797 research outputs found
Respiratory Medication Adherence : Toward a Common Language and a Shared Vision
Part of this work, conducted by E. Van Ganse, has been performed in the context of the ASTRO-LAB project, which received funding from the European Community's 7th Framework (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no. 282593. Teva supported the meeting costs at which the concepts in this paper were discussed by the co-authors and the open access publication fee for this article. The authors had full editorial control over the ideas presented.Peer reviewedPublisher PD
PICPANTHER: A simple, concise implementation of the relativistic moment implicit Particle-in-Cell method
A three-dimensional, parallelized implementation of the electromagnetic
relativistic moment implicit particle-in-cell method in Cartesian geometry
(Noguchi et. al., 2007) is presented. Particular care was taken to keep the
C++11 codebase simple, concise, and approachable. GMRES is used as a field
solver and during the Newton-Krylov iteration of the particle pusher. Drifting
Maxwellian problem setups are available while more complex simulations can be
implemented easily. Several test runs are described and the code's numerical
and computational performance is examined. Weak scaling on the SuperMUC system
is discussed and found suitable for large-scale production runs.Comment: 29 pages, 8 figure
Joint Cartilage in Long-Duration Spaceflight
This review summarizes the current literature available on joint cartilage alterations in
long-duration spaceflight. Evidence from spaceflight participants is currently limited to serum
biomarker data in only a few astronauts. Findings from analogue model research, such as bed rest
studies, as well as data from animal and cell research in real microgravity indicate that unloading
and radiation exposure are associated with joint degeneration in terms of cartilage thinning and
changes in cartilage composition. It is currently unknown how much the individual cartilage regions
in the different joints of the human body will be affected on long-term missions beyond the Low
Earth Orbit. Given the fact that, apart from total joint replacement or joint resurfacing, currently no
treatment exists for late-stage osteoarthritis, countermeasures might be needed to avoid cartilage
damage during long-duration missions. To plan countermeasures, it is important to know if and how
joint cartilage and the adjacent structures, such as the subchondral bone, are affected by long-term
unloading, reloading, and radiation. The use of countermeasures that put either load and shear, or
other stimuli on the joints, shields them from radiation or helps by supporting cartilage physiology,
or by removing oxidative stress possibly help to avoid OA in later life following long-duration space
missions. There is a high demand for research on the efficacy of such countermeasures to judge their
suitability for their implementation in long-duration missions
Regional water vapor distribution and its clear sky longwave radiative effects
Fall, 1994.Bibliography: pages 86-89.Sponsored by NASA NAGW-2700
Gait Analysis to Monitor Fracture Healing of the Lower Leg
Fracture healing is typically monitored by infrequent radiographs. Radiographs come at
the cost of radiation exposure and reflect fracture healing with a time lag due to delayed fracture
mineralization following increases in stiffness. Since union problems frequently occur after fractures,
better and timelier methods to monitor the healing process are required. In this review, we provide
an overview of the changes in gait parameters following lower leg fractures to investigate whether
gait analysis can be used to monitor fracture healing. Studies assessing gait after lower leg fractures
that were treated either surgically or conservatively were included. Spatiotemporal gait parameters,
kinematics, kinetics, and pedography showed improvements in the gait pattern throughout the
healing process of lower leg fractures. Especially gait speed and asymmetry measures have a high
potential to monitor fracture healing. Pedographic measurements showed differences in gait between
patients with and without union. No literature was available for other gait measures, but it is expected
that further parameters reflect progress in bone healing. In conclusion, gait analysis seems to be a
valuable tool for monitoring the healing process and predicting the occurrence of non-union of lower
leg fractures
Do changes in middle-distance running kinematics contribute to the age-related decline in performance?
OBJECTIVES:The aim of this study was to assess ageing-related changes in middle-distance running kinematics and performance in master athletes. METHODS:Male athletes (n=157; 57±13.3 years) competing in the 800- and 1500-m runs at the German Master Athletics Outdoor Championships 2018 were filmed and the bending-over angle, brake angle, leg-stiffness angle, propulsion angle and hip-flexion angle measured. RESULTS:Leg-stiffness and propulsion angle decreased with age (all p<.001), while bending-over, brake and hip-flexion angle increased (all p<.001). Bending-over, propulsion and hip-flexion angles were smaller in 800- than 1500-m races, while the brake angle was larger in 800- than 1500-m races (all p<.001), with no significant difference in leg-stiffness angle between disciplines. In the last round, hip flexion was lower compared to earlier rounds in both distances (p<.001). Age was the major predictor for performance in both races (800-m Radj2=0.74; p<.001, 1500-m Radj2=0.80; p<.001), with a minor impact of technique (improved Radj2 to 0.84 and 0.86, respectively). CONCLUSIONS:The study revealed that the ageing-related decline in running performance of master athletes was primarily explicable by age with only a small contribution of changes in sprint kinematics
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