Users’ Demands Regarding Dental Safety Glasses. Combining a Quantitative Approach and Grounded Theory for the Data Analysis

Eye infections are common among dentists and many are concerned, but few are using proper eye protection. To understand users’ demands behind the low use of safety glasses, all dental teams in Sweden were asked which factors they found most important when choosing dental safety glasses, and rate the importance of 31 statements regarding ergonomic aspects of dental safety glasses in a questionnaire. Data were analysed using the Grounded Theory and a quantitative approach. Results showed that dentists ranked the visual aspects as most important and chair assistants the protective aspects. The highly visual demanding work performed by dentists requires safety glasses that are not yet available on the market, which might explain the low use.     

The Relevance of Error Analysis in Graphical Symbols Evaluation

In an increasing number of modern tools and devices, small graphical symbols appear simultaneously in sets as parts of the human-machine interfaces. The presence of each symbol can influence the other’s recognisability and correct association to its intended referents. Thus, aside from correct associations, it is equally important to perform certain error analysis of the wrong answers, misses, confusions, and even lack of answers. This research aimed to show how such error analyses could be valuable in evaluating graphical symbols especially across potentially different user groups. The study tested 3 sets of icons representing 7 videophone functions. The methods involved parameters such as hits, confusions, missing values, and misses. The association tests showed similar hit rates of most symbols across the majority of the participant groups. However, exploring the error patterns helped detect differences in the graphical symbols’ performances between participant groups, which otherwise seemed to have similar levels of recognition. These are very valuable not only in determining the symbols to be retained, replaced, or re-designed, but also in formulating instructions and other aids in learning to use new products faster and more satisfactorily.     

An Ergonomics Study of a Semiconductors Factory in an IDC for Improvement in Occupational Health and Safety

The study aimed to conduct an ergonomic intervention on a conventional line (CL) in a semiconductor factory in Malaysia, an industrially developing country (IDC), to improve workers’ occupational health and safety (OHS). Low-cost and simple (LCS) ergonomics methods were used (suitable for IDCs), e.g., subjective assessment, direct observation, use of archival data and assessment of noise. It was found that workers were facing noise irritation, neck and back pains and headache in the various processes in the CL. LCS ergonomic interventions to rectify the problems included installing noise insulating covers, providing earplugs, installing elevated platforms, slanting visual display terminals and installing extra exhaust fans. The interventions cost less than 3 000 USD but they significantly improved workers’ OHS, which directly correlated with an improvement in working conditions and job satisfaction. The findings are useful in solving OHS problems in electronics industries in IDCs as they share similar manufacturing processes, problems and limitations.     

我校年鉴编纂的问题与对策

年鉴编纂是学校教育事业发展的一项基本建设。年鉴的体例结构和内容都应该不断的改进和创新,提高年鉴的编纂质量,为学校的建设和发展服务。     

Methods of Compliance Evaluation for Ocean Outfall Design and Analysis

Sewage discharge from an ocean outfall is subject to water quality standards, which are often stated in probabilistic terms. Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) has been used in the past to evaluate the ability of a designed outfall to meet water quality standards or compliance guidelines associated with sewage discharges. In this study, simpler and less computer-intensive probabilistic methods are considered. The probabilistic methods evaluated are the popular mean first-order second-moment (MFOSM) and the advance first-order second-moment (AFOSM) methods. Available data from the Spaniard's Bay Outfall located on the east coast of Newfoundland, Canada, were used as inputs for a case study. Both methods were compared with results given by MCS. It was found that AFOSM gave a good approximation of the failure probability for total coliform concentration at points remote from the outfall. However, MFOSM was found to be better when considering only the initial dilutions between the discharge point and the surface. Reasons for the different results may be the difference in complexity of the performance function in both cases. This study does not recommend the use of AFOSM for failure analysis in ocean outfall design and analysis because the analysis requires computational efforts similar to MCS. With the advancement of computer technology, simulation techniques, available software, and its flexibility in handling complex situations, MCS is still the best choice for failure analysis of ocean outfalls when data or estimates on the parameters involved are available or can be assumed.     

Optimization of the Resources Management in Fighting Wildfires

Wildfires lead to important economic, social, and environmental losses, especially in areas of Mediterranean climate where they are of a high intensity and frequency. Over the past 30 years there has been a dramatic surge in the development and use of fire spread models. However, given the chaotic nature of environmental systems, it is very difficult to develop real-time fire-extinguishing models. This article proposes a method of optimizing the performance of wildfire fighting resources such that losses are kept to a minimum. The optimization procedure includes discrete simulation algorithms and Bayesian optimization methods for discrete and continuous problems (simulated annealing and Bayesian global optimization). Fast calculus algorithms are applied to provide optimization outcomes in short periods of time such that the predictions of the model and the real behavior of the fire, combat resources, and meteorological conditions are similar. In addition, adaptive algorithms take into account the chaotic behavior of wildfire so that the system can be updated with data corresponding to the real situation to obtain a new optimum solution. The application of this method to the Northwest Forest of Madrid (Spain) is also described. This application allowed us to check that it is a helpful tool in the decision-making process.     

Small-scale variability of metals in soil and composite sampling

Soil pollution data is also strongly scattering at small scale. Sampling of composite samples, therefore, is recommended for pollution assessment. Different statistical methods are available to provide information about the accuracy of the sampling process. Autocorrelation and variogram analysis can be applied to investigate spatial relationships. Analysis of variance is a useful method for homogeneity testing. The main source of the total measurement uncertainty is the uncertainty arising from sampling. The sample mass required for analysis can also be estimated using an analysis of variance. The number of increments to be taken for a composite sample can be estimated by means of simple statistical formulae. Analytical results of composite samples obtained from different fusion procedures of increments can be compared by means of multiple mean comparison. The applicability of statistical methods and their advantages are demonstrated for a case study investigating metals in soil at a very small spatial scale. The paper describes important statistical tools for the quantitative assessment of the sampling process. Detailed results clearly depend on the purpose of sampling, the spatial scale of the object under investigation and the specific case study, and have to be determined for each particular case.     

超积累植物在时空、科属内的分布特点及寻找方法

探讨了超积累植物在时空、科属内的分布特点和正常植物演化出镍超积累特性必备的 2个基本条件 ,介绍了国外 2种常用的寻找超积累植物的方法。     

运用地球化学防治矿山环境污染

本文阐述了运用地球化学防治矿山环境污染的基本原理和一些应用实例,介绍了矿山环境污染和地球化学的基本联系;阐述了地球化学勘查方法和对尾矿、废石以及矿山酸性废水的治理的应用;探讨了美国在矿床的地球化学背景和基准值、矿床地质—环境模型应用方面的先进经验,并针对国情提出了一些其它防治矿山环境污染的地球化学方法。     

大型商场营业厅设计疏散人数指标体系研究

针对大型商场营业厅设计疏散人数指标体系的研究现状与存在问题,提出了设计疏散人数指标体系的安全保证率理念,论证了大型商场营业厅设计疏散人数取双休日(而不取黄金周)人数指标的合理性.进一步优化了大型商场营业厅疏散人数指标体系,进一步减少了以此为根据设计的楼梯间宽度,为修编<建筑设计防火规范>提供参考依据.