Effects of Generic Group-Based Versus Personalized Individual-Based Exercise Programs on Balance, Gait, and Functional Performance of Older Adults with Mild Balance Dysfunction and Living in Residential Care Facilities - A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background and Purpose: To investigate the effect of an individualized exercise program versus a generic group-based exercise program on balance, gait, and functional performance of older adults categorized as having mild balance dysfunction and living in residential care facilities. Methods: Single blind randomized control design. One hundred-twenty residents fulfilled screening criteria for mild balance dysfunction based on the BioSwayTM balance and the Multi-Directional Reach Test (MDRT) primary outcome measures. Secondary assessment was completed using the Modified Physical Performance Test (PPT), hand-held dynamometer (lower-limb muscle strength testing), and gait speed analysis. Sixty subjects received individualized treatment from physical therapists (8 weeks). Another sixty subjects received generic group-based exercises (8 weeks). All outcome measures were collected at baseline and post-intervention (ninth week); and BioSwayTM and PPT measures at follow-up (thirteenth week) for the individualized group. Results: Individualized group (n=60) showed significant improvement compared to the group-based group (n=60) on the two BioSwayTM scores (limits of stability, p \u3c .001; and postural stability, p = .016), the MDRT scores (forward reach, p \u3c .001; backward reach, p = .007; right lateral reach, p \u3c .001; and left lateral reach p \u3c .001), the strength scores (hip flexors, p = .010; knee extensors, p = .002; hip abductors, p = .009; and ankle dorsiflexors, p = .025), the PPT outcomes (p \u3c .001), and the gait scores (p = .012). Effect sizes ranged from small to large, with the largest sizes for limits of stability and MDRT. There were no significant differences between groups for the mCTSIB (p = .538). However, 96.7% of subjects in the individualized group scored within one SD of the reference mean, relative to 75% in the group-based group. At follow-up, the individualized group showed significant differences over time with medium to large effect sizes on the PPT (p \u3c .001), limits of stability (p \u3c .001), postural stability (p \u3c .001), and mCTSIB (p = .005) measures. Post-hoc analysis revealed retention of gains for all measures at follow-up, except the mCTSIB. Conclusion: The individualized group showed significant improvements in the areas of balance, strength, mobility, and functional outcomes

Organic Zombie & Synthetic Soul: The Unity Between Preservation & Progress in Contemporary Church Music

The article explores the relationship between modernism and traditionalism in contemporary church music. Beginning with a once-revolutionary organ at St Anne's Anglican Church in Sydney’s west, the essay examines how the church has adjusted to rapidly changing social conditions over the course of the 20th Century. I utilise the concepts of 'zombie categories’, ‘liquid modernity' and authorised idealism to address common misconceptions that progress and conservation are diametrically opposed ideologies. In addition, I attend to the challenges presented by hybridity in an attempt to produce a delicately balanced report. The key discussion of the paper lies within the examination of tension. I examine the church’s staggered system of acceptance regarding progressive music, and how the gap between spiritual and secular music continues to lessen with contributions from both sides. I wrestle with the movement of the church from musical trailblazer to conservative; in stark contrast to the evolution of jazz, rock, blues, funk and hip-hop outside of the church. This is especially pertinent due to these genres roots in gospel music. More importantly, I delve into the underlying convictions that drive both liturgical modernists and traditionalists. This was when the research proved most surprising. Indeed, as I contrasted the two school of thought, I found that their shared desire for an ideal and the lack of authority to ratify that ideal, in particular, were of prodigious noteworthiness. It is here that the discussion of hybridity, and the logic of its inherent paradox, diverts the essay's focus from tension to resolve

Sensorless Synchronous Reluctance Motor Drives: A Projection Vector Approach for Stator Resistance Immunity and Parameter Adaptation

The paper presents a general projection vector framework for the analysis of flux and position observers applied to sensorless control of synchronous reluctance machines, with emphasis to parametric errors sensitivity. The stator resistance immunity property of Adaptive Projection vector for Position error estimation (APP) technique is demonstrated, in maximum torque per ampere (MTPA) conditions. Out of MTPA, additional resistance adaption is devised for accurate estimation of stator flux and torque. Alternatively, inductance adaptation might be preferred to resistance's, when dealing with inaccurate motor flux-maps. Inductance adaptation is shown to decrease the steady-state position error. All proposed APP observers with adaptation techniques are subjected to stability analysis. The merit and the feasibility of the proposed scheme is experimentally demonstrated on a 1.1 kW synchronous reluctance (SyR) machine test-bench

The importance of retail strategy for pharmacies

Limited academic research has focused on the retail management of pharmacies since prior studies have primarily addressed the professional service aspect of pharmacy operations. Particularly absent is the investigation of a pharmacist&rsquo;s retail strategy and its relationship with non-prescription pharmacy performance. Moreover, this paper postulates that a pharmacy&rsquo;s natural abilities in the form of organisational characteristics, resources and capabilities are important antecedents to the development of a retail strategy. We propose that the retail strategy and pharmacy performance relationship, which is the focus of this paper, does not operate in isolation and critical organisational antecedents are an influencing factor.<br /

Additions to the terebrantian (Insecta: Thysanoptera) fauna of Kerala, India

Extensive surveys were carried out in Kerala in order to explore the thysanopteran fauna since the state has hardly been studied for the fauna of thrips after Dr. T.N. Ananthakrishnan’s era of Indian thysanopteran taxonomy. Nine species of terebrantian thrips, one in the family Aeolothripidae and the remaining eight in the familyThripidae are being listed as new to Kerala state records collected from different hosts. Diagnostic features, distribution and data on material studied for these species are given. The number of known species of terebrantian thrips in Kerala is thus increased to forty two

Change in the magnetic structure of (Bi,Sm)FeO3 thin films at the morphotropic phase boundary probed by neutron diffraction

We report on the evolution of the magnetic structure of BiFeO3 thin films grown on SrTiO3 substrates as a function of Sm doping. We determined the magnetic structure using neutron diffraction. We found that as Sm increases, the magnetic structure evolves from a cycloid to a G-type antiferromagnet at the morphotropic phase boundary, where there is a large piezoelectric response due to an electric-field induced structural transition. The occurrence of the magnetic structural transition at the morphotropic phase boundary offers another route towards room temperature multiferroic devices

Additions to the thrips (Thysanoptera) fauna of Odisha, India

Ten thrips species in ten genera of two families (Phlaeothripidae and Thripidae) of suborders Tubulifera and Terebrantia (Order Thysanoptera) are newly added to the fauna of Odisha, India. These species collected from various host plants are being reported for the first time from Odisha; three species in Phlaeothripidae and seven in Thripidae. Three species, Panchaetothrips stepheni, Scirtothrips bispinosus and Elaphrothrips greeni are recorded as new distribution reports from North India whereas, Crotonothrips polyalthiae has been newly reported from India. This survey reports newly added nine genera viz.,Astrothrips, Panchaetothrips, Selenothrips, Neohydatothrips, Den-drothripoides, Megalurothrips, Elaphrothrips, Crotonothrips and Karnyothrips and two subfamilies Panchaetothripi-nae and Idolothripinae to the fauna of Odisha. Diagnostic features, distribution and data on material studied for the-se species are given. The number of known species of thrips in Odisha is thus increased to 23

Kinetic-Rotor Self-Commissioning of Synchronous Machines for Magnetic Model Identification with Online Adaptation

This paper proposes a new magnetic model self-identification technique for synchronous machines to build the flux-map look-up tables (LUTs). Provided the shaft is free to turn, an alternating self-acceleration and deceleration sequence is envisaged for identification without a dedicated experimental rig or additional hardware. Respect to previous works, the stator flux and the stator resistance are adapted online during the run, thus eliminating the need for post-processing and the sensitivity to winding temperature variations during the test. Experimental validations on a 1.1 kW synchronous reluctance (SyR) and a 11 kW permanent-magnet assisted synchronous reluctance (PM-SyR) motors are provided

Sensorless Synchronous Reluctance Motor Drives: A Sensitivity Analysis Framework and Design to Achieve Stator Resistance Immunity

The paper presents a generic framework for analysis of stator resistance variation in the stability of position observers. The adverse impact of the resistance error on the active flux based sensorless control is studied. A new technique, Adaptive Projection vector for Position error estimation (APP), is proposed to have inherent immunity to resistance errors; in addition, a resistance adaption is devised for accurate estimation of stator flux and torque. The observers are subjected to stability analysis. The instability of active flux control and the merits of the proposed technique are experimentally demonstrated on a 1 kW synchronous reluctance machine test bench

Sensorless Control of Synchronous Reluctance Motor Drives: Improved Modeling and Analysis Beyond Active Flux

The paper presents a framework for the design and analysis of position observers for sensorless control of synchronous reluctance machines. An improved inductance model is developed to account for the position error induced inductance variations. The instability regions of active flux based position observer are analytically identified and validated. A novel technique, Adaptive Projection vector for Position error estimation (APP), that alleviates the stability problems is introduced. Furthermore, the proposed technique can be augmented with a second projection vector to estimate speed error independently of the position error, referred to as Adaptive Projection vector matrix for Position and Speed error estimation (APPS). Stability and performance of proposed technique is validated on a 1 kW synchronous reluctance motor test bench