1,656 research outputs found

    Safety and Fatigue Risk Factors among Online Motorcycle Drivers in Depok City, Indonesia

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    In Indonesia, the motorcycle is often the first choice for transportation, and has been especially popular as a taxi service since the creation of an online request system, known as Ojek Online. Unfortunately, this online employment has less engagement than traditional taxi companies and other public transportation companies in research area that can give guarantee for ensuring their drivers’ safety and health. Many drivers are exposed to uncontrolled risks. Our research concerns drivers’ health and safety factors. The goal is to determine which factors most affect a drivers’ actions and safety. This study utilises both qualitative and quantitative research. Our qualitative research gathers in-depth health complaints made by drivers, especially in regard to their musculoskeletal symptoms. Our quantitative research focuses on other aspects that affect their ability to drive safely, such as their durations of rest, bad driving habits and work hours. The sampling method used in this research could be used to represent the entirety of the drivers’ health and safety factors. The respondentsin this research come from Depok, Bekasi, Bogor and Tangerang. The randomly sampled respondents agreed to answer the questions by themselves. The number of our respondents is 70. Our study found that the most influential factor affecting safe driving ability is fatigue. The results show that 62.85 percent of respondentsexperience fatigue while driving. Further, the data shows an imbalance among drivers in regard to age, work hours, total distance driven and rest time. Drivers’ bad habits also negatively impact the safety of the rider. The most reported health effect was musculoskeletal symptoms in the lower part of the drivers’ back. The second most reported health effect was in regard to the drivers’ buttocks and wrists. The results of this research show that musculoskeletal disorders and fatigue affect the drivers’ condition, which can negatively impact drivers’ and customers’ safety. Keywords: fatigue, musculoskeletal symptoms, safety, online motorcycle driver

    An Improved Artificial Immune System Based On Antibody Reminder Method For Mathematical Function Optimization

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    Artificial immune system (AIS) is one of the nature inspired algorithm for optimization problem. In AIS, clonal selection algorithm (CSA) is able to improve global searching ability. However, the CSA convergence and accuracy can be improved further because the hyper mutation in CSA itself cannot always guarantee a better solution. Alternatively, Genetic Algorithms (GAS) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) have been used efficiently in solving complex optimization problems, but they have a tendency to converge prematurely. I n this study, the CSA is modified using the best solutions for each exposure (iteration) namely Remainder-CSA. The results show that the proposed algorithm is able to improve the conventional CSA in terms of accuracy and stability for single objective functions

    Effect of amlodipine, atenolol and their combination on myocardial ischemia during treadmill exercise and ambulatory monitoring

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    Objectives.This study compared the effects of amlodipine, atenolol and their combination on ischemia during treadmill testing and 48-h ambulatory monitoring.Background.It is not known whether anti-ischemic drugs exert similar effects on ischemia during ambulatory monitoring and exercise treadmill testing.Methods.Patients with stable coronary artery disease and ischemia during treadmill testing and ambulatory monitoring were randomized to receive amlodipine (n = 51) or atenolol (n = 49). Each group underwent a counterbalanced, crossover evaluation of single drug and placebo, followed by evaluation of the combination.Results.Amlodipine and the combination prolonged exercise time to 0.1-mV ST segment depression by 29% and 34%, respectively (p < 0.001) versus 3% for atenolol (p = NS). During ambulatory monitoring, the frequency of ischemic episodes decreased by 28% with amlodipine (p = 0.083 [NS]), by 57% with atenolol (p < 0.001) and by 72% with the combination (p < 0.05 vs. both single drugs; p < 0.001 vs. placebo). Suppression of ischemia during exercise testing and ambulatory monitoring was similar in patients with and without exercise-induced angina. Exercise time to angina improved by 29% with amlodipine (p < 0.01), by 16% with atenolol (p < 0.05) and by 39% with the combination (p < 0.005 vs. placebo, atenolol and amlodipine). In patients with angina, total exercise time improved by 16% with amlodipine (p < 0.001), by 4% with atenolol (p = NS) and by 19% with the combination (p < 0.05 vs. placebo and either single drug). In those patients without angina, no therapy significantly improved total exercise time.Conclusions.Ischemia during treadmill testing was more effectively suppressed by amlodipine, whereas ischemia during ambulatory monitoring was more effectively suppressed by atenolol. The combination was more effective than either single drug in both settings

    Cyano-and ketone-containing selenoesters as multi-target compounds against resistant cancers

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    Fifteen selenocompounds, comprising of eight ketone-containing selenoesters (K1–K8, also known as oxoselenoesters) and seven cyano-containing selenoesters (N1–N7, known also as cyanoselenoesters), have been designed, synthesized, and evaluated as novel anticancer agents. These compounds are derivatives of previously reported active selenoesters and were prepared following a three-step one-pot synthetic route. The following evaluations were performed in their biological assessment: cytotoxicity determination, selectivity towards cancer cells in respect to non-cancer cells, checkerboard combination assay, ABCB1 inhibition and inhibition of ABCB1 ATPase activity, apoptosis induction, and wound healing assay. As key results, all the compounds showed cytotoxicity against cancer cells at low micromolar concentrations, with cyanoselenoesters being strongly selective. All of the oxoselenoesters, except K4, were potent ABCB1 inhibitors, and two of them, namely K5 and K6, enhanced the activity of doxorubicin in a synergistic manner. The majority of these ketone derivatives modulated the ATPase activity, showed wound healing activity, and induced apoptosis, with K3 being the most potent, with a potency close to that of the reference compound. To summarize, these novel derivatives have promising multi-target activity, and are worthy to be studied more in-depth in future works to gain a greater understanding of their potential applications against cancer.The study was supported by the projects SZTE ÁOK-KKA 2018/270-62-2 of the University of Szeged, Faculty of Medicine and GINOP-2.3.2-15-2016-00038 (Hungary); and Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC, Spain, project LINKA20285). This research was funded by VISEGRAD FUND, grant number 22010090; and by the mobility project from the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports INTER-COST, grant number LTC19007. This article is based upon work from COST Action 17104 , supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology), (http://www.cost.eu, accessed on 17 September 2021). The study was supported also by two cultural associations: “Trevinca” and “Iniciativas Ropelanas”

    Constraints on the χ_(c1) versus χ_(c2) polarizations in proton-proton collisions at √s = 8 TeV

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    The polarizations of promptly produced χ_(c1) and χ_(c2) mesons are studied using data collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC, in proton-proton collisions at √s=8  TeV. The χ_c states are reconstructed via their radiative decays χ_c → J/ψγ, with the photons being measured through conversions to e⁺e⁻, which allows the two states to be well resolved. The polarizations are measured in the helicity frame, through the analysis of the χ_(c2) to χ_(c1) yield ratio as a function of the polar or azimuthal angle of the positive muon emitted in the J/ψ → μ⁺μ⁻ decay, in three bins of J/ψ transverse momentum. While no differences are seen between the two states in terms of azimuthal decay angle distributions, they are observed to have significantly different polar anisotropies. The measurement favors a scenario where at least one of the two states is strongly polarized along the helicity quantization axis, in agreement with nonrelativistic quantum chromodynamics predictions. This is the first measurement of significantly polarized quarkonia produced at high transverse momentum

    Delay in diagnosis of tuberculosis in Rawalpindi, Pakistan

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    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Delay in diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis (TB) may enhance the chances of morbidity and mortality and play a key role in continuous transmission of the bacilli. The objective of this study was to describe health care seeking behavior of suspected TB patients and initial diagnostic work up prior to consultation and diagnosis at National TB Center (NTC).</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>Interviews of 252 sputum smear positive patients were taken from NTC, Rawalpindi. The duration between on-set of symptoms and start of treatment was considered as the total delay and correlated with general characteristics of TB patients. The proportion of males and females were 49.6% and 50.4% with median age of 25 and 24 years respectively. A median delay of 56 days (8 weeks) was observed which was significantly associated with age, cough and fever. More than 50% of the current patients had a history of contact with previously diagnosed TB patients. The majority of patients (63%) visited health care providers within three weeks of appearance of symptoms but only thirty five percent were investigated for TB diagnosis.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Cough and fever are being ignored as likely symptoms of TB by patients as well as health care providers resulting in delay. Engaging private practitioners through public private mix (PPM) approach for expansion of TB diagnosis and increasing public awareness could be more beneficial to reduce delay.</p

    Dermatoglyphic patterns in children with chronic constipation

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    Analysis of the fine ridge configurations on the digits of the palms and soles (dermatoglyphics) may sometimes help in the diagnoses of certain medical disorders. Dermatoglyphic patterns have been reported to be associated with congenital anomalies, such as congenital heart disease, duodenal ulcer, abdominal pain, and constipation. The palmar dermatoglyphic patterns of 77 children with constipation (39 functional and 38 organic constipation) were recorded. The control group consisted of 84 children with inguinal hernia. Those patients with at least one arch identified on any digit of either hand were termed arch positive. There was no significant correlation between arch positivity and constipation (functional or organic), or inguinal hernia (chi square, P =0.9211). Therefore, the presence of palmar arches cannot be used as a screening device for children with chronic constipation, especially of organic etiology.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44424/1/10620_2005_Article_BF02285186.pd

    The prevalence of adaptive immunity to COVID-19 and reinfection after recovery - a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis.

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    This study aims to estimate the prevalence and longevity of detectable SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and T and B memory cells after recovery. In addition, the prevalence of COVID-19 reinfection and the preventive efficacy of previous infection with SARS-CoV-2 were investigated. A synthesis of existing research was conducted. The Cochrane Library, the China Academic Journals Full Text Database, PubMed, and Scopus, and preprint servers were searched for studies conducted between 1 January 2020 to 1 April 2021. Included studies were assessed for methodological quality and pooled estimates of relevant outcomes were obtained in a meta-analysis using a bias adjusted synthesis method. Proportions were synthesized with the Freeman-Tukey double arcsine transformation and binary outcomes using the odds ratio (OR). Heterogeneity was assessed using the I and Cochran's Q statistics and publication bias was assessed using Doi plots. Fifty-four studies from 18 countries, with around 12,000,000 individuals, followed up to 8 months after recovery, were included. At 6-8 months after recovery, the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 specific immunological memory remained high; IgG - 90.4% (95%CI 72.2-99.9, I = 89.0%), CD4+ - 91.7% (95%CI 78.2-97.1y), and memory B cells 80.6% (95%CI 65.0-90.2) and the pooled prevalence of reinfection was 0.2% (95%CI 0.0-0.7, I = 98.8). Individuals previously infected with SARS-CoV-2 had an 81% reduction in odds of a reinfection (OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.1-0.3, I = 90.5%). Around 90% of recovered individuals had evidence of immunological memory to SARS-CoV-2, at 6-8 months after recovery and had a low risk of reinfection

    The CMS Phase-1 pixel detector upgrade

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    The CMS detector at the CERN LHC features a silicon pixel detector as its innermost subdetector. The original CMS pixel detector has been replaced with an upgraded pixel system (CMS Phase-1 pixel detector) in the extended year-end technical stop of the LHC in 2016/2017. The upgraded CMS pixel detector is designed to cope with the higher instantaneous luminosities that have been achieved by the LHC after the upgrades to the accelerator during the first long shutdown in 2013–2014. Compared to the original pixel detector, the upgraded detector has a better tracking performance and lower mass with four barrel layers and three endcap disks on each side to provide hit coverage up to an absolute value of pseudorapidity of 2.5. This paper describes the design and construction of the CMS Phase-1 pixel detector as well as its performance from commissioning to early operation in collision data-taking.Peer reviewe
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