Static and dynamic characteristics of the trunk and history of low back pain

A pilot research was undertaken to study the relationship between static and dynamic characteristics of the trunk and the existence of low back pain. Isoinertial dynamic tests were performed using an ISOSTATION B200 dynamometer on 33 non LBP workers and 11 LBP workers. Ranges of motion and isometric strengths were not systematically different between LBP and non LBP, while these differences were significant for the average absolute velocities during dynamics tests against 25 or 50% of the isometric torques. For the mean quadratic velocity during tests against 50% of the isometric torques, a value of 75 degrees per second can be proposed as a threshold for discriminating between LBP and non LBP. The sensitivity and specificity of this test increased to 92 and 88% respectively when the past LBP history was also taken into account. This confirms that trunk velocity during isoinertial movements is very sensitive to low back condition and research should be pursued to identify the biomechanical reasons for this and possibly differentiate between the different symptoms of LBP.     

基于动态分组的三维小波变换方法

为了实现高质量的视频压缩,文中提出了基于动态分组(DynamicGroupofFrame based)的三维小波变换方法(3D V Forward)。与以往的三维小波变换方法相比较,该方法能显著减少视频压缩解压缩过程的时间延迟,能避免基于固定帧分组的(GroupofFrame based)三维小波变换方法(3D GOF)对视频质量的不利影响,仿真结果表明了该方法的有效性。     

A survey of expert opinion on the effects of occupational exposures to trunk rotation and whole-body vibration

We present a review of current expert opinion on the effects of combined exposures to trunk rotation and whole-body vibration (WBV), commonly experienced by operators of agricultural machinery. We evaluate the level of agreement between academic experts in the field of ergonomics, human response to WBV and agricultural operators, on the effects of exposure to WBV and trunk rotation. A total of 83 individuals responded to the paper-based questionnaire, which included questions on risk levels from individual and combined exposures, discomfort development, exposure duration limits and tasks within agriculture. The results showed that all groups considered exposure to WBV and trunk rotation as risk factors for the development of back pain. The experts were not in consensus regarding acceptable exposure durations, areas of discomfort experienced or recommendations for cab developments.     

Disturbance and recovery of trunk mechanical and neuromuscular behaviours following repetitive lifting: influences of flexion angle and lift rate on creep-induced effects

Repetitive lifting is associated with an increased risk of occupational low back disorders, yet potential adverse effects of such exposure on trunk mechanical and neuromuscular behaviours were not well described. Here, 12 participants, gender balanced, completed 40 min of repetitive lifting in all combinations of three flexion angles (33, 66, and 100% of each participant's full flexion angle) and two lift rates (2 and 4 lifts/min). Trunk behaviours were obtained pre- and post-exposure and during recovery using sudden perturbations. Intrinsic trunk stiffness and reflexive responses were compromised after lifting exposures, with larger decreases in stiffness and reflexive force caused by larger flexion angles, which also delayed reflexive responses.Consistent effects of lift rate were not found. Except for reflex delay no measures returned to pre-exposure values after 20 min of recovery. Simultaneous changes in both trunk stiffness and neuromuscular behaviours may impose an increased risk of trunk instability and low back injury.

Practitioner summary An elevated risk of low back disorders is attributed to repetitive lifting. Here, the effects of flexion angle and lift rate on trunk mechanical and neuromuscular behaviours were investigated. Increasing flexion angle had adverse effects on these outcomes, although lift rate had inconsistent effects and recovery time was more than 20 min.     

The effect of a passive trunk exoskeleton on metabolic costs during lifting and walking

The objective of this study was to assess how wearing a passive trunk exoskeleton affects metabolic costs, movement strategy and muscle activation during repetitive lifting and walking. We measured energy expenditure, kinematics and muscle activity in 11 healthy men during 5?min of repetitive lifting and 5?min of walking with and without exoskeleton. Wearing the exoskeleton during lifting, metabolic costs decreased as much as 17%. In conjunction, participants tended to move through a smaller range of motion, reducing mechanical work generation. Walking with the exoskeleton, metabolic costs increased up to 17%. Participants walked somewhat slower with shortened steps while abdominal muscle activity slightly increased when wearing the exoskeleton. Wearing an exoskeleton during lifting decreased metabolic costs and hence may reduce the development of fatigue and low back pain risk. During walking metabolic costs increased, stressing the need for a device that allows disengagement of support depending on activities performed.

Practitioner summary: Physiological strain is an important risk factor for low back pain. We observed that an exoskeleton reduced metabolic costs during lifting, but had an opposite effect while walking. Therefore, exoskeletons may be of benefit for lifting by decreasing physiological strain but should allow disengagement of support when switching between tasks.

Abbreviations: COM: centre of mass; EMG: electromyography; LBP: low back pain; MVC: maximum voluntary isometric contraction; NIOSH: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; PLAD: personal lift augmentation device; PWS: preferred walking speed without exoskeleton; PWSX: preferred walking speed with exoskeleton; ROM: range of motion; RER: respiratory exchange ratio; V ?O2max: maximum rate of oxygen consumption     

快速定位图像尺度和区域的3维跟踪算法

目的 传统的2维自然图像的增强现实算法,对模板图像的各个尺度下的整个图像提取特征点并保存到特征点数组中,跟踪阶段对模板图像提取出的所有特征点进行匹配,造成了大量的无效运算,降低了特征匹配的效率.为了解决这个问题,将模板各个尺度的图像进行区域划分,提出了一种快速定位图像尺度和区域的算法,缩小特征匹配的范围,加快3维跟踪的速度.方法 预处理阶段,通过对图像金字塔每一尺度图像分成小区域,对模板图像上的特征点进行分层次分区域的管理.在系统实时跟踪阶段,通过计算几何算法快速确定当前摄像机图像所对应的尺度和区域,从而减小了特征匹配的范围.结果 该方法大幅度缩小了特征匹配的范围,降低了特征匹配所消耗的时间,与传统算法相比,在模板图像分辨率较大的情况下特征匹配阶段时间可以缩短10倍左右,跟踪一帧图像的时间缩短1.82倍.系统实时跟踪过程中的帧率总体保持在15帧/s左右.结论 提出的快速定位图像尺度和区域算法适用于移动设备上对2维自然图像的跟踪,尤其在模板图像分辨率较大的情况下,算法能够显著减小特征匹配的范围,从而提升了实时3维跟踪算法的运行效率.     

基于空间角度传递的多跳AOA三维定位算法研究与在地形建模上的应用

节点定位是无线传感器网络的关键支撑技术之一,目前三维定位算法的研究较少。本文在针对地形建模的应用场景上,将APS多跳AOA定位算法的思想移植到三维定位中,提出了基于空间角度传递的多跳AOA三维定位算法MSAT3DAOA(Multi-Hop Three Dimentional AOA with Space-Based Angle Transmission),使得能够利用一跳通信范围外的信标节点信息进行定位,并且与Delaunay三角剖分算法结合起来,应用在部署环境的地形建模。仿真实验数据显示,随着信标节点的比例、通信半径的变化,MSAT3D AOA定位误差率在7%到27%不等,相比DV-Hop降低了将近30%,保证了59%到98%的定位覆盖率,而且在保证定位覆盖率的同时具有较好的地形建模定位精度。     

Fatigue influences the dynamic stability of the torso

Fatigue in the extensor muscles of the torso affects neuromuscular recruitment and control of the spine. The goal of this study was to test whether fatigue influences stability of dynamic torso movements. A controlled laboratory experiment measured the change in the maximum finite-time Lyapunov exponent, λ_max, before and after fatigue of the extensor muscles. Non-linear analyses were used to compute stability from the embedding dimension and Lyapunov exponent recorded during repetitive dynamic trunk flexion tasks. Torso extensor muscles were fatigued to 60% of their unfatigued isometric maximum voluntary exertion force then stability was re-measured. Independent variables included fatigue, task asymmetry and lower-limb constraint. λ_max values increased with fatigue suggesting poorer dynamic stability when fatigued. Embedding dimension declined with fatigue indicating reduced dynamic complexity when fatigued. Fatigue-related changes in spinal stability may contribute to the risk of low-back injury during fatiguing occupational lifting tasks. The findings reported here indicate that one mechanism by which fatigue contributes to low back disorders may be spinal instability. This information may contribute to the development of ergonomic countermeasures to help prevent low back disorders.     

三维人体测量技术在服装工业中的应用

人体尺寸的准确快捷获取是提高服装设计和生产效率的重要前提条件,而伴随着三维测量技术的发展,使得其被广泛应用于服装工业生产工作中。文章介绍了当前国际上认可度较高的三维人体扫描仪及三维人体测量技术在服装工业中的应用,并着重和详细的介绍了此测量方法在现代化服装工业生产中的广泛应用。     

基于工作过程的立体化教材建设要点探讨

基于工作过程的教学模式可以有效提高学员的专业技能和岗位任职能力,作为教学的基础单元,教材起着非常重要的作用。以研究立体化教材的建设方向为切入点,介绍了其内容组成,并提出了结构体系中各个内容的建设要点,对同类教材建设具有一定的借鉴作用。     

三维激光扫描数据的压缩与地形采样

三维激光扫描测量具有速度快、效率高、实时性强等特点，由于其数据量特别大，数据特别精细，在存储和运算上受到的限制比较大。针对上述问题本文讨论了三维激光扫描数据的压缩和滤波，针对地形采集的需要，探讨了在三维激光扫描数据上获取地形采样点的具体方法。同时实例针对三维激光扫描数据点距小的特点对原有数据进行按序抽点，通过计算回光强度熵的信息对压缩效果进行检验，并用压缩后的数据生成等高线。     

Eye movement as a mediator of the relationships among time pressure,feedback, and learning performance

The goal of this study is to examine the effects of time pressure and feedback on learning performance, as mediated by eye movement. Time pressure is one of main causes of human error in the workplace. Providing participants with feedback about their performance before task completion has been shown to reduce human error in diverse domains. Since both time pressure and feedback induce motivation, which is closely related to attention, we measured participants' eye movements to trace their attention and information acquisition coupled with a visual display. Time-to-deadline (long and short) and the presence of feedback were the independent factors used while measuring participants’ performance and eye movements as they learned new information about the subject of project management and answered multiple-choice questions via self-paced online learning systems. Using structural equation modeling, we found a mediating effect of eye movement on the relationships among time-to-deadline, feedback, and learning performance. Insufficient time-to-deadline accelerated the number of fixations on the screen, which resulted in longer task completion times and increased correct rates for participants learning about project management. The models in this study suggest the possibility of predicting performance from eye movement under time-to-deadline and feedback conditions. The structural equation model in the study can be applied to online and remote learning systems, in which time management is one of the main challenges for individual learners.     

Studying the relationship between low back pain and working postures among those who stand and those who sit most of the working day

A relationship between low back pain (LBP) and prolonged standing or prolonged sitting at work has not been clearly shown, despite its biological plausibility. Because sitting and standing postures vary as to duration and freedom to alternate postures, and standing postures vary as to mobility, associations between specific working postures and LBP were explored using multiple logistic regression. Associations between work factors and self-reported LBP during the previous 12 months that interfered with usual activities were examined among 4493 standing workers and 3237 sitting workers interviewed in the 1998 Quebec Health and Social Survey; 24.5% reported significant LBP. Since the same conditions can correspond to different physiological demands for sitting compared with standing workers, analyses were performed separately for the two groups. Standing without freedom to sit was associated with LBP. Different occupational physical and psychosocial factors were associated with LBP in sitting compared with standing populations.     

考虑电流动态的无轴承异步电机解耦控制策略

目前的无轴承异步电机解耦控制策略没有考虑定子电流动态影响,限制了其控制性能的提高.为此,本文首先分析了电机的数学模型,在考虑转矩系统定子电流动态的前提下,建立了无轴承异步电机的状态方程;在系统可逆性分析的基础上,解析推导出了无轴承异步电机的逆系统动态数学模型;基于逆系统方法,研究了转速、转子磁链和两个径向位移分量之间的动态解耦控制策略.仿真研究结果表明:控制系统具有优良的动态解耦性能和较强的抗负载挠动能力.所提出的解耦控制策略是有效的、可行的,并可在一定程度上简化控制系统结构.     

QR分解与GLS改进算法在压力传感器动态性能改善中的应用

将矩形矩阵的正交（QR）分解和改进的最小二乘（GLS）算法相结合,实现传感器的动态建模,运用零极点配置理论改善传感器动态性能。利用传感器动态校准实验数据,首先构造矩形数据矩阵并对矩阵进行正交分解确定传感器模型阶次,继而利用改进的最小二乘算法建立传感器的数学模型,而后运用零极点理论对模型零极点进行重新配置改善传感器的动态性能。实验结果表明：该方法简洁,建模精度高,能够较准确得到反映传感器动态特性的数学模型,且基于该方法的传感器动态性能改善效果明显。