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OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – Osceola County deputies arrested a caretaker at a local group home on charges he was sexually battering the same girls he was supposed to be helping.
37-year-old Domingo Sanchez was arrested Friday.
Deputies say acting on a tip they went to interview Sanchez about the allegations, and that's when he allegedly admitting to having sex with three girls staying at the home. Two of the girls were 17. The third was only 13. Sanchez reportedly told investigators the sexual encounters happened on several occasions.
The sheriff's office says Sanchez is no longer employed by the organization that provides the staff for the group home.
Sanchez is charged with eight counts of sexual battery by a custodian and was booked into the Osceola County jail. Deputies say their investigation is ongoing.
Stay with Local 6 for updates on this developing story.
Copyright 2013 by ClickOrlando.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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iponz.govt.nz Renewal of a Patent New Zealand : Intellectual Property Office
Organization : Intellectual Property Office
Facility : Renewal of a Patent
Country : New Zealand
Website : https://www.iponz.govt.nz/about-ip/patents/renewal/
|You can now ask your question on this facility / status. Ask here (OR) Go to the bottom of this page for comments.
IPONZ Renewal of a Patent
Paying an Application Maintenance or Patent Renewal Fee.
Related : Intellectual Property Office Apply For Patent New Zealand : www.statusin.org/6905.html
Annual fee payments are required from the fourth anniversary of the filing of your complete specification.
** If your patent has not been granted you are required to pay an annual maintenance fee.
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You can pay your fee up to three months before the due date. If a fee is paid after the due date, a late fee will automatically be added to you payment.
Payment must be made within six months of the fee due date to keep your application pending or patent in force. If you are outside of this six month deadline, please refer to our information about the restoration process.
Renewal payments can only be submitted for patents that have been granted and have not yet lapsed. Payment is made through our online maintenance and renewal service. Watch out for Unsolicited IP services asking you to pay money.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Snowshoe itinerary: Pala di Santa
Height difference:670 m
This itinerary starts on Passo di Lavazè (1825 m), between the valleys Val d'Ega and Val di Fiemme.
Starting from the car park, go along the road towards Bolzano for about 200m. Take the path nr. 9 on your right (near the road sign of Passo Pampeago) going eastwards. The trail winds in the forest, going up and then down. After one hour walk, you have to ascent for about 15 minutes along the same path, until you reach the Pampeago Pass (1996 m).
Turn right and walk trough the forest: the path will lead you to a ski slope. Go up on the right of the slope, close to the forest, until you reach the top, which is flat and bare. Go past the ski lift station and keep on walking on the right, until you reach the cross Croce di Vetta (2488 m), after about 20 minutes. Go back following the same trail.


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|Building name:
|Sheng'ai Building
|No. 88 Caoxi North Road, Xujiahui District
|Metro nearby:
|Number of Floors:
|Number of Elevators:
|Type of office:
|2-10 workstations
|Office area:
|10-50sq.m (Net)
|Monthly rentals:
Office Description
Sheng'ai Building is located in Xujiahui - Shanghai's most long-standing historical and cultural atmosphere of the regional center, close to Southeast Asia's largest Catholic Church and the historic institution of higher learning - Jiaotong University. Sheng'ai Building is located in the extremely prosperous commercial circle, traffic is extremely convenient, Xujiahui subway station and the Inner Ring Elevated close proximity, Sheng'ai Building overall architecture draws the essence of Gothic style. Facade design fully continuation Xujiahui Cathedral Gothic style, both have unique business advantages, but also added a touch of human color, multi-lined in the total building unique charisma.


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Tuesday, 8 December 2009
black and bright
11 comments:
- the crafty duck said...
Lovely card Julye, the butterfly is gorgeous, thanks for playing over at MCFC, love Steph
- 8 December 2009 at 18:15
Hi Julye.
Beautiful card, the buterfly is so pretty, great take on the sketch.
Thanks for joining in at MCFC.
Good Luck.
Hugs Angel
- 8 December 2009 at 18:55
- jackiescrafts said...
This is a lovely card Julye, I love the butterfly, in fact I love anything to do with butterflies but especially like the way you have layered your up
Thanks for joining in at MCFC
Jackie x
- 8 December 2009 at 20:40
- Carol Ann said...
Julye another lovely card. I love the way you have turned the sketch upside down and that butterfly is gorgeous you could almost catch it in your hand! Thank you for joining in the MCFC challenge.
Carol Ann xx
- 8 December 2009 at 21:32
- Donna said...
Love the butterfly on this card and a lovely take on the sketch. Thanks for joining in with MCFC again, and good luck!
Donna x
- 8 December 2009 at 21:55
Hi Julye, love what you have done with the sketch - the butterfly is great and I love the backing paper with Dragonfly Dreams on. Thanks for joining us at MCFC - Shell xx
- 9 December 2009 at 20:14
- Juls said...
Love your card! The colour combo is so striking! and your 3d butterfly is just gorgeous! Thanks for joining us at BTC&G!!
- 9 December 2009 at 20:18
- JayLynn said...
Oh wow this is lovely! I really love that butterfly :) Thanks for playing with us at ICCC!!
- 10 December 2009 at 02:22
- jem (jane elizabeth middleton) said...
very pretty, your butterfly looks animated.Thanks for sharing your card with by the cute and girly. janex
- 10 December 2009 at 09:10
- pinky said...
Lovely card, very pretty butterfly and great movie choice. Thanks for playing at BTC&G
- 10 December 2009 at 20:13
- Unknown said...
Beautiful card Julye, I love how you've used the sketch and the buttefly is so pretty.
Thanks for joining us over on MCFC.
- 12 December 2009 at 00:51


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When I was a kid I read and watched Little House constantly. I loved to hate Nellie Oleson. To be honest, I wasn't all that happy when they reformed Nellie and made her into a nice person on the show.
Nellie was the perfect villain. Only she was a kid, so she got away with being awful without us holding her too responsible for the outcomes of her actions.
Cordelia on Buffy was a Nellie Oleson first season.
Mean Girls, yep, Nellie Olesons.
In Honor and Lies Savannah is somewhat of a Nellie Oleson. She's the main secondary character, but she's not really likable. In fact, she more than the villain, Miss Celinda, stands in the way of Sissy's quest.
Sometimes people ask why I let Savannah be so unheroic.
It's funny because when I first started writing Honor and Lies, Sissy and Savannah were one and the same. I wanted them both to be heros. It wasn't possible. I tried to make Savannah someone the reader could route for even though she's such a snot at times. She's a product of her environment, she's protected and coddled, and in the end, she's shocked by the realities of the world she lives in. I hope the reader can have more empathy for Savannah than I ever did for Nellie Oleson.


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You Don't Have to Stress Over Getting a New HVAC System
Just the thought of replacing an HVAC system is stressful. No one wants to even consider being stuck in their home without any heating or air conditioning. That could very easily happen to many homeowners who don't have enough savings to replace an HVAC system that suddenly stops working. You don't want to have to go to the process of taking on a typical loan since it takes too long and the terms tend to be very stringent. You need HVAC financing options that are flexible as well as dependable.
What Is the Most Suitable Financing Option?
You'll find the most suitable financing options come from financing specialists that focus on heating and air systems. They have access to more suitable options that include longer terms and lower monthly payments. You want to make sure that you're getting a reputable HVAC brand as well as a high-quality system. This requires services provided by financing specialists that also have close relationships with superior HVAC contractors. They will help you find a contractor in your area that can provide you with installation, maintenance and repair services for your brand-new HVAC system. You don't have to worry about approval either. All you have to do is be able to meet minimal financial requirements and apply online.
Find Out about Discounts
What's better than the ease of applying online? The answer is finding out if you are eligible for any discounts concerning the financing of a new HVAC system. You may also be eligible for payment options based on 59 month, 47 month, or 35 month terms. Does a guaranteed purchase option payment sound good as well? These are just a few of the positive aspects you will enjoy when you use the services of financial specialists ready to help you replace your HVAC system.


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Questions will change the energy around any area of your life that you think isn't working. I often hear people comment or make judgements about money rather than ask a question.
A question can be as simple as:
– What would it take to have more money in my life?
– How does it get any better than this?®
– What else is possible?®
– How can I have everything that I would desire in life?
– What would it take for way more money to show up in my life that I ever perceived possible?
And having money is about receiving. When you go into judgment rather than question, you actually cut off your receiving. You cut off the ability to receive money, to receive gifts from the universe.
So here's a process to kickstart your capacity to receive! Whatever you do, don't run it for 30 times a day for 30 days – you just might begin to receive far more than you ever have before!
What creation are you using to invoke and perpetrate the limited contribution you are receiving you are choosing? And everything that that is will you destroy and uncreate it? Right and wrong, good and bad, POC and POD all 9, Shorts, boys and beyonds®.
So what is this process? Invoke is what you are calling up. It's the prayer of making sure something shows up. "I never have money, I never have money, I never have money." You are invoking that you can never have money.
And by invoking, you perpetrate the limited contribution rather than using a question to create the unlimited contribution. You are perpetrating on yourself the limited contribution. So the small, minuscule amount of contribution, the smallest amount of contribution that you could receive is what you are perpetrating on yourself.
From the Debt to Money Play Telecall Series with Simone Milasas – you can get the full recordings, homeplay exercises and clearings in multiple languages HERE


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Note: When the idea for this guest blogger series first came to me a few months ago, Gena Philibert-Ortega was the first person I thought of. Not only is she a collector of heirloom cookbooks, but she is also my oldest friend in blogging. Moreover, like Gena, I believe that the cookbooks that line our kitchen libraries can give us amazing insights into the people and cultures that produced them, and those we cherish most say a lot about us as individuals. I could not be more thrilled to have her kick off this series. ~ Renée
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
It's hard to pick a favorite cookbook. I write about community cookbooks each week for my blog Food. Family.Ephemera., which allows me to regularly read cookbooks from my collection and online. I love community cookbooks because they tell the story of women's lives in a unique way that isn't found in any other history source. I often explain in genealogy presentations that these cookbooks are a city directory of women because in their pages we find names, places, anecdotes, and advertisements. They are a unique, though often belittled, addition to the cookbook genre.
So what is my favorite cookbook? I decided against trying to choose a community cookbook since I love so many of them. Instead I chose a somewhat plain cookbook. It might sound odd but it's one that I have never used for cooking. It's one I've had since I was about 8 years old but it's not a children's cookbook. It was a Christmas gift from my paternal great-grandmother who was known to give me unchild like gifts. It's the unassuming Reader's Digest Secrets of Better Cooking.
It may seem like an odd gift for a child. And you might be thinking, "aren't there 'better' cookbooks to buy for someone?" After all, the Reader's Digest name isn't synonymous with fine dining. My great-grandmother lived in a small California desert community that didn't include bookstores. I imagine ordering a cookbook via the mail was probably one of her only options. She worked as a cook all of her life, even in her later life when people are supposed to be retired, so it makes sense that she wanted me to have something she considered valuable. She must have realized that her time with me was short, there was a 59 year age gap between us, and that when I most needed this cookbook and her advice she would be gone. So I have held onto this cookbook for years, it's gone with me through numerous moves and changes in life. And it's always there.
So why haven't I used this cookbook to cook? It may seem odd that I have never used the cookbook for its intended purpose. After all, wouldn't she want me to use the cookbook to cook from? It's hard to understand but I have many cookbooks I don't use for cooking. For me, cookbooks are literature. Something to read, peruse, and study. They tell a story, even if that story isn't always so obvious.
I believe when someone shares a book with you it says a lot. It speaks to what is important to them and what they love. After all no one typically shares a book they hated. In this case this cookbook represents my great-grandmother who was a big part of my life for 19 years. Every time I look at it reminds me of her. It reminds me of Thanksgivings with mincemeat pie, fudge at Christmas from a "secret recipe" commonly found on the back of the marshmallow fluff bottle, and homemade biscuits cut out by using an upside down drinking glass. Those memories of events that are now gone but not forgotten. Memories that I wish I had video recorded for her descendants to see. The power of that cookbook is memory.
A 1970s Reader's Digest Cookbook is my favorite and no matter how large my cookbook collection becomes, it will always be my favorite.
Old-fashioned BiscuitsPrint Recipe Pin Recipe
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cream of tartar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter or margarine
- 1 1/3 cups milk
- Sift flour, salt, baking soda, cream of tartar and baking powder. Cut in the butter with two knives until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the milk and stir with a fork until the dough is mixed and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- For drop biscuits, drop tablespoons of the dough onto buttered baking sheets.
- For rolled biscuits, turn the dough onto a floured board and roll it into a sheet about 1 inch thick. Use a round cutter to cut out the biscuits. Do not handle the dough too much, for this will make the biscuits less tender.
- For square biscuits, roll onto the dough and cut into squares, or par the dough into a buttered 9-inch-square pan or a rectangular pan 8 x 10 inches. Cut into squares when done.
- Bake in a preheated 400 degree F. oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Makes 16 to 24 biscuits.
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
About Gena: Gena Philibert-Ortega holds a Master's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (Psychology and Women's Studies) and a Master's degree in Religion. She is the author of three books, including her latest: From The Family Kitchen (F + W Media, 2012). Gena was a researcher for the first season of the PBS show Genealogy Roadshow (2013). She blogs about food history and community cookbooks at Food.Family.Ephemera.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.


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I think everyone has days or hours where you have to make calls and go through prompts spoken by machine leading you to more prompts until you get a human.
I had to call a bank, or a calling center for a bank, to close a savings account which contained $27.01. To be more specific, it was for my mother's account. To be yet more specific, for my mother who is no longer alive.
I had let the bank know when my mom died last November. I wasn't doing anything wrong but I felt like I was.
I was officially on her account because she had pretty much lost her ability to do things like make bank transactions. Also, feed herself, remember whether or not she ate, remember who was President, what day of the week it was, hour of the day, day or night. Things like that.
I knew I would have to wait a long time to speak to someone.
It cost $5.00 a month to keep the account. But even when it goes down to zero you are charged $5.00 a month for all eternity. So I wanted to be a responsible adult and close this account properly. By the book.
When I finally got a human I said something very wrong. I said she was alive. I don't know why I said it. Somewhere deep in my brain I thought it would speed up the process. Instead, in an instant, my computer said we had no dollars anywhere. The account was frozen. I was being transferred to a different, higher department. A department for evil children of dead parents.
I sweartogod, in that moment, I believed the police would be knocking at my door. I believed I had screwed up so mightily that if my mother were alive she would disown me. I hung up on the higher, scarier department.
I had one day to fix this. Half the day was over. I have a weekday off every other week. I also had to get a signature guaranteed for some other important thing relating to my mom no longer being alive. This same day.
I started to cry.
I called back willing myself to fix this wrong. I had to go through the same waiting process as before. As I was crying and feeling like someone should just shoot me for being so bloody stupid I did the only productive thing I could think of to do while my ear was tethered to a phone. I scrubbed the toilets. We have three. They all needed scrubbing. I scrubbed the bowls and wiped the lids on top and bottom, and dusted off the part where the innards are hidden.
Eventually someone came on the line. It seemed like the very lowest of the phone people was waiting for me because I was put right through to the scary high level department. I was still crying. I felt like the stupidest most inept person ever. I was not a fraud or a theif. I was afraid no one would believe me.
But I got the kindest woman who treated me as though I had called the suicide hotline instead of the bank. Or maybe a suicide hotline AT the bank. She kept saying "are you still with me Jess??". She knew I was sad about mom (though in truth it has been five months since she died and mostly I feel numb) and she went on to tell me that I will remember my mom and she would be with me always.
If she knew my mom, Mona, she would know that I would be on the wrong side of a violent temper. Had Mona been able to witness this fiasco she would have called me an imbecile, a retard, an idiot. The same words she used for herself when she started to forget things. She'd rather have believed she was witless than accept that she had dementia.
At any rate, this kind woman eventually transferred me to a kind man named Scott. Scott said everything would be okay except that I had to download forms, get them notarized, scan and send them to the bank. This day.
I went to the library where I have a friend who I knew could do what I needed to do. I signed forms and got notarized and scanned and e mailed the documents. Then I went to get my signature guaranteed. I waited. In the end, I was unable to do this because I needed things I did not have. There is always something you don't have.
I went home and looked at my mom's accounts on my computer and saw numbers, instead of zero's. But I was still afraid so I decided I needed to hear everything really was okay from Scott himself.
I called the bank again and I waited until I reached Scott. While I waited, hearing the same jazz like tune on a loop, I put away all the laundry, folded the towels, washed the dishes, cleaned off our counters and put away papers and tchotchkes.
Scott assured me that the documents had come through and everything wrong was righted.
I have not been okay for the past few years. I fall apart esily. But it's good to know that when I am in panic mode, with tears falling, there is a Scott and the kind woman at Capital One and my house will end up a little cleaner.
When life is too filled with these kind of chores, the kind of chores that come in Manila envelopes when someone close to you has died, that seemed designed to trip you and make you feel small and incapable, it is good to have a scrub brush. Cleaning toilets is a chore that I can do and I know I won't ruin it. I know I won't hurt anyone. If I don't scrub enough or I miss some dirt, I will get it the next time.
It gives me comfort.
The toilets are clean. I'll soon get a check for $27.01.


text: TV / Video NBC Picks Up 5 New Series for 2013-14 Peacock orders 3 single-camera comedies and a pair of dramasBy Anthony Crupi|May 9, 2013 Share By Anthony Crupi|May 9, 2013 Share NBC has begun piling on the series orders for the 2013-14 campaign, picking up three new comedies and a pair of dramas. Heading to NBC after the summer break are J.J. Abrams' supernatural drama Believe (Kyle MacLachlan, Delroy Lindo) and the Dermot Mulroney-Gillian Anderson Beltway thriller Crisis. (The latter commitment may come as a bit of a disappointment for fans of Fox's New Girl, as it suggests Mulroney won't be reprising his role as Russell, aka the Fancyman.) A heady stew of levitation, telekinesis and other spooky psychic phenomena, Believe is produced by Warner Bros. Television and Abrams' Bad Robot. Crisis is from 20th Century Fox Television. All three of NBC's newly ordered comedies are of the single-camera variety. Formerly titled Then Came Elvis, D.J. Nash's Family Guide stars J.K. Simmons (The Closer) as a blind alpha male whose soon-to-be-ex-wife presents him with a guide dog named after the King of Rock n' Roll. Family Guide is executive produced by Nash (Up All Night, Guys With Kids), Jason Bateman and Jim Garavente. David Schwimmer directed the pilot. Will & Grace alum Sean Hayes does a turn as a divorced gay man who goes overboard in his efforts to be the best possible dad to his 14-year-old daughter. Sean Saves the World is executive produced by Hayes, Victor Fresco (Go On, Mad About You) and Todd Milliner (Grimm). James Burrows (Friends, The Big Bang Theory) directed the pilot for the homegrown (Universal Television) comedy. Also making the cut is About a Boy, an adaptation of the 1998 Nick Hornby novel/2002 Hugh Grant film of the same name. (The show originally was developed as a comedy series at Fox in advance of the 2003-04 season, with Patrick Dempsey signed on to star in the Will Freeman role.) Directed by Jon Favreau and produced by many of the people who backed the original theatrical version, About a Boy stars David Walton (Bent, New Girl) and Minnie Driver (The Riches, Good Will Hunting). The new crop joins the previously announced Michael J. Fox comedy and renewed dramas Chicago Fire, Revolution, Grimm, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Parenthood on the fall schedule. The confirmed orders come on the heels of word that NBC pulled the plug on seven pilots, including the Carlton Cuse comic book adaptation The Sixth Gun, the pulpy assassin thriller Bloodline and the sudsy Jerry Bruckheimer ensemble drama The Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives. The network on Wednesday also canceled the freshman drama Deception. UPDATE: In-house favorite Parks and Recreation (3.30 million/1.6) was renewed late this afternoon. While NBC has yet to determine the fate of the first-year drama Hannibal and the comedies 1600 Penn, Guys With Kids, The New Normal and Go On, it's likely that only the latter will survive to see a second season. Per Nielsen live-plus-same-day ratings, Go On is NBC's top-rated comedy, averaging 5.67 million viewers and a 2.1 rating in the 18-49 demo. UPDATE: As expected, 1600 Penn and Guys With Kids have been canceled. The other newbies didn't fare nearly as well as Go On, which enjoyed a plum spot leading out of The Voice. The New Normal in its first season averaged 4.10 million viewers and a 1.6 in the dollar demo, while Guys With Kids eked out 3.89 million viewers and a 1.4 rating. The White House comedy 1600 Penn was NBC's least effective new comedy, delivering just 2.86 million viewers and a 1.1 in the demo. Hannibal is also a likely candidate for cancelation, drawing 3.45 million viewers and a 1.4 rating through its first five episodes. Smash is surely a goner, as is Up All Night. UPDATE: On hiatus since mid-December, Up All Night was finally put out of its misery on Thursday evening. Bubble series include second-year comedy Whitney and the Thursday night perennial Community, both of which averaged a 1.2 in the guaranteed demo. UPDATE: Whitney has been canceled after two seasons, making Community a strong contender for a return engagement. Heading into the home stretch, NBC remains in third place in the ratings race, averaging a 2.4 among adults 18-49, down 4 percent from the year-ago period. CBS leads the pack with a 2.9 (down 3 percent), while Fox's 2.5 average is down 22 percent. ABC brings up the rear with a 2.2 rating, down 8 percent. NBC will present its entire 2013-14 prime-time schedule on May 13 at Radio City Music Hall. Share http://adweek.it/11o44OO copy Adweek Adweek


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– The CEO / COO Alliance Event –
Improving communication, connection, and collaboration between the two most important people in your company
(Qualifying details: For this event, we are only accepting companies who have a minimum of $5 million in annual revenue and a minimum of 50 employees.)
– The CEO / COO Alliance Event –
Improving communication, connection, and collaboration between the two most important people in your company
(Qualifying details: For this event, we are only accepting companies who have a minimum of $5 million in annual revenue and a minimum of 50 employees.)
Click on a link below to learn more about our CEO/COO Next Event
-Everyone has a "work spouse." Yours? If you're the CEO, it's the COO. If you're the COO, it's the CEO-
-Everyone has a "work spouse." Yours? If you're the CEO, it's the COO. If you're the COO, it's the CEO-
Unlike other work associations, the relationship between CEO and COO truly is like a marriage. Your ability to communicate well, understand each other's motivations and behaviors, resolve conflict quickly and respectfully, and present a united front and clear vision to the rest of your work family dramatically impacts the health, performance – and perhaps even survival – of your company.
-Communication is the cornerstone of corporate success-
-Communication is the cornerstone of corporate success-
Effective communication is core to the health of every relationship.
That's why we're making communication the focus of the CEO/COO Alliance Event. You and your CEO will walk out the door with an even better ability to:
- Decipher what motivates each of you to act the way you do
- Better appreciate how you each approach the business
- Create a stronger, closer, and more effective working relationship
- Flex your communication and leadership styles
- Quickly and amicably resolve conflicts
- Create more effective and happier teams
- Know how often to level set with each other
- Communicate clearly, appropriately, and effectively with each other
- Get on the same page, develop a shared Vivid Vision, and plan to take it back to your team
- Move the needle when you get back to work
- Continue nurturing your relationship so you can continue to grow the company
-How this event is different-
-How this event is different-
COOs are our #1 priority. Our goal is to facilitate your development on all levels – including your relationship with your CEO. Held once a year, the CEO/COO Alliance Event is our only event that CEOs are even allowed to attend.
As with other COO Alliance events, the CEO/COO Alliance Event is custom crafted by Cameron Herold, using his years of experience as an executive business coach, to be a comfortable, collaborative, customized, and solution oriented EXPERIENCE. This isn't your ordinary mastermind … this is a tribe of your peers all committed to limitless growth.
The CEO/COO Alliance Event is an opportunity to disconnect (no phones allowed!) from the pressures facing you and to commit 100% to growing yourself and your company. You'll build lasting relationships, learn from other qualified peers, and collaborate together to solve issues your company is actually facing.
The CEO/COO Alliance Event structure is unique. You'll participate in multiple breakout sessions, where you'll be able to network and brainstorm with other COOs – and learn from other CEOs. From this cross-pollination of ideas, you'll discover new ways to work effectively with your first-in-command.
You'll also learn and practice cutting-edge strategies and proven tools to improve the communication and relationship between you and your CEO.
As with every COO Alliance event, the CEO/COO Alliance Event is one of the best investments you can make with your time and money. In fact, we guarantee that you'll receive a 10X ROI in insights, ideas, strategies, and tools by the time you leave – or your money back.
*Earn a $2,000 reward for referring a first time CEO & COO attendees!
Event fee for just the CEOs of COO national members.
At the CEO/COO Alliance event, you and your partner will not only get the chance to build your relationship, but also to learn from and receive feedback from your CEO and COO peers. Working in small breakout groups, you'll be coached and guided, not only by Cameron, but by top relationship experts. You'll have the opportunity to work both with your peers (CEOs with CEOs and COOs with COOs) and with your partner, learning for the experiences and knowledge of everyone in the group.
Day 1
6:00pm – 9:00pm – Cocktail reception, event kick-off, & initial introductions
Day 2
8:00am – 9:00am – Full breakfast buffet
9:00am – 12:00pm – Breakout sessions & guest speaker (Steven Sisler)
12:00pm – 1:00pm – Lunch
1:00pm – 5:00pm – Breakout sessions & guest speaker (Dr. Patty Ann Tublin)
6:00pm – 9:00pm – Dinner & group event
Day 3
8:00am – 9:00am – Full breakfast buffet
9:00am – 12:00pm – Breakout sessions & group discussion
12:00pm – 1:00pm – Lunch
1:00pm – 3:00pm – Breakout sessions & group discussion
The breakout sessions will allow you to self reflect on what you are learning about yourself and your personal styles and preferences
-Meet your mentors-
-Meet your mentors-
To deliver exactly what works, we're bringing in world-renowned experts on human behavior, relationships, and communications as guest experts.
Meet Steven Sisler
Steven Sisler is one of the world's leading behavioral consultants. Blending personality difference, career strategy, leadership strategy, cultural difference, spiritual growth, relationship management, and temperament strategy, he helps clients develop a deep understanding of their emotions, the drivers behind their behavior, and how they decide what is important. Steven has worked with clients in more than 18 nations, gathering behavioral, emotional, and attitudinal information on individuals within corporate and personal settings … and then developing strategies for effective leadership, teamwork, and entrepreneurial success.
During the CEO/COO Alliance Event, you and your CEO will each go through Steven's 90-minute assessment to get a quantitative view of your personalities. You'll gain an in-depth understanding of your respective motivations, where you are in life, what you value, why you make the choices you do, how to improve the way you communicate and work together, and how to get on the same page.
Meet Dr. Patty Ann
Dr. Patty Ann Tublin is an internationally recognized relationship, communication, and "soft skills" expert who understands that Human Capital is every company's most important asset. As a passionate behavioral and relationship expert, she leverages her experience as a clinical psychologist to employ psychological principles and techniques to optimize performance at every level throughout corporations, entrepreneurial groups, and universities.
Dr. Patty Ann has been featured as an expert on ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX News, Sirius XM, and Money 101 with Bob McCormick. She is the weekly relationship expert for CT's #1 Radio Morning Talk Show and a frequent guest on WFSB-TV and WTNH NEWS 8. Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, SUCCESS Magazine, CNN.Fortune Postcards, Fortune, Huffington Post, Entrepreneurial Women Magazine, Lifestyles Magazine, Woman's Day, and Ladies Home Journal.
During the CEO/COO Alliance Event, Dr. Patty Ann will lead you and your CEO through role plays and other exercises, giving you the real-world tools to communicate more effectively – and work together more appropriately.
To ensure that each CEO-COO pair receives ample attention from our guest experts, participation is strictly limited to only 20 companies (40 people). This is one of our most popular events of the year, so reserve your spots now.
- COO Alliance Members may reserve spots here.
- Not a COO Alliance Member yet? Register for this single event here. (Please note that you must secure two tickets – one for you, and one for your CEO.)
-One more thing… Where we're meeting-
-One more thing… Where we're meeting-
The CEO / COO Alliance Event takes place at the Royal Palms Resort and Spa, nestled in the foothills of Camelback Mountain in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona. Voted Conde Nast's Favorite Hotel in Arizona, the Royal Palms offers the intimate atmosphere of a luxurious, private residence—along with the amenities of an award-winning luxury resort. Winding, cobblestone pathways lead to private nooks with crackling fireplaces, while lush greenery encircles you, blocking out the hustle and bustle of the city. You'll never realize that you are only 7 miles away from Phoenix's Sky Harbor International Airport.


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Kathy was raised in Cincinnati, OH with a desire, even as a young child, to live in the mountains. Upon graduating from Ohio University, having earned a bachelor's of science in Geography with an environmental emphasis and a minor in botany, she was able to make that happen. Kathy landed an internship with the USFS which provided her travel expenses and a destination. She arrived at the Cabinet District and spent the season working with the wildlife biologist and was hired as a fire lookout. Kathy was fortunate to spend the next 3 summers with the USFS working fire, timber and TSI, being able to ski and snow shoe during the winter.
Thirty years and three children later, Kathy is still in Trout Creek. She was hired in 2003 by Sanders County, working briefly in the Treasurer's Office and then the Land Service Department. In 2012 Kathy became the County Planner and joined the Kaniksu Land Trust.
Planning is challenging in Sanders County as there are currently no tools to guide development of private property. Conservation Easements are one option landowners have to preserve their property for future generations. Having been gifted property in the Trout Creek drainage from her in-laws, Kathy has a strong desire to preserve this sensitive stream habitat and gift it to the next generation.
Kathy's spare time is spent outdoors, backpacking, kayaking or cross country skiing, and in inclement weather, quilting.


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The "tweet" business is growing faster than anyone could have ever imagined, but is it a good business strategy for your online sales approach? In short — yes. There are a couple of good reasons to use Twitter as a companion marketing tool for your overall strategy.
Twittering is quick. You can use less than 140 characters (letters) to twitter what is going on in your day or talk about a new service or product you are offering. I have used it myself when I have added new items to my online store.
Ease of use would be the second biggest reason. The entire site is user friendly, which is more than can be said about some sites. With millions of users, it doesn't take long to add a list of friends that will follow you frequently.
Does this translate into business? Frankly, all I can tell you for certain is that is translates into increased traffic to your site. I have not at this time checked a conversion rate to give you more detailed information. Maybe that would be a good topic for a future post. Is anyone interested in seeing that happen?


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Driver sleepiness contributes to a considerable proportion of road accidents, and a fit-for-duty test able to measure a driver's sleepiness level might improve traffic safety. The aim of this study was to develop a fit-for-duty test based on eye movement measurements and on the sleep/wake predictor model (SWP, which predicts the sleepiness level) and evaluate the ability to predict severe sleepiness during real road driving. Twenty-four drivers participated in an experimental study which took place partly in the laboratory, where the fit-for-duty data were acquired, and partly on the road, where the drivers sleepiness was assessed. A series of four measurements were conducted over a 24-h period during different stages of sleepiness. Two separate analyses were performed; a variance analysis and a feature selection followed by classification analysis. In the first analysis it was found that the SWP and several eye movement features involving anti-saccades, pro-saccades, smooth pursuit, pupillometry and fixation stability varied significantly with different stages of sleep deprivation. In the second analysis, a feature set was determined based on floating forward selection. The correlation coefficient between a linear combination of the acquired features and subjective sleepiness (Karolinska sleepiness scale, KSS) was found to be R = 0.73 and the correct classification rate of drivers who reached high levels of sleepiness (KSS ⩾ 8) in the subsequent driving session was 82.4% (sensitivity = 80.0%, specificity = 84.2% and AUC = 0.86). Future improvements of a fit-for-duty test should focus on how to account for individual differences and situational/contextual factors in the test, and whether it is possible to maintain high sensitive/specificity with a shorter test that can be used in a real-life environment, e.g. on professional drivers.
A large number of accidents are due to the driver falling asleep at the wheel, but details of this link have not been studied on a real road. The purpose of the present study was to describe the development of sleepiness indicators, leading to the drive being terminated prematurely by the onboard expert driving instructor because of imminent danger. Eighteen individuals participated during a day drive and a night drive on a motorway (both 90 min). Eight drivers terminated (N) prematurely (after 43 min) because of sleep-related imminent danger [according to the driving instructor or their own judgement (two cases)]. The results showed very high sleepiness ratings (8.5 units on the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale) immediately before termination (<7 at a similar time interval for those 10 who completed the drive). Group N also showed significantly higher levels of sleep intrusions on the electroencephalography/electro-oculography (EEG/EOG) than those who completed the drive (group C). The sleep intrusions were increased in group N during the first 40 min of the night drive. During the day drive, sleep intrusions were increased significantly in group N. The night drive showed significant increases of all sleepiness indicators compared to the day drive, but also reduced speed and driving to the left in the lane. It was concluded that 44% of drivers during late-night driving became dangerously sleepy, and that this group showed higher perceived sleepiness and more sleep intrusions in the EEG/EOG.
BACKGROUND: Psychosocial work factors can affect depressive moods, but research is inconclusive if flexibility to self-determine working hours (work-time control, WTC) is associated with depressive symptoms over time. We investigated if either sub-dimension of WTC, control over daily hours and control over time off, was related to depressive symptoms over time and examined causal, reversed-causal, and reciprocal pathways.
METHODS: The study was based on four waves of the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health which is a follow-up of representative samples of the Swedish working population. WTC was measured using a 5-item index. Depressive symptoms were assessed with a brief subscale of the Symptom Checklist. Latent growth curve models and cross-lagged panel models were tested.
RESULTS: Best fit was found for a model with correlated intercepts (control over daily hours) and both correlated intercepts and slopes (control over time off) between WTC and depressive symptoms, with stronger associations for control over time off. Causal models estimating impacts from WTC to subsequent depressive symptoms were best fitting, with a standardised coefficient between -0.023 and -0.048.
LIMITATIONS: Results were mainly based on self-report data and mean age in the study sample was relatively high.
CONCLUSION: Higher WTC was related to fewer depressive symptoms over time albeit small effects. Giving workers control over working hours - especially over taking breaks and vacation - may improve working conditions and buffer against developing depression, potentially by enabling workers to recover more easily and promoting work-life balance.
Aims: Past research has often neglected the sub-dimensions of work time control (WTC). Moreover, differences in levels of WTC with respect to work and demographic characteristics have not yet been examined in a representative sample. We investigated these matters in a recent sample of the Swedish working population. Methods: The study was based on the 2014 data collection of the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health. We assessed the structure of the WTC measure using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Differences in WTC by work and demographic characteristics were examined with independent sample t-tests, one-way ANOVAs and gender-stratified logistic regressions. Results: Best model fit was found for a two-factor structure that distinguished between control over daily hours and control over time off (root mean square error of approximation = 0.06; 95% CI 0.04 to 0.09; Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.99). Women, shift and public-sector workers reported lower control in relation to both factors. Age showed small associations with WTC, while a stronger link was suggested for civil status and family situation. Night, roster and rotating shift work seemed to be the most influential factors on reporting low control over daily hours and time off. Conclusions: Our data confirm the two-dimensional structure underlying WTC, namely the components 'control over daily hours' and 'control over time off'. Women, public-sector and shift workers reported lower levels of control. Future research should examine the public health implications of WTC, in particular whether increased control over daily hours and time off can reduce health problems associated with difficult working-time arrangements.
Bodily signals and how these are interpreted affect self-ratings of health. It is thus reasonable that appraisals of health are affected by imminent exposures and disease primes. We aimed to investigate whether self-ratings of health are affected by a symptom rating and if changes are substantiated in persons who report more symptoms. We used data from 813 persons who completed a questionnaire daily for 21 consecutive days. The questionnaire included a one-item self-rating of health ("pre-SRH"; 1 = excellent, 7 = very poor), a subsequent 26-item rating of physical and mental symptoms and thereafter a second (identical) self-rating of health ("post-SRH"). Paired t-tests were used to test for differences between pre-SRH and post-SRH. Mixed effect regression models were used to calculate the interaction effect of pre-SRH and symptom score on post-SRH adjusted for gender, age and if the person had been working that day (13545 observations). SRH worsened significantly (p <<.0001) after the symptom rating, from 2.72 pre-SRH (95%CI:−2.70–2.74) to 2.77 post-SRH (95%CI:2.75–2.79). There was a significant interaction between pre-SRH and symptoms on post-SRH so that persons who reported more symptoms changed their post-SRH rating to a higher degree than those who reported fewer symptoms, irrespective of their subjective health status. The results support the notion that subjective health perception is affected by focus of attention, and that the effect depends on level of symptoms.
We investigated whether self-ratings of health are affected by a symptom rating. A diary including a one-item self-rating of health ("pre-self-rated health"; 1 = excellent, 7 = very poor), a subsequent 26-item rating of symptoms, and thereafter a second (identical) health rating ("post-self-rated health") was completed by 820 persons 21 times. Self-rated health worsened significantly ( p < .0001) after the symptom rating, from 2.72 pre-self-rated health (95% confidence interval: 2.70-2.74) to 2.77 post-self-rated health (95% confidence interval: 2.75-2.79) and more so in persons who reported more symptoms ( b = .058, p < .05). The results support the notion that subjective health perception is influenced by attending to symptoms, especially so in persons with a high symptom burden.
Research on selection factors often focuses on how to identify suitable candidates, while fewer studies have investigated the long-term effects of such selection factors once the suitable candidates have started working and faced the work situation. The overall aim of the present study was to examine the relative importance of selection factors (general intelligence, personality, and physical fitness), measured during recruitment, and psychosocial working conditions (e.g., workload, job control, and job challenge)for four different outcomes (job satisfaction, organizational citizenship behavior, occupational retention, and health). Data came from a longitudinal study of newly hired police officers in Sweden (N = 508), including information from both the recruitment process and a three-and-a-half year follow-up. Results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses show that psychosocial working conditions were far more important than the selection factors in predicting the four outcomes. The strong effects of psychosocial working conditions for new officers' work-related attitudes and health suggest that employers, to ensure sustainability, need to focus on activities facilitating the organizational and professional entrance of newcomers by providing a sound work climate.
Selection research has typically focused on how to identify suitable candidates, while less is known regarding the long-term effects of various selection factors once the suitable candidates have start-ed working. The overall aim of this study was to examine the relative importance of selection fac-tors (measured during recruitment), and psychosocial working conditions (once candidates started working) for four outcomes, namely (1) job satisfaction, (2) organizational citizenship behavior, (3) occupational retention, and (4) health. Data came from a longitudinal study of newly hired police officers in Sweden (N = 508), including recruitment data and a follow-up after 3.5 years. Results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that psychosocial working conditions were more important than selection factors in predicting the four outcomes. The findings suggest that employers, to ensure sustainability, need to focus on activities that facilitate newcomers' enter-ing in the organization and their professions by providing a sound work climate.
The aim of this study was to describe the effects of sleep loss on behavioural and subjective indicators of sleepiness on a road containing a milled rumble strip in the centre of the lane. Particular attention was paid to behavioural and subjective indicators of sleepiness when using the centre lane rumble strip, and to possible erratic driving behaviour when hitting a rumble strip. In total 9 regular shift workers drove during the morning hours after a full night shift and after a full night sleep. The order was balanced. The experiment was conducted in a moving base driving simulator on rural roads with a road width of 6.5 and 9 meters. Out of the 1,636 rumble strip hits that occurred during the study, no indications of erratic driving behaviour associated with the jolt caused by making contact with the centre lane rumble strip could be found. Comparing the alert condition with the sleep deprived condition, both the standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP) and the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS) increased for sleepy drivers. For the two road widths, the drivers drove closer to the centre line on the 6.5-meter road. The KSS and the SDLP increased with time on task. This simulator study indicates that rumble strips in the centre of the lane may be an alternative to centreline and edgeline rumble strips on narrow roads.
The aim of the present study was to explore if observer rated sleepiness (ORS) is a feasible method for quantification of driver sleepiness in field studies. Two measures of ORS were used: (1) one for behavioural signs based on facial expression, body gestures and body movements labelled B-ORS, and (2) one based on driving performance e.g. if swerving and other indicators of impaired driving occurs, labelled D-ORS. A limited number of observers sitting in the back of an experimental vehicle on a motorway about 2 hours repeatedly 3 times per day (before lunch, after lunch, at night) observed 24 participant's sleepiness level with help of the two observer scales. At the same time the participant reported subjective sleepiness (KSS), EOG was recorded (for calculation of blink duration) and several driving measure were taken and synchronized with the reporting. Based on mixed model Anova and correlation analysis the result showed that observer ratings of sleepiness based on drivers' impaired performance and behavioural signs are sensitive to extend the general pattern of time awake, circadian phase and time of driving. The detailed analysis of the subjective sleepiness and ORS showed weak correspondence on an individual level. Only 16% of the changes in KSS were predicted by the observer. The correlation between the observer ratings based on performance (D-ORS) and behavioural signs (B-ORS) are high (r = .588), and the B-ORS shows a moderately strong association (r = .360) with blink duration. Both ORS measures show an association (r>0.45) with KSS, whereas the association with driving performance is weak. The results show that the ORS-method detects the expected general variations in sleepy driving in field studies, however, sudden changes in driver sleepiness on a detailed level as 5 minutes is usually not detected; this holds true both when taking into account driving behaviour or driver behavioural signs.
Bus drivers often work irregular hours or split shifts and their work involves high levels of stress. These factors can lead to severe sleepiness and dangerous driving. This study examined how split shift working affects sleepiness and performance during afternoon driving. An experiment was conducted on a real road with a specially equipped regular bus driven by professional bus drivers. The study had a within-subject design and involved 18 professional bus drivers (9 males and 9 females) who drove on two afternoons; one on a day in which they had driven early in the morning (split shift situation) and one on a day when they had been off duty until the test (afternoon shift situation). The hypothesis tested was that split shifts contribute to sleepiness during afternoon, which can increase the safety risks. The overall results supported this hypothesis. In total, five of the 18 drivers reached levels of severe sleepiness (Karolinska Sleepiness Scale 8) with an average increase in KSS of 1.94 when driving in the afternoon after working a morning shift compared with being off duty in the morning. This increase corresponded to differences observed between shift workers starting and ending a night shift. The Psychomotor Vigilance Task showed significantly increased response time with split shift working (afternoon: 0.337 s; split shift 0.347 s), as did the EEG-based Karolinska Drowsiness Score mean/max. Blink duration also increased, although the difference was not significant. One driver fell asleep during the drive. In addition, 12 of the 18 bus drivers reported that in their daily work they have to fight to stay awake while driving at least 2-4 times per month. While there were strong individual differences, the study clearly showed that shift working bus drivers struggle to stay awake and thus countermeasures are needed in order to guarantee safe driving with split shift schedules.
Driver fatigue has received increased attention during recent years and is now considered to be a major contributor to approximately 15-30% of all crashes. However, little is known about fatigue in city bus drivers. It is hypothesized that city bus drivers suffer from sleepiness, which is due to a combination of working conditions, lack of health and reduced sleep quantity and quality. The overall aim with the current study is to investigate if severe driver sleepiness, as indicated by subjective reports of having to fight sleep while driving, is a problem for city based bus drivers in Sweden and if so, to identify the determinants related to working conditions, health and sleep which contribute towards this. The results indicate that driver sleepiness is a problem for city bus drivers, with 19% having to fight to stay awake while driving the bus 2-3 times each week or more and nearly half experiencing this at least 2-4 times per month. In conclusion, severe sleepiness, as indicated by having to fight sleep during driving, was common among the city bus drivers. Severe sleepiness correlated with fatigue related safety risks, such as near crashes.
The alerting effect of hitting a rumble strip--a simulator study with sleepy drivers.
Anund A, Kecklund G, Vadeby A, Hjälmdahl M, Akerstedt T.
Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, SE-177 71 Stockholm, Sweden. email@example.com
A moving base driving simulator experiment was carried out in order to investigate the effects of milled rumble strips on driver fatigue. There were rumble strips both at the edge line and centre line. Four different physical designs of milled rumble strips (yielding noise values from 1.5 to 16 dBA) and two placements on shoulder were used in the experiment. Sound and vibrations from real milled rumble strips were reproduced in the simulator. In total 35 regular shift workers drove during the morning hours after a full night shift. The main results showed an increase in sleepiness indicators (EEG alpha/theta activity, eye closure duration, standard deviation of lateral position, subjective sleepiness) from start to before hitting the rumble strip, an alerting effect in most parameters (not subjective sleepiness) after hitting the strip. The alertness enhancing effect was, however, short and the sleepiness signs returned 5 min after the rumble strip hit. Essentially no effects were seen due to type of strip. It was concluded that various aspects of sleepiness are increased before hitting a rumble strip and that the effect is very short-lived. Type of strip, as used in the present study did not have any effect.
STUDY OBJECTIVES: To determine how sleepiness and sleep deprivation drive the motivation to engage in different behaviors.
METHODS: We studied the sleepiness of 123 participants who had been randomized to sleep deprivation or normal sleep, and their willingness to engage in a range of everyday behaviors.
RESULTS: Self-reported sleepiness was a strong predictor of the motivation to engage in sleep-preparatory behaviors such as shutting one's eyes (OR=2.78, 95%CI: 2.19-3.52 for each step up on the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale) and resting (OR=3.20, CI: 2.46-4.16). Sleepiness was also related to the desire to be cared for by a loved one (OR=1.49, CI: 1.22-1.82), and preparedness to utilize monetary and energy resources to get to sleep. Conversely, increased sleepiness was associated with a decreased motivation for social and physical activities (e.g., be with friends OR=0.71, CI: 0.61-0.82; exercise OR=0.65, CI: 0.56-0.76). Sleep deprivation had similar effects as sleepiness on these behaviors. Neither sleepiness nor sleep deprivation had strong associations with hunger, thirst, or food preferences.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that sleepiness is a dynamic motivational drive that promotes sleep-preparatory behaviors and competes with other drives and desired outcomes. Consequently, sleepiness may be a central mechanism by which impaired alertness, e.g., due to insufficient sleep, contributes to poor quality of life and adverse health. We propose that sleepiness helps organize behaviors toward the specific goal of assuring sufficient sleep, in competition with other needs and incentives. A theoretical framework on sleepiness and its behavioral consequences are likely to improve our understanding of several disease mechanisms.
Objectives Previous studies of long workhours and their effects on stress, sleep, and health show inconclusive results. This inconclusiveness may be partly due to methodological problems such as the use of between-group designs or comparisons before and after reorganizations. In addition, stress is usually a confounder. A within-person design was used to examine the effects of working 8- or 12-hour shifts in the absence of additional stress. Methods In an experimental field study, 16 white-collar workers [9 women, mean age 45.9 (SD 15) years] undertook one workweek with normal workhours (8 hours) and 1 week of overtime with 4 extra hours of regular worktasks (12 hours). The participants wore actigraphs, rated sleepiness (Karolinska Sleepiness Scale) and stress throughout the day, and rated workload and how exhausted they felt. Saliva samples were collected on Mondays and Thursdays for cortisol analysis. On these days, ambulatory heart rate and blood pressure were also measured for 24 hours. Results Overtime was associated with higher levels of exhaustion. Sleepiness showed a significant interaction between conditions, with higher levels at the end of the workweek featuring overtime. Total sleep time was shorter in the overtime week. There were no significant differences between ratings of stress and workload. Cortisol showed a circadian variation but no main effect of condition. Conclusions One week of overtime work with a moderate workload produced no main effects on physiological stress markers. Nevertheless, sleep was negatively affected, with shorter sleeps during overtime work and greater problems with fatigue and sleepiness.
The objectives of this study were to explore individual differences associated with diverse reactions in cortisol secretion under different stress levels. This study was part of a larger project concerning working hours and health. Thirty-four whitecollar workers participated under two different conditions; one work week with a high stress level (H) and one with a lower stress level (L) as measured through self-rated stress during workdays. Based on the morning cortisol concentration during a workday subjects were divided into two groups. One group consisted of subjects whose morning level of cortisol increased in response to the high-stress week, compared to their morning levels in the low-stress condition (Group 1). The other group consisted of subjects whose morning cortisol response was the opposite, with a lower level under the high stress condition (Group 2). Subjects wore actiwatches, completed a sleep diary, and rated their sleepiness and stress for one work week in each condition, i.e., high and low stress. Saliva samples for measures of cortisol were collected on a Wednesday. Group 2 reported higher workload, fatigue, and exhaustion during both weeks. Since there were no differences in perceived stress, neither within nor between groups, the data indicate that there are other factors influencing morning cortisol. The results suggest that one component modulating the cortisol response might be the level of exhaustion, probably related to work overload. Higher levels of stress in exhausted individuals might suppress morning cortisol levels.
BACKGROUND: Mental fatigue and sleepiness are well recognized determinants of human-error related accidents and incidents in aviation. In Brazil, according to the Center for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (CENIPA), the rate of accidents in the aerial modal is 1 per 2 d. Human factors are present in 90% of these accidents. CASE REPORT: This paper describes a retrospective study of the communication between a pilot and an air traffic control tower just before a fatal accident. The objective was the detection of fatigue and sleepiness of a pilot, who complained of these signs and symptoms before the flight, by means of voice and speech analysis.The in-depth accident analysis performed by CENIPA indicated that sleepiness and fatigue most likely contributed to the accident. Speech samples were analyzed for two conditions: 1) nonsleepy data recorded 35 h before the air crash (control condition), which were compared with 2) data from samples collected about 1 h before the accident and also during the disaster (sleepy condition). Audio recording analyses provided objective measures of the temporal organization of speech, such as hesitations, silent pauses, prolongation of final syllables, and syllable articulation rate. DISCUSSION: The results showed that speech during the day of the accident had significantly low elocution and articulation rates compared to the preceding day, also indicating that the methodology adopted in this study is feasible for detection of fatigue and sleepiness through speech analysis.
Few studies have examined the extent of driver sleepiness during a long distance morning trip. Sleepiness at this time may be high because of night work, waking early to commence work or travel, sleep disorders and the monotony of driving long distances. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of chronic sleepiness (Epworth sleepiness score ≥10) and sleep restriction (≤5h) in a sample of 649 drivers. Participants driving between 08:00 and 10:00 on three highways in regional Australia participated in a telephone interview. Approximately 18% of drivers reported chronic sleepiness. The proportions of night workers (NW) and non-night workers (NNW) with chronic sleepiness were not significantly different but males reported a significantly greater proportion of chronic sleepiness than females. The NW group had a significantly greater proportion of drivers with ≤5h of sleep in the previous 24 and 48h, fewer nights of full sleep (≤4), acute sleepiness and longer weekly work hours. The NW group reported driving a significantly longer distance at Time 1 (Mean=140.29±72.17km, versus 117.55±89.74km) and an additional longer distance to complete the journey (Mean=89.33±95.23km, versus 64.77±94.07km). The high proportions of sleep restriction and acute sleepiness among the NW group, and the amount of chronic sleepiness in the NW and NNW groups reported during a long distance morning trip may be of concern for driver safety.
The majority of individuals appear to have insight into their own sleepiness, but there is some evidence that this does not hold true for all, for example treated patients with obstructive sleep apnoea. Identification of sleep-related symptoms may help drivers determine their sleepiness, eye symptoms in particular show promise. Sixteen participants completed four motorway drives on two separate occasions. Drives were completed during daytime and night-time in both a driving simulator and on the real road. Ten eye symptoms were rated at the end of each drive, and compared with driving performance and subjective and objective sleep metrics recorded during driving. 'Eye strain', 'difficulty focusing', 'heavy eyelids' and 'difficulty keeping the eyes open' were identified as the four key sleep-related eye symptoms. Drives resulting in these eye symptoms were more likely to have high subjective sleepiness and more line crossings than drives where similar eye discomfort was not reported. Furthermore, drivers having unintentional line crossings were likely to have 'heavy eyelids' and 'difficulty keeping the eyes open'. Results suggest that drivers struggling to identify sleepiness could be assisted with the advice 'stop driving if you feel sleepy and/or have heavy eyelids or difficulty keeping your eyes open'.
METHODS: Data was derived from two waves of SLOSH (The Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health), a representative sample of the working population in Sweden. Respondents in the present study sample were gainfully employed in both 2008 (T1) and in 2010 (T2), and without sleep disturbances at T1 (n=5741, 54 % women, 46 % men, aged 24-72 years). Between T1 and T2 a total number of 441 people (8 %) developed sleep disturbances. Logistic regression was made in five hierarchical models with new cases of disturbed sleep as the dependent variable. Factors studied were changes in physical work environment, work hours, demands, control, support and stress between T1 and T2; increased or decreased levels of exposure, as well as consistently high or low levels. RESULTS: In the fully adjusted model, stress showed the strongest association with new cases of disturbed sleep. Increased stress levels had an OR of 2.9 (95% CI 2.0-4.3) and consistently high levels of stress had an OR of 2.8 (1.9-4.2). Increased levels of demands showed a weaker association, OR=1.8 (1.2-2.6), whereas consistently high levels of demands did not show significant results. Decreased levels of social support showed an increased OR of 2.3 (1.6-3.3), as did consistently low levels of social support with an OR of 1.6 (1.1-2.3). Neither changes in control nor changes in work hours showed any significant results. Increased exposure to excessive heat, cold or draught showed a OR of 1.7 (1.1-2.8) whereas changes in heavy physical labour, noise at work, and poor or excessively bright light did not show an association with new cases of sleep disturbances in the fully adjusted model.
Introduction: Even though the occurrence of sleep problems increases with age, few studies have focused on the cognitive effects of acute sleep deprivation in elderly. Most previous research indicate that, compared to young, older adults show less impairment in e.g. attention after sleep deprivation. However, little is known of whether the same pattern holds for higher cognitive functions. In addition, while old age is usually related to a general decrease in working memory abilities, performance on working memory tasks may differ depending on the emotional valence of the stimuli, where positive stimuli seem to be beneficial for working memory performance in older adults. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of sleep deprivation on emotional working memory in older adults using two levels of working memory load.
Materials and methods: A healthy sample of 48 old adults (MAge=66.69 years, SDAge=3.44 years) was randomized into a total sleep deprivation group (TSD; n=24) or a sleep control group (SC; n=24). They performed a working memory task (n-back) containing positive, negative and neutral pictures in a low (1-back) and a high (3-back) working memory load condition. Performance was measured as Accuracy (d'), Omissions and Reaction Time (RT).
Results: For the d' and Omissions we performed two separate 2x2x3 (sleep, working memory load, valence) repeated measures analyses of variance (rmANOVA). For the RTs, we applied a mixed-effects model. For both d' and RT we found no effect of sleep deprivation (Ps > .05). For valence, we found main effects on both d' (F1,46 = 5.56, P=.005) and RT (F1,95.7 = 4.84, P=.01). d' did not differ for positive and neutral pictures, but was in both cases significantly better than for negative pictures. RTs were significantly faster for positive pictures. However, a working memory load∗valence interaction (F1,95.7 = 4.50, P=.01) further revealed an effect of valence in the low, but not in the high load condition. In the low load condition, RTs were faster for positive than for neutral pictures and faster for neutral than for negative pictures. There was no significant effect of Omissions.
Conclusions: Our results showed that emotional working memory performance was not significantly affected by one night of sleep deprivation in older adults, which contrast what we found in a sample of young adults from the same project. In line with previous research, our results indicate a beneficial effect of positive stimuli on working memory in older adults. This effect was present in both groups and most pronounced for reaction times in the condition with a lower cognitive demand. We can conclude that, among older adults, the working memory performance is not impaired by sleep deprivation and that the benefits of positive stimuli on working memory seem intact. These findings contribute to a better understanding of older adults' cognitive functioning after sleep deprivation.
Background: Older adults perform better in tasks which include positive stimuli, referred to as the positivity effect. However, recent research suggests that the positivity effect could be attenuated when additional challenges such as stress or cognitive demands are introduced. Moreover, it is well established that older adults are relatively resilient to many of the adverse effects of sleep deprivation. Our aim was to investigate if the positivity effect in older adults is affected by one night of total sleep deprivation using an emotional working memory task.
Methods: A healthy sample of 48 older adults (60-72 years) was either sleep deprived for one night (n = 24) or had a normal night's sleep (n = 24). They performed an emotional working memory n-back (n = 1 and 3) task containing positive, negative and neutral pictures.
Results: Performance in terms of accuracy and reaction times was best for positive stimuli and worst for negative stimuli. This positivity effect was not altered by sleep deprivation. Results also showed that, despite significantly increased sleepiness, there was no effect of sleep deprivation on working memory performance. A working memory load x valence interaction on the reaction times revealed that the beneficial effect of positive stimuli was only present in the 1-back condition.
Conclusion: While the positivity effect and general working memory abilities in older adults are intact after one night of sleep deprivation, increased cognitive demand attenuates the positivity effect on working memory speed.
Objectives: Emotional stimuli differently affect working memory (WM) performance. As sleep deprivation has a known impact on both emotion and WM our aim was to investigate how one night without sleep affects emotional WM performance. Methods: Healthy subjects (n = 56; age 18–30 years) were randomized to a total sleep deprivation (TSD) or a rested control (RC) condition. Subjects rated their affective state and performed a 1 and a 3-back WM task consisting of neutral, positive and negative pictures at 3 pm or 6 pm (balanced) the day after sleep manipulation. Accuracy (d') and target response time (RT) were used as outcomes. Results: In the TSD condition, subjects rated themselves as less positive (P = 0.006) but not more negative than in the RC condition. In the WM task, TSD had a detrimental effect on accuracy (P = 0.03) regardless of difficulty. Moreover, accuracy was higher in the 1-back than in the 3-back (P < 0.001) and higher for neutral compared to both negative and positive stimuli (Ps < 0.05). RT was faster for positive compared to negative and neutral stimuli (Ps < 0.05). The latter effect was particularly pronounced in the TSD condition as shown by a condition*valence interaction (P < 0.03). Conclusions: One night of total sleep loss impaired emotional WM accuracy. Noticeable, RT was faster for positive stimuli compared to negative and neutral stimuli. This effect was particularly pronounced after sleep loss. This suggests that sleep loss strengthens the opposing effects of positive and negative stimuli on WM performance, possibly due to increased emotion reactivity.
The study objective was to investigate the impact of different kinds of organizational changes, as well as anticipation of such changes, on work-related stress, sleep, recovery and health. It was hypothesized that impaired sleep and recovery increase the adverse health consequences of organizational changes. The data consisted of cross sectional questionnaire data from a random sample of 1,523 employees in the Swedish police force. It could be shown that extensive organizational changes including downsizing or a change in job tasks were associated with a small increase in work stress, disturbed sleep, incomplete recovery and health complaints. However, less extensive organizational changes like relocation did not affect these outcome variables. Anticipation of extensive organizational changes had almost the same effect as actual changes. Furthermore a moderating effect of sleep and work stress on gastrointestinal complaints and depressive symptoms was found. Thus, like former studies already suggested, extensive organizational changes resulted in increased stress levels, poorer health and impaired sleep and recovery. Furthermore, organizational instability due to anticipation of changes was as negative as actual changes. There was also some evidence that disturbed sleep increased these adverse health effects, in particular with respect to anticipation of organizational changes.
Introduction Mood disorders affect millions of individuals worldwide and contribute to substantial morbidity and disability. A better understanding of modifiable work-related risk factors for depression could inform and advance prevention efforts in this area. This study used a large Swedish longitudinal occupational survey to prospectively examine the effect of self-reported work schedule on registry-based antidepressant prescriptions over a two-year period.
Methods The analytic sample (n=8643) was obtained from the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health. Sex-stratified and unstratified analyses were conducted using logistic regression. For exposure, 8 categories were used to describe work schedule in 2008: 'regular days' (3 categories: night work history=none,≤3 years, or 4+years) 'night work (regular, rostered, or rotating)', 'regular shift work (no nights)', 'rostered work (no nights)', 'flexible/non-regulated hours', and 'other'. For the outcome, all prescriptions coded N06A according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical System were obtained from the Swedish National Prescribed Drug Register and dichotomized into 'any' or 'no' prescriptions between 2008 and 2010. Estimates were adjusted for potential sociodemographic, health, and work confounders, and for prior depressive symptoms.
Results In unadjusted analyses, an increased odds ratio for depression was observed for 'Other' work hours in unstratified (OR=1.75, 95% CI: 1.21 to 2.51) and female (OR=1.62, 95% CI: 1.05 to 2.51) models; in adjusted models effects persisted but confidence intervals widened to non-significance at the p=0.05 level. In models adjusted for previous depressive symptoms, females in 'flexible/non-regulated' schedules showed an increased odds ratio for depression (OR=2.01, 95% CI: 1.08 to 3.76), while a decreased odds ratio was observed for the unstratified model 'regular shift work (no nights)' category (OR=0.61; 95% CI: 0.38 to 0.97).
Discussion This study's findings support prospective relationships between work schedule and antidepressant prescriptions in the Swedish workforce. Future research should continue to assess sex-stratified relationships, using detailed shift work exposure categories and objective registry data where possible.
Introduction Depression-related mood disorders affect millions of people worldwide and contribute to substantial morbidity and disability, yet little is known about the effects of work scheduling on depression. This study used a large Swedish survey to prospectively examine the effects of work schedule on registry-based antidepressant prescriptions in females and males over a 2-year period. Methods The study was based on an approximately representative sample (n= 3980 males, 4663 females) of gainfully employed participants in the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health. Sex-stratified analyses were conducted using logistic regression. For exposure, eight categories described work schedule in 2008: ` regular days' (three categories of night work history: none, <= 3 years, 4+ years), 'night shift work', 'regular shift work (no nights)', 'rostered work (no nights)', 'flexible/non-regulated hours' and 'other'. For the primary outcome measure, all prescriptions coded N06A according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical System were obtained from the Swedish National Prescribed Drug Register and dichotomised into 'any' or 'no' prescriptions between 2008 and 2010. Estimates were adjusted for potential sociodemographic, health and work confounders, and for prior depressive symptoms. Results In 2008, 22% of females versus 19% of males worked outside of regular daytime schedule. Registered antidepressant prescription rates in the postsurvey period were 11.4% for females versus 5.8% for males. In fully adjusted models, females in 'flexible/non-regulated' schedules showed an increased OR for prospective antidepressant prescriptions (OR= 2.01, 95% CI= 1.08 to 3.76). In males, odds ratios were most increased in those working 'other' schedules (OR= 1.72, 95% CI= 0.75 to 3.94) and 'Regular days with four or more years' history of night work' (OR= 1.54, 95% CI= 0.93 to 2.56). Conclusions This study's findings support a relationship between work schedule and prospective antidepressant prescriptions in the Swedish workforce. Future research should continue to assess sex-stratified relationships, using detailed shift work exposure categories and objective registry data where possible.
Sleepiness has been identified as one of the most important factors contributing to road crashes. However, almost all work on the detailed changes in behavior and physiology leading up to sleep related crashes has been carried out in driving simulators. It is not clear, however, to what extent simulator results can be generalized to real driving. This study compared real driving with driving in a high fidelity, moving base, driving simulator with respect to driving performance, sleep related physiology (using electroencephalography and electrooculography) and subjective sleepiness during night and day driving for 10 participants. The real road was emulated in the simulator. The results show that the simulator was associated with higher levels of subjective and physiological sleepiness than real driving. However, both for real and simulated driving, the response to night driving appears to be rather similar for subjective sleepiness and sleep physiology. Lateral variability was more responsive to night driving in the simulator, while real driving at night involved a movement to the left in the lane and a reduction of speed, both of which effects were absent in the simulator. It was concluded that the relative validity of simulators is acceptable for many variables, but that in absolute terms simulators cause higher sleepiness levels than real driving. Thus, generalizations from simulators to real driving must be made with great caution.
Only limited information is available on how driving performance relates to physiological and subjective sleepiness on real roads. This relation was the focus of the present study. 33 volunteers drove for 90min on a rural road during the afternoon and night in an instrumented car, while electroencephalography and electrooculography and lane departures were recorded continuously and subjective ratings of sleepiness were made every 5min (Karolinska Sleepiness Scale - KSS). Data was analyzed using Bayesian multilevel modeling. Unintentional LDs increased during night driving, as did KSS and long blink durations(LBD). Lateral position moved to the left . LDs were predicted by self-reported sleepiness and LBDs across time and were significantly higher in individuals with high sleepiness. Removal of intentional LDs, enhanced the KSS/LD relation. It was concluded that LDs, KSS, and LBDs are strongly increased during night driving and that KSS predicts LDs.
Modern working life involves higher demands on individual responsibility, blurrier lines between work and private life, increasing flexibility as regards the scheduling of work hours including a high variability from week-to-week or day-today, temporary employment contracts and job insecurity, and unstable organizational conditions. This development has raised concerns regarding job-related stress in Sweden, as well as in other countries, and underscored the need to create sustainable psychosocial work conditions for economic competitiveness and occupational health and safety. This chapter aims to provide an overview of psychosocial risk factors characterizing the contemporary Swedish working life, to describe the institutional frameworks that regulate work environment issues, and to describe how various actors work to prevent psychosocial risk factors. The following section outlines work environment trends and the Swedish system in terms of legislation, various actors on the labor market and so on. Drawing on this, we highlight four sets of psychosocial risk factors (flexible work, working hours, new demands at work, and organizational restructuring) before describing activities related to prevention, health promotion at work and healthy work practices.
BACKGROUND: Shift work has been associated with poor health, sleep and fatigue problems and low satisfaction with working hours. However, one type of shift working, namely split shifts, have received little attention.
OBJECTIVE: This study examined stress, health and psychosocial aspects of split-shift schedules among bus drivers in urban transport.
METHODS: A questionnaire was distributed to drivers working more than 70% of full time which 235 drivers in total answered.
RESULTS: In general, drivers working split-shift schedules (n = 146) did not differ from drivers not working such shifts (n = 83) as regards any of the outcome variables that were studied. However, when individual perceptions towards split-shift schedules were taken into account, a different picture appeared. Bus drivers who reported problems working split shifts (36%) reported poorer health, higher perceived stress, working hours interfering with social life, lower sleep quality, more persistent fatigue and lower general work satisfaction than those who did not view split shifts as a problem. Moreover, drivers who reported problems with split shifts also perceived lower possibilities to influence working hours, indicating lower work time control.
CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that split shifts were not associated with increased stress, poorer health and adverse psychosocial work factors for the entire study sample. However, the results showed that individual differences were important and approximately one third of the drivers reported problems with split shifts, which in turn was associated with stress, poor health and negative psychosocial work conditions. More research is needed to understand the individual and organizational determinants of tolerance to split shifts.
Sleepiness and fatigue are important risk factors in the transport sector and bio-mathematical sleepiness, sleep and fatigue modeling is increasingly becoming a valuable tool for assessing safety of work schedules and rosters in Fatigue Risk Management Systems (FRMS). The present study sought to validate the inner workings of one such model, Three Process Model (TPM), on aircrews and extend the model with functions to model jetlag and to directly assess the risk of any sleepiness level in any shift schedule or roster with and without knowledge of sleep timings. We collected sleep and sleepiness data from 136 aircrews in a real life situation by means of an application running on a handheld touch screen computer device (iPhone, iPod or iPad) and used the TPM to predict sleepiness with varying level of complexity of model equations and data. The results based on multilevel linear and non-linear mixed effects models showed that the TPM predictions correlated with observed ratings of sleepiness, but explorative analyses suggest that the default model can be improved and reduced to include only two-processes (S+C), with adjusted phases of the circadian process based on a single question of circadian type. We also extended the model with a function to model jetlag acclimatization and with estimates of individual differences including reference limits accounting for 50%, 75% and 90% of the population as well as functions for predicting the probability of any level of sleepiness for ecological assessment of absolute and relative risk of sleepiness in shift systems for safety applications.
Objectives The main objective of the present study was to investigate relative personal fit as the association between rated needs and preferences for work hours, on the one hand, and actual work hours, on the other hand, in three groups (hospital, call-center, and police) working with periodic self-rostering. We also examined the association between personal fit and satisfaction with the work schedule and preference for a fixed and regular shift schedule, respectively. Methods We collected questionnaire data and objective work hour data over 6-12 months from the computerized self-rostering system. The response rate of the questionnaire was 69% at the hospital and call-center and 98% among the police. In total, 29 433 shifts for 285 shift workers were included in the study. Data was analyzed by means of mixed ANOVA, Kendal tau correlations and ordinal (proportional odds) logistic regression. Results The results show that evening types worked relatively more hours during the evening and night hours compared to morning types as an indication of relative personal fit. Relative personal fit was also found for long shift, short rest, and morning-, evening- and night-shift frequency, but only personal fit related to morning, evening and night-shift was associated with satisfaction with work hours. Reported conflicts at the workplace about work hours and problems with lack of predictability of time for family/leisure activities, was associated with poor satisfaction and a preference for a fixed shift schedule. Conclusions The present study shows that periodic self-rostering is associated with relative personal fit, in particular with respect to night, evening, and morning work. Personal fit seems to be associated with satisfaction with work hours and may be a moderator of tolerance to shift work exposure.
Aims: Insomnia is a large health problem. In some prior studies, positive associations between insomnia symptoms and sickness absence have been observed. There is, however, no previous nationwide cohort study of clinically diagnosed insomnia and risk of incident sickness absence. Methods: Prospective nationwide cohort study based on Swedish population-based registers including all 4,956,358 individuals registered as living in Sweden on 31 December 2004/2005, aged 17-64 years, not on disability pension, old-age pension or on-going sickness absence. Those having insomnia inpatient or outpatient care, defined as having at least one admission/specialist visit with a main or secondary diagnosis of disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep [insomnias] (ICD-10: G47.0) during 2000/2001-2005, were compared to those with no such care. All-cause and diagnosis-specific incident sickness absence were followed during 2006-2010. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated by Cox proportional hazards regression. Results: In models adjusted for prior sickness absence, socio-demographic factors and inpatient and specialized outpatient care, associations between insomnia and increased risks of all-cause sickness absence (IRR 1.18, 95% CI 1.04-1.35) and sickness absence due to mental diagnoses (IRR 1.75, 95% CI 1.36-2.25) were observed. After further adjustment for insomnia medications these associations disappeared. No associations between insomnia and risk of sickness absence due to cancer, circulatory or musculoskeletal diagnoses, or injuries, were observed. Conclusions: In this nationwide cohort study, we observed increased risks of all-cause sickness absence and sickness absence due to mental diagnoses after adjustment for several potential confounders that disappeared after further adjustment for insomnia medications.
Sleepiness is a major cause of lower productivity and higher risk of accidents in various work situation. Developing sleepiness monitoring techniques is important to important to improve work efficiency and to reduce accident risk, so that people can take a rest/break in appropriate timing before an accident or a mistake occurs. The aim of the present study are (1) to explain subjective sleepiness using sleep-related symptoms, and (2) to examine which symptoms are useful to predict performance errors. Participants were healthy paid volunteers (six males, six females; mean ± SD, 31.5 ± 10.74 years). Participants took part in 26-h sleep deprivation. During sleep deprivation, they carried out several performance tasks every 3 h and an hourly rating of questionnaires to evaluate subjective symptoms including two types of Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS). The present study confirmed that performance errors can be predicted by subjective symptoms. While mental fatigue was correlated to KSS scores linearly, eye-related subjective symptoms showed quadratic correlation to KSS. By taking into consideration this noteworthy relationskap between subjective symptoms and sleepiness, more accurate introspection of sleepiness and performance errors prediction (detection) may be possible.
This review summarises the literature on shift work and its relation to insufficient sleep, chronic diseases, and accidents. It is based on 38 meta-analyses and 24 systematic reviews, with additional narrative reviews and articles used for outlining possible mechanisms by which shift work may cause accidents and adverse health. Evidence shows that the effect of shift work on sleep mainly concerns acute sleep loss in connection with night shifts and early morning shifts. A link also exists between shift work and accidents, type 2 diabetes (relative risk range 1.09-1.40), weight gain, coronary heart disease (relative risk 1.23), stroke (relative risk 1.05), and cancer (relative risk range 1.01-1.32), although the original studies showed mixed results. The relations of shift work to cardiometabolic diseases and accidents mimic those with insufficient sleep. Laboratory studies indicate that cardiometabolic stress and cognitive impairments are increased by shift work, as well as by sleep loss. Given that the health and safety consequences of shift work and insufficient sleep are very similar, they are likely to share common mechanisms. However, additional research is needed to determine whether insufficient sleep is a causal pathway for the adverse health effects associated with shift work.
This dedicated issue of Chronobiology International is devoted to the selected proceedings of the 20th International Symposium on Shift Work and Working Time held in Stockholm, Sweden, 28 June to 1 July 2011. It constitutes the fifth such issue of the journal since 2004 dedicated to the selected proceedings to the meetings of the Working Time Society. The key theme of the 20th Symposium was "Biological Mechanisms, Recovery, and Risk Management in the 24-h Society." The collection of papers of this dedicated issue represents the best of contemporary research on the effects of night and rotating shift schedules on worker health and safety. The contents cover such topics as sleep restriction, injuries, health, and performance of night work and rotating shiftwork, plus light treatment as a countermeasure against the circadian disruption of shiftwork. The majority of the papers are observational field studies, including some of large sample size, and three studies are well-designed laboratory experiments. (Author correspondence: email@example.com ).


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