The Low-Wage Essential Worker: Occupational Concerns and Needs in the COVID-19 Pandemic-A Round Table.

BACKGROUND: Planning occupational health and wellness services and support directed toward low-wage, essential workers in the COVID-19 pandemic has posed a number of challenges across work settings. This article explores the concerns and needs of low-wage essential workers as understood by experts in the field. METHODS: Leading experts in the areas of occupational health and safety, risk management, insurance, and professional education/training were identified and invited to participate in a Round Table discussion. Questions posed to experts were based on literature that addressed COVID-19, essential workers, low-wage workers, infection transmission, education/training, and social justice. FINDINGS: Experts agreed that special considerations must be in place to address the concerns and needs of the low-wage essential worker. These special considerations should address not only the worker's occupational experience but their family and home environment, fears and anxieties, and the economic impact of the COVID-19 restrictions and requirements. CONCLUSION/APPLICATION TO PRACTICE: The occupational health professional is a key resource to employers charged with addressing the concerns and needs of low-wage, essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Variability in the Massive Open Cluster NGC 1817 from K2: A Rich Population of Asteroseismic Red Clump, Eclipsing Binary, and Main-sequence Pulsating Stars.

We present a survey of variable stars detected in K2 Campaign 13 within the massive intermediate-age (~1 Gyr) open cluster NGC 1817. We identify a complete sample of 44 red clump stars in the cluster, and have measured asteroseismic quantities (ν max and/or Δν) for 29 of them. Five stars showed suppressed dipole modes, and the occurrence rates indicate that mode suppression is unaffected by evolution through core helium burning. A subset of the giants in NGC 1817 (and in the similarly aged cluster NGC 6811) have ν max and Δν values at or near the maximum observed for core helium-burning stars, indicating they have core masses near the minimum for fully nondegenerate helium ignition. Further asteroseismic study of these stars can constrain the minimum helium core mass in red clump stars and the physics that determines this limit. Two giant stars show photometric variations on timescales similar to previously measured spectroscopic orbits. Thirteen systems in the field show eclipses, but only five are probable cluster members. We identify 32 δ Sct pulsators, 27 γ Dor candidates, and 7 hybrids that are probable cluster members, with most being new detections. We used the ensemble properties of the δ Sct stars to identify stars with possible radial pulsation modes. Among the oddities we have uncovered are: an eccentric orbit for a short-period binary containing a δ Sct pulsating star; a rare subgiant within the Hertzsprung gap showing δ Sct pulsations; and two hot γ Dor pulsating star candidates.

Electromyographic analysis of traditional and nontraditional abdominal exercises: implications for rehabilitation and training.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Performing nontraditional abdominal exercises with devices such as abdominal straps, the Power Wheel, and the Ab Revolutionizer has been suggested as a way to activate abdominal and extraneous (nonabdominal) musculature as effectively as more traditional abdominal exercises, such as the crunch and bent-knee sit-up. The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of traditional and nontraditional abdominal exercises in activating abdominal and extraneous musculature. SUBJECTS: Twenty-one men and women who were healthy and between 23 and 43 years of age were recruited for this study. METHODS: Surface electromyography (EMG) was used to assess muscle activity from the upper and lower rectus abdominis, external and internal oblique, rectus femoris, latissimus dorsi, and lumbar paraspinal muscles while each exercise was performed. The EMG data were normalized to maximum voluntary muscle contractions. Differences in muscle activity were assessed by a 1-way, repeated-measures analysis of variance. RESULTS: Upper and lower rectus abdominis, internal oblique, and latissimus dorsi muscle EMG activity were highest for the Power Wheel (pike, knee-up, and roll-out), hanging knee-up with straps, and reverse crunch inclined 30 degrees. External oblique muscle EMG activity was highest for the Power Wheel (pike, knee-up, and roll-out) and hanging knee-up with straps. Rectus femoris muscle EMG activity was highest for the Power Wheel (pike and knee-up), reverse crunch inclined 30 degrees, and bent-knee sit-up. Lumbar paraspinal muscle EMG activity was low and similar among exercises. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The Power Wheel (pike, knee-up, and roll-out), hanging knee-up with straps, and reverse crunch inclined 30 degrees not only were the most effective exercises in activating abdominal musculature but also were the most effective in activating extraneous musculature. The relatively high rectus femoris muscle activity obtained with the Power Wheel (pike and knee-up), reverse crunch inclined 30 degrees, and bent-knee sit-up may be problematic for some people with low back problems.

An electromyographic analysis of commercial and common abdominal exercises: implications for rehabilitation and training.

STUDY DESIGN: A repeated-measures, counterbalanced design. OBJECTIVES: To test the effectiveness of 7 commercial abdominal machines (Ab Slide, Ab Twister, Ab Rocker, Ab Roller, Ab Doer, Torso Track, SAM) and 2 common abdominal exercises (crunch, bent-knee sit-up) on activating abdominal and extraneous (nonabdominal) musculature. BACKGROUND: Numerous abdominal machine exercises are believed to be effective in activating abdominal musculature and minimizing low back stress, but there are minimal data to substantiate these claims. Many of these exercises also activate nonabdominal musculature, which may or may not be beneficial. METHODS AND MEASURES: A convenience sample of 14 subjects performed 5 repetitions for each exercise. Electromyographic (EMG) data were recorded for upper and lower rectus abdominis, external and internal oblique, pectoralis major, triceps brachii, latissimus dorsi, lumbar paraspinals, and rectus femoris, and then normalized by maximum muscle contractions. RESULTS: Upper and lower rectus abdominis EMG activities were greatest for the Ab Slide, Torso Track, crunch, and Ab Roller, while external and internal oblique EMG activities were greatest for the Ab Slide, Torso Track, crunch, and bent-knee sit-up. Pectoralis major, triceps brachii, and latissimus dorsi EMG activities were greatest for the Ab Slide and Torso Track. Lumbar paraspinal EMG activities were greatest for the Ab Doer, while rectus femoris EMG activities were greatest for the bent-knee sit-up, SAM, Ab Twister, Ab Rocker, and Ab Doer. CONCLUSIONS: The Ab Slide and Torso Track were the most effective exercises in activating abdominal and upper extremity muscles while minimizing low back and rectus femoris (hip flexion) activity. The Ab Doer, Ab Twister, Ab Rocker, SAM, and bent-knee sit-up may be problematic for individuals with low back pathologies due to relatively high rectus femoris activity.