The effects of shoe temperature on the kinetics and kinematics of running

The aim of the current investigation was to examine the effects of cooled footwear on the kinetics and kinematics of running in comparison to footwear at normal temperature. Twelve participants ran at 4.0 m/s ± 5% in both cooled and normal temperature footwear conditions over a force platform. Two identical footwear were worn, one of which was cooled for 30 min. Lower extremity kinematics were obtained using a motion capture system and tibial accelerations were measured using a triaxial accelerometer. Differences between cooled and normal footwear temperatures were contrasted using paired samples t-tests. The results showed that midsole temperature (cooled = 4.21 °C and normal = 23.25 °C) and maximal midsole deformation during stance (cooled = 12.85 mm and normal = 14.52 mm) were significantly reduced in the cooled footwear. In addition, instantaneous loading rate (cooled = 186.21 B.W/s and normal = 167.08 B W/s), peak tibial acceleration (cooled = 12.75 g and normal = 10.70 g) and tibial acceleration slope (cooled = 478.69 g/s and normal = 327.48 g/s) were significantly greater in the cooled footwear. Finally, peak eversion (cooled = −10.57 ° and normal = −7.83°) and tibial internal rotation (cooled = 10.67 ° and normal = 7.77°) were also shown to be significantly larger in the cooled footwear condition. This study indicates that running in cooled footwear may place runners at increased risk from the biomechanical parameters linked to the aetiology of injuries

Speech Processing Approach for Diagnosing Dementia in an Early Stage

The clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias is very challenging, especially in the early stages. Our hypothesis is that any disease that affects particular brain regions involved in speech production and processing will also leave detectable finger prints in the speech. Computerized analysis of speech signals and computational linguistics have progressed to the point where an automatic speech analysis system is a promising approach for a low-cost non-invasive diagnostic tool for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease.We present empirical evidence that strong discrimination between subjects with a diagnosis of probable Alzheimer’s versus matched normal controls can be achieved with a combination of acoustic features from speech, linguistic features extracted from an automatically determined transcription of the speech including punctuation, and results of a mini mental state exam (MMSE). We also show that discrimination is nearly as strong even if the MMSE is not used, which implies that a fully automated system is feasible. Since commercial automatic speech recognition (ASR) tools were unable to provide transcripts for about half of our speech samples, a customized ASR system was developed

A stakeholder informed, low-cost, personalised 3D-printed insole for diabetic foot ulcer prevention

Background: Diabetic Foot Ulcer (DFU) incidence will rise in line with the increasing global prevalence of diabetes. Healthcare providers must develop effective interventions that address the needs of patients and clinicians if DFUs are to be prevented. Aim: Engage with stakeholders (patients and clinicians) to inform the development and evaluation criteria of a novel low-cost 3D-printed insole to reduce DFU risk in patients with neuropathy. Method: Data from the transcripts of 15 semi-structured patient interviews and the views of 7 podiatrists were used to develop a consensus statement of insole design specifications. A prototype insole was developed and evaluated against these specifications. Clinical effectiveness was established by comparing reduction in peak plantar pressures and patient perceived comfort of 4 people with diabetic neuropathy whist wearing 1) no insole 2) standard custom insole and 3) 3D-printed insole conditions. The F-scan in-shoe pressure measurement system was used to collect kinetic data. Insoles were presented in a random order with participants blinded to the condition. Results: The 3D-printed insole fulfilled most of the design specifications including being lightweight, easy to clean and walk in. It was more effective at reducing forefoot plantar loads when compared to the standard insole condition, reducing mean peak plantar pressure by 31%, a 4% greater reduction over the standard insole condition. Conclusion: This study provided valuable pilot data for the efficacy, acceptability and future direction of this intervention. The impact of stakeholder involvement on insole design, adherence and ulceration rate need to be evaluated through a clinical trial

An adaptive large neighbourhood search for asset protection during escaped wildfires

The asset protection problem is encountered where an uncontrollable fire is sweeping across a landscape comprising important infrastructure assets. Protective activities by teams of firefighters can reduce the risk of losing a particular asset. These activities must be performed during a time-window for each asset determined by the progression of the fire. The nature of some assets is such that they require the simultaneous presence of more than one fire vehicle and its capabilities must meet the requirements of each asset visited. The objective is then to maximise the value of the assets protected subject to constraints on the number and type of fire trucks available. The solution times to this problem using commercial solvers preclude their use for operational purposes. In this work we develop an Adaptive Large Neighbourhood Search algorithm (ALNS) based on problem-specific attributes. Several removal and insertion heuristics, including some new algorithms, are applied. A new benchmark set is generated by considering the problem attributes. In tests with small instances the ALNS is shown to achieve optimal, or near optimal, results in a fraction of the time required by CPLEX. In a second set of experiments comprising larger instances the ALNS was able to produce solutions in times suitable for operational purposes. These solutions mean that significantly more assets can be protected than would be the case otherwise