The aim of the study are to determine to what extent pre-COVID-19 experience of telework was associated with perceived psychosocial working conditions (PWCs; job demands, social support, and ...influence at work) during the COVID-19 pandemic among white-collar workers in Sweden and to determine to what extent the association depends on demographic factors, organizational tenure, and amount of computer use.
Cross-sectional questionnaire data from 603 white-collar workers were collected October to December 2020 in an industrial company.
In general, telework experience was not significantly associated with PWCs. Women who began teleworking because of COVID-19 reported more job demands than women not teleworking. For those who began teleworking because of COVID-19, managerial support increased with age.
In general, telework experience was not associated with PWCs, but telework due to COVID-19 may have influenced PWCs differently depending on gender and age.
Irinotecan 7-ethyl-10-(4-1-piperidino-1-piperidino)-carbonyloxy-camptothec in administered i.v. in two courses, each course
consisting of administration every day for 5 days (dx5)2 on days 1-5 and ...8-12, has demonstrated significant activity against
advanced human tumor xenografts derived from colon adenocarcinomas and several childhood cancers. To build on this therapy,
we have evaluated the combination of irinotecan given on this schedule with 5-fluorouracil given on days 1, 7, and 14 with
or without leucovorin (dx5)3 i.v. against colon tumors, or combined with etoposide administered (dx5)2 i.v. either 2 h before
or 2 h after irinotecan for treatment of colon tumors and rhabdomyosarcomas. A combination of 5-fluorouracil at 75% and irinotecan
at 50% of their respective maximum tolerated doses when administered as single agents on this schedule gave acceptable toxicity.
Against colon adenocarcinoma xenografts, 5-fluorouracil did not enhance the response rate compared with that obtained with
the optimum dose of irinotecan given as a single agent. Against GC3/TK- xenografts, which lack thymidine kinase and cannot
salvage thymidine to circumvent the inhibition of thymidylate synthase, the addition of leucovorin to the combination increased
the complete response rate from 10 to >90%, whereas the response rates for the optimal doses of irinotecan or 5-fluorouracil,
as single agents, were 30 and <10%, respectively. Etoposide d x 5 i.v. for two or three courses or (d x 5)3 p.o. did not cause
objective regression of any colon tumors. In contrast, three of five rhabdomyosarcoma lines demonstrated a high frequency
of partial regressions or complete regressions when treated (d x 5)1 i.v. Repetitive courses e.g., (d x 5)2 or (d x 5)3
i.v. or p.o. or by 4-h infusion d x3 i.v. were either equally effective or less effective. Irinotecan and etoposide were combined
using the (d x 5)2 i.v. schedule for both drugs, in which irinotecan was given 2 h before or 2 h after the administration
of etoposide. Each drug could be combined at only 38% of its respective maximum tolerated dose when administered as a single
agent, indicating greater than additive toxicity. Toxicity was similar irrespective of the sequence of administration and
was manifested by loss of weight (73% of the initial weight, nadir day 7), myelosuppression, and prolonged thrombocytopenia.
The responses of colon carcinomas to the combination given in either sequence were similar to that achieved with irinotecan
given alone at the same dose as used in the combination. Similarly, when etoposide was given before irinotecan, the responses
of rhabdomyosarcomas were similar to those for irinotecan. However, in experiments in which etoposide was administered 2 h
after each dose of irinotecan, there was significant antagonism of the antitumor activity of irinotecan.
We previously demonstrated that the neuronal expression of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), a potent vasodilator, is increased in deoxycorticosterone-salt-induced hypertension where it acts as ...a compensatory vasodilator to attenuate the elevated blood pressure. To determine whether CGRP is playing a similar role in subtotal nephrectomy-salt-induced hypertension, hypertension was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats (n=6) by subtotal nephrectomy and 1.0% saline drinking water. Control rats (n=6) were sham operated and given tap water to drink. CGRP(8-37), a CGRP receptor antagonist, was used to assess the hemodynamic role of CGRP in this setting. CGRP mRNA and peptide levels in dorsal root ganglia were also determined. Three weeks after either protocol, all rats had intravenous (for drug administration) and arterial (for continuous mean arterial pressure monitoring) catheters surgically placed and were studied in the conscious, unrestrained state. CGRP(8-37) (3.2 or 6.4 x 10(4) pmol/L in 0.1 mL saline) and vehicle were administered intravenously to all rats. Baseline mean arterial pressure was higher in the subtotal nephrectomized rats compared with the controls (173+/-5 versus 113+/-5 mm Hg, P<.001). Vehicle administration did not change mean arterial pressure in either group, and CGRP(8-37) administration did not alter mean arterial pressure in the normotensive group. In contrast, CGRP(8-37) administration to the subtotal nephrectomized rats rapidly increased the already elevated mean arterial pressure at both the 3.2 x 10(4) pmol/L dose (7.8+/-1.1 mm Hg, P<.05) and the 6.4 x 10(4) pmol/L dose (9.6+/-0.8 mm Hg, P<.01). CGRP mRNA and peptide levels in the dorsal root ganglia were not significantly different between the two groups. These data suggest that in subtotal nephrectomy-salt-induced hypertension, CGRP may play a compensatory depressor role in an attempt to lower the elevated blood pressure.
Abstract
Background
Persistent or recurrent neck pain is associated with perturbations in the autonomic nervous system balance, and nociceptive stimulation has been seen to influence this balance. ...However, very few prospective studies have addressed the extent to which changes in pain associate with changes in autonomic cardiac regulation. Therefore, we investigated if changes in pain vary with changes in heart rate variability in a cohort of patients treated for persistent or recurrent neck pain.
Method
This analysis is based on data from a randomized controlled trial in which participants were given home stretching exercises with or without spinal manipulative therapy for two weeks. As the effectiveness of the intervention (home stretching exercises and spinal manipulative therapy) was found to be equal to the control (home stretching exercises alone), all 127 participants were studied as one cohort in this analysis. During the intervention, pain levels were recorded using daily text messages, and heart rate variability was measured in the clinics three times over two weeks. Two approaches were used to classify patients based on changes in pain intensity: 1) Clinically important changes in pain were categorized as either "improved" or "not improved" and, 2) Pain development was measured using pain trajectories, constructed in a data driven approach. The association of pain categories and trajectories with changes in heart rate variability indices over time were then analysed using linear mixed models.
Results
Heart rate variability did not differ significantly between improved and not-improved patients, nor were there any associations with the different pain trajectories.
Conclusions
In conclusion, changes in pain after home stretching exercises with or without spinal manipulative therapy over two weeks were not significantly associated with changes in heart rate variability for patients with persistent or recurrent neck pain. Future studies should rely on more frequent measurements of HRV during longer treatment periods.
Trial registration
The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, registration number: NCT03576846.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Rapid discoveries of novel and unexpected disease-associated genes for atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD) are anticipated as genomic maps become more detailed and methods for mapping ...complex disease phenotypes become more refined. Although establishing association or linkage of a marker locus to a CAD susceptibility gene is an important first step, the long-term goal should be to define the underlying functional mutations and explore possible disease mechanisms, including the gene—environment interactions that culminate in clinically apparent disease. This review will define a contemporary research paradigm for study of the genetics of CAD and other common chronic diseases using the tools of modern molecular biology and human genetics.
We aimed to identify eldercare wards with different types of resident handling characteristics ('phenotypes') and determine the prospective association between these characteristics and ...musculoskeletal pain and sickness absence among workers during a one-year follow-up.
Our study was based on the DOSES cohort, including 467 workers at 103 eldercare wards. At baseline, resident handlings were assessed using onsite observations. Workers' self-reported musculoskeletal pain and sickness absence were assessed during the following year using text messages. Observations of the frequency of handlings per shift, use of assistive devices, assistance from others, and barriers (interruptions and impediments) were estimated for each worker, aggregated at ward level, and entered into a latent profile analysis, identifying ward phenotypes. We then used generalized estimating equations to determine associations between ward phenotypes, musculoskeletal pain and sickness absence.
We identified four ward phenotypes: 'turbulent' (many handlings with devices and assistance, many barriers), 'strained' (many handlings without devices or assistance, some barriers), 'unpressured' (few handlings, yet without devices or assistance, few barriers) and 'balanced' (some handlings with devices and assistance, some barriers). Compared to workers in balanced wards, workers in turbulent wards had more days with neck-shoulder and low-back pain (LBP); and those working in strained wards had more days with LBP and higher pain intensities.
We found that ward phenotypes based on resident handling characteristics were predictive of musculoskeletal pain and sickness absence over one year. This shows that organizational factors related to resident handling are important determinants of musculoskeletal health among eldercare workers.
Activity-based workplaces (ABW) have been implemented in many organizations to offer office flexibility and decrease facility costs. Evaluations of the ABW implementation process are rare. The study ...aimed to examine the ABW relocation process of two offices in a Swedish governmental agency and to explore factors that influence the implementation process and satisfaction with it. Qualitative or quantitative data were collected on process variables (context, recruitment, reach, dose delivered, dose received, satisfaction), barriers and facilitators to the process were explored in focus group interviews, and immediate outcomes (perceived knowledge, understanding office rules, satisfying information and support) were measured by questionnaire before and after the relocation. The evaluation showed that recruitment was unsatisfactory and reach insufficient—and participation in activities was thus low for both offices. However, intended changes improved. Unclear aims of ABW, lack of manager support and, lack of communication were some of the reported barriers to participation, while a well-planned process, work groups, and program activities were facilitators. Thus, to increase satisfaction with the relocation, our results suggest that recruitment should be thoroughly planned, taking these factors into account to increase participation. This knowledge may be useful for planning and designing successful ABW relocations and evaluations.
IntroductionFlexibility in working life, including non-standard employment (NSE) and flexible work arrangements (FWAs), offers the organisation a better ability to adapt to changing conditions while ...also posing considerable challenges for organisations as well as workers. The aim of the Flexible Work: Opportunity and Challenge (FLOC) study is to investigate associations between NSE and FWA on the one hand, and individual, social and economic sustainability on the other.Methods and analysisThis prospective open cohort study targets approximately 8000 workers 18–65 years old in 8–10 public and private organisations in Sweden. We will use a comprehensive battery of measurement methods addressing financial performance, physical and psychosocial exposures, and physical and mental health, both at the organisational and the individual level. Methods include valid survey questionnaires and register data, and, in subpopulations, technical measurements, interviews and diaries. Main exposures are type of employment and type of work arrangement. Main outcomes are indicators of social and economic sustainability and, at the individual level, health and well-being. Data, collected over 54 months at approximately 18-month intervals, will be analysed using multivariate methods considering main effects as well as potential effect modifiers. The analyses will take into account that respondents are nested in organisations, divisions and/or have specific managers.Ethics and disseminationFLOC is approved by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority (decision numbers 2019–06220, 2020–06094 and 2021–02725). Data will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at international conferences, and researchers will assist the organisations in improving policies and routines for employment and organisation of work.
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