BackgroundThe challenge of combining professional work and breastfeeding is a key reason why women choose not to breastfeed or to stop breastfeeding early. We posited that having access to a high-quality lactation room at the workplace could influence working mothers’ satisfaction and perceptions related to expressing breast milk at work, which could have important longer term consequences for the duration of breastfeeding. Specifically, we aimed to (1) develop a checklist for assessing the quality of lactation rooms and (2) explore how lactation room quality affects lactating mothers’ satisfaction and perceptions. Drawing on social ecological insights, we hypothesized that the quality of lactation rooms (operationalized as any space used for expressing milk at work) would be positively related to mothers’ satisfaction with the room, perceived ease of, and perceived support for milk expression at work.MethodsWe conducted two studies. In Study 1 we developed a lactation room quality checklist (LRQC) and assessed its reliability twice, using samples of 33 lactation rooms (Study 1a) and 31 lactation rooms (Study 1b). Data were collected in the Northern part of the Netherlands (between December 2016 and April 2017). Study 2 comprised a cross-sectional survey of 511 lactating mothers, working in a variety of Dutch organizations. The mothers were recruited through the Facebook page of a popular Dutch breastfeeding website. They completed online questionnaires containing the LRQC and measures aimed at assessing their satisfaction and perceptions related to milk expression at work (in June and July 2017).ResultsThe LRQC was deemed reliable and easy to apply in practice. As predicted, we found that objectively assessed higher-quality lactation rooms were associated with increased levels of satisfaction with the lactation rooms, perceived ease of milk expression at work, and perceived support from supervisors and co-workers for expressing milk in the workplace.ConclusionsThe availability of a high-quality lactation room could influence mothers’ decisions regarding breast milk expression at work and the commencement and/or continuation of breastfeeding. Future studies should explore whether and how lactation room quality affects breastfeeding choices, and which aspects are most important to include in lactation rooms.
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Muscle fiber-type specific expression of UCP3-protein is reported here for the firts time, using immunofluorescence microscopy
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Background The Self-Expression Emotion Regulation in Art Therapy Scale (SERATS) was developed as art therapy lacked outcome measures that could be used to monitor the specific effects of art therapy. Although the SERATS showed good psychometric properties in earlier studies, it lacked convergent validity and thus construct validity. Method To test the convergent validity of the SERATS correlation was examined with the EES (Emotional Expressivity Scale), Emotion Regulation Strategies for Artistic Creative Activities Scale (ERS-ACA) and Healthy-Unhealthy Music Scale (HUMS). Patients diagnosed with a Personality Disorder, and thus having self-regulation and emotion regulation problems (n = 179) and a healthy student population (n = 53) completed the questionnaires (N = 232). Results The SERATS showed a high reliability and convergent validity in relation to the ERS-ACA approach strategies and self-development strategies in both patients and students and the HUMS healthy scale, in patients. Hence, what the SERATS measures is highly associated with emotion regulation strategies like acceptance, reappraisal, discharge and problem solving and with improving a sense of self including self-identity, increased self-esteem and improved agency as well as the healthy side of art making. Respondents rated the SERATS as relatively easy to complete compared to the other questionnaires. Conclusion The SERATS is a valid, useful and user-friendly tool for monitoring the effect of art therapy that is indicative of making art in a healthy way that serves positive emotion regulation and self-development.
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Plants are sessile organisms that deal with their -sometimes adverse- environment in well-regulated ways. Chromatin remodeling involving SWI/SNF2-type ATPases is thought to be an important epigenetic mechanism for the regulation of gene expression in different developmental programs and for integrating these programs with the response to environmental signals. In this study, we report on the role of chromatin remodeling in Arabidopsis with respect to the variability of growth and gene expression in relationship to environmental conditions.
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The exploitation of the metagenome for novel biocatalysts by functional screening is determined by the ability to express the respective genes in a surrogate host. The probability of recovering a certain gene thereby depends on its abundance in the environmental DNA used for library construction, the chosen insert size, the length of the target gene, and the presence of expression signals that are functional in the host organism. In this paper, we present a set of formulas that describe the chance of isolating a gene by random expression cloning, taking into account the three different modes of heterologous gene expression: independent expression, expression as a transcriptional fusion and expression as a translational fusion. Genes of the last category are shown to be virtually inaccessible by shotgun cloning because of the low frequency of functional constructs. To evaluate which part of the metagenome might in this way evade exploitation, 32 complete genome sequences of prokaryotic organisms were analysed for the presence of expression signals functional in E. coli hosts, using bioinformatics tools. Our study reveals significant differences in the predicted expression modes between distinct taxonomic groups of organisms and suggests that about 40% of the enzymatic activities may be readily recovered by random cloning in E. coli.
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BACKGROUND: Glucocorticoids (GCs) control expression of a large number of genes via binding to the GC receptor (GR). Transcription may be regulated either by binding of the GR dimer to DNA regulatory elements or by protein-protein interactions of GR monomers with other transcription factors. Although the type of regulation for a number of individual target genes is known, the relative contribution of both mechanisms to the regulation of the entire transcriptional program remains elusive. To study the importance of GR dimerization in the regulation of gene expression, we performed gene expression profiling of livers of prednisolone-treated wild type (WT) and mice that have lost the ability to form GR dimers (GRdim).RESULTS: The GR target genes identified in WT mice were predominantly related to glucose metabolism, the cell cycle, apoptosis and inflammation. In GRdim mice, the level of prednisolone-induced gene expression was significantly reduced compared to WT, but not completely absent. Interestingly, for a set of genes, involved in cell cycle and apoptosis processes and strongly related to Foxo3a and p53, induction by prednisolone was completely abolished in GRdim mice. In contrast, glucose metabolism-related genes were still modestly upregulated in GRdim mice upon prednisolone treatment. Finally, we identified several novel GC-inducible genes from which Fam107a, a putative histone acetyltransferase complex interacting protein, was most strongly dependent on GR dimerization.CONCLUSIONS: This study on prednisolone-induced effects in livers of WT and GRdim mice identified a number of interesting candidate genes and pathways regulated by GR dimers and sheds new light onto the complex transcriptional regulation of liver function by GCs.
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BACKGROUND: Prednisolone and other glucocorticoids (GCs) are potent anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs. However, prolonged use at a medium or high dose is hampered by side effects of which the metabolic side effects are most evident. Relatively little is known about their effect on gene-expression in vivo, the effect on cell subpopulations and the relation to the efficacy and side effects of GCs.AIM: To identify and compare prednisolone-induced gene signatures in CD4⁺ T lymphocytes and CD14⁺ monocytes derived from healthy volunteers and to link these signatures to underlying biological pathways involved in metabolic adverse effects.MATERIALS & METHODS: Whole-genome expression profiling was performed on CD4⁺ T lymphocytes and CD14⁺ monocytes derived from healthy volunteers treated with prednisolone. Text-mining analyses was used to link genes to pathways involved in metabolic adverse events.RESULTS: Induction of gene-expression was much stronger in CD4⁺ T lymphocytes than in CD14⁺ monocytes with respect to fold changes, but the number of truly cell-specific genes where a strong prednisolone effect in one cell type was accompanied by a total lack of prednisolone effect in the other cell type, was relatively low. Subsequently, a large set of genes was identified with a strong link to metabolic processes, for some of which the association with GCs is novel.CONCLUSION: The identified gene signatures provide new starting points for further study into GC-induced transcriptional regulation in vivo and the mechanisms underlying GC-mediated metabolic side effects.
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Immunofluorescence microscopy in this study shows that GLUT-4 protein expression is fibre-type specific within a muscle. It is postulated that both fibre-type-dependent and fibre-type-independent factors affect GLUT-4 expression.
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Background: Art therapy (AT) is frequently offered to children and adolescents with psychosocial problems. AT is an experiential form of treatment in which the use of art materials, the process of creation in the presence and guidance of an art therapist, and the resulting artwork are assumed to contribute to the reduction of psychosocial problems. Although previous research reports positive effects, there is a lack of knowledge on which (combination of) art therapeutic components contribute to the reduction of psychosocial problems in children and adolescents. Method: A systematic narrative review was conducted to give an overview of AT interventions for children and adolescents with psychosocial problems. Fourteen databases and four electronic journals up to January 2020 were systematically searched. The applied means and forms of expression, therapist behavior, supposed mechanisms of change, and effects were extracted and coded. Results: Thirty-seven studies out of 1,299 studies met the inclusion criteria. This concerned 16 randomized controlled trials, eight controlled trials, and 13 single-group pre–post design studies. AT interventions for children and adolescents are characterized by a variety of materials/techniques, forms of structure such as giving topics or assignments, and the use of language. Three forms of therapist behavior were seen: non-directive, directive, and eclectic. All three forms of therapist behavior, in combination with a variety of means and forms of expression, showed significant effects on psychosocial problems. Conclusions: The results showed that the use of means and forms of expression and therapist behavior is applied flexibly. This suggests the responsiveness of AT, in which means and forms of expression and therapist behavior are applied to respond to the client's needs and circumstances, thereby giving positive results for psychosocial outcomes. For future studies, presenting detailed information on the potential beneficial effects of used therapeutic perspectives, means, art techniques, and therapist behavior is recommended to get a better insight into (un)successful art therapeutic elements.
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BACKGROUND: Overweight and obesity is a growing health problem worldwide. The most effective strategy to reduce weight is energy restriction (ER). ER has been shown to be beneficial in disease prevention and it reduces chronic inflammation. Recent studies suggest that reducing the protein quantity of a diet contributes to the beneficial effects by ER. The organ most extensively affected during ER is white adipose tissue (WAT).OBJECTIVE: The first objective was to assess changes in gene expression between a high-protein diet and a normal protein diet during ER. Second, the total effect of ER on changes in gene expression in WAT was assessed.METHODS: In a parallel double-blinded controlled study, overweight older participants adhered to a 25% ER diet, either combined with high-protein intake (HP-ER, 1.7 g kg-1 per day), or with normal protein intake (NP-ER, 0.9 g kg-1 per day) for 12 weeks. From 10 HP-ER participants and 12 NP-ER participants subcutaneous WAT biopsies were collected before and after the diet intervention. Adipose tissue was used to isolate total RNA and to evaluate whole-genome gene expression changes upon a HP-ER and NP-ER diet.RESULTS: A different gene expression response between HP-ER and NP-ER was observed for 530 genes. After NP-ER, a downregulation in expression of genes linked to immune cell infiltration, adaptive immune response and inflammasome was found, whereas no such effect was found after HP-ER. HP-ER resulted in upregulation in expression of genes linked to cell cycle, GPCR signalling, olfactory signalling and nitrogen metabolism. Upon 25% ER, gene sets related to energy metabolism and immune response were decreased.CONCLUSIONS: Based on gene expression changes, we concluded that consumption of normal protein quantity compared with high-protein quantity during ER has a more beneficial effect on inflammation-related gene expression in WAT.
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