Precarious employment and mental health in the United States: Results from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), 2008-2021.

Objectives: To measure associations between employment precarity and mental health among United States (US) workers.

Methods: This study used data from the US Medical Expenditure Panel Survey for 2008-2021. Multivariable generalized estimating equations were used to measure associations between employment precarity (operationalized as a multi-dimensional exposure) and self-rated mental health after adjusting for relevant confounders.

Assessing the role of social determinants of health in health disparities: The need for data on work.

Background: Work is a key social determinant of health. Without the collection of work-related information in public health data systems, the role of social determinants in creating and reinforcing health disparities cannot be fully assessed.

Methods: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains or supports a number of public health surveillance and health monitoring systems, including surveys, case-based disease and exposure systems, vital status records, and administrative data systems.

Drug Overdose Mortality by Usual Occupation and Industry: 46 U.S. States and New York City, 2020.

Objective-This report describes deaths from drug overdoses in 2020 in U.S. residents in 46 states and New York City by usual occupation and industry.

Characterization of B cells in lupus erythematosus skin biopsies in the context of different immune cell infiltration patterns.

Cutaneous lesions in lupus erythematosus (LE) subtypes are heterogenous. In line with the heterogeneity of the clinical presentation, the underlying lesional inflammation in LE skin samples is defined by different immune cell infiltrates. Pathophysiologically, lesional inflammation is driven by autoreactive cytotoxic T cells, targeting keratinocytes; plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), producing large amounts of interferon (IFN); and B cells, whose function in cutaneous LE is still unclear.

COVID-19 Mortality by Usual Occupation and Industry:46 States and New York City, United States, 2020.

Objectives-This report describes COVID-19 mortality in 2020 among U.S. residents in 46 states and New York City by usual occupation and industry.

COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake and Factors Affecting Hesitancy Among US Nurses, March-June 2021.

To characterize COVID-19 vaccine uptake and hesitancy among US nurses. We surveyed nurses in 3 national cohorts during spring 2021. Participants who indicated that they did not plan to receive or were unsure whether they planned to receive the vaccine were considered vaccine hesitant.

Characteristics Associated With a Previous COVID-19 Diagnosis, Vaccine Uptake, and Intention to Be Vaccinated Among Essential Workers in the US Household Pulse Survey.

To explore previous COVID-19 diagnosis and COVID-19 vaccination status among US essential worker groups. We analyzed the US Census Household Pulse Survey (May 26-July 5, 2021), a nationally representative sample of adults aged 18 years and older. We compared currently employed essential workers working outside the home with those working at home using adjusted prevalence ratios.

Identifying essential critical infrastructure workers during the COVID-19 pandemic using standardized industry codes.

Background: The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) produced an advisory list identifying essential critical infrastructure workers (ECIW) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response. The CISA advisory list is the most common national definition of ECIW but has not been mapped to United States (U.S.

Reducing occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2: A survey of changes in caseload and controls among medical examiner and coroners' offices in Pennsylvania during 2020.

Like their counterparts in healthcare, workers in medical examiner and coroners' offices are considered The frequency and urgency of their work during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have only become of greater importance. Because of the increased mortality in the general population due to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, it is reasonable to assume that the workload and risk of occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2 have increased for these workers who are required by state law to investigate deaths known or suspected to be due to a contagious disease that constitutes a public hazard. Studies investigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on these workers and their operations have been limited.

Assessment of Physiological Rat Kidney Ageing-Implications for the Evaluation of Allograft Quality Prior to Renal Transplantation.

Due to organ shortage and rising life expectancy the age of organ donors and recipients is increasing. Reliable biomarkers of organ quality that predict successful long-term transplantation outcomes are poorly defined. The aim of this study was the identification of age-related markers of kidney function that might accurately reflect donor organ quality.

Health Equity and a Paradigm Shift in Occupational Safety and Health.

Despite significant improvements in occupational safety and health (OSH) over the past 50 years, there remain persistent inequities in the burden of injuries and illnesses. In this commentary, the authors assert that addressing these inequities, along with challenges associated with the fundamental reorganization of work, will require a more holistic approach that accounts for the social contexts within which occupational injuries and illnesses occur. A biopsychosocial approach explores the dynamic, multidirectional interactions between biological phenomena, psychological factors, and social contexts, and can be a tool for both deeper understanding of the social determinants of health and advancing health equity.

Systematic Classification of Spina Bifida.

Spina bifida (SB) is an umbrella term for multiple conditions characterized by misclosure of vertebral arches. Neuropathologic findings in SB cases are often reported with imprecise and overlapping terminology. In view of the increasing identification of SB-associated genes and pathomechanisms, the precise description of SB subtypes is highly important.

Demographic considerations in analyzing decedents by usual occupation.

Background: Public health research uses decedents' usual industry and occupation (I&O) from US death certificates to assess mortality incidence and risk factors. Of necessity, such research may exclude decedents with insufficient I&O information, and assume death certificates reflect current (at time of death) I&O. This study explored the demographic implications of such research conditions by describing usual occupation and current employment status among decedents by demographic characteristics in a large multistate data set.

Role of α-adrenoceptor subtypes on corneal epithelial thickness and cell proliferation in mice.

Adrenergic stimuli are important for corneal epithelial structure and healing. The purpose of the present study was to examine the hypothesis that the lack of a single α-adrenoceptor (α-AR) subtype affects corneal epithelial thickness and cell proliferation. Expression levels of α-AR mRNA were determined in mouse cornea using real-time PCR.

Occupational Patterns in Unintentional and Undetermined Drug-Involved and Opioid-Involved Overdose Deaths - United States, 2007-2012.

The opioid epidemic affects multiple segments of the U.S. population (1).

Exploring respiratory protection practices for prominent hazards in healthcare settings.

The use of respiratory protection, an important component of personal protective equipment (PPE) in healthcare, is dependent on the hazard and environmental conditions in the workplace. This requires the employer and healthcare worker (HCW) to be knowledgeable about potential exposures and their respective protective measures. However, the use of respirators is inconsistent in healthcare settings, potentially putting HCWs at risk for illness or injury.

CCR7 Is Important for Mesangial Cell Physiology and Repair.

The homeostatic chemokine receptor CCR7 serves as key molecule in lymphocyte homing into secondary lymphoid tissues. Previous experiments from our group identified CCR7 also to be expressed by human mesangial cells. Exposing cultured human mesangial cells to the receptor ligand CCL21 revealed a positive effect on these cells regarding proliferation, migration, and survival.

Mortality from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Parkinson's Disease Among Different Occupation Groups - United States, 1985-2011.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinson's disease, both progressive neurodegenerative diseases, affect >1 million Americans (1,2). Consistently reported risk factors for ALS include increasing age, male sex, and cigarette smoking (1); risk factors for Parkinson's disease include increasing age, male sex, and pesticide exposure, whereas cigarette smoking and caffeine consumption are inversely associated (2). Relative to cancer or respiratory diseases, the role of occupation in neurologic diseases is much less studied and less well understood (3).

Effects of organizational safety practices and perceived safety climate on PPE usage, engineering controls, and adverse events involving liquid antineoplastic drugs among nurses.

Antineoplastic drugs pose risks to the healthcare workers who handle them. This fact notwithstanding, adherence to safe handling guidelines remains inconsistent and often poor. This study examined the effects of pertinent organizational safety practices and perceived safety climate on the use of personal protective equipment, engineering controls, and adverse events (spill/leak or skin contact) involving liquid antineoplastic drugs.

Exposure control practices for administering nitrous oxide: A survey of dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants.

Engineering, administrative, and work practice controls have been recommended for many years to minimize exposure to nitrous oxide during dental procedures. To better understand the extent to which these exposure controls are used, the NIOSH Health and Safety Practices Survey of Healthcare Workers was conducted among members of professional practice organizations representing dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants. The anonymous, modular, web-based survey was completed by 284 dental professionals in private practice who administered nitrous oxide to adult and/or pediatric patients in the seven days prior to the survey.

Secondhand smoke in the operating room? Precautionary practices lacking for surgical smoke.

Background: Consensus organizations, government bodies, and healthcare organization guidelines recommend that surgical smoke be evacuated at the source by local exhaust ventilation (LEV) (i.e., smoke evacuators or wall suctions with inline filters).

Precautionary practices for administering anesthetic gases: A survey of physician anesthesiologists, nurse anesthetists and anesthesiologist assistants.

Scavenging systems and administrative and work practice controls for minimizing occupational exposure to waste anesthetic gases have been recommended for many years. Anesthetic gases and vapors that are released or leak out during medical procedures are considered waste anesthetic gases. To better understand the extent recommended practices are used, the NIOSH Health and Safety Practices Survey of Healthcare Workers was conducted in 2011 among members of professional practice organizations representing anesthesia care providers including physician anesthesiologists, nurse anesthetists, and anesthesiologist assistants.

Ethylene Oxide and Hydrogen Peroxide Gas Plasma Sterilization: Precautionary Practices in U.S. Hospitals.

Objective: Evaluate precautionary practices and extent of use of ethylene oxide (EtO) and hydrogen peroxide gas plasma (HPGP) sterilization systems, including use of single chamber EtO units.

Design: Modular, web-based survey.

Participants: Members of professional practice organizations who reported using EtO or HPGP in the past week to sterilize medical instruments and supplies.