SRL 172 (killed Mycobacterium vaccae) in addition to standard chemotherapy improves quality of life without affecting survival, in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer : phase III results

Background: This open-label, randomised phase III study was designed to further investigate the clinical activity and safety of SRL172 (killed Mycobacterium vaccae suspension) with chemotherapy in the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients and methods: Patients were randomised to receive platinum-based chemotherapy, consisting of up to six cycles of MVP (mitomycin, vinblastine and cisplatin or carboplatin) with (210 patients) or without (209 patients) monthly SRL172. Results: There was no statistical difference between the two groups in overall survival (primary efficacy end point) over the course of the study (median overall survival of 223 days versus 225 days; P = 0.65). However, a higher proportion of patients were alive at the end of the 15-week treatment phase in the chemotherapy plus SRL172 group (90%), than in the chemotherapy alone group (83%) (P = 0.061). At the end of the treatment phase, the response rate was 37% in the combined group and 33% in the chemotherapy alone group. Patients in the chemotherapy alone group had greater deterioration in their Global Health Status score (-14.3) than patients in the chemotherapy plus SRL172 group (-6.6) (P = 0.02). Conclusion: In this non-placebo controlled trial, SRL172 when added to standard cancer chemotherapy significantly improved patient quality of life without affecting overall survival times. © 2004 European Society for Medical Oncology.

Pathogenicity of three RPV isolates of Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus on barley, wheat and wheat alien addition lines

Barleys with and without the Yd2 resistance factor, wheat alien addition stocks with other barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) resistance factors and true wheats were challenged with three Australian isolates of BYDV-RPV. Yd2 resistance was effective against two of the BYDV-RPV isolates and inoculated barleys which carry Yd2 did not develop BYD symptoms and shoot growth was not affected. However, barleys with Yd2 were susceptible to the third BYDV-RPV isolate. All barley lines inoculated with the third virus isolate developed typical BYD symptoms (yellowing), shoot growth was reduced compared to uninfected controls and virus titres determined by ELISA were high and similar in barleys with and without Yd2. In contrast, resistances from Thinopyrum intermedium and Agropyron pulcherrimum in wheat backgrounds were effective against all three BYDV-RPV isolates. Shoot growth of inoculated plants with either of these resistance factors did not differ from uninfected controls and virus titres determined by ELISA were very low.

A stepped-wedge cluster randomised controlled trial for evaluating rates of falls among inpatients in aged care rehabilitation units receiving tailored multimedia education in addition to usual care : a trial protocol

Introduction Falls are the most frequent adverse event reported in hospitals. Approximately 30% of in-hospital falls lead to an injury and up to 2% result in a fracture. A large randomised trial found that a trained health professional providing individualised falls prevention education to older inpatients reduced falls in a cognitively intact subgroup. This study aims to investigate whether this efficacious intervention can reduce falls and be clinically useful and cost-effective when delivered in the real-life clinical environment. Methods A stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial will be used across eight subacute units (clusters) which will be randomised to one of four dates to start the intervention. Usual care on these units includes patient's screening, assessment and implementation of individualised falls prevention strategies, ongoing staff training and environmental strategies. Patients with better levels of cognition (Mini-Mental State Examination >23/30) will receive the individualised education from a trained health professional in addition to usual care while patient's feedback received during education sessions will be provided to unit staff. Unit staff will receive training to assist in intervention delivery and to enhance uptake of strategies by patients. Falls data will be collected by two methods: case note audit by research assistants and the hospital falls reporting system. Cluster-level data including patient's admissions, length of stay and diagnosis will be collected from hospital systems. Data will be analysed allowing for correlation of outcomes (clustering) within units. An economic analysis will be undertaken which includes an incremental cost-effectiveness analysis. Ethics and dissemination The study was approved by The University of Notre Dame Australia Human Research Ethics Committee and local hospital ethics committees. Results The results will be disseminated through local site networks, and future funding and delivery of falls prevention programmes within WA Health will be informed. Results will also be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and medical conferences.

Electrocatalytically switchable CO2 capture : first principle computational exploration of carbon nanotubes with pyridinic nitrogen

Carbon nanotubes with specific nitrogen doping are proposed for controllable, highly selective, and reversible CO2 capture. Using density functional theory incorporating long-range dispersion corrections, we investigated the adsorption behavior of CO2 on (7,7) single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with several nitrogen doping configurations and varying charge states. Pyridinic-nitrogen incorporation in CNTs is found to induce an increasing CO2 adsorption strength with electron injecting, leading to a highly selective CO2 adsorption in comparison with N2. This functionality could induce intrinsically reversible CO2 adsorption as capture/release can be controlled by switching the charge carrying state of the system on/off. This phenomenon is verified for a number of different models and theoretical methods, with clear ramifications for the possibility of implementation with a broader class of graphene-based materials. A scheme for the implementation of this remarkable reversible electrocatalytic CO2-capture phenomenon is considered.

Does Addition of NO2 to Carbon-Centered Radicals Yield RONO or RNO2? An Investigation Using Distonic Radical Ions

Nitrogen dioxide is used as a "radical scavenger" to probe the position of carbon-centered radicals within complex radical ions in the gas phase. As with analogous neutral radical reactions, this addition results in formation of an \[M + NO2](+) adduct, but the structural identity of this species remains ambiguous. Specifically, the question remains: do such adducts have a nitro-(RNO2) or nitrosoxy-(RONO) moiety, or are both isomers present in the adduct population? In order to elucidate the products of such reactions, we have prepared and isolated three distonic phenyl radical cations and observed their reactions with nitrogen dioxide in the gas phase by ion-trap mass spectrometry. In each case, stabilized \[M + NO2](+) adduct ions are observed and isolated. The structure of these adducts is probed by collision-induced dissociation and ultraviolet photodissociation action spectroscopy and a comparison made to the analogous spectra of authentic nitro-and nitrosoxy-benzenes. We demonstrate unequivocally that for the phenyl radical cations studied here, all stabilized \[M + NO2](+) adducts are exclusively nitrobenzenes. Electronic structure calculations support these mass spectrometric observations and suggest that, under low-pressure conditions, the nitrosoxy-isomer is unlikely to be isolated from the reaction of an alkyl or aryl radical with NO2. The combined experimental and theoretical results lead to the prediction that stabilization of the nitrosoxy-isomer will only be possible for systems wherein the energy required for dissociation of the RO-NO bond (or other low energy fragmentation channels) rises close to, or above, the energy of the separated reactants.

An analysis for the causes of accidents of repair, maintenance, alteration and addition works in Hong Kong

This study unveils causes of accidents in repair, maintenance, alteration and addition (RMAA) work. RMAA work is playing an increasingly important role in developed societies, including Hong Kong. Safety problems associated with RMAA work in Hong Kong has reached an alarming level. In view of rapid expansion of the RMAA sector and rising proportion of accidents in the construction industry, there is a pressing need to investigate causes of RMAA accidents. Structured interviews were conducted with RMAA contractors to explore causes of accidents in the RMAA sector. A two-round Delphi method with 13 safety experts was subsequently employed to verify the interview findings and rank the relative degree of importance for various causes of accidents. Accidents happen in RMAA work due to intersection of reasons. One of the root causes of accidents in RMAA works is low safety awareness of RMAA workers; however, wider organizational and industrial factors are not negligible. This study sheds light on why accidents happen in the RMAA sector. Only when the factors leading to accidents are identified can effective measures be made.

Reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization : mechanism, process and applications

The present article gives an overview of the reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) process. RAFT is one of the most versatile living radical polymerization systems and yields polymers of predictable chain length and narrow molecular weight distribution. RAFT relies on the rapid exchange of thiocarbonyl thio groups between growing polymeric chains. The key strengths of the RAFT process for polymer design are its high tolerance of monomer functionality and reaction conditions, the wide range of well-controlled polymeric architectures achievable, and its (in-principle) non-rate-retarding nature. This article introduces the mechanism of polymerization, the range of polymer molecular weights achievable, the range of monomers in which polymerization is controlled by RAFT, the various polymeric architectures that can be obtained, the type of end-group functionalities available to RAFT-made polymers, and the process of RAFT polymerization.

Safety management in repair, maintenance, minor alteration, and addition works : knowledge management perspective

Safety of repair, maintenance, alteration, and addition (RMAA) works have long been neglected because RMAAworks are often minute and only last for a short period of time. With rising importance of the RMAA sector in many developed societies, safety of RMAA works has begun to draw attention. Many RMAA contracting companies are small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that do not have comprehensive safety management systems. Existing safety legislation and regulations for new construction sites are not fully applicable to RMAAworks. Instead of relying on explicit and well-established safety systems, tacit safety knowledge plays an extremely important role in RMAA projects. To improve safety of RMAAworks, safety knowledge should be better managed. However, safety knowledge is difficult to capture in RMAA works. This study aims to examine safety management practices of RMAA contracting companies to see how safety knowledge of RMAA projects is managed. Findings show that RMAA contracting companies undertaking large-scale RMAA projects have more initiatives of safety management. Safety management of small-scale RMAA works relies heavily on the motivation of site supervisors and self-regulation of workers. Better tacit knowledge management improves safety performance. To enhance safety capability of RMAA contracting companies, a knowledge sharing culture should be cultivated. The government should provide assistance to SMEs to implement proper safety management practices in small-sized projects. Potentials of applying computer software technology in RMAA projects to capture, store, and retrieve safety information should be explored. Employees should be motivated to share safety knowledge by giving proper recognition to those who are willing to share.

Safety climate and injury occurrence of repair, maintenance, minor alteration and addition works : a comparison of workers, supervisors and managers

Purpose The repair, maintenance, minor alteration and addition (RMAA) sector has been expanding in many developed cities. Safety problems of the RMAA sector have attracted the attention of many governments. This study has the objectives of comparing the level of safety climate of workers, supervisors and managers in the RMAA sector; and explaining/ predicting the impact of safety climate on injury occurrence of workers, supervisors and managers. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire survey was administered to RMAA contracting companies in Hong Kong. Findings When comparing the safety climate perception of workers, supervisors and managers in the RMAA sector, the supervisors group had the lowest mean safety climate score. Results showed that a positive workforce safety attitude and acceptance of safety rules and regulations reduced the workers’ likelihood of having injuries. A reasonable production schedule led to a lower probability of supervisors being injured. Management commitment and effective safety management reduced the probability of managers being injured. Originality/value This study revealed variations of safety climate at the different levels in the organizational hierarchy and their varying influence on safety performance of the RMAA sector. Safety of RMAA works could be improved by promulgating specific safety measures at the different hierarchy levels.

Fatalities of repair, maintenance, minor alteration, and addition works in Hong Kong

This study examines fatalities of repair, maintenance, minor alteration, and addition (RMAA) works which occurred in Hong Kong between January 2000 and October 2011. A total of 119 RMAA fatalities were recorded. Particular emphasis was placed on fall from height accidents as they accounted for the vast majority of RMAA fatal accidents for the period. A cluster analysis was conducted on fall from height fatal cases. The cluster analysis clearly identified three groups of fall from height fatalities: (1) bamboo scaffolders aged between 25 and 34 who fell from external wall/facade in the beginning of weekdays; (2) miscellaneous workers aged between 45 and 54 who fell from other/unknown places in the end of weekdays; and (3) manual labour aged between 35 and 44 who fell at floor level/from floor openings in weekends. Unsafe process and improper procedures were the main unsafe condition leading to fatalities whereas safety belt not properly used was the main unsafe action leading to fatalities. Specific safety interventions were recommended for each of these groups to help avoid these fatalities.

Relationships between safety climate and safety performance of building repair, maintenance, minor alteration, and addition (RMAA) works

The importance of repair, maintenance, minor alteration, and addition (RMAA) works is increasing in many built societies. When the volume of RMAA works increases, the occurrence of RMAA accidents also increases. Safety of RMAA works deserves more attention; however, research in this important topic remains limited. Safety climate is considered a key factor that influences safety performance. The present study aims to determine the relationships between safety climate and safety performance of RMAA works, thereby offering recommendations on improving RMAA safety. Questionnaires were dispatched to private property management companies, maintenance sections of quasi-government developers and their subcontractors, RMAA sections of general contractors, small RMAA contractors, building services contractors and trade unions in Hong Kong. In total, data from 396 questionnaires were collected from RMAA workers. The sample was divided into two equal-sized sub-samples. On the first sub-sample SEM was used to test the model, which was validated on the second sub-sample. The model revealed a significant negative relationship between RMAA safety climate and incidence of self-reported near misses and injuries, and significant positive relationships between RMAA safety climate and safety participation and safety compliance respectively. Higher RMAA safety climate was positively associated with a lower incidence of self-reported near misses and injuries and higher levels of safety participation and safety compliance.

Determining safety climate factors in the repair, maintenance, minor alteration, and addition sector of Hong Kong

The accident record of the repair, maintenance, minor alteration, and addition (RMAA) sector has been alarmingly high; however, research in the RMAA sector remains limited. Unsafe behavior is considered one of the key causes of accidents. Thus, the organizational factors that influence individual safety behavior at work continue to be the focus of many studies. The safety climate, which reflects the true priority of safety in an organization, has drawn much attention. Safety climate measurement helps to identify areas for safety improvement. The current study aims to identify safety climate factors in the RMAA sector. A questionnaire survey was conducted in the RMAA sector in Hong Kong. Data were randomly split into the calibration and the validation samples. The RMAA safety climate factors were determined by exploratory factor analysis on the calibration sample. Three safety climate factors of the RMAA works were identified: (1) management commitment to occupational health and safety (OHS) and employee involvement, (2) application of safety rules and work practices, and; (3) responsibility for health and safety. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was then conducted on the validation sample. The CFA model showed satisfactory goodness of fit, reliability, and validity. The suggested RMAA safety climate factors can be utilized by construction industry practitioners in developed economies to measure the safety climate of their RMAA projects, thereby enhancing the safety of RMAA works.

Strategies for improving safety performance of repair, maintenance, minor alteration and addition (RMAA) works

Purpose Managing and maintaining infrastructure assets are one of the indispensible tasks for many government agencies to preserve the nations' economic viability and social welfare. To reduce the expenditures over the life-cycle of an infrastructure asset and extend the period for which the asset performs effectively, proper repair and maintenance are essential. While repair, maintenance, minor alteration and addition (RMAA) sector is expanding in many developed cities, occurrences of fatalities and injuries in this sector are also soaring. The purposes of this paper are to identify and then evaluate the various strategies for improving the safety performance of RMAA works. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews and two rounds of Delphi survey were conducted for data collection. Findings Raising safety awareness of RMAA workers and selecting contractors with a good record of safety performance are the two most important strategies to improve the safety performance in this sector. Technology innovations and a pay-for-safety scheme are regarded as the two least important strategies. Originality/value The paper highlights possible ways to enhance safety of the rather under-explored RMAA sector in the construction industry.

Monitoring phase behavior of sub- and supercritical CO2 confined in porous fractal silica with 85% porosity

Phase behavior of CO2 confined in porous fractal silica with volume fraction of SiO2 φs = 0.15 was investigated using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and ultrasmall-angle neutron scattering (USANS) techniques. The range of fluid densities (0<(FCO2)bulk<0.977 g/cm3) and temperatures (T=22 °C, 35 and 60 °C) corresponded to gaseous, liquid, near critical and supercritical conditions of the bulk fluid. The results revealed formation of a dense adsorbed phase in small pores with sizes D<40 A° at all temperatures. At low pressure (P <55 bar, (FCO2)bulk <0.2 g/cm3) the average fluid density in pores may exceed the density of bulk fluid by a factor up to 6.5 at T=22 °C. This “enrichment factor” gradually decreases with temperature, however significant fluid densification in small pores still exists at temperature T=60°C, i.e., far above the liquid-gas critical temperature of bulk CO2 (TC=31.1 °C). Larger pores are only partially filled with liquid-like adsorbed layer which coexists with unadsorbed fluid in the pore core. With increasing pressure, all pores become uniformly filled with the fluid, showing no measurable enrichment or depletion of the porous matrix with CO2.

Dynamic Micromapping of CO2 Sorption in Coal

We have applied X-ray and neutron small-angle scattering techniques (SAXS, SANS, and USANS) to study the interaction between fluids and porous media in the particular case of subcritical CO2 sorption in coal. These techniques are demonstrated to give unique, pore-size-specific insights into the kinetics of CO2 sorption in a wide range of coal pores (nano to meso) and to provide data that may be used to determine the density of the sorbed CO2. We observed densification of the adsorbed CO2 by a factor up to five compared to the free fluid at the same (p, T) conditions. Our results indicate that details of CO2 sorption into coal pores differ greatly between different coals and depend on the amount of mineral matter dispersed in the coal matrix: a purely organic matrix absorbs more CO2 per unit volume than one containing mineral matter, but mineral matter markedly accelerates the sorption kinetics. Small pores are filled preferentially by the invading CO2 fluid and the apparent diffusion coefficients have been estimated to vary in the range from 5 × 10-7 cm2/min to more than 10-4 cm2/min, depending on the CO2 pressure and location on the sample.