Association of working conditions with self-reported work-related symptoms: results from the Swiss dataset of the European Working Conditions Survey

Working conditions are important determinants of health. The aims of this article are to 1) identify working conditions and work characteristics that are associated with workers' perceptions that their work is harmful to their health and 2) identify with what symptoms these working conditions are associated.We used the Swiss dataset from the 2005 edition of the European Working Conditions Survey. The dependent variable was based on the question "Does your work affect your health?". Logistic regression was used to identify a set of variables collectively associated with self-reported work-related adverse health effects.A total of 330 (32%) participants reported having their health affected by work. The most frequent symptoms included backache (17.1%), muscular pains (13.1%), stress (18.3%) and overall fatigue (11.7%). Scores for self-reported exposure to physicochemical risks, postural and physical risks, high work demand, and low social support were all significantly associated with workers' perceptions that their work is harmful to their health, regardless of gender or age. A high level of education was associated with stress symptoms, and reports that health was affected by work was associated with low job satisfaction.Many workers believe that their work affects their health. Health specialists should pay attention to the potential association between work and their patients' health complaints. This is particularly relevant when patients mention symptoms such as muscular pains, backache, overall fatigue, and stress. Specific attention should be given to complaints of stress in highly educated workers.

How High Dose(s) of Oral Vitamin D3 Can Correct Insufficiency in a Non Supplemented Rheumatologic Population ?

Introduction: 700 to 1000 UI Vitamin D/day prevent 20% of fall and fracture. Higher dosage could prevent other health problems, such as immune diseases. Adherence to oral daily vitamin D supplementation is low. There is no guideline on how to supplement patients with rheumatic diseases. We evaluated if 1-2 dose(s) of 300'000 UI oral vitamin D3 was enough to reach an optimal level of 25-OH vitamin D in late winter in patients with insufficiency. Methods: During November 2009 (M0) patients attending our Rheumatology Outpatient Clinic had a blood test to measure 25-OH vitamin D. Results were classified as: deficiency <10µg/l, insufficiency 10µg/l to 30µg/l and normal >30µg/l. Patients on daily oral vitamin D3 or who received a single high dose of vitamin D3 in the last 6 months and patients with deficiency or normal results were excluded. Patients included received a single dose of 300'000 IU of oral vitamin D3 and were asked to come back for a blood test for 25-OH vitamin D after 3 (M3) and 6 months (M6). If they were still insufficient at M3, they received a second high dose of 300'000 IU of oral vitamin D3. Results: 292 patients had their level of 25-OH vitamin D determined at M0. 141 patients (70% women) had vitamin D insufficiency (18.5µg/l (10.2-29.1)) and received a prescription for a single dose of 300'000 IU of oral vitamin D3. Men and women were not statistically different in term of age and 25-OH vitamin D level at M0. 124/141 (88%) patients had a blood test at M3. 2/124 (2%) had deficiency (8.1µg/l (7.5-8.7)), 50/124 (40%) normal results (36.7µg/l (30.5-56.5)). 58% (72/124) were insufficient (23.6µg/l (13.8-29.8)) and received a second prescription for 300'000 IU of oral vitamin D3. Of the 50/124 patients who had normal results at M3 and did not receive a second prescription, 36 (72%) had a test at M6. 47% (17/36) had normal results (34.8µg/l (30.3-42.8)), 53% (19/36) were insufficient (25.6µg/l (15.2-29.9)). Out of the 54/72 (75%) patients who received a second prescription, 28/54 (52%) had insufficiency (23.2µg/l (12.8-28.7)) and 26/54 (48%) had normal results (33.8µg/l (30.0-43.7)) at M 6. Discussion: This real life study has shown that one or two oral bolus of 300'000 IU of vitamin D3 in autumn and winter was not enough to completely correct hypovitaminosis D but was a good way of preventing a nadir of 25-OH vitamin D usually observed in spring in a Swiss rheumatologic population.

Statistical assessment of dataset shift and model portability in multi-angle in-track image acquisitions

In this study we propose an evaluation of the angular effects altering the spectral response of the land-cover over multi-angle remote sensing image acquisitions. The shift in the statistical distribution of the pixels observed in an in-track sequence of WorldView-2 images is analyzed by means of a kernel-based measure of distance between probability distributions. Afterwards, the portability of supervised classifiers across the sequence is investigated by looking at the evolution of the classification accuracy with respect to the changing observation angle. In this context, the efficiency of various physically and statistically based preprocessing methods in obtaining angle-invariant data spaces is compared and possible synergies are discussed.

Effect of supplementation with vitamin D3 and calcium on quantitative ultrasound of bone in elderly institutionalized women: a longitudinal study.

Supplementation of elderly institutionalized women with vitamin D and calcium decreased hip fractures and increased hip bone mineral density. Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) measurements can be performed in nursing homes, and easily repeated for follow-up. However, the effect of the correction of vitamin D deficiency on QUS parameters is not known. Therefore, 248 institutionalized women aged 62-98 years were included in a 2-year open controlled study. They were randomized into a treated group (n = 124), receiving 440 IU of vitamin D3 combined with 500 mg calcium (1250 mg calcium carbonate, Novartis) twice daily, and a control group (n = 124). One hundred and three women (42%), aged 84.5 +/- 7.5 years, completed the study: 50 in the treated group, 53 in the controls. QUS of the calcaneus, which measures BUA (broadband ultrasound attenuation) and SOS (speed of sound), and biochemical analysis were performed before and after 1 and 2 years of treatment. Only the results of the women with a complete follow-up were taken into account. Both groups had low initial mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels (11.9 +/- 1.2 and 11.7 +/- 1.2 micrograms/l; normal range 6.4-40.2 micrograms/l) and normal mean serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels (43.1 +/- 3.2 and 44.6 +/- 3.5 ng/l; normal range 10-70 ng/l, normal mean 31.8 +/- 2.3 ng/l). The treatment led to a correction of the metabolic disturbances, with an increase in 25-hydroxyvitamin D by 123% (p < 0.01) and a decrease in PTH by 18% (p < 0.05) and of alkaline phosphatase by 15% (p < 0.01). In the controls there was a worsening of the hypovitaminosis D, with a decrease of 25-hydroxyvitamin D by 51% (p < 0.01) and an increase in PTH by 51% (p < 0.01), while the serum calcium level decreased by only 2% (p < 0.01). After 2 years of treatment BUA increased significantly by 1.6% in the treated group (p < 0.05), and decreased by 2.3% in the controls (p < 0.01). Therefore, the difference in BUA between the treated subjects and the controls (3.9%) was significant after 2 years (p < 0.01). However, SOS decreased by the same amount in both groups (approximately 0.5%). In conclusion, BUA, but not SOS, reflected the positive effect on bone of supplementation with calcium and vitamin D3 in a population of elderly institutionalized women.

Adapter and enzymatic functions of proteases in T-cell activation.

Proteases control many vital aspects of humoral and cellular immune responses, including the maturation of cytokines and the killing of target cells. Recently, it has become evident that triggering of the T-cell receptor controls T-cell proliferation through proteases such as mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue 1 (MALT1) and Caspase-8 that act both as adapters and enzymes. Here, we discuss the role of these and other proteases that are relevant to the control of the T-cell response and represent interesting targets of therapeutic immunomodulation.

Gridifying IBM's Generic Log Adapter to Speed-Up the Processing of Log Data

Peer-reviewed

Utilização da vitamina D3 e seus metabólitos na alimentação de frangos de corte sobre parâmetros imunológicos e morfometria intestinal

Os efeitos da suplementação da vitamina D3 e de seus diferentes metabólitos foram avaliados na resposta imune e na morfometria intestinal de frangos de corte. Foram utilizados 952 frangos de corte de um dia de idade, distribuídos em um delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com quatro tratamentos, sete repetições e 34 aves por unidade experimental. Os tratamentos foram constituídos por quatros diferentes fontes de vitamina D3: colecalciferol (D3), 25-hidroxicolecalciferol (25(OH)D3), 1,25-dihidroxicolecalciferol (1,25(OH)2D3) e 1α-hidroxicolecalciferol (1α(OH)D3). As diferentes fontes foram incluídas na dieta, fornecendo 2000 e 1600 UI de vitamina D, nas fases pré-inicial, inicial e de crescimento, respectivamente. O peso relativo do intestino delgado diferiu entre os tratamentos aos 7, 21 e 42 dias e o peso relativo do fígado somente aos 42 dias de idade. Os demais órgãos e parâmetros imunológicos avaliados (peso dos órgãos linfóides, reação de hipersensibilidade cutânea basofílica, avaliação da atividade de macrófagos, dosagem de nitrito e perfil heterofilo: linfócito foram similares entre os animais alimentados com os diferentes metabólitos. Houve efeito (P<0,05) dos diferentes metabólitos da vitamina D3 sobre o comprimento dos vilos de jejuno e íleo aos sete dias, diferindo entre os animais alimentados com 1,25(OH)2D3 e 1α(OH)D3 para jejuno e 1,25(OH)2D3 e vitamina D3 para íleo (P<0,05). Para as demais fases não foi observado influência (P>0,05) dos tratamentos. Os parâmetros imunológicos não foram afetados pelos diferentes metabólitos de vitamina D. Os diferentes metabólitos de vitamina D afetaram positivamente a morfometria intestinal na altura de vilo na fase inicial, sendo os melhores resultados obtido pelos animais alimentados com 1,25(OH)2D3, contudo os parâmetros imunológicos foram similares entre os metabólitos estudados.

Karta öfver Finland (Sektionen D3)

1 kartta :, vär. ;, 51,5 x 43,1 cm, lehti 58 x 50,4 cm

Vitamin D3-induced calcemic and phosphatemic responses in the freshwater mud eel Amphipnous cuchia maintained in different calcium environments

Vitamin D3 (100 ng 100 g body weight-l day-l) was administered intraperitoneally (ip) to the freshwater mud eel Amphipnous cuchia kept in artificial freshwater, calcium-free freshwater, low-calcium freshwater (0.2 mmol/l CaCl2) or calcium-rich freshwater (13.4 mmol/l CaCl2) for 15 days. Analyses of serum calcium and phosphate levels were performed on days 1, 3, 5, 10 and 15 after the beginning of the experiment (six eels from each group at each interval). Administration of vitamin D3 elevated the serum calcium [maximum elevation occurred at day 10 in artificial freshwater (vehicle: 10.55 ± 0.298, vitamin D: 13.90 ± 0.324), low-calcium freshwater (vehicle: 11.17 ± 0.220, vitamin D: 12.98 ± 0.297) and calcium-rich freshwater (vehicle: 11.24 ± 0.373, vitamin D: 14.24 ± 0.208) whereas it occurred at day 5 (vehicle: 8.42 ± 0.253, vitamin D: 11.07 ± 0.328) in calcium-free freshwater] and phosphate levels [maximum elevation at day 15 in artificial freshwater (vehicle: 4.39 ± 0.105, vitamin D: 5.37 ± 0.121), calcium-free freshwater (vehicle: 4.25 ± 0.193, vitamin D: 5.12 ± 0.181), low-calcium freshwater (vehicle: 3.93 ± 0.199, vitamin D: 5.28 ± 0.164) and calcium-rich freshwater (vehicle: 3.77 ± 0.125, vitamin D: 5.46 ± 0.151)] of the fish maintained in the above mentioned environmental media, but the responses were more pronounced in the fish kept in calcium-rich media