Applying ergonomics and human factors to congress organization in uncertain times.

Organizational Design and Management (ODAM) elements of Ergonomics and Human Factors (E/HF) apply to congress organization. Exemplary delegate and organizer E/HF experience is constrained by shifting requirements, time pressures and financial constraints. E/HF application while organizing the International Ergonomics Association's Triennial Congress in 2021 (IEA2021) is described focusing on delivery platforms considering typical and exceptional (pandemic) constraints, emphasizing ODAM E/HF principles and generalizable lessons. Post-Congress feedback from delegates, session chairs and Congress organizers reveal the Congress as experienced. Presenting virtually allowed on-demand recording access following live sessions and increased question-and-answer flexibility. Frustrations included navigating multiple platforms and insufficient communications. Stakeholders' differing expectations increased organizer workloads and delegate frustration. Maximum virtual presentation benefits require efforts to ensure integrated, human-centered platform development. Simply digitizing traditional Congress sessions ignores potential enhancements. Embracing innovations would help meet delegate communication needs via careful selection and deployment of evolving virtual meeting technologies. Organizational learning strategies can support these efforts.

Measuring pandemic home-work conditions to determine ergonomic recommendation relevance.

BACKGROUND: Computer-intensive office work associations with health challenges may intensify following COVID-19 pandemic-related changes to home-based office work. OBJECTIVE: To determine working conditions, perception and physical elements affecting health after pivoting to full time home-work. METHODS: An online questionnaire addressed physical, productivity, motivation, and work-practice factors. Photos of the worker in their home-work environment showed side and front-back perspectives. RESULTS: Sixteen questionnaires were received, and 12 respondents supplied photos. Home and office workplace differences varied. Ten felt productivity was affected, most often positively. Four noted increased pain or fatigue intensity, particularly in the eyes, neck / head, lower back, and shoulders. Working posture was not optimal; six didn't use traditional chair-sitting for up to half the day. Forward and backward trunk inclination accounted for at least 10% of the workday for 12 respondents; lateral inclination affected ten and eight had unsupported legs. Fifteen used an adjustable chair, but photos revealed ergonomic recommendations were not consistently followed. Fourteen participants communicated regularly by telephone, eight only for moderate duration and ten using adapted telephone equipment. Half of the ROSA scores were high. CONCLUSIONS: Workers forced into telework during the pandemic experience positive and negative impacts. Postures vary more than in offices, potentially increasing health risk.

Different sit:stand time ratios within a 30-minute cycle change perceptions related to musculoskeletal disorders.

Regular standing interruptions to sedentary work are recommended, but their dosage is understudied. To measure perception variations associated with different sit:stand ratios, 16 people used six ratios (30:0, 27:3, 24:6, 21:9, 18:12 and 15:15) within 30-min cycles in their normal office environment. At start and end of each workday, study participants recorded their perception of 11 factors on a 10-point scale. Musculoskeletal discomfort in 10 body regions was measured before and after exposure to sit-stand ratios. Overall preferred ratios were recorded. Sit:stand ratio affected all perceived factors, with impact varying. Standing at least 6 min improved results most overall; however, individual perceived factors were least impacted by any of 30:0, 27:3, 24:6 or 21:9. Preferred sit:stand ratios were 15:15, 18:12 and 21:9. Typically, least liked ratios involved briefest standing (30:0, 27:3, 24:6) although two participants least liked 15:15. Understanding these variations contributes to appropriate standing dosage recommendations.

Humpback whale song occurrence reflects ecosystem variability in feeding and migratory habitat of the northeast Pacific.

This study examines the occurrence of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) song in the northeast Pacific from three years of continuous recordings off central California (36.713°N, 122.186°W). Song is prevalent in this feeding and migratory habitat, spanning nine months of the year (September-May), peaking in winter (November-January), and reaching a maximum of 86% temporal coverage (during November 2017). From the rise of song in fall through the end of peak occurrence in winter, song length increases significantly from month to month. The seasonal peak in song coincides with the seasonal trough in day length and sighting-based evidence of whales leaving Monterey Bay, consistent with seasonal migration. During the seasonal song peak, diel variation shows maximum occurrence at night (69% of the time), decreasing during dawn and dusk (52%), and further decreasing with increasing solar elevation during the day, reaching a minimum near solar noon (30%). Song occurrence increased 44% and 55% between successive years. Sighting data within the acoustic detection range of the hydrophone indicate that variation in local population density was an unlikely cause of this large interannual variation. Hydrographic data and modeling of acoustic transmission indicate that changes in neither habitat occupancy nor acoustic transmission were probable causes. Conversely, the positive interannual trend in song paralleled major ecosystem variations, including similarly large positive trends in wind-driven upwelling, primary productivity, and krill abundance. Further, the lowest song occurrence during the first year coincided with anomalously warm ocean temperatures and an extremely toxic harmful algal bloom that affected whales and other marine mammals in the region. These major ecosystem variations may have influenced the health and behavior of humpback whales during the study period.

Research Article Women's experience of maternity high-dependency care following a complicated birth: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: There is limited evidence around childbearing women's experience following a complicated birth requiring maternity high-dependency care. Our objective was to explore women's experience and wellbeing following a complicated birth within this context. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY/DESIGN: A cross-sectional study captured women's experience through a postal survey four weeks post birth. SETTING: A convenience sample of 112 women who received care in the first 24 hours of their stay in a Western Australian maternity high dependency unit. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: A validated tool designed to explore patients' intensive care experience was modified and six items were added based upon the literature and in consultation with clinicians. RESULTS: Women felt they were given choice (78%; n = 86); were not glad to be transferred to a ward (62%; n = 68) and were in pain during the first 24 hours of their admission (70%; n = 78). Women who did not feel scared were more likely than those who felt scared to have a clinician explain what had happened (95% vs 78%, P = 0.007); were more likely to feel in control (94% vs 75%, P = 0.006); and were less likely to feel helpless (27% vs 62%, P = <0.001). CONCLUSION: The transfer experience to a postpartum ward requires further investigation as does the management of pain for these childbearing women regardless of their birth mode.

Designing and Implementing a Competency-Based Formative Progress Assessment System at a Canadian Dental School.

Progress testing is an innovative formative assessment practice that has been found successful in many educational programs. In progress testing, one exam is given to students at regular intervals as they progress through a curriculum, allowing them to benchmark their increase in knowledge over time. The aim of this study was to assess the first two years of results of a progress testing system implemented in a Canadian dental school. This was the first time in North America a dental school had introduced progress testing. Each test form contains 200 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) to assess the cognitive knowledge base that a competent dentist should have by the end of the program. All dental students are required to complete the test in three hours. In the first three administrations, three test forms with 86 common items were administered to all DMD students. The total of 383 MCQs spanning nine domains of cognitive knowledge in dentistry were distributed among these three test forms. Each student received a test form different from the previous one in the subsequent two semesters. In the fourth administration, 299 new questions were introduced to create two test forms sharing 101 questions. Each administration occurred at the beginning of a semester. All students received individualized reports comparing their performance with their class median in each of the domains. Aggregated results from each administration were provided to the faculty. Based on analysis of students' responses to the common items in the first two administrations, progression in all domains was observed. Comparing equated results across the four administrations also showed progress. This experience suggests that introducing a progress testing assessment system for competency-based dental education has many merits. Challenges and lessons learned with this assessment are discussed.

The relationship between bipolar disorder and cannabis use in daily life: an experience sampling study.

OBJECTIVES: Although cannabis use is common in bipolar disorder and may contribute to worse clinical outcomes, little is understood about the relationship between this drug and bipolar disorder over the course of daily life. The aim of study was to examine the effect of cannabis on affect and bipolar symptoms in a group of individuals with bipolar disorder. METHODS: Twenty-four participants with bipolar disorder type I or type II completed diaries for 6 days using Experience Sampling Methodology to investigate the temporal associations between cannabis, affect and bipolar disorder symptoms. RESULTS: The results indicated that higher levels of positive affect increase the odds of using cannabis (OR:1.25 ,CI:1.06-1.47, P=0.008). However, neither negative affect, manic nor depressive symptoms predicted the use of cannabis. Cannabis use was associated with subsequent increases in positive affect (ß=0.35, CI:0.20-0.51, P=0.000), manic symptoms (ß=0.20,CI:0.05-0.34, P=0.009) and depressive symptoms (ß= 0.17,CI:0.04-0.29, P=0.008). CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that cannabis use is associated with a number of subsequent psychological effects. However there was no evidence that individuals with BD were using cannabis to self-medicate minor fluctuations in negative affect or bipolar disorder symptoms over the course of daily life. The findings in relation to existing literature and clinical implications are discussed.

Meditation and mindfulness in clinical practice.

This article describes the various forms of meditation and provides an overview of research using these techniques for children, adolescents, and their families. The most researched techniques in children and adolescents are mindfulness-based stress reduction, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, yoga meditation, transcendental meditation, mind-body techniques (meditation, relaxation), and body-mind techniques (yoga poses, tai chi movements). Current data are suggestive of a possible value of meditation and mindfulness techniques for treating symptomatic anxiety, depression, and pain in youth. Clinicians must be properly trained before using these techniques.

An experimental investigation on push force and its perception during a flexible hose insertion task encountered in a truck assembly line.

The push force and its perception when inserting a flexible hose laterally into a connector were investigated. Effects of hose diameter, glove, target position and obstacle condition were studied. Maximum voluntary insertion forces (MVFs) under similar working conditions were also measured. The larger the diameter, the higher the force required. The peak axial forces for the hoses of 6, 12 and 16 mm in diameter were on average respectively 94, 122 and 184 N, representing 45%, 61% and 93% of MVF. Glove condition, target position and obstacle did not significantly affect the axial insertion force and moment, but they did affect effort perception. Lower effort was perceived with gloves and high and near position. High intra- and inter-individual variability in insertion force for a given hose may suggest that feedback of successful insertion was insufficient. The recognition of a successful insertion must be ensured to avoid unnecessary extra force exertion. PRACTITIONER SUMMARY: The effects of glove, hose diameter, target location and obstacle on push force and its perception were studied when inserting a flexible hose. Solutions for improving the recognition of a successful insertion and the hose/connector system design must be found to reduce force exertion to safe levels.

Therapeutic alliance building during the child psychiatric intake: does VTC make a difference?

This study examined potential changes in perceptions of therapeutic ("working") alliance during a child's initial diagnostic interview from the parent's perspective. The major study objective was to determine whether parental perceptions of alliance vary by group (video teleconferencing [VTC], face-to-face [FTF]) over time (Pre, Post intake). It was predicted that parental alliance would be more favorable after an FTF encounter relative to a VTC intervention. Participants were recruited and enrolled in two study cohorts between August 2000 and October 2005. Parents completed the Parental Perceptions of Alliance Questionnaire (PPAQ) immediately before (pre-PPAQ) and after (post-PPAQ) their interview. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests showed that the mean PPAQ scores of FTF groups being higher than that of VTC groups (controlling for time) was statistically significant, F (1,144) = 4.14, p = 0.04. However, upon further analysis, the interaction effect was not significant, F (1,144) = 1.20, p = 0.28. Findings from the current exploratory study suggest that, at least following an intake child psychiatric examination, parents' perceptions of therapeutic alliance are stronger than they were before intake for those conducted in an FTF format as well as through VTC.

Evolution of population structure in a highly social top predator, the killer whale.

Intraspecific resource partitioning and social affiliations both have the potential to structure populations, though it is rarely possible to directly assess the impact of these mechanisms on genetic diversity and population divergence. Here, we address this for killer whales (Orcinus orca), which specialize on prey species and hunting strategy and have long-term social affiliations involving both males and females. We used genetic markers to assess the structure and demographic history of regional populations and test the hypothesis that known foraging specializations and matrifocal sociality contributed significantly to the evolution of population structure. We find genetic structure in sympatry between populations of foraging specialists (ecotypes) and evidence for isolation by distance within an ecotype. Fitting of an isolation with migration model suggested ongoing, low-level migration between regional populations (within and between ecotypes) and small effective sizes for extant local populations. The founding of local populations by matrifocal social groups was indicated by the pattern of fixed mtDNA haplotypes in regional populations. Simulations indicate that this occurred within the last 20,000 years (after the last glacial maximum). Our data indicate a key role for social and foraging behavior in the evolution of genetic structure among conspecific populations of the killer whale.

Use of chemical tracers in assessing the diet and foraging regions of eastern North Pacific killer whales.

Top predators in the marine environment integrate chemical signals acquired from their prey that reflect both the species consumed and the regions from which the prey were taken. These chemical tracers-stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen; persistent organic pollutant (POP) concentrations, patterns and ratios; and fatty acid profiles-were measured in blubber biopsy samples from North Pacific killer whales (Orcinus orca) (n=84) and were used to provide further insight into their diet, particularly for the offshore group, about which little dietary information is available. The offshore killer whales were shown to consume prey species that were distinctly different from those of sympatric resident and transient killer whales. In addition, it was confirmed that the offshores forage as far south as California. Thus, these results provide evidence that the offshores belong to a third killer whale ecotype. Resident killer whale populations showed a gradient in stable isotope profiles from west (central Aleutians) to east (Gulf of Alaska) that, in part, can be attributed to a shift from off-shelf to continental shelf-based prey. Finally, stable isotope ratio results, supported by field observations, showed that the diet in spring and summer of eastern Aleutian Island transient killer whales is apparently not composed exclusively of Steller sea lions.

A three-dimensional computerized isometric strength measurement system.

The three-dimensional Computerized Isometric Strength Measurement System (CISMS) reliably and accurately measures isometric pull and push strengths in work spaces of paraplegic populations while anticipating comparative studies with other populations. The main elements of the system were: an extendable arm, a vertical supporting track, a rotating platform, a force transducer, stability sensors and a computerized data collection interface. The CISMS with minor modification was successfully used to measure isometric push-up and pull-down strengths of paraplegics and isometric push, pull, push-up and pull-down strength in work spaces for seated and standing able-bodied populations. The instrument has satisfied criteria of versatility, safety and comfort, ease of operation, and durability. Results are accurate within 2N for aligned forces. Costing approximately $1,500 (US) including computer, the system is affordable and accurate for aligned isometric strength measurements.

Identification of proteins in slow continuous ultrafiltrate by reversed-phase chromatography and proteomics.

Continuous modes of renal replacement therapy (CRRT) are increasingly being utilized in the intensive care unit. The removal of cytokines and other inflammatory proteins during ultrafiltration may be responsible for some of the beneficial effects of CRRT. We used proteomic tools to identify proteins found in the ultrafiltrate from a patient with acute renal failure. Identification of these proteins could help elucidate the mechanism(s) of improved outcome with continuous renal replacement therapy. Protein was loaded on a reversed-phase C4 column and eluted with stepwise isocratic flows starting with 0%, 5%, 10%, 25%, and 50% of acetonitrile. Effluent was collected, pooled, desalted, and separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE). Reversed-phase separation improved the resolution and the number of spots seen on the gels. Protein spots were digested with trypsin and spotted onto MALDI plates. Proteins were identified by either peptide mass fingerprinting using a MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer or by peptide sequencing using a MALDI-TOF/TOF tandem mass spectrometer. From 196 spots cut, 47 were identified, representing multiple charge forms of 10 different proteins. Proteins identified were albumin, apolipoprotein A-IV, beta-2-microglobulin, lithostathine, mannose-binding lectin associated serine protease 2 associated protein, plasma retinol-binding protein, transferrin, transthyretin, vitamin D-binding protein and Zn alpha-2 glycoprotein. Continuous renal replacement therapy is frequently used in acutely ill patients with renal failure. Removal of proteins occurs during this process. The physiological significance of this protein removal is unclear. Identification of these proteins will lead to better understanding of the role of protein removal in continuous renal replacement therapy.

Hindu and Buddhist children, adolescents, and families.

The language of psychotherapy that focuses on the individual may be problematic for Hindu and Buddhist families. The focus on child and adolescent development as a separation-individuation process that moves the child into an independent life with individual goals may run contrary to family cultural values and to the Hindu and Buddhist views of interconnectedness. For the Hindu family, however, when therapy can be seen as being compatible with an evolution toward the higher self and is consistent with the shared sense of family belonging, the goals can be complementary. With the fundamental views in Buddhism that suffering derives from emotional and conceptual misunderstandings and from the resultant actions, and that change is necessary to relieve that suffering, therapy and practice may share goals. The spiritual teachings can work alongside the therapeutic work, and the improved functioning is also spiritual growth.

Low worldwide genetic diversity in the killer whale (Orcinus orca): implications for demographic history.

A low level of genetic variation in mammalian populations where the census population size is relatively large has been attributed to various factors, such as a naturally small effective population size, historical bottlenecks and social behaviour. The killer whale (Orcinus orca) is an abundant, highly social species with reduced genetic variation. We find no consistent geographical pattern of global diversity and no mtDNA variation within some regional populations. The regional lack of variation is likely to be due to the strict matrilineal expansion of local populations. The worldwide pattern and paucity of diversity may indicate a historical bottleneck as an additional factor.