Working Day Research Articles

Microfiber emission from a municipal wastewater treatment plant in Hungary.

Since the ingestion of both natural and anthropogenic microfibers produces a deleterious effect on aquatic organisms, it is crucial to explore the emission of these pollutants by WWTPs into the receiving water bodies, such as rivers. Cellulose- and petroleum-based microfibers, as well as microplastic particles, were collected from the effluent of a municipal WWTP operating with activated sludge technology in Budapest, Hungary. During two sampling campaigns organized in February and April of 2023 on different working days and at different times of the day, 123-145 L of effluent was sieved and filtered. The organic matter was removed by hydrogen-peroxide treatment. All fibers and particles larger than 10µm were counted, and using a fluorescence microscope, the fibers were geometrically characterized in terms of length and diameter. Each fiber was individually identified by transflection-FT-IR method. The fiber concentration varied in the range of 1.88-2.84 and 4.25-6.79 items/L during the 7th and the 16th week of 2023, respectively. In February and April, the proportion of microfibers in the solid particles was 78.3 and 94.7%, respectively. In the effluent the cellulose-based microfibers were dominant (53-91%), while among the petroleum-based microfibers, polyester occurred most often. The median length of cellulose-based fibers was considerably higher in April than in February (650 vs. 1250µm), and simultaneously the median diameter also increased from 21 to 29µm. This behaviour was also seen, albeit to a lesser extent, in connection to microfibers derived from petroleum. The treated wastewater's daily microfiber transport to the Danube River varied between 0.44 -0.69 and 0.94-1.53 billion in February and April 2023, respectively.

Psychophysiological wellbeing in a class of dental students attending dental school: anxiety, burnout, post work executive performance and a 24 hours physiological investigation during a working day

AimTo the best of our knowledge, dental school students have never been evaluated for stress, anxiety, burnout, physiological indexes during a 24-h working day, and executive function performance post-work and post-work after returning from vacation; therefore, this research has been conducted.MethodsData were acquired at the Dental School of the University of Padua on 16 students in their 4th year, far from the exam session. While performing clinical activity on the dental chair and during a working day, electrodermal activity (EDA), heart rate variability (HRV), and heart rate (HR) were recorded. Participants’ stress was measured with the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10 scale) and anxiety with the General Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7) and State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y-2), while burnout with the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-HSS). Executive functions were evaluated using the Tower of London test (TOL-R).ResultsThree students (2F/1M) had a GAD-7 score ≥ 10. Five students (4F/1M) showed trait anxiety. Moderate levels of perceived stress were reported in 85% of participants. MBI-HSS showed that 7 participants scored high on emotional exhaustion and 7 on depersonalization. TOL-R performance (M = 15.85, SD = 4.01) was below the normative value p < 0.00001. A second test, after the holidays, showed normal values. EDA was higher during children’s treatment (p < 0.05), ANOVA showed high HR during working time (p < 0.001), and HRV was higher in males (p < 0.001).ConclusionBased on the sample size evaluated, it is reported that being a dental student has a moderate impact on stress, anxiety, and burnout while a strong impact on executive functions buffered by rest.

Embedded theoretical quality option pricing in Treasury bond futures—Starting from the definition deviation of conversion factor

AbstractUnlike ordinary futures, Treasury bond futures are a kind of complex financial derivatives with multiple Treasury bonds as the underlying, which can be settled on multiple dates. China's Treasury bond futures contract embeds a quality option, rolling timing option, and month end timing option, and these options restrict each other, making the pricing of Treasury bond futures extremely difficult. Quality option plays a dominant role in these three options. This article creatively divides quality options into theoretical quality option caused by the definition deviation of conversion factor and disturbance quality option caused by the market factors except for interest rate. Using the bond valuation method based on the yield to maturity curve, this article puts forward the embedded theoretical quality option and China's Treasury bond futures pricing models. For the empirical test, the dataset covers a 10‐year Treasury bond futures contract in 151 working days. The results show that the relative error between our model and the actual closing price of the Treasury bond futures is small compared with the cost of carry model, which excludes any embedded options. This research constructs a practical and straightforward pricing model of embedded theoretical quality option.

The Effect of the New Working Days System on Employees Productivity in Sharjah

Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Lastly, future research might consider longer-term data collection methods and more intricate ways to gauge how employees react to work-life balance based on four working days in a week. The HRM needs to reconsider the current economic climate because the employees have access to a variety of offers in the market. Therefore, it is beneficial for the organization to start providing perks to their potential employees. There is a high risk of employee turnover if they are not satisfied with the job, in this case, the implication of the four working days policy can benefit the workplace. By using relevant keywords like Work system design, job satisfaction, employee performance, productivity, and JEL codes (J24, J28, and M54) the study becomes more noticeable and accessible. Our study implications emphasized the importance of performance metrics, including productivity and job satisfaction.

Satisfaction with Remote Work Options Among Academic Library Employees: Implications for Recruitment and Retention

This article discusses results from a study of U.S. academic library employees’ satisfaction with their remote work options, the conditions under which they would consider leaving their position for one with remote work or better remote work options, and the extent to which they agree or disagree that remote work options can play a positive role in academic library employee recruitment and retention. The study’s Qualtrics-hosted survey was distributed through 18 listservs serving a range of library professional areas and was open for responses for one month in the autumn of 2022. The survey results reveal that 47% of participants were satisfied with their job’s remote work options or lack thereof and that approximately 83% of participants who do not have remote work options expressed dissatisfaction with their lack of options compared with approximately 43% of those who do have some remote work options. Also, approximately 27% of participants indicated that they would consider leaving their current position for one with remote work options or more remote work days, and a smaller percentage would even consider leaving for less pay. Further, 97% believed that providing employees with remote work options could play a positive role in academic library recruitment and retention. These findings address a gap in the academic library literature and may serve to inform recruitment and retention strategies among libraries.

PENGARUH PENGGUNAAN SARUNG TANGAN DENGAN BANTALAN DAN TAPPING TERHADAP PENURUNAN NYERI CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a disorder that occurs in the wrist where inside the wrist there is a carpal tunnel through which the median nerve passes, as a result of excessive movement or pressure on the carpal tunnel which causes irritation of the median nerve. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of using gloves with pads and taps to reduce carpal tunnel syndrome pain, this research method used a pre and post experimental design, as many as 50 people were given gloves with pads and taps, the research subject was someone who worked more than 3 hours riding a motorbike in 1 day, in When driving, the wrist gets pressure when slowing down the vehicle and when passing through winding roads. The research subjects used gloves for 10 working days in two weeks, and used tapping for 2 weeks with a duration of 1 day on for 8 hours, 1 day off. The results of this study were 31 men and 19 women with an average age of 32.2 years and a pain average of 4.54 before and after 1.84 on the vas scale. In the statistical tests carried out, the value p=0.0001 was obtained where p< 0.05 so it can be concluded that the use of gloves and taps can reduce pain in cases of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Not All Days Were Created Equal-Better Day Orientation Following the Weekend on Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE).

The aim of this study was to test whether patients are better oriented to the day on the first working day following the weekend (in Israel-Sunday), compared with other weekdays, on the Mini-Mental Score Examination (MMSE). All MMSE scores from November 2016 until December 2022 in our mental health center's computerized system were collected. The proportion of correct answers to orientation to the day was compared between weekdays. The cohort consisted of 2049 MMSEs taken by 1376 patients [average age 80.3 (SD=9.3), 56.4% female]. The difference between the proportion of correct and incorrect answers was statistically significant between the days, of which Sundays showed a larger difference (53.4%) compared with the other days (χ2=20.77, P<0.001, Cramer V=0.104). A statistically significant odds ratio (OR) for providing a correct response was found for Sundays (OR=1.55, P=0.001) and, to a lesser extent, on Thursdays (OR=1.29, P=0.01). The difference between Sundays and other weekdays disappears as the total MMSE decreases. Day orientation on the MMSE may be better on the first day following the weekend, especially in early cognitive decline. The weekday in which the MMSE is performed may influence its results.

A new molecular method for fast differentiation of cockles Cerastoderma edule and Cerastoderma glaucum

AbstractCerastoderma edule and C. glaucum are two species of cockles that co-exist in European waters. They are morphologically similar but exhibit remarkable differences in biological, ecological, and genetic aspects, as well as in resistance to parasites (e.g., Martellia cochilia) and in disease incidence (e.g., disseminated neoplasia). Moreover, they differ in their economic significance; while C. edule represents a highly valuable marine resource, C. glaucum is only marginally fished. The aim of this work was to develop a simple and fast method that, for the first time, uses the sequence of a mitochondrial gene for the molecular differentiation of the two cockle species. A total of 304 partial sequences of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene, retrieved from the Nucleotide database, were used to design two sets of species-specific primers to generate PCR products of different sizes (322 bp in C. glaucum and 247 bp in C. edule). The discriminatory ability of the PCR assay was tested in cockles from the Spanish, French, and Italian coasts with successful differentiation in all cases. This novel molecular identification method requires minimal technical equipment and can be carried out in one working day. For its simplicity, it can be very useful for conservation and sustainable management of the two cockle species, facilitating the assessment of distribution, abundance and relative sensitivity to viruses, parasites and diseases.

Activities of the oral health teams in primary health care: a time-motion study

BackgroundEfficient planning of the oral health workforce in Primary Health Care (PHC) is paramount to ensure equitable community access to services. This requires a meticulous examination of the population’s needs, strategic distribution of oral health professionals, and effective human resource management. In this context, the average time spent on care to meet the needs of users/families/communities is the central variable in healthcare professional workforce planning methods. However, many time measures are solely based on professional judgment or experience.ObjectiveCalculate the average time parameters for the activities carried out by the oral health team in primary health care.MethodThis is a descriptive observational study using the time-motion method carried out in five Primary Health Care Units in the city of São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Direct and continuous observation of oral health team members occurred for 40 h spread over five days of a typical work week.ResultsA total of 696.05 h of observation were conducted with 12 Dentists, three Oral Health Assistants, and five Oral Health Technicians. The Dentists’ main activity was consultation with an average duration of 24.39 min, which took up 42.36% of their working time, followed by documentation with 12.15%. Oral Health Assistants spent 31.57% of their time on infection control, while Oral Health Technicians spent 22.37% on documentation.ConclusionThe study establishes time standards for the activities performed by the dental care team and provides support for the application of workforce planning methods that allow for review and optimization of the work process and public policies.

Using Heart Rate Variability to Assess Nurses' Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This study aimed to assess subjective and objective parameters of stress among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic and to examine the recovery effect of a day off. In this prospective observational trial, we measured heart rate variability (using a wearable device) and perceived stress levels on 3 working days and 1 day off. We obtained the following data using an online questionnaire: working conditions, COVID-19-related problems, depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7), effort-reward imbalance, and work-family conflict in a sample of German nurses (N = 41). When comparing working days with a day off, we observed a significant difference for physical load (Cohen's d = 0.798, P < .001), mental load (Cohen's d = 0.660, P = .001), emotional exhaustion (Cohen's d = 0.945, P < .001), and overburdening (Cohen's d = 0.585, P = .002) with higher scores on working days. Regarding heart rate variability, we did not find a difference. Correlational analyses revealed a significant association between being afraid to get infected with COVID-19 and lower heart rate variability (r = -0.336, P = .045) and between being afraid to infect relatives and lower heart rate variability (r = -0.442, P = .007). Furthermore, a higher total sum score of work-family conflict was significantly associated with lower heart rate variability (r = -0.424, P = .01). As heart rate variability observations were different from those regarding subjectively perceived stress, further studies are needed to evaluate and differentiate the influence of work stress and other types of stress on heart rate variability.

'You never know when you will need an antibiotic': A qualitative study of structural barriers and cultural assumptions in antibiotic misuse among immigrants in the United States.

The use of nonprescribed antibiotics increases the risk of antibiotic resistance, which is a primary public health concern of the 21st century. This study explores structural and cultural determinants of antibiotic misuse among immigrants living in the United States who arrived from home countries with easier access to antibiotics. Adopting a qualitative approach, we interviewed 34 immigrants living in the United States and who had traveled back to their home countries within 1year of the interview. We followed the steps of constructive grounded theory to analyze the data. We found two primary influences of immigrants' use of nonprescribed antibiotics. The first was structural barriers to health care access in the host country, including insurance coverage, cost of an emergency department visit, cost of missing a paid day of work, complexity of the healthcare system, and communication issues with health care providers. The second was participants' cultural assumptions, including their experiences of antibiotics use, beliefs about antibiotics, a habit of self-medication, and uncertainty about future medical needs. This study informs policymakers concerned with combating antibiotic resistance. Promoting antibiotic stewardship among immigrants from countries with lax antibiotic-prescribing practices and improving access to appropriate channels for preventative and same-day care may reduce the inappropriate use of antibiotics.

How the association of time pressure with work engagement and affect depends on workers’ sensation seeking: a daily diary study

ABSTRACT Drawing upon the challenge-hindrance framework and activation theory, this study investigated the quadratic relationship of daily time pressure with daily work engagement and daily affect. Moreover, the moderating role of sensation seeking in these relationships was investigated. Over two consecutive work weeks (10 work days), participants answered questionnaires on their time pressure, work engagement, positive affect, and negative affect. Data of 133 workers were analysed using hierarchical linear modelling. Random slopes analyses revealed a linear main effect of time pressure on work engagement after controlling for other variables. A linear main effect was also identified for negative affect. For work engagement and negative affect, cross-level interactions of time pressure and sensation seeking were found. The relationship between time pressure and work engagement was positive for high sensation seekers, whereas no relationship was found for low sensation seekers. Moreover, the results revealed a positive linear relationship between time pressure and negative affect for low sensation seekers and a U-shaped relationship for high sensation seekers. The findings contribute to the ongoing discussion on the challenging and hindering effects of time pressure, highlighting that it may depend on employees’ sensation seeking disposition whether time pressure acts as a challenge or a hindrance demand.

Factors influencing uptake of protective behaviours by healthcare workers in England during the COVID-19 pandemic: A theory-based mixed-methods study.

Hospital infection control policies protect patients and healthcare workers (HCWs) and limit the spread of pathogens, but adherence to COVID-19 guidance varies. We examined hospital HCWs' enactment of social distancing and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic, factors influencing these behaviours, and acceptability and feasibility of strategies to increase social distancing. An online, cross-sectional survey (n = 86) and semi-structured interviews (n = 22) with HCWs in two English hospitals during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (May-December 2020). The Capability, Opportunity, Motivation (COM-B) model of behaviour change underpinned survey and topic guide questions. Spearman Rho correlations examined associations between COM-B domains and behaviours. Interviews were analysed using inductive and deductive thematic analysis. Potential strategies to improve social distancing were selected using the Behaviour Change Wheel and discussed in a stakeholder workshop (n = 8 participants). Social distancing enactment was low, with 85% of participants reporting very frequently or always being in close contact with others in communal areas. PPE use was high (88% very frequently or always using PPE in typical working day). Social distancing was associated with Physical Opportunity (e.g., size of physical space), Psychological Capability (e.g., clarity of guidance), and Social Opportunity (e.g., support from managers). Use of PPE was associated with Psychological Capability (e.g., training), Physical Opportunity (e.g., availability), Social Opportunity (e.g., impact on interactions with patients), and Reflective Motivation (e.g., beliefs that PPE is effective). Local champions and team competition were viewed as feasible strategies to improve social distancing. It is valuable to understand and compare the drivers of individual protective behaviours; when faced with the same level of perceived threat, PPE use was high whereas social distancing was rarely enacted. Identified influences represent targets for intervention strategies in response to future infectious disease outbreaks.

Working from home during COVID-19: boundary management tactics and energy resources management strategies reported by public service employees in a qualitative study

BackgroundIncreased working from home has imposed new challenges on public service employees, while also granting opportunities for job crafting. Grounding on the Job Demands-Resources model and Hobfoll’s Conservation of Resources theory this exploratory research aims to investigate the work-nonwork balance of employees one and a half years after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the research focus lies on employees’ job crafting strategies to optimize their working from home experience concerning boundary management and energy resource management.MethodsTwelve semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with public service employees from different sectors in Germany. The experiences were content analyzed using the software MaxQDA and inductive and deductive categories were derived.ResultsBoundary management comprised different strategies such as communicative (e.g., negotiating work time), physical (e.g., going to the garden), temporal (e.g., logging off in between the work day) and behavioral (e.g., prioritizing tasks) strategies. The job crafting strategies regarding energy management included preventing exhaustion (e.g. taking breaks), healthy cooking and energy management in case of sickness (e.g. deciding on sick leave).ConclusionsThis qualitative case study enriches research on job crafting by offering insights on boundary tactics and energy resources management strategies for remote working during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results point out different starting points for employees and decision makers, how a work-nonwork balance, energy management and thus employees’ wellbeing may be increased when working from home in the future.Trial registrationThe study design and methodology were approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Cologne and the study was prospectively registered (Ref No. 21-1417_1).

Do Iranian Female Dancers Face a Risk of Chronic Negative Energy Balance? A Study on Energy Intake and Expenditure Among Non-professional Female Dancers

Background: Female dancers are at risk of negative energy balance and its adverse effects. However, there is no evidence regarding the energy balance of Iranian female dancers in the literature. Methods: In a cross-sectional study of 25 female nonprofessional dancers, dietary intake was assessed using self-reported food diaries and recall interviews on three different days: One dance day, one workday without dance, and one weekend day without dance. Nutrient intake was analyzed and converted into protein, carbohydrate, and fat components, and subsequently into energy equivalents. Total energy expenditure was calculated based on physical activity measurements taken on dance, work, and rest days. The average daily energy intake and expenditure over a 7-day period were then compared. Results: Significant daily energy deficiency was observed based on the average over 7 days (- 772.7 kcal +/- 450 kcal, P-value &lt; 0.05). Dancers consumed less protein and carbohydrates and more fat than the recommended daily values (P-value &lt; 0.05). Conclusions: It appears that Iranian female dancers suffer from negative energy balance and nutritional malpractice. This may be related to underlying eating disorders or perceptions of body image, as well as inadequate nutritional knowledge. Consulting experienced sports nutritionists and other necessary specialists is recommended.

Public health and economic benefits of seasonal influenza vaccination in risk groups in France, Italy, Spain and the UK: state of play and perspectives

BackgroundSeasonal influenza epidemics have a substantial public health and economic burden, which can be alleviated through vaccination. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a 75% vaccination coverage rate (VCR) in: older adults (aged ≥ 65 years), individuals with chronic conditions, pregnant women, children aged 6–24 months and healthcare workers. However, no European country achieves this target in all risk groups. In this study, potential public health and economic benefits achieved by reaching 75% influenza VCR was estimated in risk groups across four European countries: France, Italy, Spain, and the UK.MethodsA static epidemiological model was used to estimate the averted public health and economic burden of increasing the 2021/2022 season VCR to 75%, using the efficacy data of standard-dose quadrivalent influenza vaccine. For each country and risk group, the most recent data on population size, VCR, pre-pandemic influenza epidemiology, direct medical costs and absenteeism were identified through a systematic literature review, supplemented by manual searching. Outcomes were: averted influenza cases, general practitioner (GP) visits, hospitalisations, case fatalities, number of days of work lost, direct medical costs and absenteeism-related costs.ResultsAs of the 2021/2022 season, the UK achieved the highest weighted VCR across risk groups (65%), followed by Spain (47%), France (44%) and Italy (44%). Based on modelling, the 2021/2022 VCR prevented an estimated 1.9 million influenza cases, avoiding 375,200 GP visits, 73,200 hospitalisations and 38,400 deaths. To achieve the WHO 75% VCR target, an additional 24 million at-risk individuals would need to be vaccinated, most of which being older adults and patients with chronic conditions. It was estimated that this could avoid a further 918,200 influenza cases, 332,000 GP visits, 16,300 hospitalisations and 6,300 deaths across the four countries, with older adults accounting for 52% of hospitalisations and 80% of deaths. An additional €84 million in direct medical costs and €79 million in absenteeism costs would be saved in total, with most economic benefits delivered in France.ConclusionsOlder adults represent most vaccine-preventable influenza cases and deaths, followed by individuals with chronic conditions. Health authorities should prioritise vaccinating these populations for maximum public health and economic benefits.

Factors predicting the adhesion and prolonged lost days of work in patients with extensor tendon adhesion of the hand.

Extensor tendon adhesion receive less attention recently. This study aims to analyze influencing factors of adhesion and prolonged lost days of work in patients with extensor tendon adhesion of the hand. We performed a retrospective study in patients with extensor tendon injuries who underwent primary surgical repair and early rehabilitation. We observed the differences between non-tendon adhesion and adhesion patients after surgical repair, and used the receiver operating characteristic curve to distinguish them. Then we explored the influencing factors of adhesion. In addition, we studied the lost days of work and the influencing factors. A total of 305 patients were included. 24.6% patients appeared tendon adhesion and the mean lost days of work was 12 weeks. MHISS scores, VAS scores, occupation and blood triglyceride level were the influencing factors of adhesion. The adhesion patients have increased MHISS scores (p < 0.001), VAS scores (p < 0.001), blood triglyceride levels (p < 0.001) and lost days of work (p < 0.001) than non-tendon adhesion. The optimal cut-off value of blood triglyceride level to distinguish non-tendon adhesion from adhesion was 1.625 mml/L, and MHISS scores was 20.5. Smoking, MHISS scores, blood triglyceride levels were the influencing factors of lost days of work in adhesion patients. There was positive correlation between lost days of work and triglyceride level (r = 0.307, p = 0.007), and MHISS scores (r = 0.276, p = 0.016). To minimize the occurrence of adhesion, doctors should pay attention to patients with higher MHISS and VAS scores, blood triglyceride levels, especial for the blue-collar and unemployed one. High triglyceride level may be a new influencing factor.

Ad Libitum Drinking Prevents Body Mass Loss Across Consecutive Workdays in Heat

Hydration practices across consecutive days of heavy-intensity work in heat when fluid is freely available is unknown. Without this information it remains unknown whether hydration modifies heat strain under hot working conditions and whether worker recommendations adequately maintain hydration status. We hypothesized that participants would maintain hydration status including daily percent change in body mass across workdays. Fifteen healthy, unacclimated participants (7 Females, Age: 27±6 y, Body mass: 75.0±14.4 kg, Body fat: 26.6±5.8%) completed three consecutive days (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3) of 4 h of 395±10 W work to a work/rest cycle of 45/15 min in a 36.3±0.8°C, 21±5% relative humidity environment. Participants were offered 237 mL of a sport drink every 20 min to consume ad libitum. Urine flow rate (UFR) was measured before work. Urine specific gravity (USG) and nude body mass were measured before and after work. Thirst and fluid consumption were measured throughout work. USG before work was not different between Day 1 (1.013±0.010) and Day 2 (1.013±0.010, p=0.822), but was greater before work on Day 3 (1.015±0.010, p=0.046) compared to Day 2. Change in USG from before to after work was not different between Day 1 (+0.003±0.008) and Day 2 (+0.000±0.006, p=0.123), but was lower on Day 3 (-0.002±0.006, p=0.021) compared to Day 1, with no difference between Day 2 and Day 3 (p=0.058). Before work body mass was not different across days (p=0.103). Daily percent change in body mass was not different across days (p=0.366, Day 1: 0.53±1.11%, Day 2: 0.18±0.95%, Day 3: 0.18±0.81%), indicating weight gain each day. Sweat rate (p=0.790) and UFR (p=0.469) were not different among days. Participants consumed 77±18% (Day 1), 82±19% (Day 2), and 82±16% (Day 3) of fluid offered (p=0.401), equaling 31±10 mL/kg (Day 1), 33±11 mL/kg (Day 2), 33±10 mL/kg (Day 3) (p=0.370). Maximum thirst was greater on Day 1 (3.5±1.1) compared to Day 3 (2.9±1.0, p=0.045) with no difference between Day 1 and Day 2 (3.4±1.4, p=0.648) or between Day 2 and Day 3 (p=0.121). This study demonstrates consistent hydration practices and no differences in hydration status across three consecutive days of high-intensity work in heat when fluid is freely available. Under these conditions, workers can consume fluids ad libitum and worker recommendations for hydration during heat stress should be revisited. This project was funded my the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (1K01OH012016-01A1). This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Females Maintain Fluid Balance across Consecutive Workdays in Heat When Fluids are Readily Accessible

Workers should aim to fully replace fluid losses during work in the heat to maintain work productivity and minimize risk of heat illnesses, however, fluid balance of females working during consecutive days in the heat is unknown. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that females would maintain fluid balance during work across two consecutive workdays. Eight healthy females (age: 29±5, body mass: 75.3±20.1, body fat: 23±8%) completed two consecutive days (Day 1, Day 2) of heavy intensity work in a hot environment (35.9±1.2°C, 24±6% relative humidity). Work consisted of repeated 45/15 work/rest cycles of treadmill walking or cycling at 398±7 W of metabolic heat production and seated rest for 4 h. Every 20 min, participants were provided 237 mL of a sport drink to consume ad libitum. Urine flow rate (UFR) was measured before work. Urine specific gravity (USG) and nude body mass were measured before and after work. Fluid volume consumed and thirst (9-point Likert scale, 1=not thirsty at all, 9=very, very thirsty) were measured during work. Two-way repeated measures analysis of variance and paired samples t-tests were used to compare differences. Significance was set at p≤0.05. Percent body mass loss was not different between Day 1 (0.69±0.82%) and Day 2 (0.96±2.25%, p=0.935). Similarly, sweat rate was not different between Day 1 (0.57±0.12 L/h) and Day 2 (0.65±0.21 L/h, p=0.312). Participants consumed less fluid on Day 1 (64±21%, 25±10 mL/kg) compared to Day 2 (74±20%, p=0.026; 29±10 mL/kg, p=0.025). Participants consumed 68±19% and 77±20% (p=0.040) of fluid offered during work and 55±27% and 66±22% (p=0.173) of fluid offered during rest on Day 1 and Day 2, respectively. Resting thirst (Day 1: 2.1±1.1, Day 2: 1.6±0.5, p=0.096), change in thirst (Day 1: -0.5±0.9, Day 2: +0.3±1.3, p=0.111) and maximum thirst (Day 1: 3.6±1.1, Day 2: 3.6±1.4, p=1.000) were not different between days. USG was not different (p=0.839) across days before (Day 1: 1.009±0.010, Day 2: 1.009±0.010) or after (Day 1: 1.012±1.010, Day 2: 1.012±0.010) work, respectively. UFR was not different between days (Day 1: 2.2±1.4 mL/min, Day 2: 2.0±1.2 mL/min, p=0.836). Females completing heavy intensity work in heat maintained fluid balance across two consecutive days when fluids were readily accessible. Ad libitum fluid consumption may be suffcient to adequately replace fluid losses in females across consecutive days of work in heat. This project was funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (1K01OH012016-01A1). This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Advancing biohydrogen production from organic fraction of municipal solid waste through thermal liquefaction

The study aims to examine the sustainability assessment within the circular bioeconomy of biohydrogen production from separated biomass from municipal solid waste (MSW). Successive biohydrogen production from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) was deployed using hydrothermal liquefication in an innovative small-scale biorefinery system. The biomass was separated by the municipal solid and was dried, shredded, grinded and chopped before conversion. The feedstock was mixed with nickel oxide (5 % w/w) and saturated in distilled water with an 85 % volume-to-mass ratio. Temperature (200–400 °C) and pressure (7–25 MPa) were provided for a retention time of about 60 min with regular agitation. The optimization of parameters produced 207.3 kg of biohydrogen and 17.5 L of bio-oil, respectively. The economic assessment results revealed the feasibility of biohydrogen production with a total revenue of 13,669.02 $ per day and 306,718.4 $ in a month of 22 working days in a single shift of 8 h. The internal cost, capital sum (5,374,575.5 $) and operation cost (169,680.5 $) were calculated to 848,022.7 $. Notably, the top environmental impact emissions were recorded, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), Non-methane volatile organic compound (NMVOC), particulate matter (PM), and sulfur dioxide with total external cost of 9.15 $. Thus, the life cycle costing was calculated at 848,031.84 $. The economic assessment revealed that photovoltaic energy instead of grid-mix energy reduces the environmental dilemma as Fine particulate matter formation from 0.25 kg PM2.5 eq. to 0.05 kg PM2.5 eq., Terrestrial ecotoxicity from 75.8 kg 1,4-DB eq. to 17.2 kg 1,4-DB eq., and Ionization radiation from 0.22 kBq Co-60 eq. to air to 0.06 kBq Co-60 eq. to air. Thus, it is proven that biohydrogen production from organic fraction of municipal solid waste is a win-win-win situation.