Since the 1985 release of methyl isocyanate in Bhopal, India, which killed thousands, the chemical industry has begun to use process hazard analysis techniques more widely to protect the public from catastrophic chemical releases. These techniques can provide a systematic method for evaluating a system design to ensure that it operates as intended, help identify process areas that may result in...

The association between cholelithiasis and depression remains unclear. We examined the risk of depression in patients with cholelithiasis. From the National Health Insurance population claims data of Taiwan, we identified 14071 newly diagnosed cholelithiasis patients (4969 symptomatic and 9102 asymptomatic) from 2000 to 2010. For each cholelithiasis patient, 4 persons without cholelithiasis wer...

The goal of this study was to compare total mercury (Hg) concentrations in fish muscle tissue and assess consumption health risks of fish collected from three north Mississippi lakes (Sardis, Enid, and Grenada) that are extensively used for fishing and recreation. Largemouth bass (LMB; n = 64), channel catfish (CC; n = 72), and white crappie (WC; n = 100), which represent a range of trophic lev...

OBJECTIVE We sought to estimate the association between intimate partner violence, a prevalent psychosocial stressor, and the incidence of type 2 diabetes in women. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS In 2001, 68,376 Nurses' Health Study II participants answered questions on physical, sexual, and psychological intimate partner violence in adulthood (age ≥18 years) and reported the years in which any ...

This paper studies the role of Medicare's premium policy in sorting beneficiaries between traditional Medicare (TM) and managed care plans in the Medicare advantage (MA) program. Beneficiaries vary in their demand for care. TM fully accommodates demand but creates a moral hazard inefficiency. MA rations care but disregards some elements of the demand. We describe an efficient assignment of bene...

Escalating climate risks to critical infrastructures in Europe Climate hazard damages to critical infrastructures in Europe will escalate as a result of global warming, with an uneven territorial distribution of future impacts and adaptation needs. This calls for (i) an EU commitment to continue supporting adaptation action in Member States (e.g. through Cohesion Policy investments) and to coor...

BACKGROUND Previous studies indicate that in published reports, trial results can be distorted by the use of "spin" (specific reporting strategies, intentional or unintentional, emphasizing the beneficial effect of the experimental treatment). We aimed to (1) evaluate the presence of "spin" in press releases and associated media coverage; and (2) evaluate whether findings of randomized controll...

BACKGROUND Three phase 2b, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized efficacy trials have tested recombinant Adenovirus serotype-5 (rAd5)-vector preventive HIV-1 vaccines: MRKAd5 HIV-1 gag/pol/nef in Step and Phambili, and DNA/rAd5 HIV-1 env/gag/pol in HVTN505. Due to efficacy futility observed at the first interim analysis in Step and HVTN505, participants of all three studies were unblinde...

Achemical incident is the unexpected release of industrial material that is (potentially) hazardous either to humans, other animals or the environment. Common synonyms include the term “accident” but this presupposes an anticipated failure of control; “incidents” include also unanticipated disasters resulting from mechanical or organisational failures, and occasionally even sabotage. The essenc...