Women performing repetitive work: Is there a difference in the prevalence of shoulder pain and pathology in supermarket cashiers compared to the general female population?

Objectives: Shoulder disorders in the occupational environment have been widely studied, but the quality of research and methodology applied vary. Little has been done to ascertain whether shoulder pain in female repetitive workers is due to any verifiable pathology, or to compare findings with the general population. Therefore, we decided to evaluate the prevalence of self-reported shoulder pain in a group of female supermarket cashiers and in the general female population using a standardized questionnaire. Shoulder pain prevalence was then compared to imaging findings in order to assess specific and non-specific pain prevalence. Material and Methods: 196 cashiers and 302 controls filled in a standardized shoulder questionnaire and underwent an imaging examination of a shoulder. Results: The prevalence of shoulder pain was significantly higher in the group of cashiers (46.4%) than in the general population (25.5%) (OR = 1.821; 95% CI: 1.426–2.325). Specific pain prevalence was higher among the controls (19.5%) than among the cashiers (13.2%). Conclusions: The more frequent reports of shoulder pain in the supermarket cashiers are not correlated with a higher prevalence of imaging abnormalities. The causes of these more frequent complaints should be probably sought in the psycho-social and occupational environment

São Paulo Design Visions: design estratégico como um agente de diálogo e transformação

This essay aims at reporting the development of a research project for Senac São Paulo. From the valorization of the actions and projects already promoted by the Brazilian partner, the project promoted by Design System from Politecnico di Milano outlines a different role and positioning of design in social, cultural and economic contexts locally, based on experimental international experience. The whole project starts from the belief that nowadays, even in the countries characterized by strong industrial growth, design plays the role of both antenna and interpreter of emerging social and economic principles, as well as agent of cultural change of productive and consumption systems. Thus, besides being characterized as a generator of ideas and solutions, design is seen as promoting changes through activities of mediation between training and production system; between university, profession, company and society. The research project has started a strategic dialog between the Italian and Brazilian partners, targeting the generation of a different and original vision of design that leads the Brazilian institution to develop and propose a new educational and economic model in the design area, established in the territory and strongly distinguished. The project methodology is shaped in sharing the experiences of both partners and valorizing their reciprocal competence and sensitivity, which are strong due to their cultural Latin root in common linking both countries: Italy and Brazil. Key words: strategic design, co-project, cultural dialog, change.Este ensaio visa relatar o desenvolvimento de um projeto de investigação do Senac São Paulo. A partir da valorização das ações e projetos já promovidos pelo parceiro brasileiro, o projeto promovido pelo Sistema de Design do Politécnico de Milão esboça um papel e posicionamento diferente do design na vida social, cultural e econômica de contextos locais, baseada na experiência internacional experimental. Todo o projeto começa a partir da convicção de que hoje em dia, mesmo em países caracterizados por um forte crescimento industrial, o design desempenha o papel de ambas as antenas e intérprete de princípios econômicos e sociais emergentes, bem como agente de mudança cultural dos sistemas produtivos e de consumo. Assim, além de ser caracterizado como um gerador de ideias e soluções, design é visto como promotor de mudanças através de atividades de mediação entre a formação e o sistema de produção, entre a universidade, profissão, empresa e sociedade. O projeto de investigação já se iniciou com um diálogo estratégico entre os parceiros italianos e brasileiros, visando a geração de uma visão diferente e original do projeto. Essa busca por inovação leva a instituição brasileira a desenvolver e propor um novo modelo educacional e econômico na área da concepção, estabelecida no território e fortemente diferenciada. O projeto metodologia é moldado para compartilhar as experiências de ambos os parceiros, valorizando as suas recíprocas competências e sensibilidades, que são fortes devido às suas raízes culturais latinas em comum ligando os dois países: Itália e Brasil. Palavras-chave: concepção estratégica, co-projeto, diálogo cultural, mudanças

Distraction technique for pain reduction in Peripheral Venous Catheterization: randomized, controlled trial

Background and aim of the work: Procedural pain during Peripheral Venous Catheterization (PVC) is a significant issue for patients. Reducing procedure-induced pain improves the quality of care and reduces patient discomfort. We aimed to compare a non-pharmacological technique (distraction) to anaesthetic cream (EMLA) for the reduction of procedural pain during PVC, in patients undergoing Computerized Tomography (CT) or Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) with contrast. Methods: This is a Prospective, Randomized Controlled Trial. The study was carried out during the month of October 2015. A total of 72 patients undergoing PVC were randomly assigned to the experimental group (distraction technique, n=36) or control group (EMLA, n=36). After PVC, pain was evaluated by means of the numeric pain-rating scale (NRS). Pain perception was compared by means of Mann-Whitney Test. Results: The average pain in the distraction group was 0.69 (SD±1.26), with a median value of 0. The average pain in the EMLA group was 1.86 (SD±1.73), with a median value of 2. The study showed a significant improvement from the distraction technique (U=347, p<.001, r=.42) with respect to the local anaesthetic in reducing pain perception. Conclusions/Implication for practice: Distraction is more effective than local anaesthetic in reducing of pain-perception during PVC insertion. This study is one of few comparing the distraction technique to an anaesthetic. It confirms that the practitioner-patient relationship is an important point in nursing assistance, allowing the establishment of trust with the patient and increasing compliance during the treatment process

Modeling Gross Primary Production of Agro-Forestry Ecosystems by Assimilation of Satellite-Derived Information in a Process-Based Model

In this paper we present results obtained in the framework of a regional-scale analysis of the carbon budget of poplar plantations in Northern Italy. We explored the ability of the process-based model BIOME-BGC to estimate the gross primary production (GPP) using an inverse modeling approach exploiting eddy covariance and satellite data. We firstly present a version of BIOME-BGC coupled with the radiative transfer models PROSPECT and SAILH (named PROSAILH-BGC) with the aims of i) improving the BIOME-BGC description of the radiative transfer regime within the canopy and ii) allowing the assimilation of remotely-sensed vegetation index time series, such as MODIS NDVI, into the model. Secondly, we present a two-step model inversion for optimization of model parameters. In the first step, some key ecophysiological parameters were optimized against data collected by an eddy covariance flux tower. In the second step, important information about phenological dates and about standing biomass were optimized against MODIS NDVI. Results obtained showed that the PROSAILH-BGC allowed simulation of MODIS NDVI with good accuracy and that we described better the canopy radiation regime. The inverse modeling approach was demonstrated to be useful for the optimization of ecophysiological model parameters, phenological dates and parameters related to the standing biomass, allowing good accuracy of daily and annual GPP predictions. In summary, this study showed that assimilation of eddy covariance and remote sensing data in a process model may provide important information for modeling gross primary production at regional scale

Nitrogen status assessment for variable rate fertilization in maize through hyperspectral imagery

This paper presents a method for mapping the nitrogen (N) status in a maize field using hyperspectral remote sensing imagery. An airborne survey was conducted with an AISA Eagle hyperspectral sensor over an experimental farm where maize (Zea mays L.) was grown with two N fertilization levels (0 and 100 kg N ha-1) in four replicates. Leaf and canopy field data were collected during the flight. The nitrogen (N) status has been estimated in this work based on the Nitrogen Nutrition Index (NNI) defined as the ratio between the leaf actual N concentration (%Na) of the crop and the minimum N content required for the maximum biomass production (critical N concentration (%Nc)) calculated through the dry mass at the time of the flight (Wflight). The inputs required to calculate the NNI (i.e. %Na and Wflight) have been estimated through regression analyses between field data and remotely sensed vegetation indices. MCARI/MTVI2 (Modified Chlorophyll Absorption Ratio Index / Modified Triangular Vegetation Index 2) showed the best performances in estimating the %Na (R2 = 0.59) and MTVI2 in estimating the Wflight (R2 = 0.80). The %Na and the Wflight were then mapped and used to compute the NNI map over the entire field. The NNI map agreed with the NNI estimated using field data through traditional destructive measurements (R2 = 0.70) confirming the potential of using remotely sensed indices to assess the crop N condition. Finally, a method to derive a pixel based variable rate N fertilization map was proposed as the difference between the actual N content and the optimal N content. We think that the proposed operational methodology is promising for precision farming since it represents an innovative attempt to derive from an aerial hyperspectral image a variable rate N fertilization map based on the actual crop N status.JRC.H.4-Monitoring Agricultural Resource

Nitrogen status assessment for variable rate fertilization in maize through hyperspectral imagery

JRC.H.4-Monitoring Agricultural Resource

São Paulo Design Visions: design estratégico como um agente de diálogo e transformação

This essay aims at reporting the development of a research project for Senac São Paulo. From the valorization of the actions and projects already promoted by the Brazilian partner, the project promoted by Design System from Politecnico di Milano outlines a different role and positioning of design in social, cultural and economic contexts locally, based on experimental international experience. The whole project starts from the belief that nowadays, even in the countries characterized by strong industrial growth, design plays the role of both antenna and interpreter of emerging social and economic principles, as well as agent of cultural change of productive and consumption systems. Thus, besides being characterized as a generator of ideas and solutions, design is seen as promoting changes through activities of mediation between training and production system; between university, profession, company and society. The research project has started a strategic dialog between the Italian and Brazilian partners, targeting the generation of a different and original vision of design that leads the Brazilian institution to develop and propose a new educational and economic model in the design area, established in the territory and strongly distinguished. The project methodology is shaped in sharing the experiences of both partners and valorizing their reciprocal competence and sensitivity, which are strong due to their cultural Latin root in common linking both countries: Italy and Brazil. Key words: strategic design, co-project, cultural dialog, change.Este ensaio visa relatar o desenvolvimento de um projeto de investigação do Senac São Paulo. A partir da valorização das ações e projetos já promovidos pelo parceiro brasileiro, o projeto promovido pelo Sistema de Design do Politécnico de Milão esboça um papel e posicionamento diferente do design na vida social, cultural e econômica de contextos locais, baseada na experiência internacional experimental. Todo o projeto começa a partir da convicção de que hoje em dia, mesmo em países caracterizados por um forte crescimento industrial, o design desempenha o papel de ambas as antenas e intérprete de princípios econômicos e sociais emergentes, bem como agente de mudança cultural dos sistemas produtivos e de consumo. Assim, além de ser caracterizado como um gerador de ideias e soluções, design é visto como promotor de mudanças através de atividades de mediação entre a formação e o sistema de produção, entre a universidade, profissão, empresa e sociedade. O projeto de investigação já se iniciou com um diálogo estratégico entre os parceiros italianos e brasileiros, visando a geração de uma visão diferente e original do projeto. Essa busca por inovação leva a instituição brasileira a desenvolver e propor um novo modelo educacional e econômico na área da concepção, estabelecida no território e fortemente diferenciada. O projeto metodologia é moldado para compartilhar as experiências de ambos os parceiros, valorizando as suas recíprocas competências e sensibilidades, que são fortes devido às suas raízes culturais latinas em comum ligando os dois países: Itália e Brasil. Palavras-chave: concepção estratégica, co-projeto, diálogo cultural, mudanças

Rapid profiling of DNA replication dynamics using mass spectrometry-based analysis of nascent DNA

The primary method for probing DNA replication dynamics is DNA fiber analysis, which utilizes thymidine analog incorporation into nascent DNA, followed by immunofluorescent microscopy of DNA fibers. Besides being time-consuming and prone to experimenter bias, it is not suitable for studying DNA replication dynamics in mitochondria or bacteria, nor is it adaptable for higher-throughput analysis. Here, we present mass spectrometry-based analysis of nascent DNA (MS-BAND) as a rapid, unbiased, quantitative alternative to DNA fiber analysis. In this method, incorporation of thymidine analogs is quantified from DNA using triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry. MS-BAND accurately detects DNA replication alterations in both the nucleus and mitochondria of human cells, as well as bacteria. The high-throughput capability of MS-BAND captured replication alterations in an E. coli DNA damage-inducing gene library. Therefore, MS-BAND may serve as an alternative to the DNA fiber technique, with potential for high-throughput analysis of replication dynamics in diverse model systems