Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine associations between work-family conflicts, threat appraisals, self-efficacy, and emotional exhaustion. Threat appraisal was hypothesized to mediate ...relations between work-family conflicts (work-to-family and family-to-work) and emotional exhaustion. Self-efficacy was hypothesized to moderate relations between work-family conflicts and threat appraisal, with relations expected to be weaker for individuals high in self-efficacy.Design methodology approach - University employees (n=159; 67 percent female) participated in this non-experimental study. Data were gathered via questionnaire. Two-thirds of participants completed measures of work-family conflicts and threat-appraisal a few weeks prior to completing measures of self-efficacy and emotional exhaustion; remaining participants completed one cross-sectional survey.Findings - Observed relations were consistent with predicted mediation hypotheses. Contrary to predictions, self-efficacy did not moderate relations between work-to-family conflict and threat-appraisal and the relation between family-to-work conflict and threat-appraisal was stronger for those with higher self-efficacy. Self-efficacy was negatively related to emotional exhaustion.Practical implications - Organizations should foster positive work-family climates to help alleviate work-family conflicts. Managers should demonstrate compassion when dealing with employees who have serious family concerns, as even efficacious individuals may find such situations threatening.Originality value - This research integrates stress theories with research on the work-family interface. The relevance of threat appraisal and the role of self-efficacy are highlighted.
This thesis explored the relations between work and family conflicts, stress appraisal, self-efficacy and emotional exhaustion. More specifically, based on Lazarus and Folkman's (1984) ...stress-appraisal theory, appraisal of work and family conflicts were proposed to mediate the relationship between perceived work and family conflicts and emotional exhaustion. Additionally, general self-efficacy was examined as a potential moderator of the relationship between work and family conflicts and stress appraisal. Data were collected from a sample of faculty and staff at a large Canadian university (N = 110). Participants received an email inviting them to participate in a two-part survey, which was made available to them online. The results revealed that threat-appraisal mediates the relationship between work and family conflicts and emotional exhaustion. Specifically, work-family conflicts (WFC) are viewed as being threatening to an individual's loved ones' well-being and to his or her self-esteem. In turn, this sense of threat leads an individual to feel emotionally exhausted. Family-work conflicts (FWC) are also seen as being threatening to one's self-esteem, which leads to emotional exhaustion. Self-efficacy did not moderate the relationship between work and family conflicts and stress-appraisal in the proposed ways. Results from the moderation analysis revealed that work-family conflicts are viewed as being threatening to individuals both high and low in self-efficacy. Furthermore, at high levels of family-work conflict, those high in self-efficacy perceived greater threat to their self-esteem than those who were less self-efficacious. In addition to increasing our knowledge of why work and family conflicts lead to emotional exhaustion, this study raises the idea that individuals view work and family issues differently, and underscores the salience of occupational stress in today's society. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by addressing your request to ProQuest, 789 E. Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1346. Telephone 1-800-521-3042; email: disspub@umi.com
This thesis explored the relations between work and family conflicts, stress appraisal, self-efficacy and emotional exhaustion. More specifically, based on Lazarus and Folkman's (1984) ...stress-appraisal theory, appraisal of work and family conflicts were proposed to mediate the relationship between perceived work and family conflicts and emotional exhaustion. Additionally, general self-efficacy was examined as a potential moderator of the relationship between work and family conflicts and stress appraisal. Data were collected from a sample of faculty and staff at a large Canadian university (N = 110). Participants received an email inviting them to participate in a two-part survey, which was made available to them online. The results revealed that threat-appraisal mediates the relationship between work and family conflicts and emotional exhaustion. Specifically, work-family conflicts (WFC) are viewed as being threatening to an individual's loved ones' well-being and to his or her self-esteem. In turn, this sense of threat leads an individual to feel emotionally exhausted. Family-work conflicts (FWC) are also seen as being threatening to one's self-esteem, which leads to emotional exhaustion. Self-efficacy did not moderate the relationship between work and family conflicts and stress-appraisal in the proposed ways. Results from the moderation analysis revealed that work-family conflicts are viewed as being threatening to individuals both high and low in self-efficacy. Furthermore, at high levels of family-work conflict, those high in self-efficacy perceived greater threat to their self-esteem than those who were less self-efficacious.In addition to increasing our knowledge of why work and family conflicts lead to emotional exhaustion, this study raises the idea that individuals view work and family issues differently, and underscores the salience of occupational stress in today's society.
Using laboratory data and a novel address matching methodology, we identified 734 cases of coronavirus disease in 88 prisons in England during March 16–October 12, 2020. An additional 412 cases were ...identified in prison staff and household members. We identified 84 prison outbreaks involving 86% of all prison-associated cases.
Background
Treatments for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are urgently needed. Hepatic fat fraction and shear stiffness quantified by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI‐HFF) and magnetic resonance ...elastography (MRE‐SS), respectively, are biomarkers for hepatic steatosis and fibrosis.
Purpose
This study assessed the longitudinal effects of fibroblast growth factor 21 variant (polyethylene glycol PEG‐FGF21v) on MRI‐HFF and MRE‐SS in a NASH mouse model.
Study Type
Preclinical.
Animal Model
This study included a choline‐deficient, amino acid‐defined, high‐fat diet (CDAHFD) model and 6‐week‐old, male C57BL/6J mice (N = 78).
Field Strength/Sequence
This study was performed using: 3T: gradient‐echo two‐point Dixon and spin‐echo (SE) echo‐planar imaging elastography (200 Hz) and 7T: SE two‐point Dixon and SE elastography (200 Hz).
Assessment
MRI and MRE were performed before control diet (CD) or CDAHFD (BD), before PEG‐FGF21v dosing (baseline), and after PEG‐FGF21v treatment (WK4/8). Regions of interest for MRI‐HFF and MRE‐SS were delineated by J.L. and H.T. (>5 years of experience each). Fibrosis and steatosis were measured histologically after picrosirius red and H&E staining. Alkaline phosphatase, alanine transaminase, bile acids, and triglycerides (TGs) were measured.
Statistical Tests
Two‐tailed Dunnett's tests were used for statistical analysis; untreated CDAHFD or baseline was used for comparisons. Imaging and histology/biochemistry data were determined using Spearman correlations. Bayesian posterior distributions for MRE‐SS at WK8, posterior means, and 95% credible intervals were presented.
Results
CDAHFD significantly increased baseline MRI‐HFF (3T: 21.97% ± 0.29%; 7T: 40.12% ± 0.35%) and MRE‐SS (3T: 1.25 ± 0.02; 7T: 1.78 ± 0.06 kPa) vs. CD (3T: 3.45% ± 0.7%; 7T: 12.06% ± 1.4% and 3T: 1.01 ± 0.02; 7T: 0.89 ± 0.06 kPa). At 7T, PEG‐FGF21v significantly decreased MRI‐HFF (WK4: 28.97% ± 1.22%; WK8: 20.93% ± 1.15%) and MRE‐SS (WK4: 1.57 ± 0.04; WK8: 1.36 ± 0.05 kPa) vs. untreated (WK4: 36.36% ± 0.62%; WK8: 30.58% ± 0.81% and WK4: 2.03 ± 0.06; WK8: 2.01 ± 0.04 kPa); 3T trends were similar. WK8 SS posterior mean percent attenuation ratios (RDI) were −68% (−90%, −44%; 3T) and −64% (−78%, −52%; 7T). MRI‐HFF was significantly correlated with H&E (3T, r = 0.93; 7T, r = 0.94) and TGs (both, r = 0.92).
Data Conclusions
MRI‐HFF and MRE‐SS showed PEG‐FGF21v effects on hepatic steatosis and fibrosis across 3 and 7T, consistent with histological and biochemical data.
Level of Evidence
1
Technical Efficacy Stage
2
Performing genetic studies in multiple human populations can identify disease risk alleles that are common in one population but rare in others, with the potential to illuminate pathophysiology, ...health disparities, and the population genetic origins of disease alleles. Here we analysed 9.2 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in each of 8,214 Mexicans and other Latin Americans: 3,848 with type 2 diabetes and 4,366 non-diabetic controls. In addition to replicating previous findings, we identified a novel locus associated with type 2 diabetes at genome-wide significance spanning the solute carriers SLC16A11 and SLC16A13 (P = 3.9 × 10(-13); odds ratio (OR) = 1.29). The association was stronger in younger, leaner people with type 2 diabetes, and replicated in independent samples (P = 1.1 × 10(-4); OR = 1.20). The risk haplotype carries four amino acid substitutions, all in SLC16A11; it is present at ~50% frequency in Native American samples and ~10% in east Asian, but is rare in European and African samples. Analysis of an archaic genome sequence indicated that the risk haplotype introgressed into modern humans via admixture with Neanderthals. The SLC16A11 messenger RNA is expressed in liver, and V5-tagged SLC16A11 protein localizes to the endoplasmic reticulum. Expression of SLC16A11 in heterologous cells alters lipid metabolism, most notably causing an increase in intracellular triacylglycerol levels. Despite type 2 diabetes having been well studied by genome-wide association studies in other populations, analysis in Mexican and Latin American individuals identified SLC16A11 as a novel candidate gene for type 2 diabetes with a possible role in triacylglycerol metabolism.
AB160 is a 160 nm nano-immunoconjugate consisting of nab-paclitaxel (ABX) nanoparticles non-covalently coated with bevacizumab (BEV) for targeted delivery into tissues expressing high levels of VEGF. ...Preclinical data showed that AB160 resulted in greater tumor targeting and tumor inhibition compared to sequential treatment with ABX then BEV. Given individual drug activity, we investigated the safety and toxicity of AB160 in patients with gynecologic cancers.
A 3+3 phase I trial was conducted with 3 potential dose levels in patients with previously treated endometrial (EC), cervical (CC), and platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (OC) patients to ascertain the recommended Phase II dose (RP2D). AB160 was administered intravenously on Days 1, 8 and 15 of a 28-day cycle (ABX 75-175 mg/m2, BEV 30-70 mg/m2). Pharmacokinetic analyses were performed.
No dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were seen among the 3 DLs tested. Grade 3/4 toxicities included neutropenia, thromboembolic events, and leukopenia. DL2 (ABX 150 mg/m2, BEV 60 mg/m2) was chosen as the RP2D. Seven of the 19 patients with measurable disease (36.8%) had confirmed partial responses (95% CI: 16.3%-61.6%). Pharmacokinetic analyses demonstrated that AB160 allowed 50% higher paclitaxel dosing and that paclitaxel clearance mirrored that of therapeutic antibodies.
The safety profile and clinical activity of AB160 supports further clinical testing in patients with gynecologic cancers; the RP2D is DL2 (ABX 150 mg/m2, BEV 60 mg/m2).
Each infectious agent represents a unique combination of pathogen-associated molecular patterns that interact with specific pattern-recognition receptors expressed on immune cells. Therefore, we ...surmised that the blood immune cells of individuals with different infections might bear discriminative transcriptional signatures. Gene expression profiles were obtained for 131 peripheral blood samples from pediatric patients with acute infections caused by influenza A virus, Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) or Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae) bacteria. Thirty-five genes were identified that best discriminate patients with influenza A virus infection from patients with either E coli or S pneumoniae infection. These genes classified with 95% accuracy (35 of 37 samples) an independent set of patients with either influenza A, E coli, or S pneumoniae infection. A different signature discriminated patients with E coli versus S aureus infections with 85% accuracy (34 of 40). Furthermore, distinctive gene expression patterns were observed in patients presenting with respiratory infections of different etiologies. Thus, microarray analyses of patient peripheral blood leukocytes might assist in the differential diagnosis of infectious diseases.
Down to Earth: Contextualizing the Anthropocene Biermann, Frank; Bai, Xuemei; Bondre, Ninad ...
Global environmental change,
July 2016, 2016-07-00, 20160701, 2016-07-01, Volume:
39
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
•The Anthropocene concept risks being framed in a way that is too ‘global’ and monolithic.•The notion of the Anthropocene needs to be scaled down in order to have societal and policy relevance.•We ...synthesize multiple strands of research to add to a more nuanced understanding of the Anthropocene.•We provide a more context-dependent, localized and social understanding of the Anthropocene.
The ‘Anthropocene’ is now being used as a conceptual frame by different communities and in a variety of contexts to understand the evolving human–environment relationship. However, as we argue in this paper, the notion of an Anthropos, or ‘humanity’, as global, unified ‘geological force’ threatens to mask the diversity and differences in the actual conditions and impacts of humankind, and does not do justice to the diversity of local and regional contexts. For this reason, we interpret in this article the notion of an Anthropocene in a more context-dependent, localized and social understanding. We do this through illustrating examples from four issue domains, selected for their variation in terms of spatial and temporal scale, systems of governance and functional interdependencies: nitrogen cycle distortion (in particular as it relates to food security); ocean acidification; urbanization; and wildfires. Based on this analysis, we systematically address the consequences of the lens of the Anthropocene for the governance of social-ecological systems, focusing on the multi-level, functional and sectoral organization of governance, and possible redefinitions of governance systems and policy domains. We conclude that the notion of the Anthropocene, once seen in light of social inequalities and regional differences, allows for novel analysis of issue-based problems in the context of a global understanding, in both academic and political terms. This makes it a useful concept to help leverage and (re-)focus our efforts in a more innovative and effective way to transition towards sustainability.