"Thank You for Your Good Work": the Impact of Received Gratitude on Employees' Work Motivation

Previous literature suggests that receiving gratitude in the workplace might have beneficial outcomes for the employees; however, the research linking received gratitude to employees' motivation is scant. In this study, we aimed to examine the relations between employees' received gratitude and their controlled and autonomous motivation, as well as amotivation at work. Drawing on the self-determination theory, we also explored whether the frustration and satisfaction of employees' basic psychological needs would mediate the relations between received gratitude expressions and work motivation. A sample consisting of 643 Romanian employees participated in the study. They filled out questionnaires assessing the gratitude they received in their jobs, the frustration and satisfaction of the basic psychological needs (i.e., for autonomy, competence, and relatedness), as well as the motivation to put in effort in their work. Results indicated that received gratitude was negatively related to amotivation and positively related to controlled motivation and autonomous motivation. Moreover, received gratitude was negatively related to the frustration of the three basic psychological needs, while the association between received gratitude and satisfaction of the basic psychological needs was positive. Results further supported the mediational role of the frustration and satisfaction of the basic psychological needs in the relations between received gratitude and employees' motivation. These findings suggest that expressions of thankfulness are an important stimulus for motivation in the workplace, as they remind employees about the importance of their efforts for other people, while also making them feel capable and autonomous in their jobs.

The effects of executive coaching on behaviors, attitudes, and personal characteristics: a meta-analysis of randomized control trial studies

Background

A growing number of studies emphasize executive coaching as an effective developmental tool that managers can use to increase their performance in organizational settings. However, the coaching research suggests a large variety of processes and outcomes, lacking clarity on the primary psychological dimensions most impacted.

Method

Reviewing 20 studies with a rigorous methodological design that used control trials and pre-post tests, we evaluated and compared the relative effects of coaching on different types and sub-types of outcomes by means of a classification of coaching outcomes based on previously used taxonomies.

Results

The results indicate that the impact of coaching on behavioral outcomes was higher compared to attitudes and person characteristics outcomes, suggesting that behavioral coaching outcomes, especially cognitive behavioral activities, are the most impacted by executive coaching. Moreover, we found significant positive effects for some specific outcomes, such as self-efficacy, psychological capital, and resilience, indicating that executive coaching is effective in producing change even on dimensions considered relatively stable over time. The results show no moderation effects of the number of sessions. The length of the coaching program was a significant moderator only for the attitudes outcomes.

Discussion

These findings provide evidence that executive coaching is a powerful instrument for organizations to support positive change and personal development.

How trait gratitude relates to teachers' burnout and work engagement: job demands and resources as mediators

The benefits of gratitude in the workplace, in general, and for teachers, in particular, are still understudied. In the present study, we investigated whether teachers' trait gratitude is linked to their work engagement and burnout. Moreover, we explored whether perceived job demands and job resources mediate the relation between employees' gratitude and these two outcomes. A sample of 312 Romanian teachers participated in the study. Participants filled out questionnaires assessing trait gratitude, perceived job characteristics, as well as burnout and work engagement. Results indicated that teachers' trait gratitude was positively associated with their work engagement and negatively with burnout. The relation between trait gratitude and work engagement was mediated by perceived job resources, whereas the link between trait gratitude and burnout was mediated by both job demands and job resources. Our findings suggest that educational institutions could cultivate teachers' gratitude in order to create a healthier and more motivated workforce.

Type of goals and perceived control for goal achievement over time. The mediating role of motivational persistence

This study tested how type of goals (i.e., performance and mastery goals) influence perceived control for goal achievement over time (i.e., after 12 months) while controlling for motivational persistence, gender, self-efficacy, initial perceived control, emotional involvement, and perceived difficulty. Goals and self-reported data from 1220 students were analyzed. Comparative test indicated that students describing a mastery goal display more motivational persistence and more perceived control for goal achievement, compared to those describing a performance goal. Type of goals directly and significantly predict perceived control of goal achievement at 12 months. Motivational persistence directly, positively, and significantly predicts perceived control of goal achievement at 12 months. In addition, motivational persistence positively and significantly mediates the relation between type of goals and perceived control of goal achievement at 12 months. Results support a partial mediation model.

Developing Academic Persistence in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme: Educational Strategies, Associated Personality Traits and Outcomes

The aim of the study was to investigate the relationships between certain educational strategies and students' personality traits, on the one hand, and students' academic performance, on the other, respectively between the latter and two types of outcomes (i.e. students' academic performance and intentions to drop out of high school). These relationships were examined in two educational settings: in the Diploma Programme (DP), a two-year college-preparatory curriculum offered by the International Baccalaureate (IB), an international private educational system, and the traditional Romanian schools. A sample of IB students in 3 Eastern and Central European countries, and a comparison sample of non-IB students in Romania participated in the research. Results reveal several educational strategies and personality traits among those suggested by previous investigations that significantly sustain IB DP students’ academic persistence. Also, IB students’ academic performance and dropout intentions are influenced by these traits and educational strategies, and these effects are fully or partially mediated by academic persistence. A different pattern of associations emerged in the non-IB sample, with independent work style as the most important determinant of academic persistence, suggesting that relative to the traditional Romanian schools, the IB programme promotes a climate that better supports students in completing their education.

Personality Traits and Postnatal Depression: The Mediated Role of Postnatal Anxiety and Moderated Role of Type of Birth

This study investigated how personality traits are related to postnatal depression 2 weeks after giving birth and whether these relations are mediated by postnatal anxiety, measured after 3–4 days after giving birth and moderated by the type of birth. New mothers (N = 672, Mage = 29.33) completed scales assessing their personality traits, postnatal anxiety, and postnatal depression 3 or 4 days after giving birth (T1). They also reported postnatal depression 2 weeks after giving birth (T2). Path analysis indicated that postnatal anxiety explained the link between personality traits (i.e., neuroticism) and postnatal depression 2 weeks after childbirth. The type of birth moderated the relation among, personality traits, postnatal anxiety and depression. Neuroticism and consciousness, in the natural birth’s group, and neuroticism and agreeableness, in the cesarean birth’s group, were associated with postnatal depression. Further, anxiety explained the relation between neuroticism and postnatal depression in both natural and cesarean birth groups. In addition, postnatal anxiety mediated the relation between extraversion and postnatal depression in the cesarean birth group. Our findings highlight that postnatal anxiety is a potential mechanism explaining how personality traits (i.e., neuroticism, extraversion) are related to postnatal depression, and that these relations may depend on the type of childbirth.

The efficiency of online cognitive-behavioral therapy for postpartum depressive symptomatology: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Postpartum depression (PD) is a frequently occurring disorder that affects the cognitive, emotional and social development of a mother after childbirth. Online cognitive-behavioral therapy (OCBT) is used as therapy for PD symptomatology, but no clear evidence is available about its effectiveness. The goal of this meta-analysis was to identify, synthesize and analyze the empiric studies regarding the OCBT effectiveness for PD. A search for indexed articles and unpublished theses between 2000 and 2017 was made in Google Scholar, Proquest, ScienceDirect, APA PsycNet, Cochrane, SpringerLink, Medline, PubMed and Dissertations Abstract International. Six studies were selected based on the following eligibility criteria: (1) papers published in English, (2) papers about PD, (3) papers that empirically investigated the effectiveness of OCBT for PD, and (4) papers comparing an experimental group with a control group. Exclusion criteria included investigations of PD for: (1) mothers diagnosed with another severe disorder and (2) mothers with deceased children and (3) women with an age below 18 years old. This meta-analytic study identified a moderate significant size-effect (d = - 0.54, 95% CI [-0.716; -0.423]) of the OCBTs in reducing PD, and practical implications and limitations are discussed.

Successful management of automatic dysfunctional thoughts in the context of negative emotions

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Cognitive and affective overloads trigger automatic dysfunctional thoughts and undermine their voluntary management [ADTs; Beck, A. T. (1976). Cognitive therapy and the emotional disorders. New York: Meridian; Wegner, D. M. (1994). Ironic processes of mental control. Psychology Review, 101(1), 34-52]. Taking into account intense negative emotions as triggers for the ADTs, we explored whether context (i.e., social context) and emotional experience (i.e., emotional intensity) predict the successful management of ADTs. We also examine the moderating role of difficulties in emotional regulation strategies.

METHOD

Thirty-eight participants wrote in a personal online diary of at least 10 times in 40 weeks. We analyzed the conditions for managing ADTs by means of multilevel in stages models.

RESULTS

Emotional intensity negatively predicted successful management of ADTs. Attempts to control ADTs and work context positively predicted successful management of ADTs. The negative relation between the emotional intensity and the management of ADTs was stronger as individuals were less aware of their own emotions, and was weaker as they had less clear representations of their own emotions. Superior access to emotion regulation strategies explained a stronger relationship between the work context and the successful management of ADTs.

CONCLUSIONS

We discuss theoretical and practical implications of the results.

Detection of ubiquitous and heterogeneous mutations in cell-free DNA from patients with early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

The aim of this pilot study was to assess whether both ubiquitous and heterogeneous somatic mutations could be detected in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from patients with early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Three stage I and one stage II primary NSCLC tumors were subjected to multiregion whole-exome sequencing (WES) and validated with AmpliSeq. A subset of ubiquitous and heterogeneous single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) were chosen. Multiplexed PCR using custom-designed primers, coupled with next-generation sequencing (mPCR-NGS), was used to detect these SNVs in both tumor DNA and cfDNA isolated from plasma obtained before surgical resection of the tumors. The limit of detection for each assay was determined using cfDNA from 48 presumed-normal healthy volunteers.

RESULTS

Tumor DNA and plasma-derived cfDNA was successfully amplified and sequenced for 37/50 (74%) SNVs using the mPCR-NGS method. Twenty-five (68%) were ubiquitous and 12 (32%) were heterogeneous SNVs. Variant detection by mPCR-NGS and WES-AmpliSeq in tumor tissue was well correlated (R(2) = 0.8722, P < 0.0001). Sixteen (43%) out of 37 SNVs were detected in cfDNA. Twelve of these were ubiquitous SNVs with a variant allele frequency (VAF) range of 0.15-23.25%, and four of these were heterogeneous SNVs with a VAF range of 0.28-1.71%. There was a statistically significant linear relationship between the VAFs for tumor and cfDNA (R(2) = 0.5144; P = 0.0018). For all four patients, at least two variants were detected in plasma. The estimated number of copies of variant DNA present in each sample ranged from 5 to 524. The average number of variant copies required for detection (VCRD) was 3.16 (range: 0.2-7.6 copies).

CONCLUSIONS

The mPCR-NGS method revealed intratumor heterogeneity in early-stage NSCLC tumors, and was able to detect both ubiquitous and heterogeneous SNVs in cfDNA. Further validation of mPCR-NGS in cfDNA is required to define its potential use in clinical practice.

Biological therapies in moderate and severe psoriasis: perspectives and certainties

An inflammatory, proliferative condition with chronic evolution and systemic response, psoriasis, is positioned today among the most common inflammatory skin diseases affecting the Caucasian population worldwide. With a significant incidence, psoriasis has been increasingly defined as a disease with a major impact on the patient's life and the society to which he/she belongs. This paper conducts an analysis of the currently available therapies for the treatment of moderate and severe psoriasis, therapies with biological agents obtained through sophisticated genetic engineering technologies. Recent research and the increasing interest in therapeutic methods as complete and efficient as possible make us optimistic and confident in the future.

National registry of patients with juvenile idiopathic inflammatory myopathies in Hungary—Clinical characteristics and disease course of 44 patients with juvenile dermatomyositis

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) are systemic autoimmune diseases characterized by chronic muscle inflammation resulting in progressive weakness and frequent involvement of internal organs, mainly the pulmonary, gastrointestinal and cardiac systems which considerably contribute to the morbidity and mortality of the IIMs. Aim of this study was to present clinical characteristics, disease course, frequency of relapses and survival in patients with juvenile dermatomyositis (DM). A national registry of patients with juvenile IIMs was elaborated by the authors in Hungary. We have summarized data of the register according to signs and symptoms, disease course, frequency of relapses and survival of patients with juvenile IIM. Analysis was performed using data of 44 patients with juvenile DM diagnosed between 1976 and 2004 according to Bohan and Peter's criteria. Survival probability was calculated by Kaplan-Meier method. Data of patients with juvenile DM were compared with data of 66 patients with adult DM. The most frequent cutaneous features were facial erythema and heliotrope rash. Extramuscular and extraskeletal manifestations of the disease were more frequent in adult patients. The most common extramuscular feature was arthralgia in both groups of patients with juvenile or adult DM. Cardiac manifestation of the disease was not observed in juvenile patients. Respiratory muscle involvement and interstitial lung disease (ILD) were more frequent among adult DM patients than cardiac manifestation of the myositis. In view of the disease course, the authors found that frequency of polycyclic and monophasic subtypes of the disease were mainly similar. The hazard of relapse was found higher during the first year after the remission. None of the juvenile patients died. Among adult patients four disease-specific deaths occurred. There was no correlation between relapse free survival and initial therapeutic regimen. Many of our patients had polycyclic or chronic disease. As relapses can occur after a prolonged disease-free interval, patients should be followed up for at least 2 years. Although we found favourable survival probability, further investigations are needed to assess functional outcome.

Radical prostatectomy in the treatment of prostate cancer. The experience of the Urology Clinic of Prof. Dr. Th. Burghele Clinical Hospital

INTRODUCTION

radical prostatectomy remains a real challenge for most of the urologists. Our study's objective is bringing into discussion the main aspects related to the technique we use, the intra and post-operatory complications, as well as the short-term analysis of the results in PC treatment using RP in the Prof. Dr. Th. Burghele Clinical Hospital - Clinic of Urology.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

between 1999 and 2007, 59 patients with PC, aged 48-74, were operated in our clinic. We began to recommend prostate biopsy (PB) to all patients with PSA higher than 4 ng/ml and, in the last years, higher than 2,5 ng/ml. A change in our attitude is related to the PB. At the beginning, we tried to perform "targeted" punctions, ultrasound guided especially in suspect zones, afterwards, we performed randomised punctions at all the patients, no matter the aspect of TRUS and we have increased the number of punctions accordingly to the prostate volume (minimum 6 punctions, maximum 12). The most used was the 10 core punction. The T classification, according to the clinical diagnosis, of the 59 operated patients: T1 cT1 a-b--4 cases; cT1 c--39 cases; T2 cT2 a--12 cases; cT2 b-c--4 cases. The RP surgical technique was the classic one, described by P.C. Walsh--the first surgical step, in all cases was lymphadenectomy.

RESULTS

of all the patients that went through RP, 56 cases are still in our records. We can consider healed 24 patients with PC, followed for 3 years post-surgery, because they had no need of therapy and the PSA is maintained below 0.02 ng/ml. The Gleason score--between the pre-operatory established diagnosis by punction and the anatomic-pathological examination of the piece, there were some differences: the concordance was in 48% of the cases; in 39% of the patients, the biopsy specimen had a lower Gleason score than the surgery specimen, and in 13% a higher score, the most common error was caused by sampling. The correlation between the pre-operatory evaluated clinical stage and the pathological clinical stage was of 57%. The most important late postoperative complications of RP were: urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction. In our study, we have recorded late postoperative: complete urinary incontinence in 4 cases (6.7%), erection was maintained after bilateral preservation of neurovascular bandelets in 90% of cases and after unilateral preservation in 71% of cases. Due to the short following period, we can't say if the operated patients by us had a benefit regarding the general surviving period; The personalized interpretation of the increase of serum PSA levels after surgery represents a possible problem regarding the indication of complementary treatment.

Romanian managers and human resource management

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the role of human resource management (HRM) in Romania.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper describes the latest changes and their reflections in research by analysing data collected from an inquiry amongst 558 company managers. The attitudes and facts in HRM are identified, taking into account the characteristics of the firm. Additionally, the HR problems encountered by the managers, the training and consultancy needs and experience of the firms, and the academic background of the experts, are identified. Finally, some trends in HRM politics are revealed.

Findings

The outcomes sustain the conclusion that modern HRM in Romania registered an encouraging start after the communist period, but it is still facing important challenges.

Originality/value

The paper offers a sketchy picture of the HRM situation in Romania.

Pregnancy outcome in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy

The aim of our study was to assess the prevalence and outcome of pregnancy in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy patients who became pregnant after the onset of the disease. Female idiopathic inflammatory myopathy patients (173) were included in our study. The patients' charts and clinical data were retrospectively analyzed. One hundred and four female idiopathic inflammatory myopathy patients had 186 pregnancies, but only nine of these patients (4 polymyositis-PM, 5 dermatomyositis-DM) became pregnant after the onset of the disease. Nine patients with pregnancies after the disease onset had 14 gravidities. Six pregnancies resulted in normal deliveries, two ended in prematurity, six ended in abortions (two induced abortions). Regarding the four patients (3 PM, 1 DM) with active disease at the time of pregnancy, two pregnancies ended in prematurity, four ended in spontaneous abortion and one healthy baby delivered. The other five patients (2 PM, 3 DM) with the disease in remission had uneventful pregnancies and healthy babies were delivered. Treatment was not required during pregnancy in case of two dermatomyositis patients with long lasting remission. New onset dermatomyositis developed in one patient in her pregnancy's third trimester. The mean weight of newborns in the active myositis cases was 2,193 (1,680-2,700) g; while in patients with remission was 3,167 (2,800-3,800) g. The active maternal disease in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) might result intrauterin retardation and death. Disease activity in active and new-onset cases could be controlled by increasing the dose of corticosteroid.

Disease course, frequency of relapses and survival of 73 patients with juvenile or adult dermatomyositis

OBJECTIVE

Our aim is to present the disease course, frequency of relapses and survival of juvenile and adult dermatomyositis (JDM/DM) patients.

METHODS

Analysis was performed using data on 73 patients. The median follow-up for 38 JDM patients was 32 months and 78 months for 35 adult DM patients.

RESULTS

23/38 JDM patients (60%) had monophasic, 12/38 (31.6%) had polycyclic and 3/38 (7.9%) had chronic disease. Among children treated only with glucocorticoids, 12/20 (60%) had monophasic and 8/20 (40%) had polycyclic disease. 10/17 (58.8%) children, who required second-line immunosuppressive agents, had monophasic and 4/17 (23.5%) had polycyclic disease. 18/35 DM (51.4%) patients had monophasic, 13/35 (37.1%) had polycyclic, 1/35 (2.9%) had chronic disease and 3/35 (8.6%) had fulminant myositis. Among DM patients requiring only glucocorticoids, 12/20 (60%) were monophasic and 8/20 (40%) were polycyclic. In patients requiring second-line immunosuppressive agents, 6/15 patients (40%) had monophasic and 5/15 (33.3%) had polycyclic disease. Among patients with polycyclic disease, the risk of relapse was higher during first year than later in the disease course. None of the JDM patients have died, while 4 disease-specific deaths occurred in adult patients. There was no significant difference between the survival of JDM and DM patients.

DISCUSSION

There was no correlation between relapse-free survival and the initial therapeutic regimen. Many of our patients had polycyclic or chronic disease. As relapses can occur after a prolonged disease-free interval, patients should be followed for at least 2 years. Although we found a favourable survival rate, further investigations are needed to assess functional outcome.

Functional outcome and quality of life in adult patients with idiopathic inflammatory myositis

OBJECTIVES

To present the outcome of patients with idiopathic inflammatory myositis, focusing on functional ability and quality of life.

METHODS

Analysis was performed using data from 105 adult patients with definitive polymyositis, dermatomyositis or overlap myositis, who were followed up at a single centre. The diagnosis was made between 1979 and 2000 based on Bohan and Peter's criteria. Functional ability was assessed after a minimum follow-up of 3 yr with the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQDI) and quality of life was measured with the Short Form 36-item questionnaire (SF-36).

RESULTS

Fifteen patients in our cohort died and 87 participated in the evaluation of functional outcome. Functional ability after a median follow-up of 107.1 months (range 36.4-273.3) was heterogeneous. The median HAQDI score was 0.875 (range 0-2.875). Polyphasic or chronic-progressive disease course, osteoporosis and long-term follow-up were predictive of higher HAQDI scores. In terms of quality of life, significant differences from population norms were shown in all domains of the SF-36. There were no significant differences in the SF-36 scores among the patients according to clinicopathological subset or disease course.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the mortality of our cohort was favourable, myositis continues to have a great impact on life in the medium and long term. The present work indicates that myositis patients have a significantly poorer quality of life than the normal population, but there was no difference among the patients according to clinicopathological subsets.

The Cognitive, Emotional, and Social Impacts of the September 11 Attacks: Group Differences in Memory for the Reception Context and the Determinants of Flashbulb Memory

The authors examined group differences in memories for hearing the news of and reactions to the September 11 attacks in 2001. They measured memory for reception context (immediate memory for the circumstances in which people first heard the news) and 11 predictors of the consistency of memory for reception context over time (flashbulb memory). Shortly after 9/11, a questionnaire was distributed to 3,665 participants in 9 countries. U.S. vs. non-U.S. respondents showed large differences in self-rated importance of the news and in memory for event-related facts. The groups showed moderate differences in background knowledge and emotional-feeling states. Within non-U.S. groups, there were large differences for emotional-feeling states and moderate differences for personal rehearsal, background knowledge, and attitudes toward the United States. The authors discuss the implications of those findings for the study of group differences in memory and for the formation of flashbulb memories.

[Dermatologic preparations with erythromycin--the correlation of the pharmaceutical form-therapeutic effect]

Erythromycin associated with progesterone and A vitamin has been included in three dermatological pharmaceutical forms: a lotion, a L/H emulsion and a L/H nonionogenic ointment. Aspect of these preparations has been noticed for a 90 days period. pH and electrical conductance were also determined during this interval. All the formulations mentioned above revealed insignificant variations of these parameters proving an appreciable physico-chemical stability. Clinical investigative studies in juvenile acne, showed efficiency, particularly for the emulsion form.

[Evolution of splenic lympho-reticular populations during the immune response "in vitro" in the chick (author's transl)]

The different types of cell population in organotypic cultures of spleen from chicken immunized with Salmonella paratyphi B were enumerated. The kinetics of immunoglobulin and of antiflagellar antibody synthesis followed the cellular variations observed. Two phases were generally observed: one was characterized by a considerable decrease in small and medium-sized lymphocytes by a lytic process and the appearance, by transformation and/or multiplication, of a large population of hyperactive macrophages. The IgM and IgG synthesized between the 2nd and 9th days only partially consisted of antiflagellar antibodies; some were synthesized probably by large basophilic cells and others by the few plasma cells which were observed, generally isolated on the prints. The second phase, from the 11th to the 21st day, manifested a narrower antibody specificity in that all the IgG, the only immunoglobulin synthesized during this period, might be entirely absorbed by the antigen and corresponded to the proliferation of a new lymphoreticular population. A close cellular cooperation seemed to occur at this stage between these two types of population, the macrophages appearing to stimulate lymphopoiesis. Colonies of plasma cells, characteristic of this phase, appeared from the 13th day. These two phases were separated around the 9th day be a brief period of cellular depression. Although the transformations, the contacts and the islets observed among the lympho-reticular populations indicated their plasticity and their capacity for change during the reaction, it must be noted that there was no in vitro example of antibody synthesis occurring without the simultaneous presence of lymphocytes, macrophages and pyroninophile cells.