Work stressors and their controllability : Content analysis of employee perceptions of hindrances to the flow of work in the health care sector

High levels of work stress are prevalent today, and the underlying working conditions need to be tackled urgently. In this study, our aim was to identify the range of factors that employees themselves perceive as hindrances to the flow of work, that is, hindrance stressors. We analysed the open-ended questionnaire responses of 4766 employees working in the health care sector using semi-automated content analysis. We then used more detailed conventional content analysis to compare the responses of the groups that reported high (n = 1388) and low (n = 833) levels of subjective stress. Finally, we interpreted and categorised the stressors raised by the respondents from the viewpoint of controllability, to shed light on where to target interventions. The main hindrance stressors reflected inadequate staffing, work overload, time pressure, and management-related issues, of which the responses revealed concrete examples. Interruptions and problems related to cooperation and instructions were also commonly mentioned. The respondents in the high stress group emphasised work overload and issues related to management and clients. Our results suggest that the major hindrances to daily work are beyond employees’ control and require decisions and resources at the level of supervisors, managers, directors, and policymakers. Future studies on work stress should explore the controllability of common stressors in more detail and include the appraisal of controllability in explanatory models. Avoiding overemphasis of psychological coping and instead targeting harmful working conditions and the organisational actors who can influence these could make workplace stress management interventions more effective.publishedVersionPeer reviewe

Concurrent changes in dental anxiety and smoking in parents of the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study

We evaluated associations between changes in dental anxiety and tobacco use, adjusted for general anxiety and depressive symptoms. The FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study data, collected at gestational weeks 14 and 34 and at 3 months postpartum, were used. Questionnaires included the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS), the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and the anxiety subscale of the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL). Smoking was categorized as "stable non-smoking", "started smoking", "quit smoking", and "stable smoking". Changes in smoking and dental anxiety were evaluated "during pregnancy" (i.e., from gestational week 14 to gestational week 34) in 2442 women and 1346 men and "after pregnancy" (i.e., from gestational week 34 to 3 months postpartum) in 2008 women and 1095 men. Changes were evaluated in three smoking categories (stable non-smoking, fluctuating, and stable smoking), using data from all three time-points (1979 women and 1049 men). Modeling used repeated measures analysis of covariance. Stable smoking mothers had statistically significantly higher levels of dental anxiety (mean MDAS 12.3-12.6) than non-smoking mothers (mean MDAS 10.1-10.7) or mothers who smoked at some point during pregnancy (mean MDAS 10.8-11.5). A similar tendency was observed in fathers. However, no systematic change in dental anxiety by changes in smoking habits was observed. Those smoking during pregnancy and with high dental anxiety may need special support for smoking cessation.Peer reviewe

Early prenatal alcohol exposure alters imprinted gene expression in placenta and embryo in a mouse model

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can harm the embryonic development and cause life-long consequences in offspring's health. To clarify the molecular mechanisms of PAE we have used a mouse model of early alcohol exposure, which is based on maternal ad libitum ingestion of 10% (v/v) ethanol for the first eight days of gestation (GD 0.5-8.5). Owing to the detected postnatal growth-restricted phenotype in the offspring of this mouse model and both prenatal and postnatal growth restriction in alcohol-exposed humans, we focused on imprinted genes Insulin-like growth factor 2 (Igf2), H19, Small Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein Polypeptide N (Snrpn) and Paternally expressed gene 3 (Peg3), which all are known to be involved in embryonic and placental growth and development. We studied the effects of alcohol on DNA methylation level at the Igf2/H19 imprinting control region (ICR), Igf2 differentially methylated region 1, Snrpn ICR and Peg3 ICR in 9.5 embryonic days old (E9.5) embryos and placentas by using MassARRAY EpiTYPER. To determine alcohol-induced alterations globally, we also examined methylation in long interspersed nuclear elements (Line-1) in E9.5 placentas. We did not observe any significant alcohol-induced changes in DNA methylation levels. We explored effects of PAE on gene expression of E9.5 embryos as well as E9.5 and E16.5 placentas by using quantitative PCR. The expression of growth promoter gene Igf2 was decreased in the alcohol-exposed E9.5 and E16.5 placentas. The expression of negative growth controller H19 was significantly increased in the alcohol exposed E9.5 embryos compared to controls, and conversely, a trend of decreased expression in alcohol-exposed E9.5 and E16.5 placentas were observed. Furthermore, increased Snrpn expression in alcohol-exposed E9.5 embryos was also detected. Our study indicates that albeit no alterations in the DNA methylation levels of studied sequences were detected by EpiTYPER, early PAE can affect the expression of imprinted genes in both developing embryo and placenta.Peer reviewe

Two independent evolutionary routes to Na+/H+ cotransport function in membrane pyrophosphatases.

Membrane-bound pyrophosphatases (mPPases) hydrolyze pyrophosphate (PPi) to transport H(+), Na(+) or both and help organisms to cope with stress conditions, such as high salinity or limiting nutrients. Recent elucidation of mPPase structure and identification of subfamilies that have fully or partially switched from Na(+) to H(+) pumping have established mPPases as versatile models for studying the principles governing the mechanism, specificity and evolution of cation transporters. In the present study, we constructed an accurate phylogenetic map of the interface of Na(+)-transporting PPases (Na(+)-PPases) and Na(+)- and H(+)-transporting PPases (Na(+),H(+)-PPases), which guided our experimental exploration of the variations in PPi hydrolysis and ion transport activities during evolution. Surprisingly, we identified two mPPase lineages that independently acquired physiologically significant Na(+) and H(+) cotransport function. Na(+),H(+)-PPases of the first lineage transport H(+) over an extended [Na(+)] range, but progressively lose H(+) transport efficiency at high [Na(+)]. In contrast, H(+)-transport by Na(+),H(+)-PPases of the second lineage is not inhibited by up to 100 mM Na(+) With the identification of Na(+),H(+)-PPase subtypes, the mPPases protein superfamily appears as a continuum, ranging from monospecific Na(+) transporters to transporters with tunable levels of Na(+) and H(+) cotransport and further to monospecific H(+) transporters. Our results lend credence to the concept that Na(+) and H(+) are transported by similar mechanisms, allowing the relative efficiencies of Na(+) and H(+) transport to be modulated by minor changes in protein structure during the course of adaptation to a changing environment. </p

Associations Between Self-Reported and Objectively Recorded Early Life Stress, FKBP5 Polymorphisms, and Depressive Symptoms in Midlife

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Cystathionine beta-Synthase (CBS) Domain-containing Pyrophosphatase as a Target for Diadenosine Polyphosphates in Bacteria

Among numerous proteins containing pairs of regulatory cystathionine beta-synthase (CBS) domains, family II pyrophosphatases (CBS-PPases) are unique in that they generally contain an additional DRTGG domain between the CBS domains. Adenine nucleotides bind to the CBS domains in CBS-PPases in a positively cooperative manner, resulting in enzyme inhibition (AMP or ADP) or activation (ATP). Here we show that linear P-1,P-n-diadenosine 5&#39;-polyphosphates (Ap(n)As, where n is the number of phosphate residues) bind with nanomolar affinity to DRTGG domain-containing CBS-PPases of Desulfitobacterium hafniense, Clostridium novyi, and Clostridium perfringens and increase their activity up to 30-, 5-, and 7-fold, respectively. Ap(4)A, Ap(5)A, and Ap(6)A bound noncooperatively and with similarly high affinities to CBS-PPases, whereas Ap(3)A bound in a positively cooperative manner and with lower affinity, like mononucleotides. All Ap(n)As abolished kinetic cooperativity (non-Michaelian behavior) of CBS-PPases. The enthalpy change and binding stoichiometry, as determined by isothermal calorimetry, were similar to 10 kcal/mol nucleotide and 1 mol/mol enzyme dimer for Ap(4)A and Ap(5)A but 5.5 kcal/mol and 2 mol/mol for Ap(3)A, AMP, ADP, and ATP, suggesting different binding modes for the two nucleotide groups. In contrast, Eggerthella lenta and Moorella thermoacetica CBS-PPases, which contain noDRTGG domain, were not affected by Ap(n)As and showed no enthalpy change, indicating the importance of the DTRGG domain for Ap(n)A binding. These findings suggest that Ap(n)As can control CBS-PPase activity and hence affect pyrophosphate level and biosynthetic activity in bacteria.</p

Viisi avausta aivotyöhön – Viisikko : Tutkimushankkeen loppuraportti

Viisikko-tutkimus piirtää tarkan kuvan kognitiivisista tekijöistä suomalaisessa työelämässä, erityisesti terveydenhuoltoalalla sekä eri alojen asiantuntija- ja toimistotyössä. Tulokset kuvaavat aivotyön arkea eli niitä erilaisia perusvaatimuksia, tehtävävaatimuksia ja olosuhteita, joita tiedolla työskentelyyn liittyy. Tulokset kertovat myös kognitiivisen kuormituksen merkityksestä työn tuottavuudelle, uupumukselle ja stressille. Uuden tiedon pohjalta työsuojelutoimijat, työterveyshuollon ammattilaiset ja työelämän asiantuntijat voivat perustella työpaikoilla, miksi kognitiivista kuormitusta on syytä hallita. Kuormituksen lähteet ovat moninaisia ja niitä on syytä selvittää työpaikkatasolla ja eri työrooleissa ja tehtävissä toimivien keskuudessa. Työn erilaiset vaatimukset vaativat erilaisia ratkaisuja, jotta aivotyö olisi sujuvaa ja sopivan kuormittavaa

Identification of a Novel Bacterial Outer Membrane Interleukin-1B-Binding Protein from Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans

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Longitudinal metabolic profiling of maternal obesity, gestational diabetes and hypertensive pregnancy disorders

Abstract Context: Comprehensive assessment of metabolism in maternal obesity and pregnancy disorders can provide information about the shared maternal-fetal milieu and give insight into both maternal long-term health and intergenerational transmission of disease burden. Objective: To assess levels, profiles, and change in the levels of metabolic measures during pregnancies complicated by obesity, gestational diabetes (GDM), or hypertensive disorders. Design, Setting and Participant: A secondary analysis of 2 study cohorts, PREDO and RADIEL, including 741 pregnant women. Main Outcome Measures: We assessed 225 metabolic measures by nuclear magnetic resonance in blood samples collected at median 13 [interquartile range (IQR) 12.4–13.7], 20 (IQR 19.3–23.0), and 28 (27.0–35.0) weeks of gestation. Results: Across all 3 time points women with obesity [body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30kg/m²] in comparison to normal weight (BMI 18.5–24.99 kg/m²) had significantly higher levels of most very-low-density lipoprotein-related measures, many fatty and most amino acids, and more adverse metabolic profiles. The change in the levels of most metabolic measures during pregnancy was smaller in obese than in normal weight women. GDM, preeclampsia, and chronic hypertension were associated with metabolic alterations similar to obesity. The associations of obesity held after adjustment for GDM and hypertensive disorders, but many of the associations with GDM and hypertensive disorders were rendered nonsignificant after adjustment for BMI and the other pregnancy disorders. Conclusions: This study shows that the pregnancy-related metabolic change is smaller in women with obesity, who display metabolic perturbations already in early pregnancy. Metabolic alterations of obesity and pregnancy disorders resembled each other suggesting a shared metabolic origin