Organização do trabalho e riscos de adoecimento no exercício profissional dos médicos

The work context is a risk factor for the illness of many professionals, among which the medical profession is highlighted. Thus, this study aimed to identify the risks of illness related to the work context of doctors, in the light of Psychodynamics at Work. One hundred and two professionals participated, who responded to the Work Context Assessment Scales, Indicators of Pleasure and Suffering at Work and Work-Related Damage. The results, based on descriptive and inferential statistics, demonstrated a moderate risk of illness related to the work context, professional exhaustion and physical damage. Work organization was strongly associated with “professional burnout” and “lack of recognition”. It is concluded, therefore, that there is a need for greater attention to the organization of work by the medical profession.A relação entre trabalho e risco de adoecimento tem sido foco de diversas pesquisas, porém, há poucos estudos sobre o ambiente laboral médico. Assim, esta investigação realizada com 102 médicos de hospitais públicos e privados do Rio Grande do Sul, objetivou identificar de que forma a organização do trabalho médico está associada aos riscos de sofrimento e adoecimento em termos de danos físicos e psicossociais. Constatou-se risco moderado de adoecimento, relacionado às dimensões do contexto de trabalho, esgotamento emocional e danos físicos. Houve associação entre a organização do trabalho e os riscos de adoecimento, com valores maiores entre “esgotamento emocional” e “falta de reconhecimento” (rs = 0,768, p <0,01), evidenciando necessidade de maior atenção à organização do trabalho dos médicos.  A relação entre trabalho e risco de adoecimento tem sido foco de diversas pesquisas, porém, há poucos estudos sobre o ambiente laboral médico. Assim, esta investigação realizada com 102 médicos de hospitais públicos e privados do Rio Grande do Sul, objetivou identificar de que forma a organização do trabalho médico está associada aos riscos de sofrimento e adoecimento em termos de danos físicos e psicossociais. Constatou-se risco moderado de adoecimento, relacionado às dimensões do contexto de trabalho, esgotamento emocional e danos físicos. Houve associação entre a organização do trabalho e os riscos de adoecimento, com valores maiores entre “esgotamento emocional” e “falta de reconhecimento” (rs = 0,768, p <0,01), evidenciando necessidade de maior atenção à organização do trabalho dos médicos.  O contexto de trabalho é fator de risco para o adoecimento de muitos profissionais; dentre eles, ganha destaque a classe médica. Assim, este estudo objetivou identificar os riscos de adoecimento relativos ao contexto de trabalho dos médicos à luz da Psicodinâmica do Trabalho. Participaram 102 profissionais, que responderam às Escalas de Avaliação do Contexto de Trabalho, Indicadores de Prazer e Sofrimento no Trabalho e Danos Relacionados ao Trabalho. Os resultados, a partir de estatística descritiva e inferencial, demonstraram risco moderado de adoecimento relacionado ao contexto de trabalho, esgotamento profissional e danos físicos. Associou-se fortemente a organização do trabalho com “esgotamento profissional” e “falta de reconhecimento”. Conclui-se, assim, que ocorre a necessidade de maior atenção à organização do trabalho da classe médica

Compressed Sensing on Multi-Pinhole Collimator SPECT Camera for Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy

State-of-the-art imaging devices for sentinel lymph node biopsy are either a 1-dimensional gamma probe or more recently 2-dimensional gamma cameras that locate the sentinel lymph node. These devices, however, share difficulties when multiple lymph nodes are close-by and do not allow the estimation of the distance to the lymph nodes, as the tracer activation is projected either to a 1- or 2-dimensional image plane. We propose a method, which reconstructs the tracer distribution using a single image of the detector resulting from a multi-pinhole collimator. Applying standard image processing tools on the detector’s image leads to a reduced, sparse system. Thus, we propose an efficient and reliable compressed sensing strategy, to reconstructs the 3-dimensional tracer distribution using a multi-pinhole collimator and a single detector image. This approach enables better estimation of lymph nodes position and improves the differentiation of close-by lymph nodes

COMPET: High resolution high sensitivity MRI compatible pre-clinical PET scanner

COMPET is a pre-clinical MRI compatible PET scanner which decouples sensitivity and resolution by the use of a novel detector design. The detector has been built using 8 x 8 cm(2) square layers consisting of 30 LYSO crystals (2 x 3 x 80 mm(2)) interleaved with 24 Wavelength Shifting Fibers (WLS) (3 x 1 x 80 mm(3)). By stacking several layers into a module, the point-of-interaction (POI) can be measured in 3D. Four layers form a PET ring where the sensitivity can be increased by stacking several layers. The layers can be stacked so that no inter-crystal or inter-module gap is formed. COMPET has used four assembled layers for module and scanner characterization. The modules are connected to the COMPET data-acquisition chain and the reconstructed images are produced with the novel geometry-independent COMPET image reconstruction algorithm. Time and energy resolution have been resolved and found to be around 4 as and 14% respectively. Tests for MRI interference and count rate performance have been carried out The reconstruction algorithm has been verified with data acquired by means of a COMPET full ring PET scanner

Indirect Dark Matter Search with the MAGIC Telescope

The 17m Major Atmospheric Gamma-ray Imaging Cherenkov (MAGIC) Telescope located on the canary island La Palma has the lowest energy threshold of all existing Cherenkov Telescopes. This makes MAGIC well suited to look for high energy gamma rays coming from e.g. neutralino annihilation in Dark Matter (DM) dominated source candidates like spheroidal dwarf galaxies. So far, DRACO and Willman-I have been observed for several hours each, but no signal was found and the upper limits received look not very encouraging. On the other hand, the AGILE and FERMI satellites might soon detect more promising candi- dates like hypothetical mini-halos or intermediate mass black holes. In such cases, follow up observations with Cherenkov telescopes with their much higher sensitivity above 48 100 GeV will be needed to fully measure the spectra and search for a characteristic energy cutoff. In case of a positive detection of a DM signal, an absolute energy calibration will be crucial. So far, Cherenkov telescopes had to rely fully on Monte Carlo simulations, resulting in a rather large systematic uncertainty. With an improved trigger electronics, MAGIC recently was able to see the cutoff energy of the Crab pulsar. Since this cutoff energy is within reach of FERMI, a cross-calibration of both instruments will soon be possible

Geiger-mode avalanche photodiodes as photodetectors in Cherenkov astronomy

The progress in the development of Geiger-mode avalanche photodiodes (G-APD) has resulted in devices which show great promise for Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACT). In the course of the First G-APD Camera Test (FACT) project with the purpose to construct a G-APD based camera, their characteristics are analysed and measured in detail. The angle dependence of the photon detection efficiency was measured and found to be flat. The effects of saturation and cross-talk on the reconstruction of the number of detected photons was studied. Since these effects are of a statistical nature, the reconstructed number is limited in its precision. For small numbers of photons, crosstalk is the limiting factor. For photon numbers comparable to or higher than the number of cells of the G-APD, the main limitation is the saturation