The changing face of the healthcare market. Interview by Virginia Sowers

Angelica CEO Jim Stefoff knows a good market opportunity when he sees one. And right now, the time is right for textile rental companies to make inroads into the small medical and dental office market that is emerging in the aftermath of the OSHA bloodborne pathogens ruling. But, Stefoff cautions, the industry must be in full compliance with OSHA regulations and able to provide the right delivery system and products.     

Mixed plants sort through bloodborne pathogens rule

As with any regulation, the OSHA bloodborne pathogens rule contains gray areas, particularly for mixed plants that must implement plantwide healthcare exposure controls when only a portion of the work is regulated. Hand-washing chambers and material handling systems offer partial solutions for reducing employees' exposure to pathogens that may be present in soiled laundry.     

Healthcare uniform service market poised for expansion

An estimated 500,000 establishments and approximately 5.6 million workers in the healthcare profession and related industries are affected by the new OSHA ruling on bloodborne pathogens. That's a lot of potential uniform wearers. But what should they be wearing? The answer is this: it all depends. A roundup of healthcare uniform manufacturers finds new choices in healthcare garments.     

Back up healthcare marketing with infection-control basics

In the wake of OSHA's bloodborne pathogens regulation requiring employer-provided apparel for healthcare employees, numerous companies are rushing to capture the market, while others are stepping back for fear that the market is too difficult to serve. Both groups need to reassess their positions. These guidelines adapted from TRSA publications should help get you and your employees up to speed on what it takes to serve the healthcare market.     

Knowing healthcare customer needs key to profitable niche marketing

A potential $177 million-a-year market has been opened to textile rental operators, thanks to OSHA's recent ruling on bloodborne pathogens. Healthcare providers nationwide are now searching for solutions to their protective apparel needs. Such customer needs are what drive niche markets. Whether you've been serving the healthcare market for years or are just now targeting it, here are the marketing strategies you need.     

Training and compliance high on OSHA's list

This is the third in a series of three articles on OSHA's new ruling on bloodborne pathogens. It covers engineering and work practice controls, employee training, record keeping, and signs and labels.     

Are your employees protected from blood-borne pathogens? OSHA standards charge textile rental companies with responsibility for worker safety

Congress is putting pressure on OSHA to finalize its Universal Precaution standards by December. When the standards go into effect, textile rental companies that serve medical, dental, and outpatient care facilities--including private physician and dentist offices--must take steps to protect employees from blood-borne pathogens. Soiled linens, towels, gowns, and other items from any customer in risk categories link a textile rental facility and/or commercial laundry with the OSHA regulations. Read and heed this information.     

OSHA gets into dirty laundry

Second of a three-part series on the new bloodborne pathogens rule, this article covers exposure control plans, personal protective equipment for laundry workers, and compliance monitoring. In short, the rule mandates more record keeping for employers and less exposure for employees. By May 5, every laundry with employees who could "reasonably anticipate" coming into contact with blood-soiled linen and needles or sharps must establish a written exposure control plan. Turn to page 60 for information to help you get into compliance.     

Foodborne infections during pregnancy.

The consequences of foodborne illness can be particularly devastating during pregnancy because both the woman and her fetus are at risk. Escalated production of progesterone during pregnancy leads to down-regulation of cellular (cell-mediated) immune functions. Many foodborne pathogens (and other pathogens) are intracellular pathogens, and infections caused by these pathogens are controlled by cell-mediated immunity. The pregnancy-induced decrease in cell-mediated immune functions leads to increased susceptibility of the pregnant woman to certain infections. Hepatitis E virus, Coxiella burnetii, Listeria monocytogenes, and Toxoplasma gondii are intracellular pathogens that have a predilection for the maternal-fetal unit and may induce serious disease in the mother and/or fetus. In the United States, T. gondii and L. monocytogenes are the most important foodborne pathogens in pregnancy, and these organisms can induce death or grave disease in the fetus and newborn. The pregnant woman, in order to protect herself and her fetus from the consequences of foodborne illness, must practice a high standard of food hygiene and personal cleanliness.     

Standardization of a method to determine the efficacy of sanitizers in inactivating human pathogenic microorganisms on raw fruits and vegetables.

The efficacy of sanitizers in killing human pathogenic microorganisms on a wide range of whole and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables has been studied extensively. Numerous challenge studies to determine the effects of storage conditions on survival and growth of pathogens on raw produce have also been reported. Results of these studies are often difficult to assess because of the lack of sufficient reporting of methods or, comparatively, because of variations in procedures for preparing and applying inocula to produce, conditions for treatment and storage, and procedures for enumerating pathogens. There is a need for a standard method to accurately determine the presence and populations of pathogenic microorganisms on produce. The adoption of standard, well-characterized reference strains would benefit a comparative assessment of a basic method among laboratories. A single protocol will not be suitable for all fruits and vegetables. Modifications of a basic method will be necessary to achieve maximum recovery of pathogens on various types of produce subjected to different sanitizer or storage treatments. This article discusses parameters that must be considered in the course of developing a basic standard method against which these modifications could be made.     

食源性致病菌诱导细胞凋亡机理研究进展

细胞凋亡是机体为清理衰老、受损的细胞,维持内环境稳定、确保机体健康而采取的一种有序性“自杀方式”。食源性致病菌进入机体后可通过诱导宿主细胞凋亡以逃离宿主的免疫清除,保证自身生存进而得以在机体内扩散的生存策略。近年来研究表明,食源性致病菌的毒力因子在致病菌诱导宿主细胞凋亡过程中起到非常重要的作用,许多致病菌通过产生相应的毒力因子与凋亡调控因子相结合,引起细胞凋亡的级联反应。本文主要从致病菌毒力因子对凋亡信号通路的影响和调控方面来阐述食源性致病菌诱导细胞凋亡的机理研究进展。     

Tobacco industry efforts hindering enforcement of the ban on tobacco sales to minors: actions speak louder than words

OBJECTIVE: The tobacco manufacturers state that they want to see laws that prohibit the sale of tobacco to minors enacted and enforced. Our purpose was to compare these public statements with the US tobacco industry's legislative agenda at the federal and state levels. DESIGN: A review of the industry's comments to the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) regarding proposed federal regulations, and an analysis of pro-tobacco state legislation concerning tobacco sales to minors. RESULTS: The industry is strongly opposed to federal regulations requiring states to effectively enforce their laws prohibiting the sale of tobacco to minors. A food industry newsletter reports that the Tobacco Institute has circulated a model state bill concerning underage tobacco sales. Striking similarities between bills from several states would seem to confirm this report. These bills strip communities of enforcement authority while making effective enforcement by state officials virtually impossible. CONCLUSION: The evidence strongly suggests an industry strategy to undermine efforts to enforce laws prohibiting the sale of tobacco to minors. As has been the case in the past, the tobacco industry is publicly endorsing a socially responsible goal while apparently taking action behind the scenes to ensure that the goal is not achieved.


     

On the track of medical waste. Will a national medical waste policy wash up on the beach?

There's no question that medical waste pushes the nation's panic button. It took only two summers (1987 and 1988) of needles and syringes washing ashore to generate a groundswell of public anxiety that caused Congress to pass the Medical Waste Tracking Act of 1988. The act was the federal government's first attempt at cradle to grave waste management through a two-year pilot program involving four states and Puerto Rico. Now that the act and the pilot program have expired, Congress must evaluate their impact and decide whether to pursue a national medical waste policy. Such a policy likely would address the work practices of occupational groups, such as laundry workers, who frequently have contact with medical waste.     

The federal initiative to halt the sale of tobacco to children--the Synar Amendment, 1992-2000: lessons learned

Background: The Synar Amendment was enacted by the US Congress in 1992 to require states and territories to establish and enforce laws prohibiting the sale of tobacco to minors.     

Investigation of stretch on air permeability of knitted fabrics part II: effect of fabric structure

The structure of a fabric plays vital role in determining its air permeability. So, the study and comparison of air permeability of various fabric structures have their own significance. A detailed study is carried out here on various fabric structures to understand the effect of fabric structure on air permeability at their dry, wet and fully relaxed states. An automatic fabric stretching device has been designed and fabricated as an attachment with air permeability tester to test the air permeability of fabric samples under dynamic condition for this investigation. It is a fully automatic stretching equipment to stretch the fabric samples as per the preset value. The stretching device can be set with a predetermined degree of fabric stretch either in percentage or in mm and rate of extension also can be preset in mm per minute. From the results, it is clear that fabric structure has explicit impact on air permeability both in the unstretched and stretched states of the samples. Loose fabric structure and porous fabric structure show maximum air permeability under both sedate state and incrementally stretched states and vice versa.     

关于贵州饮料酒企业标准中糖的规定及检测方法的讨论

主要对贵州饮料酒生产企业在制定本企业产品标准时对糖的定义、单位及测定方法的不统一性进行讨论，并参照有关资料提出配制酒中可溶性固形物的测定方法。     

Tobacco farmers and diversification: opportunities and barriers

OBJECTIVE: To assess the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours of tobacco growers and allotment owners in the southeastern United States. DESIGN: Cross-sectional telephone survey. PARTICIPANTS: Tobacco growers (n = 529) and tobacco allotment owners (n = 417) were interviewed by telephone in March 1995. SETTING: Tobacco growing states in the southeastern US. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Attitudes of tobacco growers and tobacco allotment owners towards, and experience with, diversification; and attitudes towards an increase in the federal excise tax on tobacco. RESULTS: Half of the respondents had done something to learn about on-farm alternatives to tobacco, had an interest in trying other on-farm ventures to supplement tobacco income, and found alternatives that were profitable. There was a strong, negative linear trend between age and being interested in or trying alternative enterprises. Structural and economic impediments to diversification were noted by respondents (especially younger respondents), but 73% supported an increase in the federal excise tax on tobacco if the money was used to help farmers overcome these barriers. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that farmers and health professionals have reason to establish dialogue around diversification and using excise tax increases to fund diversification and to promote health. Tobacco companies have been successful in mobilising farmers against tax increases, but efforts must be made to show farmers that tax increases can be beneficial both to their diversification efforts and to public health. The outcome of this dialogue may well affect the economic infrastructure of thousands of rural communities, the livelihood of tens of thousands of tobacco farmers and their families, and the health of millions of tobacco users.


     

磨石的制造使用与对策

简述江纸由进口到自制水泥磨石,以及我国陶瓷磨石国产化的过程。同时介绍了江纸自行研究的几种水泥磨石的制造方法,比较了水泥磨石与陶瓷磨石的异同,论述了磨石制造与使用时的一些问题与对策。     

Absence of Trichinella infection in adult pigs slaughtered in Palmas, State of Parana (Brazil), detected by modified artificial digestion assay

Samples of 2,490 adult pigs, slaughtered under federal inspection between May 2004 and February 2005 in the county of Palmas, State of Paraná, Brazil, were examined by pooled sample artificial digestion with magnetic stirrer assay for a survey of Trichinella spp. larvae. Animals originated from 53 counties in three states of southern Brazil. Test sensitivity was increased with modifications of the European standard for artificial digestion. In this survey, a 5-g sample of tongue and 5-g sample of diaphragm pillar were collected from each pig into a pool of 100 g (up to 10 animals for each assay). A 355-microm mesh sieve was used, but no larvae were detected in the pigs, indicating that trichinellosis does not occur in the examined stocks.     

Tobacco industry research and protection of human subjects: a case study of R. J. Reynolds.

Companies that conduct research are under no obligation to follow guidelines regarding treatment of human subjects in clinical trials. By contrast, clinical researchers funded by federal agencies or under U.S. Food and Drug Administration authority are required to follow federal regulations, and academics must adhere to their institutions' standards. We examined how one tobacco company, R. J. Reynolds, treated human subjects in internal research conducted from 1985 to 2000. We then compared this treatment with standards of the time. We focused on R. J. Reynolds because the company conducted a significant amount of research using human subjects. Tobacco industry documents were retrieved from the UCSF/Legacy Tobacco Documents Library, Tobacco Documents Online, and industry Web sites. Materials from 73 research projects, including informed consent forms, were analyzed. The U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 45 Part 46, Protection of Human Subjects (the Common Rule) was the primary source for human subjects research guidelines and standards. R. J. Reynolds formed a human subjects review committee in 1985. The committee's structure and procedures did not meet generally accepted practices of the time regarding community representation, written procedures for adverse events, and other factors. In all 73 studies, consent procedures failed to meet five or more human subjects research standards. Policymakers should consider expanding the scope of federal human subjects research regulations to cover research undertaken by private firms such as tobacco companies.