Gait parameter estimation from a miniaturized ear-worn sensor using singular spectrum analysis and longest common subsequence

This paper presents a new approach to gait analysis and parameter estimation from a single miniaturised earworn sensor embedded with a triaxial accelerometer. Singular spectrum analysis (SSA) combined with the longest common subsequence (LCSS) algorithm has been used as a basis for gait parameter estimation. It incorporates information from all axes of the accelerometer to estimate parameters including swing, stance and stride times. Rather than only using local features of the raw signals, the periodicity of the signals is also taken into account. The hypotheses tested by this study include: 1) how accurate is the ear-worn sensor in terms of gait parameter extraction compared to the use of an instrumented treadmill; 2) does the ear-worn sensor provide a feasible option for assessment and quantification of gait pattern changes. Key gait events for normal subjects such as heel contact and toe off are validated with a high-speed camera, as well as a force-plate instrumented treadmill. Ten healthy adults walked for 20 minutes on a treadmill with an increasing incline of 2% every 2 minutes. The upper and lower limits of the absolute errors using 95% confidence intervals for swing, stance and stride times were obtained as 35.5±3.99ms, 36.9 ± 3.84ms, and 17.9 ± 2.29ms, respectively

High-intensity interval exercise training before abdominal aortic aneurysm repair ( HIT-AAA): protocol for a randomised controlled feasibility trial

Introduction In patients with large abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), open surgical or endovascular aneurysm repair procedures are often used to minimise the risk of aneurysm-related rupture and death; however, aneurysm repair itself carries a high risk. Low cardiopulmonary fitness is associated with an increased risk of early post-operative complications and death following elective AAA repair. Therefore, fitness should be enhanced before aneurysm repair. High-intensity interval exercise training (HIT) is a potent, time-efficient strategy for enhancing cardiopulmonary fitness. Here, we describe a feasibility study for a definitive trial of a pre-operative HIT intervention to improve post-operative outcomes in patients undergoing elective AAA repair. Methods and analysis A minimum of 50 patients awaiting elective repair of a 5.5–7.0 cm infrarenal AAA will be allocated by minimisation to HIT or usual care control in a 1:1 ratio. The patients allocated to HIT will complete three hospital-based exercise sessions per week, for 4 weeks. Each session will include 2 or 4 min of high-intensity stationary cycling followed by the same duration of easy cycling or passive recovery, repeated until a total of 16 min of high-intensity exercise is accumulated. Outcomes to be assessed before randomisation and 24–48 h before aneurysm repair include cardiopulmonary fitness, maximum AAA diameter and health-related quality of life. In the post-operative period, we will record destination (ward or critical care unit), organ-specific morbidity, mortality and the durations of critical care and hospital stay. Twelve weeks after the discharge, participants will be interviewed to reassess quality of life and determine post-discharge healthcare utilisation. The costs associated with the exercise intervention and healthcare utilisation will be calculated. Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval was secured through Sunderland Research Ethics Committee. The findings of the trial will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals, and national and international presentations

Insect glutathione transferases and insecticide resistance

Glutathione transferases (GSTs) are a diverse family of enzymes found ubiquitously in aerobic organisms. They play a central role in the detoxification of both endogenous and xenobiotic compounds and are also involved in intracellular transport, biosynthesis of hormones and protection against oxidative stress. Interest in insect GSTs has primarily focused on their role in insecticide resistance. GSTs can metabolize insecticides by facilitating their reductive dehydrochlorination or by conjugation reactions with reduced glutathione, to produce water-soluble metabolites that are more readily excreted. In addition, they contribute to the removal of toxic oxygen free radical species produced through the action of pesticides. Annotation of the Anopheles gambiae and Drosophila melanogaster genomes has revealed the full extent of this enzyme family in insects. This mini review describes the insect GST enzyme family, focusing specifically on their role in conferring insecticide resistance