The impact of remuneration on staff motivation (The case of a bank branch)

Researchers and managers have created the concept of work motivation to better understand the operation of firms and organizations, as they recognize the need of creating this emotion in order to provide more effort. Managers began to place a greater emphasis on the social climate and the relationship between employees and their workplaces, i.e.the elements that motivate people to be more dedicated to their jobs. They were also interested in the salary practices that will be implemented in the firm in order to boost employee performance. The purpose of this research is to look into the role of salary as a motivator in a finance department. In fact, we conducted a questionnaire study of a sample of employees, concentrating on motivating factors and the value placed on pay (and its components). Pay is the most motivating element, along with other variables such as effective career management, training, recognition by superiors, and better working environment, according to the findings

Analyse ergonomique semi-quantitative des contraintes biomécaniques du rachis cervical parmi les opérateurs sur écran dans les établissements universitaires tunisiens

Introduction: évaluer les contraintes biomécaniques associées aux cervicalgies parmi les opérateurs sur écran. Méthodes: étude ergonomique réalisée au prés de 325 opérateurs sur écran dans 25 établissements de l’université du centre tunisien, basée sur une étude anthropométrique du poste du travail sur écran et une analyse semi-quantitative sur des enregistrements vidéo des activités des travailleurs conduits sur une période représentative de 30 minutes. Résultats: la prévalence des cervicalgies évaluée à 72,3%, a concerné une population de travailleurs qui exerçait avec un siège et un plan de travail inadaptés (84,6%) et un écran bas situé par rapport au regard horizontal (81,2%). L’analyse semi-quantitative par enregistrement vidéo du poste de travail a conclu que la nuque était maintenue en flexion franche de plus de 40 degrés sur 69% du temps global du travail. La flexion latérale a été visible sur 50,3% du temps de travail et la rotation droite ou gauche sur 57,4% du temps de travail. Ainsi, Les opérations de prise d’information de l’écran, de regard du clavier et de consultation des documents se sont dégagées comme les plus de contraignantes pour la nuque sur le plan gestuel et postural. Conclusion: nos résultats mettent en évidence l’importance des contraintes biomécaniques associées à la conception du poste de travail sur écran non conforme aux dimensions anthropométriques ergonomiquement recommandées. Ces contraintes sont associées à une prévalence élevée des cervicalgies traduisant la nécessité d’aménagement ergonomique de ces postes de travail pour prévenir ce fléau

): 24-30 ISSN 1948-5182 (online)

Abstract AIM: To assess the role of the major risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development in the western part of North Africa. METHODS: A multicenter case control study was conducted in Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria in collaboration with Pasteur Institutes in these countries. A total of 164 patients with HCC and 250 control subjects without hepatic diseases were included. Prevalences of HBsAg, anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) and diabetes were assessed. HCV and HBV genotyping were performed for anti-HCV and HBsAg positive patients. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 62 ± 10 years old for a 1.5 M:F sex ratio. Sixty percent of HCC patients were positive for anti-HCV and 17.9% for HBsAg. Diabetes was detected in 18% of cases. Odd ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were 32.0 (15.8 -65.0), 7.2 (3.2 -16.1) and 8.0 (3.1 -20.0) for anti-HCV, HBsAg and diabetes respectively. Multivariate analysis indicated that the three studied factors were independent. 1b HCV genotype and D HBV genotype were predominant in HCC patients. HCV was the only risk factor significantly associated with an excess of cirrhosis (90% vs 68% for all other risk factors collectively, P = 0.00168). Excessive alcohol consumption was reliably established for 19 (17.6%) cases among the 108 HCC patients for whom data is available. CONCLUSION: HCV and HBV infections and diabetes are the main determinants of HCC development in North Africa. An active surveillance and secondary prevention programs for patients with chronic hepatitis and nutrition-associated metabolic liver diseases are the most important steps to reduce the risk of HCC in the region

Rôle du facteur de transcription ZNF191 dans la régulation de l'expression du gène humain de la tyrosine hydroxylase

PARIS-BIUSJ-Thèses (751052125) / SudocPARIS-BIUSJ-Physique recherche (751052113) / SudocSudocFranceF

Monitoring inflammation in psychiatry: Caveats and advice

International audienc

Does cord blood leptin level mediate the association between neonatal body size and postnatal growth? Results from the EDEN mother–child cohort study

International audienceBackground: Leptin is potentially involved in the correction of early postnatal growth of infants having deviated from their genetic trajectory in utero.Aim: To analyse the potential mediating role of cord blood leptin level in the association between neonatal anthropometry and early postnatal growth in the mother-child EDEN cohort.Subjects and methods: We included term newborns with information on leptin, birth weight and length, and weight and length SD-score changes over the first 2 months. The Baron and Kenny method was used to quantify the mediation contribution of leptin in the association between neonatal anthropometry and postnatal growth, considering several confounders. Analyses were stratified to consider sexual dimorphism.Results: A 1 SD higher birth weight was associated with a lower 2-months weight variation of 0.27 (0.18; 0.36) SD and a 0.16 (0.06; 0.26) SD, in boys and girls, respectively. Leptin explained 20% and 25% of these associations, respectively. Leptin did not mediate the association between birth length and birth-to-2 months length variation.Conclusion: Our results suggest that cord blood leptin may not be involved in the negative association between birth length and postnatal length growth but may play a modest mediating role in early postnatal catch-up or catch-down in weight

Immune activity at birth and later psychopathology in childhood

Disruption of neurodevelopmental trajectories can alter brain circuitry and increase the risk of psychopathology later in life. While preclinical studies have demonstrated that the immune system and cytokines influence neurodevelopment, whether immune activity and in particular which cytokines at birth are associated with psychopathology remains poorly explored in children. We used data and biological samples from 869 mother-child pairs participating in the French mother-child cohort EDEN. As proxies for immune activity at birth, we measured the levels of 27 cytokines in umbilical cord blood sera (CBS). We then explored the association between CBS cytokine levels and five psychopathological dimensions assessed in 5-year-old children using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Five cytokines were positively associated with psychopathology: C-X-C motif chemokine Ligand (CXCL)10, interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-12p40 with emotional symptoms, C–C motif chemokine Ligand (CCL)11 with conduct problems, and CCL11, and IL-17A with peer relationships problems. In contrast, seven cytokines were negatively associated with psychopathology: IL-7, IL-15 and Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF)-β with emotional symptoms, CCL4 and IL-6 with conduct problems, CCL26 and IL-15 with peer relationships problems, and CCL26, IL-7, IL-15, and TNF-α with abnormal prosocial behavior. Without implying causation, these associations support the notion that cytokines influence neurodevelopment in humans and the risk of psychopathology later in life

Environ Res

Childhood internalizing disorders refer to inwardly focused negative behaviours such as anxiety, depression, and somatic complains. Interactions between psychosocial, genetic, and environmental risk factors adversely impact neurodevelopment and can contribute to internalizing disorders. While prenatal exposure to single endocrine disruptors (EDs) is associated with internalizing behaviours in infants, the associations with prenatal exposure to ED in mixture remain poorly addressed. In addition, the biological mediators of EDs in mixture effects on internalizing behaviours remain unexplored. EDs do not only interfere with endocrine function, but also with immune function and inflammatory processes. Based on this body of evidence, we hypothetised that inflammation at birth is a plausible biological pathway through which prenatal exposure to EDs in mixture could operate to influence offspring internalizing behaviours. Based on the EDEN birth cohort, we investigated whether exposure to a mixture of EDs increased the odds of internalizing disorders in 459 boy infants at age 3, and whether the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α measured at birth are mediators of this effect. To determine both the joint and individual associations of prenatal exposure to EDs with infant internalizing behaviours and the possible mediating role of cytokines, we used the counterfactual hierarchical Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR) regression-causal mediation analysis. We show that prenatal exposure to a complex mixture of EDs has limited effects on internalizing behaviours in boys at age 3. We also show that IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α are unlikely mediators or suppressors of ED mixture effects on internalizing behaviours in boys at age 3. Further studies on larger cohorts are warranted to refine the deleterious effects of EDs in mixtures on internalizing behaviours and identify possible mediating pathways