Gender Differences in Perceived Workplace Flexibility Among Older Workers in the Netherlands:A Brief Report

Flexibility in work schedule and work location have been suggested as being work features that may promote prolonged employment among older workers. This study focuses on the question whether access to workplace flexibility differs between male and female older workers and how potential differences can be explained. Analyses are based on data collected in 2015 among 4,813 Dutch older workers (age 60-65 years), who were employed in the government, education, care, and welfare sectors. Results show that the studied women on average perceive to have less workplace flexibility than men, both in work schedule and in work location. The gender difference in perceived location flexibility can be fully explained by differences in the human capital and job characteristics of male and female older workers. The gender difference in perceived schedule flexibility can be captured less clearly by these factors. This disadvantaged position of late-career women warrants attention in discussions about prolonged employment

The impact of midlife educational, work, health and family experiences on men's early retirement

Objectives. In empirical studies on predictors of retirement, midlife experiences have often remained implicit or been neglected. This study aims to improve our understanding of retirement by examining the impact of midlife educational, work, health, and family experiences on early retirement intentions and behavior. We distinguish theoretically and empirically between financial and nonfinancial preretirement factors through which midlife experiences could affect retirement. Methods. Using panel data of 1,229 Dutch male older workers, we estimated linear regression models to explain retirement intentions and logistic regression models to explain retirement behavior. Results. Midlife experiences in all studied life spheres are related to retirement intentions. Educational investments, job changes, late transitions into parenthood, and late divorces are associated with weaker intentions to retire early. Midlife health problems are related to stronger early retirement intentions. For midlife work and family experiences, the relationships are (partly) mediated by the preretirement financial opportunity structure. In the educational, work, and health spheres, the preretirement nonfinancial situation has a mediating effect. Only some of the predictors of retirement intentions also predicted retirement behavior. Discussion. Given the destandardization of life courses, information on distal life experiences might become even more important toward understanding retirement in the future. keywords: children; divorce; education; life course; retirement; work history

The local environment as a supportive operator in innovation diffusion

Spatial patterns of technology diffusion determine the capacity of regions and cities to compete in a global market. It is therefore, important to know in what way the local environment can contribute to the attraction of new technology to business locations and what factors differentiate in the support of the local environment in this process. The article will take its starting point in the knowledge capacity of cities. It will then discuss conventional theory on spatial diffusion and review some merits of this theory. Furthermore. a focused approach will be introduced by adopting a communication perspective on technology diffusion. This perspective allows for an exploration of potential barriers (and bridges) in the diffusion process. The article will then present new empirical results on the supportive role of the local environment in technology diffusion on the basis of a large sample of innovative companies in various European cities. Particular attention will be given to the role of the local institutes of higher' education and research. This article will conclude with some policy recommendations on an improved use of the local environment in advancing the competitiveness of innovative companies

Cardiogenic shock due to probable SARS-CoV-2 myocarditis:a case report

BACKGROUND: Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many case reports have been presented describing different cardiac symptoms due to the SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, severe cardiac failure due to COVID-19 seems to be rare.CASE SUMMARY: A 30-year-old woman presented with COVID-19 and cardiogenic shock due to a lymphocytic myocarditis. Since she deteriorated under treatment with inotropes, she was referred to our centre, and veno-arterial extracorporeal life support was started. Subsequently, the aortic valve only opened sporadically, and spontaneous contrast appeared in the left ventricle (LV), pointing towards difficulties with unloading LV. Therefore, an Impella for venting the LV was implanted. After 6 days of mechanical circulatory support, her heart function recovered. All support could be weaned, and 2 months later, she had made a full recovery.DISCUSSION: We presented a patient with severe cardiogenic shock due to an acute virus-negative lymphocytic myocarditis associated with a SARS-CoV-2 infection. Since the precise aetiology of SARS-CoV-2-related myocarditis remains to be elucidated and no virus could be detected in the heart, a causal relationship remains speculative.</p

Wrinkling hierarchy in constrained thin sheets from suspended graphene to curtains

We show that thin sheets under boundary confinement spontaneously generate a universal self-similar hierarchy of wrinkles. From simple geometry arguments and energy scalings, we develop a formalism based on wrinklons, the transition zone in the merging of two wrinkles, as building-blocks of the global pattern. Contrary to the case of crumple paper where elastic energy is focused, this transition is described as smooth in agreement with a recent numerical work. This formalism is validated from hundreds of nm for graphene sheets to meters for ordinary curtains, which shows the universality of our description. We finally describe the effect of an external tension to the distribution of the wrinkles.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, added references, submitted for publicatio