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Road construction activities are hazardous. Workers are exposed to hazards with high probability of illness, injury, disability or death. The objective was to determine road workers' perceptions of occupational hazards, ailments experienced and health seeking behaviour. This was an institution-based descriptive cross-sectional study using open-ended questions. A total of 353 road workers from Ashanti, Ahafo and Western North regions reported work-related hazards and ranked the top-3. Workers in each craft/stratum who gave consent were included in the study and interviewed. They also reported work-related ailments and health-seeking behaviour. The workers were primarily young (mean age 32.4 years) and male (97.7%). Most (70.2%) workers were contract/casual staff. 38 hazards were reported, with the top five being dust (91.5% of workers reported this), extreme temperatures (72.0%), noise (40.5%), fumes (21.8%) and vehicles/trucks (21.1%). Most (86.8%) workers reported a work-related ailment, with the most common being cough (41.1%) and headache (18.9%). Most (87.8%) workers with ailments sought treatment of any kind. Road construction workers in these regions of Ghana have good appreciation of hazards at work and the dangers they pose. Works supervisors should encourage workers on PPE use against dust, noise, fumes and good housekeeping. Regular worker-training on hazards is recommended.

AIAA Scitech 2021 Forum The article of record as published may be found at https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2021-0874 The objective of this research is to develop new thermal/environmental barrier coatings (T/EBCs) that exhibit greater durability and CMAS (Calcia-Magnesia-Alumino-Silicates) resistance than any of the current state-of-the-art rotorcraft turbine engine coatings. Commercial/Military aircraft engines, especially helicopter engines undergo severe damage to critical components when they need to operate over sandy terrains or volcanic zones. Typical high pressure turbine vanes/blades with current coatings undergo damages that include blade coating wear, sand glazing, Calcia-Magnesia-Alumina-Silicates (CMAS) attack, oxidation, plugged cooling holes, all of which can cause rapid engine performance loss and in severe cases ending up in loss of aircraft. Design of novel T/EBCs for high temperature operation is presented in this paper based on ongoing work in understanding the fundamental governing parameters affecting CMAS adhesion, build-up, and chemical attack. The paper intends to report specific objectives and findings obtained thus far from an ambitious T/EBC research program funded by OSD’s Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP). Systematic sand-phobic development research efforts and methodologies from modeling to engine relevant high-temperature environmental test evaluations are described in this paper to innovate improved T/EBCs for both Ni-superalloy based substrates and emerging SiC-SiC Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC) based substrates. This research was performed while the author held an NRC Research Associateship award at Field Robotics Laboratory, Naval Postgraduate SchooThe authors acknowledge the support from received from DoD’s Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) for this research. The research reported in this document is being performed in connection with contract/instrument W911QX-16-D-0014 with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory. The authors are thankful to Dr. Robin Nissan (SERDP Program Manager) and Mr. Braxton Lewis (Principal Scientist, SERDP) for their support to this SERDP project# WP20-1281.

The performance of a new historical reanalysis, the NOAA-CIRES-DOE 20th Century Reanalysis Version 3 (20CRv3), is evaluated via comparisons with other reanalyses and independent observations. This dataset provides global, 3-hourly estimates of the atmosphere from 1806 to 2015 by assimilating only surface pressure observations and prescribing sea surface temperature, sea ice concentration, and radiative forcings. Comparisons with independent observations, other reanalyses, and satellite products suggest that 20CRv3 can reliably produce atmospheric estimates on scales ranging from weather events to long-term climatic trends. Not only does 20CRv3 recreate a “best estimate” of the weather, including extreme events, it also provides an estimate of its confidence through the use of an ensemble. Surface pressure statistics suggest that these confidence estimates are reliable. Comparisons with independent upper-air observations in the Northern Hemisphere demonstrate that 20CRv3 has skill throughout the 20th century. Upper-air fields from 20CRv3 in the late 20th century and early 21st century correlate well with full-input reanalyses, and the correlation is predicted by the confidence fields from 20CRv3. The skill of analyzed 500hPa geopotential heights from 20CRv3 for 1979-2015 is comparable to that of modern operational 3- to 4-day forecasts. Finally, 20CRv3 performs well on climate timescales. Long time series and multidecadal averages of mass, circulation, and precipitation fields agree well with modern reanalyses and station- and satellite-based products. 20CRv3 is also able to capture trends in tropospheric layer temperatures that correlate well with independent products in the 20th century, placing recent trends in a longer historical context.

Objective Many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are ill equipped to care for the large and growing burden of vascular conditions. We aimed to develop essential vascular care recommendations that would be feasible for implementation at nearly every setting worldwide, regardless of national income. Methods The normative Delphi method was used to achieve consensus on essential vascular care resources among 27 experts in multiple areas of vascular care and public health as well as with experience in LMIC health care. Five anonymous, iterative rounds of survey with controlled feedback and a statistical response were used to reach consensus on essential vascular care resources. Results The matrices provide recommendations for 92 vascular care resources at each of the four levels of care in most LMICs, comprising primary health centers and first-level, referral, and tertiary hospitals. The recommendations include essential and desirable resources and encompass the following categories: screening, counseling, and evaluation; diagnostics; medical care; surgical care; equipment and supplies; and medications. Conclusions The resources recommended have the potential to improve the ability of LMIC health care systems to respond to the large and growing burden of vascular conditions. Many of these resources can be provided with thoughtful planning and organization, without significant increases in cost. However, the resources must be incorporated into a framework that includes surveillance of vascular conditions, monitoring and evaluation of vascular capacity and care, a well functioning prehospital and interhospital transport system, and vascular training for existing and future health care providers. © 2016 Society for Vascular Surgery