Surveillance actions in worker's health and environment: analyses of the procedure carried out in gas stations by the Campinas Worker's Health Reference Center, Campinas, SP, Brazil

Due to the changes in the contemporary labor world and their repercussions on health and environment, new challenges are posed to Worker's health Integrated Care from the Brazilian National Unified Health System. Aiming at analyzing the experiences in this field, we examined the Surveillance Project carried out in Gas Stations by the Worker's Health Reference Center of Campinas, São Paulo. Based on interviews with health workers and other actors involved, we reconstructed its trajectory estimating its potentialities and difficulties. We observed that the collective construction of actions and the preparation of the agents to conduct surveillance in gas stations joined professionals from different institutions, with distinct backgrounds and expertise. In the interviewees' opinion, the process improved the involved agents' view concerning exposure to chemical risk, and gathered efforts which resulted in improving working conditions, and enlarging social control, besides regulating the gas production, distribution and consumption. They mentioned difficulties related to group work added to overload of work. We concluded that establishing priorities aimed at developing intra and inter-sector networks is strategic to change working processes in such a way that it benefits health and environment.Frente às mudanças no mundo do trabalho contemporâneo e suas repercussões sobre a saúde e o ambiente, novos desafios se impõem à Atenção Integral à Saúde do Trabalhador no Sistema Único de Saúde. Com o objetivo de analisar as experiências neste campo, estudamos o Projeto de Vigilância dos Postos de Combustível do Centro de Referência em Saúde do Trabalhador de Campinas/SP. A partir de entrevistas com profissionais de saúde e outros atores envolvidos no projeto, reconstruímos seu percurso, avaliando potencialidades e dificuldades enfrentadas. Observamos que a construção coletiva das ações e a formação de agentes para a realização da vigilância nos postos de combustível articulou profissionais de diversas formações, especialidades e de diferentes instituições. Para os entrevistados, tal processo ampliou o olhar dos envolvidos sobre a exposição ao risco químico e uniu esforços, repercutindo na melhoria das condições de trabalho, no aumento do controle social e na regulamentação das formas de produção, distribuição e consumo dos combustíveis. As dificuldades apontadas consistem naquelas relativas ao trabalho em grupos, ao que se alia a sobrecarga de trabalho. Concluímos que a definição de ações prioritárias que visem à formação de redes intra e intersetoriais é estratégica para modificar de forma positiva os processos de trabalho em prol da saúde e ambiente.Universidade Federal Fluminense Instituto de Ciências Humanas e Filosofia Departamento de PsicologiaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de Medicina Departamento de Medicina PreventivaUNIFESP, EPM, Depto. de Medicina PreventivaSciEL

Deciphering a multi-event in a non-complex set of detrital zircon U–Pb ages from Carboniferous graywackes of SW Iberia

The determination of U–Pb ages from detrital zircons of sedimentary rocks using LA-ICP-MS has been widely used for the purpose of provenance analysis. One problem that frequently arises is finding a population that appears to be non-complex despite several perceptible age peaks in its spectrum. These peaks are qualitatively defined by means of relative probability diagrams, or PDFs, but it is difficult to quantify their statistical significance relative to a zircon forming multi-event. Thus, can a multi-event in a non-complex set of detrital zircon U–Pb ages be deciphered and characterized? The aim of this study is to attempt to provide an answer to this question by means of statistical analysis. Its objectives are: a) to determine the best minimum number of zircon age populations (peaks), BmPs, b) for the characterization of each peak in terms of age and event duration; c) to compare the results obtained from two datasets showing similar zircon ages; and d) to demonstrate the usefulness of deciphering these BmPs. First, cluster analysis is carried out, aimed at grouping zircon ages into a set of consistent clusters. A Gaussian Kernel function is then fitted to each cluster and summed to obtain a theoretical PDFm (modeled probability density function). Finally, the selected modeled PDFm (that built on the BmPs) is that which reports the lowest number of peaks for which the difference as compared with the original gPDF (global probability density function) is equal to or below 5%. Deciphered BmP peaks can be characterized and used for characterizing and providing an understanding of related event(s). A geological interpretation, based on the results obtained, is attempted. This includes a robust measure for maximum age of deposition for both Cabrela and Mértola graywackes

Optimal control and partial differential equations

In this work, some type of optimal control problems with equality constraints given by Partial Differential Equations (PDE) and convex inequality constraints are considered, obtaining their corresponding first order necessary optimality conditions by means of Dubovitskii-Milyutin (DM) method. Firstly, we consider problems with one objective functional (or scalar problems) but non-well posed equality constraints, where existence and uniqueness of state in function on control is not true (either one has existence but not uniqueness of state, or one has not existence of state for any control). In both cases, the classical Lions argument (re-writing the problem as an optimal control problem for the control without equality constraints, see for instance Lions, J. L. – Optimal Control of Systems Governed by Partial Differential Equations, Springer, 1970) can not be applied. Afterwards, we consider multiobjective problems (or vectorial problems), considering three different concepts of solution: Pareto, Nash and Stackelberg. In all cases, an adequate abstract DM method is developed followed by an example

Influence of the prone position on a stretcher for pregnant women on maternal and fetal hemodynamic parameters and comfort in pregnancy

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the influence of lying in prone position on a specially designed stretcher on the maternal-fetal hemodynamic parameters and comfort of pregnant women. METHODS: A randomized, controlled trial with 33 pregnant women divided into 2 groups: pregnant group sequence 1 and pregnant group sequence 2. The order of positions used in sequence 1 was Fowler’s position, prone position, supine position, left lateral, Fowler’s position 2, supine position 2, prone position 2 and left lateral 2. The order of positions used in sequence 2 was Fowler’s position, prone position, left lateral, supine position, Fowler’s position 2, left lateral 2, prone position 2 and supine position 2. Each woman remained in each position for 6 minutes. For the statistical analyses, we used Wilcoxon’s test for 2 paired samples when comparing the prone position with the other positions. The variables are presented in graphs showing the means and 95% confidence intervals. Trial Registration: Clinical Trial No. ISRCTN41359519 RESULTS: All the parameters were within the standards of normality. There were no differences between positions in terms of maternal heart rate, diastolic blood pressure, oxygen saturation and fetal heart rate. However, there were significant decreases in respiratory rate and systolic blood pressure in prone position 2 compared with left lateral 2. There was an increase in oxygen saturation in prone position compared with Fowler’s position and supine position 2 in both sequences. All the women reported feeling comfortable in the prone position. CONCLUSIONS: The prone position was considered safe and comfortable and could be advantageous for improving oxygen saturation and reducing the systolic blood pressure and respiratory rate

Towards a reusable architecture for message exchange in pervasive healthcare

The main objective of this paper is to present a reusable architecture for message exchange in pervasive healthcare environments meant to be generally applicable to different applications in the healthcare domain. This architecture has been designed by integrating different concepts and technologies of ubiquitous computing, software agents, and openEHR archetypes, in order to provide interoperability between healthcare systems. The architecture was demonstrated and evaluated in controlled experiments that we conducted at three cardiology clinics, an analysis laboratory, and the cardiology sector of a hospital located in Marília (São Paulo, Brazil). Three applications were developed to evaluate this architecture, and the results showed that the architecture is suitable to facilitate the development of healthcare systems by offering generic and powerful message exchange capabilities. The reusable architecture speeds up the development of new applications, reducing the number of mistakes and the development time. The proposed architecture facilitates message exchanging between caregivers, contributing in this way to the development of pervasive healthcare systems that allow healthcare to be available anywhere, anytime, and to anyone