Application of RNA interference and protein localization to investigate housekeeping and developmentally regulated genes in the emerging model protozoan Paramecium caudatum.

Unicellular eukaryotes represent tremendous evolutionary diversity. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this diversity remain largely unexplored, partly due to a limitation of genetic tools to only a few model species. Paramecium caudatum is a well-known unicellular eukaryote with an unexpectedly large germline genome, of which only two percent is retained in the somatic genome following sexual processes, revealing extensive DNA elimination. However, further progress in understanding the molecular mechanisms governing this process is hampered by a lack of suitable genetic tools. Here, we report the successful application of gene knockdown and protein localization methods to interrogate the function of both housekeeping and developmentally regulated genes in P. caudatum. Using these methods, we achieved the expected phenotypes upon RNAi by feeding, and determined the localization of these proteins by microinjection of fusion constructs containing fluorescent protein or antibody tags. Lastly, we used these methods to reveal that P. caudatum PiggyMac, a domesticated piggyBac transposase, is essential for sexual development, and is likely to be an active transposase directly involved in DNA cleavage. The application of these methods lays the groundwork for future studies of gene function in P. caudatum and can be used to answer important biological questions in the future.

Housework participation and mortality in Japanese male patients undergoing cancer surgery: A propensity score-matched study.

BACKGROUND: Participation in housework and meal preparation are instrumental activity of daily living (IADL) evaluation items that is known to predict prognosis and complications in cancer care. However, these items are often assessed only for females, not for males, in IADL. METHODS: We examined the impact of habit of housework and meal preparation on overall survival (OS) in 1025 Japanese male patients who underwent elective urologic cancer surgery at our institution. The study also used a cohort that was matched by propensity score. RESULTS: We found that patients who did not prepare meals or do housework had significantly shorter OS (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.34, P = 0.005; HR = 5.01, P < 0.001, respectively). Even in the cohort of 448 patients matched by propensity score and adjusted for age, body mass index, comorbidities, performance status, living status, cancer type, stage groups of cancer, and surgical approach, lack of participation in housework was associated with shorter OS (HR = 2.92, P = 0.04) and was an independent predictor of worse OS in multivariable analysis (HR = 5.13, P = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: Males who did not regularly do household chores before elective cancer surgery had worse life outcomes. Doing more daily physical activities, such as household chores like making the bed and cleaning the room, might have a positive impact on survival when fighting cancer.

SGLT2 inhibitors and AMPK: The road to cellular housekeeping?

Sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, known as Gliflozins, are a class of Glucose-lowering drugs in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) that induce glucosuria by blocking SGLT2 co-transporters in the proximal tubules. Several lines of evidence suggest that SGLT2 inhibitors regulate multiple mechanisms associated with the regulation of varying cellular pathways. The 5'-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway plays an important role in metabolic homeostasis by influencing cellular processes. Recently, it has been shown that SGLT2 inhibitors can affect the AMPK pathway in differing physiological and pathological ways, resulting in kidney, intestinal, cardiovascular, and liver protective effects. Additionally, they have therapeutic effects on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and diabetes mellitus-associated complications. In this review, we summarize the results of studies of AMPK-associated therapeutic effects of SGLT2 inhibitors in different organelle functions.

Doing housework and having regular daily routine standing out as factors associate with physical function in the older people.

Background and objectives: Nationwide data were used to explore factors associated with physical function in order to identify interventions that could improve and maintain physical function in the older people. Methods: The physical function was assessed by gait speed (GS). We selected 2,677 male and 2,668 female older adults (aged ≥60) who could perform the GS test as study subjects. GS was measured by having subjects walk across and back a 10-m course. A gait speed less than 20% that of a reference population (<0.7 m/s) was used as the definition of slow gait speed (SGS). Co-morbidity, polypharmacy, medical expenses, need for care, and hospitalization were used to evaluate health status. A stepwise logistic regression model was used to determine factors associated with SGS. Results: SGS was associated with poorer health status, higher medical cost, lower ranking on the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and decreased Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE). Co-morbidity (OR = 1.81, 1.58-2.07), polypharmacy (OR = 1.47, 1.25-1.74), MMSE <24 (OR = 1.85, 1.54-2.22), and GDS ≥ 11 (OR = 1.40, 1.18-1.65) were associated with SGS. In contrast, doing housework (DHW, OR = 0.43, 0.38-0.49), having a regular daily routine (RDR, OR = 0.64, 0.45-0.91), and current alcohol consumption (OR = 0.74, 0.62-0.90) were inversely associated with SGS. DHW plus having RDR could greatly reduce the risk of SGS (OR = 0.29, 0.19-0.43). Conclusion: Poor physical function is associated with poorer health status in Chinese older people. Maintaining a regular daily routine and doing some housework may be important factors that can help older people preserve their physical function.

Different logics of pain: the gendered dimension of chronic pain in a relational setting.

This study aims to increase our understanding of the gendered dimension of living with chronic pain within a relational context. The empirical setting for this study is Sweden, a country widely recognised for its long history of gender equality. Interview responses from 21 women and 12 men were analysed using the feminist notion of the marriage contract, outlining the terms for women and men living together in a relationship. The result shows how living with chronic pain leads to processes of grief and altered priorities. Respondents emphasize the importance of equality. However, men and women apply different logics when deciding which tasks to prioritise. Although there is no distinct pattern regarding whether or not couples share housework equally, the allocation of responsibilities appears to follow a particular pattern: men tend to prioritise their rehabilitation to become good fathers, women are grateful and prioritise the family before her own well-being. The study indicates that while attitudes and the allocation of household chores may have changed in the past few decades, the marriage contract still restricts women from employment and rehabilitation.

Short-term clinical outcomes of primary total knee arthroplasty with a new-type kinematic retaining implant: A comparison with preexisting cruciate retaining prosthesis.

Despite the success of total knee arthroplasty (TKA), current implant designs could not consistently restore the physiological knee kinematics, especially in cruciate-retaining (CR) implants. This study aimed to investigate the short-term clinical outcomes, particularly patient satisfaction, of primary TKA employing a new-type kinematic retaining (KR) implant. We analyzed 149 cases applied the KR implant at our institutions during June 2017 to May 2019. The effectiveness of this implant design was compared with another CR one (171 cases). Both groups underwent primary TKA in the same period and all patients completed 2 years of follow-up. Perioperative changes in range of motion (ROM), Knee Score, function score, and patient satisfaction by Forgotten Joint Score-12 (FJS-12) method were evaluated. Postoperative ROM, Knee Score, and function score were significantly improved at 1 year after surgeries and maintained for another year in both KR and CR groups. The improvement rate of ROM in KR group (108.1%) was substantially higher than that in CR (104.5%), even 4% increase could have affected patients' satisfaction in a real-world setting. Regarding the patient satisfaction, such 4 items as climbing stairs, walking on a bumpy road, doing housework or gardening, and taking a walk or hiking were significantly enhanced in KR cases compared to CR. There were no loosening or revision cases and the short-term survivorships of both implants were 100%. In addition, there has been no case of obvious complications in both groups during and after surgeries. The results of the present study suggest that this novel KR prosthesis can reproduce physiological knee kinematics, recover its functions, and contribute to pain relief after TKA. TKA procedure using the KR implant should be a good surgical option to improve postoperative outcomes.

US and Chinese preschoolers normalize household labor inequality.

Across many cultural contexts, the majority of women conduct the majority of their household labor. This gendered distribution of labor is often unequal, and thus represents one of the most frequently experienced forms of daily inequality because it occurs within one's own home. Young children are often passive observers of their family's distribution of labor, and yet little is known about the developmental onset of their perceptions of it. By the preschool age, children also show strong normative feelings about both equal resource distribution and gender stereotypes. To investigate the developmental onset of children's recognition of the (in)equality of household labor, we interviewed 3 to 10-y-old children in two distinct cultural contexts (US and China) and surveyed their caregivers about who does more household labor across a variety of tasks. Even at the youngest ages and in both cultural contexts, children's reports largely matched their parents', with both populations reporting that mothers do the majority of household labor. Both children and parents judged this to be generally fair, suggesting that children are observant of the gendered distribution of labor within their households, and show normalization of inequality from a young age. Our results point to preschool age as a critical developmental time period during which it is important to have parent-child discussions about structural constraints surrounding gender norms and household labor.

Onset of ADL and IADL limitation among Chinese middle-aged and older adults.

It is important to measure the prevalence and onset of limitations for older adults to take critical day-to-day activities in the population. However, too often, only very older people are covered, and too few activities are included in the studies. Using a nationally representative sample from 2011 to 2018 (N = 16, 381), this study characterizes the limitation pattern covering ADL and IADL activities among middle-aged and older adults in China. We use survival models to characterize the limitation transition. We find that half of the population become limited in activities including housekeeping, toileting, managing money, and cooking in their early 70s, followed by shopping, bathing, transferring and dressing in their late 70s, continence, and taking medications in their early 80s, and feeding in their early 90s. In addition, women show significantly younger age of limitation onsets for all activities except continence.

The perks of doing housework: Longitudinal associations with survival and underlying mechanisms.

BACKGROUND: Although the majority of existing literature has suggested positive effects of housework on older adults' health and survival rate, the underlying mechanisms of such effects remain unclear. To address potential mechanisms, the present study examined the association between older adults' housework engagement and days of survival across 14 years and tested three potential mediation pathways in this association. METHODS: Four thousand Hong Kong older adults (50% female; aged between 65 and 98 years) participated in a longitudinal study in which they reported initial housework engagement and health status across three domains (cognitive functioning, physical health, and mental health) at the baseline, and the numbers of days they survived over the subsequent 14-year period were recorded. Linear regression, Cox proportional hazard, and parallel mediation analyses were performed to examine the relationship between housework engagement and days survived, and the mediating effects of these three health factors. RESULTS: The results showed a positive association between housework engagement and days survived after controlling for demographic variables (age, sex, education, marital status, subjective social status, and living alone). Physical health and mental health, but not cognitive functioning, partially mediated the relationship between housework engagement and days survived. The findings suggest that doing housework may contribute to longer survival by improving older adults' physical and mental health. CONCLUSION: The current study confirms positive relations of housework with health and mortality among Hong Kong older adults. As the first study examining the relationships and mediation pathways between doing housework and survival in later life, the findings advance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the positive association between housework and mortality and provide insights for future daily-life health-promotion interventions for older adults.

Representações e Práticas Sociais em Disputa: O Trabalho Doméstico Remunerado Segundo Relatos em Rede Social / Representations and Social Practices in Dispute: Paid Domestic Work According to Social Network Reports / Representaciones y Prácticas Sociales en Disputa: Trabajo Doméstico Remunerado Según Relatos en Red Social

Este estudo documental objetivou analisar as representações sociais sobre o trabalho doméstico remunerado compartilhadas na página do Facebook "Eu, Empregada Doméstica" e as práticas sociais delas decorrentes. Para tanto, foram coletados 276 relatos, que compuseram o corpus submetido a uma Classificação Hierárquica Descendente no software Interface de R pour les Analyses Multidimensionnelles de Textes et de Questionnaire (IRaMuTeQ). Os resultados indicaram a existência de cinco classes, denominadas: "Perspectivas", "Trajetórias", "Regras da Cozinha", "Relações de Trabalho" e "Tarefas". As análises demonstraram haver um dissenso representacional, caracterizado pelo confronto de uma perspectiva negativa sobre a profissão, em que as regras, as tarefas e as relações interpessoais estabelecidas eram marcadas por práticas de violência, e outra de caráter positivo, que consistia na afirmação identitária e na busca de uma realidade distinta da vivenciada enquanto trabalhadora doméstica. Concluiu-se, então, que os relatos divulgados retratam a disputa entre representações sociais hegemônicas, associadas ao cotidiano de trabalho, e representações sociais de oposição, manifestadas nas denúncias expostas pelas profissionais na rede social, sinalizando a presença de um movimento, em espaço digital, que visa transformar a realidade ainda negativa da profissão.

This documentary study aimed to analyse the social representations about paid domestic work shared on Facebook page "Eu, Empregada Doméstica" and the social practices arising from them. For this purpose, 276 reports were collected, which comprised the corpus submitted to a Descending Hierarchical Classification in the software Interface de R pour les Analyses Multidimensionnelles de Textes et de Questionnaire (IRaMuTeQ). The results indicated the existence of five classes, named: "Perspectives", "Trajectories", "Kitchen Rules", "Labor Relations" and "Tasks". The analysis demonstrated that there was a representational dissent, characterized by the confrontation of a negative perspective about the profession, in which the rules, tasks and interpersonal relationships established were marked by practices of violence, and another of a positive character, which consisted of the identity affirmation and in search of a different reality from that experienced as a domestic worker. It was concluded that the reports published portray the dispute between hegemonic social representations, associated with daily work, and opposition social representations, manifested in the denunciations exposed by professionals on social network, signalling the presence of a movement, in digital space, which aims to transform the still negative reality of the profession.

El presente estudio documental tuvo como objetivo analizar las representaciones sociales acerca del trabajo doméstico remunerado, compartidas en la página del Facebook: "Eu, Empregada Doméstica" y sus prácticas sociales decurrentes. Fueron colectados 276 relatos, que compusieron el corpus sometido a una Clasificación Jerárquica Descendente en el software Interface de R pour les Analyses Multidimensionnelles de Textes et de Questionnaire (IRaMuTeQ). Los resultados indicaron la existencia de cinco clases: "Perspectivas", "Trayectorias", "Reglas de la cocina", "Relaciones de Trabajo" y "Tareas". Los análisis demostraron haber un disenso representacional, caracterizado por el confronto de una perspectiva negativa sobre la profesión, en que las reglas, las tareas y las relaciones interpersonales establecidas eran marcadas por prácticas de violencia; y otra de carácter positivo, que consistía en la afirmación identitaria y la búsqueda de una realidad distinta vivida mientras trabajadoras domésticas. Se concluye, entonces, que los relatos divulgados retratan la disputa entre las representaciones sociales hegemónicas, asociadas al cotidiano de trabajo; y representaciones sociales de oposición, manifestadas en las denuncias expuestas por las profesionales en la red social, apuntando la presencia de un movimiento, en espacio digital, que objetiva transformar la realidad aún negativa de la profesión.

Who would rescue the dilemma of Chinese elderly care? An evolutionary game analysis and simulation research on the formalization of the domestic service industry with subsidy policy.

Since China entered the aging society, the surging demand for elderly care and the industrial upgrading of "silver economy" has forced the domestic service industry to face endogenous challenges. Among them, the formalization of the domestic service industry can effectively reduce the transaction costs and risks of actors, innovate the endogenous vitality of the industry, and promote the improvement of elderly care quality through a triangular employment relationship. By constructing a tripartite asymmetric evolutionary game model of clients, domestic enterprises and governmental departments, this study uses the stability theorem of differential equations to explore the influencing factors and action paths of the system's evolutionary stable strategies (ESS), and uses the research data collected from China to assign values to models for simulation analysis. This study finds that the ratio of the initial ideal strategy, the difference between profits and costs, subsidies to clients, and subsidies or punishments for breach of contract to domestic enterprises are the key factors affecting the formalization of the domestic service industry. Subsidy policy programs can be divided into long-term and periodic programs, and there are differences in the influence paths and effects of the key factors in different situations. Increasing domestic enterprises' market share with employee management systems, formulating subsidy programs for clients, and setting up evaluation and supervision mechanisms are efficient ways through which to promote the formalization of the domestic service industry in China. Subsidy policy of governmental departments should focus on improving the professional skills and quality of elderly care domestic workers, and also encourage domestic enterprises with employee management systems at the same time, to expand the scope of service beneficiaries by running nutrition restaurants in communities, cooperating with elderly care institutions, etc.

Children of the Revolution: The continued unevenness of the gender revolution in housework, childcare and work time across birth cohorts.

This study investigates whether parents spend different amounts of time in housework, childcare, and employment across birth cohorts. We apply data from the American Time Use Survey (ATUS; 2003-2018) and age-cohort-period models to compare parents' time spent in these activities across three successive birth cohorts: Baby Boomers (1946-1965), Generation X (1966-1980) and Millennials (1981-2000). For housework time, we find no evidence of cohort change for mothers but for fathers, we observe an increase in housework time with each subsequent cohort. For time spent caring for children, we identify a period effect whereby mothers and fathers regardless of which cohort they belong to are spending more time in primary care of children over time. For work time, we find an increase in mothers' contributions across these birth cohorts. But, net of this overall trend, we find Generation X and Millennial mothers are spending less time in employment relative to Baby Boom mothers. Fathers' employment time, by contrast, has not changed across cohorts or over our measured period. Ultimately, we find gender gaps in childcare, housework and employment across cohorts remain suggesting cohort replacement and period effects are inadequate to close gender gaps in housework, childcare and paid employment time.

The effectiveness of simulation-based training on KAU hospital housekeeping staff performance.

BACKGROUND: Hospital Housekeeping staff play a key role in maintaining safe and clean environments to prevent infection and its spread in hospital. Innovative training approaches are necessary for this category; especially since their educational level is below average. Simulation based training can be a valuable tool for them in health care sector. However, no studies have explored the impact of simulation-based training on housekeeping staff performance, which is the focus of this study. OBJECTIVE: This research focuses on exploring the effectiveness of simulation-based training for Hospital Housekeeping Staff. METHODS: The study used pre-post training data from 124 housekeeping staff in different work areas at KAUH to measure the effectiveness of the program on their performance. The training includes five segments: General Knowledge training, Personal Protective Equipment, Hand Hygiene, Cleaning Biological Materials, and Terminal Cleaning. The study incorporated a two-sample paired T-test, One-Way ANOVA to detect differences in mean performance pre-and post-training and between groups in terms of gender and work area. RESULTS: Study results show a significant improvement in housekeeping staff performance after the training, where the performance measure of GK was improved by 33%, PPE 42%, HH 53%, Biological Spill Kit is 64%, and terminal cleaning 11% However, there is no significant difference in performance improvements in all stations in regards of gender and work area except for the Biological Spill Kit in terms of the work area. CONCLUSION: Results show the effectiveness of training as there are statistically significant differences in housekeeping staff mean performance pre-and post-training. The simulation-based training changed the behavior of the cleaners, as they became more confident and understanding in performing their work. Expanding the use of simulation as a basis for training this important group and further study is recommended.

The future(s) of unpaid work: How susceptible do experts from different backgrounds think the domestic sphere is to automation?

The future of work has become a prominent topic for research and policy debate. However, the debate has focused entirely on paid work, even though people in industrialized countries on average spend comparable amounts of time on unpaid work. The objectives of this study are therefore (1) to expand the future of work debate to unpaid domestic work and (2) to critique the main methodology used in previous studies. To these ends, we conducted a forecasting exercise in which 65 AI experts from the UK and Japan estimated how automatable are 17 housework and care work tasks. Unlike previous studies, we applied a sociological approach that considers how experts' diverse backgrounds might shape their estimates. On average our experts predicted that 39 percent of the time spent on a domestic task will be automatable within ten years. Japanese male experts were notably pessimistic about the potentials of domestic automation, a result we interpret through gender disparities in the Japanese household. Our contributions are providing the first quantitative estimates concerning the future of unpaid work and demonstrating how such predictions are socially contingent, with implications to forecasting methodology.

Mulheres trabalhadoras domésticas e a qualidade de vida no trabalho / Women domestic workers and the quality of life at work / Las trabajadoras domésticas y la calidad de vida en el trabajo

OBJETIVO: Analisar sob a luz das categorias do instrumento QVT QWLQ-78 como as mulheres trabalhadoras domésticas atribuem ou não o valor de qualidade de vida ao seu trabalho. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Trata-se de uma pesquisa narrativa e observação participante, de natureza qualitativa, acerca da qualidade de vida no trabalho de mulheres trabalhadoras domésticas. O estudo atendeu aos princípios éticos, sendo apreciado pelo Comitê de Ética. Participaram da pesquisa 23 mulheres trabalhadoras domésticas, as quais responderam ao Questionário de avaliação da qualidade de vida no trabalho ­ QWLQ-bref e posteriormente, de uma roda de conversa. Para as análises dos dados coletados foi desenvolvida uma planilha eletrônica a partir de algoritmos no programa Microsoft Excel for Windows, apontando o índice de correlação de Pearson entre os domínios do QWLQ-bref. RESULTADOS: A idade das participantes situa-se entre 26 e 59 anos. São casadas e chefes de família; todas trabalham atualmente em uma única residência, entre os dias de segunda e sábado. Em relação ao indicador de qualidade de vida no trabalho foi possível observar que as trabalhadoras domésticas estão no nível médio de satisfação no trabalho, segundo o QWLQ-bref, o que indica uma dispersão de 16% pelo coeficiente de variação de Pearson, considerada o mesmo para todos os domínios (físico/ saúde; psicológico; pessoal; profissional), resultando numa QVT de 63,53 pontos. CONCLUSÃO: O estudo mostra que, mesmo com todas as informalidades nos modos de relação de trabalho em que elas estão expostas, essas mulheres não estão isentas da satisfação pessoal. Pelo contrário, o estudo evidencia tal satisfação e reforça a capacidade que a mulher trabalhadora tem de desempenhar seus diferentes papéis como mãe, esposa e muitas vezes chefe de família, de modo a estarem satisfeitas em relação aos cuidados prestados.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze in the light of the categories of the QVT QWLQ-78 instrument how women domestic workers attribute or not the value of quality of life to their work. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a narrative research and participant observation, of a qualitative nature, about the quality of working life of women domestic workers. The study complied with ethical principles, being appreciated by the Ethics Committee. Twenty-three domestic workers participated in the research, who answered the Questionnaire to assess the quality of life at work ­ QWLQ-bref and later, a conversation circle. For the analysis of the collected data, an electronic spreadsheet was developed using algorithms in the Microsoft Excel for Windows program, indicating the Pearson correlation index between the domains of the QWLQbref. RESULTS: The age of the participants is between 26 and 59 years old. They are married and heads of families; all currently work in a single residence, between Monday and Saturday. Regarding the indicator of quality of life at work, it was possible to observe that domestic workers are at the average level of job satisfaction, according to the QWLQ-bref, which indicates a dispersion of 16% by Pearson's coefficient of variation, considered the same for all domains (physical/health; psychological; personal; professional), resulting in a QVT of 63.53 points. CONCLUSION: The study shows that, even with all the informalities in the modes of work relationship in which they are exposed, these women are not exempt from personal satisfaction. On the contrary, the study evidences such satisfaction and reinforces the ability of working women to play their different roles as mother, wife and often head of the family, to be satisfied with the care provided.

OBJETIVO: Analizar a la luz de las categorías del instrumento QVT QWLQ-78 cómo las trabajadoras domésticas atribuyen o no el valor de la calidad de vida a su trabajo. MATERIALES Y MÉTODOS: Se trata de una investigación narrativa y de observación participante, de carácter cualitativo, sobre la calidad de vida laboral de las trabajadoras domésticas. El estudio cumplió con los principios éticos, siendo apreciado por el Comité de Ética. Participaron de la investigación 23 trabajadoras del hogar, que respondieron el Cuestionario para evaluar la calidad de vida en el trabajo ­ QWLQ-bref y posteriormente, una rueda de conversación. Para el análisis de los datos recolectados, se desarrolló una planilla electrónica utilizando algoritmos en el programa Microsoft Excel para Windows, indicando el índice de correlación de Pearson entre los dominios del QWLQ-bref. RESULTADOS: La edad de los participantes está entre 26 y 59 años. Son casados y cabezas de familia; todos trabajan actualmente en una sola residencia, entre lunes y sábado. En cuanto al indicador de calidad de vida en el trabajo, se pudo observar que las trabajadoras del hogar se encuentran en el nivel medio de satisfacción laboral, según el QWLQ-bref, lo que indica una dispersión del 16% por el coeficiente de variación de Pearson, considerado el mismo para todos los dominios (físico/salud; psicológico; personal; profesional), resultando en una CVL de 63,53 puntos. CONCLUSIÓN: El estudio muestra que, aun con todas las informalidades en los modos de relación laboral en que están expuestas, estas mujeres no están exentas de satisfacción personal. Por el contrario, el estudio evidencia tal satisfacción y refuerza la capacidad de las mujeres trabajadoras para desempeñar sus diferentes roles de madre, esposa y muchas veces cabeza de familia, para estar satisfechas con los cuidados prestados.

Factors Associated With Household Work Limitations in Mexican Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis: The Impact of the Disease on Women's Life.

BACKGROUND: Little attention has been given to the impact of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on domestic work, which remains the domain of women, particularly in the Latin American region. The study identified factors associated with RA-related household work limitations (HOWL) in Mexican for women with long-standing disease. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed between September 2020 and April 2022, in patients from the recent-onset RA cohort (initiated in 2004). At study entry, patients had standard rheumatic assessments and were administered the HOWL questionnaire, a survey to assess family responsibilities, household work characteristics, and the patient's economic dependency, and the family APGAR index to assess family function. Multiple logistic regression analysis identified variables associated with RA-related HOWL. RESULTS: Data from 114 female RA patients were analyzed. Overall, at cohort entry, patients were middle-aged (median, 37.5 years), with 12 years of education, and the minority (n = 42 [39.3%]) were married or living together. Patients were representative of typical patients with recent-onset disease and had significant disease activity. At study entry, the patients had 12 (7-16) years of disease duration, and their disease was under control. The median (interquartile range) HOLW-Q score was 0.67 (0-3.33), and 33 patients (28.9%) had RA-related HOWL. Receiving financial support for family living expenses, requiring assistance for activities of daily living, and DAS28 (Disease Activity Score, 28 joints evaluated) were associated with RA-related HOWL; meanwhile, a better Short-Form 36 score at disease onset was protective. CONCLUSIONS: Domestic work in Mexican RA women might be impacted by social determinants, health-related quality of life at disease onset, and current disease activity status.

A broad perspective on breast cancer: Participation, quality of life and return to work throughout the recovery process.

BACKGROUND: Studies found that women with breast cancer struggle with significant physical and mental challenges that affect their participation in daily living, social and work activities. Although women express their need for rehabilitation, in Israel there has been scant research on the nature of these needs. OBJECTIVE: To examine the implications of breast cancer for Israeli women in terms of their quality of life, body function, activities and participation in all facets of life, including work. METHODS: The sample was composed of women diagnosed with breast cancer. The data were collected through: (a) an online electronic survey assessing cancer-related quality of life (QoL), function and disability, fatigue and sensory-motor functions, (n = 120) followed by (b) face-to-face interviews and assessments (n = 20), and a healthy control group (n = 61). RESULTS: Women with breast cancer reported significantly lower QoL compared to the healthy control group. They reported higher levels of disability in areas such as, cognition, mobility, upper extremity, as well as overall difficulties in self-care, doing routine household activities and return to work. Roughly one-third of the women did not return to work. Interestingly, our sample did not perceive a decline in terms of their social support or networks, the women stated that family and social support were major enabling factors. CONCLUSION: The results show that breast cancer has short and long-term functional effects on most facets of these women's life. The women's social support system served as an enabling factor. Many women expressed their frustration at the lack of rehabilitation services for their condition and needs in Israel.

Beyond housekeeping: autophagy regulates PKA signaling at synapses.

Autophagy modulates synaptic function and plasticity, but the molecular basis for this process is largely unknown. A recent tour de force study by Overhoff and colleagues identifies a novel role for autophagy in regulating PKA signaling at synapses to modulate the organization of the postsynaptic proteome and neuronal excitability.

Estimating the carbon footprint of household activities in Japan from the time-use perspective.

The household sector is a major driver of energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, most existing studies have only estimated households' carbon footprint from their expenditures. Households' daily activity time, a scarce resource that limits and determines their consumption behavior, has rarely been integrated into the estimation. Incorporating the daily time-use patterns should thus provide a more practical perspective for mitigation policies aiming at promoting sustainable household lifestyles. In this study, by linking household time-use data and expenditure data of Japan, the carbon footprint and the GHG intensity of time of 85 daily household activities constituting the 24 hours in a day are estimated. Compared to the maximal 20-activity disaggregation in existing studies, our detailed 85-category disaggregation of daily time enables unprecedented details on the discrepancies between the carbon footprint from daily activities, many of which have previous been treated as one activity. Results indicate significant carbon mitigation potential in activities with a high GHG intensity of time, such as cooking, bathing, and mobility-related and activities. Average daily GHG emissions were also found to be higher on weekends as time-use patterns shift from paid work to free-time activities, highlighting the need for mitigation strategies on a weekly scale.

Using the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment to examine the effect of the new Hotel Housekeeping California Standard.

A housekeeper's job includes a variety of repetitive and strenuous tasks, which can put workers at high risk for musculoskeletal disorders. In 2018, a new standard was implemented in California aiming to prevent work-related injuries of hospitality industry workers. This paper assesses California housekeepers performing regular work tasks during their shifts from 2018 to 2020. Rapid Upper Limb Assessments (RULA) after the standard was implemented found average right-arm scores for scrubbing tasks (M = 6.93, SD = 0.00), vacuuming (M = 6.27, SD = 0.45), and trash-collecting (M = 4.48, SD = 0.50). Forces to move housekeeping carts were also evaluated, with 98% of pushing forces and 73% of turning forces observed within the accepted range. Results show that RULA scores remain high even after the implementation of the standard, with improvements only seen in tasks that required just changing of the method.