An ergonomic analysis and computer simulations of nursing activities while raising the patients in hospitals and nursing homes

Background: The use of trolleys for transporting the patients and lifting and lowering them in the trolley is a repeated activity in the daily work of a nurse, and a very common cause of the load of the lumbosacral part of the spine and the consequent pathological deformity, and the onset of clinical symptomatology of painful lumbo-sacral syndrome. The high level of excessive biomechanical stress is associated with the established practice of using standard medical wheelchairs to move patients inside the hospital. The process itself depends on the characteristics of the patient, his or her weight, as well as his/her cooperativeness, but primarily depends on the nurse's mobility. Although nurses strive to be in a position that reduces the load on the lumbosacral part of the spine during practice, this is often impracticable due to the patient's inconsistency. Objective: To present the ergonomic analysis of the medical nurse's workplace while lifting the patient into the wheelchair and to display solution for improving working conditions and prevention of musculoskeletal disorders. Results: By ergonomic module of this software, we got results that present load on lumbosacral region of spine of medical nurses during their daily activities, especially in the position of lifting and lowering patients. It was concluded that maximal spinal loading decreases significantly and becomes less than critical (3,100 N) in the case of a wheelchair that has ability to automatically lift and lower patient. Conclusions: The use of hospital wheelchairs with an mechanism for the automatic lifting and lowering of patients and with a sliding seat will reduce the load on the lumbosacral region of the spine, prevent the onset of lumbosacral pain syndrome, facilitates work for the medical nurse and allows nurse to handle the patient on her own. The prevention of lumbosacral pain syndrome improves the quality of work of the nurse and extends the working life. Use of this type of wheelchair is justified in terms of cost-benefit analysis

Chemical composition, antiproliferative and antioxidant activity of differently processed Ganoderma lucidum ethanol extracts

The content of phenolic compounds (TPC) and glucans, as well as the effectiveness of antiproliferative and antioxidant activity of differently processed Ganoderma lucidum ethanol extracts were determined and compared. The content of glucans (total, alpha- and beta-) strongly depended on the extraction time and particle size, but only interaction of these parameters influenced the TPC. Gallic acid, quercetin, trans-cinnamic acid, kaempferol, hesperetin and naringenin were detected in extracts by HPLC-DAD. The most abundant phenols were hesperetin (1.875-3.222 mu g/g) and naringenin (1.235-2.856 mu g/g). The ethanol extracts exhibited noteworthy antioxidant activity, but the significant amount of phenolic compounds was strongly linked to polysaccharides, and hence reduced their antioxidant capacity. The results of the antiproliferative activity in vitro showed that the analyzed extracts were the most effective against HeLa cells. Significant correlations were observed between the antiproliferative effect and the TPC/glucan content of extracts

SPINAL LOAD AS FUNCTION OF MOBILITY

Radno djelovanje zahtijeva stalno mijenjanje položaja da bi se udovoljilo potrebama raznih aktivnosti koje čovjek obavlja tijekom izvršavanja radnih zadataka. Ako se rad obavlja u radnom prostoru koji nije pravilno dizajniran, dolazi do zamora, smanjenja učinkovitosti rada i ugrožavanja zdravlja. Rad predstavlja analizu mogućnosti poboljšanja postojećeg radnog položaja kod ispitanika i proračuna istih vrijednosti sila i momenata na L4 i L5 pršljena kralježnice kao i naprezanja kod određene skupine mišića za radnika u poznatom radnom procesu u odnosu na dopuštena naprezanja.SUMMARY: Work requires constant change of body positions in order to perform the various work related activities. If work is carried out in a space not correctly designed, it will result in fatigue, impaired work efficiency and threat to health. The paper presents an analysis of the improvements in body position and posture and a calculation of the values of forces and momentums acting on L4 and L5 vertebrae and the strain on certain muscle groups in a known work process in relation to permitted strains

Ergonomic evaluation of task execution: Surface electromyography in muscular activity screening

Background and Purpose: In this study surface electromyography (sEMG) was used as stand alone acquisition tool in order to emphasize possibilities of sEMG utilization as a screening tool for ergonomic purposes. We presented comparison for task completion variations based on processed sEMG data, where sEMG was used as muscular activity screening tool with the objective to offer decision in the most convenient task variation. In this context, muscular activity screening used in this paper was based primarily on muscular activity index and its transformations, where such datawere correlated with electrical energy induced by activated muscle groups. Material and Methods: Analysis of two different approaches to the fixed medical table and upper trunk alignment with table surface as the final target is performed for this purpose. SurfaceEMGsignals were recorded using an eight-channel fiber optic TELEMG system (BTS S.p.a.) sampling at a frequency of 1000 Hz for selected muscles of right body side alone, in order to maximize muscular activity overview. If set otherwise (for both body sides), 8 available channel electrodes reduced the number of monitored muscle groups to 4 for each body side, causing decreased comparability and objectivity of muscular activity screening. Results and Conclusion: Finally, after benchmarking task routines, Model 2 as routine approach was less demanding than Model 1, muscular activity index as equivalent to energy or work done over time in the monitored muscles was suitable for the purpose of muscular activity estimation, but should be expressed with consideration of muscular activity duration as muscle energy expenditure per time unit. Despite its imperfections, sEMG may be exploited as stand alone and as complement to other available acquisition and analysis tools

Phenolic Compounds and Peroxidases in Sunflower Near-Isogenic Lines After Downy Mildew Infection

Two near-isogenic lines of sunflower, resistant (+Pl6 gene) and susceptible (-P16 gene) to downy mildew were used in this paper. Secondary infection with a suspension of Plasmopara halstedii spores was done on the plants in the phase of first pair of leaves. In the samples taken 12 h after infection, content of phenolic compounds in methanolic extracts from frozen leaves was analysed by HPLC. POD activity was determined spectrophotmetrically and POD isoforms by isoelectrophoresis. Constitutive level of phenolic compounds and their accumulation after infection were higher in the susceptible than in the resistant line. Increased POD amount in leaf, constitutively present in NS-H-26R, was in correlation with increased guaiacol-dependent POD activity and low total phenolics contents. After infection, guaiacol- and chlorogenic acid-dependent POD activity significantly increased in both lines. Scopoletin-dependent POD activity was induced upon infection only in NS-H-26R. IEF electrophoresis revealed existance of four anionic isoforms of peroxidase in leaves of both lines. The main isoform with pI 5 was particularly intesified in the resistant line. In conclusion, scopoletin-dependent POD activity that was induced upon infection only in resistant NIL indicates a specific role of POD in coumarin metabolism that is possibly connected with the presence of Pl6 gene

9-(4'-dimethylaminophenyl)-2,6,7-trihydroxy-xanthene-3-one is a potentially novel antiplatelet drug which antagonizes the effect of thromboxane A2

Background: Currently, used oral antiplatelet drugs are both limited and associated with the risk of treatment failure/resistance. Research in this area is hence highly desired. A series of xanthene-3-ones derivatives, we had synthesized, showed us that these derivatives had antiplatelet activity. As far as we know, no research on the effects of xanthen-3-ones in this area has been done. Objective: The aim was to study the antiplatelet potential of a series of synthesised 9-phenylxanthene- 3-ones and to find the ideal structural feature(s) for antiplatelet potential and determine the mechanism of action. Methods: The compounds were synthesized from 1,2,4-triacetoxybenzene and various benzaldehydes. The reaction proceeded smoothly under acidic alcoholic conditions, furnishing the desired products in good yields. The compounds were first screened in whole human blood where platelet aggregation was induced by arachidonic acid. Further analysis was targeted at search of the mechanism of action. Results: Initial screening showed that a majority of the synthesized derivatives had substantial antiplatelet potential. None of the compounds were able to block cyclooxygenase 1 or thromboxane synthase. The mechanism appeared to be based on antagonism of thromboxane effects. The most potent compound 9-(4'-dimethylaminophenyl)-2,6,7-trihydroxy-xanthene-3-one had better potential to block collagen induced platelet aggregation than clinically used acetylsalicylic acid. Conclusion: The last mentioned derivative is promising for further in vivo testing

Tendencije u koncentraciji stanovništva Pomoravske oblasti

The paper explores spatial dynamics of the level and the intensity of the concentration of population/settlements situated in the Pomoravlje area, during the post-Second World War period, including overall conditions of the territory and evolutional aspect of its developmental tendencies. By evaluating Census data from 1948-2011, the main focus had been set on population dynamics of the settlements of the Pomoravlje area, and its dependence with regards to geographic, hypsometric and locational aspects of the territory. Considering the population dynamics of settlements in this area, the core concentrations and directions of their movement over the 63-year period were separated. The aim is to determine the degree of territorial homogeneity/heterogeneity of population distribution, using Hoover index of concentration and index of population concentration, both examining the relation between population and the area in question, and Kant index of concentration which next to those, also includes vertical differentiation. Therefore, nucleuses of population concentration as the focal points of settlements' expansion had been formed, as well as the population regression of small, underdeveloped settlements.Rad istražuje prostornu diferencijaciju nivoa i obima koncentracije stanovništva/naselja na teritoriji Pomoravske oblasti u razdoblju nakon Drugog svetskog rata u zavisnosti od karakteristika posmatrane teritorije i njenihrazvojnih tendencija. Na osnovu podataka koji pružaju popisi stanovništva od 1948. do 2011. godine sagledana je populaciona dinamika naselja Pomoravske oblasti i ukazano na njenu uslovljenost geografskim, strateškimi ukupnimosobenostimateritorije. Razmatranjem populacione dinamike naselja u ovoj oblasti, izdvojena su jezgra koncentracije i pravci njihovog kretanja u šezdesetogodišnjemperiodu. Cilj rada je utvrditi stepen ravnomernosti razmeštaja stanovništva i homogenosti/heterogenosti teritorije, pomoću indeksa koncentracije stanovništva i Huverovog indeksa koncentracije, koji problematizuju odnos između stanovništva i jedinice površine date teritorije i Kantovog indeksa koncentracije gde se ista međuzavisnost ispoljava u sadejstvu sa visinskom zonalnošću. Evidentirana su jezgra koncentracije stanovništva kao žarišta populacione ekspanzije naselja i istovremeno populaciona regresija manjih, nepovoljno pozicioniranih naselja