Gender differences in the association between nonstandard work schedules and work-family conflict: A mixed methods analysis in France

Objective: This study aims to examine the association between nonstandard work schedules and time-based work-family conflict (WFC) among employed parents. Taking a gender perspective, it further considers whether job and family resources mediates this association. Background: The recent increase in nonstandard work schedules has proportionally affected women more than men in various EU countries. Previous research has established a link between nonstandard work schedules and WFC. However, limited attention has been given to directly investigating time-based WFC and exploring the factors that drive gender-specific effects. Method: Employing a mixed methods design, we use cross-sectional data from a large-scale French Working Conditions survey and qualitative interviews with couples who work nonstandard schedules. Results: Quantitative findings demonstrate that nonstandard work schedules increase time-based work-family conflict for women more than men. Early morning and evening work disrupts socially valuable time for women, while weekend work negatively affects both genders. Lack of family support explains a significant portion of the association, with work schedule unpredictability being crucial for women. The qualitative findings shed light on the gender-specific generation of perceptions regarding time-based WFC among couples and the interaction of job and family resources in their daily lives. Conclusion: The findings suggest that a comprehensive understanding of the gendered interferences between family and work dynamics is vital for informing policy decisions, reducing gender inequalities, and enhancing workers' wellbeing. - Appendix: https://ubp.uni-bamberg.de/jfr/index.php/jfr/article/view/934/752Fragestellung: Die Untersuchung geht der Frage nach dem Zusammenhang zwischen atypischen Arbeitszeiten und zeitlichen Konflikten hinsichtlich der Vereinbarkeit von Beruf und Familie bei erwerbstätigen Eltern nach. Hintergrund: Der gegenwärtige Anstieg von Beschäftigungsverhältnissen mit atypischen Arbeitszeiten betrifft in verschiedenen EU-Ländern deutlich häufiger Frauen als Männer. In der vorliegenden Forschung wird ein Zusammenhang zwischen atypischen Arbeitsverhältnissen und Konflikten hinsichtlich der Vereinbarkeit von Beruf und Familie behauptet. Dabei wurde allerdings der Untersuchung direkt zeitbezogener Konflikte zwischen Beruf und Familie sowie den Faktoren, die geschlechtsspezifische Effekte nach sich ziehen, wenig Aufmerksamkeit geschenkt. Methode: Unser Mixed-Methods-Forschungsdesgin stützt sich auf Querschnittsdaten aus einer französischen Erhebung zu Arbeitsbedingungen sowie auf qualitative Interviews mit Paaren, in denen beide Partner einer Erwerbstätigkeit mit atypischen Arbeitszeiten nachgehen. Ergebnisse: Die quantitative Analyse belegt, dass atypische Arbeitszeiten Zeitkonflikte hinsichtlich der Vereinbarkeit von Beruf und Familie bei Frauen häufiger als bei Männern nach sich ziehen. Arbeit am frühen Morgen sowie am Abend reißt die für Frauen sozial wertvolle Zeit auseinander, während Wochenendarbeit für beide Geschlechter negative Auswirkungen hat. Ein Mangel an familiärer Unterstützung erklärt einen signifikanten Anteil des Zusammenhangs, wobei die Unvorhersehbarkeit der Arbeitszeiten für Frauen ausschlaggebend ist. Die Ergebnisse der qualitativen Analyse werfen ein Licht auf die geschlechtsspezifische Erzeugung von Wahrnehmungen bezüglich der Konflikte zwischen Beruf und Familie bei Paaren sowie der Wechselwirkung von arbeitsbezogenen und familialen Ressourcen in ihrem Alltag. Schlussfolgerung: Den Ergebnissen zufolge ist ein umfassendes Verständnis der geschlechtsspezifischen Interferenzen zwischen familiären und beruflichen Dynamiken für die politische Entscheidungsfindung unerlässlich, reduziert die Ungleichheiten zwischen den Geschlechtern und wirkt sich positiv auf das Wohlbefinden der Erwerbstätigen aus

In vitro modulation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen intermediate (ROI/RNI) production in Crassostrea gigas hemocytes

International audienceBivalve hemocyte competence has been measured by quantifying functional characteristics, including reactive oxygen intermediate (ROI) production after activation with zymosan or phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). However, untreated oyster hemocytes also produce ROI and RNI (reactive nitrogen intermediates) after bleeding even if not stimulated by zymosan or PMA. Extensive investigation of this parameter by flow cytometry showed that, in vitro, ROI/RNI production by untreated hemocytes maintained in seawater appeared to be independent of both bacterial burden in the serum and non-self particle phagocytosis. ROI/ RNI production in granulocytes was higher than in hyalinocytes and could be intensified when activated by zymosan but not by PMA. Both cell types used NADPH-oxidase- and NO-synthase-like pathways to produce these molecules; the NO-synthase pathway seemed relatively more dominant in hyalinocytes and NADPH-oxidase appeared more effective in granulocytes. These results provide new insights for interpreting the modulation of ROI/RNI production by untreated hemocytes shown by other studies, relative to environmental conditions or physiological status of the oysters

Quantifying contributions of chlorofluorocarbon banks to emissions and impacts on the ozone layer and climate

Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) banks from uses such as air conditioners or foams can be emitted after global production stops. Recent reports of unexpected emissions of CFC-11 raise the need to better quantify releases from these banks, and associated impacts on ozone depletion and climate change. Here we develop a Bayesian probabilistic model for CFC-11, 12, and 113 banks and their emissions, incorporating the broadest range of constraints to date. We find that bank sizes of CFC-11 and CFC-12 are larger than recent international scientific assessments suggested, and can account for much of current estimated CFC-11 and 12 emissions (with the exception of increased CFC-11 emissions after 2012). Left unrecovered, these CFC banks could delay Antarctic ozone hole recovery by about six years and contribute 9 billion metric tonnes of equivalent CO2 emission. Derived CFC-113 emissions are subject to uncertainty, but are much larger than expected, raising questions about its sources

Genetics of venous thrombosis: insights from a new genome wide association study

Background: Venous Thrombosis (VT) is a common multifactorial disease associated with a major public health burden. Genetics factors are known to contribute to the susceptibility of the disease but how many genes are involved and their contribution to VT risk still remain obscure. We aimed to identify genetic variants associated with VT risk. Methodology/Principal Findings: We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) based on 551,141 SNPs genotyped in 1,542 cases and 1,110 controls. Twelve SNPs reached the genome-wide significance level of 2.0×10−8 and encompassed four known VT-associated loci, ABO, F5, F11 and FGG. By means of haplotype analyses, we also provided novel arguments in favor of a role of HIVEP1, PROCR and STAB2, three loci recently hypothesized to participate in the susceptibility to VT. However, no novel VT-associated loci came out of our GWAS. Using a recently proposed statistical methodology, we also showed that common variants could explain about 35% of the genetic variance underlying VT susceptibility among which 3% could be attributable to the main identified VT loci. This analysis additionally suggested that the common variants left to be identified are not uniformly distributed across the genome and that chromosome 20, itself, could contribute to ∼7% of the total genetic variance. Conclusions/Significance: This study might also provide a valuable source of information to expand our understanding of biological mechanisms regulating quantitative biomarkers for VT

JAK inhibition in Aicardi-Goutières syndrome: a monocentric multidisciplinary real-world approach study

International audienceThe paradigm type I interferonopathy Aicardi-Goutières syndrome (AGS) is most typically characterized by severe neurological involvement. AGS is considered an immune-mediated disease, poorly responsive to conventional immunosuppression. Premised on a chronic enhancement of type I interferon signaling, JAK1/2 inhibition has been trialed in AGS, with clear improvements in cutaneous and systemic disease manifestations. Contrastingly, treatment efficacy at the level of the neurological system has been less conclusive. Here, we report our real-word approach study of JAK1/2 inhibition in 11 patients with AGS, providing extensive assessments of clinical and radiological status; interferon signaling, including in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF); and drug concentrations in blood and CSF. Over a median follow-up of 17 months, we observed a clear benefit of JAK1/2 inhibition on certain systemic features of AGS, and reproduced results reported using the AGS neurologic severity scale. In contrast, there was no change in other scales assessing neurological status; using the caregiver scale, only patient comfort, but no other domain of everyday-life care, was improved. Serious bacterial infections occurred in 4 out of the 11 patients. Overall, our data lead us to conclude that other approaches to treatment are urgently required for the neurologic features of AGS. We suggest that earlier diagnosis and adequate central nervous system penetration likely remain the major factors determining the efficacy of therapy in preventing irreversible brain damage, implying the importance of early and rapid genetic testing and the consideration of intrathecal drug delivery

Methods and tools to evaluate the availability of renewable energy sources

The recent statements of both the European Union and the US Presidency pushed in the direction of using renewable forms of energy, in order to act against climate changes induced by the growing concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. In this paper, a survey regarding methods and tools presently available to determine potential and exploitable energy in the most important renewable sectors (i.e., solar, wind, wave, biomass and geothermal energy) is presented. Moreover, challenges for each renewable resource are highlighted as well as the available tools that can help in evaluating the use of a mix of different sources

Small molecule compounds targeting the p53 pathway: are we finally making progress?

Loss of function of p53, either through mutations in the gene or through mutations to other members of the pathway that inactivate wild-type p53, remains a critically important aspect of human cancer development. As such, p53 remains the most commonly mutated gene in human cancer. For these reasons, pharmacologic activation of the p53 pathway has been a highly sought after, yet unachieved goal in developmental therapeutics. Recently progress has been made not only in the discovery of small molecules that target wild-type and mutant p53, but also in the initiation and completion of the first in-human clinical trials for several of these drugs. Here, we review the current literature of drugs that target wild-type and mutant p53 with a focus on small-molecule type compounds. We discuss common means of drug discovery and group them according to their common mechanisms of action. Lastly, we review the current status of the various drugs in the development process and identify newer areas of p53 tumor biology that may prove therapeutically useful

Application guide for omics approaches to cell signaling

Research in signal transduction aims to identify the functions of different signaling pathways in physiological and pathological states. Traditional techniques using biochemical, genetic or cell biological approaches have made important contributions to our understanding of cellular signaling. However, the single-gene approach does not take into account the full complexity of cell signaling. With the availability of omics techniques, great progress has been made in understanding signaling networks. Omics approaches can be classified into two categories: 'molecular profiling', including genomic, proteomic, post-translational modification and interactome profiling; and 'molecular perturbation', including genetic and functional perturbations

Status and Trends of Physical Activity Surveillance, Policy, and Research in 164 Countries: Findings From the Global Observatory for Physical Activity—GoPA! 2015 and 2020 Surveys

Background: Physical activity (PA) surveillance, policy, and research efforts need to be periodically appraised to gain insight into national and global capacities for PA promotion. The aim of this paper was to assess the status and trends in PA surveillance, policy, and research in 164 countries. Methods: We used data from the Global Observatory for Physical Activity (GoPA!) 2015 and 2020 surveys. Comprehensive searches were performed for each country to determine the level of development of their PA surveillance, policy, and research, and the findings were verified by the GoPA! Country Contacts. Trends were analyzed based on the data available for both survey years. Results: The global 5-year progress in all 3 indicators was modest, with most countries either improving or staying at the same level. PA surveillance, policy, and research improved or remained at a high level in 48.1%, 40.6%, and 42.1% of the countries, respectively. PA surveillance, policy, and research scores decreased or remained at a low level in 8.3%, 15.8%, and 28.6% of the countries, respectively. The highest capacity for PA promotion was found in Europe, the lowest in Africa and low- and lower-middle-income countries. Although a large percentage of the world’s population benefit from at least some PA policy, surveillance, and research efforts in their countries, 49.6 million people are without PA surveillance, 629.4 million people are without PA policy, and 108.7 million live in countries without any PA research output. A total of 6.3 billion people or 88.2% of the world’s population live in countries where PA promotion capacity should be significantly improved. Conclusion: Despite PA is essential for health, there are large inequalities between countries and world regions in their capacity to promote PA. Coordinated efforts are needed to reduce the inequalities and improve the global capacity for PA promotion

Impact of infection on proteome-wide glycosylation revealed by distinct signatures for bacterial and viral pathogens

Mechanisms of infection and pathogenesis have predominantly been studied based on differential gene or protein expression. Less is known about posttranslational modifications, which are essential for protein functional diversity. We applied an innovative glycoproteomics method to study the systemic proteome-wide glycosylation in response to infection. The protein site-specific glycosylation was characterized in plasma derived from well-defined controls and patients. We found 3862 unique features, of which we identified 463 distinct intact glycopeptides, that could be mapped to more than 30 different proteins. Statistical analyses were used to derive a glycopeptide signature that enabled significant differentiation between patients with a bacterial or viral infection. Furthermore, supported by a machine learning algorithm, we demonstrated the ability to identify the causative pathogens based on the distinctive host blood plasma glycopeptide signatures. These results illustrate that glycoproteomics holds enormous potential as an innovative approach to improve the interpretation of relevant biological changes in response to infection