A Textile Sensor for Long Durations of Human Motion Capture

Human posture and movement analysis is important in the areas of rehabilitation, sports medicine, and virtual training. However, the development of sensors with good accuracy, low cost, light weight, and suitability for long durations of human motion capture is still an ongoing issue. In this paper, a new flexible textile sensor for knee joint movement measurements was developed by using ordinary fabrics and conductive yarns. An electrogoniometer was adopted as a standard reference to calibrate the proposed sensor and validate its accuracy. The knee movements of different daily activities were performed to evaluate the performance of the sensor. The results show that the proposed sensor could be used to monitor knee joint motion in everyday life with acceptable accuracy

Effects of psychological stress on hypertension in middle-aged Chinese: a cross-sectional study.

We examined the effect and relative contributions of different types of stress on the risk of hypertension. Using cluster sampling, 5,976 community-dwelling individuals aged 40-60 were selected. Hypertension was defined according to the Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee, and general psychological stress was defined as experiencing stress at work or home. Information on known risk factors of hypertension (e.g., physical activity levels, food intake, smoking behavior) was collected from participants. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the associations between psychological stress and hypertension, calculating population-attributable risks and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). General stress was significantly related to hypertension (odds ratio [OR] = 1.247, 95% CI [1.076, 1.446]). Additionally, after adjustment for all other risk factors, women showed a greater risk of hypertension if they had either stress at work or at home: OR = 1.285, 95% CI (1.027, 1.609) and OR = 1.231, 95% CI (1.001, 1.514), respectively. However, this increased risk for hypertension by stress was not found in men. General stress contributed approximately 9.1% (95% CI [3.1, 15.0]) to the risk for hypertension. Thus, psychological stress was associated with an increased risk for hypertension, although this increased risk was not consistent across gender

Al Alloys and Casting Processes for Induction Motor Applications in Battery-Powered Electric Vehicles: A Review

With the rapid expansion of battery-powered electric vehicles (BEVs) in the automotive industry, research interest in lightweight Al alloys as well as their casting processes and applications has increased considerably. The substitution of castable aluminum alloys with superior strengths and electrical conductivity for copper reduces the weight and size of electric induction motors, and improves the energy efficiency and driving range of the BEVs. The present article was intended to give a general introduction into the common cast Al aluminum alloys and their relevant processes, as well as to motivate the development of high strength and conductive Al alloys for the practical realization of Al applications in the motors of the BEVs. A number of cast alloy systems containing Cu, Si, Ni, Mg, Fe, and Ti were evaluated, in comparison to nanostructured wrought Al alloys. The conventional casting processes suitable for Al alloys, high pressure die casting, squeeze casting, and sand casting were described. Strengthening mechanisms including solid solution strengthening, precipitation strengthening, dislocation accumulation strengthening, and grain boundary strengthening were presented. The phenomenon of electrical conduction for Al alloys was outlined. The mechanical properties and electrical properties of the recently developed Al alloys for casting and deformation processes were comprehensively listed and critically reviewed in association with microstructural characteristics

The results of the sensitivity analysis for different datasets (odds ratios ^a).

<p>^aSame factors as in the main study were adjusted in the logistic regression analyses.</p><p>^b(n = 8331) whole population excluded participants who had missing stress data (from work or home) or data for one of the main demographic variables (age or gender).</p><p>^c(n = 7160) whole population excluded participants who had missing stress data (from work or home) or data for one of the main demographic variables (age or gender), or who had taken antihypertension/lipid-lowering agents regularly.</p><p>The results of the sensitivity analysis for different datasets (odds ratios <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0129163#t004fn001" target="_blank">^a</a>).</p

Demographic characteristics of participants by general stress.

<p>BMI: body mass index; SBP: systolic blood pressure; DBP: diastolic blood pressure; TG: triglycerides; HDL-C: high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.</p><p>^aP-value of the comparison by general stress.</p><p>^bMedian values (Q1, Q3).</p><p>Demographic characteristics of participants by general stress.</p