Geology-dependent impacts of forest conversion on stream fish diversity

Forest conversion is one of the greatest global threats to biodiversity, and land-use change and subsequent biodiversity declines sometimes occur over a variety of underlying geologies. However, how forest conversion and underlying geology interact to alter biodiversity is underappreciated, although spatial variability in geology is considered an integral part of sustaining ecosystems. We aimed to examine the effects of forest conversion to farmland, the underlying geology, and their interaction on the stream fishes’ diversity, evenness, and abundance in northeastern Japan. We disentangled complex pathways between abiotic and biotic factors with structural equation modeling. Species diversity of stream fishes was indirectly shaped by the interaction of land use and underlying geology. Diversity declined due to nutrient enrichment associated with farmlands, which was mainly the result of changes in evenness rather than by changes in species richness. This impact was strongest in streams with volcanic geology with coarse substrates probably because of the differential responses of abundant stream fishes to nutrient enrichment (i.e., dominance) and the high dependency of these fishes on large streambed materials during their life cycles. Our findings suggest that remediation of deforested or degraded forest landscapes would be more efficient if the interaction between land use and underlying geology was considered. For example, the negative impacts of farmland on evenness were larger in streams with volcanic geology than in other stream types, suggesting that riparian forest restoration along such streams would efficiently provide restoration benefits to stream fishes. Our results also suggest that land clearing around such streams should be avoided to conserve species evenness of stream fishes.     

Effect of restaurant types on compensation claims for work-related musculoskeletal disorders in France

Objectives. The economic burden of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) is industry specific. The objective was to analyse compensation claims for WMSDs among restaurant workers in France taking into account the type of restaurant. Methods. Data for 2014 were obtained from the French National Health Insurance Fund for Salaried Workers. A chi-square test was used to compare claims, incapacity and lost work day rates in different types of restaurant. Results. Prevalence for WMSDs differed significantly by the type of kitchen: collective restaurant (7.2/1000 workers), traditional restaurant (1.7/1000), and fast food restaurant (1.0/1000). There were more male claimants in traditional restaurant workers (51.0%) than in collective restaurant workers (40.1%) but more female claimants in collective restaurant workers (50.1%) than in traditional restaurant workers (39.4%). Permanent incapacity was significantly more prevalent in collective restaurant workers (49.6%), than in traditional (41.9%) and fast food (8.5%) restaurant workers. In collective restaurant workers, as a percentage, claims, permanent incapacity and lost work days increased with age range or work experience. Conclusions. Prevalence for WMSDs and therefore incapacity and lost work days are different according to the type of restaurant. Preventive strategies should take these differences into consideration.     

船员劳动工伤伤害主因及基于管理的防范性措施研究

本文根据某大型航运企业最近9年来发生的船员劳动工伤事故,按“企业职工伤亡事故分类标准”中的分类方法,对这些船员劳动工伤事故进行分类统计分析,并提出如何从管理角度,防范此类劳动工伤事故的发生.指出防止船员劳动工伤事故的管理性措施包括:建立船员职业健康安全管理体系,为船员提供一个健康的、安全的、卫生的工作场所;制定配套的船员劳动安全规章制度;建立完善的劳动安全监督机制;加强对船员劳动工伤事故的调查分析;加强安全教育和现场监督管理;进行船员劳动安全风险辨识;为船员提供必要的劳动防护等.     

代谢组学方法在生态毒理学中的应用进展

代谢组学方法越来越多地用于研究有机体与生态环境的相互作用。近年来,该方法已被应用于化学物风险评价和野生动物的疾病诊断,成为环境科学,特别是生态毒理学中充满活力的研究方向之一。本文介绍了应用于代谢组学研究的核磁共振波谱和质谱2种检测技术,着重讨论了生态毒理学研究中代谢组学方法在生物标志物的发掘和毒性评价,以及有机体对环境影响因子的代谢响应、野生水生动物疾病的诊断和监测等方面的应用。这些代谢组学在生态毒理学领域的应用将促进对有机体与环境相互作用的认识。     

机场安检人员工作压力源及影响因素研究

探讨国内机场安检人员的工作压力源,为开展航空安全心理援助提供有效的依据。通过运用叙述统计分析、主成分分析、t检定、因子分析、多变量分析等方法对机场安检人员工作压力进行分析。对机场安检人员调查问卷进行数据统计的基础上,将采集的有效数据导入SPSS14.0进行检验,Bartlett球形检验结果(2χ=269.713,P=0.000<0.01,KMO值=0.533>0.5),表明采集数据各个变量之间是独立的,适用于进行主成分分析。主成分分析结果表明人际关系因子、工作负荷因子和设备及法令法规因子为机场安检人员的主要压力源。工资收入和工作年限对压力源有显著的影响。工资越低的人感觉工作负荷越大。工作年限10年以上的人在工作负荷和设备与法令规定因子感受较强烈。调查问卷设计合理,涵盖了较为全面的职业压力信息,所获压力因子具有一定的客观性和代表性。     

Associations Between Worker Characteristics,Workplace Factors,and Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Cross-Sectional Study of Male Construction Workers in Nigeria

Objective. This study assessed the association between worker characteristics, workplace factors, and work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) in Nigeria’s construction industry. Methods. A cross-sectional site-by-site survey was conducted in 5 existing construction companies in Uyo, Nigeria. The subjects (n = 1200 males), aged 18-55 years, filled in the semistructured Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire and the job content questionnaire on demographics, work and lifestyle characteristics, and workplace risk factors for WMSDs. Results. The overall prevalence of WMSDs was 39.25%. Differences in age, race, weight, body mass index (BMI), education status, and employment status were significantly associated with the prevalence of WMSDs. Prevalence according to trade was as follows: ironworkers highest at 49% and administrative staff lowest at 31%. Ironworkers (55.7%), administrative staff (53.3%), and security staff (38.7%) scored higher on physical, psychosocial, and individual risk factors, respectively. Workplace factors with increased odds for WMSDs were psychological demands and mental workload, age, BMI, low work experience, low education status, awkward movement of head and arms, working against force or vibration, fast work pace, and race. Conclusion. The recorded high prevalence was multifactorial in etiology; hence, multi-intervention strategies are required.     

Ergonomic interventions for prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in a small manufacturing assembly line

This study involves performing improvements in workstation specification using a three-dimensional human modeling tool and proposing well-balanced work scheduling (WBWS) to prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) in a small manufacturing plant. To analyze risk factors of WMSDs, various tasks at 10 different types of workstation were evaluated with detailed motion analysis using a customized checklist. Questionnaires were administered to 27 workers to evaluate symptoms related to WMSDs. Revised workstation specifications were suggested based on anthropometric characteristics of workers using before–after analyses as an engineering control. Additionally, WBWS was proposed as an administrative control to avoid continuous physical stress on specific body parts in repetitive tasks. A software tool for WBWS was developed for convenient and easy application. The results of the study may aid managers in applying ergonomic interventions with time and cost savings, and enhance worker satisfaction and motivation due to improvements in working conditions to prevent WMSDs.     

Effects of work surface and task difficulty on neck–shoulder posture and trapezius activity during a simulated mouse task

Objectives. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the influence of the work surface and task difficulty on the head, upper back and upper arm postures and activity of the descending trapezius during a simulated mouse task. Methods. Healthy female university students (N?=?15) were evaluated. The work surface was positioned at elbow height (EH) and above elbow height (AEH) and the task difficulty was set at low (LD) and high (HD) levels. The postures were recorded by inclinometers. Trapezius activity was normalized by the maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC). Results. Significantly higher head flexion was found at EH compared to the AEH condition, with an average difference of 2°–5° at the same difficulty level. The HD task significantly increased head (3°–6°) and upper back flexion (6°–7°) at the same table height. For upper arm elevation and trapezius activation, the AEH condition presented higher upper arm elevation (about 6°–8°) and trapezius activity (0.8–1.4% of MVIC), regardless of the difficulty level of the task. Conclusions. Head posture was influenced by the table height and task difficulty; the upper back posture by high difficulty; and upper arm posture and trapezius activity were only influenced by table height.     

Applying a Large,Statewide Database to the Assessment,Stressor Diagnosis,and Restoration of Stream Fish Communities

In this report, predictions of the species that were expected to occur at stream sites were generated and probable stressors to fish species that were predicted to occur but were absent were diagnosed. Predictions were generated based on the hierarchical screening method of Smith and Powell (1971, Am. Mus. Novit. 2458, 1–30), using fish abundance in conjunction with 25 environmental variables at 895 sites. The sites were sampled throughout Maryland and represent the entire range of environmental quality from severely degraded to minimally degraded. Stressor variable values that exceeded tolerance thresholds for species that were expected to occur, but were absent, were considered to be probable stressors. This method was tested for efficacy in stream site assessments and stressor diagnosis using an independent data set. Sites that were classified as degraded according to the IBI and to non-biological criteria had fewer predicted species present compared to minimally influenced sites, indicating that the proportion of predicted species present accurately represents the biological integrity of a stream site. The nine stressors that were applied to the test data set accounted for species absences in 43.7% of degraded sites. Impervious land cover was the most common stressor identified. In addition to assessing stream biological integrity and identifying stressors to fish species, this approach also provides tolerance thresholds for predicted fish species that are useful endpoints necessary to plan effective restoration of fish species in Maryland.