Heavy Category Research Articles

Intercomparison of Global Model Precipitation Forecast Skill in 2010/11 Using the SEEPS Score

AbstractPrecipitation forecasts from five global numerical weather prediction (NWP) models are verified against rain gauge observations using the new stable equitable error in probability space (SEEPS) score. It is based on a 3 × 3 contingency table and measures the ability of a forecast to discriminate between “dry,” “light precipitation,” and “heavy precipitation.” In SEEPS, the threshold defining the boundary between the light and heavy categories varies systematically with precipitation climate. Results obtained for SEEPS are compared to those of more well-known scores, and are broken down with regard to individual contributions from the contingency table. It is found that differences in skill between the models are consistent for different scores, but are small compared to seasonal and geographical variations, which themselves can be largely ascribed to the varying prevalence of deep convection. Differences between the tropics and extratropics are quite pronounced. SEEPS scores at forecast day 1 in the tropics are similar to those at day 6 in the extratropics. It is found that the model ranking is robust with respect to choices in the score computation. The issue of observation representativeness is addressed using a “quasi-perfect model” approach. Results suggest that just under one-half of the current forecast error at day 1 in the extratropics can be attributed to the fact that gridbox values are verified against point observations.

Axle load trends and their effects on pavement structural design

A network of weigh-in-motion sites has been implemented in Hungary in 1996. Measured data series provide an opportunity for analyzing axle load variation trends in recent years. Both axle loads and total weights of goods vehicles show an increasing tendency. Proportions of heavy vehicle categories have changed, too. According to the observed trends new design load classes were incorporated into the design guide a few years ago. A pavement strengthening program has been started on TEN-T and E-roads in order to comply with the EU 11.5 ton axle weight limit. Realistic axle load spectra and trends have been considered in the structural design of pavements.

KAJIAN ASPEK ERGONOMI MIKRO PADA SISTEM KERJA AGRO INDUSTRI (Studi Kasus Pabrik Gula Pada Proses Tebang Angkut Dan Giling)

Agro-industrial work system, especially the sugar industry is a very complex work systems. In the approach to ergonomics, system components can be divided into human (workers), equipment and materials, physical environment and organizational environment. Each component interacts with the pattern of interrelation in the principle of autopoeisis (self-organizing system). Ergonomics analysis of the each component are needed in order to design or redesign the system, to ensure that work system can be sustainabe. This paper discusses some of the ergonomic aspects of work systems, among others, physical workload of manual harvesting, manual transporting of sugarcane and physical environmental conditions in the factory include vibration, temperature, noise, and lighting, as well as employee perceptions of work facing the system. Based on the comparison value IRHR (increase ratio of heart rate) for each job, the workload of manual harvesting categorized in moderate and severe categories (IRHR between 1.27 to 1.66) and manual transporting categorized in heavy and very heavy (IRHR between 1.43 to 1, 93). The physical condition of the factory there are some of the data beyond the allowed limit, for example, the highest temperature reached 37 0C, very low illumination of 7.5 lux, and the noise reached 93.2 dB. While the boiler operator workload is very heavy category (IRHR 1.67). From some of these results, it can be concluded that conditions are less ergonomic work systems, and requires some improvement in microergonomics aspects.

An assessment of physiological workload of forest workers in felling operations

This study examined the physical strain experienced by chainsaw operator and the applicability of heart rate indices for measuring physical strain in forest felling operations in north eastern region of Turkey. The heart rate of ten chainsaw operators were recorded continuously throughout the working day and applied to heart rate indices. The average working heart rate was 122.8 beats/minute (bt. min-1), while the pre-work resting heart was 70.5 bt. min-1. The average physical workload (%HRR) rate range was 44.79, while the ratio of working heart rate to resting heart rate was 1.74. The average ratio of working heart rate to 50% level was 0.97. The workers had a mean estimated maximum aerobic capacity (Vo2 max) of 43.34 milliliters per kilogram and minute (ml kg-1 min-1). All physiological measures placed the task of chainsaw operations in the heavy workload categories. Average hourly production decreased from 8.5 m3 in the morning to 7 m3 in the afternoon. The cutting-falling phase accounted for 30% of the hazards, with the remaining 70% occurring during branch cleaning. This study also shows that heart rate indices can be used as an effective means of determining the physiological strain of subjects in applied field situations. The workers will achieve optimum physical and mental performance if they are provided by an adequate fluid and food throughout the day. Key words: Forest, felling operations, chainsaw operator, physiological workload, heart rate.

The influence of health education on the prevalence, intensity and morbidity of Schistosoma haematobium infections in children over a two-year period in the Limpopo Province, South Africa

The infuence of health education on the prevalence and intensity of Schistosoma haematobium infections, as well as on the related morbidity, was studied in schoolchildren between the ages of 4 and 14. Three groups of children were selected for this investigation. The 67 children in the experimental group received chemotherapy before health education was implemented, as well as when they got re-infected during the study. Health education was presented in mother tongue by means of a puppet show. The 99 children in one of the control groups received treatment only after the study while the 80 children in the remaining control group were treated as those in the experimental group, except that no intervention by means of education was applied. Health education, parasitological screens and snail surveys were done during the rainy, cold-dry and hot-dry seasons between 2004 and 2006. The prevalence and intensity of infection, as well as the morbidity (degree of haematuria) due to the infections, were determined after the urine samples, collected from each child, were screened. Signifcant differences (p<0.05) were found between the initial prevalence of infection (100%) and all the values recorded from survey 2 to survey 7. With regard to the intensity of infection, signifcant differences were found in all cases between the experimental and the treated control groups except in the heavy category (p=0.84). Statistical comparisons between the mean percentages calculated for corresponding categories of haematuria between the different groups revealed signifcant differences in all cases except between the experimental and treated control groups in the heavy category (3+) of haematuria.

The sense of coherence and risk of injuries: role of alcohol consumption and occupation

Study objective:To test the hypothesis that individuals with a strong sense of coherence (SOC) have a decreased incidence of external cause injuries and to study the role of alcohol consumption...

Energy expenditure of women boxers in India

Objectives : Women boxing have got recognition recently and so far no work has been reported on energy expenditure of national women boxers in India. This study was aimed to estimate the energy expenditure in Indian female boxers during sparring. Methods : A total of 20 female boxers were subjected. Energy expenditure was estimated using the same individual's HR-VO2 regression equation. Heart rate was recorded through radiotelemetry. Results : Results reveal that average and maximum energy expenditure considering the total duration of boxing are12.7 ± 1.3 and 14.4 ± 1.6 kcal/min. Conclusions : It is concluded that depending on the severity of energy expenditure female boxing comes under heavy category and as it is a pioneer attempt in India, further studies in this aspect of sport are required which will guide the coaches regarding the energy expenditure pattern in women boxing. Keywords : Female boxing, Combat sports, India, Energy cost Nigerian Journal of Health and Biomedical Sciences Vol. 5 (2) 2006: 17-20

Value addition in district level dynamical forecast during monsoon depressions and storms

ABSTRACT. The trials of district level forecasts yielded encouraging results during 2005 monsoon. The purpose of this paper is to document the methodology followed in the value addition during the periods of monsoon depressions and storms. The focus is on the use of Mean Sea Level (MSL) positions and the 850 hPa circulation features predicted by different model centres, especially the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). The ECMWF-predicted 72 hr MSL position of the monsoon depression centre was found to be significantly correlated to the actual position of the system and the central location of the realized rainfall zone associated with the system. Even the predicted location of the system at 850 hPa by the ECMWF has been found useful in identifying the districts that received heaviest rainfall associated with the monsoon systems.MM5 and T-80 – predicted locations of the system at 850 hPa yielded lower correlations with the location of the actual rainfall zone associated with the system. As ECMWF – predicted rainfall was not available the rainfall predicted by MM5 and T-80 were used in the computations of the correlations with actual rainfall amounts associated with monsoon depressions and storms. The correlations between MM5 and T-80 – predicted average and maximum rainfall associated with systems and corresponding actual were poor. Though it is not difficult to identify the districts that are likely to be affected by the heavy rainfall associated with monsoon depressions/storms, the prediction of exact rainfall amount for each district (beyond heavy, very heavy or exceptionally heavy categories) is difficult from the model outputs which makes such forecasts a very challenging task. Therefore, the value addition using other inputs such as satellite information, synoptic charts, climatology etc. are very useful in the prediction of rainfall amounts associated with monsoon systems.

Determination of maximum acceptable weight of lift by adult Indian female workers

A study on maximum acceptable weight limit (MAWL) was conducted on ten adult Indian female building construction workers (CW) and eight household workers (HW), following the psychophysical methodology. All these workers were in the age group of 28–32 years. In this study, three different body heights (i.e. knee, waist and maximum reach) in sagittal plane were considered. The lifting frequency was fixed at 1liftmin−1. The subjects were instructed to lift the load from the ground. Each set of experiments was conducted for 45min work period using free-style lifting technique. Subjects were using a load container with no handle, which is typically used in the field. Both the working heart rates (WHR) and pause heart rates (with 4.4s interval) were collected for the entire duration. The subjects were requested to rate their perceived exertion level after each load adjustment. The average MAWL working heart rates of CW group are 106.2(±8.3), 108.7(±9.3) and 106.8(±11.0) beatsmin−1 for knee, waist and maximum reach heights, where the load levels were estimated as 18.2(±0.8), 17.4(±1.4) and 16.3(±1.2) kg, respectively. For HW group, the MAWL working heart rates obtained were 101.3(±8.0), 99.6(±6.2) and 105.2(±6.1) beatsmin−1 for knee, waist and maximum reach heights and the corresponding load levels were 15.4(±0.5), 14.4(±0.7) and 13.9(±1.2) kg, respectively. Both the groups psychophysically rated the work in moderate to heavy category. A best-fit curve was obtained from average normalized baseline pause heart rates with work duration (t) as Avg. N.H.R.base=k.tα. It has been observed that with extrapolation of the work duration to 8h from 45min experimental observation, the heart rate would increase to about 6–8beatsmin−1 for both the groups of workers. This equation can be used to approximate the effect of work-duration on heart rate. Relevance to industryMAWL study was performed on industrial female workers, which is rarely reported in the literature. Moreover, earlier studies were mainly conducted on the Americans. This study is focused on Indian population to compare the applicability of NIOSH guidelines in Indian context.

Manual lifting load limit equation for adult Indian women workers based on physiological criteria

A comprehensive equation for the evaluation of a maximum load limit for manual load lifting has been developed for the first time for Indian adult female workers, based on a physiological criterion due to the limitation of applicability of the NIOSH (1991) equation. Ten adult female workers, who had been engaged in building construction activities for at least 7 years participated in this study. The cut-off value was selected as the working heart rate corresponding to the 33% level of maximum aerobic power (i.e. V′O2 max.) of this population, which was equivalent to a heart rate of 101.6 beats.min − 1. An equation was developed based on the effects of the following three lifting parameters on working heart rate: vertical height (knee, waist, shoulder and maximum reach height), lifting frequency (1, 4, 7 and 14 lifts.min − 1), and load weight (5, 10 and 15 kg). The variations of the specific lifting parameter values were selected from field observations. From this equation, the maximum load limit was calculated as 15.4 kg and the workers give this a psychophysical rating as in the moderate to heavy category.

Continuity of climatological observations with automation ‐ temperature and precipitation amounts from AWOS (Automated Weather Observing System)

Recent automation of meteorological observations affects homogeneity of the long‐term climatological records, which are used to study climate change and variability. In order to avoid false conclusions regarding apparent climate trends, these records must be adjusted to account for biases caused by new instrumentation, computerized processing algorithms and relocation of the observing sites. This study of the effects of automation on two primary climatological elements, temperature and precipitation amounts, was conducted at five stations situated in various climatological regimes across Canada, where concurrent Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) and manual observations were collected over the period of one year. The authors attempted to assess observations at higher temporal scales: average daytime and night‐time temperature; daily maximum and minimum temperature; daily precipitation – in addition to the usual annual, seasonal or monthly precipitation. Individual hourly or daily observations of temperature were grouped according to meteorological conditions that either maximize or minimize instrumental and site differences, e.g., sky cover and wind speed. Similar electronic temperature sensors were used by both the observer and AWOS, which resulted in a rather small instrumental bias: AWOS reported temperatures that were warmer by up to 0.2°C. The siting bias, caused by AWOS typically being installed in the middle of an airfield, was often much more pronounced due to the greater radiative cooling: on average AWOS reported temperature minima that were colder by up to 1.3°C. Differences between gauges, especially in resolution and height of the orifice above the ground, were identified as the main source of observed biases. It was not possible to quantify the siting portion of the overall bias. Precipitation was categorized according to the amounts reported by AWOS. In the category of light daily amounts up to 5 mm d−1, no consistent reliable relationship between A WOS and the observer could be established, while in the moderate to heavy category of amounts higher than 5 mm d−1, AWOS underestimates precipitation by up to 13%. Cases, when either the observer or AWOS reported some precipitation, while the other reported null, were also examined in detail. Over time periods of one month or longer, undercatch by the AWOS automated weighing gauge, as compared to the Type B gauge for rain and the Nipher gauge for snow, is quite severe, on the order of tens of percentage points. This study emphasizes that the availability of at least one or two years of concurrent conventional and automated observations is crucial to the development of adjustment factors, especially for observations of sub‐diurnal resolution. With the growing demand for good quality sub‐ and diurnal resolution data for construction of scenarios of impacts of global climate change on humans and the environment, it is expected that more research on adjusting high temporal resolution data will be required and conducted in the future.

Hair and scalp mycobiota in school children in Nablus area.

Hair and scalp mycobiota of 1389 clinically normal children aged 6-12 years attending 12 schools in the Nablus District, Palestinian Authority, was assessed on three occasions over 8-month period (October 1998-May 1999) using the hair brush technique. One hundred and one fungal species belonging to 33 genera were recovered: 6 dermatophytes, 16 dermatophyte-like keratinophilic fungi, and 79 other keratinophilic fungal species. Species varied considerably in their frequency of occurrence and abundance based on their relative importance values (RIVs). The most frequent and abundant species were: Cladosporium cladosporioides, Cl. herbarum, Penicillium chrysogenum and Aspergillus flavus, Microsporum canis, Aphanoascus fulvescence and Chrysosporum sulfureum were the most frequent and abundant species of all dermatophytes and dermatophyte-like keratinophilic fungi recovered. The most frequent and abundant dermatophytes in different communities were M. canis in rural (RIV 0.87) and urban children (0.45), and Trichophyton violaceum (1.41) in refugee camp children. Chrysosporium species were the most frequent and abundant dermatophyte-like keratinophilic fungus in children from all localities followed by Aphanoascus fulvescence. Comparable results on the frequency and abundance of human hair and scalp mycobiota component fungi were obtained based on age group and sex of children. Higher number of species was recovered in spring months (73 species) than in autumn (57) and winter (44) months. Similar occurrence pattern was also noted for dermatophyte-like keratinophilic species and dermatophytes. Higher percentages of children with moderate (11-50) and heavy (< or = 50) spore loads (7.54 and 0.73, respectively) were found in urban school children community than in rural and refugee camp school children (4.7 and 0.1, respectively). Also significantly higher light (1-10) spore load percentages were found in rural (63.67) and refugee camp (62.9) than in urban children (52.6). Of all localities, school children with light spore load comprised the highest percentage of the children examined (37.4), followed by moderate (6.13), and heavy (0.41) spore load categories. However, children with undetected spore load comprised 36.05% of all children. Spore load distribution did not show clear seasonal variations in the study period. Higher percentages of moderate and heavy spore loads were found in male children (8.72 and 0.69, respectively) than in female children (3.4 and 0.1, respectively). However, higher percentages of undetected (38.3) or light spore loads (58.4) were found in females than in males (34.04 and 56.53, respectively).

Lifting Ability of Army Men and Women in Relation to Occupational Demands

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the lifting strength of soldiers entering the Army and the physical demands of their job. The muscle strength and body composition of 169 male and 153 female recruits were measured prior to basic training. Each soldier's lifting capacity was compared to the lifting standards of their assigned job. Nearly all soldiers were able to meet the standard for frequent lifting; however, 56% and 77% of women could not meet the standard for occasional lifting in the heavy (45.4 kg) and very heavy (&gt;45.4 kg) physical demand category, respectively.

Investigations into the accuracy of prediction of beef carcass composition using subcutaneous fat thickness and carcass weight I. Identifying problems

Investigations were conducted into the accuracy of prediction of the percentages of fat and muscle in 69 steer carcasses using subcutaneous fat thickness and carcass weight. The carcasses were arbitrarily divided into low and high fat thickness, and light and heavy weight categories. Relationships between fat thickness and the percentages of fat and muscle were modified by breed and weight group (or their interactive effects), or by breed and fat group (or their interactive effects). General equations ignoring breed should not, therefore, be used for prediction. The equations were modified by using low and high fat thickness or light and heavy carcass weight groups. Because of the absence of breed differences in the lighter weight and lower fat thickness groups, a single breed-ignored regression equation could be used in each case to predict the carcass components. In the fatter and heavier groups of carcass significant breed differences occurred and breed specific regression equations should be used.

Spectral characterization and regression-based classification of forest damage in Norway spruce stands in the Czech Republic using Landsat Thematic Mapper data

Abstract This study assessed the ability of Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) sensor data to discriminate among three damage categories of Norway spruce in the Krusne Hory mountains using dichotomous logit regressions. Moderate and light damage stands, being the most spectrally similar, were separated with 83 per cent accuracy using TM1, TM4 and TM7. Moderate and heavy categories were best separated by TM3 (accuracy=88 per cent). Light and heavy damage classes were separated with up to 95 per cent accuracy. Ratios and indices did not improve the regression accuracies. The regression equations, when used to classify three categories of damage, accurately classified 71–75 per cent of Norway spruce stands.

Comparison of Shock Test Methods of MIL-S-901 Derived from Tests on a Circuit Breaker &amp; Switchboard

For shipboard equipment to qualify as shock-hardened, it must pass a shock test in accordance with the U.S. military shock test specification, MIL-S-901 [1]. The test methods prescribed by MIL-S-901 have gone essentially unchanged since 1963. All equipment is divided into three test categories, depending on weight, and a different shock test machine is specified for each weight category. The heavy weight category is further subdivided depending on the method of mounting within the ship, namely deck mounted or hull mounted. The authors have observed cases when equipment passing MIL-S-901 shock qualification testing using one method (e.g., the medium weight) failed when tested on another method (e.g., the floating shock platform). Concern about this difference in shock phenomena between the approved equipment performance stimulated the authors to perform the testing and analysis presented in this paper. The thirty year old test methods which have contributed significantly to shock survivability may not always simulate adequately the actual shipboard installation during shock qualification testing, thus leading to a false confidence level that all qualified equipment will perform well in combat. To explore the possible variations in shock phenomena from the different methods, an extensive testing program was conducted whereby a 100 ampere circuit breaker was subjected to shock testing under the four methods outlined in MIL-S-901 D, namely, lightweight, medium weight, heavy weight deck, and heavy weight hull. The data gathered during the testing, and the performance of the equipment under test, were both evaluated and analysed to observe differences in shock phenomena from each of the four different test methods. The shock testing methods, the equipment which was subjected to test, the test procedures, and the results of the investigation are described in this paper. The recommendations suggest improvements to the U.S. Navy shock testing methods and procedures.

Psychophysical acceptability and perception of load heaviness by females

The objective of the study was to evaluate subjective perceptions of load heaviness, and relate these perceptions to the maximal acceptable weights of lift. Ten female college students experienced in manual lifting participated in the study. In the first experiment, subjects were asked to select one of the seven linguistic values of load heaviness (very light, light, less-than-medium, medium, more-than-medium, heavy, and very heavy), which would best describe the lifted loads. Seven boxes, ranging in weight between 2.3 kg and 22.7 kg, were used for that purpose. In the second experiment, subjects were asked to fill empty boxes to the level they felt would best reflect a given load heaviness category. In the third experiment, the psychophysical methodology was used to determine the maximal acceptable weight of lift for an 8-hour day. The results showed that 50% of the subjects considered a 20.4 kg box (45 lbs) as very heavy, while another 50% believed that such a load was heavy. The average load selected as maximal acceptable weight of lift (MAWL) for an 8-hour day was 16.4 kg (standard deviation (SD) = 5.3 kg). When asked to determine the weights that would best describe a given category of load heaviness, the subjects selected 22.5 kg (SD = 3.7 kg) and 18.4 kg (SD = 2.7 kg) for very heavy and heavy categories, respectively. Further analysis revealed that only 30% of the subjects selected MAWL values that were larger than the pre-weighted boxes independently judged by them as very heavy or heavy categories. Also, 10% and 30% of the subjects selected MAWL values that were larger than the weights chosen during the self-classification procedure as representative of heavy or very heavy categories of load heaviness, respectively. It was shown that the loads selected as the maximum acceptable weights for an 8 h shift were independently judged by the female subjects as being in the more-than-moderate or heavy weight categories. Comparison of the results for females and males led to a conclusion that female subjects were more realistic, with respect to subjective perception of load heaviness, in selecting the MAWL values than were male subjects.

Persistence, Runs and Recurrence of Precipitation

A total of 511 056 hourly observations of precipitation, taken over a 13-year period at nine stations, were studied to obtain a better understanding of the characteristics of persistence, runs and recurrence. Each hourly precipitation observation was categorized as either none, light, moderate or heavy. Probabilities of each category, except heavy, were estimated from relative frequencies determined from this large data sample and were compared with some theoretical models. The heavy category occurred too infrequently at all of the nine stations to obtain statistically stable relative frequencies from a 13-year period of record. The sample provided sufficient information about the other categories to confidently fit models to the data. The models can be applied to estimate probabilities that precipitation will be observed for sequences of x hours, or more; for exactly x hours; or at time t and also at time t + x hours.

Hookworm in Georgia

In a survey in rural Georgia, 3,729 white elementary school children were examined for intestinal helminth infections and 5,016 were tested for anemia. The state was divided into four domains of study (I, north; II, north-central; III, south-central; IV, southeast), each having a different expected hookworm prevalence. Sample clusters were classrooms, grades 1, 3, 5, and 7, in pairs of rural schools in each of seven randomly selected counties of every domain. Hematocrit and hemoglobin determinations were made at the schools, and fecal specimens were mailed to a central laboratory for quantitative diagnosis of helminthiases by a thick-smear technique. Data were recorded on mark-sensing sheets and analyzed by computer. In domains I to IV, 869, 959, 862, and 1,039 children, respectively, were examined for parasites, and 0%, 1%, 4%, and 12%, respectively, were positive for hookworm. Of the 172 hookworm infections, 48 were moderate or heavy in intensity. From 3 to 10% of the children had low hematocrit or hemoglobin levels, but fewer than half of the moderate to heavy hookworm cases were categorized as anemic, and even some very heavy infections were in children with normal hematocrit and hemoglobin. Of the 48 Ascaris infections detected, 4 were in domain I (<1% prevalence), 10 in domain II (1%), 3 in domain III (<1%), and 31 in domain IV (3%). More than twice as many Ascaris infections occurred in 1st-grade children than in children of any of the other three grades. About one-third of the cases were in the moderate to heavy category; 11 of these were in domain IV. Trichuriasis was not found in the children in domain I, 5 cases (<1%) were found in domain II, 3 (<1%) in domain III, and 12 (1%) in domain IV. Among these 20 infections, 14 were light and 6 were of moderate to heavy intensity. The results of this survey indicate that hookworm remains endemic in rural southern Georgia, and it is expected that hookworm infections will persist in scattered families for the foreseeable future. But hookworm disease is not common and must be treated on an individual basis. Ascariasis and trichuriasis no longer appear to be of public health significance in white children in Georgia but, again, occasional cases, some of clinical significance, can be expected to appear throughout the next few decades.

Effect of Stink Bug-Damaged Soybean Seeds on Germination, Emergence, and Yield12

Stink bug-damaged seeds from 17 soybean varieties were separated into 4 arbitrary categories depending upon the amount of visual damage to the seeds. The categories of damage were: none or check―no visual damage; light―seeds showing punctures but without shriveling of the seedcoat; moderate―seeds with some shriveling of the seedcoat; and heavy―extensive shriveling of the seedcoat. Soybean seed stained using a tetrazolium technique showed that with regard to viability the location of a stink bug puncture is probably more important than the number of punctures. One puncture in the radicle-hopocotyl axis of the seed can prevent germination. Greenhouse tests showed highly significant differences among the arbitrary categories with respect to emergence and yield. A small-plot field test using the ‘Bossier’ variety showed no significant difference in yield between the lightly damage seeds and those with no visual damage, but it showed significant decreases in yield between the light vs. moderate and moderate vs. heavy categories of stink bug-damaged seeds.