Associação entre características pessoais, organização do trabalho e presença de dor em funcionários de uma indústria moveleira

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are diseases that affect the soft tissues. Of an insidious and multifactor nature, they often result from ergonomic risks, and show pains as a common symptom. This study searched for possible associations between personal features, labour organization and pain incidence among employees at a furniture manufacturer in the city of Araçatuba, SP. A questionnaire was administered to a sample of 158 employees from the company's different sectors in 2007, with questions addressing age and sex, labour issues (sector, seniority, position, and weekly working hours), as well as musculoskeletal pain symptoms. Pain was reported by 58.9% of the employees and significantly related to gender (p=0.0001), sector (p=0.0021), position (p=0.0135), and weekly working hours (p=0.0123). Pain was predominant in women, depending on sector, position, and weekly working hours. In order to relieve pain, most workers took medicine or simply ignored it. Results point to the need to physical therapy treatment and preventive action.Os distúrbios osteomusculares relacionados ao trabalho são afecções que atingem os tecidos moles. Têm um nexo causal com fatores de risco ergonômicos e um caráter insidioso e multifatorial, apresentando como sintoma comum dores musculoesqueléticas. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar possível associação entre características pessoais, organização do trabalho e presença de dor em funcionários de uma indústria moveleira no município de Araçatuba, SP. Foi aplicado um questionário a uma amostra de 158 funcionários de diversos setores da empresa, com questões de caráter sociodemográfico (sexo, idade), trabalhista (setor, tempo de serviço, função desempenhada e jornada de trabalho semanal), bem como sobre sintomas dolorosos musculoesqueléticos. Dor foi relatada por 58,9% dos funcionários e relacionada de maneira significativa com o sexo (p=0,0001), setor de trabalho (p=0,0021), função desempenhada (p=0,0135) e jornada de trabalho semanal (p=0,0123). A dor predominou em mulheres, dependendo do setor, da função desempenhada e da jornada de trabalho semanal. Para tentar saná-la, a maioria dos trabalhadores usa medicamentos ou adota a atitude de ignorá-la. Os resultados sugerem a necessidade de intervenção fisioterapêutica preventiva

Avaliação da curvatura dorsal em mulheres idosas pelo índice da cifose torácica

Thoracic kyphosis is a physiological convexity of the spine that may increase due to muscular-skeletal alterations or in advanced age. This study aimed at evaluating alterations of the thoracic kyphosis in women over 60, comparing results obtained with standard values pointed to by literature. The study involved 72 women over 60, divided into 5-year categories. Two examiners assessed the thoracic kyphosis by using a flexible ruler and moulding the spine curvature between the 7th cervical and 2nd sacral vertebrae. Measures taken by the two examiners were compared by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC); the index of thoracic kyphosis (ITK) was calculated for each woman. Possible associations between age, kind of work and the ITK were searched for. Results showed: strong reproducibility (ICC=0.85; the 60-to-64 age group presented the largest proportion of assessed subjects (31.9%) and the greatest proportion of ITK alterations (45.1%) when compared to standard values; no relation could be established between normal and altered values, and age or work. The method proved to be non=invasive, simple and a low-cost one. Less than 50% of the sample presented ITK alterations.A cifose torácica é uma convexidade fisiológica da coluna vertebral, podendo encontrar-se aumentada devido a alterações musculoesqueléticas ou em idade mais avançada. Os objetivos deste estudo foram avaliar a cifose torácica em mulheres acima de 60 anos ecomparar os resultados obtidos com os valores padrões da literatura. O estudo envolveu 72 mulheres com mais de 60 anos agrupadas em faixas de idade a cada 5 anos. Foi utilizada para avaliação da curvatura da cifose torácica, feita por dois examinadores, uma régua flexível, moldando a curvatura vertebral entre a coluna cervical (7a vértebra) e sacral (2a vértebra). As medidas feitas pelos dois avaliadores foram comparadas pelo coeficiente de correlação intraclasse (CCI) e foi calculado para cada mulher o índice da cifose torácica (ICT); também foi verificado se havia relação entre a idade, o tipo de trabalho e o ICT. Os resultados mostraram: forte reprodutibilidade (CCI=0,85); a categoria entre 60 e 64 anos foi a que apresentou maior proporção de participantes avaliadas (31,9%) e maior proporção de alterações do ICT (45,1%) quando comparadas com o valor padrão; não houve associação entre os valores normais e alterados quanto à idade nem ao tipo de trabalho. O método, não-invasivo, é simples e de baixo custo. Menos de 50% da amostra apresentou alterações no ICT

Consumo de Energia Elétrica e Jitter em redes IEEE 802.11 / Power Consumption and Jitter in IEEE 802.11 Networks

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo verificar a relação entre o consumo de energia elétrica e o jitter em redes de comunicação. Foram realizados estudos sobre as redes de comunicação, QoS, potência ativa, e foi implementada uma bancada de testes para a aferição dessa relação. Todos os ensaios foram realizados nos laboratórios da PUC-Campinas. Como conclusão, foi observado que não existe relação entre o aumento do consumo de energia elétrica e o aumento de valores de jitter

Design and synthesis of new benzophenone derivatives with in vivo anti-inflammatory activity through dual inhibition of edema and neutrophil recruitment.

A series of novel benzophenone derivatives containing a thiazole heterocyclic nucleus were designed by molecular hybridization. Molecular docking studies have demonstrated the inhibitory potential of the designed compounds against cyclooxygenase (COX) isoenzymes. These compounds were synthesized, characterized, and evaluated for their anti-inflammatory properties by the croton oil-induced ear edema assay to examine their effect on both prostaglandin (PG) production and neutrophils recruitment. The thiazole derivatives displayed a potent effect in terms of reducing ear edema. The analysis suggested that the presence of 4-phenyl-2-hydrazinothiazole and the absence of C40 -OCH3 on the benzophenone derivative structure are strongly related to the inhibition of PG production. In addition, the derivatives 2e, 3a and 3c concomitantly inhibit PG production and neutrophil recruitment, which may be a mechanism of action better than of common NSAIDs due to their inability to inhibit the neutrophil recruitment. Thus, these compounds can be considered as potential lead compounds toward the development of new anti-inflammatory drugs with an innovating mechanism of actio

The Evolution of Photocatalytic Membrane Reactors over the Last 20 Years: A State of the Art Perspective

The research on photocatalytic membrane reactors (PMRs) started around the year 2000 with the study of wastewater treatment by degradation reactions of recalcitrant organic pollutants, and since then the evolution of our scientific knowledge has increased significantly, broadening interest in reactions such as the synthesis of organic chemicals. In this paper, we focus on some initial problems and how they have been solved/reduced over time to improve the performance of processes in PMRs. Some know-how gained during these last two decades of research concerns decreasing/avoiding the degradation of the polymeric membranes, improving photocatalyst reuse, decreasing membrane fouling, enhancing visible light photocatalysts, and improving selectivity towards the reaction product(s) in synthesis reactions (partial oxidation and reduction). All these aspects are discussed in detail in this review. This technology seems quite mature in the case of water and wastewater treatment using submerged photocatalytic membrane reactors (SPMRs), while for applications concerning synthesis reactions, additional knowledge is required

An Overview on Exploitation of Graphene-Based Membranes: From Water Treatment to Medical Industry, Including Recent Fighting against COVID-19

Graphene and its derivatives have lately been the subject of increased attention for different environmental applications of membrane technology such as water treatment and air filtration, exploiting their antimicrobial and antiviral activity. They are interesting candidates as membrane materials for their outstanding mechanical and chemical stability and for their thin two-dimensional (2D) nanostructure with potential pore engineering for advanced separation. All these applications have evolved and diversified from discovery to today, and now graphene and graphene derivatives also offer fascinating opportunities for the fight against infective diseases such as COVID-19 thanks to their antimicrobial and antiviral properties. This paper presents an overview of graphene-based 2D materials, their preparation and use as membrane material for applications in water treatment and in respiratory protection devices

Application of Hybrid Membrane Processes Coupling Separation and Biological or Chemical Reaction in Advanced Wastewater Treatment

The rapid urbanization and water shortage impose an urgent need in improving sustainable water management without compromising the socioeconomic development all around the world. In this context, reclaimed wastewater has been recognized as a sustainable water management strategy since it represents an alternative water resource for non-potable or (indirect) potable use. The conventional wastewater remediation approaches for the removal of different emerging contaminants (pharmaceuticals, dyes, metal ions, etc.) are unable to remove/destroy them completely. Hybrid membrane processes (HMPs) are a powerful solution for removing emerging pollutants from wastewater. On this aspect, the present paper focused on HMPs obtained by the synergic coupling of biological and/or chemical reaction driven processes with membrane processes, giving a critical overview and particular emphasis on some case studies reported in the pertinent literature. By using these processes, a satisfactory quality of treated water can be achieved, permitting its sustainable reuse in the hydrologic cycle while minimizing environmental and economic impact

Hydrogen Production and Organic Synthesis in Photocatalytic Membrane Reactors: A Review

Photocatalytic Membrane Reactors (PMRs) are green and promising technologies for sustainable applications. The recent scientific literature on PMRs is reviewed with a particular focus on the photocatalytic hydrogen production from water splitting, CO2 conversion to solar fuels (CH3OH, C2H5OH, CH4 and HCOOH) and organic synthesis such as oxidation (benzene to phenol, cyclohexane to cyclohexanol, ferulic acid to vanillin) and reduction reactions (acetophenone to phenylethanol). Different types of PMRs, synthesis of various photocatalytic membranes and modification of some semiconductors, to improve selectivity and yield also under visible light, are discussed. The described results show that combination of photocatalysis and a membrane process to build PMRs is a promising approach in view of large-scale application and use of solar energy

Visible-Light Photocatalysts and Their Perspectives for Building Photocatalytic Membrane Reactors for Various Liquid Phase Chemical Conversions

Photocatalytic organic synthesis/conversions and water treatment under visible light are a challenging task to use renewable energy in chemical transformations. In this review a brief overview on the mainly employed visible light photocatalysts and a discussion on the problems and advantages of Vis-light versus UV-light irradiation is reported. Visible light photocatalysts in the photocatalytic conversion of CO2, conversion of acetophenone to phenylethanol, hydrogenation of nitro compounds, oxidation of cyclohexane, synthesis of vanillin and phenol, as well as hydrogen production and water treatment are discussed. Some applications of these photocatalysts in photocatalytic membrane reactors (PMRs) for carrying out organic synthesis, conversion and/or degradation of organic pollutants are reported. The described cases show that PMRs represent a promising green technology that could shift on applications of industrial interest using visible light (from Sun) active photocatalysts

Graphene and titanium based semiconductors in photocatalytic hydrogen and oxygen generation and hydrogenation of organics also in membrane reactors

Dottorata di Ricerca in"Ingegneria Chimica dei Materiali" Scuola di Dottorata "Pitagora" in Scienze Ingegneristiche, Ciclo XXVI, a.a.2012-2013The development of graphene (G)-based materials as photocatalysts has become in the last years of high interest due to their sustainability and flexibility in the modification and design, particularly in the field of photocatalytic generation of hydrogen. Carbon based materials are sustainable when they are derived from renewable biomass feedstocks. G is a versatile material allowing different modification strategies to improve its activity. Thus, the present thesis reports that inserting heteroatoms, adding semiconductors or changing the layers size, the activity of the materials prepared can be improved for different applications. Sun light is one of major renewable energy resource. The use of light as driving force for chemical reactions has attracted much attention of organic chemists. Heterogeneous photocatalysis is a discipline which includes a large variety of reactions, in particular hydrogen (considered the perfect renewable energy source in the future) and oxygen generation from water and hydrogenation of multiple bonds are the target of this PhD thesis. Photocatalytic reductions represent an alternative to conventional catalytic hydrogenation and it represent a more sustainable method to synthesize organic compounds under mild conditions in the presence of affordable photocatalysts. Photocatalytic processes in membrane reactors represent a technology of great scientific interest because it allows chemical reactions and separation processes to be accomplished in one step, which in turn results in lower processing cost and minimum environmental impact. The preparation and characterization of G-based semiconductors has been carried out in the first part of the Thesis and their photocatalytic activity for hydrogen and oxygen generation from water was determined in the second part. Graphite was oxidized to graphene oxide (GO) and its photocatalytic activity for hydrogen generation from water/methanol mixtures with visible or solar light was enhanced by the presence of dyes, in the absence of any noble metal. The most efficient tested photocatalyst was the one containing a tris(2,2-bipyridyl) ruthenium(II) complex incorporated in the interlayer spaces of a few layers of GO platelets with a moderate degree of oxidation. This photocatalyst was two orders of magnitude more efficient than a titania based photocatalyst containing Au, when the reaction is performed under 532 nm laser as excitation light. Doping G with nitrogen by pyrolysis of chitosan leads to a material that behaves as a semiconductor and exhibits high efficiency for the photocatalytic generation of hydrogen from water-methanol mixtures with similar efficiency using UV or visible light. This similar photocatalytic activity wis due to the fact that, in contrast to GO, N-doped G exhibits an almost “neutral” absorption spectrum. The main parameter controlling the residual amount of nitrogen and the resulting photocatalytic activity is the pyrolysis temperature that produces an optimal material when the thermal treatment is carried out at 900 °C. Furthermore, N-doped G was able to generate hydrogen also upon illumination of simulated sunlight. The use of G as co-catalyst of metal oxides semiconductors to enhance their photocatalytic activity has been extensively reported. Using alginate, a natural polysaccharide from algae, simultaneously as G precursor and as ceria nanoparticles template agent, a series of materials consisting of highly crystalline ceria nanoparticles embedded on a few layers G matrix has been prepared. Varying the weight percentage of ceria/alginate and the pyrolysis temperature, it was possible to prepare a ceria/G photocatalyst that exhibits about three times higher photocatalytic activity for water oxidation to oxygen than commercial ceria. Pyrolysis at 900 °C under inert atmosphere of alginate renders a graphitic carbon that upon ablation by exposure to a pulsed 532 nm laser (7 ns, 50 mJ pulse−1) in acetonitrile, water, and other solvents leads to the formation of multilayer graphitic quantum dots. The dimensions and the number of layers of these graphitic nanoparticles decrease along the number of laser pulses leading to G quantum dots (GQDs). Accordingly, the emission intensity of these GQDs increases along the number of laser shots, the maximum emission intensity appearing at about 500 nm in the visible region increasing in intensity along the reduction of the particle size. Transient absorption spectroscopy has allowed detection of a transient signal decaying in the microsecond time scale that has been attributed to the charge separation state. During the second part of the present thesis the photocatalytic hydrogenation of acetophenone by using titanium based semiconductors in batch and membrane reactors under UV and visible light has been studied. Different photocatalytic tests have been performed using ethanol or water and formic acid in a batch reactor in order to optimize the reaction parameters before to be applied in membrane reactors with different substrate addition mode. The use of a membrane reactor system for the photocatalytic hydrogenation of acetophenone in water solution with formic acid as hydrogen and electron donor was found to improve the efficiency of the photocatalytic system with respect to the use of batch reactor. The most efficient system for photocatalytic hydrogenation of acetophenone in terms of productivity, amount of phenylethanol produced and extraction of desired product was found to be the membrane reactor in which acetophenone was used as both organic phase and substrate. The presence of palladium enhances the visible light photocatalytic activity of TiO2 photocatalyst, that is not active alone. The productivity by using Pd/TiO2 photocatalyst under visible light increases five times more than using TiO2 under UV lightUniversità della Calabri