No / This report describes the work of Robertson Cooper Ltd and UMIST to identify good practice in stress prevention and then identify organisations within the UK that could be called beacons of excellence in comparison to this model. Part one of this report summarises and draws conclusions from all of the substantive academic studies on stress prevention over the last decade and uses this information, as well as advice gained from a panel of international experts, to develop a comprehensive stress prevention model. Part two of the report uses this model to describe examples of stress prevention practices that Robertson Cooper Ltd has identified within a wide range of UK organisations. Case studies are presented for each aspect of the good practice model. Examples of real documentation and organisational practice are presented. / Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

The turtle is a unique model of anoxic survival. The turtle's brain can tolerate total oxygen deprivation for hours to days as well as prevent high levels of mitochondrial-derived free radicals upon re-oxygenation. Because of its ability to prevent elevated free radical generation, the turtle has also become recognized as a model of exceptional longevity. We are employing the turtle model for an investigation into the regulation of a key antioxidant enzyme system - methionine sulfoxide reductases (Msrs), primarily MsrA and MsrB. The Msr system is capable of reversing oxidation of methionines in proteins and Msr subtypes have been implicated in protecting tissues against oxidative stress, as well as, enhancing the longevity of organisms from yeast to mammals. Preliminary data, unpublished results, indicate that MsrA protein and transcripts are elevated by anoxia. A recent study on Caenorhabditis elegans demonstrated that FOXO is involved in activation of the MsrA promoter. Using the turtle MsrA promoter sequence we worked to determine which regions in the promoter are necessary for activation by anoxia. The results of the present study were 1) to prepare a TAT-FOXO3a fusion protein which could penetrate animal cells and 2) to construct a FOXO3a expression vector for transcription studies on MsrA expression. / by Diana Navarro. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2012. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2012. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Protestant pastors in America are leaders who provide guidance in spiritual matters to millions of people. The demands of their work can be stressful and overwhelming, leading to burnout. Burnout results in some pastors leaving their leadership positions, which has a negative impact on the members of the congregation as well as the pastors themselves. This study's goal was to determine the perceived needs of pastors, in order to prevent burnout, and the kinds of resources they perceive would best meet their needs. This study utilized a qualitative approach in the collection, description, and analysis of data. The results revealed pastors feel over-extended and face unrealistic expectations in their work. Support systems, such as clergy groups may be helpful in combating these. Taking time off, spiritual renewal practices, and exercise are some important practices many of the pastors in this study agreed would be beneficial as well. / Fisher Institute for Wellness and Gerontology

published_or_final_version / Biological Sciences / Master / Master of Philosophy

This study tested the relationship between Social Support, Psychological Distress, and Illness Stress in individuals who report cancer as a health condition. This study was based on archival data obtained from the Wave 1 of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). The HRS provides a nationally representative sample of individuals aged 51 to 61 in 1992 and their spouses. The study sample was limited to cancer patients with a spouse or partner (n = 503). A structural equation modeling analysis procedure was used to test the theoretical models. Measures of social support were limited to variables assessing the participant's satisfaction with social support. Evidence was found for the Stress Prevention and the Support Deterioration models. This is congruent with previous research using measures of social support perception. Both the Stress Prevention and the Support Deterioration models predict a negative relationship between Illness Stress and Social Support. In addition, a univariate analysis of variance was used to test the stress buffering model. Similarly to other studies measuring the individual's degree of integration, or its perception, in the social network, the present research supported the only the Main Effect model and not the Stress Buffering model.

The mitochondrion is the powerhouse of the cell. Therefore, it is critical to the homeostasis of the cell that populations of mitochondria that are damaged or in excess are degraded. The process of targeted elimination of damaged or excess mitochondria by autophagy is called mitophagy. In this report, analysis of the mitophagy regulators PINK1/PARKIN and BNIP3L and their roles are assessed in the lens. PARKIN, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, has been shown to play a role in directing damaged mitochondria for degradation. While BNIP3L, an outer mitochondrial membrane protein, increases in expression in response to excess mitochondria and organelle degradation during cellular differentiation. We have shown that PARKIN is both induced and translocates from the cytoplasm to the mitochondria in human epithelial lens cells upon oxidative stress exposure. In addition, our findings also show that overexpression of BNIP3L causes premature clearance of mitochondria and other organelles, while loss of BNIP3L results in lack of clearance. Prior to this work, PARKIN mediated mitophagy had not been shown to act as a protective cellular response to oxidative stress in the lens. This project also resulted in the novel finding that BNIP3L-mediated mitophagy mechanisms are required for targeted organelle degradation in the lens. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015 / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Anoxia is characterized by an absence of oxygen supply to a tissue (Dawson- Scully et al., 2010). Unlike humans, Drosophila melanogaster is an organism that can survive low oxygen levels for hours without showing any pathology (Lutz et al., 2003) Under anoxia, the fruit fly loses locomotive activity, resulting in an anoxic coma (Haddad et al., 1997). In this study we investigate the influence of five variables for anoxic tolerance in adult Drosophila: 1) anoxic environment (gas vs. drowning), 2) anoxia duration, 3) temperature (cold [3ÀC] or room temperature [21ÀC]), 4) age (young 2-9 days and old 35-39 days), and 5) PKG variation. Tolerance to anoxia is measured by the time of recovery and survival of the fruit fly from the anoxic coma. The results from this study show that short stress, low temperature, young age, and low PKG activity increased anoxic tolerance. Our findings will lay the foundation to investigate different variables, genes or pharmacological compounds that can modulate neuronal anoxic tolerance. / by Raquel Benasayag Meszaros. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2013. / Includes bibliography. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / System requirements: Adobe Reader.

Oxidant stress and injury is inherent in many human diseases such as ischemic vascular and respiratory diseases, heart failure, myocardial infarction, stroke, perinatal and placental insufficiencies, diabetes, cancer, and numerous psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Finding novel therapeutics to combat the deleterious effects of oxidative stress is critical to create better therapeutic strategies for many conditions that have few treatment options. This study used the anoxia-tolerant fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, to investigate endogenous cellular protection mechanisms and potential interactions to determine their ability to regulate synaptic functional tolerance and cell survival during acute oxidative stress. The Drosophila larval neuromuscular junction (NMJ) was used to analyze synaptic transmission and specific motor axon contributions. Drosophila Schneider 2 (S2) cells were used to assess viability. Acute oxidative stress was induced using p harmacological paradigms that generate physiologically relevant oxidant species: mitochondrial superoxide production induced by sodium azide (NaN3) and hydroxyl radical formation via hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). A combination of genetic and pharmacological approaches were used to explore the hypothesis that endogenous protection mechanisms control cellular responses to stress by manipulating ion channel conductance and neurotransmission. Furthermore, this study analyzed a group of marine natural products, pseudopterosins, to identify compounds capable of modulating synaptic transmission during acute oxidative stress and potential novel neuromodulatory agents. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

by Rebecca McGreal. / Vita. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2012. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2012. Mode of access: World Wide Web. / The central premise of this dissertation is that the small heat shock protein (sHSP), (Sa(BB-crystallin is essential for lens and retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cell function and oxidative stress defense. To date, the mechanism by which it confers protection is not known. We hypothesize that these functions could occur through its ability to protect mitochondrial function in lens and RPE cells. To test this hypothesis, we examined the expression of (Sa(BB-crystallin/sHSP in lens and RPE cells, we observed its localization in the cells, we examined translocation to the mitochondria in these cells upon oxidative stress treatment, we determined its ability to form complexes with and protect cytochrome c (cyt c) against damage, and we observed its ability to preserve mitochondrial function under oxidative stress conditions in lens and RPE cells. In addition to these studies, we examined the effect of mutations of (Sa(BB-crystallin/sHSP on its cellular localization and translocation patterns under oxidative stress, its in vivo and in vitro chaperone activity, and its ability to protect cyt c against oxidation. Our data demonstrated that (Sa(BB-crystallin/sHSP is expressed at high levels in the mitochondria of lens and RPE cells and specifically translocates to the mitochondria under oxidative stress conditions. We demonstrate that (Sa(BB-crystallin/sHSP complexes with cyt c and protects it against oxidative inactivation. Finally, we demonstrate that (Sa(BB-crystallin/sHSP directly protects mitochondria against oxidative inactivation in lens and RPE cells. Since oxidative stress is a key component of lens cataract formation and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), these data provide a new paradigm for understanding the etiology of these diseases.

A teacher's ability to foster and sustain high quality learning environments for their students relies largely on their own coping abilities and mental health. However, due to the emotionally taxing nature of their profession, teachers are at increased risk for developing elevated levels of occupational stress and burnout. To help teachers cope with their occupational stress and other negative emotions related to their occupation, mindfulness-based stress reduction programs for teachers have been introduced through schools. Evidence for the effectiveness of such programs is promising, however few studies have considered underlying mechanisms that may be driving these effects. Using data collected as part of a randomized controlled trial, this thesis examines the impact of mindfulness training on three coping resources, namely, somatic body awareness, executive function, and emotion regulation. Additionally, this thesis examines whether development of these resources translate into improvements in teachers' occupational well-being--specifically indicated through reductions in their anxiety, depression, stress, and burnout. Results suggest that the mindfulness training significantly improves teachers' somatic body awareness, with evidence for improvements in teachers' emotion regulation reappraisal as well. Additionally, some mediation results were promising, however, no significant mediations were found for any of the coping resources on any of the well-being outcomes for teachers. By addressing these topics, the results of this thesis contribute to the current field's understanding of how mindfulness training works to improve well-being in teachers.