Total Work, Gender and Social Norms in EU and US Time Use

OpenAIRE

Burda , Michael C; Hamermesh , Daniel S; Weil , Philippe

2008-01-01

Using time-diary data from 27 countries, we demonstrate a negative relationship between real GDP per capita and the female-male difference in total work time--the sum of work for pay and work at home. We also show that in rich non-Catholic countries on four continents men and women do the same amount of total work on average. Our survey results demonstrate that labor economists, macroeconomists, sociologists and the general public consistently believe that women perform more total work. The f...

Artificial Neural Network for Total Laboratory Automation to Improve the Management of Sample Dilution.

Science.gov (United States)

Ialongo, Cristiano; Pieri, Massimo; Bernardini, Sergio

2017-02-01

Diluting a sample to obtain a measure within the analytical range is a common task in clinical laboratories. However, for urgent samples, it can cause delays in test reporting, which can put patients' safety at risk. The aim of this work is to show a simple artificial neural network that can be used to make it unnecessary to predilute a sample using the information available through the laboratory information system. Particularly, the Multilayer Perceptron neural network built on a data set of 16,106 cardiac troponin I test records produced a correct inference rate of 100% for samples not requiring predilution and 86.2% for those requiring predilution. With respect to the inference reliability, the most relevant inputs were the presence of a cardiac event or surgery and the result of the previous assay. Therefore, such an artificial neural network can be easily implemented into a total automation framework to sensibly reduce the turnaround time of critical orders delayed by the operation required to retrieve, dilute, and retest the sample.

Stigma and Attitude of Mental Health Help-Seeking Among a Sample of Working Versus Non-working Egyptian Women.

Science.gov (United States)

Zalat, Marwa Mohamed; Mortada, Eman Mohamed; El Seifi, Omnia Samir

2018-06-21

This study was conducted to assess the level of mental health difference between working and non-working women, to explore their stigma and attitude toward seeking psychological help for mental-health problems. World Health Organization's Self-reporting questionnaire (SRQ-20), adoption of Discrimination-Devaluation scale (D-D) scale for measuring self-stigma and attitude toward Seeking Mental Health Services (IASMHS) Inventory were used. The sampled teachers reported a higher attitude towards seeking mental health services when compared to housewives. Social support and personal stigma were the main factors that significantly predict total IASMHS. Although working females are more susceptible to mental health disorders, yet less stigmatized towards mental health problems and a better attitude for seeking mental health services than housewives.

Model-based estimation of finite population total in stratified sampling

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The work presented in this paper concerns the estimation of finite population total under model – based framework. Nonparametric regression approach as a method of estimating finite population total is explored. The asymptotic properties of the estimators based on nonparametric regression are also developed under ...

Direct analysis of biological samples by total reflection X-ray fluorescence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lue M, Marco P.; Hernandez-Caraballo, Edwin A.

2004-01-01

The technique of total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) is well suited for the direct analysis of biological samples due to the low matrix interferences and simultaneous multi-element nature. Nevertheless, biological organic samples are frequently analysed after digestion procedures. The direct determination of analytes requires shorter analysis time, low reactive consumption and simplifies the whole analysis process. On the other hand, the biological/clinical samples are often available in minimal amounts and routine studies require the analysis of large number of samples. To overcome the difficulties associated with the analysis of organic samples, particularly of solid ones, different procedures of sample preparation and calibration to approach the direct analysis have been evaluated: (1) slurry sampling, (2) Compton peak standardization, (3) in situ microwave digestion, (4) in situ chemical modification and (5) direct analysis with internal standardization. Examples of analytical methods developed by our research group are discussed. Some of them have not been previously published, illustrating alternative strategies for coping with various problems that may be encountered in the direct analysis by total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

RANKED SET SAMPLING FOR ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH: ACCOUNTING FOR THE TOTAL COSTS OF SAMPLING

Science.gov (United States)

Researchers aim to design environmental studies that optimize precision and allow for generalization of results, while keeping the costs of associated field and laboratory work at a reasonable level. Ranked set sampling is one method to potentially increase precision and reduce ...

Total reflection x-ray analysis of metals in blood samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamura, Takuya; Matsui, Hiroshi; Kawamata, Masaya

2009-01-01

The sample preparation for TXRF (total reflection X-ray fluorescence) quantitative analysis of trace elements in human blood samples was investigated. In the TXRF analysis, a solution sample is dropped and dried on a flat substrate, and then the dried residue is measured. In this case, the dried residue should be flat not to disturb X-ray total reflection on the substrate. In addition, it is required to simply measure the whole blood sample by TXRF method, although a serum is analyzed in many cases. Thus, we studied the optimum conditions of the sample preparation of the whole blood by adding the pure water to apply Hemolysis phenomenon, where blood cells are destroyed due to different of the osmotic pressure, leading to flat residue. It was found that the best S/B ratio was obtained when the whole blood was diluted 8 times with pure water. Moreover, it was investigated the influence of the surface chemical condition of the glass substrate on the shape of the dried reside of the blood sample. When the surface of the glass substrate was hydrophilic, the shape of the dried residues was not uniform, as a result, the quantitative data of TXRF analysis gave a large deviation. On the other hand, when the surface of the glass was hydrophobic, the shape of the residue was almost uniform, as a result, a good reproducibility was obtained. Another problem was an outer ring of the dried residue of the blood. This uneven ring absorbs the primary X-rays, caused to low determined quantitative data. Thus, we tried the heating way of the dropped blood sample at a high temperature of 200 degrees. In this case, the blood sample was dried immediately, and a flat homogeneous dried residue was obtained without the outer ring. Using the optimized conditions for sample preparation, human blood sample was quantitatively measured by TXRF and ICP-AES. A good agreement was obtained in TXRF and ICP-AES determinations; however, the measurement of Cl and Br will be an advantage of TXRF, because

Apparatus and method for quantitatively evaluating total fissile and total fertile nuclide content in samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caldwell, J.T.; Cates, M.R.; Franks, L.A.; Kunz, W.E.

1985-01-01

Simultaneous photon and neutron interrogation of samples for the quantitative determination of total fissile nuclide and total fertile nuclide material present is made possible by the use of an electron accelerator. Prompt and delayed neutrons produced from resulting induced fissions are counted using a single detection system and allow the resolution of the contributions from each interrogating flux leading in turn to the quantitative determination sought. Detection limits for 239 Pu are estimated to be about 3 mg using prompt fission neutrons and about 6 mg using delayed delayed neutrons

Forensic application of total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry for elemental characterization of ink samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dhara, Sangita; Misra, N.L.; Maind, S.D.; Kumar, Sanjukta A.; Chattopadhyay, N.; Aggarwal, S.K.

2010-01-01

The possibility of applying Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence for qualitative and quantitative differentiation of documents printed with rare earth tagged and untagged inks has been explored in this paper. For qualitative differentiation, a very small amount of ink was loosened from the printed documents by smoothly rubbing with a new clean blade without destroying the manuscript. 50 μL of Milli-Q water was put on this loose powder, on the manuscript, and was agitated by sucking and releasing the suspension two to three times with the help of a micropipette. The resultant dispersion was deposited on quartz sample support for Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence measurements. The Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence spectrum of tagged and untagged inks could be clearly differentiated. In order to see the applicability of Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence for quantitative determinations of rare earths and also to countercheck such determinations in ink samples, the amounts of rare earth in painted papers with single rare earth tagged inks were determined by digesting the painted paper in HNO 3 /HClO 4 , mixing this solution with the internal standard and recording their Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence spectra after calibration of the instrument. The results thus obtained were compared with those obtained by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry and were found in good agreement. The average precision of the Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence determinations was 5.5% (1σ) and the average deviation of Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence determined values with that of Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry was 7.3%. These studies have shown that Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence offers a promising and potential application in forensic work of this nature.

Forensic application of total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry for elemental characterization of ink samples

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dhara, Sangita [Fuel Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400 085 (India); Misra, N.L., E-mail: nlmisra@barc.gov.i [Fuel Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400 085 (India); Maind, S.D. [NAA Unit of Central Forensic Science Laboratory Hyderabad at Analytical Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400 085 (India); Kumar, Sanjukta A. [Analytical Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400 085 (India); Chattopadhyay, N. [NAA Unit of Central Forensic Science Laboratory Hyderabad at Analytical Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400 085 (India); Aggarwal, S.K. [Fuel Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400 085 (India)

2010-02-15

The possibility of applying Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence for qualitative and quantitative differentiation of documents printed with rare earth tagged and untagged inks has been explored in this paper. For qualitative differentiation, a very small amount of ink was loosened from the printed documents by smoothly rubbing with a new clean blade without destroying the manuscript. 50 muL of Milli-Q water was put on this loose powder, on the manuscript, and was agitated by sucking and releasing the suspension two to three times with the help of a micropipette. The resultant dispersion was deposited on quartz sample support for Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence measurements. The Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence spectrum of tagged and untagged inks could be clearly differentiated. In order to see the applicability of Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence for quantitative determinations of rare earths and also to countercheck such determinations in ink samples, the amounts of rare earth in painted papers with single rare earth tagged inks were determined by digesting the painted paper in HNO{sub 3}/HClO{sub 4}, mixing this solution with the internal standard and recording their Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence spectra after calibration of the instrument. The results thus obtained were compared with those obtained by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry and were found in good agreement. The average precision of the Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence determinations was 5.5% (1sigma) and the average deviation of Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence determined values with that of Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry was 7.3%. These studies have shown that Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence offers a promising and potential application in forensic work of this nature.

Preoperative predictors of returning to work following primary total knee arthroplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Styron, Joseph F; Barsoum, Wael K; Smyth, Kathleen A; Singer, Mendel E

2011-01-05

There is little in the literature to guide clinicians in advising patients regarding their return to work following a primary total knee arthroplasty. In this study, we aimed to identify which factors are important in estimating a patient's time to return to work following primary total knee arthroplasty, how long patients can anticipate being off from work, and the types of jobs to which patients are able to return following primary total knee arthroplasty. A prospective cohort study was performed in which patients scheduled for a primary total knee arthroplasty completed a validated questionnaire preoperatively and at four to six weeks, three months, and six months postoperatively. The questionnaire assessed the patient's occupational physical demands, ability to perform job responsibilities, physical status, and motivation to return to work as well as factors that may impact his or her recovery and other workplace characteristics. Two survival analysis models were constructed to evaluate the time to return to work either at least part-time or full-time. Acceleration factors were calculated to indicate the relative percentage of time until the patient returned to work. The median time to return to work was 8.9 weeks. Patients who reported a sense of urgency about returning to work were found to return in half the time taken by other employees (acceleration factor = 0.468; p mental health scores (acceleration factor = 0.891), higher physical function scores (acceleration factor = 0.809), higher Functional Comorbidity Index scores (acceleration factor = 0.914), and a handicap accessible workplace (acceleration factor = 0.736). A slower return to work was associated with having less pain preoperatively (acceleration factor = 1.132), having a more physically demanding job (acceleration factor = 1.116), and receiving Workers' Compensation (acceleration factor = 4.360). Although the physical demands of a patient's job have a moderate influence on the patient's ability

Total Arsenic, Cadmium, and Lead Determination in Brazilian Rice Samples Using ICP-MS.

Science.gov (United States)

Mataveli, Lidiane Raquel Verola; Buzzo, Márcia Liane; de Arauz, Luciana Juncioni; Carvalho, Maria de Fátima Henriques; Arakaki, Edna Emy Kumagai; Matsuzaki, Richard; Tiglea, Paulo

2016-01-01

This study is aimed at investigating a suitable method for rice sample preparation as well as validating and applying the method for monitoring the concentration of total arsenic, cadmium, and lead in rice by using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Various rice sample preparation procedures were evaluated. The analytical method was validated by measuring several parameters including limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), linearity, relative bias, and repeatability. Regarding the sample preparation, recoveries of spiked samples were within the acceptable range from 89.3 to 98.2% for muffle furnace, 94.2 to 103.3% for heating block, 81.0 to 115.0% for hot plate, and 92.8 to 108.2% for microwave. Validation parameters showed that the method fits for its purpose, being the total arsenic, cadmium, and lead within the Brazilian Legislation limits. The method was applied for analyzing 37 rice samples (including polished, brown, and parboiled), consumed by the Brazilian population. The total arsenic, cadmium, and lead contents were lower than the established legislative values, except for total arsenic in one brown rice sample. This study indicated the need to establish monitoring programs for emphasizing the study on this type of cereal, aiming at promoting the Public Health.

Total Arsenic, Cadmium, and Lead Determination in Brazilian Rice Samples Using ICP-MS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lidiane Raquel Verola Mataveli

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This study is aimed at investigating a suitable method for rice sample preparation as well as validating and applying the method for monitoring the concentration of total arsenic, cadmium, and lead in rice by using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS. Various rice sample preparation procedures were evaluated. The analytical method was validated by measuring several parameters including limit of detection (LOD, limit of quantification (LOQ, linearity, relative bias, and repeatability. Regarding the sample preparation, recoveries of spiked samples were within the acceptable range from 89.3 to 98.2% for muffle furnace, 94.2 to 103.3% for heating block, 81.0 to 115.0% for hot plate, and 92.8 to 108.2% for microwave. Validation parameters showed that the method fits for its purpose, being the total arsenic, cadmium, and lead within the Brazilian Legislation limits. The method was applied for analyzing 37 rice samples (including polished, brown, and parboiled, consumed by the Brazilian population. The total arsenic, cadmium, and lead contents were lower than the established legislative values, except for total arsenic in one brown rice sample. This study indicated the need to establish monitoring programs for emphasizing the study on this type of cereal, aiming at promoting the Public Health.

Development of improved space sampling strategies for ocean chemical properties: Total carbon dioxide and dissolved nitrate

Science.gov (United States)

Goyet, Catherine; Davis, Daniel; Peltzer, Edward T.; Brewer, Peter G.

1995-01-01

Large-scale ocean observing programs such as the Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS) and the World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) today, must face the problem of designing an adequate sampling strategy. For ocean chemical variables, the goals and observing technologies are quite different from ocean physical variables (temperature, salinity, pressure). We have recently acquired data on the ocean CO2 properties on WOCE cruises P16c and P17c that are sufficiently dense to test for sampling redundancy. We use linear and quadratic interpolation methods on the sampled field to investigate what is the minimum number of samples required to define the deep ocean total inorganic carbon (TCO2) field within the limits of experimental accuracy (+/- 4 micromol/kg). Within the limits of current measurements, these lines were oversampled in the deep ocean. Should the precision of the measurement be improved, then a denser sampling pattern may be desirable in the future. This approach rationalizes the efficient use of resources for field work and for estimating gridded (TCO2) fields needed to constrain geochemical models.

Working time intervals and total work time on nursing positions in Poland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danuta Kunecka

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Background: For the last few years a topic of overwork on nursing posts has given rise to strong discussions. The author has set herself a goal of answering the question if it is a result of real overwork of this particular profession or rather commonly assumed frustration of this professional group. The aim of this paper is to conduct the analysis of working time on chosen nursing positions in relation to measures of time being used as intervals in the course of conducting standard professional activities during one working day. Material and Methods: Research material consisted of documentation of work time on chosen nursing workplaces, compiled between 2007–2012 within the framework of a nursing course at the Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin. As a method of measurement a photograph of a working day has been used. Measurements were performed in institutions located in 6 voivodeships in Poland. Results: Results suggest that only 6.5% of total of surveyed representatives of nurse profession spends proper amount of time (meaning: a time set by the applicable standards on work intervals during a working day. Conclusions: The scale of the phenomenon indicates excessive workload for nursing positions, which along with a longer period of time, longer working hours may cause decrease in efficiency of work and cause a drop in quality of provided services. Med Pr 2015;66,(2:165–172

TOTAL QUALITY AND WORK ORGANISATION IN HEALTH CARE FIRMS

OpenAIRE

Gianfranco Corio

1997-01-01

[The area of organisation is the one to work in so as to improve products/services in health care firms, and to establish the transformation of professional behaviour. The actions and roles of middle management as a strategic entity in the case of the set-up of programs for improvement based on Total Quality. Total Quality as a strategic factor in health care firms with regard to management and as a basic component for "purchasing" decisions made by external customers.

The analysis of Th in the Korean total diet sample by RNAA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, Yong Sam; Moon, Jong Hwa; Kang, Sang Hoon; Park, Kwang Won

1999-01-01

In order to estimate the degree of intake of 232 Th through daily diet, a korean total diet sample was collected and made after the investigation of the amount of consumption of daily diet which is dependent on the ages of 20's to 50's. For Th analysis, the RNAA method was applied and NIST SRM 1575, Pine Needle was used as quality control materials. The result of the SRM analysis was compared with a certified value. The relative error was 5%. The determination of the Th in the korean total diet sample was carried out under the same analytical condition and procedure with SRM. As a result of the korean total diet sample, the concentration of Th was in 3.4 ± 0.2 ppb and the amount of daily intake of Th by the diet is found to be 0.67 g per day. Radioactivity by Th intake was estimated to be about 2.7 mBq per person per day and annual dose equivalent was revealed as 0.73 μSv per person

Correlates of occupational, leisure and total sitting time in working adults: results from the Singapore multi-ethnic cohort.

Science.gov (United States)

Uijtdewilligen, Léonie; Yin, Jason Dean-Chen; van der Ploeg, Hidde P; Müller-Riemenschneider, Falk

2017-12-13

Evidence on the health risks of sitting is accumulating. However, research identifying factors influencing sitting time in adults is limited, especially in Asian populations. This study aimed to identify socio-demographic and lifestyle correlates of occupational, leisure and total sitting time in a sample of Singapore working adults. Data were collected between 2004 and 2010 from participants of the Singapore Multi Ethnic Cohort (MEC). Medical exclusion criteria for cohort participation were cancer, heart disease, stroke, renal failure and serious mental illness. Participants who were not working over the past 12 months and without data on sitting time were excluded from the analyses. Multivariable regression analyses were used to examine cross-sectional associations of self-reported age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, education, smoking, caloric intake and moderate-to-vigorous leisure time physical activity (LTPA) with self-reported occupational, leisure and total sitting time. Correlates were also studied separately for Chinese, Malays and Indians. The final sample comprised 9384 participants (54.8% male): 50.5% were Chinese, 24.0% Malay, and 25.5% Indian. For the total sample, mean occupational sitting time was 2.71 h/day, mean leisure sitting time was 2.77 h/day and mean total sitting time was 5.48 h/day. Sitting time in all domains was highest among Chinese. Age, gender, education, and caloric intake were associated with higher occupational sitting time, while ethnicity, marital status and smoking were associated with lower occupational sitting time. Marital status, smoking, caloric intake and LTPA were associated with higher leisure sitting time, while age, gender and ethnicity were associated with lower leisure sitting time. Gender, marital status, education, caloric intake and LTPA were associated with higher total sitting time, while ethnicity was associated with lower total sitting time. Stratified analyses revealed different associations within

Multielement analysis of aerosol samples by X-ray fluorescence analysis with totally reflecting sample holders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ketelsen, P.; Knoechel, A.

1984-01-01

Aerosole samples on filter support were analyzed using the X-ray flourescence analytical method (Mo excitation) with totally reflecting sample carrier (TXFA). Wet decomposition of the sample material with HNO 3 in an enclosed system and subsequent sample preparation by evaporating an aliquot of the solution on the sample carrier yields detection limits up to 0.3 ng/cm 2 . The reproducibilities of the measurements of the elements K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Ba and Pb lie between 5 and 25%. Similar detection limits and reproducibilities are obtained, when low-temperature oxygen plasma is employed for the direct ashing of the homogenously covered filter on the sample carrier. For the systematic loss of elements both methods were investigated with radiotracers as well as with inactive techniques. A comparison of the results with those obtained by NAA, AAS and PIXE shows good agreement in most cases. For the bromine determination and the fast coverage of the main elements a possibility for measuring the filter membrane has been indicated, which neglects the ashing step. The corresponding detection limits are up to 3 ng/cm 2 . (orig.) [de

Utilization of AHWR critical facility for research and development work on large sample NAA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Acharya, R.; Dasari, K.B.; Pujari, P.K.; Swain, K.K.; Reddy, A.V.R.; Verma, S.K.; De, S.K.

2014-01-01

The graphite reflector position of AHWR critical facility (CF) was utilized for analysis of large size (g-kg scale) samples using internal mono standard neutron activation analysis (IM-NAA). The reactor position was characterized by cadmium ratio method using In monitor for total flux and sub cadmium to epithermal flux ratio (f). Large sample neutron activation analysis (LSNAA) work was carried out for samples of stainless steel, ancient and new clay potteries and dross. Large as well as non-standard geometry samples (1 g - 0.5 kg) were irradiated. Radioactive assay was carried out using high resolution gamma ray spectrometry. Concentration ratios obtained by IM-NAA were used for provenance study of 30 clay potteries, obtained from excavated Buddhist sites of AP, India. Concentrations of Au and Ag were determined in not so homogeneous three large size samples of dross. An X-Z rotary scanning unit has been installed for counting large and not so homogeneous samples. (author)

Total Decomposition of Environmental Radionuclide Samples with a Microwave Oven

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramon Garcia, Bernd Kahn

1998-01-01

Closed-vessel microwave assisted acid decomposition was investigated as an alternative to traditional methods of sample dissolution/decomposition. This technique, used in analytical chemistry, has some potential advantages over other procedures. It requires less reagents, it is faster, and it has the potential of achieving total dissolution because of higher temperatures and pressures

Redesigning the work system of rubber industries based on total ergonomics and ergo-micmac integration

Science.gov (United States)

Setiawan, H.

2018-01-01

The factory capacity achievement and the bottleneck reduction of production process at wet-blanket workstations are influenced by the balance of life quality rates and worker’s productivity, along with the worker’s ability and limitations, tasks, organization and work environment. The life quality of workers is indicated by: the reduction of workload, and fatigue. Meanwhile, work productivity is measured by increasing production results per work shift. The optimization of the quality of life and productivity of workers is achieved by redesigning the system and workstations based on ergonomics integrating Total Ergonomics with Ergo-MicMac (Micro Ergonomics and Macro Ergonomics), which includes redesigning wet-blanket folding worktable, regulating the system pattern of working in pairs, giving official break time, giving extra nutritious intakes such as sweet tea and snack Pempek, giving personal protective equipments, and redesigning physical working environments.This study was an experimental study, with treatment by subject design involving 30 workers sampled at a workstation condition before and after Ergonomics based redesign. The findings and conclusions of the study were derived from the reduction of the workload by 16.06%, fatigue by 18.84% and the increase of production results per work shift by 20.29%.

Open focused microwave-assisted sample preparation for rapid total and mercury species determination in environmental solid samples

OpenAIRE

Tseng, C. M.; Garraud, H.; Amouroux, D.; Donard, O. F. X.; de Diego, A.

1998-01-01

This paper describes rapid, simple microwave-assisted leaching/ digestion procedures for total and mercury species determination in sediment samples and biomaterials. An open focused microwave system allowed the sample preparation time to be dramatically reduced to only 24 min when a power of 40-80 W was applied. Quantitative leaching of methylmercury from sediments by HNO3 solution and complete dissolution of biomaterials by an alkaline solution, such as 25% TMAH solution, were obtained. Met...

An Overview of the Total Lightning Jump Algorithm: Past, Present and Future Work

Science.gov (United States)

Schultz, Christopher J.; Petersen, Walter A.; Carey, Lawrence D.; Deierling, Wiebke; Kessinger, Cathy

2011-01-01

Rapid increases in total lightning prior to the onset of severe and hazardous weather have been observed for several decades. These rapid increases are known as lightning jumps and can precede the occurrence of severe weather by tens of minutes. Over the past decade, a significant effort has been made to quantify lightning jump behavior in relation to its utility as a predictor of severe and hazardous weather. Based on a study of 34 thunderstorms that occurred in the Tennessee Valley, early work conducted in our group at Huntsville determined that it was indeed possible to create a reasonable operational lightning jump algorithm (LJA) based on a statistical framework relying on the variance behavior of the lightning trending signal. We the expanded this framework and tested several variance-related LJA configurations on a much larger sample of 87 severe and non severe thunderstorms. This study determined that a configuration named the "2(sigma)" algorithm had the most promise in development of the operational LJA with a probability of detection (POD) of 87%, a false alarm rate (FAR) of 33%, a Heidke Skill Score (HSS) of 0.75. The 2(sigma) algorithm was then tested on an even larger sample of 711 thunderstorms of all types from four regions of the country where total lightning measurement capability existed. The result was very encouraging.Despite the larger number of storms and the inclusion of different regions of the country, the POD remained high (79%), the FAR was low (36%) and HSS was solid (0.71). Average lead time from jump to severe weather occurrence was 20.65 minutes, with a standard deviation of +/- 15 minutes. Also, trends in total lightning were compared to cloud to ground (CG) lightning trends, and it was determined that total lightning trends had a higher POD (79% vs 66%), lower FAR (36% vs 54 %) and a better HSS (0.71 vs 0.55). From the 711-storm case study it was determined that a majority of missed events were due to severe weather producing

Analysis of factors influencing return to work after total hip arthroplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Truszczyńska, Aleksandra; Rąpała, Kazimierz; Tarnowski, Adam; Kucharczyk, Wojciech

2013-10-31

BACKGROUND. Patients who undergo total hip arthroplasty (THA) find it difficult to return to work. OBJECTIVES. Analysis of factors influencing return to work after THA. Assessment of patients' quality of life and its impact on their attitude to work. MATERIAL AND METHODS. We studied patients operated on for degenerative hip disease at the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery of Medical Centre of Postgraduate Education in Otwock between 2007 and 2012. The total number of the patients was 400; however, we chose only those patients who were younger than 65 and still in employment. The study population consisted of 54 of these patients. The mean patient age was 55.89 (±7.424). There were 29 men (57.3%) and 25 women (46.3%). RESULTS. 32 patients (59.3%) returned to work. There was a statistically significant difference regarding the attitude to work and return to work. An overwhelming majority of the patients who returned to work--31 out of 32 (96.6%)--liked their jobs. The 12 patients (22.22%) who did not return to work declared their intention to apply for a disability pension. The patients who returned to work assessed their physical health as better than the patients who did not return to work. CONCLUSIONS. 1. 40.7% of patients after THA did not return to preoperative employment. The reasons for not returning were not medical, because elimination of pain and an increased range of motion made return to work possible. 2. The perception of the quality of physical and psychological health among patients with THA who returned to work was significantly better than among those who did not return.

Matrix effect on the detection limit and accuracy in total reflection X-ray fluorescence analysis of trace elements in environmental and biological samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karjou, J.

2007-01-01

The effect of matrix contents on the detection limit of total reflection X-ray fluorescence analysis was experimentally investigated using a set of multielement standard solutions (500 ng/mL of each element) in variable concentrations of NH 4 NO 3 . It was found that high matrix concentration, i.e. 0.1-10% NH 4 NO 3 , had a strong effect on the detection limits for all investigated elements, whereas no effect was observed at lower matrix concentration, i.e. 0-0.1% NH 4 NO 3 . The effect of soil and blood sample masses on the detection limit was also studied. The results showed decreasing the detection limit (in concentration unit, μg/g) with increasing the sample mass. However, the detection limit increased (in mass unit, ng) with increasing sample mass. The optimal blood sample mass of ca. 200 μg was sufficient to improve the detection limit of Se determination by total reflection X-ray fluorescence. The capability of total reflection X-ray fluorescence to analyze different kinds of samples was discussed with respect to the accuracy and detection limits based on certified and reference materials. Direct analysis of unknown water samples from several sources was also presented in this work

In search of a representative sample of residential building work.

Science.gov (United States)

Lobb, Brenda; Woods, Gregory R

2012-09-01

Most research investigating injuries in construction work is limited by reliance on work samples unrepresentative of the multiple, variable-cycle tasks involved, resulting in incomplete characterisation of ergonomic exposures. In this case study, a participatory approach was used including hierarchical task analysis and site observations of a typical team of house builders in New Zealand, over several working days, to obtain a representative work sample. The builders' work consisted of 14 goal-defined jobs using varying subsets of 15 task types, each taking from less than 1 s to more than 1 h and performed in a variety of postures. Task type and duration varied within and between participants and days, although all participants spent at least 25% of the time moving from place to place, mostly carrying materials, and more than half the time either reaching up or bending down to work. This research has provided a description of residential building work based on a work sample more nearly representative than those previously published and has demonstrated a simple, low-cost but robust field observation method that can provide a valid basis for further study of hazard exposures. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Determination of total mercury for marine environmental monitoring studies by solid sampling continuum source high resolution atomic absorption spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mandjukov, Petko; Orani, Anna Maria; Han, Eunmi; Vassileva, Emilia, E-mail: e.vasileva-veleva@iaea.org

2015-01-01

The most critical step in almost all commonly used analytical procedures for Hg determination is the sample preparation due to its extreme volatility. One of the possible solutions of this problem is the application of methods for direct analysis of solid samples. The possibilities for solid sampling high resolution continuum source atomic absorption spectrometry (HR CS AAS) determination of total mercury in various marine environmental samples e.g. sediments and biota are object of the present study. The instrumental parameters were optimized in order to obtain reproducible and interference free analytical signal. A calibration technique based on the use of solid standard certified reference materials similar to the nature of the analyzed sample was developed and applied to various CRMs and real samples. This technique allows simple and reliable evaluation of the uncertainty of the result and the metrological characteristics of the method. A validation approach in line with the requirements of ISO 17025 standard and Eurachem guidelines was followed. With this in mind, selectivity, working range (0.06 to 25 ng for biota and 0.025 to 4 ng for sediment samples, expressed as total Hg) linearity (confirmed by Student's t-test), bias (1.6–4.3%), repeatability (4–9%), reproducibility (9–11%), and absolute limit of detection (0.025 ng for sediment, 0.096 ng for marine biota) were systematically assessed using solid CRMs. The relative expanded uncertainty was estimated at 15% for sediment sample and 8.5% for marine biota sample (k = 2). Demonstration of traceability of measurement results is also presented. The potential of the proposed analytical procedure, based on solid sampling HR CS AAS technique was demonstrated by direct analysis of sea sediments form the Caribbean region and various CRMs. Overall, the use of solid sampling HR CS AAS permits obtaining significant advantages for the determination of this complex analyte in marine samples, such as

Work Sampling Study of an Engineering Professor during a Regular Contract Period

Science.gov (United States)

Brink, Jan; McDonald, Dale B.

2015-01-01

Work sampling is a technique that has been employed in industry and fields such as healthcare for some time. It is a powerful technique, and an alternative to conventional stop watch time studies, used by industrial engineers to focus upon random work sampling observations. This study applies work sampling to the duties performed by an individual…

Total reflection X-ray fluorescence with synchrotron radiation applied to biological and environmental samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simabuco, S.M.; Matsumoto, E.; Jesus, E.F.O.; Lopes, R.T.; Perez, C.; Nascimento Filho, V.F.; Costa, R.S.S.; Tavares do Carmo, M.G.; Saunders, C.

2001-01-01

Full text: The Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence has been applied for trace elements in water and aqueous solutions, environmental samples and biological materials after sample preparation and to surface analysis of silicon wafers. The present paper shows some results of applications for rainwater, atmospheric particulate material, colostrum and nuclear samples. (author)

Quantification of total aluminium concentrations in food samples at trace levels by INAA and PIGE methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nanda, Braja B.; Acharya, R.

2017-01-01

Total aluminium contents in various food samples were determined by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) and Particle Induced Gamma-ray Emission (PIGE) methods. A total of 16 rice samples, collected from the field, were analyzed by INAA using reactor neutrons from Dhruva reactor. Whereas a total 17 spices collected from market, were analyzed by both INAA and PIGE methods in conjunction with high resolution gamma-ray spectrometry. Aluminium concentration values were found to be in the range of 19-845 mg kg -1 for spices and 15-104 mg kg -1 for rice samples. The methods were validated by analyzing standard reference materials (SRMs) form NIST. (author)

Assessment of the total uranium concentration in surface and underground water samples from the Caetite region, Bahia, Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, Julia Grasiela Batista; Geraldo, Luiz Paulo; Yamazaki, Ione Makiko

2011-01-01

At the region of Caetite, BA, it is located the largest uranium mine in exploration at present days in Brazil. During the uranium extraction process, it may be having an environmental contamination by this heavy metal due to rain water and other natural transport mechanism, with potential exposition risk to the local population. The aim of this work was to investigate the total uranium concentration in surface and underground water samples collected at the Caetite region, using the nuclear track registration technique (SSNTD) in a polycarbonate plastic. A 100 mL volume of water samples were initially treated in 10 mL of HNO 3 (PA) and concentrated by evaporation at a temperature around 80 deg C. The resulting residue was diluted to a total volume of 25 mL without pass it to a filter. About 10 μL of this solution was deposited on the plastic detector surface (around 1.0 cm 2 area) together with 5 μL of a Cyastat detergent solution (5%) and evaporated under an infrared lamp. All the resulting deposits of non volatile constituents were irradiated, together with a uranium standard sample, at the IPEN-IEA-R1 (3.5 MW) nuclear reactor for approximately 3 min. After irradiations, chemical etching of the plastic detectors was carried out at 60 deg C, for 65 min. in a NaOH (6N) solution. The fission tracks were counted scanning all the deposit area of the polycarbonate plastic detector with a system consisting of an optical microscope together with a video camera and TV monitor. The average values of uranium concentrations obtained in this work ranged from (0.95±0.19) μg.L -1 to (25.60±3.3) μg.L -1 . These results were compared to values reported in the literature for water samples from other regions and discussed in terms of safe limits recommended by WHO -World Health Organization and CONAMA - Conselho Nacional do Meio Ambiente. (author)

Assessment of the total uranium concentration in surface and underground water samples from the Caetite region, Bahia, Brazil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silva, Julia Grasiela Batista; Geraldo, Luiz Paulo [Centro Universitario da Fundacao Educacional de Barretos (UNIFEB), (SP) (Brazil); Yamazaki, Ione Makiko [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2011-07-01

At the region of Caetite, BA, it is located the largest uranium mine in exploration at present days in Brazil. During the uranium extraction process, it may be having an environmental contamination by this heavy metal due to rain water and other natural transport mechanism, with potential exposition risk to the local population. The aim of this work was to investigate the total uranium concentration in surface and underground water samples collected at the Caetite region, using the nuclear track registration technique (SSNTD) in a polycarbonate plastic. A 100 mL volume of water samples were initially treated in 10 mL of HNO{sub 3} (PA) and concentrated by evaporation at a temperature around 80 deg C. The resulting residue was diluted to a total volume of 25 mL without pass it to a filter. About 10 {mu}L of this solution was deposited on the plastic detector surface (around 1.0 cm{sup 2} area) together with 5 {mu}L of a Cyastat detergent solution (5%) and evaporated under an infrared lamp. All the resulting deposits of non volatile constituents were irradiated, together with a uranium standard sample, at the IPEN-IEA-R1 (3.5 MW) nuclear reactor for approximately 3 min. After irradiations, chemical etching of the plastic detectors was carried out at 60 deg C, for 65 min. in a NaOH (6N) solution. The fission tracks were counted scanning all the deposit area of the polycarbonate plastic detector with a system consisting of an optical microscope together with a video camera and TV monitor. The average values of uranium concentrations obtained in this work ranged from (0.95{+-}0.19) {mu}g.L{sup -1} to (25.60{+-}3.3) {mu}g.L{sup -1}. These results were compared to values reported in the literature for water samples from other regions and discussed in terms of safe limits recommended by WHO -World Health Organization and CONAMA - Conselho Nacional do Meio Ambiente. (author)

Methodological integrative review of the work sampling technique used in nursing workload research.

Science.gov (United States)

Blay, Nicole; Duffield, Christine M; Gallagher, Robyn; Roche, Michael

2014-11-01

To critically review the work sampling technique used in nursing workload research. Work sampling is a technique frequently used by researchers and managers to explore and measure nursing activities. However, work sampling methods used are diverse making comparisons of results between studies difficult. Methodological integrative review. Four electronic databases were systematically searched for peer-reviewed articles published between 2002-2012. Manual scanning of reference lists and Rich Site Summary feeds from contemporary nursing journals were other sources of data. Articles published in the English language between 2002-2012 reporting on research which used work sampling to examine nursing workload. Eighteen articles were reviewed. The review identified that the work sampling technique lacks a standardized approach, which may have an impact on the sharing or comparison of results. Specific areas needing a shared understanding included the training of observers and subjects who self-report, standardization of the techniques used to assess observer inter-rater reliability, sampling methods and reporting of outcomes. Work sampling is a technique that can be used to explore the many facets of nursing work. Standardized reporting measures would enable greater comparison between studies and contribute to knowledge more effectively. Author suggestions for the reporting of results may act as guidelines for researchers considering work sampling as a research method. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Determination of total mercury for marine environmental monitoring studies by solid sampling continuum source high resolution atomic absorption spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Mandjukov, Petko; Orani, Anna Maria; Han, Eunmi; Vassileva, Emilia

2015-01-01

The most critical step in almost all commonly used analytical procedures for Hg determination is the sample preparation due to its extreme volatility. One of the possible solutions of this problem is the application of methods for direct analysis of solid samples. The possibilities for solid sampling high resolution continuum source atomic absorption spectrometry (HR CS AAS) determination of total mercury in various marine environmental samples e.g. sediments and biota are object of the present study. The instrumental parameters were optimized in order to obtain reproducible and interference free analytical signal. A calibration technique based on the use of solid standard certified reference materials similar to the nature of the analyzed sample was developed and applied to various CRMs and real samples. This technique allows simple and reliable evaluation of the uncertainty of the result and the metrological characteristics of the method. A validation approach in line with the requirements of ISO 17025 standard and Eurachem guidelines was followed. With this in mind, selectivity, working range (0.06 to 25 ng for biota and 0.025 to 4 ng for sediment samples, expressed as total Hg) linearity (confirmed by Student's t-test), bias (1.6-4.3%), repeatability (4-9%), reproducibility (9-11%), and absolute limit of detection (0.025 ng for sediment, 0.096 ng for marine biota) were systematically assessed using solid CRMs. The relative expanded uncertainty was estimated at 15% for sediment sample and 8.5% for marine biota sample (k = 2). Demonstration of traceability of measurement results is also presented. The potential of the proposed analytical procedure, based on solid sampling HR CS AAS technique was demonstrated by direct analysis of sea sediments form the Caribbean region and various CRMs. Overall, the use of solid sampling HR CS AAS permits obtaining significant advantages for the determination of this complex analyte in marine samples, such as straightforward

Different but Equal: Total Work, Gender and Social Norms in EU and US Time Use

OpenAIRE

Daniel S Hamermesh; Michael C Burda; Philippe Weil

2008-01-01

Using time-diary data from 27 countries, we demonstrate a negative relationship between real GDP per capita and the female-male difference in total work time—the sum of work for pay and work at home. We also show that in rich non-Catholic countries on four continents men and women do the same amount of total work on average. Our survey results demonstrate that labor economists, macroeconomists, sociologists and the general public consistently believe that women perform more tot...

Sampling Errors in Monthly Rainfall Totals for TRMM and SSM/I, Based on Statistics of Retrieved Rain Rates and Simple Models

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, Thomas L.; Kundu, Prasun K.; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Estimates from TRMM satellite data of monthly total rainfall over an area are subject to substantial sampling errors due to the limited number of visits to the area by the satellite during the month. Quantitative comparisons of TRMM averages with data collected by other satellites and by ground-based systems require some estimate of the size of this sampling error. A method of estimating this sampling error based on the actual statistics of the TRMM observations and on some modeling work has been developed. "Sampling error" in TRMM monthly averages is defined here relative to the monthly total a hypothetical satellite permanently stationed above the area would have reported. "Sampling error" therefore includes contributions from the random and systematic errors introduced by the satellite remote sensing system. As part of our long-term goal of providing error estimates for each grid point accessible to the TRMM instruments, sampling error estimates for TRMM based on rain retrievals from TRMM microwave (TMI) data are compared for different times of the year and different oceanic areas (to minimize changes in the statistics due to algorithmic differences over land and ocean). Changes in sampling error estimates due to changes in rain statistics due 1) to evolution of the official algorithms used to process the data, and 2) differences from other remote sensing systems such as the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I), are analyzed.

The Work Role Functioning Questionnaire v2.0 Showed Consistent Factor Structure Across Six Working Samples

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Abma, Femke I.; Bültmann, Ute; Amick, Benjamin C.

2017-01-01

Objective: The Work Role Functioning Questionnaire v2.0 (WRFQ) is an outcome measure linking a persons’ health to the ability to meet work demands in the twenty-first century. We aimed to examine the construct validity of the WRFQ in a heterogeneous set of working samples in the Netherlands...

The Work Role Functioning Questionnaire v2.0 Showed Consistent Factor Structure Across Six Working Samples

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Abma, F.I.; Bultmann, U.; Amick III, B.C.; Arends, I.; Dorland, P.A.; Flach, P.A.; Klink, J.J.L van der; Ven H.A., van de; Bjørner, J.B.

2017-01-01

Objective The Work Role Functioning Questionnaire v2.0 (WRFQ) is an outcome measure linking a persons’ health to the ability to meet work demands in the twenty-first century. We aimed to examine the construct validity of the WRFQ in a heterogeneous set of working samples in the Netherlands with

Objectively measured total and occupational sedentary time in three work settings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dommelen, P. van; Coffeng, J. K.; Ploeg, H.P. van der; Beek, A.J. van der; Boot, C.R.; Hendriksen, I.J.

2016-01-01

Background. Sedentary behaviour increases the risk for morbidity. Our primary aim is to determine the proportion and factors associated with objectively measured total and occupational sedentary time in three work settings. Secondary aim is to study the proportion of physical activity and prolonged

Assessing total and volatile solids in municipal solid waste samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Peces, M; Astals, S; Mata-Alvarez, J

2014-01-01

Municipal solid waste is broadly generated in everyday activities and its treatment is a global challenge. Total solids (TS) and volatile solids (VS) are typical control parameters measured in biological treatments. In this study, the TS and VS were determined using the standard methods, as well as introducing some variants: (i) the drying temperature for the TS assays was 105°C, 70°C and 50°C and (ii) the VS were determined using different heating ramps from room tempature to 550°C. TS could be determined at either 105°C or 70°C, but oven residence time was tripled at 70°C, increasing from 48 to 144 h. The VS could be determined by smouldering the sample (where the sample is burnt without a flame), which avoids the release of fumes and odours in the laboratory. However, smouldering can generate undesired pyrolysis products as a consequence of carbonization, which leads to VS being underestimated. Carbonization can be avoided using slow heating ramps to prevent the oxygen limitation. Furthermore, crushing the sample cores decreased the time to reach constant weight and decreased the potential to underestimate VS.

Return to work and workplace activity limitations following total hip or knee replacement.

Science.gov (United States)

Sankar, A; Davis, A M; Palaganas, M P; Beaton, D E; Badley, E M; Gignac, M A

2013-10-01

Total hip (THR) and knee (TKR) replacements increasingly are performed on younger people making return to work a salient outcome. This research evaluates characteristics of individuals with early and later return to work following THR and TKR. Additionally, at work limitations pre-surgery and upon returning to work, and factors associated with work limitations were evaluated. 190 THR and 170 TKR of a total 931 cohort participants were eligible (i.e., working or on short-term disability pre-surgery). They completed questionnaires pre-surgery and 1, 3, 6 and 12 months post-surgery that included demographics, type of occupation, and the Workplace Activity Limitations Scale (WALS). 166 (87%) and 144 (85%) returned to work by 12 months following THR and TKR, respectively. Early (1 month) return to work was associated with, male gender, university education, working in business, finance or administration, and low physical demand work. People with THR returned to work earlier than those with TKR. For both groups, less pain and every day functional limitations were associated with less workplace activity limitations at the time return to work. The majority of individuals working prior to surgery return to work following hip or knee replacement for osteoarthritis (OA) and experience fewer limitations at work than pre-surgery. The changing workforce dynamics and trends toward surgery at younger ages mean that these are important outcomes for clinicians to assess. Additionally, this is important information for employers in understanding continued participation in employment for people with OA. Copyright © 2013 Osteoarthritis Research Society International. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Significant increase in cultivation of Gardnerella vaginalis, Alloscardovia omnicolens, Actinotignum schaalii, and Actinomyces spp. in urine samples with total laboratory automation.

Science.gov (United States)

Klein, Sabrina; Nurjadi, Dennis; Horner, Susanne; Heeg, Klaus; Zimmermann, Stefan; Burckhardt, Irene

2018-04-13

While total laboratory automation (TLA) is well established in laboratory medicine, only a few microbiological laboratories are using TLA systems. Especially in terms of speed and accuracy, working with TLA is expected to be superior to conventional microbiology. We compared in total 35,564 microbiological urine cultures with and without incubation and processing with BD Kiestra TLA for a 6-month period each retrospectively. Sixteen thousand three hundred thirty-eight urine samples were analyzed in the pre-TLA period and 19,226 with TLA. Sixty-two percent (n = 10,101/16338) of the cultures processed without TLA and 68% (n = 13,102/19226) of the cultures processed with TLA showed growth. There were significantly more samples with two or more species per sample and with low numbers of colony forming units (CFU) after incubation with TLA. Regarding the type of bacteria, there were comparable amounts of Enterobacteriaceae in the samples, slightly less non-fermenting Gram-negative bacteria, but significantly more Gram-positive cocci, and Gram-positive rods. Especially Alloscardivia omnicolens, Gardnerella vaginalis, Actinomyces spp., and Actinotignum schaalii were significantly more abundant in the samples incubated and processed with TLA. The time to report was significantly lower in the TLA processed samples by 1.5 h. We provide the first report in Europe of a large number of urine samples processed with TLA. TLA showed enhanced growth of non-classical and rarely cultured bacteria from urine samples. Our findings suggest that previously underestimated bacteria may be relevant pathogens for urinary tract infections. Further studies are needed to confirm our findings.

Total Arsenic, Cadmium, and Lead Determination in Brazilian Rice Samples Using ICP-MS

OpenAIRE

Mataveli, Lidiane Raquel Verola; Buzzo, Márcia Liane; Arauz, Luciana Juncioni de; Carvalho, Maria de Fátima Henriques; Arakaki, Edna Emy Kumagai; Matsuzaki, Richard; Tiglea, Paulo

2016-01-01

This study is aimed at investigating a suitable method for rice sample preparation as well as validating and applying the method for monitoring the concentration of total arsenic, cadmium, and lead in rice by using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Various rice sample preparation procedures were evaluated. The analytical method was validated by measuring several parameters including limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), linearity, relative bias, and rep...

Porous Silicon Antibody Microarrays for Quantitative Analysis: Measurement of Free and Total PSA in Clinical Plasma Samples

Science.gov (United States)

Tojo, Axel; Malm, Johan; Marko-Varga, György; Lilja, Hans; Laurell, Thomas

2014-01-01

The antibody microarrays have become widespread, but their use for quantitative analyses in clinical samples has not yet been established. We investigated an immunoassay based on nanoporous silicon antibody microarrays for quantification of total prostate-specific-antigen (PSA) in 80 clinical plasma samples, and provide quantitative data from a duplex microarray assay that simultaneously quantifies free and total PSA in plasma. To further develop the assay the porous silicon chips was placed into a standard 96-well microtiter plate for higher throughput analysis. The samples analyzed by this quantitative microarray were 80 plasma samples obtained from men undergoing clinical PSA testing (dynamic range: 0.14-44ng/ml, LOD: 0.14ng/ml). The second dataset, measuring free PSA (dynamic range: 0.40-74.9ng/ml, LOD: 0.47ng/ml) and total PSA (dynamic range: 0.87-295ng/ml, LOD: 0.76ng/ml), was also obtained from the clinical routine. The reference for the quantification was a commercially available assay, the ProStatus PSA Free/Total DELFIA. In an analysis of 80 plasma samples the microarray platform performs well across the range of total PSA levels. This assay might have the potential to substitute for the large-scale microtiter plate format in diagnostic applications. The duplex assay paves the way for a future quantitative multiplex assay, which analyses several prostate cancer biomarkers simultaneously. PMID:22921878

Determination of total chromium in tanned leather samples used in car industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeiner, Michaela; Rezić, Iva; Ujević, Darko; Steffan, Ilse

2011-03-01

Despite the high competition of synthetic fibers leather is nowadays still widely used for many applications. In order to ensure a sufficient stability of the skin matrix against many factors, such as microbial degradation, heat and sweat, a tanning process is indispensable. Using chromium (III) for this purpose offers a multitude of advantages, thus this way of tanning is widely applied. During the use of chromium tanned leather as clothing material as well as for decoration/covering purposes, chromium is extracted from the leather and may then cause nocuous effects to human skin, e.g. allergic reactions. Thus the knowledge of the total chromium content of leather samples expected to come into prolonged touch with human skin is very important. In car industry leather is used as cover for seats, steering wheel and gearshift lever The chromium contents often chromium tanned leather samples used in car industry were determined. First all samples were dried at 65 degrees C overnight and then cut in small pieces using a ceramic knife, weighed and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma--optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) after acidic microwave assisted digestion. The total chromium amounts found were in the range from 19 mg/g up to 32 mg/g. The extraction yield of chromium from leather samples in sweat is approximately 2-7%. Thus especially during long journeys in summer chromium can be extracted in amounts which may cause nocuous effects for example on the palm of the hands or on the back.

A novel solid phase extraction procedure on Amberlite XAD-1180 for speciation of Cr(III), Cr(VI) and total chromium in environmental and pharmaceutical samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narin, Ibrahim; Kars, Ayse; Soylak, Mustafa

2008-01-01

Due to the toxicity of chromium, species depend on their chemical properties and bioavailabilities, speciation of chromium is very important in environmental samples. A speciation procedure for chromium(III), chromium(VI) and total chromium in environmental samples is presented in this work, prior to flame atomic absorption spectrometric determination of chromium. The procedure is based on the adsorption of Cr(III)-diphenylcarbazone complex on Amberlite XAD-1180 resin. After oxidation of Cr(III), the developed solid phase extraction system was applied to determinate the total chromium. Cr(III) was calculated as the difference between the total Cr content and the Cr(VI) content. The analytical conditions for the quantitative recoveries of Cr(VI) on Amberlite XAD-1180 resin were investigated. The effects of some alkaline, earth alkaline, metal ions and also some anions were also examined. Preconcentration factor was found to be 75. The detection limits (LOD) based on three times sigma of the blank (N: 21) for Cr(VI) and total chromium were 7.7 and 8.6 μg/L, respectively. Satisfactory results for the analysis of total chromium in the stream sediment (GBW7310) certified reference material for the validation of the presented method was obtained. The procedure was applied to food, water and pharmaceutical samples successfully

Determination of total and methylmercury compounds in the IAEA human hair intercomparison samples - Experience of the IAEA-MEL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horvat, M.; Liang, L.; Mandic, V.

1995-01-01

The programme of this CRP is focused on the analyses of human hair samples. There are only two human hair samples certified for total mercury, and no RMs for methylmercury compounds is available. One of the main objectives of this CRP is to produce, through the IAEA AQCS Programme, a human hair intercomparison material for quality assurance requirements in population monitoring programmes for total and methylmercury exposure. Through the reporting period, MESL has introduced a new method for simultaneous determination of total and methylmercury in biological samples. As the laboratory has close collaboration with the CRP's Reference Laboratory in Ljubljana, Slovenia, it has also been actively involved in the quality assurance component of this CRP. This report represents a summary on the results for total and methylmercury in two intercomparison samples, IAEA-085 and IAEA-086 using newly developed method

Objectively Measured Total and Occupational Sedentary Time in Three Work Settings

Science.gov (United States)

van Dommelen, Paula; Coffeng, Jennifer K.; van der Ploeg, Hidde P.; van der Beek, Allard J.; Boot, Cécile R. L.; Hendriksen, Ingrid J. M.

2016-01-01

Background Sedentary behaviour increases the risk for morbidity. Our primary aim is to determine the proportion and factors associated with objectively measured total and occupational sedentary time in three work settings. Secondary aim is to study the proportion of physical activity and prolonged sedentary bouts. Methods Data were obtained using ActiGraph accelerometers from employees of: 1) a financial service provider (n = 49 men, 31 women), 2) two research institutes (n = 30 men, 57 women), and 3) a construction company (n = 38 men). Total (over the whole day) and occupational sedentary time, physical activity and prolonged sedentary bouts (lasting ≥30 minutes) were calculated by work setting. Linear regression analyses were performed to examine general, health and work-related factors associated with sedentary time. Results The employees of the financial service provider and the research institutes spent 76–80% of their occupational time in sedentary behaviour, 18–20% in light intensity physical activity and 3–5% in moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity. Occupational time in prolonged sedentary bouts was 27–30%. Total time was less sedentary (64–70%), and had more light intensity physical activity (26–33%). The employees of the construction company spent 44% of their occupational time in sedentary behaviour, 49% in light, and 7% in moderate intensity physical activity, and spent 7% in sedentary bouts. Total time spent in sedentary behavior was 56%, 40% in light, and 4% in moderate intensity physical behaviour, and 12% in sedentary bouts. For women, low to intermediate education was the only factor that was negatively associated with occupational sedentary time. Conclusions Sedentary behaviour is high among white-collar employees, especially in highly educated women. A relatively small proportion of sedentary time was accrued in sedentary bouts. It is recommended that worksite health promotion efforts should focus on reducing sedentary

A confirmatory factor analysis of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale for Students in a Chinese sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Lina; Jin, Yi

2017-02-01

Educational institutions play an important role in encouraging students' engagement with course work. Educators are finding instruments to measure students' engagement in order to develop strategies to improve it. Little is known about the factor structure of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale for Students among Chinese nursing students. The aim of this research was to examine the factor structure of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale for Students via confirmatory factor analysis. The study used a cross-sectional design. A sample of 480 students from a nursing school in one Chinese university completed the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale for Students. Factor analysis was used to analyze the resulting data. The overall results of internal consistency reliability and confirmatory factor analysis provided evidence supporting the reliability and three-factor structure of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale for Students. The total internal consistency reliability coefficients were 0.91. Model comparison tests indicated that an oblique factors model that permitted correlations between pairs of error terms fitted the data better than other first-order models. In addition, due to the three strongly intercorrelated factors, a second-order model was found to fit the data well, providing support for the factorial structure of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale for Students. The findings of confirmatory factor analysis provided evidence supporting the reliability and three-factor structure of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale for Students when evaluated with a Chinese nursing student sample in this study. Thus, it is appropriate to use The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale for Students in for assessing the engagement among Chinese nursing students. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of conventional and total reflection excitation geometry for fluorescence X-ray absorption spectroscopy on droplet samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Falkenberg, G.; Pepponi, G.; Streli, C.; Wobrauschek, P.

2003-01-01

X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) experiments in fluorescence mode have been performed in total reflection excitation geometry and conventional 45 deg. /45 deg. excitation/detection geometry for comparison. The experimental results have shown that XAFS measurements are feasible under normal total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) conditions, i.e. on droplet samples, with excitation in grazing incidence and using a TXRF experimental chamber. The application of the total reflection excitation geometry for XAFS measurements increases the sensitivity compared to the conventional geometry leading to lower accessible concentration ranges. However, XAFS under total reflection excitation condition fails for highly concentrated samples because of the self-absorption effect

Determination of total mercury and methylmercury in biological samples by photochemical vapor generation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vieira, Mariana A.; Ribeiro, Anderson S.; Curtius, Adilson J. [Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Departamento de Quimica, Florianopolis, SC (Brazil); Sturgeon, Ralph E. [National Research Council Canada, Institute for National Measurement Standards, Ottawa, ON (Canada)

2007-06-15

Cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CV-AAS) based on photochemical reduction by exposure to UV radiation is described for the determination of methylmercury and total mercury in biological samples. Two approaches were investigated: (a) tissues were digested in either formic acid or tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH), and total mercury was determined following reduction of both species by exposure of the solution to UV irradiation; (b) tissues were solubilized in TMAH, diluted to a final concentration of 0.125% m/v TMAH by addition of 10% v/v acetic acid and CH{sub 3}Hg{sup +} was selectively quantitated, or the initial digests were diluted to 0.125% m/v TMAH by addition of deionized water, adjusted to pH 0.3 by addition of HCl and CH{sub 3}Hg{sup +} was selectively quantitated. For each case, the optimum conditions for photochemical vapor generation (photo-CVG) were investigated. The photochemical reduction efficiency was estimated to be {proportional_to}95% by comparing the response with traditional SnCl{sub 2} chemical reduction. The method was validated by analysis of several biological Certified Reference Materials, DORM-1, DORM-2, DOLT-2 and DOLT-3, using calibration against aqueous solutions of Hg{sup 2+}; results showed good agreement with the certified values for total and methylmercury in all cases. Limits of detection of 6 ng/g for total mercury using formic acid, 8 ng/g for total mercury and 10 ng/g for methylmercury using TMAH were obtained. The proposed methodology is sensitive, simple and inexpensive, and promotes ''green'' chemistry. The potential for application to other sample types and analytes is evident. (orig.)

Self-Reported Poor Work Ability--An Indicator of Need for Rehabilitation? A Cross-Sectional Study of a Sample of German Employees.

Science.gov (United States)

Bethge, Matthias; Spanier, Katja; Neugebauer, Tjark; Mohnberg, Inka; Radoschewski, Friedrich Michael

2015-11-01

The purpose of this study was to assess associations of self-reported work ability as measured by the Work Ability Index (WAI) with modifiable behavioral and occupational health risks, health service utilization, and intended rehabilitation and pension requests. This is a cross-sectional study of a random sample of German employees aged 40-54 yrs on sickness benefits in 2012 (trial registration: DRKS00004824). In total, 1312 male and 1502 female employees were included in the analyses. Low WAI scores (i.e., work strategies, which include the opportunity to access multiprofessional rehabilitation.

Gas and liquid sampling for closed canisters in KW Basin - Work Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pitkoff, C.C.

1995-01-01

Work Plan for the design and fabrication of gas/liquid sampler for closed canister sampling in KW Basin. This document defines the tasks associated with the design, fabrication, assembly, and acceptance testing equipment necessary for gas and liquid sampling of the Mark I and Mark II canisters in the K-West basin. The sampling of the gas space and the remaining liquid inside the closed canisters will be used to help understand any changes to the fuel elements and the canisters. Specifically, this work plan will define the scope of work and required task structure, list the technical requirements, describe design configuration control and verification methodologies, detail quality assurance requirements, and present a baseline estimate and schedule

Radon discrimination for work place air samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bratvold, T.

1994-01-01

Gross alpha/beta measurement systems are designed solely to identify an incident particle as either an alpha or a beta and register a count accordingly. The tool of choice for radon identification, via decay daughters, is an instrument capable of identifying the energy of incident alpha particles and storing that information separately from detected alpha emissions of different energy. In simpler terms, the desired instrument is an alpha spectroscopy system. K Basins Radiological Control (KBRC) procured an EG ampersand G ORTEC OCTETE PC alpha spectroscopy system to facilitate radon identification on work place air samples. The alpha spectrometer allows for the identification of any alpha emitting isotope based on characteristic alpha emission energies. With this new capability, KBRC will explicitly know whether or not there exists a true airborne concern. Based on historical air quality data, this new information venue will reduce the use of respirators substantially. Situations where an area remains ''on mask'' due solely to the presence of radon daughters on the grab air filter will finally be eliminated. This document serves to introduce a new method for radon daughter detection at the 183KE Health Physics Analytical Laboratory (HPAL). A new work place air sampling analysis program will be described throughout this paper. There is no new technology being introduced, nor any unproven analytical process. The program defined over the expanse of this document simply explains how K Basins Radiological Control will employ their alpha spectrometer

[Hygienic evaluation of the total mutagenic activity of snow samples from Magnitogorsk].

Science.gov (United States)

Legostaeva, T B; Ingel', F I; Antipanova, N A; Iurchenko, V V; Iuretseva, N A; Kotliar, N N

2010-01-01

The paper gives the results of 4-year monitoring of the total mutagenic activity of snow samples from different Magnitogork areas in a test for induction of dominant lethal mutations (DLM) in the gametes of Drosophila melanogaster. An association was first found between the rate of DLM and the content of some chemical compounds in the ambient air and snow samples; moreover all the substances present in the samples, which had found genotoxic effects, showed a positive correlation with the rate of DLM. Furthermore, direct correlations were first established between the rate of DLM and the air pollution index and morbidity rates in 5-7-year-old children residing in the areas under study. The findings allow the test for induction of dominant lethal mutations (DLM) in the gametes of Drosophila melanogaster to be recommended due to its unique informative and prognostic value for monitoring ambient air pollution and for extensive use in the risk assessment system.

Total CMB analysis of streaker aerosol samples by PIXE, PIGE, beta- and optical-absorption analyses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Annegarn, H.J.; Przybylowicz, W.J.

1993-01-01

Multielemental analyses of aerosol samples are widely used in air pollution receptor modelling. Specifically, the chemical mass balance (CMB) model has become a powerful tool in urban air quality studies. Input data required for the CMB includes not only the traditional X-ray fluorescence (and hence PIXE) detected elements, but also total mass, organic and inorganic carbon, and other light elements including Mg, Na and F. The circular streaker sampler, in combination with PIXE analysis, has developed into a powerful tool for obtaining time-resolved, multielemental aerosol data. However, application in CMB modelling has been limited by the absence of total mass and complementary light element data. This study reports on progress in using techniques complementary to PIXE to obtain additional data from circular streaker samples, maintaining the nondestructive, instrumental approach inherent in PIXE: Beta-gauging using a 147 Pm source for total mass; optical absorption for inorganic carbon; and PIGE to measure the lighter elements. (orig.)

A CTAB Procedure Of Total Genomic DNA Extraction For Medicinal Mushrooms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azhar Mohamad; Muhammad Hussaini Mohd Mustafa; Muhammad Hanif Azhari Noor; Rosnani Abdul Rashid; Hasan Hamdani Hasan Mutaat; Meswan Meskom; Mat Rasol Awang

2014-01-01

Medicinal mushroom is defined as mushrooms used in medicine or medical research. Isolation of intact, high-molecular-mass genomic DNA is essential for many molecular biology applications including Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), endonuclease restriction digestion, Southern blot analysis, and genomic library construction. The most important and prerequisite towards reliable molecular biology work is the total genomic DNA of a sample must be in good quality. Five freshly samples of medicinal mushroom were used in this work known as Auriculariapolytricha, Lentinus edode, Pleurotus sayorcaju, Sczhizopyllum commune and Ganodermalucidum. 5 mg of each sample were used to extraction the DNA, prepared in 3 replications and repeated twice. PCR based technique by using ISSR markers were used in checking the amplification ability of the total genomic extraction. A standard Doyle and Doyle protocol for genomic DNA extraction was modified in optimizing the total genomic DNA from the medicinal mushroom.The modification parameters were percentage of CTAB, incubation period and temperature. The results reveal that each sample required a certain combinations of time and period of incubation. Besides, percentage of CTAB in the buffer was found significant in giving a high yielding of extracted total genomic DNA. The extracted total genomic DNA from the medicinal mushroom yielded from 39.7 ng/ μl to 919.1 ng/ μl. The different yield among the samples found to be corresponded to polysaccharide content in the medicinal mushrooms. The objective of this works is to optimize total genomic DNA extraction of medicinal mushrooms towards a high quality intact genomic DNA for molecular activities. (author)

Changes in Energy Cost and Total External Work of Muscles in Elite Race Walkers Walking at Different Speeds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chwała Wiesław

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of the study was to assess energy cost and total external work (total energy depending on the speed of race walking. Another objective was to determine the contribution of external work to total energy cost of walking at technical, threshold and racing speed in elite competitive race walkers.

Experimental procedure for the determination of counting efficiency and sampling flow rate of a grab-sampling working level meter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grenier, M.; Bigu, J.

1982-07-01

The calibration procedures used for a working level meter (WLM) of the grab-sampling type are presented in detail. The WLM tested is a Pylon WL-1000C working level meter and it was calibrated for radon/thoron daughter counting efficiency (E), for sampling pump flow rate (Q) and other variables of interest. For the instrument calibrated at the Elliot Lake Laboratory, E was 0.22 +- 0.01 while Q was 4.50 +- 0.01 L/min

First Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence round-robin test of water samples: Preliminary results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Borgese, Laura; Bilo, Fabjola [Chemistry for Technologies Laboratory, University of Brescia, Brescia (Italy); Tsuji, Kouichi [Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka City University, Osaka (Japan); Fernández-Ruiz, Ramón [Servicio Interdepartamental de Investigación (SIdI), Laboratorio de TXRF, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid (Spain); Margui, Eva [Department of Chemistry, University of Girona, Girona (Spain); Streli, Christina [TU Wien, Atominstitut,Radiation Physics, Vienna (Austria); Pepponi, Giancarlo [Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Povo, Trento (Italy); Stosnach, Hagen [Bruker Nano GmbH, Berlin (Germany); Yamada, Takashi [Rigaku Corporation, Takatsuki, Osaka (Japan); Vandenabeele, Peter [Department of Archaeology, Ghent University, Ghent (Belgium); Maina, David M.; Gatari, Michael [Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi (Kenya); Shepherd, Keith D.; Towett, Erick K. [World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), Nairobi (Kenya); Bennun, Leonardo [Laboratorio de Física Aplicada, Departamento de Física, Universidad de Concepción (Chile); Custo, Graciela; Vasquez, Cristina [Gerencia Química, Laboratorio B025, Centro Atómico Constituyentes, San Martín (Argentina); Depero, Laura E., E-mail: laura.depero@unibs.it [Chemistry for Technologies Laboratory, University of Brescia, Brescia (Italy)

2014-11-01

Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence (TXRF) is a mature technique to evaluate quantitatively the elemental composition of liquid samples deposited on clean and well polished reflectors. In this paper the results of the first worldwide TXRF round-robin test of water samples, involving 18 laboratories in 10 countries are presented and discussed. The test was performed within the framework of the VAMAS project, interlaboratory comparison of TXRF spectroscopy for environmental analysis, whose aim is to develop guidelines and a standard methodology for biological and environmental analysis by means of the TXRF analytical technique. - Highlights: • The discussion of the first worldwide TXRF round-robin test of water samples (18 laboratories of 10 countries) is reported. • Drinking, waste, and desalinated water samples were tested. • Data dispersion sources were identified: sample concentration, preparation, fitting procedure, and quantification. • The protocol for TXRF analysis of drinking water is proposed.

Iodide-assisted total lead measurement and determination of different lead fractions in drinking water samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yuanyuan; Ng, Ding-Quan; Lin, Yi-Pin

2012-07-01

Lead and its compounds are toxic and can harm human health, especially the intelligence development in children. Accurate measurement of total lead present in drinking water is crucial in determining the extent of lead contamination and human exposure due to drinking water consumption. The USEPA method for total lead measurement (no. 200.8) is often used to analyze lead levels in drinking water. However, in the presence of high concentration of the tetravalent lead corrosion product PbO(2), the USEPA method was not able to fully recover particulate lead due to incomplete dissolution of PbO(2) particles during strong acid digestion. In this study, a new procedure that integrates membrane separation, iodometric PbO(2) measurement, strong acid digestion and ICP-MS measurement was proposed and evaluated for accurate total lead measurement and quantification of different lead fractions including soluble Pb(2+), particulate Pb(II) carbonate and PbO(2) in drinking water samples. The proposed procedure was evaluated using drinking water reconstituted with spiked Pb(2+), spiked particulate Pb(II) carbonate and in situ formed or spiked PbO(2). Recovery tests showed that the proposed procedure and the USEPA method can achieve 93-112% and 86-103% recoveries respectively for samples containing low PbO(2) concentrations (0.018-0.076 mg Pb per L). For samples containing higher concentrations of PbO(2) (0.089-1.316 mg Pb per L), the USEPA method failed to meet the recovery requirement for total lead (85-115%) while the proposed method can achieve satisfactory recoveries (91-111%) and differentiate the soluble Pb(2+), particulate Pb(II) carbonate and PbO(2).

Objectively Measured Total and Occupational Sedentary Time in Three Work Settings

OpenAIRE

van Dommelen, Paula; Coffeng, Jennifer K.; van der Ploeg, Hidde P.; van der Beek, Allard J.; Boot, C?cile R. L.; Hendriksen, Ingrid J. M.

2016-01-01

Background. Sedentary behaviour increases the risk for morbidity. Our primary aim is to determine the proportion and factors associated with objectively measured total and occupational sedentary time in three work settings. Secondary aim is to study the proportion of physical activity and prolonged sedentary bouts. Methods. Data were obtained using ActiGraph accelerometers from employees of: 1) a financial service provider (n = 49 men, 31 women), 2) two research institutes (n = 30 men, 57 wom...

Reliability of different methods used for forming of working samples in the laboratory for seed testing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Opra Branislava

2000-01-01

Full Text Available The testing of seed quality starts from the moment a sample is formed in a warehouse during processing or packaging of the seed. The seed sampling as the process of obtaining the working sample also assumes each step undertaken during its testing in the laboratory. With the aim of appropriate forming of a seed sample in the laboratory, the usage of seed divider is prescribed for large seeded species (such as seed the size of wheat or larger (ISTA Rules, 1999. The aim of this paper was the comparison of different methods used for obtaining the working samples of maize and wheat seeds using conical, soil and centrifugal dividers. The number of seed of added admixtures confirmed the reliability of working samples formation. To each maize sample (1000 g 10 seeds of the following admixtures were added: Zea mays L. (red pericarp, Hordeum vulgäre L., Triticum aestivum L., and Glycine max (L. Merr. Two methods were used for formation of maze seed working sample. To wheat samples (1000 g 10 seeds of each of the following species were added: Avena saliva (hulled seeds, Hordeum vulgäre L., Galium tricorne Stokes, and Polygonum lapatifolmm L. For formation of wheat seed working samples four methods were used. Optimum of 9, but not less than 7 seeds of admixture were due to be determined in the maize seed working sample, while for wheat, at least one seed of admixture was expected to be found in the working sample. The obtained results confirmed that the formation of the maize seed working samples was the most reliable when centrifugal divider, the first method was used (average of admixture - 9.37. From the observed admixtures the seed of Triticum aestivum L. was the most uniformly distributed, the first method also being used (6.93. The second method gains high average values satisfying the given criterion, but it should be used with previous homogenization of the sample being tested. The forming of wheat seed working samples is the most reliable if the

Caffeine, cognitive failures and health in a non-working community sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Andrew P

2009-01-01

Most studies of the effects of caffeine on performance have been conducted in the laboratory and further information is required on the real-life effects of caffeine consumption on cognition. In addition, possible effects of caffeine consumption on a range of health outcomes should also be assessed in these studies to enable cost-benefit analyses to be conducted. Secondary analyses of a large epidemiological database (N = 3223 non-working participants, 57% female, with a mean age of 49.6 years, range 17-92 years) were conducted to examine associations between caffeine consumption (mean caffeine consumption was 140 mg/day, range 0-1800 mg) and cognitive failures (errors of memory, attention and action) in a non-working sample. Associations between caffeine consumption and physical and mental health problems were also examined. The study involved secondary analyses of a database formed by combining the Bristol Stress and Health at Work and Cardiff Health and Safety at Work studies. Associations between caffeine consumption and frequency of cognitive failures and health outcomes were examined in a sample of non-workers. After controlling for possible confounding factors significant associations between caffeine consumption and fewer cognitive failures were observed. Initial analyses suggested that many health variables were associated with regular level of caffeine consumption. However, most of the significant effects of caffeine disappeared when demographic and lifestyle factors were controlled for. Consumption of caffeine was, however, associated with a reduced risk of depression. These effects were also observed in separate analyses examining the source of the caffeine (coffee and tea). Overall, the results show that caffeine consumption may benefit cognitive functioning in a non-working population. This confirms earlier findings from working samples. This beneficial effect of caffeine was not associated with negative health consequences. Indeed, consumption of

Analysis of bioethanol samples through Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry with a total sample consumption system

Science.gov (United States)

Sánchez, Carlos; Lienemann, Charles-Philippe; Todolí, Jose-Luis

2016-10-01

Bioethanol real samples have been directly analyzed through ICP-MS by means of the so called High Temperature Torch Integrated Sample Introduction System (hTISIS). Because bioethanol samples may contain water, experiments have been carried out in order to determine the effect of ethanol concentration on the ICP-MS response. The ethanol content studied went from 0 to 50%, because higher alcohol concentrations led to carbon deposits on the ICP-MS interface. The spectrometer default spray chamber (double pass) equipped with a glass concentric pneumatic micronebulizer has been taken as the reference system. Two flow regimes have been evaluated: continuous sample aspiration at 25 μL min- 1 and 5 μL air-segmented sample injection. hTISIS temperature has been shown to be critical, in fact ICP-MS sensitivity increased with this variable up to 100-200 °C depending on the solution tested. Higher chamber temperatures led to either a drop in signal or a plateau. Compared with the reference system, the hTISIS improved the sensitivities by a factor included within the 4 to 8 range while average detection limits were 6 times lower for the latter device. Regarding the influence of the ethanol concentration on sensitivity, it has been observed that an increase in the temperature was not enough to eliminate the interferences. It was also necessary to modify the torch position with respect to the ICP-MS interface to overcome them. This fact was likely due to the different extent of ion plasma radial diffusion encountered as a function of the matrix when working at high chamber temperatures. When the torch was moved 1 mm plasma down axis, ethanolic and aqueous solutions provided statistically equal sensitivities. A preconcentration procedure has been applied in order to validate the methodology. It has been found that, under optimum conditions from the point of view of matrix effects, recoveries for spiked samples were close to 100%. Furthermore, analytical concentrations for real

Determination of total alpha activity index in samples of radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galicia C, F. J.

2015-01-01

This study aimed to develop a methodology of preparation and quantification of samples containing radionuclides beta and/or alpha emitters, to determine the rates of alpha and beta total activity of radioactive waste samples. For this, a device of planchettes preparer was designed, to assist the planchettes preparation in a controlled environment and free of corrosive vapors. Planchettes were prepared in three means: nitrate, carbonate and sulfate, to different mass thickness, natural uranium (alpha and beta emitter) and in case of Sr-90 (beta emitter pure) only in half nitrate; and these planchettes were quantified in an alpha/beta counter, in order to construct the self-absorption curves for alpha and beta particles. These curves are necessary to determine the rate of alpha-beta activity of any sample because they provide the self-absorption correction factor to be applied in calculating the index. Samples with U were prepared with the help of the device of planchettes preparer and subsequently were analyzed in the proportional counter Mpc-100 Pic brand. Samples with Sr-90 were prepared without the device to see if there was a different behavior with respect to obtaining mass thickness. Similarly they were calcined and carried out count in the Mpc-100. To perform the count, first the parameters of counter operating were determined: operating voltages for alpha and beta particles 630 and 1500 V respectively, a count routine was generated where the time and count type were adjusted, and counting efficiencies for alpha and beta particles, with the aid of calibration sources of 210 Po for alphas and 90 Sr for betas. According to the results, the counts per minute will decrease as increasing the mass thickness of the sample (self-absorption curve), adjusting this behavior to an exponential function in all cases studied. The minor self-absorption of alpha and beta particles in the case of U was obtained in sulfate medium. The self-absorption curves of Sr-90 follow the

The assessment of chronic health conditions on work performance, absence, and total economic impact for employers.

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, James J; Baase, Catherine M; Sharda, Claire E; Ozminkowski, Ronald J; Nicholson, Sean; Billotti, Gary M; Turpin, Robin S; Olson, Michael; Berger, Marc L

2005-06-01

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and estimate total costs for chronic health conditions in the U.S. workforce for the Dow Chemical Company (Dow). Using the Stanford Presenteeism Scale, information was collected from workers at five locations on work impairment and absenteeism based on self-reported "primary" chronic health conditions. Survey data were merged with employee demographics, medical and pharmaceutical claims, smoking status, biometric health risk factors, payroll records, and job type. Almost 65% of respondents reported having one or more of the surveyed chronic conditions. The most common were allergies, arthritis/joint pain or stiffness, and back or neck disorders. The associated absenteeism by chronic condition ranged from 0.9 to 5.9 hours in a 4-week period, and on-the-job work impairment ranged from a 17.8% to 36.4% decrement in ability to function at work. The presence of a chronic condition was the most important determinant of the reported levels of work impairment and absence after adjusting for other factors (P < 0.000). The total cost of chronic conditions was estimated to be 10.7% of the total labor costs for Dow in the United States; 6.8% was attributable to work impairment alone. For all chronic conditions studied, the cost associated with performance based work loss or "presenteeism" greatly exceeded the combined costs of absenteeism and medical treatment combined.

Sample normalization methods in quantitative metabolomics.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yiman; Li, Liang

2016-01-22

To reveal metabolomic changes caused by a biological event in quantitative metabolomics, it is critical to use an analytical tool that can perform accurate and precise quantification to examine the true concentration differences of individual metabolites found in different samples. A number of steps are involved in metabolomic analysis including pre-analytical work (e.g., sample collection and storage), analytical work (e.g., sample analysis) and data analysis (e.g., feature extraction and quantification). Each one of them can influence the quantitative results significantly and thus should be performed with great care. Among them, the total sample amount or concentration of metabolites can be significantly different from one sample to another. Thus, it is critical to reduce or eliminate the effect of total sample amount variation on quantification of individual metabolites. In this review, we describe the importance of sample normalization in the analytical workflow with a focus on mass spectrometry (MS)-based platforms, discuss a number of methods recently reported in the literature and comment on their applicability in real world metabolomics applications. Sample normalization has been sometimes ignored in metabolomics, partially due to the lack of a convenient means of performing sample normalization. We show that several methods are now available and sample normalization should be performed in quantitative metabolomics where the analyzed samples have significant variations in total sample amounts. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Theoretical Antecedents of Standing at Work: An Experience Sampling Approach Using the Theory of Planned Behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, M. Renée Umstattd; Wu, Cindy; Walsh, Shana M.

2016-01-01

Time spent sitting has been associated with an increased risk of diabetes, cancer, obesity, and mental health impairments. However, 75% of Americans spend most of their days sitting, with work-sitting accounting for 63% of total daily sitting time. Little research examining theory-based antecedents of standing or sitting has been conducted. This lack of solid groundwork makes it difficult to design effective intervention strategies to decrease sitting behaviors. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as our theoretical lens to better understand factors related with beneficial standing behaviors already being practiced, we examined relationships between TPB constructs and time spent standing at work among “positive deviants” (those successful in behavior change). Experience sampling methodology (ESM), 4 times a day (midmorning, before lunch, afternoon, and before leaving work) for 5 consecutive workdays (Monday to Friday), was used to assess employees' standing time. TPB scales assessing attitude (α = 0.81–0.84), norms (α = 0.83), perceived behavioral control (α = 0.77), and intention (α = 0.78) were developed using recommended methods and collected once on the Friday before the ESM surveys started. ESM data are hierarchically nested, therefore we tested our hypotheses using multilevel structural equation modeling with Mplus. Hourly full-time university employees (n = 50; 70.6% female, 84.3% white, mean age = 44 (SD = 11), 88.2% in full-time staff positions) with sedentary occupation types (time at desk while working ≥6 hours/day) participated. A total of 871 daily surveys were completed. Only perceived behavioral control (β = 0.45, p deviance approach to enhance perceived behavioral control, in addition to implementing environmental changes like installing standing desks. PMID:29546189

The Total Work Measured During a High Intensity Isokinetic Fatigue Test Is Associated With Anaerobic Work Capacity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laurent Bosquet, Kenan Gouadec, Nicolas Berryman, Cyril Duclos, Vincent Gremeaux, Jean Louis Croisier

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the study was to determine whether total work measured during a high intensity isokinetic fatigue test (TWFAT could be considered as a valid measure of anaerobic work capacity (AWC, such as determined by total work measured during a Wingate Anaerobic Test (TWWAnT. Twenty well-trained cyclists performed 2 randomly ordered sessions involving a high intensity isokinetic fatigue test consisting in 30 reciprocal maximal concentric contractions of knee flexors and extensors at 180°·s-1, and a Wingate Anaerobic Test. We found that TWFAT of knee extensors was largely lower than TWWAnT (4151 ± 691 vs 22313 ± 2901 J, respectively, p < 0.05, Hedge’s g = 4.27. Both measures were highly associated (r = 0.83, and the 95% limits of agreement (LoA represented 24.5% of TWWAnT. TWFAT of knee flexors (2151 ± 540 J was largely lower than TWWAnT (p < 0.05, g = 9.52. By contrast, both measures were not associated (r = 0.09, and the 95% LoA represented 31.1% of TWWAnT. Combining TWFAT of knee flexors and knee extensors into a single measure (6302 ± 818 J did not changed neither improved these observations. We still found a large difference with TWWAnT (p < 0.05, g = 5.26, a moderate association (r = 0.65 and 95% LoA representing 25.5% of TWWAnT. We concluded that TWFAT of knee extensors could be considered as a valid measure of AWC, since both measure were highly associated. However, the mean difference between both measures and their 95% LoA were too large to warrant interchangeability.

Assessment of the Total Inflammatory Potential of Bioaerosols by Using a Granulocyte Assay▿

OpenAIRE

Timm, Michael; Madsen, Anne Mette; Hansen, Jørgen Vinsløv; Moesby, Lise; Hansen, Erik Wind

2009-01-01

Occupational health symptoms related to bioaerosol exposure have been observed in a variety of working environments. Bioaerosols contain microorganisms and microbial components. The aim of this study was to estimate the total inflammatory potential (TIP) of bioaerosols using an in vitro assay based on granulocyte-like cells. A total of 129 bioaerosol samples were collected in the breathing zone of workers during their daily working routine at 22 biofuel plants. The samples were analyzed by tr...

Determination of Pesticide Residues in Honeybees using Modified QUEChERS Sample Work-Up and Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Żaneta Bargańska

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Increasing emissions of chemical compounds to the environment, especially of pesticides, is one of factors that may explain present honeybee colony losses. In this work, an analytical method employing liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS was optimized for the simultaneous screening of 19 pesticides which have not been yet determined in honeybee samples from northern Poland (Pomerania. The sample preparation, based on the QuEChERS method combining salting-out liquid-liquid extraction to acetonitrile and a dispersive-SPE clean-up, was adjusted to honeybee samples by adding a small amount of hexane to eliminate beeswax. The recovery of analytes ranged from 70% to 120% with relative standard deviation ≤20%. The limits of detection were in the range of 0.91–25 ng/g. A total of 19 samples of honeybees from suspected pesticide poisoning incidents were analyzed, in which 19 different pesticides were determined.

Pesticides, selected elements, and other chemicals in adult total diet samples October 1979-September 1980

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gartrell, M.J.; Craun, J.C.; Podrebarac, D.S.; Gunderson, E.L.

1985-01-01

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducts Total Diet Studies to determine the dietary intake of selected pesticides, industrial chemicals, and elements (including radionuclides). These studies involve the retail purchase and analysis of foods representative of the diets of infants, toddlers, and adults. The individual food items are separated into a number of food groups, each of which is analyzed as a composite. This report summarizes the results for adult Total Diet samples collected in 20 cities between October 1979 and September 1980. The average concentration, range of concentrations, and calculated average daily intake of each chemical found are presented by food group. The average daily intakes of the chemicals are similar to those found in the several preceding years and are within acceptable limits. The results for samples collected during the same period that represent the diets of infants and toddlers are reported separately

Analysis of work ability and work-related physical activity of employees in a medium-sized business

OpenAIRE

Wilke, Christiane; Ashton, Philip; Elis, Tobias; Biallas, Bianca; Frob?se, Ingo

2015-01-01

Background Work-related physical activity (PA) and work ability are of growing importance in modern working society. There is evidence for age- and job-related differences regarding PA and work ability. This study analyses work ability and work-related PA of employees in a medium-sized business regarding age and occupation. Methods The total sample consists of 148 employees (116 men?78.38?% of the sample?and 32 women, accounting for 21.62?%; mean age: 40.85???10.07?years). 100 subjects (67.57...

Theoretical Antecedents of Standing at Work: An Experience Sampling Approach Using the Theory of Planned Behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, M Renée Umstattd; Wu, Cindy; Walsh, Shana M

2016-01-01

Time spent sitting has been associated with an increased risk of diabetes, cancer, obesity, and mental health impairments. However, 75% of Americans spend most of their days sitting, with work-sitting accounting for 63% of total daily sitting time. Little research examining theory-based antecedents of standing or sitting has been conducted. This lack of solid groundwork makes it difficult to design effective intervention strategies to decrease sitting behaviors. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as our theoretical lens to better understand factors related with beneficial standing behaviors already being practiced, we examined relationships between TPB constructs and time spent standing at work among "positive deviants" (those successful in behavior change). Experience sampling methodology (ESM), 4 times a day (midmorning, before lunch, afternoon, and before leaving work) for 5 consecutive workdays (Monday to Friday), was used to assess employees' standing time. TPB scales assessing attitude (α = 0.81-0.84), norms (α = 0.83), perceived behavioral control (α = 0.77), and intention (α = 0.78) were developed using recommended methods and collected once on the Friday before the ESM surveys started. ESM data are hierarchically nested, therefore we tested our hypotheses using multilevel structural equation modeling with Mplus. Hourly full-time university employees (n = 50; 70.6% female, 84.3% white, mean age = 44 (SD = 11), 88.2% in full-time staff positions) with sedentary occupation types (time at desk while working ≥6 hours/day) participated. A total of 871 daily surveys were completed. Only perceived behavioral control (β = 0.45, p work-standing at the event-level (model fit: just fit); mediation through intention was not supported. This is the first study to examine theoretical antecedents of real-time work-standing in a naturalistic field setting among positive deviants. These relationships should be further examined, and behavioral intervention

Theoretical Antecedents of Standing at Work: An Experience Sampling Approach Using the Theory of Planned Behavior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Renée Umstattd Meyer

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Time spent sitting has been associated with an increased risk of diabetes, cancer, obesity, and mental health impairments. However, 75% of Americans spend most of their days sitting, with work-sitting accounting for 63% of total daily sitting time. Little research examining theory-based antecedents of standing or sitting has been conducted. This lack of solid groundwork makes it difficult to design effective intervention strategies to decrease sitting behaviors. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB as our theoretical lens to better understand factors related with beneficial standing behaviors already being practiced, we examined relationships between TPB constructs and time spent standing at work among “positive deviants” (those successful in behavior change. Experience sampling methodology (ESM, 4 times a day (midmorning, before lunch, afternoon, and before leaving work for 5 consecutive workdays (Monday to Friday, was used to assess employees’ standing time. TPB scales assessing attitude (α = 0.81–0.84, norms (α = 0.83, perceived behavioral control (α = 0.77, and intention (α = 0.78 were developed using recommended methods and collected once on the Friday before the ESM surveys started. ESM data are hierarchically nested, therefore we tested our hypotheses using multilevel structural equation modeling with Mplus. Hourly full-time university employees (n = 50; 70.6% female, 84.3% white, mean age = 44 (SD = 11, 88.2%in full-time staff positions with sedentary occupation types (time at desk while working ≥6 hours/day participated. A total of 871 daily surveys were completed. Only perceived behavioral control (β = 0.45, p < 0.05 was related with work-standing at the event-level (model fit: just fit; mediation through intention was not supported. This is the first study to examine theoretical antecedents of real-time work-standing in a naturalistic field setting among positive deviants. These relationships should be further

Supercritical Water Oxidation Total Organic Carbon (TOC) Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

The work presented here is the evaluation of the modified wet‐oxidation method described as Supercritical Water Oxidation (SCWO) for the analysis of total organic carbon (TOC) in very difficult oil/gas produced water sample matrices.

Improvement of the Work Environment and Work-Related Stress: A Cross-Sectional Multilevel Study of a Nationally Representative Sample of Japanese Workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, Kazuhiro; Tabuchi, Takahiro; Kawakami, Norito

2017-03-01

This cross-sectional multilevel study aimed to investigate the relationship between improvement of the work environment and work-related stress in a nationally representative sample in Japan. The study was based on a national survey that randomly sampled 1745 worksites and 17,500 nested employees. The survey asked the worksites whether improvements of the work environment were conducted; and it asked the employees to report the number of work-related stresses they experienced. Multilevel multinominal logistic and linear regression analyses were conducted. Improvement of the work environment was not significantly associated with any level of work-related stress. Among men, it was significantly and negatively associated with the severe level of work-related stress. The association was not significant among women. Improvements to work environments may be associated with reduced work-related stress among men nationwide in Japan.

ANALISA PRODUKTIFITAS PEKERJA DENGAN METODE WORK SAMPLING STUDI KASUS PADA PROYEK X DAN Y

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andi Andi

2004-01-01

Full Text Available There are various methods that can be employed to measure construction labor productivity. However it is difficult to measure accurately the labor productivity. Work sampling is a relatively easy- to-use method for measuring productivity. The main objective of this research is to analyze labor productivity on projects X and Y utilizing work sampling method. The productivity measure obtained from the analysis is labor utilization rate (LUR. Besides, this research is intended to investigate factors influencing the LUR in both projects by way of questionnaire. The work sampling analysis shows that in overall LUR of project X and Y was 55.13% and 44.45% respectively. Comparison of LUR on the same types of works indicates that productivity of project X was higher. The questionnaire analysis further confirms that in general the conditions of the influencing factors in project X were better that those in project Y, and that three factors were found significantly different, i.e. material, scaffolding and schedule. The research also details LUR analyses based on the labor working hours (morning, noon, and afternoon. Abstract in Bahasa Indonesia : Terdapat banyak metode yang bisa digunakan untuk mengukur produktivitas tenaga kerja di lapangan. Namun, pengukuran produktivitas tenaga kerja secara akurat sulit dilakukan. Work sampling adalah salah satu metode pendekatan yang bisa digunakan untuk mengukur produktivitas dengan cukup mudah. Tujuan utama dari penelitian ini adalah untuk menganalisa produktivitas pekerja pada proyek X dan Y dengan metode work sampling. Ukuran produktivitas yang didapat dari analisa ini adalah labor utilization rate (LUR. Selain itu, penelitian ini juga meninjau faktor-faktor yang dapat mempengaruhi LUR di kedua proyek tersebut dengan cara kuesioner. Hasil analisa work sampling menunjukkan bahwa secara keseluruhan LUR pada proyek X dan Y adalah 55,13% dan 44,45%, secara berturut-turut. Perbandingan nilai LUR pada jenis pekerjaan

Static, Mixed-Array Total Evaporation for Improved Quantitation of Plutonium Minor Isotopes in Small Samples

Science.gov (United States)

Stanley, F. E.; Byerly, Benjamin L.; Thomas, Mariam R.; Spencer, Khalil J.

2016-06-01

Actinide isotope measurements are a critical signature capability in the modern nuclear forensics "toolbox", especially when interrogating anthropogenic constituents in real-world scenarios. Unfortunately, established methodologies, such as traditional total evaporation via thermal ionization mass spectrometry, struggle to confidently measure low abundance isotope ratios (evaporation techniques as a straightforward means of improving plutonium minor isotope measurements, which have been resistant to enhancement in recent years because of elevated radiologic concerns. Results are presented for small sample (~20 ng) applications involving a well-known plutonium isotope reference material, CRM-126a, and compared with traditional total evaporation methods.

Psychosocial working conditions and work-related stressors among UK veterinary surgeons.

Science.gov (United States)

Bartram, David J; Yadegarfar, Ghasem; Baldwin, David S

2009-08-01

Anecdotally, veterinary surgeons report high levels of work-related stress. To investigate psychosocial working conditions, self-reported causes of work-related stress and satisfaction among a representative sample of vets practising in the UK. A cross-sectional study using a questionnaire mailed to a stratified random sample of 3200 vets. The Health & Safety Executive Management Standards Indicator Tool and a series of bespoke questions were embedded in a 120 item questionnaire, which also assessed anxiety and depressive symptoms, alcohol consumption, suicidal ideation, positive mental well-being and work-home interaction. A total of 1796 useable questionnaires were returned (response rate 56%). Number of hours worked and making professional mistakes were the main reported contributors to stress. Good clinical outcomes and relationships with colleagues were the greatest sources of satisfaction. Anxiety and depressive symptoms are associated with less favourable working conditions. Compared to the general population, the sample reported higher risk of work-related stress for demands and managerial support but lower risk for relationships and change. The results could be used to inform the development of targeted interventions.

Microwave-Assisted Sample Treatment in a Fully Automated Flow-Based Instrument: Oxidation of Reduced Technetium Species in the Analysis of Total Technetium-99 in Caustic Aged Nuclear Waste Samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Egorov, Oleg B.; O'Hara, Matthew J.; Grate, Jay W.

2004-01-01

An automated flow-based instrument for microwave-assisted treatment of liquid samples has been developed and characterized. The instrument utilizes a flow-through reaction vessel design that facilitates the addition of multiple reagents during sample treatment, removal of the gaseous reaction products, and enables quantitative removal of liquids from the reaction vessel for carryover-free operations. Matrix modification and speciation control chemistries that are required for the radiochemical determination of total 99Tc in caustic aged nuclear waste samples have been investigated. A rapid and quantitative oxidation procedure using peroxydisulfate in acidic solution was developed to convert reduced technetium species to pertechnetate in samples with high content of reducing organics. The effectiveness of the automated sample treatment procedures has been validated in the radiochemical analysis of total 99Tc in caustic aged nuclear waste matrixes from the Hanford site

Automated determination of the stable carbon isotopic composition (δ13C) of total dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and total nonpurgeable dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in aqueous samples: RSIL lab codes 1851 and 1852

Science.gov (United States)

Révész, Kinga M.; Doctor, Daniel H.

2014-01-01

The purposes of the Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory (RSIL) lab codes 1851 and 1852 are to determine the total carbon mass and the ratio of the stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C) for total dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC, lab code 1851) and total nonpurgeable dissolved organic carbon (DOC, lab code 1852) in aqueous samples. The analysis procedure is automated according to a method that utilizes a total carbon analyzer as a peripheral sample preparation device for analysis of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas by a continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometer (CF-IRMS). The carbon analyzer produces CO2 and determines the carbon mass in parts per million (ppm) of DIC and DOC in each sample separately, and the CF-IRMS determines the carbon isotope ratio of the produced CO2. This configuration provides a fully automated analysis of total carbon mass and δ13C with no operator intervention, additional sample preparation, or other manual analysis. To determine the DIC, the carbon analyzer transfers a specified sample volume to a heated (70 °C) reaction vessel with a preprogrammed volume of 10% phosphoric acid (H3PO4), which allows the carbonate and bicarbonate species in the sample to dissociate to CO2. The CO2 from the reacted sample is subsequently purged with a flow of helium gas that sweeps the CO2 through an infrared CO2 detector and quantifies the CO2. The CO2 is then carried through a high-temperature (650 °C) scrubber reactor, a series of water traps, and ultimately to the inlet of the mass spectrometer. For the analysis of total dissolved organic carbon, the carbon analyzer performs a second step on the sample in the heated reaction vessel during which a preprogrammed volume of sodium persulfate (Na2S2O8) is added, and the hydroxyl radicals oxidize the organics to CO2. Samples containing 2 ppm to 30,000 ppm of carbon are analyzed. The precision of the carbon isotope analysis is within 0.3 per mill for DIC, and within 0.5 per mill for DOC.

Total Variation Depth for Functional Data

KAUST Repository

Huang, Huang

2016-11-15

There has been extensive work on data depth-based methods for robust multivariate data analysis. Recent developments have moved to infinite-dimensional objects such as functional data. In this work, we propose a new notion of depth, the total variation depth, for functional data. As a measure of depth, its properties are studied theoretically, and the associated outlier detection performance is investigated through simulations. Compared to magnitude outliers, shape outliers are often masked among the rest of samples and harder to identify. We show that the proposed total variation depth has many desirable features and is well suited for outlier detection. In particular, we propose to decompose the total variation depth into two components that are associated with shape and magnitude outlyingness, respectively. This decomposition allows us to develop an effective procedure for outlier detection and useful visualization tools, while naturally accounting for the correlation in functional data. Finally, the proposed methodology is demonstrated using real datasets of curves, images, and video frames.

Determination of total organic phosphorus in samples of mineral soils

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Armi Kaila

1962-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper some observations on the estimation of organic phosphorus in mineral soils are reported. The fact is emphasized that the accuracy of all the methods available is relatively poor. Usually, there are no reasons to pay attention to differences less than about 20 ppm. of organic P. Analyses performed on 345 samples of Finnish mineral soils by the extraction method of MEHTA et. al. (10 and by a simple procedure adopted by the author (successive extractions with 4 N H2SO4 and 0.5 N NaOH at room temperature in the ratio of 1 to 100 gave, on the average, equal results. It seemed to be likely that the MEHTA method removed the organic phosphorus more completely than did the less vigorous method, but in the former the partial hydrolysis of organic phosphorus compounds tends to be higher than in the latter. An attempt was made to find out whether the differences between the respective values for organic phosphorus obtained by an ignition method and the simple extraction method could be connected with any characteristics of the soil. No correlation or only a low correlation coefficient could be calculated between the difference in the results of these two methods and e. g. the pH-value, the content of clay, organic carbon, aluminium and iron soluble in Tamm’s acid oxalate, the indicator of the phosphate sorption capacity, or the »Fe-bound» inorganic phosphorus, respectively. The absolute difference tended to increase with an increase in the content of organic phosphorus. For the 250 samples of surface soils analyzed, the ignition method gave values which were, on the average, about 50 ppm. higher than the results obtained by the extraction procedure. The corresponding difference for the 120 samples from deeper layers was about 20 ppm of organic P. The author recommends, for the present, the determination of the total soil organic phosphorus as an average of the results obtained by the ignition method and the extraction method.

Return to work after total hip and knee arthroplasty: results from a clinical study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tilbury, C; Leichtenberg, C S; Tordoir, R L; Holtslag, M J; Verdegaal, S H M; Kroon, H M; Nelissen, R G H H; Vliet Vlieland, T P M

2015-12-01

The aim of this study was to measure return to work and duration until return to work in patients undergoing total hip or knee arthroplasty (THA or TKA). This prospective study included patients under 65 years of age, undergoing THA or TKA, who provided information on their work status preoperatively (paid work yes/no and working hours) and 1 year thereafter (paid work yes/no, working hours and time until return to work). Seventy-one THA and 64 TKA patients had a paid job preoperatively. The employment rates 1 year postoperatively were 64/71 (90 %) after THA and 53/64 (83 %) after TKA. Of those who returned to work, 9/64 (14 %) of THA patients and 10/53 (19 %) of TKA patients worked less hours than preoperatively [mean decrease of 16 (SD 11.5) and 14 (SD 13.0) hours, respectively]. The mean time to return to work was 12.5 (SD 7.6) and 12.9 (SD 8.0) weeks in THA and TKA, respectively. The majority of working patients who underwent THA or TKA returned to work, after approximately 12 weeks. A considerable proportion of the patients returning to work worked less hours than preoperatively. More research into patients who do not return or decrease their working hours is needed.

Psychological Empowerment and Work Engagement as Predictors of Work Satisfaction: A Sample of Hotel Employees .

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Moura

2015-06-01

Full Text Available With more organizations looking for employees who take initiative and respond creatively to the challenges of the job, engagement and psychological empowerment becomes important at both individual and organizational levels. Engaged employees are generally more satisfied with their work, committed and effective at work. According to the JDR model (Schaufeli and Bakker, 2004, engagement may be produced by two types of working conditions: job demands (i.e., role stress and job resources (i.e., psychological empowerment; self-efficacy. This study examines the role of psychological empowerment and work engagement as antecedents of job satisfaction. A cross sectional study using online questionnaires was conducted. The sample consisted of 152 Portuguese workers in hotels. Tourism is an important tool for profit and the Portuguese hotels are fundamental for the growth of the country. Employee satisfaction increases employee retention and increases productivity influencing the income / profits for hotels. Hierarchical multiple regressions analyses revealed that job satisfaction was significantly predicted by psychological empowerment and work engagement. Results support JDR model by showing that positive outcomes, such as job satisfaction, may be predicted by motivational process and job demands. On a practical level, JDR model provides a framework for understanding motivating workplaces and engaged and satisfied hotel employees.

Studies and developments for the analysis of products of nuclear reprocessing plants with the help of the X-ray fluorescence analysis on totally reflecting sample holders (TXRF)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diercks, H.; Eggers, I.; Gibau, F.; Haarich, M.; Hastenteufel, S.; Haurand, M.; Knoechel, A.; Salow, H.

1990-01-01

Studies with inactive and active simulates of products of nuclear reprocessing plants show the suitability of the X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis on Totally Reflecting Sample Holders (TXRF), to detect the available elements simultaneously by direct measurements of specially prepared thin samples. High dilution enables in the most cases, to avoid working in hot cells and to carry out the analysis in glove boxes. The analysis of uranium products and great amounts of matrix elements containing solutions like LAW and MAW demands the separation of the matrix elements before TXRF measurement. Procedures for this task have been developed. The potential of the new analytical procedure was demonstrated by the analysis of two samples of highly diluted high active wastes. (orig.) With 65 refs., 20 tabs., 81 figs [de

Mineral oil metal working fluids (MWFs)-development of practical criteria for mist sampling.

Science.gov (United States)

Simpson, A T; Groves, J A; Unwin, J; Piney, M

2000-05-01

Not all mineral oil metalworking fluids (MWFs) in common use form stable airborne mists which can be sampled quantitatively onto a filter. This much has been known for some time but no simple method of identifying oils too volatile for customary filter sampling has been developed. Past work was reviewed and experiments were done to select simple criteria which would enable such oils to be identified. The sampling efficiency for a range of commercial mineral oil MWF were assessed by drawing clean air through spiked filters at 2 l. min(-1) for periods up to 6 h before analysis. The physical properties of MWF are governed by their composition and kinematic viscosity was found to be the most practical and easily available index of the potential for sample loss from the filter. Oils with viscosities greater that 18 cSt (at 40 degrees C) lost less than 5% of their weight, whereas those with viscosities less than 18 cSt gave losses up to 71%. The losses from the MWF were mostly aliphatic hydrocarbons (C(10)-C(18)), but additives such as alkyl benzenes, esters, phenols and terpene odorants were also lost. The main recommendation to arise from the work is that filter sampling can be performed on mineral oils with viscosities of 18 cSt (at 40 degrees C) or more with little evaporative losses from the filter. However, sampling oils with viscosities less than 18 cSt will produce results which may significantly underestimate the true value. Over a quarter of UK mineral oil MWFs are formulated from mineral oils with viscosities less than 18 cSt (at 40 degrees C). The problem of exposure under-estimation and inappropriate exposure sampling could be widespread. Further work is being done on measurement of mixed phase mineral oil mist exposure.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in air samples of meat smokehouses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Åse Marie; Olsen, I L; Poulsen, O M

1992-01-01

In a screening programme nine Danish meat smokehouses were randomly selected for measurements on concentration of airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). A total of 23 stationary air samples were collected during the entire working period of the kiln either above the kiln doors or approx......In a screening programme nine Danish meat smokehouses were randomly selected for measurements on concentration of airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). A total of 23 stationary air samples were collected during the entire working period of the kiln either above the kiln doors...

Addressing Underrepresentation in Sex Work Research: Reflections on Designing a Purposeful Sampling Strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

Bungay, Vicky; Oliffe, John; Atchison, Chris

2016-06-01

Men, transgender people, and those working in off-street locales have historically been underrepresented in sex work health research. Failure to include all sections of sex worker populations precludes comprehensive understandings about a range of population health issues, including potential variations in the manifestation of such issues within and between population subgroups, which in turn can impede the development of effective services and interventions. In this article, we describe our attempts to define, determine, and recruit a purposeful sample for a qualitative study examining the interrelationships between sex workers' health and the working conditions in the Vancouver off-street sex industry. Detailed is our application of ethnographic mapping approaches to generate information about population diversity and work settings within distinct geographical boundaries. Bearing in mind the challenges and the overwhelming discrimination sex workers experience, we scope recommendations for safe and effective purposeful sampling inclusive of sex workers' heterogeneity. © The Author(s) 2015.

Technicians work with Apollo 14 lunar sample material in Lunar Receiving Lab.

Science.gov (United States)

1971-01-01

Glove handlers work with freshly opened Apollo 14 lunar sample material in modularized cabinets in the Lunar Receiving Laboratory at the Manned Spacecraft Center. The glove operator on the right starts to pour fine lunar material which he has just taken from a tote bag. This powdery sample was among the last to be revealed of the 90-odd pounds of material brought back to Earth by the Apollo 14 crewmen.

Assessing total nitrogen in surface-water samples--precision and bias of analytical and computational methods

Science.gov (United States)

Rus, David L.; Patton, Charles J.; Mueller, David K.; Crawford, Charles G.

2013-01-01

The characterization of total-nitrogen (TN) concentrations is an important component of many surface-water-quality programs. However, three widely used methods for the determination of total nitrogen—(1) derived from the alkaline-persulfate digestion of whole-water samples (TN-A); (2) calculated as the sum of total Kjeldahl nitrogen and dissolved nitrate plus nitrite (TN-K); and (3) calculated as the sum of dissolved nitrogen and particulate nitrogen (TN-C)—all include inherent limitations. A digestion process is intended to convert multiple species of nitrogen that are present in the sample into one measureable species, but this process may introduce bias. TN-A results can be negatively biased in the presence of suspended sediment, and TN-K data can be positively biased in the presence of elevated nitrate because some nitrate is reduced to ammonia and is therefore counted twice in the computation of total nitrogen. Furthermore, TN-C may not be subject to bias but is comparatively imprecise. In this study, the effects of suspended-sediment and nitrate concentrations on the performance of these TN methods were assessed using synthetic samples developed in a laboratory as well as a series of stream samples. A 2007 laboratory experiment measured TN-A and TN-K in nutrient-fortified solutions that had been mixed with varying amounts of sediment-reference materials. This experiment identified a connection between suspended sediment and negative bias in TN-A and detected positive bias in TN-K in the presence of elevated nitrate. A 2009–10 synoptic-field study used samples from 77 stream-sampling sites to confirm that these biases were present in the field samples and evaluated the precision and bias of TN methods. The precision of TN-C and TN-K depended on the precision and relative amounts of the TN-component species used in their respective TN computations. Particulate nitrogen had an average variability (as determined by the relative standard deviation) of 13

Parenting stressors and morning cortisol in a sample of working mothers.

Science.gov (United States)

Hibel, Leah C; Mercado, Evelyn; Trumbell, Jill M

2012-10-01

The cortisol awakening response (CAR) is a normative rise in cortisol levels across the 30 minutes post awakening. Both the levels and the degree of change in cortisol across this time period are sensitive to the perceived challenges of the day and are thought to prepare the individual to meet these tasks. However, working parents of young children may be under unique strains at this time as they attempt to simultaneously care for their children while also preparing themselves for the workday ahead. In these analyses we examined the contributions of both work and parenting stress on maternal cortisol levels and awakening responses, and how these relationships differed on workdays compared with nonworkdays. To do this, saliva samples were collected from 56 working mothers (25% single) with a child between the ages of 2 and 4 years old (mode = 2 children), at awakening and 30 min postawakening. Samples were collected on 4 consecutive days-2 nonworkdays followed by 2 workdays. Analyses revealed mothers reporting higher levels of parenting stress had higher average a.m. cortisol on workdays compared with nonworkdays. Further, mothers reporting a combination of high job strain and high parenting stress had significantly higher cortisol levels and steeper CAR increases on workdays compared with nonworkdays. Findings are discussed by integrating knowledge from the fields of parenting stress, work-family, and stress physiology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).

Comparison of total Hg results in sediment samples from Rio Grande reservoir determine by NAA and CV AAS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franklin, Robson L.

2011-01-01

The Rio Grande reservoir is located in the Metropolitan area of Sao Paulo and it is used for recreation purposes and as source water for drinking water production. During the last decades has been detected mercury contamination in the sediments of this reservoir, mainly in the eastern part, near the main affluent of the reservoir, in the Rio Grande da Serra and Ribeirao Pires counties. In the present study bottom sediment samples were collected in four different sites into four sampling campaigns during the period of September 2008 to January 2010. The samples were dried at room temperature, ground and passed through a 2 mm sieve. Total Hg determination in the sediment samples was carried out by two different analytical techniques: neutron activation analysis (NAA) and cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CV AAS). The methodology validation, in terms of precision and accuracy, was performed by reference materials, and presented a recovery of 83 to 108%. The total Hg results obtained by both analytical techniques ranged from 3 to 71 mg kg-1 and were considered similar by statistical analysis, even though NAA technique furnishes the total concentration while CV AAS using the 3015 digestion procedure characterizes only the bioavailable Hg. These results confirm that both analytical techniques were suitable to detect the Hg concentration levels in the Rio Grande sediments studied. The Hg levels in the sediment of the Rio Grande reservoir confirm the anthropogenic origin for this element in this ecosystem. (author)

Spatial distribution and trends of total mercury in waters of the Great Lakes and connecting channels using an improved sampling technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dove, A.; Hill, B.; Klawunn, P.; Waltho, J.; Backus, S.; McCrea, R.C.

2012-01-01

Environment Canada recently developed a clean method suitable for sampling trace levels of metals in surface waters. The results of sampling for total mercury in the Laurentian Great Lakes between 2003 and 2009 give a unique basin-wide perspective of concentrations of this important contaminant and represent improved knowledge of mercury in the region. Results indicate that concentrations of total mercury in the offshore regions of the lakes were within a relatively narrow range from about 0.3 to 0.8 ng/L. The highest concentrations were observed in the western basin of Lake Erie and concentrations then declined towards the east. Compared to the offshore, higher levels were observed at some nearshore locations, particularly in lakes Erie and Ontario. The longer-term temporal record of mercury in Niagara River suspended sediments indicates an approximate 30% decrease in equivalent water concentrations since 1986. - Highlights: ► Basin-wide concentrations of total mercury in Great Lakes surface waters are provided for the first time. ► A clean sampling method is described, stressing isolation of the sample from extraneous sources of contamination. ► Sub-ng/L concentrations of total mercury are observed in most Great Lakes offshore areas. ► Concentrations in the western basin of Lake Erie are consistently the highest observed in the basin. ► The longer-term record of mercury in Niagara River suspended sediments indicates an approximate 30% decrease since 1986. - A new, clean sampling method for metals is described and basin-wide measurements of total mercury are provided for Great Lakes surface waters for the first time.

Determination of total alpha index in samples of see water by coprecipitation method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suarez-Navarro, J.A.; Pujol, L.; Pozuelo, M.; Pablo, A. de

1998-01-01

An environmental radiological monitoring network in the Spanish sea waters was set up by CEDEX in 1993. Water radioactivity is determined quarterly in eleven sampling points along the Spanish coast. The gross alpha activity is one of the parameters to be determined. The usual method for monitoring the gross alpha activity includes sample evaporation to dryness on a disk and counting using ZnS(Ag) scintillation detector. Nevertheless, the gross alpha activity determination in saline waters, such as sea waters, is troublesome, because mass attenuation is high and a very small of water is needed (0.2 ml). The coprecipitation method allows to analyze 500 ml water samples, so the detection limit is reduced and sensitivity is improved. In this work, the coprecipitation method was used to determine the gross alpha activity in the radiological network of the Spanish coast sea waters during 1996 and 1997. Gross alpha activity was very homogenous. It averaged 0.0844±0.0086 Bq.1''1 and ranged from 0.062 to 0.102 Bq.1''1. In collaboration with CIEMAT a set of samples was analyzed, they averaged 0.0689±0.0074 Bq.1''1 and ranged from 0.056 to 0.082 Bq.1''1. (Author) 5 refs

Working with sample data exploration and inference

CERN Document Server

Chaffe-Stengel, Priscilla

2014-01-01

Managers and analysts routinely collect and examine key performance measures to better understand their operations and make good decisions. Being able to render the complexity of operations data into a coherent account of significant events requires an understanding of how to work well with raw data and to make appropriate inferences. Although some statistical techniques for analyzing data and making inferences are sophisticated and require specialized expertise, there are methods that are understandable and applicable by anyone with basic algebra skills and the support of a spreadsheet package. By applying these fundamental methods themselves rather than turning over both the data and the responsibility for analysis and interpretation to an expert, managers will develop a richer understanding and potentially gain better control over their environment. This text is intended to describe these fundamental statistical techniques to managers, data analysts, and students. Statistical analysis of sample data is enh...

Simultaneous Effects of Total Solids Content, Milk Base, Heat Treatment Temperature and Sample Temperature on the Rheological Properties of Plain Stirred Yogurt

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Attilio Converti

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Response surface methodology was used to establish a relationship between total solids content, milk base, heat treatment temperature, and sample temperature, and consistency index, flow behaviour index, and apparent viscosity of plain stirred yogurts. Statistical treatments resulted in developments of mathematical models. All samples presented shear thinning fluid behaviour. The increase of the content of total solids (9.3–22.7 % and milk base heat treatment temperature (81.6–98.4 °C resulted in a significant increase in consistency index and a decrease in flow behaviour index. Increase in the sample temperature (1.6–18.4 °C caused a decrease in consistency index and increase in flow behaviour index. Apparent viscosity was directly related to the content of total solids. Rheological properties of yogurt were highly dependent on the content of total solids in milk.

Work-family spillover and metabolic syndrome indicators: Findings from a national sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Versey, H Shellae; Tan, Mingxuan

2018-03-01

This study examines the link between negative work-family spillover and metabolic risk factors over a 9-year period. Data from two waves of the Midlife in the United States Survey were used to explore relationships between negative work-family spillover and four indicators of metabolic syndrome-blood pressure, triglycerides, body mass index, and glucose levels. In a sample of full-time working men and women ( N = 630), increased negative spillover at baseline significantly predicted higher body mass index nearly a decade later, with a marginally significant effect for triglyceride levels. Increases in spillover also body mass index and glucose levels at follow-up. This study extends research tying work-life spillover to health and suggests that further investigation is needed to fully understand the long-term effects of work stress.

Portable ultrahigh-vacuum sample storage system for polarization-dependent total-reflection fluorescence x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Watanabe, Yoshihide, E-mail: e0827@mosk.tytlabs.co.jp; Nishimura, Yusaku F.; Suzuki, Ryo; Beniya, Atsushi; Isomura, Noritake [Toyota Central R& D Labs., Inc., Yokomichi 41-1, Nagakute, Aichi 480-1192 (Japan); Uehara, Hiromitsu; Asakura, Kiyotaka; Takakusagi, Satoru [Catalysis Research Center, Hokkaido University, Kita 21-10, Sapporo, Hokkaido 001-0021 (Japan); Nimura, Tomoyuki [AVC Co., Ltd., Inada 1450-6, Hitachinaka, Ibaraki 312-0061 (Japan)

2016-03-15

A portable ultrahigh-vacuum sample storage system was designed and built to investigate the detailed geometric structures of mass-selected metal clusters on oxide substrates by polarization-dependent total-reflection fluorescence x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (PTRF-XAFS). This ultrahigh-vacuum (UHV) sample storage system provides the handover of samples between two different sample manipulating systems. The sample storage system is adaptable for public transportation, facilitating experiments using air-sensitive samples in synchrotron radiation or other quantum beam facilities. The samples were transferred by the developed portable UHV transfer system via a public transportation at a distance over 400 km. The performance of the transfer system was demonstrated by a successful PTRF-XAFS study of Pt{sub 4} clusters deposited on a TiO{sub 2}(110) surface.

Daily sleep, weekly working hours, and risk of work-related injury: US National Health Interview Survey (2004-2008).

Science.gov (United States)

Lombardi, David A; Folkard, Simon; Willetts, Joanna L; Smith, Gordon S

2010-07-01

The impact on health and safety of the combination of chronic sleep deficits and extended working hours has received worldwide attention. Using the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), an in-person household survey using a multistage, stratified, clustered sample design representing the US civilian, non-institutionalized population, the authors estimated the effect of total daily self-reported sleep time and weekly working hours on the risk of a work-related injury. During the survey period 2004-2008, 177,576 persons (ages 18-74) sampled within households reported that they worked at a paid job the previous week and reported their total weekly work hours. A randomly selected adult in each household (n = 75,718) was asked to report his/her usual (average) total daily sleep hours the prior week; complete responses were obtained for 74,415 (98.3%) workers. Weighted annualized work-related injury rates were then estimated across a priori defined categories of both average total daily sleep hours and weekly working hours. To account for the complex sampling design, weighted multiple logistic regression was used to independently estimate the risk of a work-related injury for categories of usual daily sleep duration and weekly working hours, controlling for important covariates and potential confounders of age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, type of pay, industry, occupation (proxy for job risk), body mass index, and the interaction between sleep duration and work hours. Based on the inclusion criteria, there were an estimated 129,950,376 workers annually at risk and 3,634,446 work-related medically treated injury episodes (overall injury rate 2.80/100 workers). Unadjusted annualized injury rates/100 workers across weekly work hours were 2.03 (60 h). With regards to self-reported daily sleep time, the estimated annualized injury rates/100 workers were 7.89 (10 h). After controlling for weekly work hours, and aforementioned covariates, significant increases in risk/1

Pharmacy in transition: A work sampling study of community pharmacists using smartphone technology.

Science.gov (United States)

van de Pol, Jeroen M; Geljon, Jurjen G; Belitser, Svetlana V; Frederix, Geert W J; Hövels, Anke M; Bouvy, Marcel L

2018-03-09

The nature of community pharmacy is changing, shifting from the preparation and distribution of medicines to the provision of cognitive pharmaceutical services (CPS); however, often the provision of traditional services leaves little time for innovative services. This study investigated the time community pharmacists spend on the tasks and activities of daily practice and to what extent they are able to implement CPS-related services in daily practice. Self-reporting work sampling was used to register the activities of community pharmacists. A smartphone application, designed specifically for this purpose, alerted participants to register their current activity five times per working day for 6 weeks. Participants also completed an online survey about baseline characteristics. Ninety-one Dutch community pharmacists provided work-sampling data (7848 registered activities). Overall, 51.5% of their time was spent on professional activities, 35.4% on semi-professional activities, and 13.1% on non-professional activities. The proportion of time devoted to CPS decreased during the workweek, whereas the time spent on traditional task increased. This study shows it is feasible to collect work-sampling data using smartphone technology. Community pharmacists spent almost half of their time on semi-professional and non-professional activities, activities that could be delegated to other staff members. In practice, the transition to CPS is hampered by competing traditional tasks, which prevents community pharmacists from profiling themselves as pharmaceutical experts in daily practice. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Description of Work for Borehole Sampling at the 116-DR-1and 116-DR-2 Trenches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergstrom, K. A.

1999-01-01

This description of work (DOW) details the sampling and analysis activities for characterizing the deep zone soils below the 116-DR-1and 116-DR-2 trenches, which are located in the 100-DR- 1 Operable Unit (OU), and will serve as a guide for the personnel performing the work. The ''deep zone'' refers to the portion of the vadose zone between the bottom of the waste site and the water table. The scope of work includes drilling a borehole (B8786), sampling vadose zone and upper saturated zone soils at ∼ 1-m intervals, collecting a water sample below the top of the water table, and analyzing the samples for all contaminants of concern (COCs). Specific procedures for defined tasks are covered under the Bechtel Hanford, Inc. (BHI)manual, BHI-EE-01, Environmental Investigations Procedures

Work/non-workday differences in mother, child, and mother-child morning cortisol in a sample of working mothers and their children.

Science.gov (United States)

Hibel, Leah C; Trumbell, Jill M; Mercado, Evelyn

2014-01-01

Mothers have been shown to have higher morning cortisol on days they go to work compared to non-workdays; however, it is unknown how maternal workday associates with child morning cortisol or the attunement of mother-child morning cortisol. This study examined the presence and stability of morning cortisol levels and slopes (i.e., cortisol awakening response or CAR) in a sample of 2-4year old children in out-of-home child care with working mothers. In addition, we examined the differential contributions of maternal workday on mother-child attunement in morning cortisol. Mother and child morning cortisol was sampled twice a day (awakening and 30min later) across four consecutive days (2 non-workdays; 2 workdays) among 47 working mothers and their young children. Mothers also reported on compliance with sampling procedures and provided demographic information. While children exhibited stability in cortisol levels, children's CARs were variable, with children's non-work CARs not predictive of work CARs. Similarly, a significant morning rise in cortisol was only found on workdays, not non-workdays. Overall, mothers had higher cortisol levels and steeper CARs than their children. Further, maternal workday moderated the attunement of mother-child morning cortisol, such that mothers and children had concordant cortisol levels on non-workdays, but discordant cortisol levels on workdays. Morning cortisol may be more variable in pre-school aged children than adults but may be similarly responsive to the social environment. Further, workday mornings may be a time of reduced mother-child cortisol attunement. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Method Performance of Total Mercury (Hg) Testing in the Biological Samples by Using Cold Vapour Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (CV-AAS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Susanna TS; Samin

2007-01-01

Method performance (validation) of total mercury (Hg) testing in the biological samples by using cold vapour atomic absorption spectrophotometer (CV-AAS) has been done. The objective of this research is to know the method performance of CV-AAS as one of points for the accreditation testing of laboratory according IS0/IEC 17025-2005. The method performance covering limit of detection (LOD), accuracy, precision and bias. As a standard material used SRM Oyster Tissue 15660 from Winopal Forshung Germany, whereas the biological samples were human hair. In principle of mercury testing for solid samples using CV-AAS is dissolving this sample and standard with 10 mL HNO 3 supra pure into a closed quartz tube and heating at 150 °C for 4 hours. The concentration of mercury in each samples was determined at the condition of operation were stirring time (T 1 ) 70 seconds, delay time (T 2 ) 15 seconds, heating time (T 3 ) 13 seconds and cooling time (T 4 ) of 25 seconds. Mercury ion in samples are reduced with SnCl 2 10 % in H 2 SO 4 20 %, and then the vapour of mercury from reduction is passed in NaOH 20 % solution and aquatridest. The result of method performance were: limit of detection (LOD) = 0.085 ng, accuracy 99.70 %, precision (RSD) = 1.64 % and bias = 0.30 %. From the validation result showed that the content of mercury total was in the range of certified values. The total mercury content (Hg) in human hair were varied from 406.93 - 699.07 ppb. (author)

Shift work as an oxidative stressor

OpenAIRE

Pasalar Parvin; Farahani Saeed; Sharifian Akbar; Gharavi Marjan; Aminian Omid

2005-01-01

Abstract Background Some medical disorders have higher prevalence in shift workers than others. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of night-shift-working on total plasma antioxidant capacity, with respect to the causative role of oxidative stress in induction of some of these disorders. Methods Two blood samples were taken from 44 workers with a rotational shift schedule, one after their day shift and one after their night shift. The total plasma antioxidant capacity of each worke...

Investigating the factorial structure and availability of work time control in a representative sample of the Swedish working population.

Science.gov (United States)

Albrecht, Sophie C; Kecklund, Göran; Tucker, Philip; Leineweber, Constanze

2016-05-01

Past research has often neglected the sub-dimensions of work time control (WTC). Moreover, differences in levels of WTC with respect to work and demographic characteristics have not yet been examined in a representative sample. We investigated these matters in a recent sample of the Swedish working population. The study was based on the 2014 data collection of the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health. We assessed the structure of the WTC measure using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Differences in WTC by work and demographic characteristics were examined with independent samplet-tests, one-way ANOVAs and gender-stratified logistic regressions. Best model fit was found for a two-factor structure that distinguished between control over daily hours and control over time off (root mean square error of approximation = 0.06; 95% CI 0.04 to 0.09; Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.99). Women, shift and public-sector workers reported lower control in relation to both factors. Age showed small associations with WTC, while a stronger link was suggested for civil status and family situation. Night, roster and rotating shift work seemed to be the most influential factors on reporting low control over daily hours and time off. Our data confirm the two-dimensional structure underlying WTC, namely the components 'control over daily hours' and 'control over time off'. Women, public-sector and shift workers reported lower levels of control. Future research should examine the public health implications of WTC, in particular whether increased control over daily hours and time off can reduce health problems associated with difficult working-time arrangements. © 2015 the Nordic Societies of Public Health.

Total workload, work stress and perceived symptoms in Swedish male and female white-collar employees.

Science.gov (United States)

Krantz, Gunilla; Berntsson, Leeni; Lundberg, Ulf

2005-04-01

The aim of this study was to analyse how paid work, unpaid household tasks, child care, work-child care interactions and perceived work stress are associated with reported symptoms in male and female white-collar employees. A questionnaire was mailed to 1300 men and 1300 women belonging to the white-collar sector, with at least 35 hours of regular employment a week and a participant age of between 32 and 58 years. It contained items relating to total workload (hours spent on paid work, unpaid household tasks and childcare), subjective indices for work stress and symptoms. The response rate was 65% (743 women; 595 men). Gender difference in symptom prevalence was tested by analyses of variance. Odds ratios were used to estimate the bivariate associations between work-related variables and symptom prevalence. A multivariate analysis estimated the effect of paid and unpaid work interaction, work-childcare interplay and possible synergy. The frequency and severity of symptoms was higher in women than in men (P women's health was determined by the interaction between conditions at work and household duties (OR 2.09; 1.06-4.14), whereas men responded more selectively to long working hours, i.e. >50 h/week (OR 1.61; 1.02-2.54). However, childcare (women.

TOTAL REWARDS MODEL IN ROMANIAN COMPANIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena-Sabina HODOR

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Total Rewards Management is a subject of major importance for companies, because, by using models for this, firms can achieve their objectives of high performance. In order to analyse a validated total rewards model in Romanian Accounting and Consulting Companies, it is used The WorldatWork Total Rewards Model, which depict what contributes to applicant attraction and employee motivation and retention. Thus, the methodology of the previous survey is adjusted to the local context. The conclusions for the methodological aspects illustrate that the present research involves three strategic steps in order to achieve the objectives presented: the analysis of organizational environment of the companies from the sample, checking if Total Rewards Model proposed in the previous research is applicable for the same romanian companies from the previous survey, the analysing of the differences between results, and, if necessary, the adaptation of the model for Romania.

ACPSEM ROSG TBI working group recommendations for quality assurance in total body irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nelligan, Raelene; Bailey, Michael; Tran, Thu; Baldwin, Zoe

2015-01-01

The Australasian College of Physical Scientists and Engineers in Medicine (ACPSEM) radiation oncology specialty group (ROSG) formed a series of working groups in 2011 to develop recommendations for guidance of radiation oncology medical physics practice within the Australasian setting. These recommendations are intended to provide guidance for safe work practices and a suitable level of quality control without detailed work instructions. It is the responsibility of the medical physicist to ensure that locally available equipment and procedures are sufficiently sensitive to establish compliance to these recommendations. The recommendations are endorsed by the ROSG, and have been subject to independent expert reviews. For the Australian audience, these recommendations should be read in conjunction with the tripartite radiation oncology practice standards [1, 2]. This publication presents the recommendations of the ACPSEM total body irradiation working group (TBIWG) and has been developed in alignment with other international associations. However, these recommendations should be read in conjunction with relevant national, state or territory legislation and local requirements, which take precedence over the ACPSEM recommendations. It is hoped that the users of this and other ACPSEM recommendations will contribute to the development of future versions through the ROSG of the ACPSEM. This document serves as a guideline for calibration and quality assurance of equipment used for TBI in Australasia.

Psychosocial and other working conditions in relation to body mass index in a representative sample of Australian workers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Louie Amber M

2006-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between psychosocial and other working conditions and body-mass index (BMI in a working population. This study contributes to the approximately dozen investigations of job stress, which have demonstrated mixed positive and negative results in relation to obesity, overweight and BMI. Methods A cross-sectional population-based survey was conducted among working Australians in the state of Victoria. Participants were contacted by telephone from a random sample of phone book listings. Information on body mass index was self-reported as were psychosocial work conditions assessed using the demand/control and effort/reward imbalance models. Other working conditions measured included working hours, shift work, and physical demand. Separate linear regression analyses were undertaken for males and females, with adjustment for potential confounders. Results A total of 1101 interviews (526 men and 575 women were completed. Multivariate models (adjusted for socio-demographics demonstrated no associations between job strain, as measured using the demand/control model, or ERI using the effort/reward imbalance model (after further adjustment for over commitment and BMI among men and women. Multivariate models demonstrated a negative association between low reward and BMI among women. Among men, multivariate models demonstrated positive associations between high effort, high psychological demand, long working hours and BMI and a negative association between high physical demand and BMI. After controlling for the effort/reward imbalance or the demand/control model, the association between physical demand and working longer hours and BMI remained. Conclusion Among men and women the were differing patterns of both exposures to psychosocial working conditions and associations with BMI. Among men, working long hours was positively associated with higher BMI and this association was partly

Total and available metal contents in sediments by synchrotron radiation total reflection X-ray fluorescence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreira, Silvana; Sobrinho, Gilmar A.; Jesus, Edgar F.O. de; Lopes, Ricardo T.

2002-01-01

In this work the total and available contents of Al, Si, Cl, K, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr, Zr, Ba, Ce and Pb in sediments from river Atibaia were determined by Synchrotron Radiation Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence technique. The detection limits for K series varies from 200 ng.mL -1 for Al to 2 ng.mL -1 for Zn while for L series the value varies from 20 ng.mL -1 for Ba to 10 ng.mL -1 for Pb. The samples were submitted to two different processes, in order to obtain the total and biological available metal contents. The information about metal content is a important parameter for a correct evaluation about the hydrologic cycle in Piracicaba basin. All the measure were carried out at the National Synchrotron Light Laboratory, Campinas, SP, Brazil, using a white beam for excitation. (author)

Description of work for routine groundwater sampling at the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ford, B.H.

1996-09-01

This document provides a description of work and field implementation guidance for routine (post-baseline) groundwater monitoring sampling program at the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility. The purpose of this program is to (1) meet the intent of the applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements; (2) document baseline groundwater conditions; (3) monitor those conditions for change; and (4) allow for modifications to groundwater sampling if required by the leachate management program

Analysis of biological slurry samples by total x-ray fluorescence after in situ microwave digestion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lue-Meru, M.P.; Capote, T.; Greaves, E.

2000-01-01

Biological slurry samples were analyzed by total reflection x-ray fluorescence (TXRF) after an in situ microwave digestion procedure on the quartz reflector. This method lead to the removal of the matrix by the digestion and permits the enrichment of the analites by using sample amounts higher than those normally used in TXRF for the thin layer requirement since the organic matrix is removed. In consequence, the pre-concentration of sample is performed and the detection capability is increased by a quasi direct method. The samples analyzed were the international IAEA blood standard, the SRM bovine liver 1577-a standard and fresh onion tissues. Slurries were prepared in three ways: a.- weighing a sample amount on the reflector and adding suprapure nitric acid and internal standard followed by microwave digestion, b.-weighing a sample amount and water with an appropriate concentration of the internal standard in an Eppendorf vial, taking then an aliquot to the quartz reflector for microwave digestion with suprapure nitric acid, c.- weighing a sample amount of fresh tissue, homogenising with high speed homegenator to obtain a slurry sample which can be diluted in an ependorf vial with water an the internal standard. Then an aliquot is taken to the reflector for microwave digestion with suprapure nitric acid. Further details of sample preparation procedures will be discussed during presentation. The analysis was carried out in a Canberra spectrometer using the Kalpha lines of the Ag and Mo tubes. The elements Ca, K, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, Mn, Rb, Br, Sr were determined. The effect of the preparation procedure was evaluated by the accuracy and precision of the results for each element and the percent of recovery. (author)

Concentrations of bisphenol A in the composite food samples from the 2008 Canadian total diet study in Quebec City and dietary intake estimates

OpenAIRE

Cao, X.-L.; Perez-Locas, C.; Dufresne, G.; Clement, G.; Popovic, S.; Beraldin, F.; Dabeka, R.W.; Feeley, M.

2011-01-01

A total of 154 food composite samples from the 2008 total diet study in Quebec City were analysed for bisphenol A (BPA), and BPA was detected in less than half (36%, or 55 samples) of the samples tested. High concentrations of BPA were found mostly in the composite samples containing canned foods, with the highest BPA level being observed in canned fish (106 ng g−1), followed by canned corn (83.7 ng g−1), canned soups (22.2–44.4 ng g−1), canned baked beans (23.5 ng g−1), canned peas (16.8 ng ...

One, two or three dimensions of work engagement? Testing the factorial validity of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale on a sample of Polish employees.

Science.gov (United States)

Kulikowski, Konrad

2017-10-11

Work engagement, as conceptualized by the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), is a work-related positive state of mind that is characterized by vigour, dedication and absorption; however, it still remains unclear how many dimensions work engagement comprises. This study tested the factorial validity of 11 different UWES factorial models that are available in the literature using a confirmatory factor analysis approach on a large sample of multi-occupational Polish employees (N = 1420). The two-factor UWES-6, comprising vigour and dedication, was found to be reliable and remained invariant across samples drawn from four different organizational positions. It also presented a better fit than the three-factor UWES-9, which is a scale used as a standard in contemporary research on work engagement. The findings suggest that the three-factor UWES-9 might not be an optimal measure of work engagement in Poland.

Sensitive Electrochemical Determination of Gallic Acid: Application in Estimation of Total Polyphenols in Plant Samples

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Ali Sheikh-Mohseni

2016-12-01

Full Text Available A modified electrode was prepared by modification of the carbon paste electrode (CPE with graphene nano-sheets. The fabricated modified electrode exhibited an electrocatalytic activity toward gallic acid (GA oxidation because of good conductivity, low electron transfer resistance and catalytic effect. The graphene modified CPE had a lower overvoltage and enhanced electrical current respect to the bare CPE for the oxidation of GA. The oxidation potential of GA decreased more than 210 mV by the modified electrode. The modified electrode responded to the GA in the concentration range of 3.0 × 10-5-1.5 × 10-4 M with high sensitivity by the technique of differential pulse voltammetry. Also, detection limit of 1.1 × 10-7 M was obtained by this modified electrode for GA. This electrode was used for the successful determination of GA in plant samples. Therefore, the content of total polyphenols in plant samples can be determined by the proposed modified electrode based on the concentration of GA in the sample.

Background estimation in short-wave region during determination of total sample composition by x-ray fluorescence method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simakov, V.A.; Kordyukov, S.V.; Petrov, E.N.

1988-01-01

Method of background estimation in short-wave spectral region during determination of total sample composition by X-ray fluorescence method is described. 13 types of different rocks with considerable variations of base composition and Zr, Nb, Th, U content below 7x10 -3 % are investigated. The suggested method of background accounting provides for a less statistical error of the background estimation than direct isolated measurement and reliability of its determination in a short-wave region independent on the sample base. Possibilities of suggested method for artificial mixtures conforming by the content of main component to technological concemtrates - niobium, zirconium, tantalum are estimated

Determination of total and inorganic mercury in fish samples with on-line oxidation coupled to atomic fluorescence spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shao Lijun; Gan Wuer; Su Qingde

2006-01-01

An atomic fluorescence spectrometry system for determination of total and inorganic mercury with electromagnetic induction-assisted heating on-line oxidation has been developed. Potassium peroxodisulphate was used as the oxidizing agent to decompose organomercury compounds. Depending on the temperature selected, inorganic or total mercury could be determined with the same manifold. Special accent was put on the study of the parameters influencing the on-line digestion efficiency. The tolerance to the interference of coexisting ions was carefully examined in this system. Under optimal conditions, the detection limits (3σ) were evaluated to be 2.9 ng l -1 for inorganic mercury and 2.6 ng l -1 for total mercury, respectively. The relative standard deviations for 10 replicate determinations of 1.0 μg l -1 Hg were 2.4 and 3.2% for inorganic mercury and total mercury, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of total and inorganic mercury in fish samples

Quality control on the accuracy of the total Beta activity index in different sample matrices water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pujol, L.; Pablo, M. A. de; Payeras, J.

2013-01-01

The standard ISO/IEC 17025:2005 of general requirements for the technical competence of testing and calibration laboratories, provides that a laboratory shall have quality control procedures for monitoring the validity of tests and calibrations ago. In this paper, the experience of Isotopic Applications Laboratory (CEDEX) in controlling the accuracy rate of total beta activity in samples of drinking water, inland waters and marine waters is presented. (Author)

Dose optimization with first-order total-variation minimization for dense angularly sampled and sparse intensity modulated radiation therapy (DASSIM-RT)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Hojin; Li Ruijiang; Lee, Rena; Goldstein, Thomas; Boyd, Stephen; Candes, Emmanuel; Xing Lei [Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-9505 (United States) and Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-5847 (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-5847 (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, Ehwa University, Seoul 158-710 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-9505 (United States); Department of Statistics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-4065 (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-5304 (United States)

2012-07-15

Purpose: A new treatment scheme coined as dense angularly sampled and sparse intensity modulated radiation therapy (DASSIM-RT) has recently been proposed to bridge the gap between IMRT and VMAT. By increasing the angular sampling of radiation beams while eliminating dispensable segments of the incident fields, DASSIM-RT is capable of providing improved conformity in dose distributions while maintaining high delivery efficiency. The fact that DASSIM-RT utilizes a large number of incident beams represents a major computational challenge for the clinical applications of this powerful treatment scheme. The purpose of this work is to provide a practical solution to the DASSIM-RT inverse planning problem. Methods: The inverse planning problem is formulated as a fluence-map optimization problem with total-variation (TV) minimization. A newly released L1-solver, template for first-order conic solver (TFOCS), was adopted in this work. TFOCS achieves faster convergence with less memory usage as compared with conventional quadratic programming (QP) for the TV form through the effective use of conic forms, dual-variable updates, and optimal first-order approaches. As such, it is tailored to specifically address the computational challenges of large-scale optimization in DASSIM-RT inverse planning. Two clinical cases (a prostate and a head and neck case) are used to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed planning technique. DASSIM-RT plans with 15 and 30 beams are compared with conventional IMRT plans with 7 beams in terms of plan quality and delivery efficiency, which are quantified by conformation number (CN), the total number of segments and modulation index, respectively. For optimization efficiency, the QP-based approach was compared with the proposed algorithm for the DASSIM-RT plans with 15 beams for both cases. Results: Plan quality improves with an increasing number of incident beams, while the total number of segments is maintained to be about the

Episodic work-family conflict, cardiovascular indicators, and social support: an experience sampling approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Shockley, Kristen M; Allen, Tammy D

2013-07-01

Work-family conflict, a prevalent stressor in today's workforce, has been linked to several detrimental consequences for the individual, including physical health. The present study extends this area of research by examining episodic work-family conflict in relation to objectively measured cardiovascular health indicators (systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate) using an experience sampling methodology. The results suggested that the occurrence of an episode of work interference with family conflict is linked to a subsequent increase in heart rate but not blood pressure; however, the relationship between episodes of family interference with work conflict and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure is moderated by perceptions of family-supportive supervision. No evidence was found for the moderating role of work-supportive family. Further theoretical and practical implications are discussed. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Total inorganic arsenic detection in real water samples using anodic stripping voltammetry and a gold-coated diamond thin-film electrode.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Yang; Swain, Greg M

2007-06-12

An accurate method for total inorganic arsenic determination in real water samples was developed using differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) and a Au-coated boron-doped diamond thin-film electrode. Keys to the method are the use of a conducting diamond platform and solid phase extraction for sample preparation. In the method, the As(III) present in the sample is first detected by DPASV. The As(V) present is then reduced to As(III) by reaction with Na2SO3 and this is followed by a second detection of As(III) by DPASV. Interfering metal ions (e.g., Cu(II)) that cause decreased electrode response sensitivity for arsenic in real samples are removed by solid phase extraction as part of the sample preparation. For example, Cu(II) caused a 30% decrease in the As stripping peak current at a solution concentration ratio of 3:1 (Cu(II)/As(III)). This loss was mitigated by passage of the solution through a Chelex 100 cation exchange resin. After passage, only a 5% As stripping current response loss was seen. The effect of organic matter on the Au-coated diamond electrode response for As(III) was also evaluated. Humic acid at a 5 ppm concentration caused only a 9% decrease in the As stripping peak charge for Au-coated diamond. By comparison, a 50% response decrease was observed for Au foil. Clearly, the chemical properties of the diamond surface in the vicinity of the metal deposits inhibit molecular adsorption on at least some of the Au surface. The method provided reproducible and accurate results for total inorganic arsenic in two contaminated water samples provided by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The total inorganic As concentration in the two samples, quantified by the standard addition method, was 23.2+/-2.9 ppb for UV plant influent water and 16.4+/-0.9 ppb for Well 119 water (n=4). These values differed from the specified concentrations by less than 4%.

Total inorganic arsenic detection in real water samples using anodic stripping voltammetry and a gold-coated diamond thin-film electrode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song Yang; Swain, Greg M.

2007-01-01

An accurate method for total inorganic arsenic determination in real water samples was developed using differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) and a Au-coated boron-doped diamond thin-film electrode. Keys to the method are the use of a conducting diamond platform and solid phase extraction for sample preparation. In the method, the As(III) present in the sample is first detected by DPASV. The As(V) present is then reduced to As(III) by reaction with Na 2 SO 3 and this is followed by a second detection of As(III) by DPASV. Interfering metal ions (e.g., Cu(II)) that cause decreased electrode response sensitivity for arsenic in real samples are removed by solid phase extraction as part of the sample preparation. For example, Cu(II) caused a 30% decrease in the As stripping peak current at a solution concentration ratio of 3:1 (Cu(II)/As(III)). This loss was mitigated by passage of the solution through a Chelex 100 cation exchange resin. After passage, only a 5% As stripping current response loss was seen. The effect of organic matter on the Au-coated diamond electrode response for As(III) was also evaluated. Humic acid at a 5 ppm concentration caused only a 9% decrease in the As stripping peak charge for Au-coated diamond. By comparison, a 50% response decrease was observed for Au foil. Clearly, the chemical properties of the diamond surface in the vicinity of the metal deposits inhibit molecular adsorption on at least some of the Au surface. The method provided reproducible and accurate results for total inorganic arsenic in two contaminated water samples provided by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The total inorganic As concentration in the two samples, quantified by the standard addition method, was 23.2 ± 2.9 ppb for UV plant influent water and 16.4 ± 0.9 ppb for Well 119 water (n = 4). These values differed from the specified concentrations by less than 4%

Injury risk at the work processes in fishing: a case-referent study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Olaf C

2006-01-01

Epidemiological studies on occupational injuries describe the incidence ratios related to the main strata in the industries, while the injury incidence ratios for the specific work processes within the work places have not yet been studied. The aim was to estimate the injury rate......-ratios for the main work processes in commercial fishing. A case-referent design with samples of person-time was used. The reported injuries to the National Maritime Authorities for a 5-year period for four types of commercial fishing defined the cases. The odds for the referents were calculated from samples...... of person-times for the specific working processes. Odds Ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated for the specific working processes. A total of 560 cases were included and the samples of referent working periods were 63110 min in total. The largest part of the injuries (n = 318...

Total and non-seasalt sulfate and chloride measured in bulk precipitation samples from the Kilauea Volcano area, Hawaii

Science.gov (United States)

Scholl, M.A.; Ingebritsen, S.E.

1995-01-01

Six-month cumulative precipitation samples provide estimates of bulk deposition of sulfate and chloride for the southeast part of the Island of Hawaii during four time periods: August 1991 to February 1992, February 1992 to September 1992, March 1993 to September 1993, and September 1993 to February 1994. Total estimated bulk deposition rates for sulfate ranged from 0.12 to 24 grams per square meter per 180 days, and non-seasalt sulfate deposition ranged from 0.06 to 24 grams per square meter per 180 days. Patterns of non-seasalt sulfate deposition were generally related to prevailing wind directions and the proximity of the collection site to large sources of sulfur gases, namely Kilauea Volcano's summit and East Rift Zone eruption. Total chloride deposition from bulk precipitation samples ranged from 0.01 to 17 grams per square meter per 180 days. Chloride appeared to be predominantly from oceanic sources, as non- seasalt chloride deposition was near zero for most sites.

PENGARUH KOMPONEN WORKING CAPITAL TERHADAP PROFITABILITAS PERUSAHAAN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anggita Langgeng Wijaya

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Penelitian ini menguji efek komponen modal kerja terhadap profitabilitas  perusahaan manufaktur yang terdaftar di Bursa Efek Indonesia selama periode 2005-2007. Komponen modal kerja yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini meliputi aktiva lancar terhadap rasio aset total, kewajiban lancar terhadap  rasio aset total, rasio lancar, rasio leverage dan uang tunai. Populasi penelitian ini adalah semua perusahaan manufaktur di Bursa Efek Indonesia. Metode pengambilan sampel yang digunakan adalah metode purposif. Dan analisis regresi berganda digunakan untuk uji hipotesisnya. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa: komponen modal kerja memiliki pengaruh penting pada profitabilitas perusahaan. Kewajiban lancar terhadap rasio aset total, rasio lancar dan leverage berdampak negatif terhadap profitabilitas. Di sisi lain, current aset terhadap aset rasio total dan cash ratio berdampak positif pada profitabilitas. This research tests the effect of working capital’s component to the profitability of manufacturing company listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange over the period of 2005-2007. The working capital’s components used in this research include current asset to total asset ratio, current liabilities to total asset ratio, current ratio, leverage and cash ratio. Population of this research is all of manufacturing company at Indonesia Stock Exchange. Sampling method uses purposive sampling method. Hypothesis test uses multiple regression analysis. The results show that working capital component has significance influence on corporate profitability, current liabilities to total asset ratio, current ratio and leverage have negative impact on profitability. In other side, current asset to total asset ratio and cash ratio have positive impact on profitability.

Determination of the total concentration and speciation of metal ions in river, estuarine and seawater samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Alberti, Giancarla; Biesuz, Raffaela; Pesavento, Maria

2008-12-01

Different natural water samples were investigated to determine the total concentration and the distribution of species for Cu(II), Pb(II), Al(III) and U(VI). The proposed method, named resin titration (RT), was developed in our laboratory to investigate the distribution of species for metal ions in complex matrices. It is a competition method, in which a complexing resin competes with natural ligands present in the sample to combine with the metal ions. In the present paper, river, estuarine and seawater samples, collected during a cruise in Adriatic Sea, were investigated. For each sample, two RTs were performed, using different complexing resins: the iminodiacetic Chelex 100 and the carboxylic Amberlite CG50. In this way, it was possible to detect different class of ligands. Satisfactory results have been obtained and are commented on critically. They were summarized by principal component analysis (PCA) and the correlations with physicochemical parameters allowed one to follow the evolution of the metals along the considered transect. It should be pointed out that, according to our findings, the ligands responsible for metal ions complexation are not the major components of the water system, since they form considerably weaker complexes.

The impact of menopausal symptoms on work ability.

Science.gov (United States)

Geukes, Marije; van Aalst, Mariëlle P; Nauta, Mary C E; Oosterhof, Henk

2012-03-01

Menopause is an important life event that may have a negative influence on quality of life. Work ability, a concept widely used in occupational health, can predict both future impairment and duration of sickness absence. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of menopausal symptoms on work ability. This was a cross-sectional study that used a sample of healthy working Dutch women aged 44 to 60 years. Work ability was measured using the Work Ability Index, and menopausal symptoms were measured using the Greene Climacteric Scale. Stepwise multiple linear regression models were used to examine the relationship between menopausal symptoms and work ability. A total of 208 women were included in this study. There was a significant negative correlation between total Greene Climacteric Scale score and Work Ability Index score. Total Greene Climacteric Scale score predicted 33.8% of the total variance in the Work Ability Index score. Only the psychological and somatic subscales of the Greene Climacteric Scale were significant predictors in multiple linear regression analysis. Together, they accounted for 36.5% of total variance in Work Ability Index score. Menopausal symptoms are negatively associated with work ability and may increase the risk of sickness absence.

Design and device construction for plane tables preparation for counter alpha/beta total; Diseno y construccion de dispositivo para preparacion de planchetas para contador alfa/beta total

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Galicia C, F. J.; Monroy G, F., E-mail: fgalicia82@yahoo.com [ININ, Carretera Mexico-Toluca s/n, 52750 Ocoyoacac, Estado de Mexico (Mexico)

2014-10-15

This work presents the design and assembly of a device for plane tables preparation for quantification alpha/beta total of radioactive waste samples. The determination of the activity index alpha/beta total is used to detect a wide variety of matrices quickly and the concentration of alpha and/or beta emitters of the contained radionuclides in different samples. In particular, the determination of the activity index alpha and beta total of radioactive wastes involves the digestion of samples in aggressive means that will be evaporated to dryness for its quantification. With the purpose of controlling the emission of corrosive gases during the preparation of the plane tables for the quantification of the index alpha and beta total, was designed and built the device in the Radioactive Waste Laboratory that allows to prepare plane tables for proportional counters in a sure and efficient way. The device is constituted by heating equipment, evaporation cylinder and a gases cleaning system. The self-absorption curve got ready starting from the device. (Author)

Analysis of monazite samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kartiwa Sumadi; Yayah Rohayati

1996-01-01

The 'monazit' analytical program has been set up for routine work of Rare Earth Elements analysis in the monazite and xenotime minerals samples. Total relative error of the analysis is very low, less than 2.50%, and the reproducibility of counting statistic and stability of the instrument were very excellent. The precision and accuracy of the analytical program are very good with the maximum percentage relative are 5.22% and 1.61%, respectively. The mineral compositions of the 30 monazite samples have been also calculated using their chemical constituents, and the results were compared to the grain counting microscopic analysis

Determination of total alpha activity index in samples of radioactive wastes; Determinacion del indice de actividad alfa total en muestras de desechos radiactivos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Galicia C, F. J.

2015-07-01

This study aimed to develop a methodology of preparation and quantification of samples containing radionuclides beta and/or alpha emitters, to determine the rates of alpha and beta total activity of radioactive waste samples. For this, a device of planchettes preparer was designed, to assist the planchettes preparation in a controlled environment and free of corrosive vapors. Planchettes were prepared in three means: nitrate, carbonate and sulfate, to different mass thickness, natural uranium (alpha and beta emitter) and in case of Sr-90 (beta emitter pure) only in half nitrate; and these planchettes were quantified in an alpha/beta counter, in order to construct the self-absorption curves for alpha and beta particles. These curves are necessary to determine the rate of alpha-beta activity of any sample because they provide the self-absorption correction factor to be applied in calculating the index. Samples with U were prepared with the help of the device of planchettes preparer and subsequently were analyzed in the proportional counter Mpc-100 Pic brand. Samples with Sr-90 were prepared without the device to see if there was a different behavior with respect to obtaining mass thickness. Similarly they were calcined and carried out count in the Mpc-100. To perform the count, first the parameters of counter operating were determined: operating voltages for alpha and beta particles 630 and 1500 V respectively, a count routine was generated where the time and count type were adjusted, and counting efficiencies for alpha and beta particles, with the aid of calibration sources of {sup 210}Po for alphas and {sup 90}Sr for betas. According to the results, the counts per minute will decrease as increasing the mass thickness of the sample (self-absorption curve), adjusting this behavior to an exponential function in all cases studied. The minor self-absorption of alpha and beta particles in the case of U was obtained in sulfate medium. The self-absorption curves of Sr-90

A generational perspective on work values in a South African sample

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petronella Jonck

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Orientation: In order to ensure harmonious relationships in the workplace, work values of different generational cohorts need to be investigated and understood. Research purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the work values of a South African sample from a generational perspective, in order to foster an understanding of the similarities and differences of different generational cohorts in terms of work values. Motivation of the study: Understanding the work values of different generational cohorts could assist organisations to manage and retain human capital in an increasingly competitive environment. Furthermore, it could assist organisations to develop an advanced understanding of employee behaviour, which should inform conflict-resolution strategies to deal with reported conflict between different generational cohorts. Research design, approach and method: The study was conducted within the positivist paradigm and was quantitative in nature. Data were gathered from 301 employees representing three different generational cohorts, namely the Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y. A cross-sectional study was conducted, and data were collected once off by means of the Values Scale. The psychometric properties of the Values Scale have a reliability coefficient of 0.95, and the scale has been applied successfully in various iterations. Main findings: The findings indicate statistically significant differences and similarities between the various generational cohorts in terms of work values. More specifically, similarities and differences between the various generational cohorts were observed with regard to the values of authority, creativity, risk and social interaction in the work context. Practical/managerial implications: Organisations can use the findings of the study to strengthen employee interaction within the work environment. In addition, the findings can be used to inform retention and management strategies, in order

Determination of arsenic in water samples by Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence using pre-concentration with alumina

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barros, Haydn [Laboratorio de Fisica Nuclear, Dpto. De Fisica, Universidad Simon Bolivar, Sartenejas, Baruta (Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of); Marco Parra, Lue-Meru, E-mail: luemerumarco@yahoo.e [Universidad Centroccidental Lisandro Alvarado, Dpto. Quimica y Suelos, Decanato de Agronomia, Tarabana, Cabudare, Edo.Lara (Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of); Bennun, Leonardo [Universidad de Concepcion, Concepcion (Chile); Greaves, Eduardo D. [Laboratorio de Fisica Nuclear, Dpto. De Fisica, Universidad Simon Bolivar, Sartenejas, Baruta (Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of)

2010-06-15

The determination of arsenic in water samples requires techniques of high sensitivity. Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence (TXRF) allows the determination but a prior separation and pre-concentration procedure is necessary. Alumina is a suitable substrate for the selective separation of the analytes. A method for separation and pre-concentration in alumina, followed by direct analysis of the alumina is evaluated. Quantification was performed using the Al-K{alpha} and Co-K{alpha} lines as internal standard in samples prepared on an alumina matrix, and compared to a calibration with aqueous standards. Artificial water samples of As (III) and As (V) were analyzed after the treatment. Fifty milliliters of the sample at ppb concentration levels were mixed with 10 mg of alumina. The pH, time and temperature were controlled. The alumina was separated from the slurry by centrifugation, washed with de-ionized water and analyzed directly on the sample holder. A pre-concentration factor of 100 was found, with detection limit of 0.7 {mu}gL{sup -1}. The percentage of recovery was 98% for As (III) and 95% for As (V) demonstrating the suitability of the procedure.

Determination of arsenic in water samples by Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence using pre-concentration with alumina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barros, Haydn; Marco Parra, Lue-Meru; Bennun, Leonardo; Greaves, Eduardo D.

2010-01-01

The determination of arsenic in water samples requires techniques of high sensitivity. Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence (TXRF) allows the determination but a prior separation and pre-concentration procedure is necessary. Alumina is a suitable substrate for the selective separation of the analytes. A method for separation and pre-concentration in alumina, followed by direct analysis of the alumina is evaluated. Quantification was performed using the Al-Kα and Co-Kα lines as internal standard in samples prepared on an alumina matrix, and compared to a calibration with aqueous standards. Artificial water samples of As (III) and As (V) were analyzed after the treatment. Fifty milliliters of the sample at ppb concentration levels were mixed with 10 mg of alumina. The pH, time and temperature were controlled. The alumina was separated from the slurry by centrifugation, washed with de-ionized water and analyzed directly on the sample holder. A pre-concentration factor of 100 was found, with detection limit of 0.7 μgL -1 . The percentage of recovery was 98% for As (III) and 95% for As (V) demonstrating the suitability of the procedure.

Quality control for measurement of soil samples containing 237Np and 241Am as radiotracer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sha Lianmao; Zhang Caihong; Song Hailong; Ren Xiaona; Han Yuhu; Zhang Aiming; Chu Taiwei

2003-01-01

This paper reports quality control (QC) for the measurement of soil samples containing 237 Np and 241 Am as radiotracers in migration test of transuranic nuclides. All of the QC were done independently by the QA members of analytical work. It mainly included checking 5%-10% of the total analyzed samples; preparing blank samples, blind replicate sample and spiked samples used as quality control samples to check the quality of analytical work

ACPSEM ROSG TBE working group recommendations for quality assurance in total body electron irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nelligan, Raelene; Baldwin, Zoe; Ostwald, Trish; Tran, Thi; Bailey, Michael

2015-01-01

The Australasian College of Physical Scientists and Engineers in Medicine (ACPSEM) Radiation Oncology Specialty Group (ROSG) formed a series of working groups in 2011 to develop recommendations for guidance of radiation oncology medical physics practice within the Australasian setting. These recommendations are intended to provide guidance for safe work practices and a suitable level of quality control without detailed work instructions. It is the responsibility of the medical physicist to ensure that locally available equipment and procedures are sufficiently sensitive to establish compliance to these recommendations. The recommendations are endorsed by the ROSG, and have been subject to independent expert reviews. For the Australian readers, these recommendations should be read in conjunction with the Tripartite Radiation Oncology Reform Implementation Committee Quality Working Group: Radiation Oncology Practice Standards (2011), and Radiation Oncology Practice Standards Supplementary Guide (2011). This publication presents the recommendations of the ACPSEM ROSG Total Body Electron Irradiation Working Group and has been developed in alignment with other international associations. However, these recommendations should be read in conjunction with relevant national, state or territory legislation and local requirements, which take precedence over the ACPSEM recommendations. It is hoped that the users of this and other ACPSEM recommendations will contribute to the development of future versions through the Radiation Oncology Specialty Group of the ACPSEM. This document serves as a guideline for calibration and quality assurance of equipment used for TBE in Australasia.

Metals determination in coffee sample by total reflection X-ray fluorescence analysis (TXRF)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vives, Ana Elisa Sirito de

2005-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the inorganic concentration in five brands of coffee, three of them nationally marketed and the others of an exportation kind. The samples were prepared by infusion with deionized water. To carry out the calibration, standard solutions were prepared with different concentrations of Al, Si, K, Ca, Ti, Cr, Fe, Ni, Zn and Se. The measurements were carried out using a white beam of synchrotron radiation for excitation and a Si (Li) semiconductor detector for detection. By employing Synchrotron Radiation Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis (SR-TXRF) it was possible to evaluate the concentrations of P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Rb and Ba. The detection limits for 300 s counting time were in the range of 0.03 (Ca) to 30 ng.g -1 (Rb), respectively. (author)

Metals determination in coffee sample by total reflection X-ray fluorescence analysis (TXRF)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vives, Ana Elisa Sirito de [Universidade Metodista de Piracicaba (UNIMEP), Santa Barbara D' Oeste, SP (Brazil). Faculdade de Engenharia, Arquitetura e Urbanismo]. E-mail: aesvives@unimep.br; Moreira, Silvana [Universidade Estadual de Campinas, SP (Brazil). Faculdade de Engenharia Civil, Arquitetura e Urbanismo]. E-mail: Silvana@fec.unicamp.br; Brienza, Sandra Maria Boscolo [ Universidade Metodista de Piracicaba (UNIMEP), Piracicaba, SP (Brazil). Faculdade de Ciencias Matematicas, da Natureza e de Tecnologia da Informacao]. E-mail: sbrienza@unimep.br; Zucchi, Orgheda Luiza Araujo Domingues [Sao Paulo Univ., Ribeirao Preto, SP (Brazil). Faculdade de Ciencias Farmaceuticas]. E-mail: olzucchi@fcfrp.usp.br; Nascimento Filho, Virgilio Franco do [Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA), Piracicaba, SP (Brazil)]. E-mail: virgilio@cena.usp.br

2005-07-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the inorganic concentration in five brands of coffee, three of them nationally marketed and the others of an exportation kind. The samples were prepared by infusion with deionized water. To carry out the calibration, standard solutions were prepared with different concentrations of Al, Si, K, Ca, Ti, Cr, Fe, Ni, Zn and Se. The measurements were carried out using a white beam of synchrotron radiation for excitation and a Si (Li) semiconductor detector for detection. By employing Synchrotron Radiation Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis (SR-TXRF) it was possible to evaluate the concentrations of P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Rb and Ba. The detection limits for 300 s counting time were in the range of 0.03 (Ca) to 30 ng.g{sup -1} (Rb), respectively. (author)

Total Participation Management: Toward Psychological Determinants of Subjective Well-Being at Work

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katarzyna Mika

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Aiming to determine which management practice has the strongest influence on the subjective well-being (SWB of employees, three workplaces were assessed with reference to different levels of total participation management (TPM, an innovative approach to human resource management. The study examined whether the level of TPM is positively related with SWB, defined according to Diener’s (1984 affective and cognitive facets of work. The psychological explanation of the predicted dependence was the level of satisfaction of three basic needs (autonomy, competence and relatedness distinguished by Deci and Ryan (2000a. The hypothesis about a positive relationship between SWB and TPM was confirmed. Results indicate that the least participative company has employees with the lowest subjective well-being and with the lowest satisfaction of basic psychological needs.

Career satisfaction and retention of a sample of women physicians who work reduced hours.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnett, Rosalind C; Gareis, Karen C; Carr, Phyllis L

2005-03-01

To better understand the career satisfaction and factors related to retention of women physicians who work reduced hours and are in dual-earner couples in comparison to their full-time counterparts. Survey of a random sample of female physicians between 25 and 50 years of age working within 25 miles of Boston, whose names were obtained from the Board of Registration in Medicine in Massachusetts. Interviewers conducted a 60-minute face-to-face closed-ended interview after interviewees completed a 20-minute mailed questionnaire. Fifty-one full-time physicians and 47 reduced hours physicians completed the study; the completion rate was 49.5%. The two groups were similar in age, years as a physician, mean household income, number of children, and presence of an infant in the home. Reduced hours physicians in this sample had a different relationship to experiences in the family than full-time physicians. (1) When reduced hours physicians had low marital role quality, there was an associated lower career satisfaction; full-time physicians report high career satisfaction regardless of their marital role quality. (2) When reduced hours physicians had low marital role or parental role quality, there was an associated higher intention to leave their jobs than for full-time physicians; when marital role or parental role quality was high, there was an associated lower intention to leave their jobs than for full-time physicians. (3) When reduced hours physicians perceived that work interfering with family was high, there was an associated greater intention to leave their jobs that was not apparent for full-time physicians. Women physicians in this sample who worked reduced hours had stronger relationships between family experiences (marital and parental role quality and work interference with family) and professional outcomes than had their full-time counterparts. Both career satisfaction and intention to leave their employment are correlated with the quality of home life for

Gender Differences and Predictors of Work Hours in a Sample of Ontario Dentists.

Science.gov (United States)

McKay, Julia C; Ahmad, Atyub; Shaw, Jodi L; Rashid, Faahim; Clancy, Alicia; David, Courtney; Figueiredo, Rafael; Quiñonez, Carlos

2016-11-01

To determine the influence of gender on weekly work hours of Ontario dentists. In 2012, a 52-item survey was sent to a random sample of 3000 Ontario dentists (1500 men and 1500 women) to collect information on personal, professional and sociodemographic characteristics. The resulting data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and linear regression modeling. The 867 respondents included 463 men, 401 women and 3 people whose gender was unreported, yielding a response rate of 29%.Most dentists worked full-time, with men working, on average, 2 h/week longer than women. Younger dentists worked more than older dentists. Practice ownership increased weekly work hours, and men reported ownership more often than women. Canadian-trained women worked significantly fewer hours than those trained internationally. Women were more likely than men to work part time and take parental leave and more often reported being primary caregivers and solely responsible for household chores. Women with partner support for such tasks worked more hours than those who were solely responsible. Dentists with children ≤ 3 years of age worked fewer hours than those without children; however, after controlling for spousal responsibility for caregiver duties, this effect was eliminated. More women than men reported making concessions in their career to devote time to family. Gender, age, practice ownership, training location and degree of spousal support for household and caregiving responsibilities were predictors of weekly work hours. For women specifically, training location and household and caregiving responsibilities predicted weekly work hours.

Total sulfur determination in gasoline, kerosene and diesel fuel using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry after direct sample introduction as detergent emulsions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santelli, Ricardo Erthal; Padua Oliveira, Eliane; Batista de Carvalho, Maria de Fatima; Almeida Bezerra, Marcos; Soares Freire, Aline

2008-01-01

Herein, we present the development of a procedure for the determination of total sulfur in petroleum-derived products (gasoline, kerosene and diesel fuel) employing inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES). For this procedure, samples were prepared as emulsions that were made using concentrated nitric acid, Triton X-100, sample, and ultra pure water in proportions of 5/10/7/78% (v/v), respectively. Sample volumes were weighed because of the density differences, and oxygen was added to the sheat gas entrance of the ICP OES in order to decrease carbon deposition in the torch and to minimize background effects. A Doehlert design was applied as an experimental matrix to investigate the flow ratios of argon (sheat and plasma gas) and oxygen in relation to the signal-to-background ratio. A comparative study among the slopes of the analytical curves built in aqueous media, surfactant/HNO 3 , and by spike addition for several sample emulsions indicates that a unique solution of surfactant in acidic media can be employed to perform the external calibration for analysis of the emulsions. The developed procedure allows for the determination of the total sulfur content in petroleum derivatives with a limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.72 and 2.4 μg g -1 , respectively. Precision values, expressed as the relative standard deviations (% RSD, n = 10) for 12 and 400 μg g -1 , were 2.2% and 1.3%, respectively. The proposed procedure was applied toward the determination of total sulfur in samples of gasoline, kerosene, and diesel fuel commercialized in the city of Niteroi/RJ, Brazil. The accuracy of the proposed method was evaluated by the determination of the total sulfur in three different standard reference materials (SRM): NIST 2723a (sulfur in diesel fuel oil), NIST 1616b (sulfur in kerosene), and NIST 2298 (sulfur in gasoline). The data indicate that the methodology can be successfully applied to these types of samples

INVESTIGATION OF THE TOTAL ORGANIC HALOGEN ANALYTICAL METHOD AT THE WASTE SAMPLING CHARACTERIZATION FACILITY (WSCF)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DOUGLAS JG; MEZNARICH HD, PHD; OLSEN JR; ROSS GA; STAUFFER M

2008-01-01

Total organic halogen (TOX) is used as a parameter to screen groundwater samples at the Hanford Site. Trending is done for each groundwater well, and changes in TOX and other screening parameters can lead to costly changes in the monitoring protocol. The Waste Sampling and Characterization Facility (WSCF) analyzes groundwater samples for TOX using the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) SW-846 method 9020B (EPA 1996a). Samples from the Soil and Groundwater Remediation Project (S and GRP) are submitted to the WSCF for analysis without information regarding the source of the sample; each sample is in essence a 'blind' sample to the laboratory. Feedback from the S and GRP indicated that some of the WSCF-generated TOX data from groundwater wells had a number of outlier values based on the historical trends (Anastos 2008a). Additionally, analysts at WSCF observed inconsistent TOX results among field sample replicates. Therefore, the WSCF lab performed an investigation of the TOX analysis to determine the cause of the outlier data points. Two causes were found that contributed to generating out-of-trend TOX data: (1) The presence of inorganic chloride in the groundwater samples: at inorganic chloride concentrations greater than about 10 parts per million (ppm), apparent TOX values increase with increasing chloride concentration. A parallel observation is the increase in apparent breakthrough of TOX from the first to the second activated-carbon adsorption tubes with increasing inorganic chloride concentration. (2) During the sample preparation step, excessive purging of the adsorption tubes with oxygen pressurization gas after sample loading may cause channeling in the activated-carbon bed. This channeling leads to poor removal of inorganic chloride during the subsequent wash step with aqueous potassium nitrate. The presence of this residual inorganic chloride then produces erroneously high TOX values. Changes in sample preparation were studied to more

INVESTIGATION OF THE TOTAL ORGANIC HALOGEN ANALYTICAL METHOD AT THE WASTE SAMPLING AND CHARACTERIZATION FACILITY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Douglas, J.G.; Meznarich, H.K.; Olsen, J.R.; Ross, G.A.; Stauffer, M.

2009-01-01

Total organic halogen (TOX) is used as a parameter to screen groundwater samples at the Hanford Site. Trending is done for each groundwater well, and changes in TOX and other screening parameters can lead to costly changes in the monitoring protocol. The Waste Sampling and Characterization Facility (WSCF) analyzes groundwater samples for TOX using the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) SW-S46 method 9020B (EPA 1996a). Samples from the Soil and Groundwater Remediation Project (SGRP) are submitted to the WSCF for analysis without information regarding the source of the sample; each sample is in essence a ''blind'' sample to the laboratory. Feedback from the SGRP indicated that some of the WSCF-generated TOX data from groundwater wells had a number of outlier values based on the historical trends (Anastos 200Sa). Additionally, analysts at WSCF observed inconsistent TOX results among field sample replicates. Therefore, the WSCF lab performed an investigation of the TOX analysis to determine the cause of the outlier data points. Two causes were found that contributed to generating out-of-trend TOX data: (1) The presence of inorganic chloride in the groundwater samples: at inorganic chloride concentrations greater than about 10 parts per million (ppm), apparent TOX values increase with increasing chloride concentration. A parallel observation is the increase in apparent breakthrough of TOX from the first to the second activated-carbon adsorption tubes with increasing inorganic chloride concentration. (2) During the sample preparation step, excessive purging of the adsorption tubes with oxygen pressurization gas after sample loading may cause channeling in the activated carbon bed. This channeling leads to poor removal of inorganic chloride during the subsequent wash step with aqueous potassium nitrate. The presence of this residual inorganic chloride then produces erroneously high TOX values. Changes in sample preparation were studied to more effectively

An inexpensive optical sensor system for monitoring total suspended solids in water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sami Gumaan Daraigan; Mohd Zubir Matjafri; Khiruddin Abdullah; Azlan Abdul Aziz; Abdul Aziz Tajuddin; Mohd Firdaus Othman

2005-01-01

The objectives of this work are to design and develop an optical transsmissometer sensor for measuring total suspended solids TSS concentrations in water samples. The proposed optical sensor has the advantages of being relatively inexpensive, and easy to make and operate. An optical algorithm has been developed and used for the measurement of total suspended solids concentrations. The developed optical sensor components include light emitting diodes LEDs that are used for measuring transmitted light. The concentrations of total suspended solids TSS are determined from transmitted light through the water samples. The transmitted light is measured in terms of the output voltage of the photodetector of the sensor system. The readings are measured using a digital multimeter. The results indicate that the level of the photocurrent is linearly proportional to the total suspended solids concentration. The proposed algorithm produces a high correlation coefficient and low root mean square error. (Author)

Analysis of work ability and work-related physical activity of employees in a medium-sized business.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilke, Christiane; Ashton, Philip; Elis, Tobias; Biallas, Bianca; Froböse, Ingo

2015-12-18

Work-related physical activity (PA) and work ability are of growing importance in modern working society. There is evidence for age- and job-related differences regarding PA and work ability. This study analyses work ability and work-related PA of employees in a medium-sized business regarding age and occupation. The total sample consists of 148 employees (116 men-78.38% of the sample-and 32 women, accounting for 21.62%; mean age: 40.85 ± 10.07 years). 100 subjects (67.57%) are white-collar workers (WC), and 48 (32.43%) are blue-collar workers (BC). Work ability is measured using the work ability index, and physical activity is obtained via the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. Work ability shows significant differences regarding occupation (p = 0.001) but not regarding age. Further, significant differences are found for work-related PA concerning occupation (p Work ability is rated as good, yet, a special focus should lie on the promotion during early and late working life. Also, there is still a lack of evidence on the level of work-related PA. Considering work-related PA could add to meeting current activity recommendations.

Effectiveness of team nursing compared with total patient care on staff wellbeing when organizing nursing work in acute care wards: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

King, Allana; Long, Lesley; Lisy, Karolina

2015-11-01

. There were no statistically significant differences observed in any study in the overall job satisfaction of nurses using a team nursing model compared with a total patient care model. Some differences in job satisfaction were however observed within different subgroups of nurses. There were no statistically significant differences in either stress or job tension. Within the selected studies, the specific outcomes of absenteeism and burnout were not addressed. Due to the limited number of quantitative studies identified for inclusion in this systematic review it is not possible to determine whether organizing nursing work in a team nursing or total patient care model is more effective in terms of staff wellbeing in acute care settings. Neither a team nursing or total patient care model had a significant influence on nurses' overall job satisfaction, stress levels or staff turnover. This review could not ascertain if the type of model of care affects absenteeism or burnout as these were not addressed in any of the identified studies.Caution should be taken when evaluating which model of care is appropriate and the decision needs to incorporate staff experience levels and staff skill mix. There needs to be clear definition of nursing roles.This review demonstrates the need for further quantitative studies of these models of care that are well designed with sufficient sample sizes to allow for attrition of participants, and that explore the impact each model has on nurse's wellbeing, in particular, studies that address burnout and absenteeism. There is a need for consistent terminology to allow for future comparison and research to occur at an international level. Future studies on models of care should include economic analysis to fully inform policy and practice.

Applying an Occupational Classification to a National Representative Sample of Work Histories of Young Men and Women.

Science.gov (United States)

Nafziger, Dean H.; And Others

Holland's occupational classification was used to analyze the work histories of a national representative sample of young men and women age 14-24. This study extended previous tests of the classification in three ways: (1) It was applied for the first time to a national, representative sample of women, (2) For the sample of men, 3-year…

Preliminary vitrinite and bitumen reflectance, total organic carbon, and pyrolysis data for samples from Upper and Lower Cretaceous strata, Maverick Basin, south Texas

Science.gov (United States)

Hackley, Paul C.; Dennen, Kristin O.; Gesserman, Rachel M.; Ridgley, Jennie L.

2009-01-01

The Lower Cretaceous Pearsall Formation, a regionally occurring limestone and shale interval of 500-600-ft maximum thickness (Rose, 1986), is being evaluated as part of an ongoing U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assessment of undiscovered hydrocarbon resources in onshore Lower Cretaceous strata of the northern Gulf of Mexico. The purpose of this report is to release preliminary vitrinite and bitumen reflectance, total organic carbon, and pyrolysis data for Pearsall Formation, Glen Rose Formation, Hosston Formation, Austin Group, and Eagle Ford Group samples from the Maverick Basin in south Texas in order to aid in the characterization of these strata in this area. The preliminary nature of this report and the data contained herein reflect that the assessment and characterization of these samples is a work currently in progress. Pearsall Formation subdivisions are, in ascending stratigraphic order, the Pine Island Shale, James Limestone, and Bexar Shale Members (Loucks, 2002). The Lower Cretaceous Glen Rose Formation is also part of the USGS Lower Cretaceous assessment and produces oil in the Maverick Basin (Loucks and Kerans, 2003). The Hosston Formation was assessed by the USGS for undiscovered oil and gas resources in 2006 (Dyman and Condon, 2006), but not in south Texas. The Upper Cretaceous Austin Group is being assessed as part of the USGS assessment of undiscovered hydrocarbon resources in the Upper Cretaceous strata of the northern Gulf of Mexico and, along with the Upper Cretaceous Eagle Ford Group, is considered to be an important source rock in the Smackover-Austin-Eagleford Total Petroleum System (Condon and Dyman, 2006). Both the Austin Group and the Eagle Ford Group are present in the Maverick Basin in south Texas (Rose, 1986).

Trace element analysis of mineral and tap water samples using total reflection x-ray fluorescence (TXRF)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mangala, M.J.; Korir, K.A.; Maina, D.M.; Kinyua, A.M.

2000-01-01

Results of trace element analysis by TXRF of tap water and various brands of bottled mineral water samples which are representative of local and imported brands sold in Nairobi are reported. The variation in elemental concentrations in water samples analyzed were as follows: potassium (K) 0.2 to 28.9 μg/ml; calcium (Ca) 2.2 to 120 μg/ml; titanium (Ti) 11 to 60 μg/l; manganese (Mn) 8 to 670 μg/l; iron (Fe) 31 to 540 μg/l; copper (Cu) 8 to 30 μg/l; zinc (Zn) 8 to 4730 μg/l; bromine (Br) 9 to 248 μg/l; rubidium (Rb) 10 to 40 μg/l and strontium (Sr) 10 to 1000 μg/l. Local mineral water samples contain higher levels of trace elements; manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), bromine (Br), rubidium (Rb) and strontium (Sr) as compared to the imported brands. Principal component analysis of the results revealed three component loading factors clusters for: rubidium (Rb), strontium (Sr) and calcium (Ca); titanium (Ti), iron (Fe), bromine (Br), and zinc (Zn); zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn) and potassium (K) respectively. The percentage of total variance explained by the components was 31.4, 27.3, and 14.8 respectively. In this study, we also found that a limited spread of 5-6 mm for a 10 μl sample was achieved when the quartz sample carrier was dried in a low pressure (300 mbar) oven at 70 o C for 10 hours. (author)

Total down to work for Chtokman's gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Labeyre, J.

2008-01-01

In the framework of the exploitation contract signed with Gazprom, Total group, partner of the project with StatoilHydro, has started the feasibility study for the huge Chtokman gas field in Russia (Barents sea). A definitive investment decision should be given within less a year. The pre-project phase started in summer 2008 but nothing has been decided yet. Russia has two big projects in competition: Chtokman and Kharasavey in Yamal province. Considering the extreme climate conditions and the technical challenges, Russia will need the experience of foreign partners. (J.S.)

Design and device construction for plane tables preparation for counter alpha/beta total

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galicia C, F. J.; Monroy G, F.

2014-10-01

This work presents the design and assembly of a device for plane tables preparation for quantification alpha/beta total of radioactive waste samples. The determination of the activity index alpha/beta total is used to detect a wide variety of matrices quickly and the concentration of alpha and/or beta emitters of the contained radionuclides in different samples. In particular, the determination of the activity index alpha and beta total of radioactive wastes involves the digestion of samples in aggressive means that will be evaporated to dryness for its quantification. With the purpose of controlling the emission of corrosive gases during the preparation of the plane tables for the quantification of the index alpha and beta total, was designed and built the device in the Radioactive Waste Laboratory that allows to prepare plane tables for proportional counters in a sure and efficient way. The device is constituted by heating equipment, evaporation cylinder and a gases cleaning system. The self-absorption curve got ready starting from the device. (Author)

[The relationship between work-family interface and turnover intention: a study in a sample of Italian nurses].

Science.gov (United States)

Ghislieri, Chiara; Molino, Monica; Gatti, Paola

2015-04-04

Work-family interface is an increasingly central research topic in organizational studies, and it is considered particularly relevant in healthcare contexts. Several studies on nursing staff showed the role of work-family conflict (WFC) and enrichment (WFE) in influencing work dynamics. The present study aims  at examining the relationship between work-family interface (in terms of conflict and enrichment) and turnover intentions (TI), in a sample of Italian nurses. A sample of 478 nurses filled in a self-report questionnaire, consisting of different scales based on the international literature. Regression analysis, with TI as dependent variable, showed a positive relationship with WFC and a negative relationship with WFE. The results of the study confirmed that WFC was a potential predictor of TI, able to influence the tendency to desire a new job and look for a new occupation. WFE also had a role in influencing this outcome: perceptions of enrichment from work to family can contribute to reducing TI. The results of the present study indicate the importance of developing working contexts that will foster work-family conciliation, through policies and practices able to reduce the negative interference from work to family, and to increase opportunities to improve and develop new skills that can be used also in other contexts.

Determination of total sulfur in agricultural samples by high-resolution continuum source flame molecular absorption spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Virgilio, Alex; Raposo, Jorge L; Cardoso, Arnaldo A; Nóbrega, Joaquim A; Gomes Neto, José A

2011-03-23

The usefulness of molecular absorption was investigated for the determination of total sulfur (S) in agricultural samples by high-resolution continuum source flame molecular absorption spectrometry. The lines for CS at 257.595, 257.958, and 258.056 nm and for SH at 323.658, 324.064, and 327.990 nm were evaluated. Figures of merit, such as linear dynamic range, sensitivity, linear correlation, characteristic concentration, limit of detection, and precision, were established. For selected CS lines, wavelength-integrated absorbance equivalent to 3 pixels, analytical curves in the 100-2500 mg L(-1) (257.595 nm), 250-2000 mg L(-1) (257.958 nm), and 250-5000 mg L(-1) (258.056 nm) ranges with a linear correlation coefficient better than 0.9980 were obtained. Results were in agreement at a 95% confidence level (paired t test) with those obtained by gravimetry. Recoveries of S in fungicide and fertilizer samples were within the 84-109% range, and the relative standard deviation (n=12) was typically <5%.

Concentrations of bisphenol A in the composite food samples from the 2008 Canadian total diet study in Quebec City and dietary intake estimates.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, X-L; Perez-Locas, C; Dufresne, G; Clement, G; Popovic, S; Beraldin, F; Dabeka, R W; Feeley, M

2011-06-01

A total of 154 food composite samples from the 2008 total diet study in Quebec City were analysed for bisphenol A (BPA), and BPA was detected in less than half (36%, or 55 samples) of the samples tested. High concentrations of BPA were found mostly in the composite samples containing canned foods, with the highest BPA level being observed in canned fish (106 ng g(-1)), followed by canned corn (83.7 ng g(-1)), canned soups (22.2-44.4 ng g(-1)), canned baked beans (23.5 ng g(-1)), canned peas (16.8 ng g(-1)), canned evaporated milk (15.3 ng g(-1)), and canned luncheon meats (10.5 ng g(-1)). BPA levels in baby food composite samples were low, with 2.75 ng g(-1) in canned liquid infant formula, and 0.84-2.46 ng g(-1) in jarred baby foods. BPA was also detected in some foods that are not canned or in jars, such as yeast (8.52 ng g(-1)), baking powder (0.64 ng g(-1)), some cheeses (0.68-2.24 ng g(-1)), breads and some cereals (0.40-1.73 ng g(-1)), and fast foods (1.1-10.9 ng g(-1)). Dietary intakes of BPA were low for all age-sex groups, with 0.17-0.33 µg kg(-1) body weight day(-1) for infants, 0.082-0.23 µg kg(-1) body weight day(-1) for children aged from 1 to 19 years, and 0.052-0.081 µg kg(-1) body weight day(-1) for adults, well below the established regulatory limits. BPA intakes from 19 of the 55 samples account for more than 95% of the total dietary intakes, and most of the 19 samples were either canned or in jars. Intakes of BPA from non-canned foods are low.

Factor Structure and Psychometric Properties of the Work-Family Balance Scale in an Urban Chinese Sample

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Huiping; Yip, Paul S. F.; Chi, Peilian; Chan, Kinsun; Cheung, Yee Tak; Zhang, Xiulan

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the factor structure of the Work-Family Balance Scale (WFBS) and examine its reliability and validity in use in the urban Chinese population. The scale was validated using a sample of 605 urban Chinese residents from 7 cities. Exploratory factor analysis identified two factors: work-family conflict and…

Use of total body electrical conductivity (TOBEC) to determine total body water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cochran, W.; Wong, W.; Sheng, H.P.; Klein, P.; Klish, W.

1986-01-01

Total body electrical conductivity (TOBEC) has been introduced as a safe and rapid method to estimate body composition in infants and adults. Recently, a second generation instrument that operates in a scanning mode has been developed. A study was undertaken to calibrate this new instrument and to assess the feasibility of its use in estimating total body water. Six healthy adults, 3 males and 3 females, ranging in age from 25 to 57 years, and in weight from 43.3 to 104.7 kg were analyzed. Simultaneously, determinations of total body water were made by standard dilutional techniques using H 2 18 O. A baseline plasma sample was obtained and 60 mg 18 O/kg was given orally as H 2 18 O. Five hr later, a postdose plasma sample was obtained. The 18 O/ 16 O ratio in the plasma samples was determined as CO 2 by gas-isotope-ratio mass spectrometry and used to calculate the H 2 18 O volume of distribution. The total body water values ranged from 26.35 to 58.02 and represented 51 to 58% of body weight. There was good linear correlation between the total body water measurement and its phase average (TOBEC number) with a linear correlation coefficient of 0.998. The standard error of the estimate was 0.98. In addition to estimating fat and fat-free mass, the TOBEC method also estimates total body water with excellent correlation to physical dilutions methods

Descriptive display of total alpha, energetics, TOC, oxlate as TOC, and H2O sample data from Hanford waste tanks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

SIMPSON, B.C.

1999-01-01

In March 1999, staff at Lockheed Makn Hanford Company (LMHC) were asked to make a presentation to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) about the safety of the waste tanks at the Hanford Site and the necessity for further tank sampling. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory provided a statistical analysis of available tank data to help determine whether additional sampling would in fact be required. The analytes examined were total alpha, energetics, total organic carbon (TOC), oxalate as TOC and moisture. These analytes serve as indicators of the stability of tank contents; if any of them fall above or below certain values, further investigation is warranted (Dukelow et al. 1995). PNNL performed an analysis of the data collected on these safety screening analytes with respect to empirical distributions and the established Safety Screening Data Quality Objectives (SS DQO) thresholds and Basis for Interim Operations (BIO) limits. Both univariate and bivariate analyses were performed. Summary statistics and graphical representations of the data were generated

A Meta-Analysis of Mathematics and Working Memory: Moderating Effects of Working Memory Domain, Type of Mathematics Skill, and Sample Characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Peng; Namkung, Jessica; Barnes, Marcia; Sun, Congying

2016-01-01

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to determine the relation between mathematics and working memory (WM) and to identify possible moderators of this relation including domains of WM, types of mathematics skills, and sample type. A meta-analysis of 110 studies with 829 effect sizes found a significant medium correlation of mathematics and WM, r…

Technical assessment of TRUSAF for compliance with work place air sampling. Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Butler, J.D.

1995-01-01

The purpose of this Technical Work Document is to satisfy WHC-CM-1-6, the ''WHC Radiological Control Manual.'' This first revision of the original Supporting Document covers the period from January 1, 1994 to December 31, 1994. WHC-CM-1-6 is the primary guidance for radiological control at Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC). As such, it complies with Title 10, Part 835 of the Code of Federal Regulations. In addition to WHC-CM-1-6, there is HSRCM-1, the ''Hanford Site Radiological Control Manual'' and several Department of Energy (DOE) Orders, national consensus standards, and reports that provide criteria, standards, and requirements for workplace air sampling programs. This document provides a summary of these, as they apply to WHC facility workplace air sampling programs. this document also provides an evaluation of the compliance of the TRUSAF workplace air sampling program to the criteria, standards, and requirements and documents. Where necessary, it also indicates changes needed to bring specific locations into compliance

Sampling and analysis of 100 Area springs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-02-01

This report is submitted in fulfillment of Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order Milestone M-30-01, submit a report to EPA and Ecology evaluating the impact to the Columbia River from contaminated springs and seeps as described in the operable unit work plans listed in M-30-03. Springs, seeps, sediments, and the Columbia River were sampled for chemical and radiological analyses during the period September 16 through October 21, 1991. A total of 26 locations were sampled. Results of these analyses show that radiological and nonradiological contaminants continue to enter the Columbia River from the retired reactor areas of the 100 Area via the springs. The primary contaminants in the springs are strontium-90, tritium, and chromium. These contaminants were detected in concentrations above drinking water standards. Analysis of total organic carbon were run on all water samples collected; there is no conclusive evidence that organic constituents are entering the river through the springs. Total organic carbon analyses were generally higher for the surface water than for the springs. The results of this study will be used to develop a focused, yet flexible, long-term spring sampling program. Analysis of Columbia River water samples collected at the Hanford Townsite (i.e., downstream of the reactor areas) did not detect any Hanford-specific contaminants

Personal Digital Assistant-Based Self-Work Sampling Study of Pediatric Interns Quantifies Workday and Educational Value.

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, Joyce K; Ortiz, Michael V; Ottolini, Mary C; Birch, Sarah; Agrawal, Dewesh

2017-04-01

Optimizing clinical proficiency and education of residents has become more important with restricted residency duty hours. Our objective was to investigate how interns spend their time on inpatient rotations and the perceived educational value of workday activities. We performed a descriptive self-work sampling study using a personal digital assistant (PDA) to randomly query interns on inpatient rotations in real time regarding their activity and the perceived educational value of that activity on a 4-point Likert scale. A total of 31 interns participated on 88 workdays over a 5-month period, generating 2082 samples from which the average workday was modeled. Time spent using the electronic health record (EHR) accounted for 33% of intern time, communicating with the health care team 23%, educational activities 17%, and time with patients and families 12%. Time with patients and families was perceived to be the most educational part of clinical service. Time spent using the EHR was perceived as the least educational. Interns perceived clinical service as excellent or good 37% of the time, while planned educational activities were perceived as excellent or good 81% of the time. Interns spend the majority of their time using the EHR and communicating with the health care team. Interns perceive time spent in planned educational activities has more educational value than time spent in clinical service. The distribution of daily activities is discordant with the perceived educational value of those activities. Copyright © 2016 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation the total exposure of soil sample in Adaya site and the obtain risk assessments for the worker by Res Rad code program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahadi, A. M.; Khadim, A. A. N.; Ibrahim, Z. H.; Ali, S. A.

2012-12-01

The present study aims to evaluation the total exposure to the worker in Adaya site risk assessment by using Res Rad code program. The study including 5 areas soil sample calculate in the site and analysis it by High Pure Germaniums (Hg) system made (CANBERRA) company. The soil sample simulation by (Res Rad) code program by inter the radioactive isotope concentration and the specification of the contamination zone area, depth and the cover depth of it. The total exposure of same sample was about 9 mSv/year and the (Heast 2001 Morbidity, FGR13 Morbidity) about 2.045 state every 100 worker in the year. There are simple different between Heast 2001 Morbidity and FGR13 Morbidity according to the Dose Conversion Factor (DCF) use it. The (FGR13 Morbidity) about 2.041 state every 100 worker in the year. (Author)

40 CFR 1065.595 - PM sample post-conditioning and total weighing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... minutes before weighing. Note that 400 µg on sample media (e.g., filters) is an approximate net mass of 0... the procedures in § 1065.590(f) through (i) to determine post-test mass of the sample media (e.g., filters). (g) Subtract each buoyancy-corrected tare mass of the sample medium (e.g., filter) from its...

Comparison of a continuous working level monitor for radon daughters with conventional grab-sampling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bigu, J.; Grenier, M.

1982-08-01

An evaluation of a radon daughter monitor was carried out under laboratory controlled conditions. The monitor operates on continuous sampling and time integrating principles and was tested in conjunction with a newly designed, large radon/thoron room calibration facility. The monitor was tested under constant and rapidly fluctuating radiation conditions. Experimental data obtained with the monitor were compared with data obtained by conventional grab-sampling and with an automated radon daughter/thoron daughter 'grab-sampler'. The Working Level used in the tests ranged from less than 0.01 WL to approximately 10 WL. The measurements were carried out under low aerosol concentration (1 x 10 3 - 2 x 10 3 cm -3 , approximately) to study plate-out effects in the sampling head. Good agreement (within about 10 %) was found between the monitor, conventional grab-sampling and the automated grab-sampler. The monitor should prove quite flexible, useful and reliable for monitoring underground and surface environments in the uranium mining industry

An assessment of the overlap between morale and work engagement in a nonoperational military sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Ivey, Gary W; Blanc, J-R Sébastien; Mantler, Janet

2015-07-01

The degree of overlap between two positive motivational constructs-morale and work engagement-was assessed in a random sample of Canadian Armed Forces personnel stationed across Canada (N = 1,224). Based on self-determination theory and past research, job-specific self-efficacy, trust in teammates, and job significance were expected to be associated with morale and work engagement. Structural equation modeling analyses revealed that morale and work engagement were highly positively correlated, but had different patterns of association with predictor and outcome variables. Although trust in teammates and job significance predicted both morale and work engagement, job-specific self-efficacy predicted morale but not work engagement. Willingness to deploy on operations, turnover intentions, and psychological distress were predicted by both morale and work engagement, but morale was a better predictor of psychological distress and work engagement was a stronger predictor of turnover intentions. Together, the results suggest that, despite their overlap, morale and work engagement, as defined and measured herein, are not interchangeable. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Path Analysis of Work Family Conflict, Job Salary and Promotion Satisfaction, Work Engagement to Subjective Well-Being of the Primary and Middle School Principals

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Chun-mei; Cui, Shu-jing; Wang, Lei

2016-01-01

Objective: To investigate the path analysis of work family conflict, job salary and promotion satisfaction, work engagement to subjective well-being of the primary and middle school principals, and provide advice for enhancing their well-being. Methods: Using convenient sampling, totally 300 primary and middle school principals completed the WFC,…

Unwanted sexual advances at work: variations by employment arrangement in a sample of working Australians.

Science.gov (United States)

Lamontagne, Anthony D; Smith, Peter M; Louie, Amber M; Quinlan, Michael; Shoveller, Jean; Ostry, Aleck S

2009-04-01

We tested the hypothesis that the risk of experiencing unwanted sexual advances at work (UWSA) is greater for precariously-employed workers in comparison to those in permanent or continuing employment. A cross-sectional population-based telephone survey was conducted in Victoria (66% response rate, N=1,101). Employment arrangements were analysed using eight differentiated categories, as well as a four-category collapsed measure to address small cell sizes. Self-report of unwanted sexual advances at work was modelled using multiple logistic regression in relation to employment arrangement, controlling for gender, age, and occupational skill level. Forty-seven respondents reported UWSA in our sample (4.3%), mainly among women (37 of 47). Risk of UWSA was higher for younger respondents, but did not vary significantly by occupational skill level or education. In comparison to Permanent Full-Time, three employment arrangements were strongly associated with UWSA after adjustment for age, gender, and occupational skill level: Casual Full-Time OR = 7.2 (95% Confidence Interval 1.7-30.2); Fixed-Term Contract OR = 11.4 (95% CI 3.4-38.8); and Own-Account Self-Employed OR = 3.8 (95% CI 1.2-11.7). In analyses of females only, the magnitude of these associations was further increased. Respondents employed in precarious arrangements were more likely to report being exposed to UWSA, even after adjustment for age and gender. Greater protections from UWSA are likely needed for precariously employed workers.

The Work-Related Flow Inventory: Construction and Initial Validation of the WOLF

Science.gov (United States)

Bakker, Arnold B.

2008-01-01

The WOrk-reLated Flow inventory (WOLF) measures flow at work, defined as a short-term peak experience characterized by absorption, work enjoyment, and intrinsic work motivation. Results of Study 1 among 7 samples of employees (total N=1346) from different occupational groups offer support for the factorial validity and reliability of the WOLF.…

Total-Evidence Dating under the Fossilized Birth-Death Process.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Chi; Stadler, Tanja; Klopfstein, Seraina; Heath, Tracy A; Ronquist, Fredrik

2016-03-01

Bayesian total-evidence dating involves the simultaneous analysis of morphological data from the fossil record and morphological and sequence data from recent organisms, and it accommodates the uncertainty in the placement of fossils while dating the phylogenetic tree. Due to the flexibility of the Bayesian approach, total-evidence dating can also incorporate additional sources of information. Here, we take advantage of this and expand the analysis to include information about fossilization and sampling processes. Our work is based on the recently described fossilized birth-death (FBD) process, which has been used to model speciation, extinction, and fossilization rates that can vary over time in a piecewise manner. So far, sampling of extant and fossil taxa has been assumed to be either complete or uniformly at random, an assumption which is only valid for a minority of data sets. We therefore extend the FBD process to accommodate diversified sampling of extant taxa, which is standard practice in studies of higher-level taxa. We verify the implementation using simulations and apply it to the early radiation of Hymenoptera (wasps, ants, and bees). Previous total-evidence dating analyses of this data set were based on a simple uniform tree prior and dated the initial radiation of extant Hymenoptera to the late Carboniferous (309 Ma). The analyses using the FBD prior under diversified sampling, however, date the radiation to the Triassic and Permian (252 Ma), slightly older than the age of the oldest hymenopteran fossils. By exploring a variety of FBD model assumptions, we show that it is mainly the accommodation of diversified sampling that causes the push toward more recent divergence times. Accounting for diversified sampling thus has the potential to close the long-discussed gap between rocks and clocks. We conclude that the explicit modeling of fossilization and sampling processes can improve divergence time estimates, but only if all important model aspects

Changes in total carbohydrate and total antioxidant activity induced by gamma irradiation of wheat flour

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manupriya, B.R.; Shenoy, K. Bhasker; Patil, Shrikant L.; Somashekarappa, H.M.

2015-01-01

Wheat is a staple food grain in India after rice and occupies number one position in the world. The wheat crop not only gives food grains but also gives fodder for animals. Among many preservation methods irradiation is a current technique used to overcome infestation, contamination and spoilage of stored grains. The present study is aimed to check the changes in composition of irradiated wheat flour. Wheat flour was exposed to five different irradiation doses (0.25 KGy, 0.5KGy, 1KGy, 5KGy and 10 KGy) by using 60 Co gamma-irradiation chamber. Irradiated flour was stored in air sealed polyethylene pouch and plastic container at room temperature for different time intervals (0 th day, 1 month and 3 months). The stored flour was checked for total antioxidant activity by phosphomolybdate method and total carbohydrates concentration by phenol-sulphuric acid method. On 0 th day total antioxidant activity and total carbohydrate concentration was found to be increased at 0.5KGy (0.113 mg/ml and 0.045 mg/ml respectively) when compared to control (0.79 mg/ml and 39.5 mg/ml). Similarly for 1 month stored samples of air sealed polyethylene pouch total antioxidant activity and total carbohydrate concentration was observed to be increased at 0.5KGy (0.117 mg/ml and 0.045mg/ml respectively) when compared to control (0.096 mg/ml and 0.035 mg/ml). But in case of stored samples of plastic container total antioxidant activity increased at 0.25KGy (0.060 mg/ml) and total carbohydrate increased at 5KGy (0.051 mg/ml). Increased and decreased values were found in both factors for 3 months stored samples of air sealed polyethylene pouch and plastic container. Total antioxidant activity increased at 5KGy (0.072 mg/ml) for polyethylene bag samples and at 0.5KGy (0.137 mg/ml) for plastic container sample. Same way total carbohydrate concentration increased at 0.25KGy (0.046 mg/ml) and at 1KGy (0.045 mg/ml) respectively. This increase is due to affects of γ-irradiation on biomolecules by

Simplified sample treatment for the determination of total concentrations and chemical fractionation forms of Ca, Fe, Mg and Mn in soluble coffees.

Science.gov (United States)

Pohl, Pawel; Stelmach, Ewelina; Szymczycha-Madeja, Anna

2014-11-15

A simpler, and faster than wet digestion, sample treatment was proposed prior to determination of total concentrations for selected macro- (Ca, Mg) and microelements (Fe, Mn) in soluble coffees by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Samples were dissolved in water and acidified with HNO3. Precision was in the range 1-4% and accuracy was better than 2.5%. The method was used in analysis of 18 soluble coffees available on the Polish market. Chemical fractionation patterns for Ca, Fe, Mg and Mn in soluble coffees, as consumed, using a two-column solid-phase extraction method, determined Ca, Mg and Mn were present predominantly as cations (80-93% of total content). This suggests these elements are likely to be highly bioaccessible. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Determination of inorganic mercury and total mercury in biological and environmental samples by flow injection-cold vapor-atomic absorption spectrometry using sodium borohydride as the sole reducing agent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rio Segade, Susana; Tyson, Julian F.

2003-01-01

A simple, fast, precise and accurate method to determine inorganic mercury and total mercury in biological and environmental samples was developed. The optimized flow-injection mercury system permitted the separate determination of inorganic mercury and total mercury using sodium borohydride as reducing agent. Inorganic mercury was selectively determined after reduction with 10 -4 % w/v sodium borohydride, while total mercury was determined after reduction with 0.75% w/v sodium borohydride. The calibration graphs were linear up to 30 ng ml -1 . The detection limits of the method based on three times the standard deviation of the blank were 24 and 3.9 ng l -1 for total mercury and inorganic mercury determination, respectively. The relative standard deviation was less than 1.5% for a 10 ng ml -1 mercury standard. As a means of checking method performance, deionized water and pond water samples were spiked with methylmercury and inorganic mercury; quantitative recovery for total mercury and inorganic mercury was obtained. The accuracy of the method was verified by analyzing alkaline and acid extracts of five biological and sediment reference materials. Microwave-assisted extraction procedures resulted in higher concentrations of recovered mercury species, lower matrix interference with mercury determination and less time involved in sample treatment than conventional extraction procedures. The standard addition method was only needed for calibration when biological samples were analyzed. The detection limits were in the range of 1.2-19 and 6.6-18 ng g -1 in biological and sediment samples for inorganic mercury and total mercury determination, respectively

Total reflection x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy as a tool for evaluation of iron concentration in ferrofluids and yeast samples

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kulesh, N.A., E-mail: nikita.kulesh@urfu.ru [Ural Federal University, Mira 19, 620002 Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation); Novoselova, I.P. [Ural Federal University, Mira 19, 620002 Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation); Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, 236041 Kaliningrad (Russian Federation); Safronov, A.P. [Ural Federal University, Mira 19, 620002 Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation); Institute of Electrophysics UD RAS, Amundsen 106, 620016 Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation); Beketov, I.V.; Samatov, O.M. [Institute of Electrophysics UD RAS, Amundsen 106, 620016 Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation); Kurlyandskaya, G.V. [Ural Federal University, Mira 19, 620002 Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation); University of the Basque Country UPV-EHU, 48940 Leioa (Spain); Morozova, M. [Ural Federal University, Mira 19, 620002 Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation); Denisova, T.P. [Irkutsk State University, Karl Marks 1, 664003 Irkutsk (Russian Federation)

2016-10-01

In this study, total reflection x-ray fluorescent (TXRF) spectrometry was applied for the evaluation of iron concentration in ferrofluids and biological samples containing iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles obtained by the laser target evaporation technique. Suspensions of maghemite nanoparticles of different concentrations were used to estimate the limitation of the method for the evaluation of nanoparticle concentration in the range of 1–5000 ppm in absence of organic matrix. Samples of single-cell yeasts grown in the nutrient media containing maghemite nanoparticles were used to study the nanoparticle absorption mechanism. The obtained results were analyzed in terms of applicability of TXRF for quantitative analysis in a wide range of iron oxide nanoparticle concentrations for biological samples and ferrofluids with a simple established protocol of specimen preparation. - Highlights: • Ferrofluids and yeasts samples were analysed by TXRF spectroscopy. • Simple protocol for iron quantification by means of TXRF was proposed. • Results were combined with magnetic, structural, and morphological characterization. • Preliminary conclusion on nanoparticles uptake mechanism was made.

Total reflection x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy as a tool for evaluation of iron concentration in ferrofluids and yeast samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kulesh, N.A.; Novoselova, I.P.; Safronov, A.P.; Beketov, I.V.; Samatov, O.M.; Kurlyandskaya, G.V.; Morozova, M.; Denisova, T.P.

2016-01-01

In this study, total reflection x-ray fluorescent (TXRF) spectrometry was applied for the evaluation of iron concentration in ferrofluids and biological samples containing iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles obtained by the laser target evaporation technique. Suspensions of maghemite nanoparticles of different concentrations were used to estimate the limitation of the method for the evaluation of nanoparticle concentration in the range of 1–5000 ppm in absence of organic matrix. Samples of single-cell yeasts grown in the nutrient media containing maghemite nanoparticles were used to study the nanoparticle absorption mechanism. The obtained results were analyzed in terms of applicability of TXRF for quantitative analysis in a wide range of iron oxide nanoparticle concentrations for biological samples and ferrofluids with a simple established protocol of specimen preparation. - Highlights: • Ferrofluids and yeasts samples were analysed by TXRF spectroscopy. • Simple protocol for iron quantification by means of TXRF was proposed. • Results were combined with magnetic, structural, and morphological characterization. • Preliminary conclusion on nanoparticles uptake mechanism was made.

Allogenic blood transfusion following total hip arthroplasty: results from the nationwide inpatient sample, 2000 to 2009.

Science.gov (United States)

Saleh, Anas; Small, Travis; Chandran Pillai, Aiswarya Lekshmi Pillai; Schiltz, Nicholas K; Klika, Alison K; Barsoum, Wael K

2014-09-17

The large-scale utilization of allogenic blood transfusion and its associated outcomes have been described in critically ill patients and those undergoing high-risk cardiac surgery but not in patients undergoing elective total hip arthroplasty. The objective of this study was to determine the trends in utilization and outcomes of allogenic blood transfusion in patients undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty in the United States from 2000 to 2009. An observational cohort of 2,087,423 patients who underwent primary total hip arthroplasty from 2000 to 2009 was identified in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification procedure codes 99.03 and 99.04 were used to identify patients who received allogenic blood products during their hospital stay. Risk factors for allogenic transfusions were identified with use of multivariable logistic regression models. We used propensity score matching to estimate the adjusted association between transfusion and surgical outcomes. The rate of allogenic blood transfusion increased from 11.8% in 2000 to 19.0% in 2009. Patient-related risk factors for receiving an allogenic blood transfusion include an older age, female sex, black race, and Medicaid insurance. Hospital-related risk factors include rural location, smaller size, and non-academic status. After adjusting for confounders, allogenic blood transfusion was associated with a longer hospital stay (0.58 ± 0.02 day; p conservation methods. Copyright © 2014 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.

Monitoring of total metal concentration in sludge samples: Case study for the mechanical–biological wastewater treatment plant in Velika Gorica, Croatia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Filipović, Josip; Grčić, Ivana; Bermanec, Vladimir; Kniewald, Goran

2013-01-01

In this paper, monitoring of total metal concentration in sludge samples from wastewater treatment process is elaborated. The presented results summarize the analyses of sludge samples in a period from 2008 to 2012. Possible sources of pollutions are given. Primarily, waste solid samples were collected from different pretreatment steps: (A) coarse grid, (B) fine grid and (C) aerated sand grease grid. Samples of A and B followed a repeatable pattern in 2008 and 2010. According to the results from 2008, samples of C contained measurable concentration of the following metals (mg/kg dry matter): Zn (21), Ni (1.05) and Ba (14.9). Several types of sludge samples were analyzed: fresh raw sludge (PS; 6–12 hour old), the sludge from the digester for anaerobic sludge treatment (DS; 48–72 hour old), samples from lagoons where the sludge is temporarily deposited (DOS and DOSold; 30–120 days) and sludge samples from agricultural areas (AA; aged over 180 days). Additionally, samples of dehydrated sludge (DEHS and DEHSold; 90–180 days) were collected upon construction of equipment for sludge dehydration in 2011. An analysis of total metal concentrations for Cu, Zn, Cr, Pb, Ni, Hg, Cd, Ba, As, Se, Sb, Co, Mo, Fe and Mn was performed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The most recent results (year 2011) indicated a high concentration of heavy metals in PS samples, exceeding the MCLs (mg/kg dry matter): Cu (2122), Zn (5945), Hg (13.67) and Cd (6.29). In 2012 (until July), only a concentration of Cu exceeded MCL (928.75 and 1230.5 in DS and DEHS, respectively). A composition of sludge was variable through time, offering the limited possibility for future prediction. The sludge is being considered as a hazardous waste and a subject of discussion regarding disposal. - Highlights: ► Summarized 5-year monitoring data for heavy metals in sludge ► Partially determined sources of pollution by

Monitoring of total metal concentration in sludge samples: Case study for the mechanical–biological wastewater treatment plant in Velika Gorica, Croatia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Filipović, Josip [Town Office for Physical Planning and Environmental Protection, Velika Gorica County, Trg kralja Tomislava 34, 10410 Velika Gorica (Croatia); Grčić, Ivana, E-mail: igrcic@fkit.hr [Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of Zagreb Marulićev trg 19, 10000 Zagreb (Croatia); Bermanec, Vladimir [Institute of Mineralogy and Petrology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Horvatovac bb, 10000 Zagreb (Croatia); Kniewald, Goran [Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, 10000 Zagreb (Croatia)

2013-03-01

In this paper, monitoring of total metal concentration in sludge samples from wastewater treatment process is elaborated. The presented results summarize the analyses of sludge samples in a period from 2008 to 2012. Possible sources of pollutions are given. Primarily, waste solid samples were collected from different pretreatment steps: (A) coarse grid, (B) fine grid and (C) aerated sand grease grid. Samples of A and B followed a repeatable pattern in 2008 and 2010. According to the results from 2008, samples of C contained measurable concentration of the following metals (mg/kg dry matter): Zn (21), Ni (1.05) and Ba (14.9). Several types of sludge samples were analyzed: fresh raw sludge (PS; 6–12 hour old), the sludge from the digester for anaerobic sludge treatment (DS; 48–72 hour old), samples from lagoons where the sludge is temporarily deposited (DOS and DOSold; 30–120 days) and sludge samples from agricultural areas (AA; aged over 180 days). Additionally, samples of dehydrated sludge (DEHS and DEHSold; 90–180 days) were collected upon construction of equipment for sludge dehydration in 2011. An analysis of total metal concentrations for Cu, Zn, Cr, Pb, Ni, Hg, Cd, Ba, As, Se, Sb, Co, Mo, Fe and Mn was performed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The most recent results (year 2011) indicated a high concentration of heavy metals in PS samples, exceeding the MCLs (mg/kg dry matter): Cu (2122), Zn (5945), Hg (13.67) and Cd (6.29). In 2012 (until July), only a concentration of Cu exceeded MCL (928.75 and 1230.5 in DS and DEHS, respectively). A composition of sludge was variable through time, offering the limited possibility for future prediction. The sludge is being considered as a hazardous waste and a subject of discussion regarding disposal. - Highlights: ► Summarized 5-year monitoring data for heavy metals in sludge ► Partially determined sources of pollution by

Total pollution effect of urban surface runoff.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Hongbing; Luo, Lin; Huang, Gu; Liu, Ping; Li, Jingxian; Hu, Sheng; Wang, Fuxiang; Xu, Rui; Huang, Xiaoxue

2009-01-01

For pollution research with regard to urban surface runoff, most sampling strategies to date have focused on differences in land usage. With single land-use sampling, total surface runoff pollution effect cannot be evaluated unless every land usage spot is monitored. Through a new sampling strategy known as mixed stormwater sampling for a street community at discharge outlet adjacent to river, this study assessed the total urban surface runoff pollution effect caused by a variety of land uses and the pollutants washed off from the rain pipe system in the Futian River watershed in Shenzhen City of China. The water quality monitoring indices were COD (chemical oxygen demand), TSS (total suspend solid), TP (total phosphorus), TN (total nitrogen) and BOD (biochemical oxygen demand). The sums of total pollution loads discharged into the river for the four indices of COD, TSS, TN, and TP over all seven rainfall events were very different. The mathematical model for simulating total pollution loads was established from discharge outlet mixed stormwater sampling of total pollution loads on the basis of four parameters: rainfall intensity, total land area, impervious land area, and pervious land area. In order to treat surface runoff pollution, the values of MFF30 (mass first flush ratio) and FF30 (first 30% of runoff volume) can be considered as split-flow control criteria to obtain more effective and economical design of structural BMPs (best management practices) facilities.

Total quality management - It works for aerospace information services

Science.gov (United States)

Erwin, James; Eberline, Carl; Colquitt, Wanda

1993-01-01

Today we are in the midst of information and 'total quality' revolutions. At the NASA STI Program's Center for AeroSpace Information (CASI), we are focused on using continuous improvements techniques to enrich today's services and products and to ensure that tomorrow's technology supports the TQM-based improvement of future STI program products and services. The Continuous Improvements Program at CASI is the foundation for Total Quality Management in products and services. The focus is customer-driven; its goal, to identify processes and procedures that can be improved and new technologies that can be integrated with the processes to gain efficiencies, provide effectiveness, and promote customer satisfaction. This Program seeks to establish quality through an iterative defect prevention approach that is based on the incorporation of standards and measurements into the processing cycle.

Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction coupled with digital image colorimetric analysis for detection of total iron in water and food samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Bo; Chen, Guorong; Li, Kai; Zhou, Min; Zhang, Ji; Zhao, Shengguo

2017-09-01

A simple and low cost assay for total iron in various samples based on dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) coupled with digital scanning image analysis was proposed. Orthogonal experiment design was utilized to optimize the amount of extraction solvent and disperser solvent, O-phenanthroline concentration and buffer pH. Under the optimum conditions, the calibration curve was linear over the range of 0.047-1.0μgmL -1 (R 2 >0.99) of iron. The limit of detection (LOD) for iron was 14.1μgL -1 and limit of quantification (LOQ) was 46.5μgL -1 . The relative standard deviations for seven replicate determinations of 0.5μgmL -1 of iron was 3.75%. The method was successfully applied for analysis of total iron in water and food samples without using any spectral instrument and it could have a potential industrial impact in developing fast and portable devices to analyze the iron content in water and certain foods. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of low Z elements in various environmental samples with total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoefler, H.; Streli, C.; Wobrauschek, P.; Ovari, M.; Zaray, Gy.

2006-01-01

Recently there is a growing interest in low Z elements such as carbon, oxygen up to sulphur and phosphorus in biological specimen. Total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) spectrometry is a suitable technique demanding only very small amounts of sample. On the other side, the detection of low Z elements is a critical point of this analytical technique. Besides other effects, self absorption may occur in the samples, because of the low energy of the fluorescence radiation. The calibration curves might be not linear any longer. To investigate this issue water samples and samples from human cerebrospinal fluid were used to examine absorption effects. The linearity of calibration curves in dependence of sample mass was investigated to verify the validity of the thin film approximation. The special requirements to the experimental setup for low Z energy dispersive fluorescence analysis were met by using the Atominstitute's TXRF vacuum chamber. This spectrometer is equipped with a Cr-anode X-ray tube, a multilayer monochromator and a SiLi detector with 30 mm 2 active area and with an ultrathin entrance window. Other object on this study are biofilms, living on all subaqueous surfaces, consisting of bacteria, algae and fungi embedded in their extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Many trace elements from the water are bound in the biofilm. Thus, the biofilm is a useful indicator for polluting elements. For biomonitoring purposes not only the polluting elements but also the formation and growth rate of the biofilm are important. Biofilms were directly grown on TXRF reflectors. Their major elements and C-masses correlated to the cultivation time were investigated. These measured masses were related to the area seen by the detector, which was experimentally determined. Homogeneity of the biofilms was checked by measuring various sample positions on the reflectors

Analysis of low Z elements in various environmental samples with total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoefler, H. [Atominstitut of the Austrian Universities, TU-Wien, A-1020 Vienna (Austria); Streli, C. [Atominstitut of the Austrian Universities, TU-Wien, A-1020 Vienna (Austria)]. E-mail: streli@ati.ac.at; Wobrauschek, P. [Atominstitut of the Austrian Universities, TU-Wien, A-1020 Vienna (Austria); Ovari, M. [Eoetvoes University, Institute of Chemistry, H-1117, Budapest, Pazmany P. stny 1/a. (Hungary); Zaray, Gy. [Eoetvoes University, Institute of Chemistry, H-1117, Budapest, Pazmany P. stny 1/a. (Hungary)

2006-11-15

Recently there is a growing interest in low Z elements such as carbon, oxygen up to sulphur and phosphorus in biological specimen. Total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) spectrometry is a suitable technique demanding only very small amounts of sample. On the other side, the detection of low Z elements is a critical point of this analytical technique. Besides other effects, self absorption may occur in the samples, because of the low energy of the fluorescence radiation. The calibration curves might be not linear any longer. To investigate this issue water samples and samples from human cerebrospinal fluid were used to examine absorption effects. The linearity of calibration curves in dependence of sample mass was investigated to verify the validity of the thin film approximation. The special requirements to the experimental setup for low Z energy dispersive fluorescence analysis were met by using the Atominstitute's TXRF vacuum chamber. This spectrometer is equipped with a Cr-anode X-ray tube, a multilayer monochromator and a SiLi detector with 30 mm{sup 2} active area and with an ultrathin entrance window. Other object on this study are biofilms, living on all subaqueous surfaces, consisting of bacteria, algae and fungi embedded in their extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Many trace elements from the water are bound in the biofilm. Thus, the biofilm is a useful indicator for polluting elements. For biomonitoring purposes not only the polluting elements but also the formation and growth rate of the biofilm are important. Biofilms were directly grown on TXRF reflectors. Their major elements and C-masses correlated to the cultivation time were investigated. These measured masses were related to the area seen by the detector, which was experimentally determined. Homogeneity of the biofilms was checked by measuring various sample positions on the reflectors.

The relationship between health promoting resources and work participation in a sample reporting musculoskeletal pain from the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study, HUNT 3, Norway

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Musculoskeletal pain (MSP) is one of the most frequent causes of sick leave from work, and is a common and potentially disabling condition. This study is based on the salutogenic perspective and investigates the relationship between personal, social, and functional health resources and work participation in a population reporting MSP. Method Analysis was performed on cross sectional data from the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study, HUNT 3, in Norway. The sample of n= 6702 was extracted from HUNT 3, including a total of N= 50807 participants. Self-reported health (SRH) and, personal, social, and functional resources were assessed by a questionnaire. Reported sick leave was collected by interview at the point of time when the data were collected, from October 2006 until June 2008. Results Logistic regression analysis demonstrated statistically significant differences between the work group and sick leave group in self-rated health, work support, work control, work load, and feeling strong, and the model predicted 68% of the cases correctly. Females had a lower statistically significant probability (B= −.53) to be in the work group then men when suffering from MSP, with odds of 41%. Conclusion There was a statistically significant relationship between health promoting resources such as SRH, feeling strong, absence of neuroticism, work load, work control, and work participation in MSP population. PMID:23509959

Principles of Work Sample Testing. 1. A Non-Empirical Taxonomy of Test Uses

Science.gov (United States)

1979-04-01

UNIVERSITY % ’ Bowling Green , Ohio 43403 e April 1979 Contract DAHC 19-77-C-0007 Cj Prepared for U.S. ARMY RESEARCH INSTITUTEfor the BEHAVIORAL and...inferring changes in enotionality, and GSR is said to be a measure of emotion . Much of psychological measurement is derived measurement, but it is...ARI TECHNICAL REPORT TR-79-A8 Principles of Work Sample Testingi I. A Non-Empirical Taxonomy of Test Uses b y Robert M. Guion BOWLING GREEN STATE

Distribution of Total Depressive Symptoms Scores and Each Depressive Symptom Item in a Sample of Japanese Employees.

Science.gov (United States)

Tomitaka, Shinichiro; Kawasaki, Yohei; Ide, Kazuki; Yamada, Hiroshi; Miyake, Hirotsugu; Furukawa, Toshiaki A; Furukaw, Toshiaki A

2016-01-01

In a previous study, we reported that the distribution of total depressive symptoms scores according to the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) in a general population is stable throughout middle adulthood and follows an exponential pattern except for at the lowest end of the symptom score. Furthermore, the individual distributions of 16 negative symptom items of the CES-D exhibit a common mathematical pattern. To confirm the reproducibility of these findings, we investigated the distribution of total depressive symptoms scores and 16 negative symptom items in a sample of Japanese employees. We analyzed 7624 employees aged 20-59 years who had participated in the Northern Japan Occupational Health Promotion Centers Collaboration Study for Mental Health. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the CES-D. The CES-D contains 20 items, each of which is scored in four grades: "rarely," "some," "much," and "most of the time." The descriptive statistics and frequency curves of the distributions were then compared according to age group. The distribution of total depressive symptoms scores appeared to be stable from 30-59 years. The right tail of the distribution for ages 30-59 years exhibited a linear pattern with a log-normal scale. The distributions of the 16 individual negative symptom items of the CES-D exhibited a common mathematical pattern which displayed different distributions with a boundary at "some." The distributions of the 16 negative symptom items from "some" to "most" followed a linear pattern with a log-normal scale. The distributions of the total depressive symptoms scores and individual negative symptom items in a Japanese occupational setting show the same patterns as those observed in a general population. These results show that the specific mathematical patterns of the distributions of total depressive symptoms scores and individual negative symptom items can be reproduced in an occupational population.

Characteristics of Mae Moh lignite: Hardgrove grindability index and approximate work index

OpenAIRE

Wutthiphong Tara; Chairoj Rattanakawin

2012-01-01

The purpose of this research was to preliminarily study the Mae Moh lignite grindability tests emphasizing onHardgrove grindability and approximate work index determination respectively. Firstly, the lignite samples were collected,prepared and analyzed for calorific value, total sulfur content, and proximate analysis. After that the Hardgrove grindabilitytest using ball-race test mill was performed. Knowing the Hardgrove indices, the Bond work indices of some samples wereestimated using the A...

Trace determination of uranium in fertilizer samples by total ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

the fertilizers is important because it can be used as fuel in nuclear reactors and also because of en- vironmental concerns. ... The amounts of uranium in four fertilizer samples of Hungarian origin were determined by ... TXRF determination of uranium from phosphate fertilizers of Hungarian origin and the preliminary results ...

Nursing work hours: individual needs versus working conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Amanda Aparecida; Rotenberg, Lúcia; Fischer, Frida Marina

2011-12-01

To assess factors associated with professional and total hours of work (work + home) among nursing staff. Cross-sectional study conducted in a university hospital in the city of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil, between 2004 and 2005. A total of 696 workers (nurses, nurse technicians and aids), mostly women (87.8%) working day and/or night shifts, participated in the study. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collected information on demographic characteristics, and working and life conditions. Translated and adapted into Portuguese versions of the Job Stress Scale, Effort-reward imbalance, Short-Form-Health-related quality of life and the Work Ability Index were also administered. Logistic regression models were used for data analysis. Sole breadwinner, working night shifts and effort-reward imbalance were the variables associated with both professional (OR = 3.38, OR = 10.43, OR = 2.07, respectively) and total hours of work (OR = 1.57, OR = 3.37, OR = 2.75, respectively). There was no significant association between the variables related to hours of work and low Work Ability Index. Inadequate rest at home was statistically associated with professional (OR = 2.47) and total hours of work (OR = 1.48). Inadequate leisure time was significantly associated with professional hours of work (OR = 1.58) and barely associated with total hours of work (OR = 1.43). The sole breadwinner, working night shifts and effort-reward imbalance are variables that need to be further investigated in studies on work hours among nursing staff. These studies should explore workers' income and the relationship between effort and reward, taking into consideration gender issues.

Development of a Univariate Membrane-Based Mid-Infrared Method for Protein Quantitation and Total Lipid Content Analysis of Biological Samples

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivona Strug

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Biological samples present a range of complexities from homogeneous purified protein to multicomponent mixtures. Accurate qualification of such samples is paramount to downstream applications. We describe the development of an MIR spectroscopy-based analytical method offering simultaneous protein quantitation (0.25–5 mg/mL and analysis of total lipid or detergent species, as well as the identification of other biomolecules present in biological samples. The method utilizes a hydrophilic PTFE membrane engineered for presentation of aqueous samples in a dried format compatible with fast infrared analysis. Unlike classical quantification techniques, the reported method is amino acid sequence independent and thus applicable to complex samples of unknown composition. By comparison to existing platforms, this MIR-based method enables direct quantification using minimal sample volume (2 µL; it is well-suited where repeat access and limited sample size are critical parameters. Further, accurate results can be derived without specialized training or knowledge of IR spectroscopy. Overall, the simplified application and analysis system provides a more cost-effective alternative to high-throughput IR systems for research laboratories with minimal throughput demands. In summary, the MIR-based system provides a viable alternative to current protein quantitation methods; it also uniquely offers simultaneous qualification of other components, notably lipids and detergents.

Modern survey sampling

CERN Document Server

Chaudhuri, Arijit

2014-01-01

Exposure to SamplingAbstract Introduction Concepts of Population, Sample, and SamplingInitial RamificationsAbstract Introduction Sampling Design, Sampling SchemeRandom Numbers and Their Uses in Simple RandomSampling (SRS)Drawing Simple Random Samples with and withoutReplacementEstimation of Mean, Total, Ratio of Totals/Means:Variance and Variance EstimationDetermination of Sample SizesA.2 Appendix to Chapter 2 A.More on Equal Probability Sampling A.Horvitz-Thompson EstimatorA.SufficiencyA.LikelihoodA.Non-Existence Theorem More Intricacies Abstract Introduction Unequal Probability Sampling StrategiesPPS Sampling Exploring Improved WaysAbstract Introduction Stratified Sampling Cluster SamplingMulti-Stage SamplingMulti-Phase Sampling: Ratio and RegressionEstimationviiviii ContentsControlled SamplingModeling Introduction Super-Population ModelingPrediction Approach Model-Assisted Approach Bayesian Methods Spatial SmoothingSampling on Successive Occasions: Panel Rotation Non-Response and Not-at-Homes Weighting Adj...

On the accuracy of protein determination in large biological samples by prompt gamma neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasviki, K.; Stamatelatos, I.E.; Yannakopoulou, E.; Papadopoulou, P.; Kalef-Ezra, J.

2007-01-01

A prompt gamma neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) facility has been developed for the determination of nitrogen and thus total protein in large volume biological samples or the whole body of small animals. In the present work, the accuracy of nitrogen determination by PGNAA in phantoms of known composition as well as in four raw ground meat samples of about 1 kg mass was examined. Dumas combustion and Kjeldahl techniques were also used for the assessment of nitrogen concentration in the meat samples. No statistically significant differences were found between the concentrations assessed by the three techniques. The results of this work demonstrate the applicability of PGNAA for the assessment of total protein in biological samples of 0.25-1.5 kg mass, such as a meat sample or the body of small animal even in vivo with an equivalent radiation dose of about 40 mSv

On the accuracy of protein determination in large biological samples by prompt gamma neutron activation analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kasviki, K. [Institute of Nuclear Technology and Radiation Protection, NCSR ' Demokritos' , Aghia Paraskevi, Attikis 15310 (Greece); Medical Physics Laboratory, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina 45110 (Greece); Stamatelatos, I.E. [Institute of Nuclear Technology and Radiation Protection, NCSR ' Demokritos' , Aghia Paraskevi, Attikis 15310 (Greece)], E-mail: ion@ipta.demokritos.gr; Yannakopoulou, E. [Institute of Physical Chemistry, NCSR ' Demokritos' , Aghia Paraskevi, Attikis 15310 (Greece); Papadopoulou, P. [Institute of Technology of Agricultural Products, NAGREF, Lycovrissi, Attikis 14123 (Greece); Kalef-Ezra, J. [Medical Physics Laboratory, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina 45110 (Greece)

2007-10-15

A prompt gamma neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) facility has been developed for the determination of nitrogen and thus total protein in large volume biological samples or the whole body of small animals. In the present work, the accuracy of nitrogen determination by PGNAA in phantoms of known composition as well as in four raw ground meat samples of about 1 kg mass was examined. Dumas combustion and Kjeldahl techniques were also used for the assessment of nitrogen concentration in the meat samples. No statistically significant differences were found between the concentrations assessed by the three techniques. The results of this work demonstrate the applicability of PGNAA for the assessment of total protein in biological samples of 0.25-1.5 kg mass, such as a meat sample or the body of small animal even in vivo with an equivalent radiation dose of about 40 mSv.

Determination of daily intake of elements from Philippine total diet samples using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leon, G.C. de; Shiraishi, K.; Kawamura, H.; Igaraishi, Y.; Palattao, M.V.; Azanon, E.M.

1990-10-01

Total diet samples were analyzed for major elements (Na, K, Ca, Mg, P) and some minor trace elements (Fe, Zn, Mn, Al, Sr, Cu, Ba, Yt) using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Samples analyzed were classified into sex and age groups. Results for some elements (Na, K, Mg, Zn, Cu, Mn) were compared with values from Bataan dietary survey calculated using the Philippine composition table. Exceot for Na, analytical results were similar to calculated values. Analytical results for Ca and Fe were also compared with the values from Food and Nutrition Research Institute. In general, values obtained in the study were lower than the FNRI values. Comparison of the analytical and calculated results with the Japanese and ICRP data showed that Philippine values were lower than foreign values. (Auth.). 22 refs., 9 tabs

Qualità totale e mobilità totale Total Quality and Total Mobility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giuseppe Trieste

2010-05-01

individual in its totality, with all its needs. For this reason it is necessary to focus on output of public and private transports which must be totally and globally accessible. Metropolitan and suburban transports need to have modern buses, and it has been calculated that it is possible to provide a total replacement of the fleet in a period from five to ten years. Total Quality must become the goal of every Local Government. FIABA suggests that a Total Quality Manager be always present in the institutional environment, as a guarantor of quality perceived by people living in their city for tourism, work, and leisure. It is essential to establish a favorable environment for all, to ensure the comfort of 100% of the population to give some definite and reliable answers.FIABA ONLUS (Italian Fund for Elimination of Architectural Barriers was founded in 2000 with the aim of promoting a culture of equal opportunities and, above all, it has as its main goal to involve public and private institutions to create a really accessible and usable environment for everyone. Total accessibility, Total usability and Total mobility are key indicators to define quality of life within cities. A supportive environment that is free of architectural, cultural and psychological barriers allows everyone to live with ease and universality. In fact, people who access to goods and services in the urban context can use to their advantage time and space, so they can do their activities and can maintain relationships that are deemed significant for their social life. The main aim of urban accessibility is to raise the comfort of space for citizens, eliminating all barriers that discriminate people, and prevent from an equality of opportunity. “FIABA FUND - City of ... for the removal of architectural barriers” is an idea of FIABA that has already affected many regions of Italy as Lazio, Lombardy, Campania, Abruzzi and Calabria. It is a National project which provides for opening a bank account in the

Physical work environment: testing an expanded model of job satisfaction in a sample of registered nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Djukic, Maja; Kovner, Christine; Budin, Wendy C; Norman, Robert

2010-01-01

The impact of personal, organizational, and economic factors on nurses' job satisfaction have been studied extensively, but few studies exist in which the effects of physical work environment--including perceptions of architectural, interior design, and ambient features on job satisfaction-are examined. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of perceived physical work environment on job satisfaction, adjusting for multiple personal, organizational, and economic determinants of job satisfaction. A cross-sectional, predictive design and a Web-based survey instrument were used to collect data from staff registered nurses in a large metropolitan hospital. The survey included 34 questions about multiple job satisfaction determinants, including 18 Likert-type measures with established good validity (comparative fit index = .97, Tucker-Lewis index = .98, root mean square error of approximation = .06) and reliability (r ≥ .70). A response rate of 48.5% resulted in a sample of 362, with 80% power to detect a medium effect of perceived physical environment on job satisfaction. On average, nurses had negative perceptions of physical work environment (M = 2.9, SD = 2.2). Although physical environment was related positively to job satisfaction (r =.256, p = .01) in bivariate analysis, in ordered probit regression, no effect of physical work environment on job satisfaction was found. In future studies, this relationship should be examined in larger and more representative samples of nurses. Qualitative methods should be used to explore how negatively perceived physical work environment impacts nurses. Rebuilding of U.S. hospitals, with a planned investment of $200 billion without considering how physical environment contributes to nurse work outcomes, threatens to exacerbate organizational nurse turnover.

PENETAPAN KADAR FENOLIK TOTAL DAN FLAVONOID TOTAL EKSTRAK BERAS HITAM (Oryza sativa L DARI KALIMANTAN SELATAN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Khumaira Sari

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The black rice contains anthocyanin compounds which are included in the flavonoids and phenolic compounds. Flavonoids contained in black rice are phenolic components that act as a preventive of hydroxyl and superoxide radicals by protecting membrane lipids against damaging oxidation reactions and phenol compounds also have bacteriocid, antimetic, antihelmintic, antiinflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer and other degenerative diseases. The aim of this research were to measure total phenolic content and total flavonoid in ethanol extract of black rice (Oryza sativa L. Total phenol content were measured by Folin-Ciocalteu method with gallic acid mean while total flavonoid content were measured by colorimetry method using reagent AlCl3 10% and 5% acetic acid. There are seven variation samples of black rice obtained from seven different places in South Kalimantan. The result of this study, qualitative analysis showed that all samples positive contained flavonoids, alkaloids and tannins. The total phenol content of the seven samples was 100,58 ± 1,344; 91.14 ± 1.699; 96.50 ± 1.529; 77.64 ± 0.462; 81,16 ± 0,614; 112.47 ± 1.040; 81,50 ± 2,928 mgGAE/mg extract and the percent of total flavonoid content from seven samples was 8,53 ± 0,208%; 8.11 ± 0.343%; 7.69 ± 0.446%; 6.03 ± 0.227%; 4.97 ± 0.169%; 3.74 ± 0.210%; 5.02 ± 0.403%.

Passive smoking at work: The short-term cost

OpenAIRE

Lam, TH; McGhee, SM; Adab, P; Hedley, AJ; Ho, LM; Fielding, R; Wong, CM

2000-01-01

STUDY OBJECTIVE—To estimate the impact of passive smoking at work on use of health care services and absenteeism.
DESIGN—Cross sectional survey.
SETTING—A workforce in Hong Kong.
PARTICIPANTS—5142 never-smoking police officers in a total sample of 9926.
MAIN RESULTS—A consistently strong association was found among men between length of time exposed to passive smoking at work and self reported consultations with a doctor, use of medicines and time off work. Results for women were similar but ...

Associations of fatigue to work-related stress, mental and physical health in an employed community sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Rose, D M; Seidler, A; Nübling, M; Latza, U; Brähler, E; Klein, E M; Wiltink, J; Michal, M; Nickels, S; Wild, P S; König, J; Claus, M; Letzel, S; Beutel, M E

2017-05-05

While work-related fatigue has become an issue of concern among European employees, the relationship between fatigue, depression and work-related stressors is far from clear. The purposes of this study were (1) to determine the associations of fatigue with work-related stressors, severe medical disease, health behavior and depression in the working population and (2) to determine the unique impact of work-related stressors on fatigue. We used cross-sectional data of N = 7,930 working participants enrolled in the Gutenberg Health Study (GHS) from 2007 to 2012 filled out the Personal Burnout Scale (PBS) of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ), the PHQ-9, and a list of work-related stressors. A total of 27.5% reported increased fatigue, esp. women, younger persons with a lower social status and income, smokers, severely medically ill, previously and currently depressed participants. Fatigue was consistently associated with severe medical disease, health behavior and depression, which need to be taken into account as potential confounders when analyzing its relationship to work-related strains. Depression was consistently associated with work-related stressors. However, after statistically partialling out depression, fatigue was still significantly associated with work-related stress. Fatigue as an indicator of allostatic load is consistently associated with work-related stressors such as work overload after controlling for depression. The brief Personal Burn-out Scale is suitable for assessing work-related fatigue in the general population.

[Risk assessment work-related stress. pilot study on perceived stress, quality of health and work problems in a sample of workers of judicial offices in rome.

Science.gov (United States)

Berivi, Sandra; Grassi, Antonio; Russello, Carla; Palummieri, Antonio

2017-11-01

In 2008, it was introduced by the Legislature legislation which provided the inclusion of Article 28, paragraph 1 of Legislative Decree. N. 81/2008, which stipulates for businesses and public authorities a duty to assess, among a variety of risks that could threaten the safety and health of workers (chemical, biological risk, etc) and also the work-related stress. The implementation of this decree is, therefore, specified as "work-related stress" as one of the subjects of mandatory assessment risks. The decree, then entrusted to the Permanent Consultative Commission for health and safety at work the task to "prepare the necessary information for the risk assessment of work-related stress", subsequently issued on 17/11/2010 in the form of a "methodological path which represents the minimum level of implementation of the obligation". In light of this regulatory framework, we established our pilot study, with the objective of analyzing a growing occupational discomfort. This objective has been diffused and palpable, but very difficult to define, in a sample of employees of the Judiciary Lazio Offices. The study was commissioned by Law Committee of Guarantee of Equal Opportunity Enhancement of Welfare Work and those against Discrimination (CUG) of the Judicial Offices Romans of the Court of Appeal of Rome also contributed to its realization. The data collected from the administration of two standardized questionnaires was analyzed (Questionnaire-gauge instrument INAIL and the SF-12 v1). More evidently in this pilot study, there was a serious problem in the organizational dimension, in specific, in Managerial Support. Just as it appears, the study sample is perceived "less healthy", both physically and mentally, than the Italian normative sample. Although the sample is only a part of the study population, 26% of workers of the Judicial Offices Romans, the data obtained shows however, from both a quantitative and qualitative view point, a significant occupational stress

Remote sampling and analysis of highly radioactive samples in shielded boxes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirpikov, D.A.; Miroshnichenko, I.V.; Pykhteev, O.Yu.

2010-01-01

The sampling procedure used for highly radioactive coolant water is associated with high risk of personnel irradiation and uncontrolled radioactive contamination. Remote sample manipulation with provision for proper radiation shielding is intended for safety enhancement of the sampling procedure. The sampling lines are located in an isolated compartment, a shielded box. Various equipment which enables remote or automatic sample manipulation is used for this purpose. The main issues of development of the shielded box equipment intended for a wider ranger of remote chemical analyses and manipulation techniques for highly radioactive water samples are considered in the paper. There were three principal directions of work: Transfer of chemical analysis performed in the laboratory inside the shielded box; Prevalence of computer-aided and remote techniques of highly radioactive sample manipulation inside the shielded box; and, Increase in control over sampling and determination of thermal-hydraulic parameters of the coolant water in the sampling lines. The developed equipment and solutions enable remote chemical analysis in the restricted volume of the shielded box by using ion-chromatographic, amperometrical, fluorimetric, flow injection, phototurbidimetric, conductometric and potentiometric methods. Extent of control performed in the shielded box is determined taking into account the requirements of the regulatory documents as well as feasibility and cost of the technical adaptation of various methods to the shielded box conditions. The work resulted in highly precise determination of more than 15 indexes of the coolant water quality performed in on-line mode in the shielded box. It averages to 80% of the total extent of control performed at the prototype reactor plants. The novel solutions for highly radioactive sample handling are implemented in the shielded box (for example, packaging, sample transportation to the laboratory, volume measurement). The shielded box is

Teachers' Educational Qualification, Rank Level, Working Duration, Age, Work Motivation and Work Effectiveness

OpenAIRE

Wiyono, Bambang Budi

2009-01-01

Teachers’ Educational Qualification, Rank Level, Working Duration, Age, Working Mo­tivation, and Working Effectiveness The study investigated the effects of educational qualification, rank level, working duration and age on the elementary school teachers’ working motivation and working ef­fectiveness. The sample of the study consisted of 438 elementary school teachers in Malang which were selected through cluster sampling technique. The study was conducted using explanatory design in the form...

Motor coordination, working memory, and academic achievement in a normative adolescent sample: testing a mediation model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rigoli, D; Piek, J.P.; Kane, R; Oosterlaan, J.

2012-01-01

The aim of the present study was to examine whether the relationship between motor coordination and academic achievement is mediated by working memory (WM) in a normative adolescent sample. Participants included 93 adolescents aged 12-16. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 provided three

Working mothers: Family-work conflict, job performance and family/work variables

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cynthia J Patel

2006-10-01

Full Text Available The present study examined the relationship between family-work conflict, job performance and selected work and family characteristics in a sample of working mothers employed at a large retail organization. The hypothesis of a negative relationship between family-work conflict and job performance was rejected. Married women reported significantly higher family-work conflict than unmarried women, while women in the highest work category gained the highest job performance rating. More than half the sample indicated that paid work was more important than their housework and reported that their working had a positive impact on their families. The findings are discussed in relation to the changing work and family identities of non-career women.

Shift work as an oxidative stressor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pasalar Parvin

2005-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Some medical disorders have higher prevalence in shift workers than others. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of night-shift-working on total plasma antioxidant capacity, with respect to the causative role of oxidative stress in induction of some of these disorders. Methods Two blood samples were taken from 44 workers with a rotational shift schedule, one after their day shift and one after their night shift. The total plasma antioxidant capacity of each worker was measured through the FRAP method. The impacts of age and weight were also assessed. Results The total plasma antioxidant capacity was measured in 44 shift-workers with a mean age of 36.57 years (SD: 10.18 and mean BMI of 26.06 (SD: 4.37 after their day and night shifts. The mean reduction of total plasma antioxidant capacity after the night shift was 105.8 μmol/L (SD: 146.39. Also, a significant correlation was shown between age and weight and total plasma antioxidant capacity. Age and weight were found to be inversely related to total plasma antioxidant capacity; as age and weight increased, the total plasma antioxidant capacity decreased. Conclusion Shift work can act as an oxidative stressor and may induce many medical disorders. Aging and obesity in shift workers makes them more sensitive to this hazardous effect.

Detection limit calculations for different total reflection techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanchez, H.J.

2000-01-01

In this work, theoretical calculations of detection limits for different total-reflection techniques are presented.. Calculations include grazing incidence (TXRF) and gracing exit (GEXRF) conditions. These calculations are compared with detection limits obtained for conventional x-ray fluorescence (XRF). In order to compute detection limits the Shiraiwa and Fujino's model to calculate x-ray fluorescence intensities was used. This model made certain assumptions and approximations to achieve the calculations, specially in the case of the geometrical conditions of the sample, and the incident and takeoff beams. Nevertheless the calculated data of detection limits for conventional XRF and total-reflection XRF show a good agreement with previous results. The model proposed here allows to analyze the different sources of background and the influence of the excitation geometry, which contribute to the understanding of the physical processes involved in the XRF analysis by total reflection. Finally, a comparison between detection limits in total-reflection analysis at grazing incidence and at grazing exit is carried out. Here a good agreement with the theoretical predictions of the reversibility principle is found, showing that detection limits are similar for both techniques. (author)

Sample preparation for total reflection X-ray fluorescence analysis using resist pattern technique

Science.gov (United States)

Tsuji, K.; Yomogita, N.; Konyuba, Y.

2018-06-01

A circular resist pattern layer with a diameter of 9 mm was prepared on a glass substrate (26 mm × 76 mm; 1.5 mm thick) for total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) analysis. The parallel cross pattern was designed with a wall thickness of 10 μm, an interval of 20 μm, and a height of 1.4 or 0.8 μm. This additional resist layer did not significantly increase background intensity on the XRF peaks in TXRF spectra. Dotted residue was obtained from a standard solution (10 μL) containing Ti, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Ga, each at a final concentration of 10 ppm, on a normal glass substrate with a silicone coating layer. The height of the residue was more than 100 μm, where self-absorption in the large residue affected TXRF quantification (intensity relative standard deviation (RSD): 12-20%). In contrast, from a droplet composed of a small volume of solution dropped and cast on the resist pattern structure, the obtained residue was not completely film but a film-like residue with a thickness less than 1 μm, where self-absorption was not a serious problem. In the end, this sample preparation was demonstrated to improve TXRF quantification (intensity RSD: 2-4%).

Total arsenic in selected food samples from Argentina: Estimation of their contribution to inorganic arsenic dietary intake.

Science.gov (United States)

Sigrist, Mirna; Hilbe, Nandi; Brusa, Lucila; Campagnoli, Darío; Beldoménico, Horacio

2016-11-01

An optimized flow injection hydride generation atomic absorption spectroscopy (FI-HGAAS) method was used to determine total arsenic in selected food samples (beef, chicken, fish, milk, cheese, egg, rice, rice-based products, wheat flour, corn flour, oats, breakfast cereals, legumes and potatoes) and to estimate their contributions to inorganic arsenic dietary intake. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) values obtained were 6μgkg(-)(1) and 18μgkg(-)(1), respectively. The mean recovery range obtained for all food at a fortification level of 200μgkg(-)(1) was 85-110%. Accuracy was evaluated using dogfish liver certified reference material (DOLT-3 NRC) for trace metals. The highest total arsenic concentrations (in μgkg(-)(1)) were found in fish (152-439), rice (87-316) and rice-based products (52-201). The contribution to inorganic arsenic (i-As) intake was calculated from the mean i-As content of each food (calculated by applying conversion factors to total arsenic data) and the mean consumption per day. The primary contributors to inorganic arsenic intake were wheat flour, including its proportion in wheat flour-based products (breads, pasta and cookies), followed by rice; both foods account for close to 53% and 17% of the intake, respectively. The i-As dietary intake, estimated as 10.7μgday(-)(1), was significantly lower than that from drinking water in vast regions of Argentina. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Draft Science Management Plan for Returned Samples from Mars: Recommendations from the International Mars Architecture for the Return of Samples (iMARS) Phase II Working Group

Science.gov (United States)

Haltigin, T.; Lange, C.; Mugnuolo, R.; Smith, C.

2018-04-01

This paper summarizes the findings and recommendations of the International Mars Architecture for the Return of Samples (iMARS) Phase II Working Group, an international team comprising 38 members from 16 countries and agencies.

Glycan characterization of the NIST RM monoclonal antibody using a total analytical solution: From sample preparation to data analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hilliard, Mark; Alley, William R; McManus, Ciara A; Yu, Ying Qing; Hallinan, Sinead; Gebler, John; Rudd, Pauline M

Glycosylation is an important attribute of biopharmaceutical products to monitor from development through production. However, glycosylation analysis has traditionally been a time-consuming process with long sample preparation protocols and manual interpretation of the data. To address the challenges associated with glycan analysis, we developed a streamlined analytical solution that covers the entire process from sample preparation to data analysis. In this communication, we describe the complete analytical solution that begins with a simplified and fast N-linked glycan sample preparation protocol that can be completed in less than 1 hr. The sample preparation includes labelling with RapiFluor-MS tag to improve both fluorescence (FLR) and mass spectral (MS) sensitivities. Following HILIC-UPLC/FLR/MS analyses, the data are processed and a library search based on glucose units has been included to expedite the task of structural assignment. We then applied this total analytical solution to characterize the glycosylation of the NIST Reference Material mAb 8761. For this glycoprotein, we confidently identified 35 N-linked glycans and all three major classes, high mannose, complex, and hybrid, were present. The majority of the glycans were neutral and fucosylated; glycans featuring N-glycolylneuraminic acid and those with two galactoses connected via an α1,3-linkage were also identified.

Blood gas sample spiking with total parenteral nutrition, lipid emulsion, and concentrated dextrose solutions as a model for predicting sample contamination based on glucose result.

Science.gov (United States)

Jara-Aguirre, Jose C; Smeets, Steven W; Wockenfus, Amy M; Karon, Brad S

2018-05-01

Evaluate the effects of blood gas sample contamination with total parenteral nutrition (TPN)/lipid emulsion and dextrose 50% (D50) solutions on blood gas and electrolyte measurement; and determine whether glucose concentration can predict blood gas sample contamination with TPN/lipid emulsion or D50. Residual lithium heparin arterial blood gas samples were spiked with TPN/lipid emulsion (0 to 15%) and D50 solutions (0 to 2.5%). Blood gas (pH, pCO2, pO2), electrolytes (Na+, K+ ionized calcium) and hemoglobin were measured with a Radiometer ABL90. Glucose concentration was measured in separated plasma by Roche Cobas c501. Chart review of neonatal blood gas results with glucose >300 mg/dL (>16.65 mmol/L) over a seven month period was performed to determine whether repeat (within 4 h) blood gas results suggested pre-analytical errors in blood gas results. Results were used to determine whether a glucose threshold could predict contamination resulting in blood gas and electrolyte results with greater than laboratory-defined allowable error. Samples spiked with 5% or more TPN/lipid emulsion solution or 1% D50 showed glucose concentration >500 mg/dL (>27.75 mmol/L) and produced blood gas (pH, pO 2 , pCO 2 ) results with greater than laboratory-defined allowable error. TPN/lipid emulsion, but not D50, produced greater than allowable error in electrolyte (Na + ,K + ,Ca ++ ,Hb) results at these concentrations. Based on chart review of 144 neonatal blood gas results with glucose >250 mg/dL received over seven months, four of ten neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) patients with glucose results >500 mg/dL and repeat blood gas results within 4 h had results highly suggestive of pre-analytical error. Only 3 of 36 NICU patients with glucose results 300-500 mg/dL and repeat blood gas results within 4 h had clear pre-analytical errors in blood gas results. Glucose concentration can be used as an indicator of significant blood sample contamination with either TPN

Working memory and inattentive behaviour in a community sample of children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lui Mariko

2007-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Existing literature to date suggests a relationship between cognitive attention and working memory (WM, but the relationship between overt inattentive behaviour and WM is less clear. This study examined the relationship between WM and parent-rated inattentive behaviour in a community sample of 140 children aged 7–12 years. Methods Children completed 2 clinical (laboratory-based measures of WM (auditory-verbal and visual-spatial and a measure of real-life WM, designed specifically for this study, while their parents completed questionnaires about their child's inattentive behaviour and other areas of functioning. Results Findings indicated that poorer performance on WM tasks predicted inattentive behaviour. Conclusion These results are consistent with previous research linking WM deficits and poor attention in ADHD and normal populations. The present findings support a controlled attention model of WM.

Work-Home Interference, Perceived Total Workload, and the Risk of Future Sickness Absence Due to Stress-Related Mental Diagnoses Among Women and Men: a Prospective Twin Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Svedberg, Pia; Mather, Lisa; Bergström, Gunnar; Lindfors, Petra; Blom, Victoria

2018-02-01

Work-home interference has been proposed as an important explanation for sickness absence (SA). Previous studies show mixed results, have not accounted for familial factors (genetics and shared everyday environment), or investigated diagnosis specific SA. The aim was to study whether work-home interference and perceived total workload predict SA due to stress-related mental diagnoses, or SA due to other mental diagnoses, among women and men, when adjusting for various confounders and familial factors. This study included 11,916 twins, 19-47 years (49% women). Data on work-to-home and home-to-work conflicts, perceived total workload, and relevant confounders were derived from a 2005 survey, and national register data on SA spells until 2013 were obtained. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Discordant twin pair design was applied to adjust for familial factors. Each one unit increase in work-to-home and home-to-work conflicts, and perceived total workload was associated with higher odds for SA due to stress-related mental diagnoses and to SA due to other mental diagnoses among women, when adjusting for sociodemographic factors (ORs 1.15-1.31). Including health or familial factors, no associations remained. For men, each one unit increase in work-to-home conflicts was associated with higher odds for SA due to stress-related diagnoses (ORs 1.23-1.35), independently of confounders. Work-to-home conflict was independently associated with future SA due to stress-related diagnoses among men only. Health- and work-related factors seem to be important confounders when researching work-home interference, perceived total workload, and SA. Not including such confounders involves risking drawing incorrect conclusions. Further studies are needed to confirm sex differences and whether genetic factors are important for the associations studied.

Motivation And Working Behavior In Frontier Tourism Business Of Thailand-Laos

OpenAIRE

Thirachaya Maneenetr

2010-01-01

The objectives of this research were to study the motivations and working behavior of the frontier tourism business at the Thailand-Laos border, to compare the working relationship between travel agencies and the hotel business, and to study the relationship between working motivation and working behavior in the tourism business by using a total sampling of 140 persons: 112 persons from the hotel business and 28 persons from travel agencies. Personnel in the tourism business consisted of 42.1...

Total quality management: It works for aerospace information services

Science.gov (United States)

Erwin, James; Eberline, Carl; Colquitt, Wanda

1993-01-01

Today we are in the midst of information and 'total quality' revolutions. At the NASA STI Program's Center for AeroSpace Information (CASI), we are focused on using continuous improvements techniques to enrich today's services and products and to ensure that tomorrow's technology supports the TQM-based improvement of future STI program products and services. The Continuous Improvements Program at CASI is the foundation for Total Quality Management in products and services. The focus is customer-driven; its goal, to identify processes and procedures that can be improved and new technologies that can be integrated with the processes to gain efficiencies, provide effectiveness, and promote customer satisfaction. This Program seeks to establish quality through an iterative defect prevention approach that is based on the incorporation of standards and measurements into the processing cycle. Four projects are described that utilize cross-functional, problem-solving teams for identifying requirements and defining tasks and task standards, management participation, attention to critical processes, and measurable long-term goals. The implementation of these projects provides the customer with measurably improved access to information that is provided through several channels: the NASA STI Database, document requests for microfiche and hardcopy, and the Centralized Help Desk.

On-line technique for preparingand measuring stable carbon isotopeof total dissolved inorganic carbonin water samples ( d13CTDIC

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Inguaggiato

2005-06-01

Full Text Available A fast and completely automated procedure is proposed for the preparation and determination of d13C of total inorganic carbon dissolved in water ( d13CTDIC. This method is based on the acidification of water samples transforming the whole dissolved inorganic carbon species into CO2. Water samples are directly injected by syringe into 5.9 ml vials with screw caps which have a pierciable rubber septum. An Analytical Precision «Carbonate Prep System» was used both to flush pure helium into the vials and to automatically dispense a fixed amount of H3PO4. Full-equilibrium conditions between produced CO2 and water are reached at a temperature of 70°C (± 0.1°C in less than 24 h. Carbon isotope ratios (13C/ 12C were measured on an AP 2003 continuous flow mass spectrometer, connected on-line with the injection system. The precision and reproducibility of the proposed method was tested both on aqueous standard solutions prepared using Na2CO3 with d13C=-10.78 per mil versus PDB (1 s= 0.08, n = 11, and at five different concentrations (2, 3, 4, 5 and 20 mmol/l and on more than thirty natural samples. Mean d13CTDIC on standard solution samples is ?10.89 < per mil versus PDB (1 s= 0.18, n = 50, thus revealing both a good analytical precision and reproducibility. A comparison between average d13CTDIC values on a quadruplicate set of natural samples and those obtained following the chemical and physical stripping method highlights a good agreement between the two analytical methods.

Fast-food consumption, diet quality and body weight: cross-sectional and prospective associations in a community sample of working adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnes, Timothy L; French, Simone A; Mitchell, Nathan R; Wolfson, Julian

2016-04-01

To examine the association between fast-food consumption, diet quality and body weight in a community sample of working adults. Cross-sectional and prospective analysis of anthropometric, survey and dietary data from adults recruited to participate in a worksite nutrition intervention. Participants self-reported frequency of fast-food consumption per week. Nutrient intakes and diet quality, using the Healthy Eating Index-2010 (HEI-2010), were computed from dietary recalls collected at baseline and 6 months. Metropolitan medical complex, Minneapolis, MN, USA. Two hundred adults, aged 18-60 years. Cross-sectionally, fast-food consumption was significantly associated with higher daily total energy intake (β=72·5, P=0·005), empty calories (β=0·40, P=0·006) and BMI (β=0·73, P=0·011), and lower HEI-2010 score (β=-1·23, P=0·012), total vegetables (β=-0·14, P=0·004), whole grains (β=-0·39, P=0·005), fibre (β=-0·83, P=0·002), Mg (β=-6·99, P=0·019) and K (β=-57·5, P=0·016). Over 6 months, change in fast-food consumption was not significantly associated with changes in energy intake or BMI, but was significantly inversely associated with total intake of vegetables (β=-0·14, P=0·034). Frequency of fast-food consumption was significantly associated with higher energy intake and poorer diet quality cross-sectionally. Six-month change in fast-food intake was small, and not significantly associated with overall diet quality or BMI.

Influence of psoriasis on work.

Science.gov (United States)

Mattila, Kalle; Leino, Mauri; Mustonen, Anssi; Koulu, Leena; Tuominen, Risto

2013-04-01

Previous research indicates that psoriasis has an impact on early retirement, sick leave days and reduced work performance. To evaluate the disadvantages at work caused by psoriasis. The sample was based on patients visiting the dermatology outpatient clinic in Turku University Hospital. 262 returned a mailed questionnaire. The subjects were asked how many hours they were on a sick leave (absenteeism) and working while sick (presenteeism) due to psoriasis and other health reasons. Of the retired, 17.0% felt they were retired due to psoriasis. Those in the active work force reported on average 4.5 hours absenteeism and 8.3 hours of presenteeism due to psoriasis during the last 4 weeks. Psoriasis caused 27.0% of the total absenteeism and 39.0% of presenteeism. More than a quarter (28.9%) had been forced to modify their work due to psoriasis, most frequently to make the work less irritating for the skin. Psoriasis has a negative effect on patients' work in many ways, causing early retirement from work, sick leave days, change of occupation and work modifications.

A STUDY ON THE DETERMINATION OF WORK ENGAGEMENT LEVELS OF HEALTH EMPLOYEES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Özlem Özer

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to determine work engagement levels of health employees and to reveal whether the individual and demographic features of the employees have an effect on the level of work engagement or not. The population of study included all employees in Aydin Atatürk State Hospital. The sample is selected in the study, tried to reach the whole universe and a total of 414 usable responses were obtained. According to result of this study, there are statistically significant differences between employees’ evaluations related to work engagement level by level of education, occupational status and gender whereas total work years, age and marital status do not create a difference in terms of work engagement levels of employees.

Determination Total Phosphour of Maize Plant Samples by Continuous Flow Analyzer in Comparison with Vanadium Molybdate Yellow Colorimetric Method

OpenAIRE

LIU Yun-xia; WEN Yun-jie; HUANG Jin-li; LI Gui-hua; CHAI Xiao; WANG Hong

2015-01-01

The vanadium molybdate yellow colorimetric method(VMYC method) is regarded as one of conventional methods for determining total phosphorus(P) in plants, but it is time consuming procedure. Continuous flow analyzer(CFA) is a fluid stream segmentation technique with air segments. It is used to measure P concentration based on the molybdate-antimony-ascorbic acid method of Murphy and Riley. Sixty nine of maize plant samples were selected and digested with H2SO4-H2O2. P concentrations in the dige...

The relationship between work and home characteristics and work engagement in medical residents.

Science.gov (United States)

Verweij, Hanne; van Hooff, Madelon L M; van der Heijden, Frank M M A; Prins, Jelle T; Lagro-Janssen, Antoine L M; van Ravesteijn, Hiske; Speckens, Anne E M

2017-08-01

Work engagement is important for medical residents and the healthcare organizations they work for. However, relatively little is known about the specific predictors of work engagement in medical residents. Therefore, we examined the associations of work and home characteristics, and work-home interference with work engagement in male and female residents. This study was conducted on a nationwide sample of medical residents. In 2005, all Dutch medical residents (n = 5245) received a self-report questionnaire. Path analysis was used to examine the associations between the potential predictors and work engagement. In total, 2115 (41.1%) residents completed the questionnaire. Job characteristics, home characteristics and work-home interference were associated with work engagement. Important positive contributing factors of work engagement were opportunities for job development, mental demands at work, positive work-home interference and positive home-work interference. Important negative contributing factors were emotional demands at work and negative home-work interference. The influence of these factors on work engagement was similar in male and female residents. Opportunities for job development and having challenging work are of high relevance in enhancing work engagement. Furthermore, interventions that teach how to deal skilfully with emotional demands at work and home-work interference are expected to be the most effective interventions to enhance work engagement in medical residents.

Sample preparation and electrochemical data of Co3O4 working electrode for seawater splitting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Malkeshkumar Patel

2017-10-01

Full Text Available In this data article, we presented the electrochemical data of the working electrode made of Co3O4 semi-transparent film. Electrochemically stable, porous nature of Kirkendall-diffusion grown Co3O4 films were applied to generate hydrogen from the seawater splitting (Patel et al., 2017 [1]. The data presented in this article includes the photograph of prepared samples, polarization curves for water oxidation and Tafel plot, linear sweep voltammetry measurements under the pulsed light condition in 0.1 M Na2S2O3 electrolyte, and transient photoresponses with natural sea water. Moreover, seawater splitting using the Co3O4 working electrode is demonstrated.

Using Google Docs to Enhance the Teacher Work Sample: Building e-Portfolios for Learning and Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Gugino, Jessica

2018-01-01

The use of teaching portfolios in teacher education programs is a widely accepted practice. This article describes how a traditional teacher work sample was transformed using the online platform, Google Docs. The use of online digital portfolios may help to satisfy both the need to evaluate teacher candidates' performance in special education…

Career Adapt-Abilities Scale in a French-Speaking Swiss Sample: Psychometric Properties and Relationships to Personality and Work Engagement

Science.gov (United States)

Rossier, Jerome; Zecca, Gregory; Stauffer, Sarah D.; Maggiori, Christian; Dauwalder, Jean-Pierre

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale (CAAS) in a French-speaking Swiss sample and its relationship with personality dimensions and work engagement. The heterogeneous sample of 391 participants (M[subscript age] = 39.59, SD = 12.30) completed the CAAS-International and a short version…

Associations of long-term shift work with waking salivary cortisol concentration and patterns among police officers.

Science.gov (United States)

Fekedulegn, Desta; Burchfiel, Cecil M; Violanti, John M; Hartley, Tara A; Charles, Luenda E; Andrew, Michael E; Miller, Diane B

2012-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether long-term shift work is associated with both the total hormonal secretion after awakening and the pattern of the cortisol levels during the first hour following awakening, among 65 randomly selected police officers who represent a high stress occupation. Dominant shift (Day, Afternoon, or Midnight) was ascertained using daily payroll records of each participant's work activities during the 6-8 yrs prior to saliva sampling. Four salivary samples were collected at 15 min intervals upon first awakening. After accounting for potential confounders, salivary cortisol concentrations averaged across all four time points and total area under the curve differed significantly across shift with midnight shift workers showing suppressed awakening cortisol response relative to the afternoon and day shift. The percent of hours worked on midnight shift was inversely correlated with total awakening cortisol output. In contrast, the pattern of cortisol secretion during the first hour following waking appeared not to be affected as no significant interaction effect was found between time since awakening and shift work. The results show that long-term midnight shift work is associated with decreased absolute mean level and total volume of cortisol released over the waking period.

Associations of Long-term Shift Work with Waking Salivary Cortisol Concentration and Patterns among Police Officers

Science.gov (United States)

FEKEDULEGN, Desta; BURCHFIEL, Cecil M.; VIOLANTI, John M.; HARTLEY, Tara A.; CHARLES, Luenda E.; ANDREW, Michael E.; MILLER, Diane B.

2015-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether long-term shift work is associated with both the total hormonal secretion after awakening and the pattern of the cortisol levels during the first hour following awakening, among 65 randomly selected police officers who represent a high stress occupation. Dominant shift (Day, Afternoon, or Midnight) was ascertained using daily payroll records of each participant’s work activities during the 6–8 yrs prior to saliva sampling. Four salivary samples were collected at 15 min intervals upon first awakening. After accounting for potential confounders, salivary cortisol concentrations averaged across all four time points and total area under the curve differed significantly across shift with midnight shift workers showing suppressed awakening cortisol response relative to the afternoon and day shift. The percent of hours worked on midnight shift was inversely correlated with total awakening cortisol output. In contrast, the pattern of cortisol secretion during the first hour following waking appeared not to be affected as no significant interaction effect was found between time since awakening and shift work. The results show that long-term midnight shift work is associated with decreased absolute mean level and total volume of cortisol released over the waking period. PMID:23047078

Optimum sample size allocation to minimize cost or maximize power for the two-sample trimmed mean test.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Jiin-Huarng; Luh, Wei-Ming

2009-05-01

When planning a study, sample size determination is one of the most important tasks facing the researcher. The size will depend on the purpose of the study, the cost limitations, and the nature of the data. By specifying the standard deviation ratio and/or the sample size ratio, the present study considers the problem of heterogeneous variances and non-normality for Yuen's two-group test and develops sample size formulas to minimize the total cost or maximize the power of the test. For a given power, the sample size allocation ratio can be manipulated so that the proposed formulas can minimize the total cost, the total sample size, or the sum of total sample size and total cost. On the other hand, for a given total cost, the optimum sample size allocation ratio can maximize the statistical power of the test. After the sample size is determined, the present simulation applies Yuen's test to the sample generated, and then the procedure is validated in terms of Type I errors and power. Simulation results show that the proposed formulas can control Type I errors and achieve the desired power under the various conditions specified. Finally, the implications for determining sample sizes in experimental studies and future research are discussed.

Application of particle size distributions to total particulate stack samples to estimate PM2.5 and PM10 emission factors for agricultural sources

Science.gov (United States)

Particle size distributions (PSD) have long been used to more accurately estimate the PM10 fraction of total particulate matter (PM) stack samples taken from agricultural sources. These PSD analyses were typically conducted using a Coulter Counter with 50 micrometer aperture tube. With recent increa...

Determination Total Phosphour of Maize Plant Samples by Continuous Flow Analyzer in Comparison with Vanadium Molybdate Yellow Colorimetric Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LIU Yun-xia

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The vanadium molybdate yellow colorimetric method(VMYC method is regarded as one of conventional methods for determining total phosphorus(P in plants, but it is time consuming procedure. Continuous flow analyzer(CFA is a fluid stream segmentation technique with air segments. It is used to measure P concentration based on the molybdate-antimony-ascorbic acid method of Murphy and Riley. Sixty nine of maize plant samples were selected and digested with H2SO4-H2O2. P concentrations in the digests were determined by CFA and VMYC method, respectively. The t test found that there was no any significant difference of the plant P contents measured by the CFA and the VMYC method. A linear equation could best describe their relationship: Y(CFA-P=0.927X(VMYC-P-0.002. The Pearson's correlation coefficient was 0.985 with a significance level(n=69, P<0.01. The CFA method for plant P measurement had a high precision with relative standard deviation(RSD less than 1.5%. It is suggested that the CFA based on Murphy and Riley colorimetric detection can be used to determinate total plant P in the digests solutions with H2SO4-H2O2. The CFA method is labor saving and can handle large numbers of samples. The human error in mixing with other operations is reduced to a great extent.

KUALITAS MIKROBIOLOGI NASI JINGGO BERDASARKAN ANGKA LEMPENG TOTAL, COLIFORM TOTAL DAN KANDUNGAN ESCHERICHIA COLI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ni Luh Payastiti Yunita

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Inadequate quality of food products that do not meet standard quality may lead to food poisoning cases and become a concern in public health sector. Nasi Jinggo is a small amount of cooked rice with little bit fried tempe, shredded spicy chicken, traditional made chili sauce that is packed with banana leaves, and all the cooking process usually done traditionally. Nasi jinggo is sold at night by street vendor with price ranged from Rp. 1.500,- to Rp. 2.000,- per package. The study was a quantitative descriptive study with cross-sectional design that was aimed to identify the microbiology quality of nasi jinggo that were sold in Denpasar Selatan area. From 48 population of nasi jinggo street vendor, 23 vendor was taken as samples. The microbiology quality being assessed was Total Plate Count (TPC, Total Coliform with MPN method and Escherichia coli content with Eosin Methylene Blue Agar as medium. Laboratory analysis showed that only 21,7% sample that met TPC standard with average value of 2,3 x 107 CFU/gram sample, only 8,7% that met Total Coliform standard with average value of 1,4 x 105 MPN/100 gram sample and 52,2% sample that met E. coli content standard with average value is 2,6 x 102 MPN/100 gram sample. It is recommended to the government to do quality check towards nasi jinggo in a regular basis as well as to provide education and assistance to nasi jinggo street vendors in order to improve the microbiology quality of food product and ensure food safety to the consumer.

Prevalence of bullying at work and its association with self-esteem scores in a Spanish nurse sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Losa Iglesias, Marta Elena; Becerro de Bengoa Vallejo, Ricardo

2012-08-01

Bullying has been recognized as an important and increasing problem for nurses, who are faced with different kinds of bullying. Recent research has suggested a possible association between bullying and low self-esteem. To determine the prevalence of bullying at work in a sample of Spanish nurses; to examine the association between bullying and self-esteem; and to investigate the prognostic factors that determine bullying at work. A descriptive survey study was developed to represent the population of Spanish nurses. The sample consisted of 538 nurses who met the inclusion criteria of having worked for a minimum of one year in adult or paediatric services in the public or private heath care system of Principado de Asturias-Spain. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE) and the Negative Acts Questionnaire (NAQ) standardized for Spain were used to measure self-esteem and bullying behaviours respectively. Our results show that about one in five nurses (17%) experienced subjective bullying, and 8% of these cases reported weekly or daily bullying. The negative acts reported most frequently in bullied and non-bullied nurses were work-related bullying behaviours, such as 'Being given tasks with unreasonable or impossible targets or deadlines' (2.71 SD = 1.33). However, bullied nurses reported significantly higher rates in all questions of the NAQ, and self-reported bullying was significantly related to low self-esteem (χ(2) = 109; p self-reported bullying is high among Spanish nurses and is clearly associated with higher exposure to bullying behaviours at work and lower levels of self-esteem.

Label-Free Quantitative Analysis of Mitochondrial Proteomes Using the Multienzyme Digestion-Filter Aided Sample Preparation (MED-FASP) and "Total Protein Approach".

Science.gov (United States)

Wiśniewski, Jacek R

2017-01-01

Determination of proteome composition and measuring of changes in protein titers provide important information with a substantial value for studying mitochondria.This chapter describes a workflow for the quantitative analysis of mitochondrial proteome with a focus on sample preparation and quantitative analysis of the data. The workflow involves the multienzyme digestion-filter aided sample preparation (MED-FASP) protocol enabling efficient extraction of proteins and high rate of protein-to-peptide conversion. Consecutive protein digestion with Lys C and trypsin enables generation of peptide fractions with minimal overlap, largely increases the number of identified proteins, and extends their sequence coverage. Abundances of proteins identified by multiple peptides can be assessed by the "Total Protein Approach."

Estudo da especiação de arsênio inorgânico e determinação de arsênio total no monitoramento ambiental da qualidade de águas subterrâneas Determination of total as and inorganic arsenic species for the environmental quality monitoring of groundwaters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ricardo Perobelli Borba

2009-01-01

Full Text Available This work reports an alternative, fast and robust method, for the determination of total As, As(III and As(V by HG-AAS without the use of prereductants. The method is based on the different rates of arsine formation of the inorganic As species and the effect of As(III in the signal obtained for total As. Groundwater and mineral spiked waters were used to sample preservation evaluation. The method was validated by the determination of As in SRM 1640 and used in the determination of total As and its inorganic species in groundwater samples collected from mines in the Iron Quadrangle - MG.

A sensitive method for determining total vanadium in water samples using colorimetric-solid-phase extraction-fiber optic reflectance spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Filik, Hayati; Yanaz, Zeynep

2009-01-01

A selective colorimetric-solid-phase extraction (C-SPE) method for the determination of total vanadium in water samples was developed. This method introduced a new variation of C-SPE. The colour reaction is based on the reaction of vanadium(V) ternary complex formed with 1-(2-Pyridylazo)-2-naphtol (PAN) in the presence hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ). In this technique, the target analytes in samples are extracted onto solid matrix loaded with a colorimetric reagent and then quantified directly on the adsorbent surface by using a miniature fiber optic reflectance spectrometer. The measurements were carried out at a wavelength of 589.4 nm since it yielded the largest divergence different in reflectance spectra before and after reaction with the vanadium. The overall time required for the C-SPE procedure was ∼20 min. The amount of concentrated V is then determined in a few seconds by using miniature reflectance spectrometer. At the optimal conditions, a calibration curve was constructed, revealing a linear range of 0.05-0.52 mg L -1 and a detection limit as low as 0.01 mg L -1 while the RSD lower than 2.8%. In order to verify the accuracy of the method, a certified reference water samples (TMDA) were analysed and the results obtained were in good agreement with the certified values. The proposed method was applied to the determination of vanadium in tap water, seawater samples with a recovery for the spiked samples in the range of 98-102%.

Total Effective Xenoestrogen Burden in Serum Samples and Risk for Breast Cancer in a Population-Based Multicase–Control Study in Spain

Science.gov (United States)

Pastor-Barriuso, Roberto; Fernández, Mariana F.; Castaño-Vinyals, Gemma; Whelan, Denis; Pérez-Gómez, Beatriz; Llorca, Javier; Villanueva, Cristina M.; Guevara, Marcela; Molina-Molina, José-Manuel; Artacho-Cordón, Francisco; Barriuso-Lapresa, Laura; Tusquets, Ignasi; Dierssen-Sotos, Trinidad; Aragonés, Nuria; Olea, Nicolás; Kogevinas, Manolis; Pollán, Marina

2016-01-01

Background: Most studies on endocrine-disrupting chemicals and breast cancer have focused on single compounds and have produced inconclusive findings. Objectives: We assessed the combined estrogenic effects of mixtures of xenoestrogens in serum and their relationship to breast cancer risk. Methods: A total of 186 incident pretreatment breast cancer cases and 196 frequency-matched controls were randomly sampled from a large population-based multicase–control study in Spain. The total effective xenoestrogen burden attributable to organohalogenated xenoestrogens (TEXB-α) and endogenous hormones and more polar xenoestrogens (TEXB-β) was determined in serum samples using high-performance liquid chromatography and E-Screen bioassay. Odds ratios for breast cancer comparing tertiles of serum TEXB-α and TEXB-β were estimated using logistic models, and smooth risk trends were obtained using spline models. Results: Cases had higher geometric mean TEXB-α and TEXB-β levels (8.32 and 9.94 Eeq pM/mL, respectively) than controls (2.99 and 5.96 Eeq pM/mL, respectively). The fully adjusted odds ratios for breast cancer (95% confidence intervals) comparing the second and third tertiles of TEXB-α with the first tertile were 1.77 (0.76, 4.10) and 3.45 (1.50, 7.97), respectively, and those for TEXB-β were 2.35 (1.10, 5.03) and 4.01 (1.88, 8.56), respectively. A steady increase in risk was evident across all detected TEXB-α levels and a sigmoidal trend was observed for TEXB-β. Individual xenoestrogens showed weak and opposing associations with breast cancer risk. Conclusions: This is the first study to show a strong positive association between serum total xenoestrogen burden and breast cancer risk, highlighting the importance of evaluating xenoestrogen mixtures, rather than single compounds, when studying hormone-related cancers. Citation: Pastor-Barriuso R, Fernández MF, Castaño-Vinyals G, Whelan D, Pérez-Gómez B, Llorca J, Villanueva CM, Guevara M, Molina-Molina JM

An efficient sampling approach for variance-based sensitivity analysis based on the law of total variance in the successive intervals without overlapping

Science.gov (United States)

Yun, Wanying; Lu, Zhenzhou; Jiang, Xian

2018-06-01

To efficiently execute the variance-based global sensitivity analysis, the law of total variance in the successive intervals without overlapping is proved at first, on which an efficient space-partition sampling-based approach is subsequently proposed in this paper. Through partitioning the sample points of output into different subsets according to different inputs, the proposed approach can efficiently evaluate all the main effects concurrently by one group of sample points. In addition, there is no need for optimizing the partition scheme in the proposed approach. The maximum length of subintervals is decreased by increasing the number of sample points of model input variables in the proposed approach, which guarantees the convergence condition of the space-partition approach well. Furthermore, a new interpretation on the thought of partition is illuminated from the perspective of the variance ratio function. Finally, three test examples and one engineering application are employed to demonstrate the accuracy, efficiency and robustness of the proposed approach.

Determination of As(III) and total inorganic As in water samples using an on-line solid phase extraction and flow injection hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sigrist, Mirna; Albertengo, Antonela; Beldomenico, Horacio; Tudino, Mabel

2011-01-01

A simple and robust on-line sequential injection system based on solid phase extraction (SPE) coupled to a flow injection hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometer (FI-HGAAS) with a heated quartz tube atomizer (QTA) was developed and optimized for the determination of As(III) in groundwater without any kind of sample pretreatment. The method was based on the selective retention of inorganic As(V) that was carried out by passing the filtered original sample through a cartridge containing a chloride-form strong anion exchanger. Thus the most toxic form, inorganic As(III), was determined fast and directly by AsH 3 generation using 3.5 mol L -1 HCl as carrier solution and 0.35% (m/v) NaBH 4 in 0.025% NaOH as the reductant. Since the uptake of As(V) should be interfered by several anions of natural occurrence in waters, the effect of Cl - , SO 4 2- , NO 3 - , HPO 4 2- , HCO 3 - on retention was evaluated and discussed. The total soluble inorganic arsenic concentration was determined on aliquots of filtered samples acidified with concentrated HCl and pre-reduced with 5% KI-5% C 6 H 8 O 6 solution. The concentration of As(V) was calculated by difference between the total soluble inorganic arsenic and As(III) concentrations. Detection limits (LODs) of 0.5 μg L -1 and 0.6 μg L -1 for As(III) and inorganic total As, respectively, were obtained for a 500 μL sample volume. The obtained limits of detection allowed testing the water quality according to the national and international regulations. The analytical recovery for water samples spiked with As(III) ranged between 98% and 106%. The sampling throughput for As(III) determination was 60 samples h -1 . The device for groundwater sampling was especially designed for the authors. Metallic components were avoided and the contact between the sample and the atmospheric oxygen was carried to a minimum. On-field arsenic species separation was performed through the employ of a serial connection of membrane filters and

The effect of work motivation on a sample of nurses in an Italian healthcare setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Galletta, Maura; Portoghese, Igor; Pili, Sergio; Piazza, Maria Francesca; Campagna, Marcello

2016-06-08

Research in Human Resources Management has highlighted that implementing strategies for increasing employees' motivation can be an advantage for organizations because this improves their performance. Self Determination Theory (SDT) was used to analyze the mediating role of autonomous vs. controlled motivation on the relationship between organizational factors (perceived organizational support and job autonomy) and work outcomes (affective commitment, job satisfaction, and intent to quit). A total of 304 nurses from an Italian hospital participated in the study. The results supported the importance of the mediating role of autonomous motivation on the relationship between both perceived organizational support (POS) and job autonomy, and work outcomes. Conversely, controlled motivation did not show mediating effects on that relationship. POS was directly related to affective commitment and job satisfaction. Practical implications for organizations and employees are discussed along with a call for further research in this area.

Laboratory testing of rock and salt samples for determination of specific gravity and total porosity of the Zeeck No. 1 well (PD-7), Palo Duro Basin, Texas: unanalyzed data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-07-01

This report contains the specific gravity and total porosity determinations for rock and salt samples from Zeeck No. 1 Well of the Permian Basin. The laboratory test samples were measured for water content, apparent specific gravity, specific gravity of solids, total porosity and effective porosity. Specimen descriptions including specimen number, formation/group, and lithologic description as well as typical data sheets are included in the appendices. These data are preliminary. They have been neither analyzed nor evaluated

A Methodology to Estimate Ores Work Index Values, Using Miduk Copper Mine Sample

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Noaparast

2012-12-01

Full Text Available It is always attempted to reduce the costs of comminution in mineral processing plants. One of thedifficulties in size reduction section is not to be designed properly. The key factor to design size reductionunits such as crushers and grinding mills, is ore’s work index. The work index, wi, presents the oregrindability, and is used in Bond formula to calculate the required energy. Bond has defined a specificrelationship between some parameters which is applied to calculate wi, which are control screen, fineparticles produced, feed and product d80.In this research work, a high grade copper sample from Miduk copper concentrator was prepared, and itswork index values were experimentally estimated, using different control screens, 600, 425, 212, 150, 106and 75 microns. The obtained results from the tests showed two different behaviors in fine production.According to these two trends the required models were then defined to present the fine mass calculationusing control screen. In next step, an equation was presented in order to calculate Miduk copper ore workindex for any size. In addition to verify the model creditability, a test using 300 microns control screenwas performed and its result was compared with calculated ones using defined model, which showed agood fit. Finally the experimental and calculated values were compared and their relative error was equalto 4.11% which is an indication of good fit for the results.

Dimensions of hospital nurses' quality of working life.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Ming-Yi; Kernohan, George

2006-04-01

This paper is a report of a study describing the quality of working life of nurses in Taiwan. The purpose of the study was to gather data on which to base a questionnaire to be used in further research. Nurses often complain of overwork and underpay. Problems persist with nurses' job satisfaction, stress, organizational commitment and intent to leave. 'Quality of working life' is a system of analysing how people experience work: it relates to job satisfaction, intent to leave, turnover rate, personality and work stress. However, reliable information on hospital nurses' quality of working life is limited. A descriptive study was carried out with a convenience sample. A total of 16 focus groups in one medical centre and five regional hospitals informed a quality of working life framework. Each group had three to five participants who were Registered Nurses in medical or surgical wards with at least 2 years' nursing experience, and who held a position below assistant nurse manager. The data were collected in 2000. A total of 56 nurses' quality of working life categories were identified and fitted into six dimensions: socio-economic relevance, demography, organizational aspects, work aspects, human relation aspects and self-actualization. In this paper, we focus on issues emphasized by focus group participants. These were managing shift work within the demands of family life; accommodation; support resources; and nurses' clinical ladder system and salary system. Further research is needed with other groups of nurses in a wider variety of settings in order to examine strengths and weaknesses in the total healthcare work environment and to develop appropriate strategies for nurses' quality of working life.

Pigment particles analysis with a total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometer: study of influence of instrumental parameters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coccato, Alessia; Vandenabeele, Peter [Ghent University, Department of Archaeology, Ghent (Belgium); Vekemans, Bart; Vincze, Laszlo; Moens, Luc [Ghent University, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Ghent (Belgium)

2016-12-15

Total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) analysis is an excellent tool to determine major, minor and trace elements in minuscule amounts of samples, making this technique very suitable for pigment analysis. Collecting minuscule amounts of pigment material from precious works of art by means of a cotton swab is a well-accepted sampling method, but poses specific challenges when TXRF is to be used for the characterization of the unknown material. (orig.)

Family-Supportive Organization Perceptions, Multiple Dimensions of Work-Family Conflict, and Employee Satisfaction: A Test of Model across Five Samples

Science.gov (United States)

Lapierre, Laurent M.; Spector, Paul E.; Allen, Tammy D.; Poelmans, Steven; Cooper, Cary L.; O'Driscoll, Michael P.; Sanchez, Juan I.; Brough, Paula; Kinnunen, Ulla

2008-01-01

Using samples of managers drawn from five Western countries, we tested a theoretical model linking employees' perceptions of their work environment's family-supportiveness to six different dimensions of work-family conflict (WFC), and to their job satisfaction, family satisfaction, and life satisfaction. Our results are consistent with a causal…

Water contents of samples from the Nevada Test Site: total, free (natural state to 1050C), and more tightly bonded (105 to 7000C)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pawloski, G.A.

1981-05-01

To help confirm correct functioning of an epithermal neutron sonde, we measured tightly bonded water content of selected Nevada Test Site (NTS) drill holes. Tuff and alluvium samples were dried overnight at 105 0 C. The samples were then heated for 45 min in a split tube furnace at 700 0 C. The water that came off due to this heating was collected and the amount recorded. The error in this procedure is +- 0.59 wt %. Total water can be calculated for samples from analyses of free and tightly bonded water contents. The maximum error in this calculation is equivalent to the error in determining the more tightly bonded water. Average total water content values have been assigned to geologic units. These values, in weight fraction, are alluvium 0.14 +- .05 and tuff 0.19 +- .04. Further division of the tuff gives values of Rainier Mesa 0.15 +- .01, Paintbrush 0.18 +- .03, Tunnel Beds 0.20 +- .04, and Grouse Canyon 0.29 +- .02. Statistically significant differences occur between the tuff and alluvium. Within the tuffs, these differences also occur between Grouse Canyon, Rainier Mesa, and Paintbrush/Tunnel Beds. Paintbrush and Tunnel Beds cannot be distinguished by this method

Code development for eigenvalue total sensitivity analysis and total uncertainty analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wan, Chenghui; Cao, Liangzhi; Wu, Hongchun; Zu, Tiejun; Shen, Wei

2015-01-01

Highlights: • We develop a new code for total sensitivity and uncertainty analysis. • The implicit effects of cross sections can be considered. • The results of our code agree well with TSUNAMI-1D. • Detailed analysis for origins of implicit effects is performed. - Abstract: The uncertainties of multigroup cross sections notably impact eigenvalue of neutron-transport equation. We report on a total sensitivity analysis and total uncertainty analysis code named UNICORN that has been developed by applying the direct numerical perturbation method and statistical sampling method. In order to consider the contributions of various basic cross sections and the implicit effects which are indirect results of multigroup cross sections through resonance self-shielding calculation, an improved multigroup cross-section perturbation model is developed. The DRAGON 4.0 code, with application of WIMSD-4 format library, is used by UNICORN to carry out the resonance self-shielding and neutron-transport calculations. In addition, the bootstrap technique has been applied to the statistical sampling method in UNICORN to obtain much steadier and more reliable uncertainty results. The UNICORN code has been verified against TSUNAMI-1D by analyzing the case of TMI-1 pin-cell. The numerical results show that the total uncertainty of eigenvalue caused by cross sections can reach up to be about 0.72%. Therefore the contributions of the basic cross sections and their implicit effects are not negligible

GENERALISED MODEL BASED CONFIDENCE INTERVALS IN TWO STAGE CLUSTER SAMPLING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher Ouma Onyango

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Chambers and Dorfman (2002 constructed bootstrap confidence intervals in model based estimation for finite population totals assuming that auxiliary values are available throughout a target population and that the auxiliary values are independent. They also assumed that the cluster sizes are known throughout the target population. We now extend to two stage sampling in which the cluster sizes are known only for the sampled clusters, and we therefore predict the unobserved part of the population total. Jan and Elinor (2008 have done similar work, but unlike them, we use a general model, in which the auxiliary values are not necessarily independent. We demonstrate that the asymptotic properties of our proposed estimator and its coverage rates are better than those constructed under the model assisted local polynomial regression model.

Part-time work among pediatricians expands.

Science.gov (United States)

Cull, William L; O'Connor, Karen G; Olson, Lynn M

2010-01-01

The objective of this study was to track trends in part-time employment among pediatricians from 2000 to 2006 and to examine differences within subgroups of pediatricians. As part of the Periodic Survey of Fellows, national random samples of American Academy of Pediatrics members were surveyed in 2000, 2003, and 2006. These surveys shared questions concerning working part-time and other practice characteristics. Roughly 1600 pediatricians were included in each random sample. Totals of 812 (51%), 1020 (63%), and 1013 (62%) pediatricians completed the surveys in 2000, 2003, and 2006, respectively. Analyses were limited to nonretired, posttrainee pediatricians. The number of pediatricians who reported that they work part-time increased from 15% in 2000, to 20% in 2003, to 23% in 2006. The pattern of increased part-time work from 2000 to 2006 held for many subgroups, including men, women, pediatricians who were younger than 40 years, pediatricians who were aged >or=50 years, pediatricians who worked in an urban inner city, pediatricians who worked in suburban areas, general pediatricians, and subspecialist pediatricians. Those who were working part-time were more satisfied within their professional and personal activities. Part-time pediatricians worked on average 14.3 fewer hours per week in direct patient care. Increases in part-time work are apparent throughout pediatrics. The possible continued growth of part-time is an important trend within the field of pediatrics that will need to be monitored.

Using lot quality-assurance sampling and area sampling to identify priority areas for trachoma control: Viet Nam.

Science.gov (United States)

Myatt, Mark; Mai, Nguyen Phuong; Quynh, Nguyen Quang; Nga, Nguyen Huy; Tai, Ha Huy; Long, Nguyen Hung; Minh, Tran Hung; Limburg, Hans

2005-10-01

To report on the use of lot quality-assurance sampling (LQAS) surveys undertaken within an area-sampling framework to identify priority areas for intervention with trachoma control activities in Viet Nam. The LQAS survey method for the rapid assessment of the prevalence of active trachoma was adapted for use in Viet Nam with the aim of classifying individual communes by the prevalence of active trachoma among children in primary school. School-based sampling was used; school sites to be sampled were selected using an area-sampling approach. A total of 719 communes in 41 districts in 18 provinces were surveyed. Survey staff found the LQAS survey method both simple and rapid to use after initial problems with area-sampling methods were identified and remedied. The method yielded a finer spatial resolution of prevalence than had been previously achieved in Viet Nam using semiquantitative rapid assessment surveys and multistage cluster-sampled surveys. When used with area-sampling techniques, the LQAS survey method has the potential to form the basis of survey instruments that can be used to efficiently target resources for interventions against active trachoma. With additional work, such methods could provide a generally applicable tool for effective programme planning and for the certification of the elimination of trachoma as a blinding disease.

The effects of extended working hours on health and social well-being--a comparative analysis of four independent samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Wirtz, Anna; Nachreiner, Friedhelm

2010-07-01

Using structural equation modeling, it can be shown that long weekly working hours and work on weekends, nights, and in shifts have detrimental effects on psychovegetative health. Employees' reported subjective work-life balance also decreases with increasing number of hours worked/week, days worked on weekends, or at nights, and with working shifts. A decrease in work-life balance in turn increases the risk of psychovegetative impairments (PVIs). Thus, long and unusual working hours increase the risk of psychovegetative health impairments both directly and indirectly, moderated by the subjective work-life balance. In fact, the indirect effects of working time on PVIs via the work-life balance seem to be stronger than the direct effects. Results of a cross-validation study of four independent and representative samples from Germany and the European Union (N > 50,000) indicate high structural stability of these results and thus an increased validity and range for generalization.

Efficient isotope ratio analysis of uranium particles in swipe samples by total-reflection x-ray fluorescence spectrometry and secondary ion mass spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Esaka, Fumitaka; Watanabe, Kazuo; Fukuyama, Hiroyasu; Onodera, Takashi; Esaka, Konomi T.; Magara, Masaaki; Sakurai, Satoshi; Usuda, Shigekazu

2004-01-01

A new particle recovery method and a sensitive screening method were developed for subsequent isotope ratio analysis of uranium particles in safeguards swipe samples. The particles in the swipe sample were recovered onto a carrier by means of vacuum suction-impact collection method. When grease coating was applied to the carrier, the recovery efficiency was improved to 48±9%, which is superior to that of conventionally-used ultrasoneration method. Prior to isotope ratio analysis with secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (TXRF) was applied to screen the sample for the presence of uranium particles. By the use of Si carriers in TXRF analysis, the detection limit of 22 pg was achieved for uranium. By combining these methods with SIMS, the isotope ratios of 235 U/ 238 U for individual uranium particles were efficiently determined. (author)

Total alpha and beta determination by liquid scintillation counting in water samples from a Brazilian intercomparison exercise

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dias, Fabiana F.; Taddei, Maria Helena T.; Pontedeiro, Elizabeth May Braga Dulley

2009-01-01

This paper describes CNEN/LAPOC's participation in the Brazilian Intercomparison Exercise (PNI) for simultaneous determination of total radioactivity in water samples, which took place in August and December 2008. The Proficiency Test (PT) also involved a short description of the nuclear analytical technique employed, emphasizing sources of uncertainty. A Liquid Scintillation System (Packard TRICARB 2700) was used with appropriate corrections applied to final results, expressed as Bq L -1 . Participation and PT data provide independent information on performance of a Laboratory and have an important role in method validation; especially because it allows the assessment of method performance over an entire range of concentrations and matrices. PT is also an important tool to demonstrate equivalence of measurements, if not their metrological comparability, and to promote education and improvement of Lab practices. (author)

Work hours and cortisol variation from non-working to working days.

Science.gov (United States)

Marchand, Alain; Durand, Pierre; Lupien, Sonia

2013-07-01

This study aims at modelling the relationship between the number of work hours per week and cortisol variation across 3 days by comparing non-working day to working day in a population of day-shift workers. Questionnaire data and saliva samples for cortisol analysis were collected on 132 day-shift workers employed in 13 workplaces in Canada. Consenting workers provided 5 saliva samples a day (awaking, 30 min after awaking, 2 p.m., 4 p.m., bedtime) repeated 3 times (Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday) over a week, to provide measures at work and non-work times and settings. Multilevel regression models were estimated from cortisol measurements at each occasion within a day at level-1, days at level-2 and workers at level-3. Controlling for gender and age, results revealed significant variations in salivary cortisol concentration between sample, day and worker levels. Cortisol increases linearly from non-working day to work days and work hours per week interacted with days, revealing a positive association between the number of work hours per week and cortisol concentrations during these days. Work hours per week did not interact with awaking, 30 min after awaking, 2 p.m., 4 p.m., and bedtime cortisol concentrations. Gender and age had neither main effects nor interaction effects. No significant cortisol variations were found between workplaces. These results suggest that work hours act as a stressor that is associated with significant variations in cortisol concentrations over working days. Non-working days may contribute to stress reduction in workers who experience longer work hours.

Fluorogenic membrane overlays to enumerate total coliforms, Escherichia coli, and total Vibrionaceae in shellfish and seawater

Science.gov (United States)

Three assays were developed to enumerate total coliforms, Escherichia coli, and total Vibrionaceae in shellfish and other foods and in seawater and other environmental samples. Assays involve membrane overlays of overnight colonies on non-selective agar plates to detect ß-glucuronidase and lysyl am...

The relationship between nonstandard working and mental health in a representative sample of the South Korean population.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Il-Ho; Muntaner, Carles; Khang, Young-Ho; Paek, Domyung; Cho, Sung-Il

2006-08-01

In light of escalating job insecurity due to increasing numbers of nonstandard workers, this study examined the association between nonstandard employment and mental health among South Korean workers. We analyzed a representative weighted sample of 2086 men and 1194 women aged 20-64 years, using data from the 1998 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Nonstandard employment included part-time work, temporary work, and daily work. Mental health was measured with indicators of self-reported depression and suicidal ideation. Based on age-adjusted prevalence of mental health, nonstandard employees were more likely to be mentally ill compared to standard employees. Furthermore, nonstandard work status was associated with poor mental health after adjusting for socioeconomic position (education, occupational class, and income) and health behaviors (smoking, alcohol consumption, and exercise). However, the pattern of the relationship between nonstandard work and mental health differed by gender. Female gender was significantly associated with poor mental health. Although males tended to report more suicidal ideation, this difference was not statistically significant. Considering the increasing prevalence of nonstandard working conditions in South Korea, the results call for more longitudinal research on the mental health effects of nonstandard work.

Dissociated time course between peak torque and total work recovery following bench press training in resistance trained men.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferreira, Diogo V; Gentil, Paulo; Ferreira-Junior, João B; Soares, Saulo R S; Brown, Lee E; Bottaro, Martim

2017-10-01

To evaluate the time course of peak torque and total work recovery after a resistance training session involving the bench press exercise. Repeated measures with a within subject design. Twenty-six resistance-trained men (age: 23.7±3.7years; height: 176.0±5.7cm; mass: 79.65±7.61kg) performed one session involving eight sets of the bench press exercise performed to momentary muscle failure with 2-min rest between sets. Shoulder horizontal adductors peak torque (PT), total work (TW), delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and subjective physical fitness were measured pre, immediately post, 24, 48, 72 and 96h following exercise. The exercise protocol resulted in significant pectoralis major DOMS that lasted for 72h. Immediately after exercise, the reduction in shoulder horizontal adductors TW (25%) was greater than PT (17%). TW, as a percentage of baseline values, was also less than PT at 24, 48 and 96h after exercise. Additionally, PT returned to baseline at 96h, while TW did not. Resistance trained men presented dissimilar PT and TW recovery following free weight bench press exercise. This indicates that recovery of maximal voluntary contraction does not reflect the capability to perform multiple contractions. Strength and conditioning professionals should be cautious when evaluating muscle recovery by peak torque, since it can lead to the repetition of a training session sooner than recommended. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Multilevel systematic sampling to estimate total fruit number for yield forecasts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wulfsohn, Dvora-Laio; Zamora, Felipe Aravena; Tellez, Camilla Potin

2012-01-01

procedure for unbiased estimation of fruit number for yield forecasts. In the Spring of 2009 we estimated the total number of fruit in several rows of each of 14 commercial fruit orchards growing apple (11 groves), kiwifruit (two groves), and table grapes (one grove) in central Chile. Survey times were 10...

TEACHERS’ EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION, RANK LEVEL, WORKING DURATION, AGE, WORK MOTIVATION AND WORK EFFECTIVENESS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bambang Budi Wiyono

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Teachers’ Educational Qualification, Rank Level, Working Duration, Age, Working Mo­tivation, and Working Effectiveness The study investigated the effects of educational qualification, rank level, working duration and age on the elementary school teachers’ working motivation and working ef­fectiveness. The sample of the study consisted of 438 elementary school teachers in Malang which were selected through cluster sampling technique. The study was conducted using explanatory design in the form of causal model. The data were collected using questionnaire and documentation, and were analyzed descrip­tively employing structural equation technique. The study revealed that that the effect of the educational qualification, rank level, working duration and age on teachers’ working motivation and working effec­tiveness, both directly and indirectly, was not significant.

Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis in a Social Work Sample

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karen Rice

2010-10-01

Full Text Available This study examined the psychometric properties of the Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire (EBPQ. The 24-item EBPQ was developed to measure health professionals’ attitudes toward, knowledge of, and use of evidence-based practice (EBP. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed on the EBPQ given to a random sample of National Association of Social Work members (N = 167. The coefficient alpha of the EBPQ was .93. The study supported a 23-item 3-factor model with acceptable model fit indices (χ² = 469.04; RMSEA = .081; SRMR = .068; CFI = .900. This study suggests a slightly modified EBPQ may be a useful tool to assess social workers’ attitudes toward, knowledge of, and use of EBP.

Estimating fluvial wood discharge from timelapse photography with varying sampling intervals

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, N. K.

2013-12-01

There is recent focus on calculating wood budgets for streams and rivers to help inform management decisions, ecological studies and carbon/nutrient cycling models. Most work has measured in situ wood in temporary storage along stream banks or estimated wood inputs from banks. Little effort has been employed monitoring and quantifying wood in transport during high flows. This paper outlines a procedure for estimating total seasonal wood loads using non-continuous coarse interval sampling and examines differences in estimation between sampling at 1, 5, 10 and 15 minutes. Analysis is performed on wood transport for the Slave River in Northwest Territories, Canada. Relative to the 1 minute dataset, precision decreased by 23%, 46% and 60% for the 5, 10 and 15 minute datasets, respectively. Five and 10 minute sampling intervals provided unbiased equal variance estimates of 1 minute sampling, whereas 15 minute intervals were biased towards underestimation by 6%. Stratifying estimates by day and by discharge increased precision over non-stratification by 4% and 3%, respectively. Not including wood transported during ice break-up, the total minimum wood load estimated at this site is 3300 × 800$ m3 for the 2012 runoff season. The vast majority of the imprecision in total wood volumes came from variance in estimating average volume per log. Comparison of proportions and variance across sample intervals using bootstrap sampling to achieve equal n. Each trial was sampled for n=100, 10,000 times and averaged. All trials were then averaged to obtain an estimate for each sample interval. Dashed lines represent values from the one minute dataset.

Total and inorganic arsenic in foods of the first Hong Kong total diet study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Stephen Wai-cheung; Lam, Chi-ho; Chan, Benny Tsz-pun

2014-04-01

Arsenic (As) is a metalloid that occurs in different inorganic and organic forms, which are found in the environment from both natural occurrence and anthropogenic activity. The inorganic forms of As (iAs) are more toxic as compared with the organic As, but so far most of the occurrence data in food collected in the framework of official food control are still reported as total As without differentiating the various As species. In this paper, total As and iAs contents of 600 total diet study (TDS) samples, subdivided into 15 different food groups, were quantified by high-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HR-ICP/MS) and hydride generation (HG) ICP/MS respectively. The method detection limits for both total As and iAs were 3 μg As kg(-1). As the samples were prepared for TDS, food items were purchased directly from the market or prepared as for normal consumption, i.e. table ready, in the manner most representative of and consistent with cultural habits in Hong Kong as far as practicable. The highest total As and iAs content were found in 'fish, seafood and their products' and 'vegetables and their products' respectively. Besides, this paper also presents the ratios of iAs and total As content in different ready-to-eat food items. The highest ratio of iAs to total As was found in 'vegetables and their products'. It is likely that iAs in vegetables maintained its status even after cooking.

Pattern analysis of total item score and item response of the Kessler Screening Scale for Psychological Distress (K6 in a nationally representative sample of US adults

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shinichiro Tomitaka

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Background Several recent studies have shown that total scores on depressive symptom measures in a general population approximate an exponential pattern except for the lower end of the distribution. Furthermore, we confirmed that the exponential pattern is present for the individual item responses on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D. To confirm the reproducibility of such findings, we investigated the total score distribution and item responses of the Kessler Screening Scale for Psychological Distress (K6 in a nationally representative study. Methods Data were drawn from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS, which comprises four subsamples: (1 a national random digit dialing (RDD sample, (2 oversamples from five metropolitan areas, (3 siblings of individuals from the RDD sample, and (4 a national RDD sample of twin pairs. K6 items are scored using a 5-point scale: “none of the time,” “a little of the time,” “some of the time,” “most of the time,” and “all of the time.” The pattern of total score distribution and item responses were analyzed using graphical analysis and exponential regression model. Results The total score distributions of the four subsamples exhibited an exponential pattern with similar rate parameters. The item responses of the K6 approximated a linear pattern from “a little of the time” to “all of the time” on log-normal scales, while “none of the time” response was not related to this exponential pattern. Discussion The total score distribution and item responses of the K6 showed exponential patterns, consistent with other depressive symptom scales.

A Survey of Work and Sleep Hours of U.S. Army Aviation Personnel

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Caldwell, J

1999-01-01

.... A total of 157 aviation personnel from 3 Army posts were sampled. The one-page questionnaire indicated that the majority of aviation personnel had experience working night shift/reverse cycle at some point in their careers...

Do Work-Life Balance Policies Increase a Firm's Total Factor Productivity?: Evidence from panel data of Japanese firms (Japanese)

OpenAIRE

YAMAMOTO Isamu; MATSUURA Toshiyuki

2011-01-01

This paper examines how firms' policies for workers' work-life balance (WLB) affect total factor productivity (TFP) in the long run, by using panel data of Japanese firms from the 1990s. Although we observed a positive correlation between firms' WLB policies and their TFP, once controlling for unobserved firm heterogeneity, we found no causal relationship where WLB policies increase a firm's TFP in the long run. Under the following conditions, however, WLB policies would likely improve a firm...

Determination of As(III) and total inorganic As in water samples using an on-line solid phase extraction and flow injection hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sigrist, Mirna, E-mail: msigrist@fiq.unl.edu.ar [Laboratorio Central, Facultad de Ingenieria Quimica, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santiago del Estero 2654-Piso 6, (3000) Santa Fe (Argentina); Albertengo, Antonela; Beldomenico, Horacio [Laboratorio Central, Facultad de Ingenieria Quimica, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santiago del Estero 2654-Piso 6, (3000) Santa Fe (Argentina); Tudino, Mabel [Laboratorio de Analisis de Trazas, Departamento de Quimica Inorganica, Analitica y Quimica Fisica/INQUIMAE, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Pabellon II, Ciudad Universitaria (1428), Buenos Aires (Argentina)

2011-04-15

A simple and robust on-line sequential injection system based on solid phase extraction (SPE) coupled to a flow injection hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometer (FI-HGAAS) with a heated quartz tube atomizer (QTA) was developed and optimized for the determination of As(III) in groundwater without any kind of sample pretreatment. The method was based on the selective retention of inorganic As(V) that was carried out by passing the filtered original sample through a cartridge containing a chloride-form strong anion exchanger. Thus the most toxic form, inorganic As(III), was determined fast and directly by AsH{sub 3} generation using 3.5 mol L{sup -1} HCl as carrier solution and 0.35% (m/v) NaBH{sub 4} in 0.025% NaOH as the reductant. Since the uptake of As(V) should be interfered by several anions of natural occurrence in waters, the effect of Cl{sup -}, SO{sub 4}{sup 2-}, NO{sub 3}{sup -}, HPO{sub 4}{sup 2-}, HCO{sub 3}{sup -} on retention was evaluated and discussed. The total soluble inorganic arsenic concentration was determined on aliquots of filtered samples acidified with concentrated HCl and pre-reduced with 5% KI-5% C{sub 6}H{sub 8}O{sub 6} solution. The concentration of As(V) was calculated by difference between the total soluble inorganic arsenic and As(III) concentrations. Detection limits (LODs) of 0.5 {mu}g L{sup -1} and 0.6 {mu}g L{sup -1} for As(III) and inorganic total As, respectively, were obtained for a 500 {mu}L sample volume. The obtained limits of detection allowed testing the water quality according to the national and international regulations. The analytical recovery for water samples spiked with As(III) ranged between 98% and 106%. The sampling throughput for As(III) determination was 60 samples h{sup -1}. The device for groundwater sampling was especially designed for the authors. Metallic components were avoided and the contact between the sample and the atmospheric oxygen was carried to a minimum. On-field arsenic species

Self-shielding coefficient and thermal flux depression factor of voluminous sample in neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noorddin Ibrahim; Rosnie Akang

2009-01-01

Full text: One of the major problems encountered during the irradiation of large inhomogeneous samples in performing activation analysis using neutron is the perturbation of the neutron field due to absorption and scattering of neutron within the sample as well as along the neutron guide in the case of prompt gamma activation analysis. The magnitude of this perturbation shown by self-shielding coefficient and flux depression depend on several factors including the average neutron energy, the size and shape of the sample, as well as the macroscopic absorption cross section of the sample. In this study, we use Monte Carlo N-Particle codes to simulate the variation of neutron self-shielding coefficient and thermal flux depression factor as a function of the macroscopic thermal absorption cross section. The simulation works was carried out using the high performance computing facility available at UTM while the experimental work was performed at the tangential beam port of Reactor TRIGA PUSPATI, Malaysia Nuclear Agency. The neutron flux measured along the beam port is found to be in good agreement with the simulated data. Our simulation results also reveal that total flux perturbation factor decreases as the value of absorption increases. This factor is close to unity for low absorbing sample and tends towards zero for strong absorber. In addition, sample with long mean chord length produces smaller flux perturbation than the shorter mean chord length. When comparing both the graphs of self-shielding factor and total disturbance, we can conclude that the total disturbance of the thermal neutron flux on the large samples is dominated by the self-shielding effect. (Author)

Direct determination of trace elements in boron nitride powders by slurry sampling total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amberger, Martin A.; Hoeltig, Michael; Broekaert, Jose A.C.

2010-01-01

The use of slurry sampling total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (SlS-TXRF) for the direct determination of Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn and Ti in four boron nitride powders has been described. Measurements of the zeta potential showed that slurries with good stabilities can be obtained by the addition of polyethylenimine (PEI) at a concentration of 0.1 wt.% and by adjusting the pH at 4. For the optimization of the concentration of boron nitride in the slurries the net line intensities and the signal to background ratios were determined for the trace elements Ca and Ti as well as for the internal standard element Ga in the case of concentrations of boron nitride ranging from 1 to 30 mg mL -1 . As a compromise with respect to high net line intensities and high signal to background ratios, concentrations of 5 mg mL -1 of boron nitride were found suitable and were used for all further measurements. The limits of detection of SlS-TXRF for the boron nitride powders were found to range from 0.062 to 1.6 μg g -1 for Cu and Ca, respectively. Herewith, they are higher than those obtained in solid sampling and slurry sampling graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (SoS-GFAAS, SlS-GFAAS) as well as those of solid sampling electrothermal evaporation inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (SoS-ETV-ICP-OES). For Ca and Fe as well as for Cu and Fe, however, they were found to be lower than for GFAAS and for ICP-OES subsequent to wet chemical digestion, respectively. The universal applicability of SlS-TXRF to the analysis of samples with a wide variety of matrices could be demonstrated by the analysis of certified reference materials such as SiC, Al 2 O 3 , powdered bovine liver and borate ore with a single calibration. The correlation coefficients of the plots for the values found for Ca, Fe and Ti by SlS-TXRF in the boron nitride powders as well as in the before mentioned samples versus the reference values for the respective samples over a

Direct determination of trace elements in boron nitride powders by slurry sampling total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amberger, Martin A.; Hoeltig, Michael [University of Hamburg, Institute for Inorganic and Applied Chemistry, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 6, D-20146 Hamburg (Germany); Broekaert, Jose A.C., E-mail: jose.broekaert@chemie.uni-hamburg.d [University of Hamburg, Institute for Inorganic and Applied Chemistry, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 6, D-20146 Hamburg (Germany)

2010-02-15

The use of slurry sampling total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (SlS-TXRF) for the direct determination of Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn and Ti in four boron nitride powders has been described. Measurements of the zeta potential showed that slurries with good stabilities can be obtained by the addition of polyethylenimine (PEI) at a concentration of 0.1 wt.% and by adjusting the pH at 4. For the optimization of the concentration of boron nitride in the slurries the net line intensities and the signal to background ratios were determined for the trace elements Ca and Ti as well as for the internal standard element Ga in the case of concentrations of boron nitride ranging from 1 to 30 mg mL{sup -1}. As a compromise with respect to high net line intensities and high signal to background ratios, concentrations of 5 mg mL{sup -1} of boron nitride were found suitable and were used for all further measurements. The limits of detection of SlS-TXRF for the boron nitride powders were found to range from 0.062 to 1.6 mug g{sup -1} for Cu and Ca, respectively. Herewith, they are higher than those obtained in solid sampling and slurry sampling graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (SoS-GFAAS, SlS-GFAAS) as well as those of solid sampling electrothermal evaporation inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (SoS-ETV-ICP-OES). For Ca and Fe as well as for Cu and Fe, however, they were found to be lower than for GFAAS and for ICP-OES subsequent to wet chemical digestion, respectively. The universal applicability of SlS-TXRF to the analysis of samples with a wide variety of matrices could be demonstrated by the analysis of certified reference materials such as SiC, Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, powdered bovine liver and borate ore with a single calibration. The correlation coefficients of the plots for the values found for Ca, Fe and Ti by SlS-TXRF in the boron nitride powders as well as in the before mentioned samples versus the reference values for the respective

Operational air sampling report, January--June 30, 1992

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lyons, C.L.

1992-09-01

Nevada Test Site postshot and tunnel events generate beta/gamma fission products. The Reynolds Electrical ampersand Engineering Co., Inc. air sampling program is designed for measurement of these radionuclides at various facilities supporting these events. Monthly radon sampling is done for documentation of working levels in the tunnel complexes, which would be expected to hove the highest radon levels for on-site facilities. Out of a total of 281 air samples taken in the tunnel complexes, 25 showed airborne fission products with concentrations well below their respective Derived Air Concentrations (DAC). All of these were related to event reentry or mineback operations. Tritiated water vapor and radon levels were very similar to previously reported levels. The 975 air samples taken at the Area-6 decontamination bays and laundry were again well below any DAC calculation standard and negative for any airborne fission products from laboratory analyses

[Impact of work-related musculoskeletal disorders on work ability among workers].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Lei; Huang, Chunping; Lan, Yajia; Wang, Mianzhen; Shu, Liping; Zhang, Wenhui; Yu, Long; Yao, Shengcai; Liao, Yunhua

2015-04-01

To assess the impact of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMDs) on work ability among workers. A total of 1686 workers in various occupations, such as administration and education, were enrolled as subjects using the random cluster sampling method. The WRMDs and work ability of all subjects were evaluated using standardized Nordic questionnaires for the analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms and the Work Ability Index (WAI) scale, respectively. Comparison of work ability and its classification between the disease group and the non-disease group was performed by paired t test, RxC table χ2 test, and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. The relationship between work duration and work ability was analyzed by the Spearman correlation test and a multi-level model. (1). The work ability of workers in the disease group was significantly lower than that in the non-disease group (Pwork ability between workers with different work durations (work duration, the work ability of workers declined in both groups, and the work ability of workers in the disease group (Spearman coefficient rs=-0. 172, Pfactors for the decrease in work ability among workers. (3) There were significant differences in constituent ratios and levels of work ability classification between the disease group and the non-disease group (χ2=121.097, Ppoor and medium work ability in the disease group were significantly higher than those in the non-disease group, while the proportion of works with excellent work ability in the disease group was significantly lower than that in the non-disease group. The similar characteristics in constituent ratios and levels of work ability classification could be found between the disease group and the non- disease group in various occupations (Pwork ability of workers, and the work ability of workers substantially declines with the increase in exposure time (work duration).

NIF total neutron yield diagnostic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cooper, Gary W.; Ruiz, Carlos L.

2001-01-01

We have designed a total neutron yield diagnostic for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) which is based on the activation of In and Cu samples. The particular approach that we have chosen is one in which we calibrate the entire counting system and which we call the ''F factor'' method. In this method, In and/or Cu samples are exposed to known sources of DD and DT neutrons. The activated samples are then counted with an appropriate system: a high purity Ge detector for In and a NaI coincidence system for Cu. We can then calculate a calibration factor, which relates measured activity to total neutron yield. The advantage of this approach is that specific knowledge of such quantities as cross sections and detector efficiencies is not needed. Unless the actual scattering environment of the NIF can be mocked up in the calibration experiment, the F factor will have to be modified using the results of a numerical simulation of the NIF scattering environment. In this article, the calibration factor methodology will be discussed and experimental results for the calibration factors will be presented. Total NIF neutron yields of 10 9 --10 19 can be measured with this method assuming a 50 cm stand-off distance can be employed for the lower yields

Sample Transport for a European Sample Curation Facility

Science.gov (United States)

Berthoud, L.; Vrublevskis, J. B.; Bennett, A.; Pottage, T.; Bridges, J. C.; Holt, J. M. C.; Dirri, F.; Longobardo, A.; Palomba, E.; Russell, S.; Smith, C.

2018-04-01

This work has looked at the recovery of Mars Sample Return capsule once it arrives on Earth. It covers possible landing sites, planetary protection requirements, and transportation from the landing site to a European Sample Curation Facility.

Cadmium, lead, tin, total mercury, and methylmercury in canned tuna commercialised in São Paulo, Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

de Paiva, Esther Lima; Morgano, Marcelo Antonio; Milani, Raquel Fernanda

2017-09-01

The objective of this work was to determine levels of inorganic contaminants in 30 samples of five commercial brands of canned tuna, acquired on the local market in Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil, in the year of 2015. Total mercury and methylmercury (MeHg+) were determined by atomic absorption with thermal decomposition and amalgamation; and cadmium, lead, and tin were determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Results indicated that 20% of the tuna samples surpassed limits determined by the Brazilian and European Commission legislation for cadmium; for lead, the maximum value found was 59 µg kg -1 and tin was not detected in any samples. The maximum values found for total Hg and MeHg+ were 261 and 258 µg kg -1 , respectively. As from the results obtained, it was estimated that the consumption of four cans per week (540 g) of tuna canned in water could surpass the provisional tolerable monthly intake for MeHg + by 100%.

Operational air sampling report, July 1--December 31, 1992

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lyons, C.L.

1993-04-01

Nevada Test Site postshot and tunnel events generate beta/gamma fission products. The REECo air sampling program is designed for measurement of these radionuclides at various facilities supporting these events. Monthly radon sampling is done for documentation of working levels in the tunnel complexes, which would be expected to have the highest radon levels for on-site facilities. Out of a total of 628 air samples taken in the tunnel complexes, 24 showed airborne fission products with concentrations well below their respective Derived Air Concentrations (DAC). All of these were related to event reentry or mineback operations. Tritiated water vapor concentrations were very similar to previously reported levels. The 838 air samples taken at the Area-6 decontamination bays and laundry were again well below any DAC calculation standard and negative for any airborne fission products from laboratory analyses

Effect of gamma radiation on total antioxidant capacity, total lipid concentration and shelf life of finger millet flour

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lathika; Manupriya, B.R.; Shenoy, K.B.; Patil, S.L.; Somashekarappa, H.M.

2016-01-01

The present study is an attempt to study the impact of gamma radiation on the shelf life, total antioxidant capacity and total lipid concentration of finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.) flour. Finger millet flour was procured from market. Flour samples of 50 g were taken in triplicates in a polyethylene pouch, air sealed and subjected to gamma irradiation doses ranging from 0.25 to 10 kGy and stored in polyethylene bags and plastic containers for a period of 1 year. Within 24 hours of irradiation, the samples were tested for moisture (2 ± 0.2%), total antioxidant capacity (0.12 ± 0.010 mg) and lipid concentration (15 ± 0.4 mg)

Influence of sampling depth and post-sampling analysis time on the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Bacteriological analysis was carried out for samples taken at water depth and at 1, 6, 12 and 24 hours post-sampling. It was observed that the total and faecal coliform bacteria were significantly higher in the 3 m water depth samples than in the surface water samples (ANOVA, F = 59.41, 26.751, 9.82 (T.C); 46.41, 26.81, ...

PENGARUH WORK LIFE POLICIES, WORK LIFE CONFLICT, JOB STRESS, DAN LONELINESS TERHADAP TURNOVER INTENTIONS PADA SEBUAH UNIVERSITAS SWASTA DI KOTA BATAM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hielvita Ludiya

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Turnover intention has been an important issue in any organization; management has long recognized that low turnover intention of employees is helpful for consequently obtaining high organizational performance and avoiding the potential costs related to recruiting and training new employees. This study aims to examine the impact of work life policies, work life conflict, job stress dan loneliness on turnover intentions at a private university in Batam. A total of 101 completed responses were collected in the survey. The sampling method in this research is done with the approach of non-probability sampling with the convinience sampling. The data analysis technique used was the technique of multiple regression analyisis. The findings of this research showed that work life policies and job stress have negative and significant impact on turnover intentions. Work life conflict and loneliness have positive and significant impact on turnover intentions. The managerial implications of this research have several limitations such as taking only one university and some faculties of full time lecturer which become the object of research. Moreover, researcher was not able to spend a lot of time at the organisation for collecting the data from the respondents. This research suggest that further investigation needs to be expanded by taking some of the objects that are similar research at the education industry or other industries, and by increasing the sample size to improve the results of consistency.

A longitudinal study of quality of life and functional status in total hip and total knee replacement patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Mandzuk, Lynda L; McMillan, Diana E; Bohm, Eric R

2015-05-01

Primary total hip and primary total knee surgeries are commonly performed to improve patients' quality of life and functional status. This longitudinal retrospective study (N = 851) examined self-reported quality of life and functional status over the preoperative and postoperative periods: 12 months prior to surgery, one month prior to surgery and 12 months following surgery. A linear mixed effects model was used to analyze the changes in quality of life and functional status over the sampling period. Patients in the convenience sample reported improvements in quality of life and functional status utilizing the SF-12 and Oxford Hip and Oxford Knee, although differences were noted by procedure and gender. Total hip patients tended to demonstrate greater improvement than total knee patients and males reported higher levels of physical and mental quality of life as well as functional status when compared to females. Of particular note was that mental health scores were consistently lower in both total hip and total knee replacement patients across the perioperative period and up to one year postoperative. This study identifies an opportunity for health care providers to proactively address the mental health of total hip and total knee replacement patients throughout their joint replacement trajectory. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quality control on the accuracy of the total Beta activity index in different sample matrices water; Control de calidad en la precision del indice de actividad beta total en diferentes matrices de muestras de aguas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pujol, L.; Pablo, M. A. de; Payeras, J.

2013-07-01

The standard ISO/IEC 17025:2005 of general requirements for the technical competence of testing and calibration laboratories, provides that a laboratory shall have quality control procedures for monitoring the validity of tests and calibrations ago. In this paper, the experience of Isotopic Applications Laboratory (CEDEX) in controlling the accuracy rate of total beta activity in samples of drinking water, inland waters and marine waters is presented. (Author)

Determination of total alpha and beta activities on vegetable samples by LSC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nogueira, Regina Apolinaria; Santos, Eliane Eugenia dos; Bakker, Alexandre Pereira; Vavassori, Giullia

2011-01-01

Gross alpha and beta analyses are screening techniques used for environmental radioactivity monitoring. The present study proposes to determine the gross alpha and beta activities in vegetable samples by using LSC - liquid scintillation spectrometry. The procedure was applied to vegetable foods. After ashing vegetable samples in a muffle furnace, 100 mg of ash were added to gel mixture of scintillation cocktails, Water - Instagel - Ultima Gold AB (6:10:4) ml, in polyethylene vial. Am-241 standard solution and a KCl (K-40) solution were used to determine the counting configuration, alpha/beta efficiencies and spillover

[An Exploration of Working Conditions and Flexible System for Hospital Nurses].

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Chung-I; Yu, Chien; Yu, Chin-Cheh

2016-04-01

The lack of sufficient numbers of professional nurses in the healthcare system in Taiwan is an issue that affects the sustainability of this system and that relates closely to working conditions. The present study explores the expectations that nurses hold with regard to working conditions and the operation of a flexible system in hospitals. A literature review and focus-group interviews were used to develop the questionnaire Working Conditions and Flexible System. A total of 1,150 copies of this questionnaire were distributed to practicing nurses using stratified random sampling, with 1,146 valid copies returned for a valid recovery rate of 99.65%. The results show that the expectations of participants concerning working conditions and a flexible system focus on the 6 factors of task, numerical, divisional, temporal, wages, and leading flexibility. The total mean was 4.35 (SD=0.42). The means for the 6 types of flexibility were all greater than 4.0. Participants deemed flexibility to be of high importance. The demographic variables hospital, work location, age, education level, work position, work unit, and total work years all affected the 6 types of flexibility significantly. The present study supports that the retention of nurses is significantly associated with working conditions and the operation of a flexible system. Administrators and mangers must create positive working conditions and a flexible system in order to enhance the retention and career development of nurses.

Working mothers: Family-work conflict, job performance and family/work variables

OpenAIRE

Cynthia J Patel; Vasanthee Govender; Zubeda Paruk; Sarojini Ramgoon

2006-01-01

The present study examined the relationship between family-work conflict, job performance and selected work and family characteristics in a sample of working mothers employed at a large retail organization. The hypothesis of a negative relationship between family-work conflict and job performance was rejected. Married women reported significantly higher family-work conflict than unmarried women, while women in the highest work category gained the highest job performance rating. More than half...

Organizational factors associated with work-related sleep problems in a nationally representative sample of Korean workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Jae Bum; Nakata, Akinori; Swanson, Naomi G; Chun, Heekyoung

2013-02-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the association of organizational factors with work-related sleep problems (WRSP) among Korean workers. The data were derived from the First Korean Working Conditions Survey conducted in 2006 with a representative sample of the Korean working population (n = 10,039). The overall prevalence of WRSP was 5.1% (95% confidence interval (CI) 4.7-5.5). Those who experienced sexual harassment at work (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 3.47: 95% CI 1.77-6.81), discrimination due to sex (aOR 2.44: 95% CI 1.36-4.36) or age (aOR 2.22: 95% CI 1.52-3.23), violence at work (aOR 1.98: 95% CI 1.06-3.68), threat of violence (aOR 1.96: 95% CI 1.05-3.66), poor work-life balance (aOR 1.78: 95% CI 1.44-2.20), low job satisfaction (aOR 1.69: 95% CI 1.37-2.09), high cognitive (OR 1.64: 95% CI 1.32-2.03) and emotional (aOR 1.53: 95% CI 1.22-1.91) demands, job insecurity (aOR 1.32: 95% CI 1.07-1.63), and high work intensity (aOR 1.55: 95% CI: 95% CI 1.25-1.92) had an increased risk of WRSP compared to their respective counterparts (p social support was not significantly associated with WRSP (aOR 0.88: 95% CI 0.67-1.15). The results revealed that poor psychosocial working conditions may be related to a high prevalence of WRSP among representative Korean workers.

Academic Optimism, Hope and Zest for Work as Predictors of Teacher Self-Efficacy and Perceived Success

Science.gov (United States)

Sezgin, Ferudun; Erdogan, Onur

2015-01-01

This study explores the predictive influence of primary school teachers' academic optimism, hope and zest for work on perceptions of their self-efficacy and success. A total of 600 teachers were selected through stratified sampling from 27 primary schools in central districts of Ankara, Turkey, to form the research sample. Intervariable…

7 CFR 201.46 - Weight of working sample.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... specified in column 2, table 1, (2) add all these products, (3) total the percentages of all components of... the product of the weight calculated in paragraph (d)(2)(i) of this section multiplied by 100 percent... Pepper 15 150 165 Pumpkin 500 500 5 Radish 30 300 75 Rhubarb 50 300 60 Rutabaga 5 50 430 Sage 25 150 120...

Job and Life Satisfaction of Teachers and the Conflicts They Experience at Work and at Home

Science.gov (United States)

Erdamar, Gürcü; Demirel, Hüsne

2016-01-01

This study aimed to find out job and life satisfaction and work-family and family-work conflict levels of teachers. The population of the study consisted of teachers who work in public and private preschools, primary, secondary, and high schools in Ankara. The sampling of the study was a total of 406 teachers-37 preschool, 126 primary school, 89…

[Quality of working life and burnout among nursing staff in Intensive Care Units].

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Denise Rodrigues Costa; Paladini, Márcia; Biato, Cleonice; Pais, Juliana Domingues; Oliveira, Adelaine Rodrigues

2013-01-01

This descriptive-correlational and cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the quality of working life (QWL) and the presence of burnout among nursing professionals working at Intensive Care Units. The sample was composed of 53 nursing professionals from a university hospital located in the city of Londrina-PR, Brazil. Three instruments were used for data collection: socio-demographic and professional characterization, Visual Analogue Scale for QWL and Maslach Burnout Inventory. Data was collected from April to August, 2009. Among the participants, most were auxiliary nurses (52.8%), women (66.0%) and married (67.9%). The average age was of 42.4 years. Regarding assessment of QWL, the average score obtained for the total sample was 71.1 (SD=15.5), showing that workers were satisfied with their QWL. The average for Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization and Personal Accomplishment dimensions was 11.4 (SD=7.7), 4.6 (SD=4.1) and 25.0 (SD=5.9), respectively. The QWL for the total sample showed significant association only with Emotional Exhaustion (p=0.000).

Psychometric Analysis of the Work/Life Balance Self-Assessment Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Smeltzer, Suzanne C; Cantrell, Mary Ann; Sharts-Hopko, Nancy C; Heverly, Mary Ann; Jenkinson, Amanda; Nthenge, Serah

2016-01-01

This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Work/Life Balance Self-Assessment scale among nurse faculty involved in doctoral education. A national random sample of 554 respondents completed the Work/Life Balance Self-Assessment scale, which addresses 3 factors: work interference with personal life (WIPL), personal life interference with work (PLIW), and work/personal life enhancement (WPLE). A principal components analysis with varimax rotation revealed 3 internally consistent aspects of work-life balance, explaining 40.5% of the variance. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients for reliability of the scale were .88 for the total scale and for the subscales, .93 (WIPL), .85 (PLIW), and .69 (WPLE). The Work/Life Balance Self-Assessment scale appears to be a reliable and valid instrument to examine work-life balance among nurse faculty.

Sampling for radionuclides and other trace substances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eberhardt, L.L.

1976-01-01

Various problems with the environment and an energy crisis have resulted in considerable emphasis on the analysis and understanding of natural systems. The present generation of ecological models suffers greatly from a lack of attention to use of accurate and efficient sampling methods in obtaining the data on which these models are based. Improving ecological sampling requires first of all that the objectives be clearly defined, since different schemes are required for sampling for totals, for changes over time and space, to determine hazards, or for estimating parameters in models. The frequency distributions of most ecological contaminants are not normal, but seem instead to follow a skewed distribution. Coefficients of variation appear to be relatively constant and typical values may range from 0.1 to 1.0 depending on the substance and circumstances. These typical values may be very useful in designing a sampling plan, either for fixed relative variance, or in terms of the sensitivity of a comparison. Several classes of sampling methods are available for particular kinds of objectives. The notion of optimal sampling for parameter estimates is new to ecology, but may possibly be adapted from work done in industrial experimentation to provide a rationale for sampling in time

Residency Training: Work engagement during neurology training.

Science.gov (United States)

Zis, Panagiotis; Anagnostopoulos, Fotios; Artemiadis, Artemios K

2016-08-02

Work engagement, defined as a positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind that is characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption, can ameliorate patient care and reduce medical errors. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate work engagement among neurology residents in the region of Attica, Greece. In total, 113 residents participated in this study. Demographic and work-related characteristics, as well as emotional exhaustion and personality traits (neuroticism), were examined via an anonymous questionnaire. Work engagement was measured by the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. The study sample had a mean age of 34.6 ± 3.6 years, ranging from 26 to 45 years. Sixty-two (54.9%) participants were women and 45 (39.8%) were married. After adjusting for sex, emotional exhaustion, and neuroticism, the main factors associated with work engagement were autonomy and chances for professional development. Providing more chances for trainees' professional development as well as allowing for and supporting greater job autonomy may improve work engagement during neurology training. © 2016 American Academy of Neurology.

Is meat quality from Longissimus lumborum samples correlated with other cuts in horse meat?

Science.gov (United States)

De Palo, Pasquale; Maggiolino, Aristide; Centoducati, Pasquale; Milella, Paola; Calzaretti, Giovanna; Tateo, Alessandra

2016-03-01

The present work aims to investigate if the variation of each parameter in Longissimus lumborum muscle could correspond to the same or to a similar variation of the parameter in the other muscles. The work presents results of Pearson's correlations between Longissimus lumborum samples and other muscle samples, such as Biceps femoris, Rectus femoris, Semimembranosus, Supraspinatus and Semitendinosus in horse meat. A total of 27 male IHDH (Italian Heavy Draught Horse) breed foals were employed. They were slaughtered at 11 months of age and the above-mentioned muscles were sampled. The Longissimus lumborum muscle showed to be representative of other muscles and of the whole carcass for some chemical parameters (moisture, protein and ash) and for some fatty acids profile patterns such as C12:0, C14:0, total monounsaturated fatty acid and polyunsaturated fatty acid, but poor correlations were recorded for intramuscular fat concentration, rheological and colorimetric parameters. Although almost all the qualitative parameters in meat are affected by the anatomical site and by the muscle, the Longissimus lumborum is often not representative in horse meat with regard to modifications of this parameters. © 2015 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Total phenolics and total flavonoids in selected Indian medicinal plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Sulaiman, C T; Balachandran, Indira

2012-05-01

Plant phenolics and flavonoids have a powerful biological activity, which outlines the necessity of their determination. The phenolics and flavonoids content of 20 medicinal plants were determined in the present investigation. The phenolic content was determined by using Folin-Ciocalteu assay. The total flavonoids were measured spectrophotometrically by using the aluminium chloride colorimetric assay. The results showed that the family Mimosaceae is the richest source of phenolics, (Acacia nilotica: 80.63 mg gallic acid equivalents, Acacia catechu 78.12 mg gallic acid equivalents, Albizia lebbeck 66.23 mg gallic acid equivalents). The highest total flavonoid content was revealed in Senna tora which belongs to the family Caesalpiniaceae. The present study also shows the ratio of flavonoids to the phenolics in each sample for their specificity.

Fluorescent fingerprints of edible oils and biodiesel by means total synchronous fluorescence and Tucker3 modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Insausti, Matías; de Araújo Gomes, Adriano; Camiña, José Manuel; de Araújo, Mario Cesar Ugulino; Band, Beatriz Susana Fernández

2017-03-01

The present work proposes the use of total synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy (TSFS) as a discrimination methodology for fluorescent compounds in edible oils, which are preserved after the transesterification processes in the biodiesel production. In the same way, a similar study is presented to identify fluorophores that do not change in expired vegetal oils, to associate physicochemical parameters to fluorescent measures, as contribution to a fingerprint for increasing the chemical knowledge of these products. The fluorescent fingerprints were obtained by Tucker3 decomposition of a three-way array of the total synchronous fluorescence matrices. This chemometric method presents the ability for modeling non-bilinear data, as Total Synchronous Fluorescence Spectra data, and consists in the decomposition of the three way data arrays (samples × Δλ × λ excitation), into four new data matrices: A (scores), B (profile in Δλ mode), C (profile in spectra mode) and G (relationships between A, B and C). In this study, 50 samples of oil from soybean, corn and sunflower seeds before and after its expiration time, as well as 50 biodiesel samples obtained by transesterification of the same oils were measured by TSFS. This study represents an immediate application of chemical fingerprint for the discrimination of non-expired and expired edible oils and biodiesel. This method does not require the use of reagents or laborious procedures for the chemical characterization of samples.

Night work, light exposure and melatonin on work days and days off.

Science.gov (United States)

Daugaard, Stine; Garde, Anne Helene; Bonde, Jens Peter Ellekilde; Christoffersen, Jens; Hansen, Äse Marie; Markvart, Jakob; Schlünssen, Vivi; Skene, Debra J; Vistisen, Helene Tilma; Kolstad, Henrik A

2017-01-01

We aimed to examine the effects of night work on salivary melatonin concentration during and subsequent to night work and the mediating role of light. We included 254 day workers and 87 night workers who were followed during 322 work days and 301 days off work. Each day was defined as the 24 hour period starting from the beginning of a night shift or from waking in the mornings with day work and days off. Light levels were recorded and synchronized with diary information (start and end of sleep and work). On average, participants provided four saliva samples per day, and these were analyzed for melatonin concentration by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Differences between day and night workers on work days and days off were assessed with multilevel regression models with melatonin concentration as the primary outcome. All models were stratified or adjusted by time of day. For light exposure, we estimated the total, direct and indirect effects of night work on melatonin concentrations obtaining 95% confidence intervals through bootstrapping. On work days, night workers showed 15% lower salivary melatonin concentrations compared with day workers (-15.0%; 95% CI: -31.4%; 5.2%). During the night, light exposure mediated a melatonin suppression of approximately 6% (-5.9%, 95% CI: -10.2%; -1.5%). No mediating effect of light was seen during the day time. On days off, we observed no difference in melatonin concentrations between day and night workers. These findings are in accordance with a transient and partly light-mediated effect of night work on melatonin production.

Restless Legs Syndrome/Willis-Ekbom Disease Is Prevalent in Working Nurses, but Seems Not to Be Associated with Shift Work Schedules.

Science.gov (United States)

Waage, Siri; Pallesen, Ståle; Moen, Bente Elisabeth; Bjorvatn, Bjørn

2018-01-01

Insomnia and excessive sleepiness are among the most commonly reported sleep problems related to shift work. Sleep-related movement disorders have, however, received far less attention in relation to such work schedules. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between different shift work schedules and the prevalence of Restless legs syndrome/Willis-Ekbom disease (RLS/WED) in a large sample of Norwegian nurses. Our hypothesis was that shift working nurses would report higher prevalence of RLS/WED compared to day workers. A total of 1,788 nurses with different work schedules (day work, two-shift rotation, night work, three shift rotation) participated in a cohort study, started in 2008/2009. Four questions about RLS/WED based on the diagnostic criteria were included in wave 4 (2012). RLS/WED prevalence rates across different shift schedules were explored by the Pearson chi-square test. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between RLS/WED and work schedules and shift work disorder (SWD) with adjustment for sex, age, marital status, smoking, and caffeine use. In total, 90.0% of the nurses were females, mean age 36.5 years (SD = 8.6, range 25-67). The overall prevalence of RLS/WED was 26.8%. We found no significant differences between the prevalence of RLS/WED across the different shift schedules, ranging from 23.3% (day work) to 29.4% (night work). There was a significant difference ( p  shift work also are sensitive to other complaints related to a misalignment of the biological clock.

Optimizing total reflection X-ray fluorescence for direct trace element quantification in proteins I: Influence of sample homogeneity and reflector type

Science.gov (United States)

Wellenreuther, G.; Fittschen, U. E. A.; Achard, M. E. S.; Faust, A.; Kreplin, X.; Meyer-Klaucke, W.

2008-12-01

Total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) is a very promising method for the direct, quick and reliable multi-elemental quantification of trace elements in protein samples. With the introduction of an internal standard consisting of two reference elements, scandium and gallium, a wide range of proteins can be analyzed, regardless of their salt content, buffer composition, additives and amino acid composition. This strategy also enables quantification of matrix effects. Two potential issues associated with drying have been considered in this study: (1) Formation of heterogeneous residues of varying thickness and/or density; and (2) separation of the internal standard and protein during drying (which has to be prevented to allow accurate quantification). These issues were investigated by microbeam X-ray fluorescence (μXRF) with special emphasis on (I) the influence of sample support and (II) the protein / buffer system used. In the first part, a model protein was studied on well established sample supports used in TXRF, PIXE and XRF (Mylar, siliconized quartz, Plexiglas and silicon). In the second part we imaged proteins of different molecular weight, oligomerization state, bound metals and solubility. A partial separation of protein and internal standard was only observed with untreated silicon, suggesting it may not be an adequate support material. Siliconized quartz proved to be the least prone to heterogeneous drying of the sample and yielded the most reliable results.

Optimizing total reflection X-ray fluorescence for direct trace element quantification in proteins I: Influence of sample homogeneity and reflector type

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wellenreuther, G. [European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Notkestr. 85, 22603 Hamburg (Germany); Fittschen, U.E.A. [Department of Chemistry, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 6, 20146 Hamburg (Germany); Achard, M.E.S.; Faust, A.; Kreplin, X. [European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Notkestr. 85, 22603 Hamburg (Germany); Meyer-Klaucke, W. [European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Notkestr. 85, 22603 Hamburg (Germany)], E-mail: Wolfram@embl-hamburg.de

2008-12-15

Total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) is a very promising method for the direct, quick and reliable multi-elemental quantification of trace elements in protein samples. With the introduction of an internal standard consisting of two reference elements, scandium and gallium, a wide range of proteins can be analyzed, regardless of their salt content, buffer composition, additives and amino acid composition. This strategy also enables quantification of matrix effects. Two potential issues associated with drying have been considered in this study: (1) Formation of heterogeneous residues of varying thickness and/or density; and (2) separation of the internal standard and protein during drying (which has to be prevented to allow accurate quantification). These issues were investigated by microbeam X-ray fluorescence ({mu}XRF) with special emphasis on (I) the influence of sample support and (II) the protein / buffer system used. In the first part, a model protein was studied on well established sample supports used in TXRF, PIXE and XRF (Mylar, siliconized quartz, Plexiglas and silicon). In the second part we imaged proteins of different molecular weight, oligomerization state, bound metals and solubility. A partial separation of protein and internal standard was only observed with untreated silicon, suggesting it may not be an adequate support material. Siliconized quartz proved to be the least prone to heterogeneous drying of the sample and yielded the most reliable results.

Making working memory work: a meta-analysis of executive-control and working memory training in older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Karbach, Julia; Verhaeghen, Paul

2014-11-01

This meta-analysis examined the effects of process-based executive-function and working memory training (49 articles, 61 independent samples) in older adults (> 60 years). The interventions resulted in significant effects on performance on the trained task and near-transfer tasks; significant results were obtained for the net pretest-to-posttest gain relative to active and passive control groups and for the net effect at posttest relative to active and passive control groups. Far-transfer effects were smaller than near-transfer effects but were significant for the net pretest-to-posttest gain relative to passive control groups and for the net gain at posttest relative to both active and passive control groups. We detected marginally significant differences in training-induced improvements between working memory and executive-function training, but no differences between the training-induced improvements observed in older adults and younger adults, between the benefits associated with adaptive and nonadaptive training, or between the effects in active and passive control conditions. Gains did not vary with total training time. © The Author(s) 2014.

Role of SSNTD technique in three-step method for total assay of alpha activity in air effluents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolekar, R.V.; Joshi, V.B.; Bhanti, D.P.; Bhagwat, A.M.

2000-01-01

In the present work, low levels of alpha activity in air effluents were estimated. Currently this essay involves collection of effluent samples and assaying them for the release using ZnS(Ag) based scintillation counter (background=1 cpm). Any activity below 1 cpm (net) therefore goes unreported. Air samples showing activity -6 Bq/m 3 (3.73x10 -17 Ci/m 3 ) to 36.41x10 -6 Bq/m 3 (9.84x10 -16 Ci/m 3 ) for samples studied over twelve months period. The three step procedure helps to measure total activity without significant burden on SSNTD technique thereby improving the acceptability of the methodology. (author)

Following changes in total number of mesophilic bacteria and torry meter readings in samples of fresh trout packaged in modified atmosphere and vacuum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milijašević Milan

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Today, food must be healthy, subjected to minimal processing, and attractively packaged, as the expectations of consumers are ever higher. Consumers are highly sensitive to the use of additives in the food industry. There is a constant demand for fresh food that does not contain any unnecessarily added chemicals. In order to prevent spoilage of food items, an efficient and intelligent concept for preserving freshness has been developed - packaging in a modified atmosphere. Changes in a certain composition of the atmosphere within the packaging have resulted in a longer shelf life and a satisfactory quality of the food articles. Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP is well-known and has been applied in practice in the food processing industry for more than one century. The objective of these investigations was to determine the growth of the total number of mesophilic bacteria in the meat of trout packaged in a vacuum and a modified atmosphere and torry meter reading results due to changes in the dielectric characteristics of the skin that take place during the period of storage of the fresh fish. California trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss with an average weight of 293 g was used for the experimental part of the investigations. Four groups of fish samples were set up for the research. The first three groups of samples were packaged in a modified atmosphere with a different ratio of gases: Group I - 60%CO2+40%N2; Group II - 40%CO2+60%N2; Group III - 90%CO2+10%N2. Group IV comprised samples packaged in a vacuum. Investigations were carried out on days 0, 7, 14, and 21 of storage. The total number of mesophilic bacteria in the examined samples was determined according to the method ISO 4833. Measurements of changes in the dielectric characteristics of the fish skin were performed using a torry meter apparatus (The Torry Fish Freshness Meter. The results have shown that packaging of fresh trout in a modified atmosphere (60% CO2 + 40% N2 and 40% CO2 + 60% N2

Evaluation of Respondent-Driven Sampling

Science.gov (United States)

McCreesh, Nicky; Frost, Simon; Seeley, Janet; Katongole, Joseph; Tarsh, Matilda Ndagire; Ndunguse, Richard; Jichi, Fatima; Lunel, Natasha L; Maher, Dermot; Johnston, Lisa G; Sonnenberg, Pam; Copas, Andrew J; Hayes, Richard J; White, Richard G

2012-01-01

Background Respondent-driven sampling is a novel variant of link-tracing sampling for estimating the characteristics of hard-to-reach groups, such as HIV prevalence in sex-workers. Despite its use by leading health organizations, the performance of this method in realistic situations is still largely unknown. We evaluated respondent-driven sampling by comparing estimates from a respondent-driven sampling survey with total-population data. Methods Total-population data on age, tribe, religion, socioeconomic status, sexual activity and HIV status were available on a population of 2402 male household-heads from an open cohort in rural Uganda. A respondent-driven sampling (RDS) survey was carried out in this population, employing current methods of sampling (RDS sample) and statistical inference (RDS estimates). Analyses were carried out for the full RDS sample and then repeated for the first 250 recruits (small sample). Results We recruited 927 household-heads. Full and small RDS samples were largely representative of the total population, but both samples under-represented men who were younger, of higher socioeconomic status, and with unknown sexual activity and HIV status. Respondent-driven-sampling statistical-inference methods failed to reduce these biases. Only 31%-37% (depending on method and sample size) of RDS estimates were closer to the true population proportions than the RDS sample proportions. Only 50%-74% of respondent-driven-sampling bootstrap 95% confidence intervals included the population proportion. Conclusions Respondent-driven sampling produced a generally representative sample of this well-connected non-hidden population. However, current respondent-driven-sampling inference methods failed to reduce bias when it occurred. Whether the data required to remove bias and measure precision can be collected in a respondent-driven sampling survey is unresolved. Respondent-driven sampling should be regarded as a (potentially superior) form of convenience-sampling

Evaluation of respondent-driven sampling.

Science.gov (United States)

McCreesh, Nicky; Frost, Simon D W; Seeley, Janet; Katongole, Joseph; Tarsh, Matilda N; Ndunguse, Richard; Jichi, Fatima; Lunel, Natasha L; Maher, Dermot; Johnston, Lisa G; Sonnenberg, Pam; Copas, Andrew J; Hayes, Richard J; White, Richard G

2012-01-01

Respondent-driven sampling is a novel variant of link-tracing sampling for estimating the characteristics of hard-to-reach groups, such as HIV prevalence in sex workers. Despite its use by leading health organizations, the performance of this method in realistic situations is still largely unknown. We evaluated respondent-driven sampling by comparing estimates from a respondent-driven sampling survey with total population data. Total population data on age, tribe, religion, socioeconomic status, sexual activity, and HIV status were available on a population of 2402 male household heads from an open cohort in rural Uganda. A respondent-driven sampling (RDS) survey was carried out in this population, using current methods of sampling (RDS sample) and statistical inference (RDS estimates). Analyses were carried out for the full RDS sample and then repeated for the first 250 recruits (small sample). We recruited 927 household heads. Full and small RDS samples were largely representative of the total population, but both samples underrepresented men who were younger, of higher socioeconomic status, and with unknown sexual activity and HIV status. Respondent-driven sampling statistical inference methods failed to reduce these biases. Only 31%-37% (depending on method and sample size) of RDS estimates were closer to the true population proportions than the RDS sample proportions. Only 50%-74% of respondent-driven sampling bootstrap 95% confidence intervals included the population proportion. Respondent-driven sampling produced a generally representative sample of this well-connected nonhidden population. However, current respondent-driven sampling inference methods failed to reduce bias when it occurred. Whether the data required to remove bias and measure precision can be collected in a respondent-driven sampling survey is unresolved. Respondent-driven sampling should be regarded as a (potentially superior) form of convenience sampling method, and caution is required

Multielement analysis of environmental samples by total-reflection X-ray fluorescence sprectrometry, neutron activation analysis and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michaelis, W.

1986-01-01

In environmental research and protection trace elements have to be determined over a wide range of atomic number, down to very low concentrations, and in quite different matrices. This challenge requires the availability of complementary analytical methods characterized by a high detection power and few sources of systematic errors. Besides, the capacity of multielement detection is often desired since it facilitates the talking of many problems in which numerous trace elements are of direct concern. Total-reflection X-ray fluorescence, neutron activation analysis and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, in principle fulfill these requirements quite well. However, each method has its domain, and the application to certain sample species may be less promising. Under this aspect, the paper summarizes some recent developments and investigations, including intercomparisons as far as possible. Various matrices are considered : rainwater and airborne particulates, soil samples, river sediments and suspended particulate matter, river water filtrates, ozean water, and organic matrices. Capabilities and limitations are discussed. Sample preparation techniques are described if they are new or essential for achieving the results given. (orig.) [de

Nutritional evaluation of working Malay women in Kuala Lumpur as studied by total food duplicate method.

Science.gov (United States)

Shimbo, S; Moon, C S; Zhang, Z W; Watanabe, T; Ismail, N H; Ali, R M; Noor, I; Nakatsuka, H; Ikeda, M

1996-10-01

Nutrient intake was surveyed by the total food duplicate method in 49 adult ethnically Malay women (at the ages of 18 to 47 years and mostly at 30-39 years) working in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Simultaneously, hematological examinations, serum biochemistry, anthropometry and clinical examination were conducted. Nutrient intakes were estimated in reference to the weight of each food item and the standard food composition tables. Lunch was the most substantial meal of the day with rice as a staple food. Compared with the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) values, daily intakes of energy (1,917 kcal as an arithmetic mean), protein (62.2 g), vitamin B1 (0.83 mg) and vitamin B2 (1.18 mg) were sufficient, but intakes of minerals [i.e., calcium (347.8 mg) and iron (12.5 mg)] and some vitamins [i.e., vitamin A (equivalent to 627 micrograms retinol) and niacin (7.84 mg)] were less than RDA. When evaluated on an individual basis, the prevalence of those who took less than 80% RDA was highest for iron (92%), followed by niacin (80%), calcium (57%) and vitamin A (57%). The presence of 7 hypohemoglobinemia cases may be related to the insufficient iron intake. Overweight cases (14 women) were also detected, the prevalence of which increased at advanced ages. Lipid intake was rather high (28% of total food on energy basis), for which the major source was plants with limited contribution from fish/shellfish.

Determination of total gas in lithium tritide-deuteride compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, M.E.; Koski, N.L.; Waterbury, G.R.

1979-04-01

Lithium tritide--deuteride samples are enclosed in a copper foil and decomposed by heating to 850 0 C in a copper reaction tube in vacuum. The temperature and pressure of the evolved gas, collected in a measured volume using a Toepler pump, are measured to determine the total moles of gas released from the sample. The gas is transferred to a removable sample bulb and, if required, analyzed for gaseous constituents by mass spectrometry. Based on 14 total gas determinations for a lithium deuteride sample, the calculated relative standard deviation was 1.0% and the estimated bias was <2.5%

Speciation of Mn(II), Mn(VII) and total manganese in water and food samples by coprecipitation-atomic absorption spectrometry combination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Citak, Demirhan; Tuzen, Mustafa; Soylak, Mustafa

2010-01-01

A speciation procedure based on the coprecipitation of manganese(II) with zirconium(IV) hydroxide has been developed for the investigation of levels of manganese species. The determination of manganese levels was performed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). Total manganese was determined after the reduction of Mn(VII) to Mn(II) by ascorbic acid. The analytical parameters including pH, amount of zirconium(IV), sample volume, etc., were investigated for the quantitative recoveries of manganese(II). The effects of matrix ions were also examined. The recoveries for manganese(II) were in the range of 95-98%. Preconcentration factor was calculated as 50. The detection limit for the analyte ions based on 3 sigma (n = 21) was 0.75 μg L -1 for Mn(II). The relative standard deviation was found to be lower than 7%. The validation of the presented procedure was performed by analysis of certified reference material having different matrices, NIST SRM 1515 (Apple Leaves) and NIST SRM 1568a (Rice Flour). The procedure was successfully applied to natural waters and food samples.

An analytical protocol for the determination of total mercury concentrations in solid peat samples

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Roos-Barraclough, F; Givelet, N; Martinez-Cortizas, A

2002-01-01

Traditional peat sample preparation methods such as drying at high temperatures and milling may be unsuitable for Hg concentration determination in peats due to the possible presence of volatile Hg species, which could be lost during drying. Here, the effects of sample preparation and natural.......12 and 8.52 ng kg(-1) h(-1), respectively). Fertilising the peat slightly increased Hg loss (3.08 ng kg(-1) h(-1) in NPK-fertilised peat compared to 0.28 ng kg(-1) h(-1) in unfertilised peat, when averaged over all temperatures used). Homogenising samples by grinding in a machine also caused a loss of Hg....... A comparison of two Hg profiles from an Arctic peat core, measured in frozen samples and in air-dried samples, revealed that no Hg losses occurred upon air-drying. A comparison of Hg concentrations in several plant species that make up peat, showed that some species (Pinus mugo, Sphagnum recurvum...

High-throughput analysis using non-depletive SPME: challenges and applications to the determination of free and total concentrations in small sample volumes.

Science.gov (United States)

Boyacı, Ezel; Bojko, Barbara; Reyes-Garcés, Nathaly; Poole, Justen J; Gómez-Ríos, Germán Augusto; Teixeira, Alexandre; Nicol, Beate; Pawliszyn, Janusz

2018-01-18

In vitro high-throughput non-depletive quantitation of chemicals in biofluids is of growing interest in many areas. Some of the challenges facing researchers include the limited volume of biofluids, rapid and high-throughput sampling requirements, and the lack of reliable methods. Coupled to the above, growing interest in the monitoring of kinetics and dynamics of miniaturized biosystems has spurred the demand for development of novel and revolutionary methodologies for analysis of biofluids. The applicability of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is investigated as a potential technology to fulfill the aforementioned requirements. As analytes with sufficient diversity in their physicochemical features, nicotine, N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide, and diclofenac were selected as test compounds for the study. The objective was to develop methodologies that would allow repeated non-depletive sampling from 96-well plates, using 100 µL of sample. Initially, thin film-SPME was investigated. Results revealed substantial depletion and consequent disruption in the system. Therefore, new ultra-thin coated fibers were developed. The applicability of this device to the described sampling scenario was tested by determining the protein binding of the analytes. Results showed good agreement with rapid equilibrium dialysis. The presented method allows high-throughput analysis using small volumes, enabling fast reliable free and total concentration determinations without disruption of system equilibrium.

An enhanced cerium(IV)-rhodamine 6G chemiluminescence system using guest-host interactions in a lab-on-a-chip platform for estimating the total phenolic content in food samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Al Haddabi, Buthaina; Al Lawati, Haider A J; Suliman, FakhrEldin O

2016-04-01

Two chemiluminescence-microfluidic (CL-MF) systems, e.g., Ce(IV)-rhodamine B (RB) and Ce(IV)-rhodamine 6G (R6G), for the determination of the total phenolic content in teas and some sweeteners were evaluated. The results indicated that the Ce(IV)-R6G system was more sensitive in comparison to the Ce(IV)-RB CL system. Therefore, a simple (CL-MF) method based on the CL of Ce(IV)-R6G was developed, and the sensitivity, selectivity and stability of this system were evaluated. Selected phenolic compounds (PCs), such as quercetin (QRC), catechin (CAT), rutin (RUT), gallic acid (GA), caffeic acid (CA) and syringic acid (SA), produced analytically useful chemiluminescence signals with low detection limits ranging from 0.35 nmol L(-1) for QRC to 11.31 nmol L(-1) for SA. The mixing sequence and the chip design were crucial, as the sensitivity and reproducibility could be substantially affected by these two factors. In addition, the anionic surfactant (i.e., sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)) can significantly enhance the CL signal intensity by as much as 300% for the QRC solution. Spectroscopic studies indicated that the enhancement was due to a strong guest-host interaction between the cationic R6G molecules and the anionic amphiphilic environment. Other parameters that could affect the CL intensities of the PCs were carefully optimized. Finally, the method was successfully applied to tea and sweetener samples. Six different tea samples exhibited total phenolic/antioxidant levels from 7.32 to 13.5 g per 100g of sample with respect to GA. Four different sweetener samples were also analyzed and exhibited total phenolic/antioxidant levels from 500.9 to 3422.9 mg kg(-1) with respect to GA. The method was selective, rapid and sensitive when used to estimate the total phenolic/antioxidant level, and the results were in good agreement with those reported for honey and tea samples. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Intrepretation of work area and environmental sampling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ritter, P.D.; Alvarez, J.L.; Novick, V.J.

1985-01-01

Meaningful interpretation of widely variable airborne contamination measurements is a difficult problem. Exposure limits, action levels, etc., are rigid interpretations of inherently variable environmental or workplace conditions, and are useful for control and regulatory compliance evaluations. Such limits force actions to reduce contamination, but have limited usefulness as benchmarks for evaluating isolated or nonrepresentative measurements. This paper deals with interpretation of exposure based on nonrepresentative sampling. The use of hard limits for interpreting measurements of legal record simplifies judgment during cursory audits; more aggressive questioning of the validity of these records may effectively invalidate them in a courtroom situation

Concentration of total protein and degree of acidity (pH of saliva when fasting and after breakfasting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gemella Nur Illahi

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Background: While fasting, the mouth does not work to eat and drink so that the salivary glands become less active so saliva production decreased and there was a change in eating timewhich is relation to the mastication process that impact on changes in the degree of acidity (pH Objectives: To determine the concentration of total protein and the degree of acidity (pH of saliva when fasting and after breakfasting. Materials and Methods: The study was observational analytic design with longitudinal (follow up study conducted in the Hj. Halima Dg. Sikati Dental Hospital inKandea in July 2015, the sampling method was purposive sampling. Population was 35 clinical students at the Department of Dental Public Health, Faculty of Dentistry Hasanuddin University with a total sample of 16 students who fit the criteria of the study subjects. To calculate the total protein of saliva concentration using Kyltecautoanalyzerand pH meter to measure the acidity of saliva. Data was analyzed was using SPSS version 17.0 (paired t-test, p <0.05. Results: The mean of total protein (% while fasting by 0135% ± 0.026 and the mean total protein (% after breakfasting at 0.179% ± 0.035, while the average degree of acidity (pH during fasting at 7.26 ± 0:24 and the average degree of acidity (pH after breakfasting at 7.66 ± 0.23 with p-value (0.000. Conclusions: An increase in the total protein concentration and acidity (pH after breakfasting.

Mix ratio measurements of pozzolanic blends by Fourier transform infrared-attenuated total reflectance method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rebagay, T.V.; Dodd, D.A.

1992-07-01

The disposal of low-level radioactive liquid wastes at the Hanford Site near Richland, Washington, involves mixing the wastes with pozzolanic grout-forming solid blends. Checking the quality of each blend component and its mix ratio will ensure processibility of the blend and the long-term performance of the resulting waste grout. In earlier work at Hanford laboratories, Fourier transform infrared-transmission method (FTIR-TR) using KBr pellet was applied successfully in the analysis of blends consisting of cement, fly ash, and clays. This method involves time-consuming sample preparation resulting in slow turnaround for repetitive sampling. Because reflection methods do not require elaborate sample preparation, they have the potential to reduce turnaround analysis time. Neat samples may be examined making these methods attractive for quality control. This study investigates the capability of Fourier transform infrared-attenuated total reflectance method (FTIR-ATR) to analyze pozzolanic blends

Total and cause-specific mortality of U.S. nurses working rotating night shifts.

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Fangyi; Han, Jiali; Laden, Francine; Pan, An; Caporaso, Neil E; Stampfer, Meir J; Kawachi, Ichiro; Rexrode, Kathryn M; Willett, Walter C; Hankinson, Susan E; Speizer, Frank E; Schernhammer, Eva S

2015-03-01

Rotating night shift work imposes circadian strain and is linked to the risk of several chronic diseases. To examine associations between rotating night shift work and all-cause; cardiovascular disease (CVD); and cancer mortality in a prospective cohort study of 74,862 registered U.S. nurses from the Nurses' Health Study. Lifetime rotating night shift work (defined as ≥3 nights/month) information was collected in 1988. During 22 years (1988-2010) of follow-up, 14,181 deaths were documented, including 3,062 CVD and 5,413 cancer deaths. Cox proportional hazards models estimated multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs. All-cause and CVD mortality were significantly increased among women with ≥5 years of rotating night shift work, compared to women who never worked night shifts. Specifically, for women with 6-14 and ≥15 years of rotating night shift work, the HRs were 1.11 (95% CI=1.06, 1.17) and 1.11 (95% CI=1.05, 1.18) for all-cause mortality and 1.19 (95% CI=1.07, 1.33) and 1.23 (95% CI=1.09, 1.38) for CVD mortality. There was no significant association between rotating night shift work and all-cancer mortality (HR≥15years=1.08, 95% CI=0.98, 1.19) or mortality of any individual cancer, with the exception of lung cancer (HR≥15years=1.25, 95% CI=1.04, 1.51). Women working rotating night shifts for ≥5 years have a modest increase in all-cause and CVD mortality; those working ≥15 years of rotating night shift work have a modest increase in lung cancer mortality. These results add to prior evidence of a potentially detrimental effect of rotating night shift work on health and longevity. Copyright © 2015 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. All rights reserved.

Sources of trace elements in total diet. A statistical approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aras, N.K.; Chatt, A.

2004-01-01

Sixteen total diet samples have been collected from two socioeconomic groups in Turkey by duplicate portion techniques. Samples were homogenized with titanium-blade homogenizer, freeze dried and analyzed for their minor and trace elements mostly by neutron activation analysis. Bread and flour samples were also collected from the same regions and analyzed similarly by instrumental neutron activation analysis. Concentrations of more than 25 elements in total diets, bread and flour, and fiber and phytate in total diets have been determined. Daily dietary intakes of these population groups, probable source of elements through correlation coefficients, and enrichment factor calculations have been determined. (author)

The Relationship of On-Call Work with Fatigue, Work-Home Interference, and Perceived Performance Difficulties.

Science.gov (United States)

Ziebertz, Carla M; van Hooff, Madelon L M; Beckers, Debby G J; Hooftman, Wendela E; Kompier, Michiel A J; Geurts, Sabine A E

2015-01-01

This study examined the relationship between on-call duty exposure (active and total on-call hours a month, number of calls per duty) and employees' experiences of being on-call (stress due to unpredictability, ability to relax during inactive on-call periods, restrictions during on-call duties, on-call work demands, and satisfaction with compensation for on-call duties) on the one hand and fatigue, strain-based and time-based work-home interference (WHI), and perceived on-call performance difficulties (PPD) on the other hand. Cross-sectional survey data were collected among a large heterogeneous sample of Dutch employees (N = 5437). The final sample consisted of 157 on-call workers (23-69 years, 71% males). Data were analyzed by means of hierarchical regression analyses (controlling for age and job characteristics). Differences in on-call work exposure were not systematically related to fatigue, WHI, and PPD (all p's >0.50). The experience of being on-call explained a medium proportion of the variation in fatigue and strain-based WHI and a medium to large proportion of the variation in time-based WHI and PPD over and above the control variables. Our results suggest that it is employees' experience of being on-call, especially the experience of stress due to the unpredictability, rather than the amount of exposure, that is related to fatigue, WHI, and perceived on-call performance difficulties.

Participation in voluntary organizations and volunteer work as a compensation for the absence of work or partnership? Evidence from two German samples of younger and older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Pavlova, Maria K; Silbereisen, Rainer K

2012-07-01

We tested whether formal volunteering, in terms of its associations with mental health, compensates for the absence of major work and family roles among older adults or rather complements such roles among both younger and older adults. Two cross-sectional samples of younger (aged 18-42 years, N = 2,346) and older (aged 56-75 years, N = 1,422) German adults were used. We regressed mental health indicators on control variables, 2 indicators of formal volunteering (participation in voluntary organizations and volunteer work), and their interactions with employment/partnership status. Participation in voluntary organizations was associated with higher positive affect, higher life satisfaction, and fewer depressive symptoms in younger adults. In older adults, it was related to higher life satisfaction only among working individuals, although the difference from nonworking individuals was not significant. Volunteer work was associated with higher positive affect in both age groups. In younger adults, it had no relation to life satisfaction and depressive symptoms. In older adults, it was related to higher life satisfaction among nonworking individuals and to fewer depressive symptoms among those without a steady partner. Volunteer work but not participation in voluntary organizations yielded compensatory effects on mental health among older adults.

New ways of working and work engagement

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Baudewijns, C.; Gerards, R.; de Grip, A.

2015-01-01

This article investigates whether New Ways of Working (NWW) are related to employee work engagement in the Netherlands. We test our hypotheses using a sample of 656 employees from 14 industry sectors and 12 occupational fields. Our study reveals that three facets of NWW positively affect work

Application of hydrocyanic acid vapor generation via focused microwave radiation to the preparation of industrial effluent samples prior to free and total cyanide determinations by spectrophotometric flow injection analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Quaresma, Maria Cristina Baptista; de Carvalho, Maria de Fátima Batista; Meirelles, Francis Assis; Santiago, Vânia Maria Junqueira; Santelli, Ricardo Erthal

2007-02-01

A sample preparation procedure for the quantitative determination of free and total cyanides in industrial effluents has been developed that involves hydrocyanic acid vapor generation via focused microwave radiation. Hydrocyanic acid vapor was generated from free cyanides using only 5 min of irradiation time (90 W power) and a purge time of 5 min. The HCN generated was absorbed into an accepting NaOH solution using very simple glassware apparatus that was appropriate for the microwave oven cavity. After that, the cyanide concentration was determined within 90 s using a well-known spectrophotometric flow injection analysis system. Total cyanide analysis required 15 min irradiation time (90 W power), as well as chemical conditions such as the presence of EDTA-acetate buffer solution or ascorbic acid, depending on the effluent to be analyzed (petroleum refinery or electroplating effluents, respectively). The detection limit was 0.018 mg CN l(-1) (quantification limit of 0.05 mg CN l(-1)), and the measured RSD was better than 8% for ten independent analyses of effluent samples (1.4 mg l(-1) cyanide). The accuracy of the procedure was assessed via analyte spiking (with free and complex cyanides) and by performing an independent sample analysis based on the standard methodology recommended by the APHA for comparison. The sample preparation procedure takes only 10 min for free and 20 min for total cyanide, making this procedure much faster than traditional methodologies (conventional heating and distillation), which are time-consuming (they require at least 1 h). Samples from oil (sour and stripping tower bottom waters) and electroplating effluents were analyzed successfully.

Characteristics of Beverage Consumption Habits among a Large Sample of French Adults: Associations with Total Water and Energy Intakes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fabien Szabo de Edelenyi

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Adequate hydration is a key factor for correct functioning of both cognitive and physical processes. In France, public health recommendations about adequate total water intake (TWI only state that fluid intake should be sufficient, with particular attention paid to hydration for seniors, especially during heatwave periods. The objective of this study was to calculate the total amount of water coming from food and beverages and to analyse characteristics of consumption in participants from a large French national cohort. Methods: TWI, as well as contribution of food and beverages to TWI was assessed among 94,939 adult participants in the Nutrinet-Santé cohort (78% women, mean age 42.9 (SE 0.04 using three 24-h dietary records at baseline. Statistical differences in water intakes across age groups, seasons and day of the week were assessed. Results: The mean TWI was 2.3 L (Standard Error SE 4.7 for men and 2.1 L (SE 2.4 for women. A majority of the sample did comply with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA adequate intake recommendation, especially women. Mean total energy intake (EI was 1884 kcal/day (SE 1.5 (2250 kcal/day (SE 3.6 for men and 1783 kcal/day (SE 1.5 for women. The contribution to the total EI from beverages was 8.3%. Water was the most consumed beverage, followed by hot beverages. The variety score, defined as the number of different categories of beverages consumed during the three 24-h records out of a maximum of 8, was positively correlated with TWI (r = 0.4; and with EI (r = 0.2, suggesting that beverage variety is an indicator of higher consumption of food and drinks. We found differences in beverage consumptions and water intakes according to age and seasonality. Conclusions: The present study gives an overview of the water intake characteristics in a large population of French adults. TWI was found to be globally in line with public health recommendations.

Total food duplicate study on nutrient intake of working women in Manila, the Philippines.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakatsuka, H; Zhang, Z W; Agetano, M G; Subida, R D; Inouguchi, N; Watanabe, T; Shimbo, S; Higashikawa, K; Ikeda, M

1998-03-01

Intakes of various nutrients by working women in Manila, the Philippines, was surveyed by the total food duplicate method, with foci to elucidate relative weight of three meals and snack in addition to quantitative evaluation of nutrient intakes. In practice, 45 women (average age; 37.2 years) volunteered, who were all nonsmokers and nonhabitual drinkers, and mostly married. In parallel, hematology, serum biochemistry, anthropometry and clinical examinations were conducted. On average, the women took 1787 kcal energy, 57 g protein, and 54 g lipid daily. Comparison with the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for Filipinos showed that intakes of energy and major nutrients were adequate, whereas that of minerals (e.g., 15 mg Fe/day vs. 26 mg Fe/day as RDA) and vitamins (e.g., 0.65 mg vitamin B1/day vs. 1 mg/day as RDA) were generally insufficient. Prevalence of anemia was however rather low with an average hemoglobin concentration of 12.9 g/100 ml blood. Rice was the staple source of energy for daily life, and beef rather than fish and shellfish was the leading source of protein. Lunch was the richest meal of a day (with the largest intake of energy, protein and lipid), and snacks rather than dinner appeared to be next substantial.

Microfabricated Devices for Sample Extraction, Concentrations, and Related Sample Processing Technologies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Gang; Lin, Yuehe

2006-12-01

This is an invited book chapter. As with other analytical techniques, sample pretreatments, sample extraction, sample introduction, and related techniques are of extreme importance for micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). Bio-MEMS devices and systems start with a sampling step. The biological sample then usually undergoes some kinds of sample preparation steps before the actual analysis. These steps may involve extracting the target sample from its matrix, removing interferences from the sample, derivatizing the sample to detectable species, or performing a sample preconcentration step. The integration of the components for sample pretreatment into microfluidic devices represents one of the remaining the bottle-neck towards achieving true miniaturized total analysis systems (?TAS). This chapter provides a thorough state-of-art of the developments in this field to date.

Airborne concentrations of metals and total dust during solid catalyst loading and unloading operations at a petroleum refinery.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Ryan C; Gaffney, Shannon H; Le, Matthew H; Unice, Ken M; Paustenbach, Dennis J

2012-09-01

Workers handle catalysts extensively at petroleum refineries throughout the world each year; however, little information is available regarding the airborne concentrations and plausible exposures during this type of work. In this paper, we evaluated the airborne concentrations of 15 metals and total dust generated during solid catalyst loading and unloading operations at one of the largest petroleum refineries in the world using historical industrial hygiene samples collected between 1989 and 2006. The total dust and metals, which included aluminum, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, platinum, silicon, silver, vanadium, and zinc, were evaluated in relation to the handling of four different types of solid catalysts associated with three major types of catalytic processes. Consideration was given to the known components of the solid catalysts and any metals that were likely deposited onto them during use. A total of 180 analytical results were included in this analysis, representing 13 personal and 54 area samples. Of the long-term personal samples, airborne concentrations of metals ranged from refinery and perhaps other modern refineries during the timeframe examined. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Neutron total cross section measurements on 249Cf

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlton, R.F.; Harvey, J.A.; Hill, N.W.; Pandey, M.S.; Benjamin, R.W.

1979-01-01

Neutron total cross section measurements were performed on a sample of 249 Cf (5.65 mg total weight) with the ORELA as a source of pulsed neutrons. The sample, the inverse thickness of which was 1542 barns/atom, consisted of 85.3% 249 Cf and 14.4% 249 Bk, and was cooled to liquid nitrogen temperature. Analyses were also made of data from a thin sample (l/n = 17430) of 65% 249 Cf in the region of the large fission resonance at 0.7 eV. Fifty-five resonances in 249 Cf were observed and analyzed over the energy range 0.1 eV to 90 eV by use of an R-matrix multilevel formalism. The resonance parameters obtained were used to determine the level spacing and the s-wave neutron and fission strength functions. Thermal total cross section measurements were also performed. 5 figures, 3 tables

Quantitative determination of iron, copper, lead, chromium and nickel in electronic waste samples using total reflection x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elaseer, A. S.; Musbah, A. S; Ammar, M. M. G.; Salah, M. A.; Aisha, E. A.

2015-01-01

Total reflection x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy in conjunction with microwave assisted extraction technique was used for the analysis of twenty electronic waste samples. The analysis was limited to the printed circuit boards of electronic devices. Iron, copper, lead, chromium and nickel were quantitatively determined in the samples. The samples were carefully milled to fine powder and 50mg was digested by acid using microwave digestion procedure. The digested samples solution was spread together with gallium as internal standard on the reflection disk and analyzed. The results showed that the cassette recorder boards contain the highest concentration of iron, lead and nickel. The average concentrations of these metals were 78, 73 and 71g/Kg respectively. Computer boards contained the highest copper average concentration 39g/Kg. the highest chromium average concentration 3.6 g/Kg was in mobile phone boards. Measurements were made using PicoTAX portable x-ray device. the instrument was used for quantitative multi-element analysis. An air cooled x-ray tube (40KV, 1 mA) with Mo target and Be window was used as x-ray source. The optics of the device was a multilayer Ni/C, 17.5 keV, 80% reflectivity provides analysis of elements from Si to Zr (K series) and Rh to U (L series). A Si PIN-diode detector (7mm"2, 195eV) was used for the elements detection. In this study heavy metals average concentration in electronic circuit boards in the in the order of iron (35.25g/kg), copper (21.14g/Kg), lead (16.59g/Kg), nickel (16.01g/Kg) and chromium (1.07g/Kg).(author)

[Determining factors of job-satisfaction: presence of work-family conflict in a sample of Italian nurses].

Science.gov (United States)

Cortese, C G; Ghislieri, Chiara; Colombo, Lara

2008-01-01

Organization research has shown increasing interest in the dynamics of work-family conflict (w.f.c.). The NEXT study highlights that w.f.c. significantly influences satisfaction for one's job and the decision to quit the nursing profession. This study analyzes w.f.c. in a sample of Italian nurses, with the aim of examining the main differences in relation to personal variables, and understanding the degree to which w.f.c. explains job satisfaction. A self-reporting questionnaire was administered to 325 nurses in different hospitals of Northern Italy. Descriptive, reliability and Anova data analysis was performed. The relationships between variables were analyzed through correlations (Pearson's r); the role of w.f.c. in explaining job satisfaction was estimated via multiple regression. W.f.c. appeared to be more critical in subjects who had care responsibilities and in those who had more demanding work assignments. W.f.c. contributed to explaining job satisfaction, even if it was not its principal determining factor. This area of research appears to be important in that it leads to a better comprehension of the dynamics involved in work satisfaction and can suggest possible initiatives for support and development.

Elemental concentration in normal skin and fibroepithelial polip lesions by synchrotron radiation total reflection X-ray fluorescence technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soares, Julio C.A.C.R.; Canellas, Catarine G.L.; Lopes, Ricardo T.; Anjos, Marcelino J.

2011-01-01

In this work, the concentrations of trace elements were measured in acrochordon, a skin lesion also known as skin tag or fibroepithelial polyp, as well as in normal skin from the same patient. The samples were analysed by Synchrotron Radiation Total Reflection X- ray Fluorescence (SRTXRF) in the Synchrotron Light National Laboratory (LNLS) in Campinas/Sao Paulo-Brazil. The collection of lesion and healthy skin samples, including papillary dermis and epidermis, has involved 17 patients. It was evaluated the presence of P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Br and Rb in the paired samples, which were compared, and significant differences were found in some of them. (author)

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Inner/outer HII regions: galaxy sample (Rodriguez-Baras+, 2018)

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez-Baras, M.; Diaz, A. I.; Rosales-Ortega, F. F.; Sanchez, S. F.

2017-11-01

Physical properties for 263 isolated spiral galaxies, observed by the CALIFA survey, are presented. These galaxies compose this work galaxy sample. For each galaxy redshift, morphological type, inclination, distance, effective radius, g and r SDSS magnitudes, absolute B magnitude and total number of HII regions extracted in the galaxy are given. (1 data file).

Determination of dietary intake of total arsenic, inorganic arsenic and total mercury in the Chilean school meal program.

Science.gov (United States)

Bastías, J M; Bermúdez, M; Carrasco, J; Espinoza, O; Muñoz, M; Galotto, M J; Muñoz, O

2010-10-01

The dietary intake of total arsenic (tAs), inorganic arsenic (iAs) and total mercury (tHg) in lunch and breakfast servings provided by the Chilean School Meal Program (SMP) was estimated, using the duplicate-portion variant of the total diet study. Lunch and breakfast samples were collected from 65 schools throughout the country in 2006. The population sample was a group of girls and boys between 6 and 18 years old. The tAs concentration was measured via hydride-generation atomic absorption spectrometry. The total mercury concentration was measured via cold-vapor atomic absorption spectroscopy. The estimated iAs intake was 12.5% (5.4 μg/day) of the Provisional tolerable daily intake (PTDI) as proposed by the FAO/WHO, and the tHg intake was 13.2% (1.9 μg/day) of the PTDI as proposed by the FAO/WHO. It was therefore concluded that tAs, iAs and tHg intake from food provided by the SMP do not pose risks to student health.

Determination of mercury in seawater by total reflection x-ray fluorescence spectrometry after an electrochemical preconcentration method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ritschel, A.; Chinea Cano, E.; Wobrauschek, P.; Kuntner, C.; Durakbasa, M.N.

2000-01-01

A new combined method of electrodeposition of trace elements on metallic plates with subsequent total-reflection x-ray fluorescence spectrometry (TXRF) is proposed for the determination of trace metals in natural waters. The elements of interest are electroplated on highly polished niobium discs which are used as sample carriers for the TXRF measurement. The electrochemical preconcentration is performed in a flow cell under a controlled working electrode potential. The preconcentration step involves only very little manipulation which minimizes the risk of contamination of the sample. The method was investigated by analyzing inorganic mercury in sea water. A detection limit of 7 ngl -1 could be achieved for mercury in a 40 ml sea water sample. (author)

Determination of uranium and its isotopic ratios in environmental samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flues Szeles, M.S.M.

1990-01-01

A method for the determination of uranium and its isotopic ratios ( sup(235)U/ sup(238)U and sup(234U/ sup(238)U) is established in the present work. The method can be applied in environmental monitoring programs of uranium enrichment facilities. The proposed method is based on the alpha spectrometry technique which is applied after a purification of the sample by using an ionic exchange resin. The total yield achieved was (91 + 5)% with a precision of 5%, an accuracy of 8% and a lower limit of detection of 7,9 x 10 sup(-4)Bq. The uranium determination in samples containing high concentration of iron, which is an interfering element present in environmental samples, particularly in soil and sediment, was also studied. The results obtained by using artificial samples containing iron and uranium in the ratio 1000:1, were considered satisfactory. (author)

Shift work and quality of sleep

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Hanne Irene; Markvart, Jakob; Holst, René

2016-01-01

PURPOSE: To examine the effect of designed dynamic light on staff's quality of sleep with regard to sleep efficiency, level of melatonin in saliva, and subjective perceptions of quality of sleep. METHODS: An intervention group working in designed dynamic light was compared with a control group...... working in ordinary institutional light at two comparable intensive care units (ICUs). The study included examining (1) melatonin profiles obtained from saliva samples, (2) quality of sleep in terms of sleep efficiency, number of awakenings and subjective assessment of sleep through the use of sleep...... monitors and sleep diaries, and (3) subjective perceptions of well-being, health, and sleep quality using a questionnaire. Light conditions were measured at both locations. RESULTS: A total of 113 nurses (88 %) participated. There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding personal...

Modification of working parameters for routine determination of trace elemental impurities in PuO2 samples by direct current arc-AES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pant, D.K.; Phadke, M.P.; Dapolikar, T.T.; Kapur, H.N.; Kumar, Rajendra; Dubey, K.

2015-01-01

In the present work we have altered the parameters of routine method to determine the trace elemental impurities in PuO 2 samples using DC arc source optically coupled with CCD based spectrometer system. The method is basically a fractional distillation technique using DC arc source, involving ignition, dilution of the sample with U 3 O 8 containing carrier mixture, arcing of the sample/standard mixture in DC arc and measurement of analyte signals by spectrometer system. In all fifteen elemental impurities including Boron and Cadmium were determined. Detection limits are comparable with ICP-AES method. (author)

Work-related basic need satisfaction as a predictor of work ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study examines the relationship between work-related basic need satisfaction and work engagement. Data were obtained from a total of 203 academics who are employed in various universities of Turkey. In this research Work-Related Basic Need Satisfaction Scale and The Turkish Form of Utrecht Work Engagement ...

Y-STR analysis on DNA mixture samples--results of a collaborative project of the ENFSI DNA Working Group

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Parson, Walther; Niederstätter, Harald; Lindinger, Alexandra

2008-01-01

The ENFSI (European Network of Forensic Science Institutes) DNA Working Group undertook a collaborative project on Y-STR typing of DNA mixture samples that were centrally prepared and thoroughly tested prior to the shipment. Four commercial Y-STR typing kits (Y-Filer, Applied Biosystems, Foster C...... a laboratory-specific optimization process is indicated to reach a comparable sensitivity for the analysis of minute amounts of DNA....

Application of the Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence technique to trace elements determination in tobacco

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez, T.; Lartigue, J.; Zarazua, G.; Avila-Perez, P.; Navarrete, M.; Tejeda, S.

2008-01-01

Many studies have identified an important number of toxic elements along with organic carcinogen molecules and radioactive isotopes in tobacco. In this work we have analyzed by Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence 9 brands of cigarettes being manufactured and distributed in the Mexican market. Two National Institute of Standards and Technology standards and a blank were equally treated at the same time. Results show the presence of some toxic elements such as Pb and Ni. These results are compared with available data for some foreign brands, while their implications for health are discussed. It can be confirmed that the Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence method provides precise (reproducible) and accuracy (trueness) data for 15 elements concentration in tobacco samples

Application of the Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence technique to trace elements determination in tobacco

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez, T.; Lartigue, J.; Zarazua, G.; Avila-Perez, P.; Navarrete, M.; Tejeda, S.

2008-12-01

Many studies have identified an important number of toxic elements along with organic carcinogen molecules and radioactive isotopes in tobacco. In this work we have analyzed by Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence 9 brands of cigarettes being manufactured and distributed in the Mexican market. Two National Institute of Standards and Technology standards and a blank were equally treated at the same time. Results show the presence of some toxic elements such as Pb and Ni. These results are compared with available data for some foreign brands, while their implications for health are discussed. It can be confirmed that the Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence method provides precise (reproducible) and accuracy (trueness) data for 15 elements concentration in tobacco samples.

Analysis of total and dissolved heavy metals in surface water of a Mexican polluted river by total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zarazua, G. [Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Gerencia de Ciencias Ambientales, Apartado Postal 18-1027, Mexico D.F., C.P. 11801 (Mexico)]. E-mail: gzo@nuclear.inin.mx; Avila-Perez, P. [Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Gerencia de Ciencias Ambientales, Apartado Postal 18-1027, Mexico D.F., C.P. 11801 (Mexico); Tejeda, S. [Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Gerencia de Ciencias Ambientales, Apartado Postal 18-1027, Mexico D.F., C.P. 11801 (Mexico); Barcelo-Quintal, I. [Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana, Unidad Azcapotzalco, Mexico, D.F. (Mexico); Martinez, T. [Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Facultad de Quimica, Mexico, D.F. (Mexico)

2006-11-15

The present area of study is located in the Upper Course of the Lerma River (UCLR). The Lerma is one of the most important rivers of Mexico, where it drains highly populated and industrialized regions. The aim of the present study is to determine the heavy metal concentration of Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu and Pb in dissolved and total phases of the UCLR by means of Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (TXRF). The surface water samples were collected at 8 sites distributed following the stream flow direction of the river. Four sampling campaigns were carried out in each site in a 1-year period. A sample preparation method was applied in order to obtain the total and dissolved fraction and to destroy the organic matter. The total heavy metal average concentration decrease in the following order: Fe (2566 {mu}g/L) > Mn (300 {mu}g/L) > Cu (66 {mu}g/L) > Cr (21 {mu}g/L) > Pb (15 {mu}g/L). In general, the heavy metal concentrations in water of the UCLR are below the maximum permissible limits.

Analysis of total and dissolved heavy metals in surface water of a Mexican polluted river by total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Zarazua, G.; Ávila-Pérez, P.; Tejeda, S.; Barcelo-Quintal, I.; Martínez, T.

2006-11-01

The present area of study is located in the Upper Course of the Lerma River (UCLR). The Lerma is one of the most important rivers of Mexico, where it drains highly populated and industrialized regions. The aim of the present study is to determine the heavy metal concentration of Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu and Pb in dissolved and total phases of the UCLR by means of Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (TXRF). The surface water samples were collected at 8 sites distributed following the stream flow direction of the river. Four sampling campaigns were carried out in each site in a 1-year period. A sample preparation method was applied in order to obtain the total and dissolved fraction and to destroy the organic matter. The total heavy metal average concentration decrease in the following order: Fe (2566 μg/L) > Mn (300 μg/L) > Cu (66 μg/L) > Cr (21 μg/L) > Pb (15 μg/L). In general, the heavy metal concentrations in water of the UCLR are below the maximum permissible limits.

Analysis of total and dissolved heavy metals in surface water of a Mexican polluted river by total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zarazua, G.; Avila-Perez, P.; Tejeda, S.; Barcelo-Quintal, I.; Martinez, T.

2006-01-01

The present area of study is located in the Upper Course of the Lerma River (UCLR). The Lerma is one of the most important rivers of Mexico, where it drains highly populated and industrialized regions. The aim of the present study is to determine the heavy metal concentration of Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu and Pb in dissolved and total phases of the UCLR by means of Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (TXRF). The surface water samples were collected at 8 sites distributed following the stream flow direction of the river. Four sampling campaigns were carried out in each site in a 1-year period. A sample preparation method was applied in order to obtain the total and dissolved fraction and to destroy the organic matter. The total heavy metal average concentration decrease in the following order: Fe (2566 μg/L) > Mn (300 μg/L) > Cu (66 μg/L) > Cr (21 μg/L) > Pb (15 μg/L). In general, the heavy metal concentrations in water of the UCLR are below the maximum permissible limits

Systematic sampling for suspended sediment

Science.gov (United States)

Robert B. Thomas

1991-01-01

Abstract - Because of high costs or complex logistics, scientific populations cannot be measured entirely and must be sampled. Accepted scientific practice holds that sample selection be based on statistical principles to assure objectivity when estimating totals and variances. Probability sampling--obtaining samples with known probabilities--is the only method that...

Sampling and sample handling procedures for priority pollutants in surface coal mining wastewaters. [Detailed list to be analyzed for

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hayden, R. S.; Johnson, D. O.; Henricks, J. D.

1979-03-01

The report describes the procedures used by Argonne National Laboratory to sample surface coal mine effluents in order to obtain field and laboratory data on 110 organic compounds or classes of compounds and 14 metals and minerals that are known as priority pollutants, plus 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD/sub 5/), total organic carbon (TOC), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total dissolved solids (TDS), and total suspended solids (TSS). Included are directions for preparation of sampling containers and equipment, methods of sampling and sample preservation, and field and laboratory protocols, including chain-of-custody procedures. Actual analytical procedures are not described, but their sources are referenced.

The reliability and stability of visual working memory capacity.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Z; Adam, K C S; Fang, X; Vogel, E K

2018-04-01

Because of the central role of working memory capacity in cognition, many studies have used short measures of working memory capacity to examine its relationship to other domains. Here, we measured the reliability and stability of visual working memory capacity, measured using a single-probe change detection task. In Experiment 1, the participants (N = 135) completed a large number of trials of a change detection task (540 in total, 180 each of set sizes 4, 6, and 8). With large numbers of both trials and participants, reliability estimates were high (α > .9). We then used an iterative down-sampling procedure to create a look-up table for expected reliability in experiments with small sample sizes. In Experiment 2, the participants (N = 79) completed 31 sessions of single-probe change detection. The first 30 sessions took place over 30 consecutive days, and the last session took place 30 days later. This unprecedented number of sessions allowed us to examine the effects of practice on stability and internal reliability. Even after much practice, individual differences were stable over time (average between-session r = .76).

Split-shift work in relation to stress, health and psychosocial work factors among bus drivers.

Science.gov (United States)

Ihlström, Jonas; Kecklund, Göran; Anund, Anna

2017-01-01

Shift work has been associated with poor health, sleep and fatigue problems and low satisfaction with working hours. However, one type of shift working, namely split shifts, have received little attention. This study examined stress, health and psychosocial aspects of split-shift schedules among bus drivers in urban transport. A questionnaire was distributed to drivers working more than 70% of full time which 235 drivers in total answered. In general, drivers working split-shift schedules (n = 146) did not differ from drivers not working such shifts (n = 83) as regards any of the outcome variables that were studied. However, when individual perceptions towards split-shift schedules were taken into account, a different picture appeared. Bus drivers who reported problems working split shifts (36%) reported poorer health, higher perceived stress, working hours interfering with social life, lower sleep quality, more persistent fatigue and lower general work satisfaction than those who did not view split shifts as a problem. Moreover, drivers who reported problems with split shifts also perceived lower possibilities to influence working hours, indicating lower work time control. This study indicates that split shifts were not associated with increased stress, poorer health and adverse psychosocial work factors for the entire study sample. However, the results showed that individual differences were important and approximately one third of the drivers reported problems with split shifts, which in turn was associated with stress, poor health and negative psychosocial work conditions. More research is needed to understand the individual and organizational determinants of tolerance to split shifts.

Totality eclipses of the Sun

CERN Document Server

Littmann, Mark; Willcox, Ken

2008-01-01

A total eclipse of the Sun is the most awesome sight in the heavens. Totality: Eclipses of the Sun takes you to eclipses of the past, present, and future, and lets you see - and feel - why people travel to the ends of the Earth to observe them. - ;A total eclipse of the Sun is the most awesome sight in the heavens. Totality: Eclipses of the Sun takes you to eclipses of the past, present, and future, and lets you see - and feel - why people travel to the ends of the Earth to observe them. Totality: Eclipses of the Sun is the best guide and reference book on solar eclipses ever written. It explains: how to observe them; how to photograph and videotape them; why they occur; their history and mythology; and future eclipses - when and where to see them. Totality also tells the remarkable story of how eclipses shocked scientists, revealed the workings of the Sun, and made Einstein famous. And the book shares the experiences and advice of many veteran eclipse observers. Totality: Eclipses of the Sun is profusely ill...

The Development of Low-Level Measurement Capabilities for Total and Isotopic Uranium in Environmental Samples at Brazilian and Argentine Laboratories by ABACC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guidicini, Olga M.; Olsen, Khris B.; Hembree, Doyle M.; Carter, Joel A.; Whitaker, Michael; Hayes, Susan M.

2005-01-01

In June 1998, the Brazilian-Argentine Agency for Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials (ABACC), with assistance from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), began a program to assess environmental sampling and analysis capabilities at laboratories in Argentina and Brazil. The program began with staff training conducted in South America and the United States by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). Both laboratories are participating members of DOE's Network of Analytical Laboratories (NWAL) that support IAEA's environmental sampling program. During the initial planning meeting, representatives from ABACC and all the participating analytical laboratories supporting ABACC were briefed on how the first exercise would be managed and on key aspects necessary to analyze low-level environmental samples for uranium. Subsequent to this training, a laboratory evaluation exercise (Exercise 1) was conducted using standard swipe samples prepared for this exercise by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The results of Exercise 1 determined that sample contamination was a major factor in the analysis, and a thorough review of laboratory procedures was required to reduce the level of contamination to acceptable levels. Following modification of sample preparation procedures, the laboratories performed Exercise 2, an analysis of a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Standard Reference Material (SRM) 1547, Peach Leaves. The results of Exercise 2 demonstrated that several laboratories were capable of accurately determining the total uranium and uranium isotopic distribution in the peach leaves. To build on these successes, Exercise 3 was performed using a series of standard swipe samples prepared by the IAEA and distributed to laboratories supporting ABACC and to PNNL and ORNL. The results of Exercise 3 demonstrate that ABACC now has support laboratories in both Argentina and Brazil, which are capable of

Shift work and quality of sleep: effect of working in designed dynamic light.

Science.gov (United States)

Jensen, Hanne Irene; Markvart, Jakob; Holst, René; Thomsen, Tina Damgaard; Larsen, Jette West; Eg, Dorthe Maria; Nielsen, Lisa Seest

2016-01-01

To examine the effect of designed dynamic light on staff's quality of sleep with regard to sleep efficiency, level of melatonin in saliva, and subjective perceptions of quality of sleep. An intervention group working in designed dynamic light was compared with a control group working in ordinary institutional light at two comparable intensive care units (ICUs). The study included examining (1) melatonin profiles obtained from saliva samples, (2) quality of sleep in terms of sleep efficiency, number of awakenings and subjective assessment of sleep through the use of sleep monitors and sleep diaries, and (3) subjective perceptions of well-being, health, and sleep quality using a questionnaire. Light conditions were measured at both locations. A total of 113 nurses (88 %) participated. There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding personal characteristics, and no significant differences in total sleep efficiency or melatonin level were found. The intervention group felt more rested (OR 2.03, p = 0.003) and assessed their condition on awakening as better than the control group (OR 2.35, p = 0.001). Intervention-ICU nurses received far more light both during day and evening shifts compared to the control-ICU. The study found no significant differences in monitored sleep efficiency and melatonin level. Nurses from the intervention-ICU subjectively assessed their sleep as more effective than participants from the control-ICU.

Gas generation from Hanford grout samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jonah, C.D.; Kapoor, S.; Matheson, M.S.; Mulac, W.A.; Meisel, D.

1996-01-01

In an extension of our work on the radiolytic processes that occur in the waste tanks at the Hanford site, we studied the gas generation from grout samples that contained nuclear waste simulants. Grout is one option for the long-term storage of low-level nuclear waste solutions but the radiolytic effects on grout have not been thoroughly defined. In particular, the generation of potentially flammable and hazardous gases required quantification. A research team at Argonne examined this issue and found that the total amount of gases generated radiolytically from the WHC samples was an order of magnitude higher than predicted. This implies that novel pathways fro charge migration from the solid grout to the associated water are responsible for gas evolution. The grout samples produced hydrogen, nitrous oxide, and carbon monoxide as well as nitrogen and oxygen. Yields of each of these substances were determined for doses that are equivalent to about 80 years storage of the grout. Carbon monoxide, which was produced in 2% yield, is of particular importance because even small amounts may adversely affect catalytic conversion instrumentation that has been planned for installation in the storage vaults

Shiftwork, work-family conflict among Italian nurses, and prevention efficacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Camerino, Donatella; Sandri, Marco; Sartori, Samantha; Conway, Paul Maurice; Campanini, Paolo; Costa, Giovanni

2010-07-01

Shiftwork may be a demanding situation because it raises problems for reconciling work and nonwork activities; as such, this conflict may be mitigated by designing and implementing effective preventative actions at the workplace. There is a paucity of research directly examining the impact of work schedules and preventative measures at work on work-family conflict. Hence, the authors posed the following questions in their study: What is the impact of different work schedules on work-family conflict? Is a preventative culture associated with less work-family conflict? Is work-family conflict associated with specific health and well-being indicators and if so, how does work-family conflict affect well-being as compared with other potential determinants? A subset of 750 nurses ( approximately 10% of total workforce) were randomly selected from a larger sample. Nurses completed the Italian version of the NEXT questionnaire plus newly developed items to create an index on occupational safety and health prevention at work. Data were explored using two data mining techniques, Random Forests and Bayesian Networks, and modeled using hierarchical linear regression models. In all, 664 (88.5% of sample) nurses answered the questionnaire. The authors found that different work schedules had a differential impact on work-family conflict. In addition, effective risk communication between workers and people in charge of safety and health, and participation in preventative activities, quantitative workload, performing tasks not belonging to the nursing profession, and the number of weekends/month spent at work were all strongly associated with work-family conflict. The variable "time schedules" also acted as an effect modifier in the relationship between effective communication and participation in preventative activities and work-family conflict. In addition, quantitative demands played a role as a mediator (30% of total effect) in the relationship between effective communication

Assessment of conservation easements, total phosphorus, and total suspended solids in West Fork Beaver Creek, Minnesota, 1999-2012

Science.gov (United States)

Christensen, Victoria G.; Kieta, Kristen A.

2014-01-01

This study examined conservation easements and their effectiveness at reducing phosphorus and solids transport to streams. The U.S. Geological Survey cooperated with the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources and worked collaboratively with the Hawk Creek Watershed Project to examine the West Fork Beaver Creek Basin in Renville County, which has the largest number of Reinvest In Minnesota land retirement contracts in the State (as of 2013). Among all conservation easement programs, a total of 24,218 acres of agricultural land were retired throughout Renville County, and 2,718 acres were retired in the West Fork Beaver Creek Basin from 1987 through 2012. Total land retirement increased steadily from 1987 until 2000. In 2000, land retirement increased sharply because of the Minnesota River Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, then leveled off when the program ended in 2002. Streamflow data were collected during 1999 through 2011, and total phosphorus and total suspended solids data were collected during 1999 through 2012. During this period, the highest peak streamflow of 1,320 cubic feet per second was in March 2010. Total phosphorus and total suspended solids are constituents that tend to increase with increases in streamflow. Annual flow-weighted mean total-phosphorus concentrations ranged from 0.140 to 0.759 milligrams per liter, and annual flow-weighted mean total suspended solids concentrations ranged from 21.3 to 217 milligrams per liter. Annual flow-weighted mean total phosphorus and total suspended solids concentrations decreased steadily during the first 4 years of water-quality sample collection. A downward trend in flow-weighted mean total-phosphorus concentrations was significant from 1999 through 2008; however, flow-weighted total-phosphorus concentrations increased substantially in 2009, and the total phosphorus trend was no longer significant. The high annual flow-weighted mean concentrations for total phosphorus and total suspended solids

Determination of diffusible and total hydrogen concentration in coated and uncoated steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mabho, Nonhlangabezo

2010-09-23

The new trend in the steel industry demands thin, flexible, high strength steels with low internal embrittlement. It is a well known fact that the atomic hydrogen which is picked up during production, fabrication and service embrittles the steel. This has led to an extensive research towards the improvement of the quality of metallic materials by focusing on total and diffusible hydrogen concentrations which are responsible for hydrogen embrittlement. Since the internal embrittlement cannot be foreseen, the concentrations of diffusible hydrogen work as indicators while the total hydrogen characterizes the absorbed quantities and quality of that particular product. To meet these requirements, the analytical chemistry methods which include the already existing carrier gas melt (fusion) extraction methods that use infrared and thermal conductivity for total hydrogen detection were applied. The newly constructed carrier gas thermal desorption mass spectroscopy was applied to monitor the diffusible concentration at specific temperatures and desorption rates of hydrogen which will contribute towards the quality of materials during service. The TDMS method also involved the characterization of the energy quantity (activation energy) required by hydrogen to be removed from traps of which irreversible traps are preferred because they enhance the stability of the product by inhibiting the mobility of hydrogen which is detrimental to the metallic structures. The instrumentation for TDMS is quite simple, compact, costs less and applicable to routine analysis. To determine total and diffusible hydrogen, the influence of the following processes: chemical and mechanical zinc coating removal, sample cleaning with organic solvents, conditions for hydrogen absorption by electrolytic hydrogen charging, conditions of hydrogen desorption by storing the sample at room temperature, solid CO{sub 2} and at temperatures of the drier was analysed. The contribution of steel alloys towards

Neutron reflection effect on total absorption detector method used in SWINPC neutron multiplication experiment for beryllium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian Dongfeng; Ho Yukun; Yang Fujia

2001-01-01

The SWINPC integral experiment on neutron multiplication in bulk beryllium showed that there were marked discrepancies between experimental data and calculated values with the ENDF/B-VI data. The calculated values become higher than experimental ones as the sample thickness increases. Several works had been devoted to find problems existing in the experiment. This paper discusses the neutron reflection effect on the total absorption detector method which was used in the experiment to measure the neutron leakage from samples. One systematic correction is suggested to make the experimental values agree with the calculated ones with the ENDF/B-VI data within experimental errors. (author)

Detection of triglycerides using immobilized enzymes in food and biological samples

Science.gov (United States)

Raichur, Ashish; Lesi, Abiodun; Pedersen, Henrik

1996-04-01

A scheme for the determination of total triglyceride (fat) content in biomedical and food samples is being developed. The primary emphasis is to minimize the reagents used, simplify sample preparation and develop a robust system that would facilitate on-line monitoring. The new detection scheme developed thus far involves extracting triglycerides into an organic solvent (cyclohexane) and performing partial least squares (PLS) analysis on the NIR (1100 - 2500 nm) absorbance spectra of the solution. A training set using 132 spectra of known triglyceride mixtures was complied. Eight PLS calibrations were generated and were used to predict the total fat extracted from commercial samples such as mayonnaise, butter, corn oil and coconut oil. The results typically gave a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.99 or better. Predictions were typically within 90% and better at higher concentrations. Experiments were also performed using an immobilized lipase reactor to hydrolyze the fat extracted into the organic solvent. Performing PLS analysis on the difference spectra of the substrate and product could enhance specificity. This is being verified experimentally. Further work with biomedical samples is to be performed. This scheme may be developed into a feasible detection method for triglycerides in the biomedical and food industries.

Health and safety work plan for sampling colloids in Waste Area Grouping 5 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marsh, J.D.; McCarthy, J.F.

1994-07-01

This Work Plan/Site Safety and Health Plan (SSHP) and the attached work plan are for the performance of the colloid sampling project at WAG 5. The work will be conducted by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Environmental Sciences Division (ESD) and associated ORNL environmental, safety, and health support groups. This activity will fall under the scope of 29 CFR 1910.120, Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER). The purpose of this document is to establish health and safety guidelines to be followed by all personnel involved in conducting work for this project. Work will be conducted in accordance with requirements as stipulated in the ORNL HAZWOPER Program manual, and applicable ORNL, Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., and US Department of Energy (DOE) policies and procedures

Sampling strategy for estimating human exposure pathways to consumer chemicals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eleni Papadopoulou

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Human exposure to consumer chemicals has become a worldwide concern. In this work, a comprehensive sampling strategy is presented, to our knowledge being the first to study all relevant exposure pathways in a single cohort using multiple methods for assessment of exposure from each exposure pathway. The selected groups of chemicals to be studied are consumer chemicals whose production and use are currently in a state of transition and are; per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs, traditional and “emerging” brominated flame retardants (BFRs and EBFRs, organophosphate esters (OPEs and phthalate esters (PEs. Information about human exposure to these contaminants is needed due to existing data gaps on human exposure intakes from multiple exposure pathways and relationships between internal and external exposure. Indoor environment, food and biological samples were collected from 61 participants and their households in the Oslo area (Norway on two consecutive days, during winter 2013-14. Air, dust, hand wipes, and duplicate diet (food and drink samples were collected as indicators of external exposure, and blood, urine, blood spots, hair, nails and saliva as indicators of internal exposure. A food diary, food frequency questionnaire (FFQ and indoor environment questionnaire were also implemented. Approximately 2000 samples were collected in total and participant views on their experiences of this campaign were collected via questionnaire. While 91% of our participants were positive about future participation in a similar project, some tasks were viewed as problematic. Completing the food diary and collection of duplicate food/drink portions were the tasks most frequent reported as “hard”/”very hard”. Nevertheless, a strong positive correlation between the reported total mass of food/drinks in the food record and the total weight of the food/drinks in the collection bottles was observed, being an indication of accurate performance

Marital and Family Satisfaction as a Function of Work-Family Demands and Community Resources: Individual- and Couple-Level Analyses

Science.gov (United States)

Hostetler, Andrew J.; Desrochers, Stephan; Kopko, Kimberly; Moen, Phyllis

2012-01-01

This study uses individual- and couple-level analyses to examine the influence of work-family demands and community resources on marital and family satisfaction within a sample of dual-earner parents with dependent children (N = 260 couples, 520 individuals). Total couple work hours were strongly negatively associated with marital satisfaction for…

Quantitative analysis of light elements in thick samples by PIGE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mateus, R.; Jesus, A.P.; Ribeiro, J.P.

2004-01-01

PIGE analysis of thick and intermediate samples is usually performed with the help of standards, but this method gives only good results when the standard is very similar to the sample to be analysed. In this work, we present an alternative method for PIGE analysis of light elements in thick samples. This method is based on a code that integrates the nuclear reaction excitation function along the depth of the sample. For the integration procedure the sample is divided in sublayers, defined by the energy steps that were used to measure accurately the excitation function. This function is used as input. Within each sublayer the stopping power cross-sections may be assumed as constant. With these two conditions the calculus of the contribution of each sublayer for the total yield becomes an easy task. This work presents results for the analysis of lithium, boron, fluorine and sodium in thick samples. For this purpose, excitation functions of the reactions 7 Li(p,p ' γ) 7 Li, 19 F(p,p ' γ) 19 F, 10 B(p,αγ) 7 Be and 23 Na(p,p ' γ) 23 Na were employed. Calculated γ-ray yields were compared, at several proton energy values, with experimental yields for thick samples made of inorganic compounds of the referred elements. The agreement is better than 7.5%. Taking into consideration the experimental uncertainty of the measured yields and the errors related to the stopping power values used, this agreement shows that effects as the beam energy straggling, ignored in the calculation, seem to play a minor role

A cross-sectional study of the association between working hours and sleep duration among the Japanese working population.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohtsu, Tadahiro; Kaneita, Yoshitaka; Aritake, Sayaka; Mishima, Kazuo; Uchiyama, Makoto; Akashiba, Tsuneto; Uchimura, Naohisa; Nakaji, Shigeyuki; Munezawa, Takeshi; Kokaze, Akatsuki; Ohida, Takashi

2013-01-01

This study aimed to clarify the association between long working hours and short sleep duration among Japanese workers. We selected 4,000 households from across Japan by stratified random sampling and conducted an interview survey of a total of 662 participants (372 men; 290 women) in November 2009. Logistic regression analyses were performed using "sleep duration hours per day" as a dependent variable to examine the association between working hours/overtime hours and short sleep duration. When male participants who worked for ≥7 but hours per day were used as a reference, the odds ratio (OR) for short sleep duration in those who worked for ≥ 11 hours was 8.62 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.94-18.86). With regard to overtime hours among men, when participants without overtime were used as a reference, the OR for those whose period of overtime was ≥ 3 hours but hours was 3.59 (95% CI: 1.42-9.08). For both men and women, those with long weekday working hours tended to have a short sleep duration during weekdays and holidays. It is essential to avoid working long hours in order to prevent short sleep duration.

Work setting, community attachment, and satisfaction among rural and remote nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Kulig, Judith C; Stewart, Norma; Penz, Kelly; Forbes, Dorothy; Morgan, Debra; Emerson, Paige

2009-01-01

To describe community satisfaction and attachment among rural and remote registered nurses (RNs) in Canada. Cross-sectional survey of rural and remote RNs in Canada as part of a multimethod study.The sample consisted of a stratified random sample of RNs living in rural areas of the western country and the total population of RNs who worked in three northern regional areas and those in outpost settings. A subset of 3,331 rural and remote RNs who mainly worked in acute care, long-term care, community health, home care, and primary care comprised the sample. The home community satisfaction scale measured community satisfaction, whereas single-item questions measured work community satisfaction and overall job satisfaction. Community variables were compared across practice areas using analysis of variance, whereas a thematic analysis was conducted of the open-ended questions. Home care and community health RNs were significantly more satisfied with their work community than RNs from other practice areas. RNs who grew up in rural communities were more satisfied with their current home community. Four themes emerged from the open-ended responses that describe community satisfaction and community attachment. Recruitment and retention strategies need to include mechanisms that focus on community satisfaction, which will enhance job satisfaction.

Current status of restoration work for obstacle and upper core structure in reactor vessel of experimental fast reactor 'JOYO'. Recovery of MARICO-2 sample part

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ashida, Takashi; Ito, Hideaki

2015-01-01

At Joyo reactor MK-III core in May 2007, due to the design deficiencies of the disconnect mechanism of the holding part and the sample part of the experimental apparatus with instrumentation lines (MARICO-2), a disconnect failure incident occurred in the sample part after irradiation test. The deformation of the sample part due to this failure incurred its interference with the lower surface of reactor core upper structure and the holddown axis body. By this, the operating range of the rotary plug was restricted, leading to the partial inhibition of the fuel exchange function that precluded the access to 1/4 of the assemblies of the reactor core. In face of restoration work, the preparation for restoration such the exchange of upper core structure, and the recovery of MARICO-2 sample part are under way. The following items are introduced here: (1) summary of restoration work and overall process of restoration work, (2) recovery operation of MARICO-2 sample part, (3) exchange of the upper core structure that was conducted this year, and (4) results of recovery of MARIKO-2 sample part. (A.O.)

Assessing the relationship between work-family conflict and smoking.

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Candace C; Li, Yi; Sorensen, Glorian; Berkman, Lisa F

2012-09-01

We examined the relationship between smoking and work-family conflict among a sample of New England long-term-care facility workers. To collect data, we conducted in-person, structured interviews with workers in 4 extended-care facilities. There was a strong association between smoking likelihood and work-family conflict. Workers who experienced both stress at home from work issues (i.e., work-to-home conflict) and stress at work from personal issues (i.e., home-to-work conflict) had 3.1 times higher odds of smoking than those who did not experience these types of conflict. Workers who experienced home-to-work conflict had an odds of 2.3 compared with those who did not experience this type of conflict, and workers who experienced work-to-home conflict had an odds of 1.6 compared with workers who did not experience this type of conflict. The results of this study indicate that there is a robust relationship between work-family conflict and smoking, but that this relationship is dependent upon the total amount of conflict experienced and the direction of the conflict.

Chemometrics methods for the investigation of methylmercury and total mercury contamination in mollusks samples collected from coastal sites along the Chinese Bohai Sea.

Science.gov (United States)

Yawei, Wang; Lina, Liang; Jianbo, Shi; Guibin, Jiang

2005-06-01

The development and application of chemometrics methods, principal component analysis (PCA), cluster analysis and correlation analysis for the determination of methylmercury (MeHg) and total mecury (HgT) in gastropod and bivalve species collected from eight coastal sites along the Chinese Bohai Sea are described. HgT is directly determined by atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS), while MeHg is measured by a laboratory established high performance liquid chromatography-atomic fluorescence spectrometry system (HPLC-AFS). One-way ANOVA and cluster analysis indicated that the bioaccumulation of Rap to accumulate Hg was significantly (P<0.05) different from other mollusks. Correlation analysis shows that there is linear relationship between MeHg and HgT in mollusks samples collected from coastal sites along the Chinese Bohai Sea, while in mollusks samples collected from Hongqiao market in Beijing City, there is not any linear relationship.

Effects of office space and colour on knowledge sharing and work stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luke Hsiao

2013-12-01

Full Text Available With the aid of empirical research, this study aims to verify the effects of the variables Office Space and Colour on Knowledge Sharing and Work Stress. Taking the domestic technology industry as the research sample, purposive sampling was applied in a questionnaire survey. Three hundred and sixty-eight questionnaires were distributed to a total of 14 technology companies in the Hsinchu and Southern Taiwan Science Parks. After 21 invalid responses had been removed, 347 valid copies were retrieved. Reliability analysis, factor analysis and hierarchical regression were used to analyse the data. The research outcomes show the significant effects of Office Space and Colour on Knowledge Sharing and Work Stress among employees. Based on the outcomes, certain conclusions and suggestions are proposed.

The Relationship of On-Call Work with Fatigue, Work-Home Interference, and Perceived Performance Difficulties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carla M. Ziebertz

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives. This study examined the relationship between on-call duty exposure (active and total on-call hours a month, number of calls per duty and employees’ experiences of being on-call (stress due to unpredictability, ability to relax during inactive on-call periods, restrictions during on-call duties, on-call work demands, and satisfaction with compensation for on-call duties on the one hand and fatigue, strain-based and time-based work-home interference (WHI, and perceived on-call performance difficulties (PPD on the other hand. Methods. Cross-sectional survey data were collected among a large heterogeneous sample of Dutch employees (N=5437. The final sample consisted of 157 on-call workers (23–69 years, 71% males. Data were analyzed by means of hierarchical regression analyses (controlling for age and job characteristics. Results. Differences in on-call work exposure were not systematically related to fatigue, WHI, and PPD (all p’s >0.50. The experience of being on-call explained a medium proportion of the variation in fatigue and strain-based WHI and a medium to large proportion of the variation in time-based WHI and PPD over and above the control variables. Conclusions. Our results suggest that it is employees’ experience of being on-call, especially the experience of stress due to the unpredictability, rather than the amount of exposure, that is related to fatigue, WHI, and perceived on-call performance difficulties.

Z3 -vertex magic total labeling and Z3 -edge magic total labelingfor the extended duplicate graph of quadrilateral snake

Science.gov (United States)

Indira, P.; Selvam, B.; Thirusangu, K.

2018-04-01

Based on the works of Kotzig, Rosa and MacDougall et.al., we present algorithms and prove the existence of Z3-vertex magic total labeling and Z3-edge magic total labeling for the extended duplicate graph of quadrilateral snake.

Sample Length Affects the Reliability of Language Sample Measures in 3-Year-Olds: Evidence from Parent-Elicited Conversational Samples

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Ling-Yu; Eisenberg, Sarita

2015-01-01

Purpose: The goal of this study was to investigate the extent to which sample length affected the reliability of total number of words (TNW), number of different words (NDW), and mean length of C-units in morphemes (MLCUm) in parent-elicited conversational samples for 3-year-olds. Method: Participants were sixty 3-year-olds. A 22-min language…

Lower limb joint work and joint work contribution during downhill and uphill walking at different inclinations.

Science.gov (United States)

Alexander, Nathalie; Strutzenberger, Gerda; Ameshofer, Lisa Maria; Schwameder, Hermann

2017-08-16

Work performance and individual joint contribution to total work are important information for creating training protocols, but were not assessed so far for sloped walking. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyze lower limb joint work and joint contribution of the hip, knee and ankle to total lower limb work during sloped walking in a healthy population. Eighteen male participants (27.0±4.7yrs, 1.80±0.05m, 74.5±8.2kg) walked on an instrumented ramp at inclination angles of 0°, ±6°, ±12° and ±18° at 1.1m/s. Kinematic and kinetic data were captured using a motion-capture system (Vicon) and two force plates (AMTI). Joint power curves, joint work (positive, negative, absolute) and each joint's contribution to total lower limb work were analyzed throughout the stance phase using an ANOVA with repeated measures. With increasing inclination positive joint work increased for the ankle and hip joint and in total during uphill walking. Negative joint work increased for each joint and in total work during downhill walking. Absolute work was increased during both uphill (all joints) and downhill (ankle & knee) walking. Knee joint contribution to total negative and absolute work increased during downhill walking while hip and ankle contributions decreased. This study identified, that, when switching from level to a 6° and from 6° to a 12° inclination the gain of individual joint work is more pronounced compared to switching from 12° to an 18° inclination. The results might be used for training recommendations and specific training intervention with respect to sloped walking. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sampling strategies in antimicrobial resistance monitoring: evaluating how precision and sensitivity vary with the number of animals sampled per farm.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takehisa Yamamoto

Full Text Available Because antimicrobial resistance in food-producing animals is a major public health concern, many countries have implemented antimicrobial monitoring systems at a national level. When designing a sampling scheme for antimicrobial resistance monitoring, it is necessary to consider both cost effectiveness and statistical plausibility. In this study, we examined how sampling scheme precision and sensitivity can vary with the number of animals sampled from each farm, while keeping the overall sample size constant to avoid additional sampling costs. Five sampling strategies were investigated. These employed 1, 2, 3, 4 or 6 animal samples per farm, with a total of 12 animals sampled in each strategy. A total of 1,500 Escherichia coli isolates from 300 fattening pigs on 30 farms were tested for resistance against 12 antimicrobials. The performance of each sampling strategy was evaluated by bootstrap resampling from the observational data. In the bootstrapping procedure, farms, animals, and isolates were selected randomly with replacement, and a total of 10,000 replications were conducted. For each antimicrobial, we observed that the standard deviation and 2.5-97.5 percentile interval of resistance prevalence were smallest in the sampling strategy that employed 1 animal per farm. The proportion of bootstrap samples that included at least 1 isolate with resistance was also evaluated as an indicator of the sensitivity of the sampling strategy to previously unidentified antimicrobial resistance. The proportion was greatest with 1 sample per farm and decreased with larger samples per farm. We concluded that when the total number of samples is pre-specified, the most precise and sensitive sampling strategy involves collecting 1 sample per farm.

Total Lightning as an Indicator of Mesocyclone Behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Stough, Sarah M.; Carey, Lawrence D.; Schultz, Christopher J.

2014-01-01

Apparent relationship between total lightning (in-cloud and cloud to ground) and severe weather suggests its operational utility. Goal of fusion of total lightning with proven tools (i.e., radar lightning algorithms. Preliminary work here investigates circulation from Weather Suveilance Radar- 1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) coupled with total lightning data from Lightning Mapping Arrays.

Shared Governance and Work Engagement in Emergency Nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Siller, Jennifer; Dolansky, Mary A; Clavelle, Joanne T; Fitzpatrick, Joyce J

2016-07-01

Lack of work engagement in emergency nurses has been linked to increased job turnover, burnout, and lack of job satisfaction. Shared governance is a vehicle that can be used by emergency nursing leaders to increase work engagement among emergency nurses. Research is lacking about the relationship between perceptions of shared governance and work engagement in emergency nurses. In this study we examined the relationship between ED nurses' perceptions of shared governance and work engagement. A descriptive correlation design was used with a convenience sample of 43 emergency nurses recruited through the ENA Web site. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Index of Professional Nursing Governance Tool, and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. The mean total work engagement score indicated average engagement (M = 4.4, standard deviation = 1.2). A significant positive relationship was found between shared governance and work engagement, indicating that as perceptions of shared governance increase, work engagement increases (r (41) = 0.62, P emergency nurses. Understanding the relationship between perceptions of shared governance and work engagement in emergency nurses may assist emergency nursing leaders in developing and testing interventions to enhance it. Copyright © 2016 Emergency Nurses Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Work-Life Balance and Work Satisfaction in Workplace

OpenAIRE

Soo, Chin Hock

2014-01-01

This study aims to investigate whether the workplace environment in an ICT organizations are conducive for the employees to use work-life balance and secondary investigation will involving whether the ability to have work-life balance will increase the happiness and this job satisfaction and leads to higher productivity. A questionnaire which consisted of all the work-life balance activities in the ICT organization were sent out and a total of 94 respondents whom worked in ICT organizations h...

Equal Pay for Equal Work: Medicare Procedure Volume and Reimbursement for Male and Female Surgeons Performing Total Knee and Total Hip Arthroplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Holliday, Emma B; Brady, Christina; Pipkin, William C; Somerson, Jeremy S

2018-02-21

The observed sex gap in physician salary has been the topic of much recent debate in the United States, but it has not been well-described among orthopaedic surgeons. The objective of this study was to evaluate for sex differences in Medicare claim volume and reimbursement among orthopaedic surgeons. The Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Public Use File was used to compare claim volume and reimbursement between female and male orthopaedic surgeons in 2013. Data were extracted for each billing code per orthopaedic surgeon in the year 2013 for total claims, surgical claims, total knee arthroplasty (TKA) claims, and total hip arthroplasty (THA) claims. A total of 20,546 orthopaedic surgeons who treated traditional Medicare patients were included in the initial analysis. Claim volume and reimbursement received were approximately twofold higher for all claims and more than threefold higher for surgical claims for male surgeons when compared with female surgeons (p 10 TKAs and THAs, respectively, in 2013 for Medicare patients and were included in the subset analyses. Although male surgeons performed a higher mean number of TKAs than female surgeons (mean and standard deviation, 37 ± 33 compared with 26 ± 17, respectively, p men and women for TKA or THA ($1,135 ± $228 compared with $1,137 ± $184 for TKA, respectively, p = 0.380; $1,049 ± $226 compared with $1,043 ± $266 for THA, respectively, p = 0.310). Female surgeons had a lower number of total claims and reimbursements compared with male surgeons. However, among surgeons who performed >10 THAs and TKAs, there were no sex differences in the mean reimbursement payment per surgeon. The number of women in orthopaedics is rising, and there is much interest in how their productivity and compensation compare with their male counterparts.

Surfactant-enhanced spectrofluorimetric determination of total aflatoxins from wheat samples after magnetic solid-phase extraction using modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Manafi, Mohammad Hanif; Allahyari, Mehdi; Pourghazi, Kamyar; Amoli-Diva, Mitra; Taherimaslak, Zohreh

2015-07-01

The extraction and preconcentration of total aflatoxins (including aflatoxin B1, B2, G1, and G2) using magnetic nanoparticles based solid phase extraction (MSPE) followed by surfactant-enhanced spectrofluorimetric detection was proposed. Ethylene glycol bis-mercaptoacetate modified silica coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles as an efficient antibody-free adsorbent was successfully applied to extract aflatoxins from wheat samples. High surface area and strong magnetization properties of magnetic nanoparticles were utilized to achieve high enrichment factor (97), and satisfactory recoveries (92-105%) using only 100 mg of the adsorbent. Furthermore, the fast separation time (less than 10 min) avoids many time-consuming cartridge loading or column-passing procedures accompany with the conventional SPE. In determination step, signal enhancement was performed by formation of Triton X-100 micelles around the analytes in 15% (v/v) acetonitrile-water which dramatically increase the sensitivity of the method. Main factors affecting the extraction efficiency and signal enhancement of the analytes including pH of sample solution, desorption conditions, extraction time, sample volume, adsorbent amount, surfactant concentration and volume and time of micelle formation were evaluated and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, wide linear range of 0.1-50 ng mL-1 with low detection limit of 0.03 ng mL-1 were obtained. The developed method was successfully applied to the extraction and preconcentration of aflatoxins in three commercially available wheat samples and the results were compared with the official AOAC method.

Total mercury of selected fish species from Laguna de Bay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Relon, Milagros Lontoc

1996-01-01

Dalag Ophicephalus striatus Block, kanduli Arius thalassinus Ruppell, bia Amblygobius phalaena Cuvier et Valenciennes and tilapia Tilapia nilotica Linnnaeus collected from Laguna de Bay between Taguig and Binangonan area in August 1989 to July 1990 were analyzed for total mercury by atomic absorption spectrometry. The highest metal concentration in soft muscle tissue was observed in Dalag followed by kanduli, less in bia and least in tilapia with mean values of 0.021, 0.020, 0.013, and 0.008 ug/g, respectively. Analysis using two-way ANOVA showed a significant difference in the mean total mercury in ug/g in the difference fish samples, among the different months and the interaction between these two variables. Mean total mercury of the four fish samples were significantly higher in April than in October. The results show that the levels of total mercury in the fish samples are below the World Health Organization maximum tolerable consumption of mercury in food of 300 ug or 0.03 mg of total mercury per week. (author)