Wellbeing in the workplace: a comprehensive model and best-practices from top-employers: adaption of PERMA(H)

Purpose - Leadership plays an essential part in providing direction, guidance and an encouraging environment. A key goal of leadership is the wellbeing of employees. Seligman’s recent PERMA model is one of the first comprehensive approaches to describe wellbeing (in the private sphere). The purpose of this project is to adapt this model to a corporate context and to validate with best practises from distinguished companies. Since the professional dynamics are more complex than the private environment, the model will be further differentiated in order to cover all aspects that enable employees to flourish at the workplace. Design/methodology/approach - The chosen research method consists of a comprehensive literature review capturing a broader perspective as well as gaining a thorough understanding. Furthermore, interviews were conducted with seven employers that have been rated as top place to work at. Findings – The research reveals that the PERMAH model appears to be a good base to describe wellbeing in general, and experts continuously improve it. Furthermore, the overlap between the adapted model in the first part of the paper and the outcomes from the expert interviews is remarkable. This already shows a certain validity of the adapted model. Conclusion – Apart from personal resources, the influence of the structural/organizational framework of a company, as well as the experienced and lived leadership have the biggest impact on employee wellbeing at work. These two points of view have implications on aspects such as the companies’ feedback culture, a positive work environment, and many more.Propósito - A liderança desempenha um papel essencial no fornecimento de direcionamento, orientação e um ambiente encorajador. Um dos principais objetivos da liderança é o bem-estar dos funcionários. O recente modelo PERMAH da Seligman é uma das primeiras abordagens abrangentes para descrever o bem-estar (na esfera privada). O objetivo deste projeto é adaptar este modelo a um contexto corporativo. Uma vez que a dinâmica profissional é mais complexa do que o ambiente privado, o modelo será adaptado de modo a abranger todos os aspectos que permitem que os funcionários prosperem no local de trabalho. Design/metodologia/abordagem - O método de pesquisa escolhido consiste em uma revisão abrangente da literatura permitindo capturar uma perspectiva mais ampla, bem como ganhar uma compreensão completa sobre o tema. Foram realizadas entrevistas com sete empregadores classificados como melhores empresas para se trabalhar. Constatações - A pesquisa revela que o modelo PERMAH aparenta ser uma boa base para descrever o bem-estar em geral, e especialistas estão a melhorá-lo continuamente. Além disso, a sobreposição entre o modelo adaptado na primeira parte do artigo e os resultados das entrevistas com os especialistas é notável. Isso já mostra uma certa validade do modelo adaptado. Conclusão - Para além dos recursos pessoais, a influência do enquadramento estrutural/organizacional de uma empresa, bem como a experiência e maturidade da liderança têm o maior impacto no bem-estar dos colaboradores no trabalho. Estes dois pontos de vista têm implicações em aspectos como a cultura de feedback das empresas, um ambiente de trabalho positivo e muito mais

La trata de seres humanos. Estudio del fenómeno y de su regulación en el artículo 177 bis del Código Penal.

Máster Universitario en Abogacía Por la Universidad de la Lagun

Characterization of White Matter Hyperintensities in Large-Scale MRI-Studies

Background: White matter hyperintensities of presumed vascular origin (WMH) are a common finding in elderly people and a growing social malady in the aging western societies. As a manifestation of cerebral small vessel disease, WMH are considered to be a vascular contributor to various sequelae such as cognitive decline, dementia, depression, stroke as well as gait and balance problems. While pathophysiology and therapeutical options remain unclear, large-scale studies have improved the understanding of WMH, particularly by quantitative assessment of WMH. In this review, we aimed to provide an overview of the characteristics, research subjects and segmentation techniques of these studies.Methods: We performed a systematic review according to the PRISMA statement. One thousand one hundred and ninety-six potentially relevant articles were identified via PubMed search. Six further articles classified as relevant were added manually. After applying a catalog of exclusion criteria, remaining articles were read full-text and the following information was extracted into a standardized form: year of publication, sample size, mean age of subjects in the study, the cohort included, and segmentation details like the definition of WMH, the segmentation method, reference to methods papers as well as validation measurements.Results: Our search resulted in the inclusion and full-text review of 137 articles. One hundred and thirty-four of them belonged to 37 prospective cohort studies. Median sample size was 1,030 with no increase over the covered years. Eighty studies investigated in the association of WMH and risk factors. Most of them focussed on arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II and Apo E genotype and inflammatory markers. Sixty-three studies analyzed the association of WMH and secondary conditions like cognitive decline, mood disorder and brain atrophy. Studies applied various methods based on manual (3), semi-automated (57), and automated segmentation techniques (75). Only 18% of the articles referred to an explicit definition of WMH.Discussion: The review yielded a large number of studies engaged in WMH research. A remarkable variety of segmentation techniques was applied, and only a minority referred to a clear definition of WMH. Most addressed topics were risk factors and secondary clinical conditions. In conclusion, WMH research is a vivid field with a need for further standardization regarding definitions and used methods

Independent external validation of a stroke recurrence score in patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source

Abstract Background Embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) accounts for a substantial proportion of ischaemic strokes. A stroke recurrence score has been shown to predict the risk of recurrent stroke in patients with ESUS based on a combination of clinical and imaging features. This study aimed to externally validate the performance of the ESUS recurrence score using data from a randomized controlled trial. Methods The validation dataset consisted of eligible stroke patients with available magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data enrolled in the PreDAFIS sub-study of the MonDAFIS study. The score was calculated using three variables: age (1 point per decade after 35 years), presence of white matter hyperintensities (2 points), and multiterritorial ischaemic stroke (3 points). Patients were assigned to risk groups as described in the original publication. The model was evaluated using standard discrimination and calibration methods. Results Of the 1054 patients, 241 (22.9%) were classified as ESUS. Owing to insufficient MRI quality, three patients were excluded, leaving 238 patients (median age 65.5 years [IQR 20.75], 39% female) for analysis. Of these, 30 (13%) patients experienced recurrent ischaemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) during a follow-up period of 383 patient-years, corresponding to an incidence rate of 7.8 per 100 patient-years (95% CI 5.3–11.2). Patients with an ESUS recurrence score value of ≥ 7 had a 2.46 (hazard ratio (HR), 95% CI 1.02–5.93) times higher risk of stroke recurrence than patients with a score of 0–4. The cumulative probability of stroke recurrence in the low-(0–4), intermediate-(5–6), and high-risk group (≥ 7) was 9%, 13%, and 23%, respectively (log-rank test, χ2 = 4.2, p = 0.1). Conclusions This external validation of a published scoring system supports a threshold of ≥ 7 for identifying ESUS patients at high-risk of stroke recurrence. However, further adjustments may be required to improve the model’s performance in independent cohorts. The use of risk scores may be helpful in guiding extended diagnostics and further trials on secondary prevention in patients with ESUS. Trial registration: Clinical Trials, NCT02204267. Registered 30 July 2014, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02204267

Fermentative degradation of putrescine by new strictly anaerobic bacteria

Three strains of new strictly anaerobic, Grampositive, non-sporeforming bacteria were isolated from various anoxic sediment samples with putrescine as sole carbon and energy source. Optimal growth in carbonate-buffered defined medium occurred at 37~ at pH 7.2-7.6. The DNA base ratio of strain NorPutl was 29.6 _+ 1 mol% guanine plus cytosine. In addition to a surface layer and the eptidoglycan layer, the cell wall contained a second innermost layer with a periodic arrangement of subunits. All strains fermented putrescine to acetate, butyrate, and molecular hydrogen; the latter originated from both oxidative putrescine deamination and 4-aminobutyraldehyde oxidation. In defined mixed cultures with methanogens or homoacetogenic bacteria, methane or additional acetate were formed due to interspecies hydrogen transfer. Also 4-aminobutyrate and 4-hydroxybutyrate were fermented to acetate and butyrate, but no hydrogen was released from these substrates. No sugars, organic acids, other primary amines or amino acids were used as substrates. Neither sulfate, thiosulfate, sulfur, nitrate nor fumarate was reduced. Most of the enzymes involved in putrescine degradation could be demonstrated in cell-free extracts. A pathway of putrescine fermentation via 4-aminobutyrate and crotonyl- CoA with subsequent dismutation to acetate and butyrate is suggested

Credit Fluctuations and Lodging Firms: An Investigation of the Differing Capital Structures in the U.S. Lodging Industry

In the area of corporate finance, decisions regarding the constituents of overall capital structure are the most critical. These financing decisions are even more critical to lodging firms because of the unique nature of the industry. This study empirically investigates the effect of credit availability on the leverage of the lodging industry in the U.S. using multivariate analysis of variance. Three time points of differing credit availability (low, high, and average) were identified using the Case-Shiller home price index. Leverage, net leverage, and short-to-long-term debt ratios of large and small U.S. lodging firms were analyzed at these differing credit availability time points to assess any significant differences. Significant effects of credit availability were found on the leverage and net leverage of lodging firms, but no significant effect was found on the short- to long-term debt ratio of U.S. lodging firms. Interestingly, the leverage levels were found to be highest at the average availability of credit than when compared to the high and low availability of credit