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Since the work stress has become a major problem in work organization and the risk of morbidity of cardiovascular diseases is greater among the ones exposed to variety of stressors, it is important to point out the methods for its recognition, solution and prevention. Work stress presents a series of circumstances that lead to harmful physiological, psychological and behavioural reactions in employees whose capacities do not match work demands. Assessing the risk at work includes identification of harmful effects both on employees and on the entire organization. Stress is not always easily detectable, and sometimes it is necessary to use special work stress related questionnaires in order to get a full view of the employees' stress level. It is necessary to schedule regular check-ups, interview employees about their health and tell them whom to address about the problems, and to ensure interdisciplinary approach that includes psychologists, occupational medicine specialists and experts on protection at work. There are a number of methods by which the risk of work stress can be reduced. These include primary, secondary and tertiary prevention. Contemporary work stress management should cover tertiary prevention that includes reduction of further harmful effects on individual or on people who are exposed to stressors. The term prevention comprises two approaches: changing individuals through work stress related training, and reduction of work stress through changing work organization. Steps toward prevention include: preparation phase, identification of the problem, designing and implementing interventions and evaluation of the interventions. Solving work stress problems is a complex, interdisciplinary task which reduces future negative consequences on the organization and on the employee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents factor structure and reliability of the workplace stressor questionnaire for hospital healthcare workers and hopes to further validate and standardise the stress measuring instrument for healthcare workers and thus directly affect the safety of patients and healthcare workers in hospital environments. The study was based on a sample of 1,900 participants aged between 18 and 65, employed in healthcare (nurses, lab technicians and physicians) in the hospitals Dubrava, Zagreb, Sestre milosrdnice and Sveti Duh. All participants voluntarily joined the study. Rate of response was 78%, from the actual sample of 1,481 participants (1,086 nurses and technicians and 395 physicians). In addition to general socio-demographic questions, the questionnaire included 37 workplace stressors referring to work organisation, shift work, opportunities for promotion, education, professional demands, interpersonal communication, communication between the healthcare workers and patients, and fear of dangers and potential harms in healthcare. The participants assessed their experience on the Likert scale (1-5) from 1 = ''no stress'' to 5 = ''great stress''. Factor analysis yielded six factors of relatively high reliability of inner consistency (all values of Crombach a exceeded 0.7): Workplace Organisation and Financial Issues, Public Criticism, Dangers and Harms at Workplace, Conflicts and Communication at Work, Shift Work, Professional and Intellectual Demands. Individual particles logically explain the structure of the corresponding factors and provide good foundation for further development of the stress measuring instrument at the workplace for hospital healthcare workers. The study contributes to the improvement of a suitable measuring instrument and its implementation in practice, and assists in better recognition and better solutions in the prevention of stress and preservation of safety in hospitals which should help to protect the health of healthcare workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: The Level of Personality Functioning Scale-Brief Form 2.0 (LPFS-BF 2.0) is a self-report screening measure of personality impairments according to the DSM-5 Alternative Model for Personality Disorders and the ICD-11 classification of personality disorders. Nevertheless, reliable cut-off scores that could help in clinical decision making are still lacking for many populations. The aim of this study was to develop severity benchmarks of the LPFS-BF 2.0 for a Polish population based on the item response theory (IRT) approach. Methods: A sample of Polish adults ( n = 530) took part in the study. The participants assessed their personality functioning and pathological personality traits and provided information about psychiatric diagnosis and psychotherapy seeking. The severity benchmarks were developed using IRT and validated using mean and frequency comparisons between groups of different personality impairments according to the developed cut-offs. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported a unidimensional model of the LPFS-BF 2.0. The graded IRT model indicated satisfactory item functioning for all LPFS-BF 2.0 items. The normative observed score thresholds at different latent severity levels of personality impairments were developed, and significant overall differences were found between the LPFS-BF 2.0 norm-based severity benchmarks in pathological personality traits and psychotherapy seeking. Conclusions: The IRT-based cut-offs for the LPFS-BF 2.0 identified individuals high on pathological personality traits (particularly disinhibition) and were predictive of psychotherapy seeking. The developed severity benchmarks allow for the interpretation of LPFS-BF 2.0 scores, supporting clinical diagnosis and relevant decision making in the Polish population. Practical implications for healthcare practice and research are being discussed.

Abstract: Gagnon, A, Payette, J, Park, M, Juras, K, and Slater, L. Relationship between pitch counts and shoulder strength in collegiate baseball players. J Strength Cond Res 37(9): 1860-1864, 2023-Large volumes of throwing leads to changes in shoulder strength that have been associated with increased risk of injury. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between throwing volume and eccentric shoulder strength. Twelve NCAA Division I baseball pitchers volunteered to participate. Prepractice and postpractice eccentric shoulder strength was measured using a handheld dynamometer at 30°/second. Change in strength was calculated as the prepractice strength measure subtracted from the postpractice strength measure. After initial testing, subjects self-reported pitch counts before completing postpractice strength testing. Subjects were separated into high-strength and low-strength groups based on the median external rotation strength. Paired t -tests were used to compare change in shoulder strength and Pearson's r correlations were used to quantify the association between pitches and change in strength. There were no changes between prestrength and poststrength assessments in external rotation strength or internal rotation strength for the entire group. When divided into strength groups, correlations between strength and total pitches were nonsignificant for the high-strength group but were strong for both external rotation ( r = -0.87, p = 0.025) and internal rotation ( r = -0.91, p = 0.013) in the low-strength group. Pitchers with lower shoulder eccentric strength at baseline demonstrated greater declines in strength, whereas pitchers with higher shoulder eccentric strength did not demonstrate changes in strength. Changes in strength during practice could lead to compensatory movement that may predispose athletes to injury. Sport performance professionals may benefit from obtaining eccentric shoulder strength to assist with performance periodization and rehabilitation after injury., (Copyright © 2023 National Strength and Conditioning Association.)

This paper is a report of a study of the associations of shift work with work ability and quality of life (QoL) among clinical nurses. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2007-2008 on 1124 nurses using the Work Ability Index Questionnaire and the Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF). Lower education was a predictor for low level of work ability and low physical health domain of QoL. Older age and having no partner were statistically significantly related to lower social interaction. Predictors significantly related to low environment domain of QoL were low education and shift work. Shift workers had higher level of level of work ability, but clinically insignificant. The study provides no evidence of a significant association between shift work and work ability or quality of life. Education has a positive association with nurses' work ability and quality of life.

Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors provide well known cardiorenal-protective benefits added to antihypertensive effects in chronic renal disease. These agents are underused in management of patients receiving hemodialysis (HD) because of common concern of hyperkalemia. However, few studies have investigated effect of renin angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS) blockade on serum potassium in hemodialysis patients. We assessed the safety of ramipril in patients on maintenance HD. We enrolled 28 adult end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients treated by maintenance HD and prescribed them ramipril in doses of 1.25 to 5 mg per day. They underwent serum potassium concentration measurements before ramipril introduction and in 1 to 3 months afterwards. No significant increase in kalemia was found. Results of our study encourage the use of ACE inhibitors in chronically hemodialyzed patients, but close potassium monitoring is mandatory.

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) has two active forms, adenosylcobalamin and methylcobalamin which have a key role in two important metabolic pathways in humans and their deficiency is responsible for clinical problems. Cobalamin is essential during whole life, but its sufficient amount is extra important in fetal and neonatal period, when it is essential for normal child growth and development as well as for normal development of the central nervous system. Because of very complex transport and metabolism, its deficiency can be manifested in numerous congenital and acquired disorders. Vitamin B12 deficiency mostly has non-specific clinical features, it carries a great risk of permanent consequences, but most frequently it is easily curable if diagnosed on time. In Croatia cobalamin deficiency in children has been diagnosed too rarely. Accordingly, the aim of this paper is to point to the recently gained knowledge on cobalamin metabolism, present typical case reports and to provide guidelines for rapid and proper diagnostic and therapeutic approach.