The importance of psychological well-being in organisational settings: moving beyond the pleasure principle

In contrast to the emphasis on affective states as components of Subjective Well-Being (SWB), the Psychological Well-Being (PWB) approach considers the role of personal resources, such as mastery and efficacy beliefs, a sense of autonomy, positive relatedness with others, and self acceptance. This study of 679 high-school teachers was based on the Organisational Health Research Framework and compared the contribution of PWB, personality and organisational climate to the prediction of SWB and organisational well-being. PWB was identified as a significant predictor of SWB even after controlling for demographic characteristics, organisational climate and personality variables with 46% of the variance in PA and 47% of the variance in NA explained. In addition, PWB contributed uniquely to the prediction of school morale and school distress with the overall set of predictors accounting for 69% of the variance in school morale and 66% of the variance in school distress. Individual interventions which promote PWB components would appear to be a most important avenue by which to improve employee SWB, while organisational interventions that focus on improving the organisational climate should have greater impact on organisational well-bein

Understanding the differential benefits of training for the unemployed

[Abstract]: This study examined the connection between background variables (such as length of unemployment and number of previous training courses), contextual variables (perceptions of training climate), dispositional variables (positive affect and negative affect), and psychological outcomes for unemployed trainees who attended either a five week occupational skills training program (control group) or the same five week program with an additional two day intervention before the start of the program (treatment group). The trainees in both the treatment and control conditions were found to reduce their levels of psychological distress over the course of a five-week training program. Trainees in the treatment condition who started with the lowest levels of general self-efficacy and the highest levels of psychological distress showed the greatest improvements at time 2 (T2). The measures of length of unemployment, number of previous training courses, and the perceptions of the training climate (with one exception) did not account for any unique variance in either of the well-being measures at time 3 (T3). Positive and negative affect (PA and NA respectively) accounted for 30% of the variance in initial levels of general self-efficacy and 43% of the variance in initial levels of psychological distress. However, PA and NA measured at T1 did not account for any unique variance in the T3 levels of general self-efficacy and psychological distress, after the initial levels of each of the variables were controlled. It was concluded that components of dispositional affect are the main influence on how individuals perceive stimuli in the environment and subsequently regulate their emotional response

Personal effectiveness training for unemployed people: where to now?

Unemployment remains a major social problem in Australia. Successive governments have attempted to address the problem, in part, by funding occupational skills based training programs for the unemployed. This paper reviews the general area of occupational skills/personal effectiveness training for unemployed people, and reports on outcomes for individuals attending 'typical' courses in Australia. Also reported, are outcomes for unemployed people who attended specially devised training, based on the cognitive behavioural (e.g., Beck, 1976) and learned optimism (Seligman, 1990) intervention approaches, that was aimed at improving well-being, confidence and coping abilities. Variables assessed include individual well-being (e.g., psychological distress), confidence (e.g., self-efficacy), attitude-to-work (e.g., work-commitment); training climate; and labour market outcomes such as return-to-work. More positive outcomes were identified for unemployed people attending the specially devised programs. The authors argue that training targeted at unemployed people must be based on sound theoretical principles to produce measurable long-term benefits. Future applications of personal development programs are discussed in relation to occupational skills based training and as stand-alone programs

The influence of psychological factors on pre-employment activities in the unemployed

Structural relationships among latent and economic deprivation, employment commitment, personal resources, and pre-employment activities are examined using a cross- sectional survey of the unemployed. The dependent variable, pre-employment activities, constitutes some of the main activities (other than their daily chores) that the unemployed engage in, including job-seeking, training, volunteer or unpaid work, and leisure activities. The research draws on concepts from Jahoda's latent deprivation theory, Fryer's agency restriction theory, and expectancy value theory. Latent and economic deprivation, employment commitment, and personal resources are expected to directly predict the type of pre-employment activities the unemployed engage in. Latent deprivation is an endogenous construct underlying measures of time structure measured by time structure, enforced activity, social contact, collective purpose, and social status. Measures of personal resources include job-search self-efficacy, self-esteem, affective disposition, and psychological wellbeing. Significant interactions between the predictor variables are also hypothesised. For example, unemployed individuals with higher perceived latent and economic deprivation and higher employment commitment are expected to engage more frequently in employment-related activities (e.g., jobseeking, training, and unpaid work participation). Supplementary hypotheses are framed to test the relative importance of each of the predictor variables. Hypotheses are tested using structural equation modelling. This study is the first stage of a longitudinal study designed to identify psychological factors that influence employment outcomes in the unemployed. Findings from the study will identify psychological barriers to active economic and social participation in the workforce that can be targeted for intervention programs for the unemployed

Low Velocity Airdrop Tests of an X-38 Backup Parachute Design

The NASA Johnson Space Center's X-38 program designed a new backup parachute system to recover the 25,000 lb X-38 prototype for the Crew Return Vehicle spacecraft. Due to weight and cost constraints, the main backup parachute design incorporated rapid and low cost fabrication techniques using off-the-shelf materials. Near the vent, the canopy was constructed of continuous ribbons, to provide more damage tolerance. The remainder of the canopy was a constructed with a continuous ringslot design. After cancellation of the X-38 program, the parachute design was resized, built, and drop tested for Natick Soldiers Center's Low Velocity Air Drop (LVAD) program to deliver cargo loads up to 22,000 lbs from altitudes as low as 500 feet above the ground. Drop tests results showed that the 500-foot LVAD parachute deployment conditions cause severe skirt inversion and inflation problems for large parachutes. The bag strip occurred at a high angle of attack, causing skirt inversion before the parachute could inflate. The addition of a short reefing line prevented the skirt inversion. Using a lower porosity in the vent area, than is normally used in large parachutes, improved inflation. The drop testing demonstrated that the parachute design could be refined to meet the requirements for the 500-foot LVAD mission

Evidence for variable selective pressures at MC1R

It is widely assumed that genes that influence variation in skin and hair pigmentation are under selection. To date,the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) is the only gene identified that explains substantial phenotypic variance inhuman pigmentation. Here we investigate MC1R polymorphism in several populations, for evidence of selection.We conclude that MC1R is under strong functional constraint in Africa, where any diversion from eumelanin production (black pigmentation) appears to be evolutionarily deleterious. Although many of the MC1R amino acid variants observed in non-African populations do affect MC1R function and contribute to high levels of MC1R diversity in Europeans, we found no evidence, in either the magnitude or the patterns of diversity, for its enhancement by selection; rather, our analyses show that levels of MC1R polymorphism simply reflect neutral expectations underrelaxation of strong functional constraint outside Africa

Systematic review of exercise therapy in the management of post-thrombotic syndrome

Objectives Exercise improves haemodynamic parameters in patients with chronic venous disease. There is a paucity of evidence on its effect in post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS). The aim of this systematic review is to assess the impact of exercise in PTS. Methods Adhering to PRISMA guidelines and following PROSPERO registration (CRD42021220924), MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, EMBASE database, and trial registries were searched on 19th May 2022. Results One article met the inclusion criteria and a narrative synthesis was carried out. The included randomised controlled trial reported a between-group mean difference of 4.6 points (p = .027) in the VEINES-QOL score and −2.0 points (p = .14) in the Villalta score, in favour of exercise therapy. The statistical significance threshold was not reached. Conclusion Data on exercise in PTS remains sparse but exercise appears to be a safe intervention. In the context of this literature, a potential future trial and outcome reporting measures are suggested

The role of body rotation in bacterial flagellar bundling

In bacterial chemotaxis, E. coli cells drift up chemical gradients by a series of runs and tumbles. Runs are periods of directed swimming, and tumbles are abrupt changes in swimming direction. Near the beginning of each run, the rotating helical flagellar filaments which propel the cell form a bundle. Using resistive-force theory, we show that the counter-rotation of the cell body necessary for torque balance is sufficient to wrap the filaments into a bundle, even in the absence of the swirling flows produced by each individual filament