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BACKGROUND: People with forward head posture (FHP) and rounded shoulder posture (RSP) may experience shifts in scapular position and alterations in the strength of the muscles surrounding the scapula. Therefore, a reliable scapula position and scapula muscle strength test are required to identified scapula problem and provided appropriate intervention programs. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the reliability of scapular position measurements obtained using a modified digital inclinometer and palpation meter, as well as muscle strength using a hand-held dynamometer (HHD) in individuals with FHP and RSP. METHODS: Thirty healthy subjects underwent scapular position tests (upward rotation, anterior tilt, depression, and protraction) and strength tests of periscapular muscles (serratus anterior, upper trapezius, middle trapezius, and lower trapezius) on both the dominant and non-dominant sides. The reliability of the measurements was confirmed by computing the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), and minimal clinically important difference (MCID). Test and re-tests were conducted over a period of one week and actual values for each measurement were also obtained and assessed. RESULTS: The ICC ranged from 0.802 to 0.935 for the scapular position tests and from 0.808 to 0.949 for muscle strength tests on the dominant and non-dominant sides. For scapular position tests, SEM values ranged from 0.3 cm to 0.6 cm (protraction and depression), from 1.0∘ to 1.7∘ (upward rotation and anterior tilt) and MCID values ranged from 0.7 cm to 1.6 cm (protraction and depression), from 2.8∘ to 4.7∘ (upward rotation and anterior tilt). Regarding muscle strength tests, SEM and MCID values were in the range 14.4N–27.3N and 39.9N–75.7N, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Scapular position and periscapular muscle strength can be reproducibly measured in healthy subjects individuals with FHP and RSP. These instruments can hence be recommended for evaluating these functional traits in subjects with FHP and RSP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An evaluation of scapula position is important to predict spine curvature and shoulder function in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Therefore, a reliable scapula position is required to assess posture in patients with AIS. This study investigated the reliabilities of scapula position tests and differences in scapula position and shoulder function between individuals with and without AIS. The study compared 18 patients with AIS and 18 healthy controls to identify differences in scapula position and shoulder function. The acromion-table distance, lateral displacement of the scapula, acromion depression, winged scapula, upward rotation of the scapula, and anterior tilt of the scapula were measured. Scapula position test reliabilities were assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), and minimum clinically important difference (MCID). Shoulder function was measured using the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index. The reliabilities of scapula position tests (ICC 0.85–0.93, SEM 0.1–1.2, and MCID 0.2–2.5) were good. There were significant differences in scapula position and shoulder function between patients with AIS and healthy controls (p< 0.05). Scapula position tests were highly reliable in patients with AIS; they can be used to evaluate scapula position during clinical assessment of posture in patients with AIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes an unbalanced current compensation method based on a four-leg inverter using an artificial neural network (ANN) under unbalanced load conditions. Distribution systems exhibit rapid load variations, and conventional filter-based control methods suffer from the drawback of requiring an extended time period to reach a steady state. To address this problem, an ANN is applied to calculate the unbalanced current reference and enhance dynamic performance. Additionally, because of the periodic incorrect output inherent in the ANN, applying it to a proportional–integral controller would result in an error being directly reflected in the current reference. In the aforementioned problem, an ANN is applied to the dq0 coordinate system current controller to compensate for the periodic incorrect output in the current reference calculation. The proposed ANN-based unbalanced current compensation method is validated through PSIM simulations and experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The past century’s radical change, innovation in transportation technology and concomitant increase in options for our travel modes moves us away from walking to an almost total extinction of modes that require physical exercise. This is accompanied by a modern American city design that requires the use of an automobile with urban sprawl creating distant destinations that alter older methods of travel and make active forms of transportation almost impossible. However, many more reasons exist that motivate people to choose physically inactive modes as our research shows here. Using a two-day activity diary collected in Centre County Pennsylvania, we identify which factors influence active versus inactive mode choice. In this analysis, we examine the correlation between trip purpose and travel mode, the correlation between age and travel mode, and perform an analysis of travel distances to determine what the distance threshold is for active modes. In addition, a latent class cluster analysis establishes a profile for both physically active as well as inactive travelers and their correlation with person and household characteristics. Key findings include that trips made using active modes are significantly different than trips made by inactive modes and persons with active transportation lifestyles are significantly different than persons with inactive lifestyles. This raises the following issue: policies designed for and motivated by persons with active lifestyles risk to fail if they do not succeed in meeting the needs for everyday life of those with inactive lifestyles.