Objective
To identify employer‐related barriers and facilitators for work participation of cancer survivors from the perspective of both employers and cancer survivors, and to synthesise these ...perceived barriers and facilitators to understand their perceived consequences.
Methods
A systematic review of qualitative studies focusing on employers' and cancer survivors' perspectives on the work participation of cancer survivors was performed. Four databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Business Source Premier) were systematically searched, and the quality of studies included was assessed using the CASP checklist. Perceived barriers and facilitators were extracted and synthesised to conduct a content analysis.
Results
Five studies representing the employers' perspectives and 47 studies representing the cancer survivors' perspectives were included. Employers perceived barriers and facilitators related to support, communication, RTW policies, knowledge about cancer, balancing interests and roles, and attitude. Survivors perceived barriers and facilitators related to support, communication, work environment, discrimination, and perception of work ability. The synthesis found that the employers' willingness to support can be understood by perceptions they have of the survivor, goals of the employer, and national or organisational policies. Employers require knowledge about cancer and RTW policies to be able to support survivors.
Conclusions
This review identified a plurality of and a large variety in perceived employer‐related barriers and facilitators for work participation of cancer survivors, which can be understood to be related to both employers' willingness and ability to support. There is a need for interventions targeting employers, with the aim of enhancing the sustainable work participation of cancer survivors.
Parallels between T cell kinetics in mice and men have fueled the idea that a young mouse is a good model system for a young human, and an old mouse, for an elderly human. By combining in vivo ...kinetic labeling using deuterated water, thymectomy experiments, analysis of T cell receptor excision circles and CD31 expression, and mathematical modeling, we have quantified the contribution of thymus output and peripheral naive T cell division to the maintenance of T cells in mice and men. Aging affected naive T cell maintenance fundamentally differently in mice and men. Whereas the naive T cell pool in mice was almost exclusively sustained by thymus output throughout their lifetime, the maintenance of the adult human naive T cell pool occurred almost exclusively through peripheral T cell division. These findings put constraints on the extrapolation of insights into T cell dynamics from mouse to man and vice versa.
► Mice and men are incomparable with respect to their naive T cell maintenance ► Naive T cell maintenance in human adults occurs primarily by cell division ► Throughout life, the naive T cell pool in mice is sustained by thymus output ► In men, naive T cells live 6–10 years, whereas in mice, they live 6–10 weeks
Purpose
The aim of this research was to study the effectiveness on return to work (RTW) of an early tailored work-related support intervention in patients diagnosed with curative gastrointestinal ...cancer.
Methods
A multicenter randomized controlled trial was undertaken, in which patients were assigned randomly to the intervention or the control group (usual care). The intervention encompassed three psychosocial work-related support meetings, starting before treatment. Five self-reported questionnaires were sent over twelve months of follow-up. Primary outcome was days until RTW (fulltime or partial) and secondary outcomes included work status, quality of life, work ability, and work limitations. Descriptive analysis, Kaplan–Meier analysis, relative risk ratio and linear mixed models were applied.
Results
Participants (N = 88) had a mean age of 55 years; 67% were male and the most common cancer type was colon cancer (66%). Of the participants, 42 were randomized to the intervention group. The median time from sick leave until RTW was 233 days (range 187–279 days) for the control group, versus 190 days (range 139–240 days) for the intervention group (log-rank p = 0.37). The RTW rate at twelve months after baseline was 83.3% for the intervention group and 73.5% for the control group. Work limitations did statistically differ between the groups over time (p = 0.01), but quality of life and work ability did not.
Conclusion
Patients in the intervention group seem to take fewer days to RTW, albeit not to a statistically significant extent.
Trial registration
Trial NL4920 (NTR5022) (Dutch Trial Register
https://www.trialregister.nl
)
More than 60% of women diagnosed with early stage breast cancer receive (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy. Breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy often experience symptoms such as nausea, vomiting ...and loss of appetite that potentially affect body weight and body composition. Changes in body weight and body composition may detrimentally affect their quality of life, and could potentially increase the risk of disease recurrence, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. To date, from existing single method (quantitative or qualitative) studies is not clear whether changes in body weight and body composition in breast cancer patients are treatment related because previous studies have not included a control group of women without breast cancer.
We therefore developed the COBRA-study (Change Of Body composition in BReast cancer: All-in Assessment-study) to assess changes in body weight, body composition and related lifestyle factors such as changes in physical activity, dietary intake and other behaviours. Important and unique features of the COBRA-study is that it used I) a "Mixed Methods Design", in order to quantitatively assess changes in body weight, body composition and lifestyle factors and, to qualitatively assess how perceptions of women may have influenced these measured changes pre-, during and post-chemotherapy, and II) a control group of non-cancer women for comparison. Descriptive statistics on individual quantitative data were combined with results from a thematic analysis on the interviews- and focus group data to understand patients' experiences before, during and after chemotherapy.
The findings of our mixed methods study, on chemotherapy treated cancer patients and a comparison group, can enable healthcare researchers and professionals to develop tailored intervention schemes to help breast cancer patients prevent or handle the physical and mental changes they experience as a result of their chemotherapy. This will ultimately improve their quality of life and could potentially reduce their risk for other co-morbidity health issues such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Sustainable dairy production requires farms that are economically viable, environmentally sound and socially acceptable. A low environmental impact of milk production is not necessarily associated ...with an economically viable farm. To gain insight into a possible “trade-off” between economic and environmental sustainability, the relation between the environmental and economic indicators of dairy farms was quantified, and farm characteristics that influence this relation were identified. Economic and environmental indicators were quantified for 119 specialized dairy farms in 2005, based on data from the Dutch Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN). Economic indicators used were: gross value added expressed per kg fat-and-protein-corrected milk (FPCM) or expressed per unit of labour, i.e. labour productivity. Environmental indicators used were: land use per kg FPCM, energy use per kg FPCM, global warming potential per kg FPCM, eutrophication and acidification potential per kg FPCM or per ha of land. Environmental indicators were deduced from a life cycle assessment. High labour productivity on dairy farms was associated with low on-farm energy use, total and on-farm land use, total and on-farm global warming potential, and total and off-farm acidification potential per kg FPCM. High labour productivity, however, was associated also with high on-farm eutrophication and acidification potential per hectare. From partial least squares regression analysis, it was concluded that relations between economic and environmental indicators were affected mainly by milk production per ha, annual milk production per cow, farm size, and amount of concentrates per kg FPCM. An increase in annual milk production per cow, for example, not only increased labour productivity, reduced energy use and global warming potential per kg FPCM but also, in the case of an unchanged stocking density, increased eutrophication and acidification per ha. To be economically and environmentally sustainable, animal production in the Netherlands, therefore, should focus on high animal productivity, i.e. high annual milk production per cow and efficient use of feed per kg milk, and moderate stocking density, provided that a good animal welfare standard is guaranteed.
The extent to which self-assessed work ability collected during treatment can predict return-to-work in cancer patients is unknown. In this prospective study, we consecutively included employed ...cancer patients who underwent treatment with curative intent at 6 months following the first day of sick leave. Work ability data (scores 0-10), clinical and sociodemographic data were collected at 6 months, while return-to-work was measured at 6, 12 and 18 months. Most of the 195 patients had been diagnosed with breast cancer (26%), cancer of the female genitals (22%) or genitourological cancer (22%). Mean current work ability scores improved significantly over time from 4.6 at 6 months to 6.3 and 6.7 at 12 and 18 months, respectively. Patients with haematological cancers and those who received chemotherapy showed the lowest work ability scores, while patients with cancer of urogenital tract or with gastrointestinal cancer had the highest scores. Work ability at 6 months strongly predicted return-to-work at 18 months, after correction for the influence of age and treatment (hazard ratio=1.37, CI 1.27-1.48). We conclude that self-assessed work ability is an important factor in the return-to-work process of cancer patients independent of age and clinical factors.
Auxin regulates numerous plant developmental processes by controlling gene expression via a family of functionally distinct DNA-binding auxin response factors (ARFs), yet the mechanistic basis for ...generating specificity in auxin response is unknown. Here, we address this question by solving high-resolution crystal structures of the pivotal Arabidopsis developmental regulator ARF5/MONOPTEROS (MP), its divergent paralog ARF1, and a complex of ARF1 and a generic auxin response DNA element (AuxRE). We show that ARF DNA-binding domains also homodimerize to generate cooperative DNA binding, which is critical for in vivo ARF5/MP function. Strikingly, DNA-contacting residues are conserved between ARFs, and we discover that monomers have the same intrinsic specificity. ARF1 and ARF5 homodimers, however, differ in spacing tolerated between binding sites. Our data identify the DNA-binding domain as an ARF dimerization domain, suggest that ARF dimers bind complex sites as molecular calipers with ARF-specific spacing preference, and provide an atomic-scale mechanistic model for specificity in auxin response.
Display omitted
•Crystal structures of auxin response transcription factors and an ARF-DNA complex•ARF DNA-binding domains constitute a dimerization domain•DNA-binding domain dimerization generates cooperative binding to complex DNA motifs•Different binding site spacing requirements generate specificity among ARFs
The crystal structures of two divergent auxin-dependent ARF transcription factors, as well as a complex with DNA, provide insight into how specificity in auxin response is achieved in plants.
Scarcity of Rare Earth Elements de Boer, M. A.; Lammertsma, K.
ChemSusChem,
November 2013, Letnik:
6, Številka:
11
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Rare earth elements (REEs) are important for green and a large variety of high‐tech technologies and are, therefore, in high demand. As a result, supply with REEs is likely to be disrupted (the ...degree of depends on the REE) in the near future. The 17 REEs are divided into heavy and light REEs. Other critical elements besides REEs, identified by the European Commission, are also becoming less easily available. Although there is no deficiency in the earth’s crust of rare earth oxides, the economic accessibility is limited. The increased demand for REEs, the decreasing export from China, and geopolitical concerns on availability contributed to the (re)opening of mines in Australia and the USA and other mines are slow to follow. As a result, short supply of particularly terbium, dysprosium, praseodymium, and neodymium is expected to be problematic for at least the short term, also because they cannot be substituted. Recycling REEs from electronic waste would be a solution, but so far there are hardly any established REE recycling methods. Decreasing the dependency on REEs, for example, by identifying possible replacements or increasing their efficient use, represents another possibility.
Urban mining of rare earth elements: Rare earth elements (REEs) are important resources for green and high‐tech technologies. Export quotas, a price increase by a factor of ten, and geopolitical and sustainability concerns lead to the reopening of mines. The increased demand and decreased export will lead to a misbalance of four REEs (Nd, Tb, Dy, Pr) on the short term; therefore, as no alternatives are available yet, it is necessary to recycle these elements from electronic waste.
Risk of preterm birth after prior term cesarean Visser, L; Slaager, C; Kazemier, BM ...
BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology,
April 2020, Letnik:
127, Številka:
5
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Objective
To determine the risk of overall preterm birth (PTB) and spontaneous PTB in a pregnancy after a caesarean section (CS) at term.
Design
Longitudinal linked national cohort study.
Setting
The ...Dutch Perinatal Registry (1999–2009).
Population
268 495 women with two subsequent singleton pregnancies were identified.
Methods
A cohort study based on linked registered data from two subsequent pregnancies in the Netherlands.
Main outcome measures
The incidence of overall PTB and spontaneous PTB with subgroup analysis on gestational age at first delivery and type of CS (planned or unplanned).
Results
Of 268 495 women with a singleton first pregnancy who delivered at term, 15.76% (n = 42 328) had a CS. The incidence of PTB in the second pregnancy was 2.79% (n = 1182) in women with a previous CS versus 2.46% (n = 5570) in women with a previous vaginal delivery (adjusted odds ratio aOR 1.14, 95% confidence interval CI 1.07–1.21). This increased risk is mainly driven by an increased risk of spontaneous PTB after previous CS at term (aOR 1.50, 95% CI 1.38–1.70). Analysis for type of CS compared with vaginal delivery showed an aOR on spontaneous PTB of 1.86 (95% CI 1.58–2.18) for planned CS and an aOR of 1.40 (95% CI 1.24–1.58) for unplanned CS.
Conclusions
CS at term is associated with a marginally increased risk of spontaneous PTB in a subsequent pregnancy.
Tweetable
Caesarean section at term is associated with a marginally increased risk of spontaneous PTB in a subsequent pregnancy.
Tweetable
Caesarean section at term is associated with a marginally increased risk of spontaneous PTB in a subsequent pregnancy.
In sea cage fish farming, production quotas aim to constrain the impact of fish farming on the surrounding ecosystem. It is unknown how these quotas affect economic profitability and environmental ...impact of genetic improvement. We combined bioeconomic modelling with life cycle assessment (LCA) to calculate the economic (EV) and environmental (ENV) values of thermal growth coefficient (TGC) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of sea bass reared in sea cages, given four types of quota commonly used in Europe: annual production (Qprod), annual feed distributed (Qannual_feed), standing stock (Qstock), and daily feed distributed (Qdaily_feed). ENV were calculated for LCA impact categories climate change, eutrophication and acidification. ENV were expressed per ton of fish produced per year (ENV(fish)) and per farm per year (ENV(farm)). Results show that irrespective of quota used, EV of FCR as well as ENV(fish) and ENV(farm) were always positive, meaning that improving FCR increased profit and decreased environmental impacts. However, the EV and the ENV(fish) of TGC were positive only when quota was Qstock or Qdaily_feed. Moreover, the ENV(farm) of TGC was negative in Qstock and Qdaily_feed quotas, meaning that improving TGC increased the environmental impact of the farm. We conclude that Qstock quota and Qdaily_feed quota are economically favorable to a genetic improvement of TGC, a major trait for farmers. However, improving TGC increases the environmental impact of the farm. Improving FCR represents a good opportunity to balance out this increase but more information on its genetic background is needed to develop breeding programs improving FCR.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
PDF
