Reduced Fluoroquinolone Susceptibility in Salmonella enterica Isolates from Travelers, Finland

We tested the fluoroquinolone susceptibility of 499 Salmonella enterica isolates collected from travelers returning to Finland during 2003–2007. Among isolates from travelers to Thailand and Malaysia, reduced fluoroquinolone susceptibility decreased from 65% to 22% (p = 0.002). All isolates showing nonclassical quinolone resistance were from travelers to these 2 countries

A survey on handling computationally expensive multiobjective optimization problems with evolutionary algorithms

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Springer Verlag via the DOI in this record.Evolutionary algorithms are widely used for solving multiobjective optimization problems but are often criticized because of a large number of function evaluations needed. Approximations, especially function approximations, also referred to as surrogates or metamodels are commonly used in the literature to reduce the computation time. This paper presents a survey of 45 different recent algorithms proposed in the literature between 2008 and 2016 to handle computationally expensive multiobjective optimization problems. Several algorithms are discussed based on what kind of an approximation such as problem, function or fitness approximation they use. Most emphasis is given to function approximation-based algorithms. We also compare these algorithms based on different criteria such as metamodeling technique and evolutionary algorithm used, type and dimensions of the problem solved, handling constraints, training time and the type of evolution control. Furthermore, we identify and discuss some promising elements and major issues among algorithms in the literature related to using an approximation and numerical settings used. In addition, we discuss selecting an algorithm to solve a given computationally expensive multiobjective optimization problem based on the dimensions in both objective and decision spaces and the computation budget available.The research of Tinkle Chugh was funded by the COMAS Doctoral Program (at the University of Jyväskylä) and FiDiPro Project DeCoMo (funded by Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation), and the research of Dr. Karthik Sindhya was funded by SIMPRO project funded by Tekes as well as DeCoMo

The relative importance of work-releated psychosocial factors in physician burnout

Background Identifying the most significant risk factors for physician burnout can help to define the priority areas for burnout prevention. However, not much is known about the relative importance of these risk factors. Aims This study was aimed to examine the relative importance of multiple work-related psychosocial factors in predicting burnout dimensions among physicians. Methods In a cross-sectional sample of 2423 Finnish physicians, dominance analysis was used to estimate the proportionate contribution of psychosocial factors to emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment. The psychosocial factors included job demands (time pressure, patient-related stress, lack of support, stress related to information systems, work-family conflict) and job resources (job control, team climate, organizational justice). Results Together, psychosocial factors explained 50% of the variance in emotional exhaustion, 24% in depersonalization and 11% in reduced professional efficacy. Time pressure was the most important predictor of emotional exhaustion (change in total variance explained Delta R-2 = 45%), and patient-related stress was the most important predictor of both depersonalization (Delta R-2 = 52%) and reduced professional accomplishment (Delta R-2 = 23%). Stress related to information systems was the least important predictor of the burnout dimensions (Delta R-2 = 1-2%). Conclusions Psychosocial factors in physicians' work are differently associated with the dimensions of burnout. Among the factors, the most significant correlates of burnout are job demands in the form of time pressure and patient-related stress.Peer reviewe

The Cross-Cultural Invariance of the Servant Leadership Survey: A Comparative Study across Eight Countries

This paper tests and confirms the cross-cultural equivalence of the Servant Leadership Survey (SLS) in eight countries and languages: The Netherlands, Portugal, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Spain, Turkey and Finland. A composite sample consisting of 5201 respondents from eight countries that all filled out the SLS was used. A three-step approach was adopted to test configural invariance, measurement equivalence, and structural equivalence. For the full 30-item version of the SLS, configural invariance and partial measurement equivalence were confirmed. Implications of these results for the use of the SLS within cross-cultural studies are discussed

ABBA regulates plasma-membrane and actin dynamics to promote radial glia extension

Radial glia play key roles in neuronal migration, axon guidance, and neurogenesis during development of the central nervous system. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating growth and morphology of these extended cells are unknown. We show that ABBA, a novel member of the IRSp53-MIM protein family, is enriched in different types of radial glia. ABBA binds ATP-actin monomers with high affinity and deforms PtdIns(4,5)P2-rich membranes in vitro through its WH2 and IM domains, respectively. In radial-glia-like C6-R cells, ABBA localises to the interface between the actin cytoskeleton and plasma membrane, and its depletion by RNAi led to defects in lamellipodial dynamics and process extension. Together, this study identifies ABBA as a novel regulator of actin and plasma membrane dynamics in radial glial cells, and provides evidence that membrane binding and deformation activity is critical for the cellular functions of IRSp53-MIM-ABBA family proteins

Professional Social Media Usage and Work Engagement Among Professionals in Finland Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic : Four-Wave Follow-Up Study

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has changed work life profoundly and concerns regarding the mental well-being of employees' have arisen. Organizations have made rapid digital advancements and have started to use new collaborative tools such as social media platforms overnight. Objective: Our study aimed to investigate how professional social media communication has affected work engagement before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of perceived social support, task resources, and psychological distress as predictors and moderators of work engagement. Methods: Nationally representative longitudinal survey data were collected in 2019-2020, and 965 respondents participated in all 4 surveys. Measures included work engagement, perceived social support and task resources, and psychological distress. The data were analyzed using a hybrid linear regression model. Results: Work engagement remained stable and only decreased in autumn 2020. Within-person changes in social media communication at work, social support, task resources, and psychological distress were all associated with work engagement. The negative association between psychological distress and work engagement was stronger in autumn 2020 than before the COVID-19 outbreak. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has exerted pressure on mental health at work. Fostering social support and task resources at work is important in maintaining work engagement. Social media communication could help maintain a supportive work environment.Peer reviewe

Burning questions in burnout research

Despite the fact that burnout has been around for almost half a century, various topics are still hotly debated. Although over one million publications appeared on the subject, scholars still do not agree about many issues. This chapter discusses these issues and attempts to take stock by answering six burning questions: (1) What is the nature of burnout?; (2) Is burnout also a medical diagnosis?; (3) How can burnout be assessed?; (4) Is there a burnout pandemic?; (5) Is burnout rooted in the person and the body?; and (6) Are burnout interventions successful? Not surprisingly, these questions can only be answered preliminary. However, directions for future research are proposed to overcome the paradox between the countless number of burnout publications on the one hand and the piecemeal and incomplete knowledge on the other. Overall, the chapter contributes to the ongoing debate on the nature of burnout by placing it on an empirical footing

Mental health by gender-specific occupational groups : Profiles, risks and dominance of predictors

Background: We defined gender-specific profiles of mental ill-health for the main occupational groups using three outcomes; antidepressant use, sickness absence (SA) due to depression, and suicides. We also examined which occupational groups had the highest risk of the outcomes, and compared the importance of their predictors. Methods: From a random register cohort of Finnish working age population, individuals in the six largest occupational groups in 2004 for men and women were included (N = 414 357). We used register data to define the first antidepressant purchase (i.e. use), the first long-term SA spell for depression, and suicide between Jan 1st 2005 and Dec 31st 2014. We assessed the risk of each outcome by occupational group with logistic regression models, and used dominance analysis to compare the relative importance of predictors. Results: In all six occupational groups for women, the prevalence of antidepressant use and SA for depression was higher than in the men's occupational groups. The opposite was observed for suicides. The risk of antidepressant use was lower, but the risk of suicide was 2-times higher among men in low vs. high-skilled occupations. Among women, a lower skill-level was associated with a higher risk of SA due to depression. Gender was the most important predictor of all outcomes. Limitations: We lacked information on history of medication use or health problems prior to follow-up. Conclusions: Gendered occupational status was an underlying factor explaining distinctive mental health profiles in the working population. Occupational class-dependent behavioural patterns related to mental health existed among men.Peer reviewe

Job boredom as an antecedent of four states of mental health : life satisfaction, positive functioning, anxiety, and depression symptoms among young employees – a latent change score approach

Background: Job boredom has been generally associated with poorer self-rated health but the evidence is mainly cross-sectional and there is a lack of a holistic mental health approach. We examined the temporal relationships between job boredom and mental health indicators of life satisfaction, positive functioning, anxiety, and depression symptoms. Methods: We analyzed a two-wave postal survey data of adults aged 23 to 34 that was collected from the Finnish working population between 2021 and 2022 (n = 513). Latent change score modelling was used to estimate the effects of prior levels of job boredom on subsequent changes in mental health indicators, and of prior levels of mental health indicators on subsequent changes in job boredom. Results: Job boredom was associated with subsequent decreases in life satisfaction and positive functioning and increases in anxiety and depression symptoms. Of these associations, job boredom was more strongly associated with changes in positive functioning and anxiety symptoms than with changes in life satisfaction. Conclusions: Our two-wave study suggests that job boredom, a motivational state of ill-being in the work domain, spills over into general mental health by decreasing life satisfaction and positive functioning and increasing anxiety and depression symptoms. Our findings contribute to the understanding of the potential detrimental effects of job boredom and its nomological network. From a practical perspective, workplaces are adviced to improve working conditions that mitigate job boredom and thus promote employees’ mental health.Peer reviewe

Overbenefitting, underbenefitting, and balanced : Different effort–reward profiles and their relationship with employee well-being, mental health, and job attitudes among young employees

We aimed to identify different, both balanced and imbalanced, effort–reward profiles and their relations to several indicators of employee well-being (work engagement, job satisfaction, job boredom, and burnout), mental health (positive functioning, life satisfaction, anxiety, and depression symptoms), and job attitudes (organizational identification and turnover intention). We examined data drawn randomly from Finnish population (n = 1,357) of young adults (23–34 years of age) collected in the summer of 2021 with quantitative methods. Latent profile analysis revealed three emerging groups in the data characterized by different combinations of efforts and rewards: underbenefitting (16%, high effort/low reward), overbenefitting (34%, low effort/high reward), and balanced employees (50%, same levels of efforts and rewards). Underbenefitting employees reported poorest employee well-being and mental health, and more negative job attitudes. In general, balanced employees fared slightly better than overbenefitting employees. Balanced employees experienced higher work engagement, life satisfaction, and less depression symptoms. The findings highlight the importance of balancing work efforts with sufficient rewards so that neither outweighs the other. This study suggests that the current effort–reward model would benefit from conceptualizing the previously ignored perspective of overbenefitting state and from considering professional development as one of the essential rewards at work.publishedVersionPeer reviewe