1,721,204 research outputs found
Analysis of Microrray Expression data from pooled samples using Empirical Bayesian Methods
No full textPrevention of occupational injuries: Evidence for effective good practices in foundries
No full textIntroduction: Occupational injuries are a relevant research and practical issue. However, intervention studies evaluating the effectiveness of workplace injury prevention programs are seldom performed. Method: The effectiveness of a multifaceted intervention aimed at reducing occupational injury rates (incidence/employment-based = IR, frequency/hours-based = FR, severity = SR) was evaluated between 2008 and 2013 in 29 Italian foundries (22 ferrous; 7 non-ferrous; 3,460 male blue collar workers/year) of varying sizes. Each foundry established an internal multidisciplinary prevention team for risk assessment, monitoring and prevention of occupational injuries, involving employers, occupational physicians, safety personnel, workers' representatives, supervisors. Targets Of intervention were workers, equipment, organization, workplace, job tasks. An interrupted time series (ITS) design was applied. Results: 4,604 occupational injuries and 83,156 lost workdays were registered between 2003 and 2013. Statistical analysis showed, after intervention, a reduction of all injury rates (-26% IR, -15%FR, -18% SR) in ferrous foundries and of SR (-4%) in non-ferrous foundries. A significant (p = 0.021) 'step-effect' was shown for IR in ferrous foundries, independent of secular trends (p < 0.001). Sector specific benchmarks for all injury rates were developed separately for ferrous and non-ferrous foundries. Conclusions: Strengths of the study were: ITS design, according to standardized quality criteria (i.e., at least three data points before and three data points after intervention; clearly defined intervention point); pragmatic approach, with good external validity; promotion of effective good practices. Main limitations were the non-randomized nature and a medium length post-intervention period. In conclusion, a multifaceted, pragmatic and accountable intervention is effective in reducing the burden of occupational injuries in small-, medium- and large-sized foundries. Practical Applications: The study poses the basis for feasible good practice guidelines to be implemented to prevent occupational injuries, by means of sector-specific numerical benchmarks, with potentially relevant impacts on workers, companies, occupational health professionals and society at large
Risk of occupational injuries among migrant workers: Research findings and practical implications from a field experience in Italian foundries
No full textBackground: Migrant workers (MWs) usually perform dirty, dangerous and demanding (“three-D”) jobs in poor working conditions, which are possible determinants of occupational safety inequalities (OSI) that, in turn, lead to increased risk of traumatic occupational injuries (TOI). Literature generally lacks of field studies analyzing OSI in risky sectors. Objectives: To present data from an intervention field study carried out during 2008-2011 in the context of a wider project for occupational health and safety in the Italian foundry industry. Methods: Data are reported from 35 foundries, 24 ferrous and 11 non-ferrous. A multifaceted intervention was carried out, with the main outcome of reduction in standardized TOI rates (incidence=TOI/workersx102, frequency=TOI/working hoursx105, severity=workdays lost-WDL/working hoursx103). An interrupted time series (ITS) analysis was performed, using generalized linear mixed-effects models. Results: A mean of 567 MWs/year were employed in the period 2003-2011, with an upward trend in the last few years (i.e.+60% from 2003 to 2011). MWs were blue collars, 98% males, mainly coming from North-West Africa (55%) and East Europe (25%), mean age 38.5 (range 19.6-62.9), mean duration of employment 7.3 years (range 0.2-28.8), accounting on average for 30% of both workforce (range 7-88%) and working hours (range 6-84%), mostly performing “three-D” tasks. In 2003-2011, 1115 TOI (e.g. burns, wounds, dislocations, strains, sprains, fractures, eye injuries), representing 33% of total injuries and 6322 WDL (25% of total) were registered in MWs. Before the intervention (2007), MWs displayed significantly higher TOI incidence rate (1.78, p=0.005) as compared to Italian workers (IWs). ITS analysis showed increasing trend of all TOI rates (incidence: +28%, p=0.045; frequency: +76%, p=0.026; severity: +47%, p=0.034) among MWs in the intervention/post period, opposite to the slope direction registered for IWs. Possible explanations regarding these findings attain to differences in job tasks, type of employment, health surveillance, education, compliance with safety procedures as compared to IWs. Conclusions: The study provides evidence of OSI among MWs in the foundry sector and highlights the need for dedicated interventions, with proactive role of occupational physicians and safety responsible, for the ultimate goal of healthy and safe integration of migrant workforce
Prevention of traumatic occupational injuries: Evidence for effective good practices in foundries
No full textBackground: The problem of occupational injuries (OI) is still very relevant, with significant impacts on workers, companies and society. However, intervention studies with effectiveness evaluation of OI prevention programs are seldom performed. Objectives: To present the results of a pragmatic field study with effectiveness evaluation of a multifaceted intervention to prevent traumatic OI, with an interrupted time series (ITS) design. Methods: The study was carried out during 2008-2010 in 33 Italian foundries (23 ferrous=A; 10 non-ferrous=B; 3306 male blue collars/year). The research followed a preliminary analysis showing high OI rates. Each foundry was invited to establish a multidisciplinary prevention team for risk assessment, monitoring and discussion of OI, with involvement of employers, occupational physicians, health and safety personnel, workers’ representatives, supervisors. Overall targets of intervention were: workers, equipment, organization, workplace and job tasks. The outcomes were reduction in standardized OI rates (incidence=OI/workersx102, frequency=OI/working hoursx105, severity=workdays lost-WDL/working hoursx103) and in specific OI types and body sites. Results: 4368 traumatic (e.g. burns, wounds, dislocations, strains, sprains, fractures, eye injuries) OI and 80157 WDL were formally registered in 2003-2010. The most frequent modes of injury were ‘struck by’, ‘contact with’, ‘trapped and crashed’ with main material agents ‘materials, objects, products, machine components, debris, dust’. ITS analysis displayed sustained decreasing trends for all OI rates (incidence: -14% p<0.01 in A, -8% p=0.342 in B; frequency: -9% p=0.048 in A, -5% p=0.628 in B; severity: -13% p=0.102 in A, -12% p=0.194 in B); negative slope changes for incidence rates were significantly (p<0.001, p=0.002) greater than those of reference categories. Before-after analysis showed significant reduction in specific OI types (e.g. ‘burns, scalds’: -29% p=0.031 in A, -50% p=0.052 in B) and body sites (e.g. eye injuries: -34% p<0.01 in A, -59% p<0.01 in B). Sector-specific benchmarks for OI rates were also developed to promote the implementation of good practices. Conclusions: The study indicates that a multifaceted pragmatic intervention leads to a reduction in the burden of traumatic OI in small-, medium- and large-sized enterprises in the foundry sector, with overall good external validity
Immunocompetence of nestling barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) in relation to brood size and parental effort
No full textLogistic Euroscore should not be used to select patients for TAVI: the clinical outcome of high-risk elderly patients undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement
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LOGISTIC EUROSCORE SHOULD NOT BE USED TO SELECT PATIENTS OR TAVI: THE CLINICAL OUTCOME OF HIGH-RISK ELDERLY PATIENTS UNDERGOING SURGICAL AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT
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