Applications of the Standardized Nordic Questionnaire: A Review

Sustainability seeks to provide economically viable products in an environmentally friendly way while respecting worker rights. Physical wellbeing forms part of these rights. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) diminish productivity, cause absence from work, impose costs on the public health system and can cast doubt on the sustainability of a company or a product. The objective of the present work is to review the literature on the application of the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) on a worldwide level. In this work, the use of the NMQ has been classified by categories of knowledge, countries and years. The search was made using “Web of Science-Core Collection”. In total, 259 articles were chosen from scientific journals and conferences related, according to the title and or abstract, to the practical application of the questionnaire. In conclusion, the NMQ has been applied mainly in three sectors: “activities related to treating human health and social issues”, “manufacturing industries”, and “agriculture, livestock, fishing, and forestry”. The NMQ is an indirect method commonly used individually or complemented with other methods for evaluating the MSD and possible associated psychosocial and labour risks. The use of NMQ can help in the evaluation of the sustainability of a company

The Effect of Haptic Feedback on Basic Social. Interaction within Shared Virtual Environments

This paper describes an experiment that studies the effect of basic haptic feedback in creating a sense of social interaction within a shared virtual environment (SVE). Although there have been a number of studies investigating the effect of haptic feedback on collaborative task performance, they do not address the effect it has in inducing social presence. The purpose of this experiment is to show that haptic feedback enhances the sense of social presence within a mediated environment. An experiment was carried out using a shared desktop based virtual environment where 20 remotely located couples who did not know one another had to solve a puzzle together. In 10 groups they had shared haptic communication through their hands, and in another group they did not. Hence the haptic feedback was not used for completing the task itself, but rather as a means of social interacting – communicating with the other participant. The results suggest that basic haptic feedback increases the sense of social presence within the shared VE

A Performance Management System in Healthcare for All Seasons?

Health systems face challenges which are inherent to care demand and supply evolution (i.e., demographic change, new technologies) or are the results of unexpected occurrence originating outside the health system, such as economic shocks or epidemic outbreaks. Both challenges often require a paradigm shift in governance and organization, financing and resource allocation, accountability frameworks, as well as public health system responses. Based on key reviews and seminal papers of performance management, public health, sustainability and resilience, the article presents three emerging challenges for performance management systems in healthcare: i) the inclusion of the population approach; ii) the measurement and consideration of the multi-facets concepts of value; iii) the importance of resilience and sustainability. Performance management systems need to evolve to cope with this changing scenario. The article sheds light on uncovered areas by performance management, and it proposes a research agenda for scholars of both performance management and health service research

ExamRandomizeR: Una aplicación web para la generación de exámenes aleatorizados que faciliten situar el Examen como herramienta de aprendizaje y no solo de evaluación en el aula de matemáticas

[EN] In this paper we present the development and usage of an interactive application for teaching mathematics, which facilitates the improvements of teaching and learning processes and it promotes the participation of students in the development of a dinamic class. The application has been programmed with R and the package Shiny. The application is able to generate, from a set of previously introduced questions, different randomized versions of the original exam, with their corresponding answers , thereby facilitating and automating the exam creation work.[ES] En este trabajo se presenta el desarrollo y uso de una aplicación web interactivacomo herramienta docente para la docencia de las matemáticas,que permite mejorar el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje del alumnado ydesarrollar en el aula estilos educativos interactivos para fomentar la participación de los y las estudiantes. La aplicación ha sido programada conR y la librería Shiny.Esta aplicación es capaz de generar de forma aleatoria, a partir de unaserie de preguntas introducidas previamente, exámenes aleatorizados, diferentes,junto con sus correspondientes soluciones, pudiendo así facilitary automatizar estas tareas.Proyecto desarrollado con colaboración del Servicio de Apoyo a la Investigacóon (SAI) de la Universidad de MurciaFerre Jáen, E.; Del Río Alonso, L.; Maurandi López, A. (2017). ExamRandomizeR: Una aplicación web para la generación de exámenes aleatorizados que faciliten situar el Examen como herramienta de aprendizaje y no solo de evaluación en el aula de matemáticas. En In-Red 2017. III Congreso Nacional de innovación educativa y de docencia en red. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 195-204. https://doi.org/10.4995/INRED2017.2017.6849OCS19520

Disección coronaria espontánea: características clínicas, manejo terapéutico y pronóstico en una cohorte de pacientes de Aragón

Introducción y objetivos: La disección coronaria espontánea (DCE) es una entidad infradiagnosticada e infrecuente de síndrome coronario agudo (SCA) que afecta predominantemente a mujeres de mediana edad. El objetivo de este estudio fue identificar las características clínicas y formas de manejo terapéutico de los pacientes con DCE en nuestro medio, así como determinar su incidencia y estudiar los eventos adversos a corto y largo plazo.Métodos: Estudio descriptivo observacional de una cohorte de pacientes con DCE ingresados en un hospital terciario de Aragón durante el período 2009-2019. La población del estudio estuvo formada por todos los pacientes consecutivos diagnosticados de DCE mediante un cateterismo cardíaco realizado en la Unidad de Hemodinámica del Hospital Miguel Servet. Se analizan las características clínicas, angiográficas, formas de manejo terapéutico y los eventos cardiovasculares a través de la revisión de la historia clínica electrónica. Resultados: Entre enero de 2009 y agosto de 2019 se diagnosticó de DCE a 58 pacientes. Las DCE representaron un 0,5% de todos los SCA ocurridos en ese periodo. La media de edad fue de 57,7±12,4 años (el 72,4% mujeres). La presentación más frecuente fue como síndrome coronario agudo sin elevación del segmento ST (58,6%). Las arterias que con mayor frecuencia se afectaron fueron la arteria descendente anterior y la circunfleja (31% de los casos cada una). El tipo morfológico más frecuente fue el tipo 2b (52,1%). En la mayoría de los casos (72,4%) se optó por un tratamiento conservador. La mediana de seguimiento fue de 6,1 [2,99-8,52] años. Durante el ingreso hospitalario, 5 pacientes presentaron algún evento cardiovascular adverso mayor (MACE) y otros 3 fallecieron. Se registraron un total de 9 muertes (15,5%) y 10 pacientes presentaron MACE. La recurrencia de DCE fue del 6,9%. Conclusión: La DCE afecta predominantemente a mujeres de mediana edad. El tipo angiográfico predominante es el tipo 2b. Se prefiere el tratamiento médico conservador. La incidencia de DCE en nuestro medio es baja. Hubo una elevada tasa de eventos adversos en el seguimiento a largo plazo. <br /

Musculoskeletal disorders of agricultural workers in the greenhouses of Almeria (Southeast Spain)

En el sureste de España (Almería) se encuentra la mayor concentración de cultivos de invernadero de Europa. Se emplean directamente a 55000 personas. El objetivo de esta investigación fue evaluar las condiciones laborales musculoesqueléticas de los trabajadores de invernaderos a través del cuestionario nórdico estandarizado. Este cuestionario presenta 28 preguntas de opción múltiple referidas a diferentes partes del cuerpo. Se cumplimentaron un total de 1002 cuestionarios y se recogió información sobre nueve variables sociodemográficas de cada trabajador: sexo, edad, altura, peso, superficie, cultivo, estaca, invernadero y nacionalidad. Aunque los resultados muestran una alta tasa general de síntomas de trastornos musculoesqueléticos (TME), estos hallazgos no significan que los trabajadores no puedan realizar tareas agrícolas

The Outcomes of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus after a Telecare Approach Are Not Inferior to Traditional Outpatient Clinic Visits

Objective. To evaluate the feasibility of a telemedicine system based on Internet and a short message service in pregnancy and its influence on delivery and neonatal outcomes of women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods. 100 women diagnosed of GDM were randomized into two parallel groups, a control group based on traditional face-to-face outpatient clinic visits and an intervention group, which was provided with a Telemedicine system for the transmission of capillary glucose data and short text messages with weekly professional feedback. 97 women completed the study (48/49, resp.). Main Outcomes Measured. The percentage of women achieving HbA1c values <5.8%, normal vaginal delivery and having a large for-gestational-age newborn were evaluated. Results. Despite a significant reduction in outpatient clinic visits in the experimental group, particularly in insulin-treated women (2.4 versus 4.6 hours per insulin-treated woman resp.; P < .001), no significant differences were found between the experimental and traditional groups regarding HbA1c levels (all women had HbA1c <5.8% during pregnancy), normal vaginal delivery (40.8% versus 54.2%, resp.; P > .05) and large-for-gestational-age newborns (6.1% versus 8.3%, resp.; P > .05). Conclusions. The system significantly reduces the need for outpatient clinic visits and achieves similar pregnancy, delivery, and newborn outcomes

Quaternary structure of a G-protein coupled receptor heterotetramer in complex with Gi and Gs

Background: G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), in the form of monomers or homodimers that bind heterotrimeric G proteins, are fundamental in the transfer of extracellular stimuli to intracellular signaling pathways. Different GPCRs may also interact to form heteromers that are novel signaling units. Despite the exponential growth in the number of solved GPCR crystal structures, the structural properties of heteromers remain unknown. Results: We used single-particle tracking experiments in cells expressing functional adenosine A1-A2A receptors fused to fluorescent proteins to show the loss of Brownian movement of the A1 receptor in the presence of the A2A receptor, and a preponderance of cell surface 2:2 receptor heteromers (dimer of dimers). Using computer modeling, aided by bioluminescence resonance energy transfer assays to monitor receptor homomerization and heteromerization and G-protein coupling, we predict the interacting interfaces and propose a quaternary structure of the GPCR tetramer in complex with two G proteins. Conclusions: The combination of results points to a molecular architecture formed by a rhombus-shaped heterotetramer, which is bound to two different interacting heterotrimeric G proteins (Gi and Gs). These novel results constitute an important advance in understanding the molecular intricacies involved in GPCR function

High Efficiency Planar Geometry Germanium-on-silicon Single-photon Avalanche Diode Detectors

This paper presents the performance of 26 μm and 50 μm diameter planar Ge-on-Si single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) detectors. The addition of germanium in these detectors extends the spectral range into the short-wave infrared (SWIR) region, beyond the capability of already well-established Si SPAD devices. There are several advantages for extending the spectral range into the SWIR region including: reduced eye-safety laser threshold, greater attainable ranges, and increased depth resolution in range finding applications, in addition to the enhanced capability to image through obscurants such as fog and smoke. The time correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC) technique has been utilized to observe record low dark count rates, below 100 kHz at a temperature of 125 K for up to a 6.6 % excess bias, for the 26 μm diameter devices. Under identical experimental conditions, in terms of excess bias and temperature, the 50 μm diameter device consistently demonstrates dark count rates a factor of 4 times greater than 26 μm diameter devices, indicating that the dark count rate is proportional to the device volume. Single-photon detection efficiencies of up to ~ 29 % were measured at a wavelength of 1310 nm at 125 K. Noise equivalent powers (NEP) down to 9.8 × 10-17 WHz-1/2 and jitters &lt; 160 ps are obtainable, both significantly lower than previous 100 μm diameter planar geometry devices, demonstrating the potential of these devices for highly sensitive and high-speed imaging in the SWIR

Role of GUCA1C in Primary Congenital Glaucoma and in the Retina: Functional Evaluation in Zebrafish

Primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) is a heterogeneous, inherited, and severe optical neuropathy caused by apoptotic degeneration of the retinal ganglion cell layer. Whole-exome sequencing analysis of one PCG family identified two affected siblings who carried a low-frequency homozygous nonsense GUCA1C variant (c.52G > T/p.Glu18Ter/rs143174402). This gene encodes GCAP3, a member of the guanylate cyclase activating protein family, involved in phototransduction and with a potential role in intraocular pressure regulation. Segregation analysis supported the notion that the variant was coinherited with the disease in an autosomal recessive fashion. GCAP3 was detected immunohistochemically in the adult human ocular ciliary epithelium and retina. To evaluate the ocular effect of GUCA1C loss-of-function, a guca1c knockout zebrafish line was generated by CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated the presence of GCAP3 in the non-pigmented ciliary epithelium and retina of adult wild-type fishes. Knockout animals presented up-regulation of the glial fibrillary acidic protein in Müller cells and evidence of retinal ganglion cell apoptosis, indicating the existence of gliosis and glaucoma-like retinal damage. In summary, our data provide evidence for the role of GUCA1C as a candidate gene in PCG and offer new insights into the function of this gene in the ocular anterior segment and the retina.This research was funded by research grants from the “Instituto de Salud Carlos III/European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)” (PI15/01193, PI19/00208 and RD16/0008/0019, OFTARED), the Regional Ministry of Science and Technology of the Board of the Communities of “Castilla-La Mancha” (SBPLY/17/180501/000404; http://www.educa.jccm.es/idiuniv/es). SA-M was sponsored by the Regional Ministry of Science and Technology of the Board of the Communities of “Castilla-La Mancha” (PREJCCM2016/28)