modified microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Two hundred and twenty-two (14.4 p.100) of the cattle tested had leptospiral antibody titres of 1:100 or higher to one or more of the test antigens. The prevalence rates of antibodies to individual serovars were: hardjo (35.6 p.100), pomona (11.7 p.100), pyrogenes (11.7 p.100), canicola (9.5 p.100), grippotyphosa (7.7 p.100), bratislava (5.9 p.100), icterohaemorrhagiae (5.9 p.100), ballum (4.5 p.100), autumnalis (3.6 p.100), bataviae (2.3 p.100) and tarassovi (1.8 p.100). The serological prevalence of bovine leptospirosis in the various local government areas of Plateau State of Nigeria differed significantly (P less than 0.05; X2).

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Cultural categorization of febrile illnesses in correlation with herbal remedies used for treatment in Southwestern Nigeria.

The ethnographic study was conducted in two communities in Oyo State in Southwestern Nigeria. The study sites consisted of a rural and an urban local government area located in the tropical rain forest zone of Nigeria. The study was designed to obtain information on febrile illnesses and herbal remedies for treatment with the aim of identifying potential antimalarial drugs. The study revealed that fever is a general term for describing illnesses associated with elevated body temperature. The indigenous Yoruba ethnic population has categorized fever based on symptoms and causes. The present communication is the result of focus group discussion and semi-structured questionnaire administered to traditional healers, herb sellers, elders and mothers. This was on types of fevers, symptoms and causes of febrile illnesses. The investigation also included use of traditional herbs in the prevention and treatment of the illnesses in the two communities.A total of 514 respondents were interviewed. This was made up of 266 (51.8%) from Atiba local government area (LGA), an urban centre while 248 (48.2%) respondents were interviewed from Itesiwaju LGA, a rural community. The LGAs are located in Oyo State of Nigeria. The respondents proffered 12 types of febrile illnesses in a multiple response answering system in Yoruba language. The most common ones (direct translation into English) were: yellow fever (39.1%), typhoid (34.8%), ordinary (28.8%), rainy season (20.8%) and headache (10.5%) fevers, respectively. Perceived causes of each of the febrile illnesses included stress, mosquito bites, unclean water, rains and over exposure to the sun. Methods of fever prevention were mainly with the use of herbal decoctions, powdered herbs, orthodox medications and maintenance of proper hygiene. Of a total of 112 different herbal remedies used in the treatment of the febrile illnesses compiled from the study, 25 recipes are presented. Recipes consisted of 2-7 ingredients. Oral decoctions (84%), oral powders (63%), use as soaps and creams (40%) in a multiple response system, were the most prevalent routes of administration of prepared herbs used in the treatment of the fevers. Boiling in water or alcohol was the most common method used in the preparation of the remedies. The four most frequently mentioned (multiple response system) plants in the Southwest ethnobotany for fevers were Azadirachta indica (87.5%), Mangifera indica (75.0%), Morinda lucida (68.8%) and Citrus medica (68.8%).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Comprehensive periodic health examination: impact on health care utilisation and costs in a working population in Japan.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of a comprehensive periodic health examination programme on health care utilisation and costs in a working population. DESIGN: A cohort method was used to observe the trends in health care utilisation and costs for a group of local government employees from 1 February 1986 until 31 January 1992, during which time (in 1988) a comprehensive periodic health examination programme had been introduced. Health care utilisation was measured by a claim rate per employee (number of claims in a year divided by number of employees) and a utilisation rate per 100 employees (number of employees who submitted at least one claim in a year divided by number of employees x 100). Health care costs were measured by claim costs per employee (total cost of claims divided by number of employees). National and prefectural changes in per capita health care costs were used for the adjustment of claim costs. Internal comparisons were made in relation to the intensiveness of the periodic health examinations administered before the introduction of the comprehensive programme. SETTING: Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 19,146 local government employees (12,455 men, 6691 women) who worked in small cities, towns, and villages in Fukuoka Prefecture throughout the study period participated. MAIN RESULTS: Both the claim and utilisation rates showed an increase in 1988 when the comprehensive programme was introduced. After adjustment for the national changes in per capita health care costs and the aging effect of the study participants, substantial increases in claim costs were noted after introduction of the comprehensive programme. The programme had a greater but short term effect of increasing the health care utilisation of those who had received less intensive periodic health examinations before 1988, but no similar effect on claim costs was noted. CONCLUSIONS: The comprehensive programme had some role in increasing health care utilisation and costs. Its effect on costs was confirmed when the general population or another population was used as a reference. When comparisons were made internally, the comprehensive programme was seen to have had a greater but short term effect of increasing the utilisation of those who had previously received less intensive health examinations to equalise the health care utilisation and costs within the study population.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

The management for tuberculosis control in Greater London in comparison with that in Osaka City: lessons for improvement of TB control management in Osaka City urban setting.

The tuberculosis (TB) notification in Osaka City has been persistently high compared with other urban areas in Japan. Although the TB notification in Greater London has kept much lower level compared with that in Osaka City, it has been also persistently high compared with other urban areas in the UK. Nonetheless, the contexts of the two cities relating TB control programme as well as the epidemiological situation greatly vary; there must be some lessons to be learnt from each other to improve each TB control programme to tackle against TB more effectively. Comparing the epidemiological situation of TB in both cities, it is obvious that Osaka City suffers TB more than Greater London in terms of the TB notification rate. Concerning the context of the TB control programme, Osaka City has centralised approach with strong local government commitment; Greater London, on the other hand, has an approach that is greatly fragmented but coordinated through voluntary TB Networks. This paper aims to draw some constructive and practical lessons from Greater London TB control management for further improvement of Osaka City TB control management through literature review and interview to health professionals. TB epidemiology in Greater London shows distinct features in the extent of TB in new entrants and TB co-infected with HIV in comparison with those in Osaka City. TB epidemiology in Osaka City is to a great extent specifically related to homeless people whereas in Greater London, this relationship occurs to a lesser extent. Both areas have relatively high TB-notification rates compared with national figures, and they have "TB hot spots" where remarkably high TB-notification rates exist. TB control in Greater London is characterised with decentralised and devolved services to local government health authorities supplemented with co-ordinating bodies across sectors as well as across Greater London. Sector-wide TB Network as well as London TB Group (LTBG) and London TB Nurses Network are major key functioning bodies to involve relevant professionals as wide as possible. The specialist TB nurses play key roles for TB case management across Greater London, while in Osaka City, TB control is characterised with strong leadership and commitment of Osaka City Government for the TB control programme. The Osaka City Public Health Centre (PHC) takes initiatives to expand "Cohort Analysis and Case Management Conferences" at each of the 24 Ward Health and Welfare Centres as well as "DOTS Conferences" at hospitals for improvement of case management by physicians and nurses at hospitals as well as by the health centre staff. Public health nurses (PHNs) play very important roles for TB case management as frontline in Osaka City. Comparing the TB control in both cities, the following suggested recommendations are made to both cities for further improvement. Four suggested recommendations to Osaka City are: more resource re-allocation to community-based TB care than to hospital-based TB care should be done; Cohort Analysis and Case Management Conferences should be strengthened through involving more multi-disciplinary sectors; specialist TB PHN at each of the 24 Ward Health and Welfare Centres should be assigned in order to concentrate more on TB control activities; and accessibility to laboratory data such as drug susceptibility test for health centre staff should be improved. Two suggested recommendations to Greater London are: screening for TB high-risk group like homeless people should be strengthened, and regular sector-wide multi-disciplinary case conferences for proper case management should be strengthened.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed1993

[Estimation of asbestos exposure among workers repairing asbestos cement pipes used for conduits].

Asbestos cement pipes (ACPs) containing 15 to 20% chrysotile or crocidolite have been used for underground conduits. Even today 16.2% of all conduits in Japan are ACPs, though the production of ACPs was suspended in 1985. When such a conduit is accidentally damaged the workers belonging to the Waterworks Bureau of a local government cut off the damaged conduit using a high-speed disk cutter and replace it with a new conduit. This operation develops a cloud of dust and the workers involved run the risk of asbestos exposure. It was the aim of the present study to estimate asbestos exposure levels among these workers. First, in the experiment, we established the typical working conditions and requested an experienced worker to cut an ACP using a high-speed disc cutter in a hole dug in the ground as he routinely does. The experiment was repeated three times. During a bout of each experiment, dust was sampled at several points both inside and outside the hole. Second, a self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted to obtain information from the workers regarding their working conditions in cutting ACPs. The subjects of the survey were 1,048 men belonging to conduit repair sections of the Waterworks Bureau of 119 local governments. The results obtained can be summarized as follows. 1) Each bout of cutting ACPs required about five minutes. The concentration of asbestos fibers longer than 5 microns with 3:1 aspect ratio ranged from 48 to 170 fibers/ml (92 fibers/ml on an average) inside and 1.7 to 15 fibers/ml outside the hole. The concentration inside the hole exceeded the ceiling limit (10 fibers/ml) recommended for asbestos by the Japanese Association of Industrial Health. A concentration of 92 fibers/ml is equivalent to 0.96 fibers/ml as 8-h time-weighted average. 2) The number of subjects with experience of cutting ACPs was 849 (81.0%). The average length of service in conduit repair section was 14.2 yr. Based on the information obtained from each subject regarding the average working days per yr for each decade from 1946, the cumulative days to date expended in cutting ACPs was estimated to average 235 d, that is, 17 d per yr. Only 18.1% of the subjects used a protective respiratory device.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adult↗