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Evaluation Of The Niosh Sound Level Meter App In Real Work Settings
Get PDFWith the significant presence of occupational noise exposure, the development of mobile sound measurement applications has been reported. These apps have the potential to help reduce purchasing costs of sampling equipment for small businesses. One of the most promising apps is the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Sound Level Meter (SLM), but most studies on the accuracy of the app have been conducted in controlled labs. The purpose of this study was to examine the differences between the NIOSH SLM and type 2 noise measuring instruments in real work settings. Both short-term and long-term noise sampling was conducted in a metal fabrication shop. Thirteen noise sources, including water jets, lathes, (near) welders, presses, mills, wood planners, circular saws, a laser cutter, a sand blaster, and a deburring machine, were selected for short-term sampling. The average short-term sampling duration was 2.5 minutes, and maximum sound level (Lmax) and A-weighted, equivalent continuous sound level (LAeq) were collected from the app installed on an iPhone 11 and type 2 SLM. Welding/general work area and water jet cutter area were chosen for long-term sampling, with a typical shift length of 8 hours. LAeq, Lmax, dose, projected dose, and time-weighted average (TWA) were collected from the app and type 2 noise dosimeter. For the short-term sampling, an average difference in Lmax between the app and type 2 reference device was +2.2 dB(A) (range 0-7.8 dB(A)). For LAeq, an average difference of -1.4 dB(A) was observed (range 0.1-8.4 dB(A)). One long-term sample taken at the water jet cutter area was interrupted by unknown notification(s), which stopped the data collection. The welding/general work area sample showed a difference of 1.7 dB(A) for Lmax, 2.8 dB(A) for LAeq, a 0.3% difference for projected dose and dose, and a difference of 5.8 dB(A) for TWA. Overall, large variances were observed between the NIOSH SLM and the type 2 reference instruments, indicating that the NIOSH SLM may not be suited to replace professional noise measuring devices, but the app may still be used to get a good approximation for employee noise exposure
Risk, Promotive, And Protective Factors In Adolescence For Incarceration In Adulthood: A 20 Year Longitudinal Study
Get PDFThe high rate of incarceration in the United States presents a public issue that affects individuals, families, and communities. Empirical research has identified several adolescent risk factors linked to an increased likelihood of incarceration in adulthood, such as individual delinquency, peer delinquency, parental antisocial behaviors, and neighborhood disorder. However, much less is known about factors that might promote or protect against incarceration specifically. Factors associated with a reduced likelihood of delinquent behavior (a precursor to incarceration) include higher empathy, prosocial peers, parental nurturance, and neighborhood connectedness. These factors may similarly reduce the risk of incarceration, just as they reduce the risk of delinquency. Additionally, there may be racial and sex differences in how risk, promotive, and protective factors relate to incarceration. Thus, this paper will focus on examining individual delinquency, peer delinquency, parental antisocial behaviors, and neighborhood disorder as risk factors as well as empathy, prosocial peers, parental nurturance, and neighborhood connectedness as potential promotive and protective factors. Race and sex differences are also examined. This study included 603 adolescents (52% male, 78% Black, 20% White, 2% Other) who participated in the Birmingham Youth Violence Study (BYVS) at four time points between 2003 and 2022 (T1-T4, Mean age = 12, 13, 18, 27). Results suggest that individual delinquency, parent antisocial behaviors, and neighborhood disorder in early adolescence were risk factors for incarceration in adulthood but not peer delinquent behaviors. Empathy, prosocial peers, parental nurturance, and neighborhood connectedness did not emerge as promotive or protective factors. The racial differences analyses suggest that peer delinquency increases the risk of incarceration for White youth at a higher rate than it does for racial/ethnic minority youth. There were no sex differences. This dissertation furthers our understanding of risk factors in early adolescence in relation to incarceration in adulthood and clarifies the status of empathy, prosocial peers, parental nurturance, and neighborhood connectedness during adolescence as potential promotive and protective factors in adulthood
Detection Of Tetrahydrozoline In Alcoholic Beverage Residue Related To Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault Using Gc-Ms
Get PDFDrug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) is an ongoing issue that remains significant in the United States and the World. DFSA can be either proactive or opportunistic, where a victim becomes impaired and is unable to provide consent. Common drugs found in DFSA cases are ethanol and cannabis. However, alternative drugs are increasingly being used to incapacitate a victim and enable a sexual assault. These include tetrahydrozoline (THZ), commonly found in over-the-counter eye drops, such as Visine®. Minimal research surrounds THZ, in which agencies may process case samples with a general drug screen, which may only detect common drugs, while THZ goes undetected. Additionally, due to delayed reporting, alternative samples are of interest in the absence of relevant biological samples, such as urine and blood. Therefore, additional investigation into the use of alternative samples, such as alcoholic beverage residue, may be of use. This study was conducted to develop and validate a method to detect THZ using a derivatizing reagent, pentafluoropropionic anhydride in ethyl acetate (PFPA), and solid-phase extraction (SPE) to increase the method\u27s sensitivity. The method validation parameters assessed were repeatability, intermediate precision, linearity, LOD, LOQ, autosampler stability, interference studies, and freeze-thaw analysis. The repeatability and intermediate precision produced RSD% below 10% at 0.25, 0.50, and 1.00 μg/mL, demonstrating low variability. Derivatized THZ at high and low concentrations produce curves with an R-squared value of 0.99, displaying a linear response. The LOD and LOQ were determined to be 3.9 ng/mL and 15.6 ng/mL, respectively. Derivatized THZ was unstable for the 24-hour autosampler stability. However, in the freeze-thaw analysis, THZ remains stable when stored at -20°C over a week, producing an RSD% below 10% for all concentrations. THZ was detected in the presence of other compounds in the interference studies. When THZ standard and Visine® (containing THZ) were spiked in High Noon Lemon Vodka Seltzer, the majority of extracted samples produced ion ratios within 20% of the ion ratios of a neat THZ standard, showing that THZ can be reliably detected using the study’s method. The study found the method to detect THZ to be sensitive, specific, and precise
The Impact of Transportation Insecurity on No-Show Appointments and Acute Care Utilization in Pediatric Sickle Cell Patients
Get PDFSickle cell disease (SCD) patients experience high levels of transportation insecurity. Missed or delayed medical care due to transportation barriers can result in worsened clinical outcomes and increased hospital admissions and emergency department (ED) visits. We hypothesized that the relationship between transportation insecurity and acute care utilization is partially mediated by no-show appointments. This retrospective cohort study included 101 SCD patients aged ≤ 21 treated through the Pediatric Sickle Cell Clinic at Children’s of Alabama (COA) hospital from 2023 to 2024 and completed a social determinants of health (SDoH) questionnaire. Negative binomial or Poisson regression was used to model ED visitation and hospital admissions by transportation insecurity status. Inverse odds ratio weighted (IORW) mediation was used to examine whether no-show appointments mediate the relationship between transportation insecurity and acute care utilization before and after adjusting for financial resource strain. Transportation insecure participants exhibited more frequent no-show appointments and hospitalizations. Transportation insecurity was associated with a 56% higher incidence of unscheduled hospitalization in the unadjusted mediation model (95% CI [1.12 – 2.09]) and a 65% higher incidence after adjusting for financial resource strain (95% CI [1.17 – 2.28]). Significant indirect effects of transportation insecurity on hospitalization through no-show appointments were observed in the unadjusted (IRR = 1.17, 95% CI [1.00 – 1.60]) and adjusted models (IRR = 1.37, 95% CI [1.05 – 2.14]). The proportion mediated by no-show appointments was 39.7% in the unadjusted model and rose to 68.5% after adjusting for financial resource strain. Transportation insecurity increased the incidence of ED visits by 75% in the unadjusted model (95% CI [1.05 – 2.78]) and 73% in the adjusted model (95% CI [1.01 – 2.76]). However, indirect effects were not significant the unadjusted (IRR = 1.06, 95% CI [0.81 – 1.68]) or adjusted models (IRR = 1.37, 95% CI [0.96 – 2.31]), for which the proportions mediated were 12.6% and 63.4%, respectively. No-show appointments mediated the relationship between transportation insecurity and hospitalization, even after adjusting for financial resource strain. Understanding the role of transportation insecurity in predicting no-show appointments and acute care utilization in pediatric SCD patients is necessary to promote adherence to outpatient care and improve health outcomes
The Antiviral Treatment Of Bk Polyomavirus
Get PDFA kidney transplant is the most common form of organ transplant in the United States. The waitlist of patients waiting for a kidney transplant totals over 80,000. In recent years, kidney transplants have been performed more than ever before, but the waitlist continues to grow. This is due to the constant addition of new patients being added, as well as, patients who obtained a kidney transplant, but their transplant failed and were added back to the waitlist. While the development of more specific and effective immunosuppressive drugs given to transplant recipients have reduced the cases of acute rejection, it has caused a rise in polyomavirus associated nephropathy (PVAN). PVAN is a disease caused by the uncontrolled reactivation of BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) in kidney transplant patients. BKPyV is asymptomatic in immunocompetent individuals, however in immune–compromised patients when reactivation occurs the immune system is unable to control it, causing the infection to spread and damage the donor kidney leading to allograft failure. With the rise of PVAN in recent years, there is no antiviral treatment available. The only treatment for BKPyV reactivation in transplant patients is the reduction of immune–suppressive drugs, which increase the risk of acute rejection. Reactivation of BKPyV increases the risk of mutation that can increase the expression of genes encoded in the early region of the genome important for viral production. BKPyV infection alters the cell cycle causing cell cycle arrest allowing the virus to constantly replicate its viral DNA. We propose that treating BKPyV reactivation with antivirals that target the ways in which BKPyV relies on cell cycle arrest will reduce the amount of viral production
Investigating Risk Of Suboptimal Hiv Treatment Outcomes (Treatment Failure And Disengagement) Among Pregnant And Postpartum Women Living With Hiv
No full textThe joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has set targets to end the HIV epidemic by improving HIV diagnosis, treatment, and viral suppression to reduce new infections and improve health outcomes for people living with HIV (PLHIV), including pregnant and postpartum women living with HIV (PPWH). After diagnosis, linking PPWH to antiretroviral (ART) treatment is critical to suppress the virus and prevent mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV. Continuous engagement in care is essential for achieving and maintaining virologic suppression in the peripartum and postpartum period for PPWH, both for their own health and the health of their family. Disengagement from care and treatment failure are two common indicators to assess efforts contributing to ending HIV and improving public health. This dissertation investigates the risk factors for suboptimal treatment outcomes of disengagement from care and treatment failure among PPWH in low-resource settings. The first paper summarizes the existing literature between June 2017 and March 2024 on risk factors of suboptimal treatment outcomes among PPWH in a scoping review. The second paper explores the demographic, clinical, and psychosocial risk factors of these suboptimal outcomes while incorporating prior knowledge through hierarchical Bayesian analyses. The third and final paper utilizes penalized regression Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO), a penalized regression method to to develop and validate a multivariable model for predicting the risk of suboptimal outcomes among PPWH. This dissertation employs a range of methodologies, including predictive modeling and Bayesian analyses, to provide an in-depth understanding of the risk factors associated with and prediction of PPWH at high risk of suboptimal outcomes of disengagement from care or treatment failure. The findings enrich the existing knowledge base and offer actionable insights for strengthening efforts for retention in HIV care and sustained virologic suppression. By pinpointing and addressing the drivers of these suboptimal outcomes, healthcare providers and public health policymakers can implement targeted strategies to improve care retention and, in turn, optimize individual health outcomes for PPWH and reduce MTCT
An In-Depth Review Of Food Insecurity In College Students Enrolled In Alabama Historically Black Colleges And Universities
Get PDFFood insecurity is a common issue in the United States (US), and special attention has been given to college students. There is empirical evidence of high food insecurity among African American students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) (Duke et al., 2023; Dahl et al., 2022; Goldrick-Rab et al., 2018). The current research explores the food-insecure conditions of college students at HBCUs in Alabama, appealing for more studies highlighting the role of all stakeholders in combating this issue. The research questions posed in this study are significant, as they are expected to yield vital information regarding the experiences and attitudes of food-insecure college students enrolled in Alabama Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), which can inform effective food security policy changes. RQ1. What are food-insecure college students\u27 perceptions of their lived experiences with food access and food quality at an HBCU? SQ1. How do food quality and access affect food-insecure college students\u27 perceptions of overall health at an HBCU? SQ2. How do food quality and access affect food-insecure college students\u27 perceptions of academic performance at an HBCU? Promoting food literacy at HBCUs is an investment in learning and alleviating social inequalities in health and well-being in the African American community. This study was guided by the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), which emphasizes the dynamic interaction between individuals (personal factors), their environment, and their behavior. Directed by the SCT framework, this project seeks to do the following: (1) allow students to appreciate the important viewpoint about their relationship with food, (2) identify the impact of food and quality and its influences on health experiences, and (3) deepen their knowledge of food insecurity’s impact on academic performance. The study investigates how behavioral skills, outcome expectations, and social support can promote favorable eating habits that positively impact academic performance, thereby enhancing self-efficacy (Ho et al., 2022). Nonetheless, the urgency of this study underscores the need for further investigation into the lived experiences of food-insecure HBCU students, as institutional food policies should be firmly aligned with enabling student academic success and well-being (Duke et al., 2023; Qi et al., 2023)
Racial Differences in the Prevalence and Outcomes of Venous Thromboembolism in USA, A Nationwide Estimate
No full text2025 research posterhttps://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/uabh-rd-all/1382/thumbnail.jp