[Biomechanical risk for the upper limbs: experience at a factory of feeding electric cables]. / Rischio biomeccanico per gli arti superiori: esperienza in un'azienda produttrice di cavi elettrici per alimentazione.

Cumulative trauma disorders are found more and more frequently in working environments. Our examination concerns a factory of feeding electric cables, whose workers were subjected to a sanitary checking in 2001, 2002, 2003. The valuation of the risk due to a biomechanical overload of the upper limbs, carried out according to the OCRA method, pointed out, with reference to the specific task of pressing, a middle-high grade of exposure, while the clinical-instrumental results showed symptoms and objective signs of suffering on the median nerve of the wrist with regard to a significant percentage of workers. The following interventions on the production cycle and on the exposure times obtained a reduction of the risk with a subsequent decrease of the noticed troubles.

Host defense systems in cattle exposed to polybrominated biphenyl.

In vivo and in vitro immunologic studies were undertaken in 114 Holstein cattle, 60 of which had detectable polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) in adipose tissue. The tissue PBB concentrations were between 0.02 and at least 1,000 mg/kg. An immunologic test profile was used to evaluate the influence of PBB on bovine immune competence. The profile included serum immunoglobulin determinations, autoantibody studies, lymphocyte subpopulation determinations, lymphoblastogenesis assays, delayed hypersensitivity skin testing, and neutrophil function studies. The results of the evaluation indicated that the host defenses are intact, both in quantity and function, in cattle with PBB body burdens ranging from 0.02 and 24.0 mg/kg for at least 2 years. Cattle fed 25 g of PBB daily during the acute toxicity study exhibited usual immune competence until they accumulated 500 g of PBB (tissue concentrations exceeding 1,000 mg/kg). Cattle that were fed more than 500 g of PBB became moribund and exhibited changes in neutrophil function tests and serum antibody titers.