Workers' participation in Malta, facts and opinion

The aim of this article is to describe three cases of workers' participation recently introduced in Malta, and to report on a pilot study of reactions of workers.peer-reviewe

Mutations in ZMYND10, a Gene Essential for Proper Axonemal Assembly of Inner and Outer Dynein Arms in Humans and Flies, Cause Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a ciliopathy characterized by airway disease, infertility, and laterality defects, often caused by dual loss of the inner dynein arms (IDAs) and outer dynein arms (ODAs), which power cilia and flagella beating. Using whole-exome and candidate-gene Sanger resequencing in PCD-affected families afflicted with combined IDA and ODA defects, we found that 6/38 (16%) carried biallelic mutations in the conserved zinc-finger gene BLU (ZMYND10). ZMYND10 mutations conferred dynein-arm loss seen at the ultrastructural and immunofluorescence level and complete cilia immotility, except in hypomorphic p.Val16Gly (c.47T>G) homozygote individuals, whose cilia retained a stiff and slowed beat. In mice, Zmynd10 mRNA is restricted to regions containing motile cilia. In a Drosophila model of PCD, Zmynd10 is exclusively expressed in cells with motile cilia: chordotonal sensory neurons and sperm. In these cells, P-element-mediated gene silencing caused IDA and ODA defects, proprioception deficits, and sterility due to immotile sperm. Drosophila Zmynd10 with an equivalent c.47T>G (p.Val16Gly) missense change rescued mutant male sterility less than the wild-type did. Tagged Drosophila ZMYND10 is localized primarily to the cytoplasm, and human ZMYND10 interacts with LRRC6, another cytoplasmically localized protein altered in PCD. Using a fly model of PCD, we conclude that ZMYND10 is a cytoplasmic protein required for IDA and ODA assembly and that its variants cause ciliary dysmotility and PCD with laterality defects

Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker initiation on organ support-free days in patients hospitalized with COVID-19

IMPORTANCE Overactivation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may contribute to poor clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Objective To determine whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) initiation improves outcomes in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In an ongoing, adaptive platform randomized clinical trial, 721 critically ill and 58 non–critically ill hospitalized adults were randomized to receive an RAS inhibitor or control between March 16, 2021, and February 25, 2022, at 69 sites in 7 countries (final follow-up on June 1, 2022). INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized to receive open-label initiation of an ACE inhibitor (n = 257), ARB (n = 248), ARB in combination with DMX-200 (a chemokine receptor-2 inhibitor; n = 10), or no RAS inhibitor (control; n = 264) for up to 10 days. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was organ support–free days, a composite of hospital survival and days alive without cardiovascular or respiratory organ support through 21 days. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model. Odds ratios (ORs) greater than 1 represent improved outcomes. RESULTS On February 25, 2022, enrollment was discontinued due to safety concerns. Among 679 critically ill patients with available primary outcome data, the median age was 56 years and 239 participants (35.2%) were women. Median (IQR) organ support–free days among critically ill patients was 10 (–1 to 16) in the ACE inhibitor group (n = 231), 8 (–1 to 17) in the ARB group (n = 217), and 12 (0 to 17) in the control group (n = 231) (median adjusted odds ratios of 0.77 [95% bayesian credible interval, 0.58-1.06] for improvement for ACE inhibitor and 0.76 [95% credible interval, 0.56-1.05] for ARB compared with control). The posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitors and ARBs worsened organ support–free days compared with control were 94.9% and 95.4%, respectively. Hospital survival occurred in 166 of 231 critically ill participants (71.9%) in the ACE inhibitor group, 152 of 217 (70.0%) in the ARB group, and 182 of 231 (78.8%) in the control group (posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitor and ARB worsened hospital survival compared with control were 95.3% and 98.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this trial, among critically ill adults with COVID-19, initiation of an ACE inhibitor or ARB did not improve, and likely worsened, clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0273570

Worker's representatives versus worker's representatives:the struggle for effective and meaningful workers' participation in a ship repairing industry: an appraisal and some policy options

The development of workers' participation in Malta has been accompanied by research ever since it started in 1971. It has been possible to advance the development of actual participatory structures on the basis of systematic and in-depth evaluation. Especially since the establishment of the Workers' Participation Development Centre a regular feedback from those who live the actual participation experience to the researchers of the Centre, was obtained. In that framework of interaction between research and practice some major research studies were undertaken. The most important of these was the survey of opinions of workers in the Maltese Drydocks. The main conclusion of this study was the wider acceptance of participation by the workers. At the same time the study showed that at the level of grass root representation of workers the existence of worker-elected Works Committee (KTX) side by side with worker-elected shop stewards in a trade union structure cause confusion and misunderstanding. Through the KTX and the shop stewards two labour relations systems are simultaneously at work

Porcelain Self Management

This report summarizes observations in the "Elektroporcelana" plant in Arandelovac, in the Socialist Republic of Serbia, Yugoslavia. A group of 5 foreigners, we were the guests of this factory for a period of three days. Even with the most competent help of an interpreter and with excellent home made vinjak as our companion, our observations remained incomplete

Acetylene and oxygen as inhibitors of nitrous oxide production in Nitrosomonas europaea and Nitrosospira briensis: a cautionary tale

Autotrophic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria produce nitrous oxide (N2O) as a by-product of nitrification or as an intermediate of nitrifier denitrification. In soil incubations, acetylene (C2H2) and large partial pressures of oxygen (O2) are used to distinguish between these sources. C2H2 inhibits ammonia oxidation and should therefore inhibit N2O production by both nitrification and nitrifier denitrification. O2 suppresses the reduction pathway of nitrifier denitrification. However, doubts concerning the reliability of C2H2 and O2 as inhibitors have arisen recently. Therefore, in this study we tested the influence of C2H2 and large partial pressures of O2 alone and in combination on N2O production in pure cultures of the ammonia oxidizers Nitrosomonas europaea and Nitrosospira briensis. C2H2 largely inhibited nitrite production in both ammonia oxidizers and N2O production by N. europaea. Surprisingly, it did not affect the N2O production in N. briensis. The variable response of ammonia oxidizers to C2H2 might have consequences for the use of C2H2 as an inhibitor of nitrification in soils. Different partial pressures of O2 ranging from less than 10 kPa O2 to 100 kPa O2 were tested for their effectiveness in inhibiting N2O production via nitrifier denitrification. The partial pressure of 100 kPa O2 yielded minimal N2O production by both ammonia-oxidizing species and seemed to inhibit N2O emission from nitrifier denitrification to a large extent. However, a negative effect of 100 kPa O2 on ammonia oxidation itself could not be excluded. The applicability of both inhibitors in determining N2O production pathways in soils is discussed. [KEYWORDS: Nitrous oxide; Acetylene; Oxygen; Ammonia oxidizer; Nitrifier denitrification]

Effect of in vitro culture of human embryos on birthweight of newborns

In animal models, in vitro culture of preimplantation embryos has been shown to be a risk factor for abnormal fetal outcome, including high and low birthweight. In the human, mean birthweight of singletons after in vitro fertilization (IVF) is considerably lower than after natural conception, but it is not known whether culture conditions play a role in this. We compared pregnancy rates and perinatal outcomes from singleton pregnancies resulting from a total of 826 first IVF treatment cycles in which oocytes and embryos were randomly allocated to culture in either of two commercially available sequential media systems. When the 110 live born singletons in the Vitrolife group were compared with the 78 singletons in the Cook group, birthweight +/- SEM (3453 +/- 53 versus 3208 +/- 61 g, P = 0.003), and birthweight adjusted for gestational age and gender (mean z-score +/- SEM: 0.13 +/- 0.09 versus -0.31 +/- 0.10, P = 0.001) were both significantly higher in the Vitrolife group. When analyzed by multiple linear regression together with several other variables that could possibly affect birthweight as covariates, the type of culture medium was significantly (P = 0.01) associated with birthweight. In vitro culture of human embryos can affect birthweight of live born singletons