Elevated chronic bronchitis diagnosis risk among women in a local emergency department patient population associated with the 2012 heatwave and drought in Douglas county, NE USA.

Background: Concerns about global climate change force local public health agencies to assess potential local disease risk.

Objective: Determine if risk of an emergency department chronic bronchitis diagnosis in Douglas County, NE, was higher during the 2012 heatwave compared to the same calendar period in 2011.

Methods: Retrospective, observational, case-control design selecting subjects from 2011 and 2012 emergency department (ED) admissions.

Emergency department asthma diagnosis risk associated with the 2012 heat wave and drought in Douglas County NE, USA.

Background: Global climate change concerns are forcing local public health agencies to assess potential disease risk.

Objective: Determine if risk of an emergency department asthma diagnosis in Douglas County, NE, was higher during the 2012 heatwave compared to 2011.

Methods: Retrospective, observational, case-control design selecting subjects from 2011 and 2012 emergency department (ED) admissions.

Lung cancer mortality among uranium gaseous diffusion plant workers: a cohort study 1952-2004.

Background: 9%-15% of all lung cancers are attributable to occupational exposures. Reports are disparate regarding elevated lung cancer mortality risk among workers employed at uranium gaseous diffusion plants.

Objective: To investigate whether external radiation exposure is associated with lung cancer mortality risk among uranium gaseous diffusion workers.

Predictors of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid exposure among herbicide applicators.

To determine the major factors affecting the urinary levels of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) among county noxious weed applicators in Kansas, we used a regression technique that accounted for multiple days of exposure. We collected 136 12-h urine samples from 31 applicators during the course of two spraying seasons (April to August of 1994 and 1995). Using mixed-effects models, we constructed exposure models that related urinary 2,4-D measurements to weighted self-reported work activities from daily diaries collected over 5 to 7 days before the collection of the urine sample.