OBJECTIVES: New organizational work systems, and their impact on the mental health of employees, are considered to beone of the most important topics in the area of industrial health. This study was conducted to compare job characteristics (job demand and decision latitude) levels, and psychosocial distress of workers in acompany introducing to new organizational work systems, to those of workers managed by traditional work systems. METHODS: A study sample of 627 shipbuilding workers (446the new work organizational system and 181the traditional system) were recruited for this study. A structured-questionnaire was used to assess general characteristics, job characteristics (work demand, decision latitude), and psychosocial distress. RESULTS: The decision latitude was not significantly higher in the new work system compared to the traditional system. However, the job demand was significantly higher in the new work system than in the traditional system. The psychosocial distress was higher within the new work system than the traditional system, but no significant relationships were found. The proportion of increased strain was significantly greater with the new system than the traditional system. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that increases in the decision latitude did not sufficiently compensate for higher job strain or increased work intensity. If the increase in the decision latitude was temporary, with the typical job demand remaining high, such work can be still be considered to have a job strain. Future research should consider psychosocial distress and fatigue as important problems caused by new work organizational systems, and should be performed to assess their impact through out industry.
Fatigue ; Mental Health ; Occupational Health

Based on the rDNA ITS sequences data, specific primer set for PCR detection of wood-decaying fungus Phellinus linteus was designed. The length of PCR products using designed primer set(SHF and SHR) was about 540 bp. Among 11 species, 17 isolates of Phellinus spp. including Phellinus linteus, P. pomaceus, P. spiculosus, P. baumi, P. pini, P. igniarius, P. gilvus, P. biscuspidatus, P. weirii, P. johnsonianus, P. robutus, and P. igniarius, seven isolates of Phellinus linteus showed about 540 bp-sized single band. This molecular technique could offer a useful tool for detecting and identifying Phellinus linteus.
DNA, Ribosomal* ; Fungi* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

This study was carried out to develop specific primers for PCR detection of Phellinus linteus. Diverse genomes of 15 Phellinus spp. including five Phellinus linteus isolates were fingerprinted by Primer Universal rice primer (URP)1F. The URP-PCR pattern differentiated P. linteus isolates from other phellinus spp. A polymorphic band (2.8 kb), which is unique for P. linteus isolates, was isolated and sequenced. Twenty four-oligonucleotide primer pairs were designed based on information of DNA sequence. The primer set (PLSPF2/PLSPR1) amplified single band (2.2 kb) of expected size with genomic DNA from seven Phellinus linteus, but not with that of other Phellinus species tested. The primers could be used identically in both DNA samples from mycelium and fruit bodies. This specific primers could offer a useful tool for detecting and identifying P. linteus rapidly.
Base Sequence ; Dermatoglyphics ; DNA ; Fruit ; Genome ; Mycelium ; Polymerase Chain Reaction*