Family Supportive Supervision Around the Globe

Family-supportive supervision (FSS) refers to the degree to which employees perceive their immediate supervisors as exhibiting attitudes and behaviors that are supportive of their family role demands (Hammer, Kossek, Zimmerman, & Daniels, 2007; Kossek, Pichler, Bodner & Hammer, 2011: Thomas & Ganster, 1995). A growing body of research suggests that leaders\u27 and supervisors\u27 social support of employees\u27 needs to jointly carry out work and family demands is important for general health and job attitudes, such as satisfaction, work-family conflict, commitment, and intention to turn over (Hammer, Kossek, Anger, Bodner, & Zimmerman, 2009; Kossek et al., 2011). Thus, employee perceptions of FSS are critical to individual well-being and productivity (Hammer, Kossek, Yragui, Bodner, & Hansen, 2009). [excerpt

Skill execution and sleep deprivation: effects of acute caffeine or creatine supplementation - a randomized placebo-controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We investigated the effects of sleep deprivation with or without acute supplementation of caffeine or creatine on the execution of a repeated rugby passing skill.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>Ten elite rugby players completed 10 trials on a simple rugby passing skill test (20 repeats per trial), following a period of familiarisation. The players had between 7-9 h sleep on 5 of these trials and between 3-5 h sleep (deprivation) on the other 5. At a time of 1.5 h before each trial, they undertook administration of either: placebo tablets, 50 or 100 mg/kg creatine, 1 or 5 mg/kg caffeine. Saliva was collected before each trial and assayed for salivary free cortisol and testosterone.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Sleep deprivation with placebo application resulted in a significant fall in skill performance accuracy on both the dominant and non-dominant passing sides (p < 0.001). No fall in skill performance was seen with caffeine doses of 1 or 5 mg/kg, and the two doses were not significantly different in effect. Similarly, no deficit was seen with creatine administration at 50 or 100 mg/kg and the performance effects were not significantly different. Salivary testosterone was not affected by sleep deprivation, but trended higher with the 100 mg/kg creatine dose, compared to the placebo treatment (p = 0.067). Salivary cortisol was elevated (p = 0.001) with the 5 mg/kg dose of caffeine (vs. placebo).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Acute sleep deprivation affects performance of a simple repeat skill in elite athletes and this was ameliorated by a single dose of either caffeine or creatine. Acute creatine use may help to alleviate decrements in skill performance in situations of sleep deprivation, such as transmeridian travel, and caffeine at low doses appears as efficacious as higher doses, at alleviating sleep deprivation deficits in athletes with a history of low caffeine use. Both options are without the side effects of higher dose caffeine use.</p

Immunologic and pathologic characterization of a novel swine biomedical research model for eosinophilic esophagitis

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic allergy-mediated condition with an increasing incidence in both children and adults. Despite EoE's strong impact on human health and welfare, there is a large unmet need for treatments with only one recently FDA-approved medication for EoE. The goal of this study was to establish swine as a relevant large animal model for translational biomedical research in EoE with the potential to facilitate development of therapeutics. We recently showed that after intraperitoneal sensitization and oral challenge with the food allergen hen egg white protein (HEWP), swine develop esophageal eosinophilia—a hallmark of human EoE. Herein, we used a similar sensitization and challenge treatment and evaluated immunological and pathological markers associated with human EoE. Our data demonstrate that the incorporated sensitization and challenge treatment induces (i) a systemic T-helper 2 and IgE response, (ii) a local expression of eotaxin-1 and other allergy-related immune markers, (iii) esophageal eosinophilia (>15 eosinophils/0.24 mm2), and (iv) esophageal endoscopic findings including linear furrows and white exudates. Thereby, we demonstrate that our sensitization and oral challenge protocol not only induces the underlying immune markers but also the micro- and macro-pathological hallmarks of human EoE. This swine model for EoE represents a novel relevant large animal model that can drive translational biomedical research to develop urgently needed treatment strategies for EoE

Systems Integration of Biodefense Omics Data for Analysis of Pathogen-Host Interactions and Identification of Potential Targets

The NIAID (National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases) Biodefense Proteomics program aims to identify targets for potential vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics for agents of concern in bioterrorism, including bacterial, parasitic, and viral pathogens. The program includes seven Proteomics Research Centers, generating diverse types of pathogen-host data, including mass spectrometry, microarray transcriptional profiles, protein interactions, protein structures and biological reagents. The Biodefense Resource Center (www.proteomicsresource.org) has developed a bioinformatics framework, employing a protein-centric approach to integrate and support mining and analysis of the large and heterogeneous data. Underlying this approach is a data warehouse with comprehensive protein + gene identifier and name mappings and annotations extracted from over 100 molecular databases. Value-added annotations are provided for key proteins from experimental findings using controlled vocabulary. The availability of pathogen and host omics data in an integrated framework allows global analysis of the data and comparisons across different experiments and organisms, as illustrated in several case studies presented here. (1) The identification of a hypothetical protein with differential gene and protein expressions in two host systems (mouse macrophage and human HeLa cells) infected by different bacterial (Bacillus anthracis and Salmonella typhimurium) and viral (orthopox) pathogens suggesting that this protein can be prioritized for additional analysis and functional characterization. (2) The analysis of a vaccinia-human protein interaction network supplemented with protein accumulation levels led to the identification of human Keratin, type II cytoskeletal 4 protein as a potential therapeutic target. (3) Comparison of complete genomes from pathogenic variants coupled with experimental information on complete proteomes allowed the identification and prioritization of ten potential diagnostic targets from Bacillus anthracis. The integrative analysis across data sets from multiple centers can reveal potential functional significance and hidden relationships between pathogen and host proteins, thereby providing a systems approach to basic understanding of pathogenicity and target identification

A Comparative Study of School District Expenditures in Texas Since the Enactment of Senate Bill 7

The purposes of this study were to: (a) determine the effects of Senate Bill 7 on expenditures in Texas school districts, (b) compare similarities and differences in expenditures among property-poor, medium-wealth, and wealthy-districts, (c) analyze spending patterns in light of equalization efforts, and (d) provide useful data to researchers in the area of equalization and adequacy

Therapeutic Management of Accidental Epinephrine Injection

Objective: To review the literature regarding therapeutic options for accidental epinephrine exposure via EpiPen (Mylan Specialty Inc.) autoinjector devices and to suggest a treatment algorithm based on the most common approaches found therein. Data Sources: A literature search of MEDLINE (1950-March 2012) was conducted, using the search term accidental epinephrine injection in combination with the terms adrenaline, EpiPen, anaphylaxis, autoinjector, and treatment. Case reports, case series, and systematic reviews were evaluated for efficacy and safety data. In addition, the references of the reviewed articles were examined to identify additional reports or data. Study Selection and Data Extraction: All English-language articles describing accidental exposure to epinephrine were identified. Our search included both pediatric and adult patient populations. Articles were excluded if the exposure to epinephrine was purposeful and the EpiPen described in the report was being used as intended or the outcome was not clear. Individual case reports were described in detail whereas case series and systematic reviews were included but were not described in detail. To our knowledge, there have been no clinical trials that describe or compare therapeutic options for accidental exposure to epinephrine. Data Synthesis: Accidental exposure to epinephrine is an underreported phenomenon that could warrant medical attention. The importance of this issue has recently been emphasized with the legislative requirement of many schools to store epinephrine (EpiPen) autoinjector devices. The available therapeutic options can be divided into pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic categories. The most common pharmacologic options described in the literature include phentolamine, subcutaneous terbutaline, topical nitrates, and calcium channel blockers. Nonpharmacologic options include observation and/or warm water soaks. Treatment recommendations in our proposed algorithm were based solely on the available data that we describe in our review. Conclusions: The literature did not provide clear guidance on the most appropriate management of accidental epinephrine injection. However, if pharmacologic therapy is necessary, phentolamine appears to be considered the most effective. Guidelines may be helpful in improving the management of accidental epinephrine injection, as well as in preventing unnecessary therapy

Probable Etoposide Interaction with Echinacea

Echinacea is an herbal supplement commonly used as an immune system stimulant to prevent infections, such as the common cold or flu. Echinacea has been documented as a cyctochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4 inhibitor in vitro, but no formal studies have been conducted in humans. Etoposide is a cytotoxic, topoisomerase II inhibitor, chemotherapeutic agent used in the treatment of lung cancer. Etoposide is primarily metabolized by CYP 3A4. We report the first possible drug–herbal interaction between Echinacea and etoposide. A 61-year-old gentleman newly diagnosed with nonsmall cell lung cancer began concurrent chemoradiation with cisplatin and etoposide. He was admitted to the hospital on day 8 of his first cycle and found to be thrombocytopenic. His platelet count eventually reached a nadir of 16 × 103/L, requiring platelet transfusion support. Upon admission, it was discovered he was taking Echinacea, which was discontinued. He received his next cycle of chemotherapy without taking Echinacea. His platelet count decreased to a nadir of 44 × 103/L, but he did not require platelet transfusions. Echinacea likely contributed to this patient\u27s profound thrombocytopenia and should be avoided in patients receiving etoposide and possibly other chemotherapeutic drugs that are CYP 3A4 substrates

Prescribing of Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin and Warfarin in Patients with Acute Venous Thromboembolism and Active Cancer

Background: Malignancy is a significant risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE), conferring a 4- to 7-fold increased risk in patients with cancer. Because of its effect on certain tumors, low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) has been evaluated as a treatment option for cancer and as an alternative to traditional warfarin therapy in patients with active cancer. LMWH is associated with a reduced recurrence of VTE, fewer adverse bleeding events, and, in some instances, decreased mortality. The American College of Chest Physicians/American Society of Clinical Oncology has recommended LMWH for at least the initial 3 to 6 months when treating VTE in patients with cancer, based on the positive outcomes associated with LMWH. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate physician prescribing patterns for LMWH or warfarin in patients with acute VTE and active cancer. Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of hospitalized patients at a community teaching hospital with an affiliated regional cancer center located in a rural area of the United States. Patients included in the analysis had an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision code indicative of any cancer type and a concomitant code for any VTE. The primary outcome was the drug prescribed at discharge for the treatment of VTE. Secondary outcomes included specialty of the prescribing physician, adverse bleeding events, and the need for transfusion. VTE treatment regimen was evaluated using the binomial test, and logistic regression analysis was used to determine correlation of the prescriber’s specialty with the patient’s prescribed regimen. Results: Of 129 patients included in the analysis, 107 (82.9%) were prescribed warfarin compared with 9 (7%) who were prescribed LMWH. Hematologists and oncologists were more likely to prescribe LMWH than general practitioners (odds ratio, 7.8; 95% hazard ratio, 1.5-42). Seven patients had a documented adverse bleeding event and 2 patients required a transfusion. Four of the 7 adverse bleeding events and 1 of the 2 transfusions occurred in the group receiving vitamin K antagonist therapy. Conclusion: Physicians in our system were significantly more likely to prescribe warfarin for acute treatment of VTE in patients with active cancer—despite consistent evidence and multiple evidence­-based guidelines recommending treatment with LMWH in this patient population. This was lower than other observations in Canadian populations but may more accurately represent nonteaching centers in the United States, particularly those in rural areas. Specialists in oncology were significantly more likely to prescribe LMWH than generalists