THE IMPARTIAL MEDICAL EXAMINER—A Neurosurgeon's Differences and Agreements with the Industrial Accident Commission

In 147 industrial compensation cases the evaluation reached by a neurosurgeon acting as an impartial medical examiner was compared with the disposition made by the Industrial Accident Commission. There was complete or general agreement in 71 per cent of the cases, pretty sharp disagreement in about 30 per cent.In general, the Industrial Accident Commission was more liberal than the neurosurgeon acting as impartial medical examiner.     

The impartial medical examiner; a neurosurgeon's differences and agreements with the industrial accident commission

In 147 industrial compensation cases the evaluation reached by a neurosurgeon acting as an impartial medical examiner was compared with the disposition made by the Industrial Accident Commission. There was complete or general agreement in 71 per cent of the cases, pretty sharp disagreement in about 30 per cent. In general, the Industrial Accident Commission was more liberal than the neurosurgeon acting as impartial medical examiner.     

EVALUATION OF GRIP LOSS—A Factor of Permanent Partial Disability in California: Summation and Conclusions of the Subcommittee for Study of Grasping Power of the Committee on Industrial Health and Rehabilitation of the California Medical Association

Loss of grasping power is a ratable factor of permanent partial disability by the Industrial Accident Commission of the State of California. The ratings that issue therefrom are based upon the proportion of grasping power actually lost as a result of the injury sustained. The conditions which most frequently impair grasping power are, (1) amputation; (2) limited motion of digits, wrists, forearm, elbow or shoulder; (3) pain; (4) muscular weakness. The examining physician can greatly facilitate proper rating if he carefully and fully reports data needed by the I.A.C. Grip readings should be measured by the most precise instrument which can be obtained. Makeshift devices such as using a blood pressure cuff are not acceptable. A committee of the California Medical Association appointed to study the subject of loss of grip for purposes of establishing compensation rating, concluded that a dynamometer that registers pounds force is preferable to one registering pressure.     

Intervertebral disc lesions; surgical treatment,end results,disability ratings and cost in industrial accident injuries

In lumbar intervertebral disc operations there is sometimes pronounced disparity between the clinical results and the results as reflected in the disability rating given by the Industrial Accident Commission. It is believed that the difference must be due to excessive complaining and exaggeration on the part of the claimant and his representative before the Commission, and that undue credence and importance are given to these subjective symptoms as compared with the objective findings as reported by the surgeon or clinician. Data in the present study indicate that the belief that surgical decompression of a single nerve root and removal of an injured or degenerated disc necessarily entails a certain degree of disability is not justified. Satisfactory clinical results were obtained in 93 per cent of compensation cases, but when settled or rated by the Industrial Accident Commission, only 59 per cent were closed as having good or excellent results.     

Evaluation of grip loss

Loss of grasping power is a ratable factor of permanent partial disability by the Industrial Accident Commission of the State of California. The ratings that issue therefrom are based upon the proportion of grasping power actually lost as a result of the injury sustained. The conditions which most frequently impair grasping power are, (1) amputation; (2) limited motion of digits, wrists, forearm, elbow or shoulder; (3) pain; (4) muscular weakness. The examining physician can greatly facilitate proper rating if he carefully and fully reports data needed by the I.A.C. Grip readings should be measured by the most precise instrument which can be obtained. Makeshift devices such as using a blood pressure cuff are not acceptable. A committee of the California Medical Association appointed to study the subject of loss of grip for purposes of establishing compensation rating, concluded that a dynamometer that registers pounds force is preferable to one registering pressure.     

Coronary sclerosis and thrombosis; industrial aspects associated with compensation

The California compensation laws and labor codes make adjudication of industrial coronary disease, for purposes of determining industrial liability, difficult for the attending physician. From medical writings on the subject in the past decade and from personal experience before the Industrial Accident Commission the author draws suggestions for a sounder approach on a physiological and pathological basis. Criteria for use in determining such liability in cases of coronary heart disease due to employment are outlined.     

Injuries of the fingers and hands; a review of cases from the standpoint of compensation

Review of records in cases of injury to the hand that come before the California Industrial Accident Commission indicate that:1. Primary closure at a suitable level in finger amputations is often preferable to plastic repair.2. Complications incident to plastic repair in minor injuries frequently increase disability and cost to employer.3. Tendon injury resulting from strain is a frequently overlooked cause of disability.     

Adenoma of the pancreas with hyperinsulinism,associated with low sugar content in spinal fluid

Physicians' reports for the purpose of permanent disability rating differ in character and in scope from usual clinical reports. Complete and precise reporting of permanent disability factors by physicians aids the Industrial Accident commission in making proper awards for permanently disabled workmen. The use of a CMA-approved method of reporting permanent disability factors reduces misunderstanding and needless delay in adjustment of cases.     

HEART DISEASE UNDER WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION

In expert testimony before the Industrial Accident Commission, all physicians are taken as equally competent. The value of their testimony depends upon the validity of their data and the reasons for the conclusions drawn. In case of conflicting opinion, the referees, who are laymen, must decide on the basis of the testimony. Therefore physicians preparing reports must see that data are complete, that all routine investigative procedures are not only applied but reported, and that the reasons for claiming connection of injury with employment are fully stated. Moreover, other recognized causes of the patient''s condition should be considered and ruled out for reasons given.The increasing number of claims for workmen''s compensation in heart disease, and the increasing tendency of insurers to settle rather than contest claims, may actually be harmful to the welfare of persons with heart disease, for it deters employers from hiring them and thus risking higher insurance costs. Physicians concerned with compensation claims must develop more widely acceptable standards that properly separate the inherent risk of heart disease from that incurred through employment for which the employer may reasonably be considered liable.     

OCCUPATIONAL ASPECTS OF COCCIDIOIDOMYCOSIS

Infections with coccidioides immitis have been frequently associated with circumstances suggesting the likelihood of occupational origin. Some cases have been accepted as compensable by insurance carriers, the Industrial Accident Commission, and the courts. The factors considered in determining whether or not infection is of occupational origin are reviewed under the following headings.1. Laboratory infections.2. Other infections due to exposure to contaminated articles, arising outside endemic areas.3. Infections in employees entering endemic areas pursuant to their occupations.4. Primary cutaneous inoculation.5. Localization and/or aggravation of pre-existing coccidioidomycosis by occupational injury.6. Infections in agricultural workers imported into endemic areas.7. Infections in residents of endemic areas alleged to result from occupational exposures.     

Industrial wastewaters harbor a unique diversity of bacterial communities revealed by high-throughput amplicon analysis

Industrial wastewater effluents present a major source of water pollution, and can potentially alter the microbial ecological landscape. While there are numerous reports on the microbial quality of domestic municipal effluents and their perceived environmental effects, there are limited reports devoted to the study of bacterial diversity of effluents from individual industries before they are mixed up with other sources. This study analyzed both the physicochemical parameters and bacterial community structures of different industrial wastewaters using Illumina high-throughput sequencing platform. Industrial wastewater with temperature ranging from 18.9 to 21.5 °C, and total dissolved solid (TDS) levels at up to 4611 mg/L, appeared to be predominated by Proteobacteria (44.44–75.86%) with the exception of the Capegate sample where Actinobacteria (39.66%) were the highest. Sulfur levels were significantly higher (p?<?0.05) in Dixon wastewater constituting higher populations of sulfur reducing bacteria (SRB) compared to the other sites. Diversity index (Shannon-H index) and richness estimator (Chao1 index) ranged from 974 (Capegate) to 4552 (Dixon) and 6.04 (Dixon) to 4.15 (CWI), respectively. Multivariate analysis results highlighted that the bacterial communities were strongly shaped by physicochemical variables. The top 10 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) of each industrial sample had the potential to play important roles in the bioremediation and biodegradation of pollutants. Dominant OTUs belonging to the phyla Planctomyces from the Chemreem sample could not be classified to any genera and are likely to represent novel species.     

Industrial epidemiology.

Industrial epidemiology is a specialized discipline concerned with the study of disease occurrence in specific subgroups of the general population, i.e., of relatively healthy members of the work force for whom adequate records are available. Although the ultimate purpose of industrial epidemiology--the prevention of disease--is a logical extension of programs of industrial medicine and occupational and community health, epidemiologic methods must draw on interdisciplinary skills. The existence of centralized records kept in the course of business may make it easier to collect information about industrial populations than to gather data relative to other population subgroups. Many deficiencies in epidemiologic studies of worker groups, however, can be related to poor methods of data-gathering, inadequate record keeping, and an incomplete data base. Sources of information for epidemiologic studies of worker groups may include personnel and medical records, government reports, insurance files, production records, industrial hygiene measurements, surveys and questionnaires, and an organized follow-up program. In some cases, the ready availability of multiple sources of information may lead to differential information bias, and this should be avoided.     

Social Semantic Web Framework for Industrial Synergies Initiation

Industrial synergies join two or more organizations that initially functioned as independent economic actors—that may originate from different sectors—together in order to share resources and exchange by‐products for mutual environmental, financial, and social benefits for its participants. Industrial symbioses (ISs) are networks of industrial synergies that can be initiated and created over time in various manners. In practice, the initiation of an industrial synergy, and particularly the identification of by‐product compatibilities, relies on direct or facilitated knowledge and information sharing, which is essential for discovering industrial synergy opportunities. Beyond its potential contribution to facilitate knowledge and information sharing among organizations, the Social Semantic Web (SSW) also has the potential to facilitate the initiation of industrial synergy by systematically and automatically identifying and recommending by‐products exchange compatibilities to potential partners. This framework exploits the ability of the sematic web to enable the search for analogies between potential partners within a region or district and existing industrial synergies around the world. This paper proposes the Social Semantic Web for Industrial Synergies Initiation (SSWISI) framework for the initiation of industrial synergies, which is based on the Social Semantic Web. The framework proposed in this paper adopts the concept of Linked Open Data (LOD), which enables the sharing and exchanging of information with external systems. This feature distinguishes the proposed framework from the existing approaches in its initiation of industrial synergies.     

Future societal issues in industrial biotechnology

Three international stakeholder meetings were organized by The Netherlands-based "Kluyver Center for Genomics of Industrial Fermentation" with the objective to identify the future societal issues in the field of industrial biotechnology and to develop a coordinated strategy for public dialogue. The meetings resulted in five unanimous recommendations: (i) that science, industry and the European Commission in conjunction with other stakeholders create a comprehensive roadmap towards a bio-based economy; (ii) that the European Commission initiate a series of round-table meetings to further articulate the views, interests and responsibilities of the relevant stakeholders and to define policy; (iii) that the development of new innovative communication activities is stimulated to increase public engagement and to discuss the ways that we do or do not want technologies to shape our common future; (iv) that further social studies are undertaken on public attitudes and behaviors to the bio-based economy and that novel methods are developed to assess public views of future technological developments; and (v) that the concept of sustainability is further operationalized and taken as a core value driving research and development and policy making.     

Industrial and non-food uses for carrageenan

Industrial and non-food uses of carrageenan are discussed in relation to the properties of carrageenan. Specific areas that are covered include slurry stabilization and suspension, interaction with polyols, and entrapment/immobilization. The applications range from dentrifrice preparations to anti-icers.     

Industrial Biosystems Engineering and Biorefinery Systems

The concept of Industrial Biosystems Engineering (IBsE) was suggested as a new engineering branch to be developed for meeting the needs for science, technology and professionals by the upcoming bioeconomy. With emphasis on systems, IBsE builds upon the interfaces between systems biology, bioprocessing, and systems engineering. This paper discussed the background, the suggested definition, the theoretical framework and methodologies of this new discipline as well as its challenges and future development.     

Industrial Biosystems Engineering and Biorefinery Systems

The concept of Industrial Biosystems Engineering (IBsE) was suggested as a new engineering branch to be developed for meeting the needs for science, technology and professionals by the upcoming bioeconomy. With emphasis on systems, IBsE builds upon the interfaces between systems biology, bioprocessing, and systems engineering. This paper discussed the background, the suggested definition, the theoretical framework and methodologies of this new discipline as well as its challenges and future development     

广东南江工业园经济区对周边水域的影响分析

南江工业园地处北江江边,内设有电镀、五金加工企业,为查明工业园所在区域的环境状况,确定本项目对周边水域的影响,调查了南江工业园的水质状况,用单因子评价法对其水质进行了评价。结果表明:工业园周边水域的水质未受到重金属的污染,水质状况良好,但却受到了有机物的污染。     

Evaluation and Allocation of Greenhouse Gas Reductions in Industrial Symbiosis

Industrial symbiosis (IS) exchanges have been recognized to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, though methods for quantification of GHG emissions in IS exchanges are varied, and no standardized methods are available. This article proposes a practical approach to quantify total and allocated GHG emissions from IS exchanges by integrating the GHG protocol and life cycle assessment. The proposed method expands the system boundaries to include all IS companies, and the functional flow is set to be the sum of the main products. The total impact of a company is allocated to the main product. Three by‐product impact allocation methods of cutoff, avoidance, and 50/50 are proposed, and the total and distributed impacts of the IS systems in an industrial park are theoretically derived. The proposed method was tested to quantify GHG reduction in a real IS exchange developed between Korea Zinc (a zinc smelter) and Hankook Paper (a paper mill company) in the Ulsan Eco‐Industrial Park initiative. The total reduction of GHG emissions in this IS exchange, 60,522 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, was the same in the GHG protocol, whereas GHG distribution between two companies depended on the allocation method. Given that the reduction of GHG emissions from IS exchanges is the product of the collaboration of giving companies and receiving companies, the 50/50 allocation method is best from an equivalent‐responsibility and benefit‐sharing perspective. However, this study suggests a more practical implementation approach based on a flexible and negotiable method of allocating the total GHG reduction between stakeholders.