Ninety-eight healthy underground coal miners aged between 23-58 years were studied during their activity period. Physiological strain of different category of miners in terms of heart rate was monitored continuously with heart rate monitor that revealed the tasks as heavy to very heavy for them. Oxygen consumption was measured directly by using oxylog-2 machine that corresponded to metabolic costs for different activities ranging from 4.96 kcal/min to 5.47 kcal/min. The mean relative aerobic strain varied from 47.4%-56.8%-depicting acceptable level of physical strain was well encroached by the miners who irrespective of ages and categories showed poor recovery responses. This entails that miners are exerting themselves beyond their capacities where inevitably older workforce face the maximum burden.

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This study examined the effects of a health education program based on the self-reliance and self-action philosophy and the use of group work methodology on hypercholesterolemia during and after the intervention period. Thirty-two people participated in the study. Measurement values were obtained at the commencement of the intervention (Baseline), during the 6-month intervention period, at the end of the 6-month intervention period (Middle Point) and 6 months after Middle Point (End Point). The average number of steps per day significantly increased during the 6-month intervention period. The energy intake and fat intake levels significantly decreased during the 6-month intervention period. Total cholesterol, triglyceride, and atherosclerosis-index levels significantly decreased between Baseline and End Point. The HDL cholesterol levels significantly increased between Baseline and End Point. Statistically significant decrease was also observed in total cholesterol and atherosclerosis-index levels between Baseline and Middle Point, and between Middle Point and End Point. It is concluded that the health education program based on self-reliance and self-action philosophy using a group work methodology is effective for improving hypercholesterolemia. Especially, the improvement in the serum total cholesterol and atherosclerosis-index levels was sustained even after the intervention period.

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Work requiring extremely body flexion is strongly associated with a high incidence of musculoskeletal injuries often reported during adopting squatting. In this study, the influence of different lower seat heights on the muscular stress in squatting on a stool (SS) were examined in comparison with fully squatting (FS). Fourteen healthy Indonesian males were recruited in the experiment. Two-dimensional body kinematics, ground reaction force (GRF) and electromyography (EMG) data were collected as subjects performed forward movement under four squatting height conditions which were FS and SS at 10 cm, 15 cm and 20 cm seat height. The results demonstrated that the change from FS to SS primarily affected the segmental angular flexions and muscular activities in the upper and lower limbs. GRF data showed that the SS conditions delivered 24% body weight onto the seat. The change of FS to SS showed significantly decrease in muscular load of the rectus femoris and tibialis anterior. In contrast, the soleus and gastrocnemius increased the activities as the seat height increased. The type of task that required the hand to handle the object on the ground level affected the trunk to be more flexed as the seat height increased. The findings of this study suggest that the use of a lower seat stool of a proper height seems to be a sub-optimal solution considering the change of muscular load associated with the discomfort in a squatting posture.

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Clothes and accessories function as communication signs. The functions of relevant phenomena appearing in our daily life are classified according to their meanings as communication signs. The makeup, body painting, artificial deformation, modification (for example, tattoo or cut) and such kinds of decoration on the bodies are included in accessories. While the clothes and accessories have other functions such as body temperature regulation, protection of the body, being the fortune value by themselves and so on, the functions as communication signs are focused on in this paper. The resemblance of the communication functions of clothes and accessories to those appearing in animals are examined, through which the origin of clothes and accessories is discussed. Among many kinds of communication signs, including vocal or behavioral ones, the communication signs of clothes and accessories are characterized by their appearance, and may be named 'morphological signs' more precisely. The classification is thought to be useful for investigating the social or communicational functions of clothes and accessories from the viewpoint of socio-behavioral science and ergology, because the communication in the work situation is very important. The requirements for safer working wears are suggested.

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When we draw a picture, an image should be present in the cortex of the brain. This process is limited by the environment surrounding the artist, so I developed a new drawing method which is assumed to be constructed without the contribution of the cortex. This method has many possibilities in the field of modem art. Also from the stand point of Ergology, the neurophysiologic study of the mechanism of this drawing would be interesting.

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