Effects of Slips and Trips on Resultant Lumbar Kinematics, Lumbar Muscle Activity and Low-Back Loads

Slips, trips, and falls (STFs) represent one of the leading causes of occupational injuries and fatalities. In particular, many prior reports have linked STFs with the onset of low-back disorders, which, depending on the severity of the incident, can leave the worker physically limited both in the workplace and at home. In contrast, the incidence and outcomes of loads acting on the low back due to a slip and trip that does not lead to a fall (i.e., slip/trip without fall: STWF) remain only marginally investigated to date. To address this research deficit, this quantitative study was designed to explore selected physiological outcomes of STWFs. In terms of methodology, participants completed several walking trials during which two unexpected perturbations involving a slip and trip were introduced (a harness prevented a fall). A biomechanical model developed using the AnyBody modeling software yielded trunk kinematics and muscle geometry. These outputs - along with the electromyography of fourteen lumbar flexor and extensor muscles - were employed as input data for our 3D, dynamic, EMG-based lumbar spine model. Results of (a) lumbar kinematics (range of the motion of the trunk relative to the pelvis), (b) lumbar muscle activity, (c) lumbosacral reaction forces, and (d) moments all indicated more than a two-fold increase during the slip and trip trials compared to normal walking. Specifically, reported values for the slip trial were (a) 45°, (b) 0.694, (c) 2939 N, and (d) 52 Nm; Reported values for the trip trial were (a) 42°, (b) 0.691, (c) 2898 N, and (d) 50 Nm; and the analogous figures for normal walking were (a) 19°,(b) 0.195, (c) 1174 N, and (d) 16 Nm. Findings from this study can be used to develop interventions to avoid such incidents; for example, to determine specific training parameters (e.g., frequency, duration, and intensity) to optimize a developed intervention’s effectiveness. Such approaches may lead to the control of specific mechanisms involved with lowback disorders consequent to a slip or trip, and potentially reduce the risk for slip- and trip-related injuries

Fall prediction using behavioural modelling from sensor data in smart homes.

The number of methods for identifying potential fall risk is growing as the rate of elderly fallers continues to rise in the UK. Assessments for identifying risk of falling are usually performed in hospitals and other laboratory environments, however these are costly and cause inconvenience for the subject and health services. Replacing these intrusive testing methods with a passive in-home monitoring solution would provide a less time-consuming and cheaper alternative. As sensors become more readily available, machine learning models can be applied to the large amount of data they produce. This can support activity recognition, falls detection, prediction and risk determination. In this review, the growing complexity of sensor data, the required analysis, and the machine learning techniques used to determine risk of falling are explored. The current research on using passive monitoring in the home is discussed, while the viability of active monitoring using vision-based and wearable sensors is considered. Methods of fall detection, prediction and risk determination are then compared

Clinical and molecular features and therapeutic perspectives of spinal muscular atrophy with respiratory distress type 1

Spinal muscular atrophy with respiratory distress (SMARD1) is an autosomal recessive neuromuscular disease caused by mutations in the IGHMBP2 gene, encoding the immunoglobulin μ-binding protein 2, leading to motor neuron degeneration. It is a rare and fatal disease with an early onset in infancy in the majority of the cases. The main clinical features are muscular atrophy and diaphragmatic palsy, which requires prompt and permanent supportive ventilation. The human disease is recapitulated in the neuromuscular degeneration (nmd) mouse. No effective treatment is available yet, but novel therapeutical approaches tested on the nmd mouse, such as the use of neurotrophic factors and stem cell therapy, have shown positive effects. Gene therapy demonstrated effectiveness in SMA, being now at the stage of clinical trial in patients and therefore representing a possible treatment for SMARD1 as well. The significant advancement in understanding of both SMARD1 clinical spectrum and molecular mechanisms makes ground for a rapid translation of pre-clinical therapeutic strategies in humans

A Planning Template for Nonwork Travel and Transit Oriented Development, MTI Report 01-12

The Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) at San José State University assigned a project team to design a planning template for transit-oriented development (TOD) that incorporates an understanding of nonwork travel, that is, trips for shopping, eating out, and engaging in recreational and cultural activities. Nonwork trips are growing in signifigance and now account for four of every five trips. At the same time, TOD has become a popular planning response to the impacts of metropolitan growth. Some planners believe that TOD will induce more pedestrian and transit trips and will reduce the average length and frequency of household auto travel. This effect is assumed to result from improved accessibility to employment and nonwork venues located in compact, mixed-use centers. Planning professionals in many MPOs also suggest that if multiple centers are linked by high quality transit, such as light or heavy rail, access is enabled to the broad range of nonwork activities. The project arrived at these essential findings: (1) Venues for nonwork activities are very numerous and geographically dispersed. 2) The spatial environment for nonwork activities is the result of growing prosperity, technical innovation, and a dynamic, competitive marketplace. (3) The consumer marketplace will provide many more places to go than mass transit can cost-effectively serve. (4) Current metropolitan planning methods and modeling tools focus on the work trip and do not adequately account for the complexity of nonwork trips and their linkage to work trips. These findings support the need for a new regional planning process to complement current methods. One recommended approach is that metropolitan communities establish a Nonwork Travel Improvement Planning Process using a multidisciplinary expert advisory group interacting with a core, Internet-enabled, professional transportation planning staff. An iterative interaction across varied but relevant skill sets could be achieved through a Backcasting Delphi process. The focus of the interaction would be on understanding the ramifications of consumer and retail industry behavior for TOD and other new transportation strategies, and then assessing the available strategies for cost-effectiveness in reducing the impacts of growth and automobility in a complex and uncertain metropolitan market

The genetics of sex determination in Fragaria virginiana: A candidate gene approach

The evolutionary genetics of plant reproduction is a fascinating aspect of plant biology, involving an astounding diversity of reproductive strategies. While the majority of flowering plants are hermaphroditic (monoecy), many species have opted for an alternate mode, whereby male and female gametes originate on different plants (dioecy). Wild strawberry, Fragaria virginiana, is a particularly interesting species, as its members can be female, male, or hermaphroditic. Its female flowers display arrested development of male reproductive organs (stamens), evidently conditioned by a single dominant allele of an unknown genetic locus. My aim was to isolate and characterize the gene(s) responsible for male sterility. A candidate gene approach was used to identify F. virginiana homologs of seven genes known to affect stamen development, representing three gene families. Their characterization included linkage analysis, results of which suggest particular ongoing focus on the SUPERMAN-like gene FRASUP5.

The Role of Mindfulness as a Buffer Against Psychosocial Stress Among African-American Men

ABSTRACT THE ROLE OF MINDFULNESS AS A BUFFER AGAINST PSYCHOSOCIAL STRESS AMONG AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN Thomas E. Owens Ram A. Cnaan, Ph.D., Dissertation Chair The purpose of this qualitative study is to seek knowledge from African American men who have practiced mindfulness meditation (or yoga or transcendental meditation) on a regular basis and to ascertain if they were able to buffer the emotional, mental and social impact of psychosocial stressors due to the use of this practice. It will also be determined, by their shared retrospective experiences, if and how they managed to achieve a level of well-being, which may have enabled them to be active, connected and positive contributors in their respective communities. Between the months of April to June 2016, fourteen African American men consented to participate in the research study. The ages of the participants ranged from 27 to 61. Eight of the participants completed an eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course either at the University of Pennsylvania or Thomas Jefferson University. Five of the participants were self-taught (either by a friend, a relative, the internet, blogs, books or the use of an app) and one participant received formal training in yoga instruction in India. Semi-structured interviews were conducted which lasted approximately 60 to 90 minutes. The participants shared their retrospective stories of lived experiences before the practice of mindfulness meditation and after the regular practice of mindfulness meditation. The findings indicated the emergence of six themes: 1.) many mindfulness modalities, 2.) racism is experienced as a barrier to well-being, 3.) applying mindfulness at work, 4.) primacy of relational stress, 5.) mindfulness promotes self-regulation, and 6.) the mindful child. Limitations included a lack of socio-economic diversity among the participants. Implications for social work practice, future research, and the conclusion are discussed