Basic occupational safety and health for small-scale fishing workers in rural communities in Latin America using a community-based approach

Background Divers and fishermen in Chile’s small-scale fishing communities lack basic occupational safety and health. We aimed to evaluate potential long-term effects on cognitive function among divers in southern Chile and to address occupational health problems at the community level. This approach was then part of a pilot training project on basic occupational health for rural communities of Latin America. Methods Quantitative and qualitative research methods were applied. Publication one refers to the participatory approach in diagnosing working conditions and health in the fishing community. The second contribution is a cross-sectional study on the evaluation of the executive function of shellfish divers and its relationship with the history of decompression illness. The last publication reports on the implementation and evaluation of the pilot training project which was applied in four rural communities of Latin America. Results Failures in executive function of divers were related to their history of decompression illness. A network built by the former paramedic of the rural post connecting fishermen, authorities and stakeholders was recognized by the community as the driving force to avoid fatalities due to the disease in the past. Having health personnel trained in handling and preventing the disease is a current community’s need. After implementing the pilot training project, the lack of occupational health knowledge among rural health workers, intersectorality in addressing multiple health-related factors in rural areas, and local public policies addressing occupational health in primary care were the major findings. Conclusion Community participation and involvement of primary health care are essential to provide basic occupational safety and health for workers in small-scale fisheries and other rural communities. To make this feasible and sustained, an integrated vision of human health and the training of health professionals in such vision, along with public policy integrating workers’ health into primary health care are needed in Latin America

Strategies for Iron Mobilization and Uptake in Plant Roots(Minireview, Field Science Center, Environmental Crop Science)

Despite of its abundance in soil, iron (Fe) is still one of the most common nutrients limiting plant growth and development because it exists mostly in low-soluble form that is hardly available for plants. Therefore, plants have evolved two distinct uptake strategies, the reduction (Strategy I) mechanism and the chelation (Strategy II) mechanism. This paper reviews some recent studies in regard to both strategies that are important for iron acquisition, mobilization and uptake in plant roots. These key processes are believed to be relevant for the supply of Fe to plants as well as for supplying human nutritional needs.Alkaline soilIron nutritionMugineic acidStrategy IStrategy I

Effects of FeAgri, a novel iron-containing material, on the growth of dicotyledonous crops grown on river sand

The effects of "FeAgri", a novel iron-containing material, on the growth of lettuce (Lactuca sativa), crown daisy (Chrysanthenum coronarium), cabbage (Brassica oleracea) and Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris) were studied in the greenhouse using Wagner pots with river sand. Cabbage showed the most significant responses in terms of leaf color and fresh weight to different levels of the Fe-containing material. There were also some differences in plant length, leaf width, shoot and root dry weight, but they were not statistically significant. Lettuce showed a significant difference in leaf color and also showed some differences in other growth factors and iron concentration of leaf. Chinese cabbage showed a significant difference in fresh weight and some differences in other growth factor. However, in the case of crown daisy, there were differences in plant length, leaf color, fresh weight, and root and shoot dry weights, but no statistically significant differences in all growth factors examined.Original Pape

Problematic of the Pelagia noctiluca outbreaks in the Bay of Calvi (Corsica)

peer reviewedThe interannual variations of the Schyphozoan jellyfish Pelagia noctiluca is estimated by weekly measurements in the Bay of Calvi (Corsica) from 2003. The mean annual abundance reaches a dramatic maximum in 2006. The medusae appear by migration of active swarms on the shelf and at the external limit of the Bay. Degraded individuals drift as passive swarms, throughout inner side of the Bay and embayments

A cross-sectional questionnaire-based descriptive study exploring the presence of behavioral risk factors for infection with Zika virus among students and employees at an institution of higher education in South Florida.

In 2016 and 2017, South Florida was involved in an outbreak of locally-transmitted Zika virus. This questionnaire- based descriptive pilot study demonstrated the presence of behaviors that may be associated with increased risk of Zika transmission in a sample of respondents selected from an institution of higher education in the region. The majority of the 101 respondents living in Miami-Dade County reported inconsistent or no use of mosquito bite prevention methods, over one third (38.6%) traveled to local areas of active transmission, and almost two thirds (64.7%) of those reporting that their sexual partners traveled to local zones of viral transmission did not use barrier protection. The majority of all respondents reported awareness that the virus can be spread by mosquito-borne and sexual transmission (99.0%), and that infection can be avoided by preventing mosquito bites (98.0%) and sexual transmission (96.0%). Over half (52.5%) did not believe they were at risk of infection. South Florida remains at risk of outbreaks due to ongoing travel between the area and regions reporting continued Zika transmission, year-round presence of the vector, and the virus’ ability transmit sexually. Further analysis is needed to determine whether findings are reproducible in the South Florida community

Decoupling of arsenic and iron release from ferrihydrite suspension under reducing conditions: a biogeochemical model

High levels of arsenic in groundwater and drinking water are a major health problem. Although the processes controlling the release of As are still not well known, the reductive dissolution of As-rich Fe oxyhydroxides has so far been a favorite hypothesis. Decoupling between arsenic and iron redox transformations has been experimentally demonstrated, but not quantitatively interpreted. Here, we report on incubation batch experiments run with As(V) sorbed on, or co-precipitated with, 2-line ferrihydrite. The biotic and abiotic processes of As release were investigated by using wet chemistry, X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption and genomic techniques. The incubation experiments were carried out with a phosphate-rich growth medium and a community of Fe(III)-reducing bacteria under strict anoxic conditions for two months. During the first month, the release of Fe(II) in the aqueous phase amounted to only 3% to 10% of the total initial solid Fe concentration, whilst the total aqueous As remained almost constant after an initial exchange with phosphate ions. During the second month, the aqueous Fe(II) concentration remained constant, or even decreased, whereas the total quantity of As released to the solution accounted for 14% to 45% of the total initial solid As concentration. At the end of the incubation, the aqueous-phase arsenic was present predominately as As(III) whilst X-ray absorption spectroscopy indicated that more than 70% of the solid-phase arsenic was present as As(V). X-ray diffraction revealed vivianite Fe(II)3(PO4)2.8H2O in some of the experiments. A biogeochemical model was then developed to simulate these aqueous- and solid-phase results. The two main conclusions drawn from the model are that (1) As(V) is not reduced during the first incubation month with high Eh values, but rather re-adsorbed onto the ferrihydrite surface, and this state remains until arsenic reduction is energetically more favorable than iron reduction, and (2) the release of As during the second month is due to its reduction to the more weakly adsorbed As(III) which cannot compete against carbonate ions for sorption onto ferrihydrite. The model was also successfully applied to recent experimental results on the release of arsenic from Bengal delta sediments

Bolus rheology and ease of swallowing of particulated semi-solid foods as evaluated by an elderly panel

Preparation of a bolus is a complex process with both food comminution and degree of lubrication with saliva playing an important role in a safe swallow. Swallowing disorders i.e. dysphagia, are especially present among the elderly population and often lead to choking and further health complications. The aim of this research was to investigate the relationship between the perception of ease of swallowing in the elderly and the rheological parameters of particulated foods, using broccoli purees as a model system. Particulated foods can be described as a concentrated dispersion of plant particles in a fluid phase. The effect of the fluid phase (Newtonian vs. shear thinning) and dispersed phase (plant particles with different size distribution and morphology) on the rheological properties of simulated boli was studied by characterising shear viscosity, viscoelasticity, yield stress, extensional viscosity and cohesiveness. Ease of swallowing and mouthfeel were evaluated by a semi trained healthy elderly panel (n = 19, aged 61 to 81). Ease of swallowing was correlated with the presence of yield stress and extensional viscosity in the bolus, characteristic of boli with xanthan gum as the fluid phase. Although the properties of the fluid phase played a dominant role in the ease of swallowing, compared to the dispersed phase, both components played a role in the rheological properties of the bolus and the perception of ease of swallowing by the elderly panel. These results provide insights into the design of personalised foods for populations with specific needs such as those suffering from swallowing disorders

Automatic activies of the spinal cord concerned with the respiratory movements

1. After spinal transection at the medulla-spinal junction the thoracic respiratory movements no longer appear in the adult animals, nevertheless the sporadic spike discharges can be recorded from the intercostal muscles. 2. Both in the acute and chronic experiments the spinal cord is transected at the two levels of Th7 and Thl1 respectively and all the dorsal rootlets coming into that part of the cord lying between the transections are severed. The sporadic spike discharges with irregular intervals varying about 0.5 to 3.0 sec. can be recorded from intercostal muscles in the 8th to 10th segments of the spinal cord isolated. There can never be found any reflex influence of the skin stimulation upon the discharges, which also disappear provided the intercostal nerves innervating the muscles are severed. 3. From these results it may be concluded that the spinal cord is endowed with an ability to initiate the impulses autochthonously to excite the intercostal muscles, even though it is only poorly developed in the adult animals.</p