Design of the DIRECT-project: interventions to increase job resources and recovery opportunities to improve job-related health, well-being, and performance outcomes in nursing homes

Background Because of high demands at work, nurses are at high risk for occupational burnout and physical complaints. The presence of job resources (such as job autonomy or social support) and recovery opportunities could counteract the adverse effect of high job demands. However, it is still unclear how job resources and recovery opportunities can be translated into effective workplace interventions aiming to improve employee health, well-being, and performance-related outcomes. The aim of the current research project is developing and implementing interventions to optimize job resources and recovery opportunities, which may lead to improved health, well-being and performance of nurses. Methods/design The DIRECT-project (DIsc Risk Evaluating Controlled Trial) is a longitudinal, quasi-experimental field study. Nursing home staff of 4 intervention wards and 4 comparison wards will be involved. Based on the results of a base-line survey, interventions will be implemented to optimize job resources and recovery opportunities. After 12 and 24 month the effect of the interventions will be investigated with follow-up surveys. Additionally, a process evaluation will be conducted to map factors that either stimulated or hindered successful implementation as well as the effectiveness of the interventions. Discussion The DIRECT-project fulfils a strong need for intervention research in the field of work, stress, performance, and health. The results could reveal (1) how interventions can be tailored to optimize job resources and recovery opportunities, in order to counteract job demands, and (2) what the effects of these interventions will be on health, well-being, and performance of nursing staff

A922 Sequential measurement of 1 hour creatinine clearance (1-CRCL) in critically ill patients at risk of acute kidney injury (AKI)

Meeting abstrac

Impact of primary kidney disease on the effects of empagliflozin in patients with chronic kidney disease: secondary analyses of the EMPA-KIDNEY trial

Background: The EMPA KIDNEY trial showed that empagliflozin reduced the risk of the primary composite outcome of kidney disease progression or cardiovascular death in patients with chronic kidney disease mainly through slowing progression. We aimed to assess how effects of empagliflozin might differ by primary kidney disease across its broad population. Methods: EMPA-KIDNEY, a randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial, was conducted at 241 centres in eight countries (Canada, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the UK, and the USA). Patients were eligible if their estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was 20 to less than 45 mL/min per 1·73 m2, or 45 to less than 90 mL/min per 1·73 m2 with a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) of 200 mg/g or higher at screening. They were randomly assigned (1:1) to 10 mg oral empagliflozin once daily or matching placebo. Effects on kidney disease progression (defined as a sustained ≥40% eGFR decline from randomisation, end-stage kidney disease, a sustained eGFR below 10 mL/min per 1·73 m2, or death from kidney failure) were assessed using prespecified Cox models, and eGFR slope analyses used shared parameter models. Subgroup comparisons were performed by including relevant interaction terms in models. EMPA-KIDNEY is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03594110. Findings: Between May 15, 2019, and April 16, 2021, 6609 participants were randomly assigned and followed up for a median of 2·0 years (IQR 1·5–2·4). Prespecified subgroupings by primary kidney disease included 2057 (31·1%) participants with diabetic kidney disease, 1669 (25·3%) with glomerular disease, 1445 (21·9%) with hypertensive or renovascular disease, and 1438 (21·8%) with other or unknown causes. Kidney disease progression occurred in 384 (11·6%) of 3304 patients in the empagliflozin group and 504 (15·2%) of 3305 patients in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·71 [95% CI 0·62–0·81]), with no evidence that the relative effect size varied significantly by primary kidney disease (pheterogeneity=0·62). The between-group difference in chronic eGFR slopes (ie, from 2 months to final follow-up) was 1·37 mL/min per 1·73 m2 per year (95% CI 1·16–1·59), representing a 50% (42–58) reduction in the rate of chronic eGFR decline. This relative effect of empagliflozin on chronic eGFR slope was similar in analyses by different primary kidney diseases, including in explorations by type of glomerular disease and diabetes (p values for heterogeneity all >0·1). Interpretation: In a broad range of patients with chronic kidney disease at risk of progression, including a wide range of non-diabetic causes of chronic kidney disease, empagliflozin reduced risk of kidney disease progression. Relative effect sizes were broadly similar irrespective of the cause of primary kidney disease, suggesting that SGLT2 inhibitors should be part of a standard of care to minimise risk of kidney failure in chronic kidney disease. Funding: Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, and UK Medical Research Council

Large-Diameter Carbon Nanotube Transparent Conductor Overcoming Performance–Yield Tradeoff

Funding Information: Q.Z. and J.‐S.N. contributed equally to this work. The authors thank A. Sutorius for samples collection and Dr. J. D. Faveri for proof reading. This work made use of the Aalto University Nanomicroscopy Center (Aalto‐NMC) premises. Aalto NanoFab (Micronova) cleanroom resources are greatly appreciated. This work was supported by the Academy of Finland (Grant Numbers‐286546, 292600, 316572, 321443, and 328942), the National Research Foundation of Korea for Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) Korea (Grant Numbers, NRF2021R1C1C1009200, NRF‐2020R1A6A3A13075717, and NRF‐2018R1A5A1025594), JSPS KAKENHI (Grant Numbers‐JP18H05329 and JP20H00220), and JST CREST Japan (Grant Number‐JPMJCR20B5). This research was supported by 2020 BK21 FOUR Program of Pusan National University. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Authors. Advanced Functional Materials published by Wiley-VCH GmbHThe floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition (FCCVD) method for producing single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) has demonstrated great potential in transparent conductive film (TCF) application. In FCCVD, reducing the concentration of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is a well-agreed method of improving the conductivity of SWNT TCF, achieved by producing thinner and longer CNT bundles. However, this method decreases the yield dramatically, which has persisted throughout the TCF development. Here, the production of large-diameter double-walled CNT (DWNT) TCFs via FCCVD is reported, which overcomes the tradeoff between performance and yield. These TCFs of DWNTs with an average diameter of approximate to 4 nm have a low sheet resistance of 35 omega sq(-1) at 90% transmittance. The conductivity here aligns with the best-performing SWNT TCFs reported to date, showing a production yield greater than two orders of magnitude. The main factor contributing to the high performance and yield is considered to be the large tubediameter, which greatly improves the yield threshold of CNT bundling and leads to long tube length and unique junctions broadening. Moreover, the application of DWNT TCFs in perovskite solar cells exhibits a power conversion efficiency of 17.4%, which has not been reported yet in indium-free CNT-based solar cells.Peer reviewe

FarR, a putative regulator of amino acid metabolism in Corynebacterium glutamicum

Haenssler E, Mueller T, Jessberger N, et al. FarR, a putative regulator of amino acid metabolism in Corynebacterium glutamicum. APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY. 2007;76(3):625-632.With the publication of the Corynebacterium glutamicum genome sequence, a global characterization of genes controlled by functionally uncharacterized transcriptional regulators became possible. We used DNA microarrays in combination with gel retardation experiments to study gene regulation by FarR, a HutC/FarR-type regulator of the GntR family. Based on our results, FarR seems to be involved in the regulation of amino acid biosynthesis in C. glutamicum. Especially, transcript levels of the arg cluster and the gdh gene are influenced by deletion of farR