Association between nucleotide excision repair gene polymorphisms and chromosomal damage in coke-oven workers

The associations between several genetic polymorphisms of nucleotide excision repair genes (NER) and chromosome damage level were studied among 140 coke-oven workers exposed to a high level of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 66 non-exposed workers. Seven polymorphisms with functional potential in five NER genes (ERCC1, ERCC2, ERCC4, ERCC5 and ERCC6) were genotyped in the 206 study subjects. Multivariate analysis of covariance revealed that coke-oven workers with the ERCC1 19007 CC genotype had significantly higher cytokinesis-block micronucleus frequency (CBMN) (10.5±6.8‰) than those with CT (8.1±6.6‰, p=0.01) or TT (6.6±3.7‰, p=0.05) or CT+TT genotypes (7.5±6.3‰, p=0.004). The ERCC6 A3368G polymorphism was also associated with CBMN frequency among coke-oven workers. Subjects with the AA genotype have a significantly higher CBMN frequency (10.0±6.9‰) than those with AG (6.7±4.2‰, p=0.05) or AG+GG genotypes (6.6±4.1‰, p=0.02). Stratification analysis revealed the significant associations between ERCC1 C19007T and ERCC6 A3368G, and the CBMN frequencies were only found among older workers. In addition, a significant association between ERCC2 G23591A polymorphism and CBMN frequencies was also found among older coke-oven workers. The results suggest that polymorphisms of ERCC1 C19007T, ERCC6 A3368G and ERCC2 G23591A are associated with the CBMN frequencies among coke-oven workers     

Bringing class back in: class consciousness and solidarity among Chinese migrant workers in Italy and the UK

The growing literature on international migration has a tendency to emphasize homogenous elements such as shared ethnic background, social network and cultural similarities in shaping immigrants' identity. We argue that this underestimates the differences (and sometimes conflicts) of interests between ethnic employers and migrant workers and that class needs to be brought back into the studies of ethnic relationship. Based upon findings from a series of fieldwork in Veneto, Italy and East Midlands, UK, this article contends that class consciousness has co-existed, sometimes uneasily, alongside co-ethnic and cultural relationships among Chinese migrant workers and has played an important part in the making of new Chinese communities. By analysing the perspectives of Chinese migrant workers and their relationship with co-ethnic entrepreneurs, this article illustrates complex factors behind the formation, diffusion and development of class consciousness among Chinese migrant workers.     

The physiological and psychological relaxing effects of viewing rose flowers in office workers

Background

In recent years, the physiological relaxing effect brought by nature is becoming clear; however, many workers find it difficult to be exposed to nature in their working environment. Exposure to fresh flowers represents an opportunity to incorporate nature into their working lives. In this study, we examined the effects of exposure to roses on physiological and psychological variables (heart rate variability, pulse rate, and subjective responses) in office workers.

Results

The experimental site was Mizuho Information & Research Institute, Inc., in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Thirty-one male office workers were included in the present study. The subjects were exposed to thirty unscented pink roses (Rosa, Dekora) arranged in a cylindrical glass vase for 4 min. In the control condition, the subjects were not exposed to flowers. After the experiments, the subjects completed a questionnaire. The order of exposure was counterbalanced among subjects. Among subjects exposed to roses, the high-frequency component of heart rate variability was significantly higher than in controls. Similarly, ''comfortable,’ ''relaxed’ and ''natural’ feelings were more common in subjects exposed to roses.

Conclusions

Data from this study support the presence of physiological and psychological relaxing effects of being exposed to flowers on office workers.     

Bartonella henselae in eastern Poland: the relationship between tick infection rates and the serological response of individuals occupationally exposed to tick bites

To explore the potential role of Ixodes ricinus as the presumed vector of Bartonella henselae in eastern Poland, ticks collected in various geographic locations were examined for the presence of B. henselae, and the results were matched against the prevalence of anti‐B. henselae antibodies in individuals occupationally exposed to tick bites. The presence of Bartonella DNA was investigated by PCR in a total of 1,603 unfed Ixodes ricinus ticks. The presence of IgG antibodies against B. henselae was investigated in serum samples from 332 people occupationally exposed to tick bites (94 farmers and 238 forestry workers). The total prevalence of B. henselae in ticks was 1.7%; the infection rates in males (3.1%) and females (2.7%) were nearly ten times greater than in nymphs (0.3%). The prevalence of seropositive results in the risk group (30.4%), farmers (27.7%) and forestry workers (31.5%), was significantly greater compared to the control group (8.9%). The results showed a weak positive correlation between the degree of infection of ticks and humans living in the same geographic region. The lack of a direct relationship indicates that exposure to tick bites is only one of the factors contributing to the significant preponderance of a seropositive response to B. henselae in the forestry workers and farmers over the control group. Other factors must be considered, such as contact with cats, which are popular domestic animals in Polish villages, and exposure to cat fleas.     

油田工作人员高尿酸血症患病率调查及其影响因素分析

目的:了解油田工作人员高尿酸血症(HUA)患病率并分析其影响因素。方法:于2018年1月至2018年12月通过随机抽样法选取300例华北油田的工作人员。统计所有油田工作人员的HUA患病率,并根据HUA发生与否分成HUA组41例与非HUA组259例。采用单因素分析及多因素Logistic回归分析HUA的影响因素。结果:300例油田工作人员HUA患病率为13.67%(41/300),其中男性油田工作人员血清尿酸水平及HUA患病率均高于女性(均P0.05)。HUA组肥胖、饮酒、高血压、高血糖、高血脂症人数占比高于非HUA组(均P0.05)。HUA组尿素氮(BUN)、血肌酐(Scr)水平均高于非HUA组,而肾小球滤过率(eGFR)水平低于非HUA组(均P0.05)。多因素Logistic回归分析显示,男性、肥胖、饮酒、高血压、高血糖、高血脂症及BUN5.0 mmol/L、Scr130.0μmol/L、eGFR130.0 m L/(min·1.73m2)均是油田工作人员HUA的独立危险因素(均P0.05)。结论:油田工作人员HUA患病率较高,应予以重视。男性、肥胖、饮酒、高血压、高血糖、高血脂症、BUN、Scr水平较高以及eGFR较低的人群HUA发生的风险较高,可通过针对上述因素予以干预,继而降低HUA的发生风险。     

OBESITY AND HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE OF 12-HOUR NIGHT SHIFT FEMALE CLEAN-ROOM WORKERS

The 12?h shift schedule is widely used in clean rooms for electronic semiconductor production in Taiwan. This study investigated the associations of obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS) components among women working in a semiconductor manufacturing factory in North Taiwan. Workers were divided into four groups according to their work schedules and duties (i.e., office workers, day workers, fixed 12?h day shift, and fixed 12?h night shiftworkers). The subjects comprised 1838 women who voluntarily attended a health examination between August 2006 and November 2006. Their mean (±SD) age was 33.6 (±7.1) yrs and their mean duration of work was 7.4 (±5.2) yrs. Each subject's health-related behaviors, body mass index, and MetS components were measured and analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. Obesity and MetS were defined according to World Health Organization criteria for Asian populations and the National Cholesterol Educational Program and Adult Treatment Panel III Guidelines, respectively. The results showed that women working in the clean room on fixed 12?h night shifts had significantly elevated odds ratios for obesity (OR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.6–4.5), central obesity (OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.7–5.1), and high blood pressure (OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.2–4.4) compared to female office workers; these results persisted after adjusting for age, smoking, drinking, education, and duration of work. We did not find any significant differences in triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol among women working different schedules. We conclude that working fixed 12?h night shifts was associated with an increased odds ratio for obesity, central obesity, and high blood pressure among clean-room women workers. Weight reduction and blood pressure control programs should be implemented in the workplace for women working fixed 12?h night shifts. (Author correspondence: m006671@ms.skh.org.tw)     

Teen at Work: The Burden of a Double Shift on Daily Activities

The purpose of this study was to the evaluate time spent by working and nonworking adolescents on daily activities (work, home duties, school, transportation, other activities, leisure, sleep, and naps). Twenty-seven students, 8 male workers, 8 female workers, 5 male nonworkers, and 6 female nonworkers, ages 14–18 yrs participated in the study. They attended evening classes Monday–Friday (19:00–22:30 h) in a public school in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. The students answered a comprehensive questionnaire on the characterization of their life, work, and health conditions. Simultaneously, they wore actigraphs (Ambulatory Monitoring, Inc.) and completed a diary of their daily activities (time spent at work, on home duties, commuting, leisure, other activities) for a minimum of 10 to a maximum of 17 consecutive days. The means of the variables were tested for differences by a two-factor (work and sex) ANOVA and Student-t test applied to pair-wise samples (weekdays and weekends). The average duration during weekdays of working time was 7 h 09 min and home duties 0 h 48 min. As for commuting time, there was a work effect [F_(1,23) = 4.9; p = 0.04]; mean commuting time was 2 h 22 min for workers (males and females) and 1 h 25 min for nonworkers. There was a significant difference between workers and nonworkers [F_(1,23) = 4.6; p = 0.04] regarding extra-cirricular class activities; workers spent a mean of 3 min/day on them as opposed to 1 h 14 min by nonworkers. The average daily time spent on leisure activities by workers was 6 h 31 min; whereas, for nonworkers it was 7 h 38 min. Time spent in school amounted to 2 h 47 min for workers in comparison to 3 h 22 min by nonworkers. There was a significant work effect upon sleep [F_(1,23) = 10.0; p < 0.01]. The work effect upon nighttime sleep duration was significant [F_(1,23) = 16.7; p < 0.01]. Male workers showed a mean night sleep of 6 h 57 min and female workers 07 h 15 min. The average nighttime sleep duration for nonworkers was 9 h 06 min. There was a significant interactive effect between work and sex [F_(1,23) = 5.6; p = 0.03] for naps. Female workers showed took shortest nap on average (36 min; SD = 26 min), and female nonworkers the longest naps (1 h 45 min; SD = 35 min). Study and employment exert significant impact on the life and activities of high school students. Work affects sleep and nap duration plus the amount of time spent in school and other extra-curricular activities.     

HIV and Latino migrant workers in the USA

Abstract

Migrant workers from Latin America are an essential source of economic development in the US agricultural industry. A majority of migrants are from Mexico and are undocumented and they represent a vulnerable and marginalized group in American society. There is a growing concern for HIV disease in the migrant community. The HIV prevalence rate among migrants is higher than the average rates in USA and in countries of Latin America. There are many behavioural, social, cultural, and health care risk factors and barriers that place migrants at increased risk for HIV infection. Many migrant workers contract HIV while working and living in the USA, which has contributed to rising HIV infection rates in Mexico. In order to prevent an increasing epidemic of HIV disease in Latino migrant workers, there is an urgent call for new and improved health care policies at the international, federal, state, and local levels.     

Evaluation of current densities and total contact currents in occupational exposure at 400 kV substations and power lines

This investigation studied the current densities in the neck and total contact currents in occupational exposure at 400 kV substations and power lines. Eight voluntary workers simulated their normal work tasks using the helmet–mask measuring system. In all, 151 work tasks with induced current measurements were made. Work situations were: tasks in 400 kV substations, tasks in 400–110 kV towers and the cutting of vegetation under 400 kV power lines. The average current density in the neck was estimated from the current induced in the helmet. The calculated maximum average current densities in the neck varied from 1.5 to 6.4 mA/m² and the maximum total contact currents from 66.8 to 458.4 µA. The study shows that the maximum average current densities and the total contact currents (caused by electric field) in occupational exposure at 400 kV substations and power lines does not exceed the limit and action values (10 mA/m² and 1 mA) of the new EU‐directive 2004/40/EC (live‐line bare‐hand works excluded). Bioelectromagnetics 30:231–240, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.