Who Is to Work With Whom When It Comes to Pair Work？ A Learner＇s Perspective

The present paper reports on a small-scale project that investigates two main questions： （1） whether EFL （English as a Foreign Language） learners prefer working in pairs or small groups; and （2） what factors they take into consideration when they are free to choose their partners in pair work activities. To investigate the research questions, a questionnaire was developed and distributed among 96 Iranian intermediate EFL students who participated in the study on a voluntary basis. The findings showed that 45% of the participants preferred pair work, 26% preferred group work, and 29% reported it made no difference to them. The results also indicated that learners select their partners based on four factors： age, proficiency, familiarity and language learning motivation. Gender and popularity with the whole class were among the factors that the participants did not pay attention to when opting for a partner.

In View of Today’s Realities:What should any Work with the Plant World Actually Gain us?

Studies on plants are important evidence not only for their diversity and richness in the world,but also for revealing the relationship between the environment and the organisms.How important are the concepts of climate crisis and global warming?What is the number of people in the world,other than scientists,who are aware of the seriousness of the problem?Do we have any information about the number of people who have knowledge about what can be done?Do we want to experience the carbon richness of millions of years ago(Carboniferous)again?

UAV-assisted data collection for wireless sensor networks with dynamic working modes

Wireless Sensor Network(WSN)is a cornerstone of Internet of Things(IoT)and has rich application scenarios.In this work,we consider a heterogeneous WSN whose sensor nodes have a diversity in their Residual Energy(RE).In this work,to protect the sensor nodes with low RE,we investigate dynamic working modes for sensor nodes which are determined by their RE and an introduced energy threshold.Besides,we employ an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle(UAV)to collect the stored data from the heterogeneous WSN.We aim to jointly optimize the cluster head selection,energy threshold and sensor nodes’working mode to minimize the weighted sum of energy con-sumption from the WSN and UAV,subject to the data collection rate constraint.To this end,we propose an efficient search method to search for an optimal energy threshold,and develop a penalty-based successive convex approximation algorithm to select the cluster heads.Then we present a low-complexity iterative approach to solve the joint optimization problem and discuss the implementation procedure.Numerical results justify that our proposed approach is able to reduce the energy consumption of the sensor nodes with low RE significantly and also saves energy for the whole WSN.

Design and optimization of fluid lubricated bearings operated with extreme working performances——a comprehensive review

Fluid lubricated bearings have been widely adopted as support components for high-end equipment in metrology,semiconductor devices,aviation,strategic defense,ultraprecision manufacturing,medical treatment,and power generation.In all these applications,the equipment must deliver extreme working performances such as ultraprecise movement,ultrahigh rotation speed,ultraheavy bearing loads,ultrahigh environmental temperatures,strong radiation resistance,and high vacuum operation,which have challenged the design and optimization of reliable fluid lubricated bearings.Breakthrough of any related bottlenecks will promote the development course of high-end equipment.To promote the advancement of high-end equipment,this paper reviews the design and optimization of fluid lubricated bearings operated at typical extreme working performances,targeting the realization of extreme working performances,current challenges and solutions,underlying deficiencies,and promising developmental directions.This paper can guide the selection of suitable fluid lubricated bearings and optimize their structures to meet their required working performances.

Exploring the Factors Associated with 12-Month Non-Return to Work among Motorcyclists Involved in Road Accidents

Introduction: Motorcyclists bear a disproportionate burden of morbidity and mortality from road accidents. In addition, the consequences of these accidents affect the ability of victims to return to work. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with non-return to work among surviving motorcyclists involved in road accidents 12 months after the event. Materials and Methods: It was a cross-sectional study conducted using data from a cohort of motorcyclists involved in accidents and recruited in five hospitals in Benin from July 2019 to January 2020. The dependent variable was non-return to work 12 months after the accident (yes vs no). The independent variables were categorized into two groups: baseline and 12-month follow-up variables. Logistic regression was used to determine the factors associated with non-return to work at 12 months among the participants. Results: Among the 362 participants, 55 (15.19%, 95% CI = 11.84 - 19.29) had not returned to work 12 months after the accident. Risk factors for non-return to work identified were: smoking (aOR = 4.41, 95% CI = 1.44 - 13.56, p = 0.010), hospitalization (aOR = 2.87, 95% CI = 1.14 - 7.24, p Conclusion: The prevalence of non-return to work at 12 months was high among surviving motorcyclists involved in road accidents in Benin. Integrated support for patients based on identified risk factors should effectively improve their return to work.

Positive Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Visual Verbal Working Memory in Patients with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Background: Working memory is an executive function that plays an important role in many aspects of daily life, and its impairment in patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects quality of life. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) has been a good target site for transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) due to its intense involvement in working memory. In our 2018 study, tDCS improved visual-verbal working memory in healthy subjects. Objective: This study examines the effects of tDCS on ADHD patients, particularly on verbal working memory. Methods: We conducted an experiment involving verbal working memory of two modalities, visual and auditory, and a sustained attention task that could affect working memory in 9 ADHD patients. Active or sham tDCS was applied to the left DLPFC in a single-blind crossover design. Results: tDCS significantly improved the accuracy of visual-verbal working memory. In contrast, tDCS did not affect auditory-verbal working memory and sustained attention. Conclusion: tDCS to the left DLPFC improved visual-verbal working memory in ADHD patients, with important implications for potential ADHD treatments.

Suggested Work Modifications for Patients with Environmental and Occupational Risk Factors in Hidradenitis Suppurativa

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, inflammatory skin condition characterized by painful nodules, abscesses, and scarring, primarily affecting areas rich in apocrine glands. Environmental and occupational risk factors, including prolonged exposure to heat, friction, and certain chemicals, have been identified as exacerbating conditions for HS. Yet, there remains a lack of tailored recommendations for modifying work environments to alleviate these triggers. This review presents novel suggestions for work modifications to reduce HS flare-ups, such as implementing breathable, friction-reducing workwear, ergonomic adjustments to minimize pressure on affected areas, and introducing low-irritant hygiene protocols in workplaces with chemical exposure. These recommendations are grounded in emerging evidence linking specific occupational exposures to the exacerbation of HS symptoms. The novelty of this approach lies in its proactive stance, shifting from reactive management of HS symptoms to preventative environmental modifications. Future studies should explore the long-term efficacy of these modifications and investigate the potential for personalized work environment adjustments based on individual patient profiles. Targeted workplace interventions may significantly improve the quality of life for HS patients, highlighting the need for multidisciplinary collaboration between dermatologists, occupational health specialists, and employers.

让家庭影音娱乐的功能进一步加强Integra家庭影院放大器里的Work With Sonos功能

最近我打开Integra DRX-5.4家庭影院放大器,把功放的固件升级到最新版本,然后发现DRX-5.4可以支持WorkWith Sonos功能了。后来我在Intege官方发布的一则关于固件升级信息。除了DRX-5.4,还包括目前在产的,以及已经停产的好几款型号的Integra家庭影院放大器都能升级固件方式支持WorkWithSonos。当然,支持WorkWithSonos功能的影音品牌并不仅限在Integra,还包括Onkyo和Pioneer的多款家庭影院放大器也能支持WorkWith Sonos。除此之外,没有其他品牌的家庭影院放大器有这功能。

Work experience of special workers returning to work after the public health emergency:taking ICU nurses who have been infected with COVID-19 as example

Objective:The occurrence of some public health events inevitably endangers medical personnel,and medical personnel,as a special group,have to resume work on time to treat patients.This coronavirus disease-2019(COVID-19)infection is a good example,and what intensive care unit(ICU)nurses experience as the primary caregivers of critically ill patients after COVID-19 infection is our focus.To explore the work experience of ICU nurses after recovery from COVID-19,and to provide a theoretical basis for the intervention to improve the physical and mental health level and work experience of special workers in public health emergencies.Methods:We conducted an explorative descriptive study using an inductive thematic analysis.Using the maximum differential sampling method,a semi-structured interview was conducted among 13 ICU nurses suffered from COVID-19 in a tertiary grade A hospital in Qingdao,Shandong Province.This study carried on the theme analysis according to the inductive content analysis method and used MAXQDA 2020 Analytics Pro(VERBI Software GmbH,Berlin,Germany)to manage and summarize the interview data.Results:After being infected by the virus,SARS-Coronavirus-2(SARS-CoV-2),the pathogen of COVID-19,the work experience of ICU nurses was extracted from the following 5 themes:(1)Stress and challenge caused by the change of work focus;(2)downsizing,overtime,taking up work with illness,and physical discomfort;(3)dedication and family debt;(4)unknown fear and helplessness;and(5)professional responsibility and sense of benefit.Conclusions:Under the pressure of COVID-19,ICU nurses face multiple pressures and challenges,and their emotions are complex.We suggest that nursing managers should take corresponding measures to alleviate nurses'physical and psychological pressure and improve their work experience.

Return to work in young and middle-aged colorectal cancer survivors:Factors influencing self-efficacy,fear,resilience,and financial toxicity

BACKGROUND Return to work(RTW)serves as an indication for young and middle-aged colorectal cancer(CRC)survivors to resume their normal social lives.However,these survivors encounter significant challenges during their RTW process.Hence,scientific research is necessary to explore the barriers and facilitating factors of returning to work for young and middle-aged CRC survivors.AIM To examine the current RTW status among young and middle-aged CRC survivors and to analyze the impact of RTW self-efficacy(RTW-SE),fear of progression(FoP),eHealth literacy(eHL),family resilience(FR),and financial toxicity(FT)on their RTW outcomes.METHODS A cross-sectional investigation was adopted in this study.From September 2022 to February 2023,a total of 209 participants were recruited through a convenience sampling method from the gastrointestinal surgery department of a class A tertiary hospital in Chongqing.The investigation utilized a general information questionnaire alongside scales assessing RTW-SE,FoP,eHL,FR,and FT.To analyze the factors that influence RTW outcomes among young and middle-aged CRC survivors,Cox regression modeling and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were used.RESULTS A total of 43.54%of the participants successfully returned to work,with an average RTW time of 100 days.Cox regression univariate analysis revealed that RTW-SE,FoP,eHL,FR,and FT were significantly different between the non-RTW and RTW groups(P<0.05).Furthermore,Cox regression multivariate analysis identified per capita family monthly income,job type,RTW-SE,and FR as independent influencing factors for RTW(P<0.05).CONCLUSION The RTW rate requires further improvement.Elevated levels of RTW-SE and FR were found to significantly increase RTW among young and middle-aged CRC survivors.Health professionals should focus on modifiable factors,such as RTW-SE and FR,to design targeted RTW support programs,thereby facilitating their timely reintegration into mainstream society.

Influential Factors of House-purchasing Intention in Work construction Sites among Migrant Workers with a Case of Investigations on 203 Migrant Workers from Jiangxi Province

The research selected 13 factors from individual and family characters, construction site characters and work characters and analyzed the influences on the willingness of purchasing houses on construction sites with Logistic regression mod- el. The results showed that gender, age differences, personality, willingness on fami- ly land conversion, management of enterprises on construction sites, relatives and friends on construction lands, and Job satisfaction were approved by significant testing, but marital status, annual household income, the rate of migrant worker in a household, transportation in work city, and corporate reputation were not approved by significant testing.

Inter- and intra-hemispheric EEG coherence in patients with mild cognitive impairment at rest and during working memory task

Objective： To assess functional relationship by calculating inter- and intra-hemispheric electroencephalography （EEG） coherence at rest and during a working memory task of patients with mild cognitive impairment （MCI）. Methods： The sample consisted of 69 subjects： 35 patients （n = 17 males, n = 18 females; 52-71 years old） and 34 normal controls （n = 17 males, n = 17 females; 51 -63 years old）. Mini-mental state examination （MMSE） of two groups revealed that the scores of MCI patients did not differ significantly from those of normal controls （P〉0.05）. In EEG recording, subjects were performed at rest and during working memory task. EEG signals from F3-F4, C3-C4, P3-P4, T5-T6 and O1-O2 electrode pairs are resulted from the inter-hemispheric action, and EEG signals from F3-C3, F4-C4, C3-P3, C4-P4, P3-O1, P4-O2, T5-C3, T6-C4, T5-P3 and T6-P4 electrode pairs are resulted from the intra-hemispheric action for delta （1.0-3.5 Hz）, theta （4.0-7.5 Hz）, alpha-1 （8.0-10.0 Hz）, alpha-2 （10.5-13.0 Hz）, beta-1 （13.5-18.0 Hz） and beta-2 （18.5-30.0 Hz） frequency bands. The influence of inter- and intra-hemispheric coherence on EEG activity with eyes closed was examined using fast Fourier transformation from the 16 sampled channels. Results： During working memory tasks, the inter- and intra-hemispheric EEG coherences in all bands were significantly higher in the MCI group in comparison with those in the control group （P〈0.05）. However, there was no significant difference in inter- and intra-hemispheric EEG coherences between two groups at rest. Conclusion： Experimental results comprise evidence that MCI patients have higher degree of functional connectivity between hemispheres and in hemispheres during working condition, It suggests that MCI may be associated with compensatory processes during working memory tasks between hemispheres and in hemispheres. Moreover, failure of normal cortical connections may exist in MCI patients.

Entransy analyses of heat–work conversion systems with inner irreversible thermodynamic cycles

In this paper, we try to use the entransy theory to analyze the heat–work conversion systems with inner irreversible thermodynamic cycles. First, the inner irreversible thermodynamic cycles are analyzed. The influences of different inner irreversible factors on entransy loss are discussed. We find that the concept of entransy loss can be used to analyze the inner irreversible thermodynamic cycles. Then, we analyze the common heat–work conversion systems with inner irreversible thermodynamic cycles. As an example, the heat–work conversion system in which the working fluid of the thermodynamic cycles is heated and cooled by streams is analyzed. Our analyses show that larger entransy loss leads to larger output work when the total heat flow from the high temperature heat source and the corresponding equivalent temperature are fixed.Some numerical cases are presented, and the results verify the theoretical analyses. On the other hand, it is also found that larger entransy loss does not always lead to larger output work when the preconditions are not satisfied.

Torsional vibration analysis of lathe spindle system with unbalanced workpiece

For the purpose of analyzing the torsional vibration caused by the gravitational unbalance torque arisen in a spindle system when it is machining heavy work piece,a 10-DOF lumped parameter model was made for the machine tool spindle system with geared transmission.By using the elementary method and Runge-Kutta method in Matlab,the eigenvalue problem was solved and the pure torsional vibration responses were obtained and examined.The results show that the spindle system cannot operate in the desired constant rotating speed as far as the gravitational unbalance torque is engaged,so it may cause bad effect on machining accuracy.And the torsional vibration increases infinitely near the resonant frequencies,so the spindle system cannot operate normally during these spindle speed ranges.

Shift work aggravates metabolic syndrome development among early-middle-aged males with elevated ALT

AIM: To examine whether shift work accelerates metabolic syndrome (MetS) development among early middle-aged males with elevated alanine aminotransferase (e-ALT).METHODS: A retrospective, observational followup study on MetS development at a 5-year interval was conducted using health examination data. Nine hundred and ninety six male employees not fulfi lling MetS criteria at screening were enrolled. Age, MetScomponents, liver enzymes, serological markers for viral hepatitis, abdominal ultrasound, insulin resistance status, lifestyles, and workplace factors were analyzed.RESULTS: The prevalence of elevated serum ALT (> 40 U/L, e-ALT) at baseline was 19.1%. There were 381 (38.3%) workers with long-term exposures to day-night rotating shift work (RSW). 14.2% of subjects developed MetS during follow-up. After 5 years, the workers with e-ALT had significantly unfavorable changes in MetS-components, and higher rates of MetS development, vs subjects with normal baseline ALT levels. Workers with both baseline e-ALT and 5-year persistent RSW (pRSW) exposure had the highest rate of MetS development. Also, e-ALT-plus-pRSW workers had a significant increase in MetS-components atfollow-up, compared with the other subgroups. After controlling for potential confounders, e-ALT-plus-pRSW workers posed a signifi cant risk for MetS development (odds ratio, 2.7; 95% confi dence interval, 1.4-5.3, vs workers without baseline e-ALT nor pRSW). CONCLUSION: We suggest that all early middle-aged male employees with e-ALT should be evaluated and managed for MetS. Particularly in terms of job arrangements, impacts of long-term RSW on MetS development should be assessed for all male employees having baseline e-ALT.

Tensile Strength Characteristics of GFRP Bars in Concrete Beams with Work Cracks under Sustained Loading and Severe Environments

To investigate the effect of different environmental conditions of GFRP bars in concrete beams with work cracks subjected to sustained loads, the beams were exposed in indoor, freeze/thaw cycles and immersed in alkaline solution at elevated temperature. The bars were carefully extracted from the beams and tested in order to evaluate residual tensile properties. The results show that the tensile strength decreased significantly in the highly aggressive conditions but not in the natural conditions. The effect of GFRP bars casting in concrete beams demonstrated approximately 2.5% decrease of tensile strength caused by pore water environment in concrete beams on basis of those of the original bars. The effect of sustained loading plus work cracks demonstrated about 10.5% tensile strength decrease on basis of those of the bars only casted in concrete beams. The effect of environments under sustained loading plus work cracks demonstrated about 17% tensile strength decrease caused by a saturated solution of Ca（OH）2 and 60-2 ℃ tap water （pH=12-13） and about 8% tensile strength decrease caused by freezing and thawing cycle （F/T）, both on basis of those of the bars of the indoor beams only under sustained loading plus work cracks. The results demonstrate the effects of the tensile strengths under different environmental conditions of GFRP bars in concrete beams with work cracks subjected to sustained loads.

Synthesis of indirect work exchange networks considering both isothermal and adiabatic process together with exergy analysis

In this paper, an efficient methodology for synthesizing the indirect work exchange networks(WEN) considering isothermal process and adiabatic process respectively based on transshipment model is first proposed. In contrast with superstructure method, the transshipment model is easier to obtain the minimum utility consumption taken as the objective function and more convenient for us to attain the optimal network configuration for further minimizing the number of units. Different from division of temperature intervals in heat exchange networks,different pressure intervals are gained according to the maximum compression/expansion ratio in consideration of operating principles of indirect work exchangers and the characteristics of no pressure constraints for stream matches. The presented approach for WEN synthesis is a linear programming model applied to the isothermal process, but for indirect work exchange networks with adiabatic process, a nonlinear programming model needs establishing. Additionally, temperatures should be regarded as decision variables limited to the range between inlet and outlet temperatures in each sub-network. The constructed transshipment model can be solved first to get the minimum utility consumption and further to determine the minimum number of units by merging the adjacent pressure intervals on the basis of the proposed merging methods, which is proved to be effective through exergy analysis at the level of units structures. Finally, two cases are calculated to confirm it is dramatically feasible and effective that the optimal WEN configuration can be gained by the proposed method.

Factors influencing teamwork and collaboration within a tertiary medical center

AIM: To understand how work climate and related factors influence teamwork and collaboration in a large medical center. METHODS: A survey of 3462 employees was conducted to generate responses to Sexton's Safety Attitudes Questionnaire(SAQ) to assess perceptions of work environment via a series of five-point, Likert-scaled questions. Path analysis was performed, using teamwork(TW) and collaboration(CO) as endogenous variables. The exogenous variables are effective communication(EC), safety culture(SC), job satisfaction(JS), work pressure(PR), and work climate(WC). The measure-ment instruments for the variables or summated subscales are presented. Reliability of each sub-scale are calculated. Alpha Cronbach coefficients are relatively strong: TW(0.81), CO(0.76), EC(0.70), SC(0.83), JS(0.91), WP(0.85), and WC(0.78). Confirmatory factor analysis was performed for each of these constructs. RESULTS: Path analysis enables to identify statistically significant predictors of two endogenous variables, teamwork and intra-organizational collaboration. Significant amounts of variance in perceived teamwork(R2 = 0.59) and in collaboration(R2 = 0.75) are accounted for by the predictor variables. In the initial model, safety culture is the most important predictor of perceived teamwork, with a β weight of 0.51, and work climate is the most significant predictor of collaboration, with a β weight of 0.84. After eliminating statistically insignificant causal paths and allowing correlated predictors1, the revised model shows that work climate is the only predictor positively influencing both teamwork(β = 0.26) and collaboration(β = 0.88). A relatively weak positive(β = 0.14) but statistically significant relationship exists between teamwork and collaboration when the effects of other predictors are simultaneously controlled.CONCLUSION: Hospital executives who are interested in improving collaboration should assess the work climate to ensure that employees are operating in a setting conducive to intra-organizational collaboration.

Study on EEG power and coherence in patients with mild cognitive impairment during working memory task

To investigate the features of electroencephalography （EEG） power and coherence at rest and during a working memory task of patients with mild cognitive impairment （MCI）. Thirty-five patients （17 males, 18 females; 52-71 years old） and 34 sex- and age-matched controls （17 males, 17 females; 51-63 years old） were recruited in the present study. Mini-Mental State Examination （MMSE） of 35 patients with MCI and 34 normal controls revealed that the scores of MCI patients did not differ significantly from those of normal controls （P〉0.05）. Then, EEGs at rest and during working memory task with three levels of working memory load were recorded. The EEG power was computed over 10 channels： fight and left frontal （F3, F4）, central （C3, C4）, parietal （P3, P4）, temporal （T5, T6） and occipital （O1, O2）; inter-hemispheric coherences were computed from five electrode pairs of F3-F4, C3-C4, P3-P4, T5-T6 and O1-O2 for delta （1.0-3.5 Hz）, theta （4.0-7.5 Hz）, alpha-1 （8.0-10.0 Hz）, alpha-2 （10.5-13.0 Hz）, beta-1 （13.5-18.0 Hz） and beta-2 （18.5-30.0 Hz） frequency bands. All values of the EEG power of MCI patients were found to be higher than those of normal controls at rest and during working memory tasks. Furthermore, the values of EEG power in the theta, alpha-1, alpha-2 and beta-1 bands of patients with MCI were significantly high （P〈0.05） in comparison with those of normal controls. Correlation analysis indicated a significant negative correlation between the EEG powers and MMSE scores. In addition, during working memory tasks, the EEG coherences in all bands were significantly higher in the MCI group in comparison with those in the control group （P〈0.05）. However, there was no significant difference in EEG coherences between two groups at rest. These findings comprise evidence that MCI patients have higher EEG power at rest, and higher EEG power and coherence during working conditions. It suggests that MCI may be associated with compensatory processes at rest and during working memory tasks. Moreover, failure of normal cortical connections may be exist in MCI patients.

Prevalence of-and risk factors for work disability in Dutch patients with inflammatory bowel disease

AIM To determine the prevalence of work disability in inflammatory bowel disease(IBD), and to assess risk factors associated with work disability.METHODS For this retrospective cohort study, we retrieved clinical data from the Dutch IBD Biobank on July 2014, containing electronic patient records of 3388 IBD patients treated in the eight University Medical Centers in the Netherlands. Prevalence of work disability was assessed in 2794 IBD patients and compared with the general Dutch population. Multivariate analyses were performed for work disability(sick leave, partial and full disability) and long-term full work disability(> 80% work disability for > 2 years).RESULTS Prevalence of work disability was higher in Crohn's disease(CD)(29%) and ulcerative colitis(UC)(19%) patients compared to the general Dutch population(7%). In all IBD patients, female sex, a lower education level, and extra-intestinal manifestations, were associated with work disability. In CD patients, an age > 40 years at diagnosis, disease duration > 15 years,smoking, surgical interventions, and anti-TNFα use were associated with work disability. In UC patients, an age > 55 years, and immunomodulator use were associated with work disability. In CD patients, a lower education level(OR = 1.62, 95%CI: 1.02-2.58), and in UC patients, disease complications(OR = 3.39, 95%CI: 1.09-10.58) were associated with long-term full work disability.CONCLUSION The prevalence of work disability in IBD patients is higher than in the general Dutch population. Early assessment of risk factors for work disability is necessary, as work disability is substantial among IBD patients.