Hand anthropometry survey of rural farm workers in south-eastern Nigeria

The importance of hand anthropometry as it relates to design of hand tools particularly for farm workers have been established; however, anthropometric data for this group of agricultural workers have continued to remain scarce. A survey of hand anthropometry relevant in design of agricultural hand tools was carried out on 200 male and 100 female adult farm workers in south-eastern Nigeria. Comparison of the male and female data obtained showed that male dimensions were higher than that recorded for the females. The hand anthropometric data of the male and female farm workers were compared with that of other populations but no clear distinction was observed. It was however clear that the following hand dimensions, 2nd Joint to root digit 3 and width at tip digit 3 recorded for Nigerian farm workers were highest and lowest, respectively, compared to other populations.

Practitioner Summary:

Hand anthropometric data relevant in design of hand tools have continued to remain scarce particularly for farm workers. Hand anthropometry survey of farm workers carried out in south-eastern Nigeria revealed higher dimensions for males than females; however, no clear distinction was observed in comparison with other populations.     

A survey of hand anthropometry of female rural farm workers in Ibadan,Western Nigeria

An anthropometric survey measuring 18 dimensions of the right hand in 37 female rural farm workers living in Ibadan, western Nigeria was conducted. The means, standard deviations and percentile values are reported for these. The means of the collected data are compared with those for females from the UK, from Hong Kong and from America, using data from other published studies. The results suggest that the Nigerian female hand is wider and thicker, but shorter than that of their foreign counterparts. Such differences have implications for design and evaluation of hand tools for the Nigerian female population.     

A survey of hand anthropometry of female rural farm workers in Ibadan, western Nigeria

An anthropometric survey measuring 18 dimensions of the right hand in 37 female rural farm workers living in Ibadan, western Nigeria was conducted. The means, standard deviations and percentile values are reported for these. The means of the collected data are compared with those for females from the UK, from Hong Kong and from America, using data from other published studies. The results suggest that the Nigerian female hand is wider and thicker, but shorter than that of their foreign counterparts. Such differences have implications for design and evaluation of hand tools for the Nigerian female population.     

A survey of hand anthropometry of Bangladeshi agricultural farm workers

The target of this investigation was to represent an anthropometric dataset of hand dimensions from agricultural farm workers in two different areas of Bangladesh. A total of 200 farm workers (110 males and 90 females) age between 15 and 52 years-old were included as voluntary participants from two regions of Bangladesh. 27 hand dimensions were measured, recorded, and analysed from the sample populations. The mean, standard deviation, and different percentile esteems of collected data were also estimated and recorded. Moreover, Kolmogorov-Smirnov and t-statistical tests were performed for making the anthropometric comparison among different populaces. Results showed that all the hand dimensions of the males were higher than that recorded for the female participants of Bangladesh. In addition, the outcomes showed noteworthy contrasts in hand measurements among Bangladeshi people and other considered populaces. The result of this examination is expected to influence the design of agricultural hand tools, machinery, and equipment in Bangladesh from industrialized countries. It will also generate the interest of more anthropometric studies in Bangladesh that are related to the design of hand tools or equipment for work or other activities.     

The Effects of Mobile Phone on the Socio-economic Life of the Rural Dwellers in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

This article aims to provide information on the effects of the mobile phone on the socio-economic life of the rural dwellers in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The study adopted a semi-structured interview method. The study covered nine villages selected from Delta and Bayelsa States in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Convenience sampling technique was used to select 129 respondents who voluntarily agreed to participate in the study. The interview was tape recorded and the information collected from the tape recordings were transcribed and coded. Similar viewpoints toward the same question were put together for the analysis. The study revealed that the mobile phone has brought immerse socio-economic impact on the rural dwellers in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The study revealed that mobile phone use enable the rural dwellers to communicate with family members and friends in urban areas; relatives in urban areas send recharge cards for them to sell for money instead of traveling to meet them, and Call Center Operators become self-employed and through that make a living. Finally, the frequent recharging of mobile phones leads to indebtedness. The participants mentioned challenges such as network failure, non-availability of recharge cards, unreliable or complete absence of power supply to charge batteries, high charges by Network Service Providers, stealing of mobile phones, and unskilled persons repairing phones in rural areas. The introduction of mobile phones has lead to reduction of rural–urban migration by many jobless youths.     

A survey of anthropometry and physical accommodation in ergonomics curricula

The size and shape of users are an important consideration for many products and environments. Designers and engineers in many disciplines must often accommodate these attributes to meet objectives such as fit and safety. When practitioners have academic training in addressing these issues, it is typically through courses in Human Factors/Ergonomics (HF/E). This paper investigates education related to physical accommodation and offers suggestions for improvement. A survey was conducted wherein 21 instructors at 18 universities in the United States provided syllabi for 29 courses, which were analysed to determine topics related to anthropometry and resources used for the courses. The results show that within the US, anthropometry is covered in the majority of courses discussing physical ergonomics, but important related concepts were often omitted (e.g. digital human modelling, multivariate accommodation and variability across global populations). Curricula could be improved by incorporating more accurate anthropometry, multivariate problems and interactive online tools.

Practitioner Summary: This paper describes a study investigating collegiate ergonomics courses within the US in the area of physical accommodation. Course schedules and texts were studied for their treatment of several topics related to accommodating the spatial requirements (anthropometry) of users. Recommendations are made for improving course curricula.     

Examining the relationship between job design and worker strain over time in a sample of office workers

This study examines relationships between job design variables and worker strain. Office workers from a public service organization participated in a three-year study. Once during each of the three years, the same questionnaire was handed out to the subjects to examine job design and worker strain. The results indicate that the bivariate relationships between job design and worker strain change over time. At round 1, quantitative workload, work pressure and supervisor social support were the most important predictors of the worker strain variables. At round 2, task clarity, supervisor social support, and job future ambiguity were the most important predictors of worker strain. At round 3, task clarity, attention, and job future ambiguity were the most consistent predictors of worker strain. The results of the canonical correlation analysis were relatively similar for rounds 1 and 3, but not for round 2. There appears to be some consistency in the overall underlying structure of the relationships between job design and worker strain, but there is also some inconsistency in terms of which specific job design factors are related to specific measures of worker strain.     

A review of the methodology and applications of anthropometry in ergonomics and product design

Abstract

Anthropometry is a key element of ergonomic studies for addressing the problem of fitting the tasks/products to user characteristics, but there is a gap between anthropometric data and their application for designing ergonomic products and environments. This research was conducted to review the literature on the methodology and applications of anthropometry for the ergonomic design of products and environments, and to identify where further research is needed to improve its application and evaluation protocols. One hundred and sixteen papers meeting the inclusion criteria were reviewed. Although a number of anthropometric investigations have been conducted to improve the design of products/environments for different users, further research seems to be necessary, particularly for special groups, such as children, the elderly and people with disabilities. Different anthropometric measurement methods/techniques and fitting criteria are discussed regarding their applicability for various design applications. This review also highlights methodological issues (sampling considerations and prototype evaluation and testing) that should be considered in future research to ensure a user-centred approach of the design process.

Practitioner Summary: A literature review was conducted on the methodology and applications of anthropometry for the ergonomic design of products/environments. This review emphasises the need for anthropometric research to design for special groups, such as children, the elderly and people with disabilities, and methodological issues that should be considered in future research.

Abbreviations: 1D: one-dimensional; 2D: two-dimensional; 3D: three-dimensional; HF/E: Human Factors/Ergonomics; PCA: Principal Components Analysis; CA: Cluster Analysis; DHM: Digital Human Modelling     

The development of anti-heat stress clothing for construction workers in hot and humid weather

The purpose of this study was to develop anti-heat stress clothing for construction workers in hot and humid weather. Following DeJonge’s functional clothing design process, the design situation was explored, including clothing fabric heat/moisture transporting properties and UV protection and the aspects of clothing ergonomic design (mobility, convenience, and safety). The problem structure was derived from the results of the surveys in three local construction sites, which agreed well with the task requirements and observations. Specifications were consequently described and 30 commercially available fabrics were identified and tested. Fabric testing data and design considerations were inputted in S-smart system to predict the thermal functional performance of the clothing. A new uniform prototype was developed and evaluated. The results of all measurements suggest that the new uniform which incorporated fabrics with superior heat/moisture transporting properties and loose-fitting design could reduce the workers’ heat stress and improve their comfort and work performance.

Practitioner Summary:

The construction workers’ uniform currently used in Hong Kong during summer was unsatisfactory. Following DeJonge’s functional clothing design process, an anti-heat stress uniform was developed by testing 30 fabrics and predicting clothing thermal functional performance using S-smart system. The new uniform could reduce the workers’ heat stress and improve their comfort and work performance.     

A survey of primary and secondary keys through a case study

Two fundamental decisions face the designer of a database under an inverted file data base management system: (1) potential primary/secondary key definition and (2) selection among candidate keys for indexing. Functional dependencies and normalization have been defined as ways to construct potential primary keys. This tutorial paper suggests a set of both primary and secondary key types which has been helpful in developing potential keys. This set and the motivation for it are illustrated from an actual business database application. This application is further used to overview the benefits of a database design tool called ASSIST which evaluates alternative, potential keys.     

Radial eco-efficiency in the presence of weakly disposable undesirable outputs: Evaluating agricultural sectors

Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a popular technique for evaluating relative efficiency. In many real-world applications, undesirable outputs must be considered, and evaluating eco-efficiency instead of operational efficiency is demanded. Unfortunately, eco-efficiency models in DEA are problematic, especially in variable returns-to-scale (VRS) and weak disposability conditions. In this paper, the shortcomings of the available models are discussed and a new method is proposed to provide a valid eco-efficiency measurement. The proposed model is capable of assessing radial efficiency which is not straightforward in the presence of undesirable outputs. Weak disposability condition plays an important role in modelling undesirable outputs. The proposed model also offers a new formulation for weak disposability in VRS technology. Compared to conventional DEA models with a large number of decision making units evaluated as efficient, the performance scores in the proposed model are much more dispersed, leading to a deeper assessment. None of the operational and environmental efficiencies is overlooked by the new method. The proposed model is used to evaluate the eco-efficiency of the agriculture sector in 62 countries. The results confirm that poverty and extreme weather have negative impacts on environmental efficiency.     

BIM技术在农村住宅结构CAD软件后处理系统中的应用

基于BIM技术研制适用于各种农村住宅结构形式的CAD软件后处理系统.根据面向对象的编程原理,抽象出描述实际结构零件几何信息、结构特征和设计条件的智能对象.采用三维实体建模直观、准确和完整地展现结构的复杂空间位置关系和细部构造;在实体模型的基础上选取特定的实体,提取其中的几何信息,经过投影、消影和自动标注绘制完成施工图和加工图.该软件系统能提取三维实体模型中的构件和零件的加工信息,并按照CNC设备的数据格式要求整理输出为二进制数据或Excel等.     

Main and interactive effects of shiftwork, age and work stress on health in an Italian sample of healthcare workers

Among healthcare workers, shiftwork (mostly if nightwork is also included), ageing and work-related stress may be factors leading to impaired health. Such risk factors may also operate in interaction, resulting in an even increased harm for health. The present study aims at evaluating these relationships in a sample of 1842 hospital workers in Northern Italy. Subjects were mainly women, 33.1% were aged > or = 45 yr, and they were almost evenly distributed between dayworkers and rotating shiftworkers (nights included). Shiftwork was associated with poor sleep, while it was protective against gastrointestinal disorders, poor work ability and job dissatisfaction. Work stress was the risk factor with the highest relevance for poor health. Ageing was associated with lower physical health. Few significant interactions were observed. Shiftwork with nights and high work stress significantly interacted in increasing the risk for poor sleep. The "healthy worker effect" may have played a strong role in study findings.     

Reference Service Delivery System in West Africa: Limitations and Prospects as Seen From Kenneth Dike Library,University of Ibadan,Nigeria

This paper focuses on the centrality of reference services to the practice of librarianship. It enumerates the limitations faced by Kenneth Dike Library (KDL) in its bid to deploy Information Communications Technology (ICT) to its reference services delivery system. Being a university library in a developing country, KDL has to cope with the problems confronting universities in Nigeria. The problems that plague the ivory towers and, consequently, the libraries that serve them, include lack of proper funding, infrastructural deficiencies, inability to retain information technology experts, and intra-local politics regarding the control of ICT facilities in the library. The paper also projects on KDL's efforts at establishing the virtual reference suite to complement its present reference services.     

Prevalence of work-related occupational injuries and its risk factors among brickfield workers in West Bengal,India

The manual brick making process is a physically demanding job with a high risk of work-related injuries. Prevalence of work-related injuries (17.55%) occurs frequently in manual brick making activities due to inherently hazardous nature. This study analyzes 451 recordable incidents that occurred over a period of 7 years (2011–2017) among 220 male and 180 female workers in a different brickfield of West Bengal, India. The leading cause of brickfield injury was fall from heights, struck by objects, overexertion, lack of awareness, slippage of spade while mud collection etc. Carrying bricks and spading are two activities, in which the injuries occurred most among female and male brickfield workers respectively. Risk factors like MMH, prolonged working time, repetitiveness, awkward posture, lack of rotational task, overcrowded work, Lack of personal protective device, and lastly sleep disturbance and poor income are the key factor for work-related injuries. Sprain and strain, cut or laceration, abrasion, avulsion, and snake or insect bite are the main injuries among both groups of brickfield workers. Lower back and toes are the most affected parts of the body followed by ankle, feet, and hand. From this study, it was also observed that female brickfield workers are much more affected than male agricultural workers. The incident rate among male and female brickfield workers was 18.7 per 1000 workers per year and 21.2 per 1000 workers per year, respectively. So due to injuries in both groups of brickfield workers, their health, productivity and work performance were consequently affected.     

State of the art in big data applications in microgrid: A review

The prospering Big data era is emerging in the power grid. Multiple world-wide studies are emphasizing the big data applications in the microgrid due to the huge amount of produced data. Big data analytics can impact the design and applications towards safer, better, more profitable, and effective power grid. This paper presents the recognition and challenges of the big data and the microgrid. The construction of big data analytics is introduced. The data sources, big data opportunities, and enhancement areas in the microgrid like stability improvement, asset management, renewable energy prediction, and decision-making support are summarized. Diverse case studies are presented including different planning, operation control, decision making, load forecasting, data attacks detection, and maintenance aspects of the microgrid. Finally, the open challenges of big data in the microgrid are discussed.     

A survey of outlier detection in high dimensional data streams

The rapid evolution of technology has led to the generation of high dimensional data streams in a wide range of fields, such as genomics, signal processing, and finance. The combination of the streaming scenario and high dimensionality is particularly challenging especially for the outlier detection task. This is due to the special characteristics of the data stream such as the concept drift, the limited time and space requirements, in addition to the impact of the well-known curse of dimensionality in high dimensional space. To the best of our knowledge, few studies have addressed these challenges simultaneously, and therefore detecting anomalies in this context requires a great deal of attention. The main objective of this work is to study the main approaches existing in the literature, to identify a set of comparison criteria, such as the computational cost and the interpretation of outliers, which will help us to reveal the different challenges and additional research directions associated with this problem. At the end of this study, we will draw up a summary report which summarizes the main limits identified and we will detail the different directions of research related to this issue in order to promote research for this community.     

A taxonomy and survey of big data in social media

Examining the particular value of each platform for big data would be difficult because of the variety of social media forms and sizes. Using social media to objectively and subjectively analyze large groups of individuals makes it the most effective tool for this task. There are numerous sources of big data within the organization. Social media can be identified by the interaction and communication it facilitates. Utilizing social media has become a daily occurrence in modern society. In addition, this frequent use generates data demonstrating the importance of researching the relationship between big data and social media. It is because so many internet users are also active on social media. We conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) to identify 42 articles published between 2018 and 2022 that examined the significance of big data in social media and upcoming issues in this field. We also discuss the potential benefits of utilizing big data in social media. Our analysis discovered open problems and future challenges, such as high-quality data, information accessibility, speed, natural language processing (NLP), and enhancing prediction approaches. As proven by our investigations of evaluation metrics for big data in social media, the distribution reveals that 24% is related to data-trace, 12% is related to execution time, 21% to accuracy, 6% to cost, 10% to recall, 11% to precision, 11% to F1-score, and 5% run time complexity.