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This study aimed to identify the most appropriate squat posture for women by analyzing different squatting methods and weights. Twelve healthy women were recruited as subjects (age: 20.1 ± 1.2 years, height: 163.4 ± 3.7 cm, weight: 57.9 ± 4.9 kg). The 10-camera Vicon MX13 + motion capture system was used to collect squat and shallow squat motion images at 250 Hz sample rate and a Kistler force plate was used to collect ground reaction force at a 1000 Hz sample rate. The two-way ANOVA (α = .05) was applied to assess for significance. The knee joint torque increased as the weight increased (p

This study examined kinematics differences between personal best and worst throws to determine movement corrections for javelin throwers. Eight elite Asian male throwers were filmed as part...

We evaluated whether knees and hips are the key regions to anticipate an opponent’s cutting directions by using the kinematics method during different cutting tasks. Eighteen male university divisi...

[Purpose] To evaluate the effects of Pilates on patients with chronic low back pain through a systematic review of high-quality articles on randomized controlled trials. [Subjects and Methods] Keywords and synonyms for "Pilates" and "Chronic low back pain" were used in database searches. The databases included PubMed, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), Medline, and the Cochrane Library. Articles involving randomized controlled trials with higher than 5 points on the PEDro scale were reviewed for suitability and inclusion. The methodological quality of the included randomized controlled trials was evaluated using the PEDro scale. Relevant information was extracted by 3 reviewers. [Results] Eight randomized controlled trial articles were included. Patients with chronic low back pain showed statistically significant improvement in pain relief and functional ability compared to patients who only performed usual or routine health care. However, other forms of exercise were similar to Pilates in the improvement of pain relief and functional capacity. [Conclusion] In patients with chronic low back pain, Pilates showed significant improvement in pain relief and functional enhancement. Other exercises showed effects similar to those of Pilates, if waist or torso movement was included and the exercises were performed for 20 cumulative hours.

The spherical gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) typically are red in solution. However, in this study, the dichroic and spherical AuNPs were synthesized using a modified seeding growth method under reducing agent insufficiency in an aqueous solution. This particular AuNP solution is orange in reflected light and red in transmitted light. The reflectance curves confirm that the dichroic AuNPs are different from the classic AuNPs. With particle assembling, the AuNP solution is fainter orange in reflected light, but purple in transmitted light when the color of classic spherical AuNP solution is purple in both lights. Furthermore, the aggregated-nanogold solutions were added to HAuCl4 solutions with the addition of an insufficient amount reducing agent. The solution changed from faint orange to bright orange in reflected light and from purple to blue in transmitted light. It indicates that the gold assembling under a reducing agent insufficiency, not the shape of AuNP, causes the dichroic phenomenon. To the best of our knowing, this is the first study to report how the AuNP is synthesized, not the shape, affects the color of the AuNP.

The accumulation of a large amount of amyloid-β (Aβ42) in brain neurons is one of the debilitating characteristics of Alzheimer's disease. In this study, we determined the effects of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) activation on neuronal degeneration using a model of Aβ42-induced cytotoxicity. We found that 0.5 μM Aβ42 induced DNA damage and apoptosis in NT2N cells after 6 h of treatment. Co-treatment of Aβ42-treated cells with Wy14643, a PPARα ligand, significantly increased cell viability after 24 h compared with cells treated with Aβ42 alone. There were no differences in the protein levels of caspase-3, Bcl-2/Bax or p53 between cells treated with Aβ42 alone and those treated with both Aβ42 and Wy14643. However, the addition of Wy14643 significantly suppressed the Aβ42-induced upregulation of Endo G and AIF protein levels. Immunohistochemical analyses further demonstrated that Wy14643 reduced the expression of Endo G and AIF translocated from the cytoplasm into the nucleus, which occurred concomitantly with the decrease in DNA damage in Aβ42-treated cells. Our data clearly show that PPARα activation prevents DNA damage and neuronal cell apoptosis by decreasing the expression and translocation of AIF/Endo G to the nucleus in a caspase-3- and p53-independent pathway in the NT2N cell model. This role of PPARα in promoting neuron survival suggests a possible clinical application in treating Aβ42-associated neurotoxicity in Alzheimer's disease.

Push Hand is an advanced training technique for the Yang-style old frame 108 forms Tai Chi Chuan. It is performed by two practitioners. To clarify how people use forces during Push Hand training, it is important to review the ground reaction force (GRF). Here, we quantify the characteristics of the GRF during Push Hand training. Kinematic data and GRF data from 10 Tai Chi Chuan practitioners (29.9 ± 7.87 years) were synchronously recorded using a three-dimensional motion analysis system (200 frames · s(-1)) and three-dimensional force plates (1000 Hz). The resultant GRF for both feet for the 0%, 50% and 100% phases of attack and defence were compared to body weight using a paired-samples t-test. The differences in the resultant GRF between the 0%, 50% and 100% phases of attack and defence were tested by one-way repeated-measures ANOVA. The significance level was set to 0.05. The total resultant GRF was almost equal to the participant's body weight in push hand. This result was consistent throughout the entire push hand process. Our results revealed that the GRF was comparable to the body weight, implying that practitioners do not push or resist their opponents during the push hand process.

This study develops polydimethylsiloxane microfluidics to enable real-time collection and lysis of Phalaenopsis protoplasts and to analyze and compare the protoplast collecting efficiency of a concave sieving array with that of a convex–concave sieving array. Each set of microfluidics comprises a main flow channel and a protoplast sieving array with collecting channels. The protoplasts were isolated from Phalaenopsis leaves by an enzymatic breakdown of the cell walls and collected in side channels through microsieves. Finally, 1% w/v sodium dodecyl sulfate solution was injected into lysed protoplasts, and the DNA segment of the lysed protoplasts was released into the solution. The results indicate that the concave sieving array at the U-bend of the main flow channel causes the protoplasts to flow back into the main flow channel from the collecting channels. Thus, the protoplast collecting efficiency of the concave sieving array was lower in this study. Regarding the number and arrangement of protoplast microsieves, the convex–concave sieving array substantially restricts protoplasts from flowing back into the main flow channel, thereby increasing the collecting efficiency. Finally, DNA is released from lysed protoplasts after the injection of a lysis solution. DNA flow can be focused into a single stream to contact the rectangular microstructures in microchannels.

A project-based laboratory for learning embedded system design with support from industry is presented in this paper. The aim of this laboratory is to motivate students to learn the building blocks of embedded systems and practical control algorithms by constructing a line-following robot using the quadratic interpolation technique to predict the line position. For those students who have acquired basic microcontroller hardware and software programming skills from previous courses, the hands-on exercises in the laboratory include several specific hardware circuits and software algorithms for the final project of constructing the line-following robot. The students are allowed to discuss the hardware and software problems with each other while solving each exercise, although they have to answer the teacher's questions individually to earn the score. To enhance the learning outcomes, a racing contest for the students' line-following robots is also organized to see how well the techniques learned in the laboratory are applied in the final project. The support from the local branch of Microchip Inc. allows students to obtain C-compilers and microcontrollers at no cost. The feedback from students shows that the final project of constructing line-following robots and the racing contest motivates the students to learn actively all the skills included in the laboratory for embedded system design.

This paper presents a hands-on laboratory for autonomous mobile robot design courses, which will be offered to the third or fourth year students of the department of electronic engineering in the Lunghwa University of Science and Technology. The aim of the hands-on laboratory is to introduce to the students the basic implementation issues of autonomous mobile robots from a practical point of view. Therefore, a simple line following robot with automatic control algorithms to detect the line position and to steer the motors, and a micro-mouse capable of solving a given maze are devised for the hands-on laboratory. These two autonomous mobile robot kits based on the dsPIC microcontroller are used to help students learn easily both the hardware and software implementation issues. SIMULINK behaviour models are also developed to help students quickly grasp the working principles of these two autonomous mobile robots. All the necessary software is given at no cost to the students during the class.

This paper presents a hands-on laboratory for introductory automatic control courses, which will be offered to the third or fourth year students of the department of electronic engineering in the Lunghwa University of Science and Technology. The aim of the hands-on laboratory is to help reinforce the learning process of the students in introductory automatic control courses from a practical point of view. Therefore, a low cost (~D 60) but versatile educational platform based on the dsPIC microcontroller is devised as a learning aid to implement practical control algorithms for motion control systems. A monitor and control software running on the PC side is also developed to collect experimental results from and send commands via universal serial bus (USB) to the platform. All the necessary softwares are given at no cost to the students during the class. In addition to the theoretical part of automatic control systems and microcontroller structures, the hands-on laboratory consists of four parts of exercises which are used to help students learn step by step the automatic control theory, how to implement control algorithms in a microcontroller, and the performance requirements of motion control systems.

Various coding structures and modes in the latest High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard result in significant computation of rate distortion optimization to decide the best one. To fit the real time demand, this paper proposes a hardware-friendly Rate-Distortion Estimation algorithm and its hardware design. For bit rate estimation, we propose a linear model based on the histogram of quantized coefficients instead of serial arithmetic coding computation in the reference software for speedup. For the distortion estimation, we use the transform domain instead of spatial domain estimation to save inverse transform computation. The simulation results shows 3.49% BD-rate increase on average compared to reference software. The hardware implementation with TSMC 90nm CMOS costs 50K logic gates which can support the processing with 16 pixels per cycle at 270MHz operation frequency.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of Tai Chi Chuan on the strategies of obstacle-crossing behavior in older adults aged over 65 years. Fifteen Tai Chi group (TCG) participants were compared with 15 general group (GG) participants. Kinematic parameters (by Vicon motion analysis system) and ground reaction forces (by Kistler force plates) were synchronously recorded. A two-way mixed-design ANOVA (α = 0.05) was used to test the effects of the group and the obstacle height. The TCG performed significantly faster stride velocities, longer stride lengths, and shorter stride times than GG while crossing the obstacles. TCG could also produce significantly larger forward ground reaction forces to propel the body and were able to make a significantly greater flexion angle of the hip of the leading leg compared with the GG. It was concluded that the TCG adopted a different strategy with GG to cross the obstacles and completed the crossing behavior more effectively.

Background: We conducted biomechanical evaluation of the anterior plating and posterior wiring techniques for cervical spine stabilization after a course of healing in sheep. Methods: Seventeen sheep were included, and six of which underwent sham operations (group A, n = 6). The other eleven received complete C2-C3 destabilization, followed by intervertebral bone grafting and cervical stabilization either with anterior plating (group B, n = 5) or posterior wiring (group C, n = 6) techniques. These animals were killed 6 months later. Ligamentous spines (C1-C5) were subjected to the relevantly applied loads. The load-deformation data of the C2-C3 and C3-C4 functional units were recorded and analyzed. Results: At the C2-C3 functional unit, group B had the least motion ranges in flexion, lateral bending, and rotation loads than did the other two groups. Significantly smaller motion ranges of lateral bending and rotation loads were found in group B than in group C (p < 0.05). Compared with group A, group C had a decreased motion range in flexion load but showed increased motion range in rotation load. Consequently, group B had superior intervertebral fusion and less osteophyte than did group C. At the C3-C4 functional unit, group B showed significantly decreased motion ranges in extension and lateral bending loads (p < 0.05), while group C did not. Conclusion: The results indicated that the anterior plate-stabilized spines were more stable over time than did the posterior-wired spines. This biomechanical advantage eventually resulted in superior intervertebral fusion masses in the former, although it also induced a slightly decreased motion range at the contiguous functional unit. In exclusively posterior wired-spines, the weakness for opposing rotation loads might contribute to the formation of osteophytes at the fusion functional unit. These data point out that the mode and stability of implant fixation systems greatly influence the biomechanical redistribution and bone-adaptive remodeling process during healing, which are closely related to the bone graft maturation and osteophytic formations at the fusion level and the occurrence of stiffening problems at the contiguous levels.

Objectives. To evaluate the effects of anterior thermal capsulorrhaphy of the glenohumeral joint by monitoring changes of magnitudes of the anterior and posterior displacements of the humeral head and ranges of motion of abduction and rotation in fresh cadaver shoulders. Design. Single session repeated-measures design. Background. Following thermal shrinkage anterior and posterior displacements of the head of humerus were decreased. However, no studies were focused on the ranges of motion of abduction and rotation of the shoulder joint immediately. The mobility of abduction and rotation are also important indexes for glenohumeral function. Methods and measures. Nine fresh frozen shoulder specimens were used. The dorsal and ventral displacements of humeral head and ranges of motion of abduction and rotation of glenohumeral joint before and after thermal capsulorrhaphy were performed and monitored. Changes after thermal treatment in these linear and angular displacement variables were calculated as outcome measures. Results. After anterior thermal capsulorrhaphy, significant (P

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the kinematic responses and the restorative effectiveness of three posterior fixations in a canine atlantoaxial ( C1-2) complex model.Methods: Nine canine ligamentous C1-2complexes were non-destructively tested in an intact condition, after ligamentous destabilization, and after bilateral stabilization with each of three posterior fixation methods: (1) Halifax inter-laminar clamps; (2) sub-laminar wiring; and (3) individual fixation of the C1lateral mass and the C2pedicle with screws and plates. Specimens were subjected to a relevantly applied loads through a loading frame rigidly attached to the C1. Two sets of three markers was separately attached to the mounting jigs of the C1and the C2to record the spatial locations after each loading step with a Vicron 370 system. The load-deformation data were analyzed.Results: Under a realistic loading paradigm, destabilized canine C1-2complex had 3-dimensional motion ranges highly consistent with the corresponding values observed in destabilized cadaveric human C1-2complex following a non-destructive loading paradigm. All the three posterior fixations significantly restricted the motion range of axial rotation loads (PConclusion: We described a destabilized canine C1-2complex model. Under a realistic loading paradigm, the model had kinematic analogue of destabilized human C1-2complex. Our results indicated that posterior stabilization using inter-articular fixation techniques or inter-laminar clamps could effectively restrict hypermotility caused by C1-2ligamentous destabilization, and, therefore, appeared to be reliable fixation methods. In contrast, posterior wiring alone would preserve more residual motions, and, thus, might need other adjunctive fixations to offer an optimal condition for solid bony fusion.

Single-session repeated-measures design.To define the resting position of the glenohumeral joint by investigating the magnitude of the anterior and posterior displacements of the humeral head and medial and lateral rotation ranges of motion (ROMs) of the glenohumeral joint at different abduction angles in cadaver specimens.The resting position of a joint is the position in the joint's ROM at which the joint capsule has its greatest laxity. It is frequently chosen as the position for assessing and treating joints with dysfunction. However, no study has been conducted to determine the resting position of the glenohumeral joint.Seven freshly frozen cadaver shoulder specimens (age at time of death [mean +/- SD] was 66.9 +/- 2.5 years) were studied. Specimens were mounted on a system that uses computer-controlled hydraulics and motors to induce and monitor translation and rotation movements of the glenohumeral joint. The magnitudes of total displacement (DTotal) of the head of the humerus and total ROM (RTotal) of the glenohumeral joint were measured in the plane of the scapula at 0 degrees (neutral), 30 degrees, 40 degrees, 50 degrees, 60 degrees, and the end range of glenohumeral joint abduction. The resting position was determined as the midpoint of the shared range of the 95% to 99.9% confidence intervals of the predicted abduction position where the peaks of displacement and rotation occurred.The DTotal measurements (mean +/- SD) at 0 degrees, 30 degrees, 40 degrees, 50 degrees, 60 degrees, and the end range of glenohumeral joint abduction were 30.53 +/- 9.35, 44.87 +/- 7.34, 45.35 +/- 8.53, 43.99 +/- 10.02, 39.63 +/- 9.85, and 23.80 +/- 10.42 mm, respectively. The RTotal measurements (mean +/- SD) for the same positions were 67.15 degrees +/- 15.87 degrees, 95.64 degrees +/- 24.26 degrees, 98.88 degrees +/- 29.56 degrees, 97.08 degrees +/- 30.17 degrees, 90.91 degrees +/- 28.73 degrees, and 63.48 degrees +/- 25.93 degrees, respectively. The resting position was located at 39.33 degrees +/- 4.37 degrees of glenohumeral abduction (45.13% +/- 7.58% of the available abduction ROM). The resting position (Y) varied linearly with the maximum available abduction ROM (X) (Y = 0.607X - 13.120, R2 = 0.679, F = 10.61, P = 0.023). There was a main effect of joint position on both displacement (P0.001) and rotation ROM (P0.001).In the plane of the scapula, the resting position of the glenohumeral joint (angle measured between the scapula and humerus) occurred at 39 degrees of abduction (45% of the maximum available abduction ROM) and varied linearly with the amount of available abduction ROM. This finding suggests that in patients with glenohumeral joint hypomobility the resting position is located closer to neutral and that evaluation and treatment should be initiated accordingly at a smaller angle of abduction than the traditional resting position. Our data were derived from cadaver specimens, therefore, caution should be taken when generalizing the results of the present study to a patient population.

Hsu A-T, Ho L, Chang J-H, Chang G-L, Hedman T. Characterization of tissue resistance during a dorsally directed translational mobilization of the glenohumeral joint. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2002;83:360-6. Objectives: To quantify forces applied by therapists during dorsal glide translational mobilization of the glenohumeral joint, to determine the relationship of tissue resistance to the load-displacement relation of the glenohumeral joint, and to determine the safety of the forces applied by the therapists during dorsal glide translational mobilization. Design: A fresh cadaver shoulder specimen mounted on a 6-axis load cell was used to register forces applied by therapists during dorsal glide translational mobilization of the glenohumeral joint in a test-retest pattern. Setting: Biomechanics laboratory. Participants: Twelve experienced orthopedic physical therapists. Intervention: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: Forces exerted by therapists during passive dorsal glide translational mobilization in the loose-packed position and in the end range of abduction, with different grades of movements. The movements did not include any manipulation or thrust-type procedures. Simulated dorsal glide procedures were performed by the material testing system to construct the load-displacement curve of the glenohumeral specimen. The corresponding locations of the forces applied by therapists were interpolated and plotted on the load-displacement curve. Results: The peak force values measured during mobilization were characterized by large intertherapist variability: coefficients of variation ranged from 40.97% to 77.49%. Test-retest reliability for intrasession measures was high (ICC 2,1 range,.90–.94); intersession reliability was poor (ICC 2,1 range,.01–.54). The mean forces ranged from 18.36 to 38.76N. When interpolated to the load-displacement curve, the mean peak forces obtained fell mostly in the toe and the linear elastic regions of the load-displacement curve. Conclusion: Force parameters measured during dorsal glide mobilization were characterized by large intertherapist variability with high intrasession and poor intersession test-retest reliability. The mobilization forces applied by experienced orthopedic physical therapists fall safely in the toe and the linear elastic regions of the load-displacement curve. © 2002 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

The aim of this study was to understand how to process Yoga headstand and the difference between genders in headstand. Twelve skilled participates were recruited in this study (Males 34.1 [Formula: see text] 3.3 years, [Formula: see text]; Females 36.5 [Formula: see text] 3.9 years, [Formula: see text]). The 10 camera Vicon motion capture system, Kistler force plate, and Medilogic pressure mat were used synchronously to record the movement, ground reaction force, and pressure distribution during headstand. The Mann–Whitney U test and Friedman test ([Formula: see text]) was applied to assess the statistics. The trunk, hip, knee, and ankle joint angles were [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text], respectively, in all subjects. The pressure distribution was 38 [Formula: see text] 19%, 29 [Formula: see text] 12%, and 33 [Formula: see text] 9% on subjects’ heads, right elbows, and left elbows, respectively. The COP trajectory was 31.2 [Formula: see text] 17.4[Formula: see text]cm and surface area was 5.3 [Formula: see text] 1.4[Formula: see text]cm2. No significant differences were found in joint angles, overall force distribution, and COP trajectory and surface area between genders. Both males and females distribute body weight to the supports of head and elbows equally and kept the body straight and erect on the ground during Yoga headstand.

Background More than 1000 scientific papers have been devoted to flatfoot issue. However, a bimodal distribution of flatfoot indices in school-aged children has never been discovered. The purposes of this study were to establish a new classification of flatfoot by characteristic in frequency distribution of footprint index and to endue the classification with discrepancy in physical fitness. Methods/principal findings In a longitudinal survey of physical fitness and body structure, weight bearing footprints and 3 physical fitness related tests were measured in 1228 school-aged children. Frequency distribution of initial data was tested by Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for normality and a unique bimodal distribution of footprint index was identified. The frequency distribution of footprint index manifests two distinct modes, flatfoot and non-flatfoot, by deconvolution and bootstrapping procedures. A constant intersection value of 1.0 in Staheli's arch index and 0.6 in Chippaux-Smirak index could distinguish the two modes of children, and the value was constant in different age, sex, and weight status. The performance of the one leg balance was inferior in flatfoot girls (median, 4.0 seconds in flatfoot girls vs. 4.3 seconds in non-flatfoot girls, p = 0.04, 95% CI 0.404-0.484). Discussion The natural bimodality lends itself to a flatfoot classification. Bimodality suggests development of the child's foot arch would be a leap from one state to another, rather than a continuous growth as body height and weight. The underlying dynamics of the human foot arch and motor development will trigger research prospects.

This study identifies the optimal crouched starting positions (elongated, medium, or bunched) from push-off to the first two steps. Seven elite sprinters were recruited as participants in this study (aged: 21[Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]2 years). A high-speed camera (250[Formula: see text]Hz) was used to collect motion-based images on a sagittal plane. Kwon3D (software) was used to analyze the center of mass (COM) movement, step length, foot linear velocity, take-off angle, and trunk angle. Participants were tested in a 60[Formula: see text]m sprint for bunched, medium, and elongated starting positions. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) ([Formula: see text]) with repeated measures was performed to determine the difference in kinematics in the three crouched starting positions. The LSD comparison was applied to examine differences among pairs of means. Our results indicated that the medium starting position demonstrated a greater first step length and foot linear velocity when compared to the bunched starting position. In the first step toe-off, a lower COM vertical velocity was observed in the medium starting position when compared with the elongated starting position. This study concluded that the medium starting position was the ideal starting position.

1.1 History of spine biomechanics Spine biomechanics is the physical science that forms a substantial portion of the foundation of modern spine surgery. Plato’s conceptualization of mathematics as the life force of science created the birth and growth of the science of mechanics and spine biomechanics. Aristotle was the first to discuss human kinesiology and spine biomechanics under pure logical analysis. Leonardo da Vinci was the first to accurately describe the human adult S-shape spinal posture with its curvature, articulations and vertebrae. Borelli provided many calculations regarding spine biomechanics [1]. Bone trabecular architecture to its mechanical and load-bearing attributed to the Wolff’s law [2]. It contributed to the development of spine biomechanics as a discipline.

In recent years, the brightness of light-emitting diodes with efficiency has reached a high level, and the next surge is in demand for various types of luminous equipments, such as those can be used in the urban landscape of electronic outdoor billboards, aviation and electronic equipment indicators, which can replace the automobile's headlights. Particularly in view of the safety factor, such as solid-state components, the hardness of life, and the reliability. Therefore, they become the most suitable alternative with lower maintenance costs. However, when the factory produces a few thousands of light-emitting diode, traditional expensive detecting systems have been used to determine whether their characteristics are good or bad. It is noteworthy that this work will design and fabricate the effective detection and measurement system for the advanced light-emitting diodes, and this system can be used to analyze the stability as well.

The binary quadratic residue (QR) codes have nice distance property, but they are difficult to decode for the insufficient consecutive syndromes. The author used the Lagrange interpolation formula to calculate the needed primary unknown syndrome for the binary QR code. In this paper, we propose an efficient hardware architecture to implement this method, and decode the binary QR code by using the well-developed Berlekamp-Massey algorithm and Chien search.

A project-based laboratory for learning embedded system designs with support from the industry is presented in this paper. The aim of the laboratory is to motivate students to learn building blocks of embedded systems and practical control algorithms by constructing a line following robot with quadratic interpolation technique to predict the line position. In addition to the basic hardware and software skills, several specific hardware circuits and software algorithms are included for the final project of line following robot construction. The students are allowed to discuss with the other groups of students to solve both the hardware and software problems in each experiment, although they have to answer the teacherpsilas questions on their own to get the score. To enhance the learning outcomes, a racing contest for the studentspsila line following robots is also organized to see how well the techniques learned in the laboratory are applied in the final project. The support from the local branch of Microchip Inc. lets students obtain microcontrollers at no cost. The feedbacks of students show that the final project of constructing line following robots and the racing contest really motivate the students to learn and verify actively all the skills included in the laboratory.

Two methods have been used to produce a maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) of the superficial quadriceps femoris muscles for normalization of electromyographic (EMG) data. The purposes of this study were to compare the myoelectic activity of MVIC of manual muscle testing (MMT) versus Cybex maximal isometric testing. Eighteen normal subjects were recruited. MMT and Cybex testing for MVIC of the dominant leg were performed. EMG activities of the vastus medialis, vastus lateralis and rectus femoris were recorded during MMT and Cybex trials. EMG amplitude and median frequency obtained from the two methods (MMT and Cybex testing) were used for statistical analysis of these three muscles. Statistically, the difference in the mean of the EMG signal amplitude and median frequency between MMT and Cybex testing were not significant. Considering cost and time, MMT for MVIC technique appears to be reliable and highly valuable.

The axial distraction mobilization techniques are frequently employed for treating patients with joint hypomobility. However, there is a lack of basic biomechanical studies and description of this procedure. The purpose of this study was to analyze humeral head displacement while performing an axial distraction mobilization of the glenohumeral joint. Twelve experienced orthopedic physical therapists participated. Distraction mobilization techniques were performed in three different positions of glenohumeral abduction on a fresh cadaveric specimen. Outcome measures were displacements of the humeral head center during distraction mobilization. Result indicated that displacement of the humeral head was largest in the resting position (27.38 mm) followed by the neutral (22.01 mm) and the end range position (9.34 mm). There were significant differences for both the displacement of the humeral head (p

Summary form only given. Trauma and disorders are the major cause of spinal cord injuries at the C1-C level, which have resulted in complete or incomplete loss of sensory and motor functions. More and more accidents occur, which spend a lot of money in surgical treatment and rehabilitation. Conservative therapy or surgical treatment with internal fixation devices has been commonly used to stabilize the spine and enhance spine fusion for minimized compression in spinal cod leading to neurological deficits and other secondary injuries. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of various internal fixation devices for improving rotation stiffness of unstable atlanto-axial joint using a canine model. The results indicated that posterolateral plating provided the optimal stiffness across C1-2 in all the 6 tested directions than did the other 2 techniques although both the latter also had significantly increased stiffness compared to control group (P

Background and Purpose. Translational mobilization techniques are frequently used by physical therapists as an intervention for patients with limited ranges of motion (ROMs). However, concrete experimental support for such practice is lacking. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of simulated dorsal and ventral translational mobilization (DTM and VTM) of the glenohumeral joint on abduction and rotational ROMs. Methods. Fourteen fresh frozen shoulder specimens from 5 men and 3 women (mean age=77.3 years, SD=10.1, range=62–91) were used for this study. Each specimen underwent 5 repetitions of DTM and VTM in the plane of scapula simulated by a material testing system (MTS) in the resting position (40° of abduction in neutral rotation) and at the end range of abduction with 100 N of force. Abduction and rotation were assessed as the main outcome measures before and after each mobilization procedure performed and monitored by the MTS (abduction, 4 N·m) and by a servomotor attached to the piston of the actuator of the MTS (medial and lateral rotation, 2 N·m). Results. There were increases in abduction ROM for both DTM (X̄=2.10°, SD=1.76°) and VTM (X̄=2.06°, SD=1.96°) at the end-range position. No changes were found in the resting position following the same procedure. Small increases were also found in lateral rotation ROM after VTM in the resting position (X̄=0.90°, SD=0.92°, t=3.65, P=.003) and in medial rotation ROM after DTM (X̄=0.97°, SD=1.45°, t=2.51, P=.026) at the end range of abduction. Discussion and Conclusion. The results indicate that both DTM and VTM procedures applied at the end range of abduction improved glenohumeral abduction range of motion. Whether these changes would result in improved function could not be determined because of the use of a cadaver model.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to evaluate the kinematic response of late fusion results for cervical spine discectomies with and without bone grafting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifteen Barbados Black Belly sheep underwent sham operations (Group A, n = 5), C2-C3 discectomies only (Group B, n = 5), and C2-C3 discectomies with autologous iliac bone grafting (Group C, n = 5). Ten months after surgery, the animals were killed. Fresh ligamentous spines (C1-C5) were subjected to the relevantly applied loads through a loading frame attached to the C1. Each vertebra (from C2 to C4) was attached with a set of three infrared light-emitting diodes to record the spatial location relating to each load application using a Selspot II system (Selcom Selective Electronics, Inc., Valdese, NC). The load-deformation data of the C2-C3 and C3-C4 motion segments were recorded and analyzed for the three groups. RESULTS: At the C2-C3 motion segment, the results indicated that Group B displayed larger motion ranges of rotation and lateral bending loads than did the other two groups. Significantly larger motion ranges of rotation loads were found in Group B than in Group C (P < 0.05, for both comparisons). In contrast, Group C had the smallest motion ranges of flexion, lateral bending, and rotation loads. At the C3-C4 motion segment, both groups that had undergone discectomies had a significantly larger motion range of flexion load compared with Group A (P < 0.05, for both comparisons). A significant increase in the motion range of right axial rotation was found in Group B (P < 0.05), but not in Group C, compared with Group A. Group B exhibited larger motion ranges responding to all six tested loads than did Group C. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that anterior fusion after C2-C3 cervical discectomies, regardless of the presence or absence of bone grafting, decreases the motion range of flexion load at the C2-C3 motion segment, and contrary data were seen at the C3-C4 motion segment. For axial rotation loads, discectomies without bone grafting resulted in increased motion ranges of both C2-C3 and C3-C4 motion segments whereas discectomies with bone grafting did not. The data may have clinical relevance regarding the role of bone grafting in cases of cervical spine disease.