Effect of a posture correction�based intervention on musculoskeletal symptoms and fatigue among control room operators

This study was conducted to examine the effect of a posture correction�based intervention (with a biofeedback device) on the occurrence of musculoskeletal symptoms (MSS) and fatigue among control room operators in a petrochemical plant in Iran. A total of 188 office workers (91 in the case group and 97 in the control group) participated at baseline as well as at 6- and 12-month follow-up. A questionnaire survey (including the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory) and direct observations of working postures by using the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) method were used. The occurrence of MSS in the shoulders, upper back, neck, and low back areas, as well as the mental and physical dimensions of fatigue were found to be the most common problems. The results showed considerable improvements in working postures (in the neck, trunk, and RULA grand scores) and the occurrence of MSS (particularly in the neck, shoulders, and upper back and low back areas) and fatigue (in particular the mental and physical aspects) after the intervention. The overall mean RULA grand score for the case group was significantly decreased after the intervention (mean scores of 5.1, 4.4, and 4.6 at pre-intervention, post-intervention 1, and post-intervention 2, respectively). A total of 81 operators (89.0) reported some kind of MSS at baseline, which were reduced to 75 operators (82.4) and 77 operators (84.6) at post-interventions 1 and 2, respectively. Significant differences were also found between the pre- and post-intervention scores for the physical fatigue (mean of 12.19, 10.16, and 9.99 at pre-intervention, post-intervention 1, and post-intervention 2, respectively) and mental fatigue (mean of 14.03, 12.05, and 12.16 at pre-intervention, post-intervention 1, and post-intervention 2, respectively) dimensions. The findings confirm the effectiveness of this low-cost, simple, and easy-to-use ergonomic intervention. © 2018 Elsevier Lt

Effects of Physical and Mental Practice on Motor Learning in Individuals with Cerebral Palsy

In this study we investigated the effects of physical and mental practice in acquisition, retention, and transfer of a motor skill in individuals with cerebral palsy (CP). For this reason, 29 males diagnosed with CP type I (18.51 ± 5.03 years of age) were chosen and, according to a pretest, were assigned to three homogenous groups; physical practice (n = 10), mental practice (n = 10), and control (n = 9). The experimental groups practiced for 5 sessions (6 blocks of 5 trials in each session). The acquisition test was run immediately at the end of each practice session and the retention and transfer tests were run approximately 48 h following the acquisition phase. Analyses of variance with repeated measures and post hoc tests suggest individuals with CP have the ability to acquire and retain a new motor skill with either physical or mental practice. This finding replicates studies involving typically developing individuals and extends previous research by demonstrating the benefits of mental practice for people with CP. Implications for clinical practice and directions for future research are discussed. © 2015, Springer Science+Business Media New York

Effect of a posture correction�based intervention on musculoskeletal symptoms and fatigue among control room operators

This study was conducted to examine the effect of a posture correction�based intervention (with a biofeedback device) on the occurrence of musculoskeletal symptoms (MSS) and fatigue among control room operators in a petrochemical plant in Iran. A total of 188 office workers (91 in the case group and 97 in the control group) participated at baseline as well as at 6- and 12-month follow-up. A questionnaire survey (including the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory) and direct observations of working postures by using the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) method were used. The occurrence of MSS in the shoulders, upper back, neck, and low back areas, as well as the mental and physical dimensions of fatigue were found to be the most common problems. The results showed considerable improvements in working postures (in the neck, trunk, and RULA grand scores) and the occurrence of MSS (particularly in the neck, shoulders, and upper back and low back areas) and fatigue (in particular the mental and physical aspects) after the intervention. The overall mean RULA grand score for the case group was significantly decreased after the intervention (mean scores of 5.1, 4.4, and 4.6 at pre-intervention, post-intervention 1, and post-intervention 2, respectively). A total of 81 operators (89.0) reported some kind of MSS at baseline, which were reduced to 75 operators (82.4) and 77 operators (84.6) at post-interventions 1 and 2, respectively. Significant differences were also found between the pre- and post-intervention scores for the physical fatigue (mean of 12.19, 10.16, and 9.99 at pre-intervention, post-intervention 1, and post-intervention 2, respectively) and mental fatigue (mean of 14.03, 12.05, and 12.16 at pre-intervention, post-intervention 1, and post-intervention 2, respectively) dimensions. The findings confirm the effectiveness of this low-cost, simple, and easy-to-use ergonomic intervention. © 2018 Elsevier Lt

An intervention to increase hepatitis C virus diagnosis and treatment uptake among people in custody in Iran

Background: Iran is among countries with high opioid agonist therapy (OAT) coverage in prisons, which provides an infrastructure to increase feasibility of HCV programs. We aimed to evaluate the impact of an intervention to improve HCV screening, diagnosis, and treatment, including alongside the provision of OAT, in an Iranian prison. Methods: During July-December 2018, in the Gorgan prison, all incarcerated adults (>18 years) received HCV antibody rapid testing and, if positive, provided a venepuncture sample for HCV RNA testing. Participants with positive RNA received direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy (Sofosbuvir/Daclatasvir) for 24 or 12 weeks, respectively, for those with and without cirrhosis. Response to treatment was measured by the sustained virological response at 12 weeks post-treatment (SVR12). Results: Among 2015 incarcerated people with a median age of 35 years (IQR:29�41), the majority were male (97%), had not finished high school (68%), and had a history of drug use (71%), of whom 15% had ever injected drugs. A third of participants were receiving OAT, including 54% of those who had ever injected. HCV antibody prevalence was 6.7%, and RNA was detected in 4.6% of all participants; this prevalence was 32.6% and 24.7% among those with a history of injection, respectively. Treatment uptake was 82% (75/92) and was similar among people on OAT and those with a history of injection (81%). The majority completed treatment in prison and were available for SVR12 assessment (71%, 53/75). Achieved SVR12 was 100% (53/53) based on the available case analysis; those who did not have available SVR12 were released either prior to treatment initiation or completion (n = 39). Conclusion: The availability of OAT infrastructure should be considered as an opportunity for enhancing HCV care in prisons. Where resources are limited, the prison harm reduction network could be used to design targeted HCV programs among people who are at higher risk of infection. © 2021 Elsevier B.V

A simple risk-based strategy for hepatitis C virus screening among incarcerated people in a low- To middle-income setting

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is among the highest priority diseases in custodial settings; however, the diagnosis remains suboptimal among people in custody. This study aimed to validate a short survey for identifying people with HCV infection in a provincial prison in Iran. Methods: Between July and December 2018, residents and newly admitted inmates of Gorgan central prison completed a questionnaire, including data on the history of HCV testing, drug use, injecting drug use, sharing injecting equipment, and imprisonment. Participants received rapid HCV antibody testing, followed by venipuncture for RNA testing (antibody-positive only). Each enrollment question (yes/no) was compared with the testing results (positive/negative). Results: Overall, 1892 people completed the questionnaire, including 621 (34) who were currently on opioid agonist therapy (OAT); 30 of participants had been tested for HCV previously. About 71 had a history of drug use, of whom 13 had ever injected drugs; 52 had ever shared injecting equipment. The prevalence of HCV antibody and RNA was 6.9 (n = 130) and 4.8 (n = 90), respectively. The antibody prevalence was higher among people on OAT compared to those with no history of OAT (11.4 vs. 4.0). History of drug use was the most accurate predictor of having a positive HCV antibody (sensitivity: 95.2, negative predictive value: 98.9) and RNA testing (sensitivity: 96.7, negative predictive value: 99.5). The sensitivity of the drug use question was lowest among people with no OAT history and new inmates (87 and 89, respectively). Among all participants, sensitivity and negative predictive value of the other questions were low and ranged from 34 to 54 and 94 to 97, respectively. Conclusions: In resource-limited settings, HCV screening based on having a history of drug use could replace universal screening in prisons to reduce costs. Developing tailored screening strategies together with further cost studies are crucial to address the current HCV epidemic in low- to middle-income countries. © 2020 The Author(s)

Ergonomics in surgical environments

The majority of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMDs) in surgery are mostly related to sustained position and awkward postures, forcing non-natural gestures in surgeon ́s body.This arti- cle points to describe the different ailments studied during surgical tasks over the years: causes which increase the discomfort and fatigue, and effects related with them, in order highlight the cur- rent working conditions and how might be improved. To do that, a research is done to understand the main issues related on full body ailments and how is have been evaluated in different types of surgery, for which, the lead postural analysis technologies are presented, understanding Rapid Upper Limb Assessment system (RULA) the most suitable method to stablish priorities for preven- tive/corrective actions.Knowing the ailment ́s causes it have been necessary to define the critical points related with the causes, as instrumentation design, regulations in operating tables and chairs, pedal drives, and other surgical elements that require a ergonomic improvements, so that, the main design guidelines have been col- lected in this document and have been compared with a sample of current products available in the market, with the purpose of knowing the degree of implication between the requirements re- quested by the surgical teams and the companies dedicated to their design