The objective of this study was to identify significant risk factors for agricultural injury based on the literature. The authors conducted a systematic review of commonly reported risk factors. Studies that reported adjusted odds ratio (OR) or relative risk (RR) estimates for the selected risk factors were identified from PubMed and Google Scholar. Pooled risk factor estimates were calculated using meta-analysis. A total of 441 (PubMed) and 285 (Google Scholar) studies were found in the initial searches; of these, 132 and 78 studies, respectively, met the selection criteria for injury outcomes, and 32 of these reported adjusted OR or RR estimates. One study was excluded because it did not meet the set Newcastle-Ottawa Scale quality criteria. Finally, 31 studies were used for meta-analysis. The pooled ORs for the risk factors were as follows: male gender (vs. female) 1.68, full-time farmer (vs. part-time) 2.17, owner/operator (vs. family member or hired worker) 1.64, regular medication use (vs. no regular medication use) 1.57, prior injury (vs. no prior injury) 1.75, health problems (vs. no health problems) 1.21, stress or depression (vs. no stress or depression) 1.86, and hearing loss (vs. no hearing loss) 2.01. All selected factors except health problems significantly increased the risk of injury, and they should be (a) considered when selecting high-risk populations for interventions, and (b) considered as potential confounders in intervention studies.

The importance of computed X-ray diffraction patterns of various polymorphs of alite (M 3 , T 1 , R), belite (β, γ), aluminate (cubic, orthorhombic), aluminoferrite, gypsum and hemihydrate in the quantitative phase analysis of cement and its early stage hydration performance is highlighted in this work with three OPC samples. The analysis shows that the predominant silicate phases present in all the samples are M 3-alite phase and β-belite phase, respectively. Both cubic and orthorhombic phases of C 3 A, brownmillerite, gypsum and hemihydrates are present at different levels. Quantitative phase analysis of cement by Rietveld refinement method provides more accurate and comprehensive data of the phase composition compared to Bogue method. The comparative hydration performance of these samples was studied with w/c ratio, 0•5 and the results are interpreted in the light of difference in phase compositions viz. β-C 2 S/C 3 S ratio, fraction of finer cement particles present in the samples and theoretical modeling of C 3 S hydration.

Agricultural injury is a significant public health problem globally. Extensive research has addressed this problem, and a growing number of risk factors have been reported. The authors evaluated the evidence for frequently reported risk factors earlier. The objective in the current study was to identify emerging risk factors for agricultural injury and calculate pooled estimates for factors that were assessed in two or more studies. A total of 441 (PubMed) and 285 (Google Scholar) studies were identified focusing on occupational injuries in agriculture. From these, 39 studies reported point estimates of risk factors for injury; 38 of them passed the Newcastle-Ottawa criteria for quality and were selected for the systematic review and meta-analysis. Several risk factors were significantly associated with injury in the meta-analysis. These included older age (vs. younger), education up to high school or higher (vs. lower), non-Caucasian race (vs. Caucasian), Finnish language (vs. Swedish), residence on-farm (vs. off-farm), sleeping less than 7-7.5 hours (vs. more), high perceived injury risk (vs. low), challenging social conditions (vs. normal), greater farm sales, size, income, and number of employees on the farm (vs. smaller), animal production (vs. other production), unsafe practices conducted (vs. not), computer use (vs. not), dermal exposure to pesticides and/or chemicals (vs. not), high cooperation between farms (vs. not), and machinery condition fair/poor (vs. excellent/good). Eighteen of the 25 risk factors were significant in the meta-analysis. The identified risk factors should be considered when designing interventions and selecting populations at high risk of injury.

The current standard of diabetes management depends upon the invasive blood pricking techniques. In recent times, the availability of minimally invasive continuous glucose monitoring devices have made some improvements in the life of diabetic patients however it has its own limitations which include painful insertion, excessive cost, discomfort and an active risk due to the presence of a foreign body under the skin. Due to all these factors, the non-invasive glucose monitoring has remain a subject of research for the last two decades and multiple techniques of non-invasive glucose monitoring have been proposed. These proposed techniques have the potential to be evolved into a wearable device for non-invasive diabetes management. This paper reviews research advances and major challenges of such techniques or methods in recent years and broadly classifies them into four types based on their detection principles. These four methods are: optical spectroscopy, photoacoustic spectroscopy, electromagnetic sensing and nanomaterial based sensing. The paper primarily focuses on the evolution of non-invasive technology from bench-top equipment to smart wearable devices for personalized non-invasive continuous glucose monitoring in these four methods. With the rapid evolve of wearable technology, all these four methods of non-invasive blood glucose monitoring independently or in combination of two or more have the potential to become a reality in the near future for efficient, affordable, accurate and pain-free diabetes management.

At least 15–20% of the population in the world suffers from urticaria. Allergy triggers contribute to the development of urticaria. Not much is known about the demographic and environmental risk factors that contribute to the occurrence of acute urticaria. Methods: We utilized emergency department data on acute urticaria-related visits managed by the California Office of Statewide Planning and Operations for 201 zip codes located in southern central California (San Joaquin Valley) collected during the years 2016 and 2017. Census data from the same zip codes were considered as a population at risk. Socioeconomic and environmental parameters using CalEnviroScreen (Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, Sacramento, CA, USA) database for the zip codes were evaluated as risk factors. Results: The incidence rate of acute urticaria in San Joaquin Valley during 2016–2017 was 1.56/1000 persons (n = 14,417 cases). Multivariate Poisson analysis revealed that zip codes with high population density (RR = 2.81), high percentage of farm workers (RR = 1.49), and the composite of those with high and medium percentage of poverty and those with high and medium percentage of non-white residents (RR = 1.59) increased the likelihood of the occurrence of acute urticaria. Conclusion: High population density, farm work, poverty and minority status is associated with a high risk of having acute urticaria.

Background and Objectives: Electrocautery is an essential tool in surgery used for dissecting tissue layers and to control bleeding. Health risks from the exposure to surgical smoke are not completely understood. The purpose of this study was to measure the extent of exposure to chemicals present in surgical smoke during surgery. Methods: Personal air monitoring of known carcinogens such as formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and real-time area monitoring of PM 2.5 particles originating from electrocautery use was conducted during a live surgery. A quantitative survey was administered to surgeons in a medical center to assess the exposure and health effects related to surgical smoke. Personal air monitoring was achieved by measuring the concentration of formaldehyde and VOCs from passive samplers placed on surgeons’ caps. A particle counter was used to monitor the concentration of PM 2.5 particles in the surgical field. A health symptoms questionnaire was collected from 43 surgeons in a medical center located in a Midwestern state. Results: A low but detectable level of formaldehyde was reported from sampled data during personal exposure monitoring. The mean concentration of PM 2.5 particles during the active use of electrocautery period was 795 μg/m3 and was far greater than background and post-exposure concentrations. The irritation of upper respiratory mucosa after the use of electrocautery were commonly reported in the survey. Conclusions: The study was highlighted by the detectable presence of formaldehyde in personal environment. Future research should explore cause-and-effect relationship of occupational exposure to surgical smoke at low levels.

The identified risk factors should be considered when targeting injury prevention programs.

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