Associations between neck musculoskeletal complaints and work related factors among public service computer workers in Kaunas

Objectives:Information technologies have been developing very rapidly, also in the case of occupational activities. Epidemiological studies have shown that employees, who work with computers, are more likely to complain of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). The aim of this study was to evaluate associations between neck MSD and individual and work related factors. Materials and Methods: The investigation which consisted of two parts - a questionnaire study (using Nordic Musculoskeletal questionnaire and Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire) and a direct observation (to evaluate ergonomic work environment using RULA method) was carried out in three randomly selected public sector companies of Kaunas. The study population consisted of 513 public service office workers. Results: The survey showed that neck MSDs were very common in the investigated population. The prevalence rate amounted to 65.7%. According to our survey neck MSDs were significantly associated with older age, bigger work experience, high quantitative and cognitive job demands, working for longer than 2 h without taking a break as well as with higher ergonomic risk score. The fully adjusted model working for longer than 2 h without taking a break had the strongest associations with neck complaints. Conclusion: It was confirmed, that neck MSDs were significantly associated with individual factors as well as conditions of work, therefore, preventive acions against neck complaints should be oriented at psychosocial and ergonomic work environment as well as at individual factors

Microsporogênese em Coffea stenophylla G. Don e C. salvatrix Swynn et Phil Microsporogenesis in Coffea stenophylla G. Don and C. salvatrix Swynn et. Phil

Estudou-se a microsporogênese de Coffea stenophylla,G. Don e de C. salvatrixSwynn et Phil, espécies diplóides de Coffea, introduzidas respectivamente da Guatemala e da Colômbia e mantidas em coleção no Instituto Agronômico de Campinas. O aspecto dos cromossomos é semelhante ao já descrito para outras espécies do gênero. O emparelhamento ocorre em todos os cromossomos, desde os estádios iniciais da prófase até a primeira metáfase; os 11 bivalentes formados separam-se normalmente nas anáfases, e os micróspores resultantes são haplóides, com n= 11 cromossomos. O comportamento cromossômico nas diversas fases da meiose é regular na maioria das células mães. O número de bivalentes com três, dois e um quiasma é, em média, 1, 4 e 6 para C. stenophyllae 1, 3 e 7 para C. salvatrix, num total de 16 e 17 quiasmas por célula, respectivamente. Parece haver em C. stenophyllavariação maior nos tipos de distribuição dos quiasmas pelos bivalentes. As irregularidades encontradas referem-se principalmente à ocorrência de monovalentes, de retardatários nas anáfases e à distribuição desigual dos cromossomos para os pólos. Discute-se a possibilidade de formação de gametas com números de cromossomos diferentes de 11 e de gametas com conjuntos não balanceados, além dos haplóides normais.<br>Studies on the microsporogenesis in Coffea stenophylla and C. salvatrix demonstrated that the meiotic chromosomes of both species resemble those of the other diploid species of the genus Coffea. Complete chromosome pairing was observed from early prophase till first metaphase, "with 11 bivalents being formed in most of the cells. These bivalents fall apart in a quite regular manner at the two anaphases. The average numbers of bivalents with three, two and one chiasma at first metaphase are 1, 4 and 6 por C. stenophylla and 1, 3 and 7 for C. salvatrix, the mean number of chiasmata per cell being 17 and 16 respectively. Despite of the very similar numbers of chiasmata per cell, there is a greater variation in the chiasmata distribution to the bivalents in C. stenophylla than in C. salvatrix. The irregularities observed are concerned principally to the occurrence of univalents, chromosomes lagging and unequal chromosome distribution to the poles at both anaphases. The possibility of the formation of gametes either with odd chromosome numbers or unbalanced chromosome set, besides the haploid and normal ones, is discussed