FES of Upper Extremities: Post-conference course

The workshop is structured to have a theoretical introduction and subsequent application oriented hands-on demonstrations. The workshop is planned to include continuous interactive discussion. The workshop will focus on non-invasive options for the control of paralyzed arm-hand complex after the central nervous system lesion (brain lesion, cervical lesion of the spinal cord, and similar). The workshop starts with theory describing the principle of the operation of functional activation of paralyzed muscles by means of electrical field and differences between the use of transcutaneous and implantable technologies. The results on the efficacy of FES augmented manipulation and grasping, with the emphasis on what were the limitations of the systems applied, will follow. The main questions that will be answered deal with methods to provide sufficient selectivity, minimize muscle fatigue, and have the control that matches the needs of users. The practical part will be a demonstration of the strategies and limitations of the surface activation of arm muscles to support the exercise, manipulation and exercise. The presentation will include the activation of sensory pathways for possible feedback applications. An interesting example will be described where the FES technology can be used for the reduction of tremor. The practical part will be with the new stimulators MOTIMOVE (https://www.3-x-f.com/products.php) and UNAFET stimulators used in clinical trials for therapy persons after stroke and spinal cord lesion at the cervical level

The instrumented shoe insole for rule-based control of gait in persons with hemiplegia

We describe the use of an insole with five pressure sensors having small hysteresis, an inertial measurement unit, and the circuitry for wireless synchronized communication for the rule-based control of gait. The system was tested with the multichannel electronic stimulator MOTIMOVE that can receive signals from analog and digital sensors to activate up to eight muscle groups. The rule-based control implements the heuristically determined mapping of the four joint states (blocked -B, flexion - F, extension - E, loose - L) and Gait Teacher based representation of the events and phases of the gait cycle. The four joint states can be achieved by the activation of flexors (F), extensors (E), coactivation of flexors and extensors (B), and no action (L). The feasibility of the operation was tested only in a small number of persons with hemiplegia since the stimulator certification procedure required for the full clinical study is in progres

Influence of front-of-package nutrition labels on beverage healthiness perceptions: Results from a randomized experiment

The final publication is available at Elsevier via https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2018.08.022 © 2018. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/The current study explored the influence of three summary indicator front-of-pack (FOP) nutrition labels on consumer perceptions of the healthiness of different beverage products. In 2016, a total of 675 respondents in southwestern Ontario aged 16 and over viewed images of soda, unflavoured milk and chocolate milk displaying one of four FOP label conditions (no FOP label, numeric rating, health star rating (HSR), or simplified traffic light (STL)), and rated the products' healthiness. Participants also indicated their preference for summary indicator versus nutrient-specific FOP labels. Logistic regression models comparing correct responses across label conditions found no differences across label conditions for unflavoured milk or soda. Consumers in the HSR and STL conditions were more likely to correctly perceive a chocolate milk beverage as ‘moderately healthy’ (p = 0.004, p = 0.016). No differences in responses were identified across sociodemographic groups. Most respondents (93%) indicated that they would like to see a health rating or nutrient-specific information on the front of food products. Results of this study suggest that the influence of FOP labels may vary based on the nutritional quality of food products, and may have the greatest influence on consumer perceptions of ‘nutritionally ambiguous’ foods. Consumers indicated almost unanimous support for implementing FOP nutrition labelling systems.Public Health Agency of CanadaCanadian Institutes of Health ResearchQueen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technolog

Analyses of shocked quartz at the global K-P boundary indicate an origin from a single, high-angle, oblique impact at Chicxulub

Accepted versio

Using Horticulturalists\u27 Input to Inform a Home Horticultural Website Redesign Process

The Internet is a growing source of information for consumers. Website design and development become important factors in website usability as consumers’ Internet access increases and they seek home horticulture and gardening resources. The University of Nebraska–Lincoln developed a website in the 1990s to supplement its Backyard Farmer television program. Consumers’ expectations of websites changed as technology changed, which resulted in the site no longer meeting visitors’ needs. Two focus groups evaluating the website’s usefulness as an information source were conducted with home and professional horticulturalists. Participants were most interested in locating concise information about horticulture and gardening on a website that was easy to navigate; had many links to additional information; and contained timely and current information. Overall, content quality, usability and aesthetics were highly ranked as important for a “perfect” website

Avaliação das projeções de precipitação dos modelos climáticos globais do quarto relatório do IPCC para o Brasil.

Este trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar a similaridade das projeções de precipitação dos modelos climáticos globais para o Brasil e suas regiões. Quinze modelos globais do Quarto Relatório do IPCC foram avaliados, considerando suas projeções do período de 2071-2100, cenário A2 de emissão de gases de efeito estufa, e a precipitação observada no período de 1961-1990. Os resultados mostraram que os modelos globais climáticos se comportam de forma diferente para cada região brasileira, indicando tendência de aumento de precipitação em certas áreas geográficas e diminuição em outras. Nos meses de inverno, verifica-se uma tendência de diminuição das precipitações, enquanto no verão a tendência é de aumento das precipitações

Cenourete e Catetinho: mini cenouras brasileiras.

A tecnologia proposta viabiliza a utilização desta categoria de raízes, possibilitando a obtenção de CENOURETE, mini cenouras em forma de bolinhas, utilizando-se o processamento mínimo como forma de agregação de valor ao produto final

Decisions at the Brink: Locomotor Experience Affects Infants’ Use of Social Information on an Adjustable Drop-off

How do infants decide what to do at the brink of a precipice? Infants could use two sources of information to guide their actions: perceptual information generated by their own exploratory activity and social information offered by their caregivers. The current study investigated the role of locomotor experience in using social information—both encouragement and discouragement—for descending drop-offs. Mothers of 30 infants (experienced 12-month-old crawlers, novice 12-month-old walkers, and experienced 18-month-old walkers) encouraged and discouraged descent on a gradation of dropoffs (safe “steps” and risky “cliffs”). Novice walkers descended more frequently than experienced crawlers and walkers and fell while attempting to walk over impossibly high cliffs. All infants showed evidence of integrating perceptual and social information, but locomotor experience affected infants’ use of social messages, especially on risky dropoffs. Experienced crawlers and walkers selectively deferred to social information when perceptual information is ambiguous. In contrast, novice walkers took mothers’ advice inconsistently and only at extreme drop-offs

Correlation harvesting between particle detectors in uniform motion

We investigate the correlation harvesting protocol using two Unruh-DeWitt particle detectors moving along four classes of uniformly accelerated trajectories categorized by Letaw: linear, catenary, cusped, and circular motions. For each trajectory, two types of configurations are carried out: one possesses a stationary (time-translation invariant) Wightman function and the other is nonstationary. We find that detectors undergoing linear, catenary, and cusped motions gain fewer correlations in the nonstationary configurations compared to those in stationary configurations. Detectors in circular motion have similar behavior in both configurations. We discuss the relative suppression of correlation harvesting due to high acceleration for each case. Remarkably we find that under certain circumstances detectors in both linear and circular states of motion can harvest genuine (non-communication assisted) entanglement even though they are in causal contact.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figure