Estrés, evaluación cognitiva y burnout: un estudio con profesores universitários

Este estudo analisou três tópicos principais: i) a experiência de stress ocupacional e de burnout em professores do ensino superior; ii) observou a importância dos processos de avaliação cognitiva na experiência de stress e burnout; e iii) verificou as variáveis preditoras da experiencia de burnout, nomeadamente o papel preditivo do stress ocupacional e dos processos de avaliação cognitiva. O estudo incluiu 333 professores do ensino superior, aplicando-se medidas de stress ocupacional, avaliação cognitiva e burnout. Os resultados demonstraram: i) níveis acentuados de stress ocupacional e de burnout (principalmente ao nível da exaustão emocional); ii) os professores com uma avaliação mais negativa da profissão experienciaram maior stress e burnout; e iii) as dimensões de stress e de avaliação cognitiva revelaram-se significativas na predição da experiência de burnout (particularmente da exaustão emocional). Em conclusão, verificou-se que esta profissão é stressante, sendo importante incluir os processos de avaliação cognitiva em estudos futuros.This study examined three main topics: i) the experience of occupational stress and burnout among university professors; ii) the importance of cognitive appraisal processes in the experience of stress and burnout; and iii) the predictors of burnout, assuming as predictor variables occupational stress and cognitive appraisal processes. The study included 333 professors working in a public university. The evaluation protocol included measures of occupational stress, cognitive appraisal, and burnout. The results revealed significant levels of occupational stress and burnout (particularly in the dimension of emotional exhaustion); ii) teachers with a more negative evaluation of the professional activity experienced greater stress and burnout; and iii) stress and cognitive evaluation dimensions assumed to be important predictors of burnout (particularly in the dimension of emotional exhaustion). In conclusion, it was found that this activity is very stressful and that future studies should analyse in more detail the importance of cognitive appraisal processes.Este estudio examinó tres temas principales: i) la experiencia de estrés laboral y burnout en profesores de educación superior, ii) tomó nota de la importancia de los procesos de evaluación cognitiva de la experiencia de estrés y el agotamiento, y iii) los predictores de la experiencia de burnout, a saber, el papel predictivo de estrés laboral y los procesos de evaluación cognitiva. En el estudio participaron 333 profesores universitarios y fueron administradas medidas de estrés laboral, burnout y evaluación cognitiva. Los resultados mostraron: i) mejora de los niveles de estrés y agotamiento laboral (sobre todo a nivel de agotamiento emocional), ii) profesores con una evaluación más negativa de la profesión experimentaron un mayor estrés y agotamiento, y iii) las dimensiones del estrés y la evaluación cognitiva fueron significativas en la predicción de la experiencia de burnout (agotamiento emocional en particular). En conclusión, se encontró que este trabajo es estresante y siendo importante incluyer la evaluación cognitiva en futuros estudios

Exact and heuristic approaches for lot splitting and scheduling on identical parallel machines

In this paper, we address a lot splitting and scheduling problem existent in a textile factory. The factory we study produces a set of products that are made of, or assembled from, a list of components. During production, each component can be split into one or several lots of different sizes and each lot will be produced independently on one of a group of identical parallel machines. We formulate the problem into a mixed integer programming model and develop a heuristic method to solve the model. The heuristic method is based on a network flow model with the objective to minimise the weighted sum of the total tardiness of products and the deviations occurred during production of each product. The deviation of a product is measured by the deviation of product completion time (the last component lot completion time) and completion time of the rest of components lots for the same product. We present computational results and performance measures of the network flow heuristic for a set of randomly generated instances based on real world data.(undefined

Prognostic value of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin in acute heart failure

Background: The identification of patients at risk for worse outcome is still a challenge. We hypothesized that cystatin C, a marker of renal function, and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), a marker of acute renal injury, would have a role in the prognostic stratification of these patients. Methods: We prospectively evaluated 121 patients admitted for acute HF. Serum NGAL and cystatin C levels were measured on the first morning after admission. The outcome measures used were the occurrence of death from all causes, and the combined endpoint defined as the first occurrence of either death or hospital admission. Patients were followed for up to 3 months. Results: The variables associated with a higher occurrence of death in a univariate approach were older age and higher levels of BNP, cystatin C and NGAL, and those associated with the occurrence of the combined endpoint were older age, Diabetes mellitus, lower GFR, type 1 cardio-renal syndrome, BNP, cystatin C and NGAL. BNP and NGAL remained independent predictors of the occurrence of both all-cause death and the combined endpoint. NGAL levels in the 75th percentile (> 167.5 ng/mL) were associated with a 2.7-fold increase in the risk of death and a 2.9-fold increase in the risk of the first occurrence of either death or hospitalization. Conclusions: Serum NGAL, a marker of acute renal injury, is an independent predictor of worse short term prognosis in patients with acute HF. This suggests a role of renal damage, apart from renal function, in the prognosis of these patients

Synthesis of aminodiarylamines in the thieno[3,2-b]pyridine series and effects on tumor cell growth inhibition, cell cycle and apoptosis

Several series of compounds that include the thienopyridine scaffold have been reported as inhibitors of known cancer therapeutic targets or as inhibitors of cell proliferation in tumor cell lines [1,2]. Our research group has already synthesized several thieno[3,2-b]pyridine derivatives by Pd-catalyzed C-C (Suzuki and Sonogashira) and C-N (Buchwald-Hartwig) couplings and some of them have presented tumor cell growth inhibitory activity in cell lines [3- 5]

A functional genomic approach to identify reference genes for human pancreatic beta cell real-time quantitative RT-PCR analysis

Exposure of human pancreatic beta cells to pro-inflammatory cytokines or metabolic stressors is used to model events related to type 1 and type 2 diabetes, respectively. Quantitative real-time PCR is commonly used to quantify changes in gene expression. The selection of the most adequate reference gene(s) for gene expression normalization is an important pre-requisite to obtain accurate and reliable results. There are no universally applicable reference genes, and the human beta cell expression of commonly used reference genes can be altered by different stressors. Here we aimed to identify the most stably expressed genes in human beta cells to normalize quantitative real-time PCR gene expression. We used comprehensive RNA-sequencing data from the human pancreatic beta cell line EndoC-βH1, human islets exposed to cytokines or the free fatty acid palmitate in order to identify the most stably expressed genes. Genes were filtered based on their level of significance (adjusted P-value >0.05), fold-change (|fold-change| <1.5) and a coefficient of variation <10%. Candidate reference genes were validated by quantitative real-time PCR in independent samples. We identified a total of 264 genes stably expressed in EndoC-βH1 cells and human islets following cytokines–or palmitate-induced stress, displaying a low coefficient of variation. Validation by quantitative real-time PCR of the top five genes ARF1, CWC15, RAB7A, SIAH1 and VAPA corroborated their expression stability under most of the tested conditions. Further validation in independent samples indicated that the geometric mean of ACTB and VAPA expression can be used as a reliable normalizing factor in human beta cells

Aminodi(hetero)arylamines in the thieno[3,2-b]pyridine series: synthesis, effects in human tumor cells growth, cell cycle analysis, apoptosis and evaluation of toxicity using non-tumor cells

Three aminodi(hetero)arylamines were prepared via a palladium-catalyzed C-N Buchwald-Hartwig coupling of methyl 3-aminothieno[3,2-b]pyridine-2-carboxylate with different bromonitrobenzenes, followed by reduction of the nitro groups of the coupling products to the corresponding amino compounds. The aminodi(hetero)arylamines thus obtained were evaluated for their growth inhibitory effect on four human tumor cell lines MCF-7 (breast adenocarcinoma), A375-C5 (melanoma), NCI-H460 (non-small cell lung cancer) and HepG2 (hepatocellular carcinoma). The toxicity to non-tumor cells was also evaluated using a porcine liver primary cell culture (PLP1), established by us. The aminodi(hetero)arylamine with the NH2 group in the ortho position and an OMe group in the para position to the NH of the di(hetero)arylamine, is the most promising compound giving the lowest GI50 values (1.30–1.63 μM) in all the tested human tumor cell lines, presenting no toxicity to PLP1 at those concentrations. The effect of this compound on the cell cycle and induction of apoptosis was analyzed in the NCI-H460 cell line. It was observed that it altered the cell cycle profile causing a decrease in the percentage of cells in the G0/G1 phase and an increase of the apoptosis levels.Foundation for the Science and Technology (FCT–Portugal) for financial support through the NMR Portuguese network (Bruker 400 Avance III-Univ Minho). FCT and FEDER (European Fund for Regional Development) for financial support through the research centers PEst-C/QUI/UI686/2011and PEst-OE/AGR/UI0690/2011, the research project PTDC/QUI-QUI/111060/2009 and the post-Doctoralgrants attributed to R.C.C. and R.T.L. (SFRH/BPD/68344/2010 and SFRH/BPD/68787/2010, respectively). IPATIMUP is an Associate Laboratory of the Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education and is partially supported by FCT

An integrated multi-omics approach identifies the landscape of interferon-α-mediated responses of human pancreatic beta cells

Interferon-α (IFNα), a type I interferon, is expressed in the islets of type 1 diabetic individuals, and its expression and signaling are regulated by T1D genetic risk variants and viral infections associated with T1D. We presently characterize human beta cell responses to IFNα by combining ATAC-seq, RNA-seq and proteomics assays. The initial response to IFNα is characterized by chromatin remodeling, followed by changes in transcriptional and translational regulation. IFNα induces changes in alternative splicing (AS) and first exon usage, increasing the diversity of transcripts expressed by the beta cells. This, combined with changes observed on protein modification/degradation, ER stress and MHC class I, may expand antigens presented by beta cells to the immune system. Beta cells also up-regulate the checkpoint proteins PDL1 and HLA-E that may exert a protective role against the autoimmune assault. Data mining of the present multi-omics analysis identifies two compound classes that antagonize IFNα effects on human beta cells

The RNA-binding profile of the splicing factor SRSF6 in immortalized human pancreatic beta-cells

In pancreatic beta-cells, the expression of the splicing factor SRSF6 is regulated by GLIS3, a transcription factor encoded by a diabetes susceptibility gene. SRSF6 down-regulation promotes beta-cell demise through splicing dysregulation of central genes for beta-cells function and survival, but how RNAs are targeted by SRSF6 remains poorly understood. Here, we define the SRSF6 binding landscape in the human pancreatic beta-cell line EndoC-beta H1 by integrating individual-nucleotide resolution UV cross-linking and immuno-precipitation (iCLIP) under basal conditions with RNA sequencing after SRSF6 knockdown. We detect thousands of SRSF6 bindings sites in coding sequences. Motif analyses suggest that SRSF6 specifically recognizes a purine-rich consensus motif consisting of GAA triplets and that the number of contiguous GAA triplets correlates with increasing binding site strength. The SRSF6 positioning determines the splicing fate. In line with its role in beta-cell function, we identify SRSF6 binding sites on regulated exons in several diabetes susceptibility genes. In a proof-of-principle, the splicing of the susceptibility gene LMO7 is modulated by antisense oligonucleotides. Our present study unveils the splicing regulatory landscape of SRSF6 in immortalized human pancreatic beta-cells.Functional Genomics of Muscle, Nerve and Brain Disorder

'Is your city pretty anyway?' Perspectives on graffiti and the urban landscape

Drawing on survey and focus group research completed in New Zealand in 2009 this article examines young peoples’ perspectives on graffiti and tagging. The results further demonstrate that graffiti writing is an activity invested with considerable cultural meaning by many of those engaged in it and that their understanding of graffiti is considerably at odds with prevailing political, media and policy discourse that sees it purely in terms of criminal damage and antisocial behaviour. While graffiti can be conceptualised as an alternative way of ‘reading’ urban space, the results of this study show that writers recognised that graffiti had damaging consequences and was inappropriate in some contexts. Graffiti was not simply nihilistic destructive behaviour but one in which perceptions of criminality were leavened by aesthetic judgements and the allure and excitement of potential local celebrity