Search

Introduction: Loss of cutaneous protective sensation and high plantar pressures increase the risk for diabetic foot patients. Trauma and ulceration are imminent threats, making assessment and monitoring essential. This systematic review aims to identify systems and technologies for measuring in-shoe plantar pressures, focusing on the at-risk diabetic foot population. Methods: A systematic search was conducted across four electronic databases (Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Oxford Journals) using PRISMA methodology, covering articles published in English from 1979 to 2024. Only studies addressing systems or sensors exclusively measuring plantar pressures inside the shoe were included. Results: A total of 87 studies using commercially available devices and 45 articles proposing new systems or sensors were reviewed. The prevailing market offerings consist mainly of instrumented insoles. Emerging technologies under development often feature configurations with four, six or eight resistive sensors strategically placed within removable insoles. Despite some variability due to the inherent heterogeneity of human gait, these devices assess plantar pressure, although they present significant differences between them in measurement results. Individuals with diabetic foot conditions appears exhibit elevated plantar pressures, with reported peak pressures reaching approximately 1000 kPa. The results also showed significant differences between the diabetic and non-diabetic groups. Conclusion: Instrumented insoles, particularly those incorporating resistive sensor technology, dominate the field. Systems employing eight sensors at critical locations represent a pragmatic approach, although market options extend to systems with up to 960 sensors. Differences between devices can be a critical factor in measurement and highlights the importance of individualized patient assessment using consistent measurement devices.

Wildland firefighting represents a physically and mentally demanding endeavour fraught with various risk factors. The primary aim of this study is to delineate occupational chemical exposure within the firefighting work environment on the firefront and its implications for firefighters’ health status. A systematic literature review was conducted utilising diverse keyword combinations across Scopus, Web of Science, Academic Search Complete, and ScienceDirect databases. Only English-language journal articles, real-world monitoring reports, and studies featuring samples of firefighters were considered for inclusion. Forty-one studies were analysed, with 26 focusing on firefighters’ occupational exposure to chemical agents during wildland firefighting and 15 addressing the health impairments of wildland firefighting activities. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), VOCs, and particulates emerged as the most prevalent chemical agents in the exposure profiles of frontline firefighters. They were shown to be the main incidents of cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and work-related cancer. The rigorous demands of wildland firefighting have been demonstrated to significantly impact firefighter health, resulting in a notable prevalence of fatalities and illnesses. Given that an elevated number of health issues are common in this occupation, adopting advanced assessment technologies is imperative.

Background: The development of ulcers in the plantar region of the diabetic foot originates mainly from sites subjected to high pressure. The monitoring of these events using maximum allowable pressure thresholds is a fundamental procedure in the prevention of ulceration and its recurrence. Objective: The aim of this review was to identify data in the literature that reveal an objective threshold of plantar pressure in the diabetic foot, where pressure is classified as promoting ulceration. The aim is not to determine the best and only pressure threshold for ulceration, but rather to clarify the threshold values most used in clinical practice and research, also considering the devices used and possible applications for offloading plantar pressure. Design: A systematic review. Methods: The search was performed in three electronic databases, by the PRISMA methodology, for studies that used a pressure threshold to minimize the risk of ulceration in the diabetic foot. The selected studies were subjected to eligibility criteria. Results: Twenty-six studies were included in this review. Seven thresholds were identified, five of which are intended for the inside of the shoe: a threshold of average peak pressure of 200 kPa; 25 % and 40–80 % reduction from initial baseline pressure; 32–35 mm Hg for a capillary perfusion pressure; and a matrix of thresholds based on patient risk, shoe size and foot region. Two other thresholds are intended for the barefoot, 450 and 750 kPa. The threshold of 200 kPa of pressure inside the shoe is the most agreed upon among the studies. Regarding the prevention of ulceration and its recurrence, the efficacy of the proposed threshold matrix and the threshold of reducing baseline pressure by 40–80 % has not yet been evaluated, and the evidence for the remaining thresholds still needs further studies. Conclusions: Some heterogeneity was found in the studies, especially regarding the measurement systems used, the number of regions of interest and the number of steps to be considered for the threshold. Even so, this review reveals the way forward to obtain a threshold indicative of an effective steppingstone in the prevention of diabetic foot ulcer.

Objectives: Commercial photocurable polymers used in dental additive manufacturing still have mechanical limitations. The incorporation of graphene may provide interesting advantages in this field. This study aimed to evaluate in vitro the effect of adding graphene nanoparticles to a 3D-printed polymethylmethacrylate dental resin in terms of surface roughness, flexural properties, and hardness. Methods: A 3D-printed dental resin (Dental Sand, Harz Lab) was loaded with four different graphene nanoplatelet (Graphenest) concentrations: 0.01wt%, 0.1wt%, 0.25wt%, and 0.5wt%. The neat resin was used as the control group. The surface roughness was measured with a contact profilometer using bar-shaped specimens (50x10x4mm). The flexural strength of specimens (80x10x4mm) from each group was calculated using the 3-point bending test in a Universal Test Machine. Hardness shore D was measured using a manual durometer on round-shaped specimens (12x6mm). Data were evaluated using the Kruskall-Wallis test followed by post-hoc Bonferroni corrected pairwise inter-group comparisons. Statistical significance was set at p

Background. Occlusal splints with sensors help in the bruxism diagnosis and monitoring, by recording the patient’s bite force. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of a pressure sensor when it is covered with different thicknesses of a 3D printing resin (Anycubic 405nm Translucent Green UV Resin, Anycubic, UK). Methods. In this preliminary study, the evaluated sensor (FlexiForce A201 Sensor, Tekscan) was firstly calibrated without any type of cover material, and later tested with 3D printing resin with different thicknesses (1 mm, 1.15 mm, 1.4 mm and 1.6 mm). The load tests were performed by a force tester (MultiTest 2.5 dV, Mecmesin). Results. When the pressure sensor was covered with resin of 1mm and 1.6 mm thick specimens, a higher difference was found between the applied load and the corresponding sensor reading. Conclusion. It was concluded that it is possible to use this type of pressure sensor and that it showed better accuracy with the 1.15 mm and 1.4 mm 3D printing resin covering.

Objectives: To produce a systematic review regarding the effect of graphene-reinforced polymethylmethacrylate used in dentistry on mechanical properties. Methods: Electronic databases (Pubmed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Embase) were independently searched by two researchers for relevant studies published up to December 2021. An additional manual search was performed to identify relevant publications. The population, intervention, comparison, and outcome (PICO) question was “In dentistry, does graphene-reinforced polymethylmethacrylate offer better mechanical properties than conventional polymethylmethacrylate?”. The selection of articles was carried out according to the established inclusion and exclusion criteria, following the PRISMA flowchart. The inter-investigator reliability was assessed by Cohen’s Kappa coefficient. The risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Quasi-experimental Studies. Results: Six in vitro studies were included in the qualitative analysis. A total of 247 specimens were evaluated: 81 made of non-reinforced PMMA resin and 166 of PMMA reinforced with graphene. The mechanical properties evaluated were flexural strength, flexural modulus, hardness, biaxial flexural strength, and impact strength. These properties seem to improve with the addition of graphene in certain concentrations. The analysis of the risk of bias showed low risk. Conclusions: Within the limitation of this study, graphene seems to strengthen some mechanical properties of PMMA dental resin. However, more studies are needed to understand the ideal graphene concentration to improve resin’s clinical performance.

Thermography using a period light stimulation. However, the results are highly dependent on the accuracy of the stimulation source and its dynamic response. This work aimed to evaluate the quality of a light source as a thermal stimulation and its influence on the quality of the lock-in tests performed in PMMA samples. For this purpose, it was developed an enhanced technique, feedback lock-in thermal testing (FLTT), which uses a light sensor to measure the real light stimulation. With this solution, it was possible to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the amplitude and phase images by approximately 2.5 times. Although only one commercial stimulation source has been tested, others may present similar behavior. Thus, this technique may be considered for lock-in systems using light stimulation, as the increment of the cost is rather small.

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is used in construction projects to improve efficiency. In general, it improves project management and monitoring, reduces time and costs, strengthens collaboration among stakeholders, and reduces risks and injuries. Sensor technologies with various functionalities are being implemented in the construction site. Technologies such as tracking workers and transmitting real-time site inspections to support the BIM tools in various fields are being used. To evaluate sensor technologies’ usability and effectiveness in Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Operations (AECO) sector, a literature review adapting PRISMA Statement is proposed. Consequently, this document represents a complementary manuscript as a PRISMA Protocol (PRISMA-P). Relevant articles are collected from top electronic databases in the construction field. This review aims to investigate the sensor connected BIM models and the technologies being utilised in the AECO sector, investigating the targeted groups, construction field, and the system architectures being used. Furthermore, the study will examine the case studies of the implemented sensors to evaluate each technology’s effectiveness. Finally, the reliability of the tools and future proposals is projected.

Physical fatigue reduces productivity and quality of work while increasing the risk of injuries and accidents among safety-sensitive professionals. To prevent its adverse effects, researchers are developing automated assessment methods that, despite being highly accurate, require a comprehensive understanding of underlying mechanisms and variables’ contributions to determine their real-life applicability. This work aims to evaluate the performance variations of a previously developed four-level physical fatigue model when alternating its inputs to have a comprehensive view of the impact of each physiological variable on the model’s functioning. Data from heart rate, breathing rate, core temperature and personal characteristics from 24 firefighters during an incremental running protocol were used to develop the physical fatigue model based on an XGBoosted tree classifier. The model was trained 11 times with different input combinations resulting from alternating four groups of features. Performance measures from each case showed that heart rate is the most relevant signal for estimating physical fatigue. Breathing rate and core temperature enhanced the model when combined with heart rate but showed poor performance individually. Overall, this study highlights the advantage of using more than one physiological measure for improving physical fatigue modelling. The findings can contribute to variables and sensor selection in occupational applications and as the foundation for further field research.

Automation of assembly work was originally developed to increase operation efficiency and to reduce workload. However, a considerable number of unanticipated ergonomic problems have been observed such as the interaction between humans and automated systems. The aims of this study were to quantify joint angle positions (shoulder, elbow and wrist) of workers in two assembly lines with different mechanization levels and analyse the performance of an inertial motion capture system. Seven experienced female assemblers participated in this study. The measurements were performed in the workplace with a full-body inertial measurement system (Xsens MVN BIOMECH system). Maximum cross-correlation between angle-time courses was calculated to quantify the waveform similarities. In manual line, there are larger variations of joint angles than in the semi-automatic one. The analysis of cross correlation coefficients revealed that electromagnetic interferences are potential limitations to the use of these systems under field conditions.

Physical fatigue is a serious threat to the health and safety of firefighters. Its effects include decreased cognitive abilities and a heightened risk of accidents. Subjective scales and, recently, on-body sensors have been used to monitor physical fatigue among firefighters and safety-sensitive professionals. Considering the capabilities (e.g., noninvasiveness and continuous monitoring) and limitations (e.g., assessed fatiguing tasks and models validation procedures) of current approaches, this study aimed to develop a physical fatigue prediction model combining cardiorespiratory and thermoregulatory measures and machine learning algorithms within a firefighters’ sample. Sensory data from heart rate, breathing rate and core temperature were recorded from 24 participants during an incremental running protocol. Various supervised machine learning algorithms were examined using 21 features extracted from the physiological variables and participants’ characteristics to estimate four physical fatigue conditions: low, moderate, heavy and severe. Results showed that the XGBoosted Trees algorithm achieved the best outcomes with an average accuracy of 82% and accuracies of 93% and 86% for recognising the low and severe levels. Furthermore, this study evaluated different methods to assess the models’ performance, concluding that the group cross-validation method presents the most practical results. Overall, this study highlights the advantages of using multiple physiological measures for enhancing physical fatigue modelling. It proposes a promising health and safety management tool and lays the foundation for future studies in field conditions.

Lock-in thermal tests (LTTs) are one of the best ways to detect defects in composite materials. The parameter that most affects their performance is the cycle period of the stimulation wave. Its influence on the amplitude-phase results was determined by performing various numeric simulations and laboratory tests. The laboratory tests were used to infer part of the simulation parameters, namely the input and output heat, corresponding to the stimulation and natural convection. The simulations and the analysis of their results focus on the heat flow inside the sample and the manner they change for different geometries. This was performed for poly(methyl methacrylate (PMMA) and carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs). The simulation of these materials was also used to create prediction surfaces and equations. These predict the amplitude and phase for a sample with a thickness l and a cycle period. These new findings were validated with new laboratory tests and two new samples. These validated the prediction surfaces and equations and can now be used as a reference for future works and industrial applications.

Children are amongst the most vulnerable affected groups by natural and human-made disasters. Disaster preparedness education programs have been developed to help reduce risk and increase resilience for hazardous events. A better understanding is needed about children evacuation behaviour in schools and the time of evacuation. Therefore, a systematic review is proposed to search for relevant information about emergency evacuation response in schools. This systematic review protocol was developed to present adequate guidelines that can provide relevant research results to fulfil the sought objective. Sixteen databases will be accessed (Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect, are some examples) and a total of three keyword expressions will be used. The selection process will be thoroughly described, including detailed data treatment and used eligibility criteria, to contribute to the general research on this field.

The exposure to respirable particulates poses a significant threat to human health globally. Several occupational activities can contribute to this problem, being open-pit mining and related activities such as road construction and earthworks some examples. This systematic review protocol outlines the main procedures to conduct a scoping review which aims to identify the most adequate variables to plan safety since the design safe. To accomplish this primary objective, some secondary objectives were defined as well. The journals and databases considered more relevant were selected (i.e. Scopus, Web of Science, and Science Direct) and a set of keywords was defined to the latter sequenced combination. The selection process of the articles is also described, in an attempt to contribute to further research on this field. Every methodology is documented and supported by the PRISMA Statement adapted to the scoping review process. All of the data treatment is detailed, including the risk of bias and attempts to manage it.

Anthropogenic activity is related to several environmental imbalances, including dust. Particulate matter can also hinder humans with numerous health consequences, such as asthma, cancer, and pneumoconiosis. With a particular focus on mineral dust, this review is intended to determine in which circumstances occupational exposure occurs in the mining and earthmoving industries. Research followed the guidelines provided by the preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols and its extension for scoping reviews. Of the 8993 records identified, only 24 passed both exclusion and inclusion criteria. Within the pool of results, it was possible to identify the following variables related to dust exposure: job-related (activity, job category, and site), engineering (equipment, transport system), technical (distance), and physical (season and weather) variables. Due to the significant variance in protocol settings, it was challenging to perform a general analysis, resulting in a study-by-study approach. The most significant conclusion of this study is not related to the setting of occupational exposure, although it derives from it. The necessity of adopting standard procedures for data collection, independent of research objective, was demonstrated within the context of occupational exposure to mineral dust.

Aim: The purpose of this systematic literature review is to check papers to find the best method for measuring association between health interventions and productivity and find best intervention in workplace for increasing productivity. Method: This systematic review was performed based on PRISMA statement methodology and performed on all papers about association between productivity with intervention for increasing physical activity, published from 2007 until June 2017. The search was limited to English language items. Conclusion: The results of this systematic review demonstrate that providing interventions for workers in various workplaces have a low to high affecting on productivity, as measured by objective and organization specific metrics or subjective and self-report questionnaires. The Analyze of result showed that using different methods simultaneously can make more accuracy and precision. Also it’s better that before filling the self-report questionnaires researchers train all workers about the purpose of the study.

The Brazilian economy was, until the end of the 19th Century, based on slave labour. However, in this first quarter of the 21st Century, the problem persists. These situations tend to be mistaken with “simple” violations of labour laws. This work aims to establish Occupational Health and Safety parameters, focusing on energy needs, to distinguish between the breach of labour legislation and modern rural slavery in the 21st Century in Brazil. In response to this challenge, bibliographical research was carried out on the feeding and energy replenishment conditions of Brazilian slaves in the 19th Century. Obtained data were compared with a sample where 392 cases of neo-slavery in Brazil are described. The energy spent and the energy supplied was calculated to identify the enslaved workers’ general feeding conditions in the two historical periods. The general conditions of food and water supply were analysed. It was possible to identify three comparable parameters: food quality, food quantity, and water supply. It was concluded that there is a parallelism of energy replenishment conditions between Brazilian slaves and neo-slaves of the 19th and 21st centuries, respectively, different from that of free workers. This difference can help authorities identify and punish instances of modern slavery.

Biomechanical tools capable of detecting external forces in swimming starts and turns have been developed since 1970. This study described the development and validation of a three-dimensional (six-degrees of freedom) instrumented block for swimming starts and turns. Seven force plates, a starting block, an underwater structure, one pair of handgrips and feet supports for starts were firstly designed, numerically simulated, manufactured and validated according to the Fédération Internationale de Natation rules. Static and dynamic force plate simulations revealed deformations between 290 to 376 µε and 279 to 545 µε in the anterior-posterior and vertical axis and 182 to 328.6 Hz resonance frequencies. Force plates were instrumented with 24 strain gauges each connected to full Wheatstone bridge circuits. Static and dynamic calibration revealed linearity ( R 2 between 0.97 and 0.99) and non-meaningful cross-talk between orthogonal (1%) axes. Laboratory and ecological validation revealed the similarity between force curve profiles. The need for discriminating each upper and lower limb force responses has implied a final nine-force plates solution with seven above and two underwater platforms. The instrumented block has given an unprecedented contribution to accurate external force measurements in swimming starts and turns.

This study presents a complete biomechanical analysis of the block phase of a swimming modified track start. Kinetic, kinematic and electromyography (EMG) data were collected. The forces produced by the swimmer on the block, the EMG of eight muscles and the kinematics of the centre of mass (CM) were recorded. A national-level swimmer performed three repetitions of a track start in a dynamometric starting block. Temporal instants ‘reaction time’, ‘hands take-off’, ‘rear foot take-off’ and ‘front foot take-off’ were identified. Results show the peak forces (Fmax) produced by the most dynamic limb in each sub-phase delimited by mentioned instants (right hand take-off: Fmaxvertical = 103 N; rear foot take-off: Fmaxantero-posterior = 524 N; front foot take-off: Fmaxvertical = 634 N). The CM revealed a descendent vertical trajectory along the block phase. Mean resultant speed at front foot take-off was 4.092m/s. The muscles with highest values of integral EMG (iEMG) were the tibialis anterior during hands take-off, Biceps Femoris and Gluteus Maximus during rear foot take-off, respectively 41.17%, 52.96% and 36.37% of the maximum isometric voluntary contraction (%MIVC). The study demonstrates an effective characterisation of the block phase in swimming starts with potential to evaluate the swimmers performance in the track start, using different back plate positioning.

This study employs molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the adsorption and aggregation behavior of simple polyarginine cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), specifically modeled as R9 peptides, at zwitterionic phosphocholine POPC membranes under varying ionic strengths of two peptide concentrations and two concentrations of NaCl and CaCl2. The results reveal an intriguing phenomenon of R9 aggregation at the membrane, which is dependent on the ionic strength, indicating a salting-out effect. As the peptide concentration and ionic strength increase, peptide aggregation also increases, with aggregate lifetimes and sizes showing a corresponding rise, accompanied by the total decrease of adsorbed peptides at the membrane surface. Notably, in high ionic strength environments, large R9 aggregates, such as octamers, are also observed occasionally. The salting-out, typically uncommon for short positively charged peptides, is attributed to the unique properties of arginine amino acid, specifically by its side chain containing amphiphilic guanidinium (Gdm+) ion which makes both intermolecular hydrophobic like-charge Gdm+ – Gdm+ and salt-bridge Gdm+ – C-terminus interactions, where the former are increased with the ionic strength, and the latter decreased due to electrostatic screening. The aggregation behavior of R9 peptides at membranes can also be linked to their CPP translocation properties, suggesting that aggregation may aid in translocation across cellular membranes.