Design and performance of a recessed thin film inductive transducer

An improved inductive transducer is achieved by placing the coil and the majority of the transducer body into a recessed alumina basecoat. Process advantages of a recessed over planar structure includes lower top pole topography, improved pole trim capability, and improved top pole composition uniformity. Coil and photoresist processing in a recessed cavity allows for multiple layers with lower resistance without increasing transducer Permalloy path length. Recessed trimmed design performance has increased efficiency with higher amplitude and a narrower pulse width along with improved overwrite compared to planar untrimmed transducers. The recessed basecoat design is explained, and compared to planar transducers using modeling and performance results     

Reflections on the Michigan splint and other intraocclusal devices

It seems obvious in retrospect that the treatment of disorders by interocclusal devices followed two paths: stabilization splints and functional orthopedic appliances. The dividing line between them is not always clear. Both have some function related to the position of the mandible. They may not differ significantly in their control of occlusal stability (e.g., telescoping devices anchored to stabilization splints). The stabilization splint, as well as other conservative measures, will play an increasing role in accepted therapy for TMD. The use of anterior repositioning devices for TMD, including MPD syndrome, will decrease. Research may provide answers that allow them to be used more specifically and predictably. Perhaps there will be but little change in their use where there is an association of TMD and Class II malocclusion. There will be an increase in the use of interocclusal devices for the treatment of snoring and obstructive apnea. Some additional directions seem to have emerged in the late 1980s and early 1990s: In the absence of pain and significant debilitation, treatment for TMD, if any, is to be reversible. Prevention or aggravation of TMD should be practiced to the extent possible during dental procedures. One long-term, well-designed, prospective study indicated that the incidence and severity of TMD could be reduced by appropriate occlusal adjustment. There is a small, but nevertheless important minority of patients with TMD who progress to persistent pain and/or dysfunction. Initial management of the vast majority of patents with TMD should be use of noninvasive reversible therapies. Surgery is indicated in only a relatively small percentage of cases of TMD. Research on interocclusal devices should not terminate simply because they are in part dental devices (i.e., biomechanical forms of treatment). The diagnosis and treatment of TMD has been called a dilemma, especially for those patients with chronic pain for whom no treatment has been effective. However, it would be ill-advised to abandon what treatment is already known to be effective by allowing those few but psychosocially important patients with chronic pain to determine what should be done for the vast majority of patients with TMD: reversible forms of treatment, including physiotherapy, pharmacologicals, and the stabilization occlusal bite plane splint.     

The impact of operating heavy equipment vehicles on lower back disorders

Literature reviews examining the relationship between heavy equipment vehicle (HEV) operation and the development of musculoskeletal disorders have generally been qualitative in nature and have not employed an evidence-based assessment procedure. This research determines the extent to which whole-body vibration/shock and working postures are associated with lower back and neck disorders among HEV operators, while accounting for individual (i.e. age, gender, prior history of back or neck disorders) and occupational (i.e. material handling, climatic conditions, psychosocial factors) confounders. Published articles were obtained from a search of electronic databases and from bibliographies in the identified articles. A critical appraisal of these articles was conducted using an epidemiological appraisal instrument (Genaidy et al. 2007). The meta-analysis was conducted using statistical techniques employing fixed-effect and random-effect models. Eighteen articles reporting observational studies satisfied the inclusion criteria adopted for this research. The methodological qualities of the published studies ranged from marginal to average. The meta-relative risk was found to be 2.21, indicating that operators exposed to driving HEVs are at more than twice the risk of developing lower back pain in comparison to those not exposed to driving HEVs. Therefore, it seems possible that there is a causal relationship between working as a HEV operator and development of lower back disorders. Prospective cohort studies are urgently needed to confirm the outcomes of this evidence-based methodology (based in part on the meta-analysis) and the biological plausibility should be further explored. The reported findings point to a need for improved ergonomic design of HEVs.     

A roadmap for a methodology to assess,improve and sustain intra‐ and inter‐enterprise system performance with respect to technology‐product life cycle in small and medium manufacturers

Increased manufacturing costs are forcing U.S. manufacturing firms to send their operations off shore. Such business practices are greatly impacting the vitality of small and medium manufacturers (SMMs) in the U.S. economy. This article intends to advance the notion of the need for a methodology for assessment, improvement, and sustainability of intra‐ and inter‐enterprise system performance along the technology–product development life cycle. The aims of this article are to: (1) provide an overview of the technology–product development process; (2) document the different states of manufacturing technology readiness levels; (3) present an overview of prior methodologies reported on the subject in the published literature; and (4) establish a road map for assessment, improvement, and sustainability of intra‐ and inter‐enterprise system performance along the path of the technology–product development life cycle. A notion is advanced about the readiness of SMMs with respect to assessment, improvement, and sustainability of intra‐ and inter‐enterprise system performance. A road map is outlined for the deployment of a methodology to address the issues across the supply chain. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Assessing the benefits from e-business transformation through effective enterprise management

This paper reports on research carried out in 1999–2001 on the use of e-business applications in enterprise resource planning (ERP)-based organisations. Multiple structured interviews were used to collect data on 11 established organisations from a diverse range of industries. The findings are analysed according to the level of sophistication of e-business models and their transformational impact on the organisation. Early adopters of e-business show a trend towards cost reductions and administrative efficiencies from e-procurement and self-service applications used by customers and employees. More mature users focus on strategic advantage and generate this through an evolutionary model of organisational change. Two complex case studies of e-business integration with global suppliers and their corporate customers are analysed to identify specific stages of benefits accrual through the e-business transformation process. Collectively, the set of case studies is used to demonstrate the increased benefits derived from an e-business architecture based on a network of ERP-enabled organisations.     

Surprise, memory, and retrospective judgment making: Testing cognitive reconstruction theories of the hindsight bias effect.

Hindsight bias has been shown to be a pervasive and potentially harmful decision-making bias. A review of 4 competing cognitive reconstruction theories of hindsight bias revealed conflicting predictions about the role and effect of expectation or surprise in retrospective judgment formation. Two experiments tested these predictions examining the effects of manipulating the information presented in a text-based scenario and its congruency with the given outcome on surprise, hindsight bias, and recall. The results of Experiment 1 revealed evidence of hindsight bias after exposure to incongruent and ambivalent outcomes but not after exposure to congruent outcomes. Experiment 2 replicated the hindsight bias results and found that the ratio of outcome consistent information recalled was higher than expected in the incongruent and ambivalent conditions but equaled the ratio presented to participants in the congruent condition. The results were interpreted as supporting the general predictions of sense-making models of the hindsight bias. A refined version of this model is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reliability and validity of self-reported assessment of exposure and outcome variables for manual lifting tasks: a preliminary investigation

The reliability and validity of self-reported assessment of exposure and outcome variables were examined for manual lifting activities among ten physiotherapists. In this study, the participants evaluated the effects of five lifting variables on perceived effort, twice separated by a one-week period. One hundred and sixty-two lifting conditions were evaluated by each subject. The exposure and outcome lifting variables were described in linguistic terms. Intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC(1,1)) analysis revealed a mean value of 0.62 for all lifting activities. The self-reported assessment was cross-validated with the NIOSH lifting index by mapping the linguistic variables into numerical ranges. Moderate correlations (r = 0.54 and 0.53, p<0.01) were obtained between perceived physical exertion/perceived risk and lifting index. The findings of this study provide preliminary indications that human-based methodologies may be further explored on experienced workers.     

Design of a surface replacement prosthesis for the proximal interphalangeal joint

A surface replacement finger joint prosthesis was designed specifically for the proximal interphalangeal joint (PIPJ). The two-piece design consisted of a bi-condylar proximal phalangeal head and a conforming bi-concave middle phalangeal base. The bearing surfaces were designed as close to the original anatomy of the PIPJs as possible, using detailed information obtained from a previous anatomical study of 83 PIPJs by the present authors. Four sizes of prosthesis were designed with maximum head diameters of 7, 8, 9 and 10 mm. Fixation of the joint prosthesis was achieved by an interference fit between the stems of semicircular cross-section and the phalangeal bone shafts. The main considerations for the stem designs were the offset from the centre of rotation, angle of inclination, length, and cross-sectional shape and size. It is proposed that the two components will be made from cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) because it can be injection moulded to produce the complex shapes of the joint prosthesis. In addition, XLPE against itself has shown comparable wear rates with stainless steel against ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene from previous work by Joyce et al.