Currently used chemical treatment of the keratinous material is the preferred method of poultry waste disposal in Australia, however it is costly, and environmental pollution problems from the chemical leachates as well as the poor nutritional quality of the end-product render this method undesirable. As the microbial community of the composting cycles have been reported to reduce the odours and pathogens of the domestic animal waste, local industries look for improved technologies of biological origin to treat poultry manure, carcasses and feather.
This study reports on an alternative method utilizing the degradative abilities of the actinomycetes in a composting system developed specifically to break down recalcitrant material and to produce a cleaner and pathogen-free endproduct with particular reference to waste usage and disposal on the Sunshine Coast Region in Queensland, Australia. Keratinolytic actinomycetes from a local poultry farm environment were isolated and used to augment the compost microflora. The inclusion of the organisms into poultry waste compost was successful in producing an odourless, pathogen free product with complete biological degradation of the feather waste in 17 days. The application of this system may improve the rapid disposal of poultry waste aswell as the public and environmental health in the Region.

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as a concept is gaining attention in research and management practices. However, there are several types of depending on whether the focus is on work and jobs or companies and organizations. In this paper, we demonstrate the following three points based on comparative analysis of the concepts of work and employee : (a) Both terms are used with the same frequency in academic journals in the field of management, but non-academic sources consistently use “employee ,” while medical and nursing articles use “work .” (b) “Work ” may be used in this way because the term originated in research of burnout among nurses working in hospitals. (c) While much research does not adequately differentiate the two concepts, they should be treated as distinct concepts due to their distinct origins and the content they measure.

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Objective: This study aimed to examine the work

and its association with work related factors among dairy farmers in Japan.

Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted for dairy farmers living in two towns located at Hokkaido Prefecture, and 229 responses with full data were analyzed. Work

was assessed using the Japanese version of the Utrecht Work Scale. Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis test were used for comparisons of the work scores between ages, genders, two types of feeding management (tie-stall/free-stall barn) or numbers of milking cows.

Results: Males reported higher work

scores than females, but there were no differences between ages, the types of feeding management or numbers of milking cows. The higher-job control group reported significantly higher work scores than the lower-job control group. More work support network was associated with work . For participants under the age of 50s, the higher-job demand group reported more work .

Discussions: Results suggested that higher job control and support network were beneficial for promoting work

for dairy farmers. These findings will be helpful for planning strategies to focus on work in the dairy farming community.

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This article addresses the estimation of

level based on the listener’s behaviors such as backchannel, laughing, head nodding, and eye-gaze. is defined as the level of how much a user is being interested in and willing to continue the current interaction. When the level is evaluated by multiple annotators, the criteria for annotating the level would depend on each annotator. We assume that each annotator has its own character which affects the way of perceiving the level. We propose a latent character model which estimates the level and also the character of each annotator as a latent variable. The experimental results show that the latent character model can predict the label of each annotator in higher accuracy than other models which do not take the character into account.

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This research aimed to investigate college students’ academic

during the outbreak of COVID-19 in some areas in China, thus verifying how benefit finding (BF) influences academic with anxiety as moderating effect. We conducted a questionnaire composed of the recompiled Benefit Finding Scale, Student Version of the Utrecht Work Scale, and 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale. In the outbreak stage of COVID-19, all aspects of students’ academic were lower than before the outbreak stage of COVID-19 (p < .001). BF had a positive influence on academic (β = .253, p < .001), and anxiety weakened the relationship between BF and academic (β = –.138, p = .001). BF by college students due to the long-term epidemic increased their academic , and students with high BF had positive motivation and performance in academic achievements. However, the different degrees of anxiety brought by the outbreak decreased the positive influence of BF on academic .

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Objectives: The aims of the study were to investigate the association between working hours, work

, and work productivity, and to examine if work moderates the influence of working hours on work productivity.

Methods: We used cross-sectional data from the Japanese occupational cohort survey, which involved 2093 employees in a manufacturing industry. Working hours were self-reported by the study participants. Work productivity was assessed with absolute presenteeism based on the scale of the validated Japanese version of World Health Organization Health and Work Performance Questionnaire (WHO-HPQ). Work

was assessed with the Nine-item Utrecht work Scale (UWES-9). Univariate and multivariable regression analyses were conducted to examine the association of working hours and work with work productivity. We also carried out stratified multivariable regression analysis separately for those with high-work and those with low-work .

Results: Working >40 to 50 hours per week and >50 hours per week were significantly positively associated with work productivity in univariate analysis. However, the significant association no longer held after adjusting for work

. Work was positively associated with work productivity even after controlling for potential confounders. Working hours were not significantly associated with work productivity among those with high-work or among those with low-work .

Conclusions: Working hours did not have any significant associations with work productivity when taking work

into account. Work did not moderate the influence of working hours on work productivity, though it attenuated the relationship between working hours and work productivity.

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This article gives an overview of the recently introduced concept of work : a positive, fulfilling, affective motivational state of work-related well-being. I first define as a state including vigor, dedication, and absorption, and then refer to how differs from related concepts (i.e., burnout and workaholism). Work is a unique concept that is best predicted by job resources (e.g., autonomy, supervisory coaching, performance feedback) and personal resources (e.g., optimism, self-efficacy, self-esteem) and is predictive of psychological/physical health, proactive organizational behavior, and job performance. The most often used instrument to measure is the Utrecht Work Scale, a self-report instrument that has been validated in many countries across the world. The paper closes with practical implications to improve work in terms of job and personal resources.

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Objective: The purpose of this randomized, controlled trial was to examine the effects of a psychoeducational information website on improving work

among individual workers with low work , where work was measured as a secondary outcome. Methods: Participants were recruited from registered members of a web survey site in Japan. Participants who fulfilled the eligibility criteria were randomly allocated to intervention or control groups. Immediately after the baseline survey, the intervention group was invited to study a psychoeducational website called the "UTSMed," which provided general mental health literacy and cognitive behavioral skills. Work was assessed by using the Utrecht Work Scale at baseline, 1-, and 4-month follow-ups for both intervention and control groups. An exploratory analysis was conducted for a subgroup with low (lower than the median scores) work scores at baseline. Results: A total of 1,236 workers completed the baseline survey. In the low work subgroup, a total of 313 and 300 participants were allocated to an intervention and control group, respectively. In the high work subgroup, 305 and 318 participants were allocated to an intervention and control group, respectively. The program showed a significant effect on work (t = 1.98, P = 0.048) at the 4-month follow-up in the low work subgroup, with a small effect size (d = 0.17). Conclusion: A web-based psychoeducation resource of mental health literacy and cognitive behavioral skills may be effective for improving work among individual workers with low work .

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この研究では都市開発においてその場所に暮らす人々とその場所を開発する側の立場の人々-ゼネコンや行政、自治体などの間の対話を促す為のヴィジュアルコミュニケーションツールの開発を目的とし、さらには、デザイナーやアーティストの社会での新しい役割-まちづくりや文化の形成に反映させる為のメディエイターとしての役割を創造することを目的としている。ヴィジュアルアート/デザインの手法をを分析/分解し、さらには社会人類学や民俗学、構造主義や記号論を取り入れ、社会を俯瞰し未来をイメージする力を市民と共有し視覚化することで、従来のサービスを提供する側と享受する側という社会システムに疑問を問うクリティカルアプローチである。

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Objectives: Given current labor force conditions, including population aging, keeping older workers engaged in work and motivated is important. Aging may alter the effects that psychological and environmental factors have on work

. We conducted a systematic review to understand the features of work among older workers.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted in July 2022 using 4 databases. The review included relevant articles that focused on participants aged 40 years and older.

Results: Fifty articles were selected for our review, which were grouped into 5 categories: (1) studies examining the relationship between chronological age and work

, (2) studies investigating the moderating effects of age on the relationship between job-related psychological factors and work environment factors and work , (3) studies comparing the relationship of job-related psychological factors and work environment factors with work across different age groups, (4) studies exploring the relationship between work and retirement intentions or continued employment beyond retirement age, and (5) other studies discussing work in the context of older workers. Most articles focused on workers in Europe and the United States and used observational study designs.

Conclusions: Work

increases with age, and is mainly mediated by increased emotional regulation. In addition, age moderates the relationships between various job-related psychological and work-environmental factors and work . Work is associated with working beyond retirement age. Organizations should understand the characteristics of work among older workers and make age-conscious efforts to support them in adapting to social changes.

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Healthcare services provided by registered dietitians and dietitians have been changing because of evolving lifestyles and population dynamics, leading to subsequent changes in the occupational status and experiences of these professionals. However, few studies have examined occupational stress among registered dietitians and dietitians. This study involved a cross-sectional survey to investigate the status and associated factors of work

among registered dietitians and dietitians, whose professions differ based on licensing processes and scope of work. A total of 3,593 questionnaires were distributed, 1,890 responses were received, and 1,654 valid questionnaires were analyzed. Work was measured using the Utrecht Work Scale. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to examine the associations between work and each factor. The work scores of dietitians were significantly lower than those of registered dietitians. Further, work was associated with age, workplace, coworker support, and effort-reward ratio for both registered dietitians and dietitians. However, exercise habit was a significant factor associated with work only among dietitians. Work among registered dietitians was comparable to that of typical Japanese workers, whereas it was lower among dietitians. The findings highlight the importance of considering associated factors to improve work further, especially among dietitians.

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The purpose of this study is to clarify how the environmental changes caused by the Covid-19 affected employee

, and to examine how remote work affects employee and how it should be managed. In this study, social trends in working attitudes are confirmed from newspaper articles to understand the current situation, and a questionnaire survey of actual employees and interviews with employees are conducted to extract specific issues.

The results of the survey indicate that telework not only has the effect of increasing employee

, but also has the effect of decreasing employee by greatly affecting communication among workers. Therefore, it was concluded that although remote work is an effective tool for increasing employee , it is necessary to introduce performance-based workplace culture and communication policies at the same time in order to take advantage of its effectiveness.

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Objectives: We examined the associations among job demands and resources, work

, and psychological distress, adjusted for time-invariant individual attributes. Methods: We used data from a Japanese occupational cohort survey, which included 18,702 observations of 7,843 individuals. We investigated how work , measured by the Utrecht Work Scale, was associated with key aspects of job demands and resources, using fixed-effects regression models. We further estimated the fixed-effects models to assess how work moderated the association between each job characteristic and psychological distress as measured by Kessler 6 scores. Results: The fixed-effects models showed that work was positively associated with job resources, as did pooled cross-sectional and prospective cohort models. Specifically, the standardized regression coefficients (β) were 0.148 and 0.120 for extrinsic reward and decision latitude, respectively, compared to -0.159 and 0.020 for role ambiguity and workload and time pressure, respectively (p < 0.001 for all associations). Work modestly moderated the associations of psychological distress with workload and time pressure and extrinsic reward; a one-standard deviation increase in work moderated their associations by 19.2% (p < 0.001) and 11.3% (p = 0.034), respectively. Conclusions: Work was associated with job demands and resources, which is in line with the theoretical prediction of the job demands-resources model, even after controlling for time-invariant individual attributes. Work moderated the association between selected aspects of job demands and resources and psychological distress.

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The purpose of this study was to examine the facilitating factors of intrinsic English classroom motivation and students' classroom . On the basis of Self-determination theory and the hierarchical model of motivation, this study examined the causal relationship between psychological needs and classroom mediated by classroom motivation. Motivation is defined in terms of a Japanese EFL classroom context and intrinsic aspect, named intrinsic English classroom motivation, to differentiate trait motivation that most preceding studies on motivation have addressed. The participants were 69 high school students. Correlational and causal analyses revealed that the need for competence was (1) the strongest facilitating effect on intrinsic English Classroom motivation, and (2) the strongest indirect effect on classroom . Moreover, the result showed that (3) the need for relatedness was an important facilitating factor of both intrinsic English Classroom motivation and classroom . These results have implications for theories of motivation and also suggest one pathway by which teachers can facilitate students' classroom motivation and in school.

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This study investigated the effects of three class sizes (33 or smaller, smaller than 37, 37 and larger) on 8th grade students’

in homework and its change in half a year. The repeated survey on students’ teacher-assigned and self-directed homework was conducted among homeroom teachers in 48 junior high schools in a particular prefecture, and it included 6793 students. The class size effect on inter-school difference of both initial level of and subsequent change was examined, using a multilevel growth model. The results indicated that the three class sizes caused no difference of the initial level of . It was also found that no subsequent change of students’ homework in middle and large class schools, however, the students’ teacher-assigned and self-directed homework in small class schools was in an upward trend.

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This study aimed to develop and test the psychometric properties of a Thai-language version of the Utrecht Work

Scale (UWES). The 17-item version of UWES was translated into Thai and a survey was conducted with 507 registered nurses at a public regional hospital in Thailand. Results showed that the alpha and omega total coefficients for the vigor, dedication, and absorption subscales were acceptable. Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) indicated that the three-factor model performed the best for both versions of UWES-17-TH and UWES-9-TH. Both versions correlated positively with job resources and negatively with cognitive, emotional, and physical job demands, and with emotional exhaustion and physical symptoms. They were found to have acceptable reliability and validity and can be used to study work in Thai contexts. For practical reasons, UWES-9-TH might be preferred since it is shorter than the full version. Further studies should include different occupational groups and more male participants.

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Objective: The objective of the current study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Nepalese version of the Utrecht Work Scale (UWES-N) in a sample of hospital nurses. Method: Registered nurses from three hospitals in Nepal (total N=438) voluntarily completed a self-administered paper-and-pencil questionnaire. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the hypothesized three-factor model of the 9-item version of the UWES-N (UWES-N-9) fitted the data best. The internal consistency of the scale was acceptable. Work was positively related to job satisfaction, job performance, happiness and health, and it was negatively related to psychological distress, confirming its construct validity. Conclusions: In conclusion, the findings of our study indicated that the UWES-N-9 has satisfactory psychometric properties and provided supportive evidence for use of the UWES-N-9 in the Nepalese context.(J Occup Health 2014; 56: 421–429)

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Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a training program for managers on their management competencies and work

of their subordinate workers and to investigate the mediating effect of management competencies on the subordinate work environment.

Methods: A training program, developed based on the UK Health and Safety Executive management competencies framework, was offered to managers in a finance company in Japan. Management competency was assessed at baseline and 1 month after the intervention. Work

was assessed at baseline and at a 1-year follow-up. Multilevel correlations between changes in components of management competency and changes in subordinate work were analyzed.

Results: Although 6 of 12 components of management competency increased significantly following the intervention, significant intervention effect on subordinate work

was not found. Among 12 components of management competency, the integrity of managers showed significant multilevel correlation with work of their subordinates. Subgroup analyses revealed that this multilevel correlation increased when a manager and a subordinate differed in gender.

Conclusions: The results of this study indicated that the training program developed in this study effectively improved the management competency of managers and that integrity of managers may facilitate work

of subordinate workers, especially when a manager and a subordinate are of different genders. Thus, a training program focused on improving the integrity of managers could enhance the work of employees.

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