WORK ABILITY IN HEALTHCARE WORKERS (HCWS) AFTER BREAST CANCER: PRELIMINARY DATA OF A PILOT STUDY

Abstract – Objective: Disabilities resulting from breast cancer (BC) treatment often reduce the quality of daily life and affect working and social life. This study investigated the residual work ability in a cohort of female healthcare workers (HCWs) suffering from BC. Patients and Methods: The study analyzed a cohort of female HCW’s operating at a hospital in Southern Italy. Each HCW underwent a medical examination and routine laboratory tests and a questionnaire on the Work Ability Index (WAI) Results: Out of the 663 (100%) HCW’s undergoing health surveillance, 6% (n=40) had been affected by BC; however, only 75% (n=30) agreed to join the study. 23 (77%) worked night shifts. The average number of days of absence from work was 155.8 ±205.4 days in nurses/technicians and 128.2 ±239.7 days for doctors/biologists. The WAI score was very low in 2 (7%) cases; moderate in 9 (30%) cases, good in 7 (23%) cases and excellent in 12 (40%) HCW’s. The nursing/technical staff has lower WAI scores than the other health figures. Arm/shoulder pain, numbness, limited mobility in the upper limbs and lymphoedema were the main comorbidities reported by HCW’s which affected WAI score. Conclusions: A greater absence from work was observed in nurses and technicians compared to doctors/biologists, also justified by the different professional risks that see them perform a physically more demanding job, i.e. manual handling of loads. WAI showed lower scores in nurses/technicians than in doctors/biologists. Morbidity in the upper limbs is one of the main complications that can negatively affect any work activity. This seems to affect the return to work, evident in sick leave days and in the ability to perform tasks

Straining at work and its relationship with personality profiles and individual consequences in healthcare workers (HCWs)

Straining is an attenuated form of mobbing, in which the continuity of vexatious actions is not driven by a discriminatory intent. With the objective of testing the possible moderating role of personality in the relationship between perceptions about straining at work and individual consequences, a correlational design research involved 374 healthcare workers (HCWs) from two Italian hospitals. The following questionnaires were administered: (1) Short Negative Acts Questionnaire (S‐NAQ), to assess discriminative actions at work); (2) the Italian version of the Big Five Inventory (BFI‐10 scale), to assess personality factors; (3) Occupational Stress Indicator (OSI), to measure psychological and physical health. Regression analysis and Structural Equation Models (SEM) were computed in order to test the relationships between variables. Perceived straining showed significant correlations with both psychological and physical health. Conscientiousness was inversely proportional to work‐related bullying (WB), as agreeableness was to personal bullying (PB). Emotional stability was negatively correlated with all the three component scales of S‐NAQ: WB, PB, and social bullying. The results seem to confirm that straining perceptions especially elicit, through emotional stability, psychological consequences. As regards the role of emotional stability in risk perceptions, it seems management has to pay thorough attention to personal factors in organizational perceptions and to straining actions

Destructive fishing : an expert‐driven definition and exploration of this quasi‐concept

Numerous policy and international frameworks consider that “destructive fishing” hampers efforts to reach sustainability goals. Though ubiquitous, “destructive fishing” is undefined and therefore currently immeasurable. Here we propose a definition developed through expert consultation: “Destructive fishing is any fishing practice that causes irrecoverable habitat degradation, or which causes significant adverse environmental impacts, results in long-term declines in target or nontarget species beyond biologically safe limits and has negative livelihood impacts.” We show strong stakeholder support for a definition, consensus on many biological and ecological dimensions, and no clustering of respondents from different sectors. Our consensus definition is a significant step toward defining sustainable fisheries goals and will help interpret and implement global political commitments which utilize the term “destructive fishing.” Our definition and results will help reinforce the Food and Agricultural Organization's Code of Conduct and meaningfully support member countries to prohibit destructive fishing practices

Finance and Growth: Schumpeter Might Be Wrong in Our Era. New Evidence from Meta-Analysis

Purpose In a meta-study on the finance-growth nexus, we have bridged the gap between Schumpeterian authors and sympathizers of a questionable finance-growth nexus. Design/methodology/approach Over 20 fundamental characteristics that have influenced the debate over the last decades have been examined. The empirical evidence is based on 196 outcomes from 20 studies. We assess the degree of heterogeneity and identify causes of the observed differentiation. Findings Our findings also show evidence of publication bias. Overall, a genuine effect exists between financial development and economic growth. Schumpeter's thesis might be wrong in our era because of: endogeneity-based estimations, publication bias and, effects of financial activity. A historical justification has also been discussed. Originality/value Very few meta-analysis studies have focused on the finance-growth nexus

SALA II across the finish line: a large collection of mobile telephone speech databases from North & Latin America completed

Contains fulltext : 61650.pdf (author's version ) (Open Access)4 p

Collection of SLR in the Asian-Pacific area

Contains fulltext : 60941.pdf (author's version ) (Open Access)4 p