[Promotion of help-seeking intentions for balancing medical treatment and job content among employees of small companies: Focusing on cooperative work climate].

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the association between cooperative work climate and business owners' attitudes toward work climate and help-seeking intentions for balancing medical treatment and job (BTJ) by occupation among employees of small companies. METHODS: In January 2024, we conducted an online survey of 1,800 full-time employees aged 20-64 years with no work restrictions due to illness working in small companies. After participants were provided a leaflet regarding BTJ, they were asked to indicate their intention to seek help in an imaginary situation where they had been diagnosed with cancer. We conducted a multivariate logistic regression analysis using a combination of cooperative work climate (low or high) and business owners' attitudes toward work climate (low or high) as the primary explanatory variable and help-seeking intentions regarding BTJ as the dependent variable, adjusted for relevant job-related variables. As a subgroup analysis, logistic regression analyses by occupation (i.e., white- or blue-collar workers) were also conducted. RESULTS: Among the 1,800 participants (602 females and 1,198 males), 1,350 (75.0%) reported an active intention to seek help regarding BTJ. Those who reported higher levels of cooperative work climate and lower levels of business owners' positive attitudes toward work climate (odds ratio (OR) 1.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07-2.1), as well as those who reported higher levels of work climate and business owners' attitudes (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.4-2.9), were significantly more likely to reveal help-seeking intentions regarding BTJ than those who reported lower levels of work climate and business owner attitudes. Analyses by occupation also showed that for both occupation categories, those who reported higher levels of cooperative work climate and business owner attitudes toward work climate more frequently revealed help-seeking intentions than those who reported lower levels of work climate and business owner attitudes. CONCLUSIONS: Among participants working for small companies, regardless of occupation, those who reported higher levels of cooperative work climate and business owners' attitudes toward work climate were significantly more likely to reveal help-seeking intentions regarding BTJ. Our findings imply that (1) cooperative work climate has a stronger effect on help-seeking intentions regarding BTJ than business owners' attitudes toward work climate, and (2) both work climate and business owners' attitudes have a synergistic impact on help-seeking intentions regarding BTJ. Enhancing a cooperative work climate may promote help-seeking intentions among employees working for small companies, regardless of occupation.

Diagnostic Performance of a Novel Ultra-Thin Endoscopy under Narrow-Band Imaging for Superficial Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Pharynx and Esophagus.

This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic utility of the ultra-thin endoscope (UTE) for superficial squamous cell carcinoma (SSCC) compared to magnifying endoscopy (ME) under narrow-band imaging. Participants underwent endoscopic examination, and images of pharyngeal and esophageal SCCs, as along with suspicious SSCC lesions, were collected using UTE and ME on the same day. Three image catalogs (UTE, ME-1, and ME-2) were created and reviewed by three expert endoscopists. ME-1 and ME-2 contained the same endoscopic images. The primary endpoint was the intra-observer agreement for diagnosing SCC. Eighty-six lesions (SCC = thirty-nine, non-SCC = forty-seven) in 43 participants were identified. The kappa values for the intra-observer agreement between UTE and ME-1 vs. the control (ME-1 vs. ME-2) were 0.74 vs. 0.84, 0.63 vs. 0.76, and 0.79 vs. 0.88, respectively. The accuracies for diagnosing SCC by UTE and ME-1 were 87.2% vs. 86.0%, 78.0% vs. 73,2%, and 75.6 vs. 82.6%, respectively, with no significant differences (p > 0.05). The rates of lesions that were diagnosed with confidence by UTE and ME-1 were 30.2% vs. 27.9%, 55.8% vs. 62.8%, and 58.1% vs. 55.8%, respectively. UTE demonstrates substantial diagnostic performance for SSCC in the pharynx and esophagus.

Zinc deficiency affects insulin secretion and alters insulin-regulated metabolic signaling in rats.

BACKGROUND: The essential trace element zinc is important in stabilizing pancreatic insulin secretion. Zinc not only influences the synthesis of insulin but also affects its activity. Insulin not only exerts a hypoglycemic effect but also regulates glucose and lipid metabolisms in insulin target organs. In this study, we aimed to determine changes to pancreatic ß cells and insulin secretion induced by different zinc concentrations and to evaluate the effect of zinc deficiency on glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, and insulin target organs via changing insulin levels. METHODS: We set up two experimental trials. In the first trial, male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were divided into three groups. Group one (ZnC) received a standard diet, group two (ZnF) was given a zinc-free diet, and group three (ZnFC) was initially fed a zinc-free diet followed by a reversion to the standard diet. After sacrifice, we observed changes in blood parameters, including insulin, and examined alterations in pancreatic tissue using immunostaining, with focus on the localization of pancreatic ß-cells. In the second trial, male SD rats were split into two groups, with one receiving a standard diet and the other a zinc-free diet. Oral glucose tolerance and insulin tolerance tests were then performed. After sacrifice, we evaluated changes in lipid and glucose metabolism within insulin target organs using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: In the first trial, blood insulin levels and the area of insulin-positive staining in pancreatic ß-cells decreased in the ZnF compared to the ZnC group. The ZnFC group did not show recovery in either blood insulin levels or the area of insulin-positive staining in pancreatic ß-cells. In the second trial, no differences were observed in glucose tolerance or insulin resistance between the ZnC and ZnF groups. However, changes in the expression of insulin target genes were noted in the liver and adipose tissue in the ZnF group. CONCLUSION: We reveal that dietary zinc concentrations not only affect the concentration of insulin in the blood but also impact the localization of pancreatic ß-cells involved in insulin production. Furthermore, our results suggest that changes in blood insulin levels, induced by different zinc concentrations, could cause metabolic alterations in insulin target organs such as the liver and adipose tissue. This study sheds more light on the role of zinc in insulin-regulated metabolic diseases.