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Shift work is associated with susceptibility to several neuropsychiatric disorders. This study aims to investigate the effect of shift work on the incidence of neuropsychiatric disorders, and highlighting how individual variability may influence the association. UK Biobank participants with employment information were included. Cox survival was conducted in main and subgroup analyses. Correlation analyses explored the impact of shift work on brain structures, and mediation analyses were performed to elucidate the shared underlying mechanisms. Shift work tolerance was evaluated through survival analyses contrasting the risks associated with five neuropsychiatric disorders in shift versus non-shift workers across different demographic or occupational strata. The analysis encompassed 254,646 participants. Shift work was associated with higher risk of dementia (HR 1.29, 95 % CI 1.10–1.52), anxiety (1.08, 1.01–1.15), depression (1.29, 1.22–1.36), and sleep disorders (1.18, 1.09–1.28), but not stroke (p = 0.20). Shift work was correlated with decreasing volume of various brain regions, particularly in thalamus, lateral orbitofrontal, and middle temporal. Mediation analysis revealed that increased immune response and glucose levels are common pathways linking shift work to these disorders. We observed diversity in shift work tolerance across different individual characteristics, among which socioeconomic status and length of working hours were the most essential. Self-reported employment information may cause misclassification and recall bias. And since we focused on the middle-aged population, the conclusions may not be representative of younger or older populations. Our findings indicated the need to monitor shift worker health and provide personalized management to help adapt to shift work. • Shift work increases risks of dementia, anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders, probably via immune and glucose level. • Shift work was correlated with decreasing volume of various brain regions, particularly in thalamus, lateral orbitofrontal, and middle temporal. • Increasing immune reaction and glucose were the shared mechanisms than linking shift work to all four disorders. • Socioeconomic status and working hours were the most essential individual characteristics that contribute to shift work tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over 30 million U.S. working adults use tobacco, and tobacco use varies by occupation. Limited information is available on employment characteristics and tobacco use prevalence. The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence of current tobacco use by employment characteristics and occupation group among U.S. working adults. This cross-sectional study used 2021 National Health Interview Survey data for currently working adults (n=16,461) analyzed in 2023. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds of tobacco use by employment characteristics and occupation group. In 2021, 20.0% of working adults used tobacco. Any tobacco use was significantly lower among workers who were offered workplace health insurance (AOR=0.86, 95% CI=0.77–0.97), had paid sick leave (AOR=0.81, 95% CI=0.73–0.91), and government versus private employment (AOR=0.61, 95% CI=0.52–0.70). Any tobacco use was significantly higher among workers who usually worked ≥35 hours per week versus did not usually work ≥35 hours per week (AOR=1.21, 95% CI=1.06–1.39), worked a rotating or "some other" shift versus daytime shift (AOR=1.19, 95% CI=1.02–1.38), experienced schedule instability (AOR=1.17, 95% CI=1.03–1.31), and worked while physically ill in the past 3 months (AOR=1.25, 95% CI=1.11–1.41). Tobacco use by employment characteristics also varied by occupation group. Current tobacco use varied according to employment characteristics and occupation group. Findings from this study could inform workplace tobacco cessation interventions and policies (e.g., access to paid sick leave or insurance coverage) to better support tobacco cessation and overall worker health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To characterize the extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on aspects of the anesthesia residency experience from the perspective of American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia (ACVAA) mentors and trainees. This includes the residency interview process, didactic training and availability and variety of clinical cases for resident learning. Cross-sectional, online, anonymous voluntary survey. A total of 58 respondents, representing 30 residency program mentors and 28 residents. Surveys were distributed by email to 94 residency program mentors and 70 residents, representing programs and residents registered with the ACVAA during the years of 2019–2021. Anonymous links to an online survey were provided via a link embedded in the email. Questions included perceived impacts (–5 to +5 scale) on didactic and clinical training, case distribution, workload, residency application and selection process, and mental health. Responses were summarized with descriptive statistics [median (IQR) or mean ± SD]. The overall survey response rate was 31.9% (30/94) and 40.0% (28/70) for resident program mentors and residents, respectively. There was a negative perceived impact on overall residency training reported: –1.0 (IQR –2.0 to 0) for program mentors and –1.5 ± 1.5 for residents. The reported perceived impact of travel limitations on case log completion was –2.0 (IQR –4.0 to –1.0) for program mentors and –2.4 ± 2.0 for residents. Program mentors and residents had incongruent feelings on the impact of the pandemic on work hours, with residents reporting a perceived increase in work hours [+2.1 ± 2.1 versus 0 (IQR –1.0 to 0)]. Residency program mentors and residents generally agreed that the COVID-19 pandemic had negatively impacted multiple aspects of residency interview and training process. A broader, objective analysis of veterinary anesthesia training programs is required to fully elucidate the scale of the impact on veterinary anesthesia training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extant transport literature suggests that truck driver fatigue is a leading contributor in truck crashes. Various factors are known to affect a truck driver's ability to comply with work and rest requirements, including long working hours, irregular work schedules, sleep deprivation and driving at night. In Australia, while control measures restrict the number of hours of work a truck driver may undertake without rest, they travel vast distances and work with a high level of autonomy. This makes it difficult for transport companies to monitor and manage truck drivers' work and rest compliance; thereby relying on them to self-manage driver fatigue at designated rest-stops. However, there is little Australian research examining rest-stop behaviour of truck drivers in relation to driver fatigue compliance. To better understand how truck drivers manage driver fatigue, an exploratory participant observation study of truck drivers (N = 378) was undertaken at two Australian truck rest stops in rural New South Wales. The findings indicate that while most truck drivers comply with rest requirements regarding driver fatigue, load type, driver changeovers, access to parking, and time spent on work-related activities at the rest areas affects the time truck drivers spend at rest, and these factors are likely to increase the risk of truck drivers not complying with driver fatigue regulation. They are also likely to increase the number of truck drivers involved in fatigue related crashes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an industry known for its workplace hazards, such as the management and manipulation of animals that could bite, kick or cause considerable damage simply because of their size, combined with long working hours, lifting of heavy loads and the general mental stress, it is perhaps surprising that the veterinary industry is not also known for its safety culture and structures. One would expect that where such hazards and risks have been identified, there would be many and varied levels of education on risk and hazard management, a comprehensive set of tools with which to mitigate these risks as well as discussion and debriefing of significant adverse events to ensure they do not occur again. One would also assume that there would be a strong sense of safety culture in the workplace and that personnel would expect each other to ensure that the health and safety of themselves and their colleagues was a number one priority. Yet, is this the case in the veterinary industry? A request was made by the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists (AVA) to provide 'safety guidelines' for use in general practice, particularly pertaining to pregnancy. The AVA set up a task force to address these concerns and to determine if guidelines could be created. This article is offered as a starting point for considering safety in the veterinary industry in a broad sense, with the hope that in the future there may be development of such guidelines. It is hoped that this article also provides the stimulus for further research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic factors and night shift work both contribute to the risk of depression, but whether the association of night shift work with depression varies by genetic predisposition remains unclear. To assess whether night shift work is associated with a higher risk of depression regardless of genetic predisposition. We used data from the UK biobank of 247,828 adults aged 38–71 free of depression at baseline from March 13, 2006, to October 1, 2010. Genetic predisposition to depression was assessed using polygenic risk scores (PRS) weighted sums of genetic variant indicator variables and classified as low (lowest tertile), intermediate (tertile 2), and high (highest tertile). Night shift work exposures were collected using a touchscreen questionnaire and were divided into four categories. After a median follow-up of 12.7 years, 7315 participants developed depression. Compared with day workers, HRs (95 % CIs) of depression were 1.28 (1.19–1.38) for shift work, but never or rarely night shifts, 1.32 (1.20–1.45) for irregular night shifts, and 1.20 (1.07–1.34) for permanent night shifts. Considering lifetime employment and compared with never shift workers, >8 nights/month (HR: 1.40; 95 % CI: 1.19–1.66) and <10 years (HR: 1.30; 95 % CI: 1.09–1.54) of night shift work were associated with a higher risk of depression. In joint effect analyses, compared to participants with low genetic predisposition and day workers, the HRs (95 % CIs) of depression were 1.49 (1.32–1.69) in those with high genetic predisposition and shift work, but never or rarely night shifts, and 1.36 (1.20–1.55) for those with high genetic predisposition and irregular/permanent night shifts. In addition, there was neither multiplicative nor additive interaction between genetic predisposition and night shift work on the risk of depression. Night shift work was associated with an increased risk of depression regardless of genetic risk. • It remains unclear whether genetic risk modifies the association between night shift work and depression. • We investigated the association between night shift work with the risk of depression, and whether modified by genetic predisposition. • Rotating night shift work was associated with an increased risk of depression than day work regardless of genetic risk. • Modifying shift work schedules could be a promising preventive intervention to reduce the risk of developing depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• About a quarter of French employees are exposed to occupational road driving. • This prevalence was stable in 2017 in comparison with 2003 and 2010 surveys. • However, the population exposed was older and there were more females. • Prevention campaigns on work-related road accident risk should be provided to all employees in all companies since all professional sectors are concerned. Introduction : The occupational road-accident risk on public roads and the work conditions for professional driving is still an important issue in occupational health despite lower road-accident rates. This study presents the evolution over time of the work-related constraints for these employees based on the Sumer surveys carried out in 2003, 2010 and 2017. Method : Data from the 2010 and 2017 surveys were restricted to match the scope of the 2003 survey in order to enable prevalence data to be compared in equivalent populations. The main variable of interest was "driving (car, truck, bus, and other vehicles) on public thoroughfares" for work (during the last week of work: yes/no). Work time characteristics, work rhythm, autonomy and scope for initiative, collective work group, standards and evaluations variables were completed by the occupational health physicians. A self-administered questionnaire was also provided to employees and contained the Job Content Questionnaire, which assesses decision latitude, social support and psychological demands, the reward scale of Siegrist questionnaire, the hostile behaviour with inspired questions for Leymann, sick leave and work accidents during the past 12 months and job satisfaction. Finally, prevention in the workplace was also completed by the occupational health physicians. Results : About 25% of employees in France were exposed to work-related driving in 2017, which was stable in comparison with 2003 and 2010. However, the population was older and there were more females, more often from the clerical staff/middle manager category and working in companies with fewer than 10 employees. Employees exposed to work-related driving were also more frequently exposed to sustained work schedules and physical constraints, but less exposed to psychosocial risks. Conclusions : The percentage of employees exposed to occupational road accident risk, i.e., exposure to work-related driving, remained stable at about 25% in 2017 compared with previous surveys. These employees were also more frequently exposed to sustained work schedules and physical constraints, but less exposed to psychosocial risks. Practical Applications : Prevention campaigns on work-related road accident risk should be provided to all employees in all companies since all jobs can be concerned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We investigate the dynamics of low pay in Italy from 1990 to 2018 using a large sample of administrative data on private employees. • We find that the incidence of low pay is high and steeply increased in the last decades when the focus is on annual earnings and weekly wages. • A flat trend emerges when low pay is assessed according to FTE weekly wages, even if the share of low-paid workers remains high. • A major role in the low pay dynamics has been played by the reduction in the number of hours worked by low-paid individuals because of the increasing spread of part-time contracts. We investigate the dynamics of incidence, intensity and persistence of low pay in Italy from 1990 to 2018 by exploiting a large administrative sample of employees in the private sector. We refer to relative and absolute low pay thresholds and assess workers' conditions according to annual earnings, weekly wages and full-time-equivalent (FTE) weekly wages, to depurate low pay dynamics from the influence of changes in worked weeks and hours. Regardless of the chosen threshold, we find that the incidence of low pay is high and steeply increased in the last decades when the focus is on annual earnings and weekly wages. A flat trend emerges instead when low pay is assessed according to FTE weekly wages, signalling that a major role in the low pay dynamics is played by the reduction in the number of hours worked by low-paid individuals because of the increasing spread of part-time contracts. Nevertheless, the share of low-paid workers is rather high even when the focus is on FTE weekly wages. Furthermore, low pay is a persistent status for a large and rising share of workers. These findings reveal a clear worsening of workers' conditions at the bottom of the earnings distribution in Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organizational practices are important dimensions of the social contexts that shape relationship formation. In workplaces, the formation of relationships among coworkers are resources for personal outcomes, and they can be channels through which workers might identify common grievances, form workplace solidarity, and engage in collective action. Using a unique dataset of retail workers across the United States from the Shift Project, this paper examines two potential pathways by which organizational practices common in the retail industry in the U.S. might shape the formation of workplace relationships. I find evidence of the role of both pathways: practices that limit the opportunities for regular contact and practices that negatively impact the conditions of contact among employees are both associated with fewer workplace ties. I discuss the implications of these findings for the study of collective action and network ecology. • Uses a unique dataset of retail employees to test how organizational practices relate to workplace relationship formation. • Finds a strong negative association between unpredictable work schedules and the number of workplace relationships. • Variable schedules and more job benefits are associated with more workplace relationships. • Negative work conditions are associated with fewer workplace relationships. • The results are discussed in light of the importance of relationships for collective action in low-wage industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past few decades, the role of neonatal dietitians has undergone substantial transformation. Anticipated ongoing evolution is in line with the evolving goals of neonatal care, expanding beyond mere neonatal survival to encompass the enhancement of the quality of life and long-term outcomes for both ill and premature infants and their families. This review will describe the vital role that neonatal dietitians can fulfil, from the unit level to the broader network level, in collaboration with families and the comprehensive multidisciplinary team. It highlights the importance of optimal neonatal dietetic staffing, both within neonatal units and in broader healthcare contexts, to achieve these objectives effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A legislative dispute between the city of St. Louis and the Missouri state government presents a unique opportunity to measure downward wage rigidity in the low-skill labor market. The dispute caused the minimum wage in St. Louis to fall in August 2017 after having risen by 30 percent four months earlier. In this first study of a nominal minimum wage decrease, I evaluate whether firms have a tendency to maintain existing pay levels even when they likely exceed the competitive rate. Analyzing wage trajectories in St. Louis after the minimum wage cut using synthetic controls and a regression analysis, I find that about 3.6 percentage points more workers in the area than we would otherwise expect earn above the statewide minimum wage a year later, and the 5th percentile of wages is about 80 cents higher. Anecdotal evidence is consistent with the interpretation that norms regarding fairness motivated firms to avoid wage cuts. Although I do not observe a decline in hours worked for teenagers or individuals with less than a high school degree, there is some evidence that teenage employment declines. Firms with dynamic expectations regarding a future minimum wage increase may have been particularly willing to maintain higher wages in the near term to avoid paying the costs of taking away a raise they might eventually have to grant anyway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nursing home residents have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite recognition as a priority group for receipt of the COVID-19 vaccine, vaccine uptake and COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in nursing home facilities were variable across nursing homes. This study has 2 objectives: (1) to describe nursing facility characteristics associated with higher vs lower vaccination rates and (2) to estimate facility characteristics associated with COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths, stratified by vaccination rate. Cross-sectional study. Facility-level data from 12,811 US nursing home facilities. Using the CMS's Nursing Home COVID-19 Public File, we analyzed nursing home COVID-19 vaccination rates and outcomes from June 13, 2021, to September 19, 2021. We performed multivariable logistic regressions and identified facility characteristics associated with increased vaccination uptake and COVID-19 outcomes. Nursing homes with average vaccination rates ≤80% experienced higher total average COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths compared to facilities with >80% average vaccination rates during the Delta surge. Moreover, facility factors, such as higher average age of residents, proportion of non-white residents, nurse staffing hours, and occupancy rates, were variably associated with increased risk of COVID-19 outcomes. Facilities with higher resident vaccination rates experienced lower average COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in US nursing homes. Access to vaccines may play a role in mitigating harm associated with infectious diseases. Additionally, facility factors associated with increased adverse outcomes were variably associated with increased odds of COVID-19 outcomes, often, irrespective of vaccination level. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve and as the possibility of other infectious disease variants emerge, this research provides insight into facility factors, including vaccine uptake, that may mitigate adverse outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart production scheduling has gained significant attention due to advancements in industrial informatics and technologies that enable the monitoring, control, and adaptation of task scheduling in response to disruptive events. These events can include machine breakdowns, variations in task processing times, and the arrival of new or unexpected tasks. Concurrently, sustainable production scheduling aims to optimize task scheduling by considering economic, environmental, and social factors. This paper introduces a novel optimization model for the development of smart and sustainable production scheduling in a distributed permutation flow shop. The proposed model aims to minimize the makespan while simultaneously limiting the number of lost working days and energy consumption. It also strives to increase job opportunities within acceptable limits. To evaluate the proposed model, we conduct numerical simulations using various examples and a real-case study focusing on auto workpiece production. The results demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed model. Sensitivity analyses are performed to assess the model's ability to deal with disruptions and uncertainties while satisfying economic, environmental, and social considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Field test for short-haul truck drivers was conducted to investigate the interaction effect of occupational fatigue factors on driving behavior and eye-motion metrics. • Less than four hours of sleep between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. had the greatest impact on driver fatigue and correlated with the worst driving performance. • Sleepiness is more uncovered during the inbound task due to the monotony and low workload of the driving process. • Short-haul truck drivers who were sleep deprived exhibited short periods of protect driving behavior by exerting greater effort during the outbound task. • The interaction of time-on-task and sleep pattern exacerbated driver fatigue more than the effects of any single factor alone. • Applications include better fatigue management of short-haul truck drivers. Driver fatigue is the leading cause of truck-related accidents. The most significant occupational fatigue factors among short-haul truck drivers are sleep patterns, the round-trip driving task, and the time-on-task. However, the underlying mechanisms of these influential factors remain unclear. This study aims to explore the interactive effects of sleep patterns, driving task, and time-on-task on driving behavior and eye-motion metrics among short-haul truck drivers. We obtained test data from eleven professional short-haul truck drivers, with each driver participating in a three-day test under the conditions of two driving tasks and three different sleep patterns. We applied three-way repeated-measure ANOVA and non-parametric tests to analyze the data. The results reveal that: (1) violation of sleep-related legal requirements, insufficient sleep, and unreasonable time-on-task can have negative effects on short-haul truck drivers' vigilance and driving performance; (2) both driving task and sleep pattern contribute to driver fatigue, and the interaction of time-on-task and sleep pattern exacerbates driver fatigue more than the effects of any single factor alone; and (3) short-haul truck drivers who are sleep deprived exhibit short periods of controlled compensatory behavior during the outbound task, and sleepiness is more prevalent during the inbound task compared to the outbound task due to the monotony and low workload of the driving process. These findings provide theoretical and practical guidance for transportation industry managers to strengthen company-wide fatigue-related regulations, ensure adequate sleep for drivers via regulations, and optimize work schedules to improve safety outcomes of short-haul truck drivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long working hours can negatively impact mental health. We examined the association between long working hours and problematic alcohol use among young Korean workers. We included a nationally representative sample of workers below the age of 40 from the Youth Panel between 2016 and 2020 (N = 7846; observations: 27,646). The exposure variable was working hours per week. Problematic alcohol use was assessed using the CAGE questionnaire, and generalized estimating equations were used to account for repeated measurements. Observations of the participants revealed that 5 % worked < 35 h/week, 51 % worked 35–40 h/week, 24 % worked 41–48 h/week, 11 % worked 49–54 h/week, and 9 % worked ≥55 h/week. The prevalence of problematic alcohol use among the workers was 2 % for <35 h/week, 2 % for 35–40 h/week, 3 % for 41–48 h/week, 4 % for 49–54 h/week, and 4 % for ≥55 h/week. The adjusted odds ratios (95 % confidence intervals) for the association between working hours per week and the onset of problematic alcohol use in the following year were 0.86 (0.45–1.66) for <35 h, 1.56 (1.22–1.99) for 41–48 h, 2.03 (1.49–2.75) for 49–54 h, and 1.68 (1.17–2.42) for ≥55 h, compared to 35–40 h. The observational design of the study prevented the establishment of a causal relationship between working hours and the onset of problematic alcohol use. Long working hours were associated with the development of problematic alcohol use. Policy interventions should promote healthier drinking habits among workers with long work hours. • We explored the association between work hours and the onset of problematic alcohol use in young Korean workers. • Working hours per week were categorized as "<35," "35–40," "41–48," "49–54," and "≥55". • The prevalence of problematic alcohol use was higher among individuals with long working hours. • Working >40 h per week was positively associated with the onset of problematic alcohol use in the following year. • Long working hours may be a contributing factor to the onset of problematic alcohol use among young workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temporary anchorage devices (TADs) are widely used in contemporary orthodontic treatments for anchorage purposes. This research aimed to investigate orthodontists' attitude toward temporary anchorage devices (TADs) by surveying their TAD usage frequency and pricing and to identify factors influencing TAD usage frequency and pricing. A structured, self-administered questionnaire with a total of 26 questions was randomly distributed to members of the Taiwanese Association of Orthodontics at the annual orthodontic meeting. The questionnaire comprised 6 questions on demographics, 10 questions on work patterns and patient type, and 10 questions on orthodontic technique. Responses were analyzed using a Pearson chi-Square test to identify factors of interest. Factors associated with TAD usage frequency included degree of income satisfaction, number of working hours per week, and proportion of extraction-based treatments in treatment plans. Factors associated with TAD pricing included orthodontist age, geographic region of practice, and adult treatment fee. More Taiwanese orthodontists use TADs compared with orthodontists in other countries. TADs have become universally accepted, but practitioners use them selectively. The main factor influencing TAD usage frequency was the proportion of extraction-based treatments in treatment plans, and those influencing TAD were orthodontist age, geographic region of practice, and adult treatment fee. These findings may be applicable to other parts of the world and should be investigated at an international level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) the key worker is primely surrounded to be mainly a link-worker or facilitator, a community health worker, and a social activist under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). This study was conducted to study the workload and work pattern of ASHAs and identify the causes for improving work. This was an observational cross-sectional study conducted using a time-motion study as the tool among seventeen ASHAs from two primary health centers (PHC) in central India for four months. An ASHA's work pattern and workload were studied by constructing a 24-h recall. An focus group discussion (FGD) was conducted with the ASHAs to identify the factors affecting their effective functioning, after which content analysis was done. It was observed that activities under National programs consumed most of the time of ASHAs, followed by Maternal-Child Health (MCH) activities and Register maintenance. There was no homogenous work distribution among ASHAs. In content analysis, 30 concepts were categorized into four themes (responses from villages- an important drive, work pressure, survey a double-edged sword, demands of ASHAs). We conclude that the ASHAs are overburdened, and hence, not effectively utilizing their role as social activists. Clarity about job responsibilities, training, support, and coordination among seniors, frontiers trust-building can improve their work efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Richard H. Day was a renaissance man and a difference maker. This essay honors the life and scholarly work of Dick Day, expressed mostly through those who knew him as colleagues and students. It also provides an introduction to this special issue, which honors Professor Day with papers of the type he founded this journal to publish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate the effects of geographical exposure to local language training centres in a bilingual urban labour market, the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, exploiting the implementation of a language policy that provided publicly subsidized language courses for adults. Our variable of interest consists in a measure of spatial availability of language schools that captures potential exposure and its expansion over time. First, we focus on the formation of local language skills, adopting a reduced-form approach. Our results indicate that exposure to language learning opportunities has a positive but quantitatively modest effect on local language skills, since individuals residing in neighbourhoods with a higher supply of language centres are more likely to be able to speak and write in Catalan. The effect is very robust to falsification exercises and several sensitivity checks and is driven by younger individuals, and especially by those who were born in Catalonia. Second, we analyse whether accessibility to language centres also affects employment, working hours, employment sector, and occupation. Our results indicate that, although skills in Catalan are positively and significantly associated with improved labour market outcomes, spatial accessibility to language centres is not directly related to any of them. This lack of effect is possibly due to the fact that the impact of geographical exposure on language skills is too small in size to improve performance in the local labour market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is expected to increase occupational heat stress, which will lead to diminished work performance and labor losses worldwide. However, sub-regional analyses remain insufficient, especially for countries with a heterogeneous spatial distribution of working populations, industries and climates. Here, we projected heat-induced labor losses in China, by considering local climate simulations, working population characteristics and developing an exposure–response function suitable for Chinese workers. We showed that the annual heat-induced work hours lost (WHL), compared to the baseline of 21.3 billion hours, will increase by 121.1% (111.2%–131.1%), 10.8% (8.3%–15.3%), and −17.8% (−15.3%–−20.3%) by the end of the century under RCP(Representative Concentration Pathways)8.5, RCP4.5, and RCP2.6, respectively. We observed an approximately linear upward trend of WHL under RCP8.5, despite the decrease in future working population. Notably, WHL will be most prominent in the southern, eastern and central regions, with Guangdong and Henan accounting for a quarter of national total losses; this is largely due to their higher temperature exposure, larger population size, and higher shares of vulnerable population in total employment. In addition, limiting global warming to 1.5 °C would yield substantial gains. Compared to RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5, all provinces can avoid an average of 11.8%, 33.7%, and 53.9% of annual WHL if the 1.5 °C target is achieved, which is equivalent to avoiding 0.1%, 0.6%, and 1.4% of annual GDP losses in China, respectively. This study revealed climate change will exacerbate future labor losses, and adverse impacts can be minimized by adopting stringent mitigation policies coupled with effective adaptation measures. Policymakers in each province should tailor occupation health protection measures to their circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shows the advantages of an individual-level approach when estimating undeclared work using the labor input method. It shows the shortcomings of an aggregated approach, namely assuming that all workers with missing administrative data are working fully undeclared, being unable to adequately account for overtime, extreme values and not being able to detect and correct for errors in the administrative data. The paper illustrates how these shortcomings can be overcome to a large extent by using an individual-level linked dataset and yield results that are useful both for researchers and for tax authorities. It shows that the method can estimate undeclared work for the self-employed, as well as show seasonal and industry differences in undeclared labor. Denmark is used as a case study, and unlike other papers utilizing individual-level data, this paper provides detailed instruction for how a similar approach can be applied in other countries with Labor Force Survey data. The paper shows how an individual-level approach can yield results that are useful for example for tax administrations' monitoring of undeclared work across sectors. The study uses Danish Labor Force Survey data linked with individual-level tax data, yielding estimates of undeclared work that are in line with past Danish studies of related aspects of undeclared work, namely that approximately 29% of workers have undeclared hours, 25% of wage earners and 37–39% of non-wage earners, and that the value of these hours is close to 2% of the Danish GDP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has severely affected older residents in long-term care (LTC) settings. However, care workers' perceptions of their work environment and potential impact on their work outcomes during the pandemic is not well known. This study examined associations between care staff's perceived work environment, educational status, and facility staffing levels and work outcomes of care staff in LTC settings during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study employed a cross-sectional, observational, correlational design. A total of 207 care staff were conveniently recruited from 30 LTC settings in South Korea. The perceived work environment, educational status of care staff, and facility staffing levels (ie, beds-to-registered nurse [RN] and beds-to-nursing assistant [NA] or care worker ratios), as well as their work outcomes (ie, general and COVID-19 specific outcomes) were collected using questionnaires. Multivariable binary logistic regressions were conducted, controlling for the characteristics of care staff (ie, age, sex, occupation, and career length) and facilities (ie, location, bed size, ownership, and residents' disease and care profiles). Approximately 45% of the participants were either NAs or care workers, and 38% were RNs. More than half (53.14%) perceived their work environment to be good. LTC staff who perceived their work environment to be poor were more likely to be dissatisfied with their work [odds ratio (OR) 20.88), experience high burnout (OR 8.63), intend to leave the facility within a year (OR 5.00), and experience increased overtime work (OR 3.58) and work-life imbalance (OR 1.93) due to COVID-19. LTC work environments should be improved and government-led initiatives for ensuring such improvements should be implemented to enable a better response to future public health crises and maintain the quality of care for and safety of residents in LTC settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systematic reviews by the WHO have shown an increased risk of morbidity and mortality related to ischemic heart disease and stroke among individuals working an average of ≥55 hours/week. A cross-sectional survey of U.S. physicians and a probability-based sample of the general U.S. working population (n =2,508) was conducted between November 20, 2020, and February 16, 2021 (data analyzed in 2022). Among 3,617 physicians who received a mailed survey, 1,162 (31.7%) responded; among 90,000 physicians who received an electronic survey, 6,348 (7.1%) responded. Mean weekly work hours were assessed. The mean reported weekly work hours for physicians and U.S. workers in other fields were 50.8 hours and 40.7 hours, respectively (p <0.001). Less than 10% of U.S. workers in other fields (9.2%) reported working ≥55 hours/week compared with 40.7% of physicians. Although work hours decreased among physicians working less than full time, the decrease in work hours was smaller than the reported reduction in professional work effort. Specifically, for physicians who worked between half-time and full-time (i.e., full-time equivalent=50%–99%), work hours decreased by approximately 14% for each 20% reduction in full-time equivalent. On multivariable analysis of physicians and workers in other fields adjusting for age, gender, relationship status, and level of education, individuals with a professional/doctorate degree other than an MD/DO (OR=3.74; 95% CI=2.28, 6.09) and physicians (OR=8.62; 95% CI=6.44, 11.80) were more likely to work ≥55 hours/week. A substantial proportion of physicians have work hours previously shown to be associated with adverse personal health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of long working hours has been accompanied by a corresponding rise in sleep disorders. Sedative-hypnotic agents (SHAs), have been reported as the second most commonly misused drug class in the U.S. The key objective of this study was to examine the relationship between working hours on the use of sleep aids and medications with sedative properties. The 2010-2019 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data was utilized. SHAs and medications with sedative related properties (MSRPs) were identified. Furthermore, we employed different regression models ranging from multivariable linear regression, Tobit regression, Heckman regression, and multivariable logistic regression, to ensure consistency, robustness, and reliability of associations. Overall, a sample of 81,518 observations of full-time workers was analyzed. Working 56hours or more per week was significantly associated (p < 0.05) with an increased odds of using SHAs and MSRPs by 13% (Adjusted Odds Ratio, aOR =1.13, 95% Confidence Interval, CI=1.01:1.26) and 9% (aOR=1.09, 95% CI=1.03:1.16), respectively more than that among those who worked fewer hours. Females in our study had a higher likelihood (aOR=1.11, 95% CI=1.05:1.19) of using SHAs when compared to males. Also, professional services had the highest likelihood (aOR=1.31, 95% CI=1.14:1.50) of using SHAs. We found that long working hours were significantly associated with an elevated use of SHAs and MSRPs among U.S. workers. Specifically, female workers and individuals working in professional services had the highest likelihood of using sleep medications. • Long working hours are associated with increased use of sedating medications. • Professional services had the highest likelihood of using sleep medications. • Female workers had an increased likelihood of using sleep medications. • Social demographic characteristic influences the use of sedating medications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Significant fall in trainees' ability to perform major gynaecology procedures. • Gynaecology not given adequate time during training. • Simulation and access to advanced training possible solutions to training challenges. Over the last decade barriers to surgical training have been identified, including reducing access to theatre lists, reducing numbers of major surgical procedures being performed, increasing numbers of trainees and reduction in working hours since the introduction of the European Work Time Directive (EWTD). We aimed to assess the impact of these challenges on training in gynaecology over time. Study Design. We designed a study which aimed to assess both trainers and trainees perception of gynaecological surgical training in Ireland. The purpose of this was to identify confidence levels and challenges and to highlight potential areas for future improvement of surgical training in gynaecology. A a cross-sectional survey was distributed to all trainees and trainers registered with the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland Obstetrics and Gynaecology higher specialist training programme in 2014, 2017 and again in 2021. During the study period trainees' confidence that the training programme prepared them to perform gynaecological surgery fell significantly. This fall in confidence was most evident for trainees' ability to perform abdominal hysterectomy (40.9% vs 15.2%, χ2 = 4.61, p =.03) and vaginal hysterectomy (31.8% vs 12.1%, χ2 = 4.58, p =.03) when comparing 2014 with 2021. All trainees reporteded that gynaecology was not given adequate time in the training programme to prepare them to practice independently as consultants. Themes identified by participants to improve training included dedicated access to theatre time with a named trainer, increased simulation training and subspecialisation at later stages of training. Our findings show an overall decrease in trainees' and trainers' confidence in the surgical training available in gynaecology over an eight-year period.. This is particularly true for major gynaecology procedures. Efforts must be made to ensure trainees have improved access to surgical training in gynaecology. Potential solutions include improving access to simulation and incorporation of subspecialist training into later stages of training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The broad use of electronic medical records (EMR) and the incorporation of workflow automation might suggest a decrease in the workload of radiation oncologists. Nevertheless, clinical and administrative supports that were once accessible to these professionals have experienced substantial cutbacks in the last decade. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether there has been a shift in the proportion of after-hours work carried out by radiation oncologists in a prominent academic center over the past decade. We analysed timestamps on task completion in the EMR for multiple radiation oncology tasks including Target completion, Plan Approval and Peer Review. After hours was defined as between 5PM and 8AM as well as anytime on weekends and statutory holidays. Proportion of these tasks completed after hours was compared between 2015 and 2023. A total of 118,213 tasks completed between 2015 and 2023 were analyzed. For plan approval the proportion of after-hours completion by year between 2015 and 2023 were 5,9%, 5.1%, 4.9%, 4.6%, 5.1%, 6.9%, 9.5%, 10.9% and 9.8% (p<0.001). For Targets these proportions between 2015 and 2023 were respectively 10,0%, 9.4%, 11.2%, 10.2%, 7.9%, 13.4%, 19.5%, 19.9% and 17.2% (p<0.001). For peer review these proportions between 2015 and 2023 were 21.4%, 9.2%, 11,0%, 9.9%, 12.8%, 12.5%, 17.8%, 24.5% and 26.6% (p<0.001). There was no clear trend for an absolute increase in tasks by Radiation Oncologist equivalent between 2015 and 2023. There did seem to be an inflection point with an increase in all tasks around 2019 when a new comprehensive EMR was introduced. We also analyzed proportion of after hours tasks by physician age and generation and there were no clear trends identified. This analysis shows a rather alarming increase in radiation oncologist's workload after-hours between 2015 and 2023. This reality can certainly adversely affect Radiation Oncologists work-life balance as well as disrupt workflows in the clinic. Further analyses will be required to best target strategies that would allow radiation oncologists to complete most of their tasks during work hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physician peer review is an integral component of patient quality and safety in radiation oncology. Prospective peer review (PPR), when conducted before the patient begins radiation treatment, is superior to retrospective peer review (RPR) as there is greater opportunity to address potential issues and make modifications if necessary. However, there are many barriers to PPR including efficient identification of patients, time commitment, documentation, and lack of peers especially in smaller, community-based settings. We describe our efforts to improve peer review leveraging a patient tracking whiteboard in a community-based health system. This study was conducted at a community-based health system with each facility having 1-2 radiation oncologists. In 2021, we implemented a patient tracking whiteboard using widely available collaboration software at one facility to improve efficiency and communication. In 2024, we implemented the whiteboard at a second facility. The whiteboard was further customized to track which patients were ready for peer review. The peer review was performed during a newly implemented weekly, virtual combined chart rounds between both sites. We compared the PPR rate in Jan-Feb 2024 (after implementation of these new processes) to the same period one year prior. We identified all new patients at both facilities undergoing peer review for all treatment modalities in Jan-Feb 2023 (n = 103) and Jan-Feb 2024 (n = 131). The distribution of treatment modality was 49.1% 3D CRT, 33.3% IMRT/VMAT, and 12.4% SBRT. After implementation of the patient tracking whiteboard for peer review, the percent with PPR increased substantially from 22.3% in 2023 to 71.0% in 2024 (p<0.0001). There was no statistical difference in the mean working days between simulation and start between the years (6.8 vs. 7.0 days, p = 0.62). We found that utilization of a patient tracking whiteboard could efficiently identify patients for peer review and substantially improved the percent of patients undergoing prospective peer review from 22.3% to 71.0% in a community-based health system. We found this implementation to be simple, cost-effective, efficient, and successful without requiring additional time from physician or staff schedules. This approach could serve as one model for quality improvement in other community-based programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As Richard Day pointed out, an evolutionary approach focuses on the characterization of the way economies function when they work out of equilibrium and represents their capacity to change structure. Our paper aims at providing the basis of the analysis of qualitative change as learning process whose evolution is not predetermined but depends on what happens along the way, that is, on the recurrent distortions in the time structure of productive capacity due to co-ordination failures. Qualitative change is a change that implies a structural modification, which can only be brought about through a process in real, irreversible time. Physical, human, and financial capital are complementary in this process of reshaping and may constrain each other. Viability of the disequilibrium process depends then on the interaction between behaviors and policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper scrutinizes Marx's proposal to measure the "degree of exploitation" in terms of the "rate of surplus value". This amounts to defining an equivalent to the device of the thermometer in measuring temperature. The condition to be met is that a concept must be suggested that allows one to express the degree of exploitation in an independent manner and to show that the two move in parallel with one another. It is then shown that the rate of surplus value does not satisfy the sought criterion, because it may move in opposite direction of the degree of exploitation. This is demonstrated in terms of a simple numerical example with a choice of technique concerning the lengthening of the working day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP) is a multicomponent delirium prevention program targeting delirium risk factors of cognitive impairment, vision and hearing impairment, malnutrition and dehydration, immobility, sleep deprivation, and medications. We created a m odified and e xtended version of the program, HELP-ME, deployable under COVID-19 conditions, for example, patient isolation and restricted staff and volunteer roles. We explored perceptions of interdisciplinary clinicians who implemented HELP-ME to inform its development and testing. This was a qualitative descriptive study of HELP-ME among older adults on medical and surgical services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants included HELP-ME staff at 4 pilot sites across the United States who implemented HELP-ME.We held five 1-hour video focus groups (5-16 participants/group) to review specific intervention protocols and the overall program. We asked participants open-endedly about positive and challenging aspects of protocol implementation. Groups were recorded and transcribed. We used directed content analysis to analyze data. Participants identified general, technology-related, and protocol-specific positive and challenging aspects of the program. Overarching themes included the need for enhanced customization and standardization of protocols, need for increased volunteer staffing, digital access to family members, patient technological literacy and comfort, variation in the feasibility of remote delivery among intervention protocols, and preference for a hybrid program model. Participants offered related recommendations. Participants felt that HELP-ME was successfully implemented, with some modifications needed to address limitations of remote implementation. A hybrid model combining remote and in-person aspects was recommended as the preferred option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staffing shortages at nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic may have impacted care providers' staffing hours and affected residents' care and outcomes. This study examines the association of staffing shortages with staffing hours and resident deaths in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study measured staffing hours per resident using payroll data and measured weekly resident deaths and staffing shortages using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Healthcare Safety Network data. Multivariate linear regressions with facility and county-week fixed effects were used to investigate the association of staffing shortages with staffing hours and resident deaths. 15,212 nursing homes. The primary outcomes included staffing hours per resident of registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs), and certified nursing assistants (CNAs) and weekly total deaths per 100 residents. Between May 31, 2020, and May 15, 2022, 18.4% to 33.3% of nursing homes reported staffing shortages during any week. Staffing shortages were associated with lower staffing hours per resident with a 0.009 decrease in RN hours per resident (95% CI 0.005-0.014), a 0.014 decrease in LPN hours per resident (95% CI 0.010-0.018), and a 0.050 decrease in CNA hours per resident (95% CI 0.043-0.057). These are equivalent to a 1.8%, 1.7%, and 2.4% decline, respectively. There was a positive association between staffing shortages and resident deaths with 0.068 (95% CI 0.048-0.088) total deaths per 100 residents. This was equivalent to an increase of 10.5%. Our results showed that self-reported staffing shortages were associated with a statistically significant decrease in staffing hours and with a statistically significant increase in resident deaths. These results suggest that addressing staffing shortages in nursing homes can save lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UK and Ireland are facing significant challenges in the recruitment and retention of midwifery staff. Deficiencies in staffing, training and leadership have been cited as contributory factors to substandard care in both regional and global independent maternity safety reports. Locally, workforce planning is critical to maintaining 'one to one' care for all women in labor and to meet the peaks of daily birthing suite activity. Analyze the variation in work intensity, defined by the mean number and range of births per midwifery working hours. Retrospective observational study of birthing suite activity between 2017 and 2020. 30,550 singleton births were reported during the study period; however, 6529 elective Cesarean sections were excluded as these were performed during normal working hours by a separate operating theatre team. The times of 24,021 singleton births were organized into five proposed midwifery working rosters lasting eight or 12 h; A (00.00–07.59), B (08.00–15.59), C (16.00–23.59), D (20.00–0.759) and E (0.800–19.59). The number of births was comparable between the eight-hour and 12-hour work periods with a mean of five to six babies born per roster (range zero to 15). Work periods D and E lasting 12-hours both recorded a mean of eight births (range zero to 18). Hourly births ranged from a minimum of zero to a maximum of five births per hour (greater than seven times the mean), a number that was achieved 14 times during the study period. The mean number of births is consistent between normal working hours and unsociable 'on-call' periods, however there is an extreme range of activity within each midwifery roster. Prompt escalation plans remain essential for maternity services to manage unexpected increases in demand and complexity. Shortfalls in staffing and inadequate workforce planning have been frequently cited in recent maternity safety reports as barriers to sustainable and safe maternity care. Our study shows that the mean number of births in a large tertiary center are consistent across day and night rosters. However, there are large fluctuations in activity during which births can exceed the number of available midwives. Our study reflects the sentiments of the Ockenden review and APPG report on safe maternity staffing. Investment in services and the workforce to aid recruitment and reduce attrition is essential to establish robust escalation plans, including the deployment of additional staff in the event of extreme service pressures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malnutrition is frequent in older adults, associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and higher costs. Nursing home residents are especially affected, and evidence on institutional factors associated with malnutrition is limited. We calculated the prevalence of malnutrition in Swiss nursing home residents and investigated which structure and process indicators of nursing homes are associated with residents' malnutrition. Subanalysis of the Swiss Nursing Homes Human Resources Project 2018, a multicenter, cross-sectional study conducted from 2018 to 2019 in Switzerland. This study included 76 nursing homes with a total of 5047 residents. Malnutrition was defined as a loss of bodyweight of ≥5% in the last 30 days or ≥10% in the last 180 days. Binomial generalized estimating equations (GEE) were applied to examine the association between malnutrition and structural (staffing ratio, grade mix, presence of a dietician, malnutrition guideline, support during mealtimes) and process indicators (awareness of malnutrition, food administration process). GEE models were adjusted for institutional (profit status, facility size) and specific resident characteristics. The prevalence of residents with malnutrition was 5%. A higher percentage of units per nursing home having a guideline on prevention and treatment of malnutrition was significantly associated with more residents with weight loss (OR 2.47, 95% CI 1.31-4.66, P =.005). Not having a dietician in a nursing home was significantly associated with a higher rate of residents with weight loss (OR 1.60, 95% CI 1.09-2.35, P =.016). Having a dietician as part of a multidisciplinary team in a nursing home is an important step to address the problem of residents' malnutrition. Further research is needed to clarify the role of a guideline on prevention and treatment of malnutrition to improve the quality of care in nursing homes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the congestion relief potential of staggered work hours (SWH) schemes for public transit. An ex-ante evaluation framework is developed, which combines a hybrid assignment model with a travel demand management module to simulate the impact of SWH schemes on travel demand and public transit congestion. The key performance indicators capture not only congestion relief benefits, but also rescheduling costs for users. The methodology is applied to the RER A heavy rail line in Paris, the busiest public transit line in Europe. We find that SWH schemes generate congestion relief benefits, as intended, even matching up to telework policies. Yet, such benefits remain moderate, adding up to 20% of total crowding costs for the morning peak period at most. Moreover, substantial rescheduling costs are involved: decreasing the total time standing by 1 h implies shifting fifteen trips by the same amount of time. Regarding policy design, our results suggest that shifting few users by a large amount of time is usually more efficient than shifting many users by a smaller amount of time; the latter may even prove counterproductive by merely transferring the peak to some other time in the morning. We also find for the RER A that focusing the SWH scheme on a single station - the biggest trip attractor - yields benefits similar to applying the scheme over the whole line (for a similar level of effort in terms of total timeshift). The developed framework is intended to provide guidance as how to improve the design of future SWH schemes, in particular in times of social distancing and need for reduced crowding. • We develop an ex-ante evaluation method of staggered work hours (SWH) schemes for transit lines. • The methodology is applied to the RER A heavy rail line, in Paris, France. • SWH schemes do yield congestion relief benefits, which are even comparable to telework. • Yet such benefits remain moderate (20% of total crowding costs at most), while involving substantial user rescheduling costs. • Other results relate to policy design: which and how many trips to shift, by which duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The focal length of the Fresnel lens changing with the light incident angle will decrease Fresnel lens solar concentrators' energy efficiency and daily working hours, which seriously hinders its commercial application. Existing solutions, mainly including single-axis tracking, two-dimensional tracking, and passive tracking have their limitations and fail to realize the maximum application potential of the Fresnel lens. This paper proposes a novel elastic Fresnel lens solar concentrator, whose focal length can be regulated by tensile deformation. The mechanical and optical coupling simulations are conducted to reveal its concentrating behavior during tensile deformation. An exemplary elastic Fresnel lens with an aperture width of 200 mm and an original focal length of 360 mm is designed and studied. The simulation results illustrate that the optimal base thickness of the elastic Fresnel lens is 1 mm when its prism thickness is 2 mm. Under the optimal thickness parameters combination, the elastic Fresnel lens has an effective elongation rate r about 15%, which increases the focal length by 163 mm and 47% to the original focal length. The focus width only increases from 16 mm to about 20 mm when adjusting the focal length from 360 mm to 523 mm. Besides, the step-zoom strategy increases the exemplified elastic Fresnel lens' acceptable angle from 30° to 45°. The tensile deformation caused zoom method increases the working hours of Fresnel lens by 1.5 times, demonstrating the effectiveness of this method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employees in Europe work on average 7.2 h per day. Prolonged periods of uninterrupted cognitive activity during the working day can cause changes in motivation, mental fatigue, and deterioration in cognitive function. In this exploratory study, we aimed to determine the effectiveness of taking 10-min breaks for light exercise every 50 min in preventing these negative effects during a simulated 7-h office-like computer work. Eighteen healthy young adult men (aged 26 ± 3 years) who did not work in an office participated. The effects of 7 h of office-like work with 10-min breaks every 50 min on central nervous system activity, cognitive function, mood, and motivation were investigated and compared with those measured on a control day without work. Our study found that engaging in 7 h of mental work similar to that found in an office environment, with 10-min breaks every 50 min, can negatively impact cognitive efficiency, suppress brain neural network activity, and cause mental fatigue. These effects do not fully recover after a 4.5-h rest. Additionally, taking short breaks during the workday does not prevent mental exhaustion or impairments in cognitive function. These findings should be considered when discussing strategies to prevent mental exhaustion caused by mental work. • Skilled and efficient mental work is in demand in the modern world. • Long lasting uninterrupted sedentary cognitive workload causes mental fatigue. • Short breaks during mental work have been considered to prevent mental fatigue. • Ten-minute breaks every 50 min of 7-h mental work did not prevent mental fatigue. • Cognitive functions did not fully recover to the baseline level after 4.5-h rest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the association between work-life balance satisfaction for practicing urologists who have children <18 years compared to those who do not have children or have children ≥18 years. We evaluated the association between work-life balance satisfaction based on partner status, partner employment status, child status, primary responsible party for family, total work hours per week, and total vacation weeks per year using 2018 and 2019 American Urological Association (AUA) census data with post-stratification adjustment methods. Of 663 respondents, 77 (9.0%) were female and 586 (91%) were male. Female urologists are more likely to have an employed partner (79.vs 48.9%, P <.001), more likely to have children <18 years (75.0 vs 41.7%, P <.0001), and less likely to have a partner as primary caretaker of family (26.5 vs 50.3%, P <.0001) compared to male urologists. Urologists with children <18 years reported lower work-life balance satisfaction than those without (OR 0.65, P =.035). For every 5 additional hours works per week, urologists reported lower work-life balance (OR 0.84, P <.001). However, there are no statistically significant associations between work-life balance satisfaction and gender, employment status of their partner, primary responsible party for family responsibilities, and total weeks of vacation per year. According to recent AUA census data, having children <18 years is associated with lower work-life balance satisfaction. This highlights opportunities to support young parents, both male and female, in the workplace to prevent burnout and maximize well-being among urologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although nearly half of all family and unpaid caregivers to older adults work, little is known about short-term work impacts of caregiving using measures encompassing both missed work time and reduced productivity while physically at work. We quantify the prevalence, costs, and correlates of caregiving-related work productivity loss. We used the 2015 National Study of Caregiving and National Health and Aging Trends Study to estimate caregiving-related work absences (absenteeism) and reduced productivity while at work (presenteeism). We calculated costs of lost productivity using hours lost, compensation, and a wage multiplier, accounting for the additional cost of replacing employee time. We examined correlates of caregiving-related absenteeism and presenteeism separately, using multivariable logistic regression models, adjusting for caregiver sociodemographic characteristics, occupation and hours worked, role overload, older adult health, use of respite care, support groups, flexible workplace schedules, help from family or friends, and caregiver training. Nearly 1 in 4 (23.3%) of the estimated 8.8 million employed family caregivers reported either absenteeism or presenteeism over a 1-month period owing to caregiving. Among those affected, caregiving reduced work productivity by one-third on average—or an estimated $5600 per employee when annualized across all employed caregivers—primarily because of reduced performance while present at work. Productivity loss was higher among caregivers of older adults with significant care needs and varied according to sociodemographic characteristics and caregiver supports. Findings emphasize the potential economic value of targeted policy intervention to support working caregivers. • To our knowledge, this is the first study to comprehensively assess the prevalence, magnitude, and correlates of caregiving-related work productivity loss, inclusive of absenteeism and presenteeism, in a nationally representative sample of family and other unpaid caregivers of older adults. • The prevalence and magnitude of caregiving-related work productivity loss found in this study suggest potential value to be derived by policies and interventions that facilitate balancing work and care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored sleep disturbances and depression among various types of shift workers (SWs) and non-SWs, focusing on work schedule diversity. We enrolled 6,654 adults (4,561 SWs, 2,093 non-SWs). Based on self-report questionnaires on work schedules, the participants were classified according to shift work type: non-shift work; and fixed evening, fixed night, regularly rotating, irregularly rotating, casual, and flexible shift work. All completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and short-term Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale (CES-D). SWs reported higher PSQI, ESS, ISI, and CES-D than non-SWs. Fixed SWs (fixed evenings and fixed nights) and true SWs (regularly and irregularly rotating SWs) scored higher on the PSQI, ISI, and CES-D than non-SWs. True SWs scored higher on the ESS than fixed SWs and non-SWs. Among fixed SWs, fixed night SWs scored higher on the PSQI and ISI than fixed evening SWs. Among true SWs, irregular SWs (irregularly rotating and casual SWs) scored higher on the PSQI, ISI, and CES-D compared to regularly rotating SWs. The PSQI, ESS, and ISI independently were associated with the CES-D of all SWs. We found an interaction between the ESS and the work schedule on the one hand, and the CES-D on the other, which was stronger in SWs than non-SWs. Fixed night and irregular shifts were linked with sleep disturbances. The depressive symptoms of SWs are associated with sleep problems. The effects of sleepiness on depression were more prominent in SWs than non-SWs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing rates of Alzheimer disease and related dementia (ADRD) has resulted in greater reliance on adult day health centers (ADHCs) and their skilled workforce. Little is known about staffing in ADHCs that provide ADRD services compared with ADHCs that do not. This study examines whether there are differences in staffing between ADHCs that offer ADRD services versus those that do not, and whether the percentage of ADHC participants with ADRD is associated with staffing levels. It also examines whether staffing levels and provision of ADRD services are associated with participant outcomes. Cross-sectional analysis of secondary survey data. We used facility-level data from the 2014 National Post-acute and Long-term Care Study Adult Day Services Center module. This survey is completed by administrators of ADHCs, who provide information about their ADHC's organization, services, participants, sources of payment, staffing, and participant outcomes. Bivariate comparisons and multivariate regressions were used to compare scope of services, staffing, and participant outcomes for ADHCs that offered ADRD programs compared with those that did not. ADHCs with ADRD programs had similar average daily attendance, less revenue from Medicaid and self-payment, and greater proportions of Black and female participants. ADHCs with ADRD programs had similar staff hours per participant day for all staff categories; licensed nurse staffing increased and social worker staffing decreased with the proportion of participants with ADRD. Staffing had significant associations with participant outcomes. ADHCs that have more participants with ADRD have greater staffing of licensed nurses but fewer social workers. Participant outcomes are associated with staffing, but the results suggest that there are unmeasured dimensions of participant risk that confound the relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Safety data via smartphones collection assists in understanding vaccine reactions. • Most reactogenicity were mild and self-limited. • Fever and local swelling were more common in V-Watch survey than in clinical trials. The ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (ChAd), mRNA-1273 (m1273), MVC-COV1901 (MVC), and BNT162b2 (BNT) COVID-19 vaccines received authorization for emergency use in Taiwan beginning in February 2021. We investigated acute reactions to homologous primary COVID-19 vaccination series in adults aged ≥ 18 years. In this prospective observational study based on smartphone data (Taiwan V-Watch), we calculated the frequencies of self-reported local and systemic acute reactions within 7 days of a COVID-19 vaccination, and the health effects up to 3 weeks after each dose. Those who reported adverse reactions after both doses were assessed by the McNemar test. During 22 March 2021–13 December 2021, 77,468 adults were enrolled; 59.0 % were female and 77.8 % were aged 18–49 years. For both doses of all four vaccines, the local and systemic reactions were minor in severity and highest on days 1 and 2 after vaccination, and declined markedly until day 7. For 65,367 participants who provided data after the first and second doses, systemic reactions were more frequent after dose 2 of the BNT and m1273 vaccines (McNemar tests: both p < 0.001), while local reactions were more frequent after dose 2 of the m1273 and MVC vaccines (both p < 0.001), compared with dose 1 of the homologous vaccine. Among the participants aged 18–49 years, the percentage who missed work on the day after vaccination was slightly higher among women (9.3 %) than among men (7.0 %). Acute reactogenicity and impact of work absenteeism for the four COVID vaccines in the V-Watch survey were mild and of short duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship among long working hours, night shift working hours, and diabetes is still unclear. We aimed to evaluate the association of long working hours and night shift working hours with diabetes among health care workers. We conducted a retrospective cohort study among health care workers in a tertiary medical center in Taiwan from 2002 to 2019. We compared the risk of diabetes among tertiles of total working hours (35–41, 42–45, and ≥46 h per week) and evaluated the relationship between long working hours and diabetes risk. We divided participants into three work patterns: day work only, evening shift workers, and night shift workers. In night shift workers, we further evaluated night shift working hours and incident diabetes using tertiles of night shift working hours (<17, 17–45, and ≥46 h per month). We estimated hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for incident diabetes using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. The study included 7081 participants. There were 301 incident cases of diabetes during 52,454 person-years. The adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) for participants who worked greater than or equal to 46 working hours per week was 3.45 (1.27, 9.39) compared with those who worked 35–41 hours. Compared with night shift workers who worked less than 17 h, the adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) for those who worked 17–45 and ≥46 night shift working hours per month were 2.26 (1.08, 4.75) and 2.60 (1.27, 5.33), respectively. Long working hours and night shift working hours increased the risk of diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the impacts of emergency cash-transfers on individuals' social distancing behaviour and beliefs about COVID-19. We focus on the impacts of "Auxilio Emergencial" (AE): a large-scale cash-transfer in Brazil targeting low-income individuals who were unemployed or informally employed during the pandemic. To identify causal effects we exploit exogenous variation, arising from the AE design, in individuals' access to the cash-transfer programme. Using data from an online survey, our results suggest that eligibility to the emergency cash transfer led to a reduced likelihood of individuals contracting COVID-19, likely to have been driven by a reduction in working hours. Moreover, the cash transfer seems to have increased perceptions about the seriousness of coronavirus, while also exacerbating misconceptions about the pandemic. These findings indicate effects of emergency cash-transfers in determining individuals' narratives about a pandemic, in enabling social distancing and potentially in reducing the spread of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This national survey aimed to explore how existing pandemic preparedness plans (PPP) accounted for the demands placed on infection prevention and control (IPC) services in acute and community settings in England during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a cross-sectional survey of IPC leaders working within National Health Service Trusts or clinical commissioning groups/integrated care systems in England. The survey questions related to organisational COVID-19 preparedness pre-pandemic and the response provided during the first wave of the pandemic (January to July 2020). The survey ran from September to November 2021, and participation was voluntary. In total, 50 organisations responded. Seventy-one percent (n = 34/48) reported having a current PPP in December 2019, with 81% (n = 21/26) indicating their plan was updated within the previous 3 years. Around half of IPC teams were involved in previous testing of these plans via internal and multi-agency tabletop exercises. Successful aspects of pandemic planning were identified as command structures, clear channels of communication, COVID-19 testing, and patient pathways. Key deficiencies were lack of personal protective equipment, difficulties with fit testing, keeping up to date with guidance, and insufficient staffing. Pandemic plans need to consider the capability and capacity of IPC services to ensure they can contribute their critical knowledge and expertise to the pandemic response. This survey provides a detailed evaluation of how IPC services were impacted during the first wave of the pandemic and identifies key areas, which need to be included in future PPP to better manage the impact on IPC services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To pilot test and refine an infection control peer coaching program, Infection Control Amplification in Nursing Centers (ICAN), in partnership with providers. Intervention design and pilot test. Infection preventionists (IPs) from 7 Connecticut nursing homes (NHs). We codesigned and pilot tested the ICAN program with NH IPs. The initial program involved designating peer coaches to provide real-time feedback on infection control practices to coworkers and targeting coaches' observations using data from both observations shared by coaches in daily huddles and weekly audit data about hand hygiene, masking, and transmission-based precautions. IPs tested the initial program while providing feedback to the research team during weekly calls. We used information from the calls, participant surveys, and the pilot process to update the program. Despite IPs reporting that the initial program was highly aligned with facility priorities and needs, their weekly call attendance dropped as they dealt with short staffing and COVID-19–related outbreaks and none implemented all of the program's components as intended. Most IPs described making changes to increase feasibility and reduce burden on staff amid short staffing and other ongoing issues exacerbated by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We used information from the IPs and the pilot to update the program, including shifting from having IPs lead implementation solo to using a team-based approach. The updated program retains peer coaches and audit data , while broadening the mode of feedback from huddles only to communication using one-on-one meetings or emails, huddles, or other strategies. It also provides NH staff with flexibility to tailor implementation of each to their needs and constraints. Working with staff, we developed an infection control peer coaching program that may be of use to NH leaders seeking strategies to strengthen infection control practices. Future work should involve implementing and evaluating the updated program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The NHS England Radiotherapy Service Specification calls for routine use of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). However, barriers exist at patient, healthcare professional and service levels. The aim of the present study was to determine the current use of PROMs within radiotherapy services in England. The current attitudes, barriers and enablers to the implementation of PROMs in radiotherapy practice were evaluated and practical recommendations to inform future implementation were developed. A mixed-methods approach was adopted to obtain quantitative and qualitative data. An online questionnaire was developed and disseminated to all radiotherapy operational delivery network managers across England. The questionnaire consisted of 12 open and closed questions relating to PROMs use, with the option to provide free-text responses. Inductive thematic analysis was conducted on free-text comments, whereas descriptive statistics were used to analyse quantitative data. In total, 182 responses were received from 40 of the 50 radiotherapy providers, resulting in a response rate of 84%. The current use of PROMs was analysed, including rationale for use, tools used, format of PROMs collection and timing within the radiotherapy pathway. Most respondents indicated that PROMs were used in the context of clinical trials only. Through thematic analysis, four identical key themes were identified relating to both barriers and enablers to PROMs use; these included IT infrastructure, time, human/financial resources and training/education. A fifth theme, standardisation, was identified as a key enabler to PROMs use. Our findings show that outside of clinical trials, PROMs are not routinely used in radiotherapy services due to barriers identified at professional and service levels. Here we provide recommendations to mitigate the barriers identified and implement PROMs in radiotherapy, including training for healthcare professionals and standardisation of PROMs tools and storage. This study provides a key first step in driving PROMs implementation within radiotherapy services across England. • Outside of clinical trials, PROMs were not widely used within radiotherapy services. • Common PROMs used included QOL, anxiety/depression and urinary/bowel function tools. • PROMs are completed using either paper or electronic forms, by staff or patients. • Barriers include IT infrastructure, time, resources (staff/finances) and training. • Enablers included IT, time, resources, training and standardisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staff rostering is a difficult and time-consuming problem that every company or institution that has employees working on shifts or on irregular working days must solve. The main goal is the performance of staff on financial efficiency. Other important goals include fairer workloads and employee satisfaction. Furthermore, the staff rostering optimization should address the health, safety, and well-being of the employees. The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, which operates under the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, published their latest recommendations for shift work in 2019. The recommended values for more than ten individual factors are well justified. However, problems arise when all these recommendations should be satisfied together in real-world staff rostering. We show the gap between the ideal recommendations, theoretical expectations and the everyday reality. We publish our five most important practical recommendations for shift work that researchers should consider when they implement staff rostering algorithms. The PEASTP metaheuristic is used for optimization test runs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic have strengthened Work from Home and the use of digital communication technologies and digital collaboration. The resulting flexibility in terms of control over time and place of work can support workers in improving their work-life balance. In this paper, we investigate whether workers using digital communication technologies made use of this flexibility and changed the distribution of their work hours across the week and day. To answer this question, we investigate the use of an Enterprise Collaboration System in 2019-2022. Using real-world data, a MS Power BI dashboard was created following the steps suggested by the Social Collaboration Analytics Framework (SCAF). The dashboard shows that the system use increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, an expansion of work on weekends and outside of regular working hours can be observed. Although, timely adjustments of use-patterns were highest in the beginning of the pandemic, long-term trends could be observed as well. The results indicate that knowledge workers used digital collaboration technologies to restructure working days, according to their specific personal and business needs while working from home. The paper is a valuable starting point in the context of a long-term interdisciplinary research project on the digitalisation of the workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Workforce management represents a crucial element of today's warehouse operations. Due to volatile market dynamics and uncertain customer demands, the need for flexible and adaptive warehouse practices is especially urgent in the retail sector. High fluctuation rates in workforce demand are just one side effect of these developments. The current paper analyzes the application and perception of Workforce Management Systems (WMS) in practice as one approach to counteract these issues and enable flexible warehouse operations. By means of an online survey and a detailed set of expert interviews, we analyze the current use of WMS and information items in retail. We investigate design and time horizons of workforce planning processes as well as forecasts and summarize main expectations and requirements of WMS from practitioners' point-of-view. Our results show highly diverse usage patterns of systems with a strong emphasis on spreadsheet tools like MS Excel. The integration of legislation on working hours, qualification of employees and individual working time arrangements / contract details were mentioned as exemplary key information items of WMS. The typical time horizon of workforce planning for most participants was three months. Key requirements for an ideal WMS include the depiction of qualification profiles, productivity of individual employees, forecasting features, simulation-optimization tools to find best possible solutions with given workforce, automated planning as well as bottleneck reduction and handling. The results of our paper provide practitioners with an overview of expert opinions, present opportunities for system development, and provide future research tasks in WMS for warehouse operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turbidity is critically important in the drinking water treatment process and optimal performance of a sand filter can reduce it significantly. In this research, the optimization of a rapid sand filter was investigated in COMSOL Multiphysics® to decline the output turbidity. The conventional filter changed to a triple-bed filter. For validation of the large-scale model, an experimental model was used. According to 35 experimental data for surface load rate of 120 and 240 m3/m2.day, the average absolute deviation of outlet turbidity was calculated by nearly 7%. Moreover, 243 experiments were considered based on the different height of beds and dimeter of particles. The optimization results showed that the proposed model could remove the turbidity of 10 NTU in the inlet stream to 0.341 NTU in outlet one. Also, when the bed's porosity reaches about 0.2, the bed undergoes a pressure drop, and modeling calculations get slow, which indicates that the bed becomes filled. Therefore, it could be implemented as an index to estimate the filter's valuable working hours or backwash time. [Display omitted] ● The optimized triple-bed sand filter outperforms the turbidity removal of the one-bed model. ● The proposed triple-bed filter reduced the turbidity of water from 10 NTU to 0.341 NTU. ● The porosity of 0.2 was a critical point for beds which could be considered as backwash time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]