Style of management and the relevance for workplace health promotion in small and medium sized enterprises

In a small company, the whole company culture, including the management style, is dominated by the owner. The management culture in small companies and above all the management style of the owner determine the chances of successfully introducing workplace health promotion (WHP). For this reason a typology was developed that describes the management personalities who affect the company culture in small enterprises. This provides a guide to the possible success of WHP in connection with the management style. Although a summary of the management and corporate culture of small companies in a few categories cannot show the variety of social reality, it can provide orientation. The typical categories of company social order (a mixture of ownership and leadership) in small and medium-sized enterprises are given below. Furthermore, there is an assessment of what the chances of realising workplace health promotion are in each type of company. Small and medium-sized companies (SME) have a number of organisational characteristics which are just ideal for the introduction and implementation of workplace health promotion. The work of the employer and employees is often the same. Information in the company is generally comprehensive and easily available. The lack of information which employees often complain about in large companies is not a problem. There is a good flow of communication. Small companies have a flat hierarchy that enables participation, the essential requirement for WHP. There is a close social relationship between the company head and the workforce, although it must be said that this closeness can be dangerous, particularly if it is misused as complete social control. The readiness to implement Workplace Health Promotion (WHP) in SME and the degree of success depends largely on the personality of the company manager and the style of leadership. Considering the importance of a manager’s personality for WHP in SME, modules and instruments to assist company owners and managers in SME are to be developed. On behalf of and in co-operation with the Austrian Network for Workplace Health Promotion several modules have been introduced to assist owners and managers of SMEs.     

焦痂提取液中丙二醛含量对线粒体呼吸及内膜能化作用的影响

大鼠背部20％光辐射Ⅲ度烧伤7天后的焦痂提取液及1:4、1:8稀释液能对正常大鼠肝线粒体呼吸产生明显的抑制作用,相同方法制成的正常皮提取液只呈轻度抑制,1:4稀释液已无抑制作用,两者丙二醛含量相差悬殊,丙二醛含量与抑制率呈相关,但进一步分析表明这种相关为共存现象,丙二醛含量增高不是呼吸率下降的直接原因。丙二醛增高与膜脂双层的破坏有关,内膜能化作用实验表明,当膜脂受到一定程度破坏时,能化作用受到抑制。然而在能化作用未表现异常时,呼吸率已呈一定程度抑制,故呼吸率抑制还受到提取液其他组分的影响。     

Homocysteine levels in preterm infants: is there an association with intraventricular hemorrhage? a prospective cohort study

Background  

The purpose of this study was to characterize total homocysteine (tHcy) levels at birth in preterm and term infants and identify associations with intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and other neonatal outcomes such as mortality, sepsis, necrotizing enterocolitis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and thrombocytopenia.     

Long-term neuroretinal full-thickness transplants in a large animal model of severe retinitis pigmentosa

Background The purpose of this study was to explore neuroretinal transplantation in a large animal model of severe retinitis pigmentosa and to establish graft development, long-term survival, graft-host integration, and effects on the host retina. Methods Rhodopsin transgenic pigs, aged 6 months, received in one eye a fetal full-thickness neuroretinal sheet in the subretinal space by means of vitrectomy and retinotomy. Six months postoperatively, eyes were studied in the light microscope and with immunohistochemical markers. Full-field electroretinography (ERG) was performed at 4 and 6 months. Results Laminated grafts with well-organized photoreceptors, rod bipolar cells, and Müller cells were found in five of six eyes. Neuronal connections between graft and host retina were not seen. In the five eyes containing a graft, the number of surviving rods in the host retina was significantly higher compared with unoperated eyes. The ERG did not reveal any significant difference in b-wave amplitude between operated and control eyes, but the cone-derived response in operated eyes increased significantly from 4 to 6 months while the rod response in control eyes decreased significantly. Conclusions Fetal full-thickness neuroretina can be transplanted safely to an eye with severe retinal degeneration. In their major part, the transplants develop a normal laminated morphology and survive for at least 6 months. Graft and host retinal neurons do not form connections. Retinal function in the host is reduced initially by the surgical trauma, but the presence of a well-laminated graft counteracts this effect and rescues rods from degeneration. Supported by The Foundation Fighting Blindness (grant# C-NC02-798-0078), The Faculty of Medicine, University of Lund, The Swedish Research Council, The Princess Margaretas Foundation for Blind Children, The 2nd ONCE International Award for New Technologies for the Blind.     

Larynx cancer risk factors

The larynx cancer relative risk has been evaluated (328 cases) in the stationary-native Upper Silesians (63.7%) and migrating (36.3%) male population. The particular control groups (656 men) included 418 and 238 men respectively not suffering from malignant neoplasms. The essentially higher larynx cancer incidence risk has been shown for men manual labor and exposed to the influence of various dusts, gases and vapors and other pollutants in their place of work. The increased substantial incidence risk is also true for men who smoke tobacco and are professionally exposed to the pollution. The results in regard to the consumption of raw and boiled vegetables suggest that these may be inhibitors of the neoplasmatic process in the area of larynx (although not only). The frequency of the consumption of alcohol--vodka or beer--increases the larynx cancer incidence risk both among autochthons and immigrants. Nevertheless, the data concerning the amount of alcohol consumed are less valuable here; they do not allow to establish fully reliable quantitative levels of the beer or vodka consumed. In comparison with the literature of the subject, divergent data have been obtained as far as the joint influence of drinking alcohol with simultaneous smoking of tobacco and professional exposure are concerned.     

Alagille syndrome and optic pit

Background Optic disc anomalies are frequently associated with Alagille syndrome. We report here the first case of a patient with Alagille syndrome combined with optic pit and serous macular detachment. Methods A male patient with Alagille syndrome was referred from the pediatric hepatology department for investigation of visual loss in the right eye. Anterior segment examination showed evidence of posterior embryotoxon, confirmed by gonioscopic evaluation. Dilated fundus examination revealed serous macular detachment and optic pit. Results OCT 3 scans confirmed the clinical findings. Conclusions Optic pit is uncommon and should prompt a search for genetic disorders or development abnormalities. The association between the two syndromes in this patient might be due to failure of correct neuroectodermal development, for which a common genetic pathway is likely.     

Strong decline in female sterilization rates in Norway after the introduction of a new copayment system: a registry based study

Background  

January 1, 2002, copayment for outpatient female sterilization in Norwegian public hospitals increased from 33 euros to 750 euros after a revision of the health care system. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of the new copayment system on female sterilization epidemiology.     

Evaluation of the impedance tonometers TGDc-01 and iCare according to the international ocular tonometer standards ISO 8612

BACKGROUND: Two new tonometers have been introduced that are based on the impedance principle. Both the TGDc-01 (transpalpebral measurement) and the iCare (corneal measurement) do not require corneal anaesthesia. The present work presents an evaluation of both devices. METHODS: Comparative measurements using one of the new tonometers and applanation tonometry were performed by one investigator according to the international standard for ocular tonometer (ISO 8612). Measurements were performed on 445 eyes without corneal pathology from 243 patients. Six measurements were performed for iCare and 3 for TGDc, immediately followed by 3 applanation tonometry measurements. RESULTS: The correlation coefficient with respect to applanation tonometry was 0.81 for TGDc and 0.95 for iCare. TGDc-01 measurements showed an average deviation of 3.1 +/- 2.6 mmHg to those of Perkins applanation tonometry. The maximum difference was 28.7 mmHg below and 9.8 mmHg above the results of applanation tonometry. iCare showed an average deviation of 2.5 +/- 1.1 mmHg to Goldmann tonometry. The maximum difference was 14.5 mmHg below and 9.8 mmHg above. CONCLUSIONS: The results of both new tonometers showed a good correlation with the reference applanation tonometric methods, but the strict requirements of ISO 8612 are not fulfilled by either tonometer at present. Additionally, transpalpebral measurements with the TGDc-01 showed unacceptably high variability.