A systematic review – physical activity in dementia: The influence of the nursing home environment

Most older persons with dementia living in nursing homes spend their days without engaging in much physical activity. This study therefore looked at the influence that the environment has on their level of physical activity, by reviewing empirical studies that measured the effects of environmental stimuli on the physical activity of nursing home residents suffering from dementia. The electronic databases PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE, CINAHL and the Cochrane Library were used for the search. The search covered studies published between January 1993 and December 2012, and revealed 3187 abstracts. 326 studies were selected as potentially relevant; of these, 24 met all the inclusion criteria. Positive results on the residents' levels of physical activity were found for music, a homelike environment and functional modifications. Predominantly positive results were also found for the small-scale group living concepts. Mixed results were found for bright or timed light, the multisensory environment and differences in the building footprint.     

Daily living activities in older adults: Part II—effect of age on physical activity patterns in older Mexican American adults

This paper, the second of a two-part paper, reports results from an experimental study conducted to understand physical activity patterns, and determine the effect of age on physical activity patterns in older Mexican American adults. The Yale Physical Activity Survey was administered to 49 older Mexican American adults (42 females and seven males), aged 68–80 years, recruited from senior recreation centers in the city of El Paso. Based on participant responses to questions about the type and duration of different types of physical activities, overall physical activity indices including the total time (h/week), the total energy expenditure (kcal/week), a summary index score, a vigorous activity score (units/month), a leisurely walking score (units/month), a moving score (units/month), and a standing and sitting score (both in units/month) were computed. These responses were then regressed with age (as the predictor variable). Since the number of older males in the study was small, data from men and women were combined. Results indicate that the standing score index (p<0.1) and the sitting score index (p<0.05) are linearly related to age. None of the other Yale Physical Activity Survey indices including the total time index and the weekly energy expenditure index are linearly related to age. Fitted line plots for Yale indices that do not show a linear relationship with age indicate that total time, energy expenditure, leisurely walking index score, and summary index score, all have a quadratic fit with age. A cubic fit is indicated for the vigorous activity score and the moving index score.

Relevance to industry

Understanding physical activity patterns (both work and leisure activities in daily living) in older adults is important for estimation of activity metabolism for among older adults.     

Selected physiological and psychobiological responses to physical activity in different configurations of firefighting gear

The aim was to examine selected physiological and psychobiological responses to different configurations of protective firefighting gear. Career firefighters (n = 10) walked on a treadmill (3·5?km · h^?1, 10% grade) for 15?min in three different clothing configurations. On separate days subjects wore: (a) ‘station blues’, (b) a hip boot configuration of firefighting gear, and (c) the current ‘NFPA 1500 standard’ gear. Physiological, psychophysical, and psychological measurements were recorded pre-exercise (5?min), during exercise (15?min), and during post-exercise recovery (10min). Repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant main effects for condition, time, and interaction (p < 0·001) for heart rate (HR), rectal temperature, mean skin temperature, oxygen consumption, breathing distress, thermal sensations, and affect. Furthermore, post hoc analyses revealed that all variables were significantly higher in the NFPA 1500 standard versus the hip boot or the station blues clothing configurations. These data suggest that the current NFPA 1500 standard configuration results in greater physiological and psychobiological stress at a given workload.     

The influence of training level on manual flight in connection to performance,scan pattern,and task load

This work focuses on the analysis of pilots’ performance during manual flight operations in different stages of training and their influence on gaze strategy. The secure and safe operation of air traffic is highly dependent on the individual performances of the pilots. Before becoming a pilot, he/she has to acquire a broad set of skills by training to pass all the necessary qualification and licensing standards. A basic skill for every pilot is manual control operations, which is a closed-loop control process with several cross-coupled variables. Even with increased automation in the cockpit, the manual control operations are essential for every pilot as a last resort in the event of automation failure. A key element in the analysis of manual flight operations is the development over time in relation to performance and visual perception. An experiment with 28 participants (including 11 certified pilots) was conducted in a Boeing 737 simulator. For defined flight phases, the dynamic time warping method was applied to evaluate the performance for selected criteria, and eye-tracking methodology was utilized to analyze the gaze-pattern development. The manipulation of workload and individual experience influences the performance and the gaze pattern at the same time. Findings suggest that the increase of workload has an increased influence on pilots depending on the flight phase. Gaze patterns from experienced pilots provide insights into the training requirements of both novices and experts. The connection between workload, performance and gaze pattern is complex and needs to be analyzed under as many differing conditions. The results imply the necessity to evaluate manual flight operations with respect to more flight phases and a detailed selection of performance indications.

     

Quality of physical activity of children in exergames: Sequential body movement analysis and its implications for interaction design

Exergames are videogames based on full-body interaction that foster physical exercise during gameplay. Much research has focused on whether exergames foster sufficient physical activity and with which intensity they do so. This is usually measured through energy expenditure and compared to traditional physical activities such as sports or physical education exercises. However, little research has been undertaken on the quality of the physical activity, understood not as how well the movement is done, but as the richness and diversity of physical activity defined by experts, such as diverse types of motor skills (jumps, turns, pivots, manipulative actions, etc) and diverse types of conditioning capabilities (endurance, stretch, general strength, coordination, etc.). Hence, exergames typically address only aerobic (cardiovascular) activity and other types tend to be ignored. In this paper we propose a method for analyzing the types of physical activity (quality) that an exertion interface elicits. We propose this method as an analytical tool which can provide key information to categorize exergames, aid to their design and help designers make sure they achieve game mechanics that elicit the desired types of physical activity. We describe the method through the analysis of two exergames that we developed in the past for our exertion interface for children, called the Interactive Slide. We present the results of a systematic observational method, until now used mainly in sports analysis, which is based on applying sequential body movement analysis to obtain the play characteristics of 48 children. These results -action events and time-based patterns- typify the movement found in the two aforementioned exergames for this platform. We have found significant movement differences between the two, as well as some differences associated to age. Moreover, we show that sequential body movement analysis, which has already been successfully used in the past to analyze sports, can also be effective in analyzing exergames and hence allow grounded discussion on health issues related to their use.     

Daily living activities in older adults: Part I—a review of physical activity and dietary intake assessment methods

The aging process is expected to change advanced activities of daily living (such as employment and work activities), to basic activities of daily living (BADL; such as self-care activities, which is also considered work among older adults). In effect, older adults spend more energy on physical activities related to BADL, compared to heavy physical activity in any industrial work. Hence, accurate assessment of the type and extent of physical activity becomes critical for estimation of the activity metabolism, especially in older adults. Once an assessment of activity metabolism is made, energy balance can be quantified by comparing energy expenditure (including resting activity, and digestive metabolism) with caloric intake. Instruments and techniques available to quantify physical activity in older adults, and caloric intake in older adults are reviewed in this paper. The emphasis in this review is on questionnaire-based instruments that minimize burden on the investigator and the participant. Validity and reliability of the assessment instruments are also discussed.

Relevance to industry

Since most work activities requiring energy expenditure among older adults, especially retirees, consist of BADL, accurate assessment of activity metabolism and dietary intake is necessary for designing these work activities for older adults.     

Examining social adjustment to college in the age of social media: Factors influencing successful transitions and persistence

Social adjustment plays a critical role in student persistence at college. Social media such as Facebook, used widely by this population, have the potential to positively enhance students' transition to college by encouraging connection and interaction among peers. The present study examines the role Facebook plays in students' social adjustment during their first year of college using survey data (N = 338) collected from students at a private, liberal arts college in the Midwest. We develop and test a model that includes both traditional and Facebook-specific predictors of social support and social adjustment, as well as explore the role that these factors play in predicting students' enrollment status the following year. Results indicate positive relationships between two Facebook variables—the number of Facebook Friends students have at the college and their engagement in collaborative behaviors with classmates through the site—and measures of social support and social adjustment, as well as a positive relationship between social adjustment and persistence at the university.     

Slip, trip and fall accidents: relationship to building features and use of coroners' reports in ascribing cause

Coroners' reports of 1035 deaths possibly related to building features were examined to assess their usefulness in identifying the cause of slip, trip and fall (STF) fatalities. Of the total, falls accounted for over 80%. Of the STF deaths, 61.4% related to falls on stairs, 6.7% to falls from steps or ladders, and 5.5% to falls from windows or roofs. About 60% of total fall fatalities involved infirm persons; alcohol was involved in 60% of the falls in the under-50 age group. Information in coroners' reports is generally insufficient to link building features to injuries; better approaches to data collection are required.     

Assessing the utility of spectral band operators to reduce the influence of total suspended solids on the relationship between chlorophyll concentration and the bidirectional reflectance factor in Amazon waters

Measurements of reflectance spectra, total suspended solids (TSS), chlorophyll a+phaeophytin (CLH) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) plus pH, Secchi disk transparency and water depth were made in lakes associated with the Amazons and Negro rivers upstream from Manaus. Reflectance spectra were acquired between 400 and 900 nm using a spectroradiometer with a nominal resolution of 3 nm. Two spectral band operators designed to detect the CHL signal in waters with high TSS concentrations were examined with the aid of linear and nonlinear regression methods. Results showed that none of the proposed operators were successful in Amazon white water systems.     

Application of partial least squares and radial basis function neural networks in multivariate imaging analysis-quantitative structure activity relationship: study of cyclin dependent kinase 4 inhibitors

The detailed application of multivariate image analysis (MIA) method for the evaluation of quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) of some cyclin dependent kinase 4 inhibitors is demonstrated. MIA is a type of data mining methods that is based on data sets obtained from 2D images. The purpose of this study is to construct a relationship between pixels of images of investigated compounds as independent and their bioactivities as a dependent variable. Partial least square (PLS) and principal components-radial basis function neural networks (PC-RBFNNs) were developed to obtain a statistical explanation of the activity of the molecules. The performance of developed models were tested by several validation methods such as external and internal tests and also criteria recommended by Tropsha and Roy. The resulted PLS model had a high statistical quality (R2 = 0.991 and R2(CV) = 0.993) for predicting the activity of the compounds. Because of high correlation between values of predicted and experimental activities, MIA-QSAR proved to be a highly predictive approach.     

Probabilistic measures of efficiency and the influence of contextual variables in nonparametric production models: an application to agricultural research in Brazil

In a research institution it is important to identify which management practices have influence on production efficiency. In this paper we assess the statistical significance of contextual variables type, size, financial resources acquisition, intensity of partnerships, processes improvements and management change. The analysis is carried out for the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation over the period 1999–2006. The statistical analysis uses a balanced dynamic panel data model. We conclude that only financial resources acquisition is statistically significant. The association with the production process is positive. We also found the two lag inertial components of the conditional FDH to unconditional FDH ratio statistically significant, indicating a 2‐year effort to improve efficiency.     

Learning in asynchronous discussion groups: a multilevel approach to study the influence of student, group and task characteristics

The research reported in the current article studies the impact of learning in asynchronous discussion groups on students' final exam scores and levels of knowledge construction. Multilevel analyses were applied to uncover the specific influence of student, group and task variables. The results indicate that the impact of student characteristics on both dependent variables is of higher significance than characteristics of the discussion group students are allocated to. With regard to levels of knowledge construction, task characteristics also appear to be of importance.

 With regard to final exam scores the analyses reveal a significant impact from student learning style, attitude towards task-based learning, the number of student contributions and the level of knowledge construction in these contributions. No significant group characteristics were observed.

 As to levels of knowledge construction, the analyses revealed that the amount of contributions and the attitude towards the online learning environment are significant predictors. The intensity of the interaction in a group had a significant impact. As to task characteristics, significant differences were found between consecutive themes. These disappeared when taking into account task complexity.     

Musculoskeletal symptoms due to technical preconditions in long cycle time work in an automobile assembly plant: a study of prevalence and relation to psychosocial factors and physical exposure.

The aim was to evaluate the prevailing ergonomic conditions in a parallelized flow, long cycle time, assembly system. The evaluation focused on physical exposure, psychosocial factors and work-related musculoskeletal symptoms. A random sample of 67 assembly operators was included in a cross-sectional study mainly based on questionnaires. Hand/wrist symptoms were common and related to work exposure with hand-held powered tools. In general, the self-reported physical exposure showed only a few significant associations with musculoskeletal symptoms. This may in part be explained by the ergonomic conditions generally being good, with a relatively low duration of 'combined' extreme work postures. Significant associations were found between the psychosocial work environment and musculoskeletal symptoms.     

Connecting schools,community, and family with ICT: Four-year trends related to school level and SES of public schools in Florida

Community and family involvement in schools is a well-documented antecedent to student success; yet, educators often find it challenging to increase involvement with parents and members of diverse communities. One solution is to use information and communication technology (ICT) as a bridge between schools, families, and the community. This research first presents a conceptual framework for uniting schools, families, and community members using ICT and then uses statewide data collected in Florida from the 2003–2004 to 2006–2007 school years to investigate significant trends in how schools communicate with, involve, and provide ICT access and education for community and family members. Results were analyzed at each school level, as well as by the differences between high and low socio-economic status (SES) schools. Findings indicate that during the study schools at every level and SES group significantly increased their contributions for ICT access and education of families and communities. However, high schools serving the most economically advantaged students provided the most ICT contributions to their families and communities. On the other hand, in support of bridging the digital divide, low SES elementary and middle schools provided significantly more contributions for ICT access and education of their community and parents, than their high SES counterparts. Recommendations and implications are provided.     

The development and validation of equations to predict grip force in the workplace: contributions of muscle activity and posture

The inherent difficulty of measuring forces on the hand in ergonomic workplace assessments has led to the need for equations to predict grip force. A family of equations was developed, and validated, for the prediction of grip force using forearm electromyography (six finger and wrist muscles) as well as posture of the wrist (flexed, neutral and extended) and forearm (pronated, neutral, supinated). Inclusion of muscle activity was necessary to explain over 85% of the grip force variance and was further improved with wrist posture but not forearm posture. Posture itself had little predictive power without muscle activity (<1%). Nominal wrist posture improved predictive power more than the measured wrist angle. Inclusion of baseline muscle activity, the activity required to simply hold the grip dynamometer, greatly improved grip force predictions, especially at low force levels. While the complete model using six muscles and posture was the most accurate, the detailed validation and error analysis revealed that equations based on fewer components often resulted in a negligible reduction in predictive strength. Error was typically less than 10% under 50% of maximal grip force and around 15% over 50% of maximal grip force. This study presents detailed error analyses to both improve upon previous studies and to allow an educated decision to be made on which muscles to monitor depending on expected force levels, costs and error deemed acceptable by the potential user.     

The development and validation of equations to predict grip force in the workplace: contributions of muscle activity and posture

The inherent difficulty of measuring forces on the hand in ergonomic workplace assessments has led to the need for equations to predict grip force. A family of equations was developed, and validated, for the prediction of grip force using forearm electromyography (six finger and wrist muscles) as well as posture of the wrist (flexed, neutral and extended) and forearm (pronated, neutral, supinated). Inclusion of muscle activity was necessary to explain over 85% of the grip force variance and was further improved with wrist posture but not forearm posture. Posture itself had little predictive power without muscle activity (<1%). Nominal wrist posture improved predictive power more than the measured wrist angle. Inclusion of baseline muscle activity, the activity required to simply hold the grip dynamometer, greatly improved grip force predictions, especially at low force levels. While the complete model using six muscles and posture was the most accurate, the detailed validation and error analysis revealed that equations based on fewer components often resulted in a negligible reduction in predictive strength. Error was typically less than 10% under 50% of maximal grip force and around 15% over 50% of maximal grip force. This study presents detailed error analyses to both improve upon previous studies and to allow an educated decision to be made on which muscles to monitor depending on expected force levels, costs and error deemed acceptable by the potential user.     

Electromyography as a measure of peak and cumulative workload in intermediate care and its relationship to musculoskeletal injury: an exploratory ergonomic study

Injury rates in Intermediate Care (IC) facilities are high and the factors related to these injuries are unclear. The objectives of this exploratory sub-study, which is part of a large multi-faceted study in 8 IC facilities are to: (1) evaluate EMG measured over a full-shift in the back and shoulders of 32 care aides (CAs) as an indicator of peak and cumulative workload (n = 4 x 8 facilities); investigate the relationship between EMG measures and injury indicators; and explore the relationship between EMG measures and other workload measurements. Lumbar EMG was converted to predicted cumulative spinal compression and ranged in CAs from 11.7 to 22.8 MNs with a mean of 16.4 MNs. Average compression was significantly different during different periods of the day (p < 0.001) with highest compression during pre-breakfast when CAs assist most with activities of daily living. Significant differences were found in average compression between low and high injury facilities for 3 of 5 periods of the day (p < 0.010). Peak compressions exceeding 3400 N occurred for very little of the workday (e.g. 11.25s during the 75 min period pre-breakfast). Peak neck/shoulder muscle activity is low (99% APDF ranged from 8.33% to 28% MVC). Peak and cumulative spinal compression were significantly correlated with lost-time and musculoskeletal injury rates as well as with total tasks observed in the CAs (p < 0.01). Perceived exertion was only correlated with peak compressions (p < 0.01). Facilities with low injury rates provided significantly more CAs (p < 0.01) to meet resident needs, and subsequently CAs performed fewer tasks, resulting in less peak and cumulative spinal loading over the day.     

Excessive use of Twitter among college students in the UK: Validation of the Microblog Excessive Use Scale and relationship to social interaction and loneliness

Microblogging on sites like Twitter is a growing and popular trend among young people. Apparently, some users of these microblogs exhibit addiction-like symptoms. Until recently, there was no psychometric scale to measure the excessive use of Twitter. The development of the Microblog Excessive Use Scale (MEUS) in 2014 proved a positive step in assessing this phenomenon. In the current study, we employed the MEUS to assess excessive use of Twitter in a sample of 256 college students (53.1% female; mean age 21.4 years) in the UK. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), calculation of criterion-related and concurrent validity and reliability were performed to assess the scale's psychometric properties. The MEUS was found to be a valid instrument for assessing excessive use of Twitter among UK college students. In addition, we found that real life social interaction was negatively associated with excessive use of Twitter and this relationship was mediated by loneliness. We compared our results with results from a previous study in which the MEUS was developed and noted some interesting differences, which might be explained by cultural differences between samples in the two studies.