Predictors of workplace violence among ambulance personnel:A longitudinal study.

Abstract Aim To examine predictors of repeated confrontations with workplace violence among ambulance personnel, the proportion of exposure to potentially traumatic events that are aggression-related and to what extent personnel was able to prevent escalations. Although previous research assessed the prevalences among this group, little is known about predictors, to what extent PTE’s are WPV-related and their abilities to prevent escalations. Design A longitudinal study with a 6 months’ time interval (N = 103). Methods At T1 demographics, workplace violence and potentially traumatic events in the past year, mental health, personality, handling of rules, coping and social organizational stressors were assessed. Confrontations with aggression were also examined at T2. Results Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that only problems with superiors independently predicted repeated verbal aggression and that only the (absence of the) ability to compromise very easily predicted repeatedly being on guard and repeatedly confronted with any form of aggression. Due to very low prevalences, we could not examine predictors of repeated confrontations with physical aggression (N = 5) and serious threat (N = 7). A large majority reported that in most workplace violence cases they could prevent further escalations. About 2% reported a potentially traumatic event in the year before T1 that was WPV related and perceived as very stressful

The predictive value of trauma-related coping self-efficacy for posttraumatic stress symptoms:Differences between treatment seeking and non-treatment seeking victims

Objective: To assess and compare the (independent) predictive value of trauma-related coping selfefficacy (CSE) for posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) among a treatment sample and a comparison group of nontreatment seeking victims. Method: Both the treatment (N 54) and comparison group (N 144) were exposed to potentially traumatic events (PTEs), experienced a heightened level of PTSS (IES 19), and were matched on work status and time between PTE and first measurement (T1).Respondents completed both baseline (T1) and follow-up measures (T2) approximately 8 months after T1. Results: Multiple regression analyses among the treatment sample showed that neither PTSS at T1 (start of treatment) nor CSE levels at T1 predicted PTSS at T2 among the treatment group. Among the comparison group, higher CSE levels at T1 and younger age were significantly associated with lower PTSS at T2. In both the treatment group and the comparison group PTSS levels were significantly lower at T2 than at T1. As expected, treatment seeking victims have higher PTSS and lower CSE levels than nontreatment seeking victims. Conclusions: Pretreatment CSE did not affect recovery during treatment: higher pretreatment CSE perceptions do not give treated individuals an advantage while CSE is predictive of PTSS among untreated victims

An introductory study of house spiders (Araneae) in Belgium

More than 800 spiders were collected in 43 houses heated in winter, distributed mainly in the northern part of Belgium. Information required for the collections to be eligible for the project was: address, construction year, type of house, and surroundings. The spiders were qualified as ‘house spiders’ or ‘garden spiders’. Of the 93 species collected, 19 could be defined as house spiders. Pholcus phalangioides was the most common, followed by Eratigena atrica and Steatoda triangulosa. Garden spiders enter the house much more often in houses in a rural environment than in those situated in clusters, and mainly in spring. The spiders are most common in autumn when many of them are breeding. The common house spiders colonize houses shortly after their construction

The prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms (ADS), persistent and chronic ADS among the adult general population and specific subgroups before and during the COVID-19 pandemic until December 2021

BackgroundIt is unclear to what extent the prevalence of moderate and severe anxiety and depression symptoms (ADS) is higher during the first 20 months after the COVID-19 outbreak than before the outbreak. The same holds for persistent and chronic ADS among the adult general population and subgroups (such as employed, minorities, young adults, work disabled).MethodsData were extracted from six surveys conducted with the Dutch longitudinal LISS panel, based on a traditional probability sample (N = 3493). Biographic characteristics and ADS (MHI-5 scores) were assessed in March–April 2019, November–December 2019, March–April 2020, November–December 2020, March–April 2021, and November–December 2021. Generalized estimating equations were conducted to examine differences in the prevalence of post-outbreak ADS, persistent and chronic ADS compared to the pre-outbreak prevalence in similar periods. The Benjamini-Hochberg correction for multiple testing was applied.ResultsAmong the general population chronic moderate ADS increased significantly but slightly in the period March–April 2020 to March–April 2021 compared to a similar period before the pandemic (11.9 % versus 10.9 %, Odds Ratio = 1.11). In the same period a somewhat larger significant increase in chronic moderate ADS was observed among 19–24 years old respondents (21.4 % versus 16.7 %, Odds Ratio = 1.35). After the Benjamini-Hochberg correction several other differences were no longer significant.LimitationsNo other mental health problems were assessed.ConclusionsThe Dutch general population and most of the assessed subgroups were relatively resilient given the limited increase or absence of increases in (persistent and chronic) ADS. However, young adults suffered from an increase of chronic ADS

Diabetic cardiomyopathy in Zucker diabetic fatty rats: the forgotten right ventricle

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In patients with myocardial infarction or heart failure, right ventricular (RV) dysfunction is associated with death, shock and arrhythmias. In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, structural and functional alterations of the left ventricle (LV) are highly prevalent, however, little is known about the impact of diabetes on RV characteristics. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether LV changes are paralleled by RV alterations in a rat model of diabetes.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) and control (ZL) rats underwent echocardiography and positron emission tomography (PET) scanning using [¹⁸F]-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose under hyperinsulinaemic euglycaemic clamp conditions. Glucose, insulin, triglycerides and fatty acids were assessed from trunk blood. Another group of rats received an insulin or saline injection to study RV insulin signaling.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>ZDF rats developed hyperglycaemia, hyperinsulinaemia and dyslipidaemia (all p < 0.05). Echocardiography revealed depressed LV fractional shortening and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) in ZDF vs. ZL rats (both p < 0.05). A decrease in LV and RV insulin-mediated glucose utilisation was found in ZDF vs. ZL rats (both p < 0.05). LV associated with RV with respect to systolic function (r = 0.86, p < 0.05) and glucose utilisation (r = 0.74, p < 0.05). TAPSE associated with RV MRglu (r = 0.92, p < 0.05) and <it>M</it>-value (r = 0.91, p < 0.0001) and RV MRglu associated with <it>M</it>-value (r = 0.77, p < 0.05). Finally, reduced RV insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of Akt was found in ZDF vs. ZL (p < 0.05).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>LV changes were paralleled by RV alterations in insulin-stimulated glucose utilisation and RV systolic function in a rat model of diabetes, which may be attributed to ventricular interdependence as well as to the uniform effect of diabetes. Since diabetic patients are prone to develop diabetic cardiomyopathy and myocardial ischaemia, it might be suggested that RV dysfunction plays a central role in cardiac abnormalities in this population.</p

Determinants of the distribution of utility-scale photovoltaic power facilities across the globe

Photovoltaic power (PV) is the fastest-growing source of renewable electricity. Making reliable scenarios of PV deployment requires information on what drives the spatial distribution of PV facilities. Here we empirically derive the determinants of the distribution of utility-scale PV facilities across six continents, using a mixed effects logistic regression modelling approach relating the occurrence of over 10 000 PV facilities to a set of potential determinants as well as accounting for country and spatially correlated random effects. Our regression models explain the distribution of PV facilities with high accuracy, with travel times to settlements and irradiation as the main determinants. In contrast, our results suggest that land cover types are not strong determinants of the PV distribution, except for Asia and Africa where the PV distribution is related to the presence of agriculture, short natural vegetation and bare land. For Europe and Asia a considerable part of the variance in PV distribution is explained by inter-country differences in factors not included in our fixed determinants. Relevant determinants identified in our study are in line with the main assumptions made in cost of electricity (COE) maps used in the IMAGE integrated assessment model (IAM). However, we found correlations (Spearman ρ) of −0.18-0.54 between our PV probability maps and IMAGE’s COE maps. These may partly be explained by conceptual differences between our empirically-derived probability maps and the COE maps, but we also recommend using higher-resolution maps of PV potential and COE computations such as used in IAMs