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

Microstructural damage of the posterior corpus callosum contributes to the clinical severity of neglect

One theory to account for neglect symptoms in patients with right focal damage invokes a release of inhibition of the right parietal cortex over the left parieto-frontal circuits, by disconnection mechanism. This theory is supported by transcranial magnetic stimulation studies showing the existence of asymmetric inhibitory interactions between the left and right posterior parietal cortex, with a right hemispheric advantage. These inhibitory mechanisms are mediated by direct transcallosal projections located in the posterior portions of the corpus callosum. The current study, using diffusion imaging and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS), aims at assessing, in a data-driven fashion, the contribution of structural disconnection between hemispheres in determining the presence and severity of neglect. Eleven patients with right acute stroke and 11 healthy matched controls underwent MRI at 3T, including diffusion imaging, and T1-weighted volumes. TBSS was modified to account for the presence of the lesion and used to assess the presence and extension of changes in diffusion indices of microscopic white matter integrity in the left hemisphere of patients compared to controls, and to investigate, by correlation analysis, whether this damage might account for the presence and severity of patients' neglect, as assessed by the Behavioural Inattention Test (BIT). None of the patients had any macroscopic abnormality in the left hemisphere; however, 3 cases were discarded due to image artefacts in the MRI data. Conversely, TBSS analysis revealed widespread changes in diffusion indices in most of their left hemisphere tracts, with a predominant involvement of the corpus callosum and its projections on the parietal white matter. A region of association between patients' scores at BIT and brain FA values was found in the posterior part of the corpus callosum. This study strongly supports the hypothesis of a major role of structural disconnection between the right and left parietal cortex in determining 'neglect'

DNA barcoding of Brazilian sea turtles (Testudines)

Five out of the seven recognized species of sea turtles (Testudines) occur on the Brazilian coast. The Barcode Initiative is an effort to undertake a molecular inventory of Earth biodiversity. Cytochrome Oxidase c subunit I (COI) molecular tags for sea turtle species have not yet been described. In this study, COI sequences for the five species of sea turtles that occur in Brazil were generated. These presented widely divergent haplotypes. All observed values were on the same range as those already described for other animal groups: the overall mean distance was 8.2%, the mean distance between families (Dermochelyidae and Cheloniidae) 11.7%, the mean intraspecific divergence 0.34%, and the mean distance within Cheloniidae 6.4%, this being 19-fold higher than the mean divergence observed within species. We obtained species-specific COI barcode tags that can be used for identifying each of the marine turtle species studied

Iron carbonate formation kinetics onto corroding and pre-filmed carbon steel surfaces in carbon dioxide corrosion environments

This work investigates the Corrosion Layer Accumulation Rate (CLAR) of iron carbonate (FeCO3) onto X65 carbon steel in carbon dioxide containing environments using the direct method of corrosion layer mass gain measurement. Glass cell experiments were performed at 80 °C and pH 6.3 or 6.8 over a range of bulk FeCO3 saturation ratios using both actively corroding carbon steel and steel pre-filmed with FeCO3. The CLARs obtained from experiments using actively corroding samples displayed strong agreement with the most recently developed precipitation model by Sun and Nesic at high supersaturation for pH 6.3 and 6.8, but a disparity at low supersaturation for the solution at pH 6.8. The observed discrepancy was attributed to the significant difference in surface saturation ratio between the two conditions when the steel is actively corroding. CLARs determined for pre-FeCO3 filmed carbon steel show that the kinetics of FeCO3 formation reduce significantly once the film establishes a protective barrier at lower values of bulk supersaturation. The results highlight the contrast between surface layer accumulation kinetics in the early stages of growth and those encountered in the long-term after the development of a protective film

Detection of Pneumocystis DNA in samples from patients suspected of bacterial pneumonia- a case-control study

BACKGROUND: Pneumocystis jiroveci (formerly known as P. carinii f.sp. hominis) is an opportunistic fungus that causes Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) in immunocompromised individuals. Pneumocystis jiroveci can be detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). To investigate the clinical importance of a positive Pneumocystis-PCR among HIV-uninfected patients suspected of bacterial pneumonia, a retrospective matched case-control study was conducted. METHODS: Respiratory samples from 367 patients suspected of bacterial pneumonia were analysed by PCR amplification of Pneumocystis jiroveci. To compare clinical factors associated with carriage of P. jiroveci, a case-control study was done. For each PCR-positive case, four PCR-negative controls, randomly chosen from the PCR-negative patients, were matched on sex and date of birth. RESULTS: Pneumocystis-DNA was detected in 16 (4.4%) of patients. The median age for PCR-positive patients was higher than PCR-negative patients (74 vs. 62 years, p = 0.011). PCR-positive cases had a higher rate of chronic or severe concomitant illness (15 (94%)) than controls (32 (50%)) (p = 0.004). Twelve (75%) of the 16 PCR positive patients had received corticosteroids, compared to 8 (13%) of the 64 PCR-negative controls (p < 0.001). Detection of Pneumocystis-DNA was associated with a worse prognosis: seven (44%) of patients with positive PCR died within one month compared to nine (14%) of the controls (p = 0.01). None of the nine PCR-positive patients who survived had developed PCP at one year of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that carriage of Pneumocystis jiroveci is associated with old age, concurrent disease and steroid treatment. PCR detection of P. jiroveci has low specificity for diagnosing PCP among patients without established immunodeficiency. Whether overt infection is involved in the poorer prognosis or merely reflects sub-clinical carriage is not clear. Further studies of P. jiroveci in patients receiving systemic treatment with corticosteroids are warranted

In situ SR-XRD study of FeCO₃ precipitation kinetics onto carbon steel in CO₂-containing environments: The influence of brine pH

The growth of iron carbonate (FeCO₃) on the internal walls of carbon steel pipelines used for oil and gas transportation can reduce internal corrosion significantly. Solution pH can be considered as one of the most influential factors with regards to the kinetics, morphology and protection afforded by FeCO₃ films. This paper presents results from a recently developed in situ Synchrotron Radiation-X-ray Diffraction (SR-XRD) flow cell integrated with electrochemistry for corrosion measurements. The cell was used to follow the nucleation and growth kinetics of corrosion products on X65 carbon steel surfaces in a carbon dioxide (CO₂)-saturated 3.5 wt.% NaCl brine at 80 °C and a flow rate of 0.1 m/s over a range of solution pH values (6.3, 6.8 and 7). In all conditions, FeCO₃ was identified as the only crystalline phase to form. Electrochemical results coupled with post-test surface analysis indicate that at higher pH, larger portions of the surface become covered faster with thinner, more protective films consisting of smaller, denser and more compact crystals. The comparison between XRD main peak area intensities and FeCO₃ surface coverage, mass and volume indicates a qualitative relationship between these parameters at each pH, providing valuable information on the kinetics of film growth

Epidermoid cyst of the floor of the mouth: two case reports

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licens

Innate control of actin nucleation determines two distinct migration behaviours in dendritic cells

Dendritic cell (DC) migration in peripheral tissues serves two main functions: antigen sampling by immature DCs, and chemokine-guided migration towards lymphatic vessels (LVs) on maturation. These migratory events determine the efficiency of the adaptive immune response. Their regulation by the core cell locomotion machinery has not been determined. Here, we show that the migration of immature DCs depends on two main actin pools: a RhoA mDial-dependent actin pool located at their rear, which facilitates forward locomotion; and a Cdc42 Arp2/3-dependent actin pool present at their front, which limits migration but promotes antigen capture. Following TLR4 MyD88-induced maturation, Arp2/3-dependent actin enrichment at the cell front is markedly reduced. Consequently, mature DCs switch to a faster and more persistent mDial-dependent locomotion mode that facilitates chemotactic migration to LVs and lymph nodes. Thus, the differential use of actin-nucleating machineries optimizes the migration of immature and mature DCs according to their specific function

Using Evidence in a Highly Fragmented Legislature: The Case of Colombia's Health System Reform

This chapter examines how evidence is used in major policy health policy initiatives in a highly contested political context. Through a case study of legislation proposed in the context of Colombia’s ongoing health systems reformed process, it explores how such use is affected by the specific role played by the legislature within a highly fragmented polity. It draws on an analysis of evidence cited in the drafting of relevant laws in the process of health systems reform. Reflecting the role of the legislature in Colombia’s contested political system, evidence cited in legislative debates was unable to forge consensus amongst relevant policy actors over health system reforms. While scientific research was available and at the disposal of legislators, it was unable to provide the common ground on which to overcome embedded policy positions and form the basis of compromise over the direction of health systems reforms