bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effect of a Reduced Statutory Workweek on Familial Long-Term Care in Korea
Authors: Kim Erin Hye-Won , Lee Changjun , Do Young Kyung
Published: September 2018

Objectives: We examine how statutory workweeks affect workers’ provision of long-term care for their non-coresident elderly parents. Method: The Korean government reduced its statutory workweek from 44 to 40 hr, gradually from larger to smaller establishments, between 2004 and 2011. Using multiple regressions, we assess how the reduction affected visits, financial transfers, and in-kind transfers to parents. Annual longitudinal data come from the 2005 to 2013 waves of the Korea Labor and Income Panel Study. Results: The reduction caused an increase in the frequency of visits and in-kind transfers among male workers, with no significant impact on their financial transfers. Among female workers, we found no impact on any outcomes. Discussion: We interpret the findings within the context of developed Asian countries with long work hours and Confucian traditions, and suggest regulating workweeks as a policy tool to encourage familial long-term care in the rapidly aging societies.
Giving and Refusing: The Contested Reception of Transnational Philanthropy in the Case of the Prague Central European University Foundation
Authors: Pospíšilová Tereza
Published: September 2018

This article builds on the identification theory of philanthropy. It examines transnational philanthropy as a social phenomenon dependent on transnational “communities of participation” and their perceived needs. An empirical case study of the Prague Central European University (CEU) Foundation, founded in the Czech Republic by the American philanthropist George Soros, is used to gain a deeper understanding of the meaning of the rejecting of a philanthropic project. Discourse analysis was conducted on a public media debate to uncover the key discursive categories that shaped the public controversy over the Prague CEU Foundation and made it possible to refuse the gift: philanthropic giving versus government control, gift versus calculation, cosmopolitism versus national interest, elitism versus egalitarianism. The article proposes that the acceptance or rejection of a charitable gift is a sensitive indicator of changing values, one that can be used in the study of social and political conflict and change.
Toward Multi-Level Governance in China? Coping with complex public affairs across jurisdictions and organizations
Authors: Ongaro Edoardo , Gong Ting , Jing Yijia
Published: September 2018

This special issue argues for the applicability of the conceptual framework of Multi-Level Governance to the political–administrative regime of China, provided significant adaptations and qualifications are developed. The application of Multi-Level Governance to China enables to account for global influences as well as for the involvement of non-governmental actors in public policy making. More radically, we suggest in this introductory article that the development of Multi-Level Governance may be interpreted as a way of enhancing the societal legitimacy of the political regime under the conditions of new authoritarianism. We conclude this article by drawing a fascinating yet possibly hazardous and overstretched parallel; that is, the development of Multi-Level Governance may be part and parcel of a process of building political legitimacy in China, just as it may be a way of exploring paths for the renewal of beleaguered traditional liberal democracy in Europe. Albeit along profoundly different trajectories, China and Europe might adopt Multi-Level Governance arrangements for a very purposive course of action: enhancing the legitimacy of the respective and very diverse political systems and buttressing their very foundations. This suggests a strongly normative and purposive application of Multi-Level Governance.
Integrated optimal design of a high-speed planar parallel manipulator
Authors: Chen Zhengsheng , Kong Minxiu
Published: September 2018

To obtain excellent comprehensive performances of the planar parallel manipulator for the high-speed application, an integrated optimal design method, which integrated dimensional synthesis, motors/reducers selection, and control parameters tuning, is proposed, and the 3RRR parallel manipulator was taken as the example. The kinematic and dynamic performances of condition number, velocity index, acceleration capability, and low-order frequency are taken into accounts for the dimensional synthesis. Then, to match motors/reducers parameters and keep an economical cost, the constraint equations and the parameters library are built, and the cost is chosen as one of the optimization objectives. Also, to get high tracking accuracy, the dynamic forward plus proportional–derivative control scheme is introduced, and the tracking error is chosen as one of the optimization objectives. Hence, the optimization model including dimensional synthesis, motors/reducers selection and controller parameters tuning is established, which is solved by the genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II). The result shows that comprehensive performances can be effectively promoted through the proposed integrated optimal design, and the prototype was constructed according to the Pareto-optimal front.
Adaptive regulating of automotive mono-tube hydraulic adjustable dampers using gray neural network–based compensation system
Authors: Ma Xinbo , Wong Pak Kin , Zhao Jing
Published: September 2018

With the development of the controllable suspension systems, the mono-tube hydraulic adjustable damper has attracted great public attention with the advantages such as good heat dissipation, less power, fast response, durable, reliable, and simple structure. However, the unknown regulating mechanism modeling impedes the practical application of the mono-tube hydraulic adjustable damper. To model the regulating mechanism, this paper analytically studies the behavior of the mono-tube hydraulic adjustable damper via developing an analytical model and thermal effect equations for the use of engineering design. Then, the mono-tube hydraulic adjustable damper is tested in an integral shock absorber testing system to verify the accuracy of model and equations. On the basis of the verified analytical model and thermal effect equations, a compensation system with gray neural network algorithm is originally designed to model the regulating mechanism of the mono-tube hydraulic adjustable damper, thus achieving the desired damping force adaptively and accurately at various working conditions by obtaining the required rotary angle of the adjustment rod. The simulation results and experimental results show that the characteristic analyses of mono-tube hydraulic adjustable damper are reliable. Meanwhile, the simulation results of the gray neural network algorithm also indicate that the proposed compensation system can provide an exact regulating mechanism model for the mono-tube hydraulic adjustable damper and the proposed gray neural network algorithm is superior to the traditional neural network algorithm.
Emotion in politics: Affective-discursive practices in UKIP and Labour
Authors: Breeze Ruth
Published: September 2018

Recent political trends in many countries have sparked renewed interest in populism. Despite general agreement that the affective/emotive aspects of political communication are particularly important in this, there is little recent analysis of how populists operationalise emotion or how they genuinely differ from mainstream parties in this sense. This article applies mixed methods to explore the ‘affective-discursive practices’ that characterise the discourses of two opposition parties in the United Kingdom: United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) and Labour. Comparison of the frequency of semantic subcategories related to emotion in corpora of press releases published by these parties on their websites is complemented by qualitative analysis of how specific emotional areas such as fear, anger and anxiety are invoked by the two parties. Different ‘affective-discursive practices’ underpin their discourses, since Labour characteristically frames reactions to social phenomena in terms of worry and concern, while UKIP legitimates fear and anger, but also projects more positive emotions.
Social class struggle as a Greek political discourse
Authors: Theodoropoulou Irene
Published: September 2018

This article delves into the construction of social class division in Greek political discourse. More specifically, the focus is on ‘ταξική πάλη’ (class struggle) as a discourse that has started being carved in Greek media since the current leftist government party, Syriza, won the election in 2015 for the first time in the country’s political history. Contrary to Syriza, which always frames its arguments on the basis of a divisive class fight discourse between the elitists and laypeople, New Democracy, the liberal and main oppositional party, tries to play down this discourse by advocating a more unifying and social class inclusive discourse. The analysis suggests that social class struggle is a theme framed within a wider shifting (anti)populist discourse constantly being negotiated linguistically in ironic ways among political elites. Both the government and opposition parties engage in tactical maneuvering of competing political discourses that, in different ways, articulate attachments to the ‘people’. The theoretical contribution of this study is the discursive theorization of social class struggle as a digitally constructed and politically relevant discourse in the context of Greek populism and its discontents.
Assessing Dynamism of Crude Oil Demand in Middle-Income Countries of South Asia: A Panel Data Investigation
Authors: Sharma Rajesh , Kautish Pradeep , Kumar D. Suresh
Published: September 2018

Using pooled mean group (PMG) estimation, the article tries to examine the impact of crude oil price, income, primary energy sources, electricity and financial crisis on the demand for crude oil in the six middle-income countries of South Asia over the period of 1988–2016, that is, 29 years. The use of PMG estimation enables us to get the short-run and long-run coefficients of comprised variables. Thereafter, dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) and fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) panel co-integration techniques are performed to corroborate the outcomes of PMG estimation. Unlike PMG, DOLS and FMOLS panel co-integration methods examine the long-run determinants of oil demand in the presence of heterogeneity. Except for electricity, the coefficients of all other determinants are found in line with the results of PMG. However, the direction of the electricity coefficient is the same in the PMG and DOLS techniques. Therefore, the present study proposes the results of PMG estimation. The results suggest that the demand for crude oil is price inelastic and income elastic in the region. Further, the negative coefficient of electricity confirms that in the long run, electricity acts as a substitute for crude oil. Thus, the extensive use of electricity may help in reducing the demand for crude oil in the South-Asian countries. On the other hand, the primary energy is found complementary to crude oil in the selected countries over the study period. Finally, the coefficient of financial crisis, which is represented by a dummy variable, advocates that the financial crisis has a negative and significant impact on the demand for crude oil in the middle-income countries of South Asia.
Evaluation of nonwoven fabrics for nasal wipe sampling for influenza A virus in swine
Authors: Nelson Sarah W. , Hammons Christie T. , Bliss Nola T. , Lauterbach Sarah E. , Zentkovich Michele M. , Lorbach Joshua N. , Nolting Jacqueline M. , Bowman Andrew S.
Published: September 2018

Influenza A virus (IAV) is a zoonotic pathogen threatening animal and public health; therefore, detection and monitoring of IAV in animal populations are critical components of a surveillance program. Swine are important hosts of IAV, wherein the virus can undergo rapid evolution. Several methods (i.e., nasal swabs, nasal wipes, and oral fluids) have been used to collect samples from swine for IAV surveillance. We utilized nasal wipes made from cotton gauze and multiple, polyester or mixed polyester fabrics to compare performance in the molecular detection and isolation of IAV. In vitro experiments revealed that no polyester or mixed polyester fabric was superior to cotton gauze for molecular IAV detection; however, 3 polyester or mixed polyester fabrics yielded significantly more viable IAV than cotton. In a field trial, both cotton gauze and the polyester or mixed polyester fabric yielded similar proportions of IAV isolates from swine. The results indicate that cotton gauze remains a practical and useful material for swine nasal wipes.
Information Seeking Among Women Aged 18 to 25 About the Risk of Sexual Aggression
Authors: Pokrywczynski James , Griffin Robert J. , Calhoun Gregory J.
Published: September 2018

Many researchers have studied risk factors related to sexual violence, and few studies have explored what differences account for the various ways women seek information about sexual violence. This study accomplishes this by applying part of the Risk Information Seeking and Processing (RISP) model to sexual aggression among young females (18-25 years). The results from a national survey of females show that negative affect (worry and anger combined) showed a direct positive effect on risk information seeking. Also, binge drinking does not make women feel much more at risk from sexual assault. Some differences exist between women in school and out.
Effect of Neurocognitive Training for Children With ADHD at Improving Academic Engagement in Two Learning Settings
Authors: Jiang Han , Johnstone Stuart J. , Sun Li , Zhang Da-Wei
Published: September 2018

Objective: This preliminary study investigated effectiveness of neurocognitive training on academic engagement (AET) for children with ADHD. The training approach targeted working memory, inhibitory control, and attention/relaxation (via brain electrical activity). Method: A reversal design with a 2-week follow-up was used to assess the effectiveness of the treatment on two children with diagnosed ADHD in two learning settings. Direct observation was used to collect academic-related behavior. Results: Improvements in on-task expected behavior (ONT-EX) and general AET, as well as reductions in off-task motor activity (OFF-MA) and off-task passive behavior (OFF-PB) were observed for both students over baselines and across the settings. Moreover, differences in behavioral change were found between participants and settings. Conclusion: These findings support using the treatment for improving academic performance of children with ADHD. Future studies may investigate influences of contextual differences, nontreatment variables, or adult’s feedback during the training session on treatment effectiveness.
Design, architecture and the value to tourism
Authors: Scerri Moira , Edwards Deborah , Foley Carmel
Published: September 2018

Architecture has been recognized for its supporting role in the enhancement of the physical assets of destinations, which play a leading role in drawing tourists who identify and associate destinations with these architectural landmarks. While generating tourist expenditure is not the aim of most architects, many are increasingly aware that articulated and functional buildings become visitor attractions in their own right – an externality that requires valuing. However, the value assigned to iconic architecture is often restricted to the bricks and mortar construction, and the broader contributions a building can deliver to its stakeholders are largely ignored. This article explores the capacity for architecture to attract tourists and effect direct tourism spend through the examination of five cases, each of which has attempted to estimate their economic value to tourism. This article proposes a model for estimating the future value of iconic buildings and tests its application to the University of Technology Sydney, Gehry-designed, Dr Chau Chak Wing building. The implications of the framework and future research are discussed.
Modelling of Diesel fuel properties through its surrogates using Perturbed-Chain, Statistical Associating Fluid Theory
Authors: Vidal Alvaro , Rodriguez Carlos , Koukouvinis Phoevos , Gavaises Manolis , McHugh Mark A
Published: September 2018

The Perturbed-Chain, Statistical Associating Fluid Theory equation of state is utilised to model the effect of pressure and temperature on the density, volatility and viscosity of four Diesel surrogates; these calculated properties are then compared to the properties of several Diesel fuels. Perturbed-Chain, Statistical Associating Fluid Theory calculations are performed using different sources for the pure component parameters. One source utilises literature values obtained from fitting vapour pressure and saturated liquid density data or from correlations based on these parameters. The second source utilises a group contribution method based on the chemical structure of each compound. Both modelling methods deliver similar estimations for surrogate density and volatility that are in close agreement with experimental results obtained at ambient pressure. Surrogate viscosity is calculated using the entropy scaling model with a new mixing rule for calculating mixture model parameters. The closest match of the surrogates to Diesel fuel properties provides mean deviations of 1.7% in density, 2.9% in volatility and 8.3% in viscosity. The Perturbed-Chain, Statistical Associating Fluid Theory results are compared to calculations using the Peng–Robinson equation of state; the greater performance of the Perturbed-Chain, Statistical Associating Fluid Theory approach for calculating fluid properties is demonstrated. Finally, an eight-component surrogate, with properties at high pressure and temperature predicted with the group contribution Perturbed-Chain, Statistical Associating Fluid Theory method, yields the best match for Diesel properties with a combined mean absolute deviation of 7.1% from experimental data found in the literature for conditions up to 373°K and 500 MPa. These results demonstrate the predictive capability of a state-of-the-art equation of state for Diesel fuels at extreme engine operating conditions.
Long-term clinical spectrum and circulating RAS evaluation of anephric patients undergoing hemodialysis: A report of four cases and literature review
Authors: Liu Lin , Zhang Yumei , Fu Fangting , Zhuo Li , Wang Yamei , Li Wenge
Published: September 2018

Introduction:

Bilateral nephrectomy leads to a short-term reduction in blood pressure. This is mainly due to a sharp change in the circulating renin-angiotensin system (RAS), but data on the long-term outcomes of their clinical status and further changes in circulating RAS are rare.

Materials and methods:

We enrolled four Chinese patients who had both of their kidneys removed two (1), six (1) and eight (2) years prior to this study, respectively. Their clinical data were collected retrospectively and circulating RAS was evaluated by radioimmunoassay.

Results:

Hypotension after surgery occurred in two patients who suffered thrombosis of the arteriovenous fistula, but no life-threatening complications occurred. The average hemoglobin level was 103.3±12.3 g/l. Two patients without hemorrhage received intravenous erythropoietin (EPO) of 4500–8000 iu/week. Extremely low plasma renin activity (PRA) of 0.08±0.03 ng/ml (normal range 0.93–6.56 ng/ml) showed in the patients. Surprisingly, plasma angiotensin II concentration (71.37±8.28 pg/ml) and aldosterone level (0.17±0.02 ng/mlng/ml) were within the normal range.

Conclusions:

The four anephric individuals did not suffer life-threatening complications while their hypotension gradually subsided and their EPO dosage was relatively low. Although their PRA level was extremely low, they produced normal levels of angiotensin II and aldosterone in plasma, which indicates the kidney-independent mechanism of angiotensin II production likely compensated in the long term.
Distributed Situation Awareness in Patient Flow Management: An Admission Case Study
Authors: Alhaider Abdulrahman A. , Lau Nathan , Davenport Paul B. , Morris Melanie K. , Tuck Christopher
Published: September 2018

Managing patient flow can be an effective strategy to reduce idling hospital beds, thereby lowering the healthcare cost without sacrificing quality of care. However, improving patient flow can be a major challenge due to the complex patterns of communication across diverse hospital staff. To identify improvement opportunities, this paper investigates whether the Distributed Situation Awareness (DSA) framework can feasibly and meaningfully model Situation Awareness (SA) in patient flow. The investigation involved a case study on modeling the DSA of the admission phase in patient flow for a level 1 trauma center. A DSA model combining task, knowledge, and social networks was created, showing feasibility of the framework in depicting the distribution and transaction of knowledge across workers and information systems. Further, a true elective admission case was mapped onto the DSA model, verifying its practical merits.
The “up-side” and “down-side” of tactile parameters: An evaluation of increases and decreases in tactile cue magnitude to support anesthesia monitoring
Authors: Gomes Kylie M. , Reeves Scott T. , Riggs Sara L.
Published: September 2018

There is a need to find alternative ways to present information to alleviate data overload in the complex environment of anesthesia monitoring in the operating room. The tactile modality has been shown as a promising means in supporting this effort; however, to develop effective tactile displays, it is important to ensure that the tactile parameters convey information that is both meaningful and easy to learn. This work aimed to address this gap by evaluating how increasing and decreasing tactile parameter magnitude could map to physiological variables to support anesthesia monitoring. It was found that increases in magnitude for the intensity and temporal parameters mapped to urgent changes in physiological variables whereas decreases in magnitude for these parameters mapped to less urgent changes (e.g., a physiological variable is normalizing). This work provides preliminary support towards a better understanding of which tactile parameters should be used to represent information in the operating room to support anesthesia monitoring. Furthermore, it demonstrates how increases and decreases in tactile parameters can be interpreted differently, emphasizing the importance of carefully considering how to utilize changes in tactile parameters to convey information in complex domains.
Task Switching in Rock Climbing: Validation of a Computational Model for Different Skill Levels
Authors: Wickens Christopher D. , McLaughlin Anne Collins , Keller John , Tan Jie
Published: September 2018

Thirty-two rock climbers, all self-identifying as capable of lead climbing (place protective gear in the rock, to mitigate the risks of falling), climbed an outdoor route while placing what they believed was the necessary amount of protection. Cameras recorded the percentage of time they spent climbing upward (productivity) relative to placing protection (safety). We then applied STOM (strategic task overload model) to predict percent time-on-task, using the differences in their ratings of task interest, task priority, and task difficulty as predictors. The model significantly predicted time on task for the participants categorized as experts, but not for those categorized as non-experts. Time on the climbing (versus protection) task for the expert group, but not the non-expert group, was also predicted by a derived measure inferred to assess risk tolerance in climbing.
Developing and Evaluating an Augmented Reality Interface to Assist the Joint Tactical Air Controller by Applying Human Performance Models
Authors: Wickens Chris , Dempsey Gaia , Pringle Andrew , Kazansky Lucas , Hutka Stefanie
Published: September 2018

We developed a 3D augmented reality head mounted display (DARSADS-SVS HMD) interface to support the Joint Tactical Air Controller (JTAC). The JTAC’s job is to integrate information about enemy attack units and nearby friendly forces and direct aircraft equipped with weapons to neutralize the enemy via close air support (CAS), while also safely routing air traffic. The JTAC’s numerous and often overlapping tasks involve maintaining detailed situational awareness (SA) of a large quantity of information, and making rapid decisions that carry life-or-death consequences. Thus, the JTAC role requires many different cognitive operations across different mission phases. Designing an effective human-factored system that supports maximum SA while minimizing cognitive load required us to harness computational cognitive models of SA-supporting visual scanning, display layout, 3D frame-of-reference transformations, clutter, legibility and working memory. We applied such models to different phases of the JTAC mission (e.g., airspace management, call-for-fire), establishing a Figure of Merit (FOM) for each given design by summing FOMs across models, thus creating a mechanism to evaluate designs based upon their balanced impact on competing cognitive drivers. Models were differentially weighted for each phase, according to the relative importance of the relevant cognitive process to the phase in question. In this research paper, we illustrate two such design comparisons.
How does relaxing posture influence take-over performance in an automated vehicle?
Authors: Yang Yucheng , Gerlicher Matthias , Bengler Klaus
Published: September 2018

The driver will not have to constantly monitor the vehicle while driving in a level-3 automation or at a higher level (SAE International, 2016), which enables the driver to conduct different activities and be out of the control loop. To achieve the goals of non-driving related tasks (NDRTs) rather than the driving task better, the driver may take other sitting positions, defined as “non-driving postures (NDPs)”. Different pos-tures represent different driver motoric states. This may result in different reactions to a take-over request (TOR). In this work, relaxing NDPs are built by manipulating the driver’s knee angle (133°) and torso an-gle (38°) via seat adjustments. Their take-over performances of each posture are evaluated. The torso angle is identified as a significant influencing factor: the reclined driver takes over more poorly, whereas a larger relaxing knee angle does not affect take-over performance if the heel is able to contact the pedal.
Trust and Approachability Mediate Social Decision Making in Human-Robot Interaction
Authors: Tulk Stephanie , Wiese Eva
Published: September 2018

As humanoid robots become more advanced and commonplace, the average user may perceive their robotic companion as human-like entities that can make social decisions, such as the deliberate choice to act fairly or selfishly. It is important for scientists and designers to consider how this will affect our interactions with social robots. The current paper explores how social decision making with humanoid robots changes as the degree of their human-likeness changes. For that purpose, we created a spectrum of human-like agents via morphing that ranged from very robot-like to very human-like in physical appearance (i.e., in increments of 20%) and measured how this change in physical humanness affected decision-making in two economic games: the Ultimatum Game (Experiment 1) and Trust Game (Experiment 2). We expected increases in human-like appearance to lead to higher rates of punishment for unfair offers and higher ratings of trust in both games. While physical humanness did not have an impact on economic decisions in either of the ex-periments, follow-up analyses showed that both subjective ratings of trust and agent approachability medi-ated the effect of agent appearance on decision-making in both experiments. Possible consequences of these findings for human-robot interactions are discussed.
Cue Utilization Predicts Resource Allocation during Rail Control Simulations: A NIRS Study
Authors: Sturman Daniel , Wiggins Mark W. , Auton Jaime C. , Loft Shayne
Published: September 2018

This study was designed to examine whether cue utilization differentiates performance and resource allocation during simulated monitoring and process control tasks. The experiment involved the completion of a 45-minute rail control simulation that required participants to re-route trains either infrequently (monitoring task) or periodically (process control task). Implicit patterns of train movement were incorporated into the rail control task. Measures of participants’ response latency, fixation rates and cerebral blood flow were taken. Participants with higher cue utilization demonstrated greater decreases in fixation rates, smaller changes in cerebral oxygenation in the prefrontal cortex, and smaller increases in response latencies. The results provide support for the assertion that a relatively greater capacity for cue utilization is associated with the allocation of fewer cognitive resources during sustained attention tasks.
Assessing a Retention Policy for Air Traffic Controllers
Authors: Pierce Linda G. , Pfleiderer Elaine M.
Published: September 2018

Training a developmental (air traffic controller in training) to certification is a lengthy and expensive process. To limit losses due to poor performance in training, the FAA has implemented a policy to reassign some developmentals to less complex air traffic control (ATC) facilities following voluntary or involuntary removal from training at more complex facilities. The National Employee Service Team (NEST) is implementing the policy. We reviewed the NEST processes and assessed effectiveness based on the extent to which the NEST recommendations are accepted and the likelihood that developmentals reassigned in accordance with NEST recommendations succeed in training at the new facility. We found that NEST recommendations to retain or terminate developmentals and type and level facility for reassignment are accepted by the FAA at a high level. Furthermore, the success rate of developmentals at a new facility is greater than 90%.
Prolonged high force high repetition pulling induces trabecular bone loss and microcracks, while low force high repetition pulling induces bone anabolism
Authors: Barbe Mary F , Massicotte Vicky S , Assari Soroush , Frara Nagat , Harris Michele Y , Amin Mamta , King Tamara , Cruz Geneva E , Popoff Steve N
Published: September 2018

We have an operant rat model of upper extremity reaching and grasping in which we examined the impact of performing a high force high repetition (High-ForceHR) versus a low force low repetition (Low-ForceHR) task for 18 weeks on the radius, compared to age-matched controls. High-ForceHR rats performed at 4 reaches/min and 50% of their maximum voluntary pulling force for 2 hrs/day, 3 days/wk. Low-ForceHR rats performed at 6% maximum voluntary pulling force. High-ForceHR rats showed decreased trabecular bone volume in the distal radius and increased catabolic indices (microcracks and increased osteocyte apoptosis), compared to controls. In contrast, Low-ForceHR rats showed increased trabecular bone volume, and no microcracks or osteocyte apoptosis. Thus, prolonged performance of an upper extremity reaching and grasping task is loading-dependent with high force loading leading to accumulation of bone microdamage. The target grasp force (1.27N) of the High-ForceHR rats was 50% of their mean maximum voluntary force of 2.45N, easily below the predicted maximum acceptable force (MAF) of 1.64N (predicted from published equations). The presence of microcracks and bone loss leads us to suggest that the published equations over-estimated the MAF on these tissues by 1.3 fold.
Investigating the Effect of Task Parameters on Force Exertion Rating of One-Handed Pulling Tasks
Authors: Jones Monica L. H. , Ebert Sheila M. , Reed Matthew P.
Published: September 2018

Ergonomic and capability assessments are typically performed using guidelines derived using biomechanical, physiological and psychophysical approaches. In practice, these approaches yield different and often conflicting assessments. As part of an effort to reconcile these methods, a laboratory study was conducted to investigate the effects of varying force and task location requirements on the perception of force exertion. Sixteen women and men with widely varying body size provided a numerical rating of effort for one-hand pulling tasks in a range of handle locations. Vertical task handle location and force magnitude requirement were related to subjective rating of the force exertion. As a demonstration of the methodology, statistical models were developed from the data to predict the effect of changes in task parameters on the percentage of participants rating the exertion at a specified level.
Assessment Methods Used by Certified Ergonomics Professionals
Authors: Lowe Brian , Dempsey Patrick , Jones Evan ,   National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Published: September 2018

This paper reports findings from a web-based survey of professional ergonomists with certification through recognized organizations in English-speaking countries (USA, Canada, UK, Australia, and New Zealand). The purpose of the survey is to update knowledge on the types of basic tools and direct and observational assessment methods used by ergonomic practitioners. These results focus on prevalence and frequency of use for 23 ergonomic assessment methods and how ergonomists report using them (pencil and paper, computer software, mobile devices, other). N=405 ergonomists responded to the survey, representing a 34% participation rate. The NIOSH Lifting Equation is the most widely used assessment method, used by 86.9% of responding ergonomists. The findings indicate opportunities for development of mobile interfaces (“apps”) by which assessment methods can be deployed electronically. Only 25% of professionals reported using mobile apps, and several frequently used methods are predominantly used in “pencil and paper” format.
A Human-Centered Approach to Hazard Evaluation Checklists for the Risk of Back Pain in Manual Handling Tasks
Authors: Dündar Ceyda
Published: September 2018

Low back pain is one the most common medical problems in the U.S. In workplaces, manual handling tasks show strong evidence for low back pain. Hazard Evaluation Checklists are commonly used as a rapid ergonomic assessment to evaluate the risk of back pain in manual handling tasks. However, this tool focuses on only job-specific tasks instead of aiming to detect the possibility of having back pain in individuals. It was proposed that a human-centered checklist that assesses workers’ welfare in addition to the analysis of the worksite might predict low back pain risk in workers more accurately. In the current study, a case study was conducted to show the importance of focusing on workers’ welfare. In the ergonomic assessment of a coffee shop, it was found that the tasks of baristas were more likely to cause low back pain and wrist pain. The barista who was working in housekeeping, mopping floors, reported that she suffers from low back pain more than wrist pain. However, the barista who was playing guitar professionally reported wrist pain. These case study findings supported the claim that the risk of occurrence of low back pain might increase with the combination of work-related tasks and contributory factors. Thus, a human-centered checklist proposed including four sub-categories: the main manual handling tasks, a second job, non-work related activities, and personal risk factors. It was proposed that efforts to limit low back pain in society might be more successful with this human-centered approach.
Effect of Time on the Variability of Lifting Kinematics in a Repetitive Lifting Task
Authors: Tetteh Emmanuel , Mirka Gary
Published: September 2018

A repetitive lifting task affords the opportunity for lift-to-lift variability in the lifting strategy and kinematics which can result in changes in the stresses on the tissues of the low back. To quantify the variation of lifting kinematics over time, ten subjects were recruited to perform repetitive lifting of a load equal to 10% of body weight at a rate of six lifts/min for 30 minutes continuously. Trunk kinematic variables were measured in all three planes of motion using the Lumbar Motion Monitor. The variances of the lifting kinematics were compared for the following ten-minute intervals: 0-10 min, 10-20 min and 20-30 min. Time was found to have a significant impact on variance of the peak sagittal acceleration, with the variance seen in the first ten minutes exceeding that of the other two time intervals. The downward trend in variation of peak sagittal acceleration implies an initial adjustment as the lifters “settle in” to their preferred lifting strategy.
Lumbar Range of Motion and Flexion Relaxation Phenomenon Onset During Static Trunk Bending Postures
Authors: Alessa Faisal M , Ning Xiaopeng
Published: September 2018

The purpose of the current study was to assess the changes in lumbar tissue load sharing mechanism and lumbar range of motion at different trunk flexion postures. Eight participants performed the tasks of changing lumbar posture from extended to flexed posture while maintaining fixed trunk postures (30°, 60°, or 90°). Results of the present study showed that FRP onset was observed in almost all the trials at two conditions of trunk posture (i.e. 60° and 90°). The results also showed that lumbar range of motion changed significantly between the different levels of trunk posture. Findings of the current study could help for better understanding of the dynamics of lumbar active and passive tissue loading during static trunk flexion.
Effects of Chair Support on Biomechanical Exposures on the Neck During Mobile Phone Use
Authors: Hwang Jaejin , Syamala Kartheek Reddy , Ailneni Ravi Charan , Kim Jeong Ho
Published: September 2018

The goal of this study was to evaluate how chair support (armrest and back support) affect the head/neck kinematics and muscle activity as compared to no chair support among four different phone positions (eye, chest, lap, and self-selected level). In a repeated-measures laboratory experiment with 20 subjects (10 males and 10 females), we measured head/neck flexion angle, gravitational moment and muscle activity in upper trapezius (TRAP) and splenius capitis (SPL). The results showed that chair support significantly reduced the head/neck flexion (p’s < 0.001), gravitational moment (p < 0.001), and muscle activity in TRAP and SPL (p’s < 0.001). With chair support, holding a phone at self-selected levels resulted in the largest reduction in head/neck flexion angle and gravitational moment while the eye-level location showed the lowest neck/shoulder muscle activity. The study findings indicate that the mobile phone use with adequate chair support may significantly reduce the physical stress in the neck and shoulder regions as compared to no chair support.
Upper Extremity Biomechanics and Gender: The Effects of Modern Computing Technologies
Authors: Coppola Sarah M. , Dennerlein Jack.T
Published: September 2018

Mobile computing devices are often designed with a one-size-fits-all approach, and consumers purchase devices based off of technical specifications rather than whether the devices fit them. Female gender is associated with higher risks of upper extremity repetitive injury, which may be caused by the generally smaller anthropometry of women (Cote, 2011; Won, Johnson, Punnett, & Dennerlein, 2009). This paper explores two mobile technologies’ effects on forearm muscle activity, performance, and self-reported experience within each gender for two recent laboratory experiments. A typing study with four short travel keyboards showed that female participants are more affected by different key switch designs than male participants. A touchscreen thumb swiping study revealed that male and female participants were similarly affected by tablet size, swipe location, and swipe direction. These results demonstrate the need to include both genders in usability testing for mobile technology and to consider individual differences when designing technologies.
Understanding User Requirements for the Design of a Home-Based Stroke Rehabilitation System
Authors: Cavuoto Lora A. , Subryan Heamchand , Stafford Matthew , Yang Zhuolin , Bhattacharjya Sutanuka , Xu Wenyao , Langan Jeanne
Published: September 2018

Limitations following stroke make it one of the leading causes of disability. The current medical pathway provides intensive care in the acute stages, but rehabilitation services are commonly discontinued after one year. While written home exercise programs are regularly prescribed at the time of discharge, compliancy is an issue. The goal of this study was to inform the design of a home-based portable rehabilitation system based on feedback from individuals with stroke and clinicians. A main component under consideration is the type and format of information feedback provided to the user, as this is hypothesized to support compliance with the rehabilitation program. From a series of focus groups and usability testing, a set of design requirements for the hardware and software were constructed. Essential features mentioned for the feedback interface included: task completion time, quality of movement, a selection of exercises, goal tracking, and a display of historical data.
Surgeons’ Perspectives on User-Designed Prototypes of Microsurgery Armrests
Authors: Abdelrahman Amro M. , Lowndes Bethany R. , Mohan Anita T. , Noland Shelley S. , Finnie Dawn M. , Lemaine Valerie , Hallbeck M. Susan
Published: September 2018

Microsurgery is considered one of the most demanding surgical techniques. In a recent American Society of Reconstructive Microsurgeons survey, respondents reported that about half their procedures lasted 8 hours or longer and 8% had tremor during their surgery. Thus, the aim of this study was to define user centered design requirements for a microsurgery armrest, create low-fidelity armrest design concepts and evaluate microsurgeons’ perspectives on the advantages/disadvantages of five potential design concepts. Direct and videotaped observations of microsurgery, user brainstorming during a co-creation workshop and semi-structured interviews were used. The resulting five microsurgery armrest concepts were presented pictorially through semi-structured interviews, where microsurgeons defined armrest design requirements as: a) an armrest that allows the surgeons to be as close as possible to the patient; b) adjustable to accommodate different procedures sites and surgeon preferences; c) rigid enough to support arms; d) is not difficult to set up; nor e) large or bulky; and f) complies with operative sterility rules. This study illustrated how involving the users (microsurgeons) early in the design process provides useful perspectives on design requirements and implementation barrier for a cost-effective ergonomic microsurgery armrest to foster sound ergonomic surgical practice and reduce musculoskeletal health risk factors during microsurgery.
Operator Workload Reduced in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: Making Command and Control (C2) Maps More Useful
Authors: Zak Yuval , Oron-Gilad Tal , Parmet Yisrael
Published: September 2018

Command and control (C2) maps in military unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are often cluttered beyond the needs of operators. Unfortunately, information overload increases the operators’ mental effort and mission performance suffers. To make C2 maps more useful and improve operator performance, this study proposes a triangular approach to highlighting mission-critical information. First, the underlying value of map information and its relevance to mission success are examined. Second, algorithms based on machine learning are developed to facilitate information integration and generate visualization items, via tagging in time and space, where the appropriate area of relevance for each item is defined. Third, the algorithms are improved to dynamically update the visualizations. The proposed approach and developed algorithms are being evaluated based on four experiments with professional operators in simulated UAV and C2 environments. Hopefully, it would be possible to generalize the algorithms developed in this research-in-progress to other spatial and temporal domains where workload must be reduced.
Error Analysis for Localization of Multisensory Cues for Countering Spatial Disorientation
Authors: Brill J. Christopher , Gibson Anthony , Lawson Ben D. , Rupert Angus H.
Published: September 2018

Decrements in situation awareness (SA) remain an important research topic, due to its influence on spatial disorientation (SD). Multisensory displays (e.g., three-dimensional audio and audiotactile displays) present potential solutions to SD related to SA loss. The current study investigated the differences in performance across six different modality conditions (i.e., visual, audio, tactile, audiotactile, visuotactile, and audiovisual). The results indicated that localization errors were largest when participants were provided with auditory cues, which is consistent with prior research findings.
Trend Analysis of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) Research Published in the HFES Proceedings
Authors: Mouloua Salim A. , Ferraro James , Mouloua Mustapha , Hancock P.A.
Published: September 2018

The present study was designed to examine the research trends in the literature focusing on Human Factors issues relevant to Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems. As these UAV technologies continue to proliferate with increasing autonomy and supervisory control requirements, it is crucial to evaluate the current and emerging research trends across the generations. This paper reviews the research trends of 228 papers matching our search criteria. The search retained only relevant and complete papers published over the past thirty years (1988-2017) in the Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. Results were tabulated, graphed, and discussed based on research categories, topic areas, authors’ affiliation, and sources of funding. Results showed a substantial increase in the number of articles in the last two decades, with most papers driven by academic institutions and military and government agencies.
User Insights for Design of an Antihypertensive Medication Management Application
Authors: Blocker Kenneth A. , Insel Kathleen C. , Lee Jeannie K. , Nie Qiong , Ajuwon Abidemi , Rogers Wendy A.
Published: September 2018

Hypertension is the most common chronic disease affecting older adults (65+) in the United States. Unfortunately, many struggle to adhere to their antihypertensive medications as only about half diagnosed with the disease have it controlled. Therefore, there is a need for designing supportive medication management systems to aid this population with their antihypertensive medications, especially using increasingly adopted technologies such as smartphones. The preferences of older adults with hypertension must be considered when designing such systems for this population. Six older adults participated in structured interviews to inform the design of the Medication Education, Decision Support, Reminding and Monitoring System (MEDSReM). Results revealed management needs, design insights, and reminder preferences, as well as mostly positive opinions regarding technology use for medication management. These findings informed the development of MEDSReM with the goal of supporting older adults in successfully managing their antihypertensive medications.