Highlights ► During standing work (34 min) the lower limbs experience higher loads than the back. ► Standing-related lower limb discomfort is likely related to vascular outcomes. ► Results suggest ...that back discomfort is likely dependent on multiple factors. ► Prolonged standing work includes multi-system adaptations to cope with discomfort.
In recent decades there has been an increasing recognition of the need to account for sex and gender in biology and medicine, in order to develop a more comprehensive understanding of biological ...phenomena and to address gaps in medical knowledge that have arisen due to a generally masculine bias in research. We have noted that as basic experimental biomedical researchers, we face unique challenges to the incorporation of sex and gender in our work, and that these have remained largely unarticulated, misunderstood, and unaddressed in the literature. Here, we describe some of the specific challenges to the incorporation of sex and gender considerations in research involving cell cultures and laboratory animals. In our view, the main‐streaming of sex and gender considerations in basic biomedical research depends on an approach that will allow scientists to address these issues in ways that do not undermine our ability to pursue our fundamental scientific interests. To that end, we suggest a number of strategies that allow basic experimental researchers to feasibly and meaningfully take sex and gender into account in their work.—Ritz, S.A., Antle, D. M., Côté, J., Deroy, K., Fraleigh, N., Messing, K., Parent, L., St‐Pierre, J., Vaillancourt, C., Mergler, D. First steps for integrating sex and gender considerations into basic experimental biomedical research. FASEB J. 28, 4–13 (2014). www.fasebj.org
Abstract Sit-stand workstations are a popular workplace intervention. Organizations often require a medical professional's guidance for implementation. Therefore, it is important to understand ...potential negative outcomes associated with standing work, such as lower limb discomfort and peripheral vascular issues. The objective of this study was to compare changes in lower limb discomfort, blood pressure and blood flow accumulation during a light-load repetitive upper limb work task accomplished from seated and standing postures. At the Jewish Rehabilitation Hospital (Laval, Quebec, Canada), 16 participants were outfitted with Laser Doppler Flow (LDF) electrodes to measure blood flow in the lower limb, and a sphygmomanometer to measure lower limb mean arterial blood pressure (MAP). Participants completed simulated work over 34 min in standing and seated conditions. Repeated measures ANOVAs (Posture x Time) were used to assess the differences. There were significant effects for both Posture (p = 0.003) and Time (p = 0.007) for LDF-measured of blood flow accumulation in the soleus and the foot, with a mean increase of 77% blood flow over time in the standing posture, when compared to seated work. There was a significant ‘Posture × Time’ (p = 0.0034) interaction effect and a significant Posture (p = 0.0001) effect for MAP, with higher values in the standing posture by a mean of 37.2 mmHg. Posture had a significant effect (p < 0.001) on lower limb discomfort, with standing posture reporting higher levels. These results suggest that recommendations for using static standing work postures should be tempered, and physicians' guidance on workstation changes should consider the impacts on the lower limb.
Sit-stand stools are available for use in industrial settings, but there is a lack of quantitative evidence demonstrating benefits for lower limb, back and/or neck/shoulder outcomes. In this paper we ...describe an experiment conducted to compare and contrast posture and time-related differences in muscular and vascular outcomes during 34 min of manual repetitive work performed in either standing or sit-standing work posture. We measured vascular parameters in the lower limbs, and muscular parameters in the trunk and neck/shoulder, and discomfort in the three regions as participants accomplished a repetitive box-folding task. Results show that blood flow in the foot (p = 0.022) and ankle mean arterial pressure (p < 0.001) were greater during standing. Left gluteus medius and external oblique activation was higher during standing, while sit-standing work resulted in higher levels of co-activation between the left erector spinae and external oblique muscle pair (p = 0.026). Neck/shoulder muscle activity was not significantly different between the conditions. Reported discomfort did not differ significantly for the trunk and neck/shoulder region, but standing resulted in higher level of reported discomfort in the lower limb. The sit-stand posture used in this experiment appears to prevent the undesirable lower limb outcomes associated with static standing work posture.
This work demonstrates quantitative evidence to support the potential use of a sit-stand stool for industrial work operations, at least over relatively short durations.
•We evaluated differences between work in a standing and sit-standing posture.•The sit-standing posture comprised of an adjustable stool and foot support.•Results show few postural differences between trunk and upper limb outcomes.•Sit-standing reduced lower limb discomfort and improved vascular outcomes.•Results show evidence to support sit-stand stool use in industry.
This study aimed at investigating gender difference in the coordination of the subdivisions of the trapezius muscle during a repetitive box-folding movement task. Twenty-two healthy volunteers (11 ...males and 11 females) performed the repetitive box-folding task for 34 min. During the task, perceived exertion and surface electromyographic (EMG) signals from the upper, middle, and lower trapezius subdivisions were recorded. Absolute and normalised root mean square (RMS) values as well as normalised mutual information (NMI) values were calculated to assess, respectively, activation levels within muscle subdivisions and functional connectivity among subdivisions. Females compared with males were characterised by higher normalised RMS values in the upper trapezius (
P
< 0.05) and higher NMI values within the upper–middle subdivision pair (
P
< 0.05) during repetitive box-folding. The elevated normalised level of activation of the upper trapezius as well as the enhanced functional connectivity among upper–middle trapezius subdivisions underlined that females adopted a different motor strategy than males did during a dynamic repetitive task. Such differences within and among muscle subdivisions may not be a favourable trait and could partly contribute to the higher prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders reported in females.
Telehealth approaches to delivering ergonomics assessment hold great potential to improve service delivery in rural and remote settings. This case study describes a telehealth-based ergonomics ...service delivery process, and compares in-person and telehealth-based ergonomics approaches at an Alberta-based non-profit advocacy group. This project demonstrates that telehealth approaches to ergonomics do not lead to significantly different scoring outcomes for assessment of ergonomics issues, when compared to in-person assessments. This project also outlines the importance of live real-time video conferencing to improving communication, attaining key assessment information, and demonstrating ergonomic adjustments. However, some key considerations of bandwidth and hardware capabilities need to be taken into account. Key communication strategies are outlined to improve rapport, maintain employee confidentiality, and reduce client anxiety around telehealth ergonomics assessments. This project provides further support for telehealth approaches to office ergonomics, and outlines some key implementation strategies and barriers that should be considered.
This case study reviews the knowledge transfer (KT) process of implementing a knife sharpening and steeling program into a poultry processing plant via a participatory ergonomics intervention. This ...ergonomics intervention required stakeholder participation at the company level to move a 'train-the-trainer' program, developed in Québec, Canada, into action on the plant's deboning line. Communications and exchanges with key stakeholders, as well as changes in steeling and production behaviours were recorded. The intervention was assumed to be at least partially successful because positive changes in work operations occurred. Ergonomic-related changes such as those documented have been cited in the academic literature as beneficial to worker health. However, several components cited in literature that are associated with a successful participatory ergonomics intervention were not attained during the project. A Dynamic Knowledge Transfer Model was used to identify KT issues that impacted on the success of train-the-trainer program. A debriefing analysis reveals that a failure to consider key participatory ergonomics factors necessary for success were related to capacity deficits in the knowledge dissemination strategy.
Recent literature suggests that sleep deprivation has a general stimulatory effect on the central serotonergic system. Herein we report that in hamsters, sleep deprivation induced by gentle handling ...for 3 h under dim red light at midday stimulates serotonin release in the suprachiasmatic nuclei by as much as 171%. Basal levels of 5-HT release are re-established within 1 h after cessation of treatment. Sleep deprivation also evokes phase advances of the circadian activity rhythm averaging 2 h. When sleep deprivation is undertaken in bright light, serotonin release is stimulated, but phase-shifting is greatly inhibited. It is therefore proposed that if the phase-resetting response to sleep deprivation is mediated by increased serotonin release, light inhibits the phase-resetting effect by blocking the postsynaptic or other downstream actions of serotonin.
BACKGROUND:The meaning and role of hope in parents of children with life-threatening illnesses remain relatively unstudied.
OBJECTIVE:The objectives of this study were to explore parental hope when a ...child is being treated for a malignancy resistant to treatment and to identify facilitators and barriers to maintaining hope in this context.
METHODS:Thirty-five parents of children with difficult-to-treat cancer were interviewed 3 months after diagnosis. Line-by-line coding of transcripts was used to establish categories and themes. Constant comparison was used to examine relationships within and across codes and categories.
RESULTS:Parental hope was related to the child’s cure and future. The concept, however, oscillated between being tenacious and robust, and tenuous and elusive, depending on how the child was responding to treatment and the psychosocial context. Focusing on positive outcomes and experiences, spirituality, and social support facilitated being hopeful. Awareness of negative outcomes, information overload, physical and emotional depletion, and fear and uncertainty challenged parental hope.
CONCLUSIONS:Developing a model that identifies the nature of parental hope as well as barriers and facilitators to maintaining hope shortly after childhood cancer diagnosis may assist healthcare professionals in supporting parents.
IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE:Understanding parental hope may assist healthcare professionals to avoid overloading parents with too much information at once. Healthcare professionals can also ensure that social support from family, community, and the medical center is available for parents and that their physical and emotional needs are being met to ensure that they maintain hope to best care for their child with cancer.
This project involved the evaluation of a transfer of a ‘train-the-trainer’ knife sharpening and steeling program (KSP) for butchery operations from Québec to Newfoundland. The objectives of this ...study were to evaluate: (1) the factors that impacted upon the transfer of the KSP from a Québec Research Team (QRT) to the Newfoundland Research Team (NRT) and a poultry plant, (2) to evaluate the impact of the KSP on employee health and productivity and, (3) to attempt to identify the impact that a KT strategy has within a participatory ergonomics (PE) intervention. The Eastern Canadian Consortium on Workplace Health identified the KSP as a successful existing program that could be transferred to Newfoundland and Labrador. It was thought that this program would benefit a St. John's, Newfoundland poultry processing plant. Researchers (ergonomists, engineers and KT specialists), plant management and plant employees constituted a tripartite partnership that would guide the knowledge adaptation, transfer and assimilation. The KSP uses a ‘train-the-trainer’ approach that identified plant personnel who could acquire the ability to machine-sharpen knives. Following a series of training sessions, the plant trainers were asked, in cooperation with factory management, to proceed with training of plant workers in proper knife steeling and care techniques. The QRT provided the NRT with methods to assess skill development and work behavior changes of a production line cohort. Researchers adapted survey, video and semi-structured interview techniques to assess the intervention. A KT Model (Parent et al., 2007) was employed as a diagnostic tool to evaluate KT capacities. While KT was slow and was not completely successful, the project recognizes that KT capacities within social networks impacted on the KSP intervention. Networks for actor communications, managerial involvement, organizational culture and facilitative ability of the NRT appear to have impacted disseminative and absorptive capacities required for successful KT. The QRT and the trainers displayed active generative capacity, by developing new knowledge regarding the KSP process, and strategies to use in smaller enterprises. The NRT gained experience in applying a PE framework. However, it is clear that additional steps are required for the knowledge gained within the province from the experience to become institutionalized. At the industrial site, the trainer's skills and knowledge have been recognized as exceptional by the QRT and Québec experts. Some, but not all, employees have adopted the principles of the KSP and demonstrate the potential for reductions in cutting-related musculoskeletal disorders. However, managers at the plant did not taken steps to institutionalize knowledge, suggesting that the continuity of the KSP may be threatened.
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