When workload predicts exposure to bullying behaviours in nurses: The protective role of social support and job recognition

Aims: This study examined the moderating role of two resources (social support and recognition) in the longitudinal relationship between workload and bullying behaviours in nurses. Design: A two-wave (12-month) longitudinal study was conducted. Method: French-Canadian nurses (n = 279) completed an online survey (October 2014 and October 2015) assessing their perceptions of job characteristics within the work environment (workload, social support, job recognition) as well as exposure to negative behaviours at work. Results: Workload positively predicted exposure to bullying behaviours over time, but only when job recognition and social support were low. Workload was unrelated to bullying when social support was high and was negatively related to bullying when job recognition was high. Conclusion: This study aligns with the work environment hypothesis, showing that poorly designed and stressful job environments provide fertile ground for bullying behaviours. Impact: Bullying is a growing concern in the nursing profession that not only undermines nurses’ well-being but also compromises patient safety and care. It is thus important to identify work-related factors that can contribute to the presence of bullying behaviours in nurses in the hopes of reducing their occurrence and repercussions. This study contributes to this endeavour and identifies two key social coping resources that can help manage the stress associated with workload, resulting in less perceived bullying behaviour among nurses. © 2021 John Wiley & Sons Lt

Elevated Expression of Phospholipid Transfer Protein in Bone Marrow Derived Cells Causes Atherosclerosis

Background: Phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) is expressed by various cell types. In plasma, it is associated with high density lipoproteins (HDL). Elevated levels of PLTP in transgenic mice result in decreased HDL and increased atherosclerosis. PLTP is present in human atherosclerosis lesions, where it seems to be macrophage derived. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the atherogenic potential of macrophage derived PLTP. Methods and Findings: Here we show that macrophages from human PLTP transgenic mice secrete active PLTP. Subsequently, we performed bone marrow transplantations using either wild type mice (PLTPwt/wt), hemizygous PLTP transgenic mice (huPLTPtg/wt) or homozygous PLTP transgenic mice (huPLTPtg/tg) as donors and low density lipoprotein receptor deficient mice (LDLR-/-) as acceptors, in order to establish the role of PLTP expressed by bone marrow derived cells in diet-induced atherogenesis. Atherosclerosis was increased in the huPLTPtg/wt → LDLR-/ - mice (2.3-fold) and even further in the huPLTPtg/tg→LDLR-/ - mice (4.5-fold) compared with the control PLTPwt/wt→LDLR-/- mice (both P<0.001). Plasma PLTP activity levels and non-HDL cholesterol were increased and HDL cholesterol decreased compared with controls (all P<0.01). PLTP was present in atherosclerotic plaques in the mice as demonstrated by immunohistochemistry and appears to co-localize with macrophages. Isolated macrophages from PLTP transgenic mice do not show differences in cholesterol efflux or in cytokine production. Lipopolysaccharide activation of macrophages results in increased production of PLTP. This effect was strongly amplified in PLTP transgenic macrophages. Conclusions: We conclude that PLTP expression by bone marrow derived cells results in atherogenic effects on plasma lipids, increased PLTP activity, high local PLTP protein levels in the atherosclerotic lesions and increased atherosclerotic lesion size

Lipid Exchange Mechanism of the Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein Clarified by Atomistic and Coarse-grained Simulations

Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) transports cholesteryl esters, triglycerides, and phospholipids between different lipoprotein fractions in blood plasma. The inhibition of CETP has been shown to be a sound strategy to prevent and treat the development of coronary heart disease. We employed molecular dynamics simulations to unravel the mechanisms associated with the CETP-mediated lipid exchange. To this end we used both atomistic and coarse-grained models whose results were consistent with each other. We found CETP to bind to the surface of high density lipoprotein (HDL) -like lipid droplets through its charged and tryptophan residues. Upon binding, CETP rapidly (in about 10 ns) induced the formation of a small hydrophobic patch to the phospholipid surface of the droplet, opening a route from the core of the lipid droplet to the binding pocket of CETP. This was followed by a conformational change of helix X of CETP to an open state, in which we found the accessibility of cholesteryl esters to the C-terminal tunnel opening of CETP to increase. Furthermore, in the absence of helix X, cholesteryl esters rapidly diffused into CETP through the C-terminal opening. The results provide compelling evidence that helix X acts as a lid which conducts lipid exchange by alternating the open and closed states. The findings have potential for the design of novel molecular agents to inhibit the activity of CETP

Plasma phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) as an emerging determinant of the adaptive immune response

International audienc

Effet de la formulation sur l'élaboration de mousses laitières de type "topping"

Focus : Emulsions alimentaires foisonnéesNational audienc

Workplace Bullying: How Do Bystanders' Emotions and the Type of Bullying Influence Their Willingness to Help?

Publisher: Routledge \ₑprint: https://doi.org/10.1080/19012276.2018.1430610The present study asks, how do various bullying acts, re-victimization, and the victim's own behaviors influence witnesses' judgments of the bullying and their inclination to help the victim? Using vignettes, we examined participants' reactions to stories. The independent variables were type of bullying act, victim's pro- or anti-social behaviors at work, and re-victimization. The dependent variables were equity judgments, positive and negative emotions toward the victim and the perpetrator, and the giving of help. Eight vignettes of bullying at work were submitted to 145 participants. The results showed that the situation was judged less equitable by witnesses, and their willingness to give support to the target was increased (1) when the perpetrator's acts were serious and, (2) when the bullied victim's behavior was pro-social, not anti-social. Female employees found the situation more unfair and declared more intentions to help than their male colleagues. The intention to help increased when the victim had shown pro-social behaviors and when the victim had been bullied previously. Emotions toward the victim were mainly positive, and emotions toward the perpetrator mainly negative except in the case where the harassed victim had shown anti-social behavior. The more serious the bullying acts, the more the witness felt sympathy and empathic emotions such as fear and sadness toward the victim, while feeling anger and disgust toward the perpetrator

Impact des conditions d'émulsification sur l'élaboration de mousses laitières type "topping"

Focus : Emulsions alimentaires foisonnéesNational audienc

Emulsification des bases laitières à foisonner par membrane : un procédé économe en énergie

National audienceThe tangential microfiltration is compared with high pressure homogenization of the sweetened milk bases designed to be foamed as topping (chantilly cream, i.e.). The hommgenization is known as being efficient for the refining of preemulsions, by producing a very important shear, unfortunately accompanied by an important heating. By the contrary, the microfiltration emulsification gives only a mild shear, with non noticeable heating. The emulsions have been foamed in a profiled rotor-stator device. The influence of membrane pores diameter, the flows of continuous and dispersed phases, the stabilizer type on the emulsification process has been studied. The results lead to the conclusion that membrane emulsification is a viable alternative to the classic foaming processes.La microfiltration tangentielle a été comparée à l'homogénéisation haute pression pour émulsifier des bases laitières sucrées destinées à être foisonnées sous forme de topping (du genre crème chantilly). L'homogénéisation est réputée très efficace pour affiner une préémulsion car elle procure un cisaillement extrêmement important, mais aussi un échauffement notable. Au contraire, l'émulsification par microfiltration ne met en jeu qu'un cisaillement faible et contrôlé puisqu'il correspond à l'entraînement, par la phase continue des gouttelettes de phase dispersée sortant des pores de la membrane. Les émulsions ont été foisonnées par un système rotor/stator à dents. Les facteurs étudiés lors de l'émulsification étaient le diamètre de pores de la membrane, 0.1 µm ou 0.5 µm, les flux respectifs de phase continue et de phase à disperser, et les types de stabilisants : la gélatine et un mélange d'hydrocolloides composé de xanthane, carraghénanes et guar. Les résultats montrent que le foisonnement est très sensible aux caractéristiques des émulsions; les émulsions fabriquées par microfiltration sur membrane de 0.1 µm ont des caractéristiques granulométriques et rhéologiques optimales pour un bon foisonnement ultérieur. En effet, même si ces émulsions ne sont pas aussi fines que celles fabriquées par homogénéisation hautes pressions, ceci sous-entend que l'aire interfaciale des globules gras est suffisamment peu élevée pour qu'il reste des protéines disponibles pour stabiliser les interfaces eau/air créées lors du foisonnement. Parmi ces émulsions foisonnées, celles qui proviennent d'émulsions stabilisées par des hydrocolloides manifestent des caractéristiques rhéologiques et des tailles de bulles telles qu'elles sont très fermes et stables. Ceci montre que le procédé d'émulsification par système à membrane représente une alternative sérieuse aux procédés traditionnels pour cette problématique