Wrist hypothermia related to continuous work with a computer mouse : A digital infrared imaging pilot study

Publisher Copyright: © 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Copyright: Copyright 2017 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.Computer work is characterized by sedentary static workload with low-intensity energy metabolism. The aim of our study was to evaluate the dynamics of skin surface temperature in the hand during prolonged computer mouse work under different ergonomic setups. Digital infrared imaging of the right forearm and wrist was performed during three hours of continuous computer work (measured at the start and every 15 minutes thereafter) in a laboratory with controlled ambient conditions. Four people participated in the study. Three different ergonomic computer mouse setups were tested on three different days (horizontal computer mouse without mouse pad; horizontal computer mouse with mouse pad and padded wrist support; vertical computer mouse without mouse pad). The study revealed a significantly strong negative correlation between the temperature of the dorsal surface of the wrist and time spent working with a computer mouse. Hand skin temperature decreased markedly after one hour of continuous computer mouse work. Vertical computer mouse work preserved more stable and higher temperatures of the wrist (>30 °C), while continuous use of a horizontal mouse for more than two hours caused an extremely low temperature (<28 °C) in distal parts of the hand. The preliminary observational findings indicate the significant effect of the duration and ergonomics of computer mouse work on the development of hand hypothermia.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Telomere length in Chernobyl accident recovery workers in the late period after the disaster

Publisher Copyright: © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japan Radiation Research Society and Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology.The outcome of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (CNPP) accident was that a huge number of people were exposed to ionizing radiation. Previous studies of CNPP clean-up workers from Latvia revealed a high occurrence of age-associated degenerative diseases and cancer in young adults, as well as a high mortality as a result of cardiovascular disorders at age 45-54 years. DNA tandem repeats that cap chromosome ends, known as telomeres, are sensitive to oxidative damage and exposure to ionizing radiation. Telomeres are important in aging processes and carcinogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term effect of protracted ionizing radiation exposure on telomere length in CNPP clean-up workers. Relative telomere length (RTL) was measured in peripheral blood leukocytes of 595 CNPP clean-up workers and 236 gender- and agematched controls using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR). Close attention was paid to participation year and tasks performed during the worker's stay in Chernobyl, health status, and RTL differences between subgroups. Telomere shortening was not found in CNPP clean-up workers; on the contrary, their RTL was slightly greater than in controls (P = 0.001). Longer telomeres were found in people who worked during 1986, in those undertaking 'dirty' tasks (digging and deactivation), and in people with cancer. Shorter telomeres appeared frequently in those with cataract, osteoporosis, atherosclerosis, or coronary heart disease. We conclude that the longer telomeres revealed in people more heavily exposed to ionizing radiation probably indicate activation of telomerase as a chromosome healing mechanism following damage, and reflect defects in telomerase regulation that could potentiate carcinogenesis.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Harmonized definition of occupational burnout : A systematic review, semantic analysis, and Delphi consensus in 29 countries

Funding Information: This study was supported by the University of Lausanne and European Cooperation in Science and Technology, Action CA 16216 "Network on the Coordination and Harmonisation of European Occupational Cohorts” (OMEGA-NET). Publisher Copyright: © 2021, Nordic Association of Occupational Safety and Health. All rights reserved.Objective A consensual definition of occupational burnout is currently lacking. We aimed to harmonize the definition of occupational burnout as a health outcome in medical research and reach a consensus on this definition within the Network on the Coordination and Harmonisation of European Occupational Cohorts (OMEGA-NET). Methods First, we performed a systematic review in MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Embase (January 1990 to August 2018) and a semantic analysis of the available definitions. We used the definitions of burnout and burnout-related concepts from the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms (SNOMED-CT) to formulate a consistent harmonized definition of the concept. Second, we sought to obtain the Delphi consensus on the proposed definition. Results We identified 88 unique definitions of burnout and assigned each of them to 1 of the 11 original definitions. The semantic analysis yielded a first proposal, further reformulated according to SNOMED-CT and the panelists` comments as follows: "In a worker, occupational burnout or occupational physical AND emotional exhaustion state is an exhaustion due to prolonged exposure to work-related problems". A panel of 50 experts (researchers and healthcare professionals with an interest for occupational burnout) reached consensus on this proposal at the second round of the Delphi, with 82% of experts agreeing on it. Conclusion This study resulted in a harmonized definition of occupational burnout approved by experts from 29 countries within OMEGA-NET. Future research should address the reproducibility of the Delphi consensus in a larger panel of experts, representing more countries, and examine the practicability of the definition.Peer reviewe

Wrist Hypothermia Related to Continuous Work with a Computer Mouse: A Digital Infrared Imaging Pilot Study

Computer work is characterized by sedentary static workload with low-intensity energy metabolism. The aim of our study was to evaluate the dynamics of skin surface temperature in the hand during prolonged computer mouse work under different ergonomic setups. Digital infrared imaging of the right forearm and wrist was performed during three hours of continuous computer work (measured at the start and every 15 minutes thereafter) in a laboratory with controlled ambient conditions. Four people participated in the study. Three different ergonomic computer mouse setups were tested on three different days (horizontal computer mouse without mouse pad; horizontal computer mouse with mouse pad and padded wrist support; vertical computer mouse without mouse pad). The study revealed a significantly strong negative correlation between the temperature of the dorsal surface of the wrist and time spent working with a computer mouse. Hand skin temperature decreased markedly after one hour of continuous computer mouse work. Vertical computer mouse work preserved more stable and higher temperatures of the wrist (&gt;30 °C), while continuous use of a horizontal mouse for more than two hours caused an extremely low temperature (&lt;28 °C) in distal parts of the hand. The preliminary observational findings indicate the significant effect of the duration and ergonomics of computer mouse work on the development of hand hypothermia

The presence of violence at work of health care personnel and their work ability

Proportion of health care workers of those who believe that the work in progress threatens their health and safety is higher than the average in other sectors. Workers in health care facilities are especially exposed to violence in the workplace [1]. The aim of the study was the evaluation of the presence of violence at work and determination of its effect on the working ability of health care sector workers. The study included the survey of 132 emergency department employees (doctors, physician assistants, nurses) from Kurzeme Region hospitals (Latvia). Questionnaire of violence in the workplace of the health care sector workers and the work ability index assessment questionnaire were used for the data collection. It was found that medical staff of health care establishments experience mostly verbal abuse (97%), less from physical attacks (36%), and intimidation/bullying (30%). The study found that medical personnel are aware of the changes implemented in the workplace (29%), there has been no change (33%), while the impact of changes implemented by medical staff at the workplace has not been experienced (47%). For personnel who have suffered from violence in the workplace, working capacity is generally lower than for the personnel that has not experienced violence in the workplace

The presence of violence at work of health care personnel and their work ability

Proportion of health care workers of those who believe that the work in progress threatens their health and safety is higher than the average in other sectors. Workers in health care facilities are especially exposed to violence in the workplace [1]. The aim of the study was the evaluation of the presence of violence at work and determination of its effect on the working ability of health care sector workers. The study included the survey of 132 emergency department employees (doctors, physician assistants, nurses) from Kurzeme Region hospitals (Latvia). Questionnaire of violence in the workplace of the health care sector workers and the work ability index assessment questionnaire were used for the data collection. It was found that medical staff of health care establishments experience mostly verbal abuse (97%), less from physical attacks (36%), and intimidation/bullying (30%). The study found that medical personnel are aware of the changes implemented in the workplace (29%), there has been no change (33%), while the impact of changes implemented by medical staff at the workplace has not been experienced (47%). For personnel who have suffered from violence in the workplace, working capacity is generally lower than for the personnel that has not experienced violence in the workplace