Comparison the results of workers upper limb musculoskeletal disorders in companies of detergents and assembly with strain index and hand activity level methods

Background: Upper limb musculoskeletal disorders are related with repetitive work activities including force, posture and duration of work. Objectives: The aims of this study were identification of prone occupations to upper limb musculoskeletal disorders, assessment of jobs in two companies of producing detergents and assembly by two methods of strain index (SI) and hand activity level (HAL). Methods: In this study descriptive-analytical and cross sectional that was done in 2015 in Qazvin, 50 subjects from practitioners of all of occupations were randomly selected (25 jobs) from two companies of producing detergents and assembly. Data were collected by body map and assessment methods of the strain index and HAL. Statistical analysis done by Spearman correlation coefficient and chi-square tests in SPSS 16 software. Findings: The most of the prevalence musculoskeletal disorders were reported in the elbow 16.66% and in the wrist and shoulder 23.08% in producing detergents and in assembly factories respectively. According to the investigation by two methods SI and HAL, seven jobs (58.3%) in producing detergents and three jobs (23.1%) in assembly factories were in situation of caution or hazard. The results of the assessment upper limb by two methods showed significant correlation together (r=0.615 in producing detergents and r=0.603 in assembly factories with P<0.001). Also, there was a significant relation between the prevalence of musculoskeletal in hand-fingers with strain index (χ2=6.46, df=2, P=0.039). Conclusion: The results of this study shows that the methods of strain index and hand activity level have significant correlation in the assessment of repetitive jobs and risk of upper limb musculoskeletal disorders. Keywords: Strain index, Hand activity level, Musculoskeletal disorders, Upper limb, Detergents, Assembl

Factors affecting estimation of the maximum aerobic capacity by treadmill test in students of medical emergencies in Qazvin

Background: The maximum aerobic capacity (VO2max) can be used to evaluate the cardio-pulmonary condition and to provide physiological balance between a person and his job. Objectives: The aim of this study was to estimate the maximum aerobic capacity and its associated factors among students of medical emergencies in Qazvin. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 36 male students of medical emergencies in Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, 2015. The Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q) and demographic questionnaire were completed by the participants. The participants meeting the inclusion criteria were assessed using the Gerkin treadmill protocol. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis. Findings: Mean maximum aerobic capacity was 1.94±0.27 L/min. The maximum aerobic capacity was associated with weight and height groups. There was significant positive correlation between maximal aerobic capacity and height, weight and body mass index. Conclusion: The Gerkin treadmill test is useful for estimation of the maximum aerobic capacity and the maximum working ability in students of medical emergencies

Towards a 1010 n/s neutron source with kHz repetition rate, few-cycle laser pulses

A project has been launched for the development of a laser-based neutron source with the few-cycle lasers available at ELI ALPS. Here we show the first experiments, when deuterons were accelerated from ultrathin deuterated foils at 1 Hz repetition rate with the use of 12 fs, 21 mJ laser pulses. The energy spectra of the accelerated deuterons were measured with Thomson ion spectrometers both in forward and backward directions. The accelerated deuterons induced 2 H + 2 H fusion reaction in a deuterated polyethylene disk. The resulting fast neutrons were measured with a time-of-flight (ToF) detector system, within which each detector consisted of a plastic scintillator and a photomultiplier, at four different angles relative to the normal of the neutron converter disk. We found good agreement with the simulated angular distribution and energy spectra. Here, we also present preparations for the next phases when the repetition rate is increased to 10 Hz. The developed flat liquid jet was demonstrated to accelerate protons over 0.6 MeV cutoff energy with a stability better than 4% for 15 min. We developed two further neutron measurement techniques: a liquid scintillator, the ToF signal of which was evaluated with the pulse shape discrimination method, and a bubble detector spectrometer calibrated against a conventional PuBe source. One of the first upcoming applications is the irradiation of zebrafish embryos with laser-generated ultrashort bunch neutrons. As this experiment needs to be implemented in vacuum, the steps of careful preparation and calibration measurements are also discussed

BSC-based evaluation for the factors affecting the performance of wind energy companies

This study aims to identify the significant factors which improve the performance of wind energy companies. For this purpose, a detailed literature review is conducted, and eight different performance evaluation criteria are identified based on four dimensions of balanced scorecard (BSC) approach. In the evaluation process of these factors, fuzzy DEMATEL approach is taken into consideration. The results indicate that internal process and learning and growth are the most important dimensions of BSC regarding the wind energy investment projects. Moreover, it is also concluded that the most important criteria are technological background and research and development. Hence, it is recommended that wind energy companies should mainly pay attention to technological development in order to be successful in such a complex investment which requires high engineering knowledge. In this context, the equipment and information technology software should be effective in these countries. Owing to this issue, the risk of having deficiencies can be minimized. Additionally, high technology can be obtained with a lower cost by making extensive research and development activities

A Comprehensive Review and Analysis of Operating Room and Surgery Scheduling

© 2020, CIMNE, Barcelona, Spain. A comprehensive review and analysis of operating room (OR) theatre scheduling problems as well as a comparison of solution approaches along with suggestions for future studies are presented in this work. A detailed scientometric analysis was performed, which is a powerful tool for conducting bibliometric analyses and comprehensive reviews. OR scheduling problems were categorized into three decision levels, including strategical, tactical, and operational levels. Since optimization of OR problems is an NP-hard optimization problem, we evaluated research studies that employed different mathematical and metaheuristic methods to address OR optimization problems. The comprehensive review presented in this work is divided into two sections. The first section is focused on mathematical modeling, including deterministic and uncertainty modeling, and the second section is focused on solution approaches. The latter section reviews single and multi-objective solution methods. An additional section of this paper is focused on application software that are developed to address the previously mentioned problems. The final section of the paper presents conclusions of this work