Effect of oral methyl-t-butyl ether (MTBE) on the male mouse reproductive tract and oxidative stress in liver

MTBE is found in water supplies used for drinking and other purposes. These experiments follow up on earlier reports of reproductive tract alterations in male mice exposed orally to MTBE and explored oxidative stress as a mode of action. CD-1 mice were gavaged with 400–2000 mg/kg MTBE on days 1, 3, and 5, injected ip with hCG (2.5 IU/g) on day 6, and necropsied on day 7. No effect was seen in testis histology or testosterone levels. Using a similar dosing protocol, others had initially reported disruption of seminiferous tubules in MTBE–gavaged mice, although later conclusions published were consistent with our findings. Another group had also reported testicular and other reproductive system abnormalities in male BALB/c mice exposed for 28 days to 80–8000 ug/ml MTBE in drinking water. We gave these MTBE concentrations to adult mice for 28 days and juvenile mice for 51 days through PND 77. Evidence of oxidative stress was examined in liver homogenates from the juvenile study using MDA, TEAC and 8OH2hG as endpoints. MTBE exposures at the levels examined indicated no significant changes in the male mouse reproductive tract and no signs of hepatic oxidative stress. This appears to be the first oral MTBE exposure of juvenile animals, and also the first to examine potential for MTBE to cause oxidative stress in vivo using a typical route of human exposure

A qualidade de vida na concepção de um grupo de professoras de enfermagem: elementos para reflexão

Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo realizado a partir do conceito de qualidade de vida adotado por MEEBERG (1993) relacionado com a opinião de um grupo de professoras de enfermagem. Observou-se que este conceito está presente na fala das entrevistadas de forma bem clara, especialmente nos atributos relacionados a satisfação com a própria vida em geral e com o estado aceitável de saúde física, mental, social e emocional.It is a qualitative study, which was realized from the concept of quality of life, adopted by Meeberg (1993) and it is related to the opinion of a group of nursing teachers. It was observed that this concept is current in the speech of the people who were interviewed in a very clear way, especially in the attributes which are related to life itself and to na acceptable physical, mental, social and emotional state

Saúde e trabalho: uma correlação de conceitos na perspectiva de uma população rural e de Christophe Dejours

This study deepens the discussion about the concept of health constructed by Christophe Dejours and the one perceived by families who are descents from Italian immigrants that are agricultural workers at the Fourth Colony of Italian Immigration, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. In this paper, the concept of health is discussed viewing the academic and popular knowledge. As the study develops, it is possible to perceive the occurrence of an approximation of the author’s thoughts with the families descendant from Italian immigrants regarding health and work. Among the elements that confirm this closeness is the fact that only the human being himself is able to establish the limits between normal and pathological.Este estúdio profundiza en la polémica sobre el concepto de salud construido por Christopher Dejours y el percibido junto a las familias de descendientes de inmigrantes italianos, trabajadores rurales de la Quarta Colônia de Imigração Italiana, RS. En este estudio se discuten los enfoques del concepto de salud en el saber académico y popular. Durante el mismo se percibió la ocurrencia de una aproximación entre el pensamiento del autor y el de las personas que componen las familias de descendientes italianos en lo que concierne a la relación entre salud y trabajo. De entre los elementos que confirman la aproximación está el hecho de que sólo el individuo es capaz de establecer los límites entre lo normal y lo patológico.Este estudo aprofunda a discussão sobre o conceito de saúde construído por Christophe Dejours e aquele percebido nas famílias de descendentes de imigrantes italianos, trabalhadores rurais da Quarta Colônia de Imigração Italiana, RS. Nesse estudo são discutidos o conceito de saúde nos saberes acadêmico e popular. Durante o mesmo percebeu-se a ocorrência de uma aproximação do pensamento de Dejours com o das famílias de descendentes italianos referente à vinculação entre saúde e trabalho. Dentre os elementos que confirmam esta aproximação está o fato de que somente o indivíduo é capaz de estabelecer os limites entre o normal e o patológico

Cargas de trabalho entre os agentes comunitários de saúde

A convergent-assistance research study with Community Health Agents of the Family Health Strategy was developed with the objective of identifying workloads they were submitted to and to promote actions to stimulate their self-care. A weekly group meeting was carried out with five workers, as well as a collective interview. Physical, chemical, organic, mechanical, and particularly psychic loads, for which there are difficulties to find measures of protection and self-care were identified. By creating awareness on the workloads to which the workers were submitted and on the potential health hazards generated by them, we believe self-care was stimulated in these groups.Fué realizada una pesquisa convergente-asistencial com los Agentes Comunitarios de Salud de la Es-trategia de Salud de la Familia con los objetivos de identificar las cargas de trabajo a la que están sometidos y promover acciones que los despiertasen para el autocuidado. Para tanto fueron realizados encuentros grupa-les semanales con cinco trabajadores, además de una entrevista colectiva. Fueron identificadas cargas físicas, químicas, orgánicas, mecánicas y, principalmente psíquicas, para las cuales hay dificultades de encontrar medidas de protección y consecuente autocuidado. Por medio de la tomada de consciencia sobre las cargas de trabajo a que están sometidos y de los potenciales agravos a la salud por ellos generados, creemos tener contribuyedo para incentivar el autocuidado de estes grupos.Foi realizada uma pesquisa convergente-assistencial junto aos Agentes Comunitários de Saúde da Estratégia de Saúde da Família com os objetivos de identificar as cargas de trabalho a que estão submetidos e promover ações que os despertassem para o autocuidado. Para tanto, foram realizados encontros grupais semanais com cinco trabalhadores de uma Equipe de Saúde da Família da cidade de Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, além de uma entrevista coletiva. As discussões e relatos foram analisados utilizando-se a Análise de Conteúdo. Foram identificadas cargas físicas, químicas, orgânicas, mecânicas e, principalmente, psíquicas, para as quais há dificuldades de encontrar medidas de proteção e conseqüente autocuidado. Por meio da tomada de consciência acerca das cargas de trabalho a que estão submetidos e dos potenciais agravos à saúde por eles gerados, acreditamos ter contribuído para incentivar o autocuidado destes grupos

Cost Analysis of Various Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza Surveillance Systems in the Dutch Egg Layer Sector

Background: As low pathogenic avian influenza viruses can mutate into high pathogenic viruses the Dutch poultry sector implemented a surveillance system for low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) based on blood samples. It has been suggested that egg yolk samples could be sampled instead of blood samples to survey egg layer farms. To support future decision making about AI surveillance economic criteria are important. Therefore a cost analysis is performed on systems that use either blood or eggs as sampled material. Methodology/Principal Findings: The effectiveness of surveillance using egg or blood samples was evaluated using scenario tree models. Then an economic model was developed that calculates the total costs for eight surveillance systems that have equal effectiveness. The model considers costs for sampling, sample preparation, sample transport, testing, communication of test results and for the confirmation test on false positive results. The surveillance systems varied in sampled material (eggs or blood), sampling location (farm or packing station) and location of sample preparation (laboratory or packing station). It is shown that a hypothetical system in which eggs are sampled at the packing station and samples prepared in a laboratory had the lowest total costs (i.e. J 273,393) a year. Compared to this a hypothetical system in which eggs are sampled at the farm and samples prepared at a laboratory, and the currently implemented system in which blood is sampled at the farm and samples prepared at a laboratory have 6 % and 39 % higher costs respectively

Evaluation of a student-run smoking cessation clinic for a medically underserved population

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Smoking is common among medically underserved populations. Accessible resources to encourage and support smoking cessation among these patients are limited. Volunteer medical student-run free smoking cessation clinics may provide an effective option to help these individuals achieve smoking abstinence. In order to demonstrate the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of a student-run clinic, we analyzed a case series of patients receiving care in a medical student-run Smoking Cessation Clinic (SCC) at the Rochester, Minnesota Salvation Army Good Samaritan Health Clinic (GSHC).</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>Between January 2005 and March 2009, 282 cigarette smokers seeking care at the SCC were analyzed. Student providers at the SCC conducted 1652 weekly individual counseling sessions averaging 18 minutes per encounter. Patients were offered a choice of pharmacotherapies including nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), bupropion, and varenicline for up to 12 weeks. Smoking abstinence was confirmed with exhaled carbon monoxide (CO). Thirty-two patients completed the entire 12-week program (11.3%). At last contact, 94 patients (33.3%) abstained from smoking for ≥ 7 days and 39 patients (13.8%) were continuously abstinent for ≥ 4 weeks. The 7-day point prevalence abstinence rates at last contact were 58.6% for varenicline, 41.2% for bupropion, 33.9% for NRT, and 23.5% for bupropion and NRT. Analyzing missing patients as smoking, the 7-day point prevalence abstinence rates were 7.1%, 8.9%, and 8.2%, at 1 month, 2 months, and 3 months after program enrollment, respectively. No serious adverse drug reactions were recorded.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our medical student-run smoking cessation clinic provided an effective and safe experience for medically underserved patients who might not otherwise have access to conventional smoking cessation programs because of high cost, lack of insurance, or other disparities. Similar medical student initiatives focusing on healthy lifestyles may be feasible and beneficial for individuals with limited access to healthcare resources.</p

Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus, Southern Mexico

Evidence of enzootic and endemic Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus circulation in southern Mexico since the 1996 epizootic was obtained from serosurveys and virus isolations

Project Brainstorm: Using Neuroscience to Connect College Students with Local Schools

Neuroscience can be used as a tool to inspire an interest in science in school children as well as to provide teaching experience to college students

Changing behaviour: Increasing the effectiveness of workplace interventions in creating pro-environmental behaviour change

There is a great deal of research outlining interventions to increase pro-environmental behaviour, many of which are aimed at employees. However, to date the results for these have not lived up to their initial promise. Instead of offering another intervention, we propose a model which identifies psychological conditions under which these interventions are most likely to succeed. Through the integration of previously separate literatures from experimental social psychology, organisational psychology, organisational behaviour and environmental psychology, we suggest that the degree to which the intervention-related goal is efficacious and attractive, self-concordant, in conflict with other goals, and perceived to be completed will affect the level and type of behaviour change. Our model aims to provide actionable knowledge that extends our understanding of the effectiveness of workplace interventions designed to increase green organisational behaviour

Gender differences in coerced patients with schizophrenia

European Commission (Quality of life and Management of Living Resources Programme, contract number QLG4-CT- 2002-01036), Czech Ministry of Education research grant MSM002160849, and research grants PRVOUK–P26/LF1/4 and PRVOUK–P03/LF1/