Consistency between the ACGIH TLV for hand activity and proposed action levels for wrist velocity and forearm muscular load based on objective measurements: an example from the assembly industry.

This study aimed to investigate the consistency between results of the American Conference for Governmental Occupational Hygienists (ACGIH) threshold limit value (TLV) for hand activity and proposed action levels of objective measurements in risk assessments of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Wrist velocities and forearm muscular load were measured for 11 assemblers during one working day. Simultaneously, each assembler's hand activity level (HAL) during three sub-cycles was rated twice on two separate occasions by two experts, using a HAL scale.

Clinical course of suspected familial and sporadic idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: Data from the PROOF-Next registry.

Background And Objective: Real-life data on suspected familial fibrosis, defined as the occurrence of the disease in a patient younger than 50 and/or having at least one relative affected by pulmonary fibrosis remain scarce.

Methods: The Belgian and Luxembourg IPF registry (PROOF-Next) is a multicentric prospective longitudinal and observational study set in Belgium and Luxembourg. We compared characteristics and clinical course of patients with suspected familial pulmonary fibrosis (FPF) and sporadic IPF.

Sartan-induced interstitial lung disease.

Background: Lung toxicity of angiotensin receptor blockers (sartans) have very seldom been reported in the literature despite their wide use. We here report a case of interstitial lung disease elicited by sartans, with two episodes induced by two different sartans at 10 years of interval.

Case Presentation: In 2012, eprosartan was the very likely cause of a drug induced interstitial lung disease in a 60 year old man.

Observations of phase changes in monoolein during high viscous injection.

Serial crystallography of membrane proteins often employs high-viscosity injectors (HVIs) to deliver micrometre-sized crystals to the X-ray beam. Typically, the carrier medium is a lipidic cubic phase (LCP) media, which can also be used to nucleate and grow the crystals. However, despite the fact that the LCP is widely used with HVIs, the potential impact of the injection process on the LCP structure has not been reported and hence is not yet well understood.

Quality of Life and Healthcare Resource Use in a Real-world Patient Population with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: The PROOF Registry.

Introduction: The PROOF registry is a prospective, observational study that aimed to monitor disease progression in a real-world cohort of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Here, longitudinal quality-of-life (QoL) outcomes, healthcare resource use (HCRU), and the association between QoL and mortality in patients enrolled in the PROOF registry are presented.

Methods: QoL outcomes (St.

Action Levels for the Prevention of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders in the Neck and Upper Extremities: A Proposal.

There are several well-known risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Despite this knowledge, too many people still work in harmful conditions. The absence of occupational exposure limits (OELs) for physical workload impedes both supervision and preventive work.

Secondary organizing pneumonia associated with sertraline: A case report.

Cryptogenic organizing pneumonia is a rare idiopathic interstitial lung disease, with a well-defined clinical-radiological and pathological entity. It may also be secondary to several causes. Rapid clinical and imaging improvement is usually obtained with corticosteroid therapy.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Nintedanib Versus Pirfenidone in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis in Belgium.

Background: Nintedanib (Ofev) and pirfenidone (Esbriet) are recommended by international guidelines as treatment options for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

Objectives: To compare the cost-effectiveness of nintedanib with that of pirfenidone for the treatment of IPF from a Belgian healthcare payer perspective.

Methods: The economic analysis used a Markov model that calculated outcomes over patient lifetime.

Longitudinal clinical outcomes in a real-world population of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: the PROOF registry.

Background: The PROOF registry is an observational study initiated in October 2013 with the aim to monitor disease progression in a real-world population of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Here, we present longitudinal clinical outcomes from the PROOF registry.

Methods: Patients with IPF were enrolled across eight centers in Belgium and Luxembourg.

The effect of two types of maximal voluntary contraction and two electrode positions in field recordings of forearm extensor muscle activity during hotel room cleaning.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of using hand grip or resisted wrist extension as the reference contraction, and two electrode positions, on field recordings of forearm extensor muscle activity. . Right forearm extensor muscle activity was recorded using two electrode pairs (over the most prominent part (position 2) and proximal to that (position 1)) during one working day in 13 female hotel housekeepers.

Baseline clinical characteristics, comorbidities and prescribed medication in a real-world population of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: the PROOF registry.

Introduction: PROOF (a Prospective Observational Registry to Describe the Disease Course and Outcomes of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis) is an ongoing, observational registry initiated in 2013 with the aim of collecting real-world data from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Here, we present comprehensive baseline data, which were collected from patients on registry inclusion.

Methods: Patients with IPF were enrolled across eight centres in Belgium and Luxembourg.

Self-recordings of upper arm elevation during cleaning - comparison between analyses using a simplified reference posture and a standard reference posture.

Background: To reduce ergonomic risk factors in terms of awkward and constrained postures and high velocities, it is important to perform adequate risk assessments. Technical methods provide objective measures of physical workload. These methods have so far mainly been used by researchers.

Assessments of Physical Workload in Sonography Tasks Using Inclinometry, Goniometry, and Electromyography.

Background: Echocardiography involves strenuous postures of the upper limbs. This study explored the physical workload in the neck and upper limbs in sonographers performing echocardiography, and the extent to which the workload differs from than in other work tasks (other sonographic examinations, and nonsonographic tasks).

Methods: The physical load was assessed by inclinometry, goniometry, and electromyography methods in 33 female sonographers during authentic work using three different echocardiography techniques and other work tasks.

Cross-country information transmissions and the role of commodity markets: A multichannel Markov switching approach.

This paper examines the interrelationships among 9 advanced economies using a novel multichannel approach to investigate, beyond the usual causal relationships, the time-varying dimension of the channels conveying causal relationships. The model is derived from the well-known Markov Switching setting and account for systems described by multiple variables. A Markov switching causality measure is adapted to account for information transmissions between distinct multivariate systems.

Corrigendum to "Fully Covered Metallic Stents for the Treatment of Benign Airway Stenosis".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2016/8085216.].

Comparing two methods to record maximal voluntary contractions and different electrode positions in recordings of forearm extensor muscle activity: Refining risk assessments for work-related wrist disorders.

Background: Wrist disorders are common in force demanding industrial repetitive work. Visual assessment of force demands have a low reliability, instead surface electromyography (EMG) may be used as part of a risk assessment for work-related wrist disorders. For normalization of EMG recordings, a power grip (hand grip) is often used as maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) of the forearm extensor muscles.

Fully Covered Metallic Stents for the Treatment of Benign Airway Stenosis.

We herein report our experience with new fully covered self-expanding metallic stents in the setting of inoperable recurrent benign tracheobronchial stenosis. Between May 2010 and July 2014, 21 Micro-Tech® FC-SEMS (Nanjing Co., China).