[Interpersonal relations as a source of risk of mobbing in the local police]. / Las relaciones interpersonales como fuente de riesgo de acoso laboral en la policía local.

Social relations in the workplace are one of the main sources of risk for the onset of mobbing. In this work, we analyzed, through the perceived social climate, the influence of interpersonal relations on the characterization of the processes of mobbing, in a sample of local police (N = 235). In particular, the policemen and women's opinions of the quality of the personal relations among the group members and the treatment they receive from the command posts were assessed. The results of the study show that the development of guidelines of social interaction based on discrimination and abuse of authority are predicting variables of mobbing in this group.

Quantification of thrombus hounsfield units on noncontrast CT predicts stroke subtype and early recanalization after intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Little is known about the factors that determine recanalization after intravenous thrombolysis. We assessed the value of thrombus Hounsfield unit quantification as a predictive marker of stroke subtype and MCA recanalization after intravenous rtPA treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: NCCT scans and CTA were performed on patients with MCA acute stroke within 4.5 hours of symptom onset. Demographics, stroke severity, vessel hyperattenuation, occlusion site, thrombus length, and time to thrombolysis were recorded. Stroke origin was categorized as LAA, cardioembolic, or indeterminate according to TOAST criteria. Two blinded neuroradiologists calculated the Hounsfield unit values for the thrombus and contralateral MCA segment. We used ROC curves to determine the rHU cutoff point to discriminate patients with successful recanalization from those without. We assessed the accuracy (sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values) of rHU in the prediction of recanalization. RESULTS: Of 87 consecutive patients, 45 received intravenous rtPA and only 15 (33.3%) patients had acute recanalization. rHU values and stroke mechanism were the highest predictive factors of recanalization. The Matthews correlation coefficient was highest for rHU (0.901). The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for lack of recanalization after intravenous rtPA for rHU ≤ 1.382 were 100%, 86.67%, 93.75%, and 100%, respectively. LAA thrombi had lower rHU than cardioembolic and indeterminate stroke thrombi (P = .004). CONCLUSIONS: The Hounsfield unit thrombus measurement ratio can predict recanalization with intravenous rtPA and may have clinical utility for endovascular treatment decision making.

Acute damage to the posterior limb of the internal capsule on diffusion tensor tractography as an early imaging predictor of motor outcome after stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Early prediction of motor outcome is of interest in stroke management. We aimed to determine whether lesion location at DTT is predictive of motor outcome after acute stroke and whether this information improves the predictive accuracy of the clinical scores. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated 60 consecutive patients within 12 hours of middle cerebral artery stroke onset. We used DTT to evaluate CST involvement in the motor cortex and premotor cortex, centrum semiovale, corona radiata, and PLIC and in combinations of these regions at admission, at day 3, and at day 30. Severity of limb weakness was assessed by using the motor subindex scores of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (5a, 5b, 6a, 6b). We calculated volumes of infarct and fractional anisotropy values in the CST of the pons. RESULTS: Acute damage to the PLIC was the best predictor associated with poor motor outcome, axonal damage, and clinical severity at admission (P < .001). There was no significant correlation between acute infarct volume and motor outcome at day 90 (P = .176, r = 0.485). The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of acute CST involvement at the level of the PLIC for motor outcome at day 90 were 73.7%, 100%, 100%, and 89.1%, respectively. In the acute stage, DTT predicted motor outcome at day 90 better than the clinical scores (R(2) = 75.50, F = 80.09, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: In the acute setting, DTT is promising for stroke mapping to predict motor outcome. Acute CST damage at the level of the PLIC is a significant predictor of unfavorable motor outcome.

Wallerian degeneration in the corticospinal tract evaluated by diffusion tensor imaging correlates with motor deficit 30 days after middle cerebral artery ischemic stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The quantification and clinical significance of WD in CSTs following supratentorial stroke are not well understood. We evaluated the anisotropy by using DTI and signal-intensity changes on conventional MR imaging in the CST to determine whether these findings are correlated with limb motor deficit in patients with MCA ischemic stroke. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied 60 patients within 12 hours of stroke onset. At admission, day 3, and day 30 of evolution, patients underwent multimodal MR imaging, including DTI sequences. We assessed the severity of limb weakness by using the motor subindex scores (5a, 5b, 6a, 6b) of the m-NIHSS and established 3 groups: I (m-NIHSS scores of 0), II (m-NIHSS, 1-4), and III (m-NIHSS, 5-8). FA values and rFAs were measured on the affected and the unaffected CSTs in the pons. RESULTS: FA values for the CST were significantly lower on the affected side compared with the unaffected side only at day 30 (P < .001), and the rFA was significantly correlated with the motor deficit at day 30 (P < .001; r = -0.793). The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for motor deficit by rFA < 0.925 were 95.2%, 94.9%, 90.9%, and 97.4%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: WD in the CST revealed by DTI correlates with motor deficit 30 days after MCA ischemic stroke. This study highlights the utility of imaging follow-up at 30 days and the potential of DTI as a surrogate marker in clinical trials.

Semi-automated method for brain hematoma and edema quantification using computed tomography.

In this paper, a semi-automated method for brain hematoma and edema segmentation, and volume measurement using computed tomography imaging is presented. This method combines a region growing approach to segment the hematoma and a level set segmentation technique to segment the edema. The main novelty of this method is the strategy applied to define the propagation function required by the level set approach. To evaluate the method, 18 patients with brain hematoma and edema of different size, shape and location were selected. The obtained results demonstrate that the proposed approach provides objective and reproducible segmentations that are similar to the manually obtained results. Moreover, the processing time of the proposed method is about 4 min compared to the 10 min required for manual segmentation.

Objetivos y gestión de la investigación en un departamento de diagnóstico por la imagen / Research objectives and management in an imaging diagnosis department

El diagnóstico por la imagen es uno delos principales avances de la edicina moderan. El objetivo de este artículo es revisar los objetivos y gestión de la investigación en un servicio de Diagn´sotico por la Imagen basándose en responder las preguntas clásicas: qué porqué, cómo, dónde y cuándo. A investigaicón en diagn´sotico por la imagen actúa enel estudio de la fiabilidad diagnóstica de nuevos equipos, desarrollo de aplicaciones informáticas en la imagen médica, valoración comparativa de la eficacia de nuevos contrastes, estudio coste-eficacia de las nuevas técnicas diagnósticas, estudio de los mecanismo básicos de una enfermedad con propuesta de biomarcadores de imagen, estudio de la eficacia de nuevos fármacos con dichos biomarcadores de imagen y en el desarrollo de nuevos instrumentosde radilogía intervencionista. Sería deseable el desarrollo de políticas incentivadoras de la investigación en diagn´sotico así como el estableciminto de una planificación detallda que posibilite una investigación en diagnóstico por la imagen eficaz y sostenida (AU)

The objective of this article is to review the research objectives an management in an Imaging Diagnosis service by responding to the classic questions: what, why, how, where and when (AU)

Las relaciones interpersonales como fuente de riesgo de acoso laboral en la Policía Local / Interpersonal relations as a source of risk of mobbing in the Local Police

Las relaciones sociales en el trabajo constituyen una de las principales fuentes de riesgo para la aparición del acoso laboral. En este trabajo se analiza cómo influyen las relaciones interpersonales en la caracterización de los procesos de acoso laboral, a través del clima social percibido por una muestra de policías locales (N= 235). En concreto, se evalúan las opiniones de los agentes de policía acerca de la calidad de las relaciones personales entre los miembros de las plantillas y del trato que reciben por parte de los puestos de mando. Los resultados del estudio constatan que el desarrollo de pautas de interacción social basadas en la discriminación y en el abuso de autoridad actúan como variables predictoras de acoso laboral en este colectivo

Social relations in the workplace are one of the main sources of risk for the onset of mobbing. In this work, we analyzed, through the perceived social climate, the influence of interpersonal relations on the characterization of the processes of mobbing, in a sample of local police (N = 235). In particular, the policemen and women’s opinions of the quality of the personal relations among the group members and the treatment they receive from the command posts were assessed. The results of the study show that the development of guidelines of social interaction based on discrimination and abuse of authority are predicting variables of mobbing in this group

El absentismo laboral como consecuente de variables organizacionales / Absenteeism from work as consequent of organizational variables

El presente estudio empírico se incluye en una línea de investigación donde un conjunto de variables como el mobbing, la tensión en el trabajo, los riesgos laborales y la cultura corporativa se erigen como antecedentes del absentismo. Los ocho objetivos del estudio predictivo utilizan el absentismo (en sus cuatro tipos: Excusas y fingimiento, Permisos y licencias, Evitación y dilatación de tareas y Distractivos y uso de recursos de la empresa) siempre como variable criterio. Las variables predictoras utilizadas son: sociodemográficas, comportamientos de mobbing, consecuencias generales del mobbing, consecuencias sintomáticas del mobbing, la tensión laboral, los riesgos laborales y la cultura organizacional. La muestra consta de 365 empleados que pertenecen a empresas situadas en las provincias de Tarragona, Barcelona, Lleida y Valladolid. Se les aplicaron ocho instrumentos validados. Los resultados obtenidos indican que algunas de las variables predictoras como el mobbing, la tensión laboral, los riesgos laborales y la cultura X inciden de forma significativa en la variable criterio (absentismo laboral)

The current empirical study is included in a research line where a set of variables as mobbing, the labour tension, work risks and the corporative culture are elevated as antecedents of the Absenteeism. The eight objectives of the predictive study use the Absenteeism (in their four types: Excuses and feigning, Permissions and licenses, Avoidance and expansion of tasks, and Distractions and use of resources of the company) always as criterion variable. The used predicting variables are: sociodemographics data, behaviours of mobbing, effects of mobbing, symptomatic consequences of mobbing, the labour tension, the work risks and the organizational culture. The sample consists of 365 employees who are working in companies located in the following provinces: Tarragona, Barcelona, Lérida and Valladolid. Eight validated instruments were applied to workers from those regions. The obtained results indicate that some the predicting variables as mobbing, labour tension, work risks and the X culture affect of significant form the variable criterion (Absenteeism)

El burnout y las manifestaciones psicosomáticas como consecuentes del clima organizacional y de la motivación laboral / Burnout and psychosomatics manifestations as consequences of organizational climate and labour motivation

El presente trabajo se incluye en la línea de investigación donde el Modelo de las Características del Puesto (MCP) y el clima organizacional se erigen como consecuentes del burnout y de ciertas manifestaciones psicosomáticas. Los objetivos del estudio predictivo son (i) determinar si las variables del Modelo de las Características del Puesto (MCP) son predictoras de los niveles de Burnout y de Síntomas Psicosomáticos en el trabajo; y (ii) examinar si el Clima Organizacional pronostica los niveles de Burnout y de Síntomas Psicosomáticos en el trabajo. En cuanto al Método la muestra consta de 137 sujetos, pertenecientes a dos municipios de una zona costera de la provincia de Tarragona. Se les aplicaron cinco instrumentos. Los resultados obtenidos indican que globalmente las variables del MCP son preventivas y predictoras de las dimensiones del Burnout; y que ciertas variables del Clima Organizacional, aunque no todas las variables estudiadas, implican consecuencias negativas para el trabajador con la aparición de considerables síntomas de Burnout y manifestaciones psicosomáticas. (AU)

This article is included inside a research line about Model of Characteristics of Job (MCJ) and organizational climate as outcomes of burnout and some psychosomatic signs. The central point is how the psychosomatic manifestations and the stress affect the health. The objectives of the predictive study follow two ways: (i) To determine if the MCP variables can predict the burnout level and Psychosomatic manifestations in the work, (ii) To examine if the Organizational Climate could anticipate the burnout level and Psychosomatics manifestations in the job. Regarding the Method, the sample consists of 137 subjects, who are living in two towns on the coast area, in the province of Tarragona (Catalonia, Spain). Five instruments have been applied to the sample. The obtained results indicate that, globally, MCP’s variables are preventives and predictors of Burnout dimensions, and that some Organizacional Climate’s variables imply negative consequences for the worker, with the appearance of considerable symptoms of Burnout and psychosomatic manifestations (AU)

Training needs among sport technicians / Estudio de las necesidades formativas de los técnicos deportivos

Despite the fact that during the last ten years ongoing training has become usual among Spanish workers, some labour fields are still out of this trend. Our study analyses training needs of 507 Sport Technicians classified in eight different sport specialities: Rhythmical Gymnastics (58), Athletics (70), Swimming (68), Handball (76), Volleyball (81), Football (74), Basketball (80). The results show some vital structural shortages: the initial training they receive is general and lacks specific content. The programs are weak, obsolete and far from these workers needs. For those reasons the study concludes with some basic recommendations for the development of the range of professions that Sport Technicians can carry out (AU)

A pesar del hecho de que durante los últimos diez años la formación continua ha llegado a ser habitual entre los trabajadores españoles, algunos campos profesionales han quedado al margen de esta tendencia. Nuestro estudio se centra en las necesidades de formación de 507 técnicos deportivos clasificados en ocho especialidades diferentes: Gimnasia rítmica (58), Atletismo (70), Natación (68), Handball (76), Voleibol (81), Fútbol (74) y Baloncesto (80). Los resultados muestran algunas deficiencias estructurales vitales: la formación inicial que reciben es general y carece de contenido específico. Los programas son débiles, obsoletos y alejados de las necesidades de estos trabajadores. Por esas razones el estudio concluye con algunas recomendaciones básicas para el desarrollo profesional dentro del marco de tareas que los técnicos pueden desarrollar (AU)