Ergonomics analyses of five joineries located in Florianópolis-SC, using the LEST Method

Considering the goal of Ergonomic Work Analysis to establish, from the point of view of workers, safe, healthy, comfortable and efficient environments, this study propose to analyze the work situation of machine operators at five joineries from Florianópolis-SC. For this, it was applied the LEST Method to evaluate the task made by the operators, considering the physical, cognitive and organizational work environment. As results, it was identified the main ergonomics problems of these workstations, presenting an ergonomic diagnosis and their implications on health and safety of workers. As result, it was concluded that the main ergonomics problems at joineries are related with noise, with constant load of weight and with the postures taken. Besides these problems, others were diagnosed, for example, the pressure for workers to comply strictly the task stipulated and also the poor training and capacity of workers.     

Sexual abuse of individuals with disabilities: prevention strategies for clinical practice

Sexual abuse of individuals with disabilities occurs in alarming proportions, although the prevalence and incidence of such abuse is difficult to determine. Although all states maintain statistics on child sexual abuse, the rate of victimization for individuals with disabilities is not specific. This paper reviews several studies conducted on sexual abuse of individuals with disabilities with a focus on clinical prevention strategies. Recommendations for future directions in prevention and research are provided.     

Ergonomics and usability of children interfaces: Spore®, the case study

This study supports itself in ergonomic concepts and usability criteria by prioritizing the identification and correction of problems found during the interaction of children with projected interfaces for them and left from the cognitive, interactional and interfacial difficulties caused by the excesses of color, elements and animation in sites and games, between them the difficulty of recognition of the information during the interaction with the elements of grid of the interface. The results of the methodology had proven that 78.38% of the 37 children got so absorbed by the game and forgot to fulfill their tasks, at least partially, and that the application of the supported ergonomic beddings in usability criteria is imperative. It is relevant to point out that the projetual activity of the game is centered in the user, the child, whose behavior is distinct and particular. Points that had been disclosed that had passed unobserved by the involved adults in this project, and that they had displayed the unappropriateness of some screens of the Spore? to the etária band due to the ambiguity of the game, besides, the children had been sensible to the clarity in some screens and had passed for unnecessary situations of stress.     

From bonds to bridges and back again: co-ethnic ties and the making of Filipino community in Poland

Utilising indigenous Filipino psychology methods, this study examines the experiences of Filipino migrants in Poland, with a specific focus on the nature and function of their co-ethnic ties. The study is framed against the conceptual notion of bonding and bridging capital and strong and weak ties. Analysis of interview and focus group data suggests that respondents conceptualise co-ethnic ties in ways consistent with scholars’ definitions of bonding capital; however, there is substantial complexity in the nature, function, and strength of such ties. Furthermore, co-ethnic ties are dynamic and their form and function change with time as migrants integrate and adapt to their host countries.     

Quality of Life of Institutionalized Elderly in Brazil

When considering the increasing proportion of institutionalized elderly and the aim of better quality of life for this growing population, it is necessary to know the quality of life for residents in nursing homes in Brazil, which is the purpose of this review. This is a simple review whose research was performed in electronic databases Journal Portal CAPES, Scopus and Bireme. The latter covers information about the subject registered in the SciELO, LILACS, MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library. Identified studies were assessed according to the following inclusion criteria: (1) population (institutionalized elderly in Brazil), (2) theme (quality of life) and (3) quantitative approach. According to this review, most studies that compared the quality of life of residents and nonresidents in nursing homes revealed that the institutionalized elderly have a worse perception of quality of life, possibly due to factors that cause the institutionalization and influence this self-perception, such as age, sex, education, lifestyle, autonomy and social participation. Among the domains evaluated in the questionnaire for quality of life the perception of autonomy and environmental aspects were the least satisfied by the institutionalized elderly. To improve the quality of life it is essential that the community living in the institutional space promote the autonomy of the elderly. Public policies that make a difference to the well being of older people need to be maintained, expanded and strengthened continuously to new strategies that respond to demands arising from rapid population aging and promote quality of life improvement.     

Incongruent Teen Pregnancy Attitudes,Coparenting Conflict,and Support Among Mexican‐Origin Adolescent Mothers

The current longitudinal study examined whether differences between Mexican‐origin adolescent mothers and their mother figures (N = 204 dyads) in attitudes on the status attained through teen pregnancy were associated with conflict in their coparenting relationship and whether coparenting conflict was associated with adolescent mothers' perceptions of social support. Findings revealed that when adolescents held more positive attitudes than their mother figures about the status gained through teen pregnancy, they tended to report greater coparenting conflict with their mother figures. Furthermore, greater coparenting conflict was significantly associated with decreases in adolescents' perceptions of social support (i.e., emotional, instrumental, companion support) 1 year later. Findings underscore the importance of incongruent attitudes and the quality of coparenting relationships between adolescent mothers and their mother figures in relation to support processes. Findings are discussed with respect to understanding Mexican‐origin adolescent mothers' social support in the context of family subsystem attitudes and interactions.     

POLICY-COMPARING SIMULATION EXPERIMENTS: DESIGN AND ANALYSIS

One of the principal uses of simulation in business and industry is to compare alternative policies or decision rules for the operation and control of complex systems. The immediate objective of such simulation studies is usually quite simple: to discover the best of the several policies under consideration. The measure of effectiveness used is also usually straightforward, often dollars of cost or profit. The basic experimental design that will produce the best comparison of alternatives is generally agreed upon: all policies should be compared under, to the extent possible, identical experimental conditions, i.e., when randomness is involved, all alternatives in a simulation experiment should be simulated using a common sequence of randomly-generated events.