Recent studies have successfully reported the accuracy of using artificial neural networks to predict grip force in controlled settings. However, only relying on accuracy to evaluate the machine learning models may lead to overoptimistic results, especially on imbalanced datasets. The Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) showed an advantage in capturing all the data characteristics in the confusion matrix. Therefore, a binary classification approach and the MCC value were introduced to assess the performance of previously proposed machine learning models. Our results show that the overall...
Background: Sedentary behavior is associated with musculoskeletal discomfort (MSD) and especially prevalent in office workers. Objective: This cross-sectional analysis examined postures and activities of office workers to determine whether there were associations between posture/activity levels, MSD, and cardiometabolic measures. Methods: Participants completed baseline questionnaires, wore an inertial measuring unit, blood pressure cuff, and heart rate monitor to quantify posture, physical activity, and cardiometabolic measures. The relationships among posture/activity, MSD, and...
Background: Sedentary behavior is associated with musculoskeletal discomfort (MSD) and especially prevalent in office workers. Objective: This cross-sectional analysis examined postures and activities of office workers to determine whether there were associations between posture/activity levels, MSD, and cardiometabolic measures. Methods: Participants completed baseline questionnaires, wore an inertial measuring unit, blood pressure cuff, and heart rate monitor to quantify posture, physical activity, and cardiometabolic measures. The relationships among posture/activity, MSD, and...
The recently revised ACGIH TLV for Hand Activity (TLV2018) is a widely used tool for assessing risk for upper limb musculoskeletal disorders. The purpose of this analysis was to compare the strength of the exposure-response relationships between the TLV2018 and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) between men and women and across age strata. Heterogeneity of the effect size by sex or age would be important to specialists using the method for prevention of CTS among working populations. Data from two large prospective studies were combined to allow for stratification of exposure-response...
Conventional ergonomic observation methods, such as rapid entire body assessment (REBA), are limited in their sensitivity and reliability, particularly in detecting changes in input variables. This study integrates fuzzy logic with the REBA method, utilizing trapezoidal membership functions to fuzzify the input variables. The center of gravity method was employed for defuzzification, and if-then rules were formulated to enhance the REBA method. The findings revealed that the fuzzy REBA method is more sensitive to changes in the risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs)...
Back-support exoskeletons (BSEs) have the potential to reduce physical demands during many occupational tasks, but their effectiveness in flooring work remains underexplored. Eighteen participants performed simulated floor tiling work under three intervention conditions (HeroWear Apex™ = HW, Laevo Flex™ = LV, and no device = ND), across two tile sizes (small vs. large), and two task types (tiling vs. grouting). HW use increased back muscle activation by ∼13-44 % compared to ND, while LV led to minimal changes. Some participants reported concerns with both BSEs, including movement...
Image-based deformation estimation is an important tool used in a variety of engineering problems, including crack propagation, fracture, and fatigue failure. These tools have been important in biomechanics research where measuring in vitro and in vivo tissue deformations are important for evaluating tissue health and disease progression. However, accurately measuring tissue deformation in vivo is particularly challenging due to limited image signal-to-noise ratio. Therefore, we created a novel deep-learning approach for measuring deformation from a sequence of images collected in...
Background: Workers' reporting of work-related injuries or illnesses is important for treatment and prevention, yet research often focuses on reporting barriers. This study aimed to identify factors related to work-related musculoskeletal disorder (WRMSD) reporting attitudes and their connection to reporting intention and behavior.
Methods: We analyzed data from 377 direct care workers employed in 19 long-term care facilities in South Korea. A self-administered questionnaire collected demographics, job characteristics, physical and psychosocial...
Purpose: We investigated the influence of passive arm-support exoskeleton (ASE) with different levels of torque (50, 75, and 100%) on upper arm osteokinematics.
Methods: Twenty participants completed a cyclic overhead drilling task with and without ASE. Task duration, joint angles, and angular acceleration peaks were analyzed during ascent and descent phases of the dominant upper arm.
Results: Maximum ASE torque was associated with decreased peak acceleration during ascent (32.2%; SD 17.8; p < 0.001) and descent phases (38.8%; SD 17.8; p < 0.001). Task duration remained...
