The Prevalence and Certain Sources of Teacher Stress among Elementary School Teachers

The problem of this study was to determine the prevalence and certain sources of stress among elementary school teachers (grades kindergarten through six), and the relationship of stress to certain selected teacher factors. This study followed the ex post facto design which attempted to determine if certain teacher factors affected the way in which teachers responded to the questionnaire regarding the prevalence and sources of stress perceived. The Teacher Stress Questionnaire was selected to assess the prevalence and certain sources of stress of elementary teachers regarding sex, age, length of time in the teaching profession, length of time in the present teaching position, number of years of formal preparation for the teaching profession, the grade level taught, length of time since taking course work, amount of professional reading accomplished per week, number of hours spent working on school items outside of school hours, and the number of days absent due to illness in the preceding school year. The differences showing significance in the study supported the following conclusions. (1) Rural teachers experienced more stress and different sources of stress than urban teachers in the surveyed geographical area. (2) Grades taught and teaching experience did not appear to be significant factors in the amount or sources of stress reported by teachers. (3) Gender did not appear to be a factor in the amount of stress reported by teachers. However, female teachers tended to perceive one source of stress, time pressures, as more stressful than male teachers. (4) Age did not appear to be a factor in the amount of stress reported by teachers. However, teachers, ages thirty and above, reported Category B, poor working conditions, as more stressful than younger teachers. (5) Professional preparation for the teaching profession and the length of time in the present position did not appear to be significant factors in the amount or sources of stress reported by elementary teachers. (6) The number of hours spent working on school items outside of school hours and the length of time since taking course work did not appear to be significant factors in the amount of stress reported by elementary teachers. (7) The teachers who did more professional reading per week reported significantly less stress than those teachers who accomplished zero through one hour of professional reading per week. (8) Teachers with higher absenteeism due to illness reported more stress than those teachers with lower absenteeism due to illness. (9) Teachers exhibited frequency of physical and mental symptoms of stress comparable to the amount of stress reported. Elementary teachers in the urban and rural areas are experiencing stress in the teaching environment. Urban and rural teachers in the surveyed geographical area do report differences in the amounts and sources of stress. Certain teacher characteristics, such as the amount of professional reading accomplished per week and higher absenteeism due to illness, make a difference in the amount of stress reported by elementary teachers. Teachers also are exhibiting some mental and physical symptoms of stress

Infliximab for the treatment of adults with psoriasis. Evidence Review Group Report for NICE's Single Technology Appraisal process

This paper presents a summary of the evidence review group (ERG) report into the clinical and cost-effectiveness of infliximab for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, in accordance with the licensed indication, based on the evidence submission from Schering-Plough to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) as part of the single technology appraisal (STA) process. The outcomes stated in the manufacturer's definition of the decision problem were severity [Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score], remission rates, relapse rates and health-related quality of life. The main evidence in the submission comes from four randomised controlled trials (RCT) comparing infliximab with placebo and eight RCTs comparing either etanercept or efalizumab with placebo. At week 10, patients on infliximab had a significantly higher likelihood of attaining a reduction in PASI score than placebo patients. There were also statistically significant differences between infliximab and placebo in the secondary outcomes. In the comparator trials both the efalizumab and etanercept arms included a significantly higher proportion of patients who achieved a reduction in PASI score at week 12 than the placebo arms. No head-to-head studies were identified directly comparing infliximab with etanercept or efalizumab. The manufacturer carried out an indirect comparison, but the ERG had reservations about the comparison because of the lack of information presented and areas of uncertainty in relation to the included data. The economic model presented by the manufacturer was appropriate for the disease area and given the available data. The cost-effectiveness analysis estimates the mean length of time that an individual would respond to infliximab compared with continuous etanercept and the utility gains associated with this response. The base-case incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for infliximab compared with continuous etanercept for patients with severe psoriasis was £26,095 per quality-adjusted life-year. A one-way sensitivity analysis, a scenario analysis and a probabilistic sensitivity analysis were undertaken by the ERG. The ICER is highly sensitive to assumptions about the costs and frequency of inpatient stays for non-responders of infliximab. The guidance issued by NICE in August 2007 as a result of the STA states that infliximab within its licensed indication is recommended for the treatment of adults with very severe plaque psoriasis, or with psoriasis that has failed to respond to standard systematic therapies. Infliximab treatment should be continued beyond 10 weeks in people whose psoriasis has shown an adequate response to treatment within 10 weeks. In addition, when using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), care should be taken to take into account the patient's disabilities, to ensure DLQI continues to be an accurate measure

Interactions between bitter taste, diet and dysbiosis: Consequences for appetite and obesity

The type 2 family of taste receptors (T2Rs) detect and respond to bitter tastants. These receptors are expressed throughout the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, with location dependant roles. In the oral cavity, T2Rs are involved in the conscious perception of bitter tastants, while in the lower GI tract they have roles in chemoreception and regulation of GI function. Through these diverse roles, these receptors may be involved in modulating appetite and diet, with consequences for weight regulation and obesity. Interestingly, the concentration of T2Rs in the GI tract is greatest in the large intestine, the organ with the densest colonisation of bacteria. The gut microbiome has been the subject of intense research, as a plethora of roles linking microbiota to human health continue to be uncovered. Of particular interest is the microbial signature associated with obesity. Obesity is a leading health concern, and advances in our understanding of this disease are needed. Diet is a known modifiable factor in the development of obesity. However, diet only partially explains disease risk. Changes in microbial energy harvesting by the microbiota plays a role in obesity, and the composition of these energy harvesting populations may be controlled by taste receptors. This review explores T2Rs as a potential link between obesity and the human GI microbiome

Antagonistic Gcn5-Hda1 interactions revealed by mutations to the Anaphase Promoting Complex in yeast

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Histone post-translational modifications are critical for gene expression and cell viability. A broad spectrum of histone lysine residues have been identified in yeast that are targeted by a variety of modifying enzymes. However, the regulation and interaction of these enzymes remains relatively uncharacterized. Previously we demonstrated that deletion of either the histone acetyltransferase (HAT) <it>GCN5 </it>or the histone deacetylase (HDAC) <it>HDA1 </it>exacerbated the temperature sensitive (<it>ts</it>) mutant phenotype of the Anaphase Promoting Complex (APC) <it>apc5^CA</it>allele. Here, the <it>apc5^CA</it>mutant background is used to study a previously uncharacterized functional antagonistic genetic interaction between Gcn5 and Hda1 that is not detected in <it>APC5 </it>cells.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Using Northerns, Westerns, reverse transcriptase PCR (rtPCR), chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), and mutant phenotype suppression analysis, we observed that Hda1 and Gcn5 appear to compete for recruitment to promoters. We observed that the presence of Hda1 can partially occlude the binding of Gcn5 to the same promoter. Occlusion of Gcn5 recruitment to these promoters involved Hda1 and Tup1. Using sequential ChIP we show that Hda1 and Tup1 likely form complexes at these promoters, and that complex formation can be increased by deleting <it>GCN5</it>.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our data suggests large Gcn5 and Hda1 containing complexes may compete for space on promoters that utilize the Ssn6/Tup1 repressor complex. We predict that in <it>apc5^CA</it>cells the accumulation of an APC target may compensate for the loss of both <it>GCN5 </it>and <it>HDA1</it>.</p

Effects of nebulised magnesium sulphate on inflammation and function of the guinea-pig airway

Magnesium sulphate is a potential treatment for acute severe asthma. However, the mechanisms and dose-response relationships are poorly understood. The first objective of this study was to examine whether inhaled magnesium sulphate exerts bronchodilator activity measured as bronchoprotection against histamine-induced bronchoconstriction in conscious guinea-pigs alone and combined with salbutamol. Secondly, we examined whether inhaled magnesium sulphate inhibits airways inflammation and function in models of neutrophilic and eosinophilic lung inflammation induced, respectively, by inhaled lipopolysaccharide or the inhaled antigen, ovalbumin (OVA). Airway function was measured in conscious guinea-pigs as specific airway conductance (sGaw) by whole-body plethysmography. Anti-inflammatory activity was measured against lung inflammatory cell influx induced by OVA inhalation in OVA-sensitised animals or by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure of non-sensitised animals. Airway function (sGaw) was measured over 24 h after OVA exposure. Airway hyperresponsiveness to inhaled histamine and inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were recorded 24 h after OVA or LPS challenge. Histamine-induced bronchoconstriction was inhibited by inhaled magnesium sulphate or salbutamol alone and in combination, they produced synergistic bronchoprotection. LPS-induced neutrophil influx was inhibited by 6 days pretreatment with magnesium sulphate. Early and late asthmatic responses in OVA sensitised and challenged animals were attenuated by magnesium sulphate. Lung inflammatory cells were increased by OVA, macrophages being significantly reduced by magnesium sulphate. Nebulised magnesium sulphate protects against histamine-induced bronchoconstriction in conscious guinea-pigs and exerts anti-inflammatory activity against pulmonary inflammation induced by allergen (OVA) or LPS. These properties of magnesium sulphate explain its beneficial actions in acute asthma

Intense Sweeteners, Taste Receptors and the Gut Microbiome: A Metabolic Health Perspective

Intense sweeteners (IS) are often marketed as a healthier alternative to sugars, with the potential to aid in combating the worldwide rise of diabetes and obesity. However, their use has been counterintuitively associated with impaired glucose homeostasis, weight gain and altered gut microbiota. The nature of these associations, and the mechanisms responsible, are yet to be fully elucidated. Differences in their interaction with taste receptors may be a potential explanatory factor. Like sugars, IS stimulate sweet taste receptors, but due to their diverse structures, some are also able to stimulate bitter taste receptors. These receptors are expressed in the oral cavity and extra-orally, including throughout the gastrointestinal tract. They are involved in the modulation of appetite, glucose homeostasis and gut motility. Therefore, taste genotypes resulting in functional receptor changes and altered receptor expression levels may be associated with metabolic conditions. IS and taste receptors may both interact with the gastrointestinal microbiome, and their interactions may potentially explain the relationship between IS use, obesity and metabolic outcomes. While these elements are often studied in isolation, the potential interactions remain unexplored. Here, the current evidence of the relationship between IS use, obesity and metabolic outcomes is presented, and the potential roles for interactions with taste receptors and the gastrointestinal microbiota in modulating these relationships are explored