Point of decision signs and stair use in a university worksite setting: General versus specific messages

Point-of-decision signs to promote stair use have been found to be effective in various environments. However, these signs have been more consistently successful in public access settings that use escalators, such as shopping centers and transportation stations, compared to worksite settings, which are more likely to contain elevators that are not directly adjacent to the stairs. Therefore, this study tested the effectiveness of two point-of-decision sign prompts to increase stair use in a university worksite setting. Also, this study investigated the importance of the message content of the signs. One sign displayed a general health promotion message, while the other sign presented more specific information. Overall, this project examined whether the presence of the point-of-decision signs increases stair use. In addition, this research determined whether the general or specific sign promotes greater stair use. ^ Inconspicuous observers measured stair use both before the signs were present and while they were posted. The study setting was the University of Texas School of Nursing, and the target population was anyone who entered the building, including employees, students, and visitors. The study was conducted over six weeks and included two weeks of baseline measurement, two weeks with the general sign posted, and two weeks with the specific sign posted. Each sign was displayed on a stand in the decision point area near the stairs and the elevator. Logistic regression was used to analyze the data. ^ After adjustment for covariates, the odds of stair use were significantly greater during the intervention period than the baseline period. Furthermore, the specific sign period showed significantly greater odds of stair use than the general sign period. These results indicate that a point-of-decision sign intervention can be effective at promoting stair use in a university worksite setting and that a sign with a specific health information message may be more effective at promoting stair use than a sign with a general health promotion message. These findings can be considered when planning future worksite and university based stair promotion interventions.^

External validation study of a clinical prediction rule for ambulation outcomes after traumatic spinal cord injury

The main objective of this study was to determine the external validity of a clinical prediction rule developed by the European Multicenter Study on Human Spinal Cord Injury (EM-SCI) to predict the ambulation outcomes 12 months after traumatic spinal cord injury. Data from the North American Clinical Trials Network (NACTN) data registry with approximately 500 SCI cases were used for this validity study. The predictive accuracy of the EM-SCI prognostic model was evaluated using calibration and discrimination based on 231 NACTN cases. The area under the receiver-operating-characteristics curve (ROC) curve was 0.927 (95% CI 0.894 – 0.959) for the EM-SCI model when applied to NACTN population. This is lower than the AUC of 0.956 (95% CI 0.936 – 0.976) reported for the EM-SCI population, but suggests that the EM-SCI clinical prediction rule distinguished well between those patients in the NACTN population who were able to achieve independent ambulation and those who did not achieve independent ambulation. The calibration curve suggests that higher the prediction score is, the better the probability of walking with the best prediction for AIS D patients. In conclusion, the EM-SCI clinical prediction rule was determined to be generalizable to the adult NACTN SCI population.^

The development of poultry farms risk assessment tool for avian influenza in Imo State, Nigeria

Background: Nigeria was one of the 13 countries where avian influenza outbreak in poultry farms was reported during the 2006 avian influenza pandemic threat and was also the first country in Africa to report the presence of H5N1influenza among its poultry population. There are multiple hypotheses on how the avian influenza outbreak of 2006 was introduced to Nigeria, but the consensus is that once introduced, poultry farms and their workers were responsible for 70% of the spread of avian influenza virus to other poultry farms and the population. ^ The spread of avian influenza has been attributed to lack of compliance by poultry farms and their workers with poultry farm biosecurity measures. When poultry farms fail to adhere to biosecurity measures and there is an outbreak of infectious diseases like in 2006, epidemiological investigations usually assess poultry farm biosecurity—often with the aid of a questionnaire. Despite the importance of questionnaires in determining farm compliance with biosecurity measures, there have been few efforts to determine the validity of questionnaires designed to assess poultry farms risk factors. Hence, this study developed and validated a tool (questionnaire) that can be used for poultry farm risk stratification in Imo State, Nigeria. ^ Methods: Risk domains were generated using literature and recommendations from agricultural organizations and the Nigeria government for poultry farms. The risk domains were then used to develop a questionnaire. Both the risk domain and questionnaire were verified and modified by a group of five experts with a research interest in Nigeria's poultry industry and/or avian influenza prevention. Once a consensus was reached by the experts, the questionnaire was distributed to 30 selected poultry farms in Imo State, Nigeria that participated in this study. Survey responses were received for all the 30 poultry farms that were selected. The same poultry farms were visited one week after they completed the questionnaires for on-site observation. Agreement among survey and observation results were analyzed using a kappa test and rated as poor, fair, moderate, substantial, or nearly perfect; and internal consistency of the survey was also computed. ^ Result: Out of the 43 items on the questionnaire, 32 items were validated by this study. The agreement between the survey result and onsite observation was analyzed using kappa test and ranged from poor to nearly perfect. Most poultry farms had their best agreements in the contact section of the survey. The least agreement was noted in the farm management section of the survey. Thirty-two questions on the survey had a coefficient alpha > 0.70, which is a robust internal consistency for the survey. ^ Conclusion: This study developed 14 risk domains for poultry farms in Nigeria and validated 32 items from the original questionnaire that contained 43 items. The validated items can be used to determine the risk of introduction and spread of avian influenza virus in poultry farms in Imo State, Nigeria. After further validations in other states, regions and poultry farm sectors in Nigeria; this risk assessment tool can then be used to determine the risk profile of poultry farms across Nigeria.^

Discourses and values underpin public debate on fracking in Spain: a case study at the crossroad

In the EU context extraction of shale and oil gas by hydraulic fracturing (fracking) differs from country to country in terms of legislation and implementation. While fossil fuel extraction using this technology is currently taking place in the UK, Germany and France have adopted respective moratoria. In between is the Spanish case, where hydrocarbon extraction projects through fracking have to undergo mandatory and routine environmental assessment in accordance with the last changes to environmental regulations. Nowadays Spain is at the crossroad with respect to the future of this technology. We presume a social conflictt in our country since the position and strategy of the involved and confronted social actors -national, regional and local authorities, energy companies, scientists, NGO and other social organization- are going to play key and likely divergent roles in its industrial implementation and public acceptance. In order to improve knowledge on how to address these controverted situations from the own engineering context, the affiliated units from the Higher Technical School of Mines and Energy Engineering at UPM have been working on a transversal program to teach values and ethics. Over the past seven years, this pioneering experience has shown the usefulness of applying a consequentialist ethics, based on a case-by-case approach and costs-benefits analysis both for action and inaction. As a result of this initiative a theoretical concept has arisen and crystallized in this field: it is named Inter-ethics. This theoretical perspective can be very helpful in complex situations, with multi-stakeholders and plurality of interests, when ethical management requires the interaction between the respective ethics of each group; professional ethics of a single group is not enough. Under this inter-ethics theoretical framework and applying content analysis techniques, this paper explores the articulation of the discourse in favour and against fracking technology and its underlying values as manifested in the Spanish traditional mass media and emerging social media such as Youtube. Results show that Spanish public discourse on fracking technology includes the costs-benefits analysis to communicate how natural resources from local communities may be affected by these facilities due to environmental, health and economic consequences. Furthermore, this technology is represented as a solution to the "demand of energy" according to the optimistic discourse while, from a pessimistic view, fracking is often framed as a source "environmental problems" and even natural disasters as possible earthquakes. In this latter case, this negative representation could have been influenced by the closure of a macro project to store injected natural gas in the Mediterranean Sea using the old facilities of an oil exploitation in Amposta (Proyecto Cástor). The closure of this project was due to the occurrence of earthquakes whose intensity was higher than the originally expected by the experts in the assessment stage of the project.

QUALIDADE DE VIDA E STRESS DE CRIANÇAS E ADOLESCENTES COM CÂNCER EM ESTÁGIO DE REMISSÃO E RECIDIVA

O câncer em crianças até cerca de duas décadas, era considerado uma doença crônica, com prognóstico desfavorável, resultando na maioria dos casos, em morte. Atualmente, tem-se apresentado como uma doença com melhores perspectivas, onde 70% das crianças acometidas por essa doença podem ser curadas, quando diagnosticadas precocemente, e tratadas em centros especializados¹. Este estudo teve como objetivo, avaliar a qualidade de vida e o stress de crianças e adolescentes com câncer, em remissão e recidiva. Trata-se de um estudo correlacional, quali-quantitativo, transversal. Foi desenvolvido no ambulatório de oncologia pediátrica da Faculdade de Medicina do ABC, e na enfermaria do Hospital Mário Covas. Contou com a colaboração de 40 sujeitos, com idades entre 06 a 14 anos, de ambos os sexos. Como instrumento para medir a qualidade de vida, foi utilizado o Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ-PF50), que possui 15 conceitos em saúde, abrangendo aspectos físicos e psicossociais e para medir o stress, a Escala de Stress Infantil (ESI), que tem como objetivo, avaliar o stress da criança, através de reações físicas e psicológicas. Os resultados indicaram que no domínio físico (PhS), as crianças em situação clínica de recidiva e remissão não apresentam diferenças significativas em relação às variáveis: qualidade de vida e stress, porém, no domínio psicossocial (PsS), houve diferença estatisticamente significante, indicando que os meninos apresentam melhor qualidade de vida e menor stress, se comparados com as meninas, mostrando que o emocional interfere nesse resultado.(AU)

QUALIDADE DE VIDA E STRESS DE CRIANÇAS E ADOLESCENTES COM CÂNCER EM ESTÁGIO DE REMISSÃO E RECIDIVA

O câncer em crianças até cerca de duas décadas, era considerado uma doença crônica, com prognóstico desfavorável, resultando na maioria dos casos, em morte. Atualmente, tem-se apresentado como uma doença com melhores perspectivas, onde 70% das crianças acometidas por essa doença podem ser curadas, quando diagnosticadas precocemente, e tratadas em centros especializados¹. Este estudo teve como objetivo, avaliar a qualidade de vida e o stress de crianças e adolescentes com câncer, em remissão e recidiva. Trata-se de um estudo correlacional, quali-quantitativo, transversal. Foi desenvolvido no ambulatório de oncologia pediátrica da Faculdade de Medicina do ABC, e na enfermaria do Hospital Mário Covas. Contou com a colaboração de 40 sujeitos, com idades entre 06 a 14 anos, de ambos os sexos. Como instrumento para medir a qualidade de vida, foi utilizado o Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ-PF50), que possui 15 conceitos em saúde, abrangendo aspectos físicos e psicossociais e para medir o stress, a Escala de Stress Infantil (ESI), que tem como objetivo, avaliar o stress da criança, através de reações físicas e psicológicas. Os resultados indicaram que no domínio físico (PhS), as crianças em situação clínica de recidiva e remissão não apresentam diferenças significativas em relação às variáveis: qualidade de vida e stress, porém, no domínio psicossocial (PsS), houve diferença estatisticamente significante, indicando que os meninos apresentam melhor qualidade de vida e menor stress, se comparados com as meninas, mostrando que o emocional interfere nesse resultado.(AU)

Gender inequalities in occupational health related to the unequal distribution of working and employment conditions: a systematic review

Introduction: Gender inequalities exist in work life, but little is known about their presence in relation to factors examined in occupation health settings. The aim of this study was to identify and summarize the working and employment conditions described as determinants of gender inequalities in occupational health in studies related to occupational health published between 1999 and 2010. Methods: A systematic literature review was undertaken of studies available in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Sociological Abstracts, LILACS, EconLit and CINAHL between 1999 and 2010. Epidemiologic studies were selected by applying a set of inclusion criteria to the title, abstract, and complete text. The quality of the studies was also assessed. Selected studies were qualitatively analysed, resulting in a compilation of all differences between women and men in the prevalence of exposure to working and employment conditions and work-related health problems as outcomes. Results: Most of the 30 studies included were conducted in Europe (n=19) and had a cross-sectional design (n=24). The most common topic analysed was related to the exposure to work-related psychosocial hazards (n=8). Employed women had more job insecurity, lower control, worse contractual working conditions and poorer self-perceived physical and mental health than men did. Conversely, employed men had a higher degree of physically demanding work, lower support, higher levels of effort-reward imbalance, higher job status, were more exposed to noise and worked longer hours than women did. Conclusions: This systematic review has identified a set of working and employment conditions as determinants of gender inequalities in occupational health from the occupational health literature. These results may be useful to policy makers seeking to reduce gender inequalities in occupational health, and to researchers wishing to analyse these determinants in greater depth.

Health inequality between immigrants and natives in Spain: the loss of the healthy immigrant effect in times of economic crisis

Background: The immigrant population living in Spain grew exponentially in the early 2000s but has been particularly affected by the economic crisis. This study aims to analyse health inequalities between immigrants born in middle- or low-income countries and natives in Spain, in 2006 and 2012, taking into account gender, year of arrival and socioeconomic exposures. Methods: Study of trends using two cross-sections, the 2006 and 2012 editions of the Spanish National Health Survey, including residents in Spain aged 15–64 years (20 810 natives and 2950 immigrants in 2006, 14 291 natives and 2448 immigrants in 2012). Fair/poor self-rated health, poor mental health (GHQ-12 > 2), chronic activity limitation and use of psychotropic drugs were compared between natives and immigrants who arrived in Spain before 2006, adjusting robust Poisson regression models for age and socioeconomic variables to obtain prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: Inequalities in poor self-rated health between immigrants and natives tend to increase among women (age-adjusted PR2006 = 1.39; 95% CI: 1.24–1.56, PR2012 = 1.56; 95% CI: 1.33–1.82). Among men, there is a new onset of inequalities in poor mental health (PR2006 = 1.10; 95% CI: 0.86–1.40, PR2012 = 1.34; 95% CI: 1.06–1.69) and an equalization of the previously lower use of psychotropic drugs (PR2006 = 0.22; 95% CI: 0.11–0.43, PR2012 = 1.20; 95% CI: 0.73–2.01). Conclusions: Between 2006 and 2012, immigrants who arrived in Spain before 2006 appeared to worsen their health status when compared with natives. The loss of the healthy immigrant effect in the context of a worse impact of the economic crisis on immigrants appears as potential explanation. Employment, social protection and re-universalization of healthcare would prevent further deterioration of immigrants’ health status.

Fatores de risco em saúde mental : contributos para o bem-estar biopsicossocial dos profissionais da saúde

CONTEXTO: A nossa investigação estuda o stress no trabalho e a sua relação com a saúde mental. Descrevemos fatores específicos e de risco psicossocial no trabalho, particularmente no trabalho dos enfermeiros, e as suas implicações para a saúde mental e para o bem-estar biopsicossocial, tais como: Tipo de trabalho; Conteúdo do trabalho; Desempenho de papel; Relações interpessoais e grupais; Desenvolvimento da carreira; Novas tecnologias e Aspetos organizacionais. OBJETIVO(S): O objetivo fundamental foi estudar a influência de algumas variáveis pessoais e situacionais de risco biopsicossocial na saúde mental e no bem-estar dos profissionais de saúde, em contexto hospitalar METODOLOGIA: Trata-se de um estudo quantitativo, transversal e descritivo, do tipo correlacional. A recolha de informação obedeceu a um protocolo constituído por dados pessoais e as escalas: Satisfação geral do trabalho, Questionário geral de saúde, Questionário de saúde, Escala de fadiga crónica, Escala de ansiedade cognitiva-somática, Inventário de personalidade de Eysenck, Inventário clínico de autoconceito, Inventário de resolução de problemas, Questionário de vulnerabilidade ao stress e Questionário de stress ao trabalho. A amostra foi não probabilística intencional, constituída por 570 enfermeiros, a laborarem por turnos e em regime normal, no contexto hospitalar, perfazendo, no final, 360 enfermeiros. RESULTADOS: Os principais resultados apontam o seguinte: Os enfermeiros manifestam algum descontentamento com o ambiente de trabalho; A globalidade da amostra demonstra índices de saúde baixos; Regra geral, todos os enfermeiros estão vulneráveis ao stress; Em relação ao stress produzido pelas circunstâncias organizacionais, a totalidade da amostra revela elevados índices de stress e o seu bem-estar biopsicossocial, manifestamente afetado. CONCLUSÕES: Destes resultados fomos levados a concluir que quanto maior for a fadiga crónica, o neuroticíssimo e a ansiedade cognitiva, maior será a tendência dos enfermeiros para diminuírem a autorresponsabilização e o medo. Esta relação pode tornar-se circular e levar a comportamentos desajustados como, por exemplo, indiferença, desinteresse, relações interpessoais conflituosas, entre outros aspetos. As consequências de tais comportamentos poderão traduzir-se em absentismo, erros de desempenho ou vontade de abandonar a instituição.

Phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate induces nociceptin in human Mono Mac 6 cells via multiple transduction signalling pathways.

BACKGROUND Nociceptin in the peripheral circulation has been proposed to have an immunoregulatory role with regards to inflammation and pain. However, the mechanisms involved in its regulation are still not clear. The aim of this study was to investigate signalling pathways contributing to the regulation of the expression of nociceptin under inflammatory conditions. METHODS Mono Mac 6 cells (MM6) were cultured with or without phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA). Prepronociceptin (ppNOC) mRNA was detected by RT-qPCR and extracellular nociceptin by fluorescent-enzyme immunoassay. Intracellular nociceptin and phosphorylated kinases were measured using flow cytometry. To evaluate the contribution of various signalling pathways to the regulation of ppNOC mRNA and nociceptin protein, cells were pre-treated with specific kinase inhibitors before co-culturing with PMA. RESULTS ppNOC mRNA was expressed in untreated MM6 at low concentrations. Exposure of cells to PMA upregulated ppNOC after nine h compared with controls without PMA (median normalized ratio with IQR: 0.18 (0.15-0.26) vs. 0 (0-0.02), P<0.01). Inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinases specific for signal transduction reversed the PMA effects (all P<0.001). Induction of nociceptin protein concentrations in PMA stimulated MM6 was prevented predominantly by identity of ERK inhibitor (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Upregulation of nociceptin expression by PMA in MM6 cells involves several pathways. Underlying mechanisms involved in nociceptin expression may lead to new insights in the treatment of pain and inflammatory diseases.

State heart disease control programs; selected information included in the state public health plans submitted by state health departments for fiscal years 1954 and 1955.

Mode of access: Internet.

Illinois. Department of Public Health.

"12/95"--P. [4] of cover.

Organization and staffing for local health services; analysis of information submitted to the Public Health Service in Report of public Health personnel as of January 1, 1958.

Mode of access: Internet.

Public Health Personnel, Facilities, and Services in Local Areas, Analysis of Information Submitted to the Public Health Service in Report of Public Health Personnel, Facilities, and Services

Cover Title: Report of Local Public Health Resources

Modeling Depression Progression Dynamics from Electronic Health Record

Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2016-06