多変量因果関係分析における冗長度の低減

国立大学法人長岡技術科学大

Efforts towards the Asymmetric de novo Synthesis of Lanostanes and Euphanes

Tetracyclic triterpenoids are ubiquitous in nature and biology, with members displaying a wide range of medically relevant properties and occupying rather distinct regions of chemical space. Members of this large class include well-known steroid hormones and sterols as well as structurally interesting subclasses such as lanostanes and euphanes, among others. Comprised of the tetracyclic skeleton with three stereodefined quaternary centers at ring-junction positions, lanostanes and euphanes present synthetic challenges that are different from those encountered in efforts targeting the structurally less complex steroid hormones. Lanostanes, in particular, stand as a historically important class of compounds as significant attention has been directed at understanding the biosynthesis of lanosterol, the primary precursor to cholesterol, for the past 50 years. Though studies in this area have led to the development of new reaction methods and synthesis strategies, lanostanes and the structurally related euphanes continue to stand as challenges for asymmetric de novo synthesis. This thesis work describes progress towards the asymmetric total syntheses of lucidadone H, a hexanorlanostane natural product, and euphol, a euphane natural product. While the chemical technology that is central to both syntheses features metallacycle-mediated annulative cross-coupling, diastereoselective Friedel–Crafts cyclization and oxidative dearomatization/Wagner–Meerwein rearrangement to establish a functionalized tetracyclic intermediate, my efforts resulted in a concise synthesis of hexanorlanostanes, and an asymmetric approach to a C14-desmethyl euphane system, which was identified to be a novel modulator of the Liver X Receptor

Exploring the Service Experiences of Women with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Mixed-Methods Study

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often have complex service needs across the lifespan. The specific experiences of women with ASD, however, remain largely unknown. This concurrent mixed-methods dissertation consists of one quantitative study and one qualitative study examining the service experiences of women with ASD; integration occurred in a separate deductive, latent-level analysis. Study 1 used data from the Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorder Alliance National Needs Survey, and provides a descriptive analysis of lifetime service use, unmet service needs, and barriers to care of a sample of Canadian adults with ASD, the majority of whom did not report a co-occurring intellectual disability (ID). Few significant sex/gender differences emerged, with the exception of mental health and residential services. However, a number of significant associations between service outcome variables and micro, meso, and exo system factors were found. Study 2 is a qualitative study comprised of five focus groups of 20 women with ASD without ID with discussions centered on their service use, unmet service needs, and barriers to care. Overall, women emphasized high unmet service needs, particularly with respect to mental health concerns, residential supports, and vocational and employment services. Participants also perceived many service providers as disregarding or misunderstanding the female presentation of ASD and associated unique service needs. Results from the two studies were integrated in a latent level analysis, incorporating ecological and postcolonial feminist frameworks. The projects findings are discussed in relation to areas of future research required to ensure effective care for this understudied population

EMPLOYERS’ ROLE IN THE IMPROVEMENT OF SAFETY LEVEL IN ESTONIAN ENTERPRISES

The key persons in safety activities at enterprises are: top manager, his(her) representatives, working environment specialist, all acting for the employer; and working environment representatives, selected by the workers and holding the workers’ rights in safety and health area. The main possibilities to improve the safety level in the firm have the working environment specialists, as they are usually educated and supported by the employer and the law. The current paper is looking for the possibilities to raise the employers’ interest for improvement of their knowledge in safety and through this also the safety level in the workplace. Safety level in 12 Estonian enterprises was investigated using MISHA method (based on standard OHSAS 18001). Some of the firms have implemented OHSAS 18001 or belong to the foreign companies. The investigated enterprises were from different industries and agriculture firms. The safety level is very much depended on the owner of the firm. The larger the enterprise is the better are the possibilities to educate the employers and employees. One of the ideas to improve the safety level at enterprise is the method “learning through the interviews”. The interview is worked out basing on MISHA method. The latter is a tool of quantitative study. The safety performance key elements were divided into three parts: formal, real, combined ones. Three hypothesis were formulated and the area in which they are proved concerning employer’s activities were as follows: H1) Standard OHSAS 18001 has an impact on Formal safety performance in companies (p value< 0.013) – if OHSAS 18001 has been implemented, then: the assignment of tasks and responsibilities in OHS is committed to the top management, the employer is revising the safety policy, and the personnel’s responsibilities in OHS are clearly defined. H2) Standard OHSAS 18001 has an impact on Real safety performance. (p< 0.013) - if OHSAS 18001 is implemented, then: the top manager promotes dissemination of safety policy: the policy is made available to all of the personnel; resources for improvement are arranged by the top management; the top manager arranges meetings in OHS; there is a system for redesigning the workplaces for the persons who have difficulties in coping with the work. H3) Standard OHSAS 18001 has an impact on Combined safety performance (p< 0.007) - if OHSAS 18001 implemented, then: the top management is participating in the preparation of safety policy, top manager is reviewing the safety policy, is it operating effectively? He is informing the external bodies about the company’s safety policy’s effectiveness; the top manager arranges safety training for all of the personnel; there is a plan for reduction of accidents; it has been elaborated by the top manager; the company has a system for measuring the social climate in the company

Human factors and ergonomics in safety management in healthcare: building new relationships

ArticleHuman factors are playing an essential role in ensuring occupational health and safety at work. In the healthcare sector, relevant factors include optimizing the interaction of humans with their technical, social working environment, and human characteristics such as knowledge and motivation. Those fac tors affect the ability to provide good quality of healthcare and safety performance. The aim of this paper is to analyse factors related to safety knowledge, communication and professional competence among caregivers in nursing homes. A group of professio nals studied (n = 241, includes nurses and caregivers) completed a validated questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and correlation analyses were applied, using SPSS Statistics 24. Our study revealed that over half of the respondents possess an occupational certificate and the majority of employers organize regular in - service training at workplaces. Respondents who claimed that in - service trainings are not regular still stated that they generally receive safety and ergonomic related trainings, trainings for working with special equipment. However, only a quarter of responden ts have access to occupational safety trainings that f ocus on specific risks at work. Based on the results of the study, we emphasize the need of integrating human factors in the safety ma nagement system in nursing homes with a special focus on adequate safety training in order to develop necessary skills and knowledge of workers. This would enhance employees’ ability to cope successfully with the elderly and people with special needs, to p rovide safe and high - quality care as well as confidence and the knowledge how successfully they manage conflicts in order to ke ep good relationships at work

The co-influence of noise and carbon dioxide on humans in the work and living environment

The aim of the paper is to investigate the co-influence of noise and carbon dioxide on people in different situations (inside/outside houses/classrooms) depending on the traffic intensity, the fuel used for heating in residential buildings etc.). All the measurements and the questionnaire have been carried out during the autumn of 2019 (at the mean temperature of 5–10 °C). Riga has a more intensive traffic compared to Tallinn and has greater problems of exceeding the permissible noise levels. The levels of carbon dioxide inside classrooms are also very high in Latvia (1,500–2,000 ppm). The concentration of carbon dioxide outside buildings is low in the forest areas (measured in the south of Estonia), being 340–350 ppm. In regional towns, it is 500 ppm (measured in autumn-winter near a busy street). The co-influence of noise and carbon dioxide on the residents has been investigated by using the Weinstein questionnaire. High carbon dioxide levels cause fatigue. Although it was not particularly pointed out by the residents questioned in a panel house with small apartments, the air was considered to be stuffy. The house is situated near a busy street, so the problems with noise are higher. ANOVA statistics has been used for the questionnaire (p < 0.001, α = 0.93). The decrease of noise and carbon dioxide levels help people stay healthy and the environmental impact from the investigation is emphasising the necessity and providing possibilities to decrease the concentration of CO2 in the ambient air

IMPACT OF TELEWORK ON THE PERCEIVED WORK ENVIRONMENT OF OLDER WORKERS

Telework has become a natural part of regular work life of employees who use the information communication technology (ICT). Telework has a potential to support postponing retirement for mental workers. The objective of this research was to find out interaction between senior employees’ teleworking and well-being. The main research question was – can telework improve elderly employees’ well-being? Over 100 respondents from different areas in mental work were involved in a quantitative survey. The results of a conducted survey showed that telework is exaggerated to some extent as teleworkers’ well-being (M=7.79; SD=1.28) does not diverge from non-teleworkers’ well-being (M=7.75; SD=1.40). However, telework can be neither underestimated nor taken as interchangeable with traditional work. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to telework as a different way of working with its specialties. Systematic approach to telework enables companies to employ elderly by providing diversity of work forms.JEL Codes - J14, J26, J2

Improving job satisfaction with different intervention methods among the school personnel in Estonia and Latvia

ArticleThis investigation was carried out in two high schools: one in Estonia (EST1) and one in Latvia (LAT1). The offices EST2 and LAT2 were chosen from the countryside of the both countries. Office EST1 is situated in an atrium-type building for educational and research needs. The second building is mainly for education (auditoriums) and the offices LAT1 are situated on the ground floor. The third and the fourth offices were taken for comparison. Office EST2 is situated in a countryside in an old wooden building; the fourth office LAT2 is located in a new building in Latvian countryside. All together 181 office-workers were involved. At first, the work environment conditions were measured. The ergonomics of workplaces was assessed with ARTtool and Kiva-questionnaire was used to study psychosocial conditions and job satisfaction at computer-equipped workplaces. Occupational hazards were measured to clarify, do the work environment influence on the behaviour and the job motivation and satisfaction of the worker at workplace? After the first questioning of workers using Kiva-questionnaire, the Metal Age programme was implemented and after the intervention, the Kiva-questionnaire was carried out again. The results showed that if the preventive measures for solving the problems at workplace are implemented, and the employers and the employees are trained and consulted using the appropriate programmes, the stress situations could be avoided. The workers in all offices were confident that the discussion about the problems is very important as the work with computers is intensive and there is a very short time to communicate with each other. The educational work is also stressful