Controlling In Planta Gold Nanoparticle Synthesis and Size for Catalysis.

Gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) are used as catalysts for a diverse range of industrial applications. Currently, Au-NPs are synthesized chemically, but studies have shown that plants fed Au deposit, this element naturally as NPs within their tissues. The resulting plant material can be used to make biomass-derived catalysts. In vitro studies have shown that the addition of specific, short (∼10 amino acid) peptide/s to solutions can be used to control the NP size and shape, factors that can be used to optimize catalysts for different processes. Introducing these peptides into the model plant species, Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis), allows us to regulate the diameter of nanoparticles within the plant itself, consequently influencing the catalytic performance in the resulting pyrolyzed biomass. Furthermore, we show that overexpressing the copper and gold COPPER TRANSPORTER 2 (COPT2) in Arabidopsis increases the uptake of these metals. Adding value to the Au-rich biomass offers the potential to make plant-based remediation and stabilization of mine wastes financially feasible. Thus, this study represents a significant step toward engineering plants for the sustainable recovery of finite and valuable elements from our environment.

Do foot type classifications differ between male and female netball players? A cluster analysis.

We must better understand the foot type classifications of netball players to develop sex and size-specific shoe lasts. Five hundred and two representative-level netball players (n = 251 male; n = 251 female) had their feet three-dimensionally scanned. A validated MATLAB code was used to extract six different foot measurements from these scans automatically. We then used a two-step cluster analysis and chi-squared tests to classify foot types and determine the effect of sex on each cluster, respectively. Five foot types were identified (Extra long-and-wide, Long-and-wide, Flat, Tapered and Short-and-narrow), with sex significantly affecting foot type classification. The feet of players wearing smaller shoe sizes were often Short-and-narrow and Tapered, whereas the feet of players wearing larger sizes tended to be more Extra long-and-wide and Long-and-wide. These results highlight that netball players have a wide variety of foot types; manufacturers should use these data to develop future grading systems to improve the fit and functionality of netball-specific footwear.

This study aimed to investigate the foot types of netball players. The results demonstrated that five main foot types should be used to inform future shoe last designs and size grading systems. These findings have implications for improving the fit and functionality of netball shoes, particularly for men.

Do the feet of male and female netball players differ in shape? Implications for shoe design.

A large proportion of netball players suffer foot-related problems and pain and are dissatisfied with current netball-specific footwear. To improve the fit and functionality of netball-specific shoes, we must understand the shape of these players' feet and determine whether any sex differences exist. Five hundred and two representative-level netball players (n = 251 male; n = 251 female) had their feet three-dimensionally scanned. We then used a validated MATLAB code to automatically extract 10 measurements to characterise each participant's foot shape. Differences between men and women for the absolute values and those normalised to foot length and stature were identified using independent samples t-tests with a Bonferroni adjusted alpha level. The size and shape of male netball players' feet differed significantly from their female counterparts. Males had significantly larger absolute and normalised foot measurements than females, notably at the ball of the foot, heel and instep (p < 0.001). Netball shoe manufacturers should develop unique lasts for each sex and foot size and should offer a more extensive range of shoe lengths and widths to netball players. Such considerations will help optimise shoe fit and comfort and, in turn, reduce foot-related problems and pain associated with ill-fitting footwear.

Effect of work boot shaft stiffness and sole flexibility on boot clearance and shank muscle activity when walking on simulated coal mining surfaces: implications for reducing trip risk.

Mining work boot shaft stiffness and sole flexibility variations are likely to affect how a miner moves their foot to clear the ground thus influencing their risk of tripping. Despite the potential negative consequences associated with tripping, limited research has investigated how these boot design features might contribute to a miner's trip risk. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of systematic variations to boot shaft stiffness and sole flexibility on lower limb alignment and shank muscle activity at toe off and boot clearance during initial swing when 20 males walked across two simulated coal mining surfaces. Although knee and hip alignment remained constant, changes to boot shaft stiffness and sole flexibility significantly interacted to influence the shank muscle activity and ankle alignment displayed at toe off. To reduce the risk of tripping, underground coal miners should avoid a boot with a stiff shaft, regardless of the sole flexibility.

Underground coal miners experience a high incidence of work-related lower limb injuries, with tripping a main cause. This study systematically investigated two boot design features that are likely to influence a miner's risk of tripping. To reduce trip risk, coal miners should avoid a boot with a stiff shaft.

Effect of shaft stiffness and sole flexibility on perceived comfort and the plantar pressures generated when walking on a simulated underground coal mining surface.

The structural features of work boots worn by underground coal miners affect comfort, foot motion and, in turn, loading of the plantar surface of miners' feet. Although shaft stiffness and sole flexibility appear to be boot design features that could influence perceived comfort and plantar pressures, no study has systematically altered these boot design features to truly understand how they affect these parameters. This study aimed to systematically investigate the effect of changes to shaft stiffness and sole flexibility on perceived comfort and plantar pressures when 20 males walked on a simulated gravel coal mining surface under four different work boot conditions. There were no significant effects of shaft stiffness or sole flexibility on perceived comfort. However, shaft stiffness and sole flexibility each significantly affected the plantar pressures generated under the medial midfoot, heel, middle metatarsals and hallux and, in combination, affected plantar pressures generated beneath the lateral midfoot, medial and lateral metatarsals and lesser toes. Participants preferred a boot with a flexible shaft combined with a stiff sole, citing properties such as fit, moveability, walking effort and support to explain why they perceived one boot as more comfortable than another. We therefore recommend that underground coal mining work boots should be designed to incorporate different flexibility and stiffness between the shaft and sole of the boot to optimise foot movement and, in turn, walking efficiency.

Effect of work boot shaft stiffness and sole flexibility on lower limb muscle activity and ankle alignment at initial foot-ground contact when walking on simulated coal mining surfaces: Implications for reducing slip risk.

Design features of safety work boots have the potential to influence how underground coal miners' feet interact with the challenging surfaces they walk on and, in turn, their risk of slipping. Despite the importance of work boot design in reducing the risk of miners slipping, limited research has investigated how boot design features, such as shaft stiffness and sole flexibility, affect the way miners walk. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of systematic variations to boot shaft stiffness and sole flexibility on lower limb muscle activity and ankle motion in preparation for initial foot-ground contact when 20 males walked across two simulated coal mining surfaces under four mining boot conditions. It was concluded that a boot which has different flexibility and stiffness between the shaft and sole is a better design option to reduce underground coal miners' slip risk than a boot that has a stiff shaft and stiff sole or flexible shaft and flexible sole.

How do we fit underground coal mining work boots?

Acceptable footwear fit, particularly width, is subjective and vaguely quantified. Proper shoe fit is important because it affects both comfort and the potential to prevent injury. Although mismatches between the feet of underground coal miners and their internal boot dimensions are known, no research has been undertaken to determine the impact of these mismatches on worker perceptions of fit, comfort and pain. This study aimed to quantitatively assess mining work boot fit relative to underground coal miners' subjectively rated work boot fit and comfort, reported foot problems, lower limb pain and lower back pain in order to develop evidence-based work boot fit recommendations. Traditional footwear fitting methods based predominantly on foot length are insufficient for underground coal mining-specific footwear. Instead, fit at the heel, instep and forefoot must be considered when fitting underground coal mining work boots, in conjunction with the traditional length measurement.Practitioner summary: Underground coal miners report their work boots fit but are uncomfortable. This study assessed actual fit relative to perceived fit, comfort, foot problems, lower limb pain and lower back pain of 197 miners. Fit at the heel, instep and forefoot must be considered when fitting mining work boots.

Are underground coal miners satisfied with their work boots?

Dissatisfaction with work boot design is common in the mining industry. Many underground coal miners believe their work boots contribute to the high incidence of lower limb injuries they experience. Despite this, the most recent research to examine underground coal mining work boot satisfaction was conducted over a decade ago. This present study aimed to address this gap in the literature by assessing current mining work boot satisfaction in relation to the work-related requirements for underground coal mining. 358 underground coal miners (355 men; mean age = 39.1 ± 10.7 years) completed a 54-question survey regarding their job details, work footwear habits, foot problems, lower limb and lower back pain history, and work footwear fit and comfort. Results revealed that underground coal miners were not satisfied with their current mining work boots. This was evident in the high incidence of reported foot problems (55.3%), lower back pain (44.5%), knee pain (21.5%), ankle pain (24.9%) and foot pain (42.3%). Over half of the underground coal miners surveyed believed their work boots contributed to their lower limb pain and reported their work boots were uncomfortable. Different working roles and environments resulted in differences in the incidence of foot problems, lower limb pain and comfort scores, confirming that one boot design cannot meet all the work-related requirements of underground coal mining. Further research examining the interaction of a variety of boot designs across the different underground surfaces and the different tasks miners perform is paramount to identify key boot design features that affect the way underground coal miners perform. Enhanced work boot design could improve worker comfort and productivity by reducing the high rates of reported foot problems and pain amongst underground coal miners.

The three-dimensional shapes of underground coal miners' feet do not match the internal dimensions of their work boots.

Mining work boots provide an interface between the foot and the ground, protecting and supporting miners' feet during lengthy coal mining shifts. Although underground coal miners report the fit of their work boots as reasonable to good, they frequently rate their boots as uncomfortable, suggesting that there is a mismatch between the shape of their feet and their boots. This study aimed to identify whether dimensions derived from the three-dimensional scans of 208 underground coal miners' feet (age 38.3 ± 9.8 years) differed from the internal dimensions of their work boots. The results revealed underground coal miners wore boots that were substantially longer than their feet, possibly because boots available in their correct length were too narrow. It is recommended boot manufacturers reassess the algorithms used to create boot lasts, focusing on adjusting boot circumference at the instep and heel relative to increases in foot length. Practitioner Summary: Fit and comfort ratings suggest a mismatch between the shape of underground coal miners' feet and their boots exists. This study examined whether three-dimensional scans of 208 miners' feet differed from their boot internal dimensions. Miners wore boots substantially longer than their feet, possibly due to inadequate width.

Work boot design affects the way workers walk: A systematic review of the literature.

Safety boots are compulsory in many occupations to protect the feet of workers from undesirable external stimuli, particularly in harsh work environments. The unique environmental conditions and varying tasks performed in different occupations necessitate a variety of boot designs to match each worker's occupational safety and functional requirements. Unfortunately, safety boots are often designed more for occupational safety at the expense of functionality and comfort. In fact, there is a paucity of published research investigating the influence that specific variations in work boot design have on fundamental tasks common to many occupations, such as walking. This literature review aimed to collate and examine what is currently known about the influence of boot design on walking in order to identify gaps in the literature and develop evidence-based recommendations upon which to design future research studies investigating work boot design.

Effect of work boot type on work footwear habits, lower limb pain and perceptions of work boot fit and comfort in underground coal miners.

Lower limb injuries are highly prevalent in underground coal mining. Wearing gumboots with inadequate ankle support was thought to contribute to these injuries. Despite the uptake of leather lace-up boots, which provide more ankle support, no recent research could be found investigating the effect of this alternative work boot in underground coal mining. Consequently, this study aimed to determine whether boot type (gumboot, leather lace-up boot) influenced work footwear habits, foot problems, lower limb pain, lower back pain, or perceptions of work boot fit and comfort in underground coal miners. Chi-squared tests were applied to 358 surveys completed by underground coal miners to determine whether responses differed significantly (p < 0.05) according to boot-type. There were no significant between-boot differences in regards to the presence of foot problems, lower limb pain or lower back pain. However, the types of foot problems and locations of foot pain differed according to boot type. Gumboot wearers were also more likely to state that their work boot comfort was either 'uncomfortable' or 'indifferent', their work boot fit was 'poor' and their current boot did not provide enough support. The introduction of more structured leather lace-up boots appears to have positively influenced the support and fit provided by mining work boots, although foot problems, lower limb pain and lower back pain continue to be reported. Further investigation is recommended to identify which specific boot design features caused these observed differences in work boot fit, comfort and locations of foot pain and how these design features can be manipulated to create an underground coal mining work boot that is comfortable and reduces the high incidence of foot problems and lower limb pain suffered by underground coal miners.

Effects of wearing gumboots and leather lace-up boots on lower limb muscle activity when walking on simulated underground coal mine surfaces.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of wearing two standard underground coal mining work boots (a gumboot and a leather lace-up boot) on lower limb muscle activity when participants walked across simulated underground coal mining surfaces. Quadriceps (rectus femoris, vastus medialis, vastus lateralis) and hamstring (biceps femoris, semitendinosus) muscle activity were recorded as twenty male participants walked at a self-selected pace around a circuit while wearing each boot type. The circuit consisted of level, inclined and declined surfaces composed of rocky gravel and hard dirt. Walking in a leather lace-up boot, compared to a gumboot, resulted in increased vastus lateralis and increased biceps femoris muscle activity when walking on sloped surfaces. Increased muscle activity appears to be acting as a slip and/or trip prevention strategy in response to challenging surfaces and changing boot features.