Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Migrant Farmworker Field and Camp Safety and Sanitation in Eastern North Carolina

ABSTRACT Migrant farmworkers are exposed to numerous workplace hazards, with pesticides being a ubiquitous occupational exposure. This analysis describes farmworker experiences of field and camp safety conditions and their safety behaviors, and delineates farmworker characteristics associated with safety conditions and behaviors. Data were collected from 255 migrant farmworkers up to 4 times at monthly intervals during the 2007 agricultural season in eastern North Carolina. Measures assess field safety conditions and camp sanitation required by federal and state regulations. Most of the farmworkers were Latino men from Mexico. About 20% had not received pesticide safety training across the season; many of those who received such training did not understand it. Water for washing was not available for about one-third of the workers; soap and towels were not available for over half. About 20% lived in camps with more than eight workers per showerhead and about 20% lived in camps that failed to meet the standard of 30 or fewer workers per washtub/washing machine. Important predictors of variation included H2A visa status and years of experience. Four themes emerged from the analysis: (1) safety regulations are not consistently met; (2) farmworkers do not always practice safety behaviors; (3) camps become more crowded and less compliant during the middle of the agricultural season; and (4) workers with H2A visas experience better conditions and practice more safety behaviors than do workers who do not have H2A visas. Further research needs to account for social and cultural factors. Regulations should be compared with pesticide metabolite levels to measure their effectiveness. More effort is needed to enforce existing regulations.
Evaluation of the properties of components prepared and stored after holding of whole blood units for 8 and 24 hours at ambient temperature

BACKGROUND: The capability of holding whole blood (WB) units at ambient temperature, overnight, should help in platelet (PLT) concentrate preparation logistics. We summarize the results of a study conducted in the early 1990s that compared, in particular, PLT and red blood cell (RBC) in vivo viability properties following storage after preparation after 8‐ and 24‐hour WB hold periods.
Repair and Reconstruction in the Orbital Region—A Practical Guide

The second edition of Dr Mustarde's book is certainly as timely as the first edition, and its several reprints are no longer obtainable. The book represents a landmark in oculoplastic surgery, and while the second edition is not greatly different from the first, it does update our knowledge in this field. The most notable changes are the addition of a chapter on colobomas of the eyelids and the division of ptosis and epicanthus, telecanthus, blepharophimosis, and hypertelorism into two separate chapters. These eyelid malpositions are discussed in greater detail in the second edition. The success of Dr Mustarde's first edition speaks for the excellence of this book, and his second edition will certainly continue in this tradition. Dr Mustarde shares with us his knowledge about repair and reconstruction in the orbital region that he has gained from many years of experience in oculoplastic surgery. The book illustrates many procedures Dr
Depressive Symptoms and Sleepiness Among Latino Farmworkers in Eastern North Carolina

ABSTRACT Depression and sleepiness are both risk factors for occupational accidents and unintentional injury. Relatively little is known about the experiences of these risk factors in the immigrant Latino farmworker population. This analysis uses prospective panel data from a sample of Latino farmworkers in eastern North Carolina that were collected at monthly intervals during the 2008 agricultural season to (1) describe depressive symptoms and daytime sleepiness among immigrant Latino farmworkers across the agricultural season; (2) delineate associations of depressive symptoms with sleepiness across time; and (3) determine whether depressive symptoms precede sleepiness, or if sleepiness precedes depressive symptoms. Results indicated that 45% of farmworkers experienced elevated depressive symptoms across the season, whereas 20% experienced elevated sleepiness. Elevated depressive symptoms were more common among farmworkers living in barracks, and less common among those living in trailers. Sleepiness was more common among women than men. There was no evidence that depressive symptoms contributed to sleepiness, or that sleepiness contributed to depressive symptoms. The pattern of results suggests that a substantial proportion of Latino farmworkers experience levels of depressive symptoms or sleepiness that places them at risk for occupational accident or unintentional injury. The results also suggest that depressive symptoms and sleepiness do not cause each other; rather, the association of depressive symptoms with sleepiness hints at the possibility of a common physiologic mechanism such as circadian disruption.
Psychosocial Work Factors and Sick Leave, Occupational Accident, and Disability Pension: A Cohort Study of Civil Servants

Objective: To study associations between psychosocial work factors (PWF) and sick leave, occupational accident, and disability pension. Methods: A random population of 967 civil servants participated in a survey on PWF and health. The median follow-up time was 7 years. Results: Frequent feedback from supervisor, good opportunities for mental growth, good team climate, and high appreciation were associated with a decrease in the risk of sickness absences and shift/period work, monotonous movements, and crowdedness of workplace were associated with an increase in the risk of sickness absences. Good communication at work was associated with a decrease in client violence and high work pressure was associated with an increased risk of occupational accidents. High work control and good team climate were associated with a decreased and shift/period work and client violence was associated with an increased risk of disability pensions. Conclusions: Psychosocial work factors can predict health outcomes with economic impact.
Soft tissue responses to differential shapes of the implant abutment

Many clinical studies have documented high success rates of dental implant therapy. 1,2 When success has been evaluated in these studies, following specific criteria have been included; lack of mobility, absence of persistent infection or discomfort, lack of pain, and absence of continuous periapical radiolucency. Most of these criteria are designed to evaluate osseointegration of the implant and provide little information related to the soft tissue.1) Recently, many studies documented the soft tissues around dental implants. In a series of studies of the dog model, Berglundh et al. found that the structure and function of the keratinized, non-mobile gingiva and the corresponding periimplant mucosa were observed around implants . 4,6,12 The gingiva around natural teeth and periimplant mucosa were found to have many features in common. But, the majority of the fibers at the implant sites occurred in an avascular compartment and were apparently anchored in the periosteum of the bone crest. In another experiment in the dog, it was observed that the mucosal barrier that formed following successful 1-and 2-stage implant installations had similar composition. It was comprised of zone of junctional epithelium and zone of connective tissue. They suggested that a certain width of the periimplant mucosa is required to enable a proper epithelial connective tissue attachment. And, if this soft tissue dimension is not satisfied, bone-resorption will occur to ensure
Impact of Training Bolivian Farmers on Integrated Pest Management and Diffusion of Knowledge to Neighboring Farmers

ABSTRACT Teaching farmers integrated pest management (IPM) in farmer field schools (FFS) has led to reduced pesticide use and safer handling. This article evaluates the long-term impact of training farmers on IPM and the diffusion of knowledge from trained farmers to neighboring farmers, a subject of importance to justify training costs and to promote a healthy and sustainable agriculture. Training on IPM of farmers took place from 2002 to 2004 in their villages in La Paz County, Bolivia, whereas dissemination of knowledge from trained farmer to neighboring farmer took place until 2009. To evaluate the impact of the intervention, self-reported knowledge and practice on pesticide handling and IPM among trained farmers (n = 23) and their neighboring farmers (n = 47) were analyzed in a follow-up study and compared in a cross-sectional analysis with a control group of farmers (n = 138) introduced in 2009. Variables were analyzed using χ2 test and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Trained farmers improved and performed significantly better in all tested variables than their neighboring farmers, although the latter also improved their performance from 2002 to 2009. Including a control group showed an increasing trend in all variables, with the control farmers having the poorest performance and trained farmers the best. The same was seen in an aggregated variable where trained farmers had a mean score of 16.55 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 15.45–17.65), neighboring farmers a mean score of 11.97 (95% CI: 10.56–13.38), and control farmers a mean score of 9.18 (95% CI: 8.55–9.80). Controlling for age and living altitude did not change these results. Trained farmers and their neighboring farmers improved and maintained knowledge and practice on IPM and pesticide handling. Diffusion of knowledge from trained farmers might explain the better performance of the neighboring farmers compared with the control farmers. Dissemination of knowledge can contribute to justify the cost and convince donors and governments in low-income countries to prioritize farmers training.
Respiratory Protection Behavior and Respiratory Indices among Poultry House Workers on Small, Family-Owned Farms in North Carolina: A Pilot Project

ABSTRACT The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate respiratory behavior and respiratory indices of poultry workers on family-owned, poultry farms with 10 or less employees in North Carolina. A field study was conducted to collect data on participants (N = 24) using spirometry, fractional exhaled nitric oxide (Feno), and an interviewer-administered questionnaire. The majority of workers (76%) ranked respiratory protection as being important, yet 48% reported never or rarely wearing respiratory protection when working in dusty conditions. A large percent of workers reported eye (55%) and nasal (50%) irritation and dry cough (50%). On average, pulmonary lung function and Feno tests were normal among nonsmokers. In bivariate analysis, significant associations were identified between working 7 days on the farm (P = .01), with eye irritation, and working 5 or fewer years in poultry farming (P = .01). Poultry workers on family-owned farms spend a considerable amount of work time in poultry houses and report acute respiratory-related health symptoms. Administrative controls among small, family-owned poultry farms are necessary to improve and promote safety and health to its employees.
Musculoskeletal Disorders and Agricultural Risk Factors Among Korean Farmers

ABSTRACT Farming is a strenuous occupation with various health risks, with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) being some of the most common. The risk factors for MSDs among Korean farmers are not well understood. Data were obtained from the Korean Farmers’ Occupational Disease and Injury Survey (2012), which interviewed 16,113 participants regarding their demographic profiles, self-reported MSDs, and agricultural characteristics. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors for MSDs. Subjects reported MSDs in the neck or upper extremities (5.89%), lower extremities (19.62%), and back (26.9%). Working in animal husbandry significantly increased the risk of MSDs in the neck/upper extremities, compared with irrigation farming (odds ratio: 1.837, 95% confidence interval: 1.130–2.987). The risk of MSDs increased significantly with number of years of farming, after adjusting for age and sex (neck/upper extremities, P for trend = .0002; lower extremities, <.001; back, <.001). Agriculture type, years of farming, and ergonomic factors increased the risk of MSDs among Korean farmers.
Influence of Permissive Parenting on Youth Farm Risk Behaviors

ABSTRACT Farm youth continue to experience high rates of injuries and premature deaths as a result of agricultural activities. Increased parental permissiveness is positively associated with many different types of high-risk behaviors in youth. This study explored whether permissive parenting (fathering and mothering) predicts youth unsafe behaviors on the farm. Data were analyzed for 67 youth and their parents. Families were recruited from a statewide farm publication, through youth organizations (i.e., FFA [Future Farmers of America]), local newspapers, farmer referrals, and through the Cooperative Extension Network. Hierarchical multiple regression was completed. Results revealed that fathers and mothers who practiced lax-inconsistent disciplining were more likely to have youth who indulged in unsafe farm behaviors. Key hypotheses confirmed that permissive parenting (lax-inconsistent disciplining) by parents continued to predict youth unsafe farm behaviors, even after youth age, youth gender, youth personality factor of risk-taking, and father’s unsafe behaviors (a measure associated with modeling) were all taken into account. A key implication is that parents may play an important role in influencing youth farm safety behaviors. Parents (especially fathers) need to devote time to discuss farm safety with their youth. Farm safety interventions need to involve parents as well as address and respect the culture and values of families. Interventions need to focus not only on safe farm practices, but also promote positive parenting practices, including increased parent-youth communication about safety, consistent disciplining strategies, and increased monitoring and modeling of safe farm behaviors by parents.
Reducing anxiety in preoperative patients: a systematic review

There are still uncertainties regarding the appropriateness and effectiveness of various modes of delivering preoperative education. Hence, this systematic review was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of various preoperative educational interventions in reducing preoperative anxiety. Fourteen interventional trials (12 randomised controlled trials and two pre/post test trials) involving a total of 1752 participants were included in the review. Four studies used audiovisual; two trials used visual; two trials used multimedia-supported education; one trial used a website; two trials involved verbal education delivered by a psychologist or a nurse facilitator coupled with leaflets; and one trial involved informational leaflets only. Eight of the 14 trials demonstrated that preoperative education intervention reduced preoperative anxiety significantly (P<0.05). It can be concluded that preoperative education interventions are promising in reducing preoperative anxiety in patients scheduled for surgica.
Integrating an Interprofessional Education Experience Into a Human Physiology Course

Purpose To obtain physician assistant (PA) student perceptions about an interprofessional education (IPE) training experience embedded in a multidisciplinary science course. Methods An IPE training experience was integrated into a graduate human physiology course offered to PA, physical therapy, and graduate studies students. The focus of the activity related to the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) competency domains of (1) roles and responsibilities and (2) teams and teamwork. Effectiveness was assessed in pretraining and posttraining surveys, which included questions addressing student self-perceptions of IPEC competency domains, student assessment of the learning activity, and student reflection. Results We observed a statistically significant positive change in PA student perceptions of IPEC competency domains. Students also provided a positive evaluation of the IPE activity and communicated personal improvements in IPE perspectives. Conclusions Incorporating planned IPE experiences into multidisciplinary health science courses represents an appropriate venue for PA students to learn and apply interprofessional competencies, which may benefit future interprofessional practice.
Learning from a crisis

Famines induced by war and economic and social crises are humanitarian tragedies. But they are also “tragic experiments” that shed light on the health effects of food deprivation. Studies of adults born of mothers who were pregnant during the Dutch Hunger Winter at the end of the second world war and of the Chinese famine of 1959-61, for example, contributed to our understanding of the effect of in utero deprivation on adult physical and mental health. In this week’s issue, Manuel Franco from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and colleagues from Cienfuegos in Cuba and Alcala de Henares in Spain report an unfortunate “30-year …
Stimulation of human macrophages (THP-1) using Toll-like receptor-2 (TLR-2) agonist decorated nanocarriers

The purpose of this study was to prepare and characterize nanocarrier systems, which allow the application of pDNA vaccines and adjuvants to mucosal vaccination. Chitosan from a vegetal source (Agaricus bisporus) and of GMP quality was used to synthesize the derivative 6-O-carboxymethyl-N,N,N-trimethylchitosan (CM-TMC). Toll-like receptor-2 (TLR-2) agonist, Pam3Cys, was synthesized and coupled to CM-TMC through a polyethylene glycol (PEG) spacer. Successively, Pam3Cys decorated nanocarriers were prepared by complexation with plasmid DNA (pDNA) expressing green fluorescence protein (GFP), and characterized with respect to their physicochemical properties and protection of the included plasmid against DNase I enzymatic degradation. In vitro studies using phorbol 12-myristyl 13-acetate (PMA) stimulated macrophage-like THP-1 (mTHP-1) cells were focused on cytotoxicity of both polymers and particles, and their potential to stimulate IL-8 release via the TLR-2 pathway. Our results showed that the TLR-2 functionalized pDNA nanocarriers have the ability to complex and to protect pDNA against enzymatic degradation. pDNA nanocarriers were of around 400 nm in size, and displayed a positive zeta potential of 27.9 ± 1.6 mV. Chitosan, CM-TMC, and Pam3Cys-functionalized CM-TMC polymers displayed cytotoxicity on mTHP1 cells in a concentration-dependent manner, which decreased by 50-fold on complexation with pDNA. In addition, decorated pDNA nanocarriers induced IL-8 secretion by mTHP-1 macrophages, which was increased by 10-fold as compared to nondecorated carriers.
Comparison of nanofiltration efficacy in reducing infectivity of centrifuged versus ultracentrifuged 263K scrapie‐infected brain homogenates in “spiked” albumin solutions

BACKGROUND: The safety of plasma‐derived products is of concern for possible transmission of variant Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease. The absence of validated screening tests requires the use of procedures to remove or inactivate prions during the manufacture of plasma‐derived products to minimize the risk of transmission. These procedures need proper validation studies based on spiking human plasma or intermediate fractions of plasma fractionation with prions in a form as close as possible to that present in blood.
Role of the endocannabinoid system in the emotional manifestations of osteoarthritis pain

Abstract In this study, we investigated the role of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in the emotional and cognitive alterations associated with osteoarthritis pain. The monosodium iodoacetate model was used to evaluate the affective and cognitive manifestations of osteoarthritis pain in type 1 (CB1R) and type 2 (CB2R) cannabinoid receptor knockout and wild-type mice and the ability of CB1R (ACEA) and CB2R (JWH133) selective agonists to improve these manifestations during a 3-week time period. The levels of the endocannabinoids anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) were measured in plasma and brain areas involved in the control of these manifestations. Patients with knee osteoarthritis and healthy controls were recruited to evaluate pain, affective, and cognitive symptoms, as well as plasma endocannabinoid levels and cannabinoid receptor gene expression in peripheral blood lymphocytes. The affective manifestations of osteoarthritis were enhanced in CB1R knockout mice and absent in CB2R knockouts. Interestingly, both ACEA and JWH133 ameliorated the nociceptive and affective alterations, whereas ACEA also improved the associated memory impairment. An increase of 2-AG levels in prefrontal cortex and plasma was observed in this mouse model of osteoarthritis. In agreement, an increase of 2-AG plasmatic levels and an upregulation of CB1R and CB2R gene expression in peripheral blood lymphocytes were observed in patients with osteoarthritis compared with healthy subjects. Changes found in these biomarkers of the ECS correlated with pain, affective, and cognitive symptoms in these patients. The ECS plays a crucial role in osteoarthritis and represents an interesting pharmacological target and biomarker of this disease.
Estado nutricional e anemia em crianças Suruí, Amazônia, Brasil

OBJETIVO: Analisar o perfil nutricional de criancas indigenas Surui menores de 10 anos atraves da antropometria e da dosagem de hemoglobina. METODOS: A pesquisa foi conduzida em fevereiro-marco de 2005 na Terra Indigena Sete de Setembro, na fronteira de Rondonia com Mato Grosso. Estatura e peso foram obtidos segundo tecnicas padronizadas e comparados a referencia do National Center for Health Statistics (n = 284). A concentracao da hemoglobina foi determinada utilizando b-hemoglobinometro portatil (Hemocue) (n = 268). RESULTADOS: As porcentagens de criancas com deficit (escore z < -2) nos indices estatura para idade, peso para idade e peso para estatura foram 25,4, 8,1 e 0%, respectivamente. Nas menores de 5 anos, foram 31,4, 12,4 e 0%, respectivamente. A ampla maioria das criancas estava anemica (80,6%), alcancando 84,0% naquelas de 6 a 59 meses de idade. CONCLUSOES: Os resultados apontam para um quadro de alta prevalencia de desnutricao e anemia nas criancas Surui. A comparacao com resultados de inquerito anterior indica que houve reducao expressiva na prevalencia de baixa estatura para idade entre 1987 e 2005 (de 46,3 para 26,7% nas criancas menores de 9 anos). Por sua vez, 3,9% das criancas apresentaram sobrepeso em 2005, o que nao foi observado em 1987. As prevalencias de anemia nao se modificaram substancialmente entre os dois periodos. Apesar das melhoras observadas no perfil antropometrico, as prevalencias de deficits nutricionais ainda permanecem muito mais elevadas que as observadas na populacao brasileira em geral. Impoe-se a necessidade da implantacao de atividades sistematicas e regulares de monitoramento do crescimento e desenvolvimento das criancas indigenas, com enfase na vigilância nutricional.