Assessment of Stress Salivary Markers, Perceived Stress, and Shift Work in a Cohort of Fishermen: A Preliminary Work

Due to work-related stress, today, work itself represents a daily challenge that must be faced in many occupations. While, in the past, the scientific community has focused on the helping professions, since, an increasing number of professions have since been investigated. Therefore, different approaches exist in order to assess this disorder, representing a scientific field wherein biological and psychological dimensions both need to be evaluated. In this paper, we consider three biological salivary markers: interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), cortisol, and melatonin. The choice derives from recent contributions to the literature in which the interplay between these markers has been verified. Briefly, such interplay could explain how the central nervous, endocrine, and immune systems communicate with each other, supporting a holistic concept of person. In 30 marine fishermen from the Apulia region of Italy, perceived stress was measured using the Professional Stress Scale (PSS) and sleep disturbances were assessed through the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Salivary markers were collected at 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Those subjects reporting sleep disturbance and having altered scores in two PSS subclasses, home–work conflict and self-esteem, presented inverted salivary melatonin and cortisol nictemeral rhythms (with regard to melatonin levels at 8:00 a.m., those workers reporting values higher than the median showed 64.1% versus 48.6% home–work conflict with respect to cortisol levels, subjects having an inverted circadian rhythm showed 69.9% versus 52.5% home–work conflict, and these values resulted 47.7% versus 25.3% when the self-esteem was considered). As regards melatonin, PSQI score is statistically different in the two groups of subjects as identified by median melatonin at 8:00 a.m.; specifically, the subjects who had mean values higher than the median shared higher PSQI scores (10.8 versus 9.8). The same subjects reported more frequent home–work conflict and more sleep disorders. We found a negative correlation between IL-1β at 8:00 a.m. and Cortdiff (the difference between cortisol at 8:00 a.m.–cortisol at 2:00 p.m.), and that high IL-1β at 8:00 a.m. was associated with low Cortdiff. Based on our results we would like to propose this approach in health surveillance, in order to prevent mental and/or physical disorders, however our study is surely preliminary. The interesting perspectives and hypotheses cited in this paper, in which the roles of IL-1β and norepinephrine appear central and important, could remain hypothetical if not supported by more robust observation in order to produce, truly, new knowledge. In the future we will deepen this study with a larger sample, and if these results will be confirmed, this approach could allow preventing, not only mental and physical disorders, but also immuno-mediated diseases, and, perhaps, cancer.

An Ergonomic Analysis on Working Postures of Construction Site Workers

Risk factors related to work activity and ergonomics can enhance the probability that some persons may develop a MSD (musculoskeletal disorder). Usually the MSD develops due to high task repetition, forceful exertion, and repetitive/sustained awkward postures. MSD is also found in some cases where workers are engaged with working in awkward postures, cold temperatures, contact stress, heavy load, static postures, and vibration, etc. Many studies explain the problems for MSD, but in this chapter an effort is taken to rank the maximum body movement and body parts as per the different types of work flow system such that ergonomics design can be planned. Physical disorders can be avoided by finding and ranking the difficult task and the affected body part due to that kind of work. The prioritization of task will help the organization to think of sustainable designs of working procedure or instruments or machines to provide maximum comfort to humankind. It may also help to frame policies for occupational safety and hazards in workplace.

Psychiatric and Physical Comorbidity in Elderly Attending the Geriatric Clinic of a Psychiatric Hospital

Background: Physical comorbidity is quite common in older adults. When psychiatric and medical conditions co-occur, the combination is associated with elevated symptom burden, functional impairment, decreased length and quality of life, and increased costs of treatment. To estimate the proportion and patterns of physical comorbidity in elderly psychiatric patients. Methods: A retrospective observational study was carried out in the Geriatric Clinic of National Institute of Mental Health and Hospital (NIMHH). Patient registry of the clinic was used to collect required information and 113 consecutive older adults with psychiatric disorders who attended the clinic in a three-month period, were enrolled for the study. Psychiatric diagnoses were made by psychiatrists, according to DSM-5 criteria. Medical diagnoses were made by specialist physicians by reviewing physicians’ prescriptions. Data analysis was done by using SPSS 23.0. Results: Most of the patients (58.4%) belonged to the 7th decade. Among 113 patients 90 (79.7%) had only psychiatric illness & 23 had (20.4%) comorbid physical disorders. Depressive disorders (30%) and dementia (22.1%) were the most common psychiatric reasons for consultation. Among the associated physical comorbidities hypertension (43.5%) and diabetes (34.8%) were the most commons. Conclusion: Co-occurrence of psychiatric and physical disorder conditions is very common in a clinical setting. Physical comorbidity may influence follow up consultation pattern. Bangladesh J Medicine July 2022; 33(1) : 40-43

Analysis of mental and physical disorders associated with COVID-19 in online health forums: a natural language processing study

ObjectivesOnline health forums provide rich and untapped real-time data on population health. Through novel data extraction and natural language processing (NLP) techniques, we characterise the evolution of mental and physical health concerns relating to the COVID-19 pandemic among online health forum users.Setting and designWe obtained data from three leading online health forums: HealthBoards, Inspire and HealthUnlocked, from the period 1 January 2020 to 31 May 2020. Using NLP, we analysed the content of posts related to COVID-19.Primary outcome measures(1) Proportion of forum posts containing COVID-19 keywords; (2) proportion of forum users making their very first post about COVID-19; (3) proportion of COVID-19-related posts containing content related to physical and mental health comorbidities.ResultsData from 739 434 posts created by 53 134 unique users were analysed. A total of 35 581 posts (4.8%) contained a COVID-19 keyword. Posts discussing COVID-19 and related comorbid disorders spiked in early March to mid-March around the time of global implementation of lockdowns prompting a large number of users to post on online health forums for the first time. Over a quarter of COVID-19-related thread titles mentioned a physical or mental health comorbidity.ConclusionsWe demonstrate that it is feasible to characterise the content of online health forum user posts regarding COVID-19 and measure changes over time. The pandemic and corresponding public response has had a significant impact on posters’ queries regarding mental health. Social media data sources such as online health forums can be harnessed to strengthen population-level mental health surveillance.

Relationship between duration of physical exercise and menstrual cycle female athletes in East Java Sports High School

Exercise can be a supporting factor or inhibitor of reproductive health related to menstruation. East Java Sports High School is a particular school for athletes who have more intensive physical training than other public schools. This research was conducted to determine whether there is a significant relationship between the duration of physical exercise and the menstrual cycle in female athletes at East Java Sports High School. The method of this research is quantitative, with a sample of 60 respondents from 14 sports. Data is processed and calculated with Microsoft Excel and SPSS version 21, the statistical test used chi-square test. The calculation results obtained were 0.002 <0.05, so there is a significant relationship between the duration of physical exercise and the athlete's menstrual cycle at East Java Sports High School. That can be caused by excessive use of energy when practicing so that the energy in the body is out of balance which results in decreased pulsatile GnRH, which can affect FSH. In addition, the results of calculations on the variable menstrual disorders in the form of physical disorders during menstruation obtained results 0.565 >0.05, so there is no significant relationship between the duration of physical exercise with menstrual disorders in athletes at East Java Sports High School.

Potential action on the central nervous system of neroli oil extracted from Citrus aurantium

The essential oil from C. aurantium has been widely studied due to its potential anxiolytic action on several receptors in the Central Nervous System (CNS). Although it presents variations in its phytochemical composition depending on its origin, we can highlight that many compounds remain present, such as linalool that demonstrated antagonistic activity on glutamatergic receptors, possible inhibitory action of noradrenaline and serotonin receptors, besides the ability to activate GABA receptors in association with some flavonoids present in the oil. It is globally known that the underlying pathology called anxiety influences worldwide as an antecedent of conflicting psychological and physical disorders, which are associated with various neuronal disorders. In this regard, the oil extracted from C. aurantium flowers shows a potential therapeutic application for the treatment of anxiety disorders. However, more studies are needed to elucidate its complete role on the CNS and to verify and prove its safety and efficacy profile.

Moving the 2030 Agenda Ahead: Exploring the Role of Multiple Mediators toward Perceived Environment and Social Sustainability in Residential Neighbourhoods

Neighbourhood safety represents an important topic of study to illustrate the reasons behind the increases in crime and mitigate its effects in neighbourhoods. This study examines how the social and environmental features of neighbourhoods may influence the social sustainability of residents based on the assumption that the perception of safety and social cohesion mediates the effects of neighbourhood environment on social sustainability. A quantitative method was employed to collect data from residents in a low-rise residential area in Penang, Malaysia. The results of structural equation modelling (SEM) indicated the positive and significant effect of neighbourhood accessibility on perceived disorder, whilst the effect of accessibility on social cohesion was negative. Disorders may comprise social and physical disorders, and may have a negative effect on perception of safety, but not on social cohesion. The relationship between disorders and social sustainability is serially mediated by the perception of safety and social cohesion. This implies that those who perceived high disorderliness in a neighbourhood environment reported a lower level of perception of safety, social cohesion and lower levels of social sustainability. Attempts need to be made to reduce neighbourhood disorderliness to pave the way for 2030 Agenda goals implementation.

SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: potential relationship between psychiatric disorders and pulpits

The coronavirus outbreak is a global public health emergency with high transmission among the population. Over 18 million people were affected globally (06th August 2020). In most of the cases, patients present flu-like symptoms, such as fever, cough, headaches and myalgias are commonly reported. Lockdown measures have been implemented to control the spread of the virus. In contrast, these measures have been reported to increase the probability of psychological and physical disorders. As the pandemic intensifies, the number of patients seeking dental emergency services due to acute symptoms (i.e. pulpitis, acute apical abscesses) has increased. There is an increasing need to investigate the association between psychological disorders and dental emergencies. There is critical need for the development of public policies for mental and dental health worldwide, leading to the improvement in the quality of life of the population.

Productivity Enhancement at Molding Compound Manufacturing Plant by Applying Time and Motion Analysis

Commercial boundaries have been erased by markets globalization. Companies around the world compete with each other and thus are enforced to improve their products and processes. These improvements depend on a number of factors such as proper management, working environment, and available technology, etc. Inappropriate design of the working environment is one of the main reasons for lower productivity. Inadequate and incomplete working environments caused by ignoring standard methods in planning level, persistent physical disorders and increase mistakes impact the productivity in the working environment. Maximum productivity, with less physical load and energy consumption, is achieved when the compliance occurs between worker and task. This paper aims to optimize ineffective time and eliminate undesired operations at Molding Compound Manufacturing plants using the time and motion study techniques. The results represent a significant improvement in the production process in productivity and cycle time to optimize the system. There is a substantial increase in the production of the product by simplifying the working method and changing the work sequence. Productivity is improved by eliminating unnecessary movements, simplifying individual tasks and changing operations sequence. Results show that time for each milling operation reduced from 36.3 minutes to 22.5 min, the number of machines reduced from 4 to 3.48 and productivity improved from 5 bags per hour per worker to 7.14 bags per hour per worker.

COVID-19 Associated Contact Restrictions in Germany: Marked Decline in Children’s Outpatient Visits for Infectious Diseases without Increasing Visits for Mental Health Disorders

Children have a low risk for severe COVID-19 infections, but indirect consequences of the pandemic may affect their health. We evaluated nationwide data on children’s outpatient visits before and during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. Data from the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians for all children with statutory health insurance and at least one physician’s office visit between January 2019 and June 2020 were evaluated for total visits and selected diagnoses for the 2nd quarter of 2019 (8.29 million children, controls) and the 2nd quarter of 2020 (8.5 million, pandemic). Outpatient visits per child fell by 18% during the first wave of the pandemic. Outpatient visits associated with diagnosed infections fell markedly by 51%, particularly for children up to age 5 years for gastroenteritis (73%), otitis media (71%), and streptococcal angina (78%). Outpatient visits for diagnosed chronic physical disorders (diabetes, celiac disease, and hay fever) and mental and behavioral disorders showed little change. Reduced contact between children appears to markedly reduce infection transmission. Infection risks in educational settings should be attenuated after the pandemic through targeted education and counseling and appropriate relationship prevention measures to improve quality of life and opportunities for children and to reduce stress and lost work time for parents.