Difference in the centre of mass vertical displacement between treadmill and over-ground running in recreational runners measured with inertial measurement units

Treadmills have long been used amongst recreational runners, but with the advancement of ‘parkruns’ the number of people engaging in outside running has been steadily increasing over the last decade. Non-elite runners, rarely have directed running training that in turn often causes injuries and/or limits performance. Despite this, most research has focused on the performance of highly-trained runners. It has been suggested that the centre of mass displacement is an important factor influencing running performance. To date, numerous studies have demonstrated that the centre of mass is a modifiable biomechanical factor, and alterations in the vertical displacement influences running performance (Moore, 2016, Sports Med, 46(6), 793-807). However, there is a lack of documented research directly comparing vertical displacement between indoor and outdoor running in non-elite runners. Furthermore, previous studies investigating outdoor running have only captured a few gait cycles for analysis due to limitations in data collection. Accordingly, the aim of the present study was to investigate the magnitude of the centre of mass vertical displacement between indoor and outdoor running at a matched speed. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the University of East London. Nine recreational runners (mean ± SD, age 34 ± 10 years, mass 66.1 ± 12.7 kg, height 171 ± 10 cm), at their self-selected sub-maximal speed, completed a 5 min matched speed run on a treadmill and on a paved, straight, even level overground surface in a randomly assigned order. In-between the conditions, participants had 30 min rest to eliminate fatigue. Throughout the protocol, participants were equipped with the Xsens 3D motion tracker (MTw, Xsens Technologies B.V., Enschede, The Netherlands) sampling at 60 Hz. Collected data were analysed using the average of the last one minute of each trial. Effect size statistics revealed a moderate effect size (Cohen's d = 0.66) in the centre of mass vertical displacement between treadmill and over-ground running. Average centre of mass vertical displacement during treadmill running was 0.111 ± 0.007 m similarly to those previously reported (e.g. Schücker & Parrington, 2019, Journal of Sports Sciences, 37,6, 638- 646), while during over-ground running was 0.119 ± 0.018 m, 7.21% greater than during treadmill running. The present study demonstrated that the running environment had a moderate effect on the vertical displacement of the centre of mass in recreational runners. This may indicate that centre of mass vertical displacement is a modifiable biomechanical factor that can influence running performance in recreational runners

Simulation of the casting process - a powerful tool for enhanced design of the cutting teeth in surface mining

Recent development in the computer simulation technology caused a tremendous influence on a rapid prototyping in casting process. These computational tools facilitate engineering work and urge moulding verification in foundries. Among dedicated software packages the MAGMASoft is selected for availability reasons. Its effectiveness is proved with the simulation of moulding process of the cutting teeth for a bucket wheel excavator Use of MAGMASoft enables a shortcut to a forceful and durable product, without internal cavities and micro-porosity. Such advancement of the moulding process is described in this paper

ROAD: Domestic Assistant and Rehabilitation Robot

This study introduces the concept design and analysis of a robotic system for the assistance and rehabilitation of disabled people. Based on the statistical data of the most common types of disabilities in Spain and other industrialized countries, the different tasks that the device must be able to perform have been determined. In this study, different robots for rehabilitation and assistance previously introduced have been reviewed. This survey is focused on those robots that assist with gait, balance and standing up. The structure of the ROAD robot presents various advantages over these robots, we discuss some of them. The performance of the proposed architecture is analyzed when it performs the sit to stand activity

Citizen Ai: warrior, jester, and middleman

Ai Weiwei is famous for crossing boundaries, especially the boundary between art and politics. To appreciate the often contradictory nature of Ai’s work, this essay employs multiple narratives: “Ai the Heroic Warrior” who criticizes the Chinese government; “Ai the Court Jester” who plays with the Chinese state and Western media; and “Ai the Middleman” who acts as a broker between China and the West, between young and old people, and between civil society and the state in the PRC. The essay concludes that a fourth narrative can bring together these three stories in a multicoded understanding of Ai’s work: “Ai the Citizen Intellectual” who sometimes works with the state, and at other times against it—but always for the good of China. By comparing Ai’s work with that of other public intellectuals and placing it in the context of debates about civil society, the conclusion argues that “citizen intellectual” also tells us about a broader movement of activists and public intellectuals who are creating a new form of political space in postsocialist China

Compliance and treatment satisfaction of post menopausal women treated for osteoporosis. Compliance with osteoporosis treatment

International audienceBackgroundAdherence to anti-osteoporosis treatments is poor, exposing treated women to increased fracture risk. Determinants of poor adherence are poorly understood. The study aims to determine physician- and patient- rated treatment compliance with osteoporosis treatments and to evaluate factors influencing compliance.MethodsThis was an observational, cross-sectional pharmacoepidemiological study with a randomly-selected sample of 420 GPs, 154 rheumatologists and 110 gynaecologists practicing in France. Investigators included post-menopausal women with a diagnosis of osteoporosis and a treatment initiated in the previous six months. Investigators completed a questionnaire on clinical features, treatments and medical history, and on patient compliance. Patients completed a questionnaire on sociodemographic features, lifestyle, attitudes and knowledge about osteoporosis, treatment compliance, treatment satisfaction and quality of life. Treatment compliance was evaluated with the Morisky Medication-taking Adherence Scale. Variables collected in the questionnaires were evaluated for association with compliance using multivariate logistic regression analysis.Results785 women were evaluated. Physicians considered 95.4% of the sample to be compliant, but only 65.5% of women considered themselves compliant. The correlation between patient and physician perceptions of compliance was low (κ: 0.11 [95% CI: 0.06 to 0.16]). Patient-rated compliance was highest for monthly bisphosphonates (79.7%) and lowest for hormone substitution therapy (50.0%). Six variables were associated with compliance: treatment administration frequency, perceptions of long-term treatment acceptability, perceptions of health consequences of osteoporosis, perceptions of knowledge about osteoporosis, exercise and mental quality of life.ConclusionCompliance to anti-osteoporosis treatments is poor. Reduction of dosing regimen frequency and patient education may be useful ways of improving compliance

Genetic and cytological diversity in cherry tree accessions ( Eugenia involucrata DC) in Rio Grande do Sul

This study aimed to evaluate the genetic and cytological diversity and stability of 35 cherry tree accessions collected in Rio Grande do Sul. We used 15 RAPD (Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA) molecular markers and performed cytological analysis and number count of anthers. Analyses of genetic diversity allowed the separation of accessions into four groups, resulting in an average of 8.93 bands per primer amplified, 7.89 polymorphic bands, 88.08% of polymorphism and 86% of genetic similarity. Cytological analyses of gametic cells allowed for the characterization of accessions as diploids with n=11. In these, the average of meiotic cells considered normal was 82.12%; average pollen viability was 92.44% and in vitro germination was 40.26%; the average number of anthers was 161.85 anthers/flowers. Therefore, the accessions evaluated showed high genetic similarity and cytological stability and can be used in commercial plantations or hybridizations