Work-related training and the probability of transitioning from non-permanent to permanent employment

It is widely believed that work-related training increases a worker’s probability of moving up the job-quality ladder. This is usually couched in terms of effects on wages, but it has also been argued that training increases the probability of moving from non-permanent forms of employment to more permanent employment. This hypothesis is tested using nationally representative panel data for Australia, a country where the incidence of non-permanent employment, and especially casual employment, is high by international standards. While a positive association between participation in work-related training and the subsequent probability of moving from either casual or fixed-term contract employment to permanent employment is observed among men, this is shown to be driven not by a causal impact of training on transitions but by differences between those who do and do not receive training; i.e., selection bias.

Psychological processes underlying nurses' handwashing behaviour

Aim/Background Psychological models of behaviour change have been found to be useful in predicting health-related behaviour in patients but have rarely been used in relation to the health behaviour of staff. This study explored the association between a range of psychological variables and self-reported handwashing in a sample of nurses who work in a large general hospital. Method A questionnaire-based cross-sectional, correlational study was used. Questionnaires examining demographics, self-efficacy, perceived importance of handwashing, perception of risk, occupational stress and training related to handwashing were administered to an opportunity sample (n = 76) of nurses drawn from an acute hospital. ANOVAs, correlation and regression analyses were performed to determine significant covariates of handwashing behaviour. Findings There was a weak relationship between demographic variables and self-reported handwashing. The degree to which employees perceived their workplace to assist handwashing and perceived importance of handwashing were related to self-reported handwashing. Accordingly further covariates of these variables were sought. Training received and occupational stress both covaried with nurses’ perceptions of the degree to which their workplace assisted handwashing. Nurses’ beliefs regarding the transmission of infections covaried with perceived importance of handwashing. Conclusion Occupational stress was observed to reduce the perception of having a supportive employer: organisations need to facilitate handwashing and protect staff from factors that have a detrimental impact, such as work-related stress. Nurses’ perceived importance of the potential for poor handwashing practice to contribute to the transmission of infections should be highlighted in interventions.

The Economic Costs of Health Service Treatments for Asbestos-Related Mesothelioma Deaths

This article explores the complex and neglected picture of occupational and environmental disease healthcare costs specifically relating to asbestos. Diagnosed mesothelioma cases in Scotland in one calendar year were used to investigate the subject in greater depth. Data from UK sources on asbestos disease types recorded in 2000 and their disease treatment costs were obtained. Acute care economic costs of these diseases are estimated. One hundred and twenty diagnosed, recorded, and treated cases of asbestos-related diseases occurred in 2000 in Scotland. Mesothelioma accounted for 100 cases and directly cost Scottish National Health Service hospitals an estimated 942,038 pounds. The estimated UK figure in 2000 was at least 16,014,646 pounds because official figures for diagnosed and recorded deaths from mesothelioma are running at over 1700 a year with rises predicted for 2010 of 2000 deaths. By 2003, 50,000 people in the UK had died from diagnosed and recorded mesothelioma since records began. Earlier disease treatment costs would have been significantly lower than those in 2000 but, at 2000 prices, cost to the UK was roughly 471,019,000 pounds in acute hospital expenditure. Figures for primary care costs, including caregiver costs, are incomplete or unknown. These disease costs are substantial and have some international generalizability. Treatment patterns and costs vary greatly. Many lung cancer cases due to asbestos exposure occur globally for each mesothelioma case. Hence figures provided in this article are certain to be gross underestimates of the total health service and personal economic costs of asbestos illness and treatment in Scotland.

Psychosocial factors in GP work:the effects of taking a GP position or leaving GP work

BACKGROUND: We examined the effects of leaving public sector general practitioner (GP) work and of taking a GP position on changes in work-related psychosocial factors, such as time pressure, patient-related stress, distress and work interference with family. In addition, we examined whether changes in time pressure and patient-related stress mediated the association of employment change with changes of distress and work interference with family. METHODS: Participants were 1705 Finnish physicians (60% women) who responded to surveys in 2006 and 2010. Analyses of covariance were conducted to examine the effect of employment change to outcome changes adjusted for gender, age and response format. Mediational effects were tested following the procedures outlined by Baron and Kenny. RESULTS: Employment change was significantly associated with all the outcomes. Leaving public sector GP work was associated with substantially decreased time pressure, patient-related stress, distress and work interference with family. In contrast, taking a position as a public sector GP was associated with an increase in these factors. Mediation tests suggested that the associations of employment change with distress change and work interference with family change were partially explained by the changes in time pressure and patient-related stress. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that leaving public sector GP work is associated with favourable outcomes, whereas taking a GP position in the public sector is associated with adverse effects. Primary health-care organizations should pay more attention to the working conditions of their GPs, in particular, to time pressure and patient-related stress.

Work stress and risk of cancer:meta-analysis of 5700 incident cancer events in 116 000 European men and women

To investigate whether work related stress, measured and defined as job strain, is associated with the overall risk of cancer and the risk of colorectal, lung, breast, or prostate cancers.

The Role of Peptidyl Prolyl Isomerases in Aging and Vascular Diseases

Peptidyl prolyl isomerases (PPIases) are proteins belonging to the immunophilin family and are characterised by their cis-trans isomerization activity at the X-Pro peptide bond, in addition to their tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domain, important for interaction with the molecular chaperone, Hsp90. Due to this unique structure these proteins are able to facilitate protein-protein interactions which can impact significantly on a range of cellular processes such as cell signalling, differentiation, cell cycle progression, metabolic activity and apoptosis. Malfunction and/or dysregulation of most members of this class of proteins promotes cellular damage and tissue/organ failure, predisposing to ageing and age-related diseases. Many individual genes within the PPIase family are associated with several age-related diseases including cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), atherosclerosis, type II diabetes (T2D), chronic kidney disease (CDK), neurodegeneration, cancer and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), in addition to the ageing process itself. This review will focus on the different roles of PPIases, and their therapeutic/biomarker potential in these age-related vascular diseases.

Genetics of Healthy Aging in Europe.The EU-Integrated Project GEHA (GEnetics of Healthy Aging)

The aim of the 5-year European Union (EU)-Integrated Project GEnetics of Healthy Aging (GEHA), constituted by 25 partners (24 from Europe plus the Beijing Genomics Institute from China), is to identify genes involved in healthy aging and longevity, which allow individuals to survive to advanced old age in good cognitive and physical function and in the absence of major age-related diseases. To achieve this aim a coherent, tightly integrated program of research that unites demographers, geriatricians, geneticists, genetic epidemiologists, molecular biologists, bioinfomaticians, and statisticians has been set up. The working plan is to: (a) collect DNA and information on the health status from an unprecedented number of long-lived 90+ sibpairs (n = 2650) and of younger ethnically matched controls (n = 2650) from 11 European countries; (b) perform a genome-wide linkage scannning in all the sibpairs (a total of 5300 individuals); this investigation will be followed by linkage disequilibrium mapping (LD mapping) of the candidate chromosomal regions; (c) study in cases (i.e., the 2650 probands of the sibpairs) and controls (2650 younger people), genomic regions (chromosome 4, D4S1564, chromosome 11, 11.p15.5) which were identified in previous studies as possible candidates to harbor longevity genes; (d) genotype all recruited subjects for apoE polymorphisms; and (e) genotype all recruited subjects for inherited as well as epigenetic variability of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). The genetic analysis will be performed by 9 high-throughput platforms, within the framework of centralized databases for phenotypic, genetic, and mtDNA data. Additional advanced approaches (bioinformatics, advanced statistics, mathematical modeling, functional genomics and proteomics, molecular biology, molecular genetics) are envisaged to identify the gene variant(s) of interest. The experimental design will also allow (a) to identify gender-specific genes involved in healthy aging and longevity in women and men stratified for ethnic and geographic origin and apoE genotype; (b) to perform a longitudinal survival study to assess the impact of the identified genetic loci on 90+ people mortality; and (c) to develop mathematical and statistical models capable of combining genetic data with demographic characteristics, health status, socioeconomic factors, lifestyle habits.

Effect of interleukin-6 polymorphisms on human longevity: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Several studies have assessed changes in frequency of -174 interleukin (IL)-6 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) with age. If IL-6 tracks with disability and age-related diseases, then there should be reduction, in the oldest old, of the frequency of homozgyous GG subjects, who produce higher IL-6 levels. However, discordant results have been obtained. To explore the relationship between this polymorphism and longevity, we analyzed individual data on long-living subjects and controls from eight case-control studies conducted in Europeans, using meta-analysis. There was no significant difference in the IL-6 genotype between the oldest old and controls (Odds Ratio [OR]=0.96; 95% C.I.: 0.77-1.20; p=0.71), but there was significant between-study heterogeneity (I(2)=55.5%). In a subgroup analyses when male centenarians from the three Italian studies were included, the frequency of the IL-6 -174 GG genotype was significantly lower than the other genotypes (OR=0.49; 95% C.I.: 0.31-0.80; p=0.004), with no evidence of heterogeneity (I(2)=0%). Our data supports a negative association between the GG genotype of IL-6 SNP and longevity in Italian centenarians, with males who carry the genotype being two times less likely to reach extreme old age compared with subjects carrying CC or CG genotypes. These findings were not replicated in other European groups suggesting a possible interaction between genetics, sex and environment in reaching longevity.

Melt-compounded nanocomposites of titanium dioxide atomic-layer-deposition-coated polyamide and polystyrene powders

Polyamide and polystyrene particles were coated with titanium dioxide films by atomic layer deposition (ALD) and then melt-compounded to form polymer nanocomposites. The rheological properties of the ALD-created nanocomposite materials were characterized with a melt flow indexer, a melt flow spiral mould, and a rotational rheometer. The results suggest that the melt flow properties of polyamide nanocomposites were markedly better than those of pure polyamide and polystyrene nanocomposites. Such behavior was shown to originate in an uncontrollable decrease in the polyamide molecular weight, likely affected by a high thin-film impurity content, as shown in gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with an energy-dispersive spectrometer. Transmission electron microscope image showed that a thin film grew on both studied polymer particles, and that subsequent melt-compounding was successful, producing well dispersed ribbon-like titanium dioxide with the titanium dioxide filler content ranging from 0.06 to 1.12wt%. Even though we used nanofillers with a high aspect ratio, they had only a minor effect on the tensile and flexural properties of the polystyrene nanocomposites. The mechanical behavior of polyamide nanocomposites was more complex because of the molecular weight degradation. Our approach here to form polymeric nanocomposites is one way to tailor ceramic nanofillers and form homogenous polymer nanocomposites with minimal work-related risks in handling powder form nanofillers. However, further research is needed to gauge the commercial potential of ALD-created nanocomposite materials. Copyright (C) 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Spatial Mobility Intentions, the Labour Market and Incapacity Benefit Claimants Evidence from Northern Ireland

The paper analyses the work-related spatial mobility intentions of incapacity benefit (IB) claimants in Northern Ireland using a new survey dataset. Greater understanding of the prospective mobility of benefit claimants contributes to debates about employability, inclusion in the labour market and arguments about spatial mismatch. The analysis finds that IB claimants are not markedly less mobile than other population groups; that mobility is shaped by age, level of qualification, illness type, ability to drive and motivation; and that geography is important in several ways. The paper concludes by arguing that limited spatial mobility is a good indicator of disadvantage and that spatial mobility should be placed nearer the centre of the design and delivery of labour market policy

Burnout as a predictor of all-cause mortality among industrial employees: A 10-year prospective register-linkage study

Objective: Burnout, a psychological consequence of prolonged work stress, has been shown to coexist with physical and mental disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate whether burnout is related to all-cause mortality among employees. Methods: In 1996, of 15,466 Finnish forest industry employees, 9705 participated in the 'Still Working' study and 8371 were subsequently identified from the National Population Register. Those who had been treated in a hospital for the most common causes of death prior to the assessment of burnout were excluded on the basis of the Hospital Discharge Register, resulting in a final study population of 7396 people. Burnout was measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey. Dates of death from 1996 to 2006 were extracted from the National Mortality Register. Mortality was predicted with Cox hazard regression models, controlling for baseline sociodemographic factors and register-based health status according to entitled medical reimbursement and prescribed medication for mental health problems, cardiac risk factors, and pain problems. Results: During the 10-year 10-month follow-up, a total of 199 employees had died. The risk of mortality per one-unit increase in burnout was 35% higher (95% CI 1.07-1.71) for total score and 26% higher (0.99-1.60) for exhaustion, 29% higher for cynicism (1.03-1.62), and 22% higher for diminished professional efficacy (0.96-1.55) in participants who had been under 45 at baseline. After adjustments, only the associations regarding burnout and exhaustion were statistically significant. Burnout was not related to mortality among the older employees. Conclusion: Burnout, especially work-related exhaustion, may be a risk for overall survival. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Therapeutic revascularisation of ischaemic tissue. The opportunities and challenges for therapy using vascular stem/ progenitor cells

Ischaemia-related diseases such as peripheral artery disease and coronary heart disease constitute a major issue in medicine as they affect millions of individuals each year and represent a considerable economic burden to healthcare systems. If the underlying ischaemia is not sufficiently resolved it can lead to tissue damage, with subsequent cell death. Treating such diseases remains difficult and several strategies have been used to stimulate the growth of blood vessels and promote regeneration of ischaemic tissues, such as the use of recombinant proteins and gene therapy. Although these approaches remain promising, they have limitations and results from clinical trials using these methods have had limited success. Recently, there has been growing interest in the therapeutic potential of using a cell-based approach to treat vasodegenerative disorders. In vascular medicine, various stem cells and adult progenitors have been highlighted as having a vasoreparative role in ischaemic tissues. This review will examine the clinical potential of several stem and progenitor cells that may be utilised to regenerate defunct or damaged vasculature and restore blood flow to the ischaemic tissue. In particular, we focus on the therapeutic potential of endothelial progenitor cells as an exciting new option for the treatment of ischaemic diseases. © 2012 BioMed Central Ltd

Ownership type and team climate in elderly care facilities: the moderating effect of stress factors

Aims. This paper is a report of a study examining the association between ownership type and perceived team climate among older people care staff. In addition, we examined whether work stress factors (time pressure, resident-related stress, role conflicts and role ambiguity) mediated or moderated the above mentioned association. Background. There has been a trend towards contracting out in older people care facilities in Finland and the number of private for-profit firms has increased. Studies suggest that there may be differences in employee well-being and quality of care according to the ownership type of older people care. Methods. Cross-sectional survey data was collected during the autumn of 2007 from 1084 Finnish female older people care staff aged 1869 years were used. Team Climate Inventory was used to measure team climate. Ownership type was divided into four categories: for-profit sheltered homes, not-for-profit sheltered homes, public sheltered homes and not-for-profit nursing homes. Analyses of covariance were used to examine the associations. Results. Team climate dimensions participative safety, vision and support for innovation were higher in not-for-profit organizations (both sheltered homes and nursing homes) compared to for-profit sheltered homes and public sheltered homes. Stress factors did not account for these associations but acted as moderators in a way that in terms of task orientation and participative safety employees working in for-profit organizations seemed to be slightly more sensitive to work-related stress than others. Conclusion. Our results suggest that for-profit organizations and public organizations may have difficulties in maintaining their team climate. In consequence, these organizations should focus more effort on improving their team climate.