Manual Performance Research Articles

Impact of depression and post-traumatic stress on manual and oculomotor performance in service members with a history of mild TBI

ABSTRACT Objective To determine the impact of depression and post-traumatic stress on an automated oculomotor and manual measure of visual attention, compared to conventional neuropsychological assessment. Setting: Military traumatic brain injury (TBI) rehabilitation program. Participants 188 Active Duty Service Members (ADSM) with a history of mild TBI. Design A cross-sectional and correlational study with data obtained through an IRB-approved data registry study. Main measures: Bethesda Eye & Attention Measure (BEAM); brief neuropsychological battery; self-reported symptom surveys including Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory (NSI), Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8), and PTSD Checklist-5 (PCL-5). Results Small effect sizes were found for partial correlations between both depression and post-traumatic stress and key BEAM metrics. In contrast, small-to-medium effects sizes were found across all traditional neuropsychological test measures. Conclusion This study illustrates the profile of impairments associated with depression and post-traumatic stress on saccadic eye movements and manual responses to BEAM relative to conventional neuropsychological tests. Results demonstrated that among ADSM seen for mTBI, depression and PTS exert a significant negative impact on measures of processing speed, attention, executive function, and memory across saccadic, manual, and conventional neuropsychological tests. However, the unique psychometric features of each of these assessment approaches may assist in distinguishing the effects of psychiatric comorbidities within this population.

Вариант использования лазерной фемтосекундной факофрагментации без лазерной капсулотомии в случае осложненной катаракты

Purpose. To evaluate the effectiveness of using femtosecond phacofragmentation without laser capsulotomy in cataract phacoemulsification with a relatively narrow pupil against the background of pseudoexfoliation syndrome in combination with grade I lens subluxation. Material and methods. The subject of the study was a case of complicated cataract in patient Ya., 74 years old, with complaints of decreased vision in the right eye. Standard preoperative and postoperative examinations were performed. The patient underwent surgery using a phacoemulsifier (CenturionVisionSystem, Alcon, USA) with preliminary laser femtosecond support (Catalys TM Precision Laser System-Johnson&Johnson Vision). A three-part IOL AcrySof MA60AC (Alcon, USA) with an optical power of 22.0 diopters was implanted. The peculiarity of the operation was that at the stage of laser femtosecond support, only phacofragmentation was performed without capsulotomy. Result. In this case, only phacofragmentation was performed without the formation of capsulorhexis with laser femtosecond support of phacoemulsification against the background of a rigid, relatively narrow pupil, which made it possible to safely use the usual methods of mechanical pupil dilation followed by manual performance of capsulorhexis of the optimal diameter. On the 2nd day after the operation, visual acuity without correction was 0.5, with a correction of –0.75 diopters – 0.7. The result of surgical treatment in this case indicates that a separate use of femtosecond laser fragmentation of the lens without anterior capsulotomy is possible. In this case, it was applied taking into account the combined pathology: pseudoexfoliation syndrome, lens subluxation, relatively narrow pupil and the objective need to use the Malyugin ring, the planned method of fixing the IOL. The preserved anterior capsule made it possible to perform standard implantation of the Malyugin ring without any special features, followed by capsulorhexis of the optimal diameter. Conclusion. This example demonstrates the possibility of safely and effectively performing phacofragmentation without capsulorhexis at the stage of laser femtosecond support during cataract phacoemulsification, when the pupil diameter does not allow programming the optimal capsulorhexis size. Key words: ciliocapsular fixation, intraocular lens, pseudoexfoliation syndrome, femtosecond laser

Deep learning-based algorithm accurately classifies sleep stages in preadolescent children with sleep-disordered breathing symptoms and age-matched controls.

Visual sleep scoring has several shortcomings, including inter-scorer inconsistency, which may adversely affect diagnostic decision-making. Although automatic sleep staging in adults has been extensively studied, it is uncertain whether such sophisticated algorithms generalize well to different pediatric age groups due to distinctive EEG characteristics. The preadolescent age group (10-13-year-olds) is relatively understudied, and thus, we aimed to develop an automatic deep learning-based sleep stage classifier specifically targeting this cohort. A dataset (n = 115) containing polysomnographic recordings of Icelandic preadolescent children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) symptoms, and age and sex-matched controls was utilized. We developed a combined convolutional and long short-term memory neural network architecture relying on electroencephalography (F4-M1), electrooculography (E1-M2), and chin electromyography signals. Performance relative to human scoring was further evaluated by analyzing intra- and inter-rater agreements in a subset (n = 10) of data with repeat scoring from two manual scorers. The deep learning-based model achieved an overall cross-validated accuracy of 84.1% (Cohen's kappa κ = 0.78). There was no meaningful performance difference between SDB-symptomatic (n = 53) and control subgroups (n = 52) [83.9% (κ = 0.78) vs. 84.2% (κ = 0.78)]. The inter-rater reliability between manual scorers was 84.6% (κ = 0.78), and the automatic method reached similar agreements with scorers, 83.4% (κ = 0.76) and 82.7% (κ = 0.75). The developed algorithm achieved high classification accuracy and substantial agreements with two manual scorers; the performance metrics compared favorably with typical inter-rater reliability between manual scorers and performance reported in previous studies. These suggest that our algorithm may facilitate less labor-intensive and reliable automatic sleep scoring in preadolescent children.

Sensorimotor control in the congenital absence of functional muscle spindles.

Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type III (HSAN III), also known as familial dysautonomia or Riley-Day syndrome, results from an autosomal recessive genetic mutation that causes a selective loss of specific sensory neurones, leading to greatly elevated pain and temperature thresholds, poor proprioception, marked ataxia and disturbances in blood pressure control. Stretch reflexes are absent throughout the body, which can be explained by the absence of functional muscle spindle afferents - assessed by intraneural microelectrodes inserted into peripheral nerves in the upper and lower limbs. This also explains the greatly compromised proprioception at the knee joint, as assessed by passive joint-angle matching. Moreover, there is a tight correlation between loss of proprioceptive acuity at the knee and the severity of gait impairment. Surprisingly, proprioception is normal at the elbow, suggesting that participants are relying more on sensory cues from the overlying skin; microelectrode recordings have shown that myelinated tactile afferents in the upper and lower limbs appear to be normal. Nevertheless, the lack of muscle spindles does affect sensorimotor control in the upper limb: in addition to poor performance in the finger-to-nose test, manual performance in the Purdue pegboard task is much worse than in age-matched healthy controls. Unlike those rare individuals with large-fibre sensory neuropathy, in which both muscle spindle and cutaneous afferents are absent, those with HSAN III present as a means of assessing sensorimotor control following the selective loss of muscle spindle afferents.

AIOps in Cloud-native DevOps: IT Operations Management with Artificial Intelligence

Businesses often deal with the growing challenge of maintaining IT operations, especially with the increase in technological dependence. Organizations adopting AIOps and organizations elevate IT operations management to address these challenges. This shift comes as a response to the increasing complexities of the huge data, applications, and infrastructure in today's digital scope. Traditionally, managing these systems incorporated manual observation and performance metric analysis, processes which are highly prone to errors and inefficiency. AIOps introduces automation through AI/ML algorithms, which analyze patterns to predict and address issues quickly and rectify discrepancies. Therefore, recognizing the diverse needs of companies, each facing unique goals and challenges, depicts the role of tailoring AIOps solutions to specific needs. For example, a global e-commerce company managing a huge online platform will ensure a seamless user experience and quick response to customer interactions. In such a situation, the IT team's focus with AIOps could be on real-time analytics to anticipate and mitigate potential disruptions, automated incident response to minimize downtime, and predictive maintenance to address performance issues. This article explores comprehensive insights into how AIOps functions are important in dealing with IT operations challenges within cloud-native DevOps. It aims to explore the benefits of AIOps in improving incident response efficiency, refining system monitoring capabilities, and optimizing IT operations.

Effects of firefighting gloves styles on manual performance

This study analyzes structural characteristics of firefighting gloves from the perspective of style design, to investigate the impact of the fit of four types of selected firefighting gloves on firefighters’ manual operation efficiency. Seventeen male college students participated in the ergonomic trial to compare manual work done with bare hands and while wearing gloves. The results showed that the participants’ hand dexterity decreased after wearing firefighting gloves, but there were significant differences between different styles of gloves. As glove thickness increased, the time to complete manual work increased continuously. But the change in the participant’s hand and finger length did not affect the tactile perception of gloves. The construction of fingers had an inverse significant effect on dexterity and grip performance. To enhance manual performance, it is recommended that hand length, finger length and finger girth be considered when designing firefighting gloves based on the motion characteristics of firefighting operations.

Automated Schedule and Cost Control Using 3D Sensing Technologies

Nowadays, many construction projects in KSA still struggle with cost overruns and delay in activities. Therefore, automatic monitoring approaches are needed in the construction progress monitoring domain (CPM) to address these concerns. Thus, this paper proposed a system integrating a BIM-planned model with site laser scans, as laser scanners showed massive potential in the CPM domain. The algorithms of the proposed system recognized 3D objects based on the intersection between models, alignment accuracy, and Lalonde features. The proposed system combined 3D object recognition technology with 5D information data into a 5D progress tracking system using earned value (EV) principles. The reason behind that is a lack of research regarding conducting a 5D assessment integrated BIM with 3D sensing technology in the CPM domain. The proposed system was verified using field data from a superstructure construction project where the object recognition indicators showed a 98% recall and 99% precision in recognizing 3D objects. The proposed system also used a color-coding system to address the condition of each element based on its recognition and scheduling state and address any occlusions while calculating the recognized objects. The results also revealed an automatically updated status of the project’s progress in terms of schedule(4D) and cost(5D). The automated results were also validated with a manual calculation, where a slight variation (1.35%) was observed between those calculations. This system demonstrates a degree of accurate progress tracking, automatically exceeding manual performance with less computational time.

Evaluation of an automatized AMBU ESSI-1 INC designed at the Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez.

The objectives of this study were to evaluate an automated device for ventilatory support based on AMBU manufactured in March 2020. The ESSI-1 INC was evaluated through pulmonary mechanics and physiology parameters through compensatory spirometer tests (TISSOTs), and an artificial lung Model5600i Dual Adult PNEU VIEW SYSTEM; it was also compared to the anesthetic ventilatory support equipment (AEONMED 7500) in porcine models, measuring ventilatory, hemodynamic and gasometric parameters. This equipment (ESSI-1 INC) was successfully tested by mechanical and biological models, such as pigs in which its performance was evaluated in terms of variability of tidal volume, ventilation frequency, and I/E relationship versus the manual performance of two medical interns. All the results turned out as expected and were satisfactory. It is safe and effective equipment and should be tested and used in diverse clinical conditions to standardize the ventilatory safety and care of patients who require it.

Impact of LSVT-BIG ® on functional mobility, walking, dexterity, and quality of life in Parkinson's disease

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the LSVT-BIG ® (Lee Silverman Voice Treatment Big) technique on functional mobility, dexterity, and quality of life in Parkinson's disease (PD).
 Materials and Methods: Fifteen patients with Parkinson's disease (9 males, and 6 females, aged 40-75 years; Hoehn & Yahr Stages I-III) completed a 4-week LSVT-BIG training program for 1 hour/session, 4 sessions per week. Parkinson's Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39) was used in measuring patients' quality of life at the beginning (t0) and at the end (t1) of the rehabilitation program. Nine-Hole Peg Test (NHPT) was used for dexterity. 10 Meter Walking Test (10MWT), Timed-Up-and-Go Test (TUG), and Five-Times Sit-to-Stand Test (5XSST) were used for assessing functional mobility. After 4 weeks, all participants were retested.
 Results: After 4 weeks of LSVT-BIG therapy, a statistically significant improvement was found in PDQ-39 mobility, activities of daily living, emotional state, stigma, cognition, communication, physical discomfort, and general scores after exercise compared to before. There was no statistically significant change in the PDQ-39 social support score after exercise compared to before. In addition, functional mobility improved as indicated by the TUG test, 5XSST, 10MWT (and dexterity by NHPT on the left.
 Conclusion: LSVT-BIG training may be a new therapeutic option for better walking, functional mobility, and manual capability performance and for enhancing the quality of life in PD. Randomized controlled trials with bigger sizes are needed to evaluate the effect of the LSVT-BIG rehabilitation program on reducing motor and non-motor impairments in patients with PD.

AUGMENTED REALITY APPLICATION FOR ASSEMBLY DESIGN OF CYCLOIDAL GEARBOX

Modern productions are moving towards full automation of product manufacturing, however, for now some physical
 processes cannot be fully automated, and that is why it remains some manual performance using labor resources. Similar processes occur both in mass production and in individual or experimental production.
 In the startup project LineBar, it was proposed to use a cycloidal gearbox to increase the torque of the stepper motor, however, due to the complexity of the design, it was required to develop the tolling to reduce the time for assembly operation settlement. Augmented reality technologies were used to implement such a task.
 This paper presents the tooling development process. It is described a preparation of 3D model of cycloidal gearbox for Unity application, which has all the necessary functions to create the tooling. The process of basic functionality development is shown, which is a display of 3D model on prepared marker, assembly and disassembly animation of cycloidal gearbox. To expand the functionality, the ability to step-by-step switch the animation of gear assembly has been added. Animations are controlled using the created "Animation", "Forward" and "Back" buttons.
 The process of the annotation development function of 3D models is described, namely the creation of 3D annotation objects, the development of the information display function considering a placement of component unit at the center of the screen, and the implementation of the annotation reversal function when the user's camera is rotated.
 The result of this work is created application, which can be used to reduce the time for the assembly operation of the cycloidal gearbox. It was found a 30% time reduction for assembly operation using the application compared to the regular method.
 For future work, it is proposed to automate the preparation of 3D models, their animation and annotation in the Unity environment, to reduce the time for expanding the application functions, which will affect the scaling the application to larger production.

The Relationship between Work, Health and Job Performance for a Sustainable Working Life: A Case Study on Older Manual Employees in an Italian Steel Factory.

Supporting and retaining older workers has become a strategic management goal for companies, considering the ageing of the workforce and the prolongation of working lives. The relationship between health and work is especially crucial for older workers with manual tasks, considering the impact of long-standing health impairments in older age. Although different studies investigated the relationship between work ability and job performance, few studies have analysed the impact of workers' capability to balance between health and work demands, including managerial and organisational support (work-health balance). Considering health as a dynamic balance between work and health demands influenced by both individual and environmental factors, we assess the mediator role of work-health balance in the relation between work ability and job performance, both self-reported and assessed by the supervisor. The study utilises data from a case study of 156 manual workers, who were 50 years old or older and employed in a steel company in Italy. Data were collected inside the company as an organiational initiative to support age diversity. The findings show that work-health balance partially mediates the relationship between work ability and self-rated job performance, while it does not mediate the relationship with job performance as rated by the supervisor. Supervisor-rated job performance is positively associated with work ability, while it decreases with the increasing perceived incompatibility between work and health. A perceived balance between health and work is a strategic factor in increasing manual older workers' job performance. For older workers, not only the perceived capability to work is important but also the organisational health climate and supervisor's support. More studies are needed to verify if managers overlook the importance of health climate and support, as strategic elements that can foster performance for older employees.

Two-step artificial intelligence system for endoscopic gastric biopsy improves the diagnostic accuracy of pathologists.

BackgroundEndoscopic biopsy is the pivotal procedure for the diagnosis of gastric cancer. In this study, we applied whole-slide images (WSIs) of endoscopic gastric biopsy specimens to develop an endoscopic gastric biopsy assistant system (EGBAS).MethodsThe EGBAS was trained using 2373 WSIs expertly annotated and internally validated on 245 WSIs. A large-scale, multicenter test dataset of 2003 WSIs was used to externally evaluate EGBAS. Eight pathologists were compared with the EGBAS using a man-machine comparison test dataset. The fully manual performance of the pathologists was also compared with semi-manual performance using EGBAS assistance.ResultsThe average area under the curve of the EGBAS was 0·979 (0·958-0·990). For the diagnosis of all four categories, the overall accuracy of EGBAS was 86·95%, which was significantly higher than pathologists (P< 0·05). The EGBAS achieved a higher κ score (0·880, very good κ) than junior and senior pathologists (0·641 ± 0·088 and 0·729 ± 0·056). With EGBAS assistance, the overall accuracy (four-tier classification) of the pathologists increased from 66·49 ± 7·73% to 73·83 ± 5·73% (P< 0·05). The length of time for pathologists to manually complete the dataset was 461·44 ± 117·96 minutes; this time was reduced to 305·71 ± 82·43 minutes with EGBAS assistance (P = 0·00).ConclusionsThe EGBAS is a promising system for improving the diagnosis ability and reducing the workload of pathologists.

Impacts of Attention Level on Manual Take-Over Performance in Automatic Driving on High-Speed Railways

At the present early stage of application, automatic train driving systems still require constant supervision by the driver, and the continuous attention level of the driver is very important. This study investigated the changes in drivers’ concentration’ levels during the automatic driving of a high-speed EMU (electric multiple units) train, as well as the influence of their attention on take-over performance when necessary. It was found that the degree of concentration decreased over time, with the inattention degree ranging from 20% to 57%. Attention was weakly correlated to the take-over time and strongly correlated to the stable running time. When drivers inattention degree was controlled between 20% and 33%, their response speed to a take-over request might be improved, but inattention would affect their judgment of braking power after a take-over. When the inattention degree was over 33%, all take-over performances became worse.

No one is born with it: Australasian dental students' perceptions of learning manual dexterity.

Dentistry requires high manual dexterity, and few studies have investigated the challenges and impact on dental students of attaining manual dexterity skills. This study aimed to investigate dental students' perceptions of manual dexterity, including their awareness of manual dexterity requirements in dentistry, self-perceptions of manual dexterity competency, and whether manual dexterity should be part of admission to dentistry training. A link to a 12-item online Qualtrics survey was sent out to students in either their 2nd or 5th year of the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) degree at the University of Otago, New Zealand. The anonymous survey collected basic demographic data and included closed and open-ended questions about manual dexterity. Descriptive statistics were calculated for quantitative variables and a general inductive approach was used to analyze free-text responses. Those were later grouped into a theoretical domain framework. The overall response rate was 53%. All participants acknowledged the importance of manual dexterity in dentistry. Most participants thought that manual dexterity can be improved with practice and that including a manual dexterity test in the admission criteria may cause unnecessary stress for students. Striving to achieve manual dexterity impacted participants' performance in the BDS course. However, most participants viewed it as a challenge that can be overcome with practice and improvement, and that current BDS admission requirements are sufficient.

Manual Wheelchair Movement Performance Differences Between Older Adults with Earlier- and Later-in-Life Incidence

Independent mobility is crucial for healthy aging. Although there are anticipated differences between older adults with earlier-in-life (EL) versus later-in-life (LL) incidence of mobility disability, the degree to which incidence periods impact performance within environments is unknown. While current evaluation methods rely heavily on subjective ratings, historically excluded populations are prone to underrepresent their own challenges. This paper describes an experiment comparing the assumed, perceived, and effective performance of manual wheelchair movement tasks to examine differences between EL and LL groups. Preliminary results found higher muscular exertion in the LL group compared to the EL group for similar movements, particularly in the anterior and posterior deltoid muscles. There was a greater mismatch between the assumed and perceived mental and physical demand for the LL group. For both groups, results suggest poorer mental models for moderate-difficulty tasks compared to high-difficulty tasks, suggesting a need for increased perceptual feedback within moderate-difficulty environments.

The development of academic information system (case study: Santa Maria 3 Malang kindergarten school)

Kindergarten Santa Maria 3 Malang uses manual performance with excel in its current operations, so it is constrained by data that is not the same because it uses a non-centralized file, formulas, or formulas to generate values that are often deleted. Academic applications are needed to reduce the time to adapt to the grading system and assist teachers in improving student services outside of academics. The application is built on a website base that is responsive to the device used. So that it can be accessed at any time, besides that centralized data helps teachers in collecting or searching data quickly and precisely. The system is made and developed according to the directions and processes that exist in the Santa Maria 3 Kindergarten Malang environment. So that this journal will discuss more clearly the process of making an academic information system for Santa Maria 3 Kindergarten Malang.

Analysis of queueing theory: Biometric and manual attendance performance measures

In many educational organizations, most universities use manual methods for taking attendance. There is a possibility that Staff give dummy attendance for colleagues who are absent; this work intends to compare the efficiency of biometric based attendance system to that of manual attendance. The study uses single and single server queueing model to analyze service efficiency of biometric and manual attendance. The variables measured include arrival rate (λ) and service rate (μ). They were analyzed for simultaneous efficiency. Primary data were collected through observations from biometric attendance and manual attendance by observation at the attendance system. The result shows that biometric attendance compared with manual attendance was more efficient with the performances measures queueing system.

Understanding the Impact of Time Pressure and Automation Support in a Visual Search Task.

To understand the impact of time pressure and automated decision support systems (DSS) in a simulated medical visual search task. Time pressure usually impairs manual performance in visual search tasks, but DSS support might neutralize this negative effect. Moreover, understanding the impact of time pressure and DSS support seems relevant for many real-world applications of visual search. We used a visual search paradigm where participants had to search for target letters in a simulated medical image. Participants performed the task either manually or with support of a highly reliable DSS. Time pressure was varied within-subjects by either a trialwise time-pressure manipulation (Experiment 1) or a blockwise manipulation (Experiment 2). Performance was assessed based on signal detection measures. To further analyze visual search behavior, a mouse-over approach was used. In both experiments, results showed impaired sensitivity under high compared to low time pressure in the manual condition, but no negative effect of time pressure when working with a highly reliable DSS. Moreover, participants searched less under time pressure and when receiving DSS support, indicating participants followed the automation without thoroughly checking recommendations. However, the human-DSS team's sensitivity was always worse than that of the DSS alone, independent of the strength of time pressure. Negative effects of time pressure can be ameliorated when receiving support by a DSS, but joint overall performance remains below DSS-alone performance. Highly reliable DSS seem capable of ameliorating the negative impact of time pressure in complex detection tasks.

Applying aspects of deliberate practice to help low performers improve manual control in a complex task

Investigations of expert performers across many domains have suggested the accumulation of deliberate practice over many years is a key component of developing expertise. Researchers propose deliberate practice is effective for improving performance in the long term because it includes several structured elements that facilitate learning. However, the effects of such structured practice across shorter training periods are less understood. The current study examined the acquisition of manual control skill in the experimental video game Space Fortress. Video demonstrations and continuous auditory feedback were combined in a 90-min intervention session designed to discourage behaviors correlated with low performance and encourage behaviors associated with high levels of skill. After 4 h of gameplay, the initially lower-performing participants who received the intervention displayed significantly greater manual control performance than the initially lower-performing participants who received undirected training. This performance difference corresponded with durable improvements in behaviors targeted by the intervention once feedback was removed. These findings suggest training that incorporates elements of deliberate practice can be successfully applied in short-term skill acquisition settings.

At-Home Training With a Rhythmic Video Game for Improving Orofacial, Manual, and Gait Abilities in Parkinson’s Disease: A Pilot Study

Rhythm disorders are consistently reported in Parkinson’s disease (PD). They manifest across motor domains, such as in orofacial (oral diadochokinesis), manual (finger tapping), and gait tasks. It is still unclear, however, whether these disorders are domain- and task-specific, or result from impaired common mechanisms supporting rhythm processing (general dysrhythmia). We tested the possibility that an at-home intervention delivered via a rhythmic video game on tablet improves motor performance across motor domains in PD. Patients with PD (n = 12) played at home a rhythmic video game (Rhythm Workers) on tablet, in which they finger-tapped to the beat of music, for 6 weeks. A control group (n = 11) played an active non-rhythmic video game (Tetris). A third group (n = 10) did not receive any intervention. We measured rhythmic abilities in orofacial, manual and gait motor domains, as well as rhythm perception, before and after the intervention. Patients who performed the rhythmic training improved their orofacial and manual rhythmic performance. This beneficial effect was linked to improved rhythm perception only following the rhythmic training period. We did not observe any improvement in rhythmic abilities in the other two groups. In this pilot study, we demonstrated that at-home intervention with a rhythmic video game using finger tapping can have beneficial effects on motor performance across different motor domains (manual and orofacial). This finding provides evidence of a general dysrhythmia in PD and paves the way to technology-driven interventions aiming at alleviating rhythm-related motor deficits in PD.