BACKGROUND: Fatigue has a strong impact on workers' performance and safety, but expedient methods for assessing fatigue on the job are not yet available. Studies discuss posturography as an indicator of fatigue, but further evidence for its use in the workplace is needed. The purpose of the study is to examine whether posturography is a suitable indicator of fatigue in clerical workers. METHODS: Thirty-six employees (O 34.8 years, standard deviation = 12.5) participated in postural tasks (eyes open, eyes closed, arm swinging, and dual task) in the morning and afternoon. Position of their center of pressure (COP) was registered using a Nintendo Wii Balance Board and commercial software. From registered COP time series, we calculated the following parameters: path length (mm), velocity (mm/s), anterior-posterior variance (mm), mediolateral variance (mm), and confidence area (mm2). These parameters were reduced to two orthogonal factors in a factor analysis with varimax rotation. RESULTS: Statistical analysis of the first factor (path length and velocity) showed a significant effect of time of day: COP moved along a shorter path at a lower velocity in the afternoon compared with that in the morning. There also was a significant effect of task, but no significant interaction. CONCLUSION: Data suggest that postural stability of clerical workers was comparable in the morning and afternoon, but COP movement was greater in the morning. Within the framework of dynamic systems theory, this could indicate that the postural system explored the state space in more detail, and thus was more ready to respond to unexpected perturbations in the morning.
Arm ; Fatigue* ; Systems Theory

To improve and keep the competitiveness, it is necessary to keep pace with available changes in technology, and it is essential to establish the flexible and accurate information system about the disease. And for the accurate decision-making, target setting and prediction of movement, the estimating of the short- and long-term effects of the strategies of disease related service are required. But the limited informations, including all of knowledge of leprosy, make it difficult to estimate them properly. To achieve the more effective leprosy related service, we have to make the effort to crate the more accurate system. To proffer the idea for the development of information monitoring, we present the reviews of some articles about the information theories that used the leprosy related service.
Information Systems ; Information Theory ; Leprosy*

Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Systems Theory

The synchronization problem was investigated for two kinds of complex system with different structures in the present study. This paper analyses linearizing condition for the system, and gives an output function. A kind of controller based on time delay feedback (TDF) was designed, and it can achieve synchronization for complex system with different structures. By using Lyapunov Stability Theory, we proved the synchronization for the system. At last, the numerical simulation experiments were provided to further demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed
Algorithms ; Computer Simulation ; Feedback ; Models, Theoretical ; Systems Theory ; Time

With the range of application of computational biology and systems biology gradually expanding, the complexity of the bioprocess models is also increased. To address this difficult problem, it is required to introduce positive alternative analysis method to cope with it. Taking the dynamic model of the epidemic control process as research object, we established an evaluation model in our laboratory. Firstly, the model was solved with nonlinear programming method. The results were shown to be good. Based on biochemical systems theory, the ODE dynamic model was transformed into S-system. The eigen values of the model showed that the system was stable and contained oscillation phenomenon. Next the sensitivities of rate constant and logarithmic gains of the three key parameters were analyzed, as well as the robust of the system. The result indicated that the biochemical systems theory could be applied in different fields more widely.
Computational Biology ; Epidemics ; Humans ; Models, Biological ; Nonlinear Dynamics ; Systems Biology ; Systems Theory

A new method based on gray correlation was introduced to improve the identification rate in artificial limb. The electromyography (EMG) signal was first transformed into time-frequency domain by wavelet transform. Singular value decomposition (SVD) was then used to extract feature vector from the wavelet coefficient for pattern recognition. The decision was made according to the maximum gray correlation coefficient. Compared with neural network recognition, this robust method has an almost equivalent recognition rate but much lower computation costs and less training samples.
Electromyography ; Humans ; Models, Biological ; Muscle, Skeletal ; physiology ; Neural Networks (Computer) ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Systems Theory

The electric properties of biotic tissues are of importance to our understanding biotic substances even life. But the measurement taken in this aspect is different from the measurement of ordinary materials, we need a special testing instrument for living substances. In order to understand the alternating frequency properties of body fluid and tissues in detail, we have developed an electricity characteristic testing system, which is more proper for testing living substances. This system adopts advanced measuring method and expert circuit. As the measure and the control core, the single chip processor is used. This system has wide frequency range and wide impedance testing range, much more adapted objects, and it is dependable, more precise and intelligent. The application of this system in practical testing has obtained optimal results.
Body Composition ; physiology ; Body Fluids ; physiology ; Electric Impedance ; Electrophysiology ; Humans ; Models, Biological ; Systems Theory

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to construct and test a structural model on family life satisfaction of aged individuals living at home. The conceptual model was based on Bandura's self-efficacy and social cognitive theories (1977; 1986) and Bowen's (1976) family systems theory. METHODS: From January 25 to March 5, 2016, 227 older adults living at home completed a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed to calculate the direct and indirect effects of factors affecting family life satisfaction. SPSS WIN 20.0 and AMOS 20.0 were used. RESULTS: The hypothetical model was a good fit for the data. The model fit indices were χ2=78.05, χ2/df=1.35, RMSR=.02, GFI=.98, AGFI=.96, NFI=.94, CFI=.98, and RMSEA=. 05. Family life satisfaction was positively affected by perceived collective family efficacy, status of physical health, family communication, and family support. Depression resulted in a significant negative effect. Family differentiation had a significant indirect effect on family life satisfaction. The model explained 76% of variance in family life satisfaction. CONCLUSION: Perceived collective family efficacy, status of physical health, depression, family differentiation, family communication, and family support were significant factors explaining family life satisfaction among older adults staying at home. Further research should be conducted to seek intervention strategies to improve family life satisfaction among older adults living at home by focusing on the respective contributing factors.
Adult* ; Depression ; Family Health ; Humans ; Models, Structural ; Personal Satisfaction ; Systems Theory

PURPOSE: In Korean society, extra-large hospitals are congested with the majority of patients. Because of the congestions, the urgent patients need to wait anywhere from as short as a month to around three months. These concentrations of the patients on the extra-large hospitals causes not only the economic problem in terms of loss of opportunity cost and resources of other medium and large hospitals but also the fear and the consequential stress of the patients and the families of the patients who are waiting for the surgeries. The phenomenon of the concentrations derived due to the insufficient information to the medical consumers. If the information on medical treatment services such as surgery schedule is provided before the selection of hospital, we expect that the selection of hospital for the patients and their family will differ, resulting in redistribution of concentration phenomenon. In this paper, we propose and verify the effective distribution system for the concentration on the extra-large hospitals. METHODS: Web simulation survey was conducted. A total 100 respondents were divided into 4 groups of 25 respondents and the different information was provided to each group. RESULTS: Through multiple comparisons among groups, only group which was provided with both information about 'the difference of surgical results' and 'the waiting time for surgery', had difference in significance. CONCLUSION: By providing two sets of information to patients, reckless selection of extra-large hospitals can be spread to more appropriate hospitals and therefore achieve effective distribution of the population concentration on extra-large hospital.
Appointments and Schedules ; Decision Theory ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Hospital Distribution Systems ; Humans ; Patient Self-Determination Act ; Surveys and Questionnaires

For the last half-century, interprofessional education (IPE) has been identified and discussed as a critical educational process to facilitate collaboration in order to improve healthcare outcomes for healthcare participants. While the concept is not new, outcome-based research has provided few valid and reliable explanations of whether and how IPE can be effective in healthcare quality improvement. This challenge stems from the struggle to understand the epistemological meaning of IPE. The purpose of this literature review paper is to provide a synthesized understanding of IPE, its meaning, and to provide practical guidance for medical educators. The paper reviewed several key aspects of IPE. Professionalility was discussed to understand the historical background of IPE, followed by an explanation of the international trend of embracing the complexity of health care practice and the need for interprofessional collaboration. Additionally, several theoretical perspectives, such as general systems theory, social identity theory, and community of practice were reviewed to pinpoint what constitutes IPE. Several existing definitions were discussed with similar concepts (i.e., disciplinary vs. professional, and multi-, inter-, vs. trans-) to clarify the nature of knowledge and collaboration in IPE. Three concepts, including practice, authenticity of context, and socialization were proposed as key constructs of IPE, followed by appropriate timing of IPE, outcome research, directions for future research, and guidance for implementation. Community-based medical education practice, professional socialization within a community, and longitudinal system-based outcome research are recommended as future directions for research and practice.
Cooperative Behavior ; Delivery of Health Care ; Education ; Education, Medical ; Education, Professional ; Interprofessional Relations ; Professional Practice ; Quality of Health Care ; Social Identification ; Socialization ; Systems Theory