Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene Commons^™

Group Ii Innate Lymphoid Cells And Microvascular Dysfunction From Pulmonary Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticle Exposure, Alaeddin Bashir Abukabda, Carroll Rolland Mcbride, Thomas Paul Batchelor, William Travis Goldsmith, Elizabeth Compton Bowdridge, Krista Lee Garner, Sherri Friend, Timothy Robert Nurkiewicz

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: The cardiovascular effects of pulmonary exposure to engineered nanomaterials (ENM) are poorly understood, and the reproductive consequences are even less understood. Inflammation remains the most frequently explored mechanism of ENM toxicity. However, the key mediators and steps between lung exposure and uterine health remain to be fully defined. The purpose of this study was to determine the uterine inflammatory and vascular effects of pulmonary exposure to titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nano-TiO2). We hypothesized that pulmonary nano-TiO2 exposure initiates a Th2 inflammatory response mediated by Group II innate lymphoid cells (ILC2), which may be associated with an impairment in uterine microvascular …

Regulation Of Radioactive Fracking Waste, Elizabeth Ann Glass Geltman, Nichole Leclair

Publications and Research

Natural gas extracted form shale reached record production totals in 2015 in the United States and the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts natural gas production will continue to increase. Wastes from shale gas extraction can contain the radioactive isotopes radium-226 (Ra-226) and radium-228 (Ra-228), which decay further into radon (Rn). Exposure to radon, a form of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM), is the leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, after smoking. This article explores how states handle the disposal of technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials (TENORM) and/or NORM waste from oil and gas operations to …

Organic Barn Dust Inhibits Surfactant Protein D Production Through Protein Kinase-C Alpha Dependent Increase Of Gpr116, David Schneberger, Jane M. Devasure, Shelley A. Kirychuk, Todd A. Wyatt

Journal Articles: Environmental, Agricultural & Occupational Health

Prolonged exposure to organic barn dusts can lead to chronic inflammation and a broad range of lung problems over time, mediated by innate immune mechanisms. The immune surfactant or collectin surfactant protein D (SP-D) is a crucial multifunctional innate immune receptor. Little work to date has examined the effect of such collectins in response to organic dusts. We provide evidence here that agricultural organic dusts can inhibit mRNA and protein expression of SP-D in a human alveolar epithelial cell line, and an in vivo mouse model. This inhibition was not a result of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or peptidoglycans, the two most …

Implementation Climate And Time Predict Intensity Of Supervision Content Related To Evidence Based Treatment, Michael D Pullmann, Leah Lucid, Julie P Harrison, Prerna Martin, Esther Deblinger, Katherine S Benjamin, Shannon Dorsey

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Objective: Children infrequently receive evidence-based treatments (EBTs) for mental health problems due to a science-to-practice implementation gap. Workplace-based clinical supervision, in which supervisors provide oversight, feedback, and training on clinical practice, may be a method to support EBT implementation. Our prior research suggests that the intensity of supervisory focus on EBT (i.e., thoroughness of coverage) during workplace-based supervision varies. This study explores predictors of supervisory EBT intensity. Methods: Participants were twenty-eight supervisors and 70 clinician supervisees. They completed a baseline survey, and audio recorded supervision sessions over 1 year. Four hundred and thirty eight recordings were coded for supervision content. …

Genomic Differences Between Nasal Staphylococcus Aureus From Hog Slaughterhouse Workers And Their Communities., Yaqi You, Li Song, Bareng A S Nonyane, Lance B Price, Ellen K Silbergeld

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

New human pathogens can emerge from the livestock-human interface and spread into human populations through many pathways including livestock products. Occupational contact with livestock is a risk factor for exposure to those pathogens and may cause further spreading of those pathogens in the community. The current study used whole genome sequencing to explore nasal Staphylococcus aureus obtained from hog slaughterhouse workers and their community members, all of whom resided in a livestock-dense region in rural North Carolina. Sequence data were analyzed for lineage distribution, pathogenicity-related genomic features, and mobile genetic elements. We observed evidence of nasal S. aureus differences between …

Measurement Of Exposure To Musculoskeletal Risk Factors Among Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedics, Philippe Corbeil, André Plamondon, Angelo Tremblay, Jérôme Prairie, Dominique Larouche, Sandrine Hegg-Deloye

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Le technicien ambulancier paramédical (TAP) a comme fonction principale de prodiguer les soins préhospitaliers d’urgence tout en assurant, de façon sécuritaire, le transport du bénéficiaire vers un centre hospitalier. Fondamentalement, son objectif est de réduire au minimum la mortalité et la morbidité des bénéficiaires en minimisant le temps de réponse. De nombreuses études à travers le monde, incluant le Québec, montrent que les TAP ont un taux plus élevé de lésions professionnelles et prennent leur retraite plus tôt que les autres travailleurs de la population y compris ceux du système de santé. Plusieurs TAP quittent leur emploi pour un autre …

Analytical High-Resolution Electron Microscopy Reveals Organ-Specific Nanoceria Bioprocessing, Uschi M. Graham, Robert A. Yokel, Alan K. Dozier, Lawrence Drummy, Krishnamurthy Mahalingam, Michael T. Tseng, Eileen Birch, Joseph Fernback

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

This is the first utilization of advanced analytical electron microscopy methods, including high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, high-angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy mapping to characterize the organ-specific bioprocessing of a relatively inert nanomaterial (nanoceria). Liver and spleen samples from rats given a single intravenous infusion of nanoceria were obtained after prolonged (90 days) in vivo exposure. These advanced analytical electron microscopy methods were applied to elucidate the organ-specific cellular and subcellular fate of nanoceria after its uptake. Nanoceria is bioprocessed differently in the spleen than in the liver.

Influence Of Psychological Capital And Thinking Perspectives On Construction Safety Climate And Performance, Anne-Perrine Pascale Cades

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Understanding safety factors in construction is critical to reducing accident frequency and severity. Grounded in the safety performance model, this study was conducted to examine the impact of psychological capital (PsyCap), which consists of the shared variance of hope, efficacy, resilience and optimism, and Past, Present, and Future thinking perspectives, on safety climate and performance. A nonexperimental quantitative design was used to determine whether PsyCap and thinking perspectives of construction project employees predicted safety performance and/or moderated the relationship between safety climate and performance across construction sites in different countries. 411 construction employees were recruited via a multistage and clustering …

Strategies Small Construction Business Managers Use To Reduce Safety Incidents In Their Organization, Peggy Ann Mcknight

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Globally the construction industry struggles to prevent injurious and fatal safety incidents. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies used by construction business managers that had significantly reduced the occurance of safety incidents in a Northwest Ohio construction company. Data were collected from organizational records and interviews with 6 construction managers. The conceptual framework for this research was the concept of safety management systems. Data were compiled and organized, disassembled into fragments, grouped, and then interpreted for meaning. Methodological triangulation and member checking were used to enhance reliability and validity. Four themes emerged from the data: …

Strategies To Reduce Occupational Injuries And Illnesses In Government Agencies, Sandra Montgomery

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite regulatory efforts of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), 104 cases of nonfatal occupational illnesses and injuries (OIIs) per 10,000 full-time workers required time away from work in 2015. Although OII rates in private and public sectors are high, the rates among state and local government agencies were over 50% higher than private sector rates in 2015, especially in the healthcare industry. OIIs can lead to reduced organizational productivity and performance. Guided by the leader member exchange theory (LMXT) and risk homeostasis theory (RHT), the purpose of this single case study was to explore effective strategies that supervisors …

Needlestick Injury Prevention Training Among Health Care Workers In The Caribbean, Muge Akpinar-Elci, Satesh Bisaisee, Praveen Durgampudi, Roger Radix, Julietta Rodriquez-Guzman, Myngoc Thuy Nguyen, Omur Cinar Elci

Center for Global Health Publications

The rate of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections among health care workers that is caused by sharps injuries is higher in the Caribbean and Latin America than in other regions of the world. To respond to and reduce occupational exposures to bloodborne pathogens while also strengthening capacities in the Caribbean, needlestick injury prevention training programs for health care workers were implemented, beginning in 2011. The programs included lectures, workshops, policy reviews, evaluations of safety devices, and workplace assessment. During the training, baseline data from health care workers on their personal history …

Preventing Chemical Risks Of Pesticide Use Among Québec Apple Growers: Status Report And Measure To Improve Personal Protection, Ludovic Tuduri, Danièle Champoux, Caroline Jolly, Jonathan Côté, Michèle Bouchard

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Au Québec, on dénombrait près de 29 000 exploitations qui procuraient 125 000 emplois à des travailleurs du secteur de la production agricole (2007). Alors que les pesticides ont pour fonction de lutter contre les parasites des cultures, ils peuvent avoir des effets, à court et long termes, sur la santé des producteurs qui y sont exposés, majoritairement par la peau. Leur utilisation est donc encadrée et des mesures de prévention du risque sont proposées, au nombre desquelles les équipements de protection individuelle (ÉPI) jouent un rôle essentiel. Dans un contexte de quasi-absence de données sur les maladies et lésions …

Workplace Bullying: A Survey Of Virginia Dental Hygienists, Gayle B. Mccombs, S. Lynn Tolle, Tara L. Newcomb, Ann M. Bruhn, Amber W. Hunt, Lanah K. Stafford

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Purpose: Workplace bullying in health care has been identified as a problem that negatively affects career satisfaction, career longevity and patient outcomes. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the prevalence of workplace bullying in a convenience sample of dental hygienists in the state of Virginia.

Methods: Two hundred and forty Virginia dental hygienists attending a continuing education seminar were invited to participate. Using the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised (NAQ-R), respondents were asked to indicate how often they had experienced 22 negative acts or behaviors according to rate of occurrence (never, now and then or monthly, weekly or …

Measuring Employee Engagement: Are Engaged Employees Less Likely To Sustain A Workplace Injury?, Rebecca Mullins

Online Theses and Dissertations

This thesis focuses on employee engagement in a manufacturing facility and strives to determine whether less-engaged employees are more likely to sustain an injury while on the job. Specifically, this study analyzes employee engagement with other employees, employee engagement with management, employee engagement with policies and procedures as well as employee's self-initiative. A Likert-scale survey was administered and was both voluntarily and anonymously completed by 171 hourly employees. The data was then analyzed and it was concluded that certain engagement criteria, do in fact, relate to an employee's on-the-job injury status.

Exposure To Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (Pbdes) In American And Canadian Workers: Biomonitoring Data From Two National Surveys, Sabrina Gravel, Jérôme Lavoué, France Labrèche

Études primaires

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are flame retardants commonly found in many household and industrial products. They can be detected in the serum of the general population, and in even higher concentrations in workers of certain industries, due to an additional occupational exposure. The purpose of this analysis is to determine background exposure levels of PBDEs in the general working population, using national surveys where working status was self-reported. Participants aged 20–65 were selected from the 2003–2004 U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (n = 1141) and the 2007–2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey (n = 1337). Only four congeners were …

Trunk Musculoskeletal Response In Maximum Voluntary Exertions: A Combined Measurement-Modeling Investigation, F. Ghezelbash, Z. El Ouaaid, A. Shirazi-Adl, A. Plamondon, N. Arjmand

Études primaires

Maximum voluntary exertion (MVE) tasks quantify trunk strength and maximal muscle electromyography (EMG) activities with both clinical and biomechanical implications. The aims here are to evaluate the performance of an existing trunk musculoskeletal model, estimate maximum muscle stresses and spinal forces, and explore likely differences between males and females in maximum voluntary exertions. We, therefore, measured trunk strength and EMG activities of 19 healthy right-handed subjects (9 females and 10 males) in flexion, extension, lateral and axial directions. MVEs for all subjects were then simulated in a subject-specific trunk musculoskeletal model, and estimated muscle activities were compared with EMGs. Analysis …

A Comparison Of Lumbar Spine And Muscle Loading Between Male And Female Workers During Box Transfers, Denis Gagnon, André Plamondon, Christian Larivière

Études primaires

There is a clear relationship between lumbar spine loading and back musculoskeletal disorders in manual materials handling. The incidence of back disorders is greater in women than men, and for similar work demands females are functioning closer to their physiological limit. It is crucial to study loading on the spine musculoskeletal system with actual handlers, including females, to better understand the risk of back disorders. Extrapolation from biomechanical studies conducted on unexperienced subjects (mainly males) might not be applicable to actual female workers. For male workers, expertise changes the lumbar spine flexion, passive spine resistance, and active/passive muscle forces. However, …

Estimation Of The Ear Canal Displacement Field Due To In-Ear Device Insertion Using A Registration Method On A Human-Like Artificial Ear, S. Benacchio, O. Doutres, A. Le Troter, A. Varoquaux, E. Wagnac, V. Callot, F. Sgard

Études primaires

Passive and active in-ear devices (IED) occluding the ear canal are commonly used to (i) protect people from high noise levels (earplugs), (ii) assist people suffering from hearing impairment (hearing aids) or (iii) help people in listening from their sound systems (earbuds). However, the usability and/or efficiency of IEDs can be greatly affected by several discomfort components (physical, acoustical and functional). The mechanical pressure exerted by the IED onto the ear canal walls is greatly suspected to affect the aforementioned comfort components. This physical characteristic is closely related to the displacement field induced by the IED insertion, which has to …

Laser And 3-Dimensional Printers: Characterizing Emissions And Occupational Exposures, Alyson R. Johnson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction: Toxicology and epidemiology studies have observed an association between ultrafine particles (UFPs) and respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological health effects. While there is a paucity of data in the literature on the potential toxicity and health effects from indoor UFP exposure, more exposure assessment studies and research evaluating the efficacy of controls is merited. An increased demand for efficiency, productivity, and manufacturing has led to conception of laser and 3- dimmensional (3-D) printers in various indoor workplaces. The indoor environment is one of the most important determinants of personal exposure. Introducing laser and 3-D printers to indoor workplaces, introduces a …

Examining The Issue Of Compliance With Personal Protective Equipment Among Wastewater Workers Across The Southeast Region Of The United States, Tamara L. Wright

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Wastewater workers are exposed to different occupational hazards such as chemicals, gases, viruses, and bacteria. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is a significant factor that can reduce or increase the probability of an accident from hazardous exposures to chemicals and microbial contaminants. The purpose of this study was to identify wastewater worker’s beliefs and practices on wearing PPE and protections offered by PPE through the integration of the Health Belief Model (HBM). Participants were workers in the wastewater industry, which included wastewater operators, laboratory analysts, maintenance workers, wastewater collection workers, equipment operators, managers, and supervisors (n=272). The instrument was a self-administered …