The influence of skill and low back pain on trunk postures and low back loads of shearers

Shearing is a rural occupation developing considerable spinal loads and carrying a high risk of low back pain (LBP). Although the workforce has a skill structure, interaction between skill, spinal loads and LBP is unknown. We examined whether skill and LBP influenced trunk postures and loads within a sample of 80 shearers representing shear skill levels. A progression from junior to open class demonstrated a 100% increase in productivity, less time in severe flexion, more time in neutral lateral bend, and more time in axially twisted postures, with no increase in cumulative compressive and anterior shear forces. LBP prevalence increased linearly from 10% for junior through to 76% for open class shearers. Shearers with a history of LBP generated greater cumulative right medio-lateral shear forces, greater left lateral bend and left axial twist moments. Skill-based training that reduces asymmetric forces may help reduce such high prevalence levels of LBP.

Statement of Relevance: Shearing is an important and physically demanding rural occupation. It requires sustained flexed postures that generate considerable spinal loads and a high risk of LBP. This research examines how skill and a history of LBP it carries interact to influence trunk postures and spinal loads within a sample of shearers.     

The role of athlete response tests in the biomechanical evaluation of running shoes

Abstract

The protection that the running shoe can offer against shock forces has been investigated by standard mechanical tests of individual materials or of a combination of materials used in running shoe manufacture, and by testing the athlete's response to a shoe by measuring the ground reaction forces produced by the runner while running in the shoes. The latter approach to the evaluation of running shoes has some considerable attraction because it purports to represent a more direct evaluation of the shoes' performance and accounts for the interaction that the athlete has with the shoe.

Measurements made on running shoes in this way have yielded some useful data on, for example, the effect of barefoot and shod-foot running, the effect of running speed and the effect of body weight on the magnitude of ground reaction forces. There have also been some anomalous results reported which indicate that the athlete's interaction with his running shoe is not as predictable or as consistent as was first thought. This has made detailed investigations of running shoe properties difficult.

This paper presents data from a series of studies which have attempted to uncover the nature of the inconsistency in the athlete's interaction with his running shoes. The results lead to the hypothesis that during the evaluation of various running shoe conditions, the athlete adopts a ‘movement pattern fixation’ which produces a consistent interaction with a particular shoe, but this fixation may change when the shoe or other conditions change. The implication of this hypothesis is that in the testing of running footwear using the athlete's responses, methods should be employed to establish the limits within which any movement pattern fixation may occur as a precursor to evaluating the footwear itself.     

Modelling and simulation of whirling process based on equivalent cutting volume

The thread whirling is an efficient and precise machining process for manufacturing of screws. The shaping motion of whirling is complex and difficult to model. In this paper, a novel model basing on equivalent cutting volume is proposed. The cutting force and the chip morphology are investigated to validate the model. The simulation of cutting force is in good agreement with the experimental results with error less than 16.5%. A chip with saw-toothed edges is obtained from simulation and for experimental verification. A case study on the effect of the tool edge geometry on cutting forces is also presented. The simulation results show that the tool edge geometry greatly influences the cutting forces. The tool with round edge is a good choice for reducing the cutting forces. The ratio of a_c/R_e holds the balance in selecting the parameter of cutting conditions. The model is applicable for the simulation of whirling process and can be used for parameter optimisation of the cutting tool edge.     

Drag Power Loss Investigation in Cylindrical Roller Bearings Using CFD Approach

In high-speed rolling element bearings, the drag forces can be prominent and it is demonstrated in this investigation that the classical models may not be appropriate for correctly estimating this power loss contribution. A modification of the models is thus proposed, including the usual drag forces formulation relying upon the drag coefficient to be evaluated from a numerical computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach. A three-dimensional approach that considers both the rings and the cylinder ends seems the only adequate approach to be used because a two-dimensional approach predicts a drag coefficient value that is too low. When using the former computed drag coefficient for the evaluation of the total power losses, high values of oil volume fraction must be employed to recover the measured power losses.     

Structured estimation of tire forces and the ground slope using SM observers

In agricultural context, the principal cause of serious accidents for all-terrain vehicles(ATVs) is rollover. The most important parameters related to this risk is the ground slope. In this paper, we propose a structured observer to estimate the system states and the longitudinal tire forces using only wheel angular velocities measurement. The robust estimation is based on a second order sliding mode observer. This estimation is then used to build up a ground slope estimation. The algorithm is composed by two cascaded estimators. This structured estimation is then applied to the model of an agricultural vehicle G7(GregoireTM) integrated in the driving simulation environment SCANeRTM-Studio.     

Self-assembly of nanoparticle-rich interphases in fiber reinforced polymeric composites using migrating agents

Thermoplastic additives, known as migrating agents, can be added to nanoparticle loaded thermosetting resins to form self-assembled nanoparticle structures. Most notably, in fiber reinforced thermosetting composites, self-assembled nanoparticle rich fiber-matrix interphases can be formed. While the self-assembly mechanism remains unclear, depletion interaction correctly describes the types of self-assembled structures formed. Formulations containing modest concentrations of migrating agent form self-assembled fiber-matrix interphases without causing aggregation in the bulk. Slight overdoses of migrating agent can lead to the formation of nanoparticle aggregates in the bulk phase, which can ultimately reduce the mechanical properties of the composite. Even larger overdoses of migrating agent cause the formation of large and open nanoparticle aggregates, indicative of rapid aggregation. Depletion theory predicts that larger molecular weight migrating agents should induce greater attractive forces, thus reducing the concentrations required to form these self-assembled structures. In this study, the migrating agent molecular weight dependence on the self-assembly and aggregation phenomenon are investigated. As predicted by depletion theory, larger molecular weights led to the formation of self-assembled interphases and aggregates at lower concentrations.     

Thumb push forces exertable by free-standing subjects

This study assessed the maximum pushing force that could be exerted by freestanding subjects, using thumbs only, on a small surface located in one of three horizontal positions at nine heights ranging from 13·5 to 169·9 cm above the floor. Each of 102 subjects made nine force exertion trials. Data are given on the cumulative percentages of subjects who could exert various forces at each of the 27 locations. An analysis of variance showed a highly significant effect due to location of the surface and highly significant interactions of location of the surface and trial presentation direction (top-down or bottom-up); of location of the surface and trial presentation pattern; and of location of the surface, trial presentation direction and trial presentation pattern. Maximum forces are exerted at about waist height and are increasingly reduced with increasing distances above and below the optimum location. Right-sided access to pushing surfaces is favoured over left-sided access.     

基于SolidWorks软件下进行螺杆压缩机转子受力计算

利用螺杆压缩机的型线端面数据点及型线的接触线数据点,通过给定螺杆压缩机转子参数,在Solid Works里绘制出对应的三维模拟。利用Solid Works里面自带的Simulation模块,对螺杆压缩机进行有限元分析,计算出转子静态下的气体轴向力和径向力,对螺杆压缩机的设计及轴承选型提供很好的理论依据。本文以一种双螺杆制冷压缩机转子为例,利用本方法计算出螺杆压缩机阴阳转子吸排气端的气体径向及排气端气体轴向力。     

Thermodynamic mechanism of free heme action on sickle cell hemoglobin polymerization

For insights into the mechanisms of heme action on the rate of sickle cell hemoglobin polymerization, we determine the erythrocytic concentration of free heme using a novel method based on enzymatic catalysis and luminescence. We find in sickle cell patients 44 ± 10 µM, in sickle trait individuals, 33 ± 4 µM, and in healthy adults, 21 ± 2 µM. We test the applicability of two mechanisms of heme action: a kinetic one, whereby heme aggregates serve as heterogeneous nucleation centers, and a thermodynamic pathway, in which free heme enhances the attraction between sickle hemoglobin (HbS) molecules in solution. We show that the latter mechanism exclusively operates. The enhanced attraction leads to increase of the total volume of a population of dense liquid clusters by about two orders of magnitude. As the dense liquid clusters serve as locations and precursors to the formation of the HbS polymer nuclei, their increased volume directly leads to faster polymer nucleation. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 61: 2861–2870, 2015