How changing needs change technological practices during a crisis: An explanation using practice theory.

The COVID-19 pandemic as a global crisis has created an opportunity to examine the theoretical tenets of the technology as routine capability perspective, and its extensions. We argue that the pandemic acted as a crisis that shifted technology use patterns via changing daily routines, or patterns of what we practice, and how we communicate in the social context. Specifically, we focus on changes in human needs as the primary mechanism that mediate the impact of the pandemic crisis on changes in technology practices. We collected survey responses from 213 participants before COVID-19, and 447 after the rapid spread of COVID-19. Empirical results mostly confirmed our hypotheses, and revealed that the pandemic crisis created a significant shift in four practices: communication, browsing, information sourcing, and material sourcing. We also found that the human needs of autonomy and relatedness mediated this relationship between the pandemic crisis and technology practices. These findings provided support for our proposed mediating role of human needs in explaining how major shifts create technology change and extending the technology as routine capability perspective. We conclude with a discussion, implications, and directions for future researchers.

Selective attention as a protagonist in contemporary workplace stress: implications for the interruption age.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The ubiquity of instant messages and email notifications in contemporary work environments has opened a Pandora's Box. This box is filled with countless interruptions coming from laptops, smartphones, and other devices, all of which constantly call for employees' attention. In this interruption era, workplace stress is a pervasive problem. To examine this problem, the present study hypothesizes that the three-way interaction among the frequency with which interrupting stimuli appear, their salience, and employees' deficits in inhibiting attentional responses to them impacts mental workload perceptions, ultimately leading to stress. The study, further, probes a related form of self-efficacy as a potential suppressor of interruption-based stress. DESIGN: The study used a 2 (low vs. high frequency) × 2 (low vs. high salience) mixed model design. METHODS: The 128 subjects completed a test of their inhibitory deficits and rated their mental workload perceptions and experiences of stress following a computer-based task. RESULTS: Inhibitory deficits and increased interruption salience can alter the perception of mental workload in contemporary work environments for the worse, but interruption self-efficacy can help offset any resulting interruption-based stress. CONCLUSIONS: This study extends the literatures on work interruptions as well as on stress and coping in the workplace.

A rapid rotation to an inverted seated posture inhibits muscle force, activation, heart rate and blood pressure.

Although previous studies have demonstrated neuromuscular and cardiovascular changes with slow inversion rates, emergencies, such as overturned vehicles and helicopters can occur rapidly. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in neuromuscular and cardiovascular responses with rapid (1 s) and slower (3 s) transitions from upright to inverted seated positions. Twenty-two subjects performed separate and concurrent unilateral elbow flexion and leg extension maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs) for 6 s in an upright seated position and when inverted with 1 and 3 s rotations. Elbow flexion and leg extension force; biceps, triceps, quadriceps and hamstrings electromyographic (EMG) activity, heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were measured. Whether the elbow flexion or leg extension contractions occurred concurrently or individually, significant (p < 0.05) decreases in MVC force and EMG activity were found when inverted within 1 and 3 s rotations as compared to upright. Triceps and hamstrings EMG activity (p < 0.05) decreased when inverted within 1 s rotation as compared to upright. Following rotation, the maintenance of the inverted position (3-6 s timepoint) resulted in a significant (p < 0.05) increase in leg extension MVC as compared to the initial second of rotation to inversion. HR, SBP and DBP demonstrated (p < 0.001) decreases when inverted within 1 and 3 s rotations as compared to upright. In conclusion, this is the first study to show that irrespective of rotation speed, inversion inhibited neuromuscular and cardiovascular responses, similar to the more deliberate, slower rotation of previous inversion studies.

Management of unilaterally impacted multiple posterior teeth: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: The impaction of permanent teeth poses a challenge to orthodontists, especially when posterior teeth are involved. Multiple impacted posterior teeth without associated with systemic conditions/syndromes is an uncommon clinical occurrence which leads to a posterior open bite and severely compromised function. AIM: The present article reports the clinical management of an impacted maxillary second premolar, mandibular premolars and mandibular first and second molars on the right side. METHOD: The premolars were guided into occlusion by orthodontic traction. Disimpaction and uprighting of the mandibular first molar were achieved using a Begg uprighting spring while a T-loop was used to correct the second molar. Absolute anchorage in the form of miniscrews was not required as anchorage demands were minimal. The total treatment time was 24 months. RESULTS: Orthodontic mechanics resolved a demanding clinical problem and eliminated the need for prosthetic replacements. An acceptable occlusion with a Class I molar relationship, normal function and a healthy periodontium were achieved. CONCLUSION: The results indicated the benefits of uprighting multiple impacted teeth through orthodontic treatment.

A comparison of topical menthol to ice on pain, evoked tetanic and voluntary force during delayed onset muscle soreness.

PURPOSE/BACKGROUND: Pain can adversely affect muscle functioning by inhibiting muscle contractions. Delayed onset muscle soreness was used as a tool to ascertain whether a topical menthol-based analgesic or ice was more effective at reducing pain and permitting greater muscular voluntary and evoked force. METHODS: Sixteen subjects were randomized to receive either a topical gel containing 3.5% menthol or topical application of ice to the non-dominant elbow flexors two days following the performance of an exercise designed to induce muscle soreness. Two days later, DOMS discomfort was treated with a menthol based analgesic or ice. Maximum voluntary contractions and evoked tetanic contractions of the non-dominant elbow flexors were measured at baseline prior to inducing muscle soreness (T1), two days following inducing DOMS after 20 (T2), 25 (T3) and 35 (T4) minutes of either menthol gel or ice therapy. Pain perception using a 10-point visual analog scale was also measured at these four data collection points. Treatment analysis included a 2 way repeated measures ANOVA (2 × 4). RESULTS: Delayed onset muscle soreness decreased (p = 0.04) voluntary force 17.1% at T2 with no treatment effect. Tetanic force was 116.9% higher (p<0.05) with the topical analgesic than ice. Pain perception at T2 was significantly (p=0.02) less with the topical analgesic versus ice. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to ice, the topical menthol-based analgesic decreased perceived discomfort to a greater extent and permitted greater tetanic forces to be produced. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 2b.