The sense of coherence scale: psychometric properties in a representative sample of the Czech adult population.

BACKGROUND: Sense of coherence (SOC) is a personal resource that reflects the extent to which one perceives the world as comprehensible, manageable, and meaningful. Decades of empirical research consistently show that SOC is an important protective resource for health and well-being. Despite the extensive use of the 13-item measure of SOC, there remains uncertainty regarding its factorial structure. Additionally, a valid and reliable Czech version of the scale is lacking. Therefore, the present study aims to examine the psychometric properties of the SOC-13 scale in a representative sample of Czech adults. METHODS: An online survey was completed by 498 Czech adults (18-86 years old) between November 2021 and December 2021. We used confirmatory factor analysis to examine the factorial structure of the scale. Further, we examined the variations in SOC based on age and gender, and we tested the criterion validity of the scale using the short form of the Mental Health Continuum (MHC) scale and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) scale as mental health outcomes. RESULTS: SOC-13 showed an acceptable one- and three-factor fit only with specified residual covariance between items 2 and 3. We tested alternative short versions by systematically removing poorly performing items. The fit significantly improved for all shorter versions with SOC-9 having the best psychometric properties with a clear one-factorialstructure. We found that SOC increases with age and males score higher than females. SOC showed a moderately strong positive correlation with MHC, and a moderately strong negative correlation with GAD. These findings were similar for all tested versions supporting the criterion validity of the SOC scale. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that shortened versions of the SOC-13 scale have better psychometric properties than the original 13-item version in the Czech adult population. Particularly, SOC-9 emerges as a viable alternative, showing comparable reliability and validity as the 13-item version and a clear one-factorial structure in our sample.

A new perspective on balancing life domains: work-nonwork balance crafting.

BACKGROUND: Self-initiated and proactive changes in working conditions through crafting are essential for shaping work and improving work-related well-being. Recently, the research stream of job crafting has been extended to other life domains. The present paper aims to study a novel crafting concept-work-nonwork balance crafting-investigating the role of its antecedents and identifying relevant outcomes. Work-nonwork balance crafting is defined as individuals' unofficial techniques and activities to shape their work-nonwork balance, here considering their life domain boundary preferences. METHODS: In the study, 1,060 employees in three European countries (Austria, Germany and Switzerland) were surveyed in a longitudinal three-wave study with three-month intervals. We explored the influences of job/home demands and resources as antecedents of work-nonwork balance crafting. Important constructs for employee health and well-being (i.e., work engagement, work-related burnout, mental well-being and detachment from work) were investigated as outcomes. RESULTS: The findings suggest that resources and demands in the context of work or home are key antecedents of work-nonwork balance crafting. Work-nonwork balance crafting was also predictive for important employee health and well-being outcomes over three months, mainly in a positive and health-promoting way. CONCLUSION: This study provides insights into the antecedents of proactive efforts to balance the complex interplay of life domains. By studying work-nonwork balance crafting, we provide a new perspective on crafting beyond job crafting, which may help maintain or improve employees' mental health and well-being.

The Doppler Perfusion Index of the Liver and the Underlying Duplex Sonography of Visceral Vessels-A Systematic and Comprehensive Evaluation of Reproducibility.

Prior to the curative resection of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) or pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the exclusion of hepatic metastasis using cross-sectional imaging is mandatory. The Doppler perfusion index (DPI) of the liver is a promising method for detecting occult liver metastases, but the underlying visceral duplex sonography is critically viewed in terms of its reproducibility. The aim of this study was to investigate systematically the reproducibility of the measured variables, the calculated blood flow, and the DPI. Between February and September 2023, two examinations were performed on 80 subjects within a period of 0-30 days and at two previously defined quality levels, aligned to the German standards of the DEGUM. Correlation analyses were carried out using Pearson's correlation coefficient (PCC) and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The diameters, blood flow, and DPI showed a high degree of agreement (PCC of 0.9 and ICC of 0.9 for AHP). Provided that a precise standard of procedure is adhered to, the Doppler examination of AHC, AHP, and PV yields very reproducible blood flows and DPI, which is a prerequisite for a comprehensive investigation of its prognostic value for the prediction of metachronous hepatic metastasis in the context of curatively treated CRC or PDAC.

Needs-based job crafting: Validation of a new scale based on psychological needs.

We present the conceptualization and validation of the Needs-Based Job Crafting Scale (NJCS), a new assessment tool theoretically grounded in the Identity-Based Integrative Needs Model of Crafting and DRAMMA psychological needs (detachment, relaxation, autonomy, mastery, meaning, and affiliation). The article is composed of three studies. In Study 1, we develop the NJCS and test its factorial structure using a cross-sectional sample of Finnish employees (N = 578). In Study 2, we validate the factor structure and test the scale for measurement invariance across time with longitudinal samples from Finland (N = 578) and Japan (N = 228). In Study 3, we examine the convergent, criterion, and incremental validity using a sample of German and Swiss employees (N = 1,101). The results confirm a six-factor structure of the scale as defined by the detachment, relaxation, autonomy, mastery, meaning, and affiliation needs in all three samples. The NJCS showed convergent validity when correlated with the conceptually related Needs-Based Off-Job Crafting Scale (NOCS), a job crafting scale based on the job demands-resources (JD-R) model, and the Proactive Personality Scale. Further, the six job crafting dimensions explain a large amount of variance in work engagement, job satisfaction, burnout, and psychological needs satisfaction; thus, supporting criterion validity of the scale. Finally, the NJCS explains variance beyond the existing JD-R based job crafting scale in work engagement, job satisfaction, burnout, and recovery experiences; thus, supporting incremental validity of the NJCS. Together with the existing NOCS, the NJCS facilitates the examination of crafting dynamics within and across work and nonwork life domains, applying a shared theoretical framework of psychological needs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Preliminary Comparison of Molecular Antioxidant and Inflammatory Mechanisms Determined in the Peripheral Blood Granulocytes of COVID-19 Patients.

The aim of this study was to evaluate selected parameters of redox signaling and inflammation in the granulocytes of COVID-19 patients who recovered and those who died. Upon admission, the patients did not differ in terms of any relevant clinical parameter apart from the percentage of granulocytes, which was 6% higher on average in those patients who died. Granulocytes were isolated from the blood of 15 healthy people and survivors and 15 patients who died within a week, and who were selected post hoc for analysis according to their matching gender and age. They differed only in the lethal outcome, which could not be predicted upon arrival at the hospital. The proteins level (respective ELISA), antioxidant activity (spectrophotometry), and lipid mediators (UPUPLC-MS) were measured in the peripheral blood granulocytes obtained via gradient centrifugation. The levels of Nrf2, HO-1, NFκB, and IL-6 were higher in the granulocytes of COVID-19 patients who died within a week, while the activity of cytoplasmic Cu,Zn-SOD and mitochondrial Mn-SOD and IL-2/IL-10 were lower in comparison to the levels observed in survivors. Furthermore, in the granulocytes of those patients who died, an increase in pro-inflammatory eicosanoids (PGE2 and TXB2), together with elevated cannabinoid receptors 1 and 2 (associated with a decrease in the anti-inflammatory 15d-PGJ2), were found. Hence, this study suggests that by triggering transcription factors, granulocytes activate inflammatory and redox signaling, leading to the production of pro-inflammatory eicosanoids while reducing cellular antioxidant capacity through SOD, thus expressing an altered response to COVID-19, which may result in the onset of systemic oxidative stress, ARDS, and the death of the patient.

Post COVID-19 condition, work ability and occupational changes in a population-based cohort.

Background: Evidence on the impact of post COVID-19 condition (PCC) on work ability is limited but critical due to its high prevalence among working-age individuals. This study aimed to evaluate the association between PCC, work ability, and occupational changes in a population-based cohort. Methods: We used data from working-age adults included in a prospective, longitudinal cohort of a random sample of all individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 between August 2020 and January 2021 in the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland. We evaluated current work ability, work ability related to physical and mental demands, and estimated future work ability in 2 years (assessed using Work Ability Index), and PCC-related occupational changes one year after infection. Findings: Of 672 individuals included in this study, 120 (17.9%) were categorised as having PCC (defined as presence of self-reported COVID-19 related symptoms) at 12 months. There was very strong evidence that current work ability scores were mean 0.62 (95% CI 0.30-0.95) points lower among those with PCC compared to those without in adjusted regression analyses. Similarly, there was very strong evidence for lower odds of reporting higher work ability with respect to physical (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.30, 95% CI 0.20-0.46) and mental (aOR 0.40, 0.27-0.62) demands in individuals with PCC. Higher age and history of psychiatric diagnosis were associated with more substantial reductions in current work ability. 5.8% of those with PCC reported direct effects of PCC on their occupational situation, with 1.6% of those with PCC completely dropping out of the workforce. Interpretation: These findings highlight the need for providing support and interdisciplinary interventions to individuals affected by PCC to help them maintain or regain their work ability and productivity. Funding: Federal Office of Public Health, Department of Health of the Canton of Zurich, University of Zurich Foundation, Switzerland; Horizon Europe.

Staying healthy during COVID-19 crisis: well-being and salutogenic crafting among German and Swiss working population.

The COVID-19 pandemic induced considerable changes regarding our working and private lives. This study aimed to examine the psychosocial effects of the COVID-19 crisis on German and Swiss employees. We analyzed the impact of the crisis on working and private life, well-being and health indicators. We tried to understand how the salutogenic behavior of crafting helps to overcome adversities during the COVID-19 pandemic and to maintain well-being and health. Therefore, we conducted a follow-up online survey from 9 to 22 April 2020 among 597 employees that had participated in the first wave of the survey in June 2019. This follow-up study design offered the opportunity to compare the situation of survey participants before and after the COVID-19 outbreak. This pre-post comparison was possible through the design of our study, which allowed us to link participants in an individual, yet anonymized way from t0 to t1. Results of the study showed that the situation concerning psychosocial factors at work and in private life and several well-being and health indicators was stable or even improved. Many study variables even remarkably improved among high crafters-a group of employees who tend to regularly craft their job and private life. Our findings indicate that employees are coping with the crisis surprisingly well. Moreover, there seem to exist beneficial, salutogenic behaviors (i.e. crafting) that allow people to better cope with crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. These behaviors should be induced and promoted by interventions as they could be especially beneficial for low crafters.

Sense of coherence, off-job crafting, and mental well-being: A path of positive health development.

Our study examines the core concept of salutogenesis-sense of coherence (SOC)-in relation to off-job crafting (OJC) and mental well-being (MWB). The original salutogenic model of health mainly addresses the protective function of SOC against adversity. In our study, we focus on the recently proposed path of positive health development that captures how SOC can contribute to positive health and thriving. We present and test our theoretical assumptions about one such path, examining OJC as a possible mechanism how SOC translates into MWB. We tested our proposed model using cross-lagged panel model with three waves of panel data from Swiss and German employees (N = 2217). We compared our model to alternative nested models and conducted indirect effect analysis to test longitudinal mediation. Our hypothesized model fitted the data well and we found support for our main hypothesis that OJC partially mediates the relationship between SOC and MWB. Further, we identified positive reciprocal relationships between SOC and MWB, as well as between OJC and MWB. Overall, our study provides evidence that OJC is one mechanism underlying the recently postulated path of positive health development in the salutogenic model. For health promotion, this implies that promoting SOC and OJC may help to strengthen individual well-being and lead to positive feedback loops that foster personal development and thriving.

Needs-based off-job crafting across different life domains and contexts: Testing a novel conceptual and measurement approach.

Shaping off-job life is becoming increasingly important for workers to increase and maintain their optimal functioning (i.e., feeling and performing well). Proactively shaping the job domain (referred to as job crafting) has been extensively studied, but crafting in the off-job domain has received markedly less research attention. Based on the Integrative Needs Model of Crafting, needs-based off-job crafting is defined as workers' proactive and self-initiated changes in their off-job lives, which target psychological needs satisfaction. Off-job crafting is posited as a possible means for workers to fulfill their needs and enhance well-being and performance over time. We developed a new scale to measure off-job crafting and examined its relationships to optimal functioning in different work contexts in different regions around the world (the United States, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Finland, Japan, and the United Kingdom). Furthermore, we examined the criterion, convergent, incremental, discriminant, and structural validity evidence of the Needs-based Off-job Crafting Scale using multiple methods (longitudinal and cross-sectional survey studies, an "example generation"-task). The results showed that off-job crafting was related to optimal functioning over time, especially in the off-job domain but also in the job domain. Moreover, the novel off-job crafting scale had good convergent and discriminant validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability. To conclude, our series of studies in various countries show that off-job crafting can enhance optimal functioning in different life domains and support people in performing their duties sustainably. Therefore, shaping off-job life may be beneficial in an intensified and continually changing and challenging working life.

Crafting work-nonwork balance involving life domain boundaries: Development and validation of a novel scale across five countries.

Ongoing developments, such as digitalization, increased the interference of the work and nonwork life domains, urging many to continuously manage engagement in respective domains. The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent home-office regulations further boosted the need for employees to find a good work-nonwork balance, thereby optimizing their health and well-being. Consequently, proactive individual-level crafting strategies for balancing work with other relevant life domains were becoming increasingly important. However, these strategies received insufficient attention in previous research despite their potential relevance for satisfying psychological needs, such as psychological detachment. We addressed this research gap by introducing a new scale measuring crafting for a work-nonwork balance and examining its relevance in job-and life satisfaction, work engagement, subjective vitality, family role and job performance, boundary management and self-rated work-nonwork balance. The Work-Nonwork Balance Crafting Scale was validated in five countries (Austria, Finland, Germany, Japan, and Switzerland), encompassing data from a heterogeneous sample of more than 4,200 employees. In study 1, exploratory factor analysis revealed a two-factorial scale structure. Confirmatory factor analysis, test for measurement invariance, and convergent validity were provided in study 2. Replication of confirmatory factor analysis, incremental and criterion validity of the Work-Nonwork Balance Crafting Scale for job and life satisfaction were assessed in study 3. Study 4 displayed criterion validity, test-retest reliability, testing measurement invariance, and applicability of the scale across work cultures. Finally, study 5 delivered evidence for the Work-Nonwork Balance Crafting Scale in predicting work-nonwork balance. The novel Work-Nonwork Balance Crafting Scale captured crafting for the challenging balance between work and nonwork and performed well across several different working cultures in increasingly digitalized societies. Both researchers and practitioners may use this tool to assess crafting efforts to balance both life domains and to study relationships with outcomes relevant to employee health and well-being.

Differential avidity determination of IgG directed towards the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 wild-type and its variants in one assay: Rational tool for the assessment of protective immunity.

The avidity (binding strength) of IgG directed towards the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of spike protein has been recognized as a central marker in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) serology. It seems to be linked to increased infection-neutralization potential and therefore might indicate protective immunity. Using a prototype line assay based on the established recomLine SARS-CoV-2 assay, supplemented with RBD of the delta and the omicron variant, differential avidity determination of IgG directed towards RBD of wild-type (WT) SARS-CoV-2 and distinct variants was possible within one assay. Our data confirm that natural SARS-CoV-2 infection or one vaccination step lead to low avidity IgG, whereas further vaccination steps gradually increase avidity to high values. High avidity is not reached by infection alone. After infection with WT SARS-CoV-2 or vaccination based on mRNA WT, the avidity of cross-reacting IgG directed towards RBD of the delta variant only showed marginal differences compared to IgG directed towards RBD WT. In contrast, the avidity of IgG cross-reacting with RBD of the omicron variant was always much lower than for IgG RBD WT, except after the third vaccination step. Therefore, parallel avidity testing of RBD WT and omicron seems to be mandatory for a significant assessment of protective immunity towards SARS-CoV-2.

Acceptance of an Internet-Based Team Development Tool Aimed at Improving Work-Related Well-being in Nurses: Cross-sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Workplace health interventions can produce beneficial health- and business-related outcomes. However, such interventions have traditionally focused on lifestyle behaviors of individuals, mostly not considering the role of working conditions. The wecoach intervention is an internet-based tool that combines both a digital and a participatory team development approach aimed at addressing critical job demands and resources as key aspects of health-promoting working conditions. Nursing staff are particularly affected by challenging working conditions and could potentially benefit greatly. Understanding the acceptance of novel workplace health promotion approaches is a critical precursor to their successful implementation and use. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine the factors influencing the acceptance of a digitally supported team development tool among nurse managers. METHODS: A sample of 32 nurse managers from 3 German-speaking countries tested wecoach and completed our online questionnaire. Hypotheses were based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) and the organizational health development (OHD) model and were tested using multiple regression analyses. RESULTS: Our analyses found that merely capacities on the team level (CapTeam) significantly contributed to the acceptance of wecoach, although only after the other variables were excluded in the stepwise multiple regression analysis. The UTAUT predictors were unable to add significant variance explanation beyond that, and their inclusion masked the contribution of CapTeam. CONCLUSIONS: For the acceptance of a digitally supported participatory tool, the fit with the team, its culture, and its motivation are of critical importance, while aspects proposed by traditional acceptance models, such as the UTAUT, may not be applicable.

Developing an Intervention and Evaluation Model of Outdoor Therapy for Employee Burnout: Unraveling the Interplay Between Context, Processes, and Outcomes.

Background: Burnout is a major societal issue adversely affecting employees' health and performance, which over time results in high sick leave costs for organizations. Traditional rehabilitation therapies show suboptimal effects on reducing burnout and the return-to-work process. Based on the health-promoting effects of nature, taking clients outdoors into nature is increasingly being used as a complementary approach to traditional therapies, and evidence of their effectiveness is growing. Theories explaining how the combination of general psychological support and outdoor-specific elements can trigger the rehabilitation process in outdoor therapy are often lacking, however, impeding its systematic research. Aim: The study aims to develop an intervention and evaluation model for outdoor therapy to understand and empirically evaluate whether and how such an outdoor intervention may work for rehabilitation after burnout. Methodological Approach: We build on the exemplary case of an outdoor intervention for rehabilitation after burnout, developed by outdoor clinical psychologists in Netherlands. We combined the generic context, process, and outcome evaluation model and the burnout recovery model as an overarching deductive frame. We then inductively specified the intervention and evaluation model of outdoor therapy, building on the following qualitative data: semi-structured interviews with outdoor clinical psychologists and former clients; a content analysis of the intervention protocol; and reflective meetings with the intervention developers and health promotion experts. Results: We identified six key outdoor intervention elements: (1) physical activity; (2) reconnecting body and mind; (3) nature metaphors; (4) creating relationships; (5) observing natural interactions; and (6) experiential learning. The results further showed that the implementation of these elements may facilitate the rehabilitation process after burnout in which proximal, intermediate, and distal outcomes emerge. Finally, the results suggested that this implementation process depends on the context of the therapist (e.g., number of clients per day), therapy (e.g., privacy issues), and of the clients (e.g., affinity to nature). Conclusion: The intervention and evaluation model for outdoor therapy shows how key outdoor intervention elements may contribute to the rehabilitation process after burnout. However, our model needs to be further tested among a larger group of clients to empirically evaluate whether and how outdoor therapy can support rehabilitation.

The Role of Off-Job Crafting in Burnout Prevention during COVID-19 Crisis: A Longitudinal Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic and remote working challenge employees' possibilities to recover from work during their off-job time. We examined the relationship between off-job crafting and burnout across the COVID-19 crisis. We used a longitudinal research design, comprising one wave collected before the onset of the pandemic, in March 2019 (T1), and one wave collected during the first lockdown of the crisis in April 2020 (T2). We measured the six off-job crafting dimensions (Crafting for Detachment, Relaxation, Autonomy, Mastery, Meaning, and Affiliation) and burnout (fatigue/exhaustion) via a questionnaire among German and Swiss employees (N = 658; Age M = 47; 55% male). We found that both burnout levels and crafting for affiliation significantly decreased at T2 compared to T1. All off-job crafting dimensions and burnout correlated negatively cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Regression analyses showed that employees who crafted in their off-job time before and during the crisis experienced fewer burnout complaints during the crisis. Looking more closely at the subdimensions of off-job crafting, employees who crafted for detachment before and during, and for affiliation before the crisis, reported less burnout during the crisis. We conclude that off-job crafting may act as a buffer mechanism against burnout during the COVID-19 crisis.

Incomplete IgG avidity maturation after seasonal coronavirus infections.

In classical viral infections, the avidity of immunoglobulin G (IgG) is low during acute infection and high a few months later. As recently reported, SARS-CoV-2 infections are not following this scheme, but they are rather characterized by incomplete avidity maturation. This study was performed to clarify whether infection with seasonal coronaviruses also leads to incomplete avidity maturation. The avidity of IgG toward the nucleoprotein (NP) of the seasonal coronaviruses 229E, NL63, OC43, HKU1 and of SARS-CoV-2 was determined in the sera from 88 healthy, SARS-CoV-2-negative subjects and in the sera from 70 COVID-19 outpatients, using the recomLine SARS-CoV-2 assay with recombinant antigens. In the sera from SARS-CoV-2-negative subjects, incomplete avidity maturation (persistent low and intermediate avidity indices) was the lowest for infections with the alpha-coronaviruses 229E (33.3%) and NL63 (61.3%), and the highest for the beta-coronaviruses OC43 (77.5%) and HKU1 (71.4%). In the sera from COVID-19 patients, the degree of incomplete avidity maturation of IgG toward NP of 223E, OC43, and HKU1 was not significantly different from that found in SARS-CoV-2-negative subjects, but a significant increase in avidity was observed for IgG toward NP of NL63. Though there was no cross-reaction between SARS-CoV-2 and seasonal coronaviruses, higher concentrations of IgG directed toward seasonal coronaviruses seemed to indirectly increase avidity maturation of IgG directed toward SARS-CoV-2. Our data show that incomplete IgG avidity maturation represents a characteristic consequence of coronavirus infections. This raises problems for the serological differentiation between acute and past infections and may be important for the biology of coronaviruses.

Is the health-awareness of leaders related to the working conditions, engagement, and exhaustion in their teams? A multi-level mediation study.

BACKGROUND: Research shows that leaders influence the health and well-being of employees, by being either a buffer or major source of employee's work stressors. Various leadership behaviors and their relation to employee outcomes have been examined. Yet, a satisfactory explanation of how leaders' behavior influences health has not been found. A new line of research investigates the construct of "health-oriented leadership", that is, the health awareness of leaders towards themselves ("self-care") and towards their employees ("staff-care"). It is hypothesized that this health-orientation has a direct effect on both leader's and employees' health, as well as an indirect effect mediated by their working conditions. METHODS: Data were derived from four company research projects, that involved employee and leader surveys on work, health, and well-being. The sample consisted of 50 teams, with 191 leaders and 604 team members. To test the relation between a leader's self-care and his/her engagement, exhaustion, as well as staff-care, multiple regression analyses and mediation analyses were conducted. The relation between a leader's staff-care, the team's job resources and demands, and the individual employee outcomes engagement and exhaustion were tested with multilevel analyses. RESULTS: Regression analysis showed that the stronger a leader's health-orientation towards him/-herself ("self-care"), the stronger was the health-orientation towards his/her employees ("staff-care"). A leader's self-care was also associated with higher work engagement and lower exhaustion and this relation was mediated by his/her job resources and demands, respectively. Multilevel analysis showed that a leader's staff-care was associated with employee work engagement and exhaustion, and that this relation was mediated by team-level job resources and demands, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The health-orientation of leaders relates to their own as well as their teams' engagement and exhaustion, which is partly mediated by job demands and resources. Thus the construct of health-orientation may prove worthy of further exploration. For practical conclusions, this study provides support for researching not different leadership styles with very specific facets, but a general orientation towards health, which can be implemented into coaching and consulting sessions for organizations.

Inhibition of Membrane-Associated Catalase, Extracellular ROS/RNS Signaling and Aquaporin/H2O2-Mediated Intracellular Glutathione Depletion Cooperate during Apoptosis Induction in the Human Gastric Carcinoma Cell Line MKN-45.

The human gastric carcinoma cell line MKN-45 is a prototype of bona fide tumor cells, as it is protected from the NADPH oxidase-1 (NOX-1)-driven HOCl- and nitric oxide (NO)/peroxynitrite apoptosis-inducing signaling pathways by a membrane-associated catalase. The use of inhibitors/scavengers shows that inhibition of membrane-associated catalase is sufficient for the activation of NO/peroxynitrite or HOCl signaling. However, this signaling is not sufficient for apoptosis induction, as intracellular glutathione peroxidase/glutathione counteracts these signaling effects. Therefore, intrusion of extracellular tumor cell-derived H2O2 through aquaporins is required for the full apoptosis-inducing effect of extracellular reactive oxygen/nitrogen species. This secondary step in apoptosis induction can be prevented by inhibition of aquaporins, inhibition of NOX1 and decomposition of H2O2. Pretreatment with inhibitors of glutathione synthase or the cysteine-glutamine antiporter (xC transporter) abrogate the requirement for aquaporin/H2O2-mediated glutathione depletion, thus demonstrating that intracellular glutathione is the target of intruding H2O2. These data allow definition of mechanistic interactions between ROS/RNS signaling after inhibition of membrane-associated catalase, the sensitizing effects of aquaporins/H2O2 and the counteraction of the xC transporter/glutathione synthase system. Knowledge of these mechanistic interactions is required for the understanding of selective apoptosis induction in tumor cells through reestablishment of apoptosis-inducing ROS/RNS signaling.

Vaccination versus infection with SARS-CoV-2: Establishment of a high avidity IgG response versus incomplete avidity maturation.

Avidity is defined as the binding strength of immunoglobulin G (IgG) toward its target epitope. Avidity is directly related to affinity, as both processes are determined by the best fit of IgG to epitopes. We confirm and extend data on incomplete avidity maturation of IgG toward severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) nucleoprotein (NP), spike protein-1 (S1), and its receptor-binding domain (RBD) in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. In SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals, an initial rise in avidity maturation was ending abruptly, leading to IgG of persistently low or intermediate avidity. Incomplete avidity maturation might facilitate secondary SARS-CoV-2 infections and thus prevent the establishment of herd immunity. Incomplete avidity maturation after infection with SARS-CoV-2 (with only 11.8% of cases showing finally IgG of high avidity, that is, an avidity index > 0.6) was contrasted by regular and rapid establishment of high avidity in SARS-CoV-2 naïve individuals after two vaccination steps with the BioNTech messenger RNA (mRNA) Vaccine (78% of cases with high avidity). One vaccination step was not sufficient for induction of complete avidity maturation in vaccinated SARS-CoV-2 naïve individuals, as it induced high avidity only in 2.9% of cases within 3 weeks. However, one vaccination step was sufficient to induce high avidity in individuals with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Relationship between Job Demands-Resources and turnover intention in chronic disease - The example of multiple sclerosis.

Considering the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, this study investigated the relation between job demands, job resources and turnover intention among persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) as an example of chronic disease. We hypothesized that job demands and job resources are related to turnover intention, as mediated by work engagement, burnout, and MS-related work difficulties. Moreover, we assumed that MS-related work difficulties mediate the relationship between job demands/job resources and burnout and between job resources and work engagement. Using cross-sectional data (N = 360) of pwMS from the Swiss MS Registry, structural equation modelling was applied. The results confirm the JD-R model can be related to turnover intention among pwMS. Moreover, MS-related work difficulties mediated the relationship between job demands and burnout, between job resources and work engagement, and between job resources and burnout. The findings suggest that there may be benefit in applying and adapting the JD-R model for people with a chronic disease such as MS. This group of people might benefit from the promotion of job resources and a reduction in job demands, leading to changes in work engagement, burnout, and MS-related work difficulties and thus to an increased likelihood to stay at work.