Longitudinal Relationships Between Organizational Justice, Productivity Loss, and Sickness Absence Among Older Employees

Purpose The aim of this study was to assess whether organizational justice lowers productivity loss and sickness absence, and whether there are reverse effects of productivity loss and sickness absence on organizational justice.Method A longitudinal study with 2 years of follow-up was conducted among employed persons aged 45–64 years from the Study on Transitions in Employment, Ability and Motivation (STREAM). Participants (N = 7011) yearly filled out an online questionnaire. Structural equation modeling in LISREL was conducted to assess the longitudinal relation-ships between distributive justice of salary, distributive justice of appreciation, procedural justice, productivity loss, and sick-ness absence. Results Both distributive justice of appreciation and procedur-al justice contributed to lower productivity loss and lower sickness absence at 1-year follow-up. Productivity loss in-creased perceptions of distributive justice of appreciation at 1-year follow-up, whereas sickness absence lowered both per-ceptions of distributive justice of appreciation and procedural justice at follow-up. Conclusion Improving organizational justice lowers the risk of productivity loss and sickness absence and may be a useful tool to improve the productivity of organizations

Adaptation to Chronic Nutritional Stress Leads to Reduced Dependence on Microbiota in <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i>.

Numerous studies have shown that animal nutrition is tightly linked to gut microbiota, especially under nutritional stress. In &lt;i&gt;Drosophila melanogaster&lt;/i&gt; , microbiota are known to promote juvenile growth, development, and survival on poor diets, mainly through enhanced digestion leading to changes in hormonal signaling. Here, we show that this reliance on microbiota is greatly reduced in replicated &lt;i&gt;Drosophila&lt;/i&gt; populations that became genetically adapted to a poor larval diet in the course of over 170 generations of experimental evolution. Protein and polysaccharide digestion in these poor-diet-adapted populations became much less dependent on colonization with microbiota. This was accompanied by changes in expression levels of dFOXO transcription factor, a key regulator of cell growth and survival, and many of its targets. These evolutionary changes in the expression of dFOXO targets to a large degree mimic the response of the same genes to microbiota, suggesting that the evolutionary adaptation to poor diet acted on mechanisms that normally mediate the response to microbiota. Our study suggests that some metazoans have retained the evolutionary potential to adapt their physiology such that association with microbiota may become optional rather than essential. &lt;b&gt;IMPORTANCE&lt;/b&gt; Animals depend on gut microbiota for various metabolic tasks, particularly under conditions of nutritional stress, a relationship usually regarded as an inherent aspect of animal physiology. Here, we use experimental evolution in fly populations to show that the degree of host dependence on microbiota can substantially and rapidly change as the host population evolves in response to poor diet. Our results suggest that, although microbiota may initially greatly facilitate coping with suboptimal diets, chronic nutritional stress experienced over multiple generations leads to evolutionary adaptation in physiology and gut digestive properties that reduces dependence on the microbiota for growth and survival. Thus, despite its ancient evolutionary history, the reliance of animal hosts on their microbial partners can be surprisingly flexible and may be relaxed by short-term evolution

Transcriptome analysis of the mobile genome ICEclc in Pseudomonas knackmussii B13

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Integrative and conjugative elements (ICE) form a diverse group of DNA elements that are integrated in the chromosome of the bacterial host, but can occasionally excise and horizontally transfer to a new host cell. ICE come in different families, typically with a conserved core for functions controlling the element's behavior and a variable region providing auxiliary functions to the host. The ICE<it>clc </it>element of <it>Pseudomonas knackmussii </it>strain B13 is representative for a large family of chromosomal islands detected by genome sequencing approaches. It provides the host with the capacity to degrade chloroaromatics and 2-aminophenol.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Here we study the transcriptional organization of the ICE<it>clc </it>core region. By northern hybridizations, reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Rapid Amplification of cDNA Ends (5'-RACE) fifteen transcripts were mapped in the core region. The occurrence and location of those transcripts were further confirmed by hybridizing labeled cDNA to a semi-tiling micro-array probing both strands of the ICE<it>clc </it>core region. Dot blot and semi-tiling array hybridizations demonstrated most of the core transcripts to be upregulated during stationary phase on 3-chlorobenzoate, but not on succinate or glucose.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The transcription analysis of the ICE<it>clc </it>core region provides detailed insights in the mode of regulatory organization and will help to further understand the complex mode of behavior of this class of mobile elements. We conclude that ICE<it>clc </it>core transcription is concerted at a global level, more reminiscent of a phage program than of plasmid conjugation.</p

Transcriptome and membrane fatty acid analyses reveal different strategies for responding to permeating and non-permeating solutes in the bacterium Sphingomonas wittichii

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Sphingomonas wittichii strain RW1 can completely oxidize dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans, which are persistent contaminants of soils and sediments. For successful application in soil bioremediation systems, strain RW1 must cope with fluctuations in water availability, or water potential. Thus far, however, little is known about the adaptive strategies used by Sphingomonas bacteria to respond to changes in water potential. To improve our understanding, strain RW1 was perturbed with either the cell-permeating solute sodium chloride or the non-permeating solute polyethylene glycol with a molecular weight of 8000 (PEG8000). These solutes are assumed to simulate the solute and matric components of the total water potential, respectively. The responses to these perturbations were then assessed and compared using a combination of growth assays, transcriptome profiling, and membrane fatty acid analyses. RESULTS: Under conditions producing a similar decrease in water potential but without effect on growth rate, there was only a limited shared response to perturbation with sodium chloride or PEG8000. This shared response included the increased expression of genes involved with trehalose and exopolysaccharide biosynthesis and the reduced expression of genes involved with flagella biosynthesis. Mostly, the responses to perturbation with sodium chloride or PEG8000 were very different. Only sodium chloride triggered the increased expression of two ECF-type RNA polymerase sigma factors and the differential expression of many genes involved with outer membrane and amino acid metabolism. In contrast, only PEG8000 triggered the increased expression of a heat shock-type RNA polymerase sigma factor along with many genes involved with protein turnover and repair. Membrane fatty acid analyses further corroborated these differences. The degree of saturation of membrane fatty acids increased after perturbation with sodium chloride but had the opposite effect and decreased after perturbation with PEG8000. CONCLUSIONS: A combination of growth assays, transcriptome profiling, and membrane fatty acid analyses revealed that permeating and non-permeating solutes trigger different adaptive responses in strain RW1, suggesting these solutes affect cells in fundamentally different ways. Future work is now needed that connects these responses with the responses observed in more realistic scenarios of soil desiccation

The stochastic modelling of kleptoparasitism using a Markov process

Kleptoparasitism, the stealing of food items from other animals, is a common behaviour observed across a huge variety of species, and has been subjected to significant modelling effort. Most such modelling has been deterministic, effectively assuming an infinite population, although recently some important stochastic models have been developed. In particular the model of Yates and Broom (Stochastic models of kleptoparasitism. J. Theor. Biol. 248 (2007), 480–489) introduced a stochastic version following the original model of Ruxton and Moody (The ideal free distribution with kleptoparasitism. J. Theor. Biol. 186 (1997), 449–458), and whilst they generated results of interest, they did not solve the model explicitly. In this paper, building on methods used already by van der Meer and Smallegange (A stochastic version of the Beddington-DeAngelis functional response: Modelling interference for a finite number of predators. J. Animal Ecol. 78 (2009) 134–142) we give an exact solution to the distribution of the population over the states for the Yates and Broom model and investigate the effects of some key biological parameters, especially for small populations where stochastic models can be expected to differ most from their deterministic equivalents

Prospects for harnessing biocide resistance for bioremediation and detoxification

Prokaryotes in natural environments respond rapidly to high concentrations of chemicals and physical stresses. Exposure to anthropogenic toxic substancessuch as oil, chlorinated solvents, or antibioticsfavors the evolution of resistant phenotypes, some of which can use contaminants as an exclusive carbon source or as electron donors and acceptors. Microorganisms similarly adapt to extreme pH, metal, or osmotic stress. The metabolic plasticity of prokaryotes can thus be harnessed for bioremediation and can be exploited in a variety of ways, ranging from stimulated natural attenuation to bioaugmentation and from wastewater treatment to habitat restoration.We thank H. Stroo (Stroo Consulting) and C. Aziz (Ramboll) for providing photographs of bioaugmentation with OHRB, and H. Patzelt (Mazoon Environmental and Technological Services) for providing photographs of bioaugmentation with halophilic microorganisms. Funding: S.A., I.S.-A., and A.J.M.S. are supported by the Netherlands Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (project 024.002.002) and advanced ERC grant (project 323009). H.S. and S.A. were supported by a grant of BE-Basic-FES funds from the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs. H.S., J.R.v.d.M., and H.J.H. were supported by the European Commission (BACSIN, contract 211684; P4SB, contract 633962).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Hands4U:the effects of a multifaceted implementation strategy on hand eczema prevalence in a healthcare setting. Results of a randomized controlled trial

Background. Healthcare workers have an increased risk of developing hand eczema. A multifaceted implementation strategy was developed to implement a guideline to prevent hand eczema among healthcare workers.Objectives. To investigate the effects of the implementation strategy on self-reported hand eczema and preventive behaviour.Methods. A randomized controlled trial was performed. A total of 48 departments (n = 1649) were randomly allocated to the multifaceted implementation strategy or the control group. The strategy consisted of education, participatory working groups, and role models. Outcome measures were self-reported hand eczema and preventive behaviour. Data were collected at baseline, and 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of follow-up.Results. Participants in the intervention group were significantly more likely to report hand eczema [odds ratio (OR) 1.45; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03-2.04], and they reported significantly less hand washing (B, -0.38; 95% CI: -0.48 to -0.27), reported significantly more frequent use of a moisturizer (B, 0.30; 95% CI: 0.22-0.39) and were more likely to report wearing cotton undergloves (OR 6.33; 95% CI: 3.23-12.41) than participants in the control group 12 months after baseline.Conclusions. The strategy implemented can be used in practice, as it showed positive effects on preventive behaviour. More research is needed to investigate the unexpected effects on hand eczema.</p

Characterization of AIM2 DNA-Binding Properties and Filament Formation

High levels of thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) are a supposed risk factor for thrombosis. However, results from previous studies are conflicting.We assessed the absolute risk of venous and arterial thromboembolism in subjects with high TAFI levels (> 126 U/dl) versus subjects with normal levels, and the contribution of other concomitant thrombophilic defects. Relatives from four identical cohort studies in families with either deficiencies of antithrombin, protein C or protein S, prothrombin 202 1 OA, high factorVIII levels, or hyperhomocysteinemia were pooled. Probands were excluded. Of 1,940 relatives, 187 had high TAR levels. Annual incidences of venous thromboembolism were 0.23% in relatives with highTAFI levels versus 0.26% in relatives with normal TAFI levels (adjusted relative risk [RR] 0.8; 95% confidence interval [0], 0.5-1.3). For arterial thrombosis these were 0.3 1 % versus 0.23% (adjusted RR 1.4; 95% Cl, 0.9-2.2). High levels of factor VIII, IX and XI were observed more frequently in relatives with high TAR levels. Only high factor VIII levels were associated with an increased risk of venous and arterial thrombosis, independently of TAR levels. None of these concomitant defects showed interaction with high TAR levels. High TAR levels were not associated with an increased risk of venous and arterial thromboembolism in thrombophilic families

Genetic Risk and Atrial Fibrillation in Patients with Heart Failure

Aims: To study the association between an atrial fibrillation (AF) genetic risk score with prevalent AF and all-cause mortality in patients with heart failure. Methods and results: An AF genetic risk score was calculated in 3759 European ancestry individuals (1783 with sinus rhythm, 1976 with AF) from the BIOlogy Study to TAilored Treatment in Chronic Heart Failure (BIOSTAT-CHF) by summing 97 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) alleles (ranging from 0–2) weighted by the natural logarithm of the relative SNP risk from the latest AF genome-wide association study. Further, we assessed AF risk variance explained by additive SNP variation, and performance of clinical or genetic risk factors, and the combination in classifying AF prevalence. AF was classified as AF or atrial flutter (AFL) at baseline electrocardiogram and/or a history of AF or AFL. The genetic risk score was associated with AF after multivariable adjustment. Odds ratio for AF prevalence per 1-unit increase genetic risk score was 2.12 (95% confidence interval 1.84–2.45, P = 2.15 × 10−24) in the total cohort, 2.08 (1.72–2.50, P = 1.30 × 10−14) in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and 2.02 (1.37–2.99, P = 4.37 × 10−4) in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). AF-associated loci explained 22.9% of overall AF SNP heritability. Addition of the genetic risk score to clinical risk factors increased the C-index by 2.2% to 0.721. Conclusions: The AF genetic risk score was associated with increased AF prevalence in HFrEF and HFpEF. Genetic variation accounted for 22.9% of overall AF SNP heritability. Addition of genetic risk to clinical risk improved model performance in classifying AF prevalence