Factors Affecting Work Ability in Day and Shift‐Working Nurses

Satisfactory work ability is sustained and promoted by good physical and mental health and by favorable working conditions. This study examined whether favorable and rewarding work‐related factors increased the work ability among European nurses. The study sample was drawn from the Nurses' Early Exit Study and consisted of 7,516 nursing staff from seven European countries working in state‐owned and private hospitals. In all, 10.8% were day, 4.2% were permanent night, 20.9% were shift without night shift, and 64.1% were shift workers with night shifts. Participants were administered a composite questionnaire at baseline (Time 0) and 1 yr later (Time 1). The Work Ability Index (WAI) at Time 1 was used as the outcome measure, while work schedule, sleep, rewards (esteem and career), satisfaction with pay, work involvement and motivation, and satisfaction with working hours at Time 0 were included as potential determinants of work ability. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted after adjusting for a number of confounders (i.e., country, age, sex, type of employment, family status, and other job opportunities in the same area). Work schedule was not related to Time 1 changes in WAI. Higher sleep quality and quantity and more favorable psychosocial factors significantly increased work ability levels. Higher sleep quality and quantity did not mediate the effect of work schedule on work ability. No relevant interaction effects on work ability were observed between work schedule and the other factors considered at Time 0. As a whole, sleep and satisfaction with working time were gradually reduced from day work to permanent night work. However, scores on work involvement, motivation, and satisfaction with pay and rewards were the highest in permanent night workers and the lowest in rotating shift workers that included night shifts.     

4-Bicyclic heteroaryl-piperidine derivatives as potent,orally bioavailable Stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD1) inhibitors. Part 1: Urea-based analogs

A new series of urea-based, 4-bicyclic heteroaryl-piperidine derivatives as potent SCD1 inhibitors is described. The structure–activity relationships focused on bicyclic heteroarenes and aminothiazole–urea portions are discussed. A trend of dose-dependent decrease in body weight gain in diet-induced obese (DIO) mice is also demonstrated.     

Autecological studies of the genus Porphyra

Among the algal associations of exposed northern shores in Britain, those formed by species of the genus Porphyra deserve greater recognition than has so far been accorded to them. The present paper discusses some of the taxonomic criteria of this plastic genus and delimits five species which are widespread on northern British shores.     

PAX3 Confers Functional Heterogeneity in Skeletal Muscle Stem Cell Responses to Environmental Stress

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Rediagnosis of the monotypic genus Lepadicyathus Prokofiev 2005 (Gobiesocidae: Diademichthyinae) and redescription of Lepadicyathus minor (Briggs 1955), new combination

Ichthyological Research - A revised diagnosis is provided for the poorly known clingfish genus Lepadicyathus Prokofiev 2005. The genus belongs to Diademichthyinae (sensu Conway et al.) and is...     

Breeding populations of Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius and Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula in the United Kingdom in 2007

Capsule: The 2007 national survey of the UK breeding population of Little Ringed Plovers shows a further spread into Scotland and Wales since the previous survey in 1984. In contrast, there has been a significant decrease in the Ringed Plover breeding population.

Aims: To provide new breeding population estimates in the UK and Great Britain for Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius and Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula in 2007 and investigate changes in breeding distribution and habitat use since 1984.

Methods: Breeding population estimates were made by combining counts of pairs from ‘key sites’ (2?×?2?km tetrads known to be occupied in/since 1984) and estimates of the numbers of pairs away from these sites based on stratified sampling. Survey periods for Little Ringed Plover: 15 April to 15 July, three visits; Ringed Plover: 15 April to 30 June, two visits.

Results: Population estimates, for 2007, of 1239 (95% confidence intervals: 1175–1311) pairs of Little Ringed Plover and 5291 (5106–5478) pairs of Ringed Plovers were calculated for Great Britain, with 5438 (5257–5622) pairs of Ringed Plover estimated in the UK. Counts of Ringed Plover at inland and coastal sites, covered in both 1984 and 2007, decreased by 83% and 53%, respectively. The Little Ringed Plover population has expanded in range northward and westward since 1984. Main habitats used in 2007 by Little Ringed Plover were inland gravel and sand (25.9%) and river shingle (17.8%); and, for Ringed Plover, coastal shingle and sand (38.5% and 13.7%, respectively) and machair plus associated habitats (23.8%) in the Outer Hebrides.

Conclusions: Between 1984 and 2007, the Little Ringed Plover breeding population in the UK increased considerably, expanding northward and westward, with increased use of river shingle habitats. During the same period Ringed Plover breeding numbers in the UK declined considerably in both coast and inland habitats, likely to be due to human disturbance and habitat change, respectively.     

Strong diversifying selection on domains of the Plasmodium falciparum apical membrane antigen 1 gene

The surface-accessible ectodomain region of the Plasmodium falciparum apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA1) is a malaria vaccine candidate. The amino acid sequence may be under selection from naturally acquired immune responses, and previous analyses with a small number of allele sequences indicate a non-neutral pattern of nucleotide variation. To investigate whether there is selection to maintain polymorphism within a population, and to identify the parts of the ectodomain under strongest selection, a sample of 51 alleles from a single endemic population was studied. Analyses using Fu and Li's D and F tests, Tajima's D test, and the McDonald-Kreitman test (with the chimpanzee parasite P. reichenowi as outgroup) show significant departure from neutrality and indicate the selective maintenance of alleles within the population. There is also evidence of a very high recombination rate throughout the sequence, as estimated by the recombination parameter, C, and by the rapid decline in linkage disequilibrium with increasing nucleotide distance. Of the three domains (I-III) encoding structures determined by disulfide bonds, the evidence of selection is strongest for Domains I and III. We predict that these domains in particular are targets of naturally acquired protective immune responses in humans.     

Expression pattern of the type 1 sigma receptor in the brain and identity of critical anionic amino acid residues in the ligand-binding domain of the receptor

The type 1 sigma receptor (sigmaR1) has been shown to participate in a variety of functions in the central nervous system. To identify the specific regions of the brain that are involved in sigmaR1 function, we analyzed the expression pattern of the receptor mRNA in the mouse brain by in situ hybridization. SigmaR1 mRNA was detectable primarily in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and Purkinje cells of cerebellum. To identify the critical anionic amino acid residues in the ligand-binding domain of sigmaR1, we employed two different approaches: chemical modification of anionic amino acid residues and site-directed mutagenesis. Chemical modification of anionic amino acids in sigmaR1 with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide reduced the ligand-binding activity markedly. Since it is known that a splice variant of this receptor which lacks exon 3 does not have the ability to bind sigma ligands, the ligand-binding domain with its critical anionic amino acid residues is likely to be present in or around the region coded by exon 3. Therefore, each of the anionic amino acids in this region was mutated individually and the influence of each mutation on ligand binding was assessed. These studies have identified two anionic amino acids, D126 and E172, that are obligatory for ligand binding. Even though the ligand-binding function was abolished by these two mutations, the expression of these mutants was normal at the protein level. These results show that sigmaR1 is expressed at high levels in specific areas of the brain that are involved in memory, emotion and motor functions. The results also provide important information on the chemical nature of the ligand-binding site of sigmaR1 that may be of use in the design of sigmaR1-specific ligands with potential for modulation of sigmaR1-related brain functions.     

The kdr pyrethroid resistance gene in Anopheles gambiae: tests of non-pyrethroid insecticides and a new detection method for the gene

The organophosphate pirimiphos-methyl and the carbamate carbosulfan were evaluated in comparison to the pyrethroid alphacypermethrin and the 'near-pyrethroid' etofenprox against pyrethroid resistant Anopheles gambiae and Culex spp. in an experimental hut station located in central C?te d'Ivoire. Bednets were impregnated with the above mentioned compounds and randomly allocated to the huts. On 40 consecutive mornings, after sleepers had occupied the huts overnight, mosquitoes were collected from the huts, identified and scored as live or dead (including delayed mortality). An. gambiae s.l. that had been collected were tested for the presence of the kdr allele in heterozygous or homozygous form. Both non-pyrethroid treatments caused very high mortality, whereas mortality with alpha-cypermethrin and etofenprox generally did not differ from the levels observed with untreated control nets in this experiment. The nets had holes cut in them and there was considerable bloodfeeding on the sleepers, which was only significantly reduced for An. gambiae by carbosulfan and alpha-cypermethrin. PCR genotyping suggested that there was selection for the kdr resistance allele by the pyrethroid treated nets. Organophosphates and carbamates may therefore present an alternative to be used on bednets especially in areas of pyrethroid resistance, but the safety of these insecticides will have to be carefully considered.