During the summer of 2022, a fire and explosion occurred in a sanitary sewer tunnel adjacent to the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus, propelling utility maintenance covers several meters into the air and jeopardizing the safety of the public and emergency responders. The investigation into the explosion highlighted the complex variables involved in the response to sanitary sewer events. This case study outlines current approaches and proposes recommendations for agencies to be better prepared to prevent, detect, and respond to sewer-related incidents in the future.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAt the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic when traditional N95 respirators were in short supply in the United States, there was a need for alternative products that did not rely on traditional avenues of sourcing and manufacturing. The purpose of this research was to develop and test alternatives to N95 respirators that could be produced locally without specialized materials and processes. Through an interdisciplinary team of experts, new mask designs that use repurposed filtration media and commercially available components were developed and tested for filtration and fit against current N95 standards.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Behav Nutr Phys Act
October 2020
Background: Sedentary time is associated with chronic disease and premature mortality. We tested a multilevel workplace intervention with and without sit-stand workstations to reduce sedentary time and lower cardiometabolic risk.
Methods: Stand and Move at Work was a group (cluster) randomized trial conducted between January 2016 and December 2017 among full-time employees; ≥18 years; and in academic, industry/healthcare, and government worksites in Phoenix, Arizona and Minneapolis/St.
The bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) family of bromodomain-containing proteins are important regulators of the epigenome through their ability to recognize -acetyl lysine (KAc) post-translational modifications on histone tails. These interactions have been implicated in various disease states and, consequently, disruption of BET-KAc binding has emerged as an attractive therapeutic strategy with a number of small molecule inhibitors now under investigation in the clinic. However, until the utility of these advanced candidates is fully assessed by these trials, there remains scope for the discovery of inhibitors from new chemotypes with alternative physicochemical, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic profiles.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe office ergonomic design from the late 1980s to the present has undergone significant changes during the transition from typewriters to the various human computer interfaces that evolved to the present day. Designs to accommodate various sized monitors and pointing devices have posed a challenge for ergonomist and designers of office workstations. Recent research suggesting adverse health effects associated with sedentary work environments have put additional pressure to incorporate the option to stand while working.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To evaluate the safety, efficacy, and appropriate perioperative timing of the use of topical bromfenac ophthalmic solution 0.07% after femtosecond laser-assisted laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK).
Setting: Keil LASIK Vision Center, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA.
Am J Health Syst Pharm
January 2015
Purpose: Pharmacists' satisfaction with a computerized prescriber order-entry (CPOE) system and the impact of CPOE on pharmacy workflows and order verification were investigated.
Summary: A mixed-method study was conducted to evaluate the implementation of a CPOE system in three hospitals of a large Michigan-based health system and early user experience with the system. Surveys of pharmacists before (n = 54) and after (n = 42) CPOE implementation indicated that they held generally positive expectations about CPOE prior to and during system implementation and continued to hold positive views about CPOE after several months of system use.
Biochemical combinatorial techniques such as phage display, RNA display and oligonucleotide aptamers have proven to be reliable methods for generation of ligands to protein targets. Adapting these techniques to small synthetic molecules has been a long-sought goal. We report the synthesis and interrogation of an 800-million-member DNA-encoded library in which small molecules are covalently attached to an encoding oligonucleotide.
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