26 research outputs found

    Research trends in occupational health and social responsibility: A bibliometric analysis

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    Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) are domains of research char- acterised by a great complexity due to their interdisciplinary nature. Although the interest in Occupational Health & Safety issues in the context of Corporate Social Responsibility has recently increased, more effort is needed to address the complexity of both research areas and to understand the dynamic and implications of their relationship. This research describes and analyses the state of the art in the literature and potential areas for further research regarding OHS and CSR. In total, 289 articles published between 1995 and 2018 related to both CSR and OHS were identified in the most reliable database, Web of Science Core Collection. The publications cover 932 authors, 142 journals, 53 countries or territories and 489 institutions, which include 313 universities in the entire world. We employ bibliometric methods to describe the evolution of publication activity, the most relevant contributors, the methodologies applied as well as the content of the articles in order to examine the main topics and research trends. Moreover, we explore the mapping of bibliographic coupling, co-word analysis of keywords and clusters analysis, which provides maps of knowledge based on data of bibliographic nature. Our study allows us to identify potential avenues for future research that could be meaningful to advance in the consolidation of CSR as an integral framework to support OHS

    Safety culture, safety performance and financial performance. A longitudinal study

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    Safety Culture and managing employee relationships in a safe and socially responsible climate might help avoid risks at the workplace and reputational damage for companies. Drawing on the social approach and Occupational Health and Safety Management, this paper aims to gain further knowledge regarding the impact of safety culture through safety performance on financial performance in organisations. We test a set of hypotheses in a panel data of European companies from different activity sectors from 2005 to 2019. Our findings provide strong support for the premise that companies with policies aimed at improving employee health and safety, employee training, or having safety management systems positively influence safety performance, which in turn has a positive impact on financial performance. The development of safety culture in the company is necessary to meet the needs of employees, and thus improve safety performance. This study has implications for both theory and practice and offers some relevant implications for regulators and policy makers.Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga/CBUA

    Endogenous topoisomerase II-mediated DNA breaks drive thymic cancer predisposition linked to ATM deficiency

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    The ATM kinase is a master regulator of the DNA damage response to double-strand breaks (DSBs) and a well-established tumour suppressor whose loss is the cause of the neurodegenerative and cancer-prone syndrome Ataxia-Telangiectasia (A-T). A-T patients and Atm−/− mouse models are particularly predisposed to develop lymphoid cancers derived from deficient repair of RAG-induced DSBs during V(D)J recombination. Here, we unexpectedly find that specifically disturbing the repair of DSBs produced by DNA topoisomerase II (TOP2) by genetically removing the highly specialised repair enzyme TDP2 increases the incidence of thymic tumours in Atm−/− mice. Furthermore, we find that TOP2 strongly colocalizes with RAG, both genome-wide and at V(D)J recombination sites, resulting in an increased endogenous chromosomal fragility of these regions. Thus, our findings demonstrate a strong causal relationship between endogenous TOP2-induced DSBs and cancer development, confirming these lesions as major drivers of ATM-deficient lymphoid malignancies, and potentially other conditions and cancer types.Junta de Andalucía SAF2010-21017, SAF2013-47343-P, SAF2014-55532-R, SAF2017-89619-R, CVI-7948European Research Council ERC-CoG-2014-64735

    Higher COVID-19 pneumonia risk associated with anti-IFN-α than with anti-IFN-ω auto-Abs in children

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    We found that 19 (10.4%) of 183 unvaccinated children hospitalized for COVID-19 pneumonia had autoantibodies (auto-Abs) neutralizing type I IFNs (IFN-alpha 2 in 10 patients: IFN-alpha 2 only in three, IFN-alpha 2 plus IFN-omega in five, and IFN-alpha 2, IFN-omega plus IFN-beta in two; IFN-omega only in nine patients). Seven children (3.8%) had Abs neutralizing at least 10 ng/ml of one IFN, whereas the other 12 (6.6%) had Abs neutralizing only 100 pg/ml. The auto-Abs neutralized both unglycosylated and glycosylated IFNs. We also detected auto-Abs neutralizing 100 pg/ml IFN-alpha 2 in 4 of 2,267 uninfected children (0.2%) and auto-Abs neutralizing IFN-omega in 45 children (2%). The odds ratios (ORs) for life-threatening COVID-19 pneumonia were, therefore, higher for auto-Abs neutralizing IFN-alpha 2 only (OR [95% CI] = 67.6 [5.7-9,196.6]) than for auto-Abs neutralizing IFN-. only (OR [95% CI] = 2.6 [1.2-5.3]). ORs were also higher for auto-Abs neutralizing high concentrations (OR [95% CI] = 12.9 [4.6-35.9]) than for those neutralizing low concentrations (OR [95% CI] = 5.5 [3.1-9.6]) of IFN-omega and/or IFN-alpha 2

    Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

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    The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

    Gestión de la seguridad y salud ocupacional: cultura preventiva, responsabilidad social corporativa y efectos en el rendimiento financiero

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    Esta investigación nos permite, identificar futuras áreas de investigación que podrían ser significativas para avanzar en la consolidación de la RSC como marco integral de apoyo a la SST, desarrollando un análisis bibliométrico sobre publicaciones internacionales de la base de datos Web of Science durante un periodo temporal de 23 años. La cultura preventiva y la responsabilidad social podrían evitar riesgos en el lugar de trabajo, así como daños a la reputación de las empresas. Esta investigación, partiendo del enfoque social y de la gestión de la seguridad y la salud en el trabajo, profundiza en el conocimiento del impacto de la cultura preventiva a través del desempeño de la seguridad en los resultados financieros de las organizaciones. Se formulan un conjunto de hipótesis que son contrastadas mediante el estudio de un panel de datos de empresas europeas de diferentes sectores de actividad durante un período de 14 años. Los resultados confirman la premisa de que las empresas con políticas dirigidas a mejorar la salud y la seguridad de los empleados, influyen positivamente en el rendimiento de la seguridad. Éste a su vez tiene un impacto positivo en el rendimiento financiero de las empresas. Por lo tanto, la implantación de la cultura preventiva en la empresa es necesaria para satisfacer las necesidades de los empleados, y así mejorar tanto el rendimiento de la seguridad como el de la empresa. La presente tesis tiene implicaciones para la teoría y la práctica; proporciona información que podría ser de ayuda para promover la cultura preventiva en las empresas. Invertir en seguridad tiene un impacto positivo en los resultados financieros de la empresa y, por tanto, no existe trade-off entre la seguridad y la salud laboral y el rendimiento de las empresas. Esta investigación proporciona implicaciones relevantes para los reguladores y responsables políticos

    From Bullets to Blackboards: Education for Peace in Latin America and Asia

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    In areas torn by war and violence, effective education can prepare the next generation for a productive life, heal psychological wounds, prevent cyclical violence, and achieve peace. "From Bullets to Blackboards" profiles ten exemplary education programs in Latin America and Asia, presenting lessons learned in areas such as policy reform, early childhood development, primary and bilingual education, vocational skills for ex-combatants and displaced families, and training for human rights and democracy

    Planetario Ciudad Jardín-Badajoz

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    Convocatoria Proyectos de innovación de Extremadura 2017/2018Se describe el proyecto llevado a cabo en el IES Ciudad Jardín (Badajoz) que consistió en crear un planetario en el centro educativo y materiales curriculares para el uso del mismo. Los objetivos principales que se perseguían eran: usar el planetario como una herramienta para transmitir conocimientos científicos y tecnológicos a los alumnos, fomentar su interés por la ciencia, mejorar el conocimiento de la lengua castellana y de otros idiomas, fomentar la creatividad e innovación entre el alumnado y el profesorado, usar un método de enseñanza activo en el que se usen las nuevas tecnologías, complementar las clases que se siguen en el aula y contribuir a conseguir las competencias claveExtremaduraES

    Assessment of plasma chitotriosidase activity, CCL18/PARC concentration and NP-C suspicion index in the diagnosis of Niemann-Pick disease type C : A prospective observational study

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    Niemann-Pick disease type C (NP-C) is a rare, autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disease caused by mutations in either the NPC1 or NPC2 genes. The diagnosis of NP-C remains challenging due to the non-specific, heterogeneous nature of signs/symptoms. This study assessed the utility of plasma chitotriosidase (ChT) and Chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 18 (CCL18)/pulmonary and activation-regulated chemokine (PARC) in conjunction with the NP-C suspicion index (NP-C SI) for guiding confirmatory laboratory testing in patients with suspected NP-C. In a prospective observational cohort study, incorporating a retrospective determination of NP-C SI scores, two different diagnostic approaches were applied in two separate groups of unrelated patients from 51 Spanish medical centers (n = 118 in both groups). From Jan 2010 to Apr 2012 (Period 1), patients with ≥2 clinical signs/symptoms of NP-C were considered 'suspected NP-C' cases, and NPC1/NPC2 sequencing, plasma chitotriosidase (ChT), CCL18/PARC and sphingomyelinase levels were assessed. Based on findings in Period 1, plasma ChT and CCL18/PARC, and NP-C SI prediction scores were determined in a second group of patients between May 2012 and Apr 2014 (Period 2), and NPC1 and NPC2 were sequenced only in those with elevated ChT and/or elevated CCL18/PARC and/or NP-C SI ≥70. Filipin staining and 7-ketocholesterol (7-KC) measurements were performed in all patients with NP-C gene mutations, where possible. In total across Periods 1 and 2, 10/236 (4%) patients had a confirmed diagnosis o NP-C based on gene sequencing (5/118 [4.2%] in each Period): all of these patients had two causal NPC1 mutations. Single mutant NPC1 alleles were detected in 8/236 (3%) patients, overall. Positive filipin staining results comprised three classical and five variant biochemical phenotypes. No NPC2 mutations were detected. All patients with NPC1 mutations had high ChT activity, high CCL18/PARC concentrations and/or NP-C SI scores ≥70. Plasma 7-KC was higher than control cut-off values in all patients with two NPC1 mutations, and in the majority of patients with single mutations. Family studies identified three further NP-C patients. This approach may be very useful for laboratories that do not have mass spectrometry facilities and therefore, they cannot use other NP-C biomarkers for diagnosis

    Discovering HIV related information by means of association rules and machine learning

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    Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is still one of the main health problems worldwide. It is therefore essential to keep making progress in improving the prognosis and quality of life of affected patients. One way to advance along this pathway is to uncover connections between other disorders associated with HIV/AIDS-so that they can be anticipated and possibly mitigated. We propose to achieve this by using Association Rules (ARs). They allow us to represent the dependencies between a number of diseases and other specific diseases. However, classical techniques systematically generate every AR meeting some minimal conditions on data frequency, hence generating a vast amount of uninteresting ARs, which need to be filtered out. The lack of manually annotated ARs has favored unsupervised filtering, even though they produce limited results. In this paper, we propose a semi-supervised system, able to identify relevant ARs among HIV-related diseases with a minimal amount of annotated training data. Our system has been able to extract a good number of relationships between HIV-related diseases that have been previously detected in the literature but are scattered and are often little known. Furthermore, a number of plausible new relationships have shown up which deserve further investigation by qualified medical experts
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