A thorough investigation on pushing activities in industry: The impact of the variation in the speed of motion and load conditions on initial and sustained forces.

Pushing and pulling wheeled objects represent a significant part of manual material handling activities in industry. Medical investigations and epidemiological studies proved the correlation between such activities and the occurrence of lumbago, low back pain and adverse effects on the shoulders. The ISO 11228-2:2007 provides the recommended limits for pushing and pulling.

[A concertation experience: prevention of WMSDs in workmanship of Parmigiano-Reggiano].

The dairy industry of Parmigiano-Reggiano represents in Emilia a resource and an important source of employment. A Protected Designation of Origin (DOP) regulates all stages of processing of milk into cheese "forms" in excess of 40 kg weight, favouring a "traditional" working which involves various manual steps tiring and stressful. From 2002 to 2008 the Service in charge of the Azienda USL of Reggio Emilia has developed a plan focused on musculoskeletal risks in this sector.

Tunable Pd-catalyzed cyclization of indole-2-carboxylic acid allenamides: carboamination vs microwave-assisted hydroamination.

A variety of 3-vinyl-substituted imidazo[1,5-a]indole derivatives were synthesized by intramolecular Pd-catalyzed cyclization of the title allenamides through either a domino carbopalladation/exo-cyclization process or a novel hydroamination reaction that proceeds smoothly under microwave irradiation. Both the observed pathways involve a π-allyl-palladium(II) complex arising from insertion of the allene group into a palladium(II) species, the latter being formed in situ by the intervention of an aryl iodide or of the N-H group. In both cases, the role of nucleophile is covered by the indole nitrogen.

Access to pyrrolo- and pyrido[1,2-a]indole derivatives by intramolecular nitrone cycloadditions. Effect of steric factors on the regioselective product formation.

On starting from N-allyl-substituted 2-indolecarbaldehydes and exploiting the intramolecular nitrone cycloaddition methodology, we synthesized a number of the title fused-ring indole derivatives in racemic as well as enantiopure form.

[The assessment of the risk due to the manual lifting of patients: the initial descriptive and analytical results on exposure levels].

The paper reports the results of risk evaluation of patient lifting or moving obtained from a multicentre study on 216 wards, for both acute hospital patients and in geriatric residences. In all situations the exposure to patient lifting was assessed using a concise index (MAPO). Analysis of the results showed that only 9% of the workers could be considered as exposed to negligible risk (MAPO Index = 0-1.

[Repetitive movements of the upper extremities: the results of assessing exposure to biomechanical overload and of a clinical study in a group of workers employed in the production of plywood and veneer panels].

In a group of 27 female workers employed on the manual "moulding" of plywood panels exposure to factors of biomechanical overload for the upper limbs was assessed and an anamnestic and clinical examination was made in order to clarify the occurrence of a series of WMSDs type diseases and disorders. Data are reported on the risk factors, frequency of action (range: right limb-->14.5 divided by 22.

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase Ferrara. A new variant of g-6-PD identified in Northern Italy.

A new variant of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) has been discovered in Northern Italy, in the district of Ferrara. This variant is characterized by high decrease of red blood cell enzyme activity (less than 5% of normal), high affinity for G-6-P and NADP, increased utilization of deamino-NADP and 2-deoxy-G-6-P, and faster electrophoretic mobility in the buffer systems commonly used for the classification of the G-6-PD variants. The new G-6-PD type was never associated with clinical manifestations in any cases except neonatal jaundice in some of the newborns with this enzyme deficiency.