Appl Ergon Research Articles

Neck pain among smartphone users: an imminent public health issue during the pandemic time

Neck pain among smartphone users: an imminent public health issue during the pandemic time

Best Paper Selection

Wang J, Liang H, Kang H, Gong Y. Understanding health information technology induced medication safety events by two conceptual frameworks. Appl Clin Inform 2019;10:158–67 https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-0039-1678693 Lee JY, van Karnebeek CDM, Wasserman WW. Development and user evaluation of a rare disease gene prioritization workflow based on cognitive ergonomics. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2019;26(2):124–33 https://academic.oup.com/jamia/article/26/2/124/5235389 Patterson ES, Su G, Sarkar U. Reducing delays to diagnosis in ambulatory care settings: A macrocognition perspective. Appl Ergon 2020 Jan;82:102965 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003687019301826?via%3Dihub

Automation trust increases under high-workload multitasking scenarios involving risk

Trust is a critical construct that influences human–automation interaction in multitasking workspaces involving imperfect automation. Karpinsky et al. (Appl Ergon, 70, 194–201, 2018) investigated whether trust affects operators’ attention allocation in high-load scenarios using the multi-attribute task battery II (MATB). Results suggested that task load reduces trust towards imperfect automation, then reducing visual attention allocation to the monitoring task aided by the automation. Participants also reported reduced levels of trust in high-load conditions. However, it is possible that the participants in high-load conditions did not trust the system because their poor task performance did not have expressly adverse consequences (i.e., risk). The current experiments aimed to replicate and extend Karpinsky et al. (2018) by asking forty participants to concurrently perform a tracking task and system monitoring task in the MATB II with or without risk. The reliability of the automated aid supporting the system monitoring task was 70%. The study employed a 2 × 2 split-plot design with task load (easy vs. difficult) via magnitude of errors in the tracking task as a within-participant factor and risk (high vs. low) as a between-participant factor. Participants in the high-risk group received an instruction that poor performance would result in a repeat of the experiment, whereas participants in the low-risk group did not receive this instruction. Results showed that trust was comparable between the high- and the low-load conditions, but the high risk elevated trust in the high-load condition. This implies that operators display greater levels of trust when a multitasking environment demands greater attention and they perceive risk of receiving expressly adverse consequence, regardless of the true reliability of automated systems.

Postural comfort evaluation: experimental identification of Range of Rest Posture for human articular joints

In this paper we introduce and describe a new concept in human-measurements operation that seems to be very useful for comfort evaluation: the Range of Rest Posture (RRP). Our study is focused on the identification of RRP -inside the comfort range of motion (CROM)—for the following human joints: neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist and ankle. Method used is based on a wide experimental work on 85 healthy individuals (43 males and 42 females) ranging in age from 20 to 30 year. The main target of this work is the experimental definition of CROM and identification of RRP; Experimental data has been processed by statistical methods for identifying the best statistical distribution in order to fit experimental data. Main result is the identification of RRP in CROM of main human joints involved in upper and lower limbs movements. In RRP weve found several maximum level of comfort positions in human postures: those position seems to be one of the most important information in comfort evaluation analysis. The state of the art about comfort/discomfort evaluation shows the need of an objective method to evaluate effect in the internal body and perceived effects in Moes (Contemporary ergonomics. Taylor & Francis, London, 2005) and Vink and Hallback (Appl Ergon 43:271–276, 2012) scheme of comfort perception; postural comfort is one of the aspect of comfort/discomfort perception and this paper helps to put a piece in the puzzle of posture evaluation. On the basis of papers results, a comfort evaluation method can be developed using RRP, CROM and building a composition rule that takes into account also lumbar comfort and H-point. Our work does not use ROM and CROM values coming from literature because each of these values has been experimentally identified.

Effect of prescribed sleep surfaces on back pain and sleep quality in patients diagnosed with low back and shoulder pain. Jacobson BH, Boolani A, Dunklee G, Shepardson A, Acharya H. Appl Ergon 2010;42(1):91–7. Epub 2010 Jun 26

Effect of prescribed sleep surfaces on back pain and sleep quality in patients diagnosed with low back and shoulder pain. Jacobson BH, Boolani A, Dunklee G, Shepardson A, Acharya H. Appl Ergon 2010;42(1):91–7. Epub 2010 Jun 26

Body surface area in normal-weight, overweight, and obese adults. A comparison study

Values for body surface area (BSA) are commonly used in medicine, particularly to calculate doses of chemotherapeutic agents and index cardiac output. Various BSA formulas have been developed over the years. The DuBois and DuBois (Arch Intern Med 1916;17:863-71) BSA equation is the most widely used, although derived from only 9 subjects. More recently, Mosteller (N Engl J Med 1987;317:1098) produced a simple formula, [weight (kg) x height (cm)/3600](1/2), which could be easily remembered and evaluated on a pocket calculator, but validation data in adults are rare. The purpose of the present study was to examine the BSA based on Mosteller's formula in normal-weight (body mass index [BMI], 20-24.9 kg/m(2)), overweight (BMI, 25-29.9 kg/m(2)), and obese (BMI, >/=30 kg/m(2)) adults (>18 years old) in comparison with other empirically derived formulas (DuBois and DuBois, Boyd [The growth of the surface area of the human body. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press; 1935], Gehan and George [Cancer Chemother Rep 1970;54:225-35], US Environmental Protection Agency [Development of statistical distributions or ranges of standard factors used in exposure assessments Washington, EPA/600/8-85-010. Office of Health and Environmental Assessment; 1985), Haycock et al [J Pediatr 1978;93:62-6], Mattar [Crit Care Med 1989;17:846-7], Livingston and Scott [Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2001;281:E586-91]) and with the new 3-dimensional-derived formula of Yu et al (Appl Ergon. 2003;34:273-8). One thousand eight hundred sixty-eight patients were evaluated (397 normal weight [BMI, 23 +/- 1 kg/m(2); age, 50 +/- 14 years; M/F, 289/108], 714 overweight [BMI, 27 +/- 1 kg/m(2); age, 52 +/- 11 years; M/F, 594/120], and 757 obese [BMI, 36 +/- 6 kg/m(2); age, 53 +/- 11 years; M/F, 543/215]). The overall BSA was 2.04 +/- 0.24 m(2): 1.81 +/- 0.19 m(2) in normal-weight, 1.99 +/- 0.16 m(2) in overweight, and 2.21 +/- 0.22 m(2) in obese subjects. These values were significantly higher in overweight and obese patients compared with the values using the DuBois-DuBois formula (overall, 2.00 +/- 0.22 m(2), P < .01; normal weight, 1.81 +/- 0.19 m(2), P = .93; overweight, 1.97 +/- 0.16 m(2), P < .01; obese, 2.14 +/- 0.21 m(2), P < .001). We could show an excellent correlation between the results obtained from each formula, with all correlations of 0.97 or higher (between 0.971 and 0.999). Body surface area prediction with the commonly used DuBois formula underestimated BSA in obese patients by as much as 3% (male) to 5% (female). Based on the formula of Yu et al, however, BSA is overestimated when these traditional formulas are used. Although Mosteller's formula is recommended based on its simplicity and suitability for laboratory and clinical work in adults, accuracy studies in whites with 3-dimensional one-pass whole-body scanning are needed.

Musculoskeletal symptoms due to technical preconditions in long cycle time work in an automobile assembly plant: a study of prevalence and relation to psychological factors and physical exposure Engstrom T, Hanse JJ, Kadefors R. Appl Ergon 1999;30:443?453

Musculoskeletal symptoms due to technical preconditions in long cycle time work in an automobile assembly plant: a study of prevalence and relation to psychological factors and physical exposure Engstrom T, Hanse JJ, Kadefors R. Appl Ergon 1999;30:443?453

Musculoskeletal symptoms due to technical preconditions in long cycle time work in an automobile assembly plant: a study of prevalence and relation to psychological factors and physical exposure: Engstrom T, Hanse JJ, Kadefors R. Appl Ergon 1999;30:443–453

Musculoskeletal symptoms due to technical preconditions in long cycle time work in an automobile assembly plant: a study of prevalence and relation to psychological factors and physical exposure: Engstrom T, Hanse JJ, Kadefors R. Appl Ergon 1999;30:443–453