COVID-19 Personal Protective Equipment Sterilization System

A portable system based on a non-destructive sterilization method was developed that consists of a chamber producing ozone concentration levels reported in the scientific literature to deactivate 99.9% of all microorganisms. The system includes a small cordless 30mg/h ozone generator placed inside a 20L enclosed chamber. Personal protective equipment is loaded into the chamber and automatically exposed to an ozone concentration up to 18 ppm for 30 minutes. PPE is then removed and ventilated in open air to allow residual ozone to degrade to oxygen. The paper describes the design and performance characteristics of this technology

Use of a Novel Imaging Technology for Remote Autism Diagnosis: A Reflection on Experience of Stakeholders

Timely diagnosis and early interventions are critical to improving the long term functioning of a child with ASD. However, a major challenge facing parents is difficulty in obtaining on-time access to appropriate diagnostic services. To address this need, an imaging technology, NODA® (Naturalistic Observation Diagnostic Assessment), has been successfully developed and field-tested. NODA® includes 1) NODA SmartCapture; a smart-phone based recording system for parents to capture and share inhome video evidence of their child behavior and 2) NODA Connect; a HIPPA compliant web-platform for diagnosticians to conduct remote autism diagnostic assessments based on in-home video evidence of behavior, developmental history and their clinical judgment. In the field study, parents captured and shared videos evidence from their homes via NODA SmartCapture and diagnosticians conducted remote diagnostic assessment via NODA Connect. Results show that parents were able to successfully collect video evidence of behavior as per given prescription and diagnosticians were able to complete remote diagnostic assessments. This paper is a reflection on the first hand experience of key stakeholders (parents and diagnosticians) using NODA® in the field

UPORABA ROBOTIKE U LABORATORIJIMA ZA ERGONOMIJU

International collaboration in teaching and research has expanded as a result of the widespread accessibility and use of the World Wide Web. While on-line education has experienced the greatest growth, the use of remote laboratories in research and teaching is relatively new. The development of a remote ergonomics laboratory using a new Internet technology is described. The purpose of the remote laboratory is to provide international access to an advanced thermal manikin technology which provides a platform for measuring the thermodynamic properties of protective clothing during exposure to controlled environmental conditions. To date, the laboratory has generated global interest and promoted international collaboration in ergonomics teaching and research.Međunarodna suradnja u nastavi i istraživanjima porasla je kao rezultat raširenosti i dostupnosti globalne mreže. Iako je primjena e-obrazovanja iznimno poraslo, uporaba daljinskih laboratorija u istraživanju i nastavi relativno je nova. Opisan je razvoj daljinskog ergonomijskog laboratorija pomoću internetske tehnologije. Svrha daljinskog laboratorija jest da se diljem svijeta omogući pristup naprednoj tehnologiji manekena na termalno napuhavanje koja nudi temelj za mjerenje termodinamičkih svojstava zaštitne odjeće tijekom izlaganja kontroliranim uvjetima okoline. Laboratorij je izazvao opće zanimanje te promiče međunarodnu suradnju na području nastave i istraživanja u ergonomiji

Assessment of Electrostatic Potential Resulting from Friction Between Fabric Samples Made of Natural and Synthetic Fibers

Synthetic fibers are known to be a major source of electrostatic potential occurring on clothing. The electrical properties of fibers are determined by their chemical composition and polymer structure. Environmental factors such as humidity, temperature, and friction intensity can influence these properties. Due to the insulative characteristics of most fabrics, fibers are able to keep their charge for relatively long periods. This can result in clothing to cling to each other, attract dust, and create discharge shocks. To reduce these issues, suggestions have been proposed to mix garment layers made of natural fibers with garment layers made of synthetic fibers. The purpose of this study was to identify combinations of commercially available natural and synthetic fabrics that may result in reduced electrostatic build-up. Sixteen combinations of four fabric types were evaluated under controlled laboratory conditions. The fabric samples included 100% Polyester, 100% Nylon, 100% wool and 100% cotton. All combinations were evaluated using the same friction test protocol. The results showed that wool and cotton both exhibited the lowest electrostatic charge build-up while the polyester sample created the highest electrostatic charge build-up, even when paired with fabric samples of cotton and wool. The results suggest that layering synthetic fabrics with fabrics made of natural fibers will not significantly reduce the electrostatic potential created by the friction with synthetic fibers

Simplifying Blood Pressure Measurements in Clinical Settings

Background: Upper arm sphygmomanometry is the most commonly used method to measure blood pressure in adults. However, variations in upper arm circumference and use of different cuff-sizes results in different pressure readings. When using the same cuff size, pressure readings will be higher for larger arm circumferences and lower for smaller arm circumferences. The objective of this study was to identify an adjustment factor that will allow pressure readings obtained for any combination of arm circumference and cuff size to be compared. Methods: To investigate the relationship between arm circumferences, cuff size and pressure readings, experiments were conducted using laboratory simulations and blood pressure measurements on nineteen human subjects. Power analysis identified minimum sample size. Results were analyzed using Chi-square and t-tests. The study was conducted between 2019 and 2021 in Boise, Idaho, USA. The University institutional review board approved the use of human subjects. Results: Simulations revealed a 99% linear correlation between changes in arm circumference coverage and changes in pressure readings. Human subject tests showed a 1% change in upper arm coverage by the sphygmomanometer cuff corresponded to a 1mmHg change in both systolic and diastolic pressure readings. Conclusions: The proposed adjustment factor can simplify blood pressure measurements in clinical settings by allowing healthcare providers to use only one sphygmomanometer size. It will also provide the basis for a “reference” against which blood pressure values obtained for any combination of cuff size and arm circumference can be standardized

Fabric Cooling by Water Evaporation

Clothing can provide safety and comfort for persons exposed to both cold and hot thermal environments. To assess the potential impact of clothing moisture and wetness on fabric cooling, a series of wind-tunnel tests was conducted to quantify the evaporative cooling capacity of selected fabric samples. Single-layer cotton, polyester, nylon and silk were evaluated. The results showed that onset and magnitude of evaporative cooling was determined by the amount of water contained in a fabric sample. The results also showed that an exposed skin exhibited more cooling when covered with a fabric than when it was not. The information obtained helps better understand the evaporative cooling process for fabrics and assist in the selection of garment materials that optimize worker comfort and safety

Clothing on Fire: Health Risk Assessment

Clothing fires are a significant public health challenge globally. Thousands of deaths and injuries occur each year from the ignition of flames in clothing. Young children and older persons are at greatest risk. The objective of this study was to develop a simplified method for ranking the flammability of fabrics to help healthcare professionals make better decisions about the potential risks associated with clothing fires

ZDRAVLJE I SIGURNOST STARIJIH RADNIKA

Industrialized nations worldwide are experiencing an “aging” of their population. This phenomenon is caused by an increase in the overall life expectancy of the people and a decline in their fertility rate. As a consequence, the workforce of these nations is getting older also. Although the older employees of today are healthier, better educated, and financially more stable than previous generations, it will be necessary to promote the health and safety of these workers in order to optimize productivity, safety, and job satisfaction. The most common age related changes impacting job performance today are caused by changes in the musculo-skeletal system, eyes, ears, lungs, skin, and the immune system. However, cognitive and adaptive skills acquired from experience and training during the lifetime can often compensate for the negative biological and physiological changes. However, attitudes and values of older workers and how these influence the view and reaction to workplace health and safety issues must also be addressed. Changes in vision and hearing are two factors that deserve special attention because of their immediate impact on the health and well being of the older workers.SAŽETAK: Industrijske zemlje diljem svijeta suočene su sa starenjem stanovništva. Taj je fenomen posljedica duljeg životnog vijeka i pada stope plodnosti. Rezultat je starenje radnoaktivne populacije. Iako su danas stariji radnici boljeg zdravlja, obrazovanja i imaju veću novčanu sigurnost, bit će potrebno unapređivati zdravlje i sigurnost tih radnika kako bi se optimizirala produktivnost, sigurnost i zadovoljstvo na radu. Najčešće promjene vezane uz stariju dob koje utječu na kvalitetu rada su promjene na mišićno-koštanom sustavu, očima, ušima, plućima, koži i imunološkom sustavu. No, spoznajne i prilagodbene sposobnosti stečene iskustvom i praksom tijekom života često mogu kompenzirati biološke i fiziološke promjene. Međutim, također se treba pozabaviti i stajalištima i vrijednosnim sustavima starijih radnika te njihovim utjecajem na odnos prema pitanjima zdravlja i sigurnosti na radu. Promjene vida i sluha dva su čimbenika što zahtijevaju posebnu pozornost zbog njihova izravnog utjecaja na zdravlje i dobrobit starijih radnika

Bridging the Gap Between Academics and Advising: Incorporating Student Development into a Large Upper Division Lecture Course

The role of professional advisors across colleges and universities has gained recognition and is seen as “integral to fulfilling the teaching and learning mission of higher education” (NACADA, 2006). Yet, there remains an ambiguity about our profession and our skill sets. Faculty actively seek advisor assistance in dealing with at-risk students or student issues, but many would be hard pressed to describe the advisor role in recruitment, retention, and student development. College and university administrators wrestle with the larger issues of institutional visions and missions, but have yet to fully visualize the advisor skill sets as a partner in achieving the institutional higher purpose (Faust, 2009)

The Healthy Food Slide Rule (HFSR): A Nutrition Education Tool for Children

The Healthy Food Slide Rule (HFSR) is a new educational tool designed specifically for use by school children in grades 4-6. The HFSR teaches the importance of including the 5 food groups and the importance of complying with appropriate portion sizes as presented in MyPyramid.1, 2 The portion size information included in the HFSR combines the healthy eating and physical activity messages offered by MyPyramid for Kids.3, 4 The new tool can be easily incorporated into existing math lessons (weights, measures, and fractions), into language arts lessons, or into science lessons.