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- Andreasson, Rebecca, et al.
(author)
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Past and Future Challenges for Railway Research and the Role of a Systems Perspective
- 2019
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In: Proceedings of the 20th Congress of the International Ergonomics Association (IEA 2018). - Cham : Springer. - 9783319960708 - 9783319960715 ; , s. 1737-1746
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Operational train traffic is dependent on an efficient traffic plan monitored and executed by the traffic controllers, the proficient maneuvering of the trains by the train drivers, and on the interaction, communication, and coordination between these two work roles. The railway research community, and the branch of industry itself, has called for an integrated systems perspective for the whole train traffic system to achieve an efficient performance. As human-human and human-technology interactions are natural parts of the socio-technical system of train traffic, the aim of this paper is to provide illustrative examples for why a systems perspective is needed for the future of railway research. Furthermore, we present the theoretical framework of distributed cognition (DCog) as a necessary addition to the theoretical and methodological toolbox of the Human Factors and Ergonomics (HF&E) discipline. To realize efficient and coordinated processes involved in organizing and executing operational train traffic, the paper proposes that the DCog framework should be implemented in the train traffic domain as a viable approach forward.
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2. |
- Andreasson, Rebecca, et al.
(author)
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The coordination between train traffic controllers and train drivers : a distributed cognition perspective on railway
- 2019
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In: Cognition, Technology & Work. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1435-5558 .- 1435-5566. ; 21:3, s. 417-443
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Although there has long been a call for a holistic systems perspective to better understand real work in the complex domain of railway traffic, prior research has not strongly emphasised the socio-technical perspective. In operational railway traffic, the successful planning and execution of the traffic are the product of the socio-technical system comprised by both train drivers and traffic controllers. This paper presents a study inspired by cognitive ethnography with the aim to characterise the coordinating activities that are conducted by train traffic controllers and train drivers in the work practices of the socio-technical system of Swedish railway. The theoretical framework of distributed cognition (DCog) is used as a conceptual and analytical tool to make sense of the complex railway domain and the best practices as they are developed and performed “in the wild”. The analysis reveals a pattern of collaboration and coordination of actions among the workers and we introduce the concept of enacted actionable practices as a key concern for understanding how a successfully executed railway traffic emerges as a property of the socio-technical system. The implications for future railway research are briefly discussed.
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3. |
- Frankel, Rebecca, et al.
(author)
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Autocatalytic amplification of Alzheimer-associated Aβ42 peptide aggregation in human cerebrospinal fluid
- 2019
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In: Communications Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2399-3642. ; 2:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Alzheimer’s disease is linked to amyloid β (Aβ) peptide aggregation in the brain, and a detailed understanding of the molecular mechanism of Aβ aggregation may lead to improved diagnostics and therapeutics. While previous studies have been performed in pure buffer, we approach the mechanism in vivo using cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). We investigated the aggregation mechanism of Aβ42 in human CSF through kinetic experiments at several Aβ42 monomer concentrations (0.8–10 µM). The data were subjected to global kinetic analysis and found consistent with an aggregation mechanism involving secondary nucleation of monomers on the fibril surface. A mechanism only including primary nucleation was ruled out. We find that the aggregation process is composed of the same microscopic steps in CSF as in pure buffer, but the rate constant of secondary nucleation is decreased. Most importantly, the autocatalytic amplification of aggregate number through catalysis on the fibril surface is prevalent also in CSF.
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4. |
- Thorvald, Peter, 1980-, et al.
(author)
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On the development of a method for cognitive load assessment in manufacturing
- 2019
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In: Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing. - : Elsevier. - 0736-5845 .- 1879-2537. ; 59, s. 252-266
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The increasing complexity and demands of assembly operations in manufacturing has been shown to lead to increased cognitive load in assembly workers. Previous work has outlined the complexity of an assembly worker's situation both in terms of difficulty and speed of work and there have been a few attempts at creating frameworks and methods for understanding the key aspects of what creates increased cognitive load. This paper presents the development of an analytic method, denoted CLAM (Cognitive Load Assessment for Manufacturing), and a tool for assessing cognitive load in manufacturing, primarily assembly. It outlines the journey of the development as well as discusses and problematizes relevant meta-methodological issues paired with method development. The intended contribution of the work is to make a difference in reducing the cognitive load of assembly workers on the shop floor, thus focusing the development on applicability and usability of the tool in practice. With this purpose in mind, focus of the method development has been on the practitioners, i.e. the method should not require any expert knowledge to be applied. The CLAM method and accompanying documentation such as a handbook containing instructions towards using the method and interpreting the results, is available in an online tool.
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