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Hazardous
Terms modified by Hazardous Selected AbstractsIs the Twist Hazardous to Your Health?PACING AND CLINICAL ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 4 2007JOHN D. FISHER M.D. No abstract is available for this article. [source] The validity of an Australian modification of the AUDIT questionnaireDRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, Issue 2 2001LOUISA J. DEGENHARDT Abstract The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) has been used widely and is reported to be superior to conventional questionnaires in detection of current hazardous and harmful alcohol use. We assessed the validity of an Australian modification of the AUDIT (the AusAUDIT), which has been employed widely in Australian and New Zealand early intervention programmes. We used a cross-sectional study of 370 subjects from the follow-up phase of a randomized controlled trial of early intervention to reduce hazardous alcohol consumption. Scores on the AusAUDIT were compared against 12-month ICD-10 diagnoses of harmful alcohol use and dependence, as determined by the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, and against self-report of alcohol consumption exceeding Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NH&MRC) recommended limits. AusAUDIT had good internal consistency and discriminated significantly between persons meeting criteria for ICD-10 alcohol use disorders, and drinkers who did not. At currently recommended cut-off scores, AusAUDIT detected more than 85% of people meeting criteria for ICD-10 alcohol use disorders, or drinking over NH&MRC recommended limits, but its specificity was limited (29% in men, and 58% in women for drinking over NH&MRC limits). No subset of questions performed as well as the full AusAUDIT in detection of drinking problems, but the alcohol consumption items provided a reasonable screen for drinking over NH&MRC limits. We conclude that AusAUDIT is effective in detecting problematic drinking, but positive cases should be confirmed by clinical assessment. The findings illustrate the need for validation of questionnaire modifications, and the difficulty in increasing test sensitivity without reducing specificity. [source] Injury and alcohol: a hospital emergency department studyDRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, Issue 2 2001ANN M. ROCHE Abstract A pilot survey was undertaken of injury presentations to a public hospital emergency department to determine patterns of alcohol use in this population. Of the 402 injury presentations in the study period, a total of 236 injury cases were interviewed, of whom 45% (n = 107) and 29% (n = 69) had consumed alcohol 24 and 6 hours prior to injury. Mean age for all injury presentations was 35.1 years, and 32.6 years for alcohol injury cases. For both injury groups, males were significantly younger than females. Recent alcohol ingestion was three times more common among male than female injury presentations, but with females drinking at significantly lower levels. Of males who had consumed alcohol 6 hours prior to injury, nearly 70% were drinking at NHMRC harmful levels and 61% had drunk more than eight standard drinks. Overall, alcohol-involved injury cases commonly occurred among low-income, single males around 30 years of age who were regular heavy drinkers who were drinking heavily in licensed premises prior to their injury, and who sustained injury through intentional harm. In addition, one in five of the alcohol-involved injury cases were aged 15,18 years, i.e. below the legal age of purchase. The high proportion of hazardous and harmful drinkers among those who had consumed alcohol within the last 6 hours, and the injury sample overall, highlights the need for further research to explore the relationship between the occurrence of injury and the drinking patterns and environments associated with injury. Further research is also required to assess the efficacy of early and brief interventions for alcohol and drug use within the emergency ward setting. This information would enable appropriate public health interventions to be initiated. [source] A geomatics data integration technique for coastal change monitoringEARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 6 2005J. P. Mills Abstract This paper reports research carried out to develop a novel method of monitoring coastal change, using an approach based on digital elevation models (DEMs). In recent years change monitoring has become an increasingly important issue, particularly for landforms and areas that are potentially hazardous to human life and assets. The coastal zone is currently a sensitive policy area for those involved with its management, as phenomena such as erosion and landslides affect the stability of both the natural and the built environment. With legal and financial implications of failing to predict and react to such geomorphological change, the provision of accurate and effective monitoring is essential. Long coastlines and dynamic processes make the application of traditional surveying difficult, but recent advances made in the geomatics discipline allow for more effective methodologies to be investigated. A solution is presented, based on two component technologies , the Global Positioning System (GPS) and digital small format aerial photogrammetry , using data fusion to elim-inate the disadvantages associated with each technique individually. A sparse but highly accurate DEM, created using kinematic GPS, was used as control to orientate surfaces derived from the relative orientation stage of photogrammetric processing. A least squares surface matching algorithm was developed to perform the orientation, reducing the need for costly and inefficient ground control point survey. Change detection was then carried out between temporal data epochs for a rapidly eroding coastline (Filey Bay, North Yorkshire). The surface matching algorithm was employed to register the datasets and determine dif-ferences between the DEM series. Large areas of change were identified during the lifetime of the study. Results of this methodology were encouraging, the flexibility, redundancy and automation potential allowing an efficient approach to landform monitoring. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Meta-analysis of drug-related deaths soon after release from prisonADDICTION, Issue 9 2010Elizabeth L. C. Merrall ABSTRACT Aims The transition from prison back into the community is particularly hazardous for drug-using offenders whose tolerance for heroin has been reduced by imprisonment. Studies have indicated an increased risk of drug-related death soon after release from prison, particularly in the first 2 weeks. For precise, up-to-date understanding of these risks, a meta-analysis was conducted on the risk of drug-related death in weeks 1 + 2 and 3 + 4 compared with later 2-week periods in the first 12 weeks after release from prison. Methods English-language studies were identified that followed up adult prisoners for mortality from time of index release for at least 12 weeks. Six studies from six prison systems met the inclusion criteria and relevant data were extracted independently. Results These studies contributed a total of 69 093 person-years and 1033 deaths in the first 12 weeks after release, of which 612 were drug-related. A three- to eightfold increased risk of drug-related death was found when comparing weeks 1 + 2 with weeks 3,12, with notable heterogeneity between countries: United Kingdom, 7.5 (95% CI: 5.7,9.9); Australia, 4.0 (95% CI: 3.4,4.8); Washington State, USA, 8.4 (95% CI: 5.0,14.2) and New Mexico State, USA, 3.1 (95% CI: 1.3,7.1). Comparing weeks 3 + 4 with weeks 5,12, the pooled relative risk was: 1.7 (95% CI: 1.3,2.2). Conclusions These findings confirm that there is an increased risk of drug-related death during the first 2 weeks after release from prison and that the risk remains elevated up to at least the fourth week. [source] Alcohol use and non-adherence to antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected patients in West AfricaADDICTION, Issue 8 2010Antoine Jaquet ABSTRACT Aim To investigate the association between alcohol use and adherence to highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients in subSaharan Africa. Design and setting Cross-sectional survey conducted in eight adult HIV treatment centres from Benin, Côte d'Ivoire and Mali. Participants and measurements During a 4-week period, health workers administered the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test to HAART-treated patients and assessed treatment adherence using the AIDS Clinical Trials Group follow-up questionnaire. Findings A total of 2920 patients were enrolled with a median age of 38 years [interquartile range (IQR) 32,45 years] and a median duration on HAART of 3 years (IQR 1,4 years). Overall, 91.8% of patients were identified as adherent to HAART. Non-adherence was associated with current drinking [odds ratio (OR) 1.4; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1,2.0], hazardous drinking (OR 4.7; 95% CI 2.6,8.6) and was associated inversely with a history of counselling on adherence (OR 0.7; 95% CI 0.5,0.9). Conclusions Alcohol consumption and hazardous drinking is associated with non-adherence to HAART among HIV-infected patients from West Africa. Adult HIV care programmes should integrate programmes to reduce hazardous and harmful drinking. [source] Brief alcohol intervention,where to from here?ADDICTION, Issue 6 2010Challenges remain for research, practice ABSTRACT Brief intervention (BI) is intended as an early intervention for non-treatment-seeking, non-alcohol-dependent, hazardous and harmful drinkers. This text provides a brief summary of key BI research findings from the last three decades and discusses a number of knowledge gaps that need to be addressed. Five areas are described: patient intervention efficacy and effectiveness; barriers to BI implementation by health professionals; individual-level factors that impact on BI implementation; organization-level factors that impact on BI implementation; and society-level factors that impact on BI implementation. BI research has focused largely upon the individual patient and health professional levels, with the main focus upon primary health care research, and studies are lacking in other settings. However, research must, to a larger degree, take into account the organizational and wider context in which BI occurs, as well as interaction between factors at different levels, in order to advance the understanding of how wider implementation of BI can be achieved in various settings and how different population groups can be reached. It is also important to expand BI research beyond its current parameters to investigate more ambitious long-term educational programmes and new organizational models. More widespread implementation of BI will require many different interventions (efforts, actions, initiatives, etc.) at different interlinked levels, from implementation interventions targeting individual health professionals' knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours concerning alcohol issues, BI and behaviour change counselling to efforts at the organizational and societal levels that influence the conditions for delivering BI as part of routine health care. [source] Vested Interests in Addiction Research and Policy Poisonous partnerships: health sector buy-in to arrangements with government and addictive consumption industriesADDICTION, Issue 4 2010Peter J. Adams ABSTRACT Aim This paper critically appraises relationship arrangements among three broadly conceived sectors: the government sector, the health sector (including researchers) and addictive consumption industries (particularly tobacco, alcohol and gambling). Method Three models for involvement are examined. In the ,tripartite partnership model' health sector agencies engage as co-equals with the government and industry sectors in order to implement public health initiatives such as host responsibility and public education. In the ,non- association model' the health sector engages with government agencies but not with the industry sector. In the ,managed association model' the health sector engages for specific purposes with the industry sector but contact is monitored and managed by government agencies. Findings Government and industry sectors commonly favour tripartite partnership arrangements. Health sector agencies that opt to engage in these partnership arrangements can encounter conflicts of interest and find their voice subsumed by dominant influences. Furthermore, their partnership compliance generates divisions within the health sector, with partnership dissenters often silenced and excluded from policy processes and funding. The non-association model is the least hazardous to the health sector because it protects against compromise and dominance. The managed association model is an option only when the government sector as a whole is committed strongly and clearly to the public health objectives. Conclusion In contexts where key parts of the government sector are conflicted over their public health responsibilities, health sector engagement in partnership arrangements entails too many risks. [source] Policy options for alcohol price regulation: the importance of modelling population heterogeneityADDICTION, Issue 3 2010Petra Sylvia Meier ABSTRACT Context and aims Internationally, the repertoire of alcohol pricing policies has expanded to include targeted taxation, inflation-linked taxation, taxation based on alcohol-by-volume (ABV), minimum pricing policies (general or targeted), bans of below-cost selling and restricting price-based promotions. Policy makers clearly need to consider how options compare in reducing harms at the population level, but are also required to demonstrate proportionality of their actions, which necessitates a detailed understanding of policy effects on different population subgroups. This paper presents selected findings from a policy appraisal for the UK government and discusses the importance of accounting for population heterogeneity in such analyses. Method We have built a causal, deterministic, epidemiological model which takes account of differential preferences by population subgroups defined by age, gender and level of drinking (moderate, hazardous, harmful). We consider purchasing preferences in terms of the types and volumes of alcoholic beverages, prices paid and the balance between bars, clubs and restaurants as opposed to supermarkets and off-licenses. Results Age, sex and level of drinking fundamentally affect beverage preferences, drinking location, prices paid, price sensitivity and tendency to substitute for other beverage types. Pricing policies vary in their impact on different product types, price points and venues, thus having distinctly different effects on subgroups. Because population subgroups also have substantially different risk profiles for harms, policies are differentially effective in reducing health, crime, work-place absence and unemployment harms. Conclusion Policy appraisals must account for population heterogeneity and complexity if resulting interventions are to be well considered, proportionate, effective and cost-effective. [source] Reaction kinetics for the degradation of phenol and chlorinated phenols using Fenton's reagentENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, Issue 1 2006Asim K. De Abstract Fenton's reaction is an advanced treatment technology often used for the removal of hazardous and refractory organic compounds from industrial wastewaters. It can effectively be used to degrade phenol and chlorophenols. The initial contaminant concentrations as well as the concentration of hydrogen peroxide and ferrous ions in aqueous solution have a significant effect on the effective degradation of contaminants. For a particular concentration of initial substrate in solution there should be an optimum level of ferrous ion concentration in the reaction medium. Based on experimental observations, a probable mechanism for Fenton's degradation kinetics has been proposed and a rate equation developed. From the rate expression, OH· radical reaction rate constants for the degradation of three compounds,phenol and o- and p-chlorophenols,in Fenton reaction were calculated to have values of 2.53 × 107, 2.38 × 107, and 2.45 × 107 m3 mol,1 s,1, respectively. © 2005 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 2005 [source] Effects of the organophosphorus insecticide fenitrothion on growth in five freshwater species of phytoplanktonENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY, Issue 4 2001Consuelo Sabater Abstract The acute toxicity of the insecticide fenitrothion was measured using four freshwater algae (Chlorella saccharophila, Chlorella vulgaris, Scenedesmus acutus, and Scenedesmus subspicatus) and one cyanobacteria (Pseudanabaena galeata). Insecticide concentrations eliciting 50% growth reduction over 96 hr (EC50) ranged from 0.84 to 11.9 mg/L. Fenitrothion was more toxic than other pesticides studied with the same algal species such as chlorsulfuron, molinate, and pyridaphenthion. The transformation of effective concentrations of fenitrothion and other pesticides obtained from toxicity measurements into percent of the saturation level in water is used as a first evaluation of potential hazard to aquatic systems. The insecticides fenitrothion and pyridaphenthion were less hazardous than the herbicides atrazine, benthiocarb, cinosulfuron, chlorsulfuron, methyl-bensulfuron, and molinate. The two species of Chlorella and the cyanobacterium Pseudanabaena were more tolerant to fenitrothion than the two species of Scenedesmus. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Environ Toxicol 16: 314,320, 2001 [source] Non-parametric tests and confidence regions for intrinsic diversity profiles of ecological populationsENVIRONMETRICS, Issue 8 2003Tonio Di Battista Abstract Evaluation of diversity profiles is useful for ecologists to quantify the diversity of biological communities. Measures of diversity profile can be expressed as a function of the unknown abundance vector. Thus, the estimators and related confidence regions and tests of hypotheses involve aspects of multivariate analysis. In this setting, using a suitable sampling design, inference is developed assuming an asymptotic specific distribution of the profile estimator. However, in a biological framework, ecologists work with small sample sizes, and the use of any probability distribution is hazardous. Assuming that a sample belongs to the family of replicated sampling design, we show that the diversity profile estimator can be expressed as a linear combination of the ranked abundance vector estimators. Hence we are able to develop a non-parametric approach based on a bootstrap in order to build balanced simultaneous confidence sets and tests of hypotheses for diversity profiles. Finally, the proposed procedure is applied on the avian populations of four parks in Milan, Italy. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] EFNS task force on management of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: guidelines for diagnosing and clinical care of patients and relativesEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 12 2005An evidence-based review with good practice points Despite being one of the most devastating diseases known, there is little evidence for diagnosing and managing patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Although specific therapy is lacking, correct early diagnosis and introduction of symptomatic and specific therapy can have a profound influence on the care and quality of life of the patient and may increase survival time. This document addresses the optimal clinical approach to ALS. The final literature search was performed in the spring of 2005. Consensus recommendations are given graded according to the EFNS guidance regulations. Where there was lack of evidence but consensus was clear we have stated our opinion as good practice points. People affected with possible ALS should be examined as soon as possible by an experienced neurologist. Early diagnosis should be pursued and a number of investigations should be performed with high priority. The patient should be informed of the diagnosis by a consultant with a good knowledge of the patient and the disease. Following diagnosis, the patient and relatives should receive regular support from a multidisciplinary care team. Medication with riluzole should be initiated as early as possible. PEG is associated with improved nutrition and should be inserted early. The operation is hazardous in patients with vital capacity <50%. Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation improves survival and quality of life but is underused. Maintaining the patients ability to communicate is essential. During the entire course of the disease, every effort should be made to maintain patient autonomy. Advance directives for palliative end of life care are important and should be fully discussed early with the patient and relatives respecting the patients social and cultural background. [source] Novel 4-Aminoquinolines through Microwave-Assisted SNAr Reactions: a Practical Route to Antimalarial AgentsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 36 2007Sergio Melato Abstract 4-Aminoquinolines have recently been indicated to be an important class of chemotherapeutic agents for artemisinin-based antimalarial combination therapy. A rapid, cheap, possibly clean and scalable route to 4-aminoquinolines endowed with multiple diversity is therefore badly needed. Classically, they have been prepared by means of SNAr reactions, requiring hazardous or costly reagents and conditions and complex purification procedures. In this paper, microwave flash-heating chemistry is shown to allow the efficient conversion of the available 4,7-dichloroquinoline into a library of aminoquinolines in high yields and purities, with no need for further purification steps and requiring very short reaction times. Some of the compounds in this library were active against chloroquine-sensitive and chloroquine-resistant parasite strains.(© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2007) [source] Mitochondrial superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury,,HEPATOLOGY, Issue 1 2010M. Isabel Lucena Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) susceptibility has a potential genetic basis. We have evaluated possible associations between the risk of developing DILI and common genetic variants of the manganese superoxide dismutase (SOD2 Val16Ala) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX1 Pro200Leu) genes, which are involved in mitochondrial oxidative stress management. Genomic DNA from 185 DILI patients assessed by the Council for International Organizations of Medical Science scale and 270 sex- and age-matched controls were analyzed. The SOD2 and GPX1 genotyping was performed using polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism and TaqMan probed quantitative polymerase chain reaction, respectively. The statistical power to detect the effect of variant alleles with the observed odds ratio (OR) was 98.2% and 99.7% for bilateral association of SOD2 and GPX1, respectively. The SOD2 Ala/Ala genotype was associated with cholestatic/mixed damage (OR = 2.3; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.4-3.8; corrected P [Pc] = 0.0058), whereas the GPX1 Leu/Leu genotype was associated with cholestatic injury (OR = 5.1; 95%CI = 1.6-16.0; Pc = 0.0112). The presence of two or more combined risk alleles (SOD2 Ala and GPX1 Leu) was more frequent in DILI patients (OR = 2.1; 95%CI = 1.4-3.0; Pc = 0.0006). Patients with cholestatic/mixed injury induced by mitochondria hazardous drugs were more prone to have the SOD2 Ala/Ala genotype (OR = 3.6; 95%CI = 1.4-9.3; Pc = 0.02). This genotype was also more frequent in cholestatic/mixed DILI induced by pharmaceuticals producing quinone-like or epoxide metabolites (OR = 3.0; 95%CI = 1.7-5.5; Pc = 0.0008) and S-oxides, diazines, nitroanion radicals, or iminium ions (OR = 16.0; 95%CI = 1.8-146.1; Pc = 0.009). Conclusion: Patients homozygous for the SOD2 Ala allele and the GPX1 Leu allele are at higher risk of developing cholestatic DILI. SOD2 Ala homozygotes may be more prone to suffer DILI from drugs that are mitochondria hazardous or produce reactive intermediates. (HEPATOLOGY 2010) [source] Self-report of memory and affective dysfunction in association with medication use in a sample of individuals with chronic sleep disturbanceHUMAN PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY: CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL, Issue 8 2000Mary Pat McAndrews Abstract Benzodiazepines produce memory disturbance after acute administration. It is not clear whether chronic use of benzodiazepines is hazardous to memory processes. Epidemiological data indicate that a large proportion (10,30 per cent) of individuals with sleep dysfunction take hypnotic aids for a year or longer. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate self-reported memory dysfunction in a sample of individuals who considered their sleep disturbance sufficiently severe to seek investigation in sleep clinics. It was hypothesized that individuals taking benzodiazepines for sleep would report greater perceived everyday memory failures than individuals taking other sleep aids or no medication. Questionnaires were given to 368 individuals referred into the study by investigators in six sleep disorders clinics. All respondents completed a lengthy (700-item) questionnaire, which included scales assessing memory difficulties, affective status and sleep disturbance. Respondents also reported any medication use for sleep problems and duration of use of the current drug. Information on medication use was reported by 289 participants. Fifty-six per cent of respondents reported using some form of psychoactive medication (antidepressants, benzodiazepines, Zopiclone). Twenty-two per cent reported using no medication. Analysis of covariance showed that these medications had no detectable effect on subjective memory difficulties during chronic use, F(4,226)=1·34, p=0·25. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Identification of three dominant rainfall regions within Indonesia and their relationship to sea surface temperatureINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY, Issue 12 2003Edvin Aldrian Abstract The characteristics of climatic rainfall variability in Indonesia are investigated using a double correlation method. The results are compared with empirical orthogonal function (EOF) and rotated EOF methods. In addition, local and remote responses to sea-surface temperature (SST) are discussed. The results suggest three climatic regions in Indonesia with their distinct characteristics. Region A is located in southern Indonesia from south Sumatera to Timor island, southern Kalimantan, Sulawesi and part of Irian Jaya. Region B is located in northwest Indonesia from northern Sumatra to northwestern Kalimantan. Region C encompasses Maluku and northern Sulawesi. All three regions show both strong annual and, except Region A, semi-annual variability. Region C shows the strongest El Niño,southern oscillation (ENSO) influence, followed by Region A. In Region B, the ENSO-related signal is suppressed. Except for Region B, there are significant correlations between SST and the rainfall variabilities, indicating a strong possibility for seasonal climate predictions. March to May is the most difficult season to predict the rainfall variability. From June to November, there are significant responses of the rainfall pattern to ENSO in Regions A and C. A strong ENSO influence during this normally dry season (June to September) is hazardous in El Niño years, because the negative response means that higher SST in the NIÑO3 of the Pacific region will lower the rainfall amount over the Indonesian region. Analyses of Indonesian rainfall variability reveal some sensitivities to SST variabilities in adjacent parts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Copyright © 2003 Royal Meteorological Society [source] Presentation and comments on EU legislation related to food industries,environment interactions: organic contaminants (chemicals, pesticides, dioxins, furans, biocides and their waste management)INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, Issue 7 2006Ioannis S. Arvanitoyannis Summary The first part of this review on European Union (EU) legislation related to food industries,environment interactions deals with chemicals which, in their majority, make their way to food. Such substances are the pesticides and fertilizers the residues of which abound in many agricultural produces (both of plant or animal origin). Another crucial issue is the unintentional release of dioxins and furans through combustion. Detergents or sanitizers in conjunction with compounds considered hazardous or corrosive or flammable stand for other topics falling in the general category of chemicals employed in the food industry. The aim of this review is to cover all the current EU legislation in the field of chemicals (dioxins, furans, pesticides, biocides products, fertilizers, sanitizers) coming directly or indirectly in contact with food and their waste management by providing six comprehensive and easy-to-use tables, and a synopsis of the main points of the currently in force EU legislation. [source] Australian implantable cardiac defibrillator recipients: Quality-of-life issuesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING PRACTICE, Issue 2 2002Dianne Pelletier RN BSci(Nurs), DipEd, FRCNA, MasterSci(Soc) Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) have become a well-established therapy for people experiencing potentially lethal dysrhythmias. Australian recipients' quality of life and adjustment to the device over time, device-related complications, shock and associated sensations, and potential sequelae have not been widely explored. This paper reports a longitudinal prospective study of Australian ICD recipients (n = 74) to determine their responses to the device, health-related quality of life over time and shock experiences. A questionnaire designed for the study and the Medical Outcomes Trust Quality of Life Instrument, the SF36, were completed by recipients prior to and at 3 and 12 months post insertion. Results show that quality of life decreased for general health and social function between 3 and 12 months. Nearly half (49%) of the recipients received shocks within 12 months and the majority (92%) of these experienced sequelae that could make driving hazardous. Half of the population (49%) were driving at 3 months and 69% by 12 months, including 67% of those who had been shocked. Twenty-seven percent were hospitalized with device-related complications. Driving, the shock experience and rehospitalization, the shock experience and driving behaviour are significant issues for those with the implanted device. While it is a limitation of the study that partners and carers were not included, these findings will also be of interest to them. [source] Trauma and amputations in 19th century miners from Kimberley, South AfricaINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OSTEOARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 3 2010A. E. Van der Merwe Abstract Trauma is the result of violent accidental or therapeutic events that cause physical or psychological injury. The frequencies and types of trauma within a population can give important information regarding their lifestyle as well as the quantity and quality of medical care available to them. The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence of trauma in the Gladstone sample population with regards to the presence of interpersonal violence a hazardous working environment strenuous working requirements and the availability of medical care. The individuals studied here were diamond miners from Kimberley dating to the late 19th century. A total of 107 well-preserved skeletons were excavated from unmarked graves after accidental discovery. This sample included 86 males 15 females and 6 individuals of unknown sex. The majority of individuals (71%) were between 19 and 45 years of age. The remains were most likely those of migrant mine workers of low socioeconomic status who had passed away at the local hospitals. All bones were visually assessed for macroscopic indications of traumatic bone alterations and compared to standard palaeopathological texts and photographs. A total of 27% (n,=,28) of the individuals in the sample presented with well-healed healing or perimortem fractures. Fractures to the skull encompassed 49% (n,=,20) of all the fractures that were observed. A total of six (6%) amputations were noted. Spondylolysis was observed in 7% (n,=,7) of the individuals within the sample and longstanding subluxation was noted in two individuals. The high incidences of cranial fractures within this population are suggestive of high levels of interpersonal violence while long bone fractures spondylolysis and evidence of longstanding subluxations are indicative of the strenuous work requirements and the high-risk environment to which these individuals were exposed. When considering the presence of well-reduced fractures and healed amputations it seems that adequate medical care was available to at least some members of this community. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This article was published online on 17 February 2009. An error was subsequently identified. This notice is included in the online and print versions to indicate that both have been corrected 3 November 2009. [source] The feasibility of providing community pharmacy-based services for alcohol misuse: A literature reviewINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACY PRACTICE, Issue 4 2009Dr Margaret C. Watson Abstract Objectives Excessive consumption of alcohol is a major public health concern. The use of community pharmacies and pharmacists as sources of public health information and services is gaining greater recognition. The objective of this review was to provide an overview of the evidence on the feasibility, effectiveness and acceptability of providing community pharmacy-based services to address the excessive consumption of alcohol. Methods Electronic databases were searched for the period 1996,2007 to identify relevant evidence. Searches were also conducted of relevant pharmacy and addiction journals. Information was sought from key contacts in pharmacy and alcohol research. Studies were included if they were conducted in a community pharmacy setting. Key findings The review comprised three feasibility studies which included 14 pharmacies and 500 customers. Non-significant reductions in alcohol consumption were reported with two studies following brief interventions by pharmacists. Between 30% and 53% of pharmacy customers were identified as having hazardous or harmful drinking behaviour. Customer opinion of the pharmacy-based alcohol services was not reported. Conclusions There has been little empirical evaluation of the effectiveness of community pharmacy-based services for alcohol misuse. The evidence presented in this review suggests that community pharmacy-based screening is feasible. Organisations and individuals involved with tackling excessive alcohol consumption should consider the inclusion of community pharmacies and pharmacists as part of their strategies to address this problem. Large-scale studies are needed to evaluate the short- and long-term effects and cost-effectiveness of community pharmacy-based interventions to reduce excessive alcohol consumption, as well as to explore the acceptability of the service to users. [source] An Evaluation of an Intervention to Assist Primary Care Physicians in Screening and Educating Older Patients Who Use AlcoholJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 11 2005Arlene Fink PhD Objectives: To evaluate whether providing physicians and older patients with personalized reports of drinking risks and benefits and patient education reduces alcohol-related risks and problems. Design: Prospective comparison study. Setting: Community primary care. Participants: Twenty-three physicians and 665 patients aged 65 and older. Intervention: Combined report, in which six physicians and 212 patients received reports of patients' drinking classifications and patients also received education; patient report, in which 245 patients received reports and education, but their five physicians did not receive reports; and usual care. Measurements: Assessments at baseline and 12 months later to determine patients' nonhazardous (no known risks), hazardous (risks for problems), or harmful (presence of problems) classifications using the Computerized Alcohol-Related Problems Survey (CARPS). The CARPS contains a scanned screening measure and scoring algorithms and automatically produces patient and physician reports and patient education. Results: At baseline, 21% were harmful drinkers, and 26% were hazardous drinkers. The patient report and combined report interventions were each associated with greater odds of lower-risk drinking at follow-up than usual care (odds ratio=1.59 and 1.23, respectively, P<.05 for each). The patient report intervention significantly reduced harmful drinking at follow-up from an expected 21% in usual care to 16% and increased nonhazardous drinking from 52% expected in usual care to 58%. Patients in the combined report intervention experienced a significantly greater average decrease in quantity and frequency. Conclusion: Older primary care patients can effectively reduce their alcohol consumption and other drinking risks when given personalized information about their drinking and health. [source] Effect of triflumuron on brood development and colony survival of free-flying honeybee, Apis mellifera L.JOURNAL OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 4 2004O. G. Amir Abstract:, The effect of the insect growth regulator (IGR) triflumuron (Alsystin® 25 WP) on honeybee, Apis mellifera L. (Hym., Apidae), was studied in a semi-field test. Free-living colonies were fed one litre per hive of sucrose syrup containing 0, 0.025, 0.25 or 2.5 g of triflumuron. A significant reduction in flight activity was noted 6,10 weeks post-treatment at the two higher doses. These colonies reared less brood than before treatment. While the comb area occupied by uncapped brood was as high as [0.025 and 0.25 g active ingredient (a.i.)] or higher (2.5 g a.i.) than before treatment, there was a significant decline in capped brood at the two higher doses, indicating enhanced larval mortality. No capped brood was reared in the hive treated at the highest dose from 3,9 weeks post-treatment. Yet there was a significant accumulation of pollen and honey in the brood compartment at all doses. All colonies except the one treated at the highest dose survived the following winter. However, at 43 weeks post-treatment, hives treated at intermediate and low doses showed a significant increase in uncapped brood and a significant decrease in capped brood. This study revealed a strong residual toxicity of triflumuron to brood and substantiated its classification as hazardous to honeybee. [source] The Use of a Femoral Arterial Cannula for Effective Dilation for Percutaneous Femoral Venous CannulationJOURNAL OF CARDIAC SURGERY, Issue 1 2005Hrvoje Gasparovic M.D. The technique presented may be particularly helpful when redo sternotomy is deemed hazardous and cardiopulmonary bypass is judged mandatory prior to redo sternotomy. The patient presented in this paper had two previous cardiac operations with prior surgical exposure of femoral vessels in whom institution of cardiopulmonary bypass prior to sternotomy was of paramount importance due to a 7-cm ascending aortic aneurysm. [source] Green chemistry for the second generation biorefinery,sustainable chemical manufacturing based on biomassJOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 7 2007James H Clark The material needs of society are reaching a crisis point. The demands of a growing and developing world population will soon exceed the capacity of our present fossil resource based infrastructure. In particular, the chemical industry that underpins most industries needs to respond to these challenges. The chemical manufacturing and user industries face an unprecedented range and intensity of drivers for change, the greatest of which, REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals) has yet to bite. In order to address the key issues of switching to renewable resources, avoiding hazardous and polluting processes, and manufacturing and using safe and environmentally compatible products, we need to develop sustainable and green chemical product supply chains. For organic chemicals and materials these need to operate under agreed and strict criteria and need to start with widely available, totally renewable and low cost carbon,the only source is biomass and the conversion of biomass into useful products will be carried out in biorefineries. Where these operate at present, their product range is largely limited to simple materials (e.g. cellulose), chemicals (e.g. ethanol) and bioenergy/biofuels. Second generation biorefineries need to build on the need for sustainable chemical products through modern and proven green chemical technologies such as bioprocessing, controlled pyrolysis, catalysis in water and microwave activation, in order to make more complex molecules and materials on which a future sustainable society will be based. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry [source] DEVELOPMENT OF A ROTARY PULVERIZER FOR CASSAVA CAKE IN GARI PRODUCTIONJOURNAL OF FOOD PROCESS ENGINEERING, Issue 6 2008L.A. SANNI ABSTRACT The use of a raffia sieve for pulverizing and sifting cassava cake during gari processing is slow, unhygienic and hazardous. A rotary brush and screen mechanism was developed for the pulverization of cassava cake with a view to eliminate the above-mentioned limitations of the existing methods. Machine performance was measured by comparing the product from the raffia sieve with that from a rotary sifter. The 5-mm screen aperture gave a gari of about the same bulk density with that of the raffia sieve. Although the throughput of the rotary sifter using a 5-mm sieve (227.71 kg/h) was lower than that of a 7-mm sieve (350 kg/h), the uniformity coefficient of 1.72 using the 5-mm sieve compared favorably with that of the raffia sieve. The pulverizing efficiency was higher (81.2%), with the 5-mm sieve than with the 7-mm sieve. The higher pulverizing efficiency of the machine reduces the drudgery associated with the pulverization of pressed cassava cake and improves productivity. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS This research reduces the drudgery and hazard associated with the pulverization and sifting of cassava cake during gari processing in rural West Africa, where the bulk of the world's gari is being processed manually. [source] Improved Method for Determining Food Protein Degree of HydrolysisJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 5 2001P.M. Nielsen ABSTRACT When producing hydrolyzed proteins, it is important to determine the degree of hydrolysis (DH). The trinitro-benzene-sulfonic acid (TNBS) method is well established with regard to enzymatic hydrolysis. However, this method is laborious, cannot be used to follow a hydrolysis reaction continuously, and includes hazardous and unstable chemicals. This paper describes a method based on the reaction of primary amino groups with o-phthaldialdehyde (OPA). The conclusion is that the OPA method of analyzing the DH of protein hydrolyses is more accurate, is easier and faster to carry out, has a broader application range, and is environmentally safer than the TNBS method. [source] Modelling trends in central England temperaturesJOURNAL OF FORECASTING, Issue 1 2003David I. Harvey Abstract Trends are extracted from the central England temperature (CET) data available from 1723, using both annual and seasonal averages. Attention is focused on fitting non-parametric trends and it is found that, while there is no compelling evidence of a trend increase in the CET, there have been three periods of cooling, stability, and warming, roughly associated with the beginning and the end of the Industrial Revolution. There does appear to have been an upward shift in trend spring temperatures, but forecasting of current trends is hazardous because of the statistical uncertainty surrounding them. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Viability of fibroblasts in cell culture after treatment with different chemical retraction agentsJOURNAL OF ORAL REHABILITATION, Issue 1 2002I. Kopa Prior to fixed prosthodontic impression procedures, temporary horizontal retraction of the free gingival tissue should be accomplished apically to the preparation finishing line. The mechanical,chemical method using cotton retraction cords of various sizes impregnated with various retraction chemicals is the most commonly employed retraction technique. Most retraction agents have pH values from 0·8 to 0·3, and are therefore hazardous to the cut dentine and periodontal tissues. Sympathomimetic vasoconstrictors introduced recently have a pH of 5·6, and are free of systemic side-effects. The present study using the dye exclusion test, colony forming ability test and colorimetric assay was undertaken to evaluate cytotoxic effects of four chemical retraction agents on cultured V-79 fibroblasts, and the dependence of cytotoxicity on the agent concentration and time of exposure. Original concentrations of retraction agents produced stronger cytotoxic effects than dilutions of 1:1 and 1:10. The most aggressive agent, 25% aluminium chloride, took only 1 min to damage all cell cultures. The proportion of cells damaged after 10 min of exposure to tetrahydrozoline was 60%, which was significantly less compared with other chemicals tested. With the colony forming ability test using retraction agents diluted to 1:10 the greatest number of colonies emerged in samples treated with tetrahydrozoline (statistical significance: P < 0·01). The colorimetric assay showed equal cytotoxic effects for 25% aluminium sulphate and tetrahydrozoline. The colorimetric test used in the study has proved an ergonomic, accurate and reliable test for cytotoxicity determination. [source] Interactive Effects of Cumulative Stress and Impulsivity on Alcohol ConsumptionALCOHOLISM, Issue 8 2010Fox Helen C. Background:, Alcohol addiction may reflect adaptations to stress, reward, and regulatory brain systems. While extensive research has identified both stress and impulsivity as independent risk factors for drinking, few studies have assessed the interactive relationship between stress and impulsivity in terms of hazardous drinking within a community sample of regular drinkers. Methods:, One hundred and thirty regular drinkers (56M/74F) from the local community were assessed for hazardous and harmful patterns of alcohol consumption using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). All participants were also administered the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) as a measure of trait impulsivity and the Cumulative Stress/Adversity Checklist (CSC) as a comprehensive measure of cumulative adverse life events. Standard multiple regression models were used to ascertain the independent and interactive nature of both overall stress and impulsivity as well as specific types of stress and impulsivity on hazardous and harmful drinking. Results:, Recent life stress, cumulative traumatic stress, overall impulsivity, and nonplanning-related impulsivity as well as cognitive and motor-related impulsivity were all independently predictive of AUDIT scores. However, the interaction between cumulative stress and total impulsivity scores accounted for a significant amount of the variance, indicating that a high to moderate number of adverse events and a high trait impulsivity rating interacted to affect greater AUDIT scores. The subscale of cumulative life trauma accounted for the most variance in AUDIT scores among the stress and impulsivity subscales. Conclusions:, Findings highlight the interactive relationship between stress and impulsivity with regard to hazardous drinking. The specific importance of cumulative traumatic stress as a marker for problem drinking is also discussed. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||