111 research outputs found
From a Siloed Regulation to a Holistic Approach? Labour and Environmental Sustainability under EU Law
No full textDrawing on a progressive interpretation of the principle of sustainable development, this article reviews, compares and analyses the channels for interaction and integration between labour and environmental sustainability in two EU normative domains: social policy and environment policy. While a siloed approach is still evident in both domains, with few exceptions, recent EU legislation on the economic pillar of sustainability has promoted horizontal policies on labour and environment. Social and environmental clauses have been enacted in EU financial law and public procurement law. The same goes for corporate law when the proposal for a directive on due diligence of multinational companies is adopted. The analysed examples of horizontal policies to advance labour and environmental sustainability present risks and opportunities. Arguably, the main risk is that such policies end up in accentuating rather than overcoming the competition between labour and the environment as “fictitious commodities”
Numerical modelling of anchor losses in MEMS resonators
No full textSeveral barriers exist to the development and optimization of high frequency Micro-Electro-Mechanical (MEMS) resonators, primarily adequate control and understanding of dissipation phenomena. There is growing experimental evidence that anchor losses, which contribute significantly to damping, almost always appear mixed with other less understood surface and interface phenomena on which intensive research is currently focusing. A reliable, large scale and native 3D numerical approach for estimating the anchor loss contribution in general is hence a much demanded tool. In this paper we discuss the implementation of a PML approach to simulate dissipation of waves radiated from the anchor into the substrate. Next we employ the codes developed to perform extensive benchmarks against analytical solutions and verify the applicability of commonly adopted simplifications
Validation of PML-based models for the evaluation of anchor dissipation in MEMSresonators
No full textSeveral barriers exist to the development and optimization of high frequency Micro-Electro-Mechanical
(MEMS) resonators, primarily adequate control and understanding of dissipation phenomena. There is
growing experimental evidence that anchor losses contribute significantly to damping. A reliable, large
scale and native 3D numerical approach for estimating the anchor loss contribution in general is hence
a much demanded tool. In this paper we discuss the implementation of a PML approach to simulate
dissipation of waves radiated from the anchor into the substrate and provide several guidelines for
a robust application to micro-structures. Next we employ the codes developed to perform extensive
benchmarks against analytical solutions and verify the applicability of possible simplifications. In
particular we show that the commonly adopted decoupling assumption between the resonator and the
substrate might induce severe errors especially in 2D
Introduction: The Labour-Environment Nexus - Exploring New Frontiers in Labour Law
No full textThis special issue is the result of a scholarly dialogue in which the guest-editors and the article contributors engaged in the context of the international symposium ‘The Labour-Environment Nexus: Legal Perspectives and Beyond’. The special issue contributes to the existing labour law literature on the labour-environment nexus by charting new territory and populating this emerging field of inquiry within labour law – a field which provides fertile ground for re- examining established concepts and boundaries within our area, exploring its relationship to and interaction with other disciplines, and its transformative potential. After presenting the back- ground to this special issue, and setting out some key research questions for the debate, the guest- editors provide an overview of the main issues addressed in the articles, concluding with an outline for a future research agenda in the field of the labour-environment nexus
Nebulization of local anaeshetics in laparoscopic surgery : a new tool for postoperative analgesia
No full textLaparoscopic procedures have been associated to moderate or severe pain that may require opioids and almost all patients referred shoulder pain. Intraperitoneal instillation of local anaesthetics, as part of a multimodal approach analgesia program, reduces pain intensity and morphine consumption after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. However, direct local anesthetic instillation is not enough to eliminate visceral and shoulder pain. Heated and humidified gas may produce positive effects such as reduction of postoperative pain. Intraperitoneal nebulization, a new technique of drug administration, provides homogeneous spread of drugs allowing a better distribution of local anaesthetics throughout the peritoneum. This technique combines the effects of gas conditioning and the analgesic benefits of local anaesthetic instillation. Nebulization of local anaesthetics during different laparoscopic procedures reduced postoperative pain, morphine consumption and allowed earlier mobilization. Future studies should determine, the optimal dose of local anaesthetics, the effect of local anaesthetic nebulization in different clinical settings and its importance on long term clinical outcome
Synthesis of novel simplified sarcodictyin/eleutherobin analogs with potent microtubule-stabilizing activity, using ring closing metathesis as the key-step
No full textThe synthesis of a number of novel simplified eleutheside analogs with potent tubulin-assembling and microtubule-stabilizing properties is described. using ring closing metathesis as the key-step for obtaining the 6-10 fused bicyclic ring system. The RCM precursors were synthesized starting from aldehyde 3 [prepared in 6 steps on a multigram scale from R-(-)-carvone in 30% overall yield] via multiple stereoselective Brown allylations. Second generation RCM catalyst 13 gave the desired ring closed 10-membered carbocycles as single Z stereoisomers in good yields. The RCM stereochemical course (100% Z) likely reflects thermodynamic control. The crucial role of the protecting groups of the homoallylic and allylic substituents for the efficiency of the RCM reactions is discussed. These simplified analogs of the natural product (lacking inter alia the C-4/C-7 ether bridge) retain potent microtubule-stabilizing activity. However, the cytotoxicity tests did not parallel the potent tubulin-assembling and microtubule-stabilizing properties: limited cytotoxicity was observed against three common tumor cell lines (human ovarian carcinoma and human colon carcinoma cell lines, IC50 in the muM range given in Table 2), three orders of magnitude less than paclitaxel (IC50 in the nM range). (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
Inflammation-Based Scores: A New Method for Patient-Targeted Strategies and Improved Perioperative Outcome in Cancer Patients
No full textSystemic inflammatory response (SIR) has actually been shown as an important prognostic factor associated with lower postoperative survival in several types of cancer. Thus, the challenge for physicians is to find specific, low-cost, and highly reliable inflammatory markers, clearly correlated with prognosis and able to preoperatively stratify patient's risk. Inflammation is a promising target to improve perioperative outcome, and data show that anti-inflammation techniques have a great potential in the perioperative period of cancer surgery. Inflammation scores could be useful to stratify patients with a potential better response to anti-inflammation strategies. Furthermore, inflammation scores could prevent failure of clinical trials by a better definition of patients to be included in such trials; inflammation scoring could clarify the real role of different drugs and techniques on outcome after cancer surgery, defining if different therapies are required for different patients. The role of this review is to focus on the currently available scores, in order to clarify their rationale and to analyze the actual evidence and limits, providing physicians with an updated overview of the possible inflammation-based prognostic scores for cancer patients undergoing surgery
Immune function after major surgical interventions : the effect of postoperative pain treatment
No full textIntroduction:
Impaired immune function during the perioperative period may be associated with worse short- and long-term outcomes. Morphine is considered a major contributor to immune modulation.
Patients and methods:
We performed a pilot study to investigate postoperative immune function by analyzing peripheral blood mononuclear cells' functionality and cytokine production in 16 patients undergoing major abdominal surgery. All patients were treated with intravenous (i.v.) patient-controlled analgesia with morphine and continuous wound infusion with ropivacaine+methylprednisolone for 24 hours. After 24 hours, patients were randomized into two groups, one continuing intrawound infusion and the other receiving only i.v. analgesia. We evaluated lymphoproliferation and cytokine production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells at the end of surgery and at 24 and 48 hours postoperatively.
Results:
A significant reduction in TNF-α, IL-2, IFN-γ and lymphoproliferation was observed immediately after surgery, indicating impaired cell-mediated immunity. TNF-α and IFN-γ remained suppressed up to 48 hours after surgery, while a trend to normalization was observed for IL-2 and lymphoproliferation, irrespective of the treatment group. A significant inverse correlation was present between age and morphine and between age and lymphoproliferation. No negative correlation was present between morphine and cytokine production. We did not find any differences within the two groups between 24 and 48 hours in terms of morphine consumption and immune responses.
Conclusion:
A relevant depression of cell-mediated immunity is associated with major surgery and persists despite optimal analgesia. Even though morphine may participate in immunosuppression, we did not retrieve any dose-related effect
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