An Exploration of the Burnout Situation on Teachers in Two Schools in Macau.

To explore the burnout situation of teachers in two schools in Macau and to investigate any differences made of demographic characteristics. The relation of burnout on social problem solving and holistic health of teachers is also studied. A self reported questionnaire with the Chinese Maslach Burnout Inventory (C-MBI), Chinese Social Problem Solving Inventory (C-SPSI) and the Body-Mind-Spirit Well-Being Inventory (BMSWBI) were used. Totally 138 teachers participated in the study. With Hong Kong data as a reference, Macau teachers scored in the average range of burnout in emotional exhaustion and depersonalization but scored in the low range of burnout in personal accomplishment. Significance differences were found in some dimensions of burnout in age, marital status, teaching experiences, education background and satisfaction with income. Both C-SPSI and BMSWBI were found to be significantly negative correlated with emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and positive correlated with personal achievement. The findings identified those with greater degree of burnout, to whom more attention should be paid. The study also contributed to the limited literature on the quality of life of teachers in Macau. Finally, the findings added on the data base for comparison internationally among the Chinese population.

Curcumin effects on blood lipid profile in a 6-month human study.

Studies in animals and a short-term human study have suggested that curcumin, a polyphenolic compound concentrated in the curry spice turmeric, decreases serum cholesterol concentration. However, no controlled human trials have examined the effect of curcumin on cholesterol. This study investigated the effects of consuming curcumin on the serum lipid profile in men and women. Elderly subjects (n=36) consumed 4 g/d curcumin, 1g/d curcumin, or placebo in a 6-month, randomized, double-blind trial. Plasma curcumin and its metabolites were measured at 1 month, and the serum lipid profile was measured at baseline, 1 month, and 6 months. The plasma curcumin concentration reached a mean of 490 nmol/L. The curcumin concentration was greater after capsule than powder administration. Consumption of either dose of curcumin did not significantly affect triacylglycerols, or total, LDL, and HDL cholesterol over 1 month or 6 months. However, the concentrations of plasma curcumin and serum cholesterol were positively and significantly correlated. Curcumin consumption does not appear to have a significant effect on the serum lipid profile, unless the absorbed concentration of curcumin is considered, in which case curcumin may modestly increase cholesterol.

Intermediates in fatty acid oxidation.

1. Aqueous extracts of acetone-dried liver and kidney mitochondria, supplemented with NAD(+), CoA and phenazine methosulphate, efficiently convert fatty-acyl-CoA compounds into acetyl-CoA; the process was followed with an O(2) electrode. 2. Label from [1-(14)C]octanoyl-CoA appears in acetyl-CoA more rapidly than that from [8-(14)C]octanoyl-CoA. 3. Oxidation of [8-(14)C]octanoyl-CoA was terminated by addition of neutral ethanolic hydroxylamine and the resulting hydroxamates were separated chromatographically. Hydroxamate derivatives of 3-hydroxyoctanoyl-, hexanoyl-, butyryl- and acetyl-CoA were obtained. 4. These and other observations suggest that oxidation of octanoyl-CoA by extracts involves participation of free intermediates rather than uninterrupted complete degradation of individual molecules to acetyl-CoA by a multienzyme complex. 5. Intact liver mitochondria studied by the hydroxamate technique were also shown to form intermediates during oxidation of labelled octanoates. In addition to octanoylhydroxamate, [8-(14)C]octanoate gave rise to small amounts of hexanoyl-, butyryl- and 3-hydroxyoctanoyl-hydroxamate. In contrast with extracts, however, where the quantity of intermediates found was a significant fraction of the precursors, mitochondria oxidizing octanoate contained much larger quantities of octanoyl-CoA than of any other intermediate.