Ascent from ground level to the conditions of 7000 to 8000 ft lowered oxygen saturation by approximately 4 percentage points. This level of hypoxemia was insufficient to affect the occurrence of acute mountain sickness but did contribute to the increased frequency of reports of discomfort in unacclimatized participants after 3 to 9 hours. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00326703 [ClinicalTrials.gov].).

The understanding of the types of knee disorders, the affected occupations, and the job related risk factors will allow ergonomic practitioners and researchers to create and adjust work environments for the detection and lessening of knee work-related musculoskeletal risk. Further studies need to be conducted to (1) justify the presence of risk from certain risk factors and (2) enhance the understanding of risk factor dose-response levels and their temporal development.

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Current ergonomic risk assessment tools do not assess possible occupational (extrinsic) and personal (intrinsic) risk factors for the lower extremity regions of employees. This document proposes that it is possible to develop a lower extremity risk assessment (LERA) model for quantifying such risks. A literature review was conducted for work-related musculoskeletal disorders of the lower extremity that affect the nervous, muscular, vascular, and skeletal systems. This initial model of LERA was developed using epidemiological literature and subject matter expert opinion specifically for the knee joint and is considered a preliminary step towards quantifying the etiology of cumulative occupational knee disorders.

Increases in air travel, disposable income, and median age around the world suggest that the needs of the older traveler will have an increasing impact on the air travel system. Embraer, Boeing and GMA Research, Inc. conducted focus groups, fly-along ethnographic observations and on-line surveys with older air travelers in Japan, Germany, Brazil and the United States. Difficulties walking long distances, accessing overhead bins, operating automated check-in kiosks and in-flight entertainment systems, and entering and exiting seats were common themes. The relatively limited space and perceived sanitary conditions within the lavatories also posed limitations for many older travelers. However, a striking number of older travelers report a desire to continue travelling as often or more frequently in the future.