Within the Grasp of the Cat\u27s Paw: Delineating the Scope of Subordinate Bias Liability Under Federal Anti-Discrimination Statutes

Federal antidiscrimination statutes generally ban adverse employment actions taken because of certain specified traits or characteristics. Under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII, for example, an employer is prohibited from discriminating because of an individual\u27s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. 1 The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) uses similar language in banning discrimination against any individual ... because of such individual\u27s age. 2 And, while the antidiscrimination formula utilized by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) is more complicated than either Title VII or the ADEA, it too prohibits discrimination against a qualified individual on the basis of disability.

Output force and ratio of laparoscopic graspers: an evaluation of operating room ergonomics

Background “Laparoscopist's thumb,” or thenar paresthesia, can result from prolonged or excessive grip force during laparoscopy, as can more general syndromes, such as carpal tunnel syndrome. This is particularly relevant in gynecology, where laparoscopic procedures are standard. Although this method of injury is well known, there is a paucity of data to guide surgeons in selecting more efficient, ergonomic instruments. Objective This study compared the ratio of applied tissue force and required surgeon input in a sample of common ratcheting laparoscopic graspers in a small-handed surgeon, to provide potential metrics applicable to surgical ergonomics and surgeon instrument choice. Study Design Laparoscopic graspers with varied ratcheting mechanisms and tip shapes were evaluated. Brands included Snowden-Pencer, Covidien, Aesculap, and Ethicon. A Kocher was used as an open instrument comparison. Flexiforce A401 thin-film force sensors were used to measure applied forces. Data were collected and calibrated using an Arduino Uno microcontroller board with Arduino and MATLAB software. Single-handed, complete closure of each device’s ratcheting mechanism was performed 3 times. The maximum required input force in Newtons was recorded and averaged. The average output force was measured with a bare sensor and the same sensor between 2 different thicknesses of LifeLike BioTissue. Results The most ergonomic ratcheting grasper for a small-handed surgeon was identified by the output ratio: the highest output force relative to the required surgeon input (the most force for the least amount of effort). The Kocher required an average input force of 33.66 N, with its highest output ratio of 3.46 (112 N output). The Covidien Endo Grasp was the most ergonomic, with an output ratio of 0.96 on the bare force sensor (31.4 N output). The Snowden-Pencer Wavy grasper was the least ergonomic, with an output ratio of 0.06 when applied to the bare force sensor (5.9 N output). All graspers except for the Endo Grasp had improving output ratios as tissue thickness and subsequent grasper contact area increased. Input force above that provided by the ratcheting mechanisms did not increase output force in a clinically relevant amount for any of the instruments evaluated. Conclusion Laparoscopic graspers vary widely in their ability to provide reliable tissue force without requiring excessive input by the surgeon, and a point of diminishing returns often exists with increased surgeon input over designed ratcheting mechanisms. Output force and output ratio are potential quantitative measures of the efficiency of laparoscopic instruments. Providing users with this type of data could assist in optimizing instrument ergonomics

Cultural Exposure, Religion, and Voting Ideology

Color poster with text, tables, charts, and graphs.This study hypothesized that students who were more exposed to people of religions and ethnicities other than their own would be more likely to vote for presidential candidates of diverse religions or ethnicities.University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Programs