This paper presents the UVa-NTS (University of Valladolid Neuromuscular Training System), a multifunction and portable Neuromuscular Training System. The UVa-NTS is designed to analyze the voluntary control of severe neuromotor handicapped patients, their interactive response, and their adaptation to neuromuscular interface systems, such as neural prostheses or domotic applications. Thus, it is an excellent tool to evaluate the residual muscle capabilities in the handicapped. The UVa-NTS is composed of a custom signal conditioning front-end and a computer. The front-end electronics is described thoroughly as well as the overall features of the custom software implementation. The software system is composed of a set of graphical training tools and a processing core. The UVa-NTS works with two classes of neuromuscular signals: the classic myoelectric signals (MES) and, as a novelty, the myomechanic signals (MMS). In order to evaluate the performance of the processing core, a complete analysis has been done to classify its efficiency and to check that it fulfils with the real-time constraints. Tests were performed both with healthy and selected impaired subjects. The adaptation was achieved rapidly, applying a predefined protocol for the UVa-NTS set of training tools. Fine voluntary control was demonstrated to be reached with the myoelectric signals. And the UVa-NTS demonstrated to provide a satisfactory voluntary control when applying the myomechanic signals.

Background: Occupational risk prevention is a critical discipline for ensuring safe working conditions and minimizing accidents and occupational diseases. With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), these approaches are increasingly utilized for predicting and preventing workplace hazards. This systematic review aims to identify, evaluate, and synthesize existing literature on the use of AI algorithms for detecting and predicting hazardous environments and occupational risks in the workplace, focusing on predictive modeling and prevention strategies. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 protocol, with minor adaptations to include conference proceedings and technical reports due to the topic’s emerging and multidisciplinary nature. Searches were performed in IEEE Digital Library, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, with the last search conducted on 1 August 2024. Only peer-reviewed articles published from 2019 onwards and written in English were included. Systematic literature reviews were explicitly excluded. The screening process involved duplicate removal (reducing 209 initial documents to 183 unique ones), a preliminary screening based on titles, abstracts, and keywords (further reducing to 92 articles), and a detailed full-text review. During the full-text review, study quality was assessed using six quality assessment (QA) questions, where articles receiving a total score below 4.5 or 0 in any QA question were excluded. This rigorous process resulted in the selection of 61 relevant articles for quantitative and qualitative analysis. Results: The analysis revealed a growing interest in the field, with a clear upward trend in publications from 2021 to 2023, and a continuation of growth into 2024. The most significant contributions originated from countries such as China, South Korea, and India. Applications primarily focused on high-risk sectors, notably construction, mining, and manufacturing. The most common approach involved the use of visual data captured by cameras, which constituted over 40% of the reviewed studies, processed using deep learning (DL) models, particularly Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and You Only Look Once (YOLO). Conclusions: The study highlights current limitations, including an over-reliance on visual data (especially challenging in low-visibility environments) and a lack of methodological standardization for AI-based risk detection systems. Future research should emphasize the integration of multimodal data (visual, environmental, physiological) and the development of interpretable AI models (XAI) to enhance accuracy, transparency, and trust in hazard detection systems. Addressing long-term societal implications, such as privacy and potential worker displacement, necessitates transparent data policies and robust regulatory frameworks.

This paper presents a glove designed to assess the viability of communication between a deaf-blind user and his/her interlocutor through a vibrotactile device. This glove is part of the TactileCom system, where communication is bidirectional through a wireless link, so no contact is required between the interlocutors. Responsiveness is higher than with letter by letter wording. The learning of a small set of concepts is simpler and the amount learned can be increased at the user’s convenience. The number of stimulated fingers, the keying frequencies and finger response were studied. Message identification rate was 97% for deaf-blind individuals and 81% for control subjects. Identification by single-finger stimulation was better than by multiple-finger stimulation. The interface proved suitable for communication with deaf-blind individuals and can also be used in other conditions, such as multilingual or noisy environments.

Misinterpretation of uncertainty in the measurement of the electromagnetic field (EMF) strength may lead to an underestimation of exposure risk or an overestimation of required measurements. The Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (GUM) has internationally been adopted as a de facto standard for uncertainty assessment. However, analyses under such an approach commonly assume unrealistic static models or neglect relevant prior information, resulting in non-robust uncertainties. This study proposes a principled and systematic framework for uncertainty analysis that fuses information from current measurements and prior knowledge. Such a framework dynamically adapts to data by exploiting a likelihood function based on kernel mixtures and incorporates flexible choices of prior information by applying importance sampling. The validity of the proposed techniques is assessed from measurements performed with a broadband radiation meter and an isotropic field probe. The developed framework significantly outperforms GUM approach, achieving a reduction of 28 % in measurement uncertainty.

DC-offset and DC-suppression are key parameters in bioelectric amplifiers. However, specific DC analyses are not often explained. Several factors influence the DC-budget: the programmable gain, the programmable cut-off frequencies for high pass filtering and, the low cut-off values and the capacitor blocking issues involved. A new intermediate stage is proposed to address the DC problem entirely. Two implementations were tested. The stage is composed of a programmable gain amplifier (PGA) with DC-rejection and low output offset. Cut-off frequencies are selectable and values from 0.016 to 31.83 Hz were tested, and the capacitor deblocking is embedded in the design. Hence, this PGA delivers most of the required gain with constant low output offset, notwithstanding the gain or cut-off frequency selected.

How to correctly measure the exposure of general public to extremely low-frequency (ELF) radiation is a key issue for ELF epidemiological studies. This paper proposes a measurement procedure to accurately assess the exposure of people to electric and magnetic field in the frequency band from 5 Hz to 100 kHz in buildings and their premises. As ELF radiation could be particularly harmful to children, the measurement procedure is focused on exposure to ELF in schools. Thus, the students' exposure to ELF fields can be assessed by correlating the ELF measurements to the hours of school activity. In this paper, the measurement protocol was applied to study the ELF exposure on students from García Quintana primary school in Valladolid, Spain. The campaign of measurements for ELF exposure assessment in this primary school was of great interest for the Regional Council of Public Health because of the social alarm generated by the presence of a significant number cancer cases in children.