DESARROLLO CONCEPTUAL DE LA PROMOCIÓN DE LA SALUD EN LOS LUGARES DE TRABAJO

Introduction: Health promotion, from an integrated, intersection and interdisciplinary viewpoint, has been slowly developed in the workplace. The promotion of health in workplaces (PSHW) as a strategy is oriented towards contributing to the integrated attention to workers, involving all determining factors to optimize the health and safety conditions in the workplace involving workers, directors and the organization as a whole. Due to the complexity posed by structural processes, such as globalization and its effects on the working processes and life of people at current times, this strategy becomes a challenge to be implemented in several different labor settings. Objectives: To analyze the bibliography and documentary references in relation to health promotion in workplaces. Methodology: By means of a bibliographic revision, in scientific databases and sites related to the field of interest, the conceptual development of health in workplaces will be analyzed. Descriptors used for searching were the following: Promotion of health, work, and work environment. Results: The bibliographic search showed that the promotion of health in the workplace is a potentially integrating strategy, generating policies and actions of the organization leading to the enhancement of working conditions, as well as all other factors implied in workers‟ health status. Conclusions: Organizations nowadays should assure a balance between the compliance with their objectives and the needs of the health of workers, through an efficient PSHW program, with the objective of continuously improving their quality of life, which can be affected by changes in the labor setting as the result of new technologies and the nature of work. The application of strategies is limited, according to the revision made.Introducción: La promoción de la salud, desde su perspectiva integral, intersectorial e interdisciplinaria, se viene desarrollando tímidamente en los entornos del trabajo. La promoción de la salud en los lugares de trabajo-PSLT, como estrategia, se orienta a contribuir en la atención al trabajador de forma integral e involucrando todos los factores determinantes en la optimización de las condiciones de la salud y seguridad en los lugares de trabajo, implicando a los trabajadores, directivos y a la organización de manera integral. Ante la complejidad que involucra procesos estructurales como la globalización y sus efectos en los procesos de trabajo y vida de las personas en la actualidad, esta estrategia se convierte en un desafío por desarrollar en los diversos escenarios laborales. Objetivos: Analizar la producción bibliográfica y documental relacionada con la promoción de la salud en los lugares de trabajo. Metodología: Mediante revisión bibliográfica, en bases de datos científicas y en sites relacionados con el área, se analizará el desarrollo conceptual de la promoción de la salud en los lugares de trabajo. Los descriptores utilizados para la búsqueda fueron: promoción de la salud, trabajo, ambiente de trabajo. Resultados: La búsqueda bibliográfica mostró que la promoción de la salud en los lugares de trabajo es una estrategia potencial integradora, generadora de políticas y acciones de la organización, encaminadas a mejorar las condiciones de trabajo, y demás factores que intervienen en la salud de los trabajadores. Conclusiones: las organizaciones en la actualidad, deben garantizar un equilibrio entre el cumplimiento de sus objetivos y necesidades de salud de los trabajadores, mediante un programa eficaz de PSLT, con el objetivo de mejorar continuamente su calidad de vida, la cual se puede ver afectada por los cambios del entorno laboral debido a las nuevas tecnologías y la naturaleza del trabajo. La aplicación de la estrategia es limitada, de acuerdo a la revisión realizada

Construct and face validity of SINERGIA laparoscopic virtual reality simulator

Purpose Laparoscopic techniques have nowadays become a gold standard in many surgical procedures, but they imply a more difficult learning skills process. Simulators have a fundamental role in the formative stage of new surgeons. This paper presents the construct and face validity of SINERGIA laparoscopic virtual reality simulator in order to decide whether it can be considered as an assessment tool. Methods Twenty people participated in this study, 14 were novices and 6 were experts. Five tasks of SINERGIA were included in the study: coordination, navigation, navigation and touch, precise grasping and coordinate traction. For each one of these tasks, a certain number of metrics are automatically recorded. All subjects accomplished each task only once and filled in two questionnaires. A statistical analysis was made and results from both groups were compared with the Mann–Whitney U-test, considering significant differences when P ≤ 0.05. Internal consistency of the system has been analyzed with the Cronbach’s alpha test. Results Novices and experts positively rated SINERGIA characteristics. At least one of the evaluated metrics of each exercise presented significant differences between both groups. Nevertheless, all metrics under study gave a better punctuation to the executions accomplished by experts (lower time, higher efficiency, fewer errors. . .) than to those made by novices. Conclusion SINERGIA laparoscopic virtual reality simulator is able to discriminate subjects according to their level of experience in laparoscopic surgery; therefore, it can be used within a training program as an assessment too

Fatal encephalitis associated with novel influenza A (H1N1) virus infection in a child

A 4-year-old girl presented with fever, coughing, and vomiting; followed by unconsciousness. Magnetic resonance imaging showed hyperintense changes in the thalami bilaterally, brain stem, cerebellum, and subcortical cortex. Novel influenza A (H1N1) virus was identified by polymerase chain reaction in patient’s nasopharyngeal swab specimen. We reported a rare case of clinically severe, novel influenza A-associated encephalitis. Novel influenza A should be considered in the differential diagnosis in patients with seizures and mental status changes, especially during an influenza outbreak

A smog chamber comparison of a microfluidic derivatisation measurement of gas-phase glyoxal and methylglyoxal with other analytical techniques

A microfluidic lab-on-a-chip derivatisation technique has been developed to measure part per billion (ppbV) mixing ratios of gaseous glyoxal (GLY) and methylglyoxal (MGLY), and the method is compared with other techniques in a smog chamber experiment. The method uses-(2, 3, 4, 5, 6-pentafluorobenzyl) hydroxylamine (PFBHA) as a derivatisation reagent and a microfabricated planar glass micro-reactor comprising an inlet, gas and fluid splitting and combining channels, mixing junctions, and a heated capillary reaction microchannel. The enhanced phase contact area-to-volume ratio and the high heat transfer rate in the micro-reactor resulted in a fast and highly efficient derivatisation reaction, generating an effluent stream ready for direct introduction to a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). A linear response for GLY was observed over a calibration range 0.7 to 400 ppbV, and for MGLY of 1.2 to 300 ppbV, when derivatised under optimal reaction conditions. The analytical performance shows good accuracy (6.6% for GLY and 7.5% for MGLY), suitable precision (<12.0%) with method detection limits (MDLs) of 75 pptV for GLY and 185 pptV for MGLY, with a time resolution of 30 min. These MDLs are below or close to typical concentrations of these compounds observed in ambient air. The feasibility of the technique was assessed by applying the methodology to quantify α-dicarbonyls formed during the photo-oxidation of isoprene in the EUPHORE chamber. Good correlations were found between microfluidic measurements and Fourier Transform InfraRed spectroscopy (FTIR) with a correlation coefficient (2) of 0.84, Broadband Cavity Enhanced Absorption Spectroscopy (BBCEAS) (2 Combining double low line 0.75), solid phase micro extraction (SPME) (2 Combining double low line 0.89), and a photochemical chamber box modelling calculation (2 Combining double low line 0.79) for GLY measurements. For MGLY measurements, the microfluidic technique showed good agreement with BBCEAS (2 Combining double low line 0.87), SPME (2 Combining double low line 0.76), and the modeling simulation (2 Combining double low line 0.83), FTIR (2 Combining double low line 0.72) but displayed a discrepancy with Proton-Transfer Reaction Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (PTR-ToF-MS) with 2 value of 0.39

Systems and technologies for objective evaluation of technical skills in laparoscopic surgery

Minimally invasive surgery is a highly demanding surgical approach regarding technical requirements for the surgeon, who must be trained in order to perform a safe surgical intervention. Traditional surgical education in minimally invasive surgery is commonly based on subjective criteria to quantify and evaluate surgical abilities, which could be potentially unsafe for the patient. Authors, surgeons and associations are increasingly demanding the development of more objective assessment tools that can accredit surgeons as technically competent. This paper describes the state of the art in objective assessment methods of surgical skills. It gives an overview on assessment systems based on structured checklists and rating scales, surgical simulators, and instrument motion analysis. As a future work, an objective and automatic assessment method of surgical skills should be standardized as a means towards proficiency-based curricula for training in laparoscopic surgery and its certification

Valproic acid restricts mast cell activation by Listeria monocytogenes.

Mast cells (MC) play a central role in the early containment of bacterial infections, such as that caused by Listeria monocytogenes (L.m). The mechanisms of MC activation induced by L.m infection are well known, so it is possible to evaluate whether they are susceptible to targeting and modulation by different drugs. Recent evidence indicates that valproic acid (VPA) inhibits the immune response which favors L.m pathogenesis in vivo. Herein, we examined the immunomodulatory effect of VPA on L.m-mediated MC activation. To this end, bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMC) were pre-incubated with VPA and then stimulated with L.m. We found that VPA reduced MC degranulation and cytokine release induced by L.m. MC activation during L.m infection relies on Toll-Like Receptor 2 (TLR2) engagement, however VPA treatment did not affect MC TLR2 cell surface expression. Moreover, VPA was able to decrease MC activation by the classic TLR2 ligands, peptidoglycan and lipopeptide Pam3CSK4. VPA also reduced cytokine production in response to Listeriolysin O (LLO), which activates MC by a TLR2-independent mechanism. In addition, VPA decreased the activation of critical events on MC signaling cascades, such as the increase on intracellular Ca2+ and phosphorylation of p38, ERK1/2 and -p65 subunit of NF-κB. Altogether, our data demonstrate that VPA affects key cell signaling events that regulate MC activation following L.m infection. These results indicate that VPA can modulate the functional activity of different immune cells that participate in the control of L.m infection

Hospital admission and risk assessment associated to exposure of fungal bioaerosols at a municipal landfill using statistical models

The object of this research to determine the statistical relationship and degree of association between variables: hospital admission days and diagnostic (disease) potentially associated to fungal bioaerosols exposure. Admissions included acute respiratory infections, atopic dermatitis, pharyngitis and otitis. Statistical analysis was done using Statgraphics Centurion XVI software. In addition, was estimated the occupational exposure to fungal aerosols in stages of a landfill using BIOGAVAL method and represented by Golden Surfer XVI program. Biological risk assessment with sentinel microorganism A. fumigatus and Penicillium sp, indicated that occupational exposure to fungal aerosols is Biological action level. Preventive measures should be taken to reduce the risk of acquiring acute respiratory infections, dermatitis or other skin infections

Laying the Foundations for a Human-Predator Conflict Solution: Assessing the Impact of Bonelli's Eagle on Rabbits and Partridges

BACKGROUND: Predation may potentially lead to negative effects on both prey (directly via predators) and predators (indirectly via human persecution). Predation pressure studies are, therefore, of major interest in the fields of theoretical knowledge and conservation of prey or predator species, with wide ramifications and profound implications in human-wildlife conflicts. However, detailed works on this issue in highly valuable--in conservation terms--Mediterranean ecosystems are virtually absent. This paper explores the predator-hunting conflict by examining a paradigmatic, Mediterranean-wide (endangered) predator-two prey (small game) system. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We estimated the predation impact ('kill rate' and 'predation rate', i.e., number of prey and proportion of the prey population eaten, respectively) of Bonelli's eagle Aquila fasciata on rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus and red-legged partridge Alectoris rufa populations in two seasons (the eagle's breeding and non-breeding periods, 100 days each) in SE Spain. The mean estimated kill rate by the seven eagle reproductive units in the study area was c. 304 rabbits and c. 262 partridges in the breeding season, and c. 237 rabbits and c. 121 partridges in the non-breeding period. This resulted in very low predation rates (range: 0.3-2.5%) for both prey and seasons. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The potential role of Bonelli's eagles as a limiting factor for rabbits and partridges at the population scale was very poor. The conflict between game profitability and conservation interest of either prey or predators is apparently very localised, and eagles, quarry species and game interests seem compatible in most of the study area. Currently, both the persecution and negative perception of Bonelli's eagle (the 'partridge-eating eagle' in Spanish) have a null theoretical basis in most of this area