3 rad/ s) 1 MeV gamma-rays. We characterized the radiation- induced attenuation (RIA) and radiation-induced emission (RIE) phenomena in the spectral range 200-1100 nm. These commercial fibers, optimized for the transport of high power of ultraviolet (UV) light, present good radiation tolerance to transient

and steady state environments compared to other classes of multimode optical fibers with pure or doped cores (Ge, P, F). The different tested SR fibers present similar behaviors for both gamma-rays and X-rays. These fibers present low transient and FK866 inhibitor permanent RIA levels for wavelengths greater than 300 nm. Our results showed that RIE can become an important factor of the fiber degradation, especially for high dose-rate irradiation. The induced

losses in these fibers can be explained by the generation of Si-related defects like the SiE’, Si-NBOHCs or STHs and also to chlorine-related centers like Cl degrees.”
“Background: Several studies have evaluated the association between forest fire smoke and acute exacerbations of respiratory diseases, but few have examined effects on pharmaceutical dispensations. We examine the associations between daily fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and pharmaceutical dispensations for salbutamol in forest fire-affected and non-fire-affected populations in British Columbia (BC), Canada.\n\nMethods: We estimated PM2.5 exposure for populations in administrative selleckchem health areas using measurements from central monitors. Ispinesib order Remote sensing data on fires were used to classify the populations as fire-affected or

non-fire-affected, and to identify extreme fire days. Daily counts of salbutamol dispensations between 2003 and 2010 were extracted from the BC PharmaNet database. We estimated rate ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each population during all fire seasons and on extreme fire days, adjusted for temperature, humidity, and temporal trends. Overall effects for fire-affected and non-fire-affected populations were estimated via meta-regression.\n\nResults: Fire season PM2.5 was positively associated with salbutamol dispensations in all fire-affected populations, with a meta-regression RR (95% CI) of 1.06 (1.04-1.07) for a 10 ug/m(3) increase. Fire season PM2.5 was not significantly associated with salbutamol dispensations in non-fire-affected populations, with a meta-regression RR of 1.00 (0.98-1.01). On extreme fire days PM2.5 was positively associated with salbutamol dispensations in both population types, with a global meta-regression RR of 1.07 (1.04-1.09).\n\nConclusions: Salbutamol dispensations were clearly associated with fire-related PM2.5. Significant associations were observed in smaller populations (range: 8,000 to 170,000 persons, median: 26,000) than those reported previously, suggesting that salbutamol dispensations may be a valuable outcome for public health surveillance during fire events.