Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2013, 10, 443-445; doi:10.3390/ijerph10010443
OPEN ACCESS
International Journal of
Environmental Research and
Public Health
ISSN 1660-4601
www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
Editorial
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public
Health Best Paper Award 2013
Paul B. Tchounwou 1 and Ophelia Han 2
1
2
Molecular Toxicology Research Laboratory, Jackson State University, 1400 Lynch Street, Box
18750, Jackson, MS 39217, USA; E-Mail: paul.b.tchounwou@jsums.edu
MDPI AG, Postfach, CH-4005 Basel, Switzerland and MDPI Branch Office, Beijing, China;
E-Mail: ophelia.han@mdpi.com
Received: 22 January 2013 / Accepted: 22 January 2013 / Published: 23 January 2013
With the start of 2013, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is
instituting an annual award to recognize outstanding papers related to environmental health sciences
and public health that meet the aims, scope and high standards of this journal. We are pleased to
announce the first “International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Best Paper
Award” for 2013. Nominations were solicited from the Editorial Board members, with all papers
published in 2009 eligible for consideration. The following five papers were awarded:
Article Award:
1st Prize
Authors: Patricia A. Richter, Ellen E. Bishop, Jiantong Wang and Monica H. Swahn
Article title: Tobacco Smoke Exposure and Levels of Urinary Metals in the U.S. Youth and Adult
Population: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2004
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2009, 6(7), 1930–1946; doi:10.3390/ijerph6071930
Available online: http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/6/7/1930
2nd Prize
Authors: Athanasios Valavanidis, Thomais Vlachogianni and Konstantinos Fiotakis
Article title: Tobacco Smoke: Involvement of Reactive Oxygen Species and Stable Free Radicals in
Mechanisms of Oxidative Damage, Carcinogenesis and Synergistic Effects with Other Respirable
Particles
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2009, 6(2), 445–462; doi:10.3390/ijerph6020445
Available online: http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/6/2/445
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2013, 10
444
3rd Prize
Author: Melanie Swan
Article title: Emerging Patient-Driven Health Care Models: An Examination of Health Social
Networks, Consumer Personalized Medicine and Quantified Self-Tracking
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2009, 6(2), 492–525; doi:10.3390/ijerph6020492
Available online: http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/6/2/492
Review Award:
1st Prize
Authors: Jong-Su Seo, Young-Soo Keum and Qing X. Li
Article title: Bacterial Degradation of Aromatic Compounds
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2009, 6(1), 278–309; doi:10.3390/ijerph6010278
Available online: http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/6/1/278
2nd Prize
Authors: Johanna Brinkel, Mobarak H. Khan and Alexander Kraemer
Article title: A Systematic Review of Arsenic Exposure and Its Social and Mental Health Effects with
Special Reference to Bangladesh
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2009, 6(5), 1609–1619; doi:10.3390/ijerph6051609
Available online: http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/6/5/1609
The prize awarding committee merits the article “Tobacco Smoke Exposure and Levels of Urinary
Metals in the US Youth and Adult Population: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
(NHANES) 1999-2004” as “…a nice epidemiological study that establishes a correlation between
tobacco smoke and heavy metals exposure. It further provides a comprehensive analysis of the link
between exposure and health disparities…”. The article “Tobacco Smoke: Involvement of Reactive
Oxygen Species and Stable Free Radicals in Mechanisms of Oxidative Damage, Carcinogenesis and
Synergistic Effects with Other Respirable Particles” reported “…an excellent research that elucidates
the role of oxidative stress on tobacco-smoke-induced toxicity and carcinogenicity. It further
demonstrates its synergistic effects with other respirable particulate matters…”. The article “Emerging
Patient-Driven Health Care Models: An Examination of Health Social Networks, Consumer
Personalized Medicine and Quantified Self-Tracking” discussed “…novel strategies to health care
delivery by examining social networks, personalized medicine, and quantified self-tracking…”.
These five exceptional papers are valuable contributions to the International Journal of
Environmental Research and Public Health and the public health field. On behalf of the Prize
Awarding Committee and the Editorial Board of International Journal of Environmental Research and
Public Health, we would like to congratulate these five teams for their excellent work. In recognition
of their accomplishment, Drs. Patricia A. Richter, Athanasios Valavanidis and Melanie Swan will
receive a prize of 600 CHF, 400 CHF, and 200 CHF, respectively, and the privilege to publish an
additional paper free of charge in open access format in the International Journal of Environmental
Research and Public Health, after normal peer-review. Drs. Qing X. Li and Mobarak H. Khan will be
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2013, 10
445
awarded the privilege of publishing an additional research paper free of charge in open access format
in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, after normal peer-review.
Prize Awarding Committee
Editor-in-Chief
Prof. Dr. Paul B. Tchounwou
Molecular Toxicology Research Laboratory, Jackson State University, 1400 Lynch Street, Box 18750,
Jackson, Mississippi 39217, USA
E-Mail: paul.b.tchounwou@jsums.edu
Section Head ‘Health Economics’
Prof. Dr. Ulf-G. Gerdtham
Department of Clinical Sciences, Department of Economics, Lund University, P.O. Box 7082, S-220
07 Lund, Sweden
E-Mail: ulf.gerdtham@nek.lu.se
Editorial Board Member and Guest Editor
Dr. Zubair Kabir
Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
E-Mail: z.kabir@ucc.ie
Managing Editor
Dr. Ophelia Han
MDPI Beijing Office, Suite 2011, Ruidu International Center, No. 1 Cuijingbeili, Tongzhou District,
Beijing, China
E-Mail: ophelia.han@mdpi.com
© 2013 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article
distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).