Search

According to the World Health Organization, one-third of elderly people aged 65 or over fall annually, and this number increases after 70. Several gait biomechanical parameters were associated with a history of falls. This study aimed to conduct a systematic review to identify and describe the gait biomechanical parameters related to falls in the elderly. MEDLINE Complete, Cochrane, Web of Science, and CINAHL Complete were searched for articles on 22 November 2023, using the following search sentence: (gait) AND (fall*) AND ((elder*) OR (old*) OR (senior*)) AND ((kinematic*) OR (kinetic*) OR (biomechanic*) OR (electromyogram*) OR (emg) OR (motion analysis*) OR (plantar pressure)). This search identified 13,988 studies. From these, 96 were selected. Gait speed, stride/step length, and double support phase are gait biomechanical parameters that differentiate fallers from non-fallers. Fallers also tended to exhibit higher variability in gait biomechanical parameters, namely the minimum foot/toe clearance variability. Although the studies were scarce, differences between fallers and non-fallers were found regarding lower limb muscular activity and joint biomechanics. Due to the scarce literature and contradictory results among studies, it is complex to draw clear conclusions for parameters related to postural stability. Minimum foot/toe clearance, step width, and knee kinematics did not differentiate fallers from non-fallers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Falls are a major concern in the elderly and walking is an important daily activity in which falls occur, with tripping and slipping being the most frequent causes. Gait biomechanical parameters have been related to the occurrence of falls in the elderly. Moreover, there is evidence that falls can be prevented through exercise programs, which have been shown to be also effective in improving gait biomechanical parameters. However, a question remains: "What types of exercises must be included in exercise programs to prevent falls?". The purpose of this manuscript was to present guidelines for a fall prevention exercise program for the elderly, which was created with the aim of improving the gait biomechanical parameters related to falls. The critical review performed during the preparation of this manuscript collected important evidence and knowledge in order to create a structural basis for the development of a fall prevention exercise program. This type of program should last 6 or more weeks and be prescribed based on four movement pillars (locomotion, level changes, pulling and pushing, and rotations); however, the locomotion pillar must be the focus of the program. Proprioceptive and functional strength exercises should be included in this program. Based on the theoretical rationale, a proposal for a fall prevention exercise program is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industry 5.0 combines automation/digitalization with human capabilities to create a more intuitive, interactive, and sustainable working environment. Additive manufacturing, widely known as 3D printing, is a key technology used to increase customization and efficiency and reduce waste in manufacturing. Industry 5.0 enables manufacturers to create environmentally sustainable and consumer-centric products. However, there is a lack of studies on the introduction of AM technologies to Industry 5.0. The present study investigates the use of additive manufacturing for the fabrication of metallic parts/assemblies and the correlation between human-centric technologies, additive manufacturing, and environmental sustainability. Effective communication between these components is the key to achieving the goals of Industry 5.0, and the important parameters are shown in this article. The present work is focused on an overview and the impact of the futuristic subdivision of additive manufacturing applied to the fabrication of metallic parts/assemblies, more specifically, the 3D printing of challenging alloys or composites (such as copper alloys and/or composites with hard particles). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cement paste powder (CPP) is a by-product of the recycling process of concrete with an elevated carbonation capability and potential to be recycled as a binding material in new concrete batches. The application of a carbonation treatment to CPP improves this potential even more, besides the evident gains in terms of CO2 net balance. However, the long duration usually adopted in this treatment, from 3 to 28 days, hampers the industrial viability of the process. We studied the feasibility of a short-duration carbonation process, with a duration of two hours, carrying out a comprehensive characterization of the material throughout the process. The test was performed on CPP with an average initial water content of 16.9%, exposed to a CO2 concentration of 80%. The results demonstrate two main carbonation rates: a rapid growth rate in the first 18 minutes of the process, involving all the calcium-bearing compounds in CPP, and a slow growth rate afterwards, where only C-S-H contributes to the carbonation reaction. During the 2 h carbonation process, the main CPP compounds, calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) and calcium hydroxide (CH), reached different carbonation degrees, 31% and 94%, with, however, close CO2 uptake values, 8% and 11%, respectively. Nevertheless, the total CO2 uptake for this process (≈19%) attained values not distant from the values usually obtained in a carbonation of 12 days or more (19–25%). Hence, these findings highlight the blocking role of C-S-H in the carbonation process, indicating that longer carbonation periods are only going to be useful if an effective carbonation of this compound is accomplished. In the present scenario, where CH is the main contributor to the reaction, the reduction in the process duration is feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: When a horse is diagnosed with a locomotor disorder, the veterinarian treats the specific injury to restore the horse to soundness. Even after the injury has healed, however, the horse may not be fully functional due to persistent limitations in movement or strength in specific areas of the body. As in people, rehabilitation seeks to optimize function and reduce any existing disability using a variety of methods including manual therapy, the use of physical and mechanical agents, and specialized exercise regimes. This study has reviewed the scientific literature with the goal of identifying which types of physical therapy have been described in horses over the past 20 years. The most frequently reported techniques were exercise, electrotherapy, and hydrotherapy but there are relatively few publications describing details of their use and outcomes in clinical cases. This study reviews the methodology and outcomes of rehabilitation in clinical cases. The results highlight the paucity of clinically-based reports on the practical applications of equine rehabilitation and physical therapy. Injuries to the locomotor system are a common problem in athletic horses. Veterinarians address these injuries using appropriate medical, surgical, and pharmacological treatments. During or after recovery from the initial injury, horses may be treated for functional locomotor deficits using specific rehabilitation techniques aimed at restoring full athletic performance. This study reviews the literature to identify which rehabilitative techniques have been used most frequently in horses over the past 20 years, the protocols that were used, and the outcomes of the treatments in naturally occurring injuries and diseases. Publications were identified using keyword selection (Equine Athlete OR Equine OR Horse) AND (Rehabilitation OR Physiotherapy OR Physical Therapy). After removing duplicates and screening papers for suitability, 49 manuscripts were included in the study. The majority of publications that met the inclusion criteria were narrative reviews (49%) in which the authors cited the relatively small number of published evidence-based studies supplemented by personal experience. Observational/descriptive studies were also popular (35%). Randomized control trials accounted for only 10%. The most frequently reported rehabilitation techniques were exercise, electrotherapy, and hydrotherapy. The findings highlight the need for further information regarding type of intervention, parameterization, and outcomes of equine rehabilitation in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to optimize the struvite chemical precipitation process in nitrogen-rich anaerobic co-digestion systems. Struvite precipitation experiments were carried out using a mixture of cattle slurry liquid fraction and sewage sludge, with and without ultrasound pretreatment. Marine salt or MgCl2 were used as magnesium source in NH4+:Mg2+ stoichiometric proportions of 1:1.5 and 1:3. Under the tested conditions, ammonium nitrogen and orthophosphate were removed from the mixed liquor with a maximum observed efficiency of 43% and 92%, respectively, when the ultrasound treatment was applied prior to struvite precipitation, using MgCl2 as source of magnesium (NH4+:Mg2+ of 1:3). The operating time was 40 min. Different pretreatments were tested prior to the biomethanization experiments, struvite precipitation, ultrasound and a combination of both pretreatments. The application of ultrasound (with an energy input of 218 kJ L−1) and struvite precipitation (NH4+:Mg2+ of 1:3) increased the methane content in the biogas by 82% and reduced hydraulic retention time by 28%, when compared to the anaerobic co-digestion assays without pretreatment. The hydrolytic pretreatment increased the bioavailability of nitrogen by 5%, thus enhancing the removal efficiency of ammonium nitrogen by 20%. Consequently, an increase in the carbon to nitrogen ratio was observed, favoring the methanogenesis process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]