Agricultural Media Coverage of Farm Safety: Review of the Literature

Agricultural media merit increased attention in addressing dynamic changes in safety aspects of one of the nation’s most hazardous industries. Changes in farming, such as larger-scale, new “niche” enterprises and new technologies, bring new forms of risk to the safety of those who live and work on farms and ranches. At the same time, traditional agricultural media—commercial firms that publish farm periodicals and commercial radio/television stations and networks that provide farm programming—are changing dramatically. In the face of media convergence, these enterprises provide an increasing menu of agricultural information services delivered by print, radio, and television, plus a host of new electronic media. This review of literature addressed the role and importance of commercial agricultural media in the United States, the scope and pattern of their safety coverage, and the opportunities they represent. The review involved searches of 14 bibliographic databases, as well as reference lists of relevant studies and contacts with farm safety experts. Analysis of 122 documents suggested that limited focus has been directed to the role of commercial agricultural media in safety decisions on US farms. Findings revealed that they continue to serve an efficient, early-stage role in creating awareness and interest, providing information, forming attitudes, and stirring consideration of farm safety. Potentials are seen as expanding through the interactive features of social media and other new services offered by these media firms. Findings also identified research needs, 100 farm safety topics for reporting, and opportunities for strengthening safety coverage by commercial agricultural media.     

Recurrence of sickness absence episodes certified by general practitioners in the UK

Background: Compared to other areas of sickness certification, recurrence of certified sickness absence has been relatively under-researched.

Objectives: This study aims to report the extent and patterns of recurrence and to identify factors associated with higher rates of recurrence.

Methods: Sickness certification (‘fit note’) data were collected from 68 general practices in eight regions of the UK for 12 months.

Results: Twenty percent of 31,453 patients in the study had a recurrent certified sickness episode, with over half of these having the second episode in the same diagnostic category as their first. Mental health problems accounted for over a half of all days certified in same-diagnosis recurrent episodes. Male gender, residing in an area of social deprivation, a longer episode of initial certified sickness absence, not having return to work (‘may be fit’) advice in the first episode, having a mental disorder or musculoskeletal (particularly back) problem were all independently associated with a higher incidence of recurrence.

Conclusion: Differential risk of recurrence needs to be considered when designing return-to-work interventions. Evaluation of effectiveness of interventions (particularly for sickness absentees with mental health problems) has to consider the sustainability of employment after a return to work.     

Palatability,Familiarity, and Underage,Immoderate Drinking

Data gathered in a study of palatability (“liking”) and familiarity ratings of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages by 350 subjects from 12 to 30 years of age included the usual number of drinks consumed. Blind ratings of palatability and familiarity for the beverages were tested for association with immoderate drinking (more than four for males, two for females). Palatability ratings were combined in a principal components analysis to determine whether any component scores were related to such drinking. Liking for the spirits used in the ready-to-drink beverages was related to immoderate drinking in participants under 18 years of age, while liking for the ready-to-drink beverages themselves was not. Liking for beer was related to immoderate drinking in males under 18. The principal components analysis suggested that males who drank immoderately preferred pungent (bitter or acrid) beverages, while females who drank immoderately did not. The associations of palatability ratings with immoderate drinking were substantial and consistent with familiarity ratings, but were found among the least palatable beverages. The results are related to previous studies of beverage preference in underage, heavy drinkers. It is concluded that relative palatability is not an overriding factor in the choice of beverages among underage drinkers who drink beyond the recommended limits.     

Semi-mechanistic Modeling of the Interaction Between the Central and Peripheral Effects in the Antinociceptive Response to Lumiracoxib in Rats

The model-based approach was undertaken to characterize the interaction between the peripheral and central antinociceptive effects exerted by lumiracoxib. The effects of intraplantar and intrathecal administrations and of fixed ratio combinations of lumiracoxib simultaneously administered by these two routes were evaluated using the formalin test in rats. Pain-related behavior data, quantified as the number of flinches of the injected paw, were analyzed using a population approach with NONMEM 7. The pain response during the first phase of the formalin test, which was insensitive to lumiracoxib, was modeled using a monoexponential decay. The second phase, which was sensitive to lumiracoxib, was described incorporating synthesis and degradation processes of pain mediators that were recruited locally after tissue injury. Upregulation at the local level and in the central nervous system (CNS) was set to be proportional to the predicted levels of pain mediators in the local (injured) compartment. Results suggest a greater role of upregulated COX-2_Local in generating the pain response compared to COX-2_CNS. Drug effects were described as inhibition of upregulated COX-2. The model adequately described the time course of nociception after formalin injection in the absence or presence of lumiracoxib administered locally and/or spinally. Data suggest that the overall response is the additive outcome of drug effects at the peripheral and central compartments, with predominance of peripheral mechanisms. Application of modeling opens new perspectives for understanding the overall mechanism of action of analgesic drugs.     

Economic evaluation: A comparison of methadone versus buprenorphine for opiate substitution treatment

Background

The cost of opiate substitution is usually considered lower in cost when methadone is used, as compared to that of buprenorphine, however the overall cost effectiveness of substitution programmes comparing the two drugs remains largely unknown.

Methods

We evaluated the treatment cost and effectiveness of methadone and buprenorphine when used in an opiate substitution programme in Norfolk, UK. All programme costs, estimated from the perspective of the drug treatment clinic, were collected on 361 opiate-dependent participants over a six-month period. Total costs comprised medication (methadone or buprenorphine) costs, pharmacy supervision and dispensing costs, and drug service clinic costs. Effectiveness was measured in terms of (1) each programmes ability to retain participants in the programme for six months, and (2) the ability of the programme to accomplish complete abstinence from illicit opiate consumption.

Results

Overall, mean medication-only costs of methadone were lower than that of buprenorphine, however, pharmacy and clinic costs were lower for the buprenorphine programme. The covariate-adjusted mean total cost of the two programmes was not significantly different. Mean six-month retention rates were higher on the methadone programme, therefore, the methadone programme “dominates” the buprenorphine programme as it was slightly more effective for the same cost. Conversely, when ability to stop taking illicit opiates concomitant with opiate substitution medication was considered, the buprenorphine programme was more effective with an additional cost of £903 per individual who stopped illicit opiate use.

Conclusions

The provision of buprenorphine should be considered an appropriate treatment if cessation of illicit opiate use, concomitant with programme retention is considered an important outcome.     

Maturin acetate from Psacalium peltatum (Kunth) Cass. (Asteraceae) induces immunostimulatory effects in vitro and in vivo

Maturin acetate (MA) is one of main constituents in Psacalium peltatum. The cytotoxic effects of MA on tumorigenic cells were evaluated using the MTT assay. The in vitro immunostimulatory effects of maturin acetate (MA) were evaluated on the viability of murine splenocytes and macrophages, and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). The effects of MA on the production of nitrous oxide, pinocytosis and lysosomal enzyme activity were assayed in murine macrophages RAW 264.7. The effects of MA on the NK cell activity were also assayed. The in vivo immunostimulatory activities of MA were evaluated on BALB/c mice immunosuppressed with cyclophosphamide (CY). MA lacks cytotoxic activity against human cancer cells (IC₅₀ > 200 μM). In the absence of LPS, MA 10 μM or higher stimulated significantly (P ? 0.05), compared to untreated cells (-LPS), the viability of murine macrophages and splenocytes. In the absence of LPS, MA 10 μM or higher stimulated significantly (P ? 0.05), compared to untreated cells (-LPS), the lysosomal enzyme activity and pinocytosis. In immunosuppressed mice, MA increases significantly (P ? 0.05), compared to CY-treated mice, the production of IL-2 and IL-15 and IFN-γ. In conclusion, MA exerts immunostimulatory activities in vitro and in vivo.     

Antimicrobial Activity of the Extracts and Essential Oil of Viguiera dentata

Viguiera dentata (Cav.) Sprenguel (Asteraceae) is known as “chimalacate” in several Mexican states. Infusions of the aerial part of this species are used for the treatment of baby rash by the inhabitants of San Rafael, Coxcatlan, Puebla, Mexico. We examined the antibacterial and antifungal activities through the disk-diffusion method. The composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of V. dentata is reported here for the first time. The essential oil of aerial parts of V. dentata was examined by GC-MS: it is constituted mainly by monoterpenes (57.16%), and of this the major components are 1,3,3-trimethyl-tricyclo[2.2.1.02,6] heptane (30.85%) and limonene (13.27%). Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were sensitive to the essential oil. The essential oil had no antifungal activity. The hexane extract H₁ presented antibacterial activity against seven strains (four Gram-positive and three Gram-negative); this extract had no antifungal activity. One bioactive compound, ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid 1, was isolated. In comparison with the essential oil and H₁, the pure compound 1 showed the lowest MICs in the majority of the bacterial strains. Only the hexane partition (H₂) of the methanol extract showed antifungal activity against all tested fungi.     

Activity against Plasmodium falciparum of Lactones Isolated from the Endophytic Fungus Xylaria sp.

Three lactones were isolated from the culture medium of the endophytic fungus Xylaria sp. Grev. (Xylariaceae). The major compound, which showed weak activity (13 μ g/mL) against a chloroquine-resistant strain of Plasmodium falciparum, was identified as (+)-phomalactone (1). The others were 6-(1-propenyl)-3,4,5,6-tetrahydro-5-hydroxy-4H-pyran-2-one (2) and 5-hydroxymellein (3). Compounds 1 and 2 are reported for the first time as constituents of Xylaria. Also, this is the first report of the activity of the compounds 1–3 against a chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum strain.