Orhan Korhan | Eastern Mediterranean University (original) (raw)
Papers by Orhan Korhan
Sustainability
Recently, with the emergence of Industry 4.0 (I4.0), smart systems, machine learning (ML) within ... more Recently, with the emergence of Industry 4.0 (I4.0), smart systems, machine learning (ML) within artificial intelligence (AI), predictive maintenance (PdM) approaches have been extensively applied in industries for handling the health status of industrial equipment. Due to digital transformation towards I4.0, information techniques, computerized control, and communication networks, it is possible to collect massive amounts of operational and processes conditions data generated form several pieces of equipment and harvest data for making an automated fault detection and diagnosis with the aim to minimize downtime and increase utilization rate of the components and increase their remaining useful lives. PdM is inevitable for sustainable smart manufacturing in I4.0. Machine learning (ML) techniques have emerged as a promising tool in PdM applications for smart manufacturing in I4.0, thus it has increased attraction of authors during recent years. This paper aims to provide a comprehens...
Sustainability
Recently, researchers have proposed various maturity models (MMs) for assessing Industry 4.0 (I4.... more Recently, researchers have proposed various maturity models (MMs) for assessing Industry 4.0 (I4.0) adoption; however, few have proposed a readiness framework (F/W) integrated with technology forecasting (TF) to evaluate the growth of I4.0 adoption and consequently provide a roadmap for the implementation of I4.0 for smart manufacturing enterprises. The aims of this study were (1) to review the research related to existing I4.0 MMs and F/Ws; (2) to propose a modular MM with four dimensions, five levels, 60 second-level dimensions, and 246 sub-dimensions, and a generic F/W with four layers and seven hierarchy levels; and (3) to conduct a survey-based case study of an automobile parts manufacturing enterprise by applying the MM and F/W to assess the I4.0 adoption level and TF model to anticipate the growth of I4.0. MM and F/W integrated with TF provides insight into the current situation and growth of the enterprise regarding I4.0 adoption, by identifying the gap areas, and provide a ...
EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education
With the recent technological advances, there is a shift from traditional education to tablet-ass... more With the recent technological advances, there is a shift from traditional education to tablet-assisted learning environment. This study compares the problems experienced by students in traditional education and tablet-assisted educational activities. The impact of traditional education on students has been discussed by a comprehensive analysis of the literature. The findings showed that the physical discomforts due to tablet-use are intensively experienced at neck, upper back, lower back, and shoulder regions, which are very similar to those experienced in traditional education. Reading and writing activities have impact on the shoulders, upper back, and the left upper arm. The developed risk assessment model has shown that both educational and extracurricular activities result in significant risk factors of physical discomfort. Analysis of the muscular activity data implied that there were significant differences among muscle groups for each respondent, which validates and verifies our risk assessment model.
Ergonomi
Mobile device Smartphones Tablets Touchsecreen Musculoskeletal disorders People using mobile touc... more Mobile device Smartphones Tablets Touchsecreen Musculoskeletal disorders People using mobile touch screen devices (MTSDs) have been exposed to the musculoskeletal disorder because of physical risk factors. As being lightweight; the latest generations of MTSDs are preferred for personal and work purposes as they are comfortable to operate and easy to carry. Furthermore, they have many advantageous facilities compared to conventional devices. This study aims to survey previous researches on the effects of MTSDs use on the musculoskeletal disorder. In this scope; published researches on musculoskeletal disorders, postural problems, and kinematic activities at upper extremities among people who use mobile phones or tablets for daily use are investigated. The articles reviewed were cited based on the research made from
International journal of occupational safety and ergonomics : JOSE, Jan 13, 2018
Heavy truck drivers are exposed to various psychological, psychosocial and physiological factors,... more Heavy truck drivers are exposed to various psychological, psychosocial and physiological factors, some of which can cause musculoskeletal discomfort in different body regions. This study aims to investigate the correlation between different factors of musculoskeletal discomfort in heavy truck drivers. A cross-sectional study design was applied. A total of 384 participants were interviewed using an updated version of the Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire. While hypothesis testing was used to assess the association of different factors in musculoskeletal discomfort, logistic regression was applied to explore different correlations among questions of the survey. The results demonstrate that hours of exposure to vibration were associated with discomfort in the neck and shoulders (p < 0.001). This relationship was not statistically significant in the lower back area (p = 0.300). Additionally, 19 equations, their correlations and their odds ratios were formulated with Nagelkerke R &...
ABSTRACT Review Musculoskeletal disorders; Work-related; Computer. KEYWORDS ABSTRACT Musculoskele... more ABSTRACT Review Musculoskeletal disorders; Work-related; Computer. KEYWORDS ABSTRACT Musculoskeletal disorders have been observed and experienced widely at workplaces where the computers are frequently used. Increase in the num-ber of employees working with computer and mouse coincides with an increase of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) and sick leave, which affects the physical health of workers and pose financial bur-dens on the companies, governmental and non-governmental organiza-tions. This literature review study begins with the description of the risk factors and followed by the discussion of general characteristics of the musculoskeletal disorders. The economic impact of work-related muscu-loskeletal disorders was reviewed. This was followed by the discussion of issues related with workplace ergonomics, an extensive review of com-puter use related upper extremities musculoskeletal disorders, and com-puter keyboarding with different postures. Finally, the literature review is concluded with a discussion of the effects of interventions.
ABSTRACT There is a continued interest in the relationship of computer use and the work-related m... more ABSTRACT There is a continued interest in the relationship of computer use and the work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs). The purpose of this study is to develop a descriptive statistical multivariate analysis on the physical and psychosocial risk factors, such as the user's experiences with keyboard use, attitudes and perceptions towards ergonomic qualities in the workplace, experiences with aches, pains and discomforts related to keyboard use and to explain a possible relationship between the computer use and the perceived WRMSDs. On order to find the best regression model to define which independent variables best describes the dependent variable, the analysis was performed by the Forward Stepwise (conditional) Logistic Regression method with a 95% confidence interval to determine automatically which variables to be added or dropped from the model. The results of the study indicate that aches, pains, and discomfort in the hand during keyboard use, symptoms of having pain and weakness in the hands during day and night, and daily time spent on keyboard were the most significant factors accounted for 43% of the variance explaining the causation of WRMSDs. Logistic regression analysis provided an important finding that psychosocial risk factors are not significant predictors of WRMSDS.l
ABSTRACT This book uncovers computer users perceptions, attitudes towards the use of email and ex... more ABSTRACT This book uncovers computer users perceptions, attitudes towards the use of email and experiences with musculoskeletal disorders developed by computer keyboarding, and what emotions or feelings associated with use of email, and any relationship between the emotions associated with the email use and the perceived musculoskeletal stress. In this book you will find evidences pertinent to musculoskeletal disorders, personal perceptions on assigning emotional reactions in working with computer software for performing email tasks, impact of email on interpersonal relationships and communicational patterns, and their attitudes towards and experiences with ergonomic quality of the workplace and musculoskeletal discomfort and illnesses. This book also presents mathematical models to reveal the risk factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders due to computer and email use.
ABSTRACT Occupational injuries pose a major problem in workplaces where computers are widely used... more ABSTRACT Occupational injuries pose a major problem in workplaces where computers are widely used. Intensive, repetitive and long period computer use results in costly health problems (direct cost), and loss of productivity (indirect cost). The causes of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) in workplaces are diverse and poorly understood. Yet, fewer studies exist on the computer use related musculoskeletal disorders, focusing on musculoskeletal problems in the neck. In this chapter we will present the findings of a risk assessment model through scientific research to determine the effect of discomfort factors that contribute to musculoskeletal disorders at the neck region resulting from intensive use of computers in workplaces. In this regard a questionnaire was given to 130 intensive computer users working in the university sector. A list of significant predictor variables for musculoskeletal disorders were developed to assess and analyze workplace ergonomics, worker attitudes and experiences due to computer use.
Quality & Quantity, 2015
Uses and gratifications theory (U&G) is a media use paradigm from mass communications res... more Uses and gratifications theory (U&G) is a media use paradigm from mass communications research that guides the assessment of consumer motivation for media usage and access. Recent adaptations of U&G research to the internet are incomplete and Internet-specific gratifications, and have not identified new Inter-net specific gratifications. The development of social networking sites (SNS) is one of the key phrases when next generation of Internet is concerned. The purpose of this research is to present an analytical framework for explaining uses and gratification for SNS applications. Therefore, this paper investigates in detail how and why people use SNS applications, and what factors make SNS applications particularly appealing, through uses and gratifications perspectives. Our findings show that most of the usability and functionality factors are positively correlated. Except for the Skype application, all usability and functionality factors were identified to contribute significantly to select the SNS application. WhatsApp (total weighted average = 4.13/5.0) is the application which dominates the other applications from the usability and functionality perspectives. Even though Facebook in the most downloaded and mostly used application, our findings provides that the performance of the application in terms of usability and functionality is not satisfactory. This study also showed that, younger and older generations have different taste of SNS application use and different preference for the functionality and usability factors.
Journal of Scientific Research and Reports, 2016
ABSTRACT
PLOS ONE, 2020
The number of people who use computers for business and personal purposes increases as technology... more The number of people who use computers for business and personal purposes increases as technology grows. The application of ergonomic practices on computer workstations reduces the musculoskeletal discomfort experienced and increases the overall satisfaction of the users. Keyboards are available in various systems, from computers to mobile devices, and have difference shapes and sizes. The keyboard size and shape is known to influence the user's upper extremities. Alternative keyboard designs help diminish the pain in the arms that occurs due to awkward arm postures. Most previous studies tried to optimize the keyboard layout based on ergonomic typing and the frequency of letters' co-occurrence. This research considers the frequency of the appearance of the most used 3,000 words in the English language. First, the frequency of each letter pair is calculated by the Text Ana-lyzer. Then, a genetic algorithm is applied to design an ergonomically optimized keyboard to minimize the total distance of finger travel among the selected alphanumeric characters. The results showed that the distance travelled obtained by the proposed keyboard layout is less than that for the QWERTY keyboard in all different types of texts, in which an average of 6.04% improvement was achieved. Therefore, the proposed design can be used for keyboards to reduce time and fatigue.
Journal of Failure Analysis and Prevention, 2019
The dependency of the society on the hydrocarbon as an energy source has increased tremendously, ... more The dependency of the society on the hydrocarbon as an energy source has increased tremendously, leading to the rapid development of this process industry. A fire accident that occurred on the 6th of July 2016 at a petrochemical complex plant in the southern part of Iran, Mahshahr petrochemical zone, has called for a more robust and all-inclusive efforts toward ameliorating and forestalling future occurrence. The on-site investigations concluded that the fire was triggered by the leakages through the ruptured blind flange gasket in the pipeline. Thus, certain inquiries on the development of robust process safety technologies gave useful insight into those capable enough to identify and handle various uncertainties in the short and long time basis, to forestall catastrophic accidents. Therefore, it is worthy and pertinent to ascertain whether process safety technology is developing correspondingly at the same pace with the process industry. Are the correct things done in the right way? If yes, then why do these catastrophic accidents keep happening? If no, how can these uncertainties in the process be properly and adequately handled, contained and managed? Failure to provide adequate and incontrovertible answers to these questions toward taking uncompromising safety actions is an invitation to more accidents in the near future. In this study, explanation on how to identify and cope with various uncertainties in process safety science is provided through learning from a real case study of a fire accident that occurred in the aforementioned petrochemical plant.
16 This study aimed at establishing fault tree analysis (FTA) using expert opinion to compute the... more 16 This study aimed at establishing fault tree analysis (FTA) using expert opinion to compute the probability of an 17 event. Thus, in order to find the probability of the top event (TE), all probabilities of the basic events (BEs) should 18 be available when FTA is drawn for an event. In this case, employing expert judgment can be used as an alternative 19 to failure data in an awkward situation. The fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) as a standard technique is 20 used to give a specific weight to each expert, and fuzzy set theory is engaged for aggregating expert opinion. In this 21 regards, the probability of BEs will be computed and consequently, the probability of TE is obtained using Boolean 22 algebra. Additionally, for the reduction of the probability of TE in terms of three parameter including safety 23 consequences, cost, and benefit; importance measurement technique and modified TOPSIS was employed. The 24 effectiveness of the proposed approach was demonstrated with a real-life case study. 25
Heavy truck drivers are exposed to various psychological, psychosocial, and physiological factors... more Heavy truck drivers are exposed to various psychological, psychosocial, and physiological factors, some of which can cause musculoskeletal discomfort in different body regions.
PURPOSE: This study aims to investigate the correlation between different factors of musculoskeletal discomfort in heavy truck drivers.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was applied. A total of 384 participants were interviewed by an updated version of the Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire (NMQ). While hypothesis testing was used to assess the association of different factors in musculoskeletal discomfort, logistic regression was applied to explore different correlations among questions of the survey.
RESULTS: Results demonstrate that hours of exposure to vibration were associated with discomfort in the neck and shoulders (p < 0.001). This relationship was not statistically significant in the lower back area (p = 0.300). Additionally, 19 equations, their correlations, and their odds ratios (ORs) were formulated with a Nagelkerke R2 value greater than 0.05.
CONCLUSION: Fifty-seven percent of the drivers were suffering from discomfort in their lower back region. Moreover, seat comfort was found to be highly correlated with discomfort in the neck, shoulder, and upper back areas. Additionally, with aging, the likelihood of experiencing discomfort in the neck, upper back, and knees is increased.
With advances in technology, various forms of computers have become more involved in education. I... more With advances in technology, various forms of computers have become more involved in education. In particular, tablet computers are actively used for educational purposes nowadays. Given the fact that musculoskeletal, postural, and ocular developments of children and adolescents are still not complete, potential physical issues resulting from usage of new technologies must not be disregarded. Physical problems or challenges experienced by children and adolescent students will be involved in this research from the perspectives of traditional education and tablet-assisted education. In a sense, a comparative review of the available literature is used in the study to analyze and identify the commonalities and differences in physical problems experienced by students.
The risk of development of musculoskeletal discomfort problems among children and adolescents is ... more The risk of development of musculoskeletal discomfort problems among children and adolescents is high as the development of their musculoskeletal system is still continuing. Therefore, it is very important to learn the habits and attitudes of children and adolescents, the location and duration of the use of these technologies, and the relationship between musculoskeletal discomforts. This study aims to investigate the relationship between duration of daily exposure of children and adolescents to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) devices and the musculoskeletal discomfort experienced. A two-part questionnaire, which are adopted by Dutch Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (DMQ) and the Student Specific Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (SS-CMDQ), was used to gather data from children and adolescents in public and private secondary and high schools in Northern Cyprus. The survey findings showed that the participants experienced discomfort mostly in the neck, upper back, lower back, and shoulders. The correlation analysis indicated that there is a relationship between prolonged use of ICT devices for many hours and musculoskeletal discomfort. Also, it was found that there is a significant relationship between daily use of desktop, laptop, or tablet computers for different purposes (activities) and musculoskeletal discomfort. The musculoskeletal discomfort was observed to occur mostly due to the use of ICT devices for communication, surfing the Internet, reading, and writing. The results of the analysis showed that shoulder, upper back, upper arm, forearm, and hand muscles are affected by the use of ICT devices.
Diş Tedavisindeki Hareketlerin Ergonomik Analizi: Rahatsızlık Sebeplerinin Tespiti ve Vücut Bölge... more Diş Tedavisindeki Hareketlerin Ergonomik Analizi: Rahatsızlık Sebeplerinin Tespiti ve Vücut Bölgelerine Etkisi Öz Diş hekimliği mesleği, uzun süreli statik kas yüklemesi, yüksek oranda tekrarlanan ve monoton çalışma, dokuların kuvvetle zorlanması veya mekanik olarak sıkıştırılması ve titreşimli araçların kullanılmasını içerir. Bu nedenle diş hekimlerinin, maruz kaldıkları mesleki kas-iskelet rahatsızlıkları (MKİSR) yüzünden maliyetli sağlık sorunları yaşayarak erken emekli olmaları söz konusudur. Bu çalışmanın amacı dişhekimlerinin yaşamakta olduğu kas iskelet sistemi rahatsızlıklarının risk faktörlerini tanımlamak ve bölgesel olarak tespit edip, etki derecelerini incelemektir. Bu çalışma kapsamında bir anket hazırlanmış olup, çeşitli üniversitelerin, hastahanelerin ve diş kliniklerinde görev yapan 67 dişhekimi tarafından doldurulmuştur. Diş hekimlerinin altı vücut bölgesine en yaygın tedavi yöntemleri esnasında EMG ölçümleri yapılmıştır. İstatistiksel olarak anlamlı ve MKİSR'nın oluşmasına sebep olan faktörleri belirlemek amacıyla Diskriminant Analiz yöntemi kullanılmıştır. EMG deneyinden elde edilen sonuçları ise ANOVA kullanılarak belirlenen MKİSR faktörleri teyit edilmiştir. Diş hekimlerinin tedavi esnasında en sık rastlanan pozisyon statik ve uzun süreli oturma / durma pozisyonda oldukları tespit edilmiştir. Son 12 ayda yaşanan kas iskelet sistemi rahatsızlıklarının en çok görülmekte olduğu bölgeler boyun, el/bilek, üst sırt, ve omuzlar olarak saptanmıştır. Son 7 günde ise en çok dirsek, ayaklar, kalça, ve bilek/el bölgelerinde rahatsızlık yaşandığı tespit edilmiştir. Diş hekimlerinin uygulamakta olduğu endodonti, dolgu, diş çekimi, muayene, ve çıkarılabilir protez tedavilerinin, vücut bölgeleriyle etkileşerek kas-iskelet sistemi rahatsızlıklarına yol açtığı ortaya çıkmıştır. Ancak, vücut bölgesi diş çekimi, endodonti ve diş muayenesi esneasında oluşabilecek tek anlamlı risk faktörü olarak bulunmuştur. Abstract Dentistry profession involves in prolonged static muscle loads, highly repetitive and monotonous work, high force exertion or mechanical compression of tissues, and using vibrated tools. Therefore dentists are exposed to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs), which results in costly health problems and early retirements. This research aims to determine the risk factors of musculoskeletal discomforts among dentists, and to identify the impact of the dental tasks on the body regions during particular treatments. A questionnaire is created and fulfilled by 67 dentists from universities, hospitals, and dental offices. Electromyography studies were applied on six body regions of randomly selected three dentists during most common dental treatments. Discriminant Analysis was applied to determine whether a set of variables is effective in predicting category membership, and to identify statistically significant factor(s) which contribute(s) formation of the WRMSDs. ANOVA was utilized to analyze the results which were obtained from sEMG experiment and to determine the risk factors of work related musculoskeletal disorders. The most common position of the dentists while performing their profession was static and prolonged sitting / standing position. Musculoskeletal discomforts were experienced during the past 12 months in neck, hand / wrist, upper back, and shoulder regions; and during the past 7 days in elbows, feet, hip, and wrist / hand regions. There is no significant factor on dental filling therapy, tooth cleaning, fixed prosthodontics, and removable prosthodontics treatments. However, body region is the only significant factor on tooth extraction, endodontic and dental examination treatments.
With the recent technological advances, there is a shift from traditional education to tablet-ass... more With the recent technological advances, there is a shift from traditional education to tablet-assisted learning environment. This study compares the problems experienced by students in traditional education and tablet-assisted educational activities. The impact of traditional education on students has been discussed by a comprehensive analysis of the literature. The findings showed that the physical discomforts due to tablet-use are intensively experienced at neck, upper back, lower back, and shoulder regions, which are very similar to those experienced in traditional education. Reading and writing activities have impact on the shoulders, upper back, and the left upper arm. The developed risk assessment model has shown that both educational and extra-curricular activities result in significant risk factors of physical discomfort. Analysis of the muscular activity data implied that there were significant differences among muscle groups for each respondent, which validates and verifies our risk assessment model.
Sustainability
Recently, with the emergence of Industry 4.0 (I4.0), smart systems, machine learning (ML) within ... more Recently, with the emergence of Industry 4.0 (I4.0), smart systems, machine learning (ML) within artificial intelligence (AI), predictive maintenance (PdM) approaches have been extensively applied in industries for handling the health status of industrial equipment. Due to digital transformation towards I4.0, information techniques, computerized control, and communication networks, it is possible to collect massive amounts of operational and processes conditions data generated form several pieces of equipment and harvest data for making an automated fault detection and diagnosis with the aim to minimize downtime and increase utilization rate of the components and increase their remaining useful lives. PdM is inevitable for sustainable smart manufacturing in I4.0. Machine learning (ML) techniques have emerged as a promising tool in PdM applications for smart manufacturing in I4.0, thus it has increased attraction of authors during recent years. This paper aims to provide a comprehens...
Sustainability
Recently, researchers have proposed various maturity models (MMs) for assessing Industry 4.0 (I4.... more Recently, researchers have proposed various maturity models (MMs) for assessing Industry 4.0 (I4.0) adoption; however, few have proposed a readiness framework (F/W) integrated with technology forecasting (TF) to evaluate the growth of I4.0 adoption and consequently provide a roadmap for the implementation of I4.0 for smart manufacturing enterprises. The aims of this study were (1) to review the research related to existing I4.0 MMs and F/Ws; (2) to propose a modular MM with four dimensions, five levels, 60 second-level dimensions, and 246 sub-dimensions, and a generic F/W with four layers and seven hierarchy levels; and (3) to conduct a survey-based case study of an automobile parts manufacturing enterprise by applying the MM and F/W to assess the I4.0 adoption level and TF model to anticipate the growth of I4.0. MM and F/W integrated with TF provides insight into the current situation and growth of the enterprise regarding I4.0 adoption, by identifying the gap areas, and provide a ...
EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education
With the recent technological advances, there is a shift from traditional education to tablet-ass... more With the recent technological advances, there is a shift from traditional education to tablet-assisted learning environment. This study compares the problems experienced by students in traditional education and tablet-assisted educational activities. The impact of traditional education on students has been discussed by a comprehensive analysis of the literature. The findings showed that the physical discomforts due to tablet-use are intensively experienced at neck, upper back, lower back, and shoulder regions, which are very similar to those experienced in traditional education. Reading and writing activities have impact on the shoulders, upper back, and the left upper arm. The developed risk assessment model has shown that both educational and extracurricular activities result in significant risk factors of physical discomfort. Analysis of the muscular activity data implied that there were significant differences among muscle groups for each respondent, which validates and verifies our risk assessment model.
Ergonomi
Mobile device Smartphones Tablets Touchsecreen Musculoskeletal disorders People using mobile touc... more Mobile device Smartphones Tablets Touchsecreen Musculoskeletal disorders People using mobile touch screen devices (MTSDs) have been exposed to the musculoskeletal disorder because of physical risk factors. As being lightweight; the latest generations of MTSDs are preferred for personal and work purposes as they are comfortable to operate and easy to carry. Furthermore, they have many advantageous facilities compared to conventional devices. This study aims to survey previous researches on the effects of MTSDs use on the musculoskeletal disorder. In this scope; published researches on musculoskeletal disorders, postural problems, and kinematic activities at upper extremities among people who use mobile phones or tablets for daily use are investigated. The articles reviewed were cited based on the research made from
International journal of occupational safety and ergonomics : JOSE, Jan 13, 2018
Heavy truck drivers are exposed to various psychological, psychosocial and physiological factors,... more Heavy truck drivers are exposed to various psychological, psychosocial and physiological factors, some of which can cause musculoskeletal discomfort in different body regions. This study aims to investigate the correlation between different factors of musculoskeletal discomfort in heavy truck drivers. A cross-sectional study design was applied. A total of 384 participants were interviewed using an updated version of the Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire. While hypothesis testing was used to assess the association of different factors in musculoskeletal discomfort, logistic regression was applied to explore different correlations among questions of the survey. The results demonstrate that hours of exposure to vibration were associated with discomfort in the neck and shoulders (p < 0.001). This relationship was not statistically significant in the lower back area (p = 0.300). Additionally, 19 equations, their correlations and their odds ratios were formulated with Nagelkerke R &...
ABSTRACT Review Musculoskeletal disorders; Work-related; Computer. KEYWORDS ABSTRACT Musculoskele... more ABSTRACT Review Musculoskeletal disorders; Work-related; Computer. KEYWORDS ABSTRACT Musculoskeletal disorders have been observed and experienced widely at workplaces where the computers are frequently used. Increase in the num-ber of employees working with computer and mouse coincides with an increase of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) and sick leave, which affects the physical health of workers and pose financial bur-dens on the companies, governmental and non-governmental organiza-tions. This literature review study begins with the description of the risk factors and followed by the discussion of general characteristics of the musculoskeletal disorders. The economic impact of work-related muscu-loskeletal disorders was reviewed. This was followed by the discussion of issues related with workplace ergonomics, an extensive review of com-puter use related upper extremities musculoskeletal disorders, and com-puter keyboarding with different postures. Finally, the literature review is concluded with a discussion of the effects of interventions.
ABSTRACT There is a continued interest in the relationship of computer use and the work-related m... more ABSTRACT There is a continued interest in the relationship of computer use and the work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs). The purpose of this study is to develop a descriptive statistical multivariate analysis on the physical and psychosocial risk factors, such as the user's experiences with keyboard use, attitudes and perceptions towards ergonomic qualities in the workplace, experiences with aches, pains and discomforts related to keyboard use and to explain a possible relationship between the computer use and the perceived WRMSDs. On order to find the best regression model to define which independent variables best describes the dependent variable, the analysis was performed by the Forward Stepwise (conditional) Logistic Regression method with a 95% confidence interval to determine automatically which variables to be added or dropped from the model. The results of the study indicate that aches, pains, and discomfort in the hand during keyboard use, symptoms of having pain and weakness in the hands during day and night, and daily time spent on keyboard were the most significant factors accounted for 43% of the variance explaining the causation of WRMSDs. Logistic regression analysis provided an important finding that psychosocial risk factors are not significant predictors of WRMSDS.l
ABSTRACT This book uncovers computer users perceptions, attitudes towards the use of email and ex... more ABSTRACT This book uncovers computer users perceptions, attitudes towards the use of email and experiences with musculoskeletal disorders developed by computer keyboarding, and what emotions or feelings associated with use of email, and any relationship between the emotions associated with the email use and the perceived musculoskeletal stress. In this book you will find evidences pertinent to musculoskeletal disorders, personal perceptions on assigning emotional reactions in working with computer software for performing email tasks, impact of email on interpersonal relationships and communicational patterns, and their attitudes towards and experiences with ergonomic quality of the workplace and musculoskeletal discomfort and illnesses. This book also presents mathematical models to reveal the risk factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders due to computer and email use.
ABSTRACT Occupational injuries pose a major problem in workplaces where computers are widely used... more ABSTRACT Occupational injuries pose a major problem in workplaces where computers are widely used. Intensive, repetitive and long period computer use results in costly health problems (direct cost), and loss of productivity (indirect cost). The causes of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) in workplaces are diverse and poorly understood. Yet, fewer studies exist on the computer use related musculoskeletal disorders, focusing on musculoskeletal problems in the neck. In this chapter we will present the findings of a risk assessment model through scientific research to determine the effect of discomfort factors that contribute to musculoskeletal disorders at the neck region resulting from intensive use of computers in workplaces. In this regard a questionnaire was given to 130 intensive computer users working in the university sector. A list of significant predictor variables for musculoskeletal disorders were developed to assess and analyze workplace ergonomics, worker attitudes and experiences due to computer use.
Quality & Quantity, 2015
Uses and gratifications theory (U&G) is a media use paradigm from mass communications res... more Uses and gratifications theory (U&G) is a media use paradigm from mass communications research that guides the assessment of consumer motivation for media usage and access. Recent adaptations of U&G research to the internet are incomplete and Internet-specific gratifications, and have not identified new Inter-net specific gratifications. The development of social networking sites (SNS) is one of the key phrases when next generation of Internet is concerned. The purpose of this research is to present an analytical framework for explaining uses and gratification for SNS applications. Therefore, this paper investigates in detail how and why people use SNS applications, and what factors make SNS applications particularly appealing, through uses and gratifications perspectives. Our findings show that most of the usability and functionality factors are positively correlated. Except for the Skype application, all usability and functionality factors were identified to contribute significantly to select the SNS application. WhatsApp (total weighted average = 4.13/5.0) is the application which dominates the other applications from the usability and functionality perspectives. Even though Facebook in the most downloaded and mostly used application, our findings provides that the performance of the application in terms of usability and functionality is not satisfactory. This study also showed that, younger and older generations have different taste of SNS application use and different preference for the functionality and usability factors.
Journal of Scientific Research and Reports, 2016
ABSTRACT
PLOS ONE, 2020
The number of people who use computers for business and personal purposes increases as technology... more The number of people who use computers for business and personal purposes increases as technology grows. The application of ergonomic practices on computer workstations reduces the musculoskeletal discomfort experienced and increases the overall satisfaction of the users. Keyboards are available in various systems, from computers to mobile devices, and have difference shapes and sizes. The keyboard size and shape is known to influence the user's upper extremities. Alternative keyboard designs help diminish the pain in the arms that occurs due to awkward arm postures. Most previous studies tried to optimize the keyboard layout based on ergonomic typing and the frequency of letters' co-occurrence. This research considers the frequency of the appearance of the most used 3,000 words in the English language. First, the frequency of each letter pair is calculated by the Text Ana-lyzer. Then, a genetic algorithm is applied to design an ergonomically optimized keyboard to minimize the total distance of finger travel among the selected alphanumeric characters. The results showed that the distance travelled obtained by the proposed keyboard layout is less than that for the QWERTY keyboard in all different types of texts, in which an average of 6.04% improvement was achieved. Therefore, the proposed design can be used for keyboards to reduce time and fatigue.
Journal of Failure Analysis and Prevention, 2019
The dependency of the society on the hydrocarbon as an energy source has increased tremendously, ... more The dependency of the society on the hydrocarbon as an energy source has increased tremendously, leading to the rapid development of this process industry. A fire accident that occurred on the 6th of July 2016 at a petrochemical complex plant in the southern part of Iran, Mahshahr petrochemical zone, has called for a more robust and all-inclusive efforts toward ameliorating and forestalling future occurrence. The on-site investigations concluded that the fire was triggered by the leakages through the ruptured blind flange gasket in the pipeline. Thus, certain inquiries on the development of robust process safety technologies gave useful insight into those capable enough to identify and handle various uncertainties in the short and long time basis, to forestall catastrophic accidents. Therefore, it is worthy and pertinent to ascertain whether process safety technology is developing correspondingly at the same pace with the process industry. Are the correct things done in the right way? If yes, then why do these catastrophic accidents keep happening? If no, how can these uncertainties in the process be properly and adequately handled, contained and managed? Failure to provide adequate and incontrovertible answers to these questions toward taking uncompromising safety actions is an invitation to more accidents in the near future. In this study, explanation on how to identify and cope with various uncertainties in process safety science is provided through learning from a real case study of a fire accident that occurred in the aforementioned petrochemical plant.
16 This study aimed at establishing fault tree analysis (FTA) using expert opinion to compute the... more 16 This study aimed at establishing fault tree analysis (FTA) using expert opinion to compute the probability of an 17 event. Thus, in order to find the probability of the top event (TE), all probabilities of the basic events (BEs) should 18 be available when FTA is drawn for an event. In this case, employing expert judgment can be used as an alternative 19 to failure data in an awkward situation. The fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) as a standard technique is 20 used to give a specific weight to each expert, and fuzzy set theory is engaged for aggregating expert opinion. In this 21 regards, the probability of BEs will be computed and consequently, the probability of TE is obtained using Boolean 22 algebra. Additionally, for the reduction of the probability of TE in terms of three parameter including safety 23 consequences, cost, and benefit; importance measurement technique and modified TOPSIS was employed. The 24 effectiveness of the proposed approach was demonstrated with a real-life case study. 25
Heavy truck drivers are exposed to various psychological, psychosocial, and physiological factors... more Heavy truck drivers are exposed to various psychological, psychosocial, and physiological factors, some of which can cause musculoskeletal discomfort in different body regions.
PURPOSE: This study aims to investigate the correlation between different factors of musculoskeletal discomfort in heavy truck drivers.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was applied. A total of 384 participants were interviewed by an updated version of the Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire (NMQ). While hypothesis testing was used to assess the association of different factors in musculoskeletal discomfort, logistic regression was applied to explore different correlations among questions of the survey.
RESULTS: Results demonstrate that hours of exposure to vibration were associated with discomfort in the neck and shoulders (p < 0.001). This relationship was not statistically significant in the lower back area (p = 0.300). Additionally, 19 equations, their correlations, and their odds ratios (ORs) were formulated with a Nagelkerke R2 value greater than 0.05.
CONCLUSION: Fifty-seven percent of the drivers were suffering from discomfort in their lower back region. Moreover, seat comfort was found to be highly correlated with discomfort in the neck, shoulder, and upper back areas. Additionally, with aging, the likelihood of experiencing discomfort in the neck, upper back, and knees is increased.
With advances in technology, various forms of computers have become more involved in education. I... more With advances in technology, various forms of computers have become more involved in education. In particular, tablet computers are actively used for educational purposes nowadays. Given the fact that musculoskeletal, postural, and ocular developments of children and adolescents are still not complete, potential physical issues resulting from usage of new technologies must not be disregarded. Physical problems or challenges experienced by children and adolescent students will be involved in this research from the perspectives of traditional education and tablet-assisted education. In a sense, a comparative review of the available literature is used in the study to analyze and identify the commonalities and differences in physical problems experienced by students.
The risk of development of musculoskeletal discomfort problems among children and adolescents is ... more The risk of development of musculoskeletal discomfort problems among children and adolescents is high as the development of their musculoskeletal system is still continuing. Therefore, it is very important to learn the habits and attitudes of children and adolescents, the location and duration of the use of these technologies, and the relationship between musculoskeletal discomforts. This study aims to investigate the relationship between duration of daily exposure of children and adolescents to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) devices and the musculoskeletal discomfort experienced. A two-part questionnaire, which are adopted by Dutch Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (DMQ) and the Student Specific Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (SS-CMDQ), was used to gather data from children and adolescents in public and private secondary and high schools in Northern Cyprus. The survey findings showed that the participants experienced discomfort mostly in the neck, upper back, lower back, and shoulders. The correlation analysis indicated that there is a relationship between prolonged use of ICT devices for many hours and musculoskeletal discomfort. Also, it was found that there is a significant relationship between daily use of desktop, laptop, or tablet computers for different purposes (activities) and musculoskeletal discomfort. The musculoskeletal discomfort was observed to occur mostly due to the use of ICT devices for communication, surfing the Internet, reading, and writing. The results of the analysis showed that shoulder, upper back, upper arm, forearm, and hand muscles are affected by the use of ICT devices.
Diş Tedavisindeki Hareketlerin Ergonomik Analizi: Rahatsızlık Sebeplerinin Tespiti ve Vücut Bölge... more Diş Tedavisindeki Hareketlerin Ergonomik Analizi: Rahatsızlık Sebeplerinin Tespiti ve Vücut Bölgelerine Etkisi Öz Diş hekimliği mesleği, uzun süreli statik kas yüklemesi, yüksek oranda tekrarlanan ve monoton çalışma, dokuların kuvvetle zorlanması veya mekanik olarak sıkıştırılması ve titreşimli araçların kullanılmasını içerir. Bu nedenle diş hekimlerinin, maruz kaldıkları mesleki kas-iskelet rahatsızlıkları (MKİSR) yüzünden maliyetli sağlık sorunları yaşayarak erken emekli olmaları söz konusudur. Bu çalışmanın amacı dişhekimlerinin yaşamakta olduğu kas iskelet sistemi rahatsızlıklarının risk faktörlerini tanımlamak ve bölgesel olarak tespit edip, etki derecelerini incelemektir. Bu çalışma kapsamında bir anket hazırlanmış olup, çeşitli üniversitelerin, hastahanelerin ve diş kliniklerinde görev yapan 67 dişhekimi tarafından doldurulmuştur. Diş hekimlerinin altı vücut bölgesine en yaygın tedavi yöntemleri esnasında EMG ölçümleri yapılmıştır. İstatistiksel olarak anlamlı ve MKİSR'nın oluşmasına sebep olan faktörleri belirlemek amacıyla Diskriminant Analiz yöntemi kullanılmıştır. EMG deneyinden elde edilen sonuçları ise ANOVA kullanılarak belirlenen MKİSR faktörleri teyit edilmiştir. Diş hekimlerinin tedavi esnasında en sık rastlanan pozisyon statik ve uzun süreli oturma / durma pozisyonda oldukları tespit edilmiştir. Son 12 ayda yaşanan kas iskelet sistemi rahatsızlıklarının en çok görülmekte olduğu bölgeler boyun, el/bilek, üst sırt, ve omuzlar olarak saptanmıştır. Son 7 günde ise en çok dirsek, ayaklar, kalça, ve bilek/el bölgelerinde rahatsızlık yaşandığı tespit edilmiştir. Diş hekimlerinin uygulamakta olduğu endodonti, dolgu, diş çekimi, muayene, ve çıkarılabilir protez tedavilerinin, vücut bölgeleriyle etkileşerek kas-iskelet sistemi rahatsızlıklarına yol açtığı ortaya çıkmıştır. Ancak, vücut bölgesi diş çekimi, endodonti ve diş muayenesi esneasında oluşabilecek tek anlamlı risk faktörü olarak bulunmuştur. Abstract Dentistry profession involves in prolonged static muscle loads, highly repetitive and monotonous work, high force exertion or mechanical compression of tissues, and using vibrated tools. Therefore dentists are exposed to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs), which results in costly health problems and early retirements. This research aims to determine the risk factors of musculoskeletal discomforts among dentists, and to identify the impact of the dental tasks on the body regions during particular treatments. A questionnaire is created and fulfilled by 67 dentists from universities, hospitals, and dental offices. Electromyography studies were applied on six body regions of randomly selected three dentists during most common dental treatments. Discriminant Analysis was applied to determine whether a set of variables is effective in predicting category membership, and to identify statistically significant factor(s) which contribute(s) formation of the WRMSDs. ANOVA was utilized to analyze the results which were obtained from sEMG experiment and to determine the risk factors of work related musculoskeletal disorders. The most common position of the dentists while performing their profession was static and prolonged sitting / standing position. Musculoskeletal discomforts were experienced during the past 12 months in neck, hand / wrist, upper back, and shoulder regions; and during the past 7 days in elbows, feet, hip, and wrist / hand regions. There is no significant factor on dental filling therapy, tooth cleaning, fixed prosthodontics, and removable prosthodontics treatments. However, body region is the only significant factor on tooth extraction, endodontic and dental examination treatments.
With the recent technological advances, there is a shift from traditional education to tablet-ass... more With the recent technological advances, there is a shift from traditional education to tablet-assisted learning environment. This study compares the problems experienced by students in traditional education and tablet-assisted educational activities. The impact of traditional education on students has been discussed by a comprehensive analysis of the literature. The findings showed that the physical discomforts due to tablet-use are intensively experienced at neck, upper back, lower back, and shoulder regions, which are very similar to those experienced in traditional education. Reading and writing activities have impact on the shoulders, upper back, and the left upper arm. The developed risk assessment model has shown that both educational and extra-curricular activities result in significant risk factors of physical discomfort. Analysis of the muscular activity data implied that there were significant differences among muscle groups for each respondent, which validates and verifies our risk assessment model.
Indoor Environment and Health, 2019
A shelter is one of the physiological needs according to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, which lies ... more A shelter is one of the physiological needs according to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, which lies at the bottom of the pyramid. People spend around 90% of their time in shelters, or in today's words: buildings. They sleep, eat, work, relax, exercise, play, are born, and die in these buildings. In fact, they "live" within walls. Therefore, an indoor environment is crucial for their health and safety. This book, therefore, addresses the issues related to the impact of a sustainable healthy and comfortable indoor environment on the quality of life, and perceives the required indoor conditions for productivity and effectiveness. Thereby, this book is designed to include issues and extensive discussions on thermal comfort, indoor air quality, visual comfort, acoustic comfort, productivity, and indoor health and safety. The concepts of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, external temperature, air pollution, sick building, indoor pollutants, illumination, glare, indoor lighting, daylight, noise, construction materials, sound intensity, and furniture on the indoor environment are described in detail in this book.