MIARforest Reproducibility and Reliability for Assessing Occupational Risks in the Rainforest

The Method for the Integrated Assessment of Risks for rainforest (MIARforest) is a specific methodology for assessing the risk of occupational accidents associated with working in native tropical forests. MIARforest was validated for the results’ reproducibility and the reliability of calculated risk levels through the Delphi approach. Two rounds of questionnaires illustrating ten scenarios of activities associated with the logging process in the Eastern Amazon’s native rainforest (Brazil) were presented to forestry and occupational health and safety (OHS) experts. In the first round, the questionnaire was answered anonymously by 55 experts, and in the second, by 46. A percentage of agreement of at least 80% in each question was considered to close the process. Questions that did not meet the criterion in the first round were reassessed in the second round. The obtained results lead to the conclusion that MIARforest, an occupational accident risk assessment tool, has been effectively validated, demonstrating inter-rater reproducibility and reliability in determining risk values. These results highlight the objectivity and reliability of MIARforest.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Occupational Risk Assessment in Native Rainforest Management (MIARforest)—Parameters Definition and Validation

Maintaining native rainforests as a sustainable ecosystem and their resilience to external pressures involves their economic profitability as a natural resource of unique and renewable products. For this purpose, new approaches have been developed and refined. This work seeks to contribute in this direction in the context of occupational safety and health (OSH) by presenting a new method for integrated assessment of risks for rainforests (MIARforest). The MIARforest is based on the MIAR, a method that has shown promising results in occupational risk assessment in different industrial sectors. Its parameters were discussed and assessed to improve their relevance, wording and risk assessment through the Delphi methodology by a panel of 62 experts in forestry and OSH who responded independently to questionnaires made available through Google Forms. A consensus of over 79% among the experts was reached in two rounds. This result highlights the high objectivity and the low percentage of dubious possible interpretations of the parameters and sub-parameters of this occupational risk assessment method.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Wood-Logging Process Management in Eastern Amazonia (Brazil)

In this work, the wood-logging process of four federal conservation units (FCUs) in the Eastern Amazonia forest are described and compared. The approach focused on on-site observation of activities and tasks performed during the process. As an outcome, it was observed that companies implement activities similarly, regardless of their specific know-how. The most significant difference was identified in the cross-cutting operation, which is carried out in several steps and which interferes with the efficiency of the activity and the exposure of workers to occupational risks. The use of geographic information systems (GIS) during planning and management activities, and the use of modern machinery equipped with safety devices, in combination with workers’ theoretic and practical continuous training, were identified as crucial measures that assure operational efficiency in the four companies assessed. Seeking to contribute to the sustainable development of the Amazon forest, a generic model for wood logging is proposed, which brings together best practices identified in the companies studied and makes it possible to obtain the best benefit at the lowest workers’ exposure to the risk of occupational accidentThis research was funded by CERENA’s strategic project FCT-UIDB/04028/2020, by the Biomechanics and Health Unit of the Associated Laboratory for Energy, Transports and Aeronautics (LAETA/INEGI), and by the Doctoral Program in Occupational Safety and Health of the University of Porto.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Segurança ocupacional em sistemas de gestão da floresta nativa: revisão sistemática

The objective of this work was to carry out a systematic review in order to identify the indicators related to occupational safety in native forest management systems. The search for scientific articles with interest for the review was carried out in 16 scientific databases of articles written in English. Other resources, such as specific journals not indexed to the databases previously mentioned but known to be related both to the forestry sector and to the Occupational safety, and the search websites Google and Google Scholar were also used. The PRISMA methodology was used. Based on 16 sets of keywords written in English, Spanish and Portuguese and marking the period of publication between 2005 and 2017, only 21 articles that met the defined eligibility criterion were identified. In this case, the articles mentioned the following four sets of words: "native forest", "native forest management system", "security management indicators" and "security management limitations". It was observed that the incidence of serious or fatal injuries in native forest management activities are mainly related to the use of chainsaws to cut trees and loads lifting. The implementation of forest management systems in the organizations of this sector, either through FSC and PEFC international certifications or through other country-specific standards, has led to improvements in workers' safety and health and, consequently, in the corresponding index of occupational accidents and diseases. However, the integration of occupational safety management systems into native forest management systems presents weaknesses, mainly due to the lack of supervision by subcontracted organizations (third parties), which often use personnel that was not adequately trained for the exercise of activity. Given the increasing trend of exploitation of native forests and the limited available information, these results suggest that more scientific research linking native forest management systems with occupational safety management systems in native forests is opportune and highly important.O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar uma revisão sistemática para identificar, nos sistemas de gestão das florestas nativas, quais os indicadores relacionados com a segurança ocupacional. A busca de artigos científicos com interesse para a revisão foi realizada em 16 bases de dados científicas de artigos escritos em inglês e outros recursos (revistas não indexadas às bases de dados anteriormente referidas, mas que se sabia estarem relacionadas, quer com o setor florestal, quer com a segurança ocupacional, e os motores de busca Google e Google Acadêmico), de acordo com a metodologia PRISMA. Com base em 16 conjuntos de palavras-chave escrita sem língua inglesa, espanhola e portuguesa e balizando o período de publicação entre os anos de 2005 e 2017, foram identificados apenas 21 artigos que atenderam ao critério de elegibilidade definido, isto é, que mencionavam no seu texto os seguintes 4 conjuntos de palavras: “floresta nativa”, “sistema de gestão de floresta nativa”, “indicadores de gestão de segurança” e “limitações de gestão de segurança”. Observou-se que a incidência de lesões graves ou fatais em atividades de manejo de florestas nativas estão relacionadas, principalmente, com a utilização de motosserras para corte de árvores, e ao levantamento de cargas. A implementação de sistemas de gestão florestal nas organizações deste setor, ora através das certificações internacionais FSC e PEFC, ora através de outras normas específicas de cada país, impulsionou melhorias na segurança e na saúde dos trabalhadores e, consequentemente, no correspondente índice de acidentes e doenças ocupacionais. Porém, a integração de sistema de gestão segurança ocupacional nos sistemas de gestão de florestas nativas apresentam fragilidades que decorrem, principalmente, da falta de fiscalização das organizações subcontratadas (terceiras) as quais recorrem frequentemente a mão de obra sem formação profissional adequada para o exercício da atividade. Atendendo à crescente tendência de exploração de florestas nativas e à reduzida informação disponível, estes resultados sugerem que mais investigação científica que relacione os sistemas de gestão de florestas nativas com os sistemas de gestão de segurança ocupacional em florestas nativas é, além de oportuna, da maior importância

Binding patterns of seminal plasma plasma proteins on bovine epididymal and ejaculated sperm membrane

The present study was designed to investigate the topographical distribution of seminal plasma (SP) proteins on epididymal and ejaculated bovine sperm. Using immunocytochemistry and confocal microscopy the binding patterns of bovine SP proteins BSP-A3, albumin, transferrin, prostaglandin D-synthase (PGDS) and nucleobindin in ejaculated and cauda epididymal sperm from adult bulls were evaluated. Experiments were performed using sperm from 5 males. Data showed a positive signal, only detected for anti-PGDS, in the acrosomal cap of epididymal and ejaculated sperm. In ejaculated sperm, a very weak signal for nucleobindin 2 in the midpiece and equatorial regions was detected, using the anti-rat nucleobindin. BSP-A3 was detected on all sperm regions studied, with a more evidenced signal in acrosome and midpiece. However, no binding was detected for albumin or transferrin in neither epididymal nor ejaculated sperm. In conclusion, PGDS, BSP-A3 and nucleobindin interact directly with bovine sperm, with specific topographic distribution. These findings may add to the knowledge of how these proteins modulate sperm functions, thus providing fundamental support for studies designed to evaluate how they influence sperm functions

Occupational accidents in native and planted forests in Brazil: 2007–2018

BACKGROUND:Despite constant technological evolution, the forestry sector is still characterised as one with the highest risk of occupational accidents. There is no doubt that accidents penalise workers considerably, as well as the companies, insurers, and, consequently, the society, to which many of the costs are externalised, namely in cases where the worker is incapacitated and unable to work. OBJECTIVE:The aim of this work is to analyse data on occupational accidents in forestry operations in Brazil between 2007 and 2018 in both native and planted forests. METHODS:Data were made available by the Brazilian Statistical Directory of Accidents at Work. RESULTS:The results show that, although most accidents occurred in planted forests, mortality was higher in native forests. It was also found that, overall, the rate of serious accidents resulting in an incapacity to work and, consequently, sick leave is considerably high. CONCLUSIONS:These results highlight that integrating an occupational safety system into a forest management system is crucial for reducing work-related accidents in both native and planted forests. However, the success of this measure will only be effective if it is accompanied by a review of both the Brazilian labour policy and the Brazilian occupational safety management policy, to ensure compliance with legislation, mainly on the part of outsourced companies.The authors express their thanks to the CERENA’s strategic project FCT-UIDB/04028/2020, to the Biomechanics and Health Unit of the Associated Laboratory for Energy, Transports and Aeronautics (LAETA/INEGI), and to the Doctoral Program in Occupational Safety and Health of the University of Porto for all the support.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Functional analysis of 5-lipoxygenase promoter repeat variants

Variants of a hexanucleotide repeat polymorphism in the promoter of the 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) gene have been associated with cardiovascular disease traits in humans, which may be due, at least in part, to differential expression of the at-risk alleles. To more fully characterize these variants, we carried out gene expression and DNA methylation studies in primary leukocytes from healthy individuals carrying various 5-LO promoter alleles. Regardless of genotype, 5-LO and 5-LO-activating protein (FLAP) gene expression was higher in granulocytes compared with monocytes and lymphocytes, whereas leukotriene A4 hydrolase (LTA4H) expression was higher in monocytes. In all three leukocyte populations, 5-LO mRNA levels were positively correlated with those of FLAP and LTA4H, with the highest correlation observed in granulocytes. In lymphocytes, individuals homozygous for the shorter 3 and 4 repeat alleles had between 20–35% higher 5-LO, FLAP and LTA4H expression compared with homozygous carriers of the wild-type 5 repeat allele (P = 0.03–0.0001). DNA methylation analysis of four CpG islands in a 1500 bp region encompassing the 5-LO promoter and the first ∼100 bp of intron 1 revealed relatively low overall DNA methylation across all genotypes and leukocyte populations. However, analysis of the promoter repeats themselves demonstrated that, regardless of cell population, the 4 allele was methylated approximately twice as much as the 3 allele (P < 0.0001). Our results demonstrate that, in lymphocytes, the shorter repeat alleles of the 5-LO promoter lead to higher gene expression, which may be regulated through differential DNA methylation of the CpGs located within these repeats