Third European Quality of Life Survey – Quality of Life in Europe: Families in the Economic Crisis

[Excerpt] The European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS) provides a reliable picture of the living conditions and the social situation of Europeans before and during the economic crisis. But how has the crisis affected families with children? Children are more at risk of poverty or social exclusion than the overall population in a majority of countries; hence, it is important to understand how the crisis has affected households with children. This report describes the changing quality of life across the EU for different types of families with children and compares their living standards and social situation. Families are divided into two main groups: lone-parent families, working or not, and living alone or with relatives; couples with children, both dual and single earners, and again, living as a family unit or with other relatives. Potential patterns that may be related to different family policy approaches are identified by looking at differences between four groups of countries, classified on a spectrum from those with the most flexible family policies to those with the most traditional policies

Genomic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in a UK university identifies dynamics of transmission

AbstractUnderstanding SARS-CoV-2 transmission in higher education settings is important to limit spread between students, and into at-risk populations. In this study, we sequenced 482 SARS-CoV-2 isolates from the University of Cambridge from 5 October to 6 December 2020. We perform a detailed phylogenetic comparison with 972 isolates from the surrounding community, complemented with epidemiological and contact tracing data, to determine transmission dynamics. We observe limited viral introductions into the university; the majority of student cases were linked to a single genetic cluster, likely following social gatherings at a venue outside the university. We identify considerable onward transmission associated with student accommodation and courses; this was effectively contained using local infection control measures and following a national lockdown. Transmission clusters were largely segregated within the university or the community. Our study highlights key determinants of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and effective interventions in a higher education setting that will inform public health policy during pandemics.</jats:p

Experience of violence and attitudes of staff members towards coercion in psychiatric settings : observational study

Background. Among important dimensions related to the use of coercive measures, professionals’ attitude towards coercion is of particular interest. Little is known about how experiences of violence in the workplace might influence these attitudes. Aims. The present study aimed to investigate potential correlates of attitudes towards coercion, especially experiences of violence in the workplace. Method. Mental health professionals were contacted through an online survey to assess their attitudes towards coercion using the Staff Attitude to Coercion Scale (SACS). The three subscales of the SACS (critical, pragmatic and positive attitudes) were analysed in a multivariate multiple linear regression, using a set of covariates including experiences of violence in the workplace. We hypothesised that experience of violence in the workplace would correlate with less critical attitudes of staff members towards coercion. Results. A total of 423 professionals were included in the regression analysis. Age, professional category, feeling of insecurity, having witnessed or used coercion, and the emotional burden associated with coercive measures had a joint significant effect on the three SACS subscales. A feeling of insecurity, but not the experience of violence, was associated with a less critical, more positive appraisal of coercive measures. The emotional burden related to the use of coercion was associated with a more critical attitude. Conclusions. The present results highlight the importance of considering staff members’ training and well-being regarding their feelings of insecurity when addressing attitudes towards coercion. The experience of patients should be integrated into staff training and coercion reduction programmes.</p

Coordination of Growth Rate, Cell Cycle, Stress Response, and Metabolic Activity in Yeast

We studied the relationship between growth rate and genome-wide gene expression, cell cycle progression, and glucose metabolism in 36 steady-state continuous cultures limited by one of six different nutrients (glucose, ammonium, sulfate, phosphate, uracil, or leucine). The expression of more than one quarter of all yeast genes is linearly correlated with growth rate, independent of the limiting nutrient. The subset of negatively growth-correlated genes is most enriched for peroxisomal functions, whereas positively correlated genes mainly encode ribosomal functions. Many (not all) genes associated with stress response are strongly correlated with growth rate, as are genes that are periodically expressed under conditions of metabolic cycling. We confirmed a linear relationship between growth rate and the fraction of the cell population in the G0/G1 cell cycle phase, independent of limiting nutrient. Cultures limited by auxotrophic requirements wasted excess glucose, whereas those limited on phosphate, sulfate, or ammonia did not; this phenomenon (reminiscent of the “Warburg effect” in cancer cells) was confirmed in batch cultures. Using an aggregate of gene expression values, we predict (in both continuous and batch cultures) an “instantaneous growth rate.” This concept is useful in interpreting the system-level connections among growth rate, metabolism, stress, and the cell cycle