Effect of Lower Trapezius and Serratus Anterior Muscle Strengthening on Pain and Function in Patients with Chronic Mechanical Neck Pain

Background Neck pain is considered to be a very frequent and disabling complaint among the general population. Purpose To study the effect of strength training of Lower Trapezius and Serratus Anterior muscles on pain and function in patients with chronic mechanical neck pain. Method 24 chronic mechanical neck pain samples (12 experimental and 12 control groups) participated. The pre and post-assessment was done with Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), Algometer, Push-Pull Dynamometer and Neck Disability Index Scale (NDI) for Pain, Pain Pressure Threshold (PPT), Muscle Strength and Function respectively. The experimental group was given strength training along with conventional physiotherapy whereas the control group underwent only conventional physiotherapy. Results The results showed a statistically significant difference in PPT (p value 0.04), Lower Trapezius strength (p value 0.02), Serratus Anterior strength (p value 0.003) and NDI (p value 0.04). Conclusion Strength training for Lower Trapezius and Serratus Anterior muscles along with conventional physiotherapy should be incorporated in treatment of Chronic Mechanical Neck pain patients

Telepresence system development for application to the control of remote robotic systems

The recent developments of techniques which assist an operator in the control of remote robotic systems are described. In particular, applications are aimed at two specific scenarios: The control of remote robot manipulators; and motion planning for remote transporter vehicles. Common to both applications is the use of realistic computer graphics images which provide the operator with pertinent information. The specific system developments for several recently completed and ongoing telepresence research projects are described

Efficacy of Decentralized CSS Clustering Model Over TWDP Fading Scenario

Cognitive Radio technology, which lowers spectrum scarcity, is a rapidly growing wireless communication technology. CR technology detects spectrum holes or unlicensed spectrums which primary users are not using and assigns it to secondary users. The dependability of the spectrum-sensing approach is significantly impacted from two of the most critical aspects, namely fading channels and neighboring wireless users. Users of non-cooperative spectrum sensing devices face numerous difficulties, including multipath fading, masked terminals, and shadowing. This problem can be solved using a cooperative- spectrum-sensing technique. For the user, CSS enables them to detect the spectrum by using a common receiver. It has also been divided into distributed CSS and centralized CSS. This article compares both ideas by using a set of rules to find out whether a licensed user exists or not. This thought was previously used to the conventional fading channels, such as the Rician, Rayleigh and the nakagami-m models. This work focused on D-CSS using clustering approach over TWDP fading channel using two-phase hard decision algorithms with the help of OR rule as well as AND rule. The evaluation of the proposed approaches clearly depicted that the sack of achieve a detection-probability of greater than 0.8; the values SNR varies between -14 dB to -8 dB. For all two-phase hard decision algorithms using proposed approach and CSS techniques, the detection probability is essentially identical while the value of signal to noise ratio is between -12 dB to -8dB. Throughout this work, we assess performance of cluster-based cooperative spectrum-sensing over TWDP channel with the previous findings of AWGN, Rayleigh, and wei-bull fading channels. The obtained simulation results show that OR-AND decision scheme enhanced the performance of the detector for the considered range of signal to noise ratios

JarPi: a low-cost raspberry pi based personal assistant for small-scale fishermen

Small-scale fishermen face various occupational safety hazards due to unavailability of real-time weather information during fishing activities at sea. Whilst provision of such information could greatly reduce these risks, limited personal assistants exist that could support small scale fishermen in their activities at sea with real-time details on wind speed and direction, rainfall, humidity, geographical location and distance from shore, among others. Furthermore, large scale solutions are too expensive for this category of fishermen to afford. Even though the recent emergence of the Raspberry Pi showed to significantly decrease costs of computational systems, the application of this technology to build solutions for small-scale fishermen is yet to be investigated. As such, this paper investigates the implementation and deployment of a low-cost Raspberry Pi based personal assistant for small-scale fishermen, through a proposed device named JarPi

Integrated Computational and Experimental Approach to Control Physical Texture During Laser Machining of Structural Ceramics

The high energy lasers are emerging as an innovative material processing tool to effectively fabricate complex shapes on the hard and brittle structural ceramics, which previously had been near impossible to be machined effectively using various conventional machining techniques. In addition, the in-situ measurement of the thermo-physical properties in the severe laser machining conditions (high temperature, short time duration, and small interaction volume) is an extremely difficult task. As a consequence, it is extremely challenging to investigate the evolution of surface topography through experimental analyses. To address this issue, an integrated experimental and computational (multistep and multiphysics based finite-element modeling) approach was employed to understand the influence of laser processing parameters to effectively control the various thermo-physical effects (recoil pressure, Marangoni convection, and surface tension) during transient physical processes (melting, vaporization) for controlled surface topography (surface finish). The results indicated that the material lost due to evaporation causes an increase in crater depth of machined cavity, whereas liquid expulsion created by the recoil pressure increases the material pileup height around the lip of machined cavity, the major attributes of surface topography (roughness). Also, it was found that the surface roughness increased with increase in laser energy density and pulse rate (from 10 to 50Hz), and with the decrease in distance between two pulses (from 0.6 to 0.1mm) or the increase in lateral and transverse overlap (0, 17, 33, 50, 67, and 83%). The results of the computational model are also validated by experimental observations with reasonably close agreement

Small-Scale Low Cost Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Power Systems

Progress in tasks seeking greater cell power density and lower cost through new cell designs, new cell materials and lower operating temperature is summarized. The design of the program required Proof-of-Concept unit of residential capacity scale is reviewed along with a summary of results from its successful test. Attachment 1 summarizes the status of cell development. Attachment 2 summarizes the status of generator design, and Attachment 3 of BOP design

Profile Study of Negative Autopsy among the Post Mortem Cases Referred from Medical Officers to Forensic Medicine Department, Ahmedabad, India

Background: The principal aim of an autopsy is to determine the cause of death, and the state of health of the person before he or she died. But in several instances even after detailed autopsy and various laboratory investigations, autopsy surgeon/ Forensic medicine expert cannot determine the cause of death and they end up with negative autopsy. The present study was carried out to find out the types of cases where we were unable to determine cause of death after autopsy at forensic medicine department, B J medical college, civil hospital, Ahmedabad, India.Methods: A total of 251 dead bodies were referred by Medical officers to forensic medicine department, B J medical college, Ahmedabad for expert post mortem examination from 1st January 2011 to 31st December 2015.Results: After thorough and complete post mortem examination, it was found that in 43(17.13%) cases no opinion as to the cause or nature of death could be given. Most common types of cases include decomposition (53.50%), and skeletal remains (23.25%).Conclusion: According to above mentioned facts it is clear that chances of getting cause of death is very poor if time lapse more and more after death like in decomposition and skeletal remains

Post-flight Analysis and Design Improvement in Command Guidance System for a Short-range Surface-to-air Missile System

A short-range missile with command-to line-of-sight and three-beam guidance has been considered in this paper. The earlier command guidance system (CGS) design shows unacceptablyhigh-low-frequency weave-mode oscillations, leading to high latax and body rate oscillations, even for benign, low-speed non-manoeuvring target engagements. For successful targetengagements with the three-beam guidance, missile is to be handed over from wide-to-medium receiver beam, and finally, from medium-to-the most accurate narrow receiver beam, depending on the angular error wrt line-of-sight as early as possible. Due to large amplitude oscillation in the earlier CGS design, the handing over of the missile to narrow receiver beam, and in many cases, to the medium receiver beam, itself could not take place, leading to failure of guidance. In this paper, the cause for this undesirable high magnitude weave-mode oscillation has been analysed in detail. After establishing this, saturation aspects of the earlier CGS design; a simple implementable CGS re-design was carried out to reduce this saturation aspect drastically for preserving almost full-phase advance effects of the linear new analogue compensators designed to give the required stability margins of guidance loop

An evaluation of the utility of routine laboratory monitoring of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): a retrospective review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>No consensus evidence-based guidelines for the routine laboratory monitoring of children with JIA receiving non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) exist. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical utility of routine laboratory monitoring of hemoglobin, transaminases, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, and urinalysis in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) receiving NSAIDs.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The medical records of 91 children with JIA followed between 1996 and 2006 were retrospectively reviewed for laboratory results and clinically significant adverse effects attributed to NSAID use. Laboratory abnormalities were documented, with potential adverse clinical sequelae, including if NSAID use was discontinued.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Abnormal laboratory results were recorded for 24 of 91 patients. Nearly all abnormalities were mild and not associated with adverse clinical sequelae. All patients but one continued to receive NSAID therapy after the abnormality was detected.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Although detection of abnormal laboratory values occurred while on NSAIDs, these abnormalities did not correlate with adverse clinical signs and symptoms. The routine monitoring of laboratory tests in asymptomatic children treated with NSAIDs is of questionable utility.</p