Systems training and development of personnel at the oil and gas companies

Training is a process of development of specific skills through special training methods. Staff training ensures professional knowledge and skills of modern production requirements. Modern business is growing, the competition grows, and as a result, organizations need to make more efforts to develop rapidly and be successful. This fact began to realize by progressive Russian oil and gas companies, which are increasingly focused on the creation of professional personnel management system. Training systems currently used by most major oil and gas companies. This allows enterprises to successfully exist in a competitive environment. The article describes the system of training and staff development. Obtained system of training in the workplace and outside it. Presents the advantages and disadvantages of systems

Zinc-bound metallothioneins and immune plasticity: lessons from very old mice and humans

The capacity of the remodelling immune responses during stress (named immune plasticity) is fundamental to reach successful ageing. We herein report two pivotal experimental models in order to demonstrate the relevance of the immune plasticity in ageing and successful ageing. These two experimental models will be compared with the capacity in remodelling the immune response in human centenarians. With regard to experimental models, one model is represented by the circadian rhythms of immune responses, the other one is the immune responses during partial hepatectomy/liver regeneration (pHx). The latter is suggestive because it mimics the immunosenescence and chronic inflammation 48 h after partial hepatectomy in the young through the continuous production of IL-6, which is the main cause of immune plasticity lack in ageing. The constant production of IL-6 leads to abnormal increments of zinc-bound Metallothionein (MT), which is in turn unable in zinc release in ageing. As a consequence, low zinc ion bioavailability appears for thymic and extrathymic immune efficiency, in particular of liver NKT cells bearing TCR γδ. The remodelling during the circadian cycle and during pHx of zinc-bound MT confers the immune plasticity of liver NKT γδ cells and NK cells in young and very old mice, not in old mice. With regard to human centenarians and their capacity in remodelling the immune response with respect to elderly, these exceptional individuals display low zinc-bound MT associated with: a) satisfactory intracellular zinc ion availability, b) more capacity in zinc release by MT, c) less inflammation due to low gene expression of IL-6 receptor (gp130), d) increased levels of IFN-gamma and number of NKT cell bearing TCR γδ. Moreover, some polymorphisms for MT tested in PBMCs from human donors are related to successful ageing. In conclusion, zinc-bound MT homeostasis is fundamental to confer the immune plasticity that is a condition "sine qua non" to achieve healthy ageing and longevity

The immune system and the impact of zinc during aging

The trace element zinc is essential for the immune system, and zinc deficiency affects multiple aspects of innate and adaptive immunity. There are remarkable parallels in the immunological changes during aging and zinc deficiency, including a reduction in the activity of the thymus and thymic hormones, a shift of the T helper cell balance toward T helper type 2 cells, decreased response to vaccination, and impaired functions of innate immune cells. Many studies confirm a decline of zinc levels with age. Most of these studies do not classify the majority of elderly as zinc deficient, but even marginal zinc deprivation can affect immune function. Consequently, oral zinc supplementation demonstrates the potential to improve immunity and efficiently downregulates chronic inflammatory responses in the elderly. These data indicate that a wide prevalence of marginal zinc deficiency in elderly people may contribute to immunosenescence

trans,trans,trans-1,4-dimethoxy-2,3,5,8-tetrabromotetralin

The title compound, C12H12Br4O2, is a derivative of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene (tetralin), with 1,4-dimethoxy and 2,3dibromo substituents on the saturated ring and 5,8-dibromo substituents on the aromatic ring. The molecule occupies a special position on a twofold axis and the saturated ring has a half-chair conformation

Seroprevalence of tetanus immunity among noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients

WOS: 000188952300005PubMed: 12954154Tetanus is a preventable disease that continues to affect people in both developing and developed countries. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the immunity profile to tetanus in patients with Type II diabetes mellitus (DM) and to compare them with healthy controls. The tetanus antitoxin levels in 310 diabetic patients (104 males and 206 females) and in 200 healthy controls (72 males and 128 females) were measured by ELISA (Virotech, Germany). The mean antitoxin concentration in patient and control groups were 0.8238+/-1.61 and 0.9978+/-1.49 IU/ml, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (z = -3.520, P = .0001 and odds ratio was 2.367). There was a definitive inverse correlation between the duration of diabetes and tetanus antibody titers (Spearman's correlation analysis, r = -.155, P = .006). A gender-dependent difference in the susceptibility to tetanus was present in the diabetic group with antibody titers being significantly higher in males compared with females (z = -2.267, P = .023). For both of control (chi(2) = 20.207, P = .003) and patient (chi(2) = 43.532, P = .0001) groups, there was a significant inverse correlation between the tetanus immunity levels and age. Statistically, a significant drop in antibody titers of both groups was found as the period past from the last immunization increased (Pearson correlation analysis: for patient group r = -.364, P = .0001; for control group r = -.143, P = .044). The tetanus antitoxin levels were significantly increased in individuals who had primary immunization during childhood (for patient group chi(2) = 17.191, P = .0001; for control group chi(2) = 9.911, P = .007). A significant reduction in the level of antitoxin immunity to tetanus in association with an increased susceptibility to infections in patients with diabetes may implicate the need for improving vaccination rates in this patient group. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved