Taban, G.; Fleskens, B.; Luiten, O.J.; Reijnders, M.P.; Vredenbregt, E.J.D.; de Loos, M.J.; van der Geer, S.B.

Relatively little is known about how goals in complex jobs are translated into action and how they are completed in real life settings. This study addressed the question to what extent planned work may actually be completed on a daily basis. The completion of daily work goals was studied in a sample of 878 tasks identified by 29 R&D engineers with the help of a daily diary. Multilevel analysis was used to analyse the joint effect of task attributes, perceived job characteristics, and personality attributes on the completion of planned work goals. At the level of task attributes, we found that priority, urgency, and lower importance were related to task completion, and at the individual level, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and time management training. Task completion was not related to task attractiveness, workload, job autonomy, planning, or perceived control of time.a pps_390 273..295On connaît relativement peu de choses sur la manière dont les objectifs dans des tâches complexes sont traduites en action et sur la manière dont elles sont accomplies dans le cadre de la vie quotidienne. Cette étude a abordé la question de savoir dans quelle mesure les travaux prévus peuvent être effectivement achevés dans la vie quotidienne. Pour ce faire, un échantillon de 878 tâches a été identifié par 29 ingénieurs R&D à l'aide d'un journal quotidien. Une analyse multi niveau a été réalisée pour étudier l'effet conjoint des caractéristiques de la tâche et des caractéristiques de la personnalité sur l'accomplissement des

The dipole-dipole broadening of ns − np microwave transitions of cold Rb Rydberg atoms in a magneto-optical trap has been recorded for 28 n 51. Since the electric dipole transition matrix elements scale as n 2 , a broadening rate scaling as n 4 is expected and a broadening rate of 8.2 × 10 −15 n 4 MHz cm 3 is observed. The observed broadening is smaller than expected from a classical picture due to the spin-orbit interaction in the np atoms. The broadened resonances are asymmetric and cusp shaped, and their line shapes can be reproduced by a diatomic model which takes into account the dipole-dipole interaction, including the spin-orbit interaction, the strengths of the allowed microwave transitions, and the distribution of the atomic spacings in the trap.

Purpose This longitudinal study examined ‘normal’, ‘reversed’, and ‘reciprocal’ relationships between (1) physical activity and work-related fatigue; and (2) physical activity and task demands. Furthermore, the effects of across-time change in meaningful physical activity groups on levels of employees’ work-related fatigue and task demands were studied. These groups were based on employees’ compliance with the international physical activity norm.MethodsTwo waves with a one-year time lag of a national representative survey on the quality of work, health, and well-being among Dutch employees were used (N = 2275). Longitudinal effects were tested using Structural Equation Modelling. Meaningful physical activity groups were compared using group-by-time analysis of covariance.ResultsSupport was found for reciprocal relations between physical activity and work-related fatigue. It was found that an increase in physical activity is associated with a decrease in work-related fatigue over time and that an increase in work-related fatigue is associated with a decrease in physical activity over time. No significant longitudinal relations were found between physical activity and task demands. Employees whose compliance with the physical activity norm changed over time showed fairly stable levels of work-related fatigue and task demands.ConclusionsThe current findings provide evidence for the potential role of physical activity in the prevention and reduction in work-related fatigue. However, results also indicate that fatigued workers, who would benefit most from physical activity, are less physically active. Our results further indicate that relying on changes in compliance to the physical activity norm may not be the most suitable way to examine changes in work-related fatigue.

A novel way of creating low-temperature electron and ion beams is demonstrated. The beams are generated by converting a laser-cooled atom cloud to a highly excited Rydberg gas, which subsequently develops into an ultracold plasma. Charged particles are extracted from the Rydberg gas and the plasma by a pulsed electric field. The properties of the resulting electron and ion pulses are experimentally studied. Pulses of a few hundred ns duration containing a few pC of charge were observed. Upper limits for the temperature of such beams (60K for ions and 500K for electrons) are obtained, and the beams are shown to have low emittance. Further development of the method may lead to the generation of high-brightness charged-particle beams from ultracold plasmas.