What Facilitates Return to Work? Patients Experiences 3 Years After Occupational Rehabilitation

Objective We have limited knowledge about the specific elements in an occupational rehabilitation programme that facilitate the process leading to return to work (RTW) as perceived by the patients. The aim of the study was to explore individual experiences regarding contributing factors to a successful RTW, 3 years after a resident occupational rehabilitation programme. Methods The study is based on interviews of 20 individuals who attended an occupational rehabilitation programme 3 years earlier. Ten informants had returned to work (RTW) and ten were receiving disability pension (DP). Data were analysed by systematic text condensation inspired by Giorgi’s phenomenological analysis. Results The core categories describing a successful RTW process included positive encounters, increased self-understanding and support from the surroundings. While the informants on DP emphasized being seen, heard and taken seriously by the professionals, the RTW group highlighted being challenged to increase self-understanding that promoted new acting in every-day life. Being challenged on self-understanding implied increased awareness of own identity, values and resources. Support from the surroundings included support from peer participants, employer and social welfare system. Conclusion Successful RTW processes seem to comprise positive encounters, opportunities for increased self-understanding and support from significant others. An explicit focus on topics like identity, own values and resources might improve the outcome of the rehabilitation process

Stochastic Micro-Pattern for Automated Correlative Fluorescence - Scanning Electron Microscopy

Studies of cellular surface features gain from correlative approaches, where live cell information acquired by fluorescence light microscopy is complemented by ultrastructural information from scanning electron micrographs. Current approaches to spatially align fluorescence images with scanning electron micrographs are technically challenging and often cost or time-intensive. Relying exclusively on open-source software and equipment available in a standard lab, we have developed a method for rapid, software-assisted alignment of fluorescence images with the corresponding scanning electron micrographs via a stochastic gold micro-pattern. Here, we provide detailed instructions for micro-pattern production and image processing, troubleshooting for critical intermediate steps, and examples of membrane ultra-structures aligned with the fluorescence signal of proteins enriched at such sites. Together, the presented method for correlative fluorescence – scanning electron microscopy is versatile, robust and easily integrated into existing workflows, permitting image alignment with accuracy comparable to existing approaches with negligible investment of time or capital

The IRAK Homolog Pelle Is the Functional Counterpart of IκB Kinase in the Drosophila Toll Pathway

Toll receptors transduce signals that activate Rel-family transcription factors, such as NF-κB, by directing proteolytic degradation of inhibitor proteins. In mammals, the IκB Kinase (IKK) phosphorylates the inhibitor IκBα. A βTrCP protein binds to phosphorylated IκBα, triggering ubiquitination and proteasome mediated degradation. In Drosophila, Toll signaling directs Cactus degradation via a sequence motif that is highly similar to that in IκBα, but without involvement of IKK. Here we show that Pelle, the homolog of a mammalian regulator of IKK, acts as a Cactus kinase. We further find that the fly βTrCP protein Slimb is required in cultured cells to mediate Cactus degradation. These findings enable us for the first time to trace an uninterrupted pathway from the cell surface to the nucleus for Drosophila Toll signaling