Charcot-Marie-Tooth

Background and Purpose: Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) is the most common inherited peripheral neuropathy and affects both motor and sensory nerves. Clinical presentation is similar among all types and results in distal muscle atrophy and weakness, diminished sensation and proprioception, and balance and gait disturbances. Pes cavus is a prominent feature. Although gene therapy and neurotrophic growth factors show promise as treatment, physical therapy remains the most viable option at this time. The purpose of this case report is to determine the effect that physical therapy may have on both physical and psychological outcomes related to CMT. Case Description: Patient was a 51-year-old-female presenting to physical therapy with a diagnosis of CMT. She presented with lower extremity pain, muscle weakness and atrophy, diminished or absent sensation and proprioception, gait deviations, and increased difficulty navigating stairs. Her main goal was to remain an independent ambulator for as long as possible. Her pain was managed with gabapentin. She did not report any involvement with her upper extremities. Intervention: A resistance training program focusing on balance, stepping activities and lower extremity strength was initiated carried out as an outpatient and home exercise program. Massage and soft tissue work was applied to the legs and feet. Outcome: The patient was seen for 18 total visits. At discharge, her balance, tandem stance, lower extremity strength all improved. She reported feeling more confident with ambulation and was less anxious about the disease process. A referral to a podiatrist was given for custom orthotics. Discussion: Patient\u27s with CMT often report difficulty with mobility and ambulation, specific activity impairments, fatigue, and emotional distress. In spite of this, they are often not referred to or attend physical therapy as the perceived benefit is small

Vitrography to direct light rays from a camera flash

This disclosure describes techniques that isolate a flash module from a camera module and enable both to be housed underneath a single piece of transparent material such as glass. Using vitrography, small deformations are fabricated within the glass bulk surrounding the flash module. The boundary between the bulk and the vitrographed glass prevents light rays from traveling towards the camera module from the flash module. Compared to current techniques used to isolate the flash module from the camera module, the disclosed techniques reduce the cost and complexity of device assembly and produce better device performance and aesthetic

The Drier Dryer

With our product, The Drier Dryer, we aim to increase the efficiency of clothing dryers. This report contains an indepth look at the design approach we are taking to create our product. Our design utilizes a thermoelectric cooler combined with heat sinks and heat pipes to efficiently cool air to its dew point temperature and then reheat the air prior to sending it into a clothes dryer intake. Cooling the air to dew point temperature allows moisture to be removed from the air consequently decreasing the relative humidity. Throughout our design process we obtained simulation results providing a theoretical temperature the air needs to be cooled down to in order to remove moisture based on various design conditions. Our results showed that for conditions of 27 °C (80 °F) and 80% relative humidity, based on a design state of Hawaii, we require at least a 4 °C temperature difference across the cold side heat sink. Results from experimental testing in Santa Clara, CA on our two iterations of prototypes yielded a maximum temperature difference of approximately 2 °C. After applying our future plans to further idealize our prototype design as well as incorporating design conditions based on our simulation results, we aim to further increase our temperature difference allowing us to prove our theoretical results experimentally

Feasibility assessment of low cost stereo computer vision in clay target shooting coaching

Clay target shooting is a sport that has been slow to adopt new technology to help automate and improve coaching. Currently gun mounted cameras and shooting simulators are available but these are prohibitively expensive for most shooters. This project aims to determine if a lower cost alternative can be created to provide feedback to new shooters about the distance they missed the target using low cost stereo computer vision. Initially an investigation was undertaken into the use of web cameras and GoPro action cameras for suitability to create a stereo vision system to track the shooter aim and the target position. The focus of this assessment was the camera resolution, frame rate and ability to be synchronized. The assessment found that these consumer-grade cameras all have high resolutions but no ability to be synchronized. Of these cameras the GoPro cameras could record in high definition at much higher frame rates then the web cameras and therefore were selected for the field trials. Field trials to test the accuracy of the low cost stereo vision system were performed in three phases; 'static', 'dynamic' and 'vs coaches'. The static trials were designed to find a baseline accuracy where the effect of frame synchronization errors could be reduced. The dynamic trials were performed to test the system on moving targets and to try and compensate for the synchronization errors. Finally the system was trialed against the judgement of three experienced human judges to test its reliability against the current coaching method. Matlab scripts were written to process the stereo images that were recorded as part of the field trials. Using colour thresholding and a custom filter that was created as part of this project, markers on the gun and the clay target were able to be segmented from the background in the trials. Using these positions the real world coordinates were able to be calculated and the aim of the gun vs target location estimated. The outcome of the trials showed that low cost computer vision can have good accuracy in estimation of gun aim in a static scene. When movement was introduced to the trials the synchronization errors of the cameras resulted in large positional errors. The final outcome of the project determined that low cost stereo computer vision is far less reliable and accurate than human coaches and is not at this time feasible to be used in clay target coaching

Shared neural substrates of emotionally enhanced perceptual and mnemonic vividness

It is well known that emotionally salient events are remembered more vividly than mundane ones. Our recent research has demonstrated that such memory vividness is due in part to the subjective experience of emotional events as more perceptually vivid, an effect we call emotion-enhanced vividness, or EEV. The present study built on previously reported research in which fMRI data were collected while participants rated relative levels of visual noise overlaid on emotionally salient and neutral images. Ratings of greater EEV were associated with greater activation in the amygdala, visual cortex, and posterior insula. In the present study, we measured BOLD activation that predicted recognition memory vividness for these same images one week later. Results showed that, after controlling for differences between scenes in low-level objective features, hippocampus activation uniquely predicted subsequent memory vividness. In contrast, amygdala and visual cortex regions that were sensitive to EEV were also modulated by subsequent ratings of memory vividness. These findings suggest shared neural substrates for the influence of emotional salience on perceptual and mnemonic vividness, with amygdala and visual cortex activation at encoding contributing to the experience of both perception and subsequent memory. © 2013 Todd, Schmitz, Susskind and Anderson