26 research outputs found
A new framework for exploration of transportation maintenance-related prevalent work injuries, hazardous activities, and effectiveness of ergonomic solutions in the United States
The transportation industry involves various ergonomic injuries caused by activities exceeding workersā capabilities. Although the construction industry has been thoroughly studied regarding work-Ārelated injuries, hazardous activities, and effective ergonomic solutions, there is a lack of such research in the transportation sector. However, injuries, risky activities, and effectiveness of solutions may be different in transportation activities due to different work duration, intensity, and frequency. Thus, this research intends to explore the common work-related injuries, hazardous transportation activities, and the effectiveness of ergonomic solutions for transportation maintenance workers. This thorough examination incorporated historical injury records, online surveys, in-person site observations, and field experiments. Specifically, a preliminary list was first created based on transportation workersā historical injury data, including common injured worker positions, injury types, activities causing most injures, and potential risk factors. An online survey was then designed to identify work-related injuries and activities. Following observations, field experiments involved 29 transportation maintenance workers. Back injuries emerged as the most prevalent when engaging in lifting and pushing/pulling tasks. Using a back exoskeleton can eliminate physical fatigue risks when lifting weights of 50 pounds or more. In addition, lifting lighter loads (31.5 pounds) can significantly reduce the risk of injuries. Prevalent work-related injuries, hazardous activities, and effective ergonomic solutions have been thoroughly researched in the construction domain. However, with the injury and fatality statistics of the transportation industry, there is a lack of studies investigating what injuries are prevalent, what activities are risky, and what solutions could be effective in the transportation industry. To the best of authorās knowledge, this paper is the first research presenting a new framework exploring prevalent work-related injuries, hazardous activities, and ergonomic solutionsā effectiveness in the domain of transportation maintenance work through the analysis of historical data, online survey data, onsite observations, and field experiment. Theoretically, this paper fills the lack of research about identification of ergonomic injuries and risky activities in the transportation industry, and contributes to the development of ergonomically effective process, practice, and technique for improved health and safety in the transportation maintenance work. Practically, the research team worked with a state Department of Transportation to help the transportation-related workers, managers, and organizations better realize the risky activities and understand how to prevent the risks.</p
Cisplatin Radiosensitization of DNA Irradiated with 2ā20 eV Electrons: Role of Transient Anions
Platinum chemotherapeutic agents,
such as cisplatin (<i>cis</i>-diamminedichloroplatinumĀ(II)),
can act as radiosensitizers when
bound covalently to nuclear DNA in cancer cells. This radiosensitization
is largely due to an increase in DNA damage induced by low-energy
secondary electrons, produced in large quantities by high-energy radiation.
We report the yields of single- and double-strand breaks (SSB and
DSB) and interduplex cross-links (CL) induced by electrons of 1.6ā19.6
eV (i.e., the yield functions) incident on 5 monolayer (ML) films
of cisplatināDNA complexes. These yield functions are compared
with those previously recorded with 5 ML films of unmodified plasmid
DNA. Binding of five cisplatin molecules to plasmid DNA (3197 base
pairs) enhances SSB, DSB, and CL by factors varying, from 1.2 to 2.8,
1.4 to 3.5, and 1.2 to 2.7, respectively, depending on electron energy.
All yield functions exhibit structures around 5 and 10 eV that can
be attributed to enhancement of bond scission, via the initial formation
of core-excited resonances associated with Ļ ā Ļ*
transitions of the bases. This increase in damage is interpreted as
arising from a modification of the parameters of the corresponding
transient anions already present in nonmodified DNA, particularly
those influencing molecular dissociation. Two additional resonances,
specific to cisplatin-modified DNA, are formed at 13.6 and 17.6 eV
in the yield function of SSB. Furthermore, cisplatin binding causes
the induction of DSB by electrons of 1.6ā3.6 eV, i.e., in an
energy region where a DSB cannot be produced by a single electron
in pure DNA. Breaking two bonds with a subexcitation-energy electron
is tentatively explained by a charge delocalization mechanism, where
a single electron occupies simultaneously two Ļ* bonds linking
the Pt atom to guanine bases on opposite strands
Screw penetration rate in the three fracture classification systems.
<p>Screw penetration rate in the three fracture classification systems.</p
Copper-Catalyzed Oxidative Cross-Dehydrogenative Coupling/Oxidative Cycloaddition: Synthesis of 4āAcyl-1,2,3-Triazoles
A copper-catalyzed
three-component reaction of methyl ketones,
organic azides, and various one-carbon (C1) donors was developed that
provides 4-acyl-1,2,3-triazoles in moderate to good yields. While
DMF, DMA, TMEDA, or DMSO can serve as the C1 donor, best yields were
obtained using DMF. The transformation is proposed to proceed via
an oxidative CāH/CāH cross-dehydrogenative coupling
followed by an oxidative 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition
Trauma-series x-rays of a 75-year-old woman at the follow-up of three months after surgery, the black arrow pointed at the screw penetrating the joint while it was missed on the true glenoid anteroposterior and transscapular lateral radiographs.
<p>Trauma-series x-rays of a 75-year-old woman at the follow-up of three months after surgery, the black arrow pointed at the screw penetrating the joint while it was missed on the true glenoid anteroposterior and transscapular lateral radiographs.</p
Correlation between classification and secondary screw penetration in proximal humeral fractures
<div><p>Objectives</p><p>In this study, we investigated the correlation between fracture classification and secondary screw penetration.</p><p>Methods</p><p>We retrospectively identified 189 patients with displaced proximal humeral fractures treated by ORIF at our hospital between June 2006 and June 2013. All fractures were classified radiographically before surgery and follow-up for least 2 years after surgery was recommended. At each follow-up, radiographs were taken in three orthogonal views to evaluate secondary screw penetration.</p><p>Results</p><p>The study population consisted of 189 patients. Of these, 70 were male and 119 female, with a mean age of 59.1 years; the mean follow-up time was 28.5 months. Secondary screw penetration occurred in 26 patients. The risk of developing secondary screw penetration was 11.3-fold higher in four-part fractures than two-part fractures (<i>P</i> < 0.05), 8.6-fold higher for type C fractures than type A fractures (<i>P</i> < 0.05) and 11.0-fold higher for medial hinge disruption group than intact medial hinge group fractures (<i>P</i> < 0.05). However there was no difference between three-part fractures and two-part fractures (<i>P</i> = 0.374), and between type B and type A fractures (<i>P</i> = 0.195). Age, gender, time to surgery and the number of screw in humeral head had no influence on the secondary screw penetration rate (<i>P</i> > 0.05).</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>Patients with four-part fractures, type C fractures and medial hinges disruption are vulnerable to secondary screw penetration. This allows additional precautions to be instituted and measures to be taken as needed.</p></div
Allylic CāS Bond Construction through Metal-Free Direct Nitroalkene Sulfonation
A metal-free, open-flask
protocol was developed for the preparation
of allylic sulfones through direct condensation of sodium arylsulfinates
and Ī²,Ī²-disubstituted nitroalkenes. The key step of this
process was the Lewis base-promoted equilibrium between nitroalkenes
and allylic nitro compounds. Through this process, the readily available
conjugated nitroalkenes can be easily converted into allylic nitro
compounds, which contain more reactive Cī»C bonds toward the
sulfonyl radical addition. As a result, allylic sulfones were prepared
in excellent yields with a broad substrate scope under mild conditions
Synthesis of [1,2,3]Triazolo[5,1-<b><i>a</i></b>]isoquinoline Derivatives via a Selective Cascade Cyclization Sequence of 1,2-bis(Phenylethynyl)benzene Derivatives
<div><p></p><p>A direct, concise, synthetic method for the generation of [1,2,3]triazolo[5,1-<i>a</i>]isoquinoline derivatives, using a selective cascade cyclization of unsymmetrical substituted 1,2-bis(phenylethynyl)benzene derivatives with NaN<sub>3</sub>, has been developed. The reaction gave different substituted [1,2,3]triazolo[5,1-<i>a</i>]isoquinolines in moderate to good yields. It was found that the substituents on the alkynes were important for the selectivities of the cascade cyclization sequences.</p></div
Molecular efficacy of radio- and chemotherapy sequences from direct DNA damage measurements
<p><b>Purpose:</b> To investigate the molecular aspects of the synergy between ionizing radiation and platinum (Pt) chemotherapeutic agents in cancer treatment with chemoradiation therapy (CRT) by measuring damages induced by low-energy electrons (LEE) to DNA bound to cisplatin. LEE are produced abundantly by any type of ionizing radiation and cisplatin represents a typical Pt-chemotherapeutic agents.</p> <p><b>Materials and methods:</b> Our strategy involves two parallel administrations of cisplatin and irradiation with a 4.6 and 9.6āeV electron fluence of 1.1āĆā10<sup>12</sup>: (1) LEE bombardment of supercoiled DNA and its subsequent reaction with cisplatin; (2) the reaction of DNA with cisplatin followed by LEE irradiation. The damage yields for the loss of supercoiled (LS), single-strand breaks (SSB) and double-strand breaks (DSB) were obtained from gel electrophoresis analysis. Base modifications were revealed by treating the samples with <i>Escherichia coli</i> base excision repair endonuclease (Nth and Fpg).</p> <p><b>Results:</b> The yields were deduced from the respective timeāresponse for the reaction of DNA with cisplatin. The results show that binding cisplatin to DNA followed by LEE irradiation, consistently yields more DNA damages than the reverse order. In comparison to non-treated DNA, administration (2) results in an increase of LS and SSB of 1.4ā3.3 folds and of DSB by more than an order of magnitude. Furthermore, after enzyme treatment, the yields of DSB rise by factors of 5.3ā15.4, indicating a large increase of clustered damages, which should at least partially translate into an increase of lethal damages in cancer cells during the CRT.</p> <p><b>Conclusions:</b> Our results demonstrate that a strong synergy between radiation and cisplatin can only be achieved at the molecular level, if the drug is present at the time of irradiation. Furthermore, this work confirms the LEE mechanism previously proposed to explain the synergy between radiation and Pt drugs in CRT. It involves chemical sensitization of DNA prior to irradiation, to facilitate strand breaks and clustered damages induced by the highly reactive LEE.</p
Copper-Catalyzed [3 + 2] Cycloaddition/Oxidation Reactions between Nitro-olefins and Organic Azides: Highly Regioselective Synthesis of NO<sub>2</sub>āSubstituted 1,2,3-Triazoles
A new
copper-catalyzed [3 + 2] cycloaddition/oxidation reaction of nitro-olefins
with organic azides has been developed to afford 1,4Ā(-NO<sub>2</sub>),5-trisubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles. This reaction sequence has a
broad substrate scope and affords NO<sub>2</sub>-substituted 1,2,3-triazoles
with high regioselectivities and in good to excellent yields. The
involved oxidative process overcomes the elimination of HNO<sub>2</sub> for general cycloaddition of nitro-olefins with organic azides,
which shows a high atom economy and potential applications