scholarly journals Performance pay and low-grade stress: An experimental study

Work ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 449-457
Author(s):  
Julia L. Allan ◽  
Keith A. Bender ◽  
Ioannis Theodossiou
Keyword(s):  
Performance Pay ◽  
Experimental Methodology ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Stress Measure ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Direction Of Causation ◽  
Cortisol Levels ◽  
Objectively Measured ◽  
Minimum Performance ◽  
Objective Stress

BACKGROUND: Although recent economics literature suggests a link between performance-related pay (PRP) and ill health, this finding is contested on the grounds that this link is plagued by endogeneity between the two variables of interest. OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the adverse effects of performance-related pay on stress which is an important determinant of physical health. METHODS: Forty subjects were randomly assigned to two equal groups: either being paid by performance or being paid a flat fee. Both objective (saliva samples to measure cortisol elevation) and subjective (self-reported stress level) measures of stress were obtained before and after participation in the experiment. This experimental methodology purges the effects of self-selection into performance pay and identifies the direction of causation from performance-related pay to stress which is measured by cortisol levels. RESULTS: Those who were paid for their performance experienced higher levels of stress, both in terms of perceived stress and in terms of objectively measured cortisol levels, compared to those who were paid a flat fee for minimum performance. CONCLUSIONS: Performance-related pay induces objectively measurable stress. Self-reported stress levels and the objective stress measure obtained by measuring cortisol move in a similar direction for the PRP and non-PRP groups, but only the cortisol group shows statistically significant differences between the PRP and non-PRP. This also suggests that individuals underestimate the stress caused by performance pay.

scholarly journals Fecal Metaproteomics Reveals Reduced Gut Inflammation and Changed Microbial Metabolism Following Lifestyle-Induced Weight Loss

Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 726
Author(s):  
Ronald Biemann ◽  
Enrico Buß ◽  
Dirk Benndorf ◽  
Theresa Lehmann ◽  
Kay Schallert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Metabolic Syndrome ◽  
Weight Loss ◽  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
Taxonomic Composition ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Gut Inflammation ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
Microbiome Composition ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Human Proteins

Gut microbiota-mediated inflammation promotes obesity-associated low-grade inflammation, which represents a hallmark of metabolic syndrome. To investigate if lifestyle-induced weight loss (WL) may modulate the gut microbiome composition and its interaction with the host on a functional level, we analyzed the fecal metaproteome of 33 individuals with metabolic syndrome in a longitudinal study before and after lifestyle-induced WL in a well-defined cohort. The 6-month WL intervention resulted in reduced BMI (−13.7%), improved insulin sensitivity (HOMA-IR, −46.1%), and reduced levels of circulating hsCRP (−39.9%), indicating metabolic syndrome reversal. The metaprotein spectra revealed a decrease of human proteins associated with gut inflammation. Taxonomic analysis revealed only minor changes in the bacterial composition with an increase of the families Desulfovibrionaceae, Leptospiraceae, Syntrophomonadaceae, Thermotogaceae and Verrucomicrobiaceae. Yet we detected an increased abundance of microbial metaprotein spectra that suggest an enhanced hydrolysis of complex carbohydrates. Hence, lifestyle-induced WL was associated with reduced gut inflammation and functional changes of human and microbial enzymes for carbohydrate hydrolysis while the taxonomic composition of the gut microbiome remained almost stable. The metaproteomics workflow has proven to be a suitable method for monitoring inflammatory changes in the fecal metaproteome.

scholarly journals Characterization and Identification of Varnishes on Copper Alloys by Means of UV Imaging and FTIR

Coatings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 298
Author(s):  
Miriam Truffa Giachet ◽  
Julie Schröter ◽  
Laura Brambilla
Keyword(s):  
Copper Alloys ◽  
Analytical Techniques ◽  
Experimental Methodology ◽  
Artificial Ageing ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Uv Imaging ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Comparative Study ◽  
The 19Th Century ◽  
Analytical Tools

The application of varnishes on the surface of metal objects has been a very common practice since antiquity, both for protective and aesthetic purposes. One specific case concerns the use of tinted varnishes on copper alloys in order to mimic gilding. This practice, especially flourishing in the 19th century for scientific instruments, decorative objects, and liturgical items, results in large museum collections of varnished copper alloys that need to be preserved. One of the main challenges for conservators and restorers deals with the identification of the varnishes through non-invasive and affordable analytical techniques. We hereby present the experimental methodology developed in the framework of the LacCA and VERILOR projects at the Haute École ARC of Neuchâtel for the identification of gold varnishes on brass. After extensive documentary research and analytical campaigns on varnished museum objects, various historic shellac-based varnishes were created and applied by different methods on a range of brass substrates with different finishes. The samples were then characterized by UV imaging and infrared spectroscopy before and after artificial ageing. The comparative study of these two techniques was performed for different thicknesses of the same varnish and for different shellac grades in order to implement an identification methodology based on simple non-invasive examination and analytical tools, which are accessible to conservators.

Dynamic history of low-grade gliomas before and after temozolomide treatment

2007 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
pp. 484-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damien Ricard ◽  
Gentian Kaloshi ◽  
Alexandra Amiel-Benouaich ◽  
Julie Lejeune ◽  
Yannick Marie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Grade ◽  
Low Grade Gliomas ◽  
Before And After ◽  
History Of

Effects of choral singing on salivary cortisol levels and self-reported stress in university students

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gunnar Glauco De Cunto Carelli Taets ◽  
Ramon Werner Heringer Gutierrez ◽  
Leila Brito Bergold ◽  
Luana Silva Monteiro
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Salivary Cortisol ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Group Approach ◽  
Choral Singing ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
Cortisol Levels

Although mental disorders are common among university students, the majority of students with mental health issues do not seek out treatment during their academic life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a novel group approach- choir singing, and its potential impact on stress, via salivary cortisol levels and self-reported stress levels in university students during 4 sessions of choir singing. It was based on a quasi-experimental research conducted with 25 Brazilian university students. Each choir singing session lasted 60 minutes. A question was asked before and after the intervention: what is the level of your stress? Salivary cortisol was collected before and after the intervention. After the choir singing intervention, there was  a statistically significant reduction in self-reported stress (p<0.0001) and salivary cortisol levels (p<0.0001). This research suggests that choir singing can reduce the self-reported stress of university students after 4 weeks of follow-up with ∆= 45.83% and salivary cortisol levels in the first week with ∆= 3.57%.

Paying for Whose Performance? Teacher Incentive Pay and the Black–White Test Score Gap

2021 ◽  
pp. 016237372110014
Author(s):  
Andrew J. Hill ◽  
Daniel B. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Test Scores ◽  
Test Score ◽  
Performance Pay ◽  
Incentive Pay ◽  
Difference In Differences ◽  
Teacher Incentives ◽  
Test Score Gap ◽  
Before And After ◽  
White Test ◽  
Matched Data

Teacher performance pay is often introduced with the goal of reducing gaps in test scores across groups, yet little is known about how well they achieve this aim. We ask, “Do test score-based teacher incentives impact the Black–White test score gap?” Using student–teacher matched data and a difference-in-differences approach in which the performance of a teacher’s students before and after the policy is compared, we find that performance pay increases the conditional Black–White gap. The effect is particularly evident when bonuses are large, consistent with a causal response to performance pay.

scholarly journals An Experimental Methodology to Evaluate the Rigidity of Penile Prostheses in Vitro

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shyh-Jen Wang
Keyword(s):  
Penile Prosthesis ◽  
Mechanical Failure ◽  
Experimental Methodology ◽  
Prosthetic Material ◽  
Mechanical Measurement ◽  
Hardness Tester ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Penile Prostheses ◽  
Before And After

Abstract This work investigates the hardness and buckling force of penile prosthesis to further understand the rigidity of penile prosthesis before and after implantation. Evaluated herein are four prosthetic samples (inflatable 3, semi-rigid 1), five realities (inflatable 1, semi-rigid 4), and one after implantation of prosthesis. The hardness is measured with a hardness tester by pressing the tester’s indentor to the surface of the specimen. In addition, a patient after implantation is evaluated with respect to the hardness of penile versus various numbers of pumping. The buckling force of the prosthesis is also determined by a push-pull gauge and special designed sampling table. Results in this study demonstrate that although the inflatable prosthesis could only be pumped to a certain amount of hardness, hardness and buckling force correlate well with each other. After reaching the extreme hardness, prostheses can even be further pumped a few times. However, continuous pumping only puts more tension on the prosthetic material without increasing any hardness and could induce to mechanical failure of prosthesis. Results also indicate that the buckling force decreases with increasing length of the semi-rigid prostheses, and, then, enlarged when the prosthesis has a larger diameter. This in vitro non-invasive mechanical measurement of the rigidity in penile prosthesis can provide not only clinicians with further information about the penile prosthesis before implantation, but also the patients with more confidence in the prosthesis usage after implantation.

scholarly journals Peripheral cortisol administration blunts reward arousal but heightens anxiety-like arousal in marmosets

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S163-S164
Author(s):  
Laith Alexander ◽  
Philip Gaskin ◽  
Lauren McIver ◽  
Angela Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Unconditioned Stimulus ◽  
Hpa Axis ◽  
Saline Control ◽  
Subcutaneous Injections ◽  
Video Cameras ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Control Versus ◽  
Cortisol Levels ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Cardiovascular Arousal

AimsExcess hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activation is common in people with major depression and generalised anxiety disorder. We sought to determine whether higher circulating levels of the glucocorticoid cortisol are causally related to the expression of anhedonia-like and anxiety-like behaviours in marmosets.MethodFour marmosets (two male, two female) took part in the study. Cortisol and saline control injections were administered intramuscularly and salivary cortisol samples were taken before and after injections to determine if circulating cortisol levels changed from pre- to post-injection. To measure anhedonia-like behaviours, we trained marmosets on an appetitive Pavlovian conditioning paradigm, where animals learn to associate two anticipatory auditory cues (conditioned stimulus + or conditioned sitmulus -, CS+ or CS-) with the presence or absence of food reward (unconditioned stimulus + or unconditioned stimulus -, US+ or US-). Using cardiovascular telemetry probes and video cameras, we recorded animals' cardiovascular and behavioural arousal in freely moving conditions, comparing the injection of saline control versus 5mg/kg, 10mg/kg or 20mg/kg intramuscular cortisol. To measure anxiety-like behaviours, we used a human intruder (HI) paradigm, where marmosets are confronted with an unfamiliar human in their home cage. We recorded their behaviour on video cameras after saline control or 20mg/kg intramuscular cortisol. We used an exploratory-factor analysis (EFA) to determine how marmosets' behaviours towards the intruder loaded onto an 'anxiety-like' score. We then compared these scores under saline control versus cortisol conditions. Significance was set at p < 0.05.ResultUnlike saline control, we found that subcutaneous injections of 20 mg/kg cortisol successfully elevated peripheral cortisol concentrations to levels equivalent to peak circadian concentrations (p = 0.023). In the appetitive setting, 5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg cortisol injections blunted anticipatory (CS+ induced) increases in behavioural arousal (p = 0.004) but did not alter anticipatory cardiovascular arousal. Consummatory behavioural and cardiovascular arousal also remained intact. In the HI test, 20 mg/kg cortisol injections moderately increased anxiety towards the intruder as measured by an increase in marmosets' EFA-derived anxiety-like scores (p = 0.035).ConclusionIn marmosets, elevated peripheral cortisol levels are causally related to the behavioural features of blunted reward anticipation together with elevated anxiety-like behaviours characteristic of mood and anxiety disorders. Future work will characterise the neuroimaging changes induced by elevated peripheral cortisol levels and identify the regions of the prefrontal cortex contributing to HPA axis regulation and dysregulation.

scholarly journals Behavioral and Endocrine Alterations to Partner Interactions and Offspring Care during Periods of Conflict

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy Paciorek ◽  
Leese Joseph
Keyword(s):  
Pair Bond ◽  
Biparental Care ◽  
Resident Male ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Pair Bonds ◽  
Convict Cichlids ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Cortisol Levels ◽  
Endocrine Alterations

Abstract Biparental care has evolved to ensure successful rearing of offspring. However, separation during periods of care can lead to conflicts that might negatively impact pair bonds and offspring care. In this study, pair-bonded convict cichlids (Amatitlania nigrofasciata) were observed for changes in behavior toward their partners and offspring before and after a period of separation. Males and females were designated either as a Resident (remain with offspring) or Removed (separated from partner and offspring for 5 days) individual. Behaviors between partners and toward offspring were measured before and after separation, and compared to the levels of behavior of control pairs (never separated), as well as individuals introduced to a novel partner instead. Cortisol levels of Resident male and female A. nigrofasciata were assayed using water-borne hormone collection before and after separation. Aggression between pair bond members did increase following reintroduction, but did not lead to the termination of pair bonds. Resident females showed more aggression to novel partners than Resident males. Offspring care decreased in both Resident and Removed females. Experimental pairs decreased the amount of time spent interacting with intruders. Cortisol levels were significantly higher among experimental pairs compared with control pairs that did not experience a separation. Females (both control and experimental) showed small, yet significant increases in cortisol levels, while both control and experimental males did not. These results suggest that while pair bonds appear resilient, prolonged separations influence pair bond and parental care dynamics, both behaviorally and hormonally, and require pairs to re-establish roles, resulting in less time caring for offspring.

scholarly journals Investigations on the incidence of rinderpest virus infection in game animals of N. Tanganyika and S. Kenya 1960/63

1967 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 343-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Plowright ◽  
B. McCulloch
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Neutralizing Antibody ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Antibody Titres ◽  
Low Incidence ◽  
Connochaetes Taurinus ◽  
Low Rate ◽  
Game Animals

The incidence of rinderpest infection in game animals in selected localities of South Kenya and North Tanganyika was studied during the period 1960 to 1963. Serum samples from 590 wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), 48 eland (Taurotragus oryx), 65 Thompson's gazelle (Gazella thompsoni) and 39 Grant's gazelle (Gazella granti) were tested for rinderpest neutralizing antibody.Rinderpest infection was shown to have been very frequent in yearling wilde-beest in the Mara area of Kenya in 1959/60, in the Serengeti National Park of Tanganyika in late 1960 and also in the Serengeti, and some adjacent areas, during the latter half of 1961. In the Ngorongoro Crater in 1961 infection was far less widespread, with only 11% of the yearlings acquiring antibody, compared to 67% in the Serengeti. The infections in 1959 and 1960 were clinical epizootics, accompanied by a considerable mortality, whereas no overt disease was reported in the course of 1961. Eland were affected in a similar manner to wildebeest up to 1960 but only a low rate of serological conversion was demonstrated in 1961. Adult Thompson's gazelle showed a low rate (ca. 12%) of infection but no anti-body was detected in Grant's gazelle.Only a small proportion of the wildebeest calves born in early 1962 acquired antibody by mid-1963 and this was due, at least in part, to infection late in 1962; it was not clear, unfortunately, whether the positive animals belonged entirely to resident, as opposed to migratory, groups. No clinical signs or mortality were reported in this year.A low incidence of rinderpest infection in wildebeest was also demonstrated both before and after 1960 in the Kajiado district of Kenya, where disease of game has not been reported in recent years. It is possible that the positive animals, as also the 1962 cases in Tanganyika, acquired the virus from low-grade infections of cattle.The transmission of rinderpest antibody from wildebeest dam to calf, presumably via the colostrum, was demonstrated regularly, except in six calves about 1–2 weeks old. No completely satisfactory explanation was obtained for their failure to acquire passive antibody but it may have been due to abnormal disturbance in the herds, associated with the shooting. The antibody titres in calves were initially higher than those in the serum of their dams but by the end of the 3rd month this position had been reversed. Individual calves became serologically negative from about the 10th week of life and all were devoid of antibody by the 6th to 7th month. The half-life of passively-acquired antibody was 4·4 weeks.

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