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The mediating role of sleep quality in the association between job stress and quality of life among medical university employees
Abstract Job stress is a risk factor for poor quality of life), but the mediating role of sleep quality is underexplored, particularly among medical university employees. This study examined the direct and indirect effects of job stress, measured using the effort-reward imbalance (ERI) model, on quality of life, with sleep quality as a hypothesized mediator. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from 1,250 employees of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences in Iran. Participants completed validated instruments, including the effort-reward imbalance (ERI) questionnaire, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the World Health Organization Quality of life Instrument (WHOQOL-BREF). Structural equation modeling was employed to test the mediating role of sleep quality in the relationship between job stress and quality of life. Of the study participants, 61.0% exhibited effort-reward imbalance. This group reported poorer sleep quality and lower quality of life across all domains (physical, psychological, social, environmental). Structural equation modeling revealed that a higher ER ratio had a significant negative direct effect on quality of life (B = -1.31, p < 0.001) and a significant negative total effect (B = -2.80, p < 0.001). The total effect was partially mediated by global sleep quality (indirect effect B = -1.50, p < 0.001). Analysis of specific sleep components identified subjective sleep quality, and daytime dysfunction as significant mediating factors. This study demonstrated that job stress, conceptualized as effort-reward imbalance, is associated with the quality of life through both direct and indirect pathways, with sleep quality serving as a significant mediator. These findings highlight the need for integrated workplace interventions that enhance rewards, manage overcommitment, and promote sleep health to protect the well-being of medical university employees.
Research on Under Sleeper Pads for reducing vibrations in railway transport
Abstract This study investigates the vibration isolation performance of under-sleeper pads (USPs). A reduced-scale laboratory track model was used, with simultaneous acceleration and displacement measurements at the sleeper substitute and at the subgrade surrogate. Five USP variants differing in stiffness and bottom-surface geometry were tested against a baseline configuration without a pad under harmonic excitation at 3, 5, 10 and 20 Hz (three repetitions per case). Vibration transmission was quantified using transfer functions expressed as the ratio of subgrade-to-block responses for RMS acceleration and peak-to-peak displacement. The results show a consistent trade-off: installing a USP increases the motion of the sleeper substitute (higher block RMS acceleration and displacement) due to added compliance, while reducing vibration levels at the subgrade surrogate. The attenuation strongly depends on pad stiffness and geometry, indicating that both material properties and surface design significantly influence vibration transmissibility. Softer and corrugated variants yielded the lowest transfer-function values and the highest vibration isolation. Based on the quantitative ranking, one optimized pad variant (characterized by unit static stiffness ≈ 0.12 N/mm³ and a corrugated contact surface) was selected for planned in-track verification on the PKP PLK network (Polish Railway Lines).
Effect of a health belief model–based educational intervention on oral–dental health behaviors in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: an experimental study
Feature extraction of rolling bearings in cow dung briquetting machine based on CEEMDAN-WTD-DBO
Relating aqueous to vitreous humor proteomics for identification of reliable biomarkers in proliferative diabetic retinopathy
Regional variability in the associations between social and health-related risk factors and memory across Europe
Abstract Interventions targeting social and health-related risk factors are thought to reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia in older age. Despite well-known social, economic, and cultural differences across European countries, little is known about how these factors influence associations with memory function in different geographical contexts. This study examined the relationship between five social and health-related risk factors, namely living alone, physical inactivity, obesity, depression, and cardiometabolic and cardiovascular conditions, and memory function across Europe. Data came from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), a cross-national study of older adults. The sample included cross-sectional data for 102,851 adults aged 50–102 years from 20 European countries, grouped into four regions: Northern, Western, Eastern, and Southern Europe. Memory function was assessed using a sum score of immediate and delayed recall tests. A flexible Bayesian machine learning approach for multilevel data was applied to assess heterogeneity of associations in the total sample and in analyses stratified by education and age. All five social and health-related risk factors were negatively associated with memory overall, but the strength and, for some factors, the direction of these associations varied across regions. In particular, the associations for living alone, obesity, and physical inactivity differed between Eastern and Southern Europe compared with Northern and Western Europe. These findings highlight substantial geographical heterogeneity in the associations between social and health-related risk factors and memory, which should be considered when designing and implementing public health interventions.