Unfair Pay and Health: The Effects of Perceived Injustice of Earnings on Physical Health

While there is ample evidence that income inequalities influence individuals’ health status, the mechanisms behind this income inequality–health correlation are only partially understood. This study shows that inequalities evaluated on the basis of individual perceptions of injustice are a driving force behind this connection. Two main questions are addressed: Does perceiving one’s earnings as unfair affect physical health? Do such perceptions contribute to structural health inequalities? The hypotheses presented are based on the effort–reward imbalance model, according to which experiencing injustice causes stress, which can have a negative effect on individual health. Analyses of large-scale longitudinal data from the German Socio-Economic Panel of the years 2005–2010 show that female employees who perceive their earnings as unjustly low display significantly worse physical health, and that if employees perceive their earnings to be unjust for an extended period, this contributes to the deterioration of individual physical health in male and female employees. Employees from lower social classes, in particular unskilled blue-collar workers, more frequently perceive their earnings to be unjust. Experience of unjust earnings mediates the relationship between social class and physical health, if to a limited extent. Our conclusion is that differential exposure to unjust earnings contributes to the emergence of structural health inequalities

A IMPORTÂNCIA DOS REMANESCENTES NATURAIS DE ÁREAS PÚBLICAS E PARTICULARES PARA A CONSERVAÇÃO DAS AVES DO MUNICÍPIO DE SÃO PAULO, SUDESTE DO BRASIL

O município de São Paulo está entre as regiões mais conhecidas ornitologicamente do Brasil, devido a passagem de alguns naturalistas no século XIX e a criação de diferentes instituições e entidades de pesquisa. No entanto, muitas áreas naturais públicas e principalmente particulares continuam sem informações ornitológicas básicas ou ainda não tiveram os dados existentes organizados e analisados tecnicamente, prejudicando ações efetivas de conservação. Com base neste cenário, produzimos, organizamos e avaliamos dados ornitológicos de um período de 32 anos, de uma região da represa do Guarapiranga formada por áreas pública e particular, no sul da cidade de São Paulo, sudeste do Brasil. Foram consideradas 297 amostragens e 227 dias de campo. Foram registradas 207 espécies de aves, representando 55 famílias, das quais 26 são migratórias, com destaque para oito migrantes da América do Norte, 15 endêmicas da Mata Atlântica e duas ameaçadas de extinção. Os grupos mais representativos foram das aves florestais e de ambientes úmidos, devido a presença de um amplo fragmento florestal e diferentes ambientes localizados na margem da represa. Os dados de campo mostram a importância das áreas naturais públicas, fato bem conhecido, mas destacam a importância das áreas naturais particulares para as espécies de aves residentes, migratórias e vagantes, que ocorrem e utilizam a região sul do município de São Paulo. É preciso incentivar a realização de novos inventários ornitológicos de campo em áreas públicas e principalmente privadas na bacia do Guarapiranga, intensificar as ações de fiscalização contra a degradação ambiental causada pelas ocupações humanas ilegais e a captura de aves silvestres, além de ampliar os programas voltados a educação e conscientização ambiental dos moradores e visitantes da região

Technical report employer survey Project B3: Interactions between capabilities in work and private life

Pausch S, Harand J, Schunck R, Jacobebbinghaus P. Technical report employer survey Project B3: Interactions between capabilities in work and private life. SFB 882 Technical Report Series. Vol 4. Bielefeld: DFG Research Center (SFB) 882 From Heterogeneities to Inequalities; 2014

Technical report employer survey wave 2: Project B3 "Interactions Between Capabilities in Work and Private Life"

Reimann M, Pausch S, Diewald M, et al. Technical report employer survey wave 2: Project B3 "Interactions Between Capabilities in Work and Private Life". SFB 882 Technical Report Series. Vol 19. Bielefeld: DFG Research Center (SFB) 882 From Heterogeneities to Inequalities; 2015

Aerobic Microbial Respiration In Oceanic Oxygen Minimum Zones

Oxygen minimum zones are major sites of fixed nitrogen loss in the ocean. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of anaerobic ammonium oxidation, anammox, in pelagic nitrogen removal. Sources of ammonium for the anammox reaction, however, remain controversial, as heterotrophic denitrification and alternative anaerobic pathways of organic matter remineralization cannot account for the ammonium requirements of reported anammox rates. Here, we explore the significance of microaerobic respiration as a source of ammonium during organic matter degradation in the oxygen-deficient waters off Namibia and Peru. Experiments with additions of double-labelled oxygen revealed high aerobic activity in the upper OMZs, likely controlled by surface organic matter export. Consistently observed oxygen consumption in samples retrieved throughout the lower OMZs hints at efficient exploitation of vertically and laterally advected, oxygenated waters in this zone by aerobic microorganisms. In accordance, metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analyses identified genes encoding for aerobic terminal oxidases and demonstrated their expression by diverse microbial communities, even in virtually anoxic waters. Our results suggest that microaerobic respiration is a major mode of organic matter remineralization and source of ammonium (~45-100%) in the upper oxygen minimum zones, and reconcile hitherto observed mismatches between ammonium producing and consuming processes therein

Verknüpfung der LEEP-B3 Befragungsdaten mit administrativen IAB-Daten

Jacobebbinghaus P, Seth S, Diewald M, et al. Verknüpfung der LEEP-B3 Befragungsdaten mit administrativen IAB-Daten. SFB 882 Technical Report Series. Vol 14. Bielefeld: DFG Research Center (SFB) 882 From Heterogeneities to Inequalities; 2014

Linking LEEP-B3 Survey Data with Administrative IAB Data

Jacobebbinghaus P, Seth S, Diewald M, et al. Linking LEEP-B3 Survey Data with Administrative IAB Data. SFB 882 Technical Report Series. Vol 21. Bielefeld: DFG Research Center (SFB) 882 From Heterogeneities to Inequalities; 2015

Kinetics of maternal immunity against rabies in fox cubs (Vulpes vulpes)

BACKGROUND: In previous experiments, it was demonstrated that maternal antibodies (maAb) against rabies in foxes (Vulpes vulpes) were transferred from the vixen to her offspring. However, data was lacking from cubs during the first three weeks post partum. Therefore, this complementary study was initiated. METHODS: Blood samples (n = 281) were collected from 64 cubs (3 to 43 days old) whelped by 19 rabies-immune captive-bred vixens. Sera was collected up to six times from each cub. The samples were analysed by a fluorescence focus inhibition technique (RFFIT), and antibody titres (nAb) were expressed in IU/ml. The obtained data was pooled with previous data sets. Subsequently, a total of 499 serum samples from 249 cubs whelped by 54 rabies-immune vixens were fitted to a non-linear regression model. RESULTS: The disappearance rate of maAb was independent of the vixens' nAb-titre. The maAb-titre of the cubs decreased exponentially with age and the half-life of the maAb was estimated to be 9.34 days. However, maAb of offspring whelped by vixens with high nAb-titres can be detected for longer by RFFIT than that of offspring whelped by vixens with relatively low nAb-titres. At a mean critical age of about 23 days post partum, maAb could no longer be distinguished from unspecific reactions in RFFIT depending on the amount of maAb transferred by the mother. CONCLUSIONS: The amount of maAb cubs receive is directly proportional to the titre of the vixen and decreases exponentially with age below detectable levels in seroneutralisation tests at a relatively early age

Prevalence and factors associated with difficulty and intention to quit smoking in Switzerland

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Recent data indicate a slight decrease in the prevalence of smoking in Switzerland, but little is known regarding the intention and difficulty to quit smoking among current smokers. Hence, we aimed to quantify the difficulty and intention to quit smoking among current smokers in Switzerland. METHODS: Cross-sectional study including 607 female and 658 male smokers. Difficulty, intention and motivation to quit smoking were assessed by questionnaire. RESULTS: 90% of women and 85% of men reported being "very difficult" or "difficult" to quit smoking. Almost three quarters of smokers (73% of women and 71% of men) intended to quit; however, less than 20% of them were in the preparation stage and 40% were in the precontemplation stage. On multivariate analysis, difficulty to quit was lower among men (Odds ratio and 95% [confidence interval]: 0.51 [0.35-0.74]) and increased with nicotine dependence and number of previous quitting attempts (OR=3.14 [1.75-5.63] for 6+ attempts compared to none). Intention to quit decreased with increasing age (OR=0.48 [0.30-0.75] for [greater than or equal to]65 years compared to <45 years) and increased with nicotine dependence, the number of previous quitting attempts (OR=4.35 [2.76-6.83] for 6+ attempts compared to none) and among non-cigarette smokers (OR=0.51 [0.28-0.92]). Motivation to quit was inversely associated with nicotine dependence and positively associated with the number of previous quitting attempts and personal history of lung disease. CONCLUSION: Over two thirds of Swiss smokers want to quit. However, only a small fraction wishes to do so in the short term. Nicotine dependence, previous attempts to quit or previous history of lung disease are independently associated with difficulty and intention to quit

Metabolic Effects of n-3 PUFA as Phospholipids Are Superior to Triglycerides in Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet: Possible Role of Endocannabinoids

Background n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, namely docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and can ameliorate many of obesity-associated disorders. We hypothesised that the latter effect will be more pronounced when DHA/EPA is supplemented as phospholipids rather than as triglycerides. Methodology/Principal Findings In a ‘prevention study’, C57BL/6J mice were fed for 9 weeks on either a corn oil-based high-fat obesogenic diet (cHF; lipids ~35% wt/wt), or cHF-based diets in which corn oil was partially replaced by DHA/EPA, admixed either as phospholipids or triglycerides from marine fish. The reversal of obesity was studied in mice subjected to the preceding cHF-feeding for 4 months. DHA/EPA administered as phospholipids prevented glucose intolerance and tended to reduce obesity better than triglycerides. Lipemia and hepatosteatosis were suppressed more in response to dietary phospholipids, in correlation with better bioavailability of DHA and EPA, and a higher DHA accumulation in the liver, white adipose tissue (WAT), and muscle phospholipids. In dietary obese mice, both DHA/EPA concentrates prevented a further weight gain, reduced plasma lipid levels to a similar extent, and tended to improve glucose tolerance. Importantly, only the phospholipid form reduced plasma insulin and adipocyte hypertrophy, while being more effective in reducing hepatic steatosis and low-grade inflammation of WAT. These beneficial effects were correlated with changes of endocannabinoid metabolome in WAT, where phospholipids reduced 2-arachidonoylglycerol, and were more effective in increasing anti-inflammatory lipids such as N-docosahexaenoylethanolamine. Conclusions/Significance Compared with triglycerides, dietary DHA/EPA administered as phospholipids are superior in preserving a healthy metabolic profile under obesogenic conditions, possibly reflecting better bioavalability and improved modulation of the endocannabinoid system activity in WA