Ash M Genaidy

Background: Consistent adherence levels to multiple long-term medications for patients with cardiovascular conditions are typically advocated in the range of 50% or higher, although very likely to be much lower in some populations. We investigated this issue in a large cohort covering a broad age and geographical spectrum, with a wide range of soc...

Background Transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a strong signal prompting the incidence of future cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular complications, in light of recent debate on the so-called “stroke-heart syndrome.” We aimed to investigate the relation of TIAs to incident clinical events. Methods Patients were drawn from three health plans with a...

Background: Using advanced longitudinal analyses, this real-world investigation examined medication adherence levels and patterns for incident atrial fibrillation (AF) patients with significant cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular multi-morbid conditions for each of five medication classes (betablockers, calcium channel blockers/digoxin, anti-arr...

Background: Poor socioeconomic status coupled with individual disability is significantly associated with incident atrial fibrillation (AF) and AF-related adverse outcomes, with the information currently lacking for US cohorts. We examined AF incidence/complications and the dynamic nature of associated risk factors in a large socially disadvantage...

Background: To date, incident and recurrent MI remains a major health issue worldwide and efforts to improve risk prediction in population health studies are needed. This may help the scalability of prevention strategies and management in terms of healthcare cost savings and improved quality of care. Methods: We studied a large-scale population...

Background: With the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, there have been reports on its impact on incident myocardial infarction (MI) emanating from studies with small to modest sample sizes. We therefore examined the incidence of MI in a very large population health cohort with COVID-19 using a methodology which integrates the dynamicity of prior comorb...

Background Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) usually have a heterogeneous co-morbid history, with dynamic changes in risk factors impacting on multiple adverse outcomes. We investigated a large prospective cohort of patients with multimorbidity, using a machine-learning approach, accounting for the dynamic nature of comorbidity risks and incid...

Background Diversified cardiovascular/non-cardiovascular multimorbid risk and efficient machine learning algorithms may facilitate improvements in stroke risk prediction, especially in newly diagnosed non-anticoagulated atrial fibrillation (AF) patients where initial decision-making on stroke prevention is needed. Objective sTo update common clini...

Background The elderly multi-morbid patient is at high risk of adverse outcomes with COVID-19 complications, and in the general population, the development of incident AF is associated with worse outcomes in such patients. There is therefore the need to identify those patients with COVID-19 who are at highest risk of developing incident AF. We ther...

Background: There are few large studies examining and predicting the diversified cardiovascular/noncardiovascular comorbidity relationships with stroke. We investigated stroke risks in a very large prospective cohort of patients with multimorbidity, using two common clinical rules, a clinical multimorbid index and a machine-learning (ML) approach,...

Background The elderly multi-morbid patient is at high risk of adverse outcomes with COVID-19 complications, and in the general population, the development of incident AF is associated with worse outcomes in such patients. We therefore investigated incident AF risks in a large prospective population of elderly patients with/without incident COVID-1...

Background Identification of published data on prevalent/incidence of atrial fibrillation/flutter (AF) often relies on inpatient/outpatient claims, without consideration to other types of healthcare services and pharmacy claims. Accurate, population‐level data that can enable ongoing monitoring of AF epidemiology, quality of care at affordable cost...

From regulatory perspectives, there has been a debate in the scientific literature as to whether or not metallic engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) should be treated as new chemicals in terms of their toxic effects upon biological species. This debate has prompted us to examine the scientific evidence to validate those paradoxical claims. Investigatio...

"Advances in technology and management not keeping pace with the ever-increasing urban problems" is attributed in this research to the poor understanding of person-focused governance of societal, environmental and economic entities. The objective of this paper is to present an adaptive institutional model of person-driven effectiveness and ineffect...

It is postulated in this research that the paradox of “advances in technology and management not keeping pace with the ever-increasing urban problems” is due to the poor understanding of person-focused governance of societal, environmental and economic entities. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to present an adaptive institutional model of...

The current study presents evidence on metallic and metal oxide engineered nanomaterial (ENM) emissions into the environment and an analytic perspective of the outcomes of evaluated studies with respect to different individual end points along the lifecycle trajectory. The key findings suggest that 1) the published literature on emissions of metall...

Recent evidence for the effects of metallic engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) on plants and plant systems was examined together with its implications for other constituents of the Society-Environment-Economy (SEE) system. In this study, we were particularly interested to determine whether or not metallic ENPs have both stimulatory and inhibitory effe...

Economic value is no longer adequate by itself as a proxy for the value-added benefits (VAB) assumed to be generated by emerging technologies such as engineered nanomaterials (ENMs). This study was conducted to explore the potential to establish an integrated sociotechnical framework with the end goal to assess whether or not ENMs and nano-enabled...

In evaluating health and safety improvements for performance improvement, it is necessary to account for both the contributions of a healthy workforce and the resources required supporting it. The Economic Assessment of the Work Environment (EAWE) is a financial framework that helps management forecast the financial benefits of health and safety im...

There is an urgent need for broad and integrated studies that address the risks of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) along the different endpoints of the society, environment, and economy (SEE) complex adaptive system. This article presents an integrated science-based methodology to assess the potential risks of engineered nanomaterials. To achieve t...

There is an urgent need for a trans-disciplinary approach for the collective evaluation of engineered nanomaterial (ENM) benefits and risks. Currently, research studies are mostly focused on examining effects at individual endpoints with emphasis on ENM risk effects. Less research work is pursuing the integration needed to advance the science of su...

This exploratory study aimed at examining the extent and mineral speciation of nano-sized Cu in two fungicide products (A and B) available in the U.S. markets. Electron microcopy results demonstrated the presence of spherical and polydisperse Cu particles with sizes <100 nm in product B. Other elements (e.g., Pb, Na, Ca, S) were found in both produ...

Abstract The US health care system is challenged to provide high-quality care and is burdened with unsustainable expenditures, making it difficult for health care participants (patients, payers, providers, caregivers) to create value. This communication presents the theoretical foundation for a person-focused model of care that addresses a number o...

Abstract The US health care system is currently heading toward unsustainable health care expenditures and increased dissatisfaction with health outcomes. The objective of this population-based study is to uncover practical insights regarding patients with 1 or more chronic illnesses. A cross-sectional investigation was designed to gather data from...

In today's global economy, the practice of sustainable development is of particular importance to the handling of toxic materials such as lead to encourage industrial organizations and its stakeholders to take an active role in maximizing human and environmental health. Currently, there is limited information on recycling rates for lead-acid batter...

The decision-making processes used by many state transportation agencies in US and Canada for selecting a strategy for pavement rehabilitation primarily depend on initial construction and maintenance costs for identifying the most economically efficient pavement rehabilitation alternative. While this approach is appropriate for optimally allocating...

A comprehensive, yet manageable tool is needed to assess the level of safety practices in engineering laboratories in a university setting. An assessment tool was developed based on contemporary practices and regulations. After evaluating the content validity and inter-rater reliability, the tool was implemented in 133 engineering labs within a uni...

An inclusive model is presented for work system assessment. The focus of this paper is on job content and context with the primary aim of quantitatively establishing a level of risk for the purpose of improving organizational performance and quality of life in the work setting. The scientific literature on job analysis techniques is reviewed with r...

Secondary lead smelters (SLS) represent an environmentally-challenging industry as they deal with toxic substances posing potential threats to both human and environmental health, consequently, they operate under strict government regulations. Such challenges have resulted in the significant reduction of SLS plants in the last three decades. In add...

The present study tested the hypothesis that burnout syndrome mediates effects of work-related factors, factors such as work demands and work stimuli, on the frequency of musculoskeletal complaints among hospital nurses. The sample was composed of 237 nurses from various wards across 4 hospitals located in southwestern Poland. Data was collected th...

A community of highly qualified employees is desirable for the workforce to become a competitive business advantage, improving and sustaining corporate health. Currently, the scientific literature is limited on information comparing the assessment of expert and qualified workers for the employee-work environment interface. Such information would be...

Background: Most recently, renewed interest has arisen in manufactured silver nanomaterials because of their unusually enhanced physicochemical properties and biological activities compared to the bulk parent materials. A wide range of applications has emerged in consumer products ranging from disinfecting medical devices and home appliances to wa...

The emerging US carbon nano-manufacturing sector accounts for 40% of nanotechnology product marketplace, thus, there is a significant potential for increased risks arising from workers' exposure to carbon nanofibers (CNF). This research aims at developing a low-cost/evidence-based tool, thereby, increasing the sustainability of CNF manufacturing fi...

Challenges facing management of manufacturing firms can be transformed into asset gains by giving careful consideration to the worker-work environment interface. The benefits of a 'healthy' interface may lead to sizable reductions in rising health care costs and retention of highly qualified workers. This paper presents a novel approach for the 'im...

Literature reviews examining the relationship between exposure to carbon nanofibers (CNFs) and health consequences are qualitative in nature and do not employ an evidence-based assessment. This research deals with a systematic review, critical appraisal, and meta-analysis designed to examine the potential health effects associated with exposure to...

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) constitute more than half of the total injuries and illnesses within the construction industry. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of MSD among construction workers and identify the psychosocial and physical risk factors associated with their occurrence using an on-site survey instrument. One hundred...

An evidence-based methodology was adopted in this research to establish strategies to increase lead recovery and recycling via a systematic review and critical appraisal of the published literature. In particular, the research examines pollution prevention and waste minimization practices and technologies that meet the following criteria: (a) reduc...

Background: This research examines lead recovery and recycling in lead-acid batteries (LAB) which account for 88% of US lead consumption. We explore strategies to maximize lead recovery and recycling in the LAB lifecycle. Currently, there is limited information on recycling rates for LAB in the published literature and is derived from a single sou...

There is a need to integrate both macro- and micro-ergonomic approaches for the effective implementation of interventions designed to improve the root causes of problems such as work safety, quality and productivity in the enterprise system. The objective of this study was to explore from an ergonomics perspective the concept of business sustainabi...

The manufacturing sector in the US is challenged by high health care costs and shortage of qualified workers, which are largely attributed to the degree of fit between the worker and work environment. In this regard, a healthy worker-work environment interface is a necessary and sufficient condition for the containment of health care costs and the...

Literature reviews examining the relationship between heavy equipment vehicle (HEV) operation and the development of musculoskeletal disorders have generally been qualitative in nature and have not employed an evidence-based assessment procedure. This research determines the extent to which whole-body vibration/shock and working postures are associ...

Background The unique properties of nanoparticles (NP) qualify these colloidal systems for a wide range of medical applications, including diagnosis and treatment. Particularly in cancer therapy, NP have significantly enhanced the potential of conventional imaging, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy and, consequently, offered new avenues for early inte...

Background Mason tenders are involved in semi- and unskilled work in support of bricklayers and block layers. Their work consists of manually transporting building materials and equipment, supplying individual brick/block layers with materials, and mixing and stocking mortar. Objective The purpose of this pilot study is to determine the current ava...

Background Researchers across the globe are studying health effects of various nanomaterials and nanostructures. Most of these studies are qualitative in nature and lack parallel research to compare and validate the reliability of the findings.Objective This research targets a critical appraisal of such clinical studies by first developing a suitab...

Background Recently, there has been a great influx in experimental research to assess the health effects of nanoparticles/materials/fibers. Currently, there is no structured methodology to assess the methodological quality of the reported studies. Objective This article reports an experimental appraisal instrument with the goal to critically assess...

Background Though several reviews investigating the health effects of particulate matter on human health exist, none of them focus exclusively on the impact of particulate matter in the ultrafine range.Objective This research consists of a critical appraisal of qualifying studies that investigates the impact of ultrafine particles on cardiopulmonar...

Background Lower back pain associated with disc degeneration is a common and costly health condition. As a symptom, lower back pain is considered the leading cause of disability. Many studies have indicated that the intervertebral disc and supportive structures are indirectly and directly innervated, which is a factor in acute and chronic lower bac...

Most studies on the occupational hazards associated with forklift operation have examined risks of fatalities and traumatic injuries. Few studies have examined the magnitude of risk of lower back pain. This research deals with an evidence-based approach designed to examine if there is a relationship between whole-body vibration and driver postures...

Previous studies on the effectiveness of interventions in reducing musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) in manufacturing facilities had contradictory results, indicating a need for a quality assessment of these studies followed by a quantitative assessment of the overall effectiveness of the interventions. These assessments may also provide suggestions...

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) in the construction industry represent a significant problem resulting in days away from work, and the effective solution to this problem requires the implementation of useful interventions. This article presents a systematic review and critical appraisal of construction intervention studies to provide a basis for fu...

Numerous reviews were conducted on healthcare cost items and the factors that affect them. These reviews were not comprehensive enough to capture the entire objective and did not include the elements of an evidence-based approach. This research presents a quality assessment designed to provide some possible solutions to the increasing effects of he...

The marked improvement in workplace safety levels in the past few decades has resulted in companies experiencing fewer safety accidents than before, thus making it less effective to argue that money spent on workplace safety and on injury prevention will yield much bottom-line benefit. To make a compelling business case for workplace safety investm...

Several reviews have attempted to establish whether there is an association between adjacent segment disorder and spinal fusion. None of these studies used an evidence-based approach or solely focused on studies utilizing controls. The goal of this article is to identify any significant link between lumbar or lumbosacral spinal fusion and developme...

The aim of this study was to measure the work compatibility of the different work-related variables (physical and psychosocial) using the Demand–Energizer Instrument (DEI) and to determine their association with both musculoskeletal disorders and stress symptoms. In recent years, there has been increasing evidence that psychosocial factors play an...

Existing research on women in construction focuses on engineers and entrepreneurs, yet little to no attention has been given to women in trades. Thus, the aim of this research is to review the literature on tradeswomen and to conduct a localized study to determine if demographic variables affect satisfaction with work, pay, opportunities, supervisi...

Increased manufacturing costs are forcing U.S. manufacturing firms to send their operations off shore. Such business practices are greatly impacting the vitality of small and medium manufacturers (SMMs) in the U.S. economy. This article intends to advance the notion of the need for a methodology for assessment, improvement, and sustainability of in...

The following values have no corresponding Zotero field: Caption: Transportation Research Board, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20001, USA U1 - Transportation Research Board 87th Annual MeetingTransportation Research BoardWashington,DC,USA StartDate:20080113 EndDate:20080117 Sponsors:Transportation Research Board

Although researchers traditionally examined the 'risk' characteristics of work settings in health studies, few work models, such as the 'demand-control' and 'motivation-hygiene theory', advocated the study of the positive and the negative aspects of work for the ultimate improvement of work performance. The objectives of the current study were: (a)...

In recent years, ergonomics practices have increasingly relied upon the knowledge derived from epidemiological studies. In this regard, there is limited research devoted to the exclusive evaluation of the methodological qualities of ergonomics epidemiological studies. The aim of this study was to develop and test a general purpose 'epidemiological...

A number of studies have examined the potential relationship between exposure to occupational vibration and low back pain associated with operation of vehicles. Only a handful of studies, however, have attempted to differentiate between the relative contributions of the steady state and transient mechanical shock components (the latter also being k...

This article is one in a series of articles demonstrating the foundations of the work compatibility model (WCM) as an engineering approach to improve human performance in organizations. Previous work has concentrated on defining the core elements that constitute the model, moving beyond constructs of work stress and job satisfaction. In this articl...

The industrial revolution demonstrated the limitations of a pure mechanistic approach towards work design. Human work is now seen as a complex entity that involves different scientific branches and blurs the line between mental and physical activities. Job design has been a traditional concern of applied psychology, which has provided insight into...

Small- to medium-size manufacturers constitute the bulk of the U.S. manufacturing sector and are in a dire need of a tool that will help them face the challenges of globalization and increasing costs of manufacturing in the United States. The objectives were to develop and validate a diagnostic tool for manufacturing firms to evaluate their enterpr...

The application of behaviour-based safety in the construction industry has been limited. The objective of this research is to provide a decision support system, which will assist construction companies in implementing behaviour-based safety. The research was carried out by performing a detailed review of the existing literature on the topic and car...

The objective of this study was to review 32 studies on firefighters and to quantitatively and qualitatively determine the cancer risk using a meta-analysis. A comprehensive search of computerized databases and bibliographies from identified articles was performed. Three criteria used to assess the probable, possible, or unlikely risk for 21 cancer...

This article compares the techniques developed for lean construction with those developed for lean manufacturing. Lean manufacturing and lean construction techniques share many common elements despite the obvious differences in their assembly envi-ronments and processes. Manufacturing plants and construction sites are different in many ways that mi...

Nanotechnology is evolving to become a leading industry. However, there is a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the potential health effects of nanomaterials and its components. This study focuses on the hazards and risks that nanomaterials pose to physical and environmental health together with the risks posed during their manufacture and resea...

Background: Traditionally, researchers concentrated on the analysis of lifting demands in industry. The assessment of mixed activities has been limited. Objective: The objective of this research is to develop a mixed object handling index (MOHI) for the analysis of the physical demands of combined pushing, pulling, lifting, lowering and carrying ac...

The Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation [13] integrated the findings of different approaches reported in the scientific literature into a single mathematical formulation based on the empirical model proposed by Drury and Pfeil [5]. This simple model was tested on a limited basis and the model generalizations have not been examined. The primary objective...

Commercialization of nanotechnology (NT) has the potential to affect the health and safety of the industrial workforce and the general public. The main objective of this position paper is to present an education and research framework for the emerging interdisciplinary field of NT occupational and environmental health and safety. The specific aims...

Background: This is the second of two papers focused on insured costs of workplace accidents. In part I, a systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify previous models. Although uninsured costs have been identified, there is no reliable method for employers to estimate their cost.Objective: This paper proposes a quantitative model...

Background: Recent reports indicate that construction workers are at a significant risk of musculoskeletal disorders. While there are several reviews investigating the association between psychosocial factors and musculoskeletal disorders, there are none focusing on those specific to the construction industry.Objective: To review and critically app...

The objective of this paper is to report an overview of the ‘Epidemiological Appraisal Instrument' that was used in the assessment of the systematic reviews conducted in this special issue of Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Sciences .

The work compatibility model is a multidimensional diagnostic tool of human performance that measures the level of synchronization between the workforce and the work environment. The authors propose a quantitative model and a graphic-based framework to implement the work compatibility model at the operational level. Using the proposed approach, man...

Objective: To critically appraise the observational studies linking cumulative spinal loading and lower back disorders (LBD) among workers engaged in manual material handling and to explore the association between cumulative spinal loading and LBD through a meta-analysis of papers reported in the published literature. Background: Although studies h...

Objective: The goal of this paper is to review and discuss methodological issues related to cumulative spinal loading exposure assessment methods. Background: Research has indicated that there likely is an association between integrated spinal loading and lower back pain. A number of studies have been conducted to evaluate cumulative load; however,...

Background: Health has grown in importance in recent years to maintain ‘healthy’ systems in optimum conditions. Objective: The goals of this article are to introduce the emerging field of health engineering, to examine its roots, to establish a framework for the inter-disciplinary studies of health engineering and to propose a blueprint for health...

In this paper, we identify the spatial distribution and characteristics of fatal and injury crashes at different work zone locations on interstate freeways in Ohio within the last three (3) years. Work zone accident data obtained from the Ohio Department of Public Safety and Ohio Department of Transportation from year 2001 through 2003 has provided...

Advances in human-based systems have progressed at a slower pace than those for technological systems. This is largely attributed to the complex web of variables that jointly influence work outcomes, making it more difficult to develop a quantitative methodology to solve this problem. Thus, the objective of this study was to develop and validate wo...

Objective: The objective of this research is to develop and validate general lifting equations based on the concept of mechanical work performed during the manual handling of objects. Background: To the authors’ knowledge, the NIOSH lifting equation was based on an empirical approach. Therefore, there is a need for general lifting equations that ar...

The goal of this paper is to test the effectiveness of some lean construction tools, in particular, those tools that can be applied in medium size construction firms. Due to the success of the lean production system in manufacturing, the construction industry has adapted lean techniques to eliminate waste and increase profit. A field study was cond...

The work compatibility is an integrated work design criterion that improves different aspects of human performance in a workplace. A neural network model has been developed for the work compatibility matrix. Operating zones have been established in which an employee can perform with a good performance and sustainability. A survey has been conducted...