Musculoskeletal pain and effort-reward imbalance- a systematic review

BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal pain may be triggered by physical strains and psychosocial risk factors. The effort-reward imbalance model (ERI model) is a stress model which measures psychosocial factors in the working world. The question is whether workers with an effort-reward imbalance report musculoskeletal pain more frequently than those with no effort-reward imbalance. A systematic review using a best evidence synthesis approach was conducted to answer this question. METHODS: A literature search was conducted for the period from 1996 to 2012, using three databases (Pubmed, Embase and PsycINFO). The research criteria related to psychosocial, work-related stress as per the ERI model and to musculoskeletal pain. A quality score was developed using various quality criteria to assess the standard of the studies. The level of evidence was graded as in (Am J Ind Med 39:180–193, 2001). RESULTS: After applying the inclusion criteria, a total of 19 studies were included in the review: 15 cross-sectional studies, three prospective studies and one case–control study. 74% of all studies exhibited good methodological quality, 53% collected data using the original ERI questionnaire, and in 42% of the studies, there was adequate control for physical working conditions. Furthermore, different cut-off points were used to classify exposed and non-exposed individuals. On the basis of 13 studies with a positive, statistically significant association, a moderate level of evidence was inferred for the association between effort-reward imbalance and musculoskeletal pain. The evidence for a role of over-commitment and for its interaction with effort-reward imbalance was rated as inconclusive - on the basis of eight and five studies, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of the available evidence, no reliable conclusion may be drawn about any association between the psychosocial factors ascertained using the ERI model and musculoskeletal pain. Before a reliable statement can be made on the association between ERI and musculoskeletal pain, additional longitudinal studies must be performed - with a standardised method for recording and classifying exposure, as well as control of physical confounders. Appropriate preventive measures can then be specified

Notch in T-ALL: new players in a complex disease

T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive hematopoietic malignancy of thymocytes affecting preferentially children and adolescents. The disease is heterogeneous and characterized by a large set of chromosomal and genetic alterations that deregulate the growth of maturing thymocytes. The identification of activating point mutations in NOTCH1 in more then 50% of all T-ALL cases highlights the NOTCH1 cascade as a central player of T-ALL pathogenesis. In this review, we summarize and update more recent findings on the molecular mechanisms of T-ALL with a particular emphasis on the oncogenic properties of aberrant NOTCH1 signaling

BCL6 and BCoR gang up on Notch to regulate left-right patterning

In this issue of Developmental Cell, Sakano et al. describe a novel mechanism of how a key lymphocyte transcription factor crosstalks to Notch signaling during embryonic development and thereby selectively inhibits Notch-activated target genes to allow proper left-right patterning

eBooks für Fachwissenschaftler. Ein Testbericht zu aktuellen E-Readern

eBooks werden auch im wissenschaftlichen Bereich immer wichtiger. Verkaufszahlen, Erhebungen wie die des JISC oder der Bibliotheken bestätigen das Interesse der Nutzer an der direkten und ubiquitären Verfügbarkeit digitaler Publikationen. Entlang eines Fragenkatalogs wurden drei dedizierte E-Reader sowie das vielfach auch als Tablet-Computer bezeichnete iPad von Studierenden der Sozialwissenschaften daraufhin getestet, wie tauglich sie für den akademischen Arbeitsalltag sind. EBooks werden - so ein Ergebnis - in deutlicher Mehrheit nicht zum intensiven Lesen am Bildschirm genutzt, sondern dienen primär dem schnellen Nachschlagen von Informationen. Wichtige Basisfunktionen für die Arbeit mit dem Text werden bei den EReadern wenig benutzerfreundlich eingeschätzt, weiterverarbeitende Features vermisst. (Autorenreferat)eBooks are gaining ground in the academic world. According to the expanding growth of eBook sale figures as well as the surveys conducted by JISC or university libraries, we noticed that users expect direct and ubiquitous access to digital publications. Our user test investigates how eBooks performance on portable reading devices fit into academic workflow of aggregating and processing information. With detailed questionnaire dedicated E-Readers and iPad are tested by social science students. Finally based on the presented results of the user test, we take a look at the problems and challenges associated with the fields of the eBook publication. (author's abstract

Development of knowledge management systems on the basis of unified ontological knowledge base

Creation of knowledge management system on the basis of a united model of knowledge organisation described in the form of the system of ontologies supplement each other is suggested. The base organization ontology and a set of ontologies of knowledge fields are included in the system. The construction variant of such model of knowledge is described and structure of knowledge control system on its basis is suggested

Solid-Phase Extraction of Aquatic Organic Matter: Loading-Dependent Chemical Fractionation and Self-Assembly

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is an important component in marine and freshwater environments and plays a fundamental role in global biogeochemical cycles. In the past, optical and molecular-level analytical techniques evolved and improved our mechanistic understanding about DOM fluxes. For most molecular chemical techniques, sample desalting and enrichment is a prerequisite. Solid-phase extraction has been widely applied for concentrating and desalting DOM. The major aim of this study was to constrain the influence of sorbent loading on the composition of DOM extracts. Here, we show that increased loading resulted in reduced extraction efficiencies of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), fluorescence and absorbance, and polar organic substances. Loading-dependent optical and chemical fractionation induced by the altered adsorption characteristics of the sorbent surface (styrene divinylbenzene polymer) and increased multilayer adsorption (DOM self-assembly) can fundamentally affect biogeochemical interpretations, such as the source of organic matter. Online fluorescence monitoring of the permeate flow allowed to empirically model the extraction process and to assess the degree of variability introduced by changing the sorbent loading in the extraction procedure. Our study emphasizes that it is crucial for sample comparison to keep the relative DOC loading (DOCload [wt %]) on the sorbent always similar to avoid chemical fractionation

Stem cells living with a Notch

Notch signaling has been shown over the past few decades to play fundamental roles in a plethora of developmental processes in an evolutionarily conserved fashion. Notch-mediated cell-to-cell signaling is involved in many aspects of embryonic development and control of tissue homeostasis in a variety of adult tissues, and regulates stem cell maintenance, cell differentiation and cellular homeostasis. The focus of this Review is the role of Notch signaling in stem cells, comparing insights from flies, fish and mice to highlight similarities, as well as differences, between species, tissues and stem cell compartments

Zwischen Trend und Didaktik - Videos in der Hochschullehre

Im Diskurs über Hochschullehre kommt dem Medium Video aktuell nicht zuletzt aufgrund dessen Einbindung in relativ neuartigen Lehr-Lernszenarien – wie Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) oder der Inverted Classroom Methode – eine exponierte Stellung zu. In diesem Beitrag wird das Kernthema zunächst auf theoretischer Ebene umrissen und in ein didaktisches Rahmenmodell eingebettet. Anschließend erfolgen die Konkretisierung anhand des Fallbeispiels der Videodienste an der Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf (HHU), eine kritische Reflexion sowie Rückschlüsse auf die Rolle eines Medienzentrums bzw. beratender Stellen in diesem Kontext. 24.04.2014 | David B. Meinhard, Ute Clames & Tobias Koch (Düsseldorf