Differential Effect of Acute Stress on Visuospatial Working Memory and Sexual Motivation in Male Rats

Working memory is an executive function that is highly dependent on the functioning of the prefrontal cortex. Several studies using food or drink as rewards have demonstrated that rats are capable of performing tasks that involve working memory. Sexual behavior is another highly-rewarding, motivated behavior that has proven to be an efficient incentive in classical operant tasks. Considering that both sexual behavior and working memory are sensitive to the effects of stress, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of acute stress on visuospatial working memory during a sexually-motivated task (a nonmatching-to-sample task in a T-maze) in male rats. Thirty-two male Wistar rats were trained in the T-maze using sexual interaction (intromission and ejaculation) as a reinforcer during a 4-day training period (training sessions held every 4th day). On the basis of their performance, the rats were classified as good-learners (n = 12) and bad-learners (n = 20), and on the fifth day, 6 good-learners and 10 bad-learners were subjected to stress using the cold water immersion model (CWI, 15°C) for 15 minutes before they were evaluated in the T-maze. The remaining rats made up the control group (i.e., they performed the task without previous stress). Results showed that acute stress by CWI improved working memory in the bad-learners but did not affect the performance of the good-learners, although in both groups (good- and bad-learners) stress decreased the sexual motivation to perform the task. It is probable that the increased levels of corticosterone in the stress situation could activate glutamatergic transmission in the prefrontal cortex, thus facilitating working memory and, simultaneously, decreasing testosterone levels, which exerts a negative effect on sexual motivation in these male rats.

Prevalence of Occupational Stress and Related Risk Factors among Nurses Working in ASEER Region

Background: Over the last century, stress as an interdisciplinary concept has become an area of great interest and has been researched extensively. Although the earliest studies on stress were mostly physiological, psychological models of stress have been developed and established a link between stressors and illness in his model of general adaptation syndrome. Objective: To investigate prevalence and factors associated with occupational stress among nurses working Asser region Hospital. The study included nurses at different age groups working at different departments with assessment of any sources of stress. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted targeting nurses in the main hospitals in the Asser region, Southern Saudi Arabia. A total of the study samples of 217 nurses were required to estimate the expected average stress rate among nurses. A self-administered pre-structured questionnaire used for data collection. Results: Nurses’ ages ranged 21 to 55 years old with mean age of 30.9 ± 11.7 years old. Majority of the nurses were females 175 (80.6%). The highest mean score (more stress) was reported by nurses in relation to the following stress factors;working very hard (4.3 ± 0.9), followed by being under pressure to work long hours (4.2 ± 0.9), the opportunity given to do something is not real and enough (4.2 ± 1.0). The findings showed a significant relationship between nurses’ stress level, their personal and work-related characteristics (P = 0.001). Recommendations: Interventional programs to detect and alleviate sources and effects of occupational stress should be developed including more training regarding coping strategies, nurses’ support, and better work condition.

Effect of working condition on thermal stress of NiFe_2O_4-based cermet inert anode in aluminum electrolysis

Based on the FEA software ANSYS,a model was developed to simulate the thermal stress distribution of inert anode.In order to reduce its thermal stress,the effect of some parameters on thermal stress distribution was investigated,including the temperature of electrolyte,the current,the anode cathode distance,the anode immersion depth,the surrounding temperature and the convection coefficient between anode and circumstance.The results show that there exists a large axial tensile stress near the tangent interface between the anode and bath,which is the major cause of anode breaking.Increasing the temperature of electrolyte or the anode immersion depth will deteriorate the stress distribution of inert anode.When the bath temperature increases from 750 to 970 ℃,the maximal value and absolute minimal value of the 1st principal stress increase by 29.7% and 29.6%,respectively.When the anode immersion depth is changed from 1 to 10 cm,the maximal value and absolute minimal value of the 1st principal stress increase by 52.1% and 65.0%,respectively.The effects of other parameters on stress distribution are not significant.

EEG Correlations during a Working Memory Task with Emotional Stimuli in Girls with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Secondary to Sexual Abuse

Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) can develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), alterations in the prefrontal cortex, changes in electroencephalographic (EEG) activity, and lower performance on working memory tasks. The aim of this study was to characterize brain electrical correlations in girls with PTSD secondary to CSA during a working memory task based on recognizing emotional facial stimuli. Girls aged 8 - 16 years old were evaluated: 12 with PTSD secondary to CSA, and 12 healthy girls with no history of abuse. EEG activity during a working memory task with emotional stimuli was recorded, and the inter- and intra-hemispheric correlations that assessed the functional connectivity among different cortical regions were analyzed. The PTSD group showed lower performance than controls on the working memory task while watching happy faces, while the EEG of this group showed greater intrahemispheric correlation among frontal areas and between frontal and posterior cortical regions. Also, the PTSD group had lower interhemispheric correlations between posterior temporal areas. The higher intrahemispheric correlation in the PTSD group could indicate that those girls used more brain areas when performing the task, likely because it required greater effort. The lower inter-posterior temporal correlation could be attributed to a reduction of the corpus callosum.

Exploring Work-Related Stress and Coping Strategies among Omani Nurses Working in Tertiary Governmental Hospitals at Muscat: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Work-related stress has become a global issue in the nursing workplace, with about 9.20% - 68.0% of nurses globally experiencing stress. Conversely, work-related stress ranges between 20% and 40% in nursing. Other researchers noted that 35.1% of nurses globally experienced elevated stress levels. Stress can damage well-being and lead to coping, which can, directly and indirectly, improve well-being through a perceived state. Nurses need coping mechanisms to manage their stress levels and maintain stability. Coping mechanisms can vary greatly depending on a nurse’s culture and background. Numerous findings indicate that managing stress is more critical than the cause of stress and that the more successful a stress-management approach, the less damage stress brings. Objective: In response to this, it is necessary to explore Omani nurses’ stress level and their coping strategies working in tertiary governmental hospitals in Muscat. Methods: The sample size for this study was 383 Omani nurses, with a 100% response rate. This study used a descriptive cross-sectional design from 15 October 2020 to 30 November 2020. Samples were selected through proportionate population sampling (PPS) from the five selected tertiary hospitals. Data were collected by self-administered questionnaires using a perceived stress scale and Ways of Coping. A simple random sample within a stratum (each hospital admitting ward) was done to identify the study participants. The sample size for this study was 383 Omani nurses, with a 100% response rate. Results: About 83.3% of participants had a moderate perceived level of stress with an overall mean perceived stress level of 18.46 ± 4.52. The most common sources of perceived stress are feeling nervous and “stressed” in the last month (2.30 ± 0.95). According to the ways of coping strategies, nurses seemed to be resorting to more “planful problem” (mean = 11.04) and least was seeking social support (mean = 9.67). Conclusion: This study highlighted the work-related stress level of staff nurses, explored their ways of coping and determined the relationship between work-related stress levels and methods of coping. The key finding of this study was that the frequency of stress reported by nurses was high enough to suggest that their stress levels were significant, given the demanding nature of their profession that requires maximum attention. Additionally, nurses seemed to resort to more planful problem-solving mechanisms to deal with their stressful situations than other coping strategies.

职业健康心理学:基于Work and Stress的可视化分析

借助于对Work and Stress所发表论文的分析,对职业健康心理学的发展进行综述。利用CiteSpace对发表在Work and Stress的所有论文进行分析,结果发现:①Work and Stress在1987年第1卷第1期至2013年第27卷第2期间,共发表论文898篇,年度发文量呈下降趋势;②职业健康心理学研究领域的高频关键词为stress、health、work、burnout、occupational stress等;③职业健康心理学领域的高被引文献为Job demands,job decision latitude,and mental strain:Implications for job redesign和The relationship between job strain,workplace diastolic blood pressure,and left ventricular mass index等;④在Work and Stress发表的论文中,引用次数最多的期刊为Work and Stress、Journal of Applied Psychology和Journal of Occupational Health Psychology,引用次数最多的作者为Karasek。⑤在Work and Stress上发文最多的国家为英国,发文最多的机构为Radboud University Nijmegen,发文最多的作者为Cox。职业健康心理学在过去的若干年中受到各国学者的关注,发展迅速。

Association of post-traumatic stress disorder and work performance: A survey from an emergency medical service, Karachi, Pakistan

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study was to explore the association between posttraumatic stress disorder(PTSD) and work performance of emergency medical services personnel in Karachi, Pakistan.METHODS: Emergency medical service personnel were screened for potential PTSD using Impact of Event Scale-Revised(IES-R). Work performance was assessed on the basis of fi ve variables: number of late arrivals to work, number of days absent, number of days sick, adherence to protocol, and patient satisfaction over a period of 3 months. In order to model outcomes like the number of late arrivals to work, days absent and days late, negative binomial regression was applied, whereas logistic regression was applied for adherence to protocol and linear for patient satisfaction scores.RESULTS: Mean scores of PTSD were 24.0±12.2. No association was found between PTSD and work performance measures: number of late arrivals to work(RRadj 0.99; 0.98–1.00), days absent(RRadj 0.98; 0.96–0.99), days sick(RRadj 0.99; 0.98–1.00), adherence to protocol(ORadj 1.01; 0.99–1.04) and patient satisfaction(β 0.001%–0.03%) after adjusting for years of formal schooling, living status, coping mechanism, social support, working hours, years of experience and anxiety or depression.CONCLUSION: No statistically significant association was found between PTSD and work performance amongst EMS personnel in Karachi, Pakistan.

EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION ON CHANGE OF COLDWORKING RESIDUAL STRAIN OF HOLE IN ALUMINIUM ALLOY SHEET

An experimental study on degeneration of the coldworking residual strainduring different cyclic loadings is presented. The expenmental results obtained showthat the residual strain of squcezing dislributes under power series law ε= axb overthe horizontal line of the stress on both sides of the cenual hole. and that when the max-imum real stress at the hole is lower than the yield stress of the material. the degeneration of residual strain has a sudden change during cyclic loading, and the closer to thehole side, the more serious the degcneration.

Role of hippocampal dentate gyrus neurons in the protective effects of heat shock factor 1 on working memory

Increasing evidence suggests that heat shock factor 1 exerts endogenous protective effects on working memory under conditions of chronic psychological stress. However, the precise underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study examined the protective factors affecting working memory in heat shock transcription factor 1 gene knockout mice. The results indicated that the number of correct T maze alternations decreased following mild chronic psychological stress in knockout mice. This change was accompanied by a decrease in neurogenesis and an increase in neuronal apoptosis in the hippocampal dentate gyrus. The number of correct T maze alternations was positively correlated with neurogenesis in hippocampal dentate gyrus, and negatively correlated with neuronal apoptosis. In wild type mice, no significant difference was detected in the number of correct T maze alternations or neuronal apoptosis in hippocampal dentate gyrus. These results indicate that the heat shock factor 1 gene has an endogenous protective role in working memory during mild chronic psychological stress associated with dentate gyrus neuronal apoptosis Moreover, dentate gyrus neurogenesis appears to participate in the protective mechanism.

FLOW STRESS MODEL FOR HARD MACHINING OF AISI H13 WORK TOOL STEEL

An approach is presented to characterize the stress response of workpiece in hard machining, accounted for the effect of the initial workpiece hardness, temperature, strain and strain rate on flow stress. AISI H13 work tool steel was chosen to verify this methodology. The proposed flow stress model demonstrates a good agreement with data collected from published experiments. Therefore, the proposed model can be used to predict the corresponding flow stress-strain response of AISI H13 work tool steel with variation of the initial workpiece hardness in hard machining.

Shortness of breath in clinical practice: A case for left atrial function and exercise stress testing for a comprehensive diastolic heart failure workup

The symptom cluster of shortness of breath(SOB) contributes significantly to the outpatient workload of cardiology services. The workup of these patients includes blood chemistry and biomarkers, imaging and functional testing of the heart and lungs. A diagnosis of diastolic heart failure is inferred through the exclusion of systolic abnormalities, a normal pulmonary function test and normal hemoglobin, coupled with diastolic abnormalities on echocardiography. Differentiating confounders such as obesity or deconditioning in a patient with diastolic abnormalities is difficult. While the most recent guidelines provide more avenues for diagnosis, such as incorporating the left atrial size, little emphasis is given to understanding left atrial function, which contributes to at least 25% of diastolic left ventricular filling; additionally, exercise stress testing to elicit symptoms and test the dynamics of diastolic parameters, especially when access to the "gold standard" invasive tests is lacking, presents clinical translational gaps. It is thus important in diastolic heart failure work up to understand left atrial mechanics and the role of exercise testing to build a comprehensive argument for the diagnosis of diastolic heart failure in a patient presenting with SOB.

Mode-I-crack compression modeling and numerical simulation for evaluation of in-situ stress around advancing coal workfaces

The relatively high stress probably leads to generation of a fractured or even instable area around a working coalface. Also, the generated weak area often evolves into an easy-infiltrating field of water/gas to greatly increase probability of accident occurrence. To reveal the distribution of high stress around working faces, we put forward the mode-I-crack compression model. In this model, the goaf following a working face is regarded as a mode-I crack in an infinite plate, and the self-gravity of overlaying strata is transformed into an uniform pressure applied normal to the upper edge of the model crack. Solving this problem is based on the Westergaard complex stress function. For comparison, the software RFPA-2D is also employed to simulate the same mining problem, and furthermore extendedly to calculate the stress interference induced by the simultaneous advances of two different working faces. The results show that, the area close to a working face or the goaf tail has the maximum stress, and the stress is distributed directly proportional to the square root of the advance and inversely proportional to the square root of the distance to the working face. The simultaneous advances of two neighboring working faces in different horizontals can lead to extremely high resultant stress in an interference area.

The effects of hazardous working conditions on burnout in Macao nurses

Objective:To examine the effects of various hazardous factors in working environments on burnout in a cohort of clinical nurses in Macao.Methods:A cross-sectional survey was used to examine specific workplace hazards for burnout in qualified nurses(n=424)in Macao.Structural equation modeling(SEM)was used to analyze relationships between specific hazards and manifestations of burnout.Results:In the final model,workplace hazards accounted for 73%of the variance of burnout with a standardized regression weight of 0.85.The measures of the model fit were acceptable.Bodily hazards,threats of violence,and physical environmental hazards were found to significantly contribute to two major determinants of burnout,emotional exhaustion and depersonalization.Conclusions:Workplace environmental hazards increased the risk of burnout amongst clinical nurses in Macao.Better management of these factors may help to protect nursing staff and reduce the risk of burnout and attrition from the nursing profession.

Effect of Work Environment on Level of Work Stress and Burnout among Nurses in a Teaching Hospital in Nigeria

Nurses’ roles expose them to a lot of stress based upon the physical labour, exposure to human suffering, lengthy work hours, poor staffing, and interpersonal relationships that are central to the work they do. Nurses are expected to deliver humane, empathetic, culturally-sensitive and proficient care in working environments with limited resources and increasing responsibilities. Such imbalance between providing high quality care with limited resources leads to physical and mental stress. This stressful nature of nursing can ultimately lead to job dissatisfaction and burnout which among health care providers are important issues since they affect turnover rates, staff retention and ultimately the quality of patient care. A thoroughly validated self developed questionnaire with a reliability coefficient of 0.78 was used to explore the effect of work environment on the level of work stress and burnout among nurses. A purposive sampling technique was utilized to select 100 participants from the medical unit of the hospital. Three hypotheses were tested at a significant level of 0.05. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Pearson’s Correlation. The study revealed that level of stress was higher among the staff nurses who had worked for only between 0 and 3 years, with mean stress score 46.0000. Findings further revealed that as the cadre rose, the nurses assumed that managerial roles were accountable for increased subordinates and oversee health related and administrative responsibilities and they experienced more stress. Also there is a significant relationship among work environment, stress and burnout among the nurses in the selected unit. In conclusion, though work conditions and environment are not favourable, there are job security and good interpersonal relationship among the nurses which cushion the stressful situations. It is therefore recommended that the management of the hospitals should provide a conducive work environment, providing necessary resources and adequate break periods to ensure staff welfare.

The Naples-Questionnaire of Work Distress (nQ-WD): Bullying at workplace, organizational dysfunctions and bio-psycho-social effects

The aim of this study is to elaborate a tool, the “Naples-Questionnaire of Work Distress” (nQ-WD), in order to evaluate the conditions of discomfort perceived in the working field. It tries to differentiate the dysfunctional phenomena more tied to the anomalies of the interpersonal relationships (bullying at work-place) from the phenomena more clearly related to organizational dysfunctions. The inventory measures the overall effects of these two areas on the subject and the spin-off in term of bio-psycho-social functioning. The questionnaire has been administered to a group of 178 workers who showed a work-related psychopathological disturbance and to a control group of 178 subjects without exposure to bullying at workplace or to organizational distress. The statistical analysis demonstrated degree of significant validity and reliability. The degree of internal coherence of the answers proposed is satisfactory. The ROC curves allow the determination of a threshold value which allows separating the workers subjected to mobbing and/or organizational stress from control-workers with an optimal reliability degree. The values of the area under the ROC curves show that the inventory has a high discriminating capacity.

Sleep Deprivation Affects Working Memory in Low but Not in High Complexity for the N-Back Test

Sleep clearly influences learning and memory since sleep deprivation and stress impairs both cognitive processes. Working memory is an essential cognitive process and refers to a short-term holding of incoming information required to update the long-term mnemonic storage and to manipulate new elements in order to solve problems and make decisions. Nevertheless, the influence of sleep deprivation on working memory has scarcely been studied. In this study we evaluated working memory using the N-back test after increasing periods of wakefulness. Healthy young males were kept awake for 36 hours and the two N-back tasks with low (1-Back) and high (3-Back) levels of complexity were applied every 6 hours. Additionally, salivary cortisol was determined along the study. Unlike the control non-deprived participants, the sleep deprived volunteers showed a significant decrease in their efficiency to solve the 1-Back task after 24 hours of sleep deprivation. However, no differences were observed after 30 and 36 hours of sleep deprivation. Concerning the 3-Back task no differences were observed after sleep deprivation. Regarding reaction time, the deprived group manifested slower responses for the 1-Back task and for the 3-Back task after 30 hours and 36 hours of sleep deprivation, respectively. Cortisol levels presented the normal daily oscillation and no differences were observed between groups. This data suggests that sleep deprivation affects basal states of attention instead of working memory while performing simple tasks. The impact of sleep deprivation on the cognitive performance depends on the moment of day when the task is applied and the complexity of the tests used to assess these mnemonic skills.

Is It Workplace Stress a Trigger for Alcohol and Drug Abuse?

Those workers most vulnerable to pressure tend to suffer from scarce social and personal resources with which to respond adaptively to stress. In this case, the effects of psychoactive substances may exceed the stressed worker’s positive expectations. Thus, the aim is to analyze the scientific evidence on the relationship between drug abuse and workplace stress, based on an integrative review of the literature. Data were collected in February 2016 from the databases of the Virtual Health Library and PubMed. The final sample of 16 articles was divided into two categories: alcohol and drugs abuse in professions with high degree of psychosocial hazards and risks, and alcohol and drugs abuse for workplace stress in other professions. A relationship between precarious conditions, the nature of the work and its influence on drug abuse could be seen. However, other variables may strengthen psychoactive drug use as a coping strategy for stress.

Impact of work environment on job satisfaction and stress among hemodialysis staff in Klang Valley

Objective:To investigate the factors contributing to satisfaction with the work environment,job satisfaction(JS),and stress among hemodialysis(HD)staff in the central region of Malaysia.Methods:A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted on 215 HD staff working at private and non-government(NGO)dialysis centers using self-administered questionnaires.The chi-square test was used to determine factors associated with HD staff's JS,stress,and working environment.Results:The scientific proof was apparent that the working environment had an effect on JS and stress among employees at HD centers.Conclusions:This research offers useful insights into the essence and complexities of HD staff's work and will help nurses,dialysis managers,other dialysis personnel,and organizations to better understand the benefits and stresses faced by these workers.

The research of enterprise knowledge workers＇ active work stress management

With the advent of the knowledge economy era, the modem enterprise desires to maintain sustainable development, the key is to find the best ways of knowledge creation, dissemination and use through the management. Knowledge workers are the main force of economic construction. They play a more important role in the development of enterprises and society, while facing greater pressure. This paper describes the status of work stress management study in China and abroad. Then analyze the source of the knowledge workers working pressure and Working pressure mechanism on job performance. Eventually, the paper proposes active management strategies of enterprise knowledge workers working stress.

Relationship Between Work Stress and Mental Health of Middle School Teachers in Guangzhou

This study mainly discusses the relationship between middle school teachers’mental health and work stress in Guangzhou.This study uses questionnaire survey method to examine 237 teachers in Guangzhou,and adopts SPSS26.0 to conduct independent sample t-test,ANOVA,correlation analysis,and regression analysis to draw the conclusion.The results show that:(1)The work pressure of middle school teachers in Guangzhou is above the medium level,and their mental health is at the middle level.(2)Under the influence of different gender,position,age,teaching years,and teaching objects,the pressure of middle school teachers is different.(3)There is a significant positive correlation between teachers’work stress and the dimensions of self-confidence loss and social dysfunction of mental health.(4)Work stress can effectively predict the level of mental health.Therefore,we need to understand the pressure sources of middle school teachers to develop measures to alleviate the pressure of teachers and improve the mental health of middle school teachers.