Insufficient Safety Research Articles

Mechanical behavior of high-performance steel ring restrainers with negative Poisson’s ratio effect

The steel ring restrainer (SRR) is a novel restrainer for bridges, which can prevent the unseating of bridges when an earthquake occurs. The traditional SRR is commonly made of mild steel, so it has the limitation of low strength and insufficient safety margin. In this paper, a new type of high-performance steel with negative Poisson’s ratio effect (NPR steel) is introduced for use in an SRR. Finite element (FE) models of SRRs are constructed, and the credibility of the FE model is validated based on previous experiments. Then, the FE models of SRRs under the mild steel, high-strength steel, and NPR steel are established, and the mechanical performance of SRRs fabricated of different steel grades is compared. The comparison results show that the macroscopic deformation processes of SRRs made of different steel grades during operation are similar, but their mechanical properties differ. Among them, the SRR made of NPR steel (SRR-NPR) has the advantage of high strength, excellent ductility and sufficient safety margin, so it can overcome the limitations of traditional SRRs. Subsequently, in order to further explore the mechanical behavior of SRR-NPR, several FE models of SRR-NPR are supplemented by changing the design parameters. The analytical results indicate that the trends in the influence of the design parameters on the mechanical properties of SRR-NPR are similar to those of traditional SRRs. However, the sensitivity of the mechanical properties of SRR-NPR to design parameters is higher than that of traditional SRRs. Finally, based on the results of numerical analyses, the problem that the conventional method of predicting the relationship between force and displacement of SRRs is inapplicable to SRR-NPR is overcome, and prediction formulas of SRRs that considers more factors are proposed and verified.

Pattern of Antibiotic Use in the Perinatal Period in a Public University Hospital in Romania.

Background and Objectives: Antibiotics are the most frequently prescribed drugs in hospitals and their prescription is increased during pregnancy and labor. There are limited data about this issue, and the safe use of antibiotics in pregnancy and antibiotic resistance remains a concern. The aim of the study is to evaluate the use of antibiotics among pregnant women attending hospital for five years. Materials and Methods: Antibiotic consumption and treatment information of patients were retrospectively collected from a hospital software program and expressed as defined daily dose (DDD) according to the World Health Organization (WHO) methodology for inpatients between 2017 and 2021. We evaluated antibiotic prescription by name, classes, and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) categories. Results: Antibiotic consumption shows a decreasing trend between 2017 and 2019, but an increasing one between 2020 and 2021. Ceftriaxone was the most prescribed antibiotic in each year, followed by cefixime, amoxicillin, metronidazole, cefuroxime, ampicillin, and ciprofloxacin. We noticed that first- and fourth-generation cephalosporins were not prescribed to these patients. A very small percentage of women in this study received antibiotics such as aminoglycosides; fluoroquinolones were generally contraindicated in the perinatal period. A large percentage of prescriptions were antibiotics classified as category B by the FDA. The most common infections that occurred in the perinatal period were those of the kidney and urinary tract in a higher number than in other studies. Conclusions: Our study shows that many classes of antibiotics used in perinatal women belong to category B antibiotics, the most prescribed being cephalosporins. Because of insufficient safety evidence and the potential for teratogenic effects on the fetus, restricted use among the category C and D antibiotic classes was seen and anticipated. Improving maternal health requires the involvement of healthcare experts in risk assessment and evaluation of existing data for appropriate antibiotic selection, dose, duration of medication, and monitoring.

The safety profile of Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) therapy in glioblastoma patients with ventriculoperitoneal shunts

IntroductionTumor Treating Fields (TTFields, 200 kHz) therapy is a noninvasive, locoregional cancer treatment approved for use in newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM), recurrent GBM, and malignant pleural mesothelioma. GBM patients with hydrocephalus may require implantation of a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt, however, the current TTFields therapy label does not include the use of VP shunts in GBM patients due to insufficient safety data. This analysis evaluates the safety of TTFields therapy use in this population.MethodsUnsolicited post-marketing global surveillance data from patients with GBM and a VP shunt (programmable/non-programmable) who received TTFields therapy between November 2012–April 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Adverse events (AEs) were assessed using the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities version 24.0.ResultsOverall, 156 patients with VP shunts were identified and included in this analysis. In total, 77% reported ≥ 1 AE; the most common TTFields therapy-related AEs were non-serious and localized, beneath-array skin AEs (43%). The incidence and categories of AEs were comparable between patients with or without VP shunts. Six patients with VP shunts experienced seven serious TTFields therapy-related AEs: skin erosion at the shunt site (n = 3); wound dehiscence at the shunt site (n = 2) and at the resection scar (n = 2). No shunt malfunctions were deemed related to TTFields therapy.ConclusionsIn the real-world setting, TTFields therapy in GBM patients with VP shunts demonstrated good tolerability and a favorable safety profile. There was no evidence that TTFields therapy disrupted VP shunt effectiveness. These results suggest TTFields therapy may be safely used in patients with VP shunts.

Accident case data–accident cause model hybrid-driven coal and gas outburst accident analysis: Evidence from 84 accidents in China during 2008–2018

Coal and gas outbursts are severe accidents that can occur in coal mines. Half of coal and gas outburst accidents have occurred in China. Previous studies on coal and gas outburst accidents have focused on the mechanisms that result in accidents, gas extraction, accident prediction, and early warning. However, accidents involving coal and gas outbursts result from the combined effects of multiple factors. However, a systematic analysis of coal and gas outburst accidents is still lacking. In this study, 84 coal and gas outburst accidents occurred in China from 2008 to 2018 were used as a sample. The 24Model was used as the accident analysis theory, and the accident case data-driven method was used to analyse the causes of coal and gas outburst accidents. In particular, the reasons for behaviour were systematically studied. The following can be inferred from analysis: (1) The causes of unsafe conditions are primarily reflected in three aspects. (i) Gas factor. Coal mines with high gas content and pressure remain the focus of outburst prevention. (ii) Coal factors. The occurrence of coal and gas outburst accidents has no strictly positive correlation with the depth of a coal seam. 50% of coal and gas outburst accidents occur in medium-thick coal seams. (iii) Geological structural factors. Ground stress (30.95%), coal thickness change (22.62%), and faults (22.62%) are the most frequently occurring geological structural factors in outburst accidents. (2) The reasons for unsafe acts are primarily reflected in 151 unsafe acts, 17 key basic unsafe acts, nine key categories unsafe acts, and four key stages. The personnel and proportion of these unsafe acts are senior leaders (53.55%), middle managers (31.56%), and front-line miners (14.89%). (3) Reasons for individual safety capabilities. Insufficient safety knowledge is manifested in seven aspects, including insufficient anti-outburst knowledge. The performance and proportion of poor safety awareness are safety system awareness (60.66%), safety risk awareness (20.49%), and safety responsibility awareness (18.85%). From 151 unsafe acts, 90 habitual violations acts that caused coal and gas outburst accidents were categorised. The performance and proportion of poor safety psychology were fluke psychology (40.85%), adventure psychology (23.36%), convenient psychology (20.22%), and paralysis psychology (15.57%). (4) The deficiencies of the safety management system are reflected in the failure to comply with the safety policy, imperfect safety management organization structure, lack of professional and technical personnel, and lack of 29 safety procedures in seven systems. (5) The lack of safety culture is primarily reflected in 22 safety culture elements. Among these, there are 19 elements had a frequency of ≥ 50%. The systematic analysis of coal and gas outburst accidents conducted in this study can reveal the causes of such accidents more comprehensively and provide a reference and basis for both safety training and management.

Safety culture of navigators in terms of bridge operations on high-speed crafts

ABSTRACT Maritime safety is important for all stakeholders. On the other hand, maritime accidents occur despite rapid advances in technology. One of the most important aspects necessary to realise safety at sea is the safety of navigation. Navigating high-speed craft (HSC) is a more challenging and risky task than other types of ship navigation. A HSC navigator with insufficient safety culture (SC) may lead to wrong decisions in challenging physiological and psychological conditions. In this study, an analysis of HSC navigators’ SC in terms of bridge operations has been carried out. Nordic Occupational Safety Climate Questionnaire (NOSACQ-50) and pairwise comparison of the effects of Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS), Automatic Radar Plotting Aid (ARPA), Automatic Identification System (AIS) and autopilot on SC have been applied to 38 Turkish HSC navigators. Navigation operations according to SC, factors that mostly influence SC and suggestions that will improve SC have been identified and discussed in accordance with navigators’ perceptions. The results show that the overall average level of HSC navigators’ SC is low. Therefore, considerations are introduced to improve SC in HSCs.

Assessment of Food Safety Knowledge and practice and Factors that may affect them among the General Population at Family Medicine Outpatient clinic

Introduction: Foodborne diseases are considered a major health problem worldwide; knowledge and practice of consumers’ adherence to food safety practices will help them to take preventive cautions to protect themselves from the risks of foodborne illnesses. Methods: This study was a descriptive cross-sectional study that aimed to assess the knowledge and practice of food safety awareness among Egyptian healthy adults attending family medicine outpatient clinics, Cairo University. The study involved 305 participants. Food safety knowledge and practice were evaluated by Food Safety reliable and valid questionnaire. Results: Only (0.3%) of participants had sufficient knowledge and (19.3%) had sufficient practice. There was a statistically significant difference between the studied participants regarding practice grade and education with (78%) of participants with sufficient practice being moderately or highly educated. Conclusion: We concluded from this study that the general community has insufficient food safety knowledge and practices; as a result, it is required to hold training programs in the form of workshops or to incorporate courses in the Ministry of Health’s curriculum . Key Words: food safety, knowledge, practice

Evaluation Research on Safety Management Capability at Construction Sites of Construction projects

As a pillar industry in China, the construction industry is developing rapidly. However, casualties occur frequently due to such problems as unclear division of safety responsibilities, inadequate safety management at construction sites, insufficient safety education, and insufficient supporting safety resources. Considering the constraints of safety management capability at the construction sites of construction projects. Recommendations for improvement of safety management capability are made in this paper based on the results of evaluation of actual cases and analysis of causes according to actual situations of the projects by building a model using the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method, multiplicative synthesis and combination weight method. And entropy method on the basis of the indicator system for evaluation of safety management capability at the construction sites under the three-level indicator system established.

Assessing Existing Food Safety Resources with United Kingdom–Based Chemotherapy Patients and Family Caregivers for Future Learning Purposes

Because the incidence of foodborne infection is more prevalent among cancer patients and the domestic kitchen is a contributor to foodborne infection, appropriate domestic food safety practices are needed to safeguard this at-risk population. Although patients are aware of the increased risk of infection, previous self-reported data indicate potential food safety malpractices among patients and family caregivers, thus suggesting the need for targeted food safety information. However, existing United Kingdom resources provide inconsistent and insufficient food safety information. Involvement of intended end users in the cocreation of interventions increases potential effectiveness. Qualitative data were collated from in-depth interviews and a focus group with United Kingdom chemotherapy patients and family caregivers (n = 35) to determine perceptions and preferences for food safety information by evaluating existing food safety resources from international providers (n = 12). Although participants liked digital interventions (e.g., Web sites and videos), traditional paper-based leaflets were perceived as the most beneficial because they could be referred to on repeated occasions. Despite the drawbacks associated with some resources, combining approaches in a multiresource intervention was favored by patients and family caregivers. Ensuring patients are not overwhelmed with excessive information was important. Short, logical, engaging, educational, and entertaining information to evoke an interest in the topic was preferred. Utilization of graphics to supplement descriptive information may enhance comprehensibility. Interventions need to be appropriate for patients and caregivers, and delivery by trusted health care professionals may enhance the credibility of the message. Preferred approaches to facilitate targeted food safety communication were identified, and these findings can be utilized to cocreate targeted food safety interventions for chemotherapy patients and family caregivers.

An Assessment of Fire Hazard in the Historic Town of Ouro Preto based on Four Established Analysis Methodologies

This work aims to present a comparison of 4 (four) analysis methodologies of the fire risks in historical sites. These analysis methodologies are the following: Ebrafire, Chichorro, Gretener and Multi-criteria. The Town area under study is bordered by Tiradentes Square, Senador Rocha Lagoa Street, Conêgo Camilo Veloso bystreet and Cônego de Bobadela Street in the historic center of Ouro Preto. The comparative analysis among the four methodologies presented discrepancies in the degrees of fire hazards. However the block assessed presents a high risk of fire, since the great majority of buildings in the area received insufficient fire safety results. Therefore, although the results here are not conclusive, since this research is in the initial phase, it is already possible to verify the urgency of mitigation actions to reduce the risk of fire in most buildings in the evaluated block.

Screening for SARS-CoV-2 in non-symptomatic students and staff shows safe school openings under varying incidence with sufficient mandatory measures.

Screening for SARS-CoV-2 in non-symptomatic students and staff shows safe school openings under varying incidence with sufficient mandatory measures.

The Influence of Human-Organizational Factors on Falling Accidents From Historical Text Data

This paper firstly proposes a modified human factor classification analysis system (HFACS) framework based on literature analysis and the characteristics of falling accidents in construction. Second, a Bayesian network (BN) topology is constructed based on the dependence between human factors and organizational factors, and the probability distribution of the human-organizational factors in a BN risk assessment model is calculated based on falling accident reports and fuzzy set theory. Finally, the sensitivity of the causal factors is determined. The results show that 1) the most important reason for falling accidents is unsafe on-site supervision. 2) There are significant factors that influence falling accidents at different levels in the proposed model, including operation violations in the unsafe acts layer, factors related to an adverse technological environment for the unsafe acts layer, loopholes in site management in the unsafe on-site supervision layer, lack of safety culture in the adverse organizational influence layer, and lax government regulation in the adverse external environment layer. 3) According to the results of the BN risk assessment model, the most likely causes are loopholes in site management work, lack of safety culture, insufficient safety inspections and acceptance, vulnerable process management and operation violations.

Challenges of repurposing tetracyclines for the treatment of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

The novel antibiotic-exploiting strategy in the treatment of Alzheimer's (AD) and Parkinson's (PD) disease has emerged as a potential breakthrough in the field. The research in animal AD/PD models provided evidence on the antiamyloidogenic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antiapoptotic activity of tetracyclines, associated with cognitive improvement. The neuroprotective effects of minocycline and doxycycline in animals initiated investigation of their clinical efficacy in AD and PD patients which led to inconclusive results and additionally to insufficient safety data on a long-standing doxycycline and minocycline therapy in these patient populations. The safety issues should be considered in two levels; in AD/PD patients (particularly antibiotic-induced alteration of gut microbiota and its consequences), and as a world-wide threat of development of bacterial resistance to these antibiotics posed by a fact that AD and PD are widespread incurable diseases which require daily administered long-lasting antibiotic therapy. Recently proposed subantimicrobial doxycycline doses should be thoroughly explored for their effectiveness and long-term safety especially in AD/PD populations. Keeping in mind the antibacterial activity-related far-reaching undesirable effects both for the patients and globally, further work on repurposing these drugs for a long-standing therapy of AD/PD should consider the chemically modified tetracycline compounds tailored to lack antimicrobial but retain (or introduce) other activities effective against the AD/PD pathology. This strategy might reduce the risk of long-term therapy-related adverse effects (particularly gut-related ones) and development of bacterial resistance toward the tetracycline antibiotic agents but the therapeutic potential and desirable safety profile of such compounds in AD/PD patients need to be confirmed.

Intelligent Substation Integrated Power Supply Research

As a necessary power source for substations and other important power-using places, substation power supply system provides working power for important loads such as control devices, relay protection, communication equipment and fire security systems. This paper addresses the problems of low operation efficiency, high human resource consumption and insufficient safety guarantee of the traditional power supply system, and proposes a solution for the integration of AC and DC in intelligent substations, which realizes the integration, intelligence and networking of the power supply system, improves the overall management level of the power supply system and the continuity of power supply, and has certain reference value for the design and application of the integrated power supply system in the future.

Assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices on the Risks of Food Poisoning in Collective Restaurants in the Kloto 1 Municipality, Togo

Collective food toxiinfections (CFTI) are frequent accidents, formidable by their health and economic consequences. They usually result from the consumption of food contaminated with microorganisms or chemical toxins. The objective of our study is to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes and practices of food product handlers in Kloto 1 municipality in order to guarantee food safety. To do this, we carried out a survey using google form whose questions were based on knowledge of foodborne diseases, good hygiene practices, good manufacturing practices, cross-contamination, wearing jewelry during handling, waste management. As a result of the study, It shows that during the years 2018, 2019 and 2020, the frequencies of toxiinfections recorded at the PHC of Kpalimé are respectively 33.09%, 41.84%, and 25.06%. To acces risk factor about this hight case of food poissoning in this area, 197 food handlers (FH) were interviewed and of these, 54.4% were women, 51.3% are between 15 and 25 years old, 67.2% have secondary education, and 68.7% have not received training on food safety. In terms of the level of knowledge, attitudes and practices, 10.7% of FH have insufficient knowledge about food safety, 98.0% have negative attitudes and 100.0% have insufficient food safety practices. Also, it shown that there is a strong positive correlation between knowledge and attitudes (rs = 0,267; p= 0.000), between knowledge and practices (rs = 0.182; p = 0.011), between attitudes and practices (rs = 0.253; p = 0.000), and between knowledge about foodborne illness and practice (rs = 0.189; p = 0,008). In short, the majority of FH have insufficient knowledge, practice and negative attitudes to avoid cases of CFTI because of the lack of training in food safety.

Modern Breastfeeding Options for Preterm Children in Neonatal Hospital

The literature overview on the issue of breastfeeding in neonatal departments, including neonatal intensive care units, is presented. The importance of breastfeeding for newborns with perinatal pathology is justified, as breast milk is vital for these children due to its unique sanogenetic properties. Data on special preventive and therapeutic role of breastfeeding for premature infants is presented. Reasons that complicate the use of breast milk in neonatal hospitals were analyzed (including those related to insufficient bacteriological and virological safety of native breast milk due to methodological errors during its collection and usage). Particular attention was paid to ensuring the breastfeeding safety during new coronavirus infection pandemic. This difficult period has demonstrated and confirmed the expediency of combining two breastfeeding approaches in perinatal centers: use of maternal milk and use of donor breast milk. Another section of review is devoted to modern breast milk processing technologies. Use of electric clinical breast pumps is crucial for promoting and supporting breastfeeding in the perinatal center.

Analysis of dangerous factors in the life cycle of semi-finished products based on poultry broilers with the addition of soy flour

In recent years, the production and consumption of poultry meat has been widely used both on the world market and on the market of Kazakhstan, one of the reasons for which is that poultry products are more accessible to consumers than animal products. With such an import structure, it can be assumed that the volume of imports of cheap chicken from abroad is a function of the income level of the population: the smaller the proportion of the population with a certain low income level, the less imports. For the effective development of poultry farming in Kazakhstan, it is necessary to overcome a number of constraining factors, one of which is the insufficient modern safety control system throughout the poultry meat production chain. The article develops a flowchart of the semifinished product production process based on poultry meat-broiler with soy flour, examines possible risks (hazards) for the development of management measures in the production of semi-finished products, identifies three control critical points for the production of semi-finished products from broiler meat with soy flour.

Optimization of TAM16, a Benzofuran That Inhibits the Thioesterase Activity of Pks13; Evaluation toward a Preclinical Candidate for a Novel Antituberculosis Clinical Target.

With increasing drug resistance in tuberculosis (TB) patient populations, there is an urgent need for new drugs. Ideally, new agents should work through novel targets so that they are unencumbered by preexisting clinical resistance to current treatments. Benzofuran 1 was identified as a potential lead for TB inhibiting a novel target, the thioesterase domain of Pks13. Although, having promising activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, its main liability was inhibition of the hERG cardiac ion channel. This article describes the optimization of the series toward a preclinical candidate. Despite improvements in the hERG liability in vitro, when new compounds were assessed in ex vivo cardiotoxicity models, they still induced cardiac irregularities. Further series development was stopped because of concerns around an insufficient safety window. However, the demonstration of in vivo activity for multiple series members further validates Pks13 as an attractive novel target for antitubercular drugs and supports development of alternative chemotypes.

A Survey of Cannabis Use in a Large US-Based Cohort of People with Multiple Sclerosis.

As cannabis products become increasingly accessible across the United States, it is important to understand the contemporary use of cannabis for managing multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms. We invited participants with MS from the North American Research Committee on Multiple Sclerosis (NARCOMS) Registry (aged 18 years or older) to complete a supplemental survey on cannabis use between March and April 2020. Participants reported cannabis use, treated symptoms, patterns, preferences, methods of use, and the factors limiting use. Findings are reported using descriptive statistics. Of the 6934 participants invited, 3249 responded. Of the respondents, 31% reported having ever used cannabis to treat MS symptoms, with 20% currently using cannabis. The remaining 69% had never used cannabis for MS symptoms, for reasons including not enough data about efficacy (40%) and safety (27%), and concerns about legality (25%) and cost (18%). The most common symptoms current users were attempting to treat were spasticity (80%), pain (69%), and sleep problems (61%). Ever users (vs never users) were more likely to be younger, be non-White, have lower education, reside in the Northeast and West, be unemployed, be younger at symptom onset, be currently smoking, and have higher levels of disability and MS-related symptoms (all P < .001). Despite concerns about insufficient safety and efficacy data, legality, and cost, almost one-third of NARCOMS Registry respondents report having tried nonprescription cannabis products in an attempt to alleviate their symptoms. Given the lack of efficacy and safety data on such products, future research in this area is warranted.

Clinical Approaches to Reducing Material Hardship Due to Poverty: Social Risks/Needs Identification and Interventions.

The field of pediatrics has pioneered approaches to mitigating poverty's harmful effects on children's health and development. Clinical interventions for systematically addressing material hardships due to poverty within the context of pediatric care delivery, however, are still in their infancy. Since the American Academy of Pediatrics published its policy statement on Child Health and Poverty in the United States in 2016, interest has surged in the development and implementation of care models that systematically identify and address social risks and/or social needs. This article explores this major shift in interest, research, and investment in such interventions within pediatric care. We provide an overview of current screening and referral models for addressing poverty-related social factors and explore the strengths and weaknesses of these varied approaches. We summarize the current evidence supporting such clinical approaches, and comment on the importance of multi-sectoral partnerships in addressing families' and communities' needs. Lastly, we propose future directions for research and pediatric practice that may enhance the uptake of social risks/needs interventions and bolster the evidence of their effectiveness. Though clinical approaches for addressing material hardship may be limited by an insufficient social safety net and other barriers, interventions to identify and address families' social risks and social needs have the potential to combat poverty's impact on children and advance health equity.

Prospects for the use of small interfering RNAs as inhibitors of immune checkpoints for immunotherapy in oncology

Immune therapy is one of the most promising areas of cancer treatment. It is aimed at a cascade of processes responsible for the antitumor immune response. The involved regulatory mechanisms become targets for various therapeutic approaches aimed at restoring the impaired functions of immune cells that eliminate cancer cells. The ability of malignant cells to affect receptors of immune checkpoints is one of the most important mechanisms for suppressing antitumor immunity. The development of immune check-point inhibitors (ICIs) based on monoclonal antibodies, as well as the methods of adoptive cell therapy (ACT), are a breakthrough in the immunotherapy of malignant diseases, but it carries a number of limitations such as insufficient efficiency, safety and cost-effectiveness. The use of RNA interference technologies opens up prospects for the development of fundamentally new class of ICIs and, as a consequence, the development of more efficient ACT methods. This review presents the main problems and prospects of the use of small interfering RNA (siRNA) as the ICIs are highlighted in order to optimize modern AKT approaches