Physical activity is associated with a low prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in the Royal Norwegian Navy: a cross sectional study

Background: Despite considerable knowledge about musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) and physical, psychosocial and individual risk factors there is limited knowledge about physical activity as a factor in preventing MSD. In addition, studies of physical activity are often limited to either leisure activity or physical activity at work. Studies among military personnel on the association between physical activity at work and at leisure and MSD are lacking. This study was conducted to find the prevalence of MSD among personnel in the Royal Norwegian Navy and to assess the association between physical activity at work and at leisure and MSD. Methods: A questionnaire about musculoskeletal disorders, physical activity and background data (employment status, age, gender, body mass index, smoking, education and physical stressors) was completed by 2265 workers (58%) 18 to 70 years old in the Royal Norwegian Navy. Multiple logistic regression with 95% confidence intervals was used to assess the relationship between physical activity and musculoskeletal disorders. Results: A total of 32% of the workers reported musculoskeletal disorders often or very often in one or more parts of the body in the past year. The most common musculoskeletal disorders were in the lower back (15% often or very often), shoulders (12% often or very often) and neck (11% often or very often). After adjustment for confounders, physical activity was inversely associated with musculoskeletal disorders for all body sites except elbows, knees and feet. Conclusion: The one-year prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among workers in the Royal Norwegian Navy was rather low. A physically active lifestyle both at work and at leisure was associated with fewer musculoskeletal disorders among personnel in the Royal Norwegian Navy. Prospective studies are necessary to confirm the cause and effect in this association

The frequency of antlerless females among Svalbard reindeer

The distribution of females with no, one and two antlers was recorded during July 1994 in Svalbard reindeer, Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus, and compared wirh 1974 data from Reimers (1993) and Larsen (1977). On Reinsdyrflya, 50% of the females were anrlerless, 16% one antlered and 34% rwo antlered. In Nordenskiold Land, 2% of the females were antlerless, 1% one antlered and 97% two antlered. These percentages have not changed since Reimers' study in 1974 in Reinsdyrflya (Chi square 2= 1.16, P > 0.05) and Nordenskiold Land (Chi square 2 = 1.69, P > 0.05). The reason for the high frequency of anrlerless females on Reinsdyrflya is not understood

Are Physical Activity and Benefits Maintained After Long-Term Telerehabilitation in COPD?

This study investigated whether physical activity levels and other outcomes were maintained at 1-year from completion of a 2-year telerehabilitation intervention in COPD. During the post-intervention year, nine patients with COPD (FEV1 % of pred. 42.4±19.8%; age 58.1±6 years) were encouraged to exercise on a treadmill at home and monitor daily symptoms and training sessions on a webpage as during the intervention. Participants were not provided supervision or motivational support. Physical activity levels decreased from 3,806 steps/day to 2,817 steps/day (p= 0.039). There was a decline in time spent on light physical activity (p=0.009), but not on moderate-to-vigorous activity (p=0.053). Adherence to registration of symptoms and training sessions decreased significantly. Other outcomes including health status, quality of life, anxiety and depression, self-efficacy, and healthcare utilization did not change significantly. In conclusion, provision of equipment for self-management and unsupervised home exercise might not be enough to maintain physical activity levels

In situ microfluidic dialysis for biological small-angle X-ray scattering

Owing to the demand for low sample consumption and automated sample changing capabilities at synchrotron small-angle X-ray (solution) scattering (SAXS) beamlines, X-ray microfluidics is receiving continuously increasing attention. Here, a remote-controlled microfluidic device is presented for simultaneous SAXS and ultraviolet absorption measurements during protein dialysis, integrated directly on a SAXS beamline. Microfluidic dialysis can be used for monitoring structural changes in response to buffer exchange or, as demonstrated, protein concentration. By collecting X-ray data during the concentration procedure, the risk of inducing protein aggregation due to excessive concentration and storage is eliminated, resulting in reduced sample consumption and improved data quality. The proof of concept demonstrates the effect of halted or continuous flow in the microfluidic device. No sample aggregation was induced by the concentration process at the levels achieved in these experiments. Simulations of fluid dynamics and transport properties within the device strongly suggest that aggregates, and possibly even higher-order oligomers, are preferentially retained by the device, resulting in incidental sample purification. Hence, this versatile microfluidic device enables investigation of experimentally induced structural changes under dynamically controllable sample conditions

Characterization and modeling of gain spectra of single-layer InAs/InP(100) quantum dot amplifiers

In this contribution we present the small signal net modal gain measurement results of single-layer InAs/InP(100) quantum dot amplifiers in 1.6 to 1.8 µm wavelength range. The material shows sufficient optical gain to be used in the long-wavelength optical coherence tomography. The modal gain has been observed as a function of current density and temperature. An improved rate equation model has been applied to analyse the measurements. A good fit of the theory to the measurements was obtained with a temperature dependent carrier injection efficiency which is below 2%

Characterisation of monolithically integrated dual wavelength AWG-lasers for mm-wave generation

In this paper we present characterisation results of monolithically integrated InP based quantum well dual wavelength lasers in which an Array Waveguide Grating (AWG) is used as intra-cavity filter to allow lasing on two wavelengths within a common optical amplifier of the device. The devices require accurate control of the optical loss of each wavelength which is achieved through the use of Michelson interferometers (MIs) in the cavity. The results show that reasonably stable dual wavelength operation is possible with a side mode suppression ratio better than 20dB for each of the two wavelengths without fast active feedback control

Dust exposure and chronic respiratory symptoms among coffee curing workers in Kilimanjaro: a cross sectional study

Background: Coffee processing causes organic dust exposure which may lead to development of respiratory symptoms. Previous studies have mainly focused on workers involved in roasting coffee in importing countries. This study was carried out to determine total dust exposure and respiratory health of workers in Tanzanian primary coffee-processing factories. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 79 workers in two coffee factories, and among 73 control workers in a beverage factory. Personal samples of total dust (n = 45 from the coffee factories and n = 19 from the control factory) were collected throughout the working shift from the breathing zone of the workers. A questionnaire with modified questions from the American Thoracic Society questionnaire was used to assess chronic respiratory symptoms. Differences between groups were tested by using independent t-tests and Chi square tests. Poisson Regression Model was used to estimate prevalence ratio, adjusting for age, smoking, presence of previous lung diseases and years worked in dusty factories. Results: All participants were male. The coffee workers had a mean age of 40 years and were older than the controls (31 years). Personal total dust exposure in the coffee factories were significantly higher than in the control factory (geometric mean (GM) 1.23 mg/m³, geometric standard deviation (GSD) (0.8) vs. 0.21(2.4) mg/m³). Coffee workers had significantly higher prevalence than controls for cough with sputum (23% vs. 10%; Prevalence ratio (PR); 2.5, 95% CI 1.0 - 5.9) and chest tightness (27% vs. 13%; PR; 2.4, 95% CI 1.1 - 5.2). The prevalence of morning cough, cough with and without sputum for 4 days or more in a week was also higher among coffee workers than among controls. However, these differences were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Workers exposed to coffee dust reported more respiratory symptoms than did the controls. This might relate to their exposure to coffee dust. Interventions for reduction of dust levels and provision of respiratory protective equipment are recommended.publishedVersio

Health related quality of life after extremely preterm birth: a matched controlled cohort study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The majority of infants born before the last trimester now grow up. However, knowledge on subsequent health related quality of life (HRQoL) is scarce. We therefore aimed to compare HRQoL in children born extremely preterm with control children born at term. Furthermore, we assessed HRQoL in relation to perinatal and neonatal morbidity and to current clinical and sociodemographic characteristics.</p> <p>Method</p> <p><it>The Child Health Questionnaire </it>(CHQ-PF50) and a general questionnaire were applied in a population based cohort of 10 year old children born at gestational age ≤ 28 weeks or with birth weight ≤ 1000 grams in Western Norway in 1991-92 and in term-born controls, individually matched for gender and time of birth. The McNemar test and paired t-tests were used to explore group differences between preterms and matched controls. Paired regression models and analyses of interaction (SPSS mixed linear model) were used to explore potential effects of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics on HRQoL in the two groups.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>All 35 eligible preterm children participated. None had major impairments. Learning and/or attention problems were present in 71% of preterms and 20% of controls (odds ratio (OR): 7.0; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.2 to 27.6). Insufficient professional support was described by 36% of preterm vs. 3% of control parents (OR: infinite; CI: 2.7 to infinite). Preterms scored lower on eight CHQ-PF50 sub-scales and the two summary scores, boys accounting for most of the deficits in areas of behavior, psychosocial functioning and parental burden. HRQoL was associated with learning and/or attention problems in both preterm and control children, significantly more so in preterms in areas related to health and parental burden. Within the preterm group, HRQoL was mostly unrelated to perinatal and neonatal morbidity.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>HRQoL for children born extremely preterm, and particularly for boys, was described by parents to be inferior to that of children born at term, and sufficiently poor to affect the daily life of the children and their families. Learning and/or attention problems were reported for a majority of preterms, strongly influencing their HRQoL.</p