Physical Environmental Stressors Research Articles

Hybridization in the Anthropocene - how pollution and climate change disrupt mate selection in freshwater fish.

Chemical pollutants and/or climate change have the potential to break down reproductive barriers between species and facilitate hybridization. Hybrid zones may arise in response to environmental gradients and secondary contact between formerly allopatric populations, or due to the introduction of non-native species. In freshwater ecosystems, field observations indicate that changes in water quality and chemistry, due to pollution and climate change, are correlated with an increased frequency of hybridization. Physical and chemical disturbances of water quality can alter the sensory environment, thereby affecting chemical and visual communication among fish. Moreover, multiple chemical compounds (e.g. pharmaceuticals, metals, pesticides, and industrial contaminants) may impair fish physiology, potentially affecting phenotypic traits relevant for mate selection (e.g. pheromone production, courtship, and coloration). Although warming waters have led to documented range shifts, and chemical pollution is ubiquitous in freshwater ecosystems, few studies have tested hypotheses about how these stressors may facilitate hybridization and what this means for biodiversity and species conservation. Through a systematic literature review across disciplines (i.e. ecotoxicology and evolutionary biology), we evaluate the biological interactions, toxic mechanisms, and roles of physical and chemical environmental stressors (i.e. chemical pollution and climate change) in disrupting mate preferences and inducing interspecific hybridization in freshwater fish. Our study indicates that climate change-driven changes in water quality and chemical pollution may impact visual and chemical communication crucial for mate choice and thus could facilitate hybridization among fishes in freshwater ecosystems. To inform future studies and conservation management, we emphasize the importance of further research to identify the chemical and physical stressors affecting mate choice, understand the mechanisms behind these interactions, determine the concentrations at which they occur, and assess their impact on individuals, populations, species, and biological diversity in the Anthropocene.

Soil Microbial Stress Responses under External Chemical and Physical Environmental Stresses

AbstractSoil microorganisms play a crucial role in maintaining soil ecosystem health. Their metabolic processes are directly impacted by various environmental stresses caused by the increasing release of chemical pollutants and changes in the physical environment due to rapid societal development. This paper aimed to investigate the mechanisms underlying the changes in soil microbial stress responses under various external environmental stresses. The impact of pollutants on soil ecological structure was analyzed by summarizing the stress response patterns of soil microorganisms to inorganic pollutants, organic pollutants, and extreme physical environmental factors. Additionally, the migration and transformation behaviors of various complex pollutants, facilitated by the involvement of soil microorganisms, were investigated. Moreover, a novel approach was proposed for pollutant control, suggesting that manipulating the external physical field of a certain intensity could guide microbial communities and their functions towards controllable evolution within the soil environment. Therefore, this paper was essential for exploring the diversity of soil microbial stress responses, strategically regulating contaminant transport, mitigating risks associated with soil complexity, and ultimately reshaping soil ecological functions.

The Influence of Physical Work Environment, Leadership Style and Work Stress on Employee Performance at PT. Uniplastindo Interbuana Ciawi Plant

The importance of human resources in an organization or company is to determine the success of the organization or company in achieving its goals, because whether or not a company is successful in achieving its goals really depends on the ability of its human resources or employees in carrying out the tasks assigned to them.This research aims to analyze and identify the influence of the physical work environment, leadership style and work stress simultaneously and partially on employee performance. The analytical method used in this research is a descriptive method, multiple linear regression analysis with a quantitative approach and sampling from 74 respondents. The results of the research show that 1) the physical work environment, leadership style and work stress simultaneously have a positive and significant effect on employee performance. 2) the physical work environment, work stress and leadership style partially have a positive and significant effect on employee performance.

Assessment of Quality of Life of Parents of Children with Cerebral Palsy

Background: Cerebral palsy is a term used to describe a broad spectrum of motor disability which is non progressive and is caused by damage to the brain at or around birth. Care of a child with cerebral palsy is a source of tension and struggle for parents and causes many problems in meeting the child’s needs. Understanding the quality of life of this category of parents , will contribute entire and sufficient physiotherapeutic interventions by various techniques and examine what structural changes could be made to increase parent satisfaction. Study Design: This study is a cross sectional study approach to assess the quality of life of these parents in Pune. A sample of 30 parents of children of cerebral palsy age 3-17 years was selected through convenient sampling. Data were collected using WHO-QOL BREF, Parental stress index, Beck depression inventory questionnaire, focusing on quality of life, stress and depression of parents. Method: 30 Participants were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Convenient sampling was done. Informed consent was obtained before data collection. Demographic details were recorded, and participants responded to the questionnaire, focusing on physical health, psychological health, social relationship and environmental barriers, stress and depression level. Descriptive statistics analyses were conducted to analyze the data. Results: The result showed as compare to father mother experienced lower quality of life, average depression level and increased stress level. This finding emphasizes the quality of life is severely affected suggesting the need to have family- centered approach for the management of children with cerebral palsy and evaluate unique challenges and experiences of parents to improve communication and support. Conclusion: This study concludes that the Quality of Life in Mothers is lower than that of Fathers of Cerebral Palsy child.

Preliminary Development of Items for a Nurses' Physical Environmental Stress Scale.

This study aimed to develop a preliminary Nurses' Physical Environmental Stress Scale (NPESS) that explores the relationships between the physical environment in the intensive care unit (ICU) and work-related stress among ICU nurses. Working within the healthcare field is stressful and comes with a high level of responsibility for nurses, especially ICU nurses. The ICU work environment is associated with risk factors such as excessive workload, increased expectations, and long working hours that can lead to burnout among nurses. There is some evidence that environmental design has the potential to prevent or mitigate work-related stress; however, an adequate assessment tool to identify physical environmental stressors or supports for moderating stress is lacking. To develop the preliminary environmental assessment tool, an exploratory sequential methodology was used. The approach consisted of three distinct phases, including (a) a qualitative content analysis of existing focus group data, (b) a qualitative content analysis of pertinent literature related to environmental assessment tools in a healthcare context, and (c) the development and refinement of the NPESS assessment tool. Tool refinement was based on interviews with ICU nurses. The resulting NPESS tool was comprised of seven sections (sounds, lighting, smells, staff respite spaces, staff workspaces, patient rooms, and aesthetic qualities) containing a total of and 81 items that address factors that were identified as potential moderators of environmental stress in ICU settings. The resulting NPESS assessment tool provides a feasible approach for evaluating ICU settings to identify possible improvements to reduce stress among nurses. Future research will be conducted to assess the validity and reliability of the final tool by distributing it to a larger sample of ICU nurses.

The Influence Of Job Rotation, Work Environment, And Job Stress On The Performance Of East Jakarta Administrative Satpol Pp

This study aims to analyze how much influence the work rotation, physical work environment and work stress on performance. This Study used primary data by distributing questionaires of 92 respondents and the respondents are SATPOL PP in the administration city of east Jakarta. Data were analyzed using Multiple Linear Regression Correlation analysis. The results showed a positive and significant effect on performance, which is shown in the Coefficients table in the regression equation model Y = 6.373 + 0.197 + 0.390 + 0.126. The feasibility test results of the model shown with a significance value of 0,000 shown in the ANOVA table which means that the model in this study is feasible based on the significance value obtained. And the conclusion of the hypothesis by t-test partially obtained the significance value on the variable work rotation by 0.038, then on the physical work environment variable at 0,000, and the significance on the brand image variable at 0.049. Then it is concluded that the three independent variables partially have a significant influence on the dependent variable. In order for the management of related agencies to pay more attention to the work environment that has the greatest contribution value and to be better at managing work rotation policies and procedures as well as maintaining work stress conditions to its members so that employees are more motivated to provide the best performance, which will have an impact on achieving common goals.

The Influence Of Transformational Leadership, Motivation, Physical Work Environment And Job Stress On Employee Performance At Pt. Indonesian Trains(Persero) Daop 1 Jakarta Year 2019

This research aims to determine and analyze the influence of transformational leadership, motivation, physical work environment and work stress on employee performance at PT. Indonesian Railways (Persero) Daop 1 Jakarta. This research data uses primary data in the form of a questionnaire to 101 employees of PT. Indonesian Railways (Persero) Daop 1 Jakarta. The data analysis technique uses multiple linear regression analysis and uses the SPSS 23 program. The research results show that there is an influence between Transformational Leadership (X1) on Employee Performance (Y). Then there is the influence of the Motivation variable (X2) on Employee Performance (Y). Likewise, for the Physical Work Environment variable (X3) there is an influence on Employee Performance (Y). Then the Job Stress variable (X4) also has an impact on Employee Performance (Y). Partially or simultaneously, it has a strong influence among the four variables, the most significant of which is the Motivation variable. The results of this research hope that companies can improve good leadership styles and a comfortable work environment so that they can support employee performance.

Integrated Transcriptomics and Metabolomics Analysis Reveals the Effects of Cutting on the Synthesis of Flavonoids and Saponins in Chinese Herbal Medicine Astragalus mongholious.

Astragali Radix, derived from the roots of Astragalus mongholicus, is a traditional Chinese medicine containing flavonoids and saponins as its key ingredients. With a shortage in the wild sources of the herbal plant, it is especially important to explore a cultivation mode for A. mongholicus for medicinal purposes. Cutting, a physical environmental stress method, was used in this study with the objective of improving the quality of this herbal legume. We found that cutting of the top 1/3 of the aboveground part of A. mongholicus during the fruiting period resulted in a significant increase in the content of flavonoids and saponins, as well as in root growth, including length, diameter, and dry weight. Furthermore, the leaves were sampled and analyzed using a combined transcriptome and metabolome analysis approach at five different time points after the treatment. Sixteen differentially expressed unigenes (DEGs) involved in the biosynthesis of flavonoids were identified; these were found to stimulate the synthesis of flavonoids such as formononetin and calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside. Moreover, we identified 10 DEGs that were associated with the biosynthesis of saponins, including astragaloside IV and soyasaponin I, and found that they only regulated the mevalonic acid (MVA) pathway. These findings provide new insights into cultivating high-quality A. mongholicus, which could potentially alleviate the scarcity of this valuable medicinal plant.

A scoping review of multigenerational impacts of grandparental exposures on mental health in grandchildren.

The multigenerational effects of grandparental exposures on their grandchildren's mental health and neurodevelopment are gaining research attention. We conducted a scoping review to summarize the current epidemiological studies investigating pregnancy-related and environmental factors that affected grandparental pregnancies and mental health outcomes in their grandchildren. We also identified methodological challenges that affect these multigenerational health studies and discuss opportunities for future research. We performed a literature search using PubMed and Embase and included 18 articles for this review. The most investigated grandparental pregnancy-related factors were the grandparental age of pregnancy (N = 6), smoking during pregnancy (N = 4), and medication intake (N = 3). The most frequently examined grandchild outcomes were autism spectrum disorder (N = 6) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (N = 4). Among these studies, grandparental smoking and the use of diethylstilbestrol were more consistently reported to be associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, while the findings for grandparental age vary across the maternal or paternal line. Grandmaternal weight, adverse delivery outcomes, and other spatial-temporal markers of physical and social environmental stressors require further scrutiny. The current body of literature has suggested that mental and neurodevelopmental disorders may be outcomes of unfavorable exposures originating from the grandparental generation during their pregnancies. To advance the field, we recommend research efforts into setting up multigenerational studies with prospectively collected data that span through at least three generations, incorporating spatial, environmental, and biological markers for exposure assessment, expanding the outcome phenotypes evaluated, and developing a causal analytical framework including mediation analyses specific for multigenerational research.

Pengaruh Lingkungan Kerja Fisik, Disiplin Kerja Dan Stres Kerja Terhadap Kinerja Karyawan Pada Pabrik Gula Merah UD Bunga Mas

This research aims to determine the influence of the physical work environment, work discipline and work stress on employee performance at the UD Bunga Mas brown sugar factory. The variables used in this research are Physical Work Environment (X1), Work Discipline (X2), Work Stress (X3), and Employee Performance (Y). The research location is the UD Bunga Mas Brown Sugar Factory which is located in Karanglo Hamlet, Tales Village RT 01 RW 04 Ngadiluwih District, Kediri Regency. By using data collection techniques in the form of interviews, questionnaires and observations.Meanwhile, the analysis used uses quantitative methods with multiple linear regression tools using the SPSS version 25.0 software program. Based on tests carried out by partial linear regression analysis, it shows that the Physical Work Environment (X1) has a negative and insignificant effect on Employee Performance (Y) and Work Discipline (X2) has a positive and insignificant effect on Employee Performance (Y). Meanwhile, the Job Stress variable (X3) has a negative and significant influence on Employee Performance (Y). This shows a significant value for variable X1 0.116 > 0.05, variable X2 0.538 > 0.05, and X3 0.000 < 0.05. Partially, the Physical Work Environment (X1), Work Discipline (X2), and Work Stress (X3) have a positive and significant effect on Employee Performance (Y) at the UD Bunga Mas Brown Sugar Factory.

Workplace-based primary prevention intervention reduces incidence of hypertension: a post hoc analysis of cluster randomized controlled study

BackgroundA workplace-based primary prevention intervention be an effective approach to reducing the incidence of hypertension (HTN). However, few studies to date have addressed the effect among the Chinese working population. We assessed the effect of a workplace-based multicomponent prevention interventions program for cardiovascular disease on reducing the occurrence of HTN through encouraging employees to adopt a healthy lifestyle.MethodsIn this post hoc analysis of cluster randomized controlled study, 60 workplaces across 20 urban regions in China were randomized to either the intervention group (n = 40) or control group (n = 20). All employees in each workplace were asked to complete a baseline survey after randomization for obtaining sociodemographic information, health status, lifestyle, etc. Employees in the intervention group were given a 2-year workplace-based primary prevention intervention program for improving their cardiovascular health, including (1) cardiovascular health education, (2) a reasonable diet, (3) tobacco cessation, (4) physical environment promotion, (5) physical activity, (6) stress management, and (7) health screening. The primary outcome was the incidence of HTN, and the secondary outcomes were improvements of blood pressure (BP) levels and lifestyle factors from baseline to 24 months. A mix effect model was used to assess the intervention effect at the end of the intervention in the two groups.ResultsOverall, 24,396 participants (18,170 in the intervention group and 6,226 in the control group) were included (mean [standard deviation] age, 39.3 [9.1] years; 14,727 men [60.4%]). After 24 months of the intervention, the incidence of HTN was 8.0% in the intervention groups and 9.6% in the control groups [relative risk (RR) = 0.66, 95% CI, 0.58 ~ 0.76, P < 0.001]. The intervention effect was significant on systolic BP (SBP) level (β = − 0.7 mm Hg, 95% CI, − 1.06 ~ − 0.35; P < 0.001) and on diastolic BP (DBP) level (β = − 1.0 mm Hg, 95% CI, − 1.31 ~ − 0.76; P < 0.001). Moreover, greater improvements were reported in the rates of regular exercise [odd ratio (OR) = 1.39, 95% CI, 1.28 ~ 1.50; P < 0.001], excessive intake of fatty food (OR = 0.54, 95% CI, 0.50 ~ 0.59; P < 0.001), and restrictive use of salt (OR = 1.22, 95% CI, 1.09 ~ 1.36; P = 0.001) in intervention groups. People with a deteriorating lifestyle had higher rates of developing HTN than those with the same or improved lifestyle. Subgroup analysis showed that the intervention effect of BP on employees with educational attainment of high school above (SBP: β = − 1.38/ − 0.76 mm Hg, P < 0.05; DBP: β = − 2.26/ − 0.75 mm Hg, P < 0.001), manual labor workers and administrative worker (SBP: β = − 1.04/ − 1.66 mm Hg, P < 0.05; DBP: β = − 1.85/ − 0.40 mm Hg, P < 0.05), and employees from a workplace with an affiliated hospital (SBP: β = − 2.63 mm Hg, P < 0.001; DBP: β = − 1.93 mm Hg, P < 0.001) were significantly in the intervention group.ConclusionsThis post hoc analysis found that workplace-based primary prevention interventions program for cardiovascular disease were effective in promoting healthy lifestyle and reducing the incidence of HTN among employees.Trial registrationChinese Clinical Trial Registry No. ChiCTR-ECS-14004641.

Mechanobiology as a tool for addressing the genotype-to-phenotype problem in microbiology.

The central hypothesis of the genotype-phenotype relationship is that the phenotype of a developing organism (i.e., its set of observable attributes) depends on its genome and the environment. However, as we learn more about the genetics and biochemistry of living systems, our understanding does not fully extend to the complex multiscale nature of how cells move, interact, and organize; this gap in understanding is referred to as the genotype-to-phenotype problem. The physics of soft matter sets the background on which living organisms evolved, and the cell environment is a strong determinant of cell phenotype. This inevitably leads to challenges as the full function of many genes, and the diversity of cellular behaviors cannot be assessed without wide screens of environmental conditions. Cellular mechanobiology is an emerging field that provides methodologies to understand how cells integrate chemical and physical environmental stress and signals, and how they are transduced to control cell function. Biofilm forming bacteria represent an attractive model because they are fast growing, genetically malleable and can display sophisticated self-organizing developmental behaviors similar to those found in higher organisms. Here, we propose mechanobiology as a new area of study in prokaryotic systems and describe its potential for unveiling new links between an organism's genome and phenome.

The Mediating Role of Psychosocial Working Conditions on Physical Work Environment and Workplace Stress in Higher Education: Empirical Evidence from Selected HEIs in Southern Philippines

Many factors, including workload, student-related issues, research and job development, interpersonal relationships, and administrative-related issues, have been linked to workplace stress, with higher academic institutions (HEIs) seeing the most of it. While several studies have looked into various aspects of work stress in HEIs, very few studies have investigated how psychosocial factors mediate the effect of the physical environment to work stress. Thus, this study is conducted to empirically test how psychosocial working conditions significantly mediate the influence of Physical work Environment on workplace stress in Higher Education Institutions in the Philippines. Involving 265 teaching faculty in selected HEIs in Southern Philippines, the study utilized structural equation modeling to analyze the interest constructs. The results showed that Physical Work Environment significantly influences Psychosocial Work Environment while Psychosocial Work Environment significantly influences work stress). In contrast, the path from Physical Work Environment to work stress was not statistically significant. Thus, Psychosocial Work Environment fully mediates the influence of the Physical Work Environment on an individual’s work stress level. Put differently, physical work environment could only result in work stress if Psychosocial Work Environment mediates it.

Spatiotemporal Distribution Patterns of the Sea Cucumber Holothuria arguinensis on a Rocky-Reef Coast (Northeast Atlantic)

The demand for sea cucumbers from the NE-Atlantic is increasing as a consequence of the depletion of stocks that historically supplied Asian markets. Some species from the NE-Atlantic are already showing overfishing signs due to either inefficient policies or their total absence, and they do not offer any margins of sustainability to sea cucumber fisheries. The current lack of knowledge of biological and ecological traits has led to ineffective protection of those species. Holothuria arguinensis is a good example of a temperate sea cucumber species suffering from the effects of unregulated and illegal harvest. This study aims to determine the temporal and spatial distribution patterns of H. arguinensis, assessing density and size-class structure in a NE-Atlantic population, in SW Portugal, as a function of environmental conditions. Sampling was done every 1.5 months at 6 stations defined according to habitat heterogeneity, following the coastline from the mouth of the Sado estuary to marine coastal areas. At each station, there were two habitats (rocky substrate and sandy areas) sampled through SCUBA diving along 30-m random transects, each with three replicates. Individuals were counted and measured (total length) and individual behavioural parameters, such as sheltering and settlement surface, were recorded. Water column parameters, sediment composition, and substrate cover were also recorded. Generalised Linear Models were fit to the data, modelling density and size distribution of the species with respect to environmental conditions. The results indicate that the distribution of H. arguinensis was mainly determined by its ability to deal with physical environmental stressors (current), rather than the chemical properties of the water column or sediment composition. The hydrodynamic features of the region exert the greatest impact on this species’ distribution and help shape habitat usage by different size class groups.

The bacterial secretosome for bacterial envelope biogenesis.

The Gram-negative bacterial envelope is a robust line of defence against physical and chemical environmental stress, including antibiotics. Therefore, its biogenesis is of considerable interest, as well as a target to address the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance. All bacterial proteins are synthesised in the cytosol, so inner- and outer-membrane proteins, and periplasmic residents have to be transported to their final destinations via specialised protein machineries. The Sec translocon, a ubiquitous integral inner-membrane complex, is key to this process as the major gateway for protein transit from the cytosol to the cell envelope; this can be achieved during their translation, or afterwards. Proteins need to be directed into the inner-membrane (usually co-translational), otherwise SecA utilises ATP and the proton-motive-force (PMF) to drive proteins across the membrane post-translationally. These proteins are then picked up by chaperones for folding in the periplasm, or delivered to the β-barrel assembly machinery (BAM) for incorporation into the outer-membrane. The core hetero-trimeric SecYEG-complex forms the hub for an extensive network of interactions that regulate protein transport and quality control. My talk will overview recent work on the association of the translocons of the inner- (Sec) and outer-membrane (BAM), along with periplasmic chaperones for the formation of the bacterial secretosome. I will describe our findings on the structure, dynamics and orchestration of this inter-membrane assembly for efficient passage of proteins into the inner-membrane, periplasm and outer-membrane - critical for efficient envelope biogenesis.

Making the invisible visible: Using a qualitative system dynamics model to map disparities in cumulative environmental stressors and children's neurodevelopment

BackgroundThe combined effects of multiple environmental toxicants and social stressor exposures are widely recognized as important public health problems, likely contributing to health inequities. However, US policy makers at state and federal levels typically focus on one stressor exposure at a time and have failed to develop comprehensive strategies to reduce multiple co-occurring exposures, mitigate cumulative risks and prevent harm. This research aimed to move from considering disparate environmental stressors in isolation to mapping the links between environmental, economic, social and health outcomes as a dynamic complex system using children's exposure to neurodevelopmental toxicants as an illustrative example. Such a model can be used to support a broad range of child developmental and environmental health policy stakeholders in improving their understanding of cumulative effects of multiple chemical, physical, biological and social environmental stressors as a complex system through a collaborative learning process. MethodsWe used system dynamics (SD) group model building to develop a qualitative causal theory linking multiple interacting streams of social stressors and environmental neurotoxicants impacting children's neurodevelopment. A 2 1/2-day interactive system dynamics workshop involving experts across multiple disciplines was convened to develop the model followed by qualitative survey on system insights. ResultsThe SD causal map covered seven interconnected themes: environmental exposures, social environment, health status, education, employment, housing and advocacy. Potential high leverage intervention points for reducing disparities in children's cumulative neurotoxicant exposures and effects were identified. Workshop participants developed deeper level of understanding about the complexity of cumulative environmental health risks, increased their agreement about underlying causes, and enhanced their capabilities for integrating diverse forms of knowledge about the complex multi-level problem of cumulative chemical and non-chemical exposures. ConclusionGroup model building using SD can lead to important insights to into the sociological, policy, and institutional mechanisms through which disparities in cumulative impacts are transmitted, resisted, and understood.

Environmental Stressors and the PINE Network: Can Physical Environmental Stressors Drive Long-Term Physical and Mental Health Risks?

Both psychosocial and physical environmental stressors have been linked to chronic mental health and chronic medical conditions. The psycho-immune-neuroendocrine (PINE) network details metabolomic pathways which are responsive to varied stressors and link chronic medical conditions with mental disorders, such as major depressive disorder via a network of pathophysiological pathways. The primary objective of this review is to explore evidence of relationships between airborne particulate matter (PM, as a concrete example of a physical environmental stressor), the PINE network and chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including mental health sequelae, with a view to supporting the assertion that physical environmental stressors (not only psychosocial stressors) disrupt the PINE network, leading to NCDs. Biological links have been established between PM exposure, key sub-networks of the PINE model and mental health sequelae, suggesting that in theory, long-term mental health impacts of PM exposure may exist, driven by the disruption of these biological networks. This disruption could trans-generationally influence health; however, long-term studies and information on chronic outcomes following acute exposure event are still lacking, limiting what is currently known beyond the acute exposure and all-cause mortality. More empirical evidence is needed, especially to link long-term mental health sequelae to PM exposure, arising from PINE pathophysiology. Relationships between physical and psychosocial stressors, and especially the concept of such stressors acting together to impact on PINE network function, leading to linked NCDs, evokes the concept of syndemics, and these are discussed in the context of the PINE network.

Organizational climate–institutional environment nexus: why context matters

This conceptual paper investigates organizational climates through multiple lenses to highlight the complex web of forces and dynamics that influences the varied perceptions and experiences of organizational climates in any organization. The multi-faceted nature of employee perceptions of organization climates presents complex problems in human resource management and organizational well-being. Using a literature review and institutional environment framework, diverse perspectives and discourse are drawn on how an array of intertwined factors such as context, technology and innovation, ownership, goals and objectives, corporate governance, organizational change and life-cycle, physical conditions, workplace hazards, environmental stressors, organizational process, communication and organization structure can influence and shape organizational climate and resultant group dynamics.Moreover, several empirical results confirm the role institutional environments play in the organizational climate ecosystem. Our finding reveals that organizations could have several layers and types of organizational climates dependent on intervening soft and hard factors. Therefore, studies relating to organizational climates should adopt a holistic and systematic approach to understand the multi-layered dynamics in their context.

The Interplay Between Poor Sleep and Work-Related Health.

ObjectivesSleep disorders can arise from work. Employees who experience work overload are more likely to develop sleep problems. Poor sleep leads to decreased performance, sick leave, and accidents. Therefore, sleep disorders may be linked to workplace hazards as well as decreased occupational health, however, the relationship remains unknown.MethodsThis relationship was examined using secondary data analysis of aggregated survey data from 97 companies based in Germany between 2003 and 2020 as part of Workplace Health Management project. Two extreme groups with respect to sleep problems were analyzed (N = 4,865 + 9,795). The survey “Diagnosis of corporate health” contained 137 individual questions which recorded all relevant working conditions, aspects of health, and one question relating to insomnia traits. A one-way analysis of variance was used to examine whether and to what extent the potentials, hazards, and health aspects differed between employees depending on their perceived sleep problems. In addition, multiple linear regressions were used to determine whether and to what extent work characteristics affect various health aspects for both good and poor sleepers.ResultsIn total, 49.7% of staff reported moderate difficulty falling and/or remaining asleep. These poor sleepers perceived all health potentials worse than good sleepers, especially on scales such as fair assessment, work climate, and learning at work. Furthermore, poor sleepers perceived health hazards (physical environmental stress, job insecurity, and time pressure) more whilst positive health indicators (joy of work and confidence) were perceived less.ConclusionOverall, the determination of sleep difficulties could be used as a substantial health indicator. Also, these sleep problems are reported more frequently in certain occupations compared to others, which could mean that the perception of sleep health varies between professions. Therefore, it is important to implement specific recommendations for each industry in order to improve working conditions for poor sleepers which in turn, improves their health.

Do various dimensions of exposure metrics affect biopsychosocial pathways linking green spaces to mental health? A cross-sectional study in Nanjing, China

The theoretically indicated pathways linking green space (GS) exposure to mental well-being have been consistently examined. However, few studies have deciphered the association between multiple GS exposure metrics and biopsychosocial pathways. Here, we aimed to develop a systematic exposure framework addressing different aspects of GS, including one subjective metric (self-reported GS usage) and four objective metrics, namely, quantity-based GS availability, distance-based GS accessibility, quality-based GS attractiveness, and streetscape-based GS visibility. We then explored whether, or to what extent, these various exposure metrics affect the hypothesized paths: physical activity, social cohesion, stress, and environmental stressors (i.e., air quality and noise). A cross-sectional study was conducted using a population sample (n = 1984) from Nanjing, China. Spearman rank correlation was calculated to examine the relationship between various exposure metrics. A multivariate linear regression model was used to assess the association between GS exposure and self-reported mental well-being (i.e., WHO-5 scores). Structural equation modelling (SEM) techniques were further conducted to examine the parallel/serial mediation effects of GS exposure and mental well-being. The results showed the following: (1) multiple exposure metrics were only moderately to weakly correlated, all of which were significantly associated with respondents’ self-rated mental well-being, mediated through one or more of the hypothesized pathways; (2) different exposure metrics significantly affected these mediating variables; structured GS exposure metrics were more associated with physical activity, while unstructured GS exposure metrics were more related to environmental stressors and mental stress; (3) in the parallel mediation model, stress is a relatively important mediator linking GS to mental well-being; the serial mediation model further indicated that physical activity, environmental stressors, and social cohesion worked as antecedents to reduce stress, which, in turn, was associated with better mental well-being. Our findings could help epidemiologists clarify the pathways and mechanisms by which GSs affect mental well-being, as well as assist urban planners in implementing health-based GS interventions.