Full Gear Research Articles

Knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score of Korean national ice hockey players.

[Purpose] To investigate sports injuries in Korean national ice hockey players by surveying parts, times, types, frequency, cure, and prevention types of sports injuries and provide basic data for injury prevention and performance improvement of ice hockey players. Another purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of ice hockey injuries according to age and the relationship between etiological factors and injuries in high school students. [Subjects and Methods] This was a cross-sectional study. Eighteen female ice hockey players in Korean elite athletes were recruited for this study. This study was conducted by a self-administered questionnaire survey using Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) of national ice hockey players. [Results] Participants were injured mainly during training. Injuries were caused by skate, puck-contact, and body check. Five subscales of KOOS were significantly correlated with each other except that the correlation between activities of daily living and quality of life was insignificant. [Conclusion] For injury prevention in national team ice hockey players, full gear is recommended. In addition, therapist in the field needs to conduct injury prevention through consistent observations and counseling in order to prevent injury and improve performance. Ice hockey players also need sufficient rest with systematic and scientific training for injury prevention and performance improvement.

Zika response in full gear

As travel advisories for pregnant women multiplied, combating the Zika virus was a top priority this year for both government agencies and the drug industry. “This is the most complicated emergency the CDC has ever handled,” Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, told reporters last month at the American Society for Tropical Medicine & Hygiene’s annual meeting. It’s the first time the world has seen a mosquito-borne virus that can be spread sexually or cause birth defects. Moreover, “we have not got a great track record with controlling Aedes aegypti mosquitos,” she said. The public did get some good news last month when the World Health Organization declared that Zika is no longer a public health emergency. And while health experts stress that efforts to address the virus must continue at full speed, government agencies, health groups, and industry have made some headway

Efficiency and running temperature of a polymer–steel spur gear pair from slip/roll ratio fundamentals

A new methodology to predict the transient operational temperature of a polymer–steel gear pair under loaded running is presented. For the involute gear form, rolling and sliding leads to a loss of gear efficiency and generation of heat in the contact zone. The power dissipated is used to set the conditions for a series of rod on disc experiments. The rod-on-disc data are processed in a time averaging procedure, which allows prediction of the complete gear temperature. This is assessed with analytical and finite element models to validate the predicted temperature rise against the experimental data. The significance is that the experimental procedures may be used to assess gear thermal performance without testing full gear pairs.

Effect of Weight and an Increased Workload on Heart Rate and Blood Pressure

Previous studies have shown that personal protective equipment (PPE) is responsible for increases in heart rate (HR) and VO2max response in firefighters (FF), but has not been examined in collegiate lacrosse players. We have found that FF have exaggerated blood pressure (BP) responses to a treadmill test, and during recovery when wearing PPE (data unpublished). PURPOSE: To compare the effects of weight and an increased workload on BP and HR, between FF and lacrosse players. METHODS: Division III lacrosse players (5M, 20.4 ±0.5yrs) and volunteer firefighters (5M, 21.8 ±2.2yrs) who were matched by body size (FF BMI 26.9 ±3.7kg/m2; lacrosse BMI 26.3 ±3.5 kg/m2, p=0.79) came to the lab for two visits within two weeks for two symptom-limited maximal treadmill tests. The first treadmill test (Regular) was completed following Bruce Protocol in normal clothing; ECG, BP, and HR were continuously monitored. The second treadmill test (PPE) was completed following Bruce Protocol while participant was wearing full gear or PPE; BP and HR were monitored. Changes in HR and BP were compared within groups. RESULTS: Between FF and lacrosse players, gear weight (FF 54.2±4.5 lbs.; lacrosse 6.1±2.1 lbs.), reported number of times exercise/week (FF 1.8±1.5; lacrosse 5.2±0.4), Regular HRmax (FF 230.2 ±31.0 bpm; lacrosse 190.4 ±9.2 bpm), and Regular VO2max (FF 40.2±8.0 ml/kg/min; lacrosse 50.4±4.7 ml/kg/min) were different between groups (p<0.05 for all). For lacrosse players, there were no differences in the BP at each stage or HR at each minute - in Regular compared to PPE. However, for the FF there was a difference in the stage systolic BP and minute HR - in Regular compared to PPE (p<0.05 for all). CONCLUSION: Division III lacrosse players are not affected by the weight of their gear in the same way as FF. Future research should be done to verify the effect of different weights of gear and an increased workload on HR and BP responses.

Adopting a Global Safety Standard for the Prevention of Ebola Needle-Stick Exposures

Adopting a Global Safety Standard for the Prevention of Ebola Needle-Stick Exposures

Providing nursing care to Ebola patients on the national stage: The National Institutes of Health experience

Providing nursing care to Ebola patients on the national stage: The National Institutes of Health experience

Parameter Design of Tooth Profile for Internal Cycloid Gear Pump with Multi-Teeth Difference

Based on the principle of gear engagement, the equation of rotor tooth profile has been reduced in this paper and has drawn the actual cycloid tooth profile by MATLAB software, the data obtained from MATLAB Workspace is processed by EXCEL, so the parameter drawing of the full gear tooth profile curve is very easy in AutoCAD software platform. This design method has high accuracy and convenient to processing in CNC machining center.

Comparison of Video, Optical, and Direct Laryngoscopy by Experienced Tactical Paramedics

Objectives. While optical and video laryngoscopy have been studied in the emergency department, the operating room, and the routine prehospital setting, their efficacy in the tactical environment—in which operator safety is as important as intubation success—has not been evaluated. This study compared direct laryngoscopes to optical (AirTraq) and video (King Vision) laryngoscopes in a simulated tactical setting. Methods. This prospective institutional review board-approved simulation study evaluated each of the laryngoscopes in the hands of seven experienced tactical paramedics. After a one-hour training session, each tactical paramedic used each of the laryngoscopes, in a random order, on each of four different airway manikins. A tactical environment was simulated using auditory and visual immersion, and the intubations occurred on the ground with the paramedics in full tactical gear. Outcomes included time to successful ventilation, first-pass success rate, Cormack-Lehane grade, and intubator head height during the intubation. Statistical analysis included chi-squared and Wilcoxon rank sum tests, and multivariate logistic regression was performed to determine contributing factors to outcomes with significant variation. Results. A total of 84 intubations were performed by seven tactical paramedics. While there were no significant differences in time to successful ventilation or first-pass success rate, the optical and video laryngoscopes had significantly better Cormack-Lehane grades, defined as grade I or II (100% for both compared to 85.7%), while direct laryngoscopy resulted in significantly less maximum vertical exposure of the intubator (51.82 cm compared to AirTraq's 56.64 cm and King Vision's 56.13 cm). Conclusion. Video and optical laryngoscopes can be used successfully by experienced tactical paramedics in a simulated tactical setting. The King Vision and AirTraq resulted in improved Cormack-Lehane glottic views but similar times to ventilation and first-pass success compared to direct laryngoscopy. Intubator head height was lower with direct laryngoscopy. Clarifying the role of optical and video laryngoscopes in a tactical environment, especially in the hands of less experienced intubators, requires further research.

The Iridescent Blue-Black Boy with Wings (After Márquez)

The Iridescent Blue-Black Boy with Wings (After Márquez)

Parametric multi-axis tool path planning for CNC machining: the case of spur gears

Four and five axis machining strategies are difficult to standardise in the general case. General purpose CAM systems are an important tool allowing the experienced machinist to experiment with machining strategies and assess quality of the resulting tool paths. However, in the case of machine elements, such as gears, shape definition by parametric equations is most inviting for development of fit-for-purpose machining strategies and corresponding parametric tool paths without the use of CAM software. Such an approach is materialised in this paper for spur gears, drawing on discretisation of involute and trochoidal curves constituting the tooth profile, so as to satisfy scallop height constraints. The roughing stage is performed with a flat end mill, implementing slot milling along a meander type tool path. The finishing stage is performed with a bull-nose end mill, implementing peripheral milling circumferentially around the full gear profile. The algorithms were tested on a three-axis machining centre equipped with an additional 4th rotary axis to manufacture a plastic spur gear.

Photovoltaic Materials and Devices

As the global energy needs grow, there is increasing interest in the generation of electricity by photovoltaics (PVs) devices or solar cells - devices that convert sunlight to electricity. Solar industry has seen an enormous growth during the last decade. The sale of PV modules has exceeded 27 GW in 2011, with significant contributions to the market share from all technologies. While the silicon technology continues to have the dominant share, the other thin film technologies (CdTe, CIGS, a-Si, and organic PV) are experiencing fast growth. Increased production of silicon modules has led to a very rapid reduction in their price and remains as benchmark for other technologies. The PV industry is in full gear to commercialize new automated equipment for solar cell and module production, instrumentation for process monitoring technologies, and for implementation of other cost-reduction approaches, and extensive research continues to be carried out in many laboratories to improve the efficiency of solar cells and modules without increasing the production costs. A large variety of solar cells, which differ in the material systems used, design, PV structure, and even the principle of PV conversion, are designed to date. This special issue contains peer-reviewed papers in the recent developmentsmore » in research related to broad spectrum of photovoltaic materials and devices. It contains papers on many aspects of solar cells-the growth and deposition, characterization, and new material development.« less

Applying the DOE toolkit on a Lean‐and‐Green Six Sigma Maritime‐Operation Improvement Project

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a case study on endorsing process improvement in maritime operations by implementing design of experiments on Lean Six Sigma performance responses. It is demonstrated how process efficiency and environmental muda may be dealt with simultaneously in a lean‐and‐green project driven by hardcore Six Sigma tools.Design/methodology/approachA 16‐run Taguchi‐type orthogonal design was employed to gather data for vessel speed (VS), exhaust gas temperature (EGT) and fuel consumption (FC) as modulated by a total of 15 controlling parameters synchronously. Active dependencies were inferred based on the desirability analysis method on direct process data from a performance log. This log was maintained for a long‐term monitoring during sea voyages of a double skin bulk carrier of 55,000 DWT while in sea service.FindingsA high composite desirability value was achieved eclipsing the 0.90 mark. Values well over the 0.9 level were also obtained for the three examined individual desirability values of VS, EGT and FC. Leading controlling parameters were discovered to be compressor pressure, fuel pump index, slip, governor index and MIP.Practical implicationsA Lean Six Sigma project is carried out to improve performance characteristics in ordinary maritime operations. While the company in the case study outlined in this article no longer relies on periodic inspections to determine machinery conditions, improvement on key process characteristics were nevertheless deemed worthy of ameliorating. Information retrieval from computerized continuous monitoring systems assisted in conducting experimental designs in order to obtain optimal performance. Specifically, the tuning of vessel main engine running mode was examined aiming at increasing the quality levels of output power to the shaft along with a reduction of NOx emissions.Originality/valueThis work adds an interesting paradigm in the critical field of maritime activities for processes in full gear while operating at sea. Maritime operations are an imperative necessity when expediting international trading transactions. It is the first time that such a case study has emanated from a real pilot Lean Six Sigma project which interlaces process efficiency enhancement with concurrent environmental muda reduction.

Author's Reply

This study was funded and designed to isolate the effects of the Riddell (Elyria, OH) helmet and shoulder pads used by National Football League linemen. Its design highlights small differences in heat gain, but it does not translate well to on-field football training because the treadmill exercise was performed to exhaustion (in 9 of 10 participants in full gear), and participants were not given any chance to rest, drink fluids, or remove the helmet. The extrapolation upward of the top line in revised Figure 2 is speculation, not science. One could equally speculate that the middle line has no plateau and so extrapolate it upward. In contrast to this heat-chamber study, on-field football training in the heat is stop and go, with regular breaks, sometimes cooling breezes, fluids encouraged, and the helmet often removed during rest breaks, teaching times, and sideline waits. For these reasons, other researchers find that core temperature on field during football training waxes and wanes in response to varying activity levels and that rest breaks allow for adequate heat dissipation.1 Also, in another heat-chamber study, designed to mimic drills by linemen in practice, the heat-gain effect of football gear, compared with that of shorts alone, was variable and minimal, perhaps because the collegiate players in the study partly offset the cost of added gear by lowering their intensity, as could occur in a real field setting.2 And recall that the college fullback who died from heat stroke after an intense workout in the summer of 2001 wore no football gear, just a T-shirt and shorts. All things considered, although more research is needed, this study does not show that the helmet and shoulder pads pose a substantial risk for heat stroke in football training.

Lacrosse Equipment and Cervical Spinal Cord Space During Immobilization: Preliminary Analysis

Removal of the lacrosse helmet to achieve airway access has been discouraged based only on research in which cervical alignment was examined. No researchers have examined the effect of lacrosse equipment on the cervical space available for the spinal cord (SAC). To determine the effect of lacrosse equipment on the cervical SAC and cervical-thoracic angle (CTA) in the immobilized athlete. Observational study. Outpatient imaging center. Ten volunteer lacrosse athletes (age = 20.7 +/- 1.87 years, height = 180.3 +/- 8.3 cm, mass = 91 +/- 12.8 kg) with no history of cervical spine injury or disease and no contraindications to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The lacrosse players were positioned supine on a spine board for all test conditions. An MRI scan was completed for each condition. The independent variables were condition (no equipment, shoulder pads only [SP], and full gear that included helmet and shoulder pads [FG]), and cervical spine level (C3-C7). The dependent variables were the SAC and CTA. The MRI scans were evaluated midsagittally. The average of 3 measures was used as the criterion variable. The SAC data were analyzed using a 3 x 5 analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures. The CTA data were analyzed with a 1-way repeated-measures ANOVA. We found no equipment x level interaction effect (F(3.7,72) = 1.34, P = .279) or equipment main effect (F(2,18) = 1.20, P = .325) for the SAC (no equipment = 5.04 +/- 1.44 mm, SP = 4.69 +/- 1.36 mm, FG = 4.62 +/- 1.38 mm). The CTA was greater (ie, more extension; critical P = .0167) during the SP (32.64 degrees +/- 3.9 degrees) condition than during the no-equipment (25.34 degrees +/- 2.3 degrees ; t(9) = 7.67, P = .001) or FG (26.81 degrees +/- 5.1 degrees; t(9) = 4.80, P = .001) condition. Immobilizing healthy lacrosse athletes with shoulder pads and no helmets affected cervical spine alignment but did not affect SAC. Further research is needed to determine and identify appropriate care of the lacrosse athlete with a spine injury.

Gastrointestinal Temperature Trends in Football Linemen During Physical Exertion Under Heat Stress

Exertional heat stroke is the third leading cause of death in US athletes. Elevations in core temperature in the digestive tract (TGI) have correlated with core temperature and are possible indicators of those at increased risk of heat stroke. The primary objective was to compare a.m. vs. p.m. TGI variation in collegiate football linemen during intense "two-a-day" preseason practice. A secondary objective was to compare longitudinal TGI in offensive and defensive linemen. Cross-sectional observational study. Division I Intercollegiate Athletics Football Program. TGI was monitored during consecutive preseason sessions. TGI, heat illness, weight changes, environmental stress, and subjective symptoms. Mean TGI were 37.8°C and 38.3°C during a.m. and p.m. practices, respectively. The a.m. practices revealed higher TGI gain (1.8°C) compared to p.m. (1.4°C). The p.m. practices had higher maximum TGI than a.m. practices (39.1°C versus 38.8, P=0.0001). Mean time to maximum temperature (Tmax) was 1 hr and 30 min for a.m. and 1 hr and 22 min for p.m. practices. Offensive linemen trended toward higher mean TGI than defensive players (38.0°C vs. 36.7°C, P = 0.069). The rate of rise in TGI was significantly greater in a.m. practices. A decrease in rate of TGI rise was seen from the first to last a.m. practices of the week (P = 0.004). Significant TGI elevations in asymptomatic athletes are common in extreme heat during football practice. Intense a.m. practices in full gear result in higher net temperature gain and rate of temperature gain than p.m. practices. Offensive linemen trended toward higher TGI than defensive linemen. As players acclimatized, a decrease in the rate of TGI increase was appreciable, particularly in a.m. practices. Appreciating cumulative heat stress and variations in heat stress related to scheduling of practice is critical.

Human Factors Evaluation of Restraint Systems for Military Vehicles

Three configurations of occupant restraint systems were evaluated for use in military vehicles. Restraint configurations consisted of a 23 (lap and two shoulder belts), 3+2 (standard 3-point lap/shoulder belt plus secondary shoulder belt) and 5-point (two shoulder, two lap, and one crotch belt). All systems had a single point release feature. Human factors evaluation entailed assessing ingress/egress, functional operation (control reach) and accommodation (fit). Testing included with and without full gear. Eleven soldiers with military vehicle driving experience participated in the evaluation. Results for egress testing showed that the 5-point was slightly faster than the 3+2 and the 23. Results for the ingress testing showed that ingress time was directly related to the number of connections with the 3+2, 23 and the 5-point reflecting fastest to slowest times. Wearing full gear significantly increased ingress time but had minimal effects on egress times. No major accommodation issues were noted.

Daily Fluid Turnover during Preseason Training in U.S. College Football

The authors measured 24-h fluid-turnover (FTO) rate during 6 d of preseason training in U.S. college football players. Players, training (T, n = 9, full gear and contact drills) and reference (R, n = 4, conditioning without gear or contact), ingested a deuterium oxide (D(2)O) dose and provided urine samples every 24 h for analysis of D(2)O. During one approximately 2.3-h practice (wet-bulb globe temperature 24.6 degrees C), body-mass change, urine production, and voluntary fluid intake were measured to calculate gross sweat loss (GSL). Average FTO was 10.3 +/- 2.2 L/d for T and 7.0 +/- 1.0 L/d for R. GSL was 3.4 +/- 1.5 L for T and 1.7 +/- 1.3 for R (P > 0.05). By Day 6, body mass decreased significantly in T (-2.4 +/- 1.3 kg, P < 0.05) but not in R (0.38 +/- 0.95 kg). With preseason training under moderate environmental stress, football players had high FTO and sweat rates, which might have contributed to a loss of body mass during preseason football training.

Disaster Awareness and Clinical Laboratory Students: A Place to Start

Ann, a clinical laboratory science (CLS) student was 4 weeks into her professional practice experience at a large hospital in the Midwest. She had never been employed in a hospital but was excited to now be completing this final portion of her undergraduate CLS experience. It was early on a sunny Monday morning when Ann arrived at the hospital and proceeded towards the laboratory. There were many people filling the corridors of the hospital; some were definitely employees, as evidenced by their employee badges, but for the others one could only guess if they were physicians, nurses, or visitors. As Ann neared the laboratory entrance, suddenly the automatic doors at both ends of the corridor closed tightly. Those who were strangers in the hallway just seconds before were now colleagues of sorts, enclosed in the corridor. Within a few seconds, 2 members of the response team entered the corridor in full gear and began to explain the situation. An “incident” had occurred and posed a potential risk for those in this corridor. Everyone was asked to remain calm and to stay where they were until there was more information available. With those instructions said, the response team left.

Trainees, Teams, and Timely Performance Feedback

Trainees, Teams, and Timely Performance Feedback

Metabolic and Thermoregulatory Responses to a Simulated American Football Practice in the Heat

Energy cost is a major factor influencing the tolerable thermal load, particularly during exercise in the heat. However, no data exist on the metabolic cost of football practice, although a value of 35% of maximal aerobic capacity (VO(2)max) has been estimated. The energy cost and thermoregulatory response of offensive linemen (OL) was measured wearing different American football ensembles during a simulated half of football practice in the heat. Five collegiate offensive linemen (133 kg, 20% fat, 42 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1) maximal oxygen uptake) completed each of four 60-minute test sessions in an environmental chamber (28 degrees C, 55% relative humidity [RH]) wearing shorts (S), helmet (H), helmet and shoulder pads (HS), and full gear (FUL). Core temperature in the digestive tract (TGI) was obtained using an ingestible sensor. During simulated football drills (e.g., repetitions of drive blocking), exercise intensity ranged from 30 to 81% VO(2)max but averaged 55%VO(2)max (6.7 METS) overall. Blood lactate remained >5 mmol x L(-1), and heart rate (HR) averaged 79%HRmax. Equipment had a significant effect on %VO(2)max but only during recovery between drills with HS (61.4 +/- 3.7%) compared with H (53.3 +/- 6.9%) and S (40.1 +/- 8.5%). The TGI was higher (p < 0.05) with HS compared with H at several time-points after 30 minutes. Football practice for OL elicits a significantly higher overall metabolic cost (>6 METS, >50%VO(2)max) than assumed in previous studies. The addition of shoulder pads increases core temperature and energy cost, especially during recovery between active drills in unacclimatized linemen.