Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Fatalities During Maintenance and Repair Operations in the U.S. Mining Sector

OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONS This analysis identified patterns in fatalities during maintenance and repair operations in mining. U.S. mining maintenance and repair fatal reports (2002–2011) were reviewed and used to develop a classification scheme. Fatalities were classified using this scheme, and proximal causes, tasks performed, and contributing factors were identified, as well as differences in patterns between coal and metal/nonmetal mines. Based on the results, possible interventions to reduce fatality occurrences are discussed. Primary suggestions include ensuring that workers are knowledgeable about and understand the importance of following proper de-energizing and lock out/tag out procedures, particularly in coal mines where the proportion of electrical-related deaths is significantly higher than in metal/nonmetal mines, and proper blocking procedures. Effort should be made to ensure that safety equipment and personal protective equipment are available and used where needed, especially in metal/nonmetal mines where a greater chance exists for objects or miners to fall from heights. TECHNICAL ABSTRACT Background: Maintenance and repair work in mining is particularly hazardous and yet has received little focus in ergonomics research. Purpose: In this article, an attempt has been made to determine if patterns can be identified to categorize maintenance and repair fatalities in mining, to compare occurrence of fatalities between coal and metal/nonmetal sectors, and to use this information to identify safety deficiencies and associated proposed remedial measures. Methods: A classification scheme was developed to identify patterns in fatalities, including proximal causes, tasks, and contributing factors. This scheme was tested to ensure adequacy of the categories, and fatalities were categorized using the scheme. All testing and categorization were done by two of the authors to ensure reliability of the coding scheme. Results: Patterns were successfully identified to categorize the fatalities, and these patterns were different between coal and metal/nonmetal mines. Coal mines had a greater proportion of electrical-related fatalities, while more fatalities related to potential energy occurred at metal/nonmetal mines. Most of the fatalities were caused by the victim coming into contact with an object or machine or the victim falling from height, and they occurred most often while the victim was performing maintenance or repair on equipment, cleaning, or removing blockages. The most frequent factors contributing to these incidents were failure to properly de-energize or lock out/tag out equipment, violation of work procedures, missing or inadequate safety equipment, and failure to block equipment properly. Conclusions: The classification approach used was successful in identifying hazard patterns during maintenance and repair fatalities in mining. These patterns identify areas to focus attention when developing interventions to prevent the occurrence of future fatalities.
Dermatoglyphics and abnormal palmar flexion creases as markers of early prenatal stress in children with idiopathic intellectual disability.

A number of studies have shown the importance of dermatoglyphics as markers of prenatal disturbance in developmental disorders of unknown origin. Genetic and non-genetic factors are involved in the aetiology of intellectual disability (ID), although the cause remains unknown in up to 50% of cases. The aim of the present study was to analyse dermatoglyphic traits and abnormal palmar flexion creases as markers of environmental prenatal stress in children with idiopathic ID (IID) using a case-control study design. Three dermatoglyphic variables, which have been reported as altered in other congenital disorders, were considered were studied in a sample of 62 children with IID (IQ < 70) and 75 healthy controls (IQ > 70): (1) fingerprint patterns; (2) total a-b ridge count (TABRC); and (3) abnormal palmar flexion creases (APFCs). More arches, the simplest fingerprint pattern, and more radial loops, an unusual pattern, were found in IID cases in comparison to controls (chi23 = 9.26; P = 0.02), with especially marked differences in boys (chi23 = 6.5; P = 0.0008). A significant increase of APFCs was also found in the affected children (chi24 = 28.52; P < 0.00; odds ration = 3.86, 95% confidence interval = 1.77-8.47). For TABRC, the differences between IID cases and controls failed to reach the conventional level of significance. These findings suggest that environmental factors acting early in development, or mechanisms involving an interaction of genotype and environment could be involved in the aetiology of some cases of ID.
The use of substances depressing antithrombin activity in the assay of prothrombin.

procedure should be determined for other organs. If one wants to be sure that 100% of the glycogen present in any organ is determined, the usual hydrolysis of the tissue with strong alkali followed by precipitation ofthe glycogen remains the method of choice. Using the iodine reagent only approximate figures are obtained for the glycogen content of a liver extract. Nevertheless, this very convenient method may be useful for investigations where some accuracy may be sacrificed in order to make possible experiments with a large series of rats. For instance this was the case in our studies of the glycogenetic properties of adrenal steroids by estimation of liver glycogen, in which the experimental animals are treated following a standard procedure, and the results are always mutually compared. The results of these tests were hardly influenced by the variable colour intensities of the glycogen from different livers. However, if approximate values cannot be accepted the use of the anthrone method is indicated. Providing the lower saccharides are previously destroyed with alkali, more correct results are obtained, but the method is more elaborate than the estimation with iodine.
Effects of Interventions to Promote Recovery in Coronary Artery Bypass Surgical Patients

In this integrated review of the literature 19 published investigations of interventions to promote recovery following coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) are analyzed. The most frequently tested CABG recovery intervention, preparatory information, effectively increased knowledge, and enhanced resumption of activities during recovery. However, its effect on mood states during recovery remains unclear. There was clear evidence that information interventions designed to increase individuals' knowledge about expected recovery experiences and coronary artery disease were effective. Analysis of the studies indicated that few women, elders, and minority races were included. An important area needing development and testing of interventions is secondary prevention of cardiac risk factors.
Big Prisons, Big Dreams

The American prison system has grown tenfold since the 1970s, but crime rates in the United States have not decreased. This doesn't surprise Michael J. Lynch, a critical criminologist, who argues that our oversized prison system is a product of our consumer culture, the public's inaccurate beliefs about controlling crime, and the government's criminalization of the poor. While deterrance and incapacitation theories suggest that imprisoning more criminals and punishing them leads to a reduction in crime, case studies, such as one focusing on the New York City jail system between 1993 and 2003, show that a reduction in crime is unrelated to the size of jail populations. Although we are locking away more people, Lynch explains that we are not targeting the worst offenders. Prison populations are comprised of the poor, and many are incarcerated for relatively minor robberies and violence. America's prison expansion focused on this group to the exclusion of corporate and white collar offenders who create hazardous workplace and environmental conditions that lead to deaths and injuries, and enormous economic crimes. If America truly wants to reduce crime, Lynch urges readers to rethink cultural values that equate bigger with better.
Quantification of transforming growth factor-beta in biological material using cells transfected with a plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 promoter-luciferase construct.

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), a multifunctional cytokine, can be quantified by a variety of bioassays or immunoassays. One of the disadvantages of these techniques is that they require sample purification to remove components that interfere with the TGF-beta signal. In the current study the feasibility of quantifying TGF-beta in complex biological fluids directly with a recently developed bioassay was examined. This assay is based on the ability of TGF-beta to induce plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) expression. Mature TGF-beta binds to the receptors of mink lung epithelial cells transfected with a plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 promoter-luciferase construct (PAI/L), resulting in a dose-dependent increase of luciferase activity. Specificity for TGF-beta was proven by treatment of the samples with neutralizing antibodies. The sensitivity and the intraassay precision are comparable to the ELISA. It is demonstrated, however, that, unlike the ELISA, a purification step by, e.g., acid-ethanol extraction prior to the PAI/L assay, is not required. This not only simplifies the assay but also reduces the minimal sample volume and allows to discriminate between latent and mature TGF-beta. The present study furthermore provides insight in the critical steps for accurate TGF-beta determination, which include careful blood collection and sample handling (storage and preparation). With this protocol TGF-beta has been quantified in human plasma, rat plasma, rat saliva, tissue extracts from rat lung, and in culture medium of TGF-beta-producing cells.
Preoperative spirometry and perioperative drug therapy in patients with obstructive pulmonary dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE The presence and severity of obstructive pulmonary diseases is important determinants of non-fatal and fatal postoperative complications. This study examined the characteristics of patients in need of perioperative drug therapy for obstructive pulmonary dysfunction. METHODS Among 2,358 surgical patients who, between September 2009 and February 2010, underwent spirometry at the Tokai University Hospital, the 333 whose forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) / forced vital capacity ratio was <0.7 were studied retrospectively. Single and multiple variable logistic regression analyses were performed in search of predictors of need for drug therapy. RESULTS Among the 230 men and 103 women (mean age = 68 ± 11 years) with obstructive pulmonary dysfunction, 108 (32%) received perioperative drug therapy with bronchodilators, inhaled corticosteroids or both. By multiple variable analysis, perioperative drug therapy was significantly correlated with a history of asthma and ever smoking, cough or sputum production, FEV1 <50% predicted, and emphysema, independently of consultations with pulmonologists. In a decision tree analysis, FEV1 and smoking history were the independent predictors of perioperative drug therapy. CONCLUSIONS Composite assessment of clinical history, respiratory symptoms, and pulmonary function is necessary for the efficient screening of the subjects who require perioperative drug therapy for obstructive pulmonary dysfunction.
A strategy for absolute proteome quantification with mass spectrometry by hierarchical use of peptide‐concatenated standards

The accurate and precise absolute abundance of proteins can be determined using mass spectrometry by spiking the sample with stable isotope‐labeled standards. In this study, we developed a strategy of hierarchical use of peptide‐concatenated standards (PCSs) to quantify more proteins over a wider dynamic range. Multiple primary PCSs were used for quantification of many target proteins. Unique “ID‐tag peptides” were introduced into individual primary PCSs, allowing us to monitor the exact amounts of individual PCSs using a “secondary PCS” in which all “ID‐tag peptides” were concatenated. Furthermore, we varied the copy number of the “ID‐tag peptide” in each PCS according to a range of expression levels of target proteins. This strategy accomplished absolute quantification over a wider range than that of the measured ratios. The quantified abundance of budding yeast proteins showed a high reproducibility for replicate analyses and similar copy numbers per cell for ribosomal proteins, demonstrating the accuracy and precision of this strategy. A comparison with the absolute abundance of transcripts clearly indicated different post‐transcriptional regulation of expression for specific functional groups. Thus, the approach presented here is a faithful method for the absolute quantification of proteomes and provides insights into biological mechanisms, including the regulation of expressed protein abundance.
Cooperative signaling behavior of roost location in a leaf-roosting bat

Research suggests that social calls are important for conveying information about food and roost location in bats. However, no studies have specifically documented calls that are used to actively attract conspecifics to roosting locations. Here we describe the cooperative signaling behavior of roost location towards flying conspecifics in Spix’s disc-winged bat (Thyroptera tricolor), a species that uses a highly ephemeral roosting resource. Two types of calls were recorded during field experiments; one from flying individuals termed “inquiry calls”, and another from roosting bats termed “response calls”. Inquiry calls were emitted by flying bats immediately upon release, and quickly elicited production of response calls from roosting individuals. Most flying bats entered the roost when roosting individuals responded, while very few bats entered the roost in the absence of a response. During playback experiments, we found significant differences in response rates among individuals, which could be caused by diverse intrinsic and extrinsic factors. In addition, results of our ongoing field studies suggest that the cooperative signaling behavior of roost location is important in maintaining social cohesion, and that the use of a larger home range when resources are scarcer may decrease group stability by hindering communication.
Uric acid and nocturnal nondipping in hypertensive patients with normal renal function.

BACKGROUND The effect of uric acid on nocturnal dipping in hypertensive patients is unknown. We analyzed the specific relationship between uric acid and nocturnal dipping status in newly diagnosed essential hypertensive patients with normal renal function. METHODS Two hundred fifteen patients with newly diagnosed essential hypertension underwent 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, biochemistry analysis and 24-hour urine testing. RESULTS Patients were classified as either dippers (157 patients) or nondippers (58 patients). Uric acid levels were higher in nondippers than in dippers (345.0 +/- 65.4 mmol/L vs. 270.6 +/- 59.5 mmol/L, p<0.0001) and positively correlated with the following blood pressure (BP) values: average nighttime ambulatory systolic BP (r=0.325, p<0.0001), average nighttime ambulatory diastolic BP (r=0.203, p=0.003), nighttime mean arterial BP (r=0.285, p<0.0001) and mean 24-hour arterial BP (r=0.197, p=0.004). Uric acid was also positively correlated with nighttime heart rate (r=0.293, p=0.001). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that a high serum uric acid level (odds ratio [OR] = 3.566; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 2.397-5.303; p<0.0001) and smoking (OR=2.294; 95% CI, 1.155-4.498; p=0.018) increased the risk of nocturnal nondipping. The results of multivariate analysis showed that serum uric acid levels (OR=3.453; 95% CI, 1.466-8.134; p=0.005) together with fasting blood glucose (OR=1.148; 95% CI, 1.028-1.281; p=0.014) were associated with the nondipping pattern. CONCLUSIONS This study is the first to demonstrate that increased serum uric acid levels are associated with nondipping blood pressure patterns in patients with essential hypertension.
Divergent tRNA-like element supports initiation, elongation, and termination of protein biosynthesis

The cricket paralysis virus internal ribosome entry site (IRES) can, in the absence of canonical initiation factors and initiator tRNA (Met-tRNAi), occupy the ribosomal P-site and assemble 80S ribosomes. Here we show that the IRES assembles mRNA-80S ribosome complexes by recruitment of 60S subunits to preformed IRES-40S complexes. Addition of eukaryotic elongation factors eEF1A and eEF2 and aminoacylated elongator tRNAs resulted in the synthesis of peptides, implying that the IRES RNA itself mimics the function of Met-tRNAi in the P-site to trigger the first translocation step without peptide bond formation. IRES-80S complexes that contained a stop codon in the A-site recruited eukaryotic release factor eRF1, resulting in ribosome rearrangements in a surprisingly eEF2-dependent manner. Thus, this P-site-occupying IRES directs the assembly of 80S ribosomes, sets the translational reading frame, and mimics the functions of both Met-tRNAi and peptidyl tRNA to support elongation and termination.
High blood pressure despite treatment: Results from a cross-sectional primary healthcare-based study in southern Sweden

Objective. To study degree of blood pressure (BP) control in primary healthcare (PHC) treated hypertensive patients in relation to sex, age, drug treatment, and concomitant diseases. Design. Random sample of patients with hypertension. Setting. Ten PHC centres in the Region of Skåne, Sweden. Subjects. All the 30- to 95-year-old patients with hypertension who during the period 12 September to 24 September 2004 attended their PHC (146 men and 229 women). Main outcome measures. Achievement of BP control (<140/90 mmHg) according to European guidelines. Results. Some 90% had been treated > 12 months, 40% had mono-therapy, 15% ≥ 3 drugs. Use of diuretics was more common in women while use of ACE inhibitors and calcium channel blockers was common in men. Inadequate BP control was related to age; only 22% had BP < 140/90 mmHg, 38% had a BP ≥ 160/100 mmHg. BP decline was inversely related to BP measured 12 months or more prior to the present follow-up (r = − 0.64, p < 0.001, for systolic and r = − 0.67, p < 0.001, for diastolic BP). The systolic or diastolic BP had in every fifth patient during treatment increased by ≥ 10 mmHg. No association was found between average BP decline and prescribed number of drugs. Conclusion. A minority of the patients had BP below the level (<140/90 mmHg) recommended by European guidelines. This study illustrates the need for continued follow-up of defined groups of patients in order to improve quality of care.
N-Ethylmaleimide Inhibition of Horseshoe Crab Hemocyte Agglutination

The sulfhydryl inhibitor N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) inhibits the agglutination of horseshoe crab hemocytes. The inhibitory action is neutralized by adding cysteine to the NEM before it is mixed with the hemolymph. This new method for arresting horseshoe crab hemocyte agglutination suggests the participation of sulfhydryl groups in the process.
Effectiveness of experimenter-provided and self-generated implementation intentions to reduce alcohol consumption in a sample of the general population: a randomized exploratory trial.

OBJECTIVE To test the effectiveness of implementation intentions to decrease alcohol consumption and control for possible demand characteristics by employing an active control condition and contrasting experimenter-provided with self-generated implementation intentions. DESIGN Two hundred forty-eight participants were randomly allocated to 1 of 4 conditions: questionnaire-only; questionnaire plus planning instruction; questionnaire, planning instruction plus experimenter-provided implementation intention; or questionnaire, planning instruction plus self-generated implementation intention. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Alcohol intake. RESULTS There were clinically and statistically significant decreases in alcohol consumption in the 2 experimental conditions, but not in the 2 control conditions, F(3, 237) = 3.34, p < . 05, etap(2) = . 04. There were no significant differences between experimenter-provided and self-generated implementation intentions (p = .62). Compliance moderated the effects of self-generated implementation intentions only, such that alcohol intake only significantly decreased in participants who complied with the instructions, F(1, 52) = 4.20, p < . 05, etap(2) = . 07. However, simply choosing an experimenter-provided implementation intention was just as effective as writing it out in full, implying that implementation intentions work even with minimal information processing. CONCLUSION The findings further support use of implementation intentions to protect against health risk behaviors and are congruent with laboratory research showing that implementation intentions are a case of strategic automaticity.
Weekly Cisplatin plus Capecitabine in Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients Heavily Pretreated with both Anthracycline and Taxanes

Background: Treating patients with anthracycline- and taxane-pretreated metastatic breast cancer is challenging. This study evaluated the activity and safety of a combination of cisplatin and capecitabine in this setting. Patients and Methods: Thirty-nine consecutive patients entered the study. All had experienced failures or relapse after previous treatment with anthracyclines and taxanes plus/minus other chemotherapeutic regimens. The present treatment consisted of intravenous cisplatin 20 mg/m2 every week for 6 weeks, followed by 1 week of rest, and oral capecitabine 1,000 mg/m2 twice daily for 14 days, followed by a 7-day rest period. Results: Objective response was obtained in 14 patients (35.9%), with complete remission in 3 (7.7%). Median time to progression was 5.2 months and survival was 10.9 months in the entire population and 8.7 and 16.5 months in the responding patients, respectively. The dose-limiting toxicity for the regimen was leucopenia, while gastrointestinal discomfort was the most frequent cause of capecitabine reduction or delay. Conclusions: The cisplatin and capecitabine combination regimen is active and manageable. It seems to be non-cross resistant to anthracyclines and taxanes.