96 research outputs found
Economic Stress at Work: Its Impact over Absenteeism and Innovation
Economic stress has been recognized as a major threat to the well-being and performance of
workers, especially during times of global economic crisis. An interesting and relatively unexplored
research topic concerns the associations between economic stress and employee job outcomes such
as innovative behaviors, indispensable for business survival. The aim of the present study was to
investigate the relationship between economic stress, absenteeism and innovation. We considered
both a direct and a mediation hypothesis and hypothesized that economic stress can have a negative
influence on innovation directly and indirectly through increased absenteeism. A cross-sectional
study was performed during 2018 and 2019 in an Italian food factory. A sample of 578 employees
completed the Stress Questionnaire, the Janssen’s nine-item scale and a single-item regarding absenteeism. All relationships are supported by empirical data. As expected, the results indicated that
economic stress is negatively related to innovation and positively related to absenteeism, which, in
turn, plays a mediating role in the relationship between economic stress and innovative behavior.
Herewith, those employees with higher levels of economic stress show higher levels of absenteeism
contributing at the same time to a decrease in innovative behaviors. These findings show the importance of economic stress in understanding individual work outcomes and highlight the need to
promote adequate intervention programs
Economic stress at work: Its impact over absenteeism and innovation
Economic stress has been recognized as a major threat to the well-being and performance of
workers, especially during times of global economic crisis. An interesting and relatively unexplored
research topic concerns the associations between economic stress and employee job outcomes such
as innovative behaviors, indispensable for business survival. The aim of the present study was to
investigate the relationship between economic stress, absenteeism and innovation. We considered
both a direct and a mediation hypothesis and hypothesized that economic stress can have a negative
influence on innovation directly and indirectly through increased absenteeism. A cross-sectional
study was performed during 2018 and 2019 in an Italian food factory. A sample of 578 employees
completed the Stress Questionnaire, the Janssen’s nine-item scale and a single-item regarding absenteeism. All relationships are supported by empirical data. As expected, the results indicated that
economic stress is negatively related to innovation and positively related to absenteeism, which, in
turn, plays a mediating role in the relationship between economic stress and innovative behavior.
Herewith, those employees with higher levels of economic stress show higher levels of absenteeism
contributing at the same time to a decrease in innovative behaviors. These findings show the importance of economic stress in understanding individual work outcomes and highlight the need to
promote adequate intervention programs
IMPACT OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE ON PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AND PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS
Background: Physical exercise is one of the major features of human health, as it is involved in several physiological processes and related to major benefits in reducing body fat, myocardial infarction, hypertension and insulin resistance risk. Physical exercise also plays a positive role in achieving psychological well-being that can be defined as a state of happiness and serenity, with low levels of distress, overall good physical and mental health and outlook and a good quality of life.
Aim of the paper: To review the positive effects of physical activity on psychological well-being and its possible neurobiological underpinnings, as well as its impact on several neuropsychiatric disorders, such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia and some neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Methods: The PubMed, Scopus, Embase, PsycINFO and Google Scholar databases were searched for full text articles published in the latest thirty years on the benefits that physical activity exerts on psychological well-being.
Objectives: This study aims to identify the common and differential elements of the DLD (SLI) and LD through a quantitative and qualitative analysis.
Results: An impressive amount of data support the positive role of physical activity on psychological well-being and a large amount of research has focused on its beneficial effects in improving the symptoms of the main neuropsychiatric disorders, while highlighting its usefulness as an adjuvant option to psychopharmacological treatments and psychotherapy. In particular, exercise would deeply affect CNS morphology and function, through heterogeneous mechanisms including, amongst the others, the production of hormones, neurotransmitters and neurotrophins, the promotion of angiogenesis and neuroplasticity, and the regulation of gene expression.
Conclusion: Literature indicates that the promotion of physical activity may work like an adjunctive and/or augmentation strategy to enhance drugs or psychological treatments, or even as an alternative option in major depression
CHARACTERISTICS OF INTERNET USE AMONGST ITALIAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
Background: Problematic Internet use (PIU), that may be defined as the inability to control one’s use of Internet with negative consequences in daily life, is an emerging problem involving primarily, but not only young generations. Different studies have shown that students are particularly vulnerable to PIU. Given the paucity of information on PIU in our country, the aim of this paper was at investigating the characteristics of PIU amongst Italian University students.
Subjects and methods: A self-assessment questionnaire, referred by the acronym QUNT (“Questionario sull’Utilizzo delle Nuove Tecnologie”), composed by 101 items grouped together to identify a series of factors, was developed and sent through e-mail invitation to several students from three Italian Universities.
Results: The returned questionnaires were 3324, out of a total of 51,304 sent, with no difference between the two sexes. On the contrary, the distribution of the QUNT factors was different in the two sexes, in people living alone and in overweight subjects. Men resulted to be more involved in online recreational activities, whereas women seemed more attracted to instant messaging and generally to social networks. PIU was significantly more present in men than women. The comparisons of QUNT factor scores in the four BMI categories showed that the greater the BMI the greater the score of some factors.
Conclusions: The findings of the present study indicate that the use of Internet through new technologies may exceed its real utility amongst Italian university student, with some sex-related differences. Men seem more prone to use Internet for passing time and women for social relationships. Men are also at risk of developing PIU. Again, Internet use might be a basic vulnerability factor of increasing weight gain and obesity amongst young people
Response of the Cardiac Autonomic Control to Exposure to Nanoparticles and Noise: A Cross-Sectional Study of Airport Ground Staff
Airport activity causes the emission of particulate matter and noise, two environmental contaminants and potential health hazards, particularly for the personnel operating nearby taxiways. We explored the association between exposure to fine/ultrafine particles (UFPs) and noise with heart rate variability (HRV), an early indicator of cardiovascular autonomic response, among a sample of airport ground staff. Between May and June 2018, thirty-four male operators (mean age = 43 years and SD = 6.7) underwent personal monitoring of exposure to nanoparticles and noise, and HRV during their work activity. We conducted univariate and multivariate analysis to test the effect of UFP and noise exposure HRV. Total Lung Deposition Surface Area (LDSA) was significantly associated with a decrease in HRV Total Power and Triangular index (beta = -0.038 p = 0.016 and beta = -7.8 x 10(-5), p = 0.042, respectively). Noise peak level showed an opposite effect, which was significant for Total Power (beta = 153.03, p = 0.027), and for Triangular index (beta = 0.362, p = 0.035). Further investigation is warranted to clarify the effect of the concurrent exposure to UFPs and noise on early changes of cardiac autonomic regulation
Detection of recombinant human lactoferrin and lysozyme produced in a bitransgenic cow
Lactoferrin and lysozyme are 2 glycoproteins with
great antimicrobial activity, being part of the nonspecific
defensive system of human milk, though their use
in commercial products is difficult because human milk
is a limited source. Therefore, many investigations have
been carried out to produce those proteins in biological
systems, such as bacteria, yeasts, or plants. Mammals
seem to be more suitable as expression systems for
human proteins, however, especially for those that are
glycosylated. In the present study, we developed a bicistronic
commercial vector containing a goat β-casein
promoter and an internal ribosome entry site fragment
between the human lactoferrin and human lysozyme
genes to allow the introduction of both genes into bovine
adult fibroblasts in a single transfection. Embryos
were obtained by somatic cell nuclear transfer, and,
after 6 transferences to recipients, 3 pregnancies and 1
viable bitransgenic calf were obtained. The presence of
the vector was confirmed by fluorescent in situ hybridization
of skin cells. At 13 mo of life and after artificial
induction of lactation, both recombinant proteins were
found in the colostrum and milk of the bitransgenic
calf. Human lactoferrin concentration in the colostrum
was 0.0098 mg/mL and that in milk was 0.011 mg/mL;
human lysozyme concentration in the colostrum was
0.0022 mg/mL and that in milk was 0.0024 mg/mL. The
molar concentration of both human proteins revealed
no differences in protein production of the internal ribosome
entry site upstream and downstream protein.
The enzymatic activity of lysozyme in the transgenic
milk was comparable to that of human milk, being 6
and 10 times higher than that of bovine lysozyme presentin milk. This work represents an important step to
obtain multiple proteins or enhance single protein production
by using animal pharming and fewer regulatory
and antibiotic-resistant foreign sequences, allowing the
design of humanized milk with added biological value
for newborn nutrition and development. Transgenic
animals can offer a unique opportunity to the dairy industry,
providing starting materials suitable to develop
specific products with high added value.
Key words: bitransgenic cow, human lactoferrin,
ELISA, human lysozyme.Fil: Kaiser, German Gustavo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce. Grupo de Biotecnología de la Reproducción; ArgentinaFil: Mucci, Nicolas Crescencio. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce. Grupo de Biotecnología de la Reproducción; ArgentinaFil: Gonzalez, Vega. Universidad de Zaragoza. Facultad de Veterinaria. Tecnología de los Alimentos; EspañaFil: Sánchez, Lourdes. Universidad de Zaragoza. Facultad de Veterinaria. Tecnología de los Alimentos; EspañaFil: Parrón, José Antonio. Universidad de Zaragoza. Facultad de Veterinaria. Tecnología de los Alimentos; EspañaFil: Pérez, María Dolores. Universidad de Zaragoza. Facultad de Veterinaria. Tecnología de los Alimentos; EspañaFil: Calvo, Miguel. Universidad de Zaragoza. Facultad de Veterinaria. Tecnología de los Alimentos; EspañaFil: Aller Atucha, Juan Florencio. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce. Grupo de Biotecnología de la Reproducción; ArgentinaFil: Hozbor, Federico Andres. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce. Grupo de Biotecnología de la Reproducción; ArgentinaFil: Mutto, Adrián Angel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas; Argentin
Are anxious and mixed depression two sides of the same coin? Similarities and differences in patients with bipolar I, II and unipolar disorders
Radiation-Induced Cerebro-Ophthalmic Effectsin Humans
: Exposure to ionizing radiation (IR) could affect the human brain and eyes leading to both
cognitive and visual impairments. The aim of this paper was to review and analyze the current
literature, and to comment on the ensuing findings in the light of our personal contributions in this
field. The review was carried out according to the PRISMA guidelines by searching PubMed, Scopus,
Embase, PsycINFO and Google Scholar English papers published from January 2000 to January
2020. The results showed that prenatally or childhood-exposed individuals are a particular target
group with a higher risk for possible radiation effects and neurodegenerative diseases. In adulthood
and medical/interventional radiologists, the most frequent IR-induced ophthalmic effects include
cataracts, glaucoma, optic neuropathy, retinopathy and angiopathy, sometimes associated with
specific neurocognitive deficits. According to available information that eye alterations may induce
or may be associated with brain dysfunctions and vice versa, we propose to label this relationship
“eye-brain axis”, as well as to deepen the diagnosis of eye pathologies as early and easily obtainable
markers of possible low dose IR-induced brain damage
Germline variation at 8q24 and prostate cancer risk in men of European ancestry
Chromosome 8q24 is a susceptibility locus for multiple cancers, including prostate cancer. Here we combine genetic data across the 8q24 susceptibility region from 71,535 prostate cancer cases and 52,935 controls of European ancestry to define the overall contribution of germline variation at 8q24 to prostate cancer risk. We identify 12 independent risk signals for prostate cancer (p < 4.28 × 10−15), including three risk variants that have yet to be reported. From a polygenic risk score (PRS) model, derived to assess the cumulative effect of risk variants at 8q24, men in the top 1% of the PRS have a 4-fold (95%CI = 3.62–4.40) greater risk compared to the population average. These 12 variants account for ~25% of what can be currently explained of the familial risk of prostate cancer by known genetic risk factors. These findings highlight the overwhelming contribution of germline variation at 8q24 on prostate cancer risk which has implications for population risk stratification
Fine-mapping of prostate cancer susceptibility loci in a large meta-analysis identifies candidate causal variants
Prostate cancer is a polygenic disease with a large heritable component. A number of common, low-penetrance prostate cancer risk loci have been identified through GWAS. Here we apply the Bayesian multivariate variable selection algorithm JAM to fine-map 84 prostate cancer susceptibility loci, using summary data from a large European ancestry meta-analysis. We observe evidence for multiple independent signals at 12 regions and 99 risk signals overall. Only 15 original GWAS tag SNPs remain among the catalogue of candidate variants identified; the remainder are replaced by more likely candidates. Biological annotation of our credible set of variants indicates significant enrichment within promoter and enhancer elements, and transcription factor-binding sites, including AR, ERG and FOXA1. In 40 regions at least one variant is colocalised with an eQTL in prostate cancer tissue. The refined set of candidate variants substantially increase the proportion of familial relative risk explained by these known susceptibility regions, which highlights the importance of fine-mapping studies and has implications for clinical risk profiling. © 2018 The Author(s).Prostate cancer is a polygenic disease with a large heritable component. A number of common, low-penetrance prostate cancer risk loci have been identified through GWAS. Here we apply the Bayesian multivariate variable selection algorithm JAM to fine-map 84 prostate cancer susceptibility loci, using summary data from a large European ancestry meta-analysis. We observe evidence for multiple independent signals at 12 regions and 99 risk signals overall. Only 15 original GWAS tag SNPs remain among the catalogue of candidate variants identified; the remainder are replaced by more likely candidates. Biological annotation of our credible set of variants indicates significant enrichment within promoter and enhancer elements, and transcription factor-binding sites, including AR, ERG and FOXA1. In 40 regions at least one variant is colocalised with an eQTL in prostate cancer tissue. The refined set of candidate variants substantially increase the proportion of familial relative risk explained by these known susceptibility regions, which highlights the importance of fine-mapping studies and has implications for clinical risk profiling. © 2018 The Author(s).Peer reviewe
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