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Currently, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis has rapidly spread worldwide. As the earliest outbreak area of the pandemic, Wuhan, People's Republic of China, is gradually recovering to its normal state under the effective control of government authorities. Outpatient services in major hospitals are now being restored. An accumulation of asymptomatic infections is a potential risk for medical personnel, especially when there is crowding in hospitals. As the biggest center for orthopaedic patients in Wuhan, our orthopaedic outpatient department admits >300 patients per day. Optimal guidelines on how to handle this huge number of patients during the post-outbreak stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly with regard to potential asymptomatic infection, are urgently needed for orthopaedic surgeons. We have developed and proposed applicable guidelines to fill this knowledge gap, including the necessary protective strategies for medical personnel in orthopaedic outpatient and inpatient wards as well as during surgery. We also have provided mental health recommendations for health-care workers. To the best of our knowledge, these guidelines are the first of their kind for orthopaedic surgeons who are slowly reestablishing medical activity following the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case study used the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) to explore work that involves handling gas cylinders and to determine risk factors that may cause related injuries. The NMQ survey was distributed to 100 gas cylinder handlers in Taiwan, and their handling tasks were analyzed. The results showed that the overall prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders was 91% within 1 year. More than half of the respondents (62%) experienced shoulder discomfort, followed by lower back/waist (57%) and neck (47%) discomfort. Daily work hours (>10 h) were primary factors influencing the development of discomfort when handling gas cylinders, whereas the daily delivery frequency (>30 deliveries) was relevant to the prevalence of lower limb discomfort. Individual factors also substantially influenced upper body, lower back/waist, and knee discomfort (i.e., age, job tenure, and exercise). The findings of this study can serve as references in the prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders caused by performing gas cylinder handling tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focused on the manner in which design factors affect the reaction time for identifying toilet signs. Taiwanese university students and staff members (50 men, 50 women; M age = 23.5 year, SD = 5.7) participated in the study. The 36 toilet signs were modified on three factors (six presenting styles, two figure-ground exchanges, and three colors), and the reaction time data of all participants were collected when the signs were presented in a simulation onscreen. Participants were quickest when reading Chinese text, followed by graphics and English texts. The findings also showed that men and women had different reaction times across various design combinations. These findings can serve as a reference for practically designing toilet signs, since design factors can lead to difficulties with comprehension based on reaction time measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have analyzed the lifting capacity of either experienced workers or novices, but a systematic comparison of the lifting capacity of experienced female workers and novices has not been conducted. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to identify differences in lifting strengths and postures between experienced and novice Taiwanese female workers. METHODS: Twenty-three experienced female workers and 23 novices volunteered for this study. Their static lifting strengths (n = 46) and lifting postures (n = 22) were analyzed using statistical analysis software. RESULTS: Experienced workers' vertical lifting strengths were approximately 5-7 kg lower than those of novices at lower heights (≤50 cm). However, at heights equal to or higher than 90 cm, the experienced workers generated approximately 2-3 kg higher toward-body lifting strengths than did novices. The experienced workers' strengths at all 15 lifting heights were relatively unchanged, compared with changes in the novices' strengths. Experienced workers tended to adopt a consistently deep squat at lower heights and a more flexed arm posture at higher heights. CONCLUSION: Through daily work experience, experienced workers may have subconsciously learned to shift their postures to avoid overexertion. These techniques for safe lifting should be taught to new Taiwanese female workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyzed a case study for rolling gas cylinders for a large technology company in Taiwan. Four experienced employees participated in this study. The cylinder transporting postures of participants were photographed for Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) and a goniometer was used for data gathering. The results showed that for atilt rolling movement and positioning of gas cylinders, the postures assessed by RULA all exceeded Action Level 3. The repetitive activity for each wrist was as high as 1 time/s. The radial deviation for each wrist and the dorsiflexion on the right wrist nearly reached the maximum range of motion. This suggested that the tasks might potentially cause injury to the upper limbs (particularly the wrists) and require action “investigation and changes are required soon”, as suggested by RULA. The results of this case analysis can be preliminarily used as a reference for related operation evaluation and improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between the scores collected from Borg's rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale and the heart rates (HR) of young Taiwanese men. Three exercises types (dynamic, partially dynamic, and static) were performed by 12 participants (six were familiar with Borg's scale and 6 were unfamiliar) under nine test conditions of three load levels for each exercise. The effect of familiarity on the relationship between RPE and HR was also examined. The results showed that the familiarity of the participants regarding the Borg's scale did not affect the scores. The relationship between Borg's RPE 6-20 scale and the HR values during dynamic exercise was described by the regression equation HR = 8.88 × RPE + 38.2 (beats/min). The HR had lower correlations with RPE values when the participants performed both partially dynamic and static exercises. The findings may serve as a reference when using Borg's RPE scale to evaluate the physical exertion of young Taiwanese men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated sex differences in static lifting strengths (LS) at various exertion heights. Healthy adult young men (n = 50; M age = 23.4 yr., SD = 2.3) and women (n = 50; M age = 22.5 yr., SD = 2.8) were used as participants, and their static lifting strengths were measured at various heights (10 to 150 cm, in increments of 10 cm). Repeated measures ANOVA indicated that the strength profiles were significantly different. When the exerting height was less than or equal to 80 cm, the strengths of women were approximately two-thirds that of the men. Participants adopted a nearly erect posture at above 80 cm, and the weakness of women's upper extremities and disadvantageous posture were directly reflected in reduced strength values relative to men. One potential implication is that, because of the relatively lower isometric lifting strength for young Taiwanese women, caution should be exercised in the weight limit when lifting heights above the hip level, especially when above the shoulder level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides information on a study regarding the determination of push and pull strengths of young males in Taiwan. According to the study, the maximum push and pull force required the optimal heights of 50-90 cm. The study concludes that that push and pull forces developed using low-friction flooring were lower than those by setting up a high-traction floor.