Health and Indoor Climate Complaints of 7043 office Workers in 61 Buildings in the Netherlands

During the winter of 1988/1989, the relationships between the prevalence of work-related health and indoor climate complaints and a number of building, management, workplace and personal characteristics have been investigated in a study in more than 60 office buildings located throughout the Netherlands. To collect the information, a questionnaire was prepared on health and indoor climate complaints and personal and workplace characteristics. A checklist was used to obtain information on building characteristics More than 7000 questionnaires were completed by the regular users of the buildings investigated. The results showed that the prevalence of symptoms was higher in air-conditioned buildings than in naturally or mechanically ventilated buildings. some other variables were also related with most work-related complaints after adjustment for selected management, personal, workplace and job characteristics. These included gender, work satisfaction in general, presence of allergies and/or respiratory symptoms, and personal control over temperature at the workplace. No differences were found in symptom prevalences between buildings with spray and steam humidification. The combination of air-conditioning and humidification did not lead to further increases in the prevalence of complaints as compared to buildings with only airconditioning or only humidification.     

Categorizing health-related cues to action: using Yelp reviews of restaurants in Hawaii

Yelp, a social media site, undeniably has an influence on consumers' food choice in spite of its ability to reflect consumers' real voice being criticized. Since unhealthy food choices contribute to health problems, such as obesity and malnourishment, we attempted to examine these problems by better understanding consumers through health-related cues to action—a construct from the Health Belief Model (HBM)— on Yelp Honolulu's restaurant reviews. Our research revealed 13 main categories: Ingredient, Type of food, Taste, Lifestyle, Cooking, Option, Price, Portion, Well-being, Nutrition, Hygiene, Emotional attachment and indulgence, and Feeling. We argue that these categories may ultimately lead consumers to make healthier food choices. In search of the most appealing way to communicate with the target group, underlying concepts that derived from these categories can be tested. Marketers in food industry (or public health policy-makers) can craft their strategies for healthy food brands/products (or healthy eating scheme) based on the concept test research. Moreover, Yelp can apply these insights in the development of their algorithm and filter system in order to help consumers find healthy food if they wish to do so. Restaurants can also improve their strategy, menu, and communication execution to meet the growing demands of health conscious consumers.     

Effectiveness of participatory ergonomic interventions on health outcomes: a systematic review

The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the literature on the effectiveness of participatory ergonomic (PE) interventions for improving workers' health. The search strategy targeted six electronic databases and identified 442 potential articles. Each article was examined by pairs of reviewers for relevance (assessed a participative ergonomic workplace intervention, with at least one health outcome, published in English in peer reviewed literature). Twenty-three articles met relevance criteria and were then appraised for methodological strength. Using a best evidence synthesis approach, 12 studies that were rated as 'medium' or higher provided partial to moderate evidence that PE interventions have a positive impact on: musculoskeletal symptoms, reducing injuries and workers' compensation claims, and a reduction in lost days from work or sickness absence. However, the magnitude of the effect requires more precise definition.     

Assessment of working conditions in two different semiconductor manufacturing lines: Effective ergonomics interventions

This article examines two manufacturing lines producing semiconductors using different technology concepts, namely Conventional Line (CL) and Lean Production Line (LPL). Both lines manufacturing the same products were compared using various factors, including working conditions, task risks and dangers of the job, and physical body stress. Ergonomic approaches were adopted in the investigation of the two lines. Survey questionnaires were administered to 30% of the workers, and multiple statistical tests were used to determine crucial predictors and to investigate the interactions between the factors. This research has shown that improved ergonomics factors will lead to better working conditions and thus increased job satisfaction. The observed ergonomic differences of these two production lines are compared, and appropriate managerial remedial action is recommended. The interventions to both the lines should reduce accident rates, minimize waste of resources, improve work effectiveness, and provide a better working environment that enhances employees' morale and maximizes productivity and profits. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

加强和改进大学生心理健康教育工作的探索与实践

大学生的心理健康问题越来越引起教育工作者的关注,如何探索和建立一整套实用、有效的心理健康教育机制,帮助当代大学生健康成长,既是新时期培养高素质人才的迫切需要,也是高等院校需要直面的现实问题.本文通过北京林业大学在大学生心理健康教育工作方面做出的努力和探索,以希望能为大学生心理健康教育工作的深入而有效地开展提供可资借鉴的经验.     

Performance updating of concrete bridges using proactive health monitoring methods

Uncertainties associated with modelling of deteriorating bridges strongly affect management decisions, such as inspection, maintenance and repair actions. These uncertainties can be reduced by the effective use of health monitoring systems, through which information regarding in situ performance can be incorporated in the management of bridges.The objectives of this paper are twofold; first, an improved chloride induced deterioration model for concrete bridges is proposed that can quantify degradation in performance soon after chlorides are deposited on the bridge, rather than when initiation of corrosion at the reinforcement level takes place. As a result, the implications of introducing proactive health monitoring can be assessed using probabilistic durability criteria. Thus, the second objective of the paper is to present a methodology for performance updating of deteriorating concrete bridges fitted with a proactive health monitoring system.This methodology is illustrated via a simple example of a typical bridge element, such as a beam or a part of a slab. The results highlight the benefits from introducing ‘smart’ technology in managing bridges subject to deterioration, and quantify the reduction in uncertainties and their subsequent effect on predictions of future bridge performance.     

Analyzing the problem of unsustainable health information systems in less-developed economies: Case studies from Tanzania and Mozambique

Most of donor-supported information technology (IT)–based projects developed or implemented in less-developed economies (LDEs) end up as complete or partial failures or unsustainable. Notably, a number of intra-organizational and external factors are associated with this problem, including inadequate infrastructure and human resource capacity, fragmented donor policy, and lack of policies to manage the sustainability problem. Accordingly, IT initiatives are often donor-driven, top-down, and hijacked by top managers who (normally) do not have adequate skills, but have enormous power to enforce such initiatives across organizational hierarchies.

In analyzing the concepts from sustainability and institutionalization, key insights towards a better understanding of the problem of unsustainability are developed. It is argued that health information systems (HISs) become sustainable if they are institutionalized in the sense of being integrated into the everyday routine of the user organization. However, a sustainable HIS should also be flexible enough to allow changes as the user needs change. Moreover, introduction of a new HIS is not only a technical change, but requires the cultivation and institutionalization of a new kind of culture.

Through a comparative case analysis of the HIS development and implementation processes in Tanzania and Mozambique, we have identified two sets of relationships, between the Ministry of Health (MoH) and donor agencies and between the MoH and software development agencies as critical and contributing factors to the unsustainability of a HIS. Given this setting, we highlight three key strategies for dealing with the problem of unsustainability in LDEs: (a) integration of a HIS, (b) local shaping of new cultures, and (c) cultivation approach to systems development. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

医疗系统中模块化UPS应用方案

本文从可靠性、扩展性、节能性三个方面浅析了在医疗系统中模块化UPS电源应用的优势,为人民的健康及生命筑起一道安全的电源保障。     

阀控铅酸蓄电池内阻研究

用ＨＩＯＫＩ３５５１ 电池内阻测试仪对大容量（＞ １００Ａｈ）阀控式密封铅酸蓄电池的内阻及其影响因素进行了研究。研究表明,在１０ ｈ 率放电过程中,剩余容量高于５０％ 时,电池内阻变化不大（仅增大５％ ）;并且内阻和放电时间可拟合为指数函数Ｒｔ＝ Ｒ０ ＋ Ｃ１ ×ｅｘｐ（ｔ／Ｃ２）。极板只有与汇流排完全断开,内阻才会明显增大。蓄电池温度在－ ４０～０℃和０～５０℃时,随温度上升,蓄电池电导线性增加。在０～５０ ｋＰａ时,电池内部压力每增大１０ｋＰａ,内阻增大３ μΩ。另外,接触电阻对测试值有一定影响。     

Harnessing social dynamics through persuasive technology to promote healthier lifestyle

In light of current calls by medical professionals to confront the global issue of obesity and related illnesses, we developed a mobile application called STEP UP that monitors physical activity and provides data that can be easily shared within a social network. We then conducted an exploratory, theoretical study based on the theory of reasoned action (TRA) followed by an experimental trial and user study. The purpose of the studies was to explore the effect of persuasive technology on physical activity behavior and to investigate its effectiveness in motivating users to use the technology to be more physically active. The application was found to have a positive effect on the participants and their level of physical activity. They enjoyed using the application and were motivated to walk more, especially when enabled to share their step counts with their friends. The social component of the application clearly enhanced users’ walking experience, as the atmosphere of friendly competition motivated them to walk more. Based on user responses, we conclude that a further enhanced application that includes chat functionality may be even more successful in supporting increased physical activity and thus healthier lifestyle.