Development of Integrated Sustainability Measurement Hierarchy (ISMH) for Sustainable Engineering

Anthony Johnson,신주혜,심동하 한국생산제조학회 2019 한국생산제조학회지 Vol.28 No.6

The word “sustainability” means different things to different people. Sustainability is an umbrella framework within which systems may run with longevity, thereby improving the sustainability of the system. The problem facing most people is that of measuring sustainability. Sustainability measurement has been practiced by several studies, but this review revealed that many researchers are applying methodologies outside of a cohesive model. This paper evaluates sustainability measurement, audit frameworks, and methodologies in an engineering context thus creating a cohesive hierarchy for sustainability. The developed Integrated Sustainability Measurement Hierarchy (ISMH) clearly positions hierarchical sustainability measurement systems against an influence level framework that extends from product to global influences. The ISMH would provide insight as well as a guideline to help devise a comprehensive sustainability measurement system for better decisions at various influence levels.

Maintenance-Centered Sustainability Analysis of Brick and Block Clamp

Anthony Johnson,Axel Lefebure,Juhye Shin,Dongha Shim 한국생산제조학회 2020 한국생산제조학회지 Vol.29 No.2

Early Cardiac Dysfunction in Biopsy-proven Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

( Peter C. Johnson ),( Anthony A. Cochet ),( Rosco S. Gore ),( Stephen A. Harrison ),( John P. Magulick ),( James K. Aden ),( Angelo H. Paredes ) 대한소화기학회 2021 대한소화기학회지 Vol.78 No.3

Background/Aims: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) encompasses a range of diseases from nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and has been linked to cardiovascular disease and sub-clinical cardiac remodeling. This paper presents a retrospective study of biopsy-proven NAFL and NASH to examine the differences in subclinical cardiac remodeling. Methods: Patients were recruited from an institutional repository of patients with liver-biopsy-confirmed NAFLD. Patients with a transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) within 12 months of the liver biopsy were included. The parameters of the diastolic dysfunction were reviewed for the differences between NAFL and NASH as well as between the stages and grades of NASH. Results: Thirty-three patients were included in the study, 17 with NAFL and 16 with NASH. The NASH patients were more likely to have lower platelets, higher AST, higher ALT, and higher rates of type 2 diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, and hypertension than the NAFL patients. The E/e’ ratio on transthoracic echocardiogram was significantly higher in NASH compared to NAFL, advanced-stage NASH compared to early stage, and high-grade NASH compared to low-grade. The E/e’ ratio was also significantly higher in NASH than NAFL in patients without diabetes mellitus. The presence of diastolic dysfunction trended toward significance. The other markers of diastolic dysfunction were similar. Logistic regression revealed a statistical association with E/e' and NASH. Conclusions: NASH patients had evidence of a higher E/e’ ratio than NAFL, and there was a trend towards a significant diastolic dysfunction. Patients with NASH compared to NAFL should be closely monitored for signs and symptoms of cardiac dysfunction. (Korean J Gastroenterol 2021;78:161-167)

Follow-up of Soluble Mesothelin-Related Protein Levels in Participants With Asbestos-Related Disorders

Park, Eun-Kee,Johnson, Anthony R.,Wilson, Donald,Thomas, Paul S.,Yates, Deborah H. Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute 2020 Safety and health at work Vol.11 No.4

Background: Asbestos exposure is associated with the development of the cancer malignant mesothelioma (MM). Measurement of soluble mesothelin-related protein (SMRP) has been suggested as a method for detection of MM in its early stages. We prospectively examined SMRP levels in participants with asbestos exposure who are a group at a high risk of development of MM. Methods: This study was a follow-up of our cohort of 322 asbestos-exposed participants. No further participants developed MM or malignancy over the study period. Mean follow-up time was 22.9 months. Results: Mean (standard deviation) SMRP levels at baseline and follow-up were 0.94 (0.79) and 0.91 (0.86) nmol/L (p = 0.1033), respectively. Mean SMRP levels of the healthy individuals exposed to asbestos at baseline was significantly lower than those of participants with asbestosis and pleural plaques alone; similar patterns were found on follow-up measurements. There was a statistically significant effect of age on serial SMRP measurements. Our study confirms higher levels in participants with nonmalignant asbestos-related disorders. Levels decreased in asbestos-related disorders other than asbestosis, where a small increase was observed. We did not detect any further cases of malignancy. Conclusion: Monitoring programs for early detection of MM need to take into account increased SMRP levels found in benign asbestos-related diseases.

Mechanisms of Stress-induced Visceral Pain

( Beverley Greenwood-van Meerveld ),( Anthony C Johnson ) 대한소화기기능성질환·운동학회(구 대한소화관운동학회) 2018 Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility (JNM Vol.24 No.1

Evidence suggests that long-term stress facilitates visceral pain through sensitization of pain pathways and promotes chronic visceral pain disorders such as the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This review will describe the importance of stress in exacerbating IBS-induced abdominal pain. Additionally, we will briefly review our understanding of the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis by both chronic adult stress and following early life stress in the pathogenesis of IBS. The review will focus on the glucocorticoid receptor and corticotropin-releasing hormone-mediated mechanisms in the amygdala involved in stress-induced visceral hypersensitivity. One potential mechanism underlying persistent effects of stress on visceral sensitivity could be epigenetic modulation of gene expression. While there are relatively few studies examining epigenetically mediated mechanisms involved in stress-induced visceral nociception, alterations in DNA methylation and histone acetylation patterns within the brain, have been linked to alterations in nociceptive signaling via increased expression of pro-nociceptive neurotransmitters. This review will discuss the latest studies investigating the long-term effects of stress on visceral sensitivity. Additionally, we will critically review the importance of experimental models of adult stress and early life stress in enhancing our understanding of the basic molecular mechanisms of nociceptive processing. (J Neurogastroenterol Motil 2018;24:7-18)

Palliative Radiotherapy in the Presence of Well-Controlled Metastatic Disease after Initial Chemotherapy May Prolong Survival in Patients with Metastatic Esophageal and Gastric Cancer

Mohan Hingorani,Sanjay Dixit,Miriam Johnson,Victoria Plested,Kevin Alty,Peter Colley,Andrew W. Beavis,Rajarshi Roy,Anthony Maraveyas 대한암학회 2015 Cancer Research and Treatment Vol.47 No.4

Purpose We report the outcomes of patients treated with palliative radiotherapy (pRT) to the primarytumour in the context of well-controlled metastatic disease after initial chemotherapy. Materials and MethodsClinical records of 132 patients with metastatic esophago-gastric (OG) cancer treated withpalliative chemotherapy (pCT) between January 2009 and June 2013 were reviewed. Ninetysevenpatients had responding or stable disease after 3 months of chemotherapy, of whom53 patients received pRT to the primary tumour after initial chemotherapy in the presenceof well-controlled metastatic disease (group A, pCT-RT). The remaining 44 patients weretreated with pCT alone (group B, pCT). Treatment-related outcomes were assessed in abovegroups including time to local progression (TTLP), progression-free and overall survival. ResultsThe median overall survival for patients treated with pRT after initial chemotherapy (groupA) was 23.3 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 17.70 to 28.89 months) and significantlyhigher than the 14 months (95% CI, 10.91 to 17.08 months) in patients treated with pCTalone (group B) (p < 0.001). The use of pCT-RT was an independent predictor of OS in multivariateanalysis. Local recurrence was observed in 12/53 of patients (23%) in group Acompared to 16/44 (36%) in group B. The median TTLP was significantly higher in patientsafter pCT-RT at 17.3 months (5.23 months to 44.50 months) compared to 8.3 months(range, 4.10 to 25.23 months) in patients treated with pCT alone (p=0.006). ConclusionThe possibility of pRT influencing systemic disease in advanced OG cancer has not beenreported, and results from the present study present strong arguments for investigation ofthis therapeutic strategy in a randomized trial.

Association of Biomarker Levels with Severity of Asbestos-Related Diseases

Park, Eun-Kee,Yates, Deborah H.,Creaney, Jenette,Thomas, Paul S.,Robinson, Bruce W.,Johnson, Anthony R. Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute 2012 Safety and health at work Vol.3 No.1

Objectives: Asbestos-related diseases (ARDs) have increased globally over the decades, causing an economic burden and increased health care costs. It is difficult to predict the risk of development of ARDs and of respiratory disability among workers with a history of asbestos exposure. Blood based biomarkers have been reported as promising tools for the early detection of malignant mesothelioma. This study investigated whether serum soluble mesothelin-related peptide (SMRP) would reflect severity of disablement in compensable ARDs. Methods: SMRP levels were measured in a cohort of 514 asbestos-exposed subjects. Severity of ARDs was assessed by a Medical Authority comprising four specially qualified respiratory physicians. Severity of ARDs and SMRP levels were compared. Results: Mean (standard deviation) serum SMRP level in the population with compensable ARDs (n = 150) was 0.95 (0.65) nmol/L, and was positively associated with disability assessment (p = 0.01). Mean SMRP level in healthy asbestos-exposed subjects was significantly lower than those with pleural plaques (p < 0.0001) and in subjects with ARDs who received compensation (p < 0.01). Conclusion: This study indicates that serum SMRP levels correlate with severity of compensable ARDs. Serum SMRP could potentially be applied to monitor progress of ARDs. Further prospective work is needed to confirm the relationship between SMRP and disability assessment in this population.