Working Time Reduction Research Articles

Effect of dental headlights spectrum on the polymerization and working time of light-cured resin composites.

BackgroundThe use of dental headlights is a common practice to better illuminate the operatory field and achieve excellence in restorative dentistry. However, visible light-cured dental materials can have reduced working time under headlight illumination. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the spectral irradiance power of two dental headlights on the degree of polymerization and working time of light-curable dental composites. Material and MethodsTwo headlights, StarLight Nano 3 (StarMed) (SN) and Zeon Endevour XL (Orascoptic) (ZE) were characterized using a spectrophotometer coupled to an integrating sphere (MARC® Light Collector, BlueLight Analytics). The degree of conversion of the two composites, Filtek Supreme (3M) and Tetric Prime (Ivoclar Vivadent), was evaluated using an FTIR spectroscope (NicoletTM iS20, Thermo Fisher). ResultsBoth headlights emitted a significant amount of blue light. The Zeon headlamp without filter emitted a broader spectrum with lower blue intensity and higher CRI than the White LED of the Nano 3. The Zeon headlamp with the blue blocking filter emitted a broader spectrum than the Orange LED of the Nano 3. There were no differences in the degree of conversion and working time of the Filtek Supreme and Tetric Prime composites when illuminated by the different headlamps. Both Zeon and the White LED of the Nano 3 were capable to cure the composites within only 5-10 minutes of irradiation. There were no changes in the degree of conversion of the composites when the Orange LED of the Nano 3 or the blue blocking filter of the Zeon were used. ConclusionsBoth headlights reduced the working time of light-cured materials. The use of orange filters prevented the composite polymerization and maintained the working time. Key words:Surgical Headlight, degree of conversion, working time, light-curing.

Labour markets in a Post-Keynesian growth model: the effects of endogenous productivity growth and working-time reduction*

The paper studies endogenous employment and distribution dynamics in a Post-Keynesian growth model of the Kalecki–Steindl tradition. Productivity adjustments stabilise employment and the labour share in the long run: technological change allows firms to replenish the reserve army of workers in a struggle over income shares and thereby keeps wage demands in check. Labour market dynamics follow from separate wage and price curves. The authors discuss stability conditions and the equilibrium dynamics and investigate how legal working time and its reduction affect this equilibrium.

Short-Time Work and Precautionary Savings

In the Covid-19 crisis, most OECD countries use short-time work schemes (subsidized working time reductions) to preserve employment relationships. This paper studies whether short-time work can save jobs through stabilizing aggregate demand in recessions. We build a New Keynesian model with incomplete asset markets and labor market frictions, featuring an endogenous firing as well as a short-time work decision. In recessions, short-time work reduces the unemployment risk of workers, which mitigates their precautionary savings motive and aggregate demand falls by less. Using a quantitative model analysis, we show that this channel can increase the stabilization potential of short-time work over the business cycle up to 55%, even more when monetary policy is constrained by the zero lower bound. Further, an increase of the short-time work replacement rate can be more effective compared to an increase of the unemployment benefit replacement rate.

The Employment Effects of Working Time Reductions: Sector-Level Evidence from European Reforms

The Employment Effects of Working Time Reductions: Sector-Level Evidence from European Reforms

Towards a new working time paradigm? Public support for trade union demands for working time reduction

Recent societal developments such as the significant increase in female employment or digitalization challenge existing working time regimes. As part of its 2017/18 collective bargaining position, the IG Metall demanded a right to reduce working hours with partial wage compensation by the employer. Using data from the German Internet Panel we address the question of which groups among the working population support this demand. Our analysis proves the existence of traditional conflict lines: union members are in favour of the demand, while high earners and self-employed reject it. However, based on theoretical assumptions on value change, we argue that a second conflict line between libertarian and conservative values is important. Results show that support for this demand is influenced by individual preferences for a better work-life balance, especially high among young people and supporters of the Green party. This is an example of the union’s attempts to broaden its member base. Additionally, our analysis can contribute to the discussion of reduced working hours in the context of the Corona pandemic imposed short-time work.

COLLECTIVE AGREEMENTS IN THE ANTI-CRISIS SHIELD

In response to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Anti-Crisis Shield has been enacted, which provides, inter alia, for the possibility to conclude collective agreements introducing economic demurrage, reduced working time, equivalent working time combined with prolongation of the settlement period to 12 months and less favourable conditions of employment of employees than those arising from the employment contracts concluded with them. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the above agreements and to try to assess whether they have been given the correct legal shape.

Man vs. machine: comparison of pharmacogenetic expert counselling with a clinical medication support system in a study with 200 genotyped patients

BackgroundMedication problems such as strong side effects or inefficacy occur frequently. At our university hospital, a consultation group of specialists takes care of patients suffering from medication problems. Nevertheless, the counselling of poly-treated patients is complex, as it requires the consideration of a large network of interactions between drugs and their targets, their metabolizing enzymes, and their transporters, etc.PurposeThis study aims to check whether a score-based decision-support system (1) reduces the time and effort and (2) suggests solutions at the same quality level.Patients and methodsA total of 200 multimorbid, poly-treated patients with medication problems were included. All patients were considered twice: manually, as clinically established, and using the Drug-PIN decision-support system. Besides diagnoses, lab data (kidney, liver), phenotype (age, gender, BMI, habits), and genotype (genetic variants with actionable clinical evidence I or IIa) were considered, to eliminate potentially inappropriate medications and to select individually favourable drugs from existing medication classes. The algorithm is connected to automatically updated knowledge resources to provide reproducible up-to-date decision support.ResultsThe average turnaround time for manual poly-therapy counselling per patient ranges from 3 to 6 working hours, while it can be reduced to ten minutes using Drug-PIN. At the same time, the results of the novel computerized approach coincide with the manual approach at a level of > 90%. The holistic medication score can be used to find favourable drugs within a class of drugs and also to judge the severity of medication problems, to identify critical cases early and automatically.ConclusionWith the computerized version of this approach, it became possible to score all combinations of all alternative drugs from each class of drugs administered (“personalized medication landscape “) and to identify critical patients even before problems are reported (“medication alert”). Careful comparison of manual and score-based results shows that the incomplete manual consideration of genetic specialties and pharmacokinetic conflicts is responsible for most of the (minor) deviations between the two approaches. The meaning of the reduction of working time for experts by about 2 orders of magnitude should not be underestimated, as it enables practical application of personalized medicine in clinical routine.

When parents wish to reduce their work hours: Does sorting into occupations and work organizations explain gender differences in working-time adjustments?

Objective: This study investigates whether sorting into occupations and work organizations contributes to gender differences in parents’ likelihood to reduce their working hours.
 Background: While mothers reduce their work hours to reconcile their work and personal lives, fathers increasingly wish to reduce their hours but face obstacles to doing so. Mismatches between parents' desired and actual work hours prompt the question of whether fathers' realization of working-time reductions is constrained due to their sorting into more time-intensive occupations and/or work organizations.
 Method: Cross-classified multilevel models were applied to German linked employer-employee data analyzing gender differences in parents' likelihood of reducing work hours. Including sorting indicators, the question of whether differences in full-time employed mothers' and fathers' working-time reductions were driven by sorting into different work contexts (occupations/work organizations) was explored.
 Results: The results confirmed that full-time employed mothers are more likely to reduce their work hours than full-time employed fathers. While occupations play almost no role in determining working-time adjustments, work context does at least partly contribute to parents’ variation in working-time reductions. However, neither gendered sorting into occupations nor gendered sorting into work organizations explained gender differences in parents’ likelihood of scaling back their work hours.
 Conclusion: It is concluded that gender differences in German parents' reduction of working hours rather respond to traditional gender norms than being influenced by the different occupations or work organizations mothers and fathers sort themselves into.

The impact of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic on employment and firm revenues in Hungary

Abstract Relying on the Labour Force Survey and the monthly revenue statistics of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office, we assess the immediate economic impact of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the first two quarters of 2020. We first analyse the role of job loss, working time reduction, downtime, and telework in adjustment to the crisis. The findings reveal an even more serious setback and increase in inequality than in 2008–2009. School leavers, young workers and unskilled laborers were particularly severely affected. Graduates were less likely to lose their jobs, more likely to switch to telework, and their employers faced a smaller decrease in sales revenue. The revenues of foreign-owned exporters fell more than the average in March but recovered by June. The decline experienced by businesses in the Hungarian ownership was slower but more prolonged.

Working time, inequality and carbon emissions in the United States: A multi-dividend approach to climate change mitigation

Moving beyond mainstream approaches to climate change mitigation that focus primarily on technological advancements, proponents of a working time reduction argue that it is a multi-dividend sustainability policy that can simultaneously reduce environmental pressures while improving other social and economic outcomes. While research in this area generally finds significant positive associations between working hours and various environmental outcomes, one question that remains unexamined is how other structural factors might shape this relationship. This study advances research on the environmental consequences of working hours by considering how inequality moderates the relationship between average working hours and CO2 emissions across US states from 2005 to 2015. Integrating arguments from literatures on the environmental consequences of inequality and working hours, I propose that inequality amplifies the effects of working hours on emissions by increasing the overall scale of consumption and shaping the composition of that consumption to be more environmentally intensive. Results of two-way fixed-effects regression models provide support for this proposition. The findings indicate that the effects of average working hours on emissions increase in magnitude at higher levels of inequality. This study advances the understanding of the mechanisms behind working time and inequality that shape emissions. The findings also suggest that policies aimed at reducing inequality while simultaneously reducing pressures for longer working hours are likely to be socially and ecologically beneficial while also potentially mitigating the possibility of rebound effects.

Social Policy Without Growth: Moving Towards Sustainable Welfare States

Growth-dependent welfare states contribute to climate emergency. The ecological economics, degrowth, and sustainable welfare literatures demonstrate that to re-embed Western production and consumption patterns in environmental limits, an encompassing social-ecological transformation would need to be initiated very soon. This article focuses on the potential roles of the welfare state and social policy in this transformation, applying the concepts of ‘sustainable welfare’ and ‘safe-operating space’. Based on two Swedish studies, it also provides an empirical analysis of the popularity of selected eco-social policies designed to steer the economy and society towards this space: maximum and basic incomes, taxes on wealth and meat, as well as working time reductions. In analogy to the historical role of the state in reconstituting the welfare-work nexus in the post-WWII era and its present engagement in the context of the Covid-19 crisis, it is argued that a more interventionist state is required to grapple with climate emergency.

Impact of sleep disturbances on employment and work productivity among midlife women in the US SWAN database: a brief report.

Objective:Menopause is associated with an increased prevalence of sleep difficulties. We evaluated the economic burden of sleep disturbances among working midlife women.Methods:This retrospective, longitudinal cohort study collected data from the US Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) database of women age 42-52 years at enrollment. We assessed the association between sleep disturbances (trouble falling asleep, waking early, or nocturnal awakenings) and workplace productivity (employment [yes/no] and work hours/wk) for women who were employed at the baseline visit and had ≥1 follow-up visit. We estimated overall economic burden by multiplying changes in productivity by median age-specific hourly US wages. Each woman's data were compared from visit to visit and were excluded after the first observed unemployment. Regression analysis was used to estimate associations between changes in sleep and changes in workplace productivity while controlling for relevant characteristics that varied over time.Results:The analysis included 2,489 working women (19,707 visits); 31% became unemployed during follow-up. Risk of unemployment was 31% higher for women with versus without new-onset sleep disturbances (P = 0.0474). Onset of sleep disturbances was associated with a 0.44-0.57 hours/wk reduction in work time (not significant). Using the more conservative reduction (0.44 h), sleep problems were associated with an annual loss of $517 to $524 per woman and $2.2 billion/yr in lost productivity among women age 42-64 nationwide.Conclusions:New-onset sleep problems in midlife women are associated with significant increases in risk of unemployment and ∼$2 billion/yr in lost productivity nationwide.Video Summary:.

Analisis Produktivitas Tukang Batu Bata Pada Proyek Pembangunan Asrama Puteri Mandala Wangi 2 di Kota Kendari

Productivity is one of the fundamental factors that influences the ability of performance in the construction industry. Increasedproductivity will reduce work time, and will reduce costs, especiallylabor costs so that the minimum labor cost is obtained (labor costs)to get competitive prices both for auction and implementation. Thepurpose of this study is to analyze the labor productivity time incompleting 1 m2 of masonry bricks and to analyze the productivityvalue of brick masons in completing work activities in the constructionproject of the Mandala Wangi 2 female dormitory. The results showedthat the time required to complete 1 m2 of brick laying work was 41.13minutes on average. The productivity of the artisans working on the 1stfloor is an average of 1.45 m2/hr. Meanwhile, the productivity ofcraftsmen working on the 2nd floor is an average of 1.47 m2/hr.

The economic effects of improved precipitation forecasts in the United States due to better commuting decisions

AbstractEach year the U.S. government makes significant investments in improving weather forecasts from numerical weather prediction models that are run operationally within the National Weather Service. Although the primary purpose is saving lives and property, more accurate forecasts can create substantial efficiency gains when they elicit improved behavioral responses. One example involves commuters, who make daily decisions about when to leave for work based, in part, on expected road conditions. When workers account for potential weather delays, economic losses due to missed work time are reduced. Economists have often looked at such questions with cost‐loss models, a partial equilibrium approach investigating gains to individual agents. We extend this idea to examine economy‐wide effects, embedding a behavioral model of time allocation with improved information into eight regional computable general equilibrium models of the US economy. Our primary mechanism is that reductions in lost work time lead to gains in firm‐level output. This study evaluates the economic impact of improvements to the High‐Resolution Rapid Refresh weather forecast models over three different versions on commuting. Aggregating results from comparisons between old and new versions of the HRRR for 206 metropolitan statistical areas, we find that forecasting improvements lead to smaller losses in work time, creating notable gains to the U.S. economy.

Intraoral scanning reduces procedure time and improves patient comfort in fixed prosthodontics and implant dentistry: a systematic review.

ObjectivesThe primary aim of this systematic review was to evaluate whether intraoral scanning (IOS) is able to reduce working time and improve patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) compared to conventional impression (CI) techniques, taking into account the size of the scanned area. The secondary aim was to verify the effectiveness of IOS procedures based on available prosthodontic outcomes.Materials and methodsElectronic and manual literature searches were performed to collect evidence concerning the outcomes of IOS and CI performed during the treatment of partially and complete edentulous patients for tooth- or implant-supported restorations. Qualitative analysis was conducted to evaluate the time efficiency and PROMs produced by the two different techniques. Clinical prosthodontic outcomes were analyzed among the included studies when available.ResultsSeventeen studies (9 randomized controlled trials and 8 prospective clinical studies) were selected for qualitative synthesis. The 17 included studies provided data from 430 IOS and 370 CI performed in 437 patients. A total of 7 different IOS systems and their various updated versions were used for digital impressions. The results demonstrated that IOS was overall faster than CI independent of whether quadrant or complete-arch scanning was utilized, regardless of the nature of the restoration (tooth or implant supported). IOS was generally preferred over CI regardless of the size of the scanned area and nature of the restoration (tooth- or implant-supported). Similar prosthodontic outcomes were reported for workflows implementing CI and IOS.ConclusionsWithin the limitations of this systematic review, IOS is faster than CI, independent of whether a quadrant or complete arch scan is conducted. IOS can improve the patient experience measured by overall preference and comfort and is able to provide reliable prosthodontic outcomes.Clinical relevanceReduced procedure working time associated with the use of IOS can improve clinical efficiency and the patient experience during impression procedures. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are an essential component of evidence-based dental practice as they allow the evaluation of therapeutic modalities from the perspective of the patient. IOS is generally preferred by patients over conventional impressions.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00784-021-04157-3.

Standard and non-standard working arrangements in Norway – consequences of COVID-19

ABSTRACT This study investigates how work-related consequences of COVID-19 in Norway during the first wave varied between workers in different employment arrangements. The generalised linear model (GLM) regressions estimate the relative risk of being directed to work from home, temporarily laid off, having reduced working time and income loss in a representative sample of 3002 workers. The models compare temporarily employed and self-employed workers with permanently employed workers and workers in voluntary and involuntary part-time positions with full-time workers. Results indicate that the self-employed had a higher likelihood of experiencing reduced working time and income loss. Temporary employment did not entail a higher likelihood of any measured outcomes. Part-time workers had a higher chance of income loss and a lower chance of being directed to work from home than full-time workers. Results also indicate that employees in part-time positions had a higher likelihood of having reduced working hours. The findings are discussed with perspectives on flexibility, risk and how standard jobs form regulation and welfare policy. Despite the government’s efforts to increase the safety nets for new groups of workers, our results indicate that the coverage was not wide enough. Thus, illustrating the individual economic risk inherent in non-standard employment relationships.

Develop an Estimating Factor to Help Estimating Masonry Wall Area of Two Stories Houses

The most complicated and time-consuming step in estimating construction costs in determining the amount of material is a calculation of all areas for masonry works involving tedious processes. A simple estimating tool could assist estimators in estimating the amount of materials with reducing working time. The purpose of this research is to study the proportion of the masonry wall quantity to the building’s area and develop an estimating factor to estimate the masonry wall area of two-stories houses in 59 drawing construction for a case study. Using multiple linear regression analysis for independent variables that influence the dependent variable showed that the building area was an independent variable affecting the masonry wall area. The modeling to test, found that the masonry wall area less than the detailed estimationas 0.50 - 6.78 %. Therefore, the model derived from this research, theref can apply for cost estimation and validation of the masonry wall area calculation of new project quickly.

Development of Custom Anatomic Healing Abutment Based on Cone-Beam Computer Tomography Measurement on Human Teeth Cross-Section.

Introduction: Nowadays, the final success of implantation is not only based on obtaining osseointegration of the implant but is also determined by achieving a satisfactory aesthetic effect of the soft tissues surrounding the implant, which can be defined as an aesthetic integration. The process of obtaining this aesthetic integration already begins at the stage of placing the healing abutment, which allows us to obtain the emergence profile necessary for our prosthetic reconstruction. Materials and Methods: The study used cone-beam computer tomography (CBCT) scans of 51 patients. The measurements of the maxillary teeth (central incisor, lateral incisor, canine, first premolar, and first molar) were performed from cross-sections of the individual teeth at the transition zone to design a custom anatomic healing abutment milled from zirconium and luted to the non-index Ti-base. Results: The obtained results allowed to design and create the shape of the anatomic healing abutment. Conclusions: The use of laboratory-produced anatomical healing abutments is possible and may allow to obtain the desired and planned emergence profiles of prosthetic restorations. In addition, it might be a method of reducing work time at the dental chair but further clinical trials are necessary.

Rethinking the workweek: Results from a longitudinal time-use study of a 30-hour workweek experiment

In 2019, Femma vzw, a Belgian women’s organisation, as an experiment, implemented a 30-hour workweek within the organisation. For a period of 12 months, all full-time employees switched from a 36-hour workweek to a 30-hour workweek. During this experiment, a longitudinal time-use study into the impact of the working time reduction on the working life and private life of these employees was carried out. The study included five waves of data collection before, during and after the experiment over a period of two and a half years. Each wave consisted of an online 7-day time use diary, a pre-diary questionnaire and a post-diary questionnaire. This research report discusses the first general findings of the study, using the first four waves. Some key findings are: the employees had clear wishes and expectations about what they wanted to do with their extra time at the start of the 30-hour workweek. Above all, the wish for more personal time was high. Most employees took this extra time as one additional non-working day per week, namely Wednesday or Friday. The extra free hours mostly were spent on household work, care and personal care, although this was not exactly what they wished for. However, employees did experience less household stress, less leisure time pressure and a better work-life balance.

Stress and Associated Factors among Frontline Healthcare Workers in the COVID-19 Epicenter of Da Nang City, Vietnam.

Frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) involved in the COVID-19 response have a higher risk of experiencing psychosocial distress amidst the pandemic. Between July and September 2020, a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic appeared in Vietnam with Da Nang city being the epicenter. During the outbreak, HCWs were quarantined within the health facilities in a bid to limit the spread of COVID-19 to their respective communities. Using the stress component of the 21-item Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), we assessed the level of stress among HCWs in Da Nang city. Between 30 August and 15 September 2020, 746 frontline HCWs were recruited to fill in an online structured questionnaire. Overall, 44.6% of participants experienced increased stress and 18.9% severe or extremely severe stress. In multivariable analysis, increased stress was associated with longer working hours (OR = 1.012; 95% CI: 1.004–1.019), working in health facilities providing COVID-19 treatment (OR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.04–2.39), having direct contact with patients or their bio-samples (physicians, nurses and laboratory workers; OR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.02–1.99), low confidence in the available personal protective equipment (OR = 0.846; 95% CI: 0.744–0.962) and low knowledge on COVID-19 prevention and treatment (OR = 0.853; 95% CI: 0.739–0.986). In conclusion, many frontline HCWs experienced increased stress during the COVID-19 outbreak in Da Nang city. Reducing working time, providing essential personal protective equipment and enhancing the knowledge on COVID-19 will help to reduce this stress. Moreover, extra support is needed for HCWs who are directly exposed to COVID-19 patients.