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At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

Contamination by nickel, copper and zinc during the handling of euro coins.

The introduction of the euro has revived interest in the risk of nickel allergy due to the handling of coins. In the present work, the transfer of metallic contamination during the manipulation of coins is examined by means of leaching experiments and manipulation tests. It is shown that pre-existing metallic species present on the surface of the coins are the major source of contamination during manipulation, and that friction inherent to everyday usage contributes predominantly to their transfer to the hands. The comparison of coins as to their relative risks of metal contamination should therefore rely on tests that simulate the friction inherent in everyday human handling. Carrying out such tests with the newly issued 1 euro and 2 euro pieces, we find, contrary to long-term leaching measurements, that the euros release less nickel than previously circulated pure-nickel coins, but that this decrease is less pronounced than might have been hoped for on the basis of their surface composition. When the coins are rubbed to a shiny polish before manipulation, contamination of the fingers is reduced by more than a factor of 10. A comparison of coins used in France indicates that the introduction of the common currency has led to a fourfold reduction in contamination by nickel, while causing a 45% increase in contamination by copper.

Alloys↗
PubMed2006

The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat: spontaneous expressions of medal winners of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.

Facial behaviors of medal winners of the judo competition at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games were coded with P. Ekman and W. V. Friesen's (1978) Facial Affect Coding System (FACS) and interpreted using their Emotion FACS dictionary. Winners' spontaneous expressions were captured immediately when they completed medal matches, when they received their medal from a dignitary, and when they posed on the podium. The 84 athletes who contributed expressions came from 35 countries. The findings strongly supported the notion that expressions occur in relation to emotionally evocative contexts in people of all cultures, that these expressions correspond to the facial expressions of emotion considered to be universal, that expressions provide information that can reliably differentiate the antecedent situations that produced them, and that expressions that occur without inhibition are different than those that occur in social and interactive settings.

Affect↗
PubMed2006

Visual sharpness contingency in recognition memory for orientation: mnemonic illusion suppressed by sensory signature.

A striking finding about human memory is that people's level of accuracy in remembering the orientation of heads on coins is often not simply at the chance level but significantly below it. However, S. W. Kelly, A. M. Burton, T. Kato, and S. Akamatsu (2001) reported that this is not so when two-alternative forced-choice visual recognition is employed. The Kelly et al. result could not be replicated here with a copy of their stimuli. However, the result was successfully replicated with newly created stimuli. A series of experiments provided converging evidence that the mnemonic illusion is suppressed when recognition alternatives possess sharp visual detail. The role of a sensory signature in suppressing the mnemonic illusion and in modulating visual recognition performance in general is delineated.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Olympic medals as fruits of comparison? Assimilation and contrast in sequential performance judgments.

The authors investigated the evaluative consequences of sequential performance judgments. Recent social comparison research has suggested that performance judgments may be influenced by judgments about a preceding performance. Specifically, performance judgments may be assimilated to judgments of the preceding performance if judges focus on similarities between the two. If judges focus on differences, however, contrast may ensue. The authors examined sequential performance judgments, using data gathered from the 2004 Olympic Games as well as data gathered in the laboratory with students or experienced gymnastics judges as participants. Sequential performance judgments were influenced by previously judged performances, and the direction of this influence depended on the degree of perceived similarity between the successive performances.

Achievement↗
PubMed2002

Metallurgy: high nickel release from 1- and 2-euro coins.

The amount of nickel is regulated in European products that come into direct and prolonged contact with human skin because this metal may cause contact allergy, particularly hand eczema. Here we show that 1- and 2-euro coins induce positive skin-test reactions in sensitized individuals and release 240-320-fold more nickel than is allowed under the European Union Nickel Directive. A factor contributing to this high release of nickel is corrosion due to the bimetallic structure of these coins, which generates a galvanic potential of 30-40 mV in human sweat.

Alloys↗
PubMed2002

Nickel and the euro.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Dermatitis, Allergic Contact↗
PubMed2003

Provocative use test of nickel coins in nickel-sensitized subjects and controls.

BACKGROUND: Consensus exists on levels of nickel release that are well tolerated in exposure to nickel-containing items in direct and continuous contact with skin (e.g. watches). The clinical relevance of nickel-containing coins eliciting nickel dermatitis associated with extensive occupational exposure (e.g. coins handled by cashiers) has not been determined. OBJECTIVES: To examine whether nickel-containing coins might be an elicitor of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) in occupational settings with extensive exposure to coins (i.e. cashiers). METHODS: Eighteen subjects (10 nickel sensitized and eight non-nickel sensitized) completed this study after screening of history, physical examination and diagnostic patch testing (5% nickel sulphate). Each volunteer handled 10 coins (nickel-containing coins or non-nickel-containing coins) in a cross-over design at 5-min intervals (5 min handling followed by 5 min rest) for 8 h per day, for a total of 12 days excluding the weekend. One hand was gloved while the other was not during coin handling. Visual scoring and bioengineering measurements were recorded at each of four predetermined sites at baseline (day 1), end of day 5 and day 12 (last day of exposure). RESULTS: There were no statistical differences for either visual or bioengineering data comparing: (i) nickel-sensitized vs. non-nickel-sensitized subjects handling nickel-containing coins at day 1, day 5 and day 12; (ii) day 12 vs. day 1 (baseline) for nickel-sensitized subjects handling nickel-containing coins; (iii) handling of nickel-containing coins vs. non-nickel-containing coins by nickel-sensitized subjects at day 5 and day 12; (iv) gloved hand vs. ungloved hand of nickel-sensitized subjects handling nickel-containing coins at day 12. Limitations of the method and clinical extrapolation are detailed. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals handling these nickel-containing coins daily did not develop ACD, as judged by visual signs or bioengineering parameters.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Positive patch tests to Euro coins in nickel-sensitized patients.

BACKGROUND: Many efforts have been made to prevent nickel allergy, the most frequent contact allergy in industrialized countries, by identifying acceptable limits of exposure. Even though coins are not covered by the EU Nickel Directive, some authors suggest that nickel release from coins during handling may elicit contact dermatitis in nickel-allergic people. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate sensitivity to nickel released from coins in nickel-allergic patients and to verify whether nickel release from the new Euro coins may elicit stronger cutaneous reactivity than from old Italian lire coins. METHODS: Twenty-five nickel-allergic patients were patch tested with 1- and 2-Euro coins, 1-, 2- and 50-Euro cent coins, and 100 and 500 Italian lire coins. Ten healthy nonnickel-allergic control individuals were also tested. RESULTS: Nineteen patients had positive patch tests to 1- and 2-Euro coins. One was also positive to 1- and 2-Euro cent coins, four to 50-Euro cent coins, and 13 to the 500-lire coin. None had a positive patch test to the 100-lire coin. The number and degree of positive patch tests to coins were related to nickel content. CONCLUSIONS: Euro coins may be potentially more dangerous than old Italian coins. Coins containing little or no nickel should be chosen for coinage to prevent sensitization and to avoid exacerbation of contact dermatitis in nickel-allergic patients.

Adolescent↗