Occupational Duties Research Articles

The Impaired Hypothyroid Patient: Ethical Considerations and Obligations

Analyze the ethical duties and dilemmas involved in treating the severely hypothyroid patient. A critical review of the literature was conducted with respect to clinical ethics issues pertaining to severe hypothyroidism; legal and ethical guidelines for consent and capacity in the context of severe hypothyroidism; health case law involving the duty to warn third parties; and comparable clinical conditions resulting in impaired driving and the performance of critical tasks. Neuropsychological studies and accepted clinical experiences verify the variable degrees of intellectual and neurological impairment consequent to severe hypothyroidism. Thus, severely hypothyroid patients are considered impaired in the performance of specific tasks, such as driving. Consequent to that, they may be agents of harm as a result of their impairment if they are not warned against driving or performing other duties affecting public safety. Severely hypothyroid patients may lack the capacity to make an informed decision, even when warned against driving or other tasks, and some may ignore such warnings. The legal and ethical "duty to warn" may trump confidentiality and HIPAA in cases where the activity of impaired patients seriously affects public safety. Not only do health care providers have a clear duty to warn patients not to drive, but in some extreme cases, may have a duty to warn third parties when a patient's driving or occupational duties place the public in harm's way.

Occupational Health and Safety Duties to Protect Outworkers: The Failure of Regulatory Intervention and Calls for Reform

<p>Many Australian outworkers, especially recent immigrants working from home, currently endure poor working conditions. Outworkers often toil without traditional industrial support. Most retailers and suppliers do not monitor working conditions at the base of the supply chain. Occupational health and safety protections are often not enforced in practice. Increased obligations for retailers and suppliers at the top of the supply chain would reduce the violation of fair working conditions.</p>

Specialised Care Staff Attitude to Hospice Policy, Spirituality, and Occupational Quality Of Life

Using the Coping with Palliative Care Duties questionnaire (CPCD, Caddell, 2002), this study measured orientation among hospice staff (N = 100) within two specialised care hospices within the west of Scotland (Hospice A & Hospice B). The principle aim was to investigate whether staff with High, spirituality measurement (SMS) were more favourable towards the introduction or maintenance of issues within hospice policy programmes than staff with SMS. The study also investigated staff depression concerning occupational duties and overall quality of life (QOL) levels. Two-way Between-Groups ANOVA tests indicated non-significant results intimating that staff with Low SMS were as favourable as staff with SMS towards the introduction of policies within hospice regime. Findings also suggested however, that although QOL scores were evenly matched between both hospices, Hospice B staff with High SMS experienced higher emotional upset regarding occupational duties than the same staff grouping within Hospice A.

A "Most Troublesome Situation": The British Military and the Pontiac Indian Uprising of 1763-1764 by Timothy J. Todish

Book Reviews 149 and limits his discussion of unionization to one or two paragraphs of firsthand accounts. In addition, the issue of technology could have played a bigger role in Segal's analysis. Hydroelectric energy is one of the few types of technological innovation the author looks at in depth. Surely automation, deskilling, and improved transportation were also key to restructuring the industrial world, but Segal tends to lump them all into the brief discussion of unionization. Despite these minor flaws, Segal's work will most certainly become a staple in a growing literature that seeks to revise the way historians view industrialization. As Lisa Fine, Jacquelyn Dowd Hall, and others have demonstrated, industrialization was not experienced uniformly. Segal's illustration of the different ways inwhich rural and urban Michigan experienced industrialization is another useful example of this growing trend in historical writing. Ryan Pettengill Michigan State University Timothy J. Todish and Todd E. Harburn. A 'Most Troublesome Situation": The British Military and the Pontiac Indian Uprising of 1763-1764. Fleischmanns, N.Y.: Purple Mountain Press, 2006. Pp. 223. Appendices. Bibliography. Illustrations. Index. Notes. Paper, $20.00. In this new narrative of the Pontiac Uprising, authors Timothy Todish and Todd Harburn bring fresh insight to an important episode in early American history by highlighting events that are often bypassed by other scholars. The authors begin by detailing the final years of the French and Indian War when the British military moved to assert its control over former French possessions along the Great Lakes. They then offer a deft synthesis of the various interpretations of previous historians regarding the sources of Indian resentment. Afterward, the book presents a detailed account of British attempts to quell the uprising and defeat the confederated Indian tribes. The strength of the authors' chronicle rests with their relation of litde-known events associated with the war, such as the Batde of Buffalo Creek and the Loftus Expedition of 1764. In addition, Todish and Harburn have included a set of valuable appendices that detail garrison strength at various forts, provide rosters for the platoons organized to reinforce Fort Detroit, and offer visitors a travel guide to historic sites related to the conflict. The only criticism that can be leveled at Todish and Harburn is in their spirited but misguided defense of the actions of General Jeffery Amherst and his subordinate officer, Captain James Dalyell. Some readers 150 Michigan Historical Review will be unconvinced by the authors' assertions that Amherst did all in his power to restore peace to the frontier. In a large way, however, the war was brought on by the general's own misguided policies. Those experienced in Indian relations continuously warned the arrogant commander that a reduction in Indian presents and a paucity of important trade commodities would lead to Indian unrest. Amherst chose to ignore these warnings and exacerbated the situation by failing to reinforce his isolated outposts in the face of rising Indian discontent. His feeble attempts to end the conflict are also worthy of censure. Because he had such contempt for the military prowess of his Indian adversaries, Amherst attempted to relieve the beleaguered forts at Detroit and Pittsburgh in a piecemeal fashion. This was done at a time when thousands of British soldiers remained idle serving occupation duty in a pacific Canada. As a consequence, relief forces that were themselves under strength frequendy faced destruction in attempts to succor the besieged posts. Apparendy, Amherst's scorn for the enemy was shared by his staff officer, Captain Dalyell, who unwittingly led his command into a devastating Indian ambush at Bloody Run. Todish and Harburn praise Dalyell for his "considerable combat experience" and state that it is "unrealistic" to presume that he had "no appreciation for the abilities of his Indian adversaries," having served at one time with Rogers' Rangers (p. 80). It is, in fact, doubtful that Dalyell learned much from Rogers or he would not have marched his command into such a frightful encounter, knowing full well that Pontiac's warriors would be anticipating just such amovement. Taken altogether, readers will be pleased with this new narrative, delighting in its perspective, profuse illustrations, and keen insight. A 'Most Troublesome Situation...

Reflections in colonial glass? women factory inspectors in Britain and New Zealand 1893-1921

This article explores the establishment of women factory inspectors in the wake of a common sweating furore in Britain and New Zealand. Sweating reformism was not simply transplanted in New Zealand from the motherland. It is argued that Britons and New Zealanders developed related illusions about anti-sweating which had important implications for the confinement of women's work. In New Zealand female factory inspectors were held to be symbols of successful anti-sweating reform, while in Britain they were celebrated for their investigation and exposure of industrial conditions since here reform was limited. The women themselves knew the limits of their success. And they embodied a contradiction. The rationale for their employment was that women's work was different from men's and female employment needed to be regulated. Female factory inspectors accepted this formula for factory workers but were averse to it being applied to their own employment. In this regard, the female factory inspectors experience as workers themselves is as revealing as their occupational duties to reform sweating and other industrial conditions for women. Despite many social differences, the way in which female factory inspectors in colony and ‘mother country’ dealt with the contradiction between regulating blue and white collar employment was remarkably similar. The article presents this contradiction in the context of the relation of women factory inspectors to the wider feminist movement.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder of Policemen

In this paper we discuss two cases of PTSD of policemen according to their occupational duties.

The Eighth Army's Combat Readiness Before Korea: A New Appraisal

This case study of the 27th Infantry Regiment demonstrates the fallacy of many generalizations surrounding interpretations of the U.S. Army's performance in the opening weeks of the Korean War. It describes the training of a typical infantry regiment in the Eighth U.S. Army from April 1949, until the outbreak of the Korean War on 25 June 1950. The evolution of readiness from individual training to regimental combat team maneuvers in the 27th Infantry Regiment proves that: * Occupation duties interfered very little with the conduct of training after June 1949; * The nature of the training cycle afforded maximum time for the creation of cohesive and proficient squads, platoons, and companies; * Soldiers recognized the importance of the training program and strove to execute it well; * Physical fitness was an integral part of the training program; * Technical training occupied a significant part of nonmaneuver training time. Acknowledgement of the Eighth Army's accomplishments in 1949 and early 1950 should facilitate a shift in the debate away from the lack of preparedness of "occupation troops" and onto a discussion of the strategic assumptions and operational decisions that placed single battalions into tactically and logistically unsupportable positions. Only by doing that can we begin to bury what Douglas MacArthur called the "pernicious myth" of professional, physical, and moral ineffectiveness that obscures the actual readiness of the Eighth Army.

Civic Autonomy in Journalism Education: Applying Expertise to Political Action

A contingent of student editors seethed in disdain, unbeknownst to me, as I lectured about the responsibility of the press in a participatory democracy. In retrospect, the public journalism course invited resentment from the first day of class. My intent in this essay is to make something good out of a failed class by describing a largely unrecognized problem of instruction as an influence on professional socialization. The news topic for the course was student retention and programs to alleviate the high dropout rate at our university. The undergraduate students conducted a survey to document faculty views, wrote indepth stories for the campus newspaper, and held a town hall forum to promote discussion. The class included editors and reporters of the newspaper along with mass communication students who were more interested in theory than professional skills. The latter group seemed to accept the goals of the class, but during the ninth week of the semester, two editors approached me after a class to deliver a legalistic document. In terse language, it outlined the independence of the paper as a student-run publication, and the lack of a guarantee that any article from the class would be published. I struggled the rest of the semester to convince the editorial staff that public journalism could be practiced without violating the autonomy of the press, and without jeopardizing the independence of the campus paper. I will argue in this essay that reform advocates have not appreciated adequately the dynamics of professional socialization that predispose college students to resist public journalism. While students in the early stages of anticipatory socialization might support the goals of public (or civic) journalism, the increasing importance of autonomy that comes with professional identification tends to erode this support. Unless instructors can promote an expanded view of autonomy - a conception that accommodates both conventional and reformist views of autonomy - public journalism is likely to fade away as an impetus for curriculum reform. After explicating the process of professional development that engenders a commitment to independence, I propose an instruction strategy based on a model of civic-oriented autonomy. This approach promotes public journalism goals while preserving autonomy - and recasting it as reflective judgment directed at civic activation. Student Resistance Professional autonomy refers to the relative freedom of practitioners to make and implement choices associated with occupational duties.1 Inside the newsroom, journalists value autonomy as the capacity for discretionary judgment despite the constraints of bureaucratic routine. Outside the newsroom, journalists value professional independence as an orientation that provides some insulation against partisan influences and other threats to credibility.2 Public journalism is dismissed by many in the press as an unacceptable threat to professional detachment. Public journalists set out to improve the conditions for discursive democracy so that citizens might participate in discussions that explore options for solving community problems. But independence is compromised, according to critics, when news organizations make connections with local institutions to activate the citizenry. Specific reporting techniques, rather than the lofty goal of civic empowerment, seem to elicit the most antipathy from practitioners.3 My understanding of autonomy as an outcome of professional development is derived from a case study intended to identify factors that predict levels of support for public journalism among undergraduate students.4 The setting for the survey was a large city in the Southwest, where we interviewed 317 students with varying degrees of interest in journalism as a career. Students tended to be critical of conventional reporting, and this disposition helped to account for their approval of public journalism. …

Edge of the sword: the ordeal of carpetbagger Marshall H. Twitchell in the Civil War and Reconstruction

Edge of the Sword: The Ordeal of Carpetbagger Marshall H. Twitchell in the Civil War and Reconstruction. By Ted Tunnell. (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2001. Pp. xiii, 326. Acknowledgments, abbreviations, introduction, bibliography, index. $34.95.) Carpetbagger. Even to this day, the term has a negative connotation, implying someone who comes from to exploit a difficult local situation to his or her advantage. But Ted Tunnell believes that it should otherwise. He is not alone. The usual stereotype-the greasy Yankee opportunist who came south during and after the Civil War, with all his worldly goods (probably a change of dirty clothes) in a carpetbag valise, like vultures (p. 2) to pick dry the bones of the defeated Dixie-has been under constant attack by historians, until one might believe that no such person could possibly have existed. Tunnell bemoans the fact that this false characterization is still used to justify illegal, unconstitutional, and immoral treatment of African Americans. Although he did not conceive this book as an exercise in rehabilitation, he would be pleased if that is the result. The reader might pleasantly surprised, then, that Tunnell does not replace the word carpetbagger with the term outside white, as do many other historians nowadays. Tunnell could not have picked a better man to illustrate his point than Marshall Twitchell, a Vermonter turned Louisianan. Twitchell is not exactly unknown, as Tunnell admits, citing at least nine prior works, including his own edited edition of Twitchell's autobiography. But except for Jimmy Shoalmire's unpublished biography (a 1969 dissertation at Southern Mississippi University), Twitchell usually appears as an incidental character. With the appearance of Tunnell's well-written and wonderfully researched study, this is no longer the case. Tunnell follows Twitchell's life from his birth in Vermont in 1840, through his childhood on a hardscrabble farm, to his combat service in the 4th Vermont Volunteer Infantry, and his transfer to the U.S. Colored Infantry. Sent to Texas for occupation duty along the Rio Grande, Twitchell was pulled out of the regiment at Indianola and sent to New Orleans because of a toothache. In the Crescent City, he joined the Freedmen's Bureau. Several agencies were open. Twitchell chose an isolated spot in the Red River valley near Shreveport, where he met Adele Coleman, a local planter's daughter. Initial animus turned to love, and ultimately they were wed, overcoming her parents' vehement objections. Twitchell took his army money-he had saved nearly all of it-and bought land, becoming a cotton planter. By the time Congress passed the Reconstruction Acts, Twitchell was both the only white trusted by local blacks and connected to the governing class through his wife's family. Bienville Parish sent him to the state constitutional convention in New Orleans. He ran for parish judge, lost the election and only to see his opponent disqualified under the constitution Twitchell had helped write. It is here (pp. 133-134) that Tunnell makes the most important comment in his volume, one that has relevance for every southern state, including Arkansas. What Twitchell and other Republicans failed to see was that their centralized control of the governmental election apparatus raised the issue at the heart of Reconstruction-legitimacy. They tried to correct the wrongdoings of whites against blacks at the polls with a bit of crookedness of their own. It was called the returning board, appointed by the governor. …

Changes of Life Condition after Retirement

In the modern industrialized society which labor-oriented value is prevalent, retirement has very important meaning in individual aspect as well as social aspect. Retirement influences greatly the adjustment of later life in the society in which a retiree has especially considered occupational or social role as the major role in the life.The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes of life condition after retirement, we enrolled 230 retirees who are not employed as a full time or do not have living job in Pusan or Kyungnam area, from Feb. 20 to Apr. 15.1998.We modified questionnaire based on Duk-Sung Kim’s scale(1989) and collected data The data was analyzed for mean, standard deviation, percentage, examination marks mean with standard deviation) through SPSS/PC (version 8.0). One-way ANOVA test were made for comparisons between means of groups. Duncan's multiple comparison procedure were followed to assign differences to each groups when significance was attained. Pearson's Correlation Coefficients was to examine correlation of variables. Chrobach's a was for reliability of research tools. The results of the study were as follows：1. After retirement, the life condition changes of retirees revealed the physical condition change 9.790 土 8.534/53, examination marks change 0.185 ±0.161, emotional-socioeconomic condition changes 46.086±8.385/75, examination marks 1.872 ±0.335 and spiritual condition change 31.932 士 5.771/54, examination marks 1.774±0.321.2. The life condition changes were according to general characteristics.1) physical condition change significantly associated with sex(P=0.000), education level (P=0.000), the presence of spouse (P=0.001), residenkd restrict (P=0.009), religious state (P=0.006), previous job(P=0.000), the kinds of medical insurance(P=0.017), health state (P=0.000), cause of retirement(P=0.000), the times of retirement(P=0.002), the duration of occupational duty (P=0.000), previous job satisfaction (P=0.008), the reserve fund for living expenses (P=0.000). who charge living expenses(P=0.000), the method of the charge for living expenses (P=0.000) and the degrees of social activities(P=0.007).2) the significant changes were noticed in the emotional and socioeconomic conditions after retirement： According to education level (P=0.000), the presence of spouse(P=0.002).the type of the house(P=0.019), living family with retiree(P=0.000), religious state(P=0.023), previous job(P=0.000), type of medical insurance (P=0.005). present health state(P=0.000), the cause of retirement (P=0.000). duration of occupational duty(P=0.003), the frequency of the change of job site(P=0.027)，previous job satisfaction(P=0.000). the plans and preparations for retirement (P=0.000), the reserve methods for living expense (P=0.003), the degree of the reserve fund for living expenses (P=0.005), present income(P=0.000), who charge the living expenses(P=0.010), the charging method for living expenses(P=0.001), the degrees of the satisfaction for living expenses(P=0.000). and the degree of social activities(P=0.002).3) In the spiritual condition, every changes were dependent on sex (P=0.000). the level of education(P=0.004), the number of offspring (P=0.032), religion(P=0.000), the importance of faith(P=0.000), previous job(P=0.000), health state(P=0.002), the duration after retire(P=0.022), the frequency of locomotion of the living job site(P=0.022), previous job satisfaction(P=0.000), the charge methods for living expenses(P=0.051), the degrees of the satisfaction for living expenses(P=0.002), and the degree of social activities (P = 0.022).As a results, the retirement brought out the changes of life conditions, which were influenced by the states (variables) of the retiree, and each variables could explain the changes of life conditions after retirement in many case.

A Pilot Study of Client Satisfaction: An Occupational Therapy Duty System in an Occupational Therapy Bureau

The duty system is the telephone referral system for the Kent Occupational Therapy Bureau service for members of the public and health professionals. The duty rota is staffed by occupational therapists and rehabilitation coordinators. This evaluation aimed to determine the quality and equity of the service in relation to client satisfaction. Over a 2-week period, telephone interviews were conducted using a questionnaire. All members of the public who telephoned to make a referral and had had no prior contact with the bureau were eligible for the study. The duty system was shown to provide a consistently high level of service in all areas evaluated. However, those interviewed expressed dissatisfaction with the predicted time of wait for an assessment visit and the lack of accurate information regarding this wait. This pilot study demonstrates that an occupational therapist may not be needed to fulfil the role of duty officer. A trained duty officer with an occupational therapist available for consultation can provide the service, thereby freeing occupational therapists to undertake assessments and reduce waiting lists. More accurate information and regular contact from the bureau regarding the waiting time for an assessment is required to reduce dissatisfaction.

AN OCCUPATIONAL ANALYSIS COMPARING 4-H YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AGENTS SERVING TRADITIONAL AND NON-TRADITIONAL CLIENTELE

In this descriptive study, the occupational duties and tasks of 4-H Youth Development agents were examined using the DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) methodology. 4-H agents were selected by Ohio State University Extension System 's (OSUE) administration, representing agents who work with traditional and non-traditional clientele. Each group of agents identified the duties and tasks related to the 4-H programs they conduct. The results indicated that 4-H agents performed similar duties and tasks, regardless of their different foci. Agents who worked with non-traditional clientele spent more time assessing individual members. Moreover, agents who worked with traditional clientele often have a stronger focus on program management. The future of 4-H Youth Development will be dependent on its ability to meet the needs of diverse clientele in the next century. The results of this study have implication both for hiring and for training of 4-H Youth Development agents presently and in the future.

BILATERAL FOREARM AND HAND PAIN IN WEIGHTLIFTER

531 HISTORY - A 36-year-old amateur weight lifter complained of a 18 to 24 month history of bilateral elbow and hand pain. The pain started after he initiated a program of lifting heavy weights, twice a day, two years ago. He described the pain as soreness on the lateral aspects of his elbows. He denied bilateral wrist extension weakness and night pain. As a shipping and receiving clerk, his occupational duties exacerbate his symptoms. Taking 200mg of lbuprofen three times per day has not helped. In addition, he also described bilateral hand numbness and tingling, which started two weeks prior to his appointment. PHYSICAL EXAMINATION - Examination revealed a mesomorphic individual with normal cervical active and passive range of motion. Spurling's and Lhermitte's signs were negative. Strength, sensation and reflexes were normal bilaterally. Tinel's sign was positive, but Phalen's test was negative at the wrists bilaterally. Palpation over the epicondyles bilaterally did not reproduce tenderness; however, resisted metacarpophalangeal extension did reproduce the elbow pain. DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS: Bilateral epicondylitis Bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome Bilateral posterior interosseous nerve entrapment TESTS AND RESULTS: Lateral epicondyle corticosteroid injection exacerbated the pain. Elbow and wrist xrays were negative. Electrodiagnostic testing ruled out bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. It did show bilateral fibrillation potentials in the extensor indicis, which was consistent with posterior interosseous syndrome. FINAL/WORKING DIAGNOSIS: Bilateral posterior interosseous nerve entrapment TREATMENT: Relative rest with the discontinuation of weight lifting. Increase NSAIDs to therapeutic dose. Splint elbows to 90 degrees of flexion. Follow up EMG/NCT indicated resolution of the active denervation.

Descriptive profile of tuberculin skin testing programs and laboratory-acquired tuberculosis infections in public health laboratories.

The increase in numbers of cases of tuberculosis in the United States has placed greater demands on mycobacteriology laboratory workers to produce rapid and accurate results. The greater number of specimens generated by the increased emphasis on detecting the disease has placed these workers at greater risk of laboratory-acquired infection. We surveyed 56 state and territorial public health laboratories to determine the status of existing tuberculin skin testing (TST) programs and to evaluate the frequency of probable laboratory-acquired tuberculosis for each responding mycobacteriology laboratory. Probable laboratory-acquired infections were determined by each laboratory's evaluation of occupational positions, duties, and employee histories and review of medical records. Two-step TST for new employees was routinely practiced in only 33% of responding laboratories, and mycobacteriology laboratorians were found to be most frequently screened when they were compared to employees of other departments. Of 49 (88%) responding laboratories, 13 reported that 21 employees were TST converters from 1990 to 1994. Seven of these 21 employees were documented to have laboratory-acquired infections based on evaluations by their respective laboratories. Based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, converters are categorized on the basis of both a change in the size of the zone of induration and the age of the person being tested. By the definitions in the guidelines, 14 mycobacteriologists were identified as recent converters, 7 of whom were > or = 35 years of age and 4 of whom were exposed in the laboratory within a 2-year period. Inadequate isolation procedures, the high volume of specimen handling, and faulty ventilation accounted for these laboratory-associated infections. These results suggest that more frequent periodic evaluations based on documented TST conversions for workers in mycobacterial laboratories should be performed, since this population is at increased risk of becoming infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Although general assessments are necessary to accurately and effectively evaluate the risk of tuberculosis transmission, they are especially important for those working in high-risk areas within a public health laboratory.

Resuspension studies in the Marshall Islands.

The contribution of inhalation exposure to the total dose for residents of the Marshall Islands was monitored at occasions of opportunity on several islands in the Bikini and Enewetak Atolls. To determine the long-term potential for inhalation exposure, and to understand the mechanisms of redistribution and personal exposure, additional investigations were undertaken on Bikini Island under modified and controlled conditions. Experiments were conducted to provide key parameters for the assessment of inhalation exposure from plutonium-contaminated dust aerosols: characterization of the contribution of plutonium in soil-borne aerosols as compared to sea spray and organic aerosols, determination of plutonium resuspension rates as measured by the meteorological flux-gradient method during extreme conditions of a bare-soil vs. a stabilized surface, determination of the approximate individual exposures to resuspended plutonium by traffic, and studies of exposures to individuals in different occupational environments simulated by personal air sampling of workers assigned to a variety of tasks. Enhancement factors (defined as ratios of the plutonium-activity of suspended aerosols relative to the plutonium-activity of the soil) were determined to be less than 1 (typically 0.4 to 0.7) in the undisturbed, vegetated areas, but greater than 1 (as high as 3) for the case studies of disturbed bare soil, roadside travel, and for occupational duties in fields and in and around houses.

Young immigrants on long‐term sick‐leave

Sickness certification data for all immigrants 16–45 years of age on long‐term sick‐leave enlisted at a local health insurance office were studied. The diagnostic pattern was remarkably homogeneous, characterized by imprecise pain and/or imprecise mental disorders. Clinical data were provided by a multiaxial evaluation of 52 people (mean age 38 years, mean length of sick‐leave 1 year, full‐time). Ratings of pain behavior and functional ability regarding occupational duties were also included. Nearly half (44%) had few social contacts both within their ethnic group and Swedish society. Half (58%) were assessed as being exposed to moderate or severe psychosocial stressors, and many had an associated mild or moderate depressive disorder. Muscular pain was the most frequent physical disorder. Pain behavior was common and was associated with the length of sick‐leave. Two‐thirds were assessed as being able to work at least part‐time. The multiaxial evaluation system proved useful for differentiating important incapacitating diagnostic factors. Nevertheless, the examining doctors seemed to have been influenced by the participants' pain presentations when rating their functional ability. The study thus illustrates the ease with which a vicious circle of pain behavior and further sickness certification could be created. In conclusion, social distress and iatrogenic factors may have played an important part in the sick‐leave pattern seen in this group of young immigrants.

Cerebellopontine angle tumor outcomes in patients with hazardous occupations.

Cerebellopontine angle (CPA) tumor surgery can produce a spectrum of sensory and motor deficits that can alter a patient's lifestyle and occupation. An important consideration is whether patients can return to full occupational status especially when hazardous duties are involved. Outcome data in CPA tumor surgery usually report that most patients are able to return to preoperative function; however, whether these patients can return to hazardous duties is not specified. A retrospective study of 380 consecutive, operated CPA tumor patients was performed and 37 were identified who engaged in hazardous occupations including active military service, working at dangerous heights, piloting jet aircraft, aircraft navigating, and factory work with high-impact machinery. Overall, patients were able to resume full-time work in their previous occupations and 86% of patients reported that they were able to resume hazardous duties. CPA tumor surgery is compatible with continued full occupational duties after surgery, even for patients employed in hazardous situations.

A Grand Army of Black Men: Letters from African-American Soldiers in the Union Army, 1861-1865

Preface Acknowledgments List of abbreviations Introduction: for freedom and equality 1. Black soldiers in white regiments 2. South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida 3. Virginia and North Carolina 4. The Gulf States 5. Occupation duty 6. For the rights of citizens 7. The struggle for equal pay 8. Racism in the army 9. The navy 10. War's end Index.

Effects of Postero-Anterior Mobilization on Lumbar Extension and Flexion

AbstractThis study was designed to determine the effects of the Maitland technique of central postero-anterior vertebral pressures (PAs) on lumbar flexion and extension mobility in an asymptomatic population. One hundred thirty active duty military males participated. Using the two fluid-based inclinometer method, the primary investigator measured standing neutral position, active end range flexion and active end range extension. Subjects were then sent to the secondary investigator who randomly assigned them to either treatment or control groups. The treatment group received three, one-minute series of Grade IV + PAs at the fifth, fourth and third lumbar spinous processes for a total of nine minutes. The control group lay prone for nine minutes. Measurements were repeated post-treatment by the primary investigator. Subjects were measured again one week post-treatment after completing a questionnaire about changes in physical activity, occupational duties, new injuries and subjective changes involving the...

Health hazards of fire fighters: exposure assessment.

There is growing concern over the detrimental health effects to firefighters produced by exposure to combustion byproducts of burning materials. To assess the types and levels of exposure encountered by firefighters during their routine occupational duties, members of the Buffalo Fire Department were monitored during firefighting activities with personal, portable, ambient environmental sampling devices. The results indicate that firefighters are frequently exposed to significant concentrations of hazardous materials including carbon monoxide, benzene, sulphur dioxide, hydrogen cyanide, aldehydes, hydrogen chloride, dichlorofluoromethane, and particulates. Furthermore, in many cases of the worst exposure to these materials respiratory protective equipment was not used owing to the visual impression of low smoke intensity, and thus these levels represent actual direct exposure of the firefighters. Many of these materials have been implicated in the production of cardiovascular, respiratory, or neoplastic diseases, which may provide an explanation for the alleged increased risk for these illnesses among firefighters.