Perceptions of accident risk among on-track machine workers : an interview study

Although non-fatal injuries remain a frequent occurrence in safety-critical work, very few studies have examined the ways in which organisational systems and processes influence individual safety behaviour. Even fewer have explored the perceived factors contributing to accident risk using qualitative research methods. This short paper presents the initial results from a thematic analysis of ten interviews with On Track Machine (OTM) operatives. Issues arising from two key themes (fatigue, and safety communication and training) are briefly described. Implications, planned organisational response, and opportunities for further research are discussed

The use of building simulation within an architectural practice

This paper documents the development and implementation and use of simulation within an architectural practice and reports how its use facilitates the practice's commitment to Sustainable Design

Experience of using building simulation within the design process of an architectural practice

This paper documents work that follows on from a previous study [Morbitzer et al 2001] on the implementation of a simulation-tool into anarchitectural practice at outline design stage. Theuse of simulation is now pervasively and routinely undertaken by designers within the company toevaluate energy and environmental performance oftheir design concepts. The paper documents the changes to the interface, based on the feedback from designers. It includes a case study of how these improvements have impacted on the degree-of-use of the simulation tool by designers, the impact of the tool on the design process and the design outcome, a discussion on the development of the simulation tool, and the issues facing the architectural practice with use of simulation

Integration of building simulation into the design process of an architectural practice

A key barrier to the acceptance of simulation within building design has been identified as the fact that it is not fully integrated into the design process. The project described in this paper attempts to address this barrier by embedding modelling as a standard component of design practice procedures within an architectural practice

The Impact of a Community Awareness Strategy on Caregiver Treatment Seeking Behaviour and Use of Artemether-Lumefantrine for Febrile Children in Rural Kenya.

BACKGROUND: Access to prompt and effective treatment is the cornerstone for malaria control. Population Services International in collaboration with the Ministry of Health launched a malaria behaviour change communication intervention in Nyanza province, Kenya. The initiative aimed to improve: symptom recognition and prompt access to government health facilities for febrile children; effective treatment with the recommended first-line drug artemether-lumefantrine (AL) in public health facilities and adherence to the AL regimen. METHODS: Pre- and post-intervention cross-sectional household surveys were used to evaluate the impact of the intervention on prompt and correct use of AL for febrile children below five years of age. The primary outcome was the proportion of children below five years of age with fever in the last 14 days accessing AL within 48 hours of fever onset. RESULTS: There was an increase from 62.8% pre-intervention to 79.4% post-intervention (95% CI: 11.1, 22.1) in caregivers who reported seeking formal treatment promptly (on the same day, or next day) for their febrile children. However, there was a decrease in the use of government health facilities in the post-intervention period. There was a small increase in the proportion of children accessing AL within 48 hours of fever onset [18.4% vs 23.5% (0.1-10.0)]. CONCLUSION: The findings of this evaluation demonstrate that interventions that target only one sector may have a limited impact on improvements in prompt and effective treatment where multiple sources of treatments are sought for febrile illness. Additionally, the context in which an intervention is implemented is likely to influence the process and outcomes

Design and Build of Reactor Simulator for Fission Surface Power Technology Demonstrator Unit

The Nuclear Systems Team at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) focuses on technology development for state of the art capability in non-nuclear testing of nuclear system and Space Nuclear Power for fission reactor systems for lunar and Mars surface power generation as well as radioisotope power systems for both spacecraft and surface applications. Currently being designed and developed is a reactor simulator (RxSim) for incorporation into the Technology Demonstrator Unit (TDU) for the Fission Surface Power System (FSPS) Program, which is supported by multiple national laboratories and NASA centers. The ultimate purpose of the RxSim is to provide heated NaK to a pair of Stirling engines in the TDU. The RxSim includes many different systems, components, and instrumentation that have been developed at MSFC while working with pumped NaK systems and in partnership with the national laboratories and NASA centers. The main components of the RxSim are a core, a pump, a heat exchanger (to mimic the thermal load of the Stirling engines), and a flow meter for tests at MSFC. When tested at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) the heat exchanger will be replaced with a Stirling power conversion engine. Additional components include storage reservoirs, expansion volumes, overflow catch tanks, safety and support hardware, instrumentation (temperature, pressure, flow) for data collection, and power supplies. This paper will discuss the design and current build status of the RxSim for delivery to GRC in early 2012

The pH of spray-dried blood meal does not influence nursery pig performance

Two studies were conducted to evaluate the effects of spray-dried blood meal and its pH on nursery pig performance. Spray-dried blood meal pH decreases as storage time increases prior to spray drying. In Exp. 1, addition of 2.5% spray-dried blood meal to the diet improved ADG and ADFI in nursery pigs (15.4 lb to 35.9 lb), but did not influence feed efficiency. In Exp. 2, the inclusion of 5% spray-dried blood meal improved feed efficiency without affecting ADG or ADFI. The pH (7.4 to 5.9 in Exp. 1 and 7.6 to 5.9 in Exp. 2) of the blood meal did not influence growth performance

Pharmacogenetic Testing for Clopidogrel Using the Rapid INFINITI Analyzer A Dose-Escalation Study

ObjectivesOur aim was to assess whether a higher clopidogrel maintenance dose has a greater antiplatelet effect in CYP2C19*2 allele carriers compared with noncarriers.BackgroundClopidogrel is a prodrug that is biotransformed by the cytochrome P450 enzymes CYP2C19, 2C9, and 3A4, 2B6, 1A2. The CYPC219*2 loss of function variant has been associated with a reduced antiplatelet response to clopidogrel and a 3-fold risk of stent thrombosis.MethodsForty patients on standard maintenance dosage clopidogrel (75 mg), for 9.4 ± 9.2 weeks, were enrolled into a dose escalation study. Platelet function was assessed at baseline and after 1 week of 150 mg once daily using the VerifyNow platelet function analyzer (Accumetrics Ltd., San Diego, California). Genomic DNA was hybridized to a BioFilmChip microarray on the INFINITI analyzer (AutoGenomics Inc., Carlsbad, California) and analyzed for the CYP19*2, *4, *17, and CYP2C9*2, *3 polymorphisms.ResultsPlatelet inhibition increased over 1 week, mean +8.6 ± 13.5% (p = 0.0003). Carriers of the CYP2C19*2 allele had significantly reduced platelet inhibition at baseline (median 18%, range 0% to 72%) compared with wildtype (wt) (median 59%, range 11% to 95%, p = 0.01) and at 1 week (p = 0.03). CYP2C19*2 allele carriers had an increase in platelet inhibition of (mean +9 ± 11%, p = 0.03) and reduction in platelet reactivity (mean −26 ± 38 platelet response unit, p = 0.04) with a higher dose. Together CYP2C19*2 and CYP2C9*3 loss of function carriers had a greater change in platelet inhibition with 150 mg daily than wt/wt (+10.9% vs. +0.7%, p = 0.04).ConclusionsIncreasing the dose of clopidogrel in patients with nonresponder polymorphisms can increase antiplatelet response. Personalizing clopidogrel dosing using pharmacogenomics may be an effective method of optimizing treatment

Effects of irradiation processing of speciality protein products on nursery pig performance

Three hundred weanling pigs (initially 13.4 lb and 20 ± 2 d of age) were used in a 14-d growth assay to determine the effects of irradiation processing of specialty protein products on nursery pig performance. Overall, irradiated of AP 920 and Peptide-Plus™ resulted in increased ADG compared to nonirradiated products. Irradiation of Peptide-Plus® improved feed efficiency compared to its nonirradiated form. Also, ADG was greater for pigs fed diets containing ProtiOne™ and DPS 30 and tended to increase with AP 920 compared to those fed the control diet. In addition, feed efficiency was improved for pigs fed diets containing ProtiOne™, DPS 30, Peptide-Plus™, and spray-dried egg compared to those fed the control diet. Therefore, adding specialty protein products to diets in most cases improved growth performance, and irradiation processing improved growth performance with certain specialty protein products.; Swine Day, Manhattan, KS, November 16, 200

Effects of gamma ray and electron beam irradiation levels in spray-dried blood meal on nursery pig performance

Three hundred weanling pigs (initially 23.7 lbs and 17 ± 6 d of age) were used in a 19-d growth assay to determine the effects of increasing levels (2.5, 5.0, and 10.0, and 20.0 kGy) of gamma ray and electron beam irradiation of spray-dried blood meal on growth performance. Irradiation of blood meal resulted in decreased concentrations of aerobic bacteria, E. coli, mold, and yeast in spray-dried blood meal. The inclusion of irradiated spray-dried blood meal tended to improve F/G from d 0 to 7 and for the overall trial (d 0 to 14), but had no effects on ADG or ADFI. Comparison of the two types of irradiation and dosage level showed no differences in growth performance. In this experiment, the inclusion of spray-dried blood meal did not improve growth performance over that obtained with the control diet.; Swine Day, Manhattan, KS, November 16, 200