The Effect of Using Noise Cancellation Earplugs In Open-Plan Offices On The Offices On The Work Well-Being And Work Performance Of Software Professionals

The popularity of open-plan offices has been on the rise recently and expanded to all sectors of working life. While moving to open-plan offices brings savings to companies, open-plan offices have been connected with various different negative consequences, such as noise. Noise has been found to be a central cause of dissatisfaction towards working in an open-plan office and lead to subsequent negative outcomes, such as decreased self-perceived health and weakened cognitive performance. There- fore, it is important to study the ways and technologies that could possibly mitigate the negative effects of noise on work well-being and work performance. This explorative study investigates both the objec-tively measured and subjectively perceived effects of adopting noise cancellation earplugs by open- plan office workers in a software company. In physiological measurements, the usage of noise cancellation earplugs was not found to affect work stress or work strain nor affect the stress-recovery balance. In psychological measurements, the perceived effects of using the earplugs on work well-being and work performance were small but rather negative than positive. This could be due to negative perceived comfort and usage experiences with the earplugs. Besides open-plan offices, the findings are mostly generalizable to other office settings as well

Application of Advanced Early Warning Systems with Adaptive Protection

This project developed and field-tested two methods of Adaptive Protection systems utilizing synchrophasor data. One method detects conditions of system stress that can lead to unintended relay operation, and initiates a supervisory signal to modify relay response in real time to avoid false trips. The second method detects the possibility of false trips of impedance relays as stable system swings “encroach” on the relays’ impedance zones, and produces an early warning so that relay engineers can re-evaluate relay settings. In addition, real-time synchrophasor data produced by this project was used to develop advanced visualization techniques for display of synchrophasor data to utility operators and engineers

Risk of other Cancers in Families with Melanoma : Novel Familial Links

A family history of cutaneous melanoma ('melanoma') is a well-established risk factor for melanoma. However, less is known about the possible familial associations of melanoma with other discordant cancers. A risk for discordant cancer may provide useful information about shared genetic and environmental risk factors and it may be relevant background data in clinical genetic counseling. Using the Swedish Family-Cancer Database, we assessed the relative risk (RR) for any cancer in families with increasing numbers of first-degree relatives diagnosed with melanoma, including multiple melanoma, and in reverse order RR for melanoma in families of multiple discordant cancers. Close to 9% of melanoma was familial; among these 92% were in 2-case families and 8% in families with 3 cases or more. Cancers that were associated with melanoma, in at least two independent analyses, included breast, prostate, colorectal, skin and nervous system cancers. Other associations included cancer of unknown primary, acute myeloid leukemia/myelofibrosis and Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia/myeloma. Significant results, which appear biologically plausible, were also obtained for rare nasal melanoma and mesothelioma. Although small samples sizes and multiple comparisons were of concern, many of the above associations were internally consistent and provide new diverse leads for discordant familial association of melanoma.Peer reviewe

The Habits of Playing and the Reasons for Not Playing Exergames: Gender Differences in Finland

This study examines the habits of playing and the reasons for not playing digital exercise games (i.e., exergames), concentrating particularly on the gender differences between the male and female players and non-players. Exergames can be considered an important and interesting research topic as they can be used to motivate people to do more exercise and, consequently, to improve their health and well-being. The study is based on analysing an online survey sample of 3,036 Finnish consumers through contingency tables, the Pearson’s χ 2 tests of independence, and the Cramér’s V coefficients. The results of the analysis reveal 11 main reasons for not playing exergames as well as several gender differences both in the habits of playing and in the reasons for not playing exergames. Based on these results, exergames still seem to have a long way to go before they are perceived as interesting enough in terms of the game experience as well as useful enough in terms of their effects on physical fitness

Explaining the Usage Intentions of Exercise Monitoring Devices: The Usage of Heart Rate Monitors in Finland

Today, more and more people are using different types of exercise monitoring devices to measure their physical exercise activities. However, the underlying reasons for using these devices remain vaguely understood. This study aims at addressing this shortcoming by first proposing a theoretical model for explaining the usage intentions of exercise monitoring devices and then empirically testing it in the case of one common type of these devices: heart rate monitors. The model is based on a synthesis of three distinct theoretical domains – the theory of planned behaviour, the innovation diffusion theory, and the typology of consumer value – and it is tested by analysing an online survey sample of 3,036 Finnish consumers, or more specifically a sub-sample of 1,250 Finnish heart rate monitor owners, through structural equation modelling. The results of the analysis are also used to draw implications for the design and marketing of heart rate monitors

Using a Physical Activity Application to Promote Physical Activity Levels Among Aged People: A Follow-Up Study

The share and life expectancy of the ageing population are increasing. However, aged people are threatened by insufficient physical activity. Therefore, finding ways to support people to live a physically active life in older age is imperative. Digital wellness technologies represent a potential solution, but in order for such technologies to be effective, research is needed to gain a better understanding on their use among aged people. To address this need, this study investigated whether the use of a physical activity application can promote physical activity among aged people. The physical activity levels were measured at three different time points: before taking the application into use, after four months of use, and after 12 months of use. The results show a modest increase in the physical activity levels. When examining physical activity categories (based on the IPAQ-E), a participant rather shifted to a higher than to a lower physical activity category. Overall, the changes were more substantial after 12 months than after four months of use. The results suggest that physical activity applications used in everyday life have potential in promoting physical activity levels among aged people