Changes in wheelchair configuration can influence the ergonomics of manual wheelchair propulsion. Reducing the biomechanical loads may benefit users' mobility, independence and social participation.

This study addressed the participation of rehabilitation professionals in the use of Additive Manufacturing to produce assistive technology devices. A literature review based on articles published in scientific journals indexed in the Scopus database was conducted by searching for papers addressing the use of Additive Manufacturing Technologies in the development of orthotic and prosthetic devices in rehabilitation programs. The 46 articles that met the inclusion criteria were analyzed in terms of the participation of the health professionals in the process of design of orthotic and prosthetic devices. The analysis revealed that in most cases the use of 3D printing technologies in the design of assistive devices do not comprise interdisciplinary teams with active participation of rehabilitation professionals.

[Purpose] This study was aimed at investigating the influence of seat height and body posture on the activity of the superior trapezius and longissimus muscles. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty two healthy subjects were instructed to perform a total of eight different body postures, varying according three main factors: seat height (low and high seat); trunk inclination (upright and leaning forward at 45°); and the hips in abduction and adduction. Electromyography of the superior trapezius and longissimus was collected bilaterally, and the average values were obtained and compared across all the postures. [Results] The activity of the superior trapezius and longissimus significantly changes according to the seat height and trunk inclination. For both seat heights, sitting with trunk leaning forward resulted in a significant increase in the activity of both muscles. When sitting in a high seat and the trunk leaning forward, the superior trapezius activity was significantly reduced when compared to the same posture in a low seat. [Conclusion] This study contributes to the knowledge on the influence of the body posture and seat configuration on the activity of postural muscles. Reducing the biomechanical loads on the postural muscles must be targeted in order to improve users’ comfort and safety.

A pandemia do COVID-19 modificou o cronograma de atividades propostas para o ano letivo de 2020-21, a partir da substituição das aulas presenciais pelo ensino remoto emergencial (ERE). Para os professores do ensino superior, embora as boas práticas de ensino sejam uma preocupação constante das universidades, surgiram desafios diante do modo repentino de transição e implementação do ERE. Nesse sentido, este estudo objetivou investigar as principais dificuldades encontradas por docentes do ensino superior no Brasil, frente ao ERE durante a pandemia de COVID-19. A coleta de dados ocorreu entre dezembro de 2020 e fevereiro de 2021, utilizando-se um questionário eletrônico constituído por 21 questões objetivas.  Participaram do estudo 234 docentes. Deste total, 77,4% dos participantes apresentaram dificuldades durante o processo de adaptação para o ERE, sendo estas relacionadas a falta de capacitação ou de recursos tecnológicos por parte das instituições; problemas com o uso de tecnologias digitais (ferramentas e softwares); influência de dificuldades psicológicas; dificuldades associadas à burocracia administrativa ou com Segurança de Dados. Elucida-se que a transição deve ser realizada com planejamento e investimento na formação adequada dos professores, para que a educação em contexto virtual alcance o mesmo sucesso dos encontros presenciais.