Effects of Emotional Labor, Anger, and Work Engagement on Work-Life Balance of Mental Health Specialists Working in Mental Health Welfare Centers.

This study is a descriptive survey aiming to examine the general characteristics, emotional labor, anger, and work engagement of mental health specialists at mental health welfare centers and determine their effects on work-life balance (WLB). A total of 193 mental health specialists from 21 mental health welfare centers at metropolitan cities U and B were enrolled. A self-report and anonymous online questionnaire was used to collect data from 11 March to 1 April 2021. The collected data were analyzed using the t-test, analysis of variance, Scheffé test, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and multiple regressions using SPSS Windows (Ver 25.0). We found that WLB is significantly negatively correlated with emotional labor (r = -0.47, p < 0.001), anger (r = -0.32, p < 0.001), and work engagement (r = 0.37, p < 0.001). The regression model confirmed that the male sex (ß = 0.35, p = 0.002), moderate perceived health (ß = -0.31, p = 0.003), poor perceived health (ß = -0.35, p = 0.020), 1-3 years of career experience at a mental health welfare center (ß = 0.27, p = 0.043), level of attentiveness required in emotional labor (ß = -0.23, p = 0.014), and vigor of work engagement (ß = 0.15, p = 0.005) were predictors of WLB, and these factors explained 43.1% of the variance. Supportive work policies and environments that promote perceived health, reduce emotional labor, and stimulate work engagement are needed to help mental health specialists at mental health welfare centers maintain a good WLB and enjoy a higher quality of life.

Application of array-based comparative genomic hybridization to pediatric neurologic diseases.

PURPOSE: Array comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH) is a technique used to analyze quantitative increase or decrease of chromosomes by competitive DNA hybridization of patients and controls. This study aimed to evaluate the benefits and yield of array-CGH in comparison with conventional karyotyping in pediatric neurology patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included 87 patients from the pediatric neurology clinic with at least one of the following features: developmental delay, mental retardation, dysmorphic face, or epilepsy. DNA extracted from patients and controls was hybridized on the Roche NimbleGen 135K oligonucleotide array and compared with G-band karyotyping. The results were analyzed with findings reported in recent publications and internet databases. RESULTS: Chromosome imbalances, including 9 cases detected also by G-band karyotyping, were found in 28 patients (32.2%), and at least 19 of them seemed to be causally related to the abnormal phenotypes. Regarding each clinical symptom, 26.2% of 42 developmental delay patients, 44.4% of 18 mental retardation patients, 42.9% of 28 dysmorphic face patients, and 34.6% of 26 epilepsy patients showed abnormal array results. CONCLUSION: Although there were relatively small number of tests in patients with pediatric neurologic disease, this study demonstrated that array-CGH is a very useful tool for clinical diagnosis of unknown genome abnormalities performed in pediatric neurology clinics.

Technological progress in generation of induced pluripotent stem cells for clinical applications.

Reprogramming of somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) is achieved by viral-mediated transduction of defined transcription factors. Generation of iPSCs is of great medical interest as they have the potential to be a source of patient-specific cells. For the eventual goal of clinical application, it is necessary to overcome the limitations of low reprogramming efficiency and chromosomal abnormalities due to viral DNA integration. In this paper, we summarize the current state of reprogramming technology for generation of iPSCs and also discuss potential approaches to the development of safe iPSCs for personalized cell-based replacement therapy.

Usefulness of melanoma antigen (MAGE) gene analysis in tissue samples from percutaneous needle aspiration biopsy of suspected lung cancer lesions.

BACKGROUND: As mortality from lung cancer is still very high, early detection prior to metastasis is important in clinical settings. We prospectively evaluated the clinical usefulness of a reverse transcription-nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-nested PCR) using melanoma antigen (MAGE) A1-6 genes with tissue samples obtained from the percutaneous needle aspiration (PCNA) biopsies used in the diagnosis of lung cancer. METHODS: We enrolled 53 patients with suspected lung cancer based on CT scan (M:F, 39:14; mean age 61 years). A PCNA biopsy was performed twice and lung cancer was diagnosed by a pathological examination. The MAGE genes were analyzed using RT-nested PCR from tissue samples obtained from the PCNA biopsy of the lesion. We compared the results from the RT-nested PCR and the pathologic diagnosis. We also analyzed the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV). RESULTS: Of the 53 patients, 39 were diagnosed with lung cancer. Six patients had tuberculosis and 8 were confirmed with chronic inflammation or benign lesion. Based on the RT-nested PCR examination, 41 of 53 patients were positive for the MAGE gene: 34 of 39 patients had lung cancer; 5 of 6 patients had tuberculosis; and 2 of 8 patients had chronic inflammation or benign lesion. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV and NPV were 83%, 58%, 77%, 87% and 55%, respectively. CONCLUSION: MAGE gene analysis by RT-nested PCR may be a useful method for the diagnosis of lung cancer, but it is still limited in patients with tuberculosis.

HMW1 is required for stability and localization of HMW2 to the attachment organelle of Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

The cytoskeletal proteins HMW1 and HMW2 are components of the terminal organelle of the cell wall-less bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae. HMW1 is required for a tapered, filamentous morphology but exhibits accelerated turnover in the absence of HMW2. Here, we report that a reciprocal dependency exists between HMW1 and HMW2, with HMW2 subject to accelerated turnover with the loss of HMW1. Furthermore, the instability of HMW2 correlated with its failure to localize to the attachment organelle. The C-terminal domain of HMW1 is essential for both function and its accelerated turnover in the absence of HMW2. We constructed HMW1 deletion derivatives lacking portions of this domain and examined each for stability and function. The C-terminal 41 residues were particularly important for proper localization and function in cell morphology and P1 localization, but the entire C-terminal domain was required to stabilize HMW2. The significance of these findings in the context of attachment organelle assembly is considered.

Localization of Mycoplasma pneumoniae cytadherence-associated protein HMW2 by fusion with green fluorescent protein: implications for attachment organelle structure.

The terminal organelle of the cell wall-less pathogenic bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a complex structure involved in adherence, gliding motility and cell division. This membrane-bound extension of the mycoplasma cell possesses a characteristic electron-dense core. A number of proteins having direct or indirect roles in M. pneumoniae cytadherence have been previously localized to the terminal organelle. However, the cytadherence-accessory protein HMW2, which is required for the stabilization of several terminal organelle components, has been refractory to antibody-based approaches to subcellular localization. In the current study, we constructed a sandwich fusion of HMW2 and enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) and expressed this fusion in wild-type M. pneumoniae and the hmw2- mutant I-2. The fusion protein was produced in both backgrounds at wild-type levels and supported stabilization of proteins HMW1, HMW3 and P65, and haemadsorption function in mutant I-2. Furthermore, the fusion protein was fluorescent and localized specifically to the terminal organelle. However, the EGFP moiety appeared to interfere partially with processes related to cell division, as transformant cells exhibited an increased incidence of bifurcated attachment organelles. These data together with structural predictions suggest that HMW2 is the defining component of the electron-dense core of the terminal organelle.