• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2022.06a
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• pp.632-639
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• 2022

The objective of this study is to analyze the productivity, efficiency, and factors affecting the productivity of a spray task from an international airport project. The study is focused on the productivity analysis of the Subcontractor whose job was to supply and apply sprayed-applied fire-resistive material (SFRM) on steel members to achieve the necessary fire ratings on the building structures of the Hamad International Airport, Qatar. The study analyzed the productivity of the four sprayer teams who completed the task at three locations and three areas of the airport. The study found that the productivity of the individual team observed during the SFRM spray task was not only different but was also observed different when they worked at varying floor heights where different factors affecting productivity were predominant. The study found that the efficiency was lowest (47.32%) when the spray team had to work at second-floor heights and factors affecting productivity such as limited accessibility for material movement and lifting, site congestion, lack of continuity of operation due to priority areas and frequent re-handling of machines and tools were present. Besides, the factors such as adverse weather conditions and sub-trades interference affected productivity at all locations. The findings show that productivity depends on multiple factors and those factors need to be identified and addressed to improve productivity. The findings also show that the estimated efficiency was hard to achieve but possible since Team 4 had 97% efficiency on the first floor of the airport.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.4629-4635
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• 2012

This study was aimed at the relationship between peak EMG amplitude on low back muscles acting on L5/S1 and load center of gravity, trunk lateral bending while lifting an object. Musculoskeletal disorders including low back pain can occur even when handling heavy objects only once as well as when doing non-heavy materials repeatedly. 11 male subjects with average 23 age were required to lift a 15.8kg object symmetrically three times. Peak EMG amplitudes on 6 muscles related with L5/S1 were recorded and analyzed. The lifting conditions consisted of lifting symmetric load with no trunk lateral bending, asymmetric load with no trunk lateral bending, and asymmetric load with trunk lateral bending to the load center of gravity within an object. The results showed that peak EMG amplitude on back muscles contralateral to load center of gravity was observed greater in comparison with the symmetric load. Also, in case of lifting asymmetric load the posture with trunk lateral bending increased peak EMG amplitude on muscles contralateral to load center of gravity more than with no trunk lateral bending. This research can be used as one administrative intervention in order to reduce the low back pain incidence with suggesting workers that they keep the trunk not bending to load center of gravity if possible when lifting a heavy asymmetric object.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.43-53
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to survey a perception of frequency & importance level of job performance, from 249 paramedics who were working at fire station. The job related activities of 4 duties, 18 tasks and 145 task elements were checked by 4 rating scale. The data were analyzed using a SPSS program for descriptive statistics. The results of the study were as follows ; 1. Some of the most frequent tasks were medical tx, managing people & organization, trauma care, pt assessment, general coping skill 2. Some of the most frequent task elements were preparation of written reports, operation of pt lifting supplies, transportation of patients on stretchers, administration of cervical collar and utilization of scoop stretcher. 3. Some of the highest level of importance in task were resuscitation of circulation, surgical tx, safety & infection control, environmental emergency care, trauma care. 4. Some of the highest level of importance in task elements were administration of cervical collar, adult CPR, infant CPR, child CPR, and AED. 5. The highest level of task elements in perception of frequency & importance were administration of cervical collar, infection control after pt care, utilization of long back board, disinfection of ambulance after ride a long, care of chest pain pt, care of unconscious pt, tx of asthma. 6. A difference between frequent & importance score were due to lack of supplies(41%), structural problems(30%) and medical control system(16%), lack of skills(10%), Suggestion; 1. This paper would be more reliable and confirm through wilder range of survey. 2. It would be necessary of more depth survey through dacom study from paramedic. 3. Development of field oriented protocol & curriculum that based on task elements which have high score of both frequency & importance level is required.

• Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.777-787
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• 2018

Objective To examine the long-term effects of the low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (LF-rTMS) combined with task-specific training on paretic hand function following subacute stroke. Methods Sixteen participants were randomly selected and grouped into two: the experimental group (real LF-rTMS) and the control group (sham LF-rTMS). All the 16 participants were then taken through a 1-hour task-specific training of the paretic hand. The corticospinal excitability (motor evoke potential [MEP] amplitude) of the non-lesioned hemisphere, and the paretic hand performance (Wolf Motor Function Test total movement time [WMFT-TMT]) were evaluated at baseline, after the LF-rTMS, immediately after task-specific training, 1 and 2 weeks after the training. Results Groups comparisons showed a significant difference in the MEP after LF-rTMS and after the training. Compared to the baseline, the MEP of the experimental group significantly decreased after LF-rTMS and after the training and that effect was maintained for 2 weeks. Group comparisons showed significant difference in WMFT-TMT after the training. Only in the experimental group, the WMFT-TMT of the can lifting item significantly reduced compared to the baseline and the effect was sustained for 2 weeks. Conclusion The results of this study established that the improvement in paretic hand after task-specific training was enhanced by LF-rTMS and it persisted for at least 2 weeks.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.248-255
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• 1998

The objective of this study is to conduct the prevention method using electromyography that is to resist the strain on L5/S1 disc and to measure the heart rate for the prevention of low back pain during lifting. EMG signals and heart rate were analyzed under the condition of fixed vertical factor (20∼80cm), two horizontal factors (35cm, 55cm), and two weight factors (10kg, 25kg) 2 times per minute for each lifting task. Eight healthy male workers performed nine-step stretching exercises which were intensified back power at the L5/S1 disc for six months. After completion of the two trials, the results were compared. The results of this analysis show that EMG signals have more an effect on the weight than the horizontal factors similar to those analyzed previous study, and are decreased. Therefore, those exercises presented very efficient. Also, there are not statistically significant differences on the analysis result of heart rate between weight factors.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers D
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• v.55 no.7
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• pp.344-351
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• 2006

The fatigue of back muscle in the repetitive lifting motion was studied using multiple parameters(FFT_MDF, RMS, 2C, NT) in this study. Recent developments in the time-frequency analysis procedures to compute the IMDF(instantaneous median frequency) were utilized to overcome the nonstationarity of EMG signal using Cohen-Posch distribution. But the above method has a lot of computation time because of its complexity. So, in this study, FFT_MDF(median frequency estimation based on FFT) algorithm was used for median frequency estimation of back muscle EMG signal during muscle work in uniform velocity portion of lumbar movement. The analysis period of EMG signal was determined by using the run test and lumbar movement angle in dynamic task, such as lifting. Results showed that FFT_MDF algorithm is well suited for the estimation of back muscle fatigue from the view point of computation time. The negative slope of a regression line fitted to the median frequency values of back muscle EMG signal was taken as an indication of muscle fatigue. The slope of muscle fatigueness with FFT_MDF method shows the similarity of 77.8% comparing with CP_MDF(median frequency estimation based on Cohen Posch distribution) method.

• Journal of Korea Society of Industrial Information Systems
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.79-86
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• 2001

The CTD(Cumulative Trauma Disorder) as a new kind of occupational disease occurs mainly to workers on handling line under the highly-specialized industrial environments. This study took into account their exposure to Cumulative Trauma Disorders(CTD) by the utilization of EMG system, with respect to worker's muscle fatigue test according to fulfillment of iterative and simple task. The findings of this study were as follows : From the result of AEMG test analysis, worker's fatigue extent according to elapsed time of task was inclined to be increased continually. On the other hand, after its task ending, their fatigue extent was inclined to be decreased than before-circumstance of refractory brick lifting. The transference of MF(Median Frequency) and MPF(Mean Power Frequency) had highly significant difference between muscle fatigue and the elapsed time of work. Especially, their fatigue extent to erectorspinae and multifidus to lift firebrick was increased in the mean time. The transference of ZCR(Zero Crossing Rate) had considerable significant difference between muscle fatigue and the elapsed time of work. In short, as the work went of the muscle fatigue extent increased gradually. Thus, it can be concluded that the fatigue of erectorspinae and multifidus extent according to fulfillment of iterative and simple task is gradually being increased.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.29-41
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• 2020

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to provide evidence for the treatment of Forward Head and Rounded Shoulder Posture (FHRSP) using posture correction exercises by comparing muscle activity and onset time around the neck and shoulder area during an arm elevation task. METHODS: The subjects were divided into FHRSP (21 persons) and non-FHRSP (19 persons) groups to measure muscle activity and onset time of muscle contraction. Wireless surface electromyography was used to assess the muscle activity and onset time of the right and left sternocleidomastoid (SCM), splenius capitis, anterior deltoid, middle deltoid, serratus anterior, upper trapezius, pectoralis major, and infraspinatus during an arm elevation task. After the pre-measurement, the participants performed the postural correction exercises, and then the post-measurement was conducted. RESULTS: After the posture correction exercises, there were significant differences in the muscle activity and onset time of all muscles in the FHRSP group. The results of the comparison of the muscle onset time during an arm elevation task demonstrated that after the postural correction exercises, the muscle onset time was significantly reduced in the right and left SCM and left splenius capitis, but there were no significant changes in the onset time of other muscles. CONCLUSION: The results of this study help us understand the change in muscle activities and muscle contraction onset time in a person with FHRSP when lifting the arm and suggest the relevant basis to apply the posture correction exercise in clinical settings.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.441-447
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• 2017

Robot arms are being increasingly used in various fields with special attention given to unmanned systems. In this research, we developed a high payload dual-arm robot, in which the forearm module is replaceable to meet the assigned task, such as object handling or lifting humans in a rescue operation. With each forearm module specialized for an assigned task (e.g. safety for rescue and redundant joints for object handling task), the robot can conduct various tasks more effectively than could be done previously. In this paper, the design of the high payload dual-arm robot with replaceable forearm function is described in detail. Two forearms are developed here. Each of forearm has quite a different goal. One of the forearms is specialized for human rescue in human familiar flat aspect and compliance parts. Other is for general heavy objects, more than 30 kg, handling with high degree of freedom more than 7.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.45-51
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• 2008

The purpose of this survey was to identify ergonomic risk factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) and understand the current MSD risk status in the wholesale/retail industry. The field survey was conducted at 120 wholesale/retail establishments, and the cause of MSD occurred from the national industrial accident statistics by the Ministry of Labor in 2006 was analyzed in terms of company size, a term of work, job title, and cause of occurrence. The numbers of disasters on MSD were 602 which were included 432 disasters who met with low back pain by incident. A checklist was developed by KOSHA to use for the field survey. A total of 419 tasks were identified at the 120 establishments surveyed. The highest frequency was Task 2(45%) which was mostly observed in repetitive work (e.g. displaying, scanning, cutting or wrapping of goods). The second and third were Task 9(34%) and Task 8(14%) which were identified in manual materials handling (e.g. lifting, lowering, carrying or stocking of goods). The results suggest that the three Tasks should be first considered for the control in wholesale/retail industry and that exposure to MSD risk factors in those Tasks should be primarily addressed in order to reduce MSD risk in that industry.