Analytical study of strength parameters of Indian farm workers and its implication in equipment design

Rajvir Yadav1, Sahastrarashmi Pund2, N. C. Patel3, L. P. Gite4(1. Department of Farm Machinery & Power, College of Agril. Engg. & Tech., JAU Junagadh 362001 India; 2. R&D Center, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., Nashik, India; 3. Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh 362001 India; 4. CIAE, Nabi Baug Bhopal, India) Abstract: Among the recent trends in development of agricultural mechanization there are an increase in power and energy capacity of tractors, agricultural machines and equipments, an increase in their reliability and decrease in exploitation expenses and labour consumption.  Reliability of agricultural equipments is greatly enhanced provided it is designed with due consideration to the strength parameters of target users / operators.  Therefore, strength parameters of 105 agricultural workers (75 male and 30 female) were measured on “strength measurement setup” comprising load cell with digital indicator.  The average push strength for male and female workers (with both hands in standing posture) was found to be 248.2 and 171.0 N respectively whereas the pull strength in standing posture was 232.3 and 141.7 N respectively.  These strength parameters were found to play a significant role in design of manually operated push-pull type equipment.  The right hand push and pull strength for male and female agricultural workers are within the range of 49.7 to 96.5 N which prominently assist in the design of joystick, gear shift lever and handle lever.  The mean value of maximum right leg strength in sitting posture for male and female workers are 394.2 and 280.5 N respectively which are found useful in the design of clutch pedal, brake pedal, accelerator pedal, pedal operated thresher and other foot operated controls.  Average torque strength of both hands in standing posture for male and female workers are found to be 209.93 and 117.72 N-m respectively which can be used in the design of manually operated equipment like chaff cutter, sugarcane crusher, slicer, threshers etc.  Torque strength of preferred hand in sitting posture and hand grip torque worked out in this study for both male and female workers are found very much useful in design of hand controls such as steering, knobs, etc.  These strength parameters are found to play a significant role in design/ modification of hand controls and foot controls on different workplaces of machines.  The machine workplaces designed on strength parameter data are found to greatly enhance the operator’s comfort, safety and efficiency as well.Keywords: strength and torque parameters, ergonomics, safety, agricultural equipment Citation: Rajvir Yadav, Sahastrarashmi Pund, N. C. Patel  and L. P. Gite. Analytical study of strength parameters of Indian farm workers and its implication in equipment design.  Agric Eng Int: CIGR Journal, 2010, 12(2): 49-54.  &nbsp

Isometric push/pull strength of agricultural workers of Central India

Many manually operated farm tools and equipment require exertion of push/pull force in horizontal plane. However, very few data are available on push/pull strength of agricultural workers of India.  A study was therefore, carried out to collect these data on male as well as female agricultural workers in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India.  A strength measurement set-up developed at CIAE, Bhopal was used for the purpose.  The data were collected on 1701 agricultural workers as subjects from 20 selected districts representing various agro-climatic zones of Madhya Pradesh out of which 944 were male and 757 were female.  The mean age, stature and mass of the male subjects were (29.8±9.5) years, (1649±59) mm and (51.2±6.4) kg whereas for female subjects the values were (33.7±8.2) years, (1519±54) mm and (45.0±7.3) kg, respectively.  The isometric push/pull strength of male subjects was higher than those of female subjects. The mean values for isometric push and pull strength in standing posture with both hands (in horizontal plane) were (242.4±56.4) N and (231.0±42.5) N, respectively for male workers and (175.5±33.9) N and (159.4±42.9) N, respectively for female workers.  The mass of the subjects indicated a positive correlation with isometric push/pull strength.  The 5th percentile push and pull strength values were  149.7 N and 161.2 N for male workers and 119.7 N and 88.8 N for female workers.  These values can be used to set a limit in the design of manually operated farm tools and equipment as well as for manual materials handling activities involving push/pull forces depending on the frequency of movement.  Considering the ergonomical requirement of 30% of the 5th percentile strength for frequent exertions, the design limits of push and pull strengths for male workers will be 45 N and 48 N and for female it will be 36 N and 27 N.  For the occasional exertions, the limit of push and pull strength is 60% of the strength which will be 90 N to 96 N for male and 72 N to 54 N for female workers.Keywords: push/pull strength, agricultural workers, central India, agricultural machinery Citation: Agrawal K. N., P. S. Tiwari, L. P. Gite, and V. Bhushanababu.  Isometric push/pull strength of agricultural workers of Central India.  Agric Eng Int: CIGR Journal, 2010, 12(1): 115-124. &nbsp

Aerobic Capacity of Indian Farm Women Using Sub-maximal Exercise Technique on Tread Mill

For sustained physical activities, the aerobic capacity, i.e., maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) of a worker sets the limit for their maximum performance. Therefore to know the aerobic capacity of farm women, a study was carried out at NRCWA Bhopal Sub-centre, CIAE, Bhopal on fifteen farm women workers (nine in 25 to 35 year and six in 36 to 45 year age group) using sub maximal exercise (workload) technique on a computerized tread mill. The stature of subjects lied between the values of 5th to 95th percentile of Madhya Pradesh farm women. The mean body weights of these workers of 25 to 35 year and 36 to 45 year age groups were 49.8 + 9.3 kg and 46.0 + 7.1 kg, respectively. Corresponding mean VO2max of farm women were 33.5 + 4.86 ml kg-1 min-1 and 32.65 + 5.77 ml kg-1 min-1.  At mean aerobic capacity of farm women for the age of 25 to 45 year of  33.18 ml kg-1 min-1, the heart rate levels of 120 beats per min or work pulse of 40 beats per min may be considered as optimal criteria, for the quick appraisal of the state of activity that may be continued for longer period with proper rest pauses A linear relationship between heart rate and oxygen consumption rate was also observed and regression equations have been suggested for estimating the oxygen consumption rate of farm women from their measured heart rate data for agricultural activities in the field

An ergonomic intervention in operation of a rotary maize sheller

Research work on the ergonomics of bicycle, reported in literature, mainly deals with sports and rehabilitation activities. However, the use of pedal power for occupational work such as stationary farm operations has got scant attention in the past. Keeping these points into consideration a study was conducted at CIAE, Bhopal to optimise the design parameters for a pedal operated rotary device (dynapod), which could be used as an interface between human worker and any rotary type process machine. The developed dynapod was interfaced with a hand operated rotary maize sheller and the performance of the machine and drudgery reduction while operated in pedalling mode was quantified and compared with those of hand cranking mode. The results indicated a significant increase in output capacity of the machine (282.7 kg/h versus 144.42 kg/h) with a significant reduction in work pulses (ΔHR) during the operation of the machine (35 beats/min versus 59.4 beats/min) in pedalling mode using dynapod. It was concluded that the rotary maize sheller should be popularised along with the dynapod for its better adoptability by the farmers

An ELISA-based high throughput protein truncation test for inherited breast cancer

Abstract Introduction Breast cancer is the most diagnosed and second leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. female population. An estimated 5 to 10 percent of all breast cancers are inherited, caused by mutations in the breast cancer susceptibility genes (BRCA1/2). As many as 90% of all mutations are nonsense mutations, causing a truncated polypeptide product. A popular and low cost method of mutation detection has been the protein truncation test (PTT), where target regions of BRCA1/2 are PCR amplified, transcribed/translated in a cell-free protein synthesis system and analyzed for truncated polypeptides by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and autoradiography. We previously reported a novel High Throughput Solid-Phase PTT (HTS-PTT) based on an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) format that eliminates the need for radioactivity, SDS-PAGE and subjective interpretation of the results. Here, we report the next generation HTS-PTT using triple-epitope-tagged proteins and demonstrate, for the first time, its efficacy on clinical genomic DNA samples for BRCA1/2 analysis. Methods Segments of exons 11 of BRCA1/2 open reading frames were PCR amplified from either blood derived genomic DNA or cell line mRNA. PCR primers incorporate elements for cell-free transcription/translation and epitope tagging. Cell-free expressed nascent proteins are then antibody-captured onto the wells of a microtiter plate and the relative amount of truncated polypeptide measured using antibodies against the N- and C-terminal epitope tags in an ELISA format. Results 100% diagnostic sensitivity and 96% specificity for truncating mutations in exons 11 of BRCA1/2 were achieved on one hundred blood-derived clinical genomic DNA samples which were previously assayed using the conventional gel based PTT. Feasibility of full gene coverage for BRCA1/2 using mRNA source material is also demonstrated. Conclusions Overall, the HTS-PTT provides a simple, quantitative, objective, low cost and high throughput method for analysis of truncating mutations as an alternative to gel based PTT for BRCA analysis. The technology is readily accessible to virtually any laboratory, with the only major instrumentation required being a PCR thermocycler and a basic micro-well plate reader. When compared to conventional gel based PTT, the HTS-PTT provides excellent concordance

The Immune Landscape of Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma

INTRODUCTION: Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) can be associated with a relatively dense immune infiltration. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (anti-PD1, anti-PDL1, and anti-CTLA4) are effective in 20% of UPS patients. We characterize the immune microenvironment of UPS and its association with oncologic outcomes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Surgically resected UPS samples were stained by immunohistochemistry (IHC) for the following: tumor-associated immune cells (CD3, CD8, CD163, CD20), immune checkpoints (stimulatory: OX40, ICOS; inhibitory: PD-L1, LAG3, IDO1, PD1), and the adenosine pathway (CD73, CD39). Sections were reviewed for the presence of lymphoid aggregates (LA). Clinical data were retrospectively obtained for all samples. The Wilcoxon rank-sum and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare distributions. Correlations between biomarkers were measured by Spearman correlation. Univariate and multivariate Cox models were used to identify biomarkers associated with overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Unsupervised clustering was performed, and Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests used for comparison of OS and DFS between immune clusters. RESULTS: Samples analyzed (n=105) included 46 primary tumors, 34 local recurrences, and 25 metastases. LA were found in 23% (n=10/43), 17% (n=4/24), and 30% (n=7/23) of primary, recurrent, and metastatic samples, respectively. In primary UPS, CD73 expression was significantly higher after preoperative radiation therapy (p=0.009). CD39 expression was significantly correlated with PD1 expression (primary: p=0.002, recurrent: p=0.004, metastatic: p=0.001), PD-L1 expression (primary: p=0.009), and CD3+ cell densities (primary: p=0.016, recurrent: p=0.043, metastatic: p=0.028). In recurrent tumors, there was a strong correlation between CD39 and CD73 (p=0.015), and both were also correlated with CD163+ cell densities (CD39 p=0.013; CD73 p\u3c0.001). In multivariate analyses, higher densities of CD3+ and CD8+ cells (Cox Hazard Ratio [HR]=0.33; p=0.010) were independently associated with OS (CD3+, HR=0.19, p\u3c0.001; CD8+, HR= 0.33, p=0.010) and DFS (CD3+, HR=0.34, p=0.018; CD8+, HR=0.34, p= 0.014). Unsupervised clustering of IHC values revealed three immunologically distinct clusters: immune high, intermediate, and low. In primary tumors, these clusters were significantly associated with OS (log-rank p\u3c0.0001) and DFS (p\u3c0.001). CONCLUSION: We identified three immunologically distinct clusters of UPS Associated with OS and DFS. Our data support further investigations of combination anti-PD-1/PD-L1 and adenosine pathway inhibitors in UPS

Ergonomical Evaluation of a Hand Operated Paddy Winnower by Women Workers

A hand operated paddy winnower was developed by Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack. The winnower was ergonomically evaluated using 12 subjects. Two women workers are required for the operation of this winnower, one for cranking the blower and other for feeding the threshed material and collection of grain. The mean heart rate of the women workers and their output were measured to evaluate the winnower. The mean heart rate of women workers during operation was found to be 112 beats/min. The energy expenditure rate in operation of the equipment was 10.7 kJ/min. The average output was found to be 242 kg grain/h and winnowing efficiency was found to be 88.36%. The equipment developed was found to be suitable for operation by women workers as the heart rate, work pulse value and energy expenditure rate are within the acceptable limits

Ergonomical Assessment of Manually Operated Seed Drills for Farm Women

A study on CIAE and PAD seed drills was conducted during rabi season in year 2003-04 at CIAE Bhopal in field for sowing wheat with farm women subjects to assess the physiological work load based on heart rate data during operation of both the seed drills. At a time two subjects were engaged for operation of each seed drill i.e. one for pulling and another for pushing/guiding the seed drill. Heart rate of each subject was recorded to evaluate both the seed drills. Both the seed drills were first ergonomically evaluated with women subjects. Based on the observations and feedback, both the seed drills were modified to suit 5th to 95th percentile of women\u27s height using anthropometrical information and re-evaluated ergonomically with women subjects in year 2004-05. The physiological workload in terms of work pulse was reduced by 23 % and 33.9 % in pulling and pushing modes of operation with the modified unit of CIAE seed drill as compared to its original unit. The corresponding values for modified PAD seed drill were 22.8 % and 9.0 %, respectively as compared to its original unit. The area covered with these units of CIAE and PAD seed drills was 430 m2fh and 460 m2 /h, respectively at the speed of 2.5 km/h. The saving in terms of energy expenditure with modified units of CIAE and PAD seed drills was 27% and 24 %, respectively

Development of a Dynapod for Occupational Activities in Agriculture

A dynapod is a pedalling device that may be used as an interface between a human worker and any rotary machine for utilization of human muscle power in efficient manner. A study was conducted at CIAE, Bhopal to optimize the major design parameters such as power output, pedalling rate, saddle height and crank length for the design of a dynapod. Based on the study conducted on a bicycle ergo-meter for measurement of physiological and psychophysical responses, anthropometric data of male Indian agricultural workers and biomechanical consideration during pedalling, a dynapod was designed and developed. This paper presents the design details of the dynapod

Effect of Saddle Height and Crank Length on Physiological and Psychophysical Responses of Indian Agricultural Workers during Pedalling

Pedalling is the most efficient method of utilizing human muscle power. Pedal power use through chain and sprocket mechanism for rotary motion has low efficiency. The efficiency of dynapod for the same motion depends on several design parameters, including saddle height and crank length. In this study, the saddle height and crank length were optimised on the basis of physiological and psychophysical responses during pedalling. The study demonstrated that saddle height equal to 0.96 of trochanteric height of subjects and crank length of 180 mm is optimal for design of a dynapod