Does nitrogen load in rats exposed to 8 ATA from 10-35 degrees C influence decompression sickness risk?
This animal model emphasized potential temperature effects attributable to tissue N2 load acquired during compression; there was no evidence that environmental temperature from 10-35 degrees C during or post-dive modulated DCS incidence. It remains to be determined if temperature modulates DCS risk as a function of variable N2 elimination rates.
These findings do not support the view that mining industry employment is necessarily associated with elevated suicide rates. Many factors, ranging from individual personality characteristics through to workplace policies, may contribute to this observation.