Applications of a High-Altitude Powered Platform (HAPP)

A list of potential uses for the (HAPP) and conceptual system designs for a small subset of the most promising applications were investigated. The method was to postulate a scenario for each application specifying a user, a set of system requirements and the most likely competitor among conventional aircraft and satellite systems. As part of the study of remote sensing applications, a parametric cost comparison was done between aircraft and HAPPS. For most remote sensing applications, aircraft can supply the same data as HAPPs at substantially lower cost. The critical parameters in determining the relative costs of the two systems are the sensor field of view and the required frequency of the observations being made. The HAPP is only competitive with an airplane when sensors having a very wide field of view are appropriate and when the phenomenon being observed must be viewed at least once per day. This eliminates the majority of remote sensing applications from any further consideration

Influence of vision on adaptive postural responses following standing on an incline

Previous studies demonstrated a leaning after-effect (LAE) following standing or walking on an inclined surface consistent with a long-lasting, somatosensory memory for body orientation relative to the surface. Here, we asked whether providing a brief visual reference during LAE resets postural orientation to the new visual reference. The results showed that subjects immediately return to upright when eyes were opened briefly during the post-incline period. However, the subjects also immediately resumed leaning after closing their eyes again following 20 s of eyes open. The duration of LAE was not influenced by 1 or 2 brief periods of vision. Also, the amplitude of the lean following the brief vision period was often larger than when subjects had their eyes closed for the entire post-incline period. These results suggest a powerful somatosensory memory contribution to postural orientation in space that is not eliminated or recalibrated with brief exposure to a visual reference

Podokinetic stimulation causes shifts in perception of straight ahead

Podokinetic after-rotation (PKAR) is a phenomenon in which subjects inadvertently rotate when instructed to step in place after a period of walking on a rotating treadmill. PKAR has been shown to transfer between different forms of locomotion, but has not been tested in a non-locomotor task. We conducted two experiments to assess effects of PKAR on perception of subjective straight ahead and on quiet standing posture. Twenty-one healthy young right-handed subjects pointed to what they perceived as their subjective straight ahead with a laser pointer while they were recorded by a motion capture system both before and after a training period on the rotating treadmill. Subjects performed the pointing task while standing, sitting on a chair without a back, and a chair with a back. After the training period, subjects demonstrated a significant shift in subjective straight ahead, pointing an average of 29.1 ± 10.6 degrees off of center. The effect was direction-specific, depending on whether subjects had trained in the clockwise or counter-clockwise direction. Postures that limited subjects’ ability to rotate the body in space resulted in reduction, but not elimination, of the effect. The effect was present in quiet standing and even in sitting postures where locomotion was not possible. The robust transfer of PKAR to non-locomotor tasks, and across locomotor forms as demonstrated previously, is in contrast to split-belt adaptations that show limited transfer. We propose that, unlike split-belt adaptations, podokinetic adaptations are mediated at supraspinal, spatial orientation areas that influences spinal-level circuits for locomotion

Charting the progression of disability in Parkinson disease: Study protocol for a prospective longitudinal cohort study

BACKGROUND: People with Parkinson disease (PD), even in the presence of symptomatic relief from medical, surgical, and rehabilitative interventions, face a persistent worsening of disability. This disability is characterized by diminished quality of life, reduced functional mobility, declining performance in activities of daily living and worsening neurological impairments. While evidence has emerged supporting the clinically meaningful benefits of short-term exercise programs on these underlying factors, assertions regarding the effects of sustained programs of exercise and physical activity on the trajectory of disablement in PD are made in the absence of direct evidence. Indeed, the natural decline in quality of life and functional mobility in people diagnosed with PD is poorly understood. Moreover, outcome measures commonly used in clinical exercise trials typically do not capture the full spectrum of disability as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO). METHODS/DESIGN: The objective of this multicenter prospective study will be to examine the 2-year trajectory of disablement in a cohort of persons with PD. Two hundred sixty participants will be recruited to produce an expected final sample size of 150 individuals. Participants will be included if they are greater than 40 years of age, have a neurologist confirmed diagnosis of idiopathic PD, and are at Hoehn and Yahr stages 1 through 4. Data will be collected every 6 months during the study period. Primary outcome measures reflecting a broad spectrum of disablement will include, but will not be limited to, MDS-UPDRS, Timed Up and Go, Berg Balance Test, Nine Hole Peg Test, PDQ-39, and directly monitored ambulatory activity. Self-reported exercise and physical activity data also will be recorded. Statistical analyses will be used to characterize the trajectory of disablement and examine the influence of its underlying contributing factors. DISCUSSION: Tertiary prevention is an important component of contemporary healthcare for individuals living with degenerative disease. For individuals with PD, there is growing recognition that exercise and/or physical activity efforts to slow the rate of functional mobility decline, in particular, may be critical for optimizing quality of life. By describing the natural trajectory of disablement, exercise habits, and physical activity in a cohort of persons with PD, this investigation will establish an important foundation for future intervention research. Specifically, through the evaluation of the influence of sustained exercise and physical activity on disablement, the study will serve as a preliminary step toward developing a randomized controlled trial of long-term exercise in persons with PD

1968 Ruby Yearbook

A digitized copy of the 1968 Ruby, the Ursinus College yearbook.https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/ruby/1071/thumbnail.jp

Predictors of gait speeds and the relationship of gait speeds to falls in men and women with Parkinson disease

Gait difficulties and falls are commonly reported in people with Parkinson disease (PD). Reduction in gait speed is a major characteristic of Parkinsonian gait, yet little is known about its underlying determinants, its ability to reflect an internal reservation about walking, or its relationship to falls. To study these issues, we selected age, disease severity, and nonmotor factors (i.e., depression, quality of life, balance confidence, and exercise beliefs and attitudes) to predict self-selected (SELF), fast-as-possible (FAST), and the difference (DIFF) between these walking speeds in 78 individuals with PD. We also examined gender differences in gait speeds and evaluated how gait speeds were related to a retrospective fall report. Age, disease severity, and balance confidence were strong predictors of SELF, FAST, and, to a lesser extent, DIFF. All three parameters were strongly associated with falling. DIFF was significantly greater in men compared to women and was significantly associated with male but not female fallers. The results supported the clinical utility of using a suite of gait speed parameters to provide insight into the gait difficulties and differentiating between fallers in people with PD

Comparative utility of the BESTest, mini-BESTest, and brief-BESTest for predicting falls in individuals with Parkinson disease: A cohort study

BACKGROUND: The newly developed Brief–Balance Evaluation System Test (Brief-BESTest) may be useful for measuring balance and predicting falls in individuals with Parkinson disease (PD). OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study were: (1) to describe the balance performance of those with PD using the Brief-BESTest, (2) to determine the relationships among the scores derived from the 3 versions of the BESTest (ie, full BESTest, Mini-BESTest, and Brief-BESTest), and (3) to compare the accuracy of the Brief-BESTest with that of the Mini-BESTest and BESTest in identifying recurrent fallers among people with PD. DESIGN: This was a prospective cohort study. METHODS: Eighty participants with PD completed a baseline balance assessment. All participants reported a fall history during the previous 6 months. Fall history was again collected 6 months (n=51) and 12 months (n=40) later. RESULTS: At baseline, participants had varying levels of balance impairment, and Brief-BESTest scores were significantly correlated with Mini-BESTest (r=.94, P<.001) and BESTest (r=.95, P<.001) scores. Six-month retrospective fall prediction accuracy of the Brief-BESTest was moderately high (area under the curve [AUC]=0.82, sensitivity=0.76, and specificity=0.84). Prospective fall prediction accuracy over 6 months was similarly accurate (AUC=0.88, sensitivity=0.71, and specificity=0.87), but was less sensitive over 12 months (AUC=0.76, sensitivity=0.53, and specificity=0.93). LIMITATIONS: The sample included primarily individuals with mild to moderate PD. Also, there was a moderate dropout rate at 6 and 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: All versions of the BESTest were reasonably accurate in identifying future recurrent fallers, especially during the 6 months following assessment. Clinicians can reasonably rely on the Brief-BESTest for predicting falls, particularly when time and equipment constraints are of concern