• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.178-186
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• 2020

Background: Cognitive impairment is a public health burden. Our objective was to investigate associations between work hours and cognitive function. Methods: Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) participants (n = 2,497; 50.7% men; age range 44-84 years) reported hours per week worked in all jobs in Exams 1 (2000-2002), 2 (2002-2004), 3 (2004-2005), and 5 (2010-2011). Cognitive function was assessed (Exam 5) using the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument (version 2), a measure of global cognitive functioning; the Digit Symbol Coding, a measure of processing speed; and the Digit Span test, a measure of attention and working memory. We used a prospective approach and linear regression to assess associations for every 10 hours of work. Results: Among all participants, associations of hours worked with cognitive function of any type were not statistically significant. In occupation-stratified analyses (interaction p = 0.051), longer work hours were associated with poorer global cognitive function among Sales/Office and blue-collar workers, after adjustment for age, sex, physical activity, body mass index, race/ethnicity, educational level, annual income, history of heart attack, diabetes, apolipoprotein E-epsilon 4 allele (ApoE4) status, birth-place, number of years in the United States, language spoken at MESA Exam 1, and work hours at Exam 5 (β = -0.55, 95% CI = -0.99, -0.09) and (β = -0.80, -1.51, -0.09), respectively. In occupation-stratified analyses (interaction p = 0.040), we also observed an inverse association with processing speed among blue-collar workers (adjusted β = -0.80, -1.52, -0.07). Sex, race/ethnicity, and ApoE4 did not significantly modify associations between work hours and cognitive function. Conclusion: Weak inverse associations were observed between work hours and cognitive function among Sales/Office and blue-collar workers.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.21-29
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• 2012

Modern biologics are biotechnology-derived therapeutics, including recombinant therapeutic proteins like monoclonal antibodies, cytokines and tissue growth factors. Although the pharmacokinetics of therapeutic biologics should be evaluated based on the same general principles as small molecules, careful considerations should be given to bioanalytics and pharmacokinetics when designing pharmacokinetic studies of biologics during their drug development, due to their different physicochemical properties compared with small molecules. The aim of this study was to develop a draft guidance on pharmacokinetic studies of therapeutic biologics in clinical studies. All the elements outlined in the current Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Medicinal Agency (EMEA), and International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH) guidelines and regulations, and the related literatures previously published were searched and evaluated. In this draft guidance, the specific problems related to the pharmacokinetics of therapeutic biologics that need special consideration during drug development process were addressed, and differences in pharmacokinetic characteristics between biologics and small molecules affecting the content of the development programme were presented.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.23-29
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• 2017

In this study engineered steel fibres used as reinforcement for concrete were characterized by number of key mechanical and spatial parameters, which are easy to measure and quantify. Such commonly used parameters as length, diameter, fibre intrinsic efficiency ratio (FIER), hook geometry, tensile strength and ductility were considered. Effective classification of various fibres was demonstrated using simple multivariate computations involving principal component analysis (PCA). Contrary to univariate data mining approach, the proposed analysis can be efficiently adapted for fast, robust and direct classification of engineered steel fibres. The results have revealed that in case of particular spatial/geometrical conditions of steel fibres investigated the FIER parameter can be efficiently replaced by a simple aspect ratio. There is also a need of finding new parameters describing properties of steel fibre more precisely.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.875-880
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• 2007

Glucose oxidase (GOD) is an oxidoreductase catalyzing the reaction of glucose and oxygen to peroxide and gluconolacton (EC 1.1.3.4.). GOD is a widely used enzyme in biotechnology. Therefore the production of monoclonal antibodies and antibody fragments to GOD are of interest in bioanalytics and even tumor therapy. We describe here the generation of a panel of monoclonal antibodies to native and heat inactivated GOD. One of the hybridomas, E13BC8, was used for cloning of a single chain antibody(scFv). This scFv was expressed in Escherichia coli XL1-blue with the help of the vector system pOPE101. The scFv was isolated from the periplasmic fraction and detected by western blotting. It reacts specifically with soluble active GOD but does not recognize denatured GOD adsorbed to the solid phase. The same binding properties were also found for the monoclonal antibody E13BC8.