Oxygen Uptake and Energy Expenditure during Treadmill Walking with Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT) Shoes

[Purpose] It is suggested that walking with Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT) shoes will increase oxygen uptake and result in greater consumption of energy relative to walking with conventional shoes, but this has not been sufficiently investigated. [Methods] To examine this supposition, ten subjects walked on a treadmill with different types of shoes (jogging or MBT shoes), treadmill inclinations (zero or 10 % inclination) and walking speeds (i.e. self-selected walking speed or fast walking speed). Oxygen uptake, heart rate, lung ventilation, ratings of perceived exertion and energy expenditure were measured during all walking conditions by a stationary metabolic cart. [Results] On a flat treadmill at self-selected and fast walking speeds, physiological responses were similar for jogging and MBT shoes. In contrast, fast uphill walking with MBT shoes significantly increased oxygen uptake by about 5% relative to jogging shoes. The calculated energy expenditure for 60 minutes of fast, uphill walking was about 6% higher when using MBT shoes. [Conclusion] The magnitude of increases in oxygen uptake and energy expenditure when using MBT shoes were quite small, and the clinical relevance regarding reductions in body weight may be negligible

Exploring value dilemmas of brain monitoring technology through speculative design scenarios

In the field of brain monitoring, the advancement of more user-friendly wearable and non-invasive devices is introducing new opportunities for application outside the lab and clinical use. Despite the growing importance of responsible innovation, there remains a knowledge gap in addressing the possible impacts of wearable non-invasive brain monitoring technology on mental health and well-being. Addressing this, our main aim was to study the use of speculative design scenarios as a method to describe potential value dilemmas associated with this new technology. Through a qualitative study, we invited participants to engage in discussions regarding three variations of wearable non-invasive brain monitoring technology presented in speculative video scenarios. The study's findings describe how the discussions contribute towards promoting heuristics that can help foster more responsible innovation by identifying norms and value dilemmas through inclusive speculative design practices. This qualitative case study contributes to the literature on responsible innovation by demonstrating how responsible innovation frameworks can benefit from incorporating anticipatory speculative design methods aimed at early identification of potential value dilemmas.publishedVersio

Analysis of Human Gait Using Hybrid EEG-fNIRS-Based BCI System: A Review

Human gait is a complex activity that requires high coordination between the central nervous system, the limb, and the musculoskeletal system. More research is needed to understand the latter coordination\u27s complexity in designing better and more effective rehabilitation strategies for gait disorders. Electroencephalogram (EEG) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) are among the most used technologies for monitoring brain activities due to portability, non-invasiveness, and relatively low cost compared to others. Fusing EEG and fNIRS is a well-known and established methodology proven to enhance brain–computer interface (BCI) performance in terms of classification accuracy, number of control commands, and response time. Although there has been significant research exploring hybrid BCI (hBCI) involving both EEG and fNIRS for different types of tasks and human activities, human gait remains still underinvestigated. In this article, we aim to shed light on the recent development in the analysis of human gait using a hybrid EEG-fNIRS-based BCI system. The current review has followed guidelines of preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-Analyses (PRISMA) during the data collection and selection phase. In this review, we put a particular focus on the commonly used signal processing and machine learning algorithms, as well as survey the potential applications of gait analysis. We distill some of the critical findings of this survey as follows. First, hardware specifications and experimental paradigms should be carefully considered because of their direct impact on the quality of gait assessment. Second, since both modalities, EEG and fNIRS, are sensitive to motion artifacts, instrumental, and physiological noises, there is a quest for more robust and sophisticated signal processing algorithms. Third, hybrid temporal and spatial features, obtained by virtue of fusing EEG and fNIRS and associated with cortical activation, can help better identify the correlation between brain activation and gait. In conclusion, hBCI (EEG + fNIRS) system is not yet much explored for the lower limb due to its complexity compared to the higher limb. Existing BCI systems for gait monitoring tend to only focus on one modality. We foresee a vast potential in adopting hBCI in gait analysis. Imminent technical breakthroughs are expected using hybrid EEG-fNIRS-based BCI for gait to control assistive devices and Monitor neuro-plasticity in neuro-rehabilitation. However, although those hybrid systems perform well in a controlled experimental environment when it comes to adopting them as a certified medical device in real-life clinical applications, there is still a long way to go

Design and innovation with problem based learning methods: An engineering perspective

Of the many diverse and fascinating challenges we face today, the most intense and important is how to understand and shape the new technology revolution. We are at the beginning of a revolution that is fundamentally changing the way we live, work, and relate to one another. In its scale, scope and complexity, what one would consider being the fourth industrial revolution that is unlike anything humankind has experienced in human history. One would assume that the educational systems in particular for undergraduate engineering students would follow the same trend and if educating engineers should be affected by this paradigm change. Today, we are still struggling with overcrowded auditoriums where students are bystanders for a lecture that varies between one or two academic hours. We still expect that our students learn by attending these lectures in addition to reading a book with the same thickness as their own head. By then, we expect that they do not only understand everything, but also become creative and innovative and use that knowledge in their future carrier. Although, there have been a tremendous effort to achieve an educational method that satisfy all the aforementioned requirement criteria to follow these rapid changes towards a technological society, none of the todays solutions is able to address all these demands. Recently, there has been a political wind that is blowing in the direction of problem based and in particular, research based learning methods. Problem based learning is a teaching method in which the students initially are presented with a problem to be solved, prior to any form of lectures. The learning shall take place as the students try to solve the problem. They will have to find the information they need, structure the information and evaluate if it is sufficient to solve the problem. The tasks given to a graduated engineer will often be problem solving or to create new products or services. Therefore, it is important to teach the students how to solve problems or how to apply their knowledge in a creative way in order to achieve innovation. There are challenges to integrate these learning methods with other criteria that involves innovation and creativity. In our department, we have experience with problem based learning in single courses and we will share our learning points. In this paper, we are challenging how a problem based learning is comprehended from an engineer perspective, and specifically sketch how we could activate different cognitive levels in a learning model that uses problem based learning (PDF) Design and innovation with problem based learning methods: an engineering perspective. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319272860_Design_and_innovation_with_problem_based_learning_methods_an_engineering_perspective [accessed Sep 24 2018]

3D printing in medical application: an educational design perspective

Medical applications for 3D printin g are expanding rapidly and are expected to revolutionize health care. The application of 3D printing in medicine and healthcare can provide many bene fits, including the customization and personalization of medical products, drugs, and equipment; cost - effectiveness; increased productivity; the democratization of design and manufacturing; and enhanced collaboration. Normally, one have to either draw an o bject in a CAD program , dow n load or optimize a digital model that is generated by Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound imaging (US) , 3D scanning , or computer tomography (CT) to a 3D printing process. Although such a technology could be regarded as an engineering tool, a broader aspect of the technology and its effects on motivation for the students in particular for medical applicat ion has not been reviewed previously . One would question the level of integrating such a device into engineering stude nt curriculum, and how would that gain the level of students’ knowledge to make faster prototypes and examine ideas in a faster pace. In this paper, we are in particular elaborating different cases for applications using such a technology, and discuss the barriers and controversies of 3D printing and its related processes in light of two medical applications in addition to its educational effects. We present a workflow that can be considered for processing any medical applications with 3D printing. Furthe rmore, we elaborate the experiences with our students on how they achieved their goal through a rather creative process by using 3D printers for making medical device prototype

A Superimposed QD-Based Optical Antenna for VLC: White LED Source

Visible light communication (VLC) is a versatile enabling technology for following high-speed wireless communication because of its broad unlicensed spectrum. In this perspective, white light-emitting diodes (LED) provide both illumination and data transmission simultaneously. To accomplish a VLC system, receiver antennas play a crucial role in receiving light signals and guiding them toward a photodetector to be converted into electrical signals. This paper demonstrates an optical receiver antenna based on luminescent solar concentrator (LSC) technology to exceed the conservation of etendue and reach a high signal-to-noise ratio. This optical antenna is compatible with all colors of LEDs and achieves an optical efficiency of 3.75%, which is considerably higher than the similar reported antenna. This antenna is fast due to the small attached photodetector—small enough that it can be adapted for electronic devices—which does not need any tracking system. Moreover, numerical simulation is performed using a Monte Carlo ray-tracing model, and results are extracted in the spectral domain. Finally, the fate of each photon and the chromaticity diagram of the collected photons’ spectra are specified

Graphene Nanoribbon Bending (Nanotubes): Interaction Force between QDs and Graphene

Carbon materials in different shapes—such as fullerene molecules (0D), nanotubes and graphene nanoribbons (1D), graphene sheets (2D), and nanodiamonds (3D)—each have distinct electrical and optical properties. All graphene-based nanostructures are expected to exhibit extraordinary electronic, thermal, and mechanical properties. Moreover, they are therefore promising candidates for a wide range of nanoscience and nanotechnology applications. In this work, we theoretically studied and analyzed how an array of quantum dots affects a charged graphene plate. To that end, the array of quantum dots was embedded on the graphene plate. Then, considering the interaction between QDs and graphene nanoribbons, we transformed the charged plate of a graphene capacitor into a nanotube using the bipolar-induced interaction and the application of an external electromagnetic field. In this work, the dimensions of the graphene plate were 40 nm × 3100 nm. The bending process of a charged graphene plate is controlled by the induced force due to the applied electromagnetic field and the electric field induced by the quantum dots. Finally, using the predetermined frequency and amplitude of the electromagnetic field, the graphene nanoribbon was converted into a graphene nanotube. Since the electrical and optical properties of nanotubes are different from those of graphene plates, this achievement has many practical potential applications in the electro-optical industry

Relationship between level of daily activity and upper-body aerobic capacity in adults with a lower limb amputation

Background: Previous studies show that people with lower limb amputation (LLA) have a sedentary lifestyle, reduced walking capacity, and low cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2peak). There is, however, no knowledge on the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and objectively measured level of physical activity in daily life. Objectives: To investigate the relationship between upper-body VO2peak, physical activity levels, and walking capacity in persons with LLA. Study design: Correlational and descriptive study. Methods: Fourteen participants with LLA performed an assessment of VO2peak on an arm-crank ergometer and walking capacity (preferred walking speed and 2-minute walking test). Level of physical activity was measured over 7 days with a step activity monitor (number of steps; sedentary time; and proportion of low-intensity, moderate-intensity, high-intensity, and peak-intensity activity level). Results: VO2peak correlated significantly with number of steps per day (r = 0.696, p = 0.006), sedentary time (r = −0.618, p = 0.019), high-intensity activity level (r = 0.769, p = 0.001), and peak-intensity activity level (r = 0.674, p = 0.008). After correcting for age, correlations were still large and significant. Large correlations were also found between VO2peak, preferred walking speed (r = 0.586, p = 0.027), and 2-minute walking test (r = 0.649, p = 0.012). Conclusions: We provide the first evidence of the strong relationships between upper-body VO2peak, sedentary behavior, high-intensity activity level, and walking capacity in persons with LLA. Further research is needed to investigate the potential effect of upper-body cardiorespiratory fitness on the level of activity in daily life, or vice versa

Experimental investigation on the light transmission of a textile-based over-cap used in functional near-infrared spectroscopy

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy as an optical (i.e., light-based) neuroimaging technique is susceptive to ambient light noise. In the daily task scenario experiments, light is required to monitor the movement of patients and to minimize the e ect of this light on the results; the fNIRS optodes are covered with dark materials (e.g., a loose- tting black shower-cap). In our laboratory, over-caps provided by NIRx (produced by EasyCap) have been used to eliminate this con-founder. However, there has been a demand to evaluate their performance by quanti cation. Thus, in this paper, the transmission of light through a fabric over-cap is investigated. The results revealed that the output signal of functional near-infrared spectroscopy could be contaminated signi cantly by the ambient light. Moreover, the noise varies due to the stretch that could be applied due to various head sizes. The changes in the amplitude of the signal, which relates to physiological responses, is about 1-2 % in continuous wave measurement while the result of the investigation notes that the transmission average in the samples varies from 8-46 percent depending on the stretching forces. Therefore, it is suggested that this kind of over-caps would be applied only in a dimmed environment, which is not applicable when subjects have mobility disorders. Under such conditions, other techniques to minimize ambient light should be practiced