283 research outputs found
Relaxation phenomenon in lumbar trunk muscles during lateral bending
This paper reports myoelectric activity measurements in the lumbar trunk muscles when subjects performed tasks involving various degrees of lateral bending. Biomechanical model analyses were made to estimate the tensions in the lumbar trunk muscles required to perform those tasks. The tensions and the activity measurements were compared to see if a muscle relaxation phenomenon occurred. A relaxation phenomenon in the erector spinae muscles was observed to occur in quiet standing in a laterally-bent position of the trunk, qualitatively similar to the flexion-relaxation phenomenon reported by Schultz et al. in 198513. However, no relaxation was observed to occur in the lateral oblique abdominal muscles in laterally-bent postures of the trunk.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/27189/1/0000192.pd
Zimbabweâs land reform: challenging the myths
Most commentary on Zimbabweâs land reform insists that agricultural production has almost totally collapsed, that food insecurity is rife, that rural economies are in precipitous decline, that political âcroniesâ have taken over the land and that farm labour has all been displaced. This paper however argues that the story is not simply one of collapse and catastrophe; it is much more nuanced and complex, with successes as well as failures. The paper provides a summary of some of the key findings from a ten-year study in Masvingo province and the book Zimbabweâs Land Reform: Myths and Realities. The paper documents the nature of the radical transformation of agrarian structure that has occurred both nationally and within the province, and the implications for agricultural production and livelihoods. A discussion of who got the land shows the diversity of new settlers, many of whom have invested substantially in their new farms. An emergent group âmiddle farmersâ is identified who are producing, investing and accumulating. This has important implications â both economically and politically â for the future, as the final section on policy challenges discusses.ESR
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Manufacturing Development of the NCSX Modular Coil Windings
The modular coils on the National Compact Stellarator Experiment (NCSX) present a number of significant engineering challenges due to their complex shapes, requirements for high dimensional accuracy and the high current density required in the modular coils due to space constraints. In order to address these challenges, an R&D program was established to develop the conductor, insulation scheme, manufacturing techniques, and procedures. A prototype winding named Twisted Racetrack Coil (TRC) was of particular importance in dealing with these challenges. The TRC included a complex shaped winding form, conductor, insulation scheme, leads and termination, cooling system and coil clamps typical of the modular coil design. Even though the TRC is smaller in size than a modular coil, its similar complex geometry provided invaluable information in developing the final design, metrology techniques and development of manufacturing procedures. In addition a discussion of the development of the copper rope conductor including "Keystoning" concerns; the epoxy impregnation system (VPI) plus the tooling and equipment required to manufacture the modular coils will be presented
Conceptualising Gamification Risks to Teamwork within Enterprise
Gamification in businesses refers to the use of technology-assisted
solutions to boost or change staff attitude, perception and behaviour, in relation
to certain business goals and tasks, individually or collectively. Previous research
indicated that gamification techniques can introduce risks to the business
environment, and not only fail to make a positive change, but also raise concerns
in relation to ethics, quality of work, and well-being at a workplace. Although
the problem is already recognised in principle, there is still a need to
clarify and concretise those risks, their factors and their relation to the gamification
dynamics and mechanics. To address this, we conducted multi-staged empirical
research, including two monthsâ observation and interview study, in two
large-scale businesses using gamification in their workplace. In this paper, we
focus on gamification risks related to teamwork within the enterprise. We outline
various risk mitigation strategies and map them to primary types of gamification
risks. By accomplishing such conceptualisation, we pave the way towards
methods to model, detect and predict gamification risks on teamwork and
recommend and design practices and strategies to tackle them
On the beneficial effect of noise in vertex localization
A theoretical and experimental analysis related to the effect of noise in the task of vertex identication in unknown shapes is presented. Shapes are seen as real functions of their closed boundary. An alternative global perspective of curvature is examined providing insight into the process of noise- enabled vertex localization. The analysis reveals that noise facilitates in the localization of certain vertices. The concept of noising is thus considered and a relevant global method for localizing Global Vertices is investigated in relation to local methods under the presence of increasing noise. Theoretical analysis reveals that induced noise can indeed help localizing certain vertices if combined with global descriptors. Experiments with noise and a comparison to localized methods validate the theoretical results
Factors influencing nurses' compliance with Standard Precautions in order to avoid occupational exposure to microorganisms: A focus group study
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Nurses may acquire an infection during the provision of nursing care because of occupational exposure to microorganisms. Relevant literature reports that, compliance with Standard Precautions (a set of guidelines that can protect health care professionals from being exposed to microorganisms) is low among nurses. Additionally, high rates of exposure to microorganisms among nurses via several modes (needlesticks, hand contamination with blood, exposure to air-transmitted microorganisms) occur. The aim of the study was to study the factors that influence nurses' compliance with Standard Precaution in order to avoid occupational exposure to pathogens, by employing a qualitative research design.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>A focus group approach was used to explore the issue under study. Four focus groups (N = 30) were organised to elicit nurses' perception of the factors that influence their compliance with Standard Precautions. The Health Belief Model (HBM) was used as the theoretical framework and the data were analysed according to predetermined criteria.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Following content analysis, factors that influence nurses' compliance emerged. Most factors could be applied to one of the main domains of the HBM: benefits, barriers, severity, susceptibility, cues to action, and self-efficacy.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Changing current behavior requires knowledge of the factors that may influence nurses' compliance with Standard Precautions. This knowledge will facilitate in the implementation of programs and preventive actions that contribute in avoiding of occupational exposure.</p
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