• Title/Summary/Keyword: Hazard point

Search Result 392, Processing Time 0.028 seconds

An Assessment of Flood Mitigation Policies Integrated in Local Comprehensive Plans: The Case of Florida in the United States (지자체 도시기본계획의 홍수예방정책 평가: 미국 플로리다 사례를 중심으로)

  • Kang, Jung Eun
    • Journal of Environmental Policy
    • /
    • v.11 no.4
    • /
    • pp.59-84
    • /
    • 2012
  • 'Planning researchers' believe that losses from floods can be reduced if governments address this issue and adopt appropriate policies in their plan. As a starting point for examining this idea, this research assessed the ability of local government to incorporate flood mitigation policies in their local comprehensive plans using plan quality evaluation methodology. This study analyzed 53 local comprehensive plans in Florida against the protocol developed by including key flood mitigation policies. While flood mitigation through land use management tools, such as permitted land use in floodplain areas and wetland permit, gained widespread acceptance at the local level in Florida, incentive based tools/taxing tools and acquisition tools were rarely adopted. Study results show that 53 local plans in the sample received a mean score for total flood mitigation policy quality of 38.55, which represents 35.69 % of the total possible points. These findings indicate that there is still considerable room for improvement by local governments on flood issues. The scores of local plans varied widely, with coastal communities receiving significantly higher scores than non-coastal communities. Because the concept of the plan quality and its methodology offer an objective and straightforward tool for studying plan quality and guiding plan preparation, they can be applied to various environmental and hazard issues in Korea.

  • PDF

Effects of Antiretroviral Therapy on the Survival of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-positive Adult Patients in Andhra Pradesh, India: A Retrospective Cohort Study, 2007-2013

  • Bajpai, Ram;Chaturvedi, Himanshu;Jayaseelan, Lakshmanan;Harvey, Pauline;Seguy, Nicole;Chavan, Laxmikant;Raj, Pinnamaneni;Pandey, Arvind
    • Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
    • /
    • v.49 no.6
    • /
    • pp.394-405
    • /
    • 2016
  • Objectives: The survival outcomes of antiretroviral treatment (ART) programs have not been systematically evaluated at the state level in India. This retrospective study assessed the survival rates and factors associated with survival among adult human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients in Andhra Pradesh, India. Methods: The present study used data from 139 679 HIV patients aged ${\geq}15$ years on ART who were registered from 2007 to 2011 and were followed up through December 2013. The primary end point was death of the patient. Mortality densities (per 1000 person-years) were calculated. Kaplan-Meier and Cox-regression models were used to estimate survival and explore the factors associated with survival. Results: The overall median follow-up time was 16.0 months (2.0 months for the deceased and 14.0 months for those lost to follow-up). Approximately 13.2% of those newly initiated on ART died during follow-up. Of those deaths, 56% occurred in the first three months. The crude mortality rate was 80.9 per 1000 person-years at risk. The CD4 count (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR],4.88; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.36 to 5.46 for < $100cells/mm^3$ vs. > $350cells/mm^3$), functional status (aHR, 3.05; 95% CI, 2.82 to 3.30 for bedridden vs. normal), and body weight (aHR, 3.69; 95% CI, 3.42 to 3.97 for <45 kg vs. >60 kg) were strongly associated with the survival of HIV patients. Conclusions: The study findings revealed that high mortality was observed within the first three months of ART initiation. Patients with poor baseline clinical characteristics had a higher risk of mortality. Expanded testing and counseling should be encouraged, with the goal of ensuring early enrollment into the program followed by the initiation of ART in HIV-infected patients.

Effects of an Anti-Smoking Program to Prevent Lung Cancer among Urban Aboriginals in Taiwan

  • Lin, Mei-Hsiang;Huang, Sheu-Jen;Shih, Whei-Mei Jean;Wang, Pao-Yu;Lin, Li-Hui;Hsu, Hsiu-Chin
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
    • /
    • v.14 no.11
    • /
    • pp.6451-6457
    • /
    • 2013
  • Background and Purpose: Indigenous people who leave their hometowns and move to the city to earn a living became urban aboriginals. During the process of adapting to urban living situations, they may use various coping strategies such as smoking to overcome their stress. Therefore, it is crucial to provide health education including smoking prevention, increasing knowledge regarding of tobacco hazard, self-efficacy of anti-smoking, and adjusting smoking behavior so as to empower their anti-smoking motivation to prevent lung cancer. The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of an anti-smoking program on urban aboriginals in Taiwan. Methods: A quasi-experimental study design with purposeful sampling was employed. A total of 125 aboriginal subjects were recruited from two local churches at Shu Lin area in northern Taiwan. Subjects were divided into an experimental group (n =64 ) and a control group (n = 61). Both took pre-tests in order to set baseline values, and only the experimental group participated for 3-weeks in the anti-smoking program classes. Both groups took post-tests immediately after the intervention in order to evaluate the immediate effects of the teaching program, and a follow-up test was conducted four weeks after the intervention. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way ANCOVA, and repeat measure ANCOVA. Results: After controlling for confounding variables, the results showed that there were statistically significant differences in the self-efficacy of anti-smoking and smoking behavior between experimental and control groups in the immediately post-test and the follow-up test (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant differences in the recognition of hazards of smoking at eiter time point. Conclusions and Implications for Practice: The findings of this study revealed that the anti-smoking program effectively improved self-efficacy of anti-smoking, and decreased the smoking behavior in urban aboriginals. They provide useful information as a reference regarding of aboriginal health promotion to health providers. It is imperative that anti-smoking be reinforced for those regular smokers to prevent induction of lung cancer.

A Study on Radio-Protection Mechanism of Platelet Cells After Injection of Alliin (알리인 투여 후 혈소판의 방사선 방어기전 연구)

  • Ji, Tae-Jeong
    • Journal of radiological science and technology
    • /
    • v.33 no.3
    • /
    • pp.185-192
    • /
    • 2010
  • Platelets originating from Megakaryocyte are sensitive to radiation along with white blood cells, and thus these platelets are used as an index of radiation hazard as they decrease in advance. Thus, when there is a scarcity of platelets, dot hemorrhage occurs and it leads to decrease of blood corpuscle and a decline in immunity. In particular, when 4~6 Gy whole body irradiation is received, after three weeks, the platelets will decrease to the lowest level, which can be a cause of death by bleeding and anemia. Therefore, this study tried to identify the mechanism of platelet damage and protection effect. The protection substance used in the experiment is Alliin, which is a component of garlic, and it was observed by an Transmission Electron Microscope(TEM) after its injection to the rat's tail vein. In the study, it was found that the cell membrane was severely damaged in a 10-day progressed platelet organ after receiving 5 Gy irradiation. It billowed as balloon-like figure and the glycocalyx became hyperplasia. The minute organ was damaged to the point that it was beyond recognition in a 20-day progressed platelet organ after receiving irradiation, and the cytoplasmic contents were exposed to epilepsy parts and outrageously damaged. Furthermore, the form of granules could also not be observed. A hole was formed in the middle, and the damaged organ was found in a 30-day progressed platelet. However, the form of granules was consistently maintained in the experiment group injecting Alliin, as with the control group, and there was no damage to the cell membrane recognized. Thus, it was possible to verify the effectiveness of radiation protection of the platelet when Alliin was injected to the blood vessel.

Microbiological Evaluation of Chilled Freshes Raw-fish Manufacturers before and after HACCP System Establishment (싱싱회류 생산업체의 HACCP 시스템 구축 전 후의 미생물학적 평가)

  • 박완희;이성학;정덕화
    • Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
    • /
    • v.19 no.2
    • /
    • pp.74-83
    • /
    • 2004
  • Raw-fish food contains a lot of moisture and is a high-protein food. It is a first-stage processed food taking a lot of manual work. Therefore, it is classified as a PHF food, very liable to cause a bacterial food-poisoning. But its manufacturers are usually small-sized and a systematic sanitation management is difficult to expect. But the manufacturer participating in this study produces chilled fresh raw-fish food. Fish are sliced into two fillets, which are packaged under vacuum, kept and distributed in refrigerators, and sold within a day. It is a newly-developed kind of raw-fish food, and a more improved kind of raw-fish food making possible a systematic sanitation management. The HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) is a systematic and continuous process-control method which is very efficient for controling food sanitation and reducing the expenses. A new HACCP model has been developed to be applied to a large-sized chilled fresh raw-fish food manufacturer. To ascertain its efficiency, the baterial examination was done to its workplace and products. The significance test was done on its data by "SPSS 12.0 for Window" and "Mann-Whitney U Test". The numbers of bacteria on its final products were significantly different in flatfish and porgy. The number of bacteria tended to decrease in each time-differential sampling (P<.00l). The final food products showed no food-poisoning bacteria in all the time-differential tests and in all the samplings, which proves that the CCP of the HACCP system is under control. After the SSOP program was applied, no pathogenic bacteria were found in the work-place, and the kinds and numbers of bacteria decreased. The numbers of general bacteria and colon bacilli also showed a significant difference from those before the SSOP program in the filleting board (P<.05), in the skinning board (P<.0l), in the neck-removing knife (P<.05), and in the filleting knife (P<.01). The working equipments, periodically disinfected, also showed a significant difference in sanitary conditions (in the dehydrator, P<.05). The number of bacteria found on the food-touching surface was within the standard (below 500/l00 cm$^2$) After the SSOP program was applied, the general bacteria and colon bacilli were not found. The quality of water used in the food processing was also within the standard. The numbers of bacteria falling from the air in the work-place were negligible in all the samplings (<30CFU/l000ι). The staphylococci and fungi were not found.

P53 and MDM2 Over-expression and Five-year Survival of Kidney Cancer Patients Undergoing Radical Nephrectomy - Iranian Experience

  • Abolhasani, Maryam;Salarinejad, Sareh;Asgari, Mojgan
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
    • /
    • v.16 no.12
    • /
    • pp.5043-5047
    • /
    • 2015
  • Background: Relatively little is known with certainty about the status and role of p53 or MDM2 in predicting prognosis and survival of renal cell carcinoma. The present study aimed to determine the value of P53 and MDM2 over-expression, alone and simultaneously, to predict five-year survival of patients with kidney cancer in Iran. Materials and Methods: Patients with kidney cancer referred to Hasheminejad Kidney Center between 2007 and 2009, underwent radical nephrectomy and had pathology reports of clear cell, papillary or chromophobe renal cell carcinoma were included in our cohort study. Other histological types of renal cell carcinoma were not included. The patients with missed, incomplete or poor quality paraffin blocks were also excluded. Overall ninety one patients met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. To assess the histopathological features of the tumor, immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of formalin fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor samples were performed. The five-year survival was determined by the patients' medical files and telephone following-up. Results: In total, 1.1% of all samples were revealed to be positive for P53. Also, 20.8% of all samples were revealed to be positive for MDM2.The patients were all followed for 5 years. In this regard, 5-year mortality was 30.5% and thus 5-year survival was 85.3%. According to the Cox proportional hazard analysis, positive P53 marker was only predictor for patients' 5-year survival that the presence of positive p53 increased the risk for long-term mortality up to 2.8 times (HR=2.798, 95%CI: 1.176-6.660, P=0.020). However, the presence of MDM2 could not predict long-term mortality. In this regard, analysis by the ROC curve showed a limited role for predicting long-term survival by confirming P53 positivity (AUC=0.610, 95%CI: 0.471-.750, P=0.106). The best cutoff point for P53 to predict mortality was 0.5 yielding a low sensitivity (32.0%) but a high specificity (97.9%). In similar analysis, measurement of MDM2 positivity could not predict mortality (AUC=0.449, 95%CI: 0.316-.583, P=0.455). Conclusions: The simultaneous presence of both P53 and MDM2 markers in our population is a rare phenomenon and the presence of these markers may not predict long-term survival in patients who undergoing radical nephrectomy.

Prognostic Role of Circulating Tumor Cells in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer: a Meta-analysis

  • Ma, Xue-Lei;Li, Yan-Yan;Zhang, Jing;Huang, Jing-Wen;Jia, Hong-Yuan;Liu, Lei;Li, Ping
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
    • /
    • v.15 no.15
    • /
    • pp.6015-6020
    • /
    • 2014
  • Background: Isolation and characterization of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in patients suffering from a variety of different cancers have become hot biomarker topics. In this study, we evaluated the prognostic value of CTCs in pancreatic cancer. Materials and Methods: Initial literature was identified using Medline and EMBASE. The primary data were hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of survival outcomes, including overall survival (OS) and progression free survival/recurrence free survival (PFS/RFS). Results: A total of 9 eligible studies were included in this meta-analysis, published between 2002 and 2013. The estimated pooled HR and 95%CI for OS for all studies was 1.64 (95%CI 1.39-1.94, p<0.00001) and the pooled HR and 95%CI for RFS/DFS was 2.36 (95%CI 1.41-3.96, p<0.00001). The HRs and 95%CIs for OS and RFS/DFS in patients before treatment were 1.93 (95%CI 1.26-2.96, p=0.003) and 1.82 (95%CI 1.22-2.72, p=0.003), respectively. In patients receiving treatment, the HRs and 95%CI for OS and RFS/DFS were 1.37 (95%CI 1.00-1.86, p=0.05) and 1.89 (95%CI 1.01-3.51, p=0.05), respectively. Moreover, the pooled HR and 95%CI for OS in the post-treatment group was 2.20 (95%CI 0.80-6.02, p=0.13) and the pooled HR for RFS/DFS was 8.36 (95%CI 3.22-21.67, p<0.0001). Conclusions: The meta-analysis provided strong evidence supporting the proposition that CTCs detected in peripheral blood have a fine predictive role in pancreatic patients especially on the time point of post-treatment.

Development of Environmental Rubber Interphase Adhesive by use of Oligomer of Hydrocarbon (탄화수소계 올리고머를 이용한 환경친화적 고무계면 접착제 개발)

  • Jang, Byung-Man;Jang, Jeong-Seog;Park, Sung-Soo;Choi, Dug-Jai;Kim, Su-Kyung
    • Polymer(Korea)
    • /
    • v.25 no.1
    • /
    • pp.142-150
    • /
    • 2001
  • Until now rubber industry field has used organic solvent base adhesive, there was always existed a fire risk, variety of quality and harmfulness of human body. To solve this problem we were developed a new adhesive that was maked by raw materials of hydrocarbon series which has the properties of nonvolatile and high flash point. Because of this new adhesive has the properties of nonvolatile and non-harmfulness to the human body, we expected to solve the problems of a fire hazard and the pollution of the environmental. Instead of the rubber binder that is used to a present adhesive, the new idea is adopted in a new type of adhesive. Nonvolatile solvent penetrated to the rubber surface and caused the swelling in rubber surface and as a result of this action, it has the self-adhesive power. In comparision with the present adhesive a new type of adhesive remarkably improved the maintenance time of adhesion and the durability of this adhesive showed similar aspect. Because it did not exhibit a drop of physical properties of rubber which was caused by swelling effect, we estimate that new type adhesive are very stable and not reacted to several rubber additives. While present adhesive appear the crack at cutting surface of curing rubber that caused by gas, new type adhesive not exist these crack.

  • PDF

The Effect of Environment-friendly Certifications on Agricultural Producer Organizations (친환경·GAP·HACCP이 농업 생산자조직에 미치는 영향)

  • Kim, Chang-Hwan;Park, Seong-Ho
    • Journal of Distribution Science
    • /
    • v.13 no.6
    • /
    • pp.97-104
    • /
    • 2015
  • Purpose - The distribution of agricultural products is changing due to recent shifts in environmental free trade. Specifically, the competitiveness of domestic agricultural products has weakened as a result of the Korea-China Financial Trade Agreement. Agricultural producers are faced with increasing difficulties and organized production centers are growing in importance daily. To overcome this crisis, agricultural producer organizations are vying for environment-friendly agricultural certifications, Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP). In particular, as consumer demand for higher safety grows, farmers are increasing their certification rates. Therefore, this certification system is expected to help strengthen the competitiveness of agricultural producer organizations. Research design/data/methodology - Organized production centers are classified by certification. A survey was conducted with 91 organizations using factor analysis and logistic regression analysis for the examination. The factor analysis results are as follows. Raw material procurement, education·specialization, marketing, joint business, organizing ability, business management, effectiveness, certification, and larger organizations were classified as the nine types of factors. These factors affect the organized production centers and are used in the logistic regression analysis. The purpose of such research and analysis is to suggest a direction for future production center policies. Results - The basic statistical results are as follows: analysis of the producer organizations of 91 sites, average number of members per site of 1,624, and average sales of 25,961 million won. Additionally, the average income per farmer is 175 million won, and the pooling system rate is 53.5%. The factor analysis results are as follows. Factor 1 consists of contract cultivation, ongoing shipment, selection subdivision, traceability, and major retailer management. Factor 2 consists of manual cultivation, specialty selection, education program, and R&D. Factor 3 consists of advertising, various dealers, various sales strategies, and a unified sales counter. Factor 4 consists of agricultural materials co-purchase, policy support, co-shipment, and incentives. Factor 5 consists of the co-selection and pooling system. Factor 6 consists of co-branding and operating by the organization's article. Factor 7 consists of the buy-sell ratio and rate of operation of the agriculture promotion center. Factor 8 consists of bargaining power in volume and participation rate of farmer certification. Factor 9 consists of increasing new subscribers. The logistic regression analysis results are as follows. Considering the results by type of certification, the environment-friendly agricultural certification type and the GAP certification type have a (+) influence. GAP and HACCP certification types affecting the education·specialization factor have a (+) influence. Considering the results for each type of certification, the environment-friendly agricultural certification types on the effectiveness factor have (-) influence; the HACCP certification types on the organizing ability and effectiveness factor have a (-) influence. Conclusions - Agricultural producer organizations should develop plans as follows: The organizations need to secure education for agricultural production; increase the pooling system ratio for sustainable organizational development; and, finally, expand the number of agricultural producer organizations.

An Analysis of the Probability Unit in the Middle School Textbook 8-B in the Aspect of Information Analysis and Utilization (정보 분석 및 활용 측면에서의 중학교 2학년 확률 단원 분석)

  • Lee, Young-Ha;Kwon, Se-Lim
    • School Mathematics
    • /
    • v.11 no.3
    • /
    • pp.389-413
    • /
    • 2009
  • This thesis assumes that the teaching objective of the Probability unit of the 8th grade textbook under the 7th National Curriculum is to enhance the ability to analyze and utilize informations. And we examine them if this point of view is fully reflected. Based on the analysis of the textbook analysis, followings are found. 1) It is necessary to emphasize more enumerating all possible cases and to induce formulae counting the number of possible cases through organizing them 2) The probability is to be decribed more clearly as a likelihood of events and to be introduced and followed through various students' experiences and the relative frequencies. Less emphasis on probability computations, while more emphasis on probability comparisons of events are recommended. 3) The term "influential events"(a kind of stochastic correlation) is ambiguous. It is necessary to make clear what it means at tile level of the 8th grade or to discard it for it is to be learned at the 10th grade again. Especially, contingency table has been introduced at the 9th grade under the 7th National Curriculum. 4) Uses of the likelihood principle in making a decision and in learning the reliability of it should be encouraged. And students are to team the hazard of transitive inferences in probability comparisons. As a consequence of above, we feel that textbook authors and related stakeholder are to be more serious about the behavioral changes of students that may come along with the didactics of specific contents of school mathematics.

  • PDF