bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Respiratory cancer and other chronic disease mortality among silicotics in california
Authors: Goldsmith David F. , Beaumont James J. , Morrin Lynne A. , Schenker Marc B. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractSilicotics have increased mortality from tuberculosis (TB) and from nonmalignant respiratory diseases (NMRD), including silicosis and silicotuberculosis. Since the publication of the International Agency for Research on Cancer monograph in 1987 indicating that silica was a probable human carcinogen, there has been an extensive debate about the cancer risks among silicotics. The authors identified 590 claims for silicosis among a registry of lung diseases compiled from California Workers' Compensation cases from 1945 to 1975. Using state vital records, we determined the mortality risks from 1946 to 1991. Our findings confirmed that these claimants had a significantly elevated risk for all causes of death with a standardized mortality ratio (SMR) of 1.30 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.18, 1.43); TB had a SMR of 56.35 (95% CI = 41.10, 75.40) and NMRD a SMR of 3.80 (95% CI = 3.11, 4.60). Cancers of the trachea, bronchus, and lung had a SMR of 1.90 (95% CI = 1.35, 2.60). For malignancies of the large intestine, there was a previously unreported SMR of 2.08 (95% CI = 1.14, 3.50). Mortality from all diseases of the heart was significantly less than expected with a SMR of 0.68 (95% CI = 0.55, 0.83); cancers of the prostate and lymphatic system were also significantly low with SMRs of 0.26 (95% CI = 0.03, 0.94) and 0.17 (95% CI = 0.04, 0.97), respectively. Workers with silicosis should be warned about these chronic disease risks, and prevention efforts to control occupational silica dust exposure should become a higher priority.
Cross‐sectional follow‐up of a flu‐like respiratory illness among fiberglass manufacturing employees: Endotoxin exposure associated with two distinct sequelae
Authors: Milton Donald K. , Amsel Jon , Reed Charles E. , Enright Paul L. , Brown L. R. , Aughenbaugh Gregory L. , Morey Philip R. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractOver a period of 10 years, employees in a manufacturing plant experienced sporadic flu‐like episodes after work in a basement containing a recirculated washwater mist. We report a cross‐sectional study to define the flu‐like illness and bioaerosol exposures. High concentrations of gram‐negative bacteria (GNB) (>107 cfu/ml) and endotoxin (range 34‐46 μ/ml) were found in the water. Mist contained >103 cfu/m3 of GNB, and endotoxin up to 13,900 to 27,800 ng/m3. Few fungi and thermotolerant Bacillus species and no Actinomycetes, Legionella species, or amoeba were found in washwater. Airborne levels of fungi were of the same species and magnitudes as outdoor samples. Subjects volunteered (n = 28) because of a history of flu‐like symptoms or were randomly selected (n = 102) from workers with and without current exposure to the basement. No acute cases were examined. Cases did not fulfill criteria for hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) and high levels of IgG antibodies to water‐borne antigens were not observed. However, among 20 subjects indicating a history of severe flu‐like episodes (severe basement flu, SBF), diffusion capacity (DLCO) was significantly lower (p = 0.015) than among other workers. The prevalence of SBF was independent of smoking. Cases occurred in clusters, and SBF was more common among workers with intermittent exposure to the basement (19 cases) than with daily exposure (1 case). These findings suggest that SBF and associated chronically depressed DLCO resulted from toxic injury following high‐level endotoxin exposure. Asthma was prevalent in the study population, particularly among employees with daily, rather than intermittent, exposure to endotoxin‐containing mist (odds ratio 6.7, p = 0.02). Thus, endotoxin exposure in this study was associated with two distinct sequelae depending on the temporal pattern of exposure.
Asbestos bodies in lung tissue following exposure to crocidolite
Authors: Williams Vincent , de Klerk Nicholas H. , Whitaker Darrell , Musk A. William , Shilkin Keith B. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractA series of 206 necropsies in Western Australia (WA) have had routine counts made of asbestos bodies in samples of lung tissue using conventional light microscopy. Thirty‐two cases had worked in the asbestos industry at Wittenoom, WA and (log) counts of asbestos bodies in their lung tissue correlated well with estimates of their (log) cumulative airborne exposure to crocidolite fibers (r = 0.60). There was no association between the number of asbestos bodies and time since exposure to asbestos ceased. In subjects without known exposure to asbestos, there was a weak but nonsignificant increase in number of asbestos bodies with increasing age, with 26% of cases having no asbestos bodies present. It is concluded that the relatively simple technique of light microscopy for counting of asbestos bodies in lung tissue provides a reliable indication of the level of past occupational exposure to crocidolite in subjects whose exposure has been only to crocidolite. This could be extremely useful in follow‐up studies of cohorts that lack reliable measures of airborne exposure to crocidolite asbestos.
Development of a questionnaire in spanish on neurotoxic symptoms
Authors: Rodezno Rafael Amador , Lundberg Ingvar , Escalona Evelin 
Published: April 2007

AbstractA questionnaire in Spanish (with yes/no answers) was developed in order to study effects of neurotoxic agents in groups of workers in Nicaragua. Since many workers in Latin America are illiterate, the questions were read to the subjects. The questionnaire initially contained 34 questions, which were reduced to 16 after studying whether the questions were interpreted in the intended way by the subjects, whether the answers were reasonably reproducible over a 3‐week period, and whether the questions discriminated between groups exposed to different neurotoxic agents (mercury, lead, organic solvents, and organophosphate insecticides) and nonexposed groups. In total, 851 male workers in Nicaragua and Venezuela participated in the evaluation. The questionnaire is submitted for use in the monitoring of groups exposed to neurotoxic agents, particularly in Latin America. The authors welcome further evaluation.
Musculoskeletal problems among ontario dental hygienists
Authors: Liss Gary M. , Jesin Evie , Kusiak Robert A. , White Paul 
Published: April 2007

AbstractTwo U.S. surveys suggested that dental hygienists (DHs) may suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), but these studies did not use validated questionnaires, adjust for confounders, or include external controls. We conducted a questionnaire survey of all 2,142 DHs belonging to the Ontario Dental Hygienists' Association, and a referent group of 305 dental assistants (DAs), who do not scale teeth. The Standardized Nordic Questionnaire was used as the basis for asking about muscuioskeletal symptoms. The response rates in the two groups were identical. Of the DHs, 7.0% had been told by a physician since starting work that they had CTS, but only 1 of 65 had received workers' compensation. Compared to the DAs, after adjusting for age the DHs were 5.2 times (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.9‐32) more likely to have been told they had CTS and 3.7 times (95% CI 1.1‐11.9) more likely to meet a CTS case definition. The DHs were also 2.5 (95% CI 1.6‐3.9), 2.8 (95% CI 1.8‐4.4), and 1.8 (95% CI 1.2‐2.7) times more likely to report hand/wrist, shoulder, and neck problems in the past 12 months, respectively, but were less likely to report low back trouble. In internal analyses among DHs using logistic regression models, the number of heavy calculus patients per day, “clock” position around the dental chair, and years in practice were significant predictors of CTS. Days worked per week (but not heavy calculus patients), time with the trunk rotated, and years of practice were significant predictors of reported shoulder trouble in the past 12 months. Given that there are more than 9,000 DHs in Canada and about 100,000 in the United States, these findings suggest an important public health problem. They highlight the need to inform DHs during training and continuing education about muscuioskeletal problems in general and CTS in particular. Attention should be directed to areas such as work station design, posture, treating patients with heavy calculus, and scheduling rest periods.
Inflammatory markers in nasal lavage fluid from industrial arts teachers
Authors: Åhman Mats , Holmström Mats , Ingelman‐Sundberg Henrik 
Published: April 2007

AbstractExposure to wood dust can cause allergic and nonallergic rhinitis. Inflammatory markers [cells, albumin, tryptase, and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP)] were examined in nasal lavage fluid (NAL) sampled from 24 Industrial Arts (IA) teachers exposed to wood dust and other irritants and from 24 control subjects. The IA teachers had more nasal complaints but they did not differ significantly from the controls regarding ECP concentration (median 4.1 and 4.7 μg/L, respectively), albumin concentration (median 30.7 and 20.7 g/L), and percentage of neutrophils (median 56 and 34) in NAL. Tryptase was not detected. No marked inflammation was thus found, but the albumin concentration was higher in subjects reporting nasal stuffiness. In the IA teachers, a relationship between the percentage of neutrophils and the number of classes during the working week was found (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient 0.53, p<0.01) indicating a possibility of wood‐dust‐related inflammatory effects on the nasal mucosa.
Incidence of farm‐work–related acute injury in a defined population
Authors: Nordstrom David L. , Layde Peter M. , Olson Kurt A. , Stueland Dean , Brand Laura , Follen Marilyn A. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractTo determine occurrence and sources of farm‐work‐related injury, we conducted a population‐based, prospective study in a large clinic and hospital serving a defined rural area. The population at risk was identified through a unique demographic and medical records linkage system and a special agricultural census. Cases were 510 individuals who sought inpatient or outpatient care from May 1990 through April 1992 from a physician or chiropractor for harm resulting from acute exposure to energy. One per 31 farm residents was treated annually for a farm‐work‐related injury. Eight percent of these cases were hospitalized. Animals were the most frequent source of injury. Severity did not differ between cases associated with animals, machinery, falls, or chemicals. Thirty‐eight percent of farm‐work‐related injury cases occurred in nonfarm residents. Injury risk was 2.5 times greater among dairy farm residents than among nondairy farm residents, 352.0 vs. 141.0 cases per 10,000 person‐years, respectively. Adult male farm residents had 556.9 injuries per 10,000 person‐years and 21.3 injuries per million hours of farm work.
Farm‐work hazard prevention efforts by school‐based agricultural education instructors
Authors: Chapman Larry J. , Schuler Ronald T. , Wilkinson Terry L. , Skjolaas Cheryl A. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractObjective: To assess current prevention efforts, we examined agricultural work‐related safety and health activities by school‐based agricultural education instructors in Wisconsin. Methods: Questionnaires were administered to 284 high school agricultural education instructors. Results: Instructors taught agricultural safety and health to 61.5 students during 20.4 hours during the previous year. Extension agents were used most often as resources during preparation and presentation of coursework. Only a minority of instructors (13.6%) agreed that modifying the work to eliminate hazards should be emphasized over training people to work safely around hazards. After issues of time pressures and lack of student interest, the most important problems the instructors felt they faced were the needs for materials and other resources. Conclusion: Safety education alone is unlikely to reduce injuries unless unsafe conditions are modified. Instructors need to emphasize teaching of skills in hazard recognition, identification, and control. Instructors felt they could be more effective with better materials and more time for injury and disease prevention.
Back pain among workers in the United States: National estimates and workers at high risk
Authors: Guo How‐Ran , Tanaka Shiro , Cameron Lorraine L. , Seligman Paul J. , Behrens Virginia J. , Ger Jiin , Wild Deanna K. , Putz‐Anderson Vern 
Published: April 2007

AbstractBack pain accounts for about one fourth of workers' compensation claims in the United States. The Occupational Health Supplement to the 1988 National Health Interview Survey provided an opportunity to assess the scope of this problem. The 30,074 respondents who worked in the 12 months before the interview were defined as “workers”, and those with back pain every day for a week or more during that period were defined as “cases.” A weighting factor was applied to the answers to derive national estimates. In 1988, about 22.4 million back pain cases (prevalence 17.6%) were responsible for 149.1 million lost workdays; 65% of cases were attributable to occupational activities. For back pain attributed to activities at work, the risk was highest for construction laborers among males (prevalence 22.6%) and nursing aides among females (18.8%). Our analyses show that back pain is a major cause of morbidity and lost production for U.S. workers and identifies previously unrecognized high risk occupations, such as carpenters, automobile mechanics, maids, janitors, and hairdressers, for future research and prevention.
Silica exposure and autoimmune diseases
Authors: Steenland Kyle , Goldsmith David F. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThere have long been case reports linking silica exposure to a variety of autoimmune diseases (systemic sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, chronic renal disease). Evidence of this association in larger epidemiologic studies has been increasing in the last decade. We summarize this evidence here, and present some plausible mechanisms which have been discussed in the literature. The link between silica exposure and autoimmune disease may have been missed in cohort mortality studies because autoimmune diseases are rarely underlying causes of death. Similarly, case‐control studies of autoimmune diseases have often failed to consider occupational exposure to silica. Further research is needed in occupationally exposed populations to verify this association. The link between respirable silica exposure and autoimmune disease may have some bearing on the possible association between silicone breast implants and autoimmune disease, although the nature of the silica involved is quite different in the two Situations.
Moderne Potentiometrie
Authors: Bakker Eric , Pretsch Ernö 
Published: April 2007

AbstractDie meisten Chemiker verbinden Potentiometrie mithilfe ionenselektiver Elektroden (ISEs) in erster Linie mit pH‐Messungen mit einer Glaselektrode. Wer sich für die klinische Analytik interessiert, weiß außerdem, dass ISEs routinemäßig zur Bestimmung von Elektrolyten im Blut eingesetzt werden und einen Marktumfang erzielen, der dem von Glaselektroden nahekommt. Weniger bekannt ist, dass die Potentiometrie im Laufe des letzten Jahrzehnts eine stille Revolution durchlaufen hat. Die untere Nachweisgrenze und die Diskriminierung von Störionen (die Selektivitätskoeffizienten) wurden in vielen Fällen um Faktoren von bis zu 106 bzw. 1010 verbessert, sodass heute Anwendungen z. B. in der Umweltspurenanalyse und der potentiometrischen Biosensorik möglich sind. Eine weitere wichtige Anwendung, die ebenfalls Thema dieses Kurzaufsatzes ist, ist die Bestimmung von Komplexbildungskonstanten von Komplexen aus lipophilen Wirt‐ und ionischen Gastkomponenten.
Catalytic Transformations for Production of Fine Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals from Wood‐Derived Raw Materials
Authors: Murzin D. Y. , Mäki‐Arvela P. , Salmi T. , Holmbom B. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractWood is a valuable raw material for the production of fine chemicals. However, since wood extractives cannot be used directly, their chemical transformation is required. Catalytic processes, in particular, possess the advantages of being environmentally friendly and industrially attractive. The use of sugars for the production of sugar alcohols and terpene transformations, are well known examples. In contrast, catalytic processes for the utilization of fatty acids, phytosterols and lignans as raw materials are very rarely reported. The products obtained from these materials exhibit health promoting properties. The present mini‐review is focused on recent activities devoted to catalytic transformations of fatty acids, phytosterols and lignans derived from wood.
Dry SO2 Removal Process Using Calcium/Siliceous‐Based Sorbents: Deactivation Kinetics Based on Breakthrough Curves
Authors: Dahlan I. , Mohamed A. R. , Kamaruddin A. H. , Lee K. T. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThe removal of sulfur dioxide (SO2) from simulated flue gas was investigated in a laboratory‐scale stainless steel fixed‐bed reactor using sorbents prepared from various siliceous materials, i.e., coal fly ash (CFA), oil palm ash (OPA) and rice husk ash (RHA) mixed with lime (CaO) by means of the water hydration method. Experiments were carried out with a flue gas flow rate of 150 mL/min, reaction temperature of 100 °C, and SO2 concentration of 1000 ppm. It was found that sorbents prepared from RHA have high BET surface areas and high SO2 sorption capacities, based on breakthrough curve analysis. In addition, the SO2 breakthrough curves were also described in terms of a simple first‐order deactivation model containing only two rate constants, one of which, ks, describes the surface reaction rate constant while the other, kd, describes the deactivation rate constant. The values of ks and kd obtained from the deactivation kinetics model were in good agreement with the experimental breakthrough curves and were also compared with those available in the literature.
Bed Expansion – Extending Correlations for Fluidized Beds with Inserts to Open Fluidized Beds
Authors: Leaper M. C. , Hilal N. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractBed expansion occurs during the operation of gas‐fluidized beds and is influenced by particle properties, gas properties and distributor characteristics. It has a significant bearing on heat and mass transfer phenomena within the bed. A method of predicting bed expansion behavior from other fluidizing parameters would be a useful tool in the design process, dispensing with the need for small‐scale trials. This study builds on previous work on fluidized beds with vertical inserts to produce a correlation that links a modified particle terminal velocity, minimum fluidizing velocity and distributor characteristics with bed voidage in the relationship with P as the pitch between holes in the perforated distributor plate.
Determination of bevantolol enantiomers in human plasma by coupled achiral–chiral high performance‐liquid chromatography
Authors: Oh Joung Weon , Trung Tran Quoc , Sin Kwan Seog , Kang Jong Seong , Kim Kyeong Ho 
Published: April 2007

AbstractA coupled achiral–chiral high performance liquid chromatographic method was developed and fully validated for the determination of bevantolol enantiomers, (−)‐(S)‐bevantolol and (+)‐(R)‐bevantolol, in human plasma. Plasma samples were prepared by solid phase extraction with Sep‐Pak Plus C18 cartridges followed by HPLC. Bevantolol enantiomers and (+)‐(R)‐Propranolol as internal standard (IS) were preseparated from interfering components in plasma on a Phenomenex silica column and bevantolol enantiomers and IS were resolved and determined on a Chiralcel OJ‐H chiral stationary phase. The two columns were connected by a switching valve equipped with silica precolumn. The Precolumn was used to concentrate bevantolol in the eluent from the achiral column before back flushing onto chiral phase. A detailed validation of the method was performed accordingly to FDA guidelines. For each enantiomer the assay was linear between 20 and 1600 ng/ml. The quantification limits of both bevantolol enantiomers were 20 ng/ml. The intraday variation was between 1.07 and 12.64% in relation to the measured concentration and the interday variation was 0.91 and 11.79%. The method has been applied to the determination of (−)‐(S)‐ and (+)‐(R)‐bevantolol in plasma from healthy volunteers dosed with racemic bevantolol hydrochloride. hydrochloride. Chirality, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Application of liquid chromatography—Tandem mass spectrometry method for the analysis of new nonselective β‐adrenergic blocker 1‐(1‐H‐indol‐4‐yloxy)‐3‐{[2‐(2‐methoxy phenoxy)ethylo]amino}propan‐2‐ol (2F109) in rat plasma
Authors: Walczak Maria , Szafarz Malgorzata , Szymura‐Oleksiak Joanna , Groszek Grazyna , Bednarski Marek , Filipek Barbara 
Published: April 2007

AbstractA sensitive and specific liquid chromatography electrospray ionization—tandem mass spectrometry method for the enantioselective determination of the novel β‐adrenolytic compound, 1‐(1‐H‐indol‐4‐yloxy)‐3‐{[2‐(2‐methoxyphenoxy)ethylo]amino} propan‐2‐ol, in rat plasma has been developed and validated. Chromatography was performed on a reversed‐phase Chiralcel OD‐RH analytical column (150 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm, Daicel Chemical Industries, Tokyo, Japan) with isocratic elution using a mobile phase containing acetonitrile and water with 0.01% formic acid. Detection was achieved by an Applied Biosystems MDS Sciex (Concord, Ontario, Canada) API 2000 triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. Electrospray ionization (ESI) was used for ion production. The limit of detection in the MRM mode was found to be 1.25 ng/ml. The limit of quantification of both enantiomers was 2.5 ng/ml. The precision and accuracy for both intra‐ and inter‐day determination of 2F109 enantiomers ranged from 2.6 to 12% and from 89.1 to 107.1%. This analytical method allowed us to carry out pharmacokinetic studies in rats. Our findings demonstrate that 2F109 shows stereoselective disposition in rat plasma after i.v. administration. The terminal half‐lives of (+)‐(R)‐2F109 and (−)‐(S)‐2F109 were 33.5 and 42.6 min, respectively. The AUC0–inf of (+)‐(R)‐2F109 exceeded that of (−)‐(S)‐2F109. Chirality, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Measurement of 1H–1H Residual Dipolar Coupling Constants for Structural Studies of Medium Size Molecules
Authors: Jin Lan , Pham Tran N. , Uhrín Dušan 
Published: April 2007

AbstractResidual dipolar coupling constants (RDCs) are being increasingly applied to elucidate the configuration and conformation of small organic molecules, peptides and oligosaccharides. In this paper we describe a set of robust 1D NMR methods for accurate and precise measurement of proton–proton RDCs of small and medium size molecules. The performance of these techniques is not impeded by the presence of overlapping and broad 1H multiplets that are typically observed for such molecules in weakly aligned media. The use of these techniques provides access to a large pool of proton–proton RDCs opening new avenues for the solution structure elucidation of medium size molecules by NMR. The techniques are illustrated on the determination of the alignment tensor of the reducing monosaccharide ring of cellobiose and the determination of the relative configuration of sodium cholate.