scholarly journals Smart Manufacturing and Jobs

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juvenal Mendoza-Valencia

The proper use of new technologies, together with a good management of these by the workers, makes the workplace become a melting pot of new ideas, where professional development and motivation [1] make a difference with past and present times where monotonous and repetitive work was the constant. With the use of artificial intelligence, the cloud and big data, a set of intelligent sensors is necessary, which can monitor a critical variable within the production line, which requires an encrypted communication infrastructure and with information that can be monitored in real time, which allows a better performance of the company, making it a more pleasant place for staff and with working conditions that help to overcome them when performing complex tasks. Due to the educational level that many of the workers currently have and the fact of being born in a technified society, it causes them to be more interested in carrying out activities where they develop their creativity and skills, resulting in economic and psychological well-being.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juhani Anttila ◽  
Kari Jussila ◽  
Veikko Torvinen

Abstract: The rapid emergence of versatile new technologies strongly influences the big changes in contemporary society. In this context, people have an important position and role to play as individuals and members of various organizations. This development provides opportunities for well-being but also means big challenges to the existing occupations and working conditions and involves risks to information security and people’s privacy. Also at the same time, human-machine relations have become an interesting topic of discussion. 'Quality Society' is a comprehensive concept that implies a society of high quality, which means a well-functioning and well-developing society that largely satisfies the needs and expectations of all interested parties of the society. Quality Society aims at a holistic perspective to consider societal development in a proactive and human way. This article also discusses, as an example, the East-West Quality Society Initiative (EWQSI), a cross-border collaboration founded and started between Finland and Russia, which consists of the intercultural scientific and artistic entities and lifelong learning to stimulate the sustained societal quality in the conditions of the 4th industrial revolution and smart society. This initiative provides opportunities for open cross-border partnering and takes into account the multidisciplinary interests of practitioners and experts to advance the open science and arts and impact on society. Sažetak: Brza pojava svestranih novih tehnologija snažno utječe na velike promjene u suvremenom društvu. U tom kontekstu, ljudi imaju važno mjesto i ulogu kao pojedinci i članovi različitih organizacija. Ovakav razvoj pruža mogućnosti za dobrobit, ali predstavlja i velike izazove postojećim zanimanjima i radnim uvjetima i uključuje rizike za informacijsku sigurnost i privatnost ljudi. Istovremeno, odnosi čovjeka i stroja postali su zanimljiva tema rasprave. „Kvalitetno društvo“ je sveobuhvatan koncept koji podrazumijeva društvo visoke kvalitete, što podrazumijeva društvo koje dobro funkcionira i dobro razvijajuće društvo koje u velikoj mjeri zadovoljava potrebe i očekivanja svih zainteresiranih strana u društvu. Društvo kvalitete ima za cilj holističku perspektivu promatranja društva i društvenog razvoja na proaktivan i ljudski način. Ovaj članak donosi primjer Inicijative društva za kvalitet Istok-Zapad (EWQSI), prekograničnu suradnju koja je osnovana i započeta između Finske i Rusije, a sastoji se od interkulturalnih znanstvenih i umjetničkih cjelina i cjeloživotnog učenja kako bi se potaknulo održivo društvo kvalitete u uvjetima 4. industrijske revolucije i pametnog društva. Ova inicijativa pruža mogućnosti za otvoreno prekogranično partnerstvo i uzima u obzir multidisciplinarne interese praktičara i stručnjaka za unapređenje otvorene znanosti i umjetnosti i utjecaja na društvo.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Svetlana Dyankova ◽  

Working conditions affect the business and competitiveness of any business. Poor working conditions lead to additional costs for businesses and a bad image among workers, clients and the general public, who are becoming more sensitive to health and safety issues that are part of the overall working conditions. Working conditions also affect the physical, moral and social well-being, productivity, as well as the quality of company products and services. The human factor plays the biggest role in the successful development of an organization in the face of increasing competition. The high degree of process automation and the rapid implementation of new technologies into the modern economy make people one of the main sources of competitive advantage. Managers’ attention is focused on the knowledge and skills of employees, on attracting and retaining talents, and on their commitment to the organizational goals. In order to becom petitive in the market, modern organizations need to take strategic action regarding the management of their employees. An example of strategic action is the “proactive approach” where employers themselves are expected to take steps to ensure a satisfactory level of safety and health with minimum government intervention. In other words, both employers and business managers focus on continuous improvements in well-being, developing a safety culture and combining various tools such as legislation, progressive measures and best practices, corporate social responsibility, and economic incentives.


2020 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 256-263
Author(s):  
Maria Y. Egorova ◽  
Irina A. Shuvalova ◽  
Olga I. Zvonareva ◽  
Igor D. Pimenov ◽  
Olga S. Kobyakova ◽  
...  

Background. The organization of clinical trials (CTs) requires the participation and coordination of healthcare providers, patients, public and private parties. Obstacles to the participation of any of these groups pose a risk of lowering the potential for the implementation of CTs. Researchers are a key human resource in conducting of CT. Their motivation for participation can have a significant impact on the recruitment and retention of patients, on the quality of the data collected, which determines the overall outcome of the study. Aims to assess the factors affecting the inclusion of Russian physicians-researchers in CT, and to determine their role in relations with patients-participants. Materials and methods. The study was organized as a part of the Russian multicenter face-to-face study. A survey was conducted of researchers from 10 cities of Russia (20172018). The participation in the survey for doctors was anonymous and voluntary. Results. The study involved 78 respondents. Most research doctors highly value the importance of research for science (4,84 0,39), society (4,67 0,46) and slightly lower for participating patients (4,44 0,61). The expectations of medical researchers are related to improving their financial situation and attaining new experience (n = 14; 18,18%). However, the opportunity to work with new technologies of treatment and diagnosis (n = 41; 52,56%) acted as a motivating factor. According to the questionnaire, the vast majority of research doctors (n = 29; 37,18%) believe that the main reason for patients to participate in CT is to receive quality and free medical care. The most significant obstacle to the inclusion of participants in CT was the side effects of the study drug (n = 38; 48,71%). Conclusions. The potential of clinical researchers in Russia is very high. The patient-participant acts for the research doctor as the subject of the study, and not the object, so the well-being of the patient is not indifferent to the doctor. However, the features of the functioning of our health care system form the motivation of doctors-researchers (additional earnings, professional self-development) and the way they perceive the motivation of patients (CT as an opportunity to receive quality medical care).


2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (S1) ◽  
pp. 116-116
Author(s):  
M Pires ◽  
A Antunes ◽  
C Gameiro ◽  
C Pombo

Community-focused programs that promote active and healthy aging can help preserve cognitive capacities, prevent or reverse cognitive deficits. Computer-based cognitive training (CCT) is a promising non-pharmacological, cost -effective and accessible intervention to face the effects of age-related cognitive decline. Previous studies proved CCT to have equal or better efficacy compared to traditional interventions. This comparative multifactorial study aims to test the efficacy of a CCT in a non-randomized community sample of 74 older adults: G1-CCT Experimental group (n=43) (Mean age M=72.21, SD=12.65) and G2- Paper-Pencil Control group (n=31; M=77.94, SD=10.51). Pensioners (97.3%), mostly women (83.8 %) with basic education (51.4%) and without dementia diagnosis, completed a cognitive training program of 17 or 34 group sessions (twice a week). G2 undertook a classic cognitive paper-pencil stimuli tasks. G1, performed, additionally, individual CCT with COGWEB® in a multimodal format (intensive training of attention, calculation, memory, gnosis, praxis, executive functions). Both groups completed Portuguese versions of Mini -Mental State Examination (MMSE),Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA); Geriatric Depressive Scale (GDS); Mini Dependence Assessment (MDA); WHOOQL 5 and Social Support Satisfaction Scale (ESSS) before and after participating in the program. Both groups reported better post-test scores on basic cognitive functions (MMSE, MOCA), Depression symptoms (GDS-30), subjective well-being and quality of life (WHOOQL-5). G1 presented higher MOCA and lower GDS scores before and after CCT, although, group differences become less expressive when interaction effects are considered. Results are in line with findings from past studies, CCT supported by the new technologies, is as a relevant cost-effective therapeutic tool for health professionals working with older adults. Particularly for preventive purposes of neuro-cognitive disorders.


Young ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 110330882098605
Author(s):  
Roger Soler-i-Martí ◽  
Andreu Camprubí Trepat ◽  
Ester Oliveras ◽  
Mireia Sierra Andrés

This article analyses to what extent the social and solidarity economy (SSE), the aim of which is to prioritize people’s needs and well-being, can offer young people education-to-work transitions conditions and opportunities which are different from those in the conventional economy. The very nature of SSE means that it is especially suitable for challenging gender inequality and proves to be exceptionally useful for testing feminist economics. Against a backdrop of economic crisis, SSE has shown greater resilience when compared to other sectors, although it is still not widespread. To examine how SSE can improve young women’s experiences and labour trajectories, this article analyses working conditions, job satisfaction and gender roles in school-to-work transitions of young women in SSE in Catalonia. Results show that the collective and value-driven nature of SSE entails a specific awareness and commitment that empower young women’s transitions experiences and expectations.


Author(s):  
Milena Kostadinovic ◽  
Dejan Nikolic ◽  
Ivana Petronic ◽  
Dragana Cirovic ◽  
Mirko Grajic ◽  
...  

We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of sociodemographic factors with the presence and different degrees of walking difficulties in elderly above 65 years, and to analyze association between evaluated variables and the presence and degree of waking difficulties. In the population based study, 3540 individuals age above 65 years from Serbia were recruited. Further predictors were analyzed: gender, age, level of education, marital status, body mass index (BMI), index of well-being and place of residence. We assessed difficulty in walking half a km on level ground without the use of any aid (Group-1); and difficulty in walking up or down 12 steps (Group-2). Walking difficulties were categorized as no difficulty, some difficulty, a lot of difficulty and cannot do at all. For present difficulty significant predictors were: age (Group-1 (OR-3.022)/Group-2 (OR-3.825)), gender (Group-1 (OR-0.337)/Group-2 (OR-0.311)), educational level (Group-1 (OR-0.689)/Group-2 (OR-0.556)) and place of residence (Group-2 (OR-1.523)) while for non-performing the task, significant predictors were: age (Group-1 (OR-1.998)/Group-2 (OR-2.096)), gender (Group-1 (OR-0.629)/Group-2 (OR-0.495)), BMI (Group-1 (OR-1.219)/Group-2 (OR-1.305)), marital status (Group-1 (OR 0.764)/Group-2 (OR-0.769)), educational level (Group-1 (OR-0.679)/Group-2 (OR-0.719)) and index of well-being (Group-2 (OR-0.764)). Understanding of predictors, and their role on functional decline in elderly is of great importance for the development of specific population-based health programs to prevent further functional loss and preserve achieved functional gains.


2021 ◽  
pp. 003151252110292
Author(s):  
Jinyi Zhou ◽  
Xuesong Ding ◽  
Yuefan Zhai ◽  
Qing Yi

Prior studies have shown that physical activity (PA) is strongly associated with lifelong health and well-being. Thus, analyses of relationships among individual differences, PA, education, and health may provide important insights into the sustainability of PA-related personal development efforts. In this longitudinal study, we tested a proposed model in a data set of 12,686 participants from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY 79). We used hierarchical regressions and bootstrapping to test hypotheses concerning the main effect of personal control on lifetime health, the mediating effect of PA, and the moderating effect of educational achievement. We found that individuals’ self-reported PA was positively related to their health status. Additionally, there was a positive mediating effect of self-reported PA on the relationship between personal control and health when the individual’s educational level was high, and there was a negative mediating effect of self-reported PA when an individual’s educational level was low. Based on these results, we provide relevant government policy suggestions for increasing fitness participation, constructing sports facilities, and encouraging educational institutions to include health education in their efforts.


2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S2) ◽  
pp. 2073-2073
Author(s):  
P.-M. Llorca ◽  
L. Samalin ◽  
O. Blanc ◽  

Schizophrenia is a severe and disabling disorder, which affects multiple functional domains adversely.Several factors like premorbid functioning and psychopathological symptoms can affect functional outcome. Residual psychopathology after an acute exacerbation has a variable influence, going from a weak correlation to positive symptoms to clear association of negative symptoms with reduced social functioning to widespread influence of cognitive symptoms.We performed a cross-sectional evaluation in a sample of 296 schizophrenic patients for demographic, functional characteristics (using different scales: Functional Recovery Scale in Schizophrenia (FRSS), Subjective Well-being Scale (SWN-K), Quality of Life Scale (QLS)) and symptomatic (using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS)). Exploratory multivariate analyses were conducted and a model with “functioning” as a latent variable was proposed and tested. Results: Using the 5 clinical dimensions of the PANSS, negative, cognitive and excitation factors are significant predictors of functioning. The model was constructed with “functioning” defined as a latent variable; indicators are sub-scores on FRSS, SWN-K, QLS and exogenous variables included symptomatology, Duration of Untreated Psychosis and educational level. The negative and cognitive dimensions are highly correlated via the latent variable to the 3 dimensions of functioning evaluated by the FRSS: “daily life”, “social functioning” and “treatment” and the QLS sub-scores (“interpersonal”, “common object”, “instrumental role”). Educational level is significantly linked to functioning but not DUP. The model emphasizes the need for treatment strategies that have an effect on negative and cognitive factors, to improve functioning in schizophrenia.


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