Dependence of grip strength on shoulder position and its implications for ergonomics practice

Grip strength (GS) variability due to positional changes in the upper extremity joints is of importance while designing workstations and work methods. This study was conducted to analyze the GS variations due to positional changes at shoulder joint when some important variables were under control. The GSs of dominant and nondominant hands were measured in eight shoulder (0°, 45°, 90°, and 135° of flexion and abduction) and standard test positions (STP). One hundred and thirteen subjects 20–30 years old completed the study. At the dominant side, no significant difference was observed in the pairwise comparisons between STP and the others. Maximum and minimum GSs were obtained in 0° abduction and 45° flexion and abduction, respectively. At the nondominant side, GSs were significantly lower (p < 0.001) in the corresponding test positions and demonstrated more variability. The findings of this study can contribute to the available knowledge to guide occupational ergonomists in their practices.     

基于手机大数据的动态人口感知

随着通信市场迅速发展和手机的高普及率,利用手机数据研究人类活动和城市规划发展成为可能.本文主要工作是构建了大数据实时处理分析平台,并基于此平台提出了一种利用手机数据感知城市人口分布的方法.通过实验表明,基于手机数据的动态人口感知能够反映实际城市人口分布,对于城市交通监管、公共资源配置优化等方面具有重要意义.     

基于压迫感分析的城市高架桥美学设计研究

为解决城市高架桥对其地面道路及周边地块产生的压迫感这一问题,并且指导城市高架桥的设计和规划,使之在满足交通功能和用地要求的同时兼顾美学的考虑,研究根据压迫感主要来源为建筑对视野限制的推论,分析了压迫感的主要影响因素为建筑在视野中形成的视角,讨论了现有立体角理论模型的适用性,并且结合城市高架桥视角的特点,将立体角理论模型简化为平面视角理论模型以增强其适用性。建立了桥梁的结构尺寸与影响点的视角的关系式,以压迫感接受率表征压迫感的大小,再根据调查统计数据拟合,确定视角与压迫感接受率的关系曲线,从而得到桥梁的结构尺寸与影响点压迫感接受率的关系式。在规划和设计时,可根据该公式合理确定桥梁下地面道路的红线宽度或两侧地块的退红净距。     

School attendance and daily respiratory symptoms in children: influence of moisture damage

We investigated the effect of weekends and school holidays on the daily frequency and severity of respiratory and other symptoms among children attending schools with (index) or without (reference) moisture damage in Spain, the Netherlands, and Finland. Throughout 1 year, parents of 419 children with a respiratory condition attending index (n=15) or reference (n=10) primary schools completed three symptom diaries. We assessed associations between lower respiratory tract, upper respiratory tract or allergy, and other symptom scores and school day, weekend, or summer holiday using mixed regression models stratified by country and moisture damage. We evaluated interactions between moisture damage and type of day. We combined country‐specific estimates (incidence rate ratios [IRRs] and 95% confidence interval [CI]) in meta‐analyses. Symptom scores were lower during weekends and holiday. Lower respiratory tract symptoms were statistically significantly less common during holiday with strongest effect in index schools (IRR=0.7; CI=0.6–0.8). Reporting of other symptoms was more reduced during holiday in index (IRR=0.6; CI=0.4–0.9) than in reference (IRR=0.95; CI=0.8–1.2) schools (interaction P<.01). In conclusion, symptoms were less frequent and/or severe during summer holiday and weekends. This pattern was stronger among children attending moisture‐damaged schools, suggesting potential improvement in moisture damage‐related symptoms during school breaks.     

Predictors of summertime heat index levels in New York City apartments

During heat waves, fatal overexposure to heat most often occurs at home. It is not known how factors such as building size, floor level, and different types of air conditioning (AC) contribute to excess indoor heat. We monitored indoor temperature and humidity in 36 apartments in New York City during summers 2014 and 2015 and used these values to calculate the indoor heat index (HI). We investigated the role of AC type and building‐level factors on indoor HI using multilevel regression models. Thirty‐four of 36 homes had AC. Central and ductless AC types were associated with the coolest indoor conditions; homes with window and portable AC were significantly warmer. Apartments on the top floor of a building were significantly hotter during heat advisory periods than other apartments regardless of the presence of AC. High indoor HI levels persisted in some homes for approximately 1 day following the end of the two heat advisory periods. We provide concrete evidence of higher heat levels in top floor apartments and in homes with certain types of AC. High heat levels that persist indoors after outdoor heat has subsided may present an underappreciated public health risk.     

Reflections on the history of indoor air science,focusing on the last 50 years

The scientific articles and Indoor Air conference publications of the indoor air sciences (IAS) during the last 50 years are summarized. In total 7524 presentations, from 79 countries, have been made at Indoor Air conferences held between 1978 (49 presentations) and 2014 (1049 presentations). In the Web of Science, 26 992 articles on indoor air research (with the word “indoor” as a search term) have been found (as of 1 Jan 2016) of which 70% were published during the last 10 years. The modern scientific history started in the 1970s with a question: “did indoor air pose a threat to health as did outdoor air?” Soon it was recognized that indoor air is more important, from a health point of view, than outdoor air. Topics of concern were first radon, environmental tobacco smoke, and lung cancer, followed by volatile organic compounds, formaldehyde and sick building syndrome, house dust‐mites, asthma and allergies, Legionnaires disease, and other airborne infections. Later emerged dampness/mold‐associated allergies and today's concern with “modern exposures‐modern diseases.” Ventilation, thermal comfort, indoor air chemistry, semi‐volatile organic compounds, building simulation by computational fluid dynamics, and fine particulate matter are common topics today. From their beginning in Denmark and Sweden, then in the USA, the indoor air sciences now show increasing activity in East and Southeast Asia.     

发现·转化：基于问题驱动的城市住宅课程教学实践探索

在中国房地产快速发展背景下,“城市住宅设计”教学中容易出现重点不清,以及学生对设计素材抄袭的问题。文章针对以住宅设计原理的掌握为主的教学要求,进行了“基于问题驱动的城市住宅课程设计”的实践探索。力图通过一条“问题驱动”的设计链条,引导问题的“发现”,控制问题的 “转化”,帮助学生结合设计条件对城市住宅进行主动的思考以及有目的的设计,以促成教学目标的达成。这样的教学方法有利于学生实现设计创新,并能够开拓具有社会角度的专业视野。     

Episodes of thoron exposure due to consumer products claiminghealth benefits of negative ions

In May 2018,the primetime news casted a shocking report saying that radon concentration on a certain model of bed mattress found to be as high as 2 200 Bq/m³.After a humble,the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission(NSSC) of Korea confirmed that significant amount of thoron gas is emanated from several mattress models marketed by a company claiming beneficial health effects of negative ions.Laboratory analysis showed that some internal fabric sheets of those mattresses contain high co...     

Dietary advanced glycation end‐products: Perspectives linking food processing with health implications

Dietary advanced glycation end products (dAGEs) are complex and heterogeneous compounds derived from nonenzymatic glycation reactions during industrial processing and home cooking. There is mounting evidence showing that dAGEs are closely associated with various chronic diseases, where the absorbed dAGEs fuel the biological AGEs pool to exhibit noxious effects on human health. Currently, due to the uncertain bioavailability and rapid renal clearance of dAGEs, the relationship between dAGEs and biological AGEs remains debatable. In this review, we provide the most updated information on dAGEs including their generation in processed foods, analytical and characterization techniques, metabolic fates, interaction with AGE receptors, implications on human health and reducing strategies. Available evidence demonstrating a relevance between dAGEs and food allergy is also included. AGEs are ubiquitous in foods and their contents largely depend on the reactivity of carbonyl and amino groups, along with surrounding condition mainly pH and heating procedures. Once being digested and absorbed into the circulation, two separate pathways can be involved in the deleterious effects of dAGEs: an AGE receptor‐dependent way to stimulate cell signals, and an AGE receptor‐independent way to dysregulate proteins via forming complexes. Inhibition of AGEs formation during food processing and reduction in the diet are two potent approaches to restrict health‐hazardous dAGEs. To elucidate the biological role of dAGEs toward human health, the following significant perspectives are raised: molecular size and complexity of dAGEs; interactions between unabsorbed dAGEs and gut microbiota; and roles played by concomitant compounds in the heat‐processed foods.