Careers in context: An international study of career goals as mesostructure between societies' career-related human potential and proactive career behaviour

Careers exist in a societal context that offers both constraints and opportunities for career actors. Whereas most studies focus on proximal individual and/or organisational-level variables, we provide insights into how career goals and behaviours are understood and embedded in the more distal societal context. More specifically, we operationalise societal context using the career-related human potential composite and aim to understand if and why career goals and behaviours vary between countries. Drawing on a model of career structuration and using multilevel mediation modelling, we draw on a survey of 17,986 employees from 27 countries, covering nine of GLOBE's 10 cultural clusters, and national statistical data to examine the relationship between societal context (macrostructure building the career-opportunity structure) and actors' career goals (career mesostructure) and career behaviour (actions). We show that societal context in terms of societies' career-related human potential composite is negatively associated with the importance given to financial achievements as a specific career mesostructure in a society that is positively related to individuals' proactive career behaviour. Our career mesostructure fully mediates the relationship between societal context and individuals' proactive career behaviour. In this way, we expand career theory's scope beyond occupation- and organisation-related factors

Adenosine receptor prodrugs: synthesis and biological activity of derivatives of potent, A1-selective agonists

5'-Ester derivatives of the potent adenosine agonists N6-[4-[[[[4-[[[(2-acetylaminoethyl)amino]carbonyl]methyl] anilino]carbonyl]methyl]phenyl]adenosine (N-AcADAC; 1) and N6-cyclopentyladenosine (CPA; 2) were prepared as prodrugs. Both alkyl esters or carbonates (designed to enter the brain by virtue of increased lipophilicity) and 1,4-dihydro-1-methyl-3-[(pyridinylcarbonyl)oxy]esters designed to concentrate in the brain by virtue of a redox delivery system were synthesized. In the 5'-blocked form, the adenosine agonists displayed highly diminished affinity for rat brain A1-adenosine receptors in binding assays. The dihydropyridine prodrug 29 was active in an assay of locomotor depression in mice, in which adenosine agonists are highly depressant. The behavior depression was not reversible by peripheral administration of a non-central nervous system active adenosine antagonist. In an assay of the peripheral action of adenosine (i.e., the inhibition of lipolysis in rats), the parent compounds were highly potent and the dihydropyridine prodrug was much less potent

VIP and PACAP in the CNS: regulators of glial energy metabolism and modulators of glutamatergic signaling.

VIP neurons are a homogeneous population of intracortical bipolar cells. They receive excitatory synapses from afferent circuits to the cortex and exert effects on neurons, astrocytes, and capillaries. Effects on the two latter cell types imply that VIP neurons can translate incoming neuronal signals into local metabolic actions. Indeed, VIP tightly regulates glycogen metabolism in astrocytes. In this cell type VIP regulates the expression of a number of genes related to energy metabolism, such as glycogen synthase. These effects of VIP involve the transcription factor family C/EBP and result in the induction of at least seven new proteins by astrocytes. The actions of VIP on neurons appear to be of a modulatory nature: thus VIP enhances glutamate-mediated neurotransmission by potentiating the effects of glutamate on arachidonic acid formation and on the induction of c-fos and on BDNF expression. These effects indicate that VIP can actually increase the strength of glutamate-mediated neurotransmission