Work related complaints of neck, shoulder and arm among computer office workers: a cross-sectional evaluation of prevalence and risk factors in a developing country

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Complaints of arms, neck and shoulders (CANS) is common among computer office workers. We evaluated an aetiological model with physical/psychosocial risk-factors.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We invited 2,500 computer office workers for the study. Data on prevalence and risk-factors of CANS were collected by validated Maastricht-Upper-extremity-Questionnaire. Workstations were evaluated by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Visual-Display-Terminal workstation-checklist. Participants' knowledge and awareness was evaluated by a set of expert-validated questions. A binary logistic regression analysis investigated relationships/correlations between risk-factors and symptoms.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Sample size was 2,210. Mean age 30.8 ± 8.1 years, 50.8% were males. The 1-year prevalence of CANS was 56.9%, commonest region of complaint was forearm/hand (42.6%), followed by neck (36.7%) and shoulder/arm (32.0%). In those with CANS, 22.7% had taken treatment from a health care professional, only in 1.1% seeking medical advice an occupation-related injury had been suspected/diagnosed. In addition 9.3% reported CANS-related absenteeism from work, while 15.4% reported CANS causing disruption of normal activities. A majority of evaluated workstations in all participants (88.4%,) and in those with CANS (91.9%) had OSHA non-compliant workstations. In the binary logistic regression analyses female gender, daily computer usage, incorrect body posture, bad work-habits, work overload, poor social support and poor ergonomic knowledge were associated with CANS and its' severity In a multiple logistic regression analysis controlling for age, gender and duration of occupation, incorrect body posture, bad work-habits and daily computer usage were significant independent predictors of CANS</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The prevalence of work-related CANS among computer office workers in Sri Lanka, a developing, South Asian country is high and comparable to prevalence in developed countries. Work-related physical factors, psychosocial factors and lack of awareness were all important associations of CANS and effective preventive strategies need to address all three areas.</p

The Neurogenesis Actuator and NR2B/NMDA Receptor Antagonist Ro25-6981 Consistently Improves Spatial Memory Retraining Via Brain Region-Specific Gene Expression

NR2B-containing NMDA (NR2B/NMDA) receptors are important in controlling neurogenesis and are involved in generating spatial memory. Ro25-6981 is a selective antagonist at these receptors and actuates neurogenesis and spatial memory. Inter-structural neuroanatomical profiles of gene expression regulating adult neurogenesis and neuroapoptosis require examination in the context of memory retrieval and reversal learning. The aim was to investigate spatial memory retrieval and reversal learning in relation to gene expression-linked neurogenetic processes following blockade of NR2B/NMDA receptors by Ro25-6981. Rats were trained in Morris water maze (MWM) platform location for 5 days. Ro25-6981 was administered (protocol days 6–7) followed by retraining (days 15–18 or 29–32). Platform location was tested (on days 19 or 33) then post-mortem brain tissue sampling (on days 20 or 34). The expression of three genes known to regulate cell proliferation (S100a6), differentiation (Ascl1), and apoptosis (Casp-3) were concomitantly evaluated in the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and cerebellum in relation to the MWM performance protocol. Following initial training, Ro25-6981 enhanced visuospatial memory retrieval performance during further retraining (protocol days 29–32) but did not influence visuospatial reversal learning (day 33). Hippocampal Ascl1 and Casp-3 expressions were correspondingly increased and decreased while cerebellar S100a6 and Casp-3 activities were decreased and increased respectively 27 days after Ro25-6981 treatment. Chronological analysis indicated a possible involvement of new mature neurons in the reconfiguration of memory processes. This was attended by behavioral/gene correlations which revealed direct links between spatial memory retrieval enhancement and modified gene activity induced by NR2B/NMDA receptor blockade and upregulation

An integrated open-coastal biogeochemistry, ecosystem and biodiversity observatory of the eastern Mediterranean – the Cretan Sea component of the POSEIDON system

There is a general scarcity of oceanic observations that concurrently examine air–sea interactions, coastal–open-ocean processes and physical–biogeochemical processes, in appropriate spatiotemporal scales and under continuous, long-term data acquisition schemes. In the Mediterranean Sea, the resulting knowledge gaps and observing challenges increase due to its oligotrophic character, especially in the eastern part of the basin. The oligotrophic open Cretan Sea's biogeochemistry is considered to be representative of a greater Mediterranean area up to 106&thinsp;km2, and understanding its features may be useful on even larger oceanic scales, since the Mediterranean Sea has been considered a miniature model of the global ocean. The spatiotemporal coverage of biogeochemical (BGC) observations in the Cretan Sea has progressively increased over the last decades, especially since the creation of the POSEIDON observing system, which has adopted a multiplatform, multivariable approach, supporting BGC data acquisition. The current POSEIDON system's status includes open and coastal sea fixed platforms, a Ferrybox (FB) system and Bio-Argo autonomous floats that remotely deliver fluorescence as a proxy of chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), O2, pH and pCO2 data, as well as BGC-related physical variables. Since 2010, the list has been further expanded to other BGC (nutrients, vertical particulate matter fluxes), ecosystem and biodiversity (from viruses up to zooplankton) variables, thanks to the addition of sediment traps, frequent research vessel (R/V) visits for seawater–plankton sampling and an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) delivering information on macrozooplankton–micronekton vertical migration (in the epipelagic to mesopelagic layer). Gliders and drifters are the new (currently under integration to the existing system) platforms, supporting BGC monitoring. Land-based facilities, such as data centres, technical support infrastructure, calibration laboratory and mesocosms, support and give added value to the observatory. The data gathered from these platforms are used to improve the quality of the BGC-ecosystem model predictions, which have recently incorporated atmospheric nutrient deposition processes and assimilation of satellite Chl-a data. Besides addressing open scientific questions at regional and international levels, examples of which are presented, the observatory provides user-oriented services to marine policy makers and the society, and is a technological test bed for new and/or cost-efficient BGC sensor technology and marine equipment. It is part of European and international observing programs, playing a key role in regional data handling and participating in harmonization and best practices procedures. Future expansion plans consider the evolving scientific and society priorities, balanced with sustainable management.</p

Diabetic ketoacidosis

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is the most common acute hyperglycaemic emergency in people with diabetes mellitus. A diagnosis of DKA is confirmed when all of the three criteria are present — ‘D’, either elevated blood glucose levels or a family history of diabetes mellitus; ‘K’, the presence of high urinary or blood ketoacids; and ‘A’, a high anion gap metabolic acidosis. Early diagnosis and management are paramount to improve patient outcomes. The mainstays of treatment include restoration of circulating volume, insulin therapy, electrolyte replacement and treatment of any underlying precipitating event. Without optimal treatment, DKA remains a condition with appreciable, although largely preventable, morbidity and mortality. In this Primer, we discuss the epidemiology, pathogenesis, risk factors and diagnosis of DKA and provide practical recommendations for the management of DKA in adults and children

The powerful, the powerless, and the empowered: Visualizations of power in high school and university through social network analysis

The investigation uses Popitz’s power theory (1992) to examine relationships among social power position, attractiveness, and verbal aggressiveness comparing social networks of high school and university students. 117 high school PE students and 195 university PE students participated in the research completing both a network and a joint non-network questionnaire. Visone 1.1 software was used for the processing of the network data and SPSS 26 was implemented for the non-network data. The results revealed in both settings that students demonstrating scientific/task attractiveness develop authoritative power/power of internalized control in their network and are protected from verbal aggressiveness and enforcement of instrumental power/power of externalized control. Social attractiveness enhances the development of authoritative power/power of internalized control in high school only. In this research, a type of powerful student is suggested who does not tend to concentrate power but rather to share power for empowering the powerless ones. © The Author(s) 2022

The Attractive, the Aggressive and the Withdrawn Student in the University: Social Network and Content Analysis [El Atractivo, el Agresivo y el Estudiante Retraído en la Universidad: Análisis de Redes Sociales y Análisis de Contenido]

The aim of this study is to detect and analyse relationships of attractiveness, social power and aggressiveness in the PE university community. A sample of 197 PE university students from University of Thessaly, Greece participated in the social network study, answering about the relationships developed with their fellow students and providing demographic non-network data as well. After the extraction of results, 8 of them were interviewed to further clarify the motives and thoughts that underlie their behaviour regarding attractiveness, social power and aggressiveness. Social network analysis, carried out with Visone 1.1, statistical analysis, carried out with SPSS 26 and content analysis of the qualitative data – interviews, carried out with MaxQDA 2020 led us to the following conclusions: Scientific attractiveness is related to social power and vice versa, protecting from verbal aggressiveness. Aggressiveness is negatively related to attractiveness and social power. Argumentativeness is important for the position one holds in their network and argumentational deficiency may lead to marginalization. Gender, body characteristics and academic distinction affect attractiveness and aggressiveness emergence. © 2022, Hipatia Editorial. All rights reserved

Attractiveness and aggressiveness: implementing social network analysis in physical education classes

The objective of this study was to detect combinations of interpersonal attractiveness, social power and verbal aggressiveness during physical education and to point out their determinants. A sample of five students’ networks (secondary education) was collected (117 nodes, 64 = boys 53 = girls) using standardized questionnaires. The questionnaires consisted of the network part (relationships of attractiveness, aggressiveness, power developed among students: each student replied about the particular relationship developed with each and every student in their network) and the non-network part (non-network determinants such as age, weight, gender, place of birth, living, family financial status etc.). Social Network Analysis, Spearman test and PCA were implemented. Results: All forms of interpersonal attractiveness are interrelated and correlated to social power. Verbal aggressiveness is negatively related to attractiveness and power. Scientific/task attractiveness may protect from becoming a target of verbal aggressiveness. Good general grade at school and aiming at distinction are the main determinants of emerging attractiveness and power and deterrents of verbal aggressiveness. Females seem scientifically attractive and chosen as mentors more often than males. The types of targets and actors of attractiveness, power, argumentativeness and verbal aggressiveness are proposed. The targets are: “the interpersonally attractive mentor” who is physically, socially and task/scientifically attractive, argumentative and protected from verbal aggressiveness and “the physically attractive target” who is only physically attractive and is verbally targeted. The types of actors are: “the socialized troublemaker” who may be verbally aggressive at times but tends to be attracted and mentored by others and “the lonely coercer” who is marginalized, using verbal aggressiveness and tends not to be mentored and attracted by others. © JPES

Mixed Methods in Analysis of Aggressiveness and Attractiveness: Understanding PE Class Social Networks with Content Analysis

The aim of this study is to detect and analyze the relationship between verbal aggressiveness and interpersonal attractiveness using four secondary-school PE classes in central Greece (88 nodes). Content analysis of open-ended questions, social network analysis, Spearman test and PCA have been implemented. Main results: scientific and social attractiveness are interrelated with a subsequent emergence of power structures and negatively related to verbal aggressiveness. Targets of verbal aggressiveness receive aggressiveness consisting of hurt, irony, rudeness and threat. The general grade and students’ tendency for distinction are positively related to attractiveness and negatively related to verbal aggressiveness. Types of targets of interpersonal attractiveness are proposed (“the untargeted powerful” and “the targeted powerful”). © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Unveiling negative behaviors in the academic arena

There is increasing evidence that the appearance of negative behaviors is omnipresent not only at the secondary but also at the academic institutions. The aim of the present study is the investigation of inclinations in terms of practicing and being a target of three negative behavioral phenomena; verbal aggressiveness, bullying and Machiavellianism among university students. A sample of 17 classes of totally 783 undergraduate students (405 females and 378 males) from Physical Education and Sports Science, Veterinary and Business Administration academic departments in Greece was scrutinized with social network analysis as far as the afore mentioned three destructive behaviors as structural phenomena were concerned. Standardized questionnaires composed of non-network and network parts were distributed. Visone software was implemented for calculating network variables (network analysis algorithms were used: In/outdegree, Katz status, PageRank, authority). Social Network Analysis and Spearman test (SPSS) have been applied in order to reveal any reliance among departments, behaviors and general characteristics in question. According to the basic results of the present study, there is a noticeable variation among the three academic fields concerning their value system. Physical Education department seems to be characterized by a spirit of competitiveness and great discipline fulfilling athletic achievements. Veterinary department appears to be depicted by scientific and selflessness standards while Business Administration department seems to be devoted to its sole aim regarding the dominance of the market. To combat these negative behaviors, it is necessary to detect their specific determinants in order to formulate effective tactics for nipping such behaviors in the bud at the educational settings. © 2020 Common Ground Research Networks. All rights reserved