Labor Group Research Articles

Are “Nongmingong” and “Rural Migrant Workers” Referring to the Same Group of Chinese Laborers? Clarifying the Translation, Definition and Data Accuracy of Nongmingong

Are “Nongmingong” and “Rural Migrant Workers” Referring to the Same Group of Chinese Laborers? Clarifying the Translation, Definition and Data Accuracy of Nongmingong

Development of Temporary and Seasonal Agricultural Labor Forces in Japan

This paper presented a literature review of the actual situation and efforts in securing temporary and seasonal agricultural labor forces in Japan. Until the 1990s, farmers can secure temporary agricultural labor forces from within their communities in most parts of Japan. However, with the decrease in the number of farmers, labor shortages in the horticultural sector became apparent in the 2000s. In Hokkaido, the temporary agricultural labor forces were provided by a group of female laborers; however, from the late 1990s, the aging of these women began to raise the issue of labor shortages. Therefore, job offers were spread to more regions, but securing laborers in the domestic labor market became difficult in recent years. Under these circumstances, the foreign technical training system played a role in the acceptance of foreign agricultural laborers, but there were many restrictions on accepting foreign workers as temporary or seasonal labor forces. Alternatively, from 2019, the “Specified Skilled Worker Systems” was started, making it possible to accept foreign agricultural laborers more flexibly. This means that the target regions for job offers are expanding beyond national borders.

Economic Sectors Impact Household Income in Vietnam: A Structural Path Analysis

Despite the remarkable achievements in poverty reduction, income inequality in Vietnam still tends to increase, consequently having negative impacts on the sustainable growth of the country. The goals of this research are to identify and measure the impact of propagation channels of economic sectors on the income of the household groups, which is of great importance to poverty reduction efforts in Vietnam. The study aims to unravel the critical supply chain paths that drive changes in household income. To this end, the structural path analysis methodology is used based on the 2016 Vietnam Social Accounting Matrix model, which has not been extensively studied in Vietnam. Compared with previous studies, this research was conducted at the national level instead of the regional level and detailed the factors involved in income distribution such as economic sectors, labour, and household groups. The analysis finds 513 higher-order paths of 25 sectors that lead to an income increase for the household groups. When economic sectors expand under policy changes, household income improvements are mainly affected by labour skill, capital, and the magnitude of inter-industry linkages. It is noteworthy that high-skilled labour has a significant impact on the income of urban households, while the income of rural households is considerably affected by the capital. The analysis also demonstrates 32 selected paths having the greatest influence on household income. The importance of forestry, wood and wood products, fisheries, coal, crude oil and natural gas, footwear, distribution of electricity, gas, water, and utilities, and retail and wholesale for poverty alleviation is underlined for their distributional impact. Based on the research findings, relevant policy implications are also recommended.

Robust Optimization on Unrelated Parallel Machine Scheduling With Setup Times

The parallel machine scheduling problem has been a popular topic for many years due to its theoretical and practical importance. This paper addresses the robust makespan optimization problem on unrelated parallel machine scheduling with sequence-dependent setup times, where the processing times are uncertain, and the only knowledge is the time intervals they take values from. We propose a robust optimization model with the min-max regret criterion to formulate this problem. To solve this problem, we prove that the worst-case scenario with the maximum regret for a given solution belongs to a finite set of extreme scenarios. Based on this theoretical analysis, a procedure to obtain the maximum regret is proposed and an enhanced regret evaluation method (ERE) is designed to accelerate this process, which is of great significance to improve the efficiency of the algorithm. A multi-start decomposition-based heuristic algorithm (MDH) based on the analysis of properties is proposed to solve this problem. Computational experiments are conducted to justify the performance and robustness of these methods. Note to Practitioners—Various uncertainties may occur in the production process, which brings great challenges to production and operations management. A robust production schedule is of great significance for factories to make full use of production capacity and deal with production abnormalities. This study is motivated by an R&D and assembly task scheduling problem encountered in a high-end equipment manufacturing factory in which the processing time of each job is uncertain, and its distribution is also unknown due to limited information. In this study, with the consideration of sequence-dependent setup time and uncertain job-processing time, we view the labor groups with different skill levels as unrelated parallel machines and build a robust (min-max regret) scheduling model to formulate this problem so as to reduce the production makespan. An enhanced regret evaluation method is developed to improve the evaluation efficiency for a given solution, and a multi-start decomposition-based heuristic algorithm is proposed to solve this problem. This study can be applied in practice to release schedulers from burdensome work and provide high-quality robust schedules for this complicated production environment.

Sustainability of the long-term indigenous soil and water conservation practices in the UNESCO designated cultural landscapes of Konso, Ethiopia

The role of sociocultural values and indigenous institutions in the sustainability of soil and water conservation (SWC) practices has not been well addressed in previous studies. Therefore, this study explores the role of sociocultural values and indigenous institutions in the sustainability of SWC practices in Konso, Ethiopia. The study used key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and participant observations to collect data. The data were coded and analyzed thematically. The study shows that sociocultural values, cooperative labor groups, and indigenous institutions served as the backbone for the sustainability of indigenous SWC practices for many years. However, recent trends in urbanization and the introduction of modern administration have led to a gradual weakening of Konso indigenous institutions and sociocultural values. The introduction of modern administration and urbanization significantly reduced the role of indigenous sociocultural and political institutions. The study also indicates that a persistent decline in farmland productivity due to erratic rainfall is threatening the sustainability of SWC practices as it has forced the youth to engage in off-farm activities. When crops fail due to unreliable rainfall, some family members temporarily migrate to some towns in southern Ethiopia in search of jobs. Consequently, SWC structures remain unmaintained on some farmland for a season. Weakening of indigenous political institutions and sociocultural values, erratic rainfall, and recurrent droughts lead to the deterioration of SWC practices. Therefore, to ensure the long-term sustainability of indigenous SWC practices in Konso, the government and conservation NGOs should support socio-cultural institutions to restore and promote social norms, values, and indigenous conservation measures.

The Rate of Cesarean Section and Newborn Apgar score In Two Types Of Physiological Delivery and Facilitated Delivery in Mothers with First Pregnancy.

Labor pain is often severe and its lack of relief can have a bad effect on the mother's physiological condition. Accurate measurement and appropriate treatment of pain is an important problem. There are several choices for the control of labor pain, however, each method has its own risks and benefits regarding its efficiency and availability; therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the rate of cesarean section and newborn Apgar in two types of physiological delivery and facilitated delivery among mothers with first delivery. This case-control study was conducted on mothers aged 18-35 who went to the hospital to give birth. In the present study, 8 sessions (90 minutes each session) were held to prepare mothers from 20 to 37 weeks of pregnancy. Candidate mothers for physiological labor were hospitalized without intervention and in the active phase of labor, and their labor stages were planned physiologically. The pain intensity of mothers was asked using a scale (VAS) during labor every half hour (according to the pain scale from 0 to 10). The average score of pain during the first and second stages, type of delivery, amount of postpartum bleeding, length of the stage of delivery, infection, and fever after delivery, Apgar score of the baby, perineal status, mother's satisfaction and the rate of hospitalization of the baby in NICU were recorded. Furthermore, the level of satisfaction with childbirth was evaluated with the help of Mackey's standard satisfaction questionnaire. The average age of the physiological delivery and facilitated delivery groups was 26.37 ± 5.23 years and 26.58 ± 5.79 years, respectively. Physiological delivery significantly required less conversion to cesarean section. The most common etiology was caesarean section in the physiologic labor group, and a drop in NST was reported in the facilitated group. The analysis of the results demonstrated no significant difference between the etiology of cesarean section and the study groups. The Apgar score in the physiological group was significantly better than the facilitated group. There is no significant relationship between the study group and the amount of bleeding during delivery. Furthermore, there was no significant relationship between the study group and the incidence of postpartum infection. The rate of NICU admission in the facilitated group was found to be significantly higher than physiological delivery. The results of this study revealed that the rate of caesarean section, the rate of need for NICU, newborns' Apgar score, and the rate of mothers' satisfaction in physiological delivery group were significantly different from the other groups, but the rate of wound infection and the amount of postpartum bleeding in the two groups showed a significant difference.

Research on the Operation Mechanism and Optimization Path of Wechat Gig Group

The rise of platform economy accelerates the diversification of labor market forms and makes the combination of labor and capital more diversified. Among them, wechat gig group meets the needs of low-end labor market and provides employment opportunities for homogenous low-end labor groups. In actual operation, wechat gig group, as a small urban labor market in the digital economy, has the advantages of transaction costs, the convergence of labor prices, and the gradual transformation of the working relationship between group owners and group members into community embedments. It is found that there are problems in the operation process such as information overload, man-post mismatch, gray level management that reduces the standardization of labor dispatch and information technology application may inhibit the employment of low-end labor, and puts forward optimization paths from community awareness, man-post dynamic optimization, interest perception and other ways to help the harmony of labor-capital relations in the platform economy period.

Functional Connectivity with Regions Related to Emotional Regulation is Altered in Emotional Laborers

Emotional labor, characterized by a dysfunctional type of emotional regulation called surface acting, has detrimental psychological consequences on employees, including depression and social anxiety. Because such disorders exhibit psychological characteristics manifested through brain activation, previous studies have succeeded in distinguishing individuals with depression and social anxiety from healthy controls using their functional connectivity characteristics. However, it has not been established whether the functional connectivity characteristics associated with emotional labor are distinguishable. Thus, we obtained resting-state fMRI data from participants in the emotion labor (EL) group and control (CTRL) group, and we subjected their whole-brain functional connectivity matrices to a linear support vector machine classifier. Our analysis revealed that the EL and CTRL groups could be successfully distinguished on the basis of individuals'' connectivity patterns, and confidence in the classification was correlated with the scores on the depression and social anxiety scales. These results are expected to provide insight on the neurobiological characteristics of emotional labor and enable the sorting of employees undergoing adverse emotional labor utilizing neurobiological observations.

Can public transport improve accessibility for the poor over the long term? Empirical evidence in Paris, 1968–2010

It is difficult to cut transport greenhouse gas emissions without affecting negatively the poorest people. A solution, in cities, is to target low income districts with public transport investments. However, after a few years, changes in neighborhoods, especially transit-induced gentrification, may prevent the social objective to be met. Whether public transport actually leads to population displacement has been extensively studied empirically, but the literature is inconclusive: the longer-term impact of such investments remains unclear. Here, we study the evolution of job accessibility in Paris metropolitan area between 1968 and 2010, by income and labor group, following the changes in the transport network. We show that major public transport lines, when they were built, served the needs of all groups in an almost neutral way. However, a few years later, due to population and job movements, actual changes in accessibility systematically resulted in gains for richer households and losses for poorer ones. Such a pattern is consistently observed in every decade between 1968 and 2010. It appears to be due primarily to unequal changes in the numbers of jobs in each labor group, and secondly to the changes in both job locations and in inhabitants' residences. To maintain job accessibility to poorest inhabitants over time, beyond improving transport network, trying to maintain -or to move in a planned way- the location of their jobs and residence appears as a key variable.

Аnalysis of the psychosocial climate in the pharmacy workforce and prospects for its improvement

Aim. To analyze the state of the psychosocial climate in the workforce of a pharmacy institution and develop ways to improve it.
 Materials and methods. The methods used by the authors to measure the psychosocial climate in the pharmacy workforce include questionnaires, the method for determining value-orientational unity, the method of O. S. Mikhalyuk and A. Yu. Shalyto, the psychometric test of C. E. Seashore, the method for studying the job attractiveness, the method for studying the level of satisfaction of pharmacy employees with working conditions, the method “The schematic map of the psychological and pedagogical characteristics of the group”. In the expert survey 697 respondents took part. The study was conducted between March 2021 and January 2022.
 Results. Using the method of O. S. Mikhalyuk and A. Yu. Shalyto it was determined that 45.01 % of the respondents surveyed liked working in a pharmacy; 41.86 % of respondents expressed no desire to change their place of work. A negative psychosocial climate was observed in 11.38 % of the pharmacy institutions studied; 51.6 % of labor groups were characterized by a low level of organization.
 Conclusions. Using valid methods the psychosocial climate state in the workforce of the pharmacies under research, the needs of employees in material and social security, mutual relations in the team, communication and the level of group cohesion have been studied. Directions for improving the psychosocial climate in the pharmacy workforce have been proposed, namely: strict compliance with the rules of conduct adopted in the pharmacy institution; involvement of organizational psychologists; team cohesion based on joint projects, informal events; conducting social and psychological trainings; development of the corporate culture; the optimal placement of the personnel, etc.

Indonesian International Students’ Identity Post Mobility: How Mobility Affects International Students Beyond Education

As part of the skilled labor group, international students have quite a high potential to decide their country’s future direction. This means there is a need for deeper understanding regarding the views and identity of international students, which are affected by their study tenure abroad. As such, this paper aims to shed new light on how mobility as a form of migration affected the identity of Indonesian international students as a group of migrants. To achieve this purpose, five international students from Indonesia, both current and former, were interviewed in-depth to understand these post-mobility changes in their identity. From these interviews, it was revealed that their experience abroad, not exactly the mobility act itself, is the one with more impact on their identity. Most expressed that their time abroad has changed their perspective and general world-view, such as they feel more like are global citizens or more concerned about environmental and humanity issues. In turn, even though their Indonesian root is still visible, sometimes they are also seen as akin to a stranger in their own home.

Hungry for Revolution: The Politics of Food and the Making of Modern Chile

Hungry for Revolution: The Politics of Food and the Making of Modern Chile

Perinatal outcome and risk factors of precipitate labor in term primipara: an analysis of 381 cases.

To investigate the perinatal outcome and risk factors of precipitate labor in term primipara. A total of 6951 full-term singleton primiparas with cephalic vaginal delivery in Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January 2020 to December 2020 were enrolled, among whom 381 cases of precipitate labor were classified as the precipitate labor group and 762 cases of normal labor were randomly selected as the control group. The perinatal outcomes of the two groups were compared, and the risk factors of precipitate labor were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression. The incidence of precipitate labor in full-term, singleton pregnancy and cephalic primiparas was 5.48% (381/6951). The durations of the first and second stages of labor in the precipitate labor group were significantly shorter than that in the control group ( P<0.01); while there was no significant difference in the duration of the third stage of labor between the two groups ( P>0.05). Compared with the control group, the incidence of soft birth canal laceration in the precipitate labor group was increased ( P<0.01). However, there was no significant difference in postpartum hemorrhage and neonatal related perinatal outcomes between the two groups (all P>0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that maternal height ( OR=1.038, 95% CI: 1.010-1.067, P<0.01), gestational age at delivery ( OR=0.716, 95% CI: 0.618-0.829, P<0.01), late miscarriage ( OR=1.986, 95% CI: 1.065-3.702, P<0.05), membrane rupture before labor ( OR=1.802, 95% CI: 1.350-2.406, P<0.01), labor induction by transcervical balloon ( OR=3.230, 95% CI: 2.027-5.147, P<0.01), labor induction by propess ( OR=2.332, 95% CI: 1.632-3.334, P<0.01) and labor induction by oxytocin ( OR=0.291, 95% CI: 0.219-0.386, P<0.01) were independently associated with precipitate labor. The incidence of precipitate labor in full-term, singleton pregnancy was not low. Precipitate labor could lead to a significant increase in perineal laceration. Maternal height, history of late miscarriage, membrane rupture before labor and labor induction by transcervical balloon, labor induction by propess are risk factors, while labor induction by oxytocin and late gestational time of delivery are protective factors for precipitate labor in term primipara.

Intrapartum Epidural Anesthesia and Obstetric Outcome in Nulliparous Women with Term Labor: An analysis of 2 years’ Experience

Aim: to ascertain whether labour profiles and delivery outcomes of nulliparous women who received epidural analgesia were comparable to those of women whose labour was managed with alternative forms of pain relief. Patients and Methods: a prospective, randomised, controlled clinical study carried out in Saudi German and Elhussine University hospitals. Recruitment was open to 100 nulliparous women planning a vaginal delivery of a term singleton foetus. Results: 100 women, with gestational age of 37–41 completed weeks, were chosen at random to receive either continuous epidural analgesia (EPI) or alternative forms of pain relief (NEPI). Compared to the EPI group, the NEPI group's labour took less time to deliver (P&lt;0.05). The first stage's mean duration was 3.7 ± 1.1 hours compared to 4.8 ± 3.1 hours (P &lt; 0.05), while the second stage's mean duration was 102.4 ± 9.3 minutes compared to 132.1 ± 15.8 minutes (p &lt; 0.05). The mean NEPI dose of oxytocin was 10.5 ± 2.3 units, while the mean EPI dose was 15.6 ± 2.5 units (p &lt; 0.05). While NEPI groups had higher rates of spontaneous vaginal deliveries and caesarean sections than EPI groups, NEPI groups required fewer surgical deliveries overall (p &lt; 0.05). VAS scores during labour were less significantly in EPI group (p &lt; 0.05). Conclusion: Regardless of their intention to labour, nulliparous women use epidural analgesia frequently. Other pain management techniques are linked to a slight but statistically significant decrease in the average length of labour and the rate of surgical delivery in women who do not plan to use epidural analgesia as their primary analgesic modality.

A Study on The Hidden Exploitation of Labor Process: The Case of Chinese Female Take-Away Riders

While creating more employment opportunities for Chinese women, algorithm-centered platform technologies have further exposed Chinese female take-out riders to hidden surplus value and gender labor exploitation. By examining the labor process, labor reproduction, and surplus value production process, this paper reveals that women face value extraction outside of the childcare and family spheres; at the same time, the platform technology controlled by the logic of capital further intensifies the exploitation of women's living space and social reproduction spheres; in addition, this technology-driven labor group also breeds hidden gender violence and other current situations. This study realistically illustrates the urgent need for the platform economy to address the hidden exploitation in the field of labor reproduction.

Prolonged labor and adverse cardiac outcomes in pregnant patients with congenital heart disease

Patients with congenital heart disease are at high risk for peripartum cardiac morbidity, yet data on the impact of duration of labor on cardiac outcomes are limited. Prolonged labor is a known risk factor for maternal morbidity, but the impact of prolonged labor on cardiac outcomes in patients with congenital heart disease has not been evaluated. This study aimed to evaluate the association between prolonged labor (≥24 hours) and adverse peripartum maternal cardiac outcomes in pregnant patients with congenital heart disease. This was a retrospective cohort study of pregnant patients ≥18 years with congenital heart disease who received prenatal care and delivered at an academic institution between 1998 and 2020 with a singleton gestation. Pregnancies that ended <20 weeks' gestation and patients who underwent an outright cesarean delivery without exposure to labor were excluded. The primary outcome was a composite adverse maternal cardiac outcome that occurred intrapartum or up to 6 weeks postpartum, defined as the occurrence of 1 or more of the following events: heart failure or clinical volume overload requiring diuresis, pulmonary edema, arrhythmia requiring treatment, thromboembolic complications including deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, transient ischemic attack, stroke, endocarditis, myocardial infarction, aortic dissection, cardiac arrest, or cardiac death. Outcomes were compared between patients with prolonged labor (≥24 hours) and those without prolonged labor (<24 hours). An interaction between prolonged labor and cesarean delivery was evaluated. A total of 229 patients were included. The median duration of labor was 14 hours, and 18% of patients labored for ≥24 hours. Overall, 11.8% experienced the composite cardiac outcome with a significantly higher rate in the prolonged labor group (22% vs 9.6%; P=.03). After adjusting for confounders, including nulliparity, labor induction, gestational age, and World Health Organization class, there was a 2.7-fold increase in the odds of the composite cardiac outcome for patients who experienced prolonged labor (adjusted odds ratio, 2.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-7.1). There was no significant difference in cardiac outcome between those who had a vaginal delivery and those who had a cesarean delivery during labor (10.0% vs 16.1%; P=.18). There was, however, a significant interaction between prolonged labor and cesarean delivery; after adjustment for confounders, patients who underwent a cesarean delivery after prolonged labor had a 6.8-fold increase in the odds of experiencing the composite cardiac outcome when compared with those who underwent a cesarean delivery without prolonged labor (30.8% vs 7.1%; adjusted odds ratio, 6.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.4-32.5), most commonly, heart failure or volume overload requiring diuresis. In a cohort of pregnant patients with congenital heart disease, prolonged duration of labor ≥24 hours was significantly associated with an increased risk for an adverse peripartum cardiac outcome, especially among those who underwent a cesarean delivery after that time. These findings suggest that close attention should be paid to the duration of labor, and those who require a cesarean delivery after a prolonged labor should be monitored closely for signs of volume overload and other adverse cardiac events.

Housing Policies for asylum seekers and refugees, social control and social work practice in Greece

Since 2015, Greece has been one of the main host countries for many thousand people from Middle East who have been forced to leave their countries by political reasons. This article illustrates the housing policies for refugees and asylum seekers in Greece as part of a policy of power enforcement in micro and macro level, resulting to heir social exclusion. In this context, social workers have been at the forefront in order to respond to refugee and asylum seekers needs, facing limits to their work due to the social policies. The study constitutes an effort to provide an insight on the social work practice and the difficulties professionals face being a part of a social control policy. For this purpose, a qualitative method has been conducted via interviews with social work practitioners from non- governmental organizations serving asylum seeker and refugee population (NGOs) in Greece. Research analysis highlighted work overload along with limited training and support. At the same time, it is found that social workers do not comprehend housing policies for asylum seekers and refugees as policies which encourage integration, but rather contribute to a regime of control and exclusion. Although professionals reported that there have been attempts of resistance at the individual level, collective actions of resist control and repressive practices seem to be absent. Social work practice with asylum seekers and refugees in Greece seems to confront the neoliberal system which reproduces managerialism and, on the other hand the anti-immigrant rhetoric which embraces control policies. Within this context, social work profession is being challenged, raising concerns about the capacities and the restrictions social workers face by developing interventions which promote social change. Political analysis and involvement with service users’ groups, labor groups and collectivities’ groups need to come to the fore in order to address these challenges and to stand against any oppressive practice.

Correlation of cervical progesterone levels to plasma progesterone levels in normal pregnancy and preterm labor: A cross-sectional study

Background: The theory of “functional progesterone withdrawal” explains the role of progesterone prior to delivery. Previous studies mentioned the existence of progesterone regulation in the cervix that plays a role in maintaining the integrity of the cervix and cervical ripening. Cervical progesterone levels relate to activities of progesterone at the cervix, compared to its amount in circulation. The objective of this study was to measure cervical mucus progesterone levels and its correlation to plasma progesterone levels in pregnancy. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in January-September 2010 at Persahabatan Hospital. The subjects were pregnant women in the 28th – 34th weeks of gestational age. In total, 72 subjects who met the criteria were divided into normal pregnancy group and preterm labor group. The cervical and plasma progesterone levels were measured using The Advia Centaur® Progesterone kit, which is a commercial immunoassay with direct chemiluminescence method. Results: There was a positive correlation (r=0.539) between cervical progesterone levels with plasma progesterone levels in the preterm labor group. There was no correlation between cervical progesterone levels with plasma progesterone levels in the normal pregnancy group. Conclusion: This study showed that cervical progesterone levels could be measured through cervical mucus. A significant positive correlation was found by this study between cervical progesterone levels and plasma progesterone levels in the preterm labor group. This study is expected to provide new insights for understanding the metabolism and the role of progesterone in maintaining cervical integrity during pregnancy, and its relation to prevention of preterm birth.

Socio-cultural determinants of tobacco consumption: a study of migrant and local workers in a district of Punjab, India

Although the use of tobacco in the state of Punjab is below the national statistics of India, according to Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2016 Report, its consumption has increased. Also, what sets it apart from rest of the nation is the cultural as well as the religious taboo associated with tobacco use. The case of Punjab is also peculiar because of the socio demographic profile of the region which has changed since Green Revolution. Having said that, use of tobacco is a social phenomenon and it becomes important to place tobacco use in a social and cultural context. The aim of the study is to explore the socio -cultural determinants of tobacco use within local and migrant groups in a district of Punjab. The tobacco users in the district were divided into groups of local and migrant labourers and focus group discussion was carried out with them. There were various social correlates of tobacco use in the district which saw variations within and across these groups. The socio demographic factors of age, gender, religion and place of residence were related to the use of tobacco and presented similarities and variations across the groups. The study concluded that tobacco prevention and control policies should include cultural interventions to change current traditional practices and social determinants which influence the use of tobacco.

Senator Elbert Thomas and the Hope for Industrial Equity

Senator Elbert Thomas and the Hope for Industrial Equity