Agreement between diary records of time spent outdoors and personal ultraviolet radiation dose measurements

Little is known about the validity of self-recorded sun exposure and time spent outdoors for epidemiological research. The aims of the current study were to assess how well participants' self-recorded time outdoors compared to objective measurements of personal UVR doses. We enrolled 124 volunteers aged 40 and above who were identified from targeted subgroups of US radiologic technologists. Each volunteer was instructed to wear a polysulfone (PS) dosimeter to measure UVR on their left shoulder and to complete a daily activity diary, listing all activities undertaken in each 30 min interval between 9:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M. during a 7 day period. In a linear regression model, self-recorded daily time spent outdoors was associated with an increase of 8.2% (95% CI: 7.3-9.2%) in the personal UVR exposure with every hour spent outdoors. The amount of self-recorded total daily time spent outdoors was better correlated with the personal daily UVR dose for activities conducted near noon time compared to activities conducted in the morning or late afternoon, and for activities often performed in the sun (e.g. gardening or recreation activities) compared to other outdoor activities (e.g. driving) in which the participant is usually shaded from the sun. Our results demonstrated a significant correlation between diary records of time spent outdoors with objective personal UVR dose measurements.     

Validation of Sun Exposure Reported Annually Against Interim Self‐report and Daily Sun Diaries

Data on personal sun exposure over a period exceeding the immediate past days or weeks are typically self‐reported in brief questionnaire items. The validity of such self‐reporting of longer term personal sun exposure, for example over a year, including detail on variation across seasons, has not previously been investigated. In a volunteer sample (n = 331) of Australian adults aged 18 years and over, we assessed the 12‐month reliability of sun exposure reported separately for each season, and its accuracy compared to a daily sun diary in the same season. Seasonal time outdoors displayed fair‐to‐good reliability between baseline and end of study (12 months), with responses showing higher agreement at lower levels of time outdoors. There was good agreement for ranking of individuals' time outdoors with the daily sun diary data, although the actual diary time outdoors was typically considerably lower than the self‐reported questionnaire data. Place of residence, education, being a smoker, day of the week (i.e. working day vs nonworking day) and working mainly outdoors were significant predictors of agreement. While participants overestimated their actual time outdoors, the self‐report questionnaire provided a valid ranking of long‐term sun exposure against others in the study that was reliable over time.     

Significant Associations Between Sun Exposure and Adiposity Were Not Observed in Breast and Prostate Cancer Patients in a Cross‐sectional Analysis

Obesity is a significant health problem worldwide. Exposure to low‐dose ultraviolet radiation (like that in sunlight) suppresses the development of obesity in mice; however, the nature of the associations between sun exposure and adiposity is not well understood in humans. The present study characterized cross‐sectional relationships between sun exposure and adiposity in a convenience cohort of breast (n = 269; mean age = 58 years) and prostate (n = 78; mean age = 69 years) cancer patients. Participants were enrolled in a 3‐month exercise program in Perth, Australia. Self‐reported questionnaires measured time spent outdoors (previous week, winter and summer), sex, age, treatment received and physical activity levels. Adiposity measures included body mass index, waist‐hip ratio and body fat percentage (measured via DXA). In unadjusted models, greater time spent outdoors across all times was significantly associated with lower waist‐hip ratio, while greater time spent outdoors in the last winter was associated with lower body fat percentage, but not when stratified by sex. There were no statistically significant associations between time spent outdoors and adiposity after adjusting for sex, age, treatments received and physical activity. Longitudinal studies in larger populations may elucidate significant associations not found in our study due to the cross‐sectional design and power limitations.     

Simplified categorization of outdoor activities for male and female U.S. indoor workers-a feasibility study to improve assessment of ultraviolet radiation exposures in epidemiologic study questionnaires

Skin cancer studies depend on questionnaires to estimate exposure to ultraviolet light and subsequent risk but are limited by recall bias. We investigate the feasibility of developing a short checklist of categories comprising outdoor activities that can improve sun exposure questionnaires for use in epidemiologic studies. We recruited 124 working and retired U.S. radiologic technologists (52% women). Each subject was instructed to complete a daily activity diary, listing main indoor and outdoor activities between 9:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M. during a 7 day period. A total of 4697 entries were associated with 1408 h (21.1%) of the total 6944 h spent outdoors. We were able to classify the activities into seven main activity categories: driving, yard work, home-maintenance, walking or performing errands, water activities, other recreational or sports activities and leisure activities or relaxing outside. These activities accounted for more than 94% of time spent outdoors both for working and retired men and women. Our data document the feasibility and guidance for developing a short checklist of outdoor activities for use in epidemiologic questionnaires for estimating sunlight exposures of working and retired indoor workers.     

Sun Exposure over a Lifetime in Australian Adults from Latitudinally Diverse Regions

Spatio‐temporal patterns in sun exposure underlie variations in skin cancer incidence and vitamin D deficiency, indicate effectiveness of sun protection programs and provide insights into future health risks. From 558 adults across four regions of Australia (Brisbane (27°S), Newcastle (33°S), Geelong and the Western Districts of Victoria (37°S) and Tasmania (43°S)), we collected: self‐report data on time‐in‐the‐sun from age 6 years; natural skin color and ethnicity; silicone skin casts (for cumulative skin damage); and serum for vitamin D status. Ambient ultraviolet radiation (UVR) at the location of residence, with time‐in‐the‐sun, was used to calculate a “UVR dose” for each year of life. Individuals maintained their ranking compared to their peers for time‐in‐the‐sun in summer compared to winter and across ages (Spearman rho 0.24–0.84, all P < 0.001). Time‐in‐the‐sun decreased with age in all birth cohorts, and over calendar time. Summer time‐in‐the‐sun increased with increasing latitude (P < 0.001). Seasonal variation in vitamin D status had greater amplitude and vitamin D deficiency increased with increasing latitude. Temporal patterns are consistent with effectiveness of sun protection programs. Higher relative time‐in‐the‐sun persists from childhood through adulthood. Lower summer time‐in‐the‐sun in the warmest location may have implications for predictions of UVR‐related health risks of climate change.     

HPLC‐fluorescence determination of thiol compounds in the serum of human male and female subjects using HILIC‐mode column

High‐performance liquid chromatography–fluorescence detection using a hydrophilic interaction chromatography‐mode column (ZIC®‐HILIC) was used to determine four kinds of thiol compounds in human serum. Sera were obtained from 34 subjects for this study (17 male subjects aged 22–38 years and 17 female subjects aged 18–38 years). Serum cysteine, cysteinylglycine, glutathione, and γ‐glutamylcysteine, derivatized with ammonium 7‐fluoro‐2,1,3‐benzoxadiazole‐4‐sulfonate, were separated on the ZIC®‐HILIC column and quantified. The serum concentrations of cysteine, cysteinylglycine, glutathione and γ‐glutamylcysteine were 226 ± 4.7, 23.4 ± 1.3, 3.7 ± 0.2 and 3.2 ± 0.1 μm , respectively. In addition, the concentrations of serum thiol compounds from male subjects were significantly higher than those of the female subjects (p < 0.05). Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The objective assessment of lifetime cumulative ultraviolet exposure for determining melanoma risk

Exposure to ultraviolet radiation has commonly been recognized as the most important environmental risk factor for melanoma. The measurement of UV exposure in humans, however, has proved challenging. Despite the general appreciation that an objective metric for individual UV exposure is needed to properly assess melanoma risk, little attention has been given to the issue of accuracy of UV exposure measurement. The present research utilized a GIS based historical UV exposure model (for which the accuracy of exposure estimates is known) and examined, in the case-control setting, the relative importance of UV exposure compared to self-reported time spent outdoors, in melanoma risk. UV estimates were coupled with residential histories of 820 representative melanoma cases among non-Hispanic white residents under 65 years of age from Los Angeles County and for 877 controls matched to cases by age, sex, race, and neighborhood of residence, to calculate the cumulative lifetime UV exposure and average annual UV exposure. For historical measures, when the participants resided outside the US, we also calculated UV estimates. While there was no increased risk of melanoma associated with self-reported time spent outdoors, the association between annual average UV exposure based on residential history and melanoma risk was substantial, as was the association between cumulative UV exposure based on residential history and melanoma. The time spent in outdoor activities appeared to have no significant effect on melanoma risk in any age strata, however, when adjusted for UV exposure based on residential history, time spent outdoors during young age significantly increased risk for melanoma. While there was some attenuation of risk when we excluded data from people resident overseas (as all other studies we are aware of have done), this did not significantly impact subsequent risk estimates of UV exposure on melanoma.     

Gas chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry analysis of alkylresorcinols in red blood cells

Erythrocyte alkylresorcinols (5‐alkyl‐1,3‐dihydroxybenzenes) are potential biomarkers of wholegrain wheat and rye intake. However, their high‐throughput quantitative analysis by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is hindered by the time‐consuming sample preparation and, more importantly, by interfering compounds that still remain after sample cleanup. In the present work we describe a gas chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (GC/MS/MS) method for the rapid and reliable quantification of alkylresorcinols in erythrocyte samples. The performance of the GC/MS/MS method is compared with that of GC/MS. The main characteristics of the method are: lower limits of detection: 2–10 µg/L standard solution; lower limits of quantification: 6–30 µg/L standard solution; linearity coefficients: 0.9611–0.9888; linear ranges: 2–20 µg/L in erythrocytes; and intra‐day precisions (n = 6): 4–13% at endogenous analyte levels in non‐spiked erythrocytes. Tandem mass spectrometry showed greatly improved selectivity over single‐stage mass spectrometry in the case of erythrocyte samples, eliminating all interferences detectable in single‐stage MS and enabling simple peak integration for quantification. Moreover, increased selectivity resulted in GC separation speeded up by a factor of two, allowing the duplicate analysis of over 40 samples per day. This GC/MS/MS method is suggested as an improved alternative to GC/MS for the quantification of alkylresorcinols in erythrocytes for assessing wholegrain wheat and rye intake. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Attitudes,Beliefs, and Measures Taken by Parents to Protect Their Children from the Sun in Guangzhou City,China

Excessive sun exposure can cause sunburn, suntan, skin photoaging, and even skin cancer. Skin photoaging conflicts with the human pursuit of a young and beautiful appearance. Some research data indicate that the incidence of skin cancer in the Chinese has been increasing, although it remains lower than in whites. To estimate the prevalence of sun protection used on Chinese children aged 3–13 years and identify its predictors, a population‐based cross‐sectional questionnaire was given to 3684 parents/guardians of children in Guangzhou, China, of which 3083 questionnaires were returned. Of those returned, 35.5% of parents/guardians reported regularly using sun protection on their children and the primary reason cited was to prevent sunburn. Hats and handheld umbrellas were the most frequently used measures; sunscreen was less common, and when used, 48.8% of parents/guardians still reapplied sunscreen on their children every 2.0–3.0 h. Parental age, parents using sun protection measures themselves when outdoors, and the child's sex were factors associated with regular use of sun protection on children. These results suggest that sun protection campaigns targeted toward parents and children need to be conducted in Guangzhou, or throughout China, to strengthen awareness about sun protection and address any inadequate protocols of sun protection.     

UV doses of Americans.

The UV doses of Americans were never measured, but are needed for assessing the risks of UV-related health effects. We calculated these doses using a novel approach. The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) National Human Activity Pattern Survey (NHAPS) recorded the activity profiles of 9386 Americans over 24 months to assess their exposure to environmental pollutants, one of which is UV radiation. NHAPS used randomized telephone interviews to get their previous day's minute-by-minute activities. From NHAPS we extracted only the outdoor-daylight data of the northern and southern indoor workers (95%), stratifying by season, sex and age (0-21, 22-40, 41-59 and 60+ years) to find the average time Americans spend outdoors. Knowing the total daylight time and that while outdoors Americans are exposed to about 30% of the available solar UV (on a horizontal plane), we calculated their percent ambients. The average American's percent ambients are 2.6 and 2.5% for northern and southern females, respectively, and 3.5 and 3.6% for northern and southern males, respectively. Men over 40 years of age have the highest ambients (4%). From their ambients we calculated their annual doses using seasonal averages of UV measurements taken daily for over 2 years by EPA Brewer spectrophotometers located in four quadrants of the United States: Atlanta, GA; Boston, MA; Bozeman, MT and Riverside, CA. The average erythemal UV doses of Americans are about 25,000 J/m2/year, 22,000 for females and 28,000 for males, or 33,000 J/m2/year including a conservative continental U.S. vacation (7800 J/m2). Thus, we can now assess the risks of UV-related health effects for Americans.     

Tilted lamellae in an affinely deformed 3D macrolattice and elliptical features in small‐angle scattering

Lamellar reflections in small‐angle X‐ray and neutron scattering patterns of uniaxially drawn semicrystalline polymers appear to fall on elliptical or hyperbolic arcs. We attribute this to a 3D lattice of tilted lamellae, a macrolattice. Affine deformation of this lattice, such as during uniaxial draw, moves and spreads the reflections along elliptical arcs, and nonaffine deformation, such as during rolling, moves and spreads the reflections along an arc that deviates from an ellipse. Discrete reflections are the product of two functions: the elliptical trace that is the Fourier transform of the affinely deformed lattice and the radial streak that is the Fourier transform of the individual lamella in the reciprocal space. Four‐point patterns are obtained if the lamellar‐surface normal is tilted away from the fiber‐axis, and two‐point patterns if it is not. This model is used to discuss the transformation between four‐ and two‐point patterns and other changes in lamellar morphology that occur during drawing and annealing of oriented semicrystalline polymers. The deformation of the macrolattice of crystalline lamellae, need not be correlated to the tilt of the lamellae. The tilt of the lamellae is shown to be important. It reflects the cross‐sectional area mismatch at the lamellar surface between crystalline stems and amorphous chains segments, and this indicates the internal strain in the interfibrillar amorphous regions. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 1277–1286, 2006     

UV Radiation Exposure of Outdoor Workers in Antarctica

The Antarctic region is a place of increasing interest. A growing number of personnel are working outdoors in extreme environmental conditions. They receive significant exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and are thereby at increased risk of adverse consequences. The aim of this study was to evaluate the UVR dose received by the outdoor workers at the Bulgarian Antarctic Base. Ten Caucasian healthy subjects, 8 males and 2 females with a mean age of 38 years (29–51) were enrolled. Of them, 5 were scientists and 5 were logistic workers. We measured the accumulated daily dose of UVR assessed by standard erythemal dose (SED) in the two groups. All subjects wore personal dosimeters located near the face—he only noncovered skin area. The dosimeters were factory calibrated for use in the Antarctic region. No statistical difference (P = 0.441) could be revealed between the SEDs in the two groups. The maximum UVR dose detected in a single day was 67.9 SEDs, and the highest cumulative dose was 548.03 SEDs. Study results are showing extreme measurements of UVR received by the members of the expeditions. We suggest meticulous UV protection for outdoor workers.     

Seasonal Minimum and Maximum Solar Ultraviolet Exposure Measurements of Classroom Teachers Residing in Tropical North Queensland,Australia

The risk of keratinocyte skin cancer, malignant melanoma and ultraviolet radiation (UVR)‐induced eye disease is disproportionately higher in Australia and New Zealand compared to equivalent northern hemisphere latitudes. While many teachers are aware of the importance of reinforcing sun safety messages to students, many may not be aware of the considerable personal exposure risk while performing outdoor duties in locations experiencing high to extreme ambient UVR year‐round. Personal erythemally effective exposure of classroom teachers in tropical Townsville (19.3°S) was measured to establish seasonal extremes in exposure behavior. Mean daily personal exposure was higher in winter (91.2 J m^‐2, 0.91 Standard Erythema Dose [SED]) than summer (63.3 J m^?2, 0.63 SED). The range of exposures represents personal exposures that approximate current national guidelines for Australian workers at the study latitude of approximately 1.2 SED (30 J m^?2 effective to the International Commission on Non‐Ionizing Radiation Protection). Similar proportions of teachers spent more than 1 h outdoors per day in winter (28.6%) and summer (23.6%) as part of their teaching duties with seasonal differences having little effect on the time of exposure. Personal exposures for teachers peaked during both seasons near school meal break times at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm, respectively.     

UV exposure of elementary school children in five Japanese cities

A 1 week UV‐exposure measurement and outdoor‐activity pattern survey was conducted for elementary school children for four seasons at five sites in Japan, i.e. Sapporo (43°05′N, altitude 40 m), Tsukuba (36°05′N, 20 m), Tokyo (35°40′N, 45 m), Miyazaki (31°60′N, 40 m) and Naha (26°10′N, 5 m), and UV exposure was measured directly and estimated using outdoor‐activity records. The study site with largest UV exposure was Miyazaki, a southern rural area. Comparing the results for boys and girls, UV exposure was larger in boys. UV exposure was large in spring and summer and small in winter. The total amount of UV exposure in spring and summer contributed 57.7–73.4% of total exposure for the year. As a whole, 8.1% and 1.8% of the schoolchildren were exposed to more than 1 minimum erythemal dose (MED) and 2 MED of solar UV in a day, respectively. The estimated yearly UV exposure ranged from 49 207 J/m² in Miyazaki to 31 520 J/m² in Tsukuba. The actual UV exposure correlated to potential UV exposure, estimated using outdoor‐activity records and ambient UV irradiance, but the ratio differed by season and site. The yearly average of percent UV exposure to ambient UV on a horizontal plane ranged from 9.9% in Tokyo to 4.0% in Naha. In the questionnaire survey on outdoor‐activity pattern, a short question “How long did you spend time outdoors between 0900 and 1500 h?” gives the best estimates of UV exposure.     

Solar UVR Exposures of Primary School Children at Three Locations in Queensland

Abstract— The ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposures of primary school children in Brisbane, Toowoomba and Mackay (latitudes 27°30', 27°33' and 21°15' south, respectively) were assessed over a period of 2 weeks at each location using UVR-sensitive polysulfone (PS) film badges attached at the shoulder. The students filled in questionnaires on their time spent outdoors for each day of the study. These data in conjunction with the ambient UVR measured by a detector/datalogger unit at each site were used to correlate the calculated exposures with those measured using the PS badges. Overall, the questionnaires indicated that the males spent more time outdoors and had higher measured UVR exposures than females. For both boys and girls at each location, there was a strong correlation between the mean measured UVR exposure and the ambient solar UVR at that location.     

Analysis of phenolic acids and flavonoids in leaves of Lycium barbarum from different habitats by ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry

The leaves of Lycium barbarum (LLB) have been utilized as crude drugs and functional tea for human health in China and Southeast Asia for thousands of years. To control its quality, a rapid and sensitive ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry method was established and validated for the first time for simultaneous determination of 10 phenolic acids and flavonoids (including neochlorogenic acid , protocatechuic aldehyde, p‐hydroxybenzoic acid, chlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, p‐coumaric acid, ferulic acid, rutin and kaempferol‐3‐O‐rutinoside) in LLB. The separation was performed on an Acquity UPLC C₁₈ chromatographic column (100 × 2.1 mm internal diameter, 1.7 μm particle size) with 0.1% formic acid in water (A)–acetonitrile (B) as the mobile phase under gradient elution. Multiple reaction monitoring mode was adopted to simultaneously monitor the target components. The developed method was fully validated in terms of linearity (r² ≥ 0.9860), precision (RSD ≤ 6.58%), repeatability (RSD ≤ 6.60%), stability (RSD ≤ 6.17%), recovery (95.56–108.06%, RSD ≤ 4.64%) and limit of detection (0.021–0.664 ng/mL) and limit of quantitation (0.069–2.210 ng/mL), and then successfully applied to evaluate the quality of 64 batches of LLB collected from 41 producing areas in four different provinces of China. The results showed that the LLB, especially collected from Inner Mongolia regions, were rich in the phenolic acids and flavonoids. Rutin, kaempferol‐3‐O‐rutinoside and chlorogenic acid are the predominant compounds contained in LLB. The above findings will provide helpful information for the effective utilization of LLB.     

Sun Exposure and Vitamin D Status as Northeast Asian Migrants Become Acculturated to Life in Australia

Vitamin D deficiency is more common in Northeast‐Asian immigrants to western countries than in the local population; prevalence equalizes as immigrants adopt the host country's culture. In a community‐based study of 100 Northeast‐Asian immigrants in Canberra, Australia, we examined predictors of vitamin D status, its association with indicators of acculturation (English language use; time since migration) and mediators of that association. Participants completed a sun and physical activity diary and wore an electronic ultraviolet radiation (UVR) dosimeter for 7 days. Skin colour was measured by reflectance spectrophotometry. Serum concentrations of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and cardio‐metabolic biomarkers were measured on fasting blood. In a multiple linear regression model, predictors for 25(OH)D concentration were season of blood collection, vitamin D supplementation, UVR exposure, body mass index, physical activity and having private health insurance (R² = 0.57). Greater acculturation was associated with lower risk of vitamin D deficiency (de‐seasonalized 25(OH)D level <50 nmol L^?1) (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR): 0.22 [95%CI 0.04–0.96]); this association was statistically mediated by physical activity and time outdoors. Vitamin D deficiency was associated with higher total cholesterol levels (>5.0 mmol L^?1) (AOR: 7.48 [95%CI 1.51–37.0]). Targeted public health approaches are required to manage the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in migrants retaining a traditional lifestyle.     

Dissipation behavior of chlorpyrifos residues and risk assessment in sugarcane fields

As chlorpyrifos is used globally to control pests in sugarcane fields, analysis of its residues on food crops is essential to assess product safety for humans. In this study, chlorpyrifos content in sugarcane plants, soil and juice was determined using a gas chromatography with an electron capture detector. The limit of quantification was 0.01 mg/kg for plant and soil, and 0.01 mg/L for juice. The degradation and residual risk in sugarcane fields after applying chlorpyrifos to two sample sites (Changsha and Danzhou, China) were assessed. Chlorpyrifos concentrations in plants and soil decreased rapidly over time, reaching a degradation rate ranging from 98.82 to 99.25% on day 35. The half‐life of chlorpyrifos in both plants and soil was only 5.97–6.12 days. Regardless of application dosage (standard or high) at a pre‐harvest interval of 60 days, chlorpyrifos was undetectable in the harvested sugarcane. Risk assessment indicated that chlorpyrifos residue in sugarcane did not pose a health risk to humans.     

Tracking Structural Evolution during Symmetry‐Breaking Charge Separation in Quadrupolar Perylene Bisimide with Time‐Resolved Impulsive Stimulated Raman Spectroscopy

Elucidating structural roles in photoinduced charge transfer is indispensable, as nuclear rearrangements are simultaneously usually involved in the dynamics. However, it is hard to evaluate whether the structural changes occur or not by using conventional time‐resolved electronic spectroscopy. Here, time‐resolved impulsive stimulated Raman spectroscopy is applied to record the evolution of vibrational snapshots during charge‐separation dynamics of donor–acceptor–donor‐type quadrupolar perylene bisimide in real time. Drastic frequency shifts were observed for several Raman bands with their population kinetics, thus symmetry‐breaking charge separation accompanies significant structural changes, as supported by (TD)‐DFT calculations. A comparison between time‐resolved Raman spectra of the neutral S₁ state and the radical anion species shows that the spectral signatures, especially in high‐frequency regions, provide important clues to bond length alternation patterns in the PBI core.