Workload Intensity Research Articles

Intelligent Horizontal Autoscaling in Edge Computing using a Double Tower Neural Network

Edge computing is characterized by varying workload intensities that have a strong effect on applications’ performance and requirements in terms of resources. Thus, in order to maintain a sustainable performance a resource autoscaling mechanism that will automatically add or remove computational nodes is needed. This autoscaling mechanism must ensure that the user’s requirements in terms of Quality of Service (QoS) are satisfied, while respecting the Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and delivering always-on services using affordable on-demand computing solutions. The autoscaling could take place proactively or reactively and the adjustability of the resources could be static or dynamic. To this end, the research goal of this paper is to design a novel autoscaling mechanism that minimizes the task execution times and maximizes the corresponding throughput while using the minimum number of resources. In this direction, we propose an Intelligent Horizontal Proactive Autoscaling (IHPA) mechanism that leverages resource usage metrics of processing edge nodes such as CPU, RAM and Bandwidth in order to provide timely scale up and scale down decisions. The IHPA is based on a double tower Deep Learning (DL) architecture. In order to find a close to optimal DL architecture and guarantee the generality of our approach we also propose the innovative hybrid Bayesian Evolution Strategy method. We conduct an extensive simulation of the IHPA with three baseline task offloading mechanisms keeping the same statistical task generation distribution. We also compare the performance of our proposed IHPA against a reactive autoscaling approach and the Kubernetes Horizontal autoscaling mechanism. The results show that our framework shows significant improvements in terms of latency and throughput, while making an optimal use of the available resources.

Analysis of Traffic Signs Information Volume Affecting Driver's Visual Characteristics and Driving Safety.

To study the influence of traffic signs information volume (TSIV) on drivers’ visual characteristics and driving safety, the simulation scenarios of different levels of TSIV were established, and 30 participants were recruited for simulated driving tests. The eye tracker was used to collect eye movement data under three-speed conditions (60 km/h, 80 km/h, and 100 km/h) and different levels of TSIV (0 bits/km, 10 bits/km, 20 bits/km, 30 bits/km, 40 bits/km, and 50 bits/km). Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to select indicators sensitive to the influence of TSIV on the drivers’ visual behavior and to analyze the influence of TSIV on the drivers’ visual characteristics and visual workload intensity under different speed conditions. The results show that the fixation duration, saccade duration, and saccade amplitude are the three eye movement indicators that are most responsive to changes in the TSIV. The driver’s visual characteristics perform best at the S3 TSIV level (30 bits/km), with the lowest visual workload intensity, indicating that drivers have the lowest psychological stress and lower driving workload when driving under this TSIV condition. Therefore, a density of 30 bits/km is suggested for the TSIV, in order to ensure the security and comfort of the drivers. The theoretical underpinnings for placing and optimizing traffic signs will be provided by this work.

High-Frame-Rate Speckle Tracking for Echocardiographic Stress Testing.

Stress echocardiography helps to diagnose cardiac diseases that cannot easily be detected or do not even manifest at rest. In clinical practice, assessment of the stress test is usually performed visually and, therefore, in a qualitative and subjective way. Although speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) has been proposed for the quantification of function during stress, its time resolution is inadequate at high heart rates. Recently, high-frame-rate (HFR) imaging approaches have been proposed together with dedicated STE algorithms capable of handling small interframe displacements. The aim of this study was to determine if HFR STE is effective in assessing strain and strain rate parameters during echocardiographic stress testing. Specifically, stress echocardiography, at four different workload intensities, was performed in 25 healthy volunteers. At each stress level, HFR images from the apical four-chamber view were recorded using the ULA-OP 256 experimental scanner. Then, the myocardium was tracked with HFR STE, and strain and strain rate biomarkers were extracted to further analyze systolic and diastolic (early and late) peaks, as well as a short-lived isovolumic relaxation peak during stress testing. The global systolic strain response was monophasic, revealing a significant (p < 0.001) increase at low stress but then reaching a plateau. In contrast, all strain rate indices linearly increased (p < 0.001) with increasing stress level. These findings are in line with those reported using tissue Doppler imaging and, thus, indicate that HFR STE can be a useful tool in assessing cardiac function during stress echocardiography.

A Glance Into Healthcare Delivery During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey Among Turkish Medical Doctors.

The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had an enormous impact on healthcare delivery globally. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey in Turkey to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare services in Turkey. A 35-item anonymized online survey was completed by HCPs (medical doctors, MD) who continued their clinical practice during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey, regardless of their specialties or degrees. Overall, 209 HCPs participated in the study. Forty-two percent of the participants stated that their current workload intensity has been increased compared with the pre-pandemic era. More than half of the participants (54.6%) were using telemedicine services during their clinical practice, however, the effectiveness of telemedicine for first-time patients and follow-up patients was rated as low. The majority of participants (59.3%) reported that during the peak period of the pandemic, they encountered only a small variety of cases, other than COVID-19. Fifty-two percent of the participants agreed that they occasionally had patients who received misdiagnosis in the first admission due to the suspicion of a possible COVID-19 infection predominating the diagnostic process (eg., not excluding COVID-19 even though the PCR test is negative). For the distribution of possible late-diagnosed diseases, 25.8% of HCPs selected chest diseases, followed by infectious diseases, heart diseases, and cancer. In general, participants agreed that there was an increase in the negligence in the follow-up of various diseases and/or complication rates due to COVID-19 pandemic. Sixty percent of the HCPs agreed that HCPs are being much more rigorous to diagnose/treating COVID-19 than other important diseases. Fifty-seven percent of the participants stated that the diagnosis and follow-up of chronic diseases are affected, while 57.9% of the HCPs stated that some diseases that show similar signs and symptoms as COVID-19 are not diagnosed correctly during COVID-19 pandemic. Findings from this study emphasize that COVID-19 pandemic has significantly caused delayed diagnoses and interruption in the management of chronic diseases, and also increased the risk of missing out the diagnosis of non-COVID-19 diseases. The study genuinely aims to yield the floor to a permanent improvement in post-pandemic clinical management and it also shows the need for a focused approach in distinct areas of medical care. Policymaking is required to drive changes to better support HCPs in Turkey.

The Effect of Regional Factors on the Mental Health Status of Frontline Nurses and Patients With COVID-19 During COVID-19: The Role of Depression and Anxiety.

At the end of 2019, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, experienced the ravages of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In a few months, infected people rose to tens of thousands. This study aimed to explore the mental health status of military nurse personnel assisting (non-Hubei area) in the fight against COVID-19 and local nurse personnel (in the Wuhan area), as well as the differences in mental health status between nurses and COVID-19 patients that provide a reference basis for psychological crisis intervention. A convenience sampling method was used to select frontline nurses and COVID-19 patients (sample size 1,000+) from two mobile cabin hospitals from January to March 2020. The questionnaire consists of socio-demographic information, Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7), General Mental Health Service Questionnaire and Work Intensity and Physical Status Questionnaire. The results showed that depression was present in 117 nurses (19.73%) and 101 patients (23.33%) with PHQ-9 scores >10; anxiety was present in 60 nurses (10.12%) and 54 patients (12.47%) with GAD-7 >10. The anxiety and depression levels of nurses in Wuhan area were higher than those in non-Hubei area. The differences in PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores were also statistically significant (p < 0.001) when comparing patients from different regions, with anxiety and depression rates of 30.19 and 16.04% in local patients and 16.74 and 9.50% in foreign patients. The comparison between nurses and patients showed that the nurses were more depressed than the patients, while the patients were more anxious. Local nurses in Wuhan had a higher workload intensity than aid nurses (77.72 vs. 57.29%). Over 95% of frontline nurses and patients reported that they had not received any form of psychological counseling before the COVID-19 outbreak. 12.87% (26/194) of frontline nurses in Wuhan had a history of taking hypnotic drugs. However, fewer patients (16/212, 7.55%) took medication than frontline nurses. Anxiety and depression levels were far higher among local nurses and patients in Wuhan than in non-Hubei areas. The nurses had higher levels of depression, while the patients had higher anxiety levels. Providing targeted mental health services to healthcare professionals and patients is necessary when experiencing the impact of a major event.

Transitioning from Nurse-Patient Ratios to Workload Intensity Staffing: What Helps and Hinders the Change.

The aim of this study was to explore the facilitators and barriers in implementing a workload intensity (WI) tool. A WI tool was developed to quantify patient needs and more evenly disperse workload among nurses. A descriptive phenomenological design was used. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 16 nurses on 5 inpatient units. Questions focused on the factors that helped or hindered the change transition to workload intensity staffing (WIS). WI was perceived as a positive change. Five themes were uncovered as facilitators and barriers to the change: resistance to change, intense workloads, supportive organizational culture, resources/training, and evaluation. Understanding barriers and facilitators to change is important for successful implementation of WIS. To promote success, leaders should provide support to staff and ensure availability of adequate resources.

Classification for Memory Activities: Experiments and EEG Analysis Based on Networks Constructed via Phase-Locking Value.

Electroencephalogram (EEG) plays a crucial role in the study of working memory, which involves the complex coordination of brain regions. In this research, we designed and conducted series of experiments of memory with various memory loads or target forms and collected behavioral data as well as 32-lead EEG simultaneously. Combined with behavioral data analysis, we segmented EEG into slices; then, we calculated phase-locking value (PLV) of Gamma rhythms between every two leads, conducted binarization, constructed brain function network, and extracted three network characteristics of node degree, local clustering coefficient, and betweenness centrality. Finally, we inputted these network characteristics of all leads into support vector machines (SVM) for classification and obtained decent performances; i.e., all classification accuracies are greater than 0.78 on an independent test set. Particularly, PLV application was restricted to the narrow-band signals, and rare successful application to EEG Gamma rhythm, defined as wide as 30-100 Hz, had been reported. In order to address this limitation, we adopted simulation on band-pass filtered noise with the same frequency band as Gamma to help determine the PLV binarizing threshold. It turns out that network characteristics based on binarized PLV have the ability to distinguish the presence or absence of memory, as well as the intensity of the mental workload at the moment of memory. This work sheds a light upon phase-locking investigation between relatively wide-band signals, as well as memory research via EEG.

Effects of Workload on Return to Work After Elective Lumbar Spine Surgery.

Retrospective analysis was performed of a multi-center Canadian Spine Outcomes and Research Network (CSORN) surgical database. To determine the rate and time to return to work (RTW) based on workload intensity after elective degenerative lumbar spine surgery. Patients working pre-operatively, aged greater than 18, who underwent a primary one- or two-level elective lumbar spine surgery for degenerative conditions between January 2015 and October 2020 were evaluated. The percentage of patients who returned to work at 1year and the time to RTW post-operatively were analyzed based on workload intensity. Of the 1290 patients included in the analysis, the overall rate of RTW was 82% at 1 year. Based on workload there was no significant difference in time to RTW after a fusion procedure, with median time to RTW being 10 weeks. For non-fusion procedure, the sedentary group had a statistically significantly quicker time to RTW than the light-moderate (P < .005) and heavy-very heavy (<.027) groups. The rate of RTW ranged between 84% for patients with sedentary work to 77% for patient with a heavy-very heavy workload. Median time to resumption of work was about 10weeks following a fusion regardless of work intensity. There was more variability following non-fusion surgeries such as laminectomy and discectomy reflecting the patient's job demands.

Auditors' workload and audit quality under audit hour budget pressure: Evidence from the Korean audit market

By utilizing unique audit hour (actual and budgeted) data from Korea, this study examines the impact of auditors' workload on audit quality under audit hour budget pressure. We find the intensity of auditor workload has a negative impact on audit quality when total audit hours exceed budgeted hours (i.e., unfavourable budget variance). When we breakdown the audit workload by auditor level, we find partner workload has a negative impact on audit quality regardless of the budget variance, while senior auditor workload negatively affects audit quality only when the budget variance is unfavourable. We cautiously interpret our empirical findings to suggest that stress and burnout caused by increased audit hours under budget pressure can compel auditors to engage in behaviours that undermine audit quality.

Neuromuscular Training, Exercise Physiology Clinic, Real-time Exercise, and Cardiac Rehabilitation

Neuromuscular Training, Exercise Physiology Clinic, Real-time Exercise, and Cardiac Rehabilitation

Workplace Disruption in the Public Sector and HRM Practices to Enhance Employee Resilience

This article aims to analyze workplace dynamics in the public sector under highly disruptive environments. Survey data collected from 1,430 public employees in South Korea reveal that workload and work intensity have increased 13% to 15% on average compared to pre-pandemic conditions. Yet this impact on working conditions seems to be unevenly distributed across the public sector; the proportion of pandemic-affected workforce in each public organization ranged from 10% to 80%. More than 70% reported flexible work arrangements in place to alleviate the disruption, though less than 20% enjoyed access to occupational health and safety consultation to handle this change. We found that baby boomer men, who have the fewest family responsibilities, are most satisfied with flexible work arrangements, while millennial women, with the most domestic commitments, are least satisfied, leaving ample room for improvement. Results of a randomized survey experiment showed that resilience-enhancing Human Resource Management (HRM) practices such as special leave assistance programs influenced civil servants’ perceptions of workload and work intensity. Higher levels of satisfaction with resilience-enhancing HRM were found to be associated with lower levels of turnover intention, though this relationship was weaker among employees whose work became too intense or heavy (“numbing effect”) under the pandemic.

STRESS IN RELATION TO THEORETICAL AND CLINICAL ACTIVITIES AS EXPERIENCED BY BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING STUDENTS

Utilizing the descriptive survey method, the study aimed to determine the stress in relation to theoretical and clinical activities as experienced by Bachelor of Science in Nursing students. The specific problems were the profile of 31 student nurses, the stresses met in the theoretical and clinical setting, the coping mechanisms to the different stresses and the significant difference in coping mechanisms when grouped according to profile. The profile indicated that the student nurses have a general age of 20 years and below, dominated by female and single. The common stresses as classified: On personal stress: fear of making mistakes; academic stress: Intensity of academic workload; clinical stress: using highly technical equipment while on the time management problems, limited time to take a rest. As to the coping mechanisms, the student nurses did the following: COPING MECHANISMS INDICATORS Logical Analysis Think of different ways to deal with the problem Positive Reappraisal Tell themselves that things would get better Seeking Guidance and Support More prayers for guidance and strengths. Problem Solving Take “thinks a day at a time, one step at a time” Cognitive Avoidance They daydream or imagine a better time or place, than the one they are in. Seeking Alternative Rewards Expect the worst possible outcome Acceptance or Resignation Try to help others deal with a similar problem Emotional Discharge Cry to let their feelings out Significant differences were evident in the coping mechanisms in terms of civil status. Part of the study is the program on coping mechanisms for stress.

Fluctuations of Physiological Variables during Conditioning of Lipizzan Fillies before Starting under Saddle.

Simple SummaryEquine exercise physiological research has led to the development of scientifically sound programs that improve the physical fitness of horses. However, there are few scientific studies on the physical responses of young horses during initial training, although they are known to be sensitive to exercise overload. Our study focused on purebred Lipizzan fillies, aged 4 years in the early stages of training. To investigate the response of the fillies to a workload achieved by lunging, heart, and respiratory rates, rectal and skin temperatures, and blood parameters, cortisol and lactate concentrations were measured. All measured values, which were within a normal range for warm-blooded horses, increased after exercise due to the increased requirements of the working muscles and heat production. Despite the increase in surface temperatures of different body regions after exercise, their distributions remained unchanged. It was highest in the front regions, followed by the rear regions, and lowest in the lower parts of the legs. Our study contributes to the knowledge of physiological processes in young horses during exercise, as well as supplements research in the field of equine exercise testing, sports physiology, and animal welfare, and provides important knowledge for the conservation and development of the Lipizzan breed.Scientific studies on the physiological responses of young horses to workloads are limited. Therefore, the aim of our study was to determine the basal values of some cardiovascular, thermoregulatory, hematological, and biochemical parameters in 10 purebred Lipizzan fillies aged 4 years in the initial phase of training, and their responses to a graded workload, i.e., by lunging for 15 min in four exercise tests at 2-week intervals. The basal values of the measured parameters were within a range for warm-blooded horses and mostly increased after exercise in all four exercise tests. Resting heart rates were above physiological values at the baseline but decreased as the study progressed. Bilateral symmetry of body surface temperatures (BSTs) was confirmed at rest and after exercise. The highest BSTs were measured at the cranial, followed by the caudal and distal body regions. A moderate increase in cortisol and a small increase in lactate concentration indicated a low intensity of workload. The results presented contribute to the knowledge of the complex physiological processes that occur in young horses during exercise and provide a basis for further research into the field of sports physiology and welfare, as well as the conservation and development of the Lipizzan breed.

Особенности динамики психоэмоционального истощения у медицинского персонала COVID-госпиталя с различной интенсивностью трудовой нагрузки

In the beginning of 2020 there appeared an urgent need for substantial advancement of the medical and psychological support for medical personnel involved in medical care provided to patients with the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in hospital settings. This need originated from the necessity to diagnose the risks of doctors developing mental states that adversely affect their professional performance and, subsequently, lead to disorders. In addition, there are under-researched matters of dependence of the prevalence of destructive mental states on the intensity of workload experienced by doctors in the "red zones", where the risk of patient fatalities is high. This study aimed to investigate the workload-dependent dynamics of psycho-emotional exhaustion among the medical staff of a COVID hospital. We analyzed the psychological tests (MBI, Maslach Burnout Inventory) that 121 people completed during a four-week assignment in the "infectious" zone and two weeks in the observation department. Seventy-nine doctors comprised the heavy workload group and 42 were in the moderate workload group. The study showed that healthcare workers experiencing heavier workloads exhibit high values of the psycho-emotional exhaustion indicators more often. We registered significant differences (р ≤ 0.05) by the Emotional Exhaustion scale at the third and fifth weeks of the study. By the fifth week, i.e., when the assignment in the "infectious zone" was over, heavy workload group had the median of 25 (23.5; 27), while in the moderate workload group it was 14 (14; 15), which is 56% lower.

Differences in Rate of Perceived Exertion and Workload Intensity in Males and Females during Submaximal Arm and Leg Ergometry

Differences in Rate of Perceived Exertion and Workload Intensity in Males and Females during Submaximal Arm and Leg Ergometry

International matches elicit stable mechanical workload in high-level female ice hockey.

This study aimed to quantify in- and between-match characteristics and mechanical workload variations elicited by a congested schedule in high-level female ice hockey. Six players were monitored during four international pre-season exhibition matches against the same opponent. Two different methods (Player Load and Accel’Rate) were used to assess specific mechanical workload. Number of shifts and effective playing time per shift were significantly higher for period 2 (p = 0.03 for both). Mechanical workload intensity (i.e., relative and peak workload) showed a significant (p ≤ 0.05) decrease from period 1 to period 2 and period 3 (moderate-to-large Cohen’s d). All workload variables remained stable between matches (p > 0.25). Team variability showed good-to-moderate CVs (< 10%) for all variables for in- and between-match variability. Accumulated workload computed with the Player Load method was threefold higher compared to the Accel’Rate method (+ 87.8% mean difference; large Cohen’s d). These findings demonstrate that high-level female ice hockey-specific mechanical workload declines with reduced high-intensity output across periods, while it remains stable between matches against standardized opposition. This study strongly suggests that the present workload metrics could be used to determine the mechanical demand elicited by matches played against various opponents in real game conditions.

Prevalence of Burnout, Depression, Anxiety, Stress, and Hopelessness Among Healthcare Workers in COVID-19 Pandemic in Turkey.

BackgroundThis study’s aim was to reveal the burnout, depression, anxiety, stress, and hopelessness levels of HCWs in the pandemic period.MethodsThe cross-sectional study was carried out with 1015 HCWs, between September 1 and October 1, 2021, in Turkey. Maslach Burnout Inventory, Beck Hopelessness Scale, and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) were used.ResultsOf the HCWs, 56.7% had moderate/high emotional exhaustion (EE), 35.8% had moderate/high depersonalization (D), 58.0% had low personal accomplishment (PA), 34.9% had high depression, 31.9% had high anxiety, 15.4% had high stress, and 33.3% had moderate/severe hopelessness. Risk factors for EE were working in a public hospital, increased workload intensity, decreased income, and difficulty in procuring personal protective equipment (PPE). Risk factors for D were having a male gender, being under the age of 40, being a physician, working in a public hospital, and difficulty in procuring PPE. Risk factors for depression were being under the age of 40, having contact with COVID-19 patients, and decreased income. Risk factors for anxiety were having a female gender, being under the age of 40, working in a public hospital, having a chronic disease, having contact with COVID-19 patients, and having individuals at high risk for COVID-19 at home. Risk factors for hopelessness were having a female gender, being a physician, and increased income.ConclusionThe negative effects of the pandemic, which has been going on for over a year and a half, on the mental health of HCWs were high.

Commentary – Transition to Practice: Future Considerations for New Graduate Nurses

There is a growing concern in education and healthcare that we are not adequately preparing or transitioning newly graduated nurses (NGNs) into the workplace. Several studies over the past decade have revealed relationships between the mental health of NGNs and their experience of the workplace environment. Even before the destabilizing impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic, overwhelming workload intensities were forcing nurses to become organizational task masters and crisis facilitators rather than clinical case managers and direct-care providers. This paper outlines numerous practical and evidence-based interventions for mitigating transition shock and assisting NGNs in successfully navigating the stages of transition.

The Maximum Flywheel Load: A Novel Index to Monitor Loading Intensity of Flywheel Devices.

Background: The main aim of this study was (1) to find an index to monitor the loading intensity of flywheel resistance training, and (2) to study the differences in the relative intensity workload spectrum between the FW-load and ISO-load. Methods: twenty-one males participated in the study. Subjects executed an incremental loading test in the squat exercise using a Smith machine (ISO-load) or a flywheel device (FW-load). We studied different association models between speed, power, acceleration, and force, and each moment of inertia was used to find an index for FW-load. In addition, we tested the differences between relative workloads among load conditions using a two-way repeated-measures test. Results: the highest r2 was observed using a logarithmic fitting model between the mean angular acceleration and moment of inertia. The intersection with the x-axis resulted in an index (maximum flywheel load, MFL) that represents a theoretical individual maximal load that can be used. The ISO-load showed greater speed, acceleration, and power outcomes at any relative workload (%MFL vs. % maximum repetition). However, from 45% of the relative workload, FW-load showed higher vertical forces. Conclusions: MFL can be easily computed using a logarithmic model between the mean angular acceleration and moment of inertia to characterize the maximum theoretical loading intensity in the flywheel squat.

Position-Specific Physical Workload Intensities in American Collegiate Football Training.

MamonJr, MA, Olthof, SBH, Burns, GT, Lepley, AS, Kozloff, KM, and Zernicke, RF. Position-specific physical workload intensities in American collegiate football training. J Strength Cond Res 36(2): 420-426, 2022-Quantifying player training loads allows football coaching staff to make informed adjustments to the volume and intensity of training. Physical workload intensity in American football practices have not been extensively quantified. The current study examined physical workload intensities across positions in American collegiate football during training. Data from player tracking technology (Catapult Vector) were collected from 72 American football players (National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I) during in-season practices. Players were involved in individualized skill (indy), team playbook (team), and special team (ST) drills during practice and analyzed for their specialist offensive or defensive role (e.g., linebacker or wide receiver). Player running (i.e., high-speed running and sprint) and accelerations (i.e., high-intensity PlayerLoad and high-intensity inertial movement analysis) per minute were of interest. Drill type and practice day had significant effects on all workload intensity metrics (p < 0.01), but not position. Greater running intensities were seen in ST drills compared with other drill types. Tuesday practice sessions had greater overall intensities compared with other days. Interaction effect of position and drill type was significant (p < 0.001) for all intensity metrics, indicating that position groups exhibited unique workload responses to the drill types. Drill type and practice day interaction effect was significant for all intensity metrics (p < 0.01). The findings may be informative for coaches to tailor physical workloads of practice drills for positional roles in preparation for games and practices. Player tracking technology can add value for strength and conditioning coaches to adjust training programs based on position-specific on-field demands of players.