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The memory of crystalline phase in the melt of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) in regiodefective samples of iPP characterized by different concentrations regiodefects, constituted by secondary 2,1 propene units, is studied. The self‐nucleation (SN) experiments have demonstrated that the presence of 2,1 regiodefects produces a strong memory of the crystalline phase in the melt that persists up to temperatures much higher than the melting temperature. The extension of the heterogeneous melt (domain II) containing self‐nuclei increases with increasing the concentration of regiodefects. The higher the concentration of regiodefects the higher the temperature at which the self‐nuclei are dissolved and the homogeneous melt is achieved. This demonstrates that a strong memory of the crystalline phase of iPP in the melt exists not only in copolymers with noncrystallizable bulky comonomeric units rejected from the crystals but even when small defects are largely included in the crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objective To analyze the visibility of Nursing workers through images, which circulated in the media during the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods Cultural analysis that aims to articulate the image and its effects with theories from authors in the field of Cultural Studies. Results Six figures were selected in which nurses are portrayed as heroines to fight Covid-19 and are promoted from supporting actor to main character, combining the care strategy with the scientific discourse of defense of social isolation. The images portray them as women who face labor suffering from strenuous work and prolonged use of personal protective equipment. Final considerations The pandemic, has highlighted speeches related to health work, where we see images of nurses as heroines who organize the chaos and bring order to the “frontline”, making the idealization of Nursing visible.

Introdução: profissionais de saúde atendem tentativas de suicídio. Cabe ao Enfermeiro este manejo. Objetivo: revisar a literatura científica, quanto aos cuidados de enfermagem e indivíduos com tentativa de suicídio. Metodologia: revisão Integrativa. Coletas realizadas nas bases LILACS, SCIELO e MEDLINE. Inclusão dos estudos sobre o tema, respondendo à questão norteadora, últimos dez anos, com descritores abaixo. Compostas as categorias através de um quadro, no qual se categorizam os artigos desta revisão. Resultados/discussão: os resultados desta Revisão Integrativa foram categorizados em: manejo do indivíduo com tentativa de suicídio; o papel do enfermeiro frente à tentativa de suicídio; aspectos que dificultam o cuidado de enfermagem e desafios para melhorias do cuidado frente à tentativa de suicídio. Considerações finais: enfermeiro executa importantes ações, preservando a vida destes pacientes. Na atenção primária e nas emergências e internações, o enfermeiro pode aprimorar o cuidado com educação em saúde, abordagem terapêutica e escuta ativa.

Objective: to know the perception of the nursing team about the factors involved in adherence and abandonment of tuberculosis treatment. Method: qualitative, descriptive-exploratory study carried out at the Tuberculosis Reference Center in the city of Porto Alegre, in Rio Grande do Sul. Nine nursing professionals responded to the semi-structured interview and Bardin’s content analysis was carried out. Results: four thematic categories were identified: the organization of the service and the role of the nursing team in the work process; the social root of tuberculosis; nursing consultation as a device for strengthening treatment adherence; service network as a strategy to reduce treatment abandonment. Conclusion: nursing professionals recognize their responsibility in the adherence to the treatment of tuberculosis and perceive the factors that influence abandonment in their daily work. They recognize the need for a networked, intersectoral, and of social protection effort to control the disease.

Objetivo: Conhecer as percepções da equipe de enfermagem no manejo junto ao paciente psiquiátrico em medida de segurança. Metodologia: Este estudo trata-se de uma pesquisa exploratória descritiva, de caráter qualitativo, realizado com 10 integrantes da equipe de enfermagem, atuantes em um hospital de custódia. A coleta de dados realizou-se de Março a Maio de 2017, por meio de entrevista e roteiro semiestruturado. Resultados: Os resultados foram submetidos à análise de conteúdo a partir do critério de saturação de dados, e permitiram elencar três categorias: A história do cotidiano dos profissionais de enfermagem, referente aos pacientes em medida de segurança; As condições de trabalho em um hospital de custodia e tratamento psiquiátrico e A vivência da equipe de enfermagem frente ao manejo junto a pacientes psiquiátricos em medida de segurança. A partir da análise dos resultados das entrevistas, o estudo pretende ajudar a garantir a melhoria na qualidade da assistência de enfermagem levando em consideração principalmente a saúde física e mental dos profissionais, devido à exposição diária a diversos fatores de risco. Conclusão: A equipe de enfermagem forense tem papel fundamental na assistência junto ao paciente psiquiátrico em medida de segurança, e para isso, deve estar em equilíbrio com sua saúde física e mental. Este estudo visa contribuir para a reflexão das questões relacionadas a qualidade de vida e na saúde dos trabalhadores de saúde mental forense, de modo a reduzir os fatores que contribuem negativamente no exercício profissional.

Los hospitales psiquiátricos judiciales tienen el objetivo de custodiar y tratar pacientes mentales, siendo una fusión entre el hospital y la cárcel. Ellos utilizan técnicas y procedimientos para normalizar criminales dementes. Esta investigación estudió las medidas utilizadas por los profesionales de enfermería que trabajan en el Instituto Psiquiátrico Forense , de Porto Alegre, Brazil. El marco teórico se encuentra situado en el campo de los estudios culturales, inspirado por las ideas de Michael Foucault. Se utilizaron instrumentos de investigación etnográfica: entrevistas en audio, observación, análisis de documentos e imágenes. Los resultados fueron organizados en unidades: ¿Casas de locos o casa de presos?; La organización de los espacios y El control de tiempo. En esta institución, Enfermería carga las herencias del sistema penitenciario que se manifiestan en las rutinas diarias. La forma de cuidar, naturalizada con el tiempo, produce profesionales que repiten enseñanzas de carceleros, “convirtiendo” a los pacientes en aquello que es propuesto por la normativa de la institución: organizarlo y re-ajustarlo de acuerdo con normas sociales.

Objetivou-se revisar o que a literatura tem abordado a respeito da sobrecarga de trabalho do enfermeiro e sua influência na qualidade da assistência. A metodologia utilizada foi revisão de literatura em artigos científicos publicados em periódicos indexados nas bases de dados da Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde (LILACS) e Scientific Eletronic Library Online (SciELO) entre os anos 2012 a 2016. No primeiro momento, cruzando-se todos descritores, chegou-se no total de 444 artigos encontrados. Em um segundo momento, após leitura e utilização de critérios de inclusão e exclusão foram pré-selecionados 148 artigos. Finalmente, foi realizada uma leitura detalhada e análise dos dados, chegando ao total de 12 artigos que respondiam à questão norteadora desta pesquisa. Os resultados demostraram que os fatores como o número reduzido de profissionais de enfermagem, dupla jornada de trabalho devido baixos salários, aumento das cargas de trabalho e absenteísmo estão vinculados à sobrecarga de trabalho que afetam o físico e mental desses profissionais, gerando problemas de saúde e ocasionando consequências na assistência prestada. Percebeu-se que é de suma importância refletir sobre as estratégias que possibilitam o desenvolvimento de melhorias no trabalho da enfermagem. Contudo, sugere-se que novas pesquisam sejam realizadas em torno desta temática, com o objetivo de pensar em diferentes estratégias sobre a relação sobrecarga de trabalho e qualidade da assistência

The mechanisms for the formation of N‐substituted hydrazones by coupling of alcohols and hydrazine, achieved by the sequential processes of acceptorless dehydrogenation and borrowing hydrogen, has been unveiled by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The release of water and molecular hydrogen as subproducts, combined with the Mn‐PNN pincer based catalyst describe a green environment. Mechanistically, apart from describing a complex system of three coupled catalytic pathways, calculations describe the pivotal role of two intermediates, which participate in two catalytic pathways each one. Finally, predictive catalysis plays the role to push forward this reaction toward milder conditions, and thus in line with green chemistry standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study of the structure and morphology of diblock copolymers composed of crystallizable blocks of polyethylene (PE) and syndiotactic polypropylene (sPP) having different lengths is reported. In both analyzed samples, the PE block crystallizes first by cooling from the melt (at 130 °C) and the sPP block crystallizes after at a lower temperature. Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) recorded during cooling showed three correlation peaks at values of the scattering vector, q1 = 0.12 nm−1, q2 = 0.24 nm−1 and q3 = 0.4 nm−1, indicating development of a lamellar morphology, where lamellar domains of PE and sPP alternate, each domain containing stacks of crystalline lamellae of PE or sPP sandwiched by their own amorphous phase of PE or sPP. At temperatures higher than 120 °C, when only PE crystals are formed, the morphology is defined by the formation of stacks of PE lamellae (17 nm thick) alternating with amorphous layers and with a long period of nearly 52 nm. At lower temperatures, when crystals of sPP are also well-formed, the morphology is more complex. A model of the morphology at room temperature is proposed based on the correlation distances determined from the self-correlation functions extracted from the SAXS data. Lamellar domains of PE (41.5 nm thick) and sPP (8.2 nm thick) alternate, each domain containing stacks of crystalline lamellae sandwiched by their own amorphous phase, forming a global morphology having a total lamellar periodicity of 49.7 nm, characterized by alternating amorphous and crystalline layers, where the crystalline layers are alternatively made of stacks of PE lamellae (22 nm thick) and thinner sPP lamellae (only 3.5 nm thick). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Enfermagem da UFSM is the property of Universidade Federal de Santa Maria and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Texto & Contexto Enfermagem is the property of Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Programa de Pos-Graduacao de Enfermagem and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Nursing UFPE / Revista de Enfermagem UFPE is the property of Revista de Enfermagem UFPE and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Nursing UFPE / Revista de Enfermagem UFPE is the property of Revista de Enfermagem UFPE and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Reducing health inequalities involves the identification and characterization of social and exposure factors and the way they accumulate in a given area. The areas of accumulation then allow for prioritization of interventions. The present study aims to build spatial composite indicators based on the aggregation of environmental, social and health indicators and their inter-relationships. Method: Preliminary work was carried out firstly to homogenize spatial coverage, and secondly to study spatial variation of environmental (EI), socioeconomic (SI) and health (HI) indicators. The aggregation of the different indicators was performed using several methodologies for which results and decision-makers' usability were compared. Results: Four methodologies were tested: 1) A simple summation of normalized HI, EI and SI indicators (IC), 2) the sum of the normalized HI, EI and SI indicators weighted by the first principal component of a Principal Component Analysis (IC PCA), 3) the sum of normalized and weighted indicators of the first principal component of Local Principal Component Analysis (IC LPCA), and 4) the sum of normalized and weighted indicators of the first principal component of a Geographically Weighted Principal Component Analysis (IC GWPCA). Conclusion: The GWPCA is particularly adapted to taking into account the spatial heterogeneity and the spatial autocorrelation between SI, EI and HI. This approach invalidates the basic assumptions of many standard statistical analyses. Where socioeconomic indicators present high deprivation and where they are associated with potential modifiable health determinants, decision-makers can prioritize these areas for reducing inequalities by controlling the socioeconomic and health determinants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the wreck of the oil tanker ERIKA off the north-west coast of France in December 1999, cleaning up of the beaches involved considerable work, which in any case could not be perfect. This raised the question of the short- and long-term health risks for the future bathers related to the toxicity of the remaining oil polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). This risk assessment study was conducted to help health authorities plan risk management policies and inform the public. Thirty-six beaches were selected, representing a sample of the most frequently encountered topographic and beach usage situations; seven “control” beaches, unspoiled by ERIKA, were also investigated. Samples of water and sand were taken from each site, as well as from the surface of rocks. The 16 PAHs selected by the U.S. EPA were quantified in each environment. Several scenarios of exposure were contemplated: (1) a child between 2 and 4 years accidentally ingesting a small ball of fuel, (2) a child daily exposed throughout his holiday-time stay, (3) an adult (including a pregnant woman) spending his/her holidays on the coast, (4) an adult working on the beach, (5) and an adult practicing water sports. Among the available and significant toxicological values, the most conservative ones were selected for computing risks. The sand and water, after decontamination, were slightly polluted (respectively, 7.8 μg/kg and 23.3 ng/l of total 16 PAHs), with values similar to those found in the control beaches. By contrast, the rocky areas in some places were still highly polluted (up to 23 mg/kg on the surface layer). No lethal risk was found for a young child who had accidentally ingested a small ball of fuel. The life-long excess risks for skin cancer and for all other cancers were about 10−5 in scenarios including contact with the polluted rocks. In all other cases, excess risks were considerably lower. The hazard quotient for teratogenic effects was very small, except in scenarios where pregnant women would walk among rocks containing high pollution levels. In conclusion, exposure was mainly associated with polluted water among children, and with spoiled rocks for adults. Despite uncertainties, mainly dealing with the prediction of long-term risks following a short-term exposure, this study showed that beaches where pollution was no longer visible after decontamination did not entail any significant health risks and could be opened to the public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a lack of data on environmental benzene exposure in children. In this study, we compared personal benzene exposure and inhalation uptake in a group of children to those of their parents. We also compared levels of urinary benzene metabolites, trans,trans-muconic acid (MA) and hydroquinone (HQ), for those two groups, and assessed the correlation between personal benzene exposure and urinary MA and HQ concentrations. The study was performed on 21, 2–3-year-old children and their parents recruited on a voluntary basis among non-smokers from the three largest day-care centers of the town of Rouen in France. Average benzene concentrations were measured over 5 consecutive days with diffusive samplers. The following simultaneous measurements were carried out: personal exposure of the parents, concentrations inside and outside the day care centers, and inside the volunteer''s bedrooms. Morning and evening urine samples were collected during the same period. Benzene personal exposure levels were 14.4±7.7 μg/m3 and 11.09±6.15 μg/m3 in parents and children, respectively. Benzene inhalation uptake estimates were 2.51±1.23 μg/kg/day in the group of parents and 5.68±3.17 μg/kg/day in the group of children. Detectable levels of MA and HQ were found in 85% and 100% of the samples, respectively. Intra-individual variation of urinary MA and HQ concentrations expressed as a coefficient of variation (CV) ranged from 63 to 232% and from 13 to 144%, respectively. Mean values of MA and HQ (in mg/g creatinine) were 1.6- and 1.8-fold higher in the group of children than in the group of parents (P=0.008 and P<0.0001, respectively). Significant correlations between metabolites levels and benzene were not found. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Crystallization and phase separation in the melt in semicrystalline block copolymers (BCPs) compete in defining the final solid state structure and morphology. In crystalline–crystalline di-block copolymers the sequence of crystallization of the two blocks plays a definitive role. In this work we show that the use of epitaxial crystallization on selected crystalline substrates allows achieving of a control over the crystallization of the blocks by inducing crystal orientations of the different crystalline phases and a final control over the global morphology. A sample of polyethylene-block-syndiotactic polypropylene (PE-b-sPP) block copolymers has been synthesized with a stereoselective living organometallic catalyst and epitaxially crystallized onto crystals of two different crystalline substrates, p-terphenyl (3Ph) and benzoic acid (BA). The epitaxial crystallization on both substrates produces formation of highly ordered morphologies with crystalline lamellae of sPP and PE highly oriented along one direction. However, the epitaxial crystallization onto 3Ph should generate a single orientation of sPP crystalline lamellae highly aligned along one direction and a double orientation of PE lamellae, whereas BA crystals should induce high orientation of only PE crystalline lamellae. Thanks to the use of the two selective substrates, the final morphology reveals the sequence of crystallization events during cooling from the melt and what is the dominant event that drives the final morphology. The observed single orientation of both crystalline PE and sPP phases on both substrates, indeed, indicates that sPP crystallizes first onto 3Ph defining the overall morphology and PE crystallizes after sPP in the confined interlamellar sPP regions. Instead, PE crystallizes first onto BA defining the overall morphology and sPP crystallizes after PE in the confined interlamellar PE regions. This allows for discriminating between the different crystalline phases and defining the final morphology, which depends on which polymer block crystallizes first on the substrate. This work also shows that the use of epitaxial crystallization and the choice of suitable substrate offer a means to produce oriented nanostructures and morphologies of block copolymers depending on the composition and the substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long-term effect of isocyanates on the respiratory system has been studied in 318 workers employed in factories using isocyanates for the production of plastics. The workers were investigated by means of a questionnaire and also by pulmonary function tests of vital capacity (VC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV), flow volume loops, bronchial reactivity and carbon monoxide single breath transfer factor (). There were no more clinical symptoms in the exposed group than in the unexposed group, but lower values of VC and of diffusion constant , were observed in the exposed group, usually after long exposure. It is suggested that these workers might develop fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The health risk assessment paradigm is progressively being included in the French regulatory process. In this context, the French Ministry of Environment asked INERIS to assess the health risks incurred by populations living in the vicinity of industrial sites. This study gives the results of the risk assessment carried out on populations living nearby synthetic rubber's manufacturers which have among the most polluting activities concerning 1,3-butadiene and concomitant pollutants. To achieve this target, a bibliographical synthesis was first done to identify the different types of industrial sites releasing 1,3-butadiene. As a result, a national inventory was set up. The pollutants toxicity was also studied as well as the dose-response relationships for the most relevant effects (i.e. for butadiene: carcinogenic, reproduction and developmental effects) and the main way of exposure (inhalation). Preliminary exposure results focused on butadiene and gave an estimate of its concentrations in the air around synthetic rubber's manufacturers using factories production capacities as a proxy according to the European calculation methodology. Site specific studies, in partnership with industrial sites, were undergone to illustrate the predictive approach described before and demonstrate its (in)adequacy in exposure and risk assessment for populations living nearby local sources. Ambient air levels of butadiene gathered in these studies have generated original data in France, compatible with toxicity levels. In the theoretical approach, 1,3-butadiene exposure concentration and the risk calculation are computed using the probabilistic approach. Monte Carlo simulations show risks which were not negligible for population living in the vicinity of synthetic rubber's manufacturers. For carcinogenic effects, the order of magnitude of individual life-long cancer risk is 10-3 (P90 = 2,7.10-3) which leads to an health impact ranging from 2 (P10) to 114 (P90) cases of Feukemia in the target population (estimated to be 42 128 persons nationwide). These results are based on the unit risk derived recently by EPA (3.10-5 (μg/m3)-1) but they do not take into account several factors i.e. the fact that butadiene is not persistent in the atmosphere: as a result, contact with population is very limited in time and space. Measurements at 3 industrial sites borders show concentrations in ambient air ranging from 0.2 to 1 μg/m3 on average for butadiene (10 hours measurements using Restek SilicoCan canisters and US-EPA-TO 14 methodology) by comparison with estimations ranging from 100 to 200 μg/m3 for the same sites using the European methodology. Individual life-long cancer risk for 3 sites representative of the various types of industrial sites releasing 1,3-butadiene in France are 100 to 1000 less significant (ranging from 10-6 to 10-5) compared with the predictive EU approach. These results tend to show the inadequacy of the European local scenario methodology in 1,3-butadiene exposure and risk assessment. However, results are in adequacy with the regional scenario of the European evaluation and with results obtained in an urban context during this study. Comparable conclusions are reached for acrylonitrile. For styrene, site specific results are between the local and regional European scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Analyzing the relationship between the environment and health has become a major focus of public health efforts in France, as evidenced by the national action plans for health and the environment. These plans have identified the following two priorities: [-] identify and manage geographic areas where hotspot exposures are a potential risk to human health; and [-] reduce exposure inequalities. The aim of this study is to develop a spatial stochastic multimedia exposure model for detecting vulnerable populations and analyzing exposure determinants at a fine resolution and regional scale. A multimedia exposure model was developed by INERIS to assess the transfer of substances from the environment to humans through inhalation and ingestion pathways. The RESPIR project adds a spatial dimension by linking GIS (Geographic Information System) to the model. Tools are developed using modeling, spatial analysis and geostatistic methods to build and discretize interesting variables and indicators from different supports and resolutions on a 1-km2 regular grid. We applied this model to the risk assessment of exposure to metals (cadmium, lead and nickel) using data from a region in France (Nord-Pas-de-Calais). The considered exposure pathways include the atmospheric contaminant inhalation and ingestion of soil, vegetation, meat, egg, milk, fish and drinking water. Exposure scenarios are defined for different reference groups (age, dietary properties, and the fraction of food produced locally). The two largest risks correspond to an ancient industrial site (Metaleurop) and the Lille agglomeration. In these areas, cadmium, vegetation ingestion and soil contamination are the principal determinants of the computed risk. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Exposure to airborne pollutants can result in adverse health effects. Acute symptoms can for instance comprise of irritation of the eyes or of the respiratory tract (called sensory irritation). In a recent case, health problems were reported in a French school and supposedly attributed to the presence of airborne irritant pollutants. Based on measured concentrations, the risk of developing the described health effects was assessed.Numerous airborne sensory irritants (aldehydes, organic acids, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), SO2, NH3) were identified and quantified in the indoor air by using active and passive sampling and online monitoring techniques. Reference values based on toxicological properties of compounds (sensory irritants) were taken from the literature. If not available, tentative values were specially developed for this purpose. Concentrations of all sensory irritants remain below their corresponding guideline values and are comparable to literature data. It was concluded that the risk of developing sensory irritation due to the presence of the studied compounds is negligible. This holds both for individual compounds and for the mixture of studied compounds. Limitations of the employed sampling strategy, and of existing sampling and analytical techniques, which do not allow for analysing more reactive compounds—which are strong sensory irritants—may play a role. New sampling techniques need to be developed. Psychosocial factors (group behaviour, increased attention to sensory irritation) should also be taken into account when dealing with health complaints on sensory irritation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]