Working Pressure Research Articles

Medication use for the management of professional performance: between invisibility and social normalisation

ABSTRACT This article aims to explore pharmaceuticalisation processes in professional work contexts. The approach focuses on identifying patterns of medicine and dietary supplement use for managing work performance, and on discussing the relationship between these consumption practices and work-related pressure factors. This analysis adapts the notions of ‘normalisation’ to understand the extent of cultural acceptability of these practices, and the notion of ‘differentiated normalisation’ to capture the tension between the trend towards normalisation of such consumption and its partial social (in)visibility within work settings. Empirical support for this analysis is based on a sociological study conducted in Portugal on professions under high performance pressures. The study involved three professional groups – nurses, journalists and police officers. A mixed methods approach was used, including focus groups, questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Overall, the results show a trend towards the use of medicines and supplements for performance management, which reveals itself as a cultural response to work-related social pressures. Such consumption coexists with irregular patterns of either occasional or long-term use, as well as heterogeneous processes of ‘normalisation’ and ‘hidden’ consumption. Conclusions point to a social interconnection between the intensification of work pressures and the pharmaceuticalisation of work performance.

Moral Distress Challenges in Nurses During Early Stage of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

Introduction: As a serious crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic put a lot of pressure on nurses, and many ethical challenges arose for them. The aim of the study was to explore the moral distress challenges in nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A qualitative study with a conventional content analysis approach was adopted. A purposive sampling method with maximum variation was used and 13 nurses caring for patients with COVID-19 participated in this study. Data were collected using individual semi-structured interviews until data saturation and concurrently analyzed by MAXQDA software. Results: Three main categories including ‘trial and error in care of patients with COVID-19, ‘negligence in performing professional duties’ and ‘inappropriate organizational structure’ emerged as the moral distress challenges experienced by the Iranian nurses during COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: Providing a codified treatment plan at the first opportunity is effective to prevent trial and error in the treatment and care of patients. Providing the latest information about the disease or the crisis that has happened manages the stress and work pressure to some extent. The existence of instructions for allocating resources and equipment can help in crisis management. Long-term planning for providing sufficient human resources is an issue that should be the priority of the officials. It should be noted that nurses are trained for normal as well as crisis situations, perhaps their insufficient training also has an effect on aggravating challenges in crisis situations.

Stress Reduction Program Design for High School Teachers in a Private School in Jiangsu Province

With the continuous development of the times, the reform of China's education system is deepening, and science and technology are gradually penetrating into education, which brings certain challenges to the teaching work of high school teachers. At the same time, since 1977, the college entrance examination has been given important significance by the society as a whole and is recognized as an important breakthrough point in life. Under the influence of the college entrance examination system, high school teachers have to bear more pressure compared to teachers in other basic education levels. Therefore, based on reviewing the literature, this study used the questionnaire survey method and interview method to investigate the stressors of high school teachers by taking high school teachers of a private school in Jiangsu Province as the research object, and designed a stress reduction program for high school teachers of this private school in response to the findings of the study. Through the study, it was found that high school teachers in this school mainly have the pressure of teaching work, the pressure of work other than teaching, the pressure of interpersonal communication, the pressure of school management, and the pressure of the society, and finally, the stress reduction program for teachers was designed to alleviate the pressure of teachers' work, so as to promote the physical and mental health development of teachers and serve the cause of education in a better way.

A Model for Alleviating Work Pressures and Enhancing Teachers’ Resilience

Teaching is a complex task that requires knowledge of what to teach, how to teach it, and how to cope with educational challenges. To perform their duties effectively, teachers’ mental well-being and inner states are essential. This study aims to define teacher resilience, give examples of the stressors and challenges that EFL/ESL college instructors face and the factors that lead to attrition and burnout. It also aims to propose strategies for coping with negative stressors. Results of a survey with a sample of EFL/ESL college instructors at five higher education institutions in Saudi Arabia who teach language, linguistics, translation and interpreting courses to undergraduate students showed that they face intellectual, emotional, and service-related stressors and challenges that impact their well-being and effectiveness such as high workload, limited support, meeting deadlines, managing their time effectively, students’ behavior and attitudes, classroom management and health concerns, financial and economic issues, balancing their work and personal, and lack of support and recognition. In addition, some instructors complained of lack of motivation and enthusiasm, fatigue, headaches, irritability, anxiety, depression, and difficulty concentrating. To combat stress, mental and emotional challenges that some instructors face, this study proposes some coping strategies based on the principles of positive psychology to help foster teacher resilience, maintain a strong and effective teaching workforce, and empower educators to thrive in their profession. These coping strategies cover psychological, pedagogical, interpersonal, and pragmatic aspects such as identifying the signs of stress, prioritizing self-care and well-being, setting achievable goals, time management and organization, embracing flexibility and adaptability, adopting a positive mindset, classroom management techniques, advocating for resources and support, attending professional development workshops, building/joining a strong support network, collaborating with other colleagues to share ideas and strategies, reflecting on and assessing their teaching practices, practicing mindfulness, quick relaxation techniques, visualization, progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, listening to music, regulating emotional responses, and celebrating small wins. The coping strategies posed herein are described in detail.

Evaluating the effectiveness of strategies for mitigating fatigue among construction workers in Abuja, Nigeria: a quantitative analysis

Fatigue is one of the menaces that contribute to the rising number of construction-related accidents and fatalities in projects. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify several strategies that can be adopted to mitigate fatigue in construction projects. This was achieved through a quantitative study. A questionnaire was the main instrument for data collection in the quantitative study. The study revealed that frustration/depression or work pressure is one of the significant causes of fatigue in construction projects. Fatigue risk management education and bonding among workers are some of the underlying strategies that can be used to mitigate the identified causes. Depending on the nature of the fatigue causative elements, the study further established that some mitigation strategies are more effective than others. Therefore, further studies should be conducted by prospective researchers on a range of attributes that may influence the success of fatigue mitigation strategies in construction projects.

Investigation into flow-induced internal corrosion direct assessment in small-diameter dry gas fluctuating pipeline

Small-diameter undulating natural gas pipelines with low gas transmission capacity do not have internal inspection conditions to grasp the internal corrosion status of the pipeline. This study focuses on a small-diameter undulating dry natural gas gathering and transportation pipeline, the internal corrosion mechanism of the pipeline is studied through corrosion products, and the specific location of the internal corrosion sensitive pipe segment is determined based on multiphase flow simulation and PMDT(pipeline non-contact magnetic anomaly detection); the excavation inspection is ultimately used to evaluate the internal status of the pipeline. The results demonstrate that the internal corrosion mechanism of ZL (ZI Lai) pipeline is O2 and CO2 synergistic corrosion in which O2 plays a dominant role, while the increasing flow rate will aggravate corrosion; The maximum general corrosion rate and critical inclination along the pipeline are 0.0218 mm/a and 18.4°, respectively. Furthermore, twelve corrosion sensitive segments have been identified, including two II-level and six III-level magnetic anomaly segments. The internal corrosion defects are localized at the 3–9o’clock position of the pipeline, with a maximum general corrosion rate not exceeding 0.0228 mm/a. Furthermore, the pipeline failure pressure of 12.27 MPa surpasses the maximum allowable working pressure of 8.84 MPa, ensuring its continued operational safety. The corrosion protection measures of reducing the water content of natural gas, adding vapor corrosion inhibitor and regularly detecting magnetic anomaly pipeline are developed.

Release of high-pressure hydrogen from type III tank in a fire scenario: Analysis and prediction of jet flame length and thermal response characteristics

In this paper, the thermal response and jet flame behaviour of a typical type III high-pressure hydrogen storage tank with nominal working pressure (NWP) and volume of 70 MPa and 48 L were analysed at fire scenarios. The tank was discharged at a critical internal pressure 77.4 MPa, which was ca. 110 % of NWP. The pressure drop rates of type III tanks were greater than 1 MPa/s during the initial 15 s after venting. The length and width of jet flame were 4.93 and 1.65 m at the critical moment, which fluctuated downward over time. A thermokinetic model was employed to predict the variation of hydrogen gas state parameters and the maximum length of jet flame. The calculation results indicated that the maximum flame length of hydrogen released from a valve of 2 mm was around 2–6.5 m under a pressure range of 10–80 MPa. The error between the predicted results and the experimental values was less than 5 %. It was found that the flame length was enlarged by an increase of aperture. The length of flame increased by 6 m after the aperture changed from 2 to 5.08 mm at the equivalent pressure.

Exploring a Quantitative Analysis Nexus Between Teachers’ Work Pressure and Organizational Commitment in Vocational and Technical Colleges

Exploring a Quantitative Analysis Nexus Between Teachers’ Work Pressure and Organizational Commitment in Vocational and Technical Colleges

How taking pictures of landscapes affects the mental stress of young adults

AbstractIn today's fast‐paced society, escalating work and academic pressures have led to rising stress levels. While numerous studies have explored adolescent mental health, there has been a lack of focus on “educational stress” among Chinese students. This study sought to understand the psychological and physiological effects of educational stress in Chinese university students. We studied the impact of a 5‐min nature photography session on campus compared with a control activity of photographing urban settings near campus. Data were collected using blood pressure measurements, electroencephalography (EEG), the Semantic Differential Method (SDM), and the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) in order to understand psychophysiological reactions. The findings from the SDM and STAI assessments indicated that students felt slightly more at ease and considerably more relaxed, had a heightened sense of naturalness, and experienced reduced anxiety after engaging in nature photography compared with urban photography. Notably, we observed that both systolic and diastolic blood pressure dropped by many values and there were noticeable EEG changes among participants. The results suggest that a brief 5‐min nature photography activity can effectively reduce mental stress in Chinese university students.

Highly conductive and corrosion-resistant NbN coatings on Ti bipolar plate for proton exchange membrane water electrolysis

Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) is one of the most promising strategies to produce green hydrogen energy, and it is crucial to exploit highly conductive and good corrosion-resistant coatings on bipolar plates (BPs), one of the core components in PEMWE cells. In this work, NbN coatings are deposited on Ti BPs by magnetron sputtering to improve the corrosion resistance and conductivity, for which the critical process parameters, such as the working pressure, partial nitrogen pressure and deposition temperature are well optimized. It is found that the compact microstructure, highly conductive δ-NbN and uniform nanoparticles play a dominant role in the synergistic improvement of the corrosion resistance and electrical conductivity of NbN coatings. The optimized NbN coatings exhibit excellent corrosion resistance with the low corrosion current density of 1.1 × 10−8 A cm−2, a high potential value of -0.005 V vs. SCE and a low ICR value of 15.8 mΩ cm2 @ 1.5 MPa. Accordingly, NbN coatings can be a promising candidate for the development of the low-cost and high-anti-corrosion Ti BPs of PEMWE.

Experimental investigation of two-stage NH3–H2O resorption heat storage system with solution concentration difference

Widespread application of solar energy is severely restricted to its instability in time and space. Heat storage system is considered to be one of the most effective pathways to achieve long-term heat supply. Among all the heat storage technologies, solution concentration difference storage technologies stand out for low heat loss and high energy density. By substituting condenser and evaporator in conventional absorption cycle with a high-pressure absorber and low-pressure generator, a resorption cycle could be established. Compared with absorption heat storage cycle, working pressure of resorption heat cycle is lower, making it possible to utilize low-pressure heat source. Two-stage heat source cycle is further proposed to lower working pressure and upgrading supply water temperature. Resorption energy storage cycle with solution concentration difference is established and studied. A prototype based on two-stage ammonia-water resorption heat storage cycle was set up and tested. The result shows that the constraint relation between ambient temperature and heat source temperature of the proposed system. In single-stage mode, the lowest working ambient temperature is 5 °C when heat source temperature is 90 °C. The lowest working ambient temperature could be declined to 0 °C when heat source temperature rises to 120 °C. In two-stage mode, the lowest working ambient temperature is 0 °C when heat source temperature is only 110 °C, which proves the adaptability of two-stage cycle. The highest ESCOP appears in the 15 °C–120 °C single-stage mode, which is 0.742. The highest COP is 1.324 under the same condition. The highest energy density occurs in two-stage mode, which is 467.07 kJ/kg when ambient and heat source is set as 15 °C, 120 °C. The advantage that two-stage mode could enlarge solution concentration difference is verified.

GM(1,N) method for the prediction of critical failure pressure of type III tank in fire scenarios

The determination of the pressure-bearing performance of hydrogen storage tanks (HST) is integral to enhancing their operational safety and risk management capabilities. In this study, an inaugural development of low-cost critical failure pressure (BPc) prediction model for small samples was proposed, which was based on a combination of the fuzzy grey relational analysis (FGRA) and GM(1,N). Specifically, a total of 15 of BPc-related factors were proposed for analysis and projections based on the data from bonfire tests. Results from the FGRA indicated burst pressure was most closely linked to the initial filling pressure (Rij1 = 0.939) of tanks under fire scenario. The normal working pressure (Rij2 = 0.924) and the elasticity modulus (Rij3 = 0.871) also demonstrating significant impacts. Furthermore, three GM(1,N) prediction models which could estimate BPc with multi-factor coupling were developed. Increasing the number of input feature factors could enhance the predictive capability of GM model. The GM(1,16) had optimal prediction performance among the models, achieving a prediction accuracy of 99.8 %. As well, the mean absolute error (MAE) was 0.799 MPa while the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) was 1.56 %. This paper offered a novel option for establishing the HST critical failure criterion safely and efficiently.

Is the Workload Indicators of Staffing Needs (WISN) method rigorous enough to tell us how many nurses we need in a general hospital?

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the practical use of the Workload Indicators of Staffing Needs (WISN) method in a general hospital in Iran. This method was used to determine the staffing needs of nurses in various hospital units, and the study examined the gap between the theoretical calculations and the actual use of the data in the hospital. Data was collected through a mixed-method approach including observations, interviews, and document analysis. The results showed that the WISN method indicated a surplus of nursing staff and no work pressure on nurses. However, the method did not account for the complexity of nurses managing multiple tasks simultaneously, and the low bed occupancy and low hospital revenue raised concerns about the excess of nurses obtained by the WISN method. The study suggests that decision-making on staff arrangements should not be solely based on WISN's numbers, and modalities of nursing care should also be considered. While the WISN method is important in determining nurse workload, it must be used with other factors to ensure the standard of patient care is not compromised. This study contributes to the understanding of the practical use of the WISN method in the context of Iran's healthcare system.

Burnout due to Workload: Qualitative Study of Finance Unit Employees at XYZ Hospital Semarang

Hospitals, as critical and high-intensity work environments, often place significant pressure on employees. High workloads, such as long working hours, huge responsibilities, and tight time demands, can be the main factors that cause burnout. The purpose of this study is to determine the level of burnout in the financial unit at XYZ Hospital, determine the determinant factors, and find effective strategies to cope with and prevent the negative impact of burnout. This study uses a qualitative approach as a research model. The research subjects/informants in the research were groups that focused on employees in the financial unit. There were four subjects with female staff. The technique used in data collection is interviews. Data analysis uses several stages, including data reduction and conclusion. The study results show that most employees experience high levels of burnout. A high level of emotional exhaustion indicates that employees feel drained of energy and cannot deal effectively with work pressure. High depersonalization indicates a cold attitude towards colleagues and clients. In addition, low self-esteem suggests a lack of satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment at work.

Sealing performance analysis of pressure controller in pressure core sampling for seafloor drill

In order to improve the working reliability of pressure controller in the pressure core sampling for the seafloor drill, the challenges faced by the pressure controller in the working phase are analyzed. The working parameters of Y-ring on the pressure-retaining performance are analyzed. The optimization scheme of the working parameters for Y-ring is obtained and verified by sea trial. The conclusions are as follows: The gap extrusion degree of Y-ring is proportional to the working pressure. When the working pressure exceeds 20 MPa, the increase rate of the maximum contact stress increases. Under the condition that the friction coefficient is 0.1–0.4, the safety margin of the maximum contact stress is proportional to the friction coefficient. When the friction coefficient increases from 0.4 to 0.5, the safety margin decreases. Under the condition that the interference is 0.66–0.76 mm, the growth rate of the maximum Mises stress is slow. when the interference is 0.7 and 0.76 mm, the safety margin decreases. When the extrusion gap is 0.4–0.6 mm, the increase trend of safety margin is more obvious. When the extrusion gap is 0.6 mm, the growth rate of the maximum Mise stress increases. The success rate of the sealing cap installation is about 80%.

Sensitivities of critical operating conditions on proton exchange membrane fuel cell performance: an experimental study

Abstract The performance of the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) is subject to substantial influence from operating conditions. In this paper, the impact of various operating conditions on the polarization curves is examined through single-variable polarization curve tests. Notably, it is observed that the polarization curves intersected within the range of 1.0 A/cm2 to 1.5 A/cm2 under varying cathode inlet humidity and working pressure conditions. Expanding upon this observation, an orthogonal experiment is designed and executed to evaluate the sensitivity of PEMFC performance to diverse operating conditions under two distinct current densities of 1.0 A/cm2 and 2.0 A/cm2. Consequently, it is revealed that the output voltage, charge transfer impedance, and mass transfer impedance are most significantly influenced by three specific operating conditions: temperature, cathode inlet humidity, and stoichiometric ratio. Furthermore, as the current density increases, the dominant factors governing PEMFC performance have evolved from temperature-dominated charge transfer impedance to cathode stoichiometric ratio-dominated mass transfer impedance.

Numerical simulation of mechanical properties of composite high-pressure vessel for space application

Abstract A composite high-pressure vessel reinforced with T1000 carbon fiber and featuring an ultra-thin titanium lining for space applications is examined. Using the laminated plate theory for composite materials and the elastic-plastic theory for isotropic materials, a three-dimensional finite element model is developed. The pressure test results confirm the correctness of the finite element model. Under various internal pressure circumstances, the displacement and strain distribution of the metal liner and the laminated composite are compared and analyzed. It is shown that the composite vessel primarily deforms along the axial direction when the internal pressure is greater than the working pressure of the vessel. Only elastic deformation is present in the composite layer, but both plastic and elastic deformation are present in the ultra-thin titanium liner.

Human-in-the-loop optimization of rocker shoe to reduce plantar pressure and collision work simultaneously

BackgroundRocker shoes can be used to reduce foot pressure and adjust lower limb kinetics for various patient population, such as people with diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Selecting adequate properties of the rocker sole is of great importance for its efficacy. This study investigated the capability of human-in-the-loop optimization (HILO) to individually optimize apex position and angle of rocker shoe to reduce peak pressure and collision work simultaneously. MethodsPeak pressure, kinetic, and kinematic data were recorded from 10 healthy participants while walking at preferred speed wearing rocker shoes with adjustable apex position and angle. An evolutionary algorithm was used to find optimal apex parameters to reduce both peak pressure in medial forefoot and collision work. The optimized shoe (HILO shoe) was compared with generic optimal rocker settings (Chapman settings) and normal shoe. FindingsCompared to normal shoe, the HILO shoe had lower plantar pressure (pHILO = 0.007; pChapman = 0.044) and Chapman shoe showed higher collision work (pHILO = 0.025; pChapman = 0.014). Both HILO and Chapman shoe had smaller push-off work than normal shoe (pHILO = 0.001; pChapman < 0.001) with the Chapman shoe exhibited earlier push-off onset (pHILO = 0.257; pChapman = 0.016). InterpretationThe Human-in-the-loop optimization approach resulted in individualized apex settings which performed on average similar to Chapman settings but, were superior in selected cases. In these cases, medial forefoot could be further offloaded with apex angles larger than generic settings. The larger apex angle might increase the external ankle moment arm and push-off work. However, there is limited room for improvement on collision work compared to generic settings.

Observation of electron temperature anisotropy in the magnetic filter of a hot cathode discharge

Instabilities arising from electron temperature in an ambient magnetic field when measured parallel and perpendicular to it could influence plasma stability and have effect on plasma diffusion. A planar Langmuir probe measures this instability in the double plasma device in the magnetic filter field region and it is found that the electron temperature measured parallel and perpendicular to the filter region is not equal. This anisotropy is also found to vary with filament current and working pressure.

Exploring the Relationship between Work Pressure, Occupational Stress and Turnover Intention: A Case Study of Office Employees

Exploring the Relationship between Work Pressure, Occupational Stress and Turnover Intention: A Case Study of Office Employees