130,359 research outputs found
Chemical risk assessment in the leather goods producers: A comparison of the results obtained by measurements air concentration and algoritm archi.mede [Valutazione del rischio mchimico nel settore pellettiero:confronto dei risultati ottenuti con sistemi di campionamento attivo e algoritmo ARChiMEDE]
No full textThe Italian legislation on chemical agents has undergone significant changes. The aim of the study was to compare the results obatainedfrom an environmental investigation and the use of the ARChi.MEDE model. The results of the survey were treated with the UNI EN 689/1997 that showed an acceptable result, while according to the use A.R.Chi.M.E.D.E. a significant risk was obtained. Actually the mathematical model assess workers exposure without considering in the calculation the specific preventive measures (personal protective equipment, training, uptake of pollutants at the source) as contemplated by law. So the mathematical model showed the need of preventive measures in the studied work place. © PI-ME, Pavia 2011
Applicazione di una metodologia semplificata per la valutazione del rischio da sovraccarico biomeccanico in aziende artigiane del settore pellettiero
No full textLeather bags production: Organization study, general identification of hazards, biomechanical overload risk pre-evaluation using an easily applied evaluation tool [Processo della pelle per la produzione di borse: studio organizzativo, identificazione generale dei pericoli, prevalutazione del rischio per il sovraccarico biomeccanico mediante un nuovo strumento di valutazione di semplice applicazione]
No full textBackground: Craft industries are the backbone of the Italian manufacturing system and in this sector the leather trade plays a crucial role. Objective and Methods: The aim of the study was to experiment with a risk pre-mapping data sheet in leather bag manufacture by analyzing the production cycle. Results: The prevalence of biomechanical, organizational and physical factors was demonstrated in tanneries. With regard to chemical agents the lack of any priority of intervention could be due to the lack of information on the chemicals used. In the 2 enterprises that used mechanical processes the results showed different priorities for intervention and a different level of the extent of such intervention. In particular in the first enterprise biomechanical overload was a top priority, while in the second the results were very similar to those of the tannery. The analysis showed in both companies that there was a high prevalence of risk of upper limb biomechanical overload in leather bag manufacture. Chemical risk assessment was not shown as a priority because the list of chemicals used was neither complete nor sufficient. Conclusions: The risk pre-mapping data sheet allowed us to obtain a preliminary overview of all the major existing risks in the leather industry. Therefore the method can prove a useful tool for employers as it permits instant identification of priorities for intervention for the different risks
Occupational allergic contact dermatitis from dithiocarbamates: two cases in agricultural workers [Dermatite allergica da contatto da ditiocarbammati professionale: osservazione di due casi in operai agricoli]
No full textTwo cases of occupational dermatitis in vineyard are
reported. Physicians from the Occupational Health Units of Grosseto
and Poggibonsi, after evaluating the skin lesions and the occupational
risks, sent workers to the Section of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology of Siena. The farm workers were patch tested with SIDAPA standard
series and pesticides currently used in the farm. One farmer was sensitized to mancozeb, blue dye and nickel sulphate the other to mancozeb,
maneb and zineb (all dithiocarbamates). Results show the usefulness of
close collaboration between Occupational Health Units and University
Center to target the diagnosi
MeSH term explosion and author rank improve expert recommendations
No full textInformation overload is an often-cited phenomenon that reduces the productivity, efficiency and efficacy of scientists. One challenge for scientists is to find appropriate collaborators in their research. The literature describes various solutions to the problem of expertise location, but most current approaches do not appear to be very suitable for expert recommendations in biomedical research. In this study, we present the development and initial evaluation of a vector space model-based algorithm to calculate researcher similarity using four inputs: 1) MeSH terms of publications; 2) MeSH terms and author rank; 3) exploded MeSH terms; and 4) exploded MeSH terms and author rank. We developed and evaluated the algorithm using a data set of 17,525 authors and their 22,542 papers. On average, our algorithms correctly predicted 2.5 of the top 5/10 coauthors of individual scientists. Exploded MeSH and author rank outperformed all other algorithms in accuracy, followed closely by MeSH and author rank. Our results show that the accuracy of MeSH term-based matching can be enhanced with other metadata such as author rank
Acute inorganic lead poisoning in workers employed on building renovation [Intossicazione acuta da piombo inorganico in addetti alla ristrutturazione edilizia]
No full textBackground Occupationally there are a number of work processes that constitute a long-term risk as sources of exposure to lead. In these processes the presence of lead is not evident but represents a hidden risk of poisoning. Objectives: Study of two cases of hidden exposure to lead that were discovered during renovation work on a historical building. Methods: Acute lead poisoning symptoms appeared in the 2 workers. The current protocol for treatment of lead poisoning was applied, which consisted in administration of a chelating agent (EDTA), with subsequent monitoring of indicators of dose (PbB: blood lead level, PbU: urinary lead level) and indicators of effect (erythrocyte Protoporphyrin IX, urinary δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA- U), urinary coproporphyrins). Results: The lead colic and anaemia appeared at PbB values (102 μg/dl e 104 μg/dl) that were higher than the PbB action value (40 μg/dl) and higher than the limit value (60 μg/dl). Conclusions: The gravity of the symptoms, the high number of persons potentially involved, the difficulty of reclamation and probable urban contamination, with relative consequences concerning particularly infants and women infertile age, are sufficient grounds to require effective legislative action and improvement in the services available at the hospitals involved
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
No full textThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
"Closing the R&D Gap, Evaluating the Sources of R&D Spending"
No full textBoth spending and tax policies have been implemented in the United States with the goal of stimulating private sector research and development (R&D). Karier questions whether current R&D policy, especially the research and experimentation tax credit, can contribute to closing the gap between nondefense expenditures on R&D in the United States and such expenditures in other countries, such as Japan and Germany. He also explores possible changes to our current R&D policy to make it more effective.
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
No full textWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
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