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.     

汉江上游干支流沉积物细菌群落多样性和影响因素

为了解汉江上游干支流沉积物细菌多样性以及确定性过程和随机性过程在沉积物细菌群落构建过程中的相对重要性,基于Illumina高通量测序技术,分析了环境因子对细菌群落组成的影响,采用非度量多维尺度(NMDS)排序探究了季节之间沉积物细菌群落的差异,并结合中性群落模型和标准化随机率量化了确定性过程和随机过程对群落构建的影响。结果表明:汉江上游及其支流细菌群落主要由变形菌门(Proteobacteria)、拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)、蓝藻门(Cyanophyta)、浮霉菌门(Planctomycetes)和酸杆菌门(Acidobacteria)等组成；细菌群落在不同季节有显著差异；地理距离和环境因子对细菌群落结构影响较小,确定性过程并未在细菌群落组成中起到主导作用；随机过程很大程度上影响了群落在秋季和春季的组成,是沉积物细菌群落构建的主导因素。     

Heteroalleles in Common Wheat: Multiple Differences between Allelic Variants of the Gli-B1 Locus

The Gli-B1-encoded γ-gliadins and non-coding γ-gliadin DNA sequences for 15 different alleles of common wheat have been compared using seven tests: electrophoretic mobility (EM) and molecular weight (MW) of the encoded major γ-gliadin, restriction fragment length polymorphism patterns (RFLPs) (three different markers), Gli-B1-γ-gliadin-pseudogene known SNP markers (Single nucleotide polymorphisms) and sequencing the pseudogene GAG56B. It was discovered that encoded γ-gliadins, with contrasting EM, had similar MWs. However, seven allelic variants (designated from I to VII) differed among them in the other six tests: I (alleles Gli-B1i, k, m, o), II (Gli-B1n, q, s), III (Gli-B1b), IV (Gli-B1e, f, g), V (Gli-B1h), VI (Gli-B1d) and VII (Gli-B1a). Allele Gli-B1c (variant VIII) was identical to the alleles from group IV in four of the tests. Some tests might show a fine difference between alleles belonging to the same variant. Our results attest in favor of the independent origin of at least seven variants at the Gli-B1 locus that might originate from deeply diverged genotypes of the donor(s) of the B genome in hexaploid wheat and therefore might be called “heteroallelic”. The donor’s particularities at the Gli-B1 locus might be conserved since that time and decisively contribute to the current high genetic diversity of common wheat.     

北京市郊玉米质量安全风险因子及影响因素分析

以北京郊区10个农户的玉米种植地为研究对象,扦取种植期土壤样品、扬花期花穗样品、收获期及不同储藏时期的玉米样品,检测菌相、带菌量和真菌毒素等。结果表明,玉米产后整个自然晾晒储藏期间,储藏前期(产后一个月内)的发霉风险最高,其中镰刀菌属一直是优势菌群,其产生的毒素主要包括脱氧雪腐镰刀菌烯醇(DON)、玉米赤霉烯酮(ZEN)和伏马菌素(FB1、FB2),检出率分别为100%、95%和93%,且DON和ZEN在储藏期的超标率均大于40%,而其他毒素,如AFBs、OTA、ST、T-2、HT-2等均未检出。另外,采用高通量测序技术分析了土壤和花穗样品中真菌多样性与农艺因素的关系,发现,种植方式(清种/兼做)、灌溉情况、上季秸秆处理方式等因素会影响玉米植株污染真菌的种类和数量,进而导致玉米籽粒真菌毒素的污染水平出现差异。     

基于高通量测序分析不同浏阳豆豉中真菌的多样性

建立测定酱油中铅的氢化物原子荧光光谱法，同时以酱油为样本进行精密度和准确度测定，以及对酱油能力验证盲样考核样进行不确定度分析。结果表明，铅含量在0～100.00 ng/mL呈线性关系，相关系数（R）为0.999 8，该方法的检出限为0.74 μg/L，定量限为2.22 μg/L，精密度试验结果相对标准偏差（RSD）为1.16%～4.48%，回收率为93.3%～106.6%。2个盲样考核样不确定度结果分别为（0.940±0.092） mg/L和（0.460±0.035） mg/L，能力验证考核结果为满意。研究结果表明，采用水质分析质量控制工作程序对氢化物原子荧光光谱法测定酱油中铅进行分析质量控制，保证实验结果误差在可控制的范围内，获得高度可信的分析结果。     

不同大小沙田柚品质差异及其分子机理探究

本文研究不同大小沙田柚果实之间品质的差异,并探讨品质差异产生的机制。将沙田柚依据果实大小进行分类,测量可溶性固形物含量、种子数目、果皮厚度和果形指数,同时对不同大小的沙田柚进行转录组测序。结果表明,大小适中的沙田柚,即950~1000 g的沙田柚可溶性固形物含量高,沙田柚果皮厚度和种子数目随着沙田柚重量的增加而增大,果形指数不受沙田柚果实大小的影响。转录组测序后,比对KEGG数据库,显著富集了20条通路,其中10条涉及到风味品质相关的物质代谢,2条与植物激素相关。沙田柚果实大小和可溶性固形物含量、果皮厚度、种子数目相关,和果形指数无关,植物激素信号转导和风味物质代谢相关基因的差异表达可能是产生品质差异的原因。     

Impact of military type footwear and load carrying workload on postural stability

Postural stability has been shown to be impacted by footwear and task performed. This study analysed the impact of two military footwear, standard boot (STB) and minimalist boot (MTB) on postural stability, before (PRE) and after (POST) a load carriage task. Sixteen participants were tested for postural stability using sensory organisation and motor control tests on Neurocom Equitest?. Postural sway, equilibrium scores and postural latencies were analysed using a two-factor repeated measures ANOVA: boot type (STB-MTB)?×?time (PRE-POST) load carriage task. Significantly greater postural sway variables, lower balance scores and slower postural latencies were seen in STB and POST load carriage conditions (p?<?.05). The results suggest that MTB exhibited greater balance compared to STB in balance conditions that rely on somatosensory feedback and that balance is lowered after a load carriage task. Decrements in postural stability could be attributed to boot design characteristics and muscular exertion due to the load carriage task.

Practitioner Summary: Maintaining optimal postural stability is crucial in military. Impact of military footwear types and load carriage task on postural stability are addressed. Findings provide footwear design and physical exertion implications on postural stability leading to potential interventions that reduce postural stability decrements; thereby, reducing potential falls and fall related injuries.