Characterizing Poor Performance in For-Profit and Not-for-Profit Food Service Operations

In this article the authors explore the performance-related employee behaviors that are the most troublesome in food service. Four subsegments of food service were surveyed and differences in profit and not-for-profit operations analyzed. Significant differences were found between the two groups, with for-profit operations indicating more severe problems in all but one behavior category.

Sono e esquemas mal-adaptativos precoces em estudantes do ensino superior

Contextualização: Recentemente tem-se verificado um aumento do número de estudos que relacionam conceitos da personalidade, tais como os Esquemas Mal-adaptativos Precoces (EMP), com a psicopatologia e com outras condições, tais como a obesidade, a dor crónica e o comportamento sexual agressivo. No entanto, a investigação acerca da relação entre os problemas de sono e os EMP encontra-se ainda numa fase inicial. Objetivos: Os objetivos do presente estudo foram investigar uma potencial relação entre os EMP e a má qualidade de sono em estudantes do ensino superior e observar que EMP apresentavam associações de maior magnitude com a qualidade de sono nesta população específica. Métodos: Estudantes de diversas universidades e institutos de ensino superior de Portugal foram convidados a responder a uma versão online dos questionários Escala Básica de Sintomas de Insónia e Qualidade de Sono (BaSIQS) e Questionário de Esquemas de Young (YSQ-S3). A partir da amostra total obtida de estudantes do ensino superior de nacionalidade portuguesa (N = 1253) foi selecionada uma primeira subamostra (n1 = 409), usando como critérios de inclusão a idade (entre os 18 e os 25 anos) e as pontuações extremas de qualidade de sono da BaSIQS (má versus boa qualidade de sono). A partir da n1 extraiu-se uma segunda subamostra de participantes (n2 = 249), com características de um estudante “típico” do ensino superior (estatuto de aluno ordinário, solteiro, sem filhos, sem problemas de saúde, não medicado). Para estudar a relação entre os EMP, medidos pelo YSQ-S3, e a qualidade de sono foi aplicada uma MANOVA (Análise de Variância Multivariada) para cada um dos cinco domínios esquemáticos (“Distanciamento e Rejeição”, “Autonomia e Desempenho Deteriorados”, “Limites Deteriorados”, “Influência dos Outros” e “Vigilância Excessiva e Inibição”), para ambas as subamostras (n1 e n2). Resultados: No que diz respeito à n2, os estudantes com má qualidade de sono apresentaram níveis significativamente mais elevados dos EMP “Abandono/ Instabilidade”, “Desconfiança/ Abuso”, “Isolamento Social/ Alienação” (Domínio “Distanciamento e Rejeição”), “Vulnerabilidade ao Mal e à Doença” (Domínio “Autonomia e Desempenho Deteriorados”), “Grandiosidade/ Limites Indefinidos” (Domínio “Limites Deteriorados”), “Autossacrifício” (Domínio “Influência dos Outros”) e “Negativismo/ Pessimismo” (Domínio “Vigilância Excessiva e Inibição”). Conclusões: Estes dados mostram que os EMP estão associados à má qualidade de sono. No entanto, são necessários estudos adicionais para melhor compreender esta relação e a sua implicação na prática clínica.

Caractérisation du potentiel de champ locale dans le cortex préfrontal médian du rat durant le stress et la prise alimentaire

Le stress joue un rôle important dans le maintien de la qualité de vie quotidienne. Une exposition à une situation stressante peut causer divers désordres neuropsychiatriques du cerveau qui sont associés avec des problèmes liés au sommeil, à la dépression, à des problèmes digestifs et à des troubles de l’alimentation. Les traitements de ces troubles liés au stress sont très coûteux à travers le monde. De nos jours, des considérations importantes ont été soulevées afin de trouver des moyens appropriés pour la prévention plutôt que de dépenser ultérieurement plus de budget sur les traitements. De cette façon, l’étude et l’expérimentation sur les animaux des troubles liés au stress sont l’un des moyens les plus fiables pour atteindre une compréhension plus profonde des problèmes liés au stress. Ce projet visait à révéler la modulation des potentiels de champ locaux (LFP) lors de la consommation de sucrose dans deux conditions englobant la condition de contrôle non-stressante et celle stressante d’un choc électrique aiguë à la patte dans le cortex préfrontal médian (CPFm) du cerveau de rat. Le CPFm est une structure importante dans la réponse au stress et à l’anxiété par l’interaction avec l’axe hypothalamique-pituitaire surrénale (HPA). Les résultats de ce projet ont révélé que la plupart des coups de langue se sont produits dans les 15 premières minutes de l’accès à une solution de sucrose autant pour la condition contrôle non-stressante que pour la condition stressante. En outre, le stress aigu d’un choc à la patte affecte de manière significative la consommation horaire de sucrose en diminuant le volume de la consommation. Les résultats ont également révélé une présence importante du rythme thêta dans le CPFm pendant la condition de base et pendant l’ingestion de sucrose dans les deux conditions. De plus, les résultats ont montré une diminution de puissance des bandes delta et thêta lors des initiations de léchage du sucrose. Ce projet conduit à des informations détaillées sur les propriétés électrophysiologiques du cortex infra-limbique (IL) du CPFm en réponse à l’exposition à des conditions de stress et de l’apport d’une solution de sucrose. Ce projet permet également de mieux comprendre les mécanismes neurophysiologiques des neurones du CPFm en réponse à l’exposition à une condition stressante suivie d’apport de sucrose. Ce projet a également permis de confirmer les effets anorexigènes du stress et suggèrent également que la synchronisation neuronale dans le cortex IL peut jouer un rôle dans le comportement de léchage et sa désynchronisation pendant le léchage après une exposition à des conditions stressantes.

Modelo predictivo para uso del condón y consumo de alcohol como conductas de riesgo relacionadas con el contagio de VIH/SIDA en trabajadoras sexuales de Bogotá- 2015

Objetivo: Determinar un modelo predictivo para uso del condón y consumo de alcohol como conductas de riesgo relacionadas el contagio de VIH/Sida en mujeres trabajadoras sexuales de la ciudad de Bogotá en el año 2015. Métodos Estudio de tipo transversal con diseño observacional, se tomaron 255 mujeres trabajadoras sexuales de la ciudad de Bogotá; La información analizada fue tomada del estudio realizado en cinco ciudades de Colombia en el año 2015, las hipótesis planteadas se soportaron en la asociación entre las condiciones sociodemográficas, de conocimiento, practicas, hábitos, apoyo social y de ocupación propia de las mujeres trabajadoras sexuales que podían explicar y predecir la adopción de conductas riesgosas para VIH/sida como son el uso del condón y el consumo de alcohol en ejercicio de su ocupación. Resultados El promedio de edad de inicio en el trabajo sexual fue 22,1±7,1 años, tres cuartas partes son solteras y residen en estrato dos y tres; el 96,5% dijo usar el condón con el último cliente y el 27,8% de ellas consumió alcohol durante su último servicio. En la conducta de riesgo uso del condón, se encontraron asociados entre otras, la edad [OR=1,10(1,03-1,17)], vivir en estrato dos [OR=7,7(1,5-39,5)], el ingreso por trabajo sexual [OR=1,0(1,0-1,0)], la disponibilidad del condón para el servicio [OR=0,03(0,008-0,16)] y contar con otro método de planificación (ligadura de trompas) [OR=4,47(1,0-18,3)]. En la conducta de riesgo consumo de alcohol, se encontró asociado ente otros: estrato socioeconómico dos [OR=5,8(1,54-22,3)], nivel de escolaridad secundaria [OR=0,12(0,16-0,96)], vivir con otros familiares [OR=3,45(1,7-7,02)], ingreso por trabajo sexual [OR=1,0(1,0-1,0)] y el sitio donde se ofrece el servicio [OR=0,07(0,04-0,15)]. Después de ajustar, se encontró que las variables que mejor explican el uso del condón fueron edad [OR=1,1(1,02-1,17)] y disponibilidad del condón [OR=0,04(0,008-0,024)], el modelo tuvo poca sensibilidad 33,3% y buena capacidad predictiva (84,6%). Las variables que mejor explicaron el consumo de alcohol durante el servicio fueron edad [OR= 0,95(0,91-0,98)], Número de clientes por semana [OR=0,9(0,90-0,98)], sitio donde ofrece el servicio [OR=7,1(3,45-14,8)], y estrato socioeconómico [OR=1,8 (0,90-3,83)], resultando un modelo con buena sensibilidad (71,8%) y buena capacidad predictiva (86,4%). Conclusiones Aspectos como la edad, el estrato socioeconómico, escolaridad, estado civil, ingreso económico por trabajo sexual, edad de inicio en el trabajo sexual, número de clientes antiguos en la última semana, disponibilidad del condón para prestar el servicio y ligadura de trompas como método diferente de planificación, se asociaron estadísticamente con el uso del condón. Sin embargo al ajustar las variables solo la edad y la disponibilidad del condón se mantuvieron como variables explicativas. Cabe anotar, que aunque el modelo mostró buena capacidad predictiva (84,6%), la precisión en sus estimaciones fue baja debido a la poca frecuencia del no uso del condón con el ultimo cliente (3,5%), y la sensibilidad del modelo apenas fue del 33,3%. Por otro lado, factores como la edad, el estrato socioeconómico, nivel educativo, ingreso económico, sitio de oferta del servicio, composición familiar, número de hijos, número de clientes atendidos en la última semana y número de clientes antiguos mostraron asociación estadística con el consumo de alcohol. Sin embargo, al ajustar las variables solo edad, estrato socioeconómico, sitio donde se ofrece el servicio y número de clientes por semana mantuvieron asociación estadística; observándose además que el estrato socioeconómico (uno y dos) y sitio donde se ofrece el servicio (establecimiento), son factores de riesgo para el consumo de alcohol en ejercicio de la ocupación y la poca edad y un número reducido de clientes por semana se comportan como factores de protección para el consumo de alcohol. El modelo predictivo que se desarrolló para la conducta de riesgo de consumo de alcohol, con una sensibilidad del 71,8% y un poder predictivo del 86,4%. .

Abatacept Improves Health-Related Quality of Life, Pain, Sleep Quality, and Daily Participation in Subjects With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Objective. To assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in abatacept-treated children/adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Methods. In this phase III, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, subjects with active polyarticular course JIA and an inadequate response/intolerance to >= 1 disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (including biologics) received abatacept 10 mg/kg plus methotrexate (MTX) during the 4-month open-label period (period A). Subjects achieving the American College of Rheumatology Pediatric 30 criteria for improvement (defined ""responders"") were randomized to abatacept or placebo (plus MTX) in the 6-month double-blind withdrawal period (period B). HRQOL assessments included 15 Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ) health concepts plus the physical (PhS) and psychosocial summary scores (PsS), pain (100-mm visual analog scale), the Children`s Sleep Habits Questionnaire, and a daily activity participation questionnaire. Results. A total of 190 subjects from period A and 122 from period B were eligible for analysis. In period A, there were substantial improvements across all of the CHQ domains (greatest improvement was in pain/discomfort) and the PhS (8.3 units) and PsS (4.3 units) with abatacept. At the end of period B, abatacept-treated subjects had greater improvements versus placebo in all domains (except behavior) and both summary scores. Similar improvement patterns were seen with pain and sleep. For participation in daily activities, an additional 2.6 school days/month and 2.3 parents` usual activity days/month were gained in period A responders with abatacept, and further gains were made in period B (1.9 versus 0.9 [P = 0.033] and 0.2 versus -1.3 [P = 0.109] school days/month and parents` usual activity days/month, respectively, in abatacept-versus placebo-treated subjects). Conclusion. Improvements in HRQOL were observed with abatacept, providing real-life tangible benefits to children with JIA and their parents/caregivers.

Sleep, stress and compensatory behaviors in Australian nurses and midwives

OBJECTIVE: To describe sleep, stress and compensatory behaviors in nurses and midwives. METHODS: The study included 41 midwives and 21 nurses working in Australian hospitals between 2005 and 2009. Participation was voluntary. All participants recorded on a daily basis their work and sleep hours, levels of stress and exhaustion, caffeine intake and use of sleep aids for a month (1,736 days, 1,002 work shifts). RESULTS: Participants reported moderate to high levels of stress and exhaustion on 20-40% of work days; experienced sleep disruption on more than 50% of work days; struggled to remain awake on 27% of work days; and suffered extreme drowsiness or experienced a near accident while travelling home on 9% of workdays. Age, perceived sleep duration and work hours were significant predictors of caffeine intake. About 60% of participants reported using sleep aids (about 20% reported taking prescription medications and 44% of nurses and 9% of midwives reported alcohol use as a sleep aid at least once during the study). Stress and workdays were significant predictors of sedative use. Overall, 22% reported being indifferent or mildly dissatisfied with their job. CONCLUSIONS: Sleep problems, high levels of stress and exhaustion and low job satisfaction are prevalent among nurses and midwives. The use of alcohol and sleeping pills as sleep aids, and the use of caffeine to help maintain alertness is also common. Nurses and midwives may use caffeine to compensate for reduced sleep, especially on workdays, and sleeping pills to cope with their daily work-related stress.

Role of the hypocretin system in cocaine- and alcohol-related behaviors : evidence from hypocretin-deficient mice

RésuméL'addiction aux drogues est une maladie multifactorieile affectant toutes les strates de notre société. Cependant, la vulnérabilité à développer une addiction dépend de facteurs environnementaux, génétiques et psychosociaux. L'addiction aux drogues est décrite comme étant une maladie chronique avec un taux élevé de rechutes. Elle se caractérise par un besoin irrépressible de consommer une drogue et une augmentation progressive de la consommation en dépit des conséquences néfastes. Les mécanismes cérébraux responsables des dépendances aux drogues ne sont que partiellement élucidés, malgré une accumulation croissante d'évidences démontrant des adaptations au niveau moléculaire et cellulaire au sein des systèmes dopaminergique et glutamatergique. L'identification de nouveaux facteurs neurobiologiques responsables de la vulnérabilité aux substances d'abus est cruciale pour le développement de nouveaux traitements thérapeutiques capables d'atténuer et de soulager les symptômes liés à la dépendance aux drogues.Au cours des dernières années, de nombreuses études ont démontré qu'un nouveau circuit cérébral, le système hypocrétinergique, était impliqué dans plusieurs fonctions physiologiques, tel que l'éveil, le métabolisme énergétique, la motivation, le stress et les comportements liés aux phénomènes de récompense. Le système hypocrétinergique est composé d'environ 3000-4000 neurones issus de l'hypothalamus latéral projetant dans tout ie cerveau. Des souris transgéniques pour le gène des hypocrétines ont été générées et leur phénotype correspond à celui des animaux sauvages, excepté le fait qu'elles soient atteintes d'attaques de sommeil similaires à celles observées chez les patients narcoleptiques. H semblerait que les hypocrétines soient requises pour l'acquisition et l'expression de la dépendance aux drogues. Cependant, le mécanisme précis reste encore à être élucidé. Dans ce rapport, nous rendons compte des comportements liés aux phénomènes de récompense liés à l'alcool et à la cocaine chez les souris knock-out (KO), hétérozygotes (HET) et sauvages (WT).Nous avons, dans un premier temps, évalué l'impact d'injections répétées de cocaïne (15 mg/kg, ip) sur la sensibilisation locomotrice et sur le conditionnement place préférence. Nous avons pu observer que les souris WT, HET et KO exprimaient une sensibilisation locomotrice induite par une administration chronique de cocaïne, cependant les souris déficientes en hypocrétines démontraient une sensibilisation retardée et atténuée. Π est intéressant de mentionner que les mâles HET exprimaient une sensibilisation comportementale intermédiaire. Après normalisation des données, toutes les souris exprimaient une amplitude de sensibilisation similaire, excepté les souris mâles KO qui affichaient, le premier jour de traitement, une sensibilisation locomotrice réduite et retardée, reflétant un phénotype hypoactif plutôt qu'une altération de la réponse aux traitements chroniques de cocaïne. Contre toute attente, toutes les souris femelles exprimaient un pattern similaire de sensibilisation locomotrice à la cocaïne. Nous avons ensuite évalué l'effet d'un conditionnement comportemental à un environnement associé à des injections répétées de cocaine (15 mg / kg ip). Toutes les souris, quelque soit leur sexe ou leur génotype, ont manifesté une préférence marquée pour l'environnement apparié à la cocaïne. Après deux semaines d'abstinence à la cocaïne, les mâles et les femelles déficientes en hypocrétines n'exprimaient plus aucune préférence pour le compartiment précédemment associé à la cocaïne. Alors que les souris WT et HET maintenaient leur préférence pour le compartiment associé à la cocaïne. Pour finir, à l'aide d'un nouveau paradigme appelé IntelliCage®, nous avons pu évaluer la consommation de liquide chez les femelles WT, HET et KO. Lorsqu'il n'y avait que de l'eau disponible, nous avons observé que les femelles KO avaient tendance à moins explorer les quatre coins de la cage. Lorsque les souris étaient exposées à quatre types de solutions différentes (eau, ImM quinine ou 0.2% saccharine, alcool 8% et alcool 16%), les souris KO avaient tendance à moins consommer l'eau sucrée et les solutions alcoolisées. Cependant, après normalisation des données, aucune différence significative n'a pu être observée entre les différents génotypes, suggérant que la consommation réduite d'eau sucrée ou d'alcool peut être incombée à l'hypoactivité des souris KO.Ces résultats confirment que le comportement observé chez les souris KO serait dû à des compensations développementales, puisque la sensibilisation locomotrice et le conditionnement comportemental à la cocaïne étaient similaires aux souris HET et WT. En ce qui concerne la consommation de liquide, les souris KO avaient tendance à consommer moins d'eau sucrée et de solutions alcoolisées. Le phénotype hypoactif des souris déficientes en hypocrétine est probablement responsable de leur tendance à moins explorer leur environnement. Il reste encore à déterminer si l'expression de ce phénotype est la conséquence d'un état de vigilance amoindri ou d'une motivation diminuée à la recherche de récompense. Nos résultats suggèrent que les souris déficientes en hypocrétine affichent une motivation certaine à la recherche de récompense lorsqu'elles sont exposées à des environnements où peu d'efforts sont à fournir afin d'obtenir une récompense.AbstractDrug addiction is a multifactorial disorder affecting human beings regardless their education level, their economic status, their origin or even their gender, but the vulnerability to develop addiction depends on environmental, genetic and psychosocial dispositions. Drug addiction is defined as a chronic relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive drug seeking, with loss of control over drug intake and persistent maladaptive decision making in spite of adverse consequences. The brain mechanisms responsible for drug abuse remain partially unknown despite accumulating evidence delineating molecular and cellular adaptations within the glutamatergic and the dopaminergic systems. However, these adaptations do not fully explain the complex brain disease of drug addiction. The identification of other neurobiological factors responsible for the vulnerability to substance abuse is crucial for the development of promising therapeutic treatments able to alleviate signs of drug dependence.For the past few years, growing evidence demonstrated that a recently discovered brain circuit, the hypocretinergic system, is implicated in many physiological functions, including arousal, energy metabolism, motivation, stress and reward-related behaviors. The hypocretin system is composed of a few thousands neurons arising from the lateral hypothalamus and projecting to the entire brain. Hypocretin- deficient mice have been generated, and unexpectedly, their phenotype resembles that of wild type mice excepting sleep attacks strikingly similar to those of human narcolepsy patients. Evidence suggesting that hypocretins are required for the acquisition and the expression of drug addiction has also been reported; however the precise mechanism by which hypocretins modulate drug seeking behaviors remains a matter of debate. Here, we report alcohol and cocaine reward-related behaviors in hypocretin-deficient mice (KO), as well as heterozygous (HET) and wild type (WT) littermates.We first evaluated the impact of repeated cocaine injections (15 mg/kg, ip) on locomotor sensitization and conditioned place preference. We observed that WT, HET and KO mice exhibited behavioral sensitization following repeated cocaine administrations, but hypocretin deficient males displayed a delayed and attenuated response to chronic cocaine administrations. Interestingly, HET males exhibited an intermediate pattern of behavioral sensitization. However, after standardization of the post-injection data versus the period of habituation prior to cocaine injections, all mice displayed similar amplitudes of behavioral sensitization, except a reduced response in KO males on the first day, suggesting that the delayed and reduced cocaine-induced locomotor sensitization may reflect a hypoactive phenotype and probably not an altered response to repeated cocaine administrations. Unexpectedly, all female mice exhibited similar patterns of cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization. We then assessed the behavioral conditioning for an environment repeatedly paired with cocaine injections (15 mg/kg ip). All mice, whatever their gender or genotype, exhibited a robust preference for the environment previously paired with cocaine administrations. Noteworthy, following two weeks of cocaine abstinence, hypocretin-deficient males and females no longer exhibited any preference for the compartment previously paired with cocaine rewards whereas both WT and HET mice continued manifesting a robust preference. We finally assessed drinking behaviors in WT, HET and KO female mice using a novel paradigm, the IntelliCages®. We report here that KO females tended to less explore the four cage comers where water was easily available. When exposed to four different kinds of liquid solutions (water, ImM quinine or saccharine 0.2%, alcohol 8% and alcohol 16%), KO mice tended to less consume the sweet and the alcoholic beverages. However, after data standardization, no significant differences were noticed between genotypes suggesting that the hypoactive phenotype is most likely accountable for the trend regarding the reduced sweet or alcohol intake in KO.Taken together, the present findings confirm that the behavior seen in Hcrt KO mice likely reflects developmental compensations since only a slightly altered cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization and a normal behavioral conditioning with cocaine were observed in these mice compared to HET and WT littermates. With regards to drinking behaviors, KO mice barely displayed any behavioral changes but a trend for reducing sweet and alcoholic beverages. Overall, the most striking observation is the constant hypoactive phenotype seen in the hypocretin-deficient mice that most likely is accountable for their reduced tendency to explore the environment. Whether this hypoactive phenotype is due to a reduced alertness or reduced motivation for reward seeking remains debatable, but our findings suggest that the hypocretin-deficient mice barely display any altered motivation for reward seeking in environments where low efforts are required to access to a reward.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Is Frequent in Patients with Hypertensive Intracerebral Hemorrhage and Is Related to Perihematoma Edema

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is related to increased systemic inflammation and arterial hypertension. We hypothesize that OSA is frequent in patients with acute hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and is related to the perihematoma edema. Methods: Thirty-two non-comatose patients with a hypertensive ICH underwent polysomnography in the acute phase. Perihematoma edema volume was measured on CT scans at admission, after 24 h (early control) and after 4-5 days (late control). The Spearman coefficient (r(s)) was used for correlations. Results: OSA occurred in 19 (59.4%) patients. The apnea-hypopnea index was correlated with relative edema at admission CT (r(s) = 0.40; p = 0.031), early CT (r(s) = 0.46; p = 0.011) and at late CT (r(s) = 0.59; p = 0.006). Conclusions: OSA is highly frequent during the acute phase of hypertensive ICH and is related to perihematoma edema. Copyright (C) 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel

Adherence to health-related behaviors: effectiveness of implementation intentions and posthypnotic suggestion in college students

Resumo: Com base no conceito de implementação de intenções (Gollwitzer, 1993, 1999) e na teoria do contexto de resposta de Kirsch & Lynn (1997), o presente trabalho testou a eficácia de uma intervenção combinada de implementação de intenções com hipnose e sugestão pós-hipnótica na promoção da adesão a uma tarefa simples (avaliação do humor) e uma tarefa difícil (actividade física). Os participantes são estudantes universitários de uma universidade na Nova Jérsia, (N=124, Estudo 1, EUA) e em Lisboa (N=323, Estudo 2, Portugal). Em ambos os estudos os participantes foram seleccionados a partir de uma amostra mais vasta baseado num escrutínio da sua sugestibilidade hipnótica avaliada por meio da Escala de Grupo de Sugestibilidade Hipnótica de Waterloo-Stanford (WSGC): Forma C. O Estudo 1 usou um desenho factorial do tipo 2x2x3 (tipo de intenção formada x hipnose x nível de sugestionabilidade) e o Estudo 2 usou um desenho factorial do tipo 2 x 2x 2 x 4 (tipo de tarefa x tipo de intenção formada x hipnose x nível de sugestionabilidade). No Estudo 1 foi pedido aos participantes que corressem todos os dias e durante três semanas durante 5 minutos, que medissem a sua pulsação antes e depois da actividade física e que mandassem um e-mail ao experimentador, fornecendo assim uma medida comportamental e uma medida de auto-relato. Aos participantes no grupo de intenções de meta foi apenas pedido que corressem todos os dias. Aos participantes no grupo de implementação de intenções foi pedido que especificasses com exactidão quando e onde iriam correr e enviar o e-mail. Para além disso, cerca de metade dos participantes foram hipnotizados e receberam uma sugestão pós-hipnótica em que lhes foi sugerido que o pensamento de correr todos os dias lhes viria à mente sem esforço no momento apropriado. A outra metade dos participantes não recebeu qualquer sugestão hipnótica. No Estudo 2 foi seguido o mesmo procedimento, mas a cerca de metade dos participantes foi atribuída uma tarefa fácil (enviar um Adherence to health-related behaviors ix SMS com a avaliação diária do seu estado de humor naquele momento) e à outra metade da amostra foi atribuída a tarefa de exercício físico atrás descrita (tarefa difícil). Os resultados do estudo 1 mostraram uma interacção significativa entre o nível de sugestionabilidade dos participantes e a sugestão pós-hipnótica (p<.01) indicando que a administração da sugestão pós-hipnótica aumentou a adesão nos participantes muito sugestionáveis, mas baixou a adesão nos participantes pouco sugestionáveis. Não se encontraram diferenças entre os grupos que formaram intenções de meta e os que formaram implementação de intenções. No Estudo 2 os resultados indicaram que os participantes aderiram significativamente mais à tarefa fácil do que à tarefa difícil (p<.001). Os resultados não revelaram diferenças significativas entre as condições implementações de intenções, hipnose e as duas estratégias combinadas, indicando que a implementação de intenções não foi eficaz no aumento da adesão às duas tarefas propostas e não beneficiou da combinação com as sugestões pós-hipnóticas. A utilização da hipnose com sugestão pós-hipnótica significativamente reduziu a adesão a ambas as tarefas. Dado que não existiam instrumentos em Português destinados a avaliar a sugestionabilidade hipnótica, traduziu-se e adaptou-se para Português Escala de Grupo de sugestibilidade hipnótica de Waterloo-Stanford (WSGC): Forma C. A amostra Portuguesa (N=625) apresentou resultados semelhantes aos encontrados nas amostras de referência em termos do formato da distribuição dos padrões da pontuação e do índice de dificuldade dos itens. Contudo, a proporção de estudantes portugueses encontrada que pontuaram na zona superior de sugestionabilidade foi significativamente inferior à proporção de participantes na mesma zona encontrada nas amostras de referência. No sentido de lançar alguma luz sobre as razões para este resultado, inquiriu-se alguns dos participantes acerca das suas atitudes face à hipnose utilizando uma versão portuguesa da Escala de Valência de Atitudes e Crenças face à Hipnose e comparou-se com a opinião de Adherence to health-related behaviors xAbstract: On the basis of Gollwitzer’s (1993, 1999) implementation intentions’ concept, and Kirsch & Lynn’s (1997) response set theory, this dissertation tested the effectiveness of a combined intervention of implementation intentions with hypnosis with posthypnotic suggestions in enhancing adherence to a simple (mood report) and a difficult (physical activity) health-related task. Participants were enrolled in a university in New Jersey (N=124, Study 1, USA) and in two universities in Lisbon (N=323, Study 2, Portugal). In both studies participants were selected from a broader sample based on their suggestibility scores using the Waterloo-Stanford Group C (WSGC) scale of hypnotic susceptibility and then randomly assigned to the experimental groups. Study 1 used a 2x2x3 factorial design (instruction x hypnosis x level of suggestibility) and Study 2 used a 2 x 2x 2 x 4 factorial design (task x instructions x hypnosis x level of suggestibility). In Study 1 participants were asked to run in place for 5 minutes each day for a three-week period, to take their pulse rate before and after the activity, and to send a daily email report to the experimenter, thus providing both a self-report and a behavioral measure of adherence. Participants in the goal intention condition were simply asked to run in place and send the e-mail once a day. Those in the implementation intention condition were further asked to specify the exact place and time they would perform the physical activity and send the e-mail. In addition, half of the participants were given a post-hypnotic suggestion indicating that the thought of running in place would come to mind without effort at the appropriate moment. The other half did not receive a posthypnotic suggestion. Study 2 followed the same procedure, but additionally half of the participants were instructed to send a mood report by SMS (easy task) and half were assigned to the physical activity task described above (difficult task). Adherence to health-related behaviors vii Study 1 result’s showed a significant interaction between participant’s suggestibility level and posthypnotic suggestion (p<.01) indicating that posthypnotic suggestion enhanced adherence among highly suggestible participants, but lowered it among low suggestible individuals. No differences between the goal intention and the implementation intentions groups were found. In Study 2, participants adhered significantly more (p<.001) to the easy task than to the difficult task. Results did not revealed significant differences between the implementation intentions, hypnosis and the two conditions combined, indicating that implementation intentions was not enhanced by hypnosis with posthypnotic suggestion, neither was effective as single intervention in enhancing adherence to any of the tasks. Hypnosis with posthypnotic suggestion alone significantly reduced adherence to both tasks in comparison with participants that did not receive hypnosis. Since there were no instruments in Portuguese language to asses hypnotic suggestibility, the Waterloo-Stanford Group C (WSGC) scale of hypnotic susceptibility was translated and adapted to Portuguese and was used in the screening of a sample of college students from Lisbon (N=625). Results showed that the Portuguese sample has distribution shapes and difficulty patterns of hypnotic suggestibility scores similar to the reference samples, with the exception of the proportion of Portuguese students scoring in the high range of hypnotic suggestibility, that was found lower than the in reference samples. In order to shed some light on the reasons for this finding participant’s attitudes toward hypnosis were inquired using a Portuguese translation and adaptation of the Escala de Valencia de Actitudes y Creencias Hacia la Hipnosis, Versión Cliente, and compared with participants with no prior hypnosis experience (N=444). Significant differences were found between the two groups with participants without hypnosis experience scoring higher in factors indicating misconceptions and negative attitudes about hypnosis.

Robust learning in safety-related domains : machine learning methods for solving safety-related application problems

Magdeburg, Univ., Fak. für Informatik, Diss., 2009

Linking melanism to brain development: expression of a melanism-related gene in barn owl feather follicles covaries with sleep ontogeny.

BACKGROUND: Intra-specific variation in melanocyte pigmentation, common in the animal kingdom, has caught the eye of naturalists and biologists for centuries. In vertebrates, dark, eumelanin pigmentation is often genetically determined and associated with various behavioral and physiological traits, suggesting that the genes involved in melanism have far reaching pleiotropic effects. The mechanisms linking these traits remain poorly understood, and the potential involvement of developmental processes occurring in the brain early in life has not been investigated. We examined the ontogeny of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, a state involved in brain development, in a wild population of barn owls (Tyto alba) exhibiting inter-individual variation in melanism and covarying traits. In addition to sleep, we measured melanistic feather spots and the expression of a gene in the feather follicles implicated in melanism (PCSK2). RESULTS: As in mammals, REM sleep declined with age across a period of brain development in owlets. In addition, inter-individual variation in REM sleep around this developmental trajectory was predicted by variation in PCSK2 expression in the feather follicles, with individuals expressing higher levels exhibiting a more precocial pattern characterized by less REM sleep. Finally, PCSK2 expression was positively correlated with feather spotting. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that the pace of brain development, as reflected in age-related changes in REM sleep, covaries with the peripheral activation of the melanocortin system. Given its role in brain development, variation in nestling REM sleep may lead to variation in adult brain organization, and thereby contribute to the behavioral and physiological differences observed between adults expressing different degrees of melanism.

Sleep deprivation induces transcriptional modifications of genes related to astrocyte-neuron lactate shuttle in astrocytes

Astrocytes play a key role in the neurometabolic coupling through the glycogen metabolism and the ''Astrocyte-Neuron Lactate Shuttle'' (ANLS). We previously reported that brain glycogen metabolism was affected by sleep deprivation (SD). Therefore, it is of prime interest to determine if a similar sleep loss also affects the ANLS functioning in astrocytes. To address this issue, we sleep deprived transgenic mice expressing the GFP under the control of the GFAP promoter and in which astrocytes can be isolated by FACS. The levels of expression of genes related to ANLS were assessed by qRT-PCR in the GFP-positive cells (GFPþ). The FVB/NTg( GFAP-GFP)Mes14/j mice were weaned at P20-P21 and underwent an instrumental 6 h SD at P23-P27. The SD was realized using the ''CaResS'' device which has been designed to minimize stress during SD. Control group corresponds to undisturbed mice. At the end of SD, mice were sacrificed and their cerebral cortex was rapidly dissected, cut in small pieces and enzymatically digested. After cell dissociation, GFPþ and GFP- cells were sorted by FACS and treated for RNA extraction. A quantitative RTPCR was realized using specific probes against different genes involved in ANLS. Results indicate that genes encoding the LDHb, the GLT1, the alpha2 subunit of the Na/KATPase pump as well as the GLUT1, were significantly increased in the GFPþ cells from SD mice. No significant change was observed in the GFP- cells from the same group. These results indicate that this approach is suitable to determine the transcriptional signature of SD in glial cells from juvenile animals. They also indicate that sleep loss induces transcriptional changes of genes involved in ANLS specifically in astrocytes. This could suggest that an adaptation of the ANLS at the transcriptional levels exists in pathophysiological conditions where neuronal activity is enhanced.

Age-related changes in sleep in inbred mice are genotype dependent.

Aging produces major changes in sleep structure and intensity which might be linked to cognitive impairment in the elderly. In this study, the genetic contribution to age-related changes in sleep was assessed in three inbred mouse strains of various ages. Baseline sleep and the response to 6 hours sleep deprivation (SD) achieved by gentle handling were quantified in young, middle-aged, and older male mice using electroencephalography. Total sleep time initially increased with age but then decreased in the oldest group mainly due to changes in sleep duration during the active phase. The effect of age on electroencephalographic (EEG) delta power depends on genotype and sleep pressure level with SD increasing the age-related differences. The strong effect of age upon the spectral profile of the different behavioral states was modulated by genetic background. Overall, our results suggest that sleep pressure can modulate the effect of age, that most sleep variables do not monotonically change with age in contrast to previous reports in humans and other species, and that genetic factors have a major impact on the aging processes affecting sleep.

Evaluating the intervening factors in patient safety: focusing on hospital nursing staff

OBJECTIVE To evaluate intervening factors in patient safety, focusing on hospital nursing staff. METHOD The study is descriptive, with qualitative approach, excerpt from a larger study with analytical nature. It was undertaken in a public hospital in Fortaleza, CE, Brazil, between January and June 2013, with semi-structured interviews to 70 nurses, using Thematic Content Analysis. RESULTS The principal intervening factors in patient safety related to hospital nursing staff were staff dimensioning and workload, professional qualification and training, team work, being contracted to the institution, turnover and lack of job security, and bad practice/disruptive behaviors. These aspects severely interfere with the establishment of a safety culture in the hospital analyzed. CONCLUSION It is necessary for managers to invest in nursing staff, so that these workers may be valued as fundamental in the promotion of patient safety, making it possible to develop competences for taking decisions with focus on the improvement of quality care.