Cognitive and metabolic workload assessment techniques: A review in automotive manufacturing context

Ergonomics assessment in the automotive industry has, to date, focused mainly on physical ergonomics, for example, manual handling and posture. However, workload and, in particular, metabolic and cognitive workload, contributes to worker efficiency but has not received sufficient attention to yield practical guidance for industry. Successful workload assessment requires in-depth understanding of the context in which it will be conducted and of the various assessment techniques which will be applied, with consideration given to factors such as feasibility, resources, and skill of the assessor. These requirements are met with challenges within large and complex organizations and are often dealt with in a piecemeal and isolated matter (i.e., reactive workload assessment). The present paper explores these challenges within the automotive manufacturing industry and aims to develop a decision matrix to guide effective selection of workload assessment techniques focused on metabolic and cognitive demands. It also presents the requirements for time, equipment, and knowledge to implement these techniques as part of a participatory ergonomics approach. Early findings suggest that most assessment techniques reviewed require further development, for example, to establish the acceptance criteria for the specific workload scenario. However, five methods (Garg, Borg RPE, IPAQ, SWAT, and NASA-TLX) are ready to use in certain applications. Ultimately, the findings suggest that it is possible to implement a participatory workload evaluation program within large and complex manufacturing plants.     

Can child-pedestrians’ hazard perception skills be enhanced?

ObjectiveTraffic collisions yield a substantial rate of morbidity and injury among child-pedestrians. We explored the formation of an innovative hazard perception training intervention – Child-pedestrians Anticipate and Act Hazard Perception Training (CA²HPT). Training was based upon enhancing participants’ ability to anticipate potential hazards by exposing them to an array of traffic scenes viewed from different angles.MethodTwenty-four 7–9-year-olds have participated. Trainees underwent a 40-min intervention of observing typical residential traffic scenarios in a simulated dome projection environment while engaging in a hazard detection task. Trainees were encouraged to note differences between the scenarios presented to them from separate angles (a pedestrian's point-of-view and a higher perspective angle). Next, trainees and control group members were required to perform crossing decision tasks.ResultsTrainees were found to be more aware of potential hazards related to restricted field of view relative to control.ConclusionsChild pedestrians are responsive to training and actively detecting materialized hazards may enrich child-pedestrians’ ability to cross roads.     

高效液相色谱-氢化物发生原子荧光光谱法测定食品中多形态硒含量

目的 探究急性心肌梗死(AMI)患者经皮冠状动脉介入术(PCI)后血清成纤维细胞生长因子21(FGF-21)、髓过氧化物酶(MPO)水平与预后的关系。方法 选择2016年1月至2018年12月在我院接受PCI术治疗的108例AMI患者作为研究对象。根据随访过程中是否发生主要不良心血管事件(MACE),病人分为预后不良组(25例)和预后良好组(83例)。采用酶联免疫吸附法检测受试者血清FGF-21水平,采用胶体金免疫层析法检测受试者血清MPO水平。分析FGF-21、MPO与AMI患者PCI术后MACE发生的关系及诊断MACE发生的效能。结果 预后不良组血清FGF-21、MPO水平均高于预后良好组,差异均有统计学意义(P＜0.05)。FGF-21＋MPO诊断AMI患者PCI术后MACE发生的ROC曲线下面积(AUC)为0.860,高于FGF-21、MPO单独诊断AMI患者PCI术后MACE发生的AUC。FGF-21＞140.41 ng/L和FGF-21≤140.41 ng/L的患者,MACE发生率分别为39.58%和10.00%,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.001)。MPO＞419.42 μg/L和MPO≤419.42 μg/L的患者,MACE发生率分别为35.00%和8.33%,差异有统计学意义(P＝0.001)。Cox单因素及Cox多因素分析显示FGF-21、MPO与AMI患者PCI术后MACE发生密切相关(均P＜0.05)。结论 AMI患者PCI术后血清FGF-21、MPO水平与预后有关。高水平的FGF-21、MPO与MACE发生密切相关。     

Ergonomics interventions to reduce musculoskeletal risk factors in a truck manufacturing plant

Ergonomic interventions may potentially reduce MSDs, but the context of industries (barriers, ever-changing situations, dialogue processes) might play a significant role in the success of interventions. This study evaluates the effectiveness of ergonomic interventions including engineering/technical and organizational interventions, and the involvement of the stakeholders in reducing musculoskeletal risk factors/symptoms. A pre-post-test experimental study in non-randomized groups was performed over three years in a sector of a truck assembly plant. The mean age of the operators in the sector for the initial and second assessment time was 42.0 (±7.6) years and 39.0 (±8.7), respectively. The mean length of work experience in the current job was 15.2 (±7.2) years and 13.9 (±7.3) for the initial and second assessment times, respectively. Five engineering ergonomic solutions and organizational interventions were implemented after a comprehensive ergonomic analysis. The organizational interventions consisted mostly of transferring and redistributing the tasks, i.e., ergonomically balancing and redesigning of the workstations. Before performing the interventions, the findings of the ergonomic study were presented at several meetings to encourage the involvement of the stakeholders (including managers, engineers, and operators) in the interventions. This study showed that a combination of ergonomic measures—engineering and organizational interventions—could reduce physical workloads. Musculoskeletal symptoms decreased after interventions although the difference was not significant.     

The effectiveness of adaptive versus non-adaptive learning with digital educational games

For the training of academic skills, digital educational games with integrated adaptivity are promising. Adaptive games are considered superior to non-adaptive games, because they constantly assess children's performance, and accordingly adapt the difficulty of the tasks corresponding to the children's individual level. However, empirical evidence with regard to the effectivity of adaptive compared to non-adaptive games is limited. A study was conducted with 191 children from the third year of Kinder garten who were enrolled in one of three conditions, that is, playing an adaptive version of the reading game (RG), a non-adaptive version of the RG or training with pen-and-paper exercises. In all three conditions, children trained emergent reading (phonological awareness and letter knowledge) once a week for 30 min over a period of 5 weeks. Children's performance on cognitive (phonological awareness, letter knowledge, reading fluency) and non-cognitive (motivation, self-concept) factors was assessed. Results revealed a significant improvement in phonological awareness and letter knowledge in all conditions. However, no differences between the conditions were observed with respect to children's improvement on phonological awareness and letter knowledge or on their post-test scores for reading fluency. With regard to motivation and self-concept, again, no differences in these non-cognitive factors were observed across conditions.     

Household endotoxin reduction in the Louisa Environmental Intervention Project for rural childhood asthma

Endotoxin exacerbates asthma. We designed the Louisa Environmental Intervention Project (LEIP) and assessed its effectiveness in reducing household endotoxin and improving asthma symptoms in rural Iowa children. Asthmatic school children (N = 104 from 89 homes) of Louisa and Keokuk counties in Iowa (aged 5-14 years) were recruited and block-randomized to receive extensive (education + professional cleaning) or educational interventions. Environmental sampling collection and respiratory survey administration were done at baseline and during three follow-up visits. Mixed-model analyses were used to assess the effect of the intervention on endotoxin levels and asthma symptoms in the main analysis and of endotoxin reduction on asthma symptoms in exploratory analysis. In the extensive intervention group, dust endotoxin load was significantly reduced in post-intervention visits. The extensive compared with the educational intervention was associated with significantly decreased dust endotoxin load in farm homes and less frequent nighttime asthma symptoms. In exploratory analysis, dust endotoxin load reduction from baseline was associated with lower total asthma symptoms score (Odds ratio: 0.52, 95% confidence interval: 0.29-0.92). In conclusion, the LEIP intervention reduced household dust endotoxin and improved asthma symptoms. However, endotoxin reductions were not sustained post-intervention by residents.     

某校化工院一级学生实验室急救知识调查干预

了解化学与化工院大学生实验室安全和急救知识掌握现状,探讨提高大学生实验室安全和急救知识水平的有效途径。整群随机抽样法抽取湖南某校263名化工学院一年级学生,随机分为实验组和对照组,向实验组大学生发放实验室安全和急救知识速查手册并进行讲解,对照组则不进行任何干预,每组均于干预前和干预后发放实验室安全和急救知识问卷进行测试。结果表明:第一次调查发现2个组大约有12个题目(占总题目的 48%)的回答正确率低于60%;干预后,实验组有21个题目的回答正确率高于干预前。第一次调查时2个组有4个问题的回答正确率在80%以上,且实验组的干预无法提高其正确率。大学生实验室安全和急救知识水平亟待提高,进行有效的干预可以提高他们这方面的知识水平。     

Study protocol and baseline results for a quasi-randomized control trial: An investigation on the effects of ergonomic interventions on work-related musculoskeletal disorders,quality of work-life and productivity in knowledge-based companies

IntroductionWork-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are the major causes of lost workdays, increased costs, and occupational diseases in all countries. The prevalence of WMSDs among the workers in small and medium-sized enterprises in Iran was reported as 73%. This paper aimed to describe the design of an interventional study to investigate the effects of ergonomic interventions on work-related musculoskeletal disorders, quality of work-life, and productivity among office workers of knowledge-based companies and introduce the results obtained from the baseline survey.Methods/designIt was a quasi-randomized control trial study on 313 participants with four parallel groups including ergonomic training intervention; management training and work changes intervention; ergonomic training, management training and work changes intervention; and non-interventional control group. The primary outcome was WMSDs, and the secondary outcomes were occupational stress factors, quality of work-life, and productivity. All primary and secondary outcomes were measured before the interventions, one, three, and six months after the interventions.ResultsAt this phase of study only baseline results were reported. 328 participants, with a mean age of 31.97 years (SD = 5.39), completed the baseline survey and entered the study. The highest prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders was found in neck (52.13%), right shoulder (41.16%) and right forearm (37.2%), respectively.ConclusionErgonomic interventions were conducted based on baseline data of the participants at individual and management levels. The focus of training program interventions was to reduce musculoskeletal disorders in upper limbs; in management training and work changes program, the focus was to increase social support.Trial registrationIRCT registration number: IRCT20181204041840N1 (date of registration: 2019-02-05).     

Interventions for long-term software security: Creating a lightweight program of assurance techniques for developers

Though some software development teams are highly effective at delivering security, others either do not care or do not have access to security experts to teach them how. Unfortunately, these latter teams are still responsible for the security of the systems they build: systems that are ever more important to ever more people. We propose that a series of lightweight interventions, six hours of facilitated workshops delivered over three months, can improve a team's motivation to consider security and awareness of assurance techniques, changing its security culture even when no security experts are involved. The interventions were developed after an Appreciative Inquiry and Grounded Theory survey of security professionals to find out what approaches work best. We tested the interventions in a participatory action research field study where we delivered the workshops to three software development organizations and evaluated their effectiveness through interviews beforehand, immediately afterwards, and after twelve months. We found that the interventions can be effective with teams with limited or no security experience and that improvement is long-lasting. This approach and the learning points arising from the work here have the potential to be applied in many development teams, improving the security of software worldwide.