Association between Insomnia and Subclinical Atherosclerosis Among Chinese Steelworkers: A Cross-sectional Survey

Background: Insomnia is a common prevalent sleep disorder. Difficulty maintaining sleep or poor in quality in insomnia caused by disrupted or misaligned circadian rhythms may play an important role in the development of atherosclerosis. This study aimed to examine the association between insomnia and subclinical atherosclerosis in Chinese steelworkers.Methods: A total of 3582 subjects from a large enterprise located in northern China were included in this study. The Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) was used to assess the status of insomnia. Subclinical atherosclerosis was evaluated using ultrasonographic measurements of carotid plaque. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify association between insomnia and carotid atherosclerosis.Results: The overall prevalence of insomnia and carotid plaque were 35.1% and 29.9% in the study population. Compared with non-insomnia workers, significantly increased odds of carotid plaque were observed among insomnia workers after adjustment for potential confounders, odds ratio (OR) = 1.38, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.17 to 1.62. Exposure to current shift work and insomnia simultaneously can significantly elevated odds of carotid plaque. No significant association was found in female workers between insomnia and carotid plaque.Conclusion: Insomnia is associated with elevated odds of carotid atherosclerosis in male steelworkers. Insomnia problems of workers should receive further attention in occupational worker health interventions.

Biofuels Analysis Based on the THDI Indicator of Sustainability

Energy resources, and their management, represent an open ongoing problem of our present days. An increasing interest in the analysis of the limits of fossil fuels’ use, and their availability, is growing in order to find solutions to the undesired impact of some anthropic activities to the environment. So, nowadays, aThe current shift to renewable energy resources has become a fundamental requirement. In this context, biofuels from micro-organisms can represent a response to the requirement of reducing the environmental impact, but also to generatinge new jobs. In this paper, the analysis of the biofuels from micro-organisms is developed by introducing the Thermodynamic Human Development Index (THDI). In particular, we show how its performance can be improved by using the third-generation biofuels in the road transport sector, and how it increases by exploiting biofuels derived from mutualistic species of some micro-organisms. The result consists inis affected by the fundamental role of the mutualistic behaviour of these species in order to increase the overall sustainability.

Wonderful Worth & Worthy Wonder: The revival of a forgotten concept to strike a balance in technological exhibition design

<p>As museums develop their roles as social and political forces, the role of the exhibition designer has evolved and become more complex. The new role demands increased consideration as new technologies impact the demand for recreational learning experiences (Lake-Hammond & White, 2015). Nearly thirty years ago Pulitzer Prize-winning author Stephen Greenblatt introduced the terms ‘resonance and wonder’ to describe the viewer’s experience and connection to the exhibits. Greenblatt asserted both ‘resonance and wonder’ as essential to an exhibition experience but stressed the need for a balance between the two (1991). The significance of Greenblatt’s perspective has become more prominent with the current shift in museum exhibitions that engage technological forms of representation. This study asserts that Greenblatt’s argument continues to be relevant today, as museum professionals arbitrate the balances and imbalances posed between resonance, now interpreted as worth, and wonder. The terms were first defined through thematic analysis to identify consistent elements that produce the concepts and further applied to the narrative analysis on perspectives of technological integration in museums. Using the broader contemporary definitions of ‘wonder and worth’ this research then applied what was learned from the literature to a physical context by analysing use of wonder and worth in two current exhibitions; Te Papa’s 2015 “Gallipoli: Scale of Our War” and Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum’s 2014 interactive pen design. In doing so the main finding suggested that the balance of wonder and worth can be achieved through encouraging a human connection and empathy which can be extended with the use of new technologies that are appropriate for the intent of the exhibit. These findings were delivered in the form of a manifesto to facilitate the exhibition design process, encourage consideration for the balance between wonder and worth and lessen the stigma around technological representation in museums.</p>

Wonderful Worth & Worthy Wonder: The revival of a forgotten concept to strike a balance in technological exhibition design

<p>As museums develop their roles as social and political forces, the role of the exhibition designer has evolved and become more complex. The new role demands increased consideration as new technologies impact the demand for recreational learning experiences (Lake-Hammond & White, 2015). Nearly thirty years ago Pulitzer Prize-winning author Stephen Greenblatt introduced the terms ‘resonance and wonder’ to describe the viewer’s experience and connection to the exhibits. Greenblatt asserted both ‘resonance and wonder’ as essential to an exhibition experience but stressed the need for a balance between the two (1991). The significance of Greenblatt’s perspective has become more prominent with the current shift in museum exhibitions that engage technological forms of representation. This study asserts that Greenblatt’s argument continues to be relevant today, as museum professionals arbitrate the balances and imbalances posed between resonance, now interpreted as worth, and wonder. The terms were first defined through thematic analysis to identify consistent elements that produce the concepts and further applied to the narrative analysis on perspectives of technological integration in museums. Using the broader contemporary definitions of ‘wonder and worth’ this research then applied what was learned from the literature to a physical context by analysing use of wonder and worth in two current exhibitions; Te Papa’s 2015 “Gallipoli: Scale of Our War” and Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum’s 2014 interactive pen design. In doing so the main finding suggested that the balance of wonder and worth can be achieved through encouraging a human connection and empathy which can be extended with the use of new technologies that are appropriate for the intent of the exhibit. These findings were delivered in the form of a manifesto to facilitate the exhibition design process, encourage consideration for the balance between wonder and worth and lessen the stigma around technological representation in museums.</p>

Optimization of shift cycles in the South African mining sector

Increased depths of conventional gold and platinum mines, longer travelling times as working places move further from the shaft, and ancillary activities taking place in the mining cycle reduce the useable time spent at the workface. Current shift lengths of 8 hours 20 minutes may no longer be adequate to complete required mining activities.The impact of mineworker commuting times on shift work is also not well understood. The aim of this research was to draft a framework to optimize shift cycles in order to maximize productivity, health, safety, and wellness in the South African mining sector. The framework was informed by a review of the literature, case studies at a local gold mine and platinum mine, and a workshop with industry experts. The findings indicate potential advantages of extended shift lengths and continuous operations, such as improved productivity, asset utilization, and employee morale. However, concerns included fatigue and the associated safety hazards, particularly when working longer shifts, night shifts, and numerous consecutive shifts. Job demands, personal factors, and commuting times are further considerations when scheduling shifts. The ideal shift system for the mining sector should holistically consider and balance operational requirements, health and safety, and employees' and their families' requirements, and suit the unique needs of each operation. Changes in shift cycles will require a structured change management process, which involves all stakeholders, and could help to enhance the viability of the South African mining sector.

COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND DIGITALIZATION OF HEALTHCARE AMONG YOUTH: A MARKETING PERSPECTIVE

The term "digital" has been ingrained in our culture. At a quicker rate than the rest of the world, every industry has adapted to the digital era. Apart from the website, the pharmaceutical sector has yet to fully embrace digital marketing. More pharmaceutical and healthcare firms are using social media sites or eCommerce sites as digital marketing platforms in the wake of the Corona Virus pandemic. Some businesses are attempting to comprehend the actual worth of digital, while others are incorporating it into their whole marketing plan. In the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, digital marketing is displacing traditional marketing techniques. This research looked at a variety of topics, including marketing among youth, the present role of digital marketing in the pharmaceutical business, the influence of COVID-19, and current consumer buying behavior. The main goal is to learn about the past, comprehend the current shift, and forecast the consequences of pharmaceutical marketing in the future. This is accomplished by doing a thorough literature review and then presenting a questionnaire based on the findings for validation among the general public. KEY WORDS: Marketing, Health Services, Pharmaceuticals, COVID-19, Pandemic, Youth

Grammatical Approaches to Prepositions, Adverbs, Conjunctions, and Particles in Late Modern English

Current shift of linguistic paradigms and loss of interest in previously mainstream ‘parts of speech theory’ do not imply that all ambiguity and outstanding issues have been challenged and successfully solved. On the contrary, these issues have been put on pause, as linguists, coming to naught and being unable to set forward a univocal, straightforward solution, started refocusing their scientific pursuits. Nevertheless, the problem of parts of speech overlapping has remained of vital importance, even if it is in the background of linguistic research. This issue must be addressed from the theoretical and practical perspectives. The present study attempts to give a theoretical overview of grammatical approaches to prepositions, adverbs, conjunctions, and particles which were prevailing in the Late Modern English grammar. The analysis is based on 400 English grammar books, published over the period of Late Modern English, and is divided into three sections in conformity with certain historical periods, viz. 1700–1799, 1800–1849, 1850–1899, respectively. The research presents the major tendencies towards identification of the aforementioned categories, which characterize each historical period in English grammar and explain the current state of affairs in the parts of speech theory, providing theoretical background for further practical research on the parts of speech overlapping.

EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES TO DEVELOP TRANSVERSAL SKILLS IN THE MANAGEMENT SUBJECT OF MASTER'S DEGREE IN INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING AT UNIVERSITAT POLITÉCNICA DE VALÉNCIA

This work presents an improvement of the structure and methodology of a subject entitled Management, belonging to the Master's Degree in Industrial Engineering (ETSII) at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV). The presented subject deals with the basic and fundamental aspects that the student will need in order to correctly perform the functions of business management in changing and competitive markets and environments and contributes to the formation of professionals capable of carrying out management, direction and evaluation tasks in productive organizations. From the subject, the students' management skills are strengthened to elaborate and build strategic alternatives of decision, both in relation to the understanding of the problems, as well as in the decision making and in the evaluation of the consequences that the own actions can have for the company and for the people. It is centered on the improvement of professional skills. In this context, UPV transversal competences (TC), aim to synthesize a competence profile acquired by all UPV graduates. This study comes from an Institutional Educational Innovation and Improvement Projects to develop a methodological coordination through webs of support in ETSII CT (PIME/19-20/151). The main goal of this project was to make easier our students to acquire the more complex CTs-UPV with an effective model that does not place an additional burden on instructors, providing students with e-learning resources such as support for their training. This study is focused in CT04.-Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship. Innovation is shown as a key competence for companies to remain competitive in the market. Innovation is based on creativity, knowledge and organization, understood as a way of working to achieve objectives. A new trend in higher education is the current shift towards improving innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship of students. To work on these skills, students of Management have to do different exercises in groups where there are 4 to 6 randomly selected students with different roles. Each working group will start by creating a company, on which the different tools and methodologies will be developed through practical cases to achieve innovative and creative solutions that add value to the main stakeholders. The achievement of the proposed techniques for developing Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship competency has been revealed as a significant aspect for the students, and the web CTs-UPV designed on the project (https://ctetsii.blogs.upv.es) has been considered as a strong support for their achievement.

Interfering with Tumor Hypoxia for Radiotherapy Optimization

Hypoxia in solid tumors is an important predictor of treatment resistance and poor clinical outcome. The significance of hypoxia in the development of resistance to radiotherapy has been recognized for decades and the search for hypoxia-targeting, radiosensitizing agents continues. This review summarizes the main hypoxia-related processes relevant for radiotherapy on the subcellular, cellular and tissue level and discusses the significance of hypoxia in radiation oncology, especially with regard to the current shift towards hypofractionated treatment regimens. Furthermore, we discuss the strategies to interfere with hypoxia for radiotherapy optimization, and we highlight novel insights into the molecular pathways involved in hypoxia that might be utilized to increase the efficacy of radiotherapy.

Giant exciton-enhanced shift currents and direct current conduction with subbandgap photo excitations produced by many-electron interactions

Shift current is a direct current generated from nonlinear light–matter interaction in a noncentrosymmetric crystal and is considered a promising candidate for next-generation photovoltaic devices. The mechanism for shift currents in real materials is, however, still not well understood, especially if electron–hole interactions are included. Here, we employ a first-principles interacting Green’s-function approach on the Keldysh contour with real-time propagation to study photocurrents generated by nonlinear optical processes under continuous wave illumination in real materials. We demonstrate a strong direct current shift current at subbandgap excitation frequencies in monolayer GeS due to strongly bound excitons, as well as a giant excitonic enhancement in the shift current coefficients at above bandgap photon frequencies. Our results suggest that atomically thin two-dimensional materials may be promising building blocks for next-generation shift current devices.