Undergraduate occupational medicine education in European Medical Schools: better training to meet today's challenges.

Background: Occupational medicine (OM) faces considerable challenges today, one of them related to the university training of future physicians considered suboptimal at a global level as it has been pointed out in many studies. The aim of this study is to update the state of OM medical education in European universities.

Methods: Between March and August 2022, an e-mail survey regarding OM training to undergraduate medical students was conducted among OM professors at European universities in 28 countries (n = 347).

Recognition of COVID-19 with occupational origin: a comparison between European countries.

Objectives: This study aims to present an overview of the formal recognition of COVID-19 as occupational disease (OD) or injury (OI) across Europe.

Methods: A COVID-19 questionnaire was designed by a task group within COST-funded OMEGA-NET and sent to occupational health experts of 37 countries in WHO European region, with a last update in April 2022.

Results: The questionnaire was filled out by experts from 35 countries.

Associations of burnout with job demands/resources during the pandemic in health workers from Southeast European countries.

Introduction: Despite several studies assessing job demands and burnout in countries from the Southeast European (SEE) region, there is still a lack of data about the psychological impact of the pandemic on health workers (HWs).

Aims: The present study aimed to demonstrate and compare levels of burnout dimensions in HWs from SEE countries and to reveal the burnout-job demands/resources relationships in these workers during the pandemic.

Materials And Methods: During the autumn of 2020, this online multicentric cross-sectional survey studied a large group ( = 4.

Diagnostic and prognostic impact of preoperative thrombocytosis in muscle invasive bladder cancer: Any role in clinical practice?

Background: Since earlier research suggested a link between preoperative thrombocytosis and poor oncological outcomes in several cancers, the significance of platelet count abnormalities in bladder carcinoma (BC) demands for further investigation.

Objective: To assess the prognostic value of preoperative thrombocytosis (PTC) on survival in patients with bladder carcinoma treated by radical cystectomy (RC).

Patients And Methods: Analytical cohort comprised a single-center series of 299 patients who underwent RC for bladder carcinoma was evaluated.

Chromosomal Aberrations, Micronuclei, Blood Parameters and Received Doses in Workers Exposed to Ionizing Radiation.

Background: The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of low doses of ionizing radiation on healthcare workers using dosimeter data and several biomarkers of effects, and to asses the suitability of those tests.

Methods: Data from the last medical examinations, obtained from the medical records of 148 employees were analysed. They were divided into three groups: nuclear medicine, interventional radiology and general radiology.

Cadmium and lead implication in testis cancer; is there a connection?

Testis cancer (TC) is the most common malignancy of young men. Current evidence from studies, alongside genetics and hormonal status, suggests a significant role of toxic metals, cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb), in the origin and development of TC. Besides oxidative stress and endocrine disruption, interaction with bioelements is one of the critical mechanisms of Cd and Pb toxicity and malign transformation.

Subacute Exposure to Low Pb Doses Promotes Oxidative Stress in the Kidneys and Copper Disturbances in the Liver of Male Rats.

Recent data indicate that lead (Pb) can induce adverse effects even at low exposure levels. Moreover, the corresponding mechanisms of low Pb toxicity have not been well identified. In the liver and the kidneys, Pb was found to induce various toxic mechanisms leading to organ physiological disruption.

Occupational burnout among teachers: is it seasonal?

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to compare occupational burnout in two groups of teachers from the district of Bijeljina (Bosnia and Herzegovina) measured with the Serbian version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory survey for workers in human services (MBI-HSS) at the beginning (group 1) and the end of the school year 2018/2019 (group 2) to see if there are seasonal differences. The questionnaire also included standard sociodemographic data and job description (primary and/or secondary school position, length of service, and overtime work). The prevalence of emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation was low in both groups.

Involvement of environmentally relevant toxic metal mixture in Alzheimer's disease pathway alteration and protective role of berberine: Bioinformatics analysis and toxicogenomic screening.

We aimed to examine the molecular basis of the positive effect of berberine against environmentally relevant toxic metal-linked Alzheimer's disease (AD). The Comparative Toxicogenomic Database (CTD) retrieved a set of genes common to lead, cadmium, methylmercury and arsenic linked to AD development and a set of genes through which berberine exerts a therapeutic mode of action in AD. GeneMania prediction server revealed detailed gene interactions, while Metascape highlighted protein-protein interaction enrichment (PPIE).

Oxidative stress, metallomics and blood toxicity after subacute low-level lead exposure in Wistar rats: Benchmark dose analyses.

Exposure to lead (Pb) is still rising concern worldwide, having in mind that even low-dose exposure can induce various harmful effects. Thus, in-depth knowledge of the targets of Pb toxicity and corresponding mechanisms is essential. In the presented study, the six groups (male Wistar rats, n = 6) received 0.

Factors Associated with Burnout Syndrome in Primary and Secondary School Teachers in the Republic of Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina).

: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of burnout syndrome in a large sample of primary and secondary school teachers in the Republic of Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and identify the factors associated with burnout in this population. : This cross-sectional study was conducted in August and September of 2018, on a sample of 952 teachers. Beside socio-demographic information, Bortner scale, Job Content Questionnaire, and Maslach Burnout Inventory were filled in by the study participants.

Improving Education and Training to Reduce the Burden of Occupational Cancer. The Riga-European Association of Schools of Occupational Medicine (EASOM) Statement on Work-Related Cancer.

Reducing the burden of occupational cancers (OCs) is currently one of the most challenging Occupational Health (OH) issues. The European Union (EU) has made efforts to improve the existing legal framework and developed specific legislation aimed at reducing the burden of OC. However, available data suggest that OC are underreported.

The influence of smoking habits on cadmium and lead blood levels in the Serbian adult people.

According to the World Health Organization, in 2015, the Serbian population ranked among the highest ones in Europe in terms of smoking habit: 44.3% males and 36.2% females aged 18-64 smoked tobacco.

Environmental and take-home lead exposure in children living in the vicinity of a lead battery smelter in Serbia.

Blood lead levels (BLLs) have been falling steadily worldwide due to restricted use of lead (Pb) and its compounds. although they remain above preindustrial Pb levels. Elevated BLL can still be found in children living near secondary Pb smelters that represent around 50% of Pb production.

Occupational exposure to blood and bodily fluids among healthcare workers in Serbian general hospitals.

The risk of occupational bloodborne infections (HBV, HCV, and HIV) among healthcare workers remains a serious issue in developing countries. The aim of this study was to estimate occupational exposure to bloodborne infections among general hospital workers in Serbia. This cross-sectional study was conducted in the spring of 2013 and included 5,247 healthcare workers from 17 general hospitals.

Can zinc supplementation ameliorate cadmium-induced alterations in the bioelement content in rabbits?

The study was designed to investigate the influence of zinc (Zn) supplementation on cadmium-induced alterations in zinc, copper (Cu), and magnesium (Mg) status in rabbits. For this purpose, the concentrations of cadmium (Cd), Zn, Cu, and Mg were estimated in the blood, liver, kidney, and bone. The rabbits were divided in a control group, a Cd group-animals intoxicated orally with Cd (10 mg kg-1 bw, as aqueous solution of Cd-chloride), and a Cd+Zn group-animals intoxicated with the same dose of Cd and co-treated with Zn (20 mg kg-1 bw, as aqueous solution of Zn-sulphate).

Does occupational exposure to solvents and pesticides in association with glutathione S-transferase A1, M1, P1, and T1 polymorphisms increase the risk of bladder cancer? The Belgrade case-control study.

Objective: We investigated the role of the glutathione S-transferase A1, M1, P1 and T1 gene polymorphisms and potential effect modification by occupational exposure to different chemicals in Serbian bladder cancer male patients.

Patients And Methods: A hospital-based case-control study of bladder cancer in men comprised 143 histologically confirmed cases and 114 age-matched male controls. Deletion polymorphism of glutathione S-transferase M1 and T1 was identified by polymerase chain reaction method.

Assessment of coarse and fine hand motor performance in asymptomatic subjects exposed to hand-arm vibration.

A frequently encountered exposure profile for hand-arm vibration in contemporary occupational setting comprises workers with a long history of intermittent exposure but without detectable signs of hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). Yet, most of the published studies deal with developed HAVS cases, rarely discussing the biological processes that may be involved in degradation of manual dexterity and grip strength when it can be most beneficial - during the asymptomatic stage. In the present paper, a group of 31 male asymptomatic vibration-exposed workers (according to the Stockholm Workshop Scale) were compared against 30 male controls.

Development and evaluation of a new occupational medicine teaching module to advance self-efficacy and knowledge among medical students.

Objectives: Self-efficacy is defined as a person's beliefs in his or her abilities to successfully complete a task, and has been shown to influence student motivation and academic achievement. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a new European teaching module in occupational medicine on undergraduate students' self-efficacy and knowledge in the subject matter.

Methods: Pre-, in-between, and posttraining tests were used to assess self-efficacy and knowledge building of 261 third-year medical students on occupational health issues.

Effect of magnesium supplementation on the distribution patterns of zinc, copper, and magnesium in rabbits exposed to prolonged cadmium intoxication.

The present study is designed to investigate whether magnesium (Mg) supplementation may prevent Cd-induced alterations in zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and magnesium (Mg) status in rabbits. For this purpose, the concentrations of Zn, Cu, and Mg were estimated in blood, urine, and organs (brain, heart, lungs, liver, kidney, spleen, pancreas, skeletal muscle, and bone) of rabbits given Cd (10 mg/kg b.w.

Cancer incidence in a population living near a petrochemical facility and oil refinery.

There is growing concern that pollution from petrochemical and oil refinery installations in Pancevo (Serbia) has increased the incidence of various diseases including cancer. The aim of our study was to investigate cancer incidence in Pancevo and to compare it with the region of central Serbia. Cancer incidence data were obtained from the corresponding Serbian Cancer Registries.