BACKGROUND: With the recent rapid industrialization, occupational safety and health (OSH) has become an important issue in all industrial and human activities. However, incidents of injuries and fatality rates in the Ghanaian industry sector continue to increase. Despite this increase, there is no evidence regarding the element of OSH management in transport activities in Ghanaian industries. Thus, this study aims to examine the perceptions regarding the importance of safety and health in work-related transport activities in Ghanaian industries. METHODS: A survey data collection technique was used to gather information on best safety practices over a 5-month period. We randomly selected 298 respondents from industries to answer structured questionnaires. The respondents included drivers, transport managers, and safety engineers. Standard multiple regression model and Pearson product–movement correlation were used to performed the analysis. RESULTS: The result shows that for interventions to improve safety and health, concentration has been on drivers’ safety practice with less attention to safe driving environments and vehicle usage. Additionally, the respondents are aware of the importance of OSH in transport activities, but the level of integration does not measure up to the standard to reduce operational accidents and injuries. Finally, strong commitment to changing unsafe practices at all levels of operations appears to be the effective way to improve safety situations. CONCLUSION: OSH culture is not fully complied in industries transport activities. This study, therefore, supports the use of safety seminars and training sessions for industry workers responsible for transport operations for better integration of safety standards.
Data Collection ; Human Activities ; Occupational Health ; Safety Management ; Surveys and Questionnaires

The incidence of coronary heart disease is increasing year by year,with the mortality rate rank-ing first.Early prevention,diagnosis,and treatment are crucial to reduce the mortality rate.Coronary angiography is the gold standard for diagnosing coronary heart disease and is widely used in clinical practice,but it cannot accu-rately reflect the degree of coronary artery disease.Blood flow reserve fraction(FFR)is currently the reference standard for evaluating coronary artery stenosis function.However,it is an invasive examination that is limited in clinical application due to factors such as complex operation,high cost,multiple side effects related to vasodila-tors,and poor reproducibility.In recent years,non-invasive blood flow reserve scores related to imaging have been increasingly applied in clinical practice.Quantitative flow fraction(QFR)and optical coherence tomography based flow reserve fraction(OCT based optical flow ratio OFR)have become research hotspots.OFR,as a relatively new technology,has received increasing attention.Therefore,this article will describe the basic principles,clinical value,and research progress of the above-mentioned technologies.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the genetic diversity among wild germplasm resources of Coix that distributed at altitude of 550-1550 m in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province by comparing the morphological variation, biological and economical factors.

METHODThe field plot experiments were conducted to observation the germination rate, growth period. While the milled rice rate, content of protein, crude fat and ethanol extract of 9 wild Coix germplasm resources were measured.

RESULTThe germination rate of 9 germplasm was from 22% to 81%, and the growth period was among 139-156 d, which belongs to the medium-late mature type. The germination rate, growth stage, plant height, leaf length and width, tiller number, ramification number, seed number per stem of 9 Coix germplasm were significantly different (P < 0.05), respectively. The range of seed total protein contents were from 15.63% 25.74%, crude fat contents were from 5.05%-7.14%, and the contents of alcohol extract, which showed antitumor activity, were from 5.85%-7.27%.

CONCLUSIONThe fact of quite different in plant morphological, biological and quality characters of 9 germplasm suggested that the genetic diversity in the wild populations of Coix distributed throughout the regions of Xishuangbanna is relatively abundant.

China ; Coix ; chemistry ; genetics ; growth & development ; physiology ; Germination ; Plant Extracts ; analysis ; Plant Proteins ; analysis ; Seeds ; chemistry ; genetics ; growth & development ; physiology

Background::Heterotaxy (HTX) is a thoracoabdominal organ anomaly syndrome and commonly accompanied by congenital heart disease (CHD). The aim of this study was to analyze rare copy number variations (CNVs) in a HTX/CHD cohort and to examine the potential mechanisms contributing to HTX/CHD.Methods::Chromosome microarray analysis was used to identify rare CNVs in a cohort of 120 unrelated HTX/CHD patients, and available samples from parents were used to confirm the inheritance pattern. Potential candidate genes in CNVs region were prioritized via the DECIPHER database, and PNPLA4 was identified as the leading candidate gene. To validate, we generated PNPLA4-overexpressing human induced pluripotent stem cell lines as well as pnpla4-overexpressing zebrafish model, followed by a series of transcriptomic, biochemical and cellular analyses. Results::Seventeen rare CNVs were identified in 15 of the 120 HTX/CHD patients (12.5%). Xp22.31 duplication was one of the inherited CNVs identified in this HTX/CHD cohort, and PNPLA4 in the Xp22.31 was a candidate gene associated with HTX/CHD. PNPLA4 is expressed in the lateral plate mesoderm, which is known to be critical for left/right embryonic patterning as well as cardiomyocyte differentiation, and in the neural crest cell lineage. Through a series of in vivo and in vitro analyses at the molecular and cellular levels, we revealed that the biological function of PNPLA4 is importantly involved in the primary cilia formation and function via its regulation of energy metabolism and mitochondria-mediated ATP production. Conclusions::Our findings demonstrated a significant association between CNVs and HTX/CHD. Our data strongly suggested that an increased genetic dose of PNPLA4 due to Xp22.31 duplication is a disease-causing risk factor for HTX/CHD.

OBJECTIVE To screen t he active component s of Euchresta japonica against nasopharyngeal carcinoma. METHODS Main chemical components of E. japonica were selected ，and their target proteins were predicted in Swiss Target Prediction database. The target proteins of nasopharyngeal cancer were obtained with GeneCards database. Protein-protein interaction（PPI）network was established after the target of chemical components of E. japonica was intersected with the target of nasopharyngeal carcinoma ；PPI network was analyzed by using Cytoscape 3.6.1 software，and the potential active components and key targets of E. japonica against nasopharyngeal carcinoma were screened. The molecular docking technology was used to evaluate binding ability of active component-key target ；active components of E. japonica against nasopharyngeal carcinoma were screened. The anti-nasopharyngeal cancer effect of potential active components of E. japonica was verified by cell proliferation experiment. RESULTS Seven potential active components （tonkinensisol，quercetin，sophoranone，matrine，genistein，coumarin，maackiain） and 10 core targets （SRC，PIK3CA，MAPK1，MAPK3，AKT1，MAPK8，MAP2K1，PTK2，EGFR，JAK3）of E. japonica against nasopharyngeal carcinoma were screened. The molecular docking results showed that above potential active components all possessed certain anti-nasopharyngeal cancer effect. Cell proliferation activity test showed that tonkinensisol ，sophoranone and maackiain had a very significant inhibitory activity on nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells CNE- 1. CONCLUSIONS Tonkinensisol， sophoranone and maackiain might be the main active components of E. japonica against nasopharyngeal carcinoma.