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Benefits of rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) over scrolled text vary with letter size.
We previously reported that low vision readers do not benefit from a rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) display relative to a scroll display. Each reader in those studies was presented with only one letter size, and it was the same for both displays. In the current study, we systematically varied the size of the letters and compared reading rates from the 2 displays for letters that were 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 times each reader's acuity threshold. Using this paradigm, we found that subjects with normal vision (n = 12) read faster with RSVP for all text sizes. Low vision subjects (N = 20) showed no benefit of RSVP until the text was at least 8x their acuity threshold. As in our prior studies, there was a great deal of variability within the low vision group, and for a small number of subjects (25%), reading was faster from the scroll than from the RSVP display.
Reading with a head-mounted video magnifier.
PURPOSE: This study compared the effectiveness of a head-mounted video magnifier, low-vision enhancement system (LVES), with closed-circuit TV (CCTV) and large print as a device or means of improving reading performance in people with low vision. METHODS: The reading performance of ten low-vision participants was assessed in two ways: (1) By measuring reading speed as a function of print size with LVES and without LVES, and (2) by comparing reading speed and comprehension of news articles using the LVES vs. a popular non-head-mounted video magnifier, the CCTV. RESULTS: Maximum reading speeds with LVES matched the maximum reading speeds with unaided vision attained by enlarging print. The critical print size (the smallest print size that could be read at maximum reading speed) improved significantly for all participants using LVES compared with unaided vision. When comparing reading performance using LVES and CCTV, we found that reading speed and comprehension for the two conditions were equivalent. The two low-vision participants with lowest acuities (20/640 and 20/960) could not read the 10-point newspaper articles with LVES, even with an 8 D auxiliary reading lens that permitted a very close reading distance. CONCLUSIONS: Head-mounted video magnifiers, such as LVES, can support good low-vision reading performance, but the restricted range of magnification may limit the usefulness of the device as a reading magnifier for people with very low acuity.
A method for using relay lenses with display monitors for vision testing at far and near.
Resolution limitations preclude the use of display monitors for near testing of acuity and contrast sensitivity. Relay lenses can form minified aerial images of the display at any given near viewing distance, but the image will differ in spatial frequency from the display. Equations are presented that can be used to specify the far- and near-viewing distances and the necessary focal length of a lens so that the display and its near aerial image have identical spatial frequencies when viewed by a subject at a fixed location. Modulation transfer function (MTF) calculations show that achromatic doublets will not degrade the resolution across a 300-mm wide display, thereby providing the versatility of display monitors for near vision testing.
The proximity-fixation-disparity curve and the preferred viewing distance at a visual display as an indicator of near vision fatigue.
PURPOSE: This laboratory study investigates the relation between measures of fixation disparity (FD) (and other optometric measures) and near vision fatigue at a computer workstation. METHODS: Young adult subjects with normal binocular vision performed three blocks of a visual task of 30 min each. In Block A, the viewing distance was 100 cm, as a reference without near vision. In Block B, the viewing distance of 50 cm induced a defined near vision load. In Block C, subjects were free to choose a comfortable viewing distance. This preferred viewing distance was used as an indicator of near vision fatigue because subjects adopting longer viewing distances in Block C had more near vision fatigue at 50 cm in Block B. RESULTS: Subjects with preferred viewing distances longer than average (63 cm) had steeper slopes of FD as a function of viewing distance (100-30 cm), as shown by discriminant analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, this steep proximity-FD curve indicates a weak disparity vergence system that may cause near vision fatigue. This may explain why some young adults prefer longer viewing distances at the computer workstation.
Swabbing computers in search of nosocomial bacteria.
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Applying ergonomics to nurse computer workstations: review and recommendations.
Nursing is associated with high rates of musculoskeletal disorders from patient handling, and nurses are at high risk for developing cumulative trauma disorders, which can result from computer usage. Although there are many benefits to using computers in the workplace, nurses need to incorporate ergonomic factors into work settings to promote safe workplace environments. This article reviews recent literature about computer workstation ergonomics, discusses related policies, and makes recommendations about computer workstation design and related research in nursing workplace settings.
Recent trends in work-related cumulative trauma disorders of the upper extremities in the United States: an evaluation of possible reasons.
The increasing trends of cumulative trauma disorders of the upper extremities (CTDUEs) in US industry is well established; however, systematic examination of potential reasons for these trends has been lacking. Data from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics and from Liberty Mutual Group workers' compensation claims were used to count CTDUEs. The proportions of all Bureau of Labor Statistics' cases and Liberty Mutual Group workers' compensation claims that resulted from CTDUEs were estimated for the years 1986 to 1993. The proportions by occupation (job classification code), gender, potential video display unit use, and in the meat-packing industry are described. Both data systems show a steady increase in cases and claims from less than 1% in 1986 to about 4% in 1993. Women and specific occupational categories are over-represented with respect to CTDUEs. A shift to service industry work and video display unit use do not appear to be strongly related to the increased reporting of CTDUEs, whereas increased productivity, an increased number of women in the work force and general awareness of CTDUEs in the media and health care system may be related. Coding and definition problems still limit these conclusions, however.
A keyboard for "Daubert".
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Evidence for work-related musculoskeletal disorders: a scientific counterargument.
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A cognitive-behavioral treatment of patients suffering from "electric hypersensitivity". Subjective effects and reactions in a double-blind provocation study.
This study tested psychological treatment of patients with "electric hypersensitivity." Seventeen patients were randomly assigned to a treatment group or a waiting-list control group in a pretest-posttest control group design. The patients were also taking part in double-blind provocation tests before and after the treatment. Subjective ratings of symptoms were registered and blood samples were taken and analyzed for "stress-related" variables, such as prolactin, cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone, and cholesterol levels. The patients in the experimental group reduced their evaluations of the disability more than the control group did. This indicates that psychological treatment may be of value in this disease. However, none of the psychophysiological measures or the subjective reactions to the provocation test showed any significant between-group difference. The conclusion from the provocation test is that this group of alleged hypersensitive patients did not react to the electromagnetic fields.
Melatonin and adrenocorticotropic hormone levels in video display unit workers during work and leisure.
This study examined 47 office workers during a day of regular work in front of a video display unit (VDU) and a day of leisure in the same environment. The study investigated possible effects of VDU work on circulating melatonin and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels. Circulating melatonin levels decreased significantly during VDU work, whereas ACTH levels increased significantly. In contrast, melatonin and ACTh levels did not change significantly during a day of leisure. Mental strain during work was significantly and positively associated with circulating levels of ACTH but not melatonin. The results indicate that the VDU environment is associated with measurable changes in melatonin and ACTH levels. Mental strain might explain changes in ACTH levels, but specific factors that might contribute to changes in melatonin levels are unknown. These findings might be relevant to the recent debate about the possible influence that electromagnetic and VDU environments might have on electromagnetic sensitivity.
Neurophysiological effects of flickering light in patients with perceived electrical hypersensitivity.
An increasing number of people in Sweden are claiming that they are hypersensitive to electricity. These patients suffer from skin as well as neurological symptoms when they are near computer monitors, fluorescent tubes, or other electrical appliances. Provocation studies with electromagnetic fields emitted from these appliances have, with only one exception, all been negative, indicating that there are other factors in the office environment that can effect the autonomic and/or central nervous system, resulting in the symptoms reported. Flickering light is one such factor and was therefore chosen as the exposure parameter in this study. Ten patients complaining of electrical hypersensitivity and the same number of healthy voluntary control subjects were exposed to amplitude-modulated light. The sensitivity of the brain to this type of visual stimulation was tested by means of objective electrophysiological methods such as electroretinography and visual evoked potential. A higher amplitude of brain cortical responses at all frequencies of stimulation was found when comparing patients with the control subjects, whereas no differences in retinal responses were revealed.
Office ergonomics clinic results at thirty months.
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Effect of keyboard keyswitch design on hand pain.
This randomized clinical trial evaluated the effects of keyboard keyswitch design on computer users with hand paresthesias. Twenty computer users were matched and randomly assigned to keyboard A (n = 10) or B (n = 10). The keyboards were of conventional layout and differed in keyswitch design. Various outcome measures were assessed during the 12 weeks of use. Subjects assigned keyboard A experienced a decrease in hand pain between weeks 6 and 12 when compared with keyboard B subjects (P = 0.05) and demonstrated an improvement in the Phalen test time (right hand, P = 0.006; left hand, P = 0.06). Keyboard assignment had no significant effect on change in hand function or median nerve latency. We conclude that use of keyboard A for 12 weeks led to a reduction in hand pain and an improved physical examination finding when compared with keyboard B. There was no corresponding improvement in hand function or median nerve latency.
Provocation with stress and electricity of patients with "sensitivity to electricity".
Twenty-four patients with self-reported "sensitivity to electricity" were divided into two groups and tested in a double-blind provocation study. These patients, who reported increased skin symptoms when exposed to electromagnetic fields, were compared with 12 age- and sex-matched controls. Both groups were exposed to 30-minute periods of high or low stress situations, with and without simultaneous exposure to electromagnetic fields from a visual display unit. The matched controls were tested twice and given the same exposure as the patients but had the fields turned on every time. Stress was induced by requiring the participants to act in accordance with a random sequence of flashing lights while simultaneously solving complicated mathematical problems. Blood samples were analyzed for levels of the stress-related hormones melatonin, prolactin, adrenocorticotrophic hormone, neuropeptide Y, and growth hormone, and the expression of different peptides, cellular markers, and cytokines (somatostatin, CD1, factor XIIIa, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha). Skin biopsies were also analyzed for the occurrence of mast cells. Stress provocation resulted in feelings of more intense mental stress and elevated heart rate. The patients reported increased skin symptoms when they knew or believed that the electromagnetic field was turned on. With the blind conditions there were no differences between "on" or "off." Inflammatory mediators and mast cells in the skin were not affected by the stress exposure or by exposure to electromagnetic fields. The main conclusion was that the patients did not react to the fields.
Through the looking glass: 21st century trauma registry innovations.
Trauma registries can be invaluable tools for improving quality of care and monitoring patient outcomes, but many function below their full potential. Reliance on low-tech, manual data management methods, such as the retyping of demographic information, can lead to inefficiency, increased personnel costs, and potential error. One low-cost solution is a digital interface between the medical records coding database and the trauma registry, allowing the registrar to pull demographic information and ICD-9 diagnostic and procedure codes directly from a reliable source without re-keying them. We created a batch interface for that purpose, reducing the burden of manual data entry and decreasing the time needed to complete patient records in the registry. The interface has eliminated our backlog and allowed the trauma registrar to focus on creating timely reports to track quality indicators.
Effect of povidone 2% preservative-free eyedrops on contact lens wearers with computer visual syndrome: pilot study.
PURPOSE: To show that the use of povidone 2% preservative-free lubricating eyedrops reduces computer visual syndrome in contact lens wearers and to identify the best eyedrop instillation protocols. METHODS: The test product was FILMABAK a CE-marked nonpreserved lubricant, povidone 2% delivered by the ABAK system. Three dispensing modalities were evaluated during contact lens wear and computer use: hourly instillation, symptom-related instillation, and patient's own instillation. RESULTS: During sustained computer use, a decrease in symptoms associated with the use of povidone 2% was statistically and clinically significant. However, the symptoms were not fully eliminated by the use of the test eyedrop. The three instillation routines achieved similar beneficial effects. No significant changes in ocular tissue response were observed, and the staining recorded after sustained computer use remained low. The use of povidone 2% preservative-free lubricating eyedrops under any of the three instillation modalities tested was also associated with a slight improvement in dynamic visual acuity. CONCLUSIONS: The use of povidone 2% preservative-free eyedrops was associated with an improvement in symptoms during sustained computer use. Any of the three instillation modalities decreased symptoms of ocular tiredness, dryness, and difficulty of focus; maintained an unchanged corneal surface; and improved dynamic visual acuity. Therefore, the most patient-friendly modality (patient's own instillation modality from symptom onset) could be recommended to contact lens wearers with computer visual syndrome.