The use of inertial measurement units for the determination of gait spatio-temporal parameters

The aim of this work was to develop a methodology whereby inertial measurement units (IMUs) could be used to obtain accurate and objective gait parameters within typical developed adults (TDA) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). The thesis comprised four studies, the first establishing the validity of the IMU method when measuring the vertical centre of mass (CoM) acceleration, velocity and position versus an optical motion capture system (OMCS) in TDA. The second study addressed the validity of the IMU and inverted pendulum model measurements within PD and also explored the inter-rater reliability of the measurement. In the third study the optimisation of the inverted pendulum model driven by IMU data was explored when comparing to standardised clinical tests within TDA and PD, and the fourth explored a novel phase plot analysis applied to CoM movement to explore gait in more detail. The validity study showed no significant difference for vertical acceleration and position between IMU and OMCS measurements within TDA. Vertical velocity however did show a significant difference, but the error was still less than 2.5%. ICCs for all three parameters ranged from 0.782 to 0.952, indicating an adequate test-retest reliability. Within PD there was no significant difference found for vertical CoM acceleration, velocity and position. ICCs for all three parameters ranged from 0.77 to 0.982. In addition, the reliability calculations found no difference for step time, stride length and walking speed for people with PD. Inter-rater reliability was found not to be different for the same parameters. The optimisation of the correction factor when using the inverted pendulum model showed no significant difference between TDA and PD. Furthermore the correction factor was found not to be related to walking speed. The fourth and final study found that phase plot analysis of variability could be performed on CoM vertical excursion. TDA and PD were shown to have, on average, different characteristics. This thesis demonstrated that CoM motion can be objectively measured within a clinical setting in people with PD by utilizing IMUs. Furthermore, in depth gait variability analysis can be performed by utilizing a phase plot method

Pre-employment functional capacity assessment and remedial intervention program for the New South Wales police

Assessment of physical capacity prior to employment serves a vital function in ensuring police recruits have the physical capability to perform essential policing functions. In the past, law enforcement agencies have used a variety of physical assessments to exclude potential candidates. The assessment criterion that has been used has lacked appropriate validation with critics arguing that the tests are invalid, irrelevant and potentially discriminatory. Additionally, the tests that have been used have focused on the assessment of policing specific skills prior to any skill-based training. For many years, sports scientists have used physiological assessments to identify specific weaknesses in the performance capability of athletes. The individual physiological assessments that are utilised are chosen to assess the functional components of the sport concerned. The results of these assessments are used to develop an effective remedial intervention program resulting in increased sports performance. This same concept can also be applied to a police training and recruitment program. The general aim of this study was to develop a pre-employment functional capacity assessment program that can accurately predict inadequate performance capability as well as determining specific weaknesses in underlying physiological capacity. This allows potential recruits who have less the

Analysis of the backpack loading efects on the human gait

Gait is a simple activity of daily life and one of the main abilities of the human being. Often during leisure, labour and sports activities, loads are carried over (e.g. backpack) during gait. These circumstantial loads can generate instability and increase biomechanicalstress over the human tissues and systems, especially on the locomotor, balance and postural regulation systems. According to Wearing (2006), subjects that carry a transitory or intermittent load will be able to find relatively efficient solutions to compensate its effects.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Time Localization of Abrupt Changes in Cutting Process using Hilbert Huang Transform

Cutting process is extremely dynamical process influenced by different phenomena such as chip formation, dynamical responses and condition of machining system elements. Different phenomena in cutting zone have signatures in different frequency bands in signal acquired during process monitoring. The time localization of signal’s frequency content is very important. An emerging technique for simultaneous analysis of the signal in time and frequency domain that can be used for time localization of frequency is Hilbert Huang Transform (HHT). It is based on empirical mode decomposition (EMD) of the signal into intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) as simple oscillatory modes. IMFs obtained using EMD can be processed using Hilbert Transform and instantaneous frequency of the signal can be computed. This paper gives a methodology for time localization of cutting process stop during intermittent turning. Cutting process stop leads to abrupt changes in acquired signal correlated to certain frequency band. The frequency band related to abrupt changes is localized in time using HHT. The potentials and limitations of HHT application in machining process monitoring are shown

The effectiveness of foot orthoses as a treatment for plantar ulceration in leprosy : a study of the efficacy, acceptability, appropriateness and implantation of a podiatric regimen

This was a holistic study. Four themes were investigated to demonstrate the effectiveness of orthotic intervention for plantar ulceration affecting leprosy impaired subjects in India. 1. Efficacy Efficacy was demonstrated, primarily, through analysis of data pertaining to a controlled trial. Thirty-seven subjects, presenting with leprosy impairments including anaesthesia and plantar ulceration, were fitted with orthoses and allocated to an experimental group. Thirty-four similar subjects, were not offered orthoses and were allocated to a control group. After 8 months 52% of the ulcers presented by Experimental group and 12% of the ulcers presented by the Control group had healed. The rationale supporting the prescription of orthoses was investigated using the EMED system. It was demonstrated that intervention with orthoses resulted in significantly lower sub pedal peak pressures than intervention with leprosy sandals. 2. Implementation and Sustain ability Ulcer assessment data from March 1994 to January 1995 were used to compare the effects of orthoses supplied by the investigator with orthoses supplied by an Indian technician. The service, evaluated on the strength of these findings, was considered to have been successfully implemented. The analysis of data, collected from January 1995 to December 1995, was used to explain why the service was not sustained at an acceptable level. 3. Acceptability Interview data were analysed to describe the attitudes of the subjects to the intervention (n = 46). Indications from the analysis were that neither ulcer status (healed or unresolved) nor group allocation (Experimental or Control) affected attitudes towards the intervention. A general indication was that the intervention was favourably endorsed. 4. Appropriateness Using the Delphi technique (n = 10), a consensus on indicators of "appropriate" impairment control measures was sought. Differences of opinion were not resolved, but group priorities were ranked and a polled response was recorded. The results of the study were similar to the criteria suggested by the Delphi contributors

La force de réaction au sol verticale maximale comme témoin d'effets fonctionnels et structuraux chez des modèles canins d'arthrose : potentiel envers le développement thérapeutique

Les modèles animaux d’arthrose permettent d’évaluer le potentiel d’agents thérapeutiques en phase préclinique de développement. Le présent ouvrage tient compte du chien comme modèle d’arthrose naturelle (chez l’animal de compagnie) ou expérimentale (par sectionnement chirurgical du ligament croisé crânial). Au sein des expérimentations, la force de réaction au sol verticale maximale, mesurée lors de l’analyse cinétique de la locomotion, est proposée comme témoin d’effets fonctionnels et structuraux sur ces modèles d’arthrose. Sur un modèle canin d’arthrose naturelle, le seuil de changement minimal détectable a été déterminé. Les changements au dysfonctionnement locomoteur peuvent désormais être cernés en s’affranchissant de la marge d’erreur inhérente à la mesure de la force verticale maximale. Il en découle l’identification de répondants lors d’essais cliniques entrepris chez le chien arthrosique. Une analyse rétrospective a, par la suite, déterminé un taux de répondants de 62.8% et d’une taille d’effet de 0.7 pour des approches thérapeutiques actuellement proposées aux chiens arthrosiques. Cette analyse détermina également que la démonstration d’une réponse thérapeutique était favorisée en présence d’un fort dysfonctionnement locomoteur. Sur un modèle canin d’arthrose par sectionnement chirurgical du ligament croisé crânial, la force verticale maximale a démontré une relation inverse avec certains types de lésions arthrosiques évaluées à l’aide d’imagerie par résonance magnétique. Également, la sensibilité de la force verticale maximale a été mise en évidence envers la détection d’effets structuraux, au niveau de l’os sous-chondral, par un agent anti-résorptif (le tiludronate) sur ce même modèle. Les expérimentations en contexte d’arthrose naturelle canine permettent de valider davantage les résultats d’essais cliniques contrôlés utilisant la force verticale maximale comme critère d’efficacité fonctionnelle. Des évidences cliniques probantes nécessaires à la pratique d’une médecine basée sur des faits sont ainsi escomptées. En contexte d’arthrose expérimentale, la pertinence d’enregistrer le dysfonctionnement locomoteur est soulignée, puisque ce dernier est en lien avec l’état des structures. En effectuant l’analyse de la démarche, de pair avec l’évaluation des structures, il est escompté de pouvoir établir la répercussion de bénéfices structurels sur l’inconfort articulaire. Cet ouvrage suggère qu’une plateforme d’investigations précliniques, qui combine le modèle canin d’arthrose par sectionnement chirurgical du ligament croisé crânial à un essai clinique chez le chien arthrosique, soit un moyen de cerner des bénéfices structuraux ayant des impacts fonctionnels. Le potentiel inférentiel de ces modèles canins d’arthrose vers l’Homme serait ainsi favorisé en utilisant la force verticale maximale.Animal models of osteoarthritis are useful to evaluate the potential of osteoarthritis therapeutics at the preclinical stage of development. In this thesis, the dog is used as a model of naturally-occurring (i.e. companion animal) and experimentally induced (i.e. by surgical transection of the cranial cruciate ligament) osteoarthritis. The peak of the vertically-oriented ground reaction force, which is measured during kinetic gait analysis, is proposed to be an indicator of structural and functional benefits in these models of osteoarthritis. In a canine model of naturally-occurring osteoarthritis, the threshold of the minimal detectable change in peak vertical force was determined. An improvement in the locomotor disability can now be identified according to the measurement error (noise) of the peak vertical force. This allows the identification of responders when the peak vertical force is used as an outcome measure of functional benefits. A retrospective analysis later determined that current therapeutic approaches provided a responder rate of 62.8% with an effect size of 0.7 in dogs with naturally-occurring osteoarthritis. This analysis also determined that the therapeutic response is favored in cases of severe locomotor disability.   In a canine model of osteoarthritis induced by surgical transection of the cranial cruciate ligament, the peak vertical force demonstrated an inverse relationship with different types of structural changes, as evaluated upon magnetic resonance imaging. The sensitivity of the peak vertical force to detect structural benefits on the subchondral bone was also shown in this model using an antiresorptive agent (i.e. tiludronate). The experiments conducted in dogs with naturally-occurring osteoarthritis further validate findings from clinical trials in which the peak vertical force is used as an outcome measure of functional benefits. The practice of an evidence-based medicine is then expected. The experiments conducted in dogs with surgically-induced osteoarthritis support the recording of the locomotor disability, being in line with the level of the structural changes. By performing gait analysis in addition to structural evaluations, it is expected to establish the impact of structural benefits on joint discomfort This thesis suggests that a platform for preclinical investigations, which combines the canine model of osteoarthritis induced by surgical transection of the cranial cruciate ligament and a clinical trial in dogs with naturally-occurring osteoarthritis, offers the opportunity to discern structural benefits having functional impacts. A better prediction of outcomes for human clinical trials is expected by using the peak vertical force

SPATIAL TRANSFORMATION PATTERN DUE TO COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY IN KAMPONG HOUSE

ABSTRACT Kampung houses are houses in kampung area of the city. Kampung House oftenly transformed into others use as urban dynamics. One of the transfomation is related to the commercial activities addition by the house owner. It make house with full private space become into mixused house with more public spaces or completely changed into full public commercial building. This study investigate the spatial transformation pattern of the kampung houses due to their commercial activities addition. Site observations, interviews and questionnaires were performed to study the spatial transformation. This study found that in kampung houses, the spatial transformation pattern was depend on type of commercial activities and owner perceptions, and there are several steps of the spatial transformation related the commercial activity addition. Keywords: spatial transformation pattern; commercial activity; owner perception, kampung house; adaptabilit

Muscle activation patterns in shoulder impingement patients

Introduction: Shoulder impingement is one of the most common presentations of shoulder joint problems 1. It appears to be caused by a reduction in the sub-acromial space as the humerus abducts between 60o -120o – the 'painful arc'. Structures between the humeral head and the acromion are thus pinched causing pain and further pathology 2. Shoulder muscle activity can influence this joint space but it is unclear whether this is a cause or effect in impingement patients. This study aimed to observe muscle activation patterns in normal and impingement shoulder patients and determine if there were any significant differences. Method: 19 adult subjects were asked to perform shoulder abduction in their symptomatic arm and non-symptomatic. 10 of these subjects (age 47.9 ± 11.2) were screened for shoulder impingement, and 9 subjects (age 38.9 ± 14.3) had no history of shoulder pathology. Surface EMG was used to collect data for 6 shoulder muscles (Upper, middle and lower trapezius, serratus anterior, infraspinatus, middle deltoids) which was then filtered and fully rectified. Subjects performed 3 smooth unilateral abduction movements at a cadence of 16 beats of a metronome set at 60bpm, and the mean of their results was recorded. T-tests were used to indicate any statistical significance in the data sets. Significance was set at P<0.05. Results: There was a significant difference in muscle activation with serratus anterior in particular showing a very low level of activation throughout the range when compared to normal shoulder activation patterns (<30%). Middle deltoid recruitment was significantly reduced between 60-90o in the impingement group (30:58%).Trends were noted in other muscles with upper trapezius and infraspinatus activating more rapidly and erratically (63:25%; 60:27% respectively), and lower trapezius with less recruitment (13:30%) in the patient group, although these did not quite reach significance. Conclusion: There appears to be some interesting alterations in muscle recruitment patterns in impingement shoulder patients when compared against their own unaffected shoulders and the control group. In particular changes in scapula control (serratus anterior and trapezius) and lateral rotation (infraspinatus), which have direct influence on the sub-acromial space, should be noted. It is still not clear whether these alterations are causative or reactionary, but this finding gives a clear indication to the importance of addressing muscle reeducation as part of a rehabilitation programme in shoulder impingement patients