Effects of selection to resistance on newcastle disease in japanese quail

International audienc

The role of occupational and demographic factors in relation to work engagement in Polish sample of employees : initial study

Purpose: The aim of the present study is to analyze the differences in work engagement in terms of occupational groups (teachers, nurses, physicians, policemen, telesales operators, blue collar workers, employing in accounting/finance, sales representatives, welfare services/rehabilitation, office workers in public sector, and bank and IT employees), job position (managerial and non-managerial), age, and gender in Polish sample of employees. Methodology: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among 3186 employees representing different occupational groups. The measure was the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9) by Schaufeli and Bakker (2003). To examine differences in work engagement in terms of occupational group and age, one-way ANOVA and post-hoc tests (Tukey's HSD) were conducted. Differences in work engagement concerning job position and gender were performed using independent samples t tests. Findings: The findings indicated that employees differ in work engagement depending on studied factors. In terms of occupational group, the most engaged are sales representatives, welfare services/rehabilitation, and teachers, and least engaged - telesales operators and blue collar workers. Older employees (+50) appeared to be more engaged than youngers, as well managers in comparison to non-managers. While women reported higher level of absorption and dedication than men, but no gender differences were observed in regard to vigor. Implications: Results show that occupational factors, as profession and job position, as well demographic ones should not be ignored in relation to work engagement. Managers, in order to increase engagement among their subordinates should pay special attention to some groups of employees in terms of age, gender, and the occupation. Originality/value: The current study extends previous research by examining occupational and demographic differences in the level of work engagement. To the best of author's knowledge this is the first examination of this type conducted in such large sample among Polish employees

Próba oceny wpływu leczenia infliximabem na sprawność ruchową chorych z reumatoidalnym zapaleniem stawów : badania wstępne

Wstęp: W patogenezie reumatoidalnego zapalenia stawów (RZS) ważną rolę odgrywa czynnik martwicy guzów alfa (TNFa). Lekiem neutralizującym biologiczną aktywność TNFa jest infliximab (Remicade) Celem pracy było określenie dynamiki zmian sprawności ruchowej pacjentów chorych na RZS w trakcie leczenia infliximabem. Metodyka: Infliximab podawano w dawkach 3 mg/kg w postaci 2 godzinnego wlewu dożylnego przez 14 tygodni; początkowo stosowano infuzje co 2 tygodnie, następnie co 4 tygodnie. Grupę badawczą stanowiło 8 kobiet ze średnio zaawansowanym, lub zaawansowanym RZS (IIo i IIIo gr wg Steinbrockera) leczonych na Oddziale Reumatologii Szpitala im J Dietla w Krakowie. Średnia wartość CRP w surowicy tych chorych wynosiła 3,15 mg%, a OB 55,5 po 1 godz. Zakres ruchów badano za pomocą Mechanical Joint Score (MJS), oceniając ruchomość w stawach rąk, nadgarstkowych, oraz w stawach łokciowych, barkowych, biodrowych, kolanowych i skokowych. Oceniano siłę chwytu rąk przy pomocy mankietu do pomiaru ciśnień, oraz nasilenie procesu zapalnego, ból i sztywność stawów używając kwestionariuszy Western Ontario Mc Master University Index (WOMAC) oraz Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity Index (RADAI). Wyniki: Już po pierwszych 2 tygodniach leczenia nastąpiła istotna statystycznie poprawa sprawności ruchowej w stawach mierzona za pomocą MJS, oraz jakości życia mierzona kwestionariuszami RADAI i WOMAC. Wyraźnie zmniejszyły się dolegliwości bólowe i znaczącej poprawie uległa siła chwytu rąk. Zaobserwowano normalizację wartości CRP i OB. Największą poprawę wszystkich parametrów zaobserwowano po pierwszym wlewie infliximabu. W ciągu kolejnych tygodni poprawa postępowała znacznie wolniej. W 14 tygodniu leczenia stwierdzono wyraźne zaostrzenie procesu chorobowego, związane prawdopodobnie z dłuższym odstępem pomiędzy kolejnymi dawkami leku, nie osiągające jednak nasilenia takiego jak przed rozpoczęciem leczenia.Introduction: Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFa) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Infliximab (Remicade) is an agent with neutralising effects on the TNFa biological activity. The aim of the study was to assess the dynamics of changes in motor function of patients with RA during infliximab treatment. Methods: Infliximab was administered at doses of 3 mg/kg in a 2-hour intravenous infusion for 14 weeks; initially, the infusions were given every 2 weeks, subsequently every 4 weeks. Eight women at moderately advanced or advanced stages of RA (stages IIş and IIIş according to Steinbrocker Staging System) hospitalised in the Rheumatology Ward of the Józef Dietl Hospital in Cracow were enrolled in the study. Mean serum CRP level in these patients was 3.15 mg%, and the 1-hour sedimentation rate was 55.5. The range of motion was evaluated using the Mechanical Joint Score (MJS) via mobility assessment in the joints of the hands, wrists, and in the elbow, shoulder, hip, knee and ankle joints. Grasp force of the hands was assessed by means of a sphygmomanometer cuff, and the intensity of the inflammatory process, pain and joint stiffness using the questionnaires Western Ontario Mc Master University Index (WOMAC) and Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity Index (RADAI). Results: Statistically significant improvement in the motor function of the joints assessed using MJS and in the quality of life measured by means of RADAI and WOMAC occurred as early as after 2 weeks of the therapy. Pain was markedly alleviated and the grasp force of the hands significantly improved. Normalisation of the CRP concentration and the sedimentaion rate was observed. The most pronounced improvement of all parameters was demonstrated after the first infliximab infusion. During the subsequent weeks, the improvement was significantly slower. In the 14th week of treatment, a marked exacerbation of the disease, yet not exceeding the pre-treatment intensity, was noted, likely due to the increased interval between the successive doses of the preparation. Conclusions: Administration of infliximab in patients with RA induces a quick and significant improvement in patients’ motor function; however, beneficial effects of this agent were attenuated during the subsequent phases of infliximab therapy. This effect may have been caused by the reduction of administration frequency of the preparation (initially every 2 weeks, then every 4 weeks). Therapy-associated occurrence of infliximab-neutralising antibodies resulting in a reduced efficacy of the treatment with this agent cannot be excluded either

Work-related factors and age as determinants of three burnout dimensions among Polish hospital nurses

The aim of the current study was to investigate which of the examined work-related factors was regarded as the most demanded and stimulating in nurses’ job, and which of the age-related factors were the predictors of the three burnout dimensions: emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and reduced personal accomplishment (rPA). This study was structured as a cross-sectional project, and the data were gathered using ananonymous questionnaires in 4 hospitals in Poland. The sample consisted of 237 nurses. According to the nurses studied, the most strained factors in their job were low salaries and current bad situation of the Polish health service, and the most stimulating– working in the pleasant atmosphere and patients’ satisfaction. The highest score of emotional exhaustion and reduced personal accomplishment were characteristic of nurses above 40 years of age. Burnout syndrome was predicted by socio-organization environment requirements (EE, DP), sensory and mental task requirements (EE), organizational conditions (EE, rPA), job control (DP), social/communication condition (DP, rPA), and age (EE)

Transnational Corporations in the World Economy: Formation, Development and Present Position

The following article attempts to answer the question about the role transnational corporations (TNCs) play in the modern world. The issues discussed in this article have been presented in two main parts. The first part focuses on the world’s largest TNCs according to the following criteria: the value of the revenues, market capitalization and foreign assets. The discussion in the second part focuses on defining the role that transnational corporations play in the world economy. A number of different characteristics reflecting the economic potential of TNCs have been used in this article such as: asset value, employment rate, sales volume and research and development potential, which are linked to selected parameters describing the volume of international production. The analysis of TNC development and their present position has been presented from a historical perspective, which made it possible to identify the conditions of as well as the major changes in the process of enterprise internationalisation. The following article highlights the dynamic development of corporations in developing countries and the ever more common phenomenon of state-owned enterprises or enterprises with a state’s capital playing a role on the international stage

Perception of work environment among women and men : workload and autonomy in relation to job engagement

This article refers to the phenomenon of employee engagement as one of the key aspects of contemporary human resources management. The concept of professional engagement is a multi-dimensional approach relating to the positively understood effects of work, welfare of on employee, and optimization of the organization and its environment. Job engagement is believed to be strongly related to such processes as introduction of change in organizations, quality and performance issues, customer satisfaction or health, and effectiveness of people and organizations. Following the widely recognized in occupational health psychology model of Karasek (1979) and its further expansions, the authors of this article look upon work engagement as a subjective, psychological state of employees that emerges in certain circumstances, namely a “healthy” work environment. Following Karasek’s thinking it was hypothesised that perception of managable workload and sufficient autonomy will lead to the most required effects, such as higher levels of job engagement and its positive consequences. Thus, the specific purpose of this article is to investigate the way employees perceive their work environment in terms of workload and job autonomy in relation to job engagement. The empirical research was conducted from the perspective of the analysis of professional activity depending on the gender of respondents, limitations of social roles and the situation of women in Poland. The authors of the article conducted a questionnaire survey on a sample of 748 economically active persons, both women and men. The analyses showed statistically significantly higher levels of all three examined dimensions of job engagement (i.e. absorption, dedication, vigour) in women compared to men, together with a lower level of control (professional autonomy) declared by women. Control was a clear predictor of work engagement, to a similar extent in both men and women. In contrast, the relationship of workload with absorption, dedication and vigour proved to be variable and dependent on gender