5,724 research outputs found

    Evaluating footwear “in the wild”: Examining wrap and lace trail shoe closures during trail running

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    Trail running participation has grown over the last two decades. As a result, there have been an increasing number of studies examining the sport. Despite these increases, there is a lack of understanding regarding the effects of footwear on trail running biomechanics in ecologically valid conditions. The purpose of our study was to evaluate how a Wrap vs. Lace closure (on the same shoe) impacts running biomechanics on a trail. Thirty subjects ran a trail loop in each shoe while wearing a global positioning system (GPS) watch, heart rate monitor, inertial measurement units (IMUs), and plantar pressure insoles. The Wrap closure reduced peak foot eversion velocity (measured via IMU), which has been associated with fit. The Wrap closure also increased heel contact area, which is also associated with fit. This increase may be associated with the subjective preference for the Wrap. Lastly, runners had a small but significant increase in running speed in the Wrap shoe with no differences in heart rate nor subjective exertion. In total, the Wrap closure fit better than the Lace closure on a variety of terrain. This study demonstrates the feasibility of detecting meaningful biomechanical differences between footwear features in the wild using statistical tools and study design. Evaluating footwear in ecologically valid environments often creates additional variance in the data. This variance should not be treated as noise; instead, it is critical to capture this additional variance and challenges of ecologically valid terrain if we hope to use biomechanics to impact the development of new products

    Modelling, Monitoring, Control and Optimization for Complex Industrial Processes

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    This reprint includes 22 research papers and an editorial, collected from the Special Issue "Modelling, Monitoring, Control and Optimization for Complex Industrial Processes", highlighting recent research advances and emerging research directions in complex industrial processes. This reprint aims to promote the research field and benefit the readers from both academic communities and industrial sectors

    Exploring QCD matter in extreme conditions with Machine Learning

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    In recent years, machine learning has emerged as a powerful computational tool and novel problem-solving perspective for physics, offering new avenues for studying strongly interacting QCD matter properties under extreme conditions. This review article aims to provide an overview of the current state of this intersection of fields, focusing on the application of machine learning to theoretical studies in high energy nuclear physics. It covers diverse aspects, including heavy ion collisions, lattice field theory, and neutron stars, and discuss how machine learning can be used to explore and facilitate the physics goals of understanding QCD matter. The review also provides a commonality overview from a methodology perspective, from data-driven perspective to physics-driven perspective. We conclude by discussing the challenges and future prospects of machine learning applications in high energy nuclear physics, also underscoring the importance of incorporating physics priors into the purely data-driven learning toolbox. This review highlights the critical role of machine learning as a valuable computational paradigm for advancing physics exploration in high energy nuclear physics.Comment: 146 pages,53 figure

    An exploration of adherence and persistence in overactive bladder and other long-term conditions

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    Background and aims Overactive bladder is a common, bothersome, and chronic condition associated with symptoms of urinary urgency, incontinence, increased daytime micturition frequency and nocturia. Despite exerting a significant burden on quality of life, adherence, and persistence behaviours with OAB are particularly poor in comparison with other long-term conditions. The aims of the present work were to explore themes relating to medicine-taking behaviours in OAB and other long-term conditions and to suggest ways to improve them. Methods A systematic literature review was undertaken to understand the current landscape of qualitative work exploring adherence and persistence with OAB patients. A qualitative study involving 1:1 semi-structured interviews was conducted with OAB patients to explore the context and drivers for adherence and persistence behaviours using thematic analysis. A comparative analysis was then undertaken with qualitative papers exploring medicinetaking behaviours in a chronic bowel condition, type II diabetes, and multimorbidity to explore the themes identified in the OAB study for convergence and divergence in other conditions and to contextualise the learnings from the former study. Results The systematic literature review revealed a gap in the literature of qualitative exploration of adherence and persistence behaviours in OAB patients. The OAB study found a range of drivers for non-adherent behaviours including a perceived lack of treatment efficacy, side effects, unclear instructions, and drug and condition hierarchies, as well as the rich context within which these themes sit. The comparative analysis study supported the findings of the OAB study demonstrating evidence of key themes transcending across conditions, including a perceived lack of treatment efficacy and side effects, as well as nuances associated with the OAB experience. Conclusions The present work has identified key drivers for non-adherent behaviours in OAB patients and sets out a number of recommendations categorised within the World Health Organisation’s 5 dimensions of adherence. These include addressing the poor understanding and illness perception of OAB by patients and others, by improving the provision and availability of information, as well as the work of patient support groups; scrutiny on the support within primary care to OAB patients before and after diagnosis; and the encouragement of realistic expectations of the condition and treatment with mindful use of prescriber’s language at the point of prescribing. The present work has further highlighted the utility of conceptual models of adherence such as COM-B and the NCF in understanding medicine-taking behaviours in the context of OAB

    Emotional Intelligence and Safety Culture in Business Aviation

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    With a lack of research regarding the relationship between emotional intelligence and safety culture in the aviation industry, safety professionals have inadequate information to reduce human error, the leading cause of tragic aircraft accidents. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which there is a relationship between emotional intelligence and safety culture in the business aviation industry. This study was grounded on Reason’s theoretical model for safety culture, enhanced by Wang and Sun, and the emotional intelligence framework by Salovey and Mayer, enhanced by Jordan and Lawrence. A quantitative descriptive correlational approach was used with convenience sampling to capture data from 257 business aviation participants in the United States. The online survey consisted of 52 questions to obtain demographic data, emotional intelligence scores, and safety culture scores, integrating two established instruments—the Workgroup Emotional Intelligence Profile–Short and the Integrated Safety Culture Model. Multiple linear regression was employed to determine the relationship between the primary independent variable, emotional intelligence, and several dependent variables related to measures of safety culture. The analysis revealed that emotional intelligence is a strong predictor of safety culture. Therefore, aviation safety professionals implementing progressive measures to integrate emotional intelligence testing and training may improve safety culture and reduce human error. The results of this study can effect positive social change by reducing serious incidents and accidents in aviation, therefore improving air transportation for the general public

    Prehabilitation for the management of rotator cuff surgery

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    Rotator cuff tears are a common cause of shoulder pain in the general community. Approximately one-third of patients with rotator cuff tears proceed to surgery following the failure of conservative treatments such as physiotherapy, non-steroidal anti- inflammatory drugs, opioid analgesics, and cortisone injections. However, rotator cuff tears continue to develop over time, and the burden of illness for patients awaiting rotator cuff repair is substantial, resulting in loss of strength, functional status, and poor quality of life. This dissertation proposes a three-stage approach for the management of rotator tears in patients awaiting surgery, which includes an accurate and reliable evaluation of shoulder range of motion (ROM) and strength, a pre-operative intervention to improve function and quality of life, and an appraisal of potential prognostic factors that can lead to better future clinical outcomes. Therefore, the organisation of this thesis is divided into three sections covering shoulder assessment, intervention, and prognosis. Chapter 1 introduces the concept of prehabilitation, a rapid systematic review, evidence gaps in the literature, and the rationale for shoulder prehabilitation. Prehabilitation is defined as enhancing a patient's functional ability before surgery to improve clinical outcomes following surgery. The rapid systematic review included only high-quality studies based on the National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia) evidence guidelines and the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) rating scale. Only pre-operative exercise intervention studies for surgical knee and hip populations were identified. To date, no studies have investigated the efficacy of prehabilitation for patients scheduled for shoulder surgery. This finding necessitated a review of the considerable body of research on rotator cuff tears. Chapter 2 provides a synthesis of the current literature regarding shoulder anatomy, biomechanics of the rotator cuff, epidemiology, aetiology and classification of rotator cuff tears, shoulder assessment methods, an overview of management options, evidence for post-operative rehabilitation, and prognostic factors and potential predictors of outcome associated with rotator cuff surgery. Chapter 3 presents a published study examining the intra- and inter-rater reliability of a variety of testing protocols to measure ROM and strength in healthy participants. The objective measurement of ROM and strength is an integral part of the physical examination of patients with rotator cuff tears and is vital in quantifying improvement after conservative or surgical intervention. Correctly evaluating and interpreting objective shoulder measurements informs the clinical reasoning underlying treatment. Since pre- operative ROM and strength are potentially modifiable predictors for rotator cuff repair success, a precise assessment using reliable instruments and testing methods is essential. The outcomes of this study supported the selection of assessment methods for a randomised controlled trial (Chapter 7) on shoulder prehabilitation. Chapter 4 presents a published systematic review and meta-analysis on the reliability of the Kinect and ambulatory motion-tracking devices to measure shoulder ROM. According to our reliability study findings in Chapter 3, existing methods for evaluating shoulder ROM are less reliable. Emerging inertial sensor technologies and optical markerless motion-tracking systems are valid alternatives to standard ROM assessment methods. However, reliability must also be established before this technology can be used routinely in clinical settings. Chapter 5 presents a published validity and reliability study on the HumanTrak system to measure shoulder ROM in healthy subjects. Based on our findings in Chapter 4, we evaluated the clinical potential of using a movement analysis system that combines inertial sensors with the Microsoft Kinect (HumanTrak) to measure shoulder ROM reliably and accurately. Chapter 6 is a systematic review and meta-analysis of prehabilitation for the management of orthopaedic surgery. The initial rapid systematic review in Chapter 1 only identified orthopaedic prehabilitation programmes for patients undergoing lower limb joint arthroplasty, anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, and spinal surgery. Given the growing research and clinical adoption of prehabilitation over the past decade, we undertook an updated and more comprehensive systematic review to identify and critically appraise the content and reporting of prehabilitation programmes for all orthopaedic surgeries. Exercise therapy is commonly first line treatment for older patients with non-traumatic rotator cuff tears. Despite growing evidence that exercise therapy and surgery can achieve comparable clinical outcomes, there is a paucity of high-quality studies on the impact of pre-operative exercise or education for patients awaiting rotator cuff surgery. Hence, the main aim of this thesis is to investigate the efficacy of a combined pre-operative exercise and education programme on function and quality of life before and after rotator cuff surgery. Chapter 7 is a randomised control trial (RCT) investigating whether the addition of a pre-operative exercise and education programme to usual care for patients awaiting rotator cuff surgery is more effective than usual care alone. Fifty patients with unilateral rotator cuff tears received either an 8-week shoulder exercise and education prehabilitation (SPrEE) programme or usual care (UC). The SPrEE programme compared to UC resulted in superior and statistically significant improvements in the primary outcomes of SPADI, WORC and SF-36 in the pre-operative phase. The SPrEE program was not more effective than UC alone in improving primary outcomes at 3-, 6- or 12 month follow-up timepoints. There were no statistically significant between-group differences in SPrEE and UC secondary outcomes for surgical or non-surgical patients. Chapter 8 investigated any correlations between pre-operative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics and patient-reported outcome measures for patients who underwent rotator cuff repair or no surgery and received either prehabilitation or usual care in the RCT (Chapter 7). Prognosis-based prehabilitation can effectively identify patients who will derive the greatest benefit. Chapter 9 summarises thesis findings, strengths, and directions for future research to optimise function and quality of life prior to rotator cuff surgery
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