Classification of lunge biomechanics with multiple and individual inertial measurement units

Lunges are a common, compound lower limb resistance exercise. If completed with aberrant technique, the increased stress on the joints used may increase risk of injury. This study sought to first investigate the ability of inertial measurement units (IMUs), when used in isolation and combination, to (a) classify acceptable and aberrant lunge technique (b) classify exact deviations in lunge technique. We then sought to investigate the most important features and establish the minimum number of top-ranked features and decision trees that are needed to maintain maximal system classification efficacy. Eighty volunteers performed the lunge with acceptable form and 11 deviations. Five IMUs positioned on the lumbar spine, thighs, and shanks recorded these movements. Time and frequency domain features were extracted from the IMU data and used to train and test a variety of classifiers. A single-IMU system achieved 83% accuracy, 62% sensitivity, and 90% specificity in binary classification and a five-IMU system achieved 90% accuracy, 80% sensitivity, and 92% specificity. A five-IMU set-up can also detect specific deviations with 70% accuracy. System efficiency was improved and classification quality was maintained when using only 20% of the top-ranked features for training and testing classifiers.     

雅典奥运会之前和期间与一名急流回旋划艇教练合作

1 急流回旋划艇运动及心理要求 急流回旋划艇运动在斯洛伐克很流行,也是最成功的运动项目之一.雅典奥运会的赛道是在赛前一年建好的,是难度最大的赛道之一,因为赛道充满了咸水,浮力很大,被称作"泡沫"赛道.水流会随时变化,使得运动员会在一瞬间碰到好的或坏的水流.女子激流回旋皮艇比赛分为3轮,在两天内完成.运动员们必须在第一天参加预赛,前30名运动员进入第二天的半决赛,成绩最好的前10名运动员进入决赛.     

Consumer databases as practical accomplishments: the making of digital objects in three movements

This paper aims to reflect on some key issues linked to the production of digital objects in business settings. In doing so, it problematizes current social science scholarship, which emphasizes the analysis of digital data and analytics, and reinforces the magnitude of its consequences and ‘data power’. The paper proposes making three corrective ‘movements’ that might enrich our approaches to how databases and analytics are assembled in business settings. The first movement involves the problem of ethnographic access to data-making practices. We propose taking seriously the issue of fabricating an ethnographic encounter where the process of making digital objects is exposed. The second movement concerns the visibility and the type of politics taking place in data practices. We argue for the need to displace attention from data impacts and results to the myriad of mundane practices and devices through which these objects are assembled. The third movement we suggest requires a focus on examining error and failure as key aspects of the manufacturing of consumer databases. Each of these movements is illustrated by ethnographic vignettes from a 9-month ethnographic experiment that involved participating in the first stages of the manufacturing of an online financial retail company's consumer database.     

Comparing Imitation Responding and IBT for children with ASD,a preschool intervention

The present study examined the effectiveness of two interventions, Imitation Responding (IR) and Intensive Behavior Treatment (IBT) used as initial treatment programs for autistic children enrolled in ordinary preschools. The interventions were carried out by parents and/or preschool teachers with supervision from Child Adolescent Habilitation and Health Clinics. Children were randomly assigned to either the IR group or the IBT group. The IR group received a new focused imitation treatment averaging 2.2 hours per week, while the children in the IBT group received 14.4 hours treatment per week. The outcome was measured with subscales from PEP‐3 and Vineland‐II, covering language and social domains. The between‐group comparison revealed no significant differences in effect of treatment during the 5 months that encompassed the period from pre‐ to posttest. Within‐group comparisons revealed significant changes on four subscales for the IR‐group, with the highest effect sizes for play and expressive language, while for the children in the IBT‐group a significant gain was evident for five subscales with the highest effect sizes observed for expressive and receptive language. These findings suggest that IR can be used as an initial and complementary method in settings where IBT is usually the primary treatment of choice.     

Affordances of mHealth technology and the structuring of clinic communication

Careful examination of communicative outcomes of mHealth technology is critical for understanding its capacity to shape the clinical interview and structure clinic communication. Drawing on a communicative affordances framework and adopting a video-based inductive analytic approach, we extend the concept of actualizations. We do so by examining the in situ communicative actions afforded by a mHealth web interface utilized during medication titration interviews with parents of children beginning stimulant medication for ADHD. We find that the web interface served five broad communicative functions that provided opportunities for improving information accuracy and for rendering clinical reasoning transparent, while jeopardizing opportunities for parents to narrativize medication experiences. We discuss clinical, theoretical, and methodological implications.     

Twelve weeks of low volume sprint interval training improves cardio-metabolic health outcomes in overweight females

This study compared the effects of 12-week sprint interval training (SIT), high-intensity interval training (HIIT), and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) on cardiorespiratory fitness (V?O_2peak), body mass and insulin sensitivity in overweight females. Forty-two overweight women (age 21.2 ± 1.4 years, BMI 26.3 ± 2.5 kg·m^?2) were randomized to the groups of SIT (80 × 6-s sprints + 9-s rest), and isoenergetic (300KJ) HIIT (~9 × 4-min cycling at 90% V?O_2peak + 3-min rest) and MICT (cycling at 60% V?O_2peak for ~ 61-min). Training intervention was performed 3 d·week^?1 for 12 weeks. After intervention, all three groups induced the same improvement in V?O_2peak (~ +25%, p < 0.001) and a similar reduction in body mass (~ – 5%, p < 0.001). Insulin sensitivity and fasting insulin levels were improved significantly on post-training measures in SIT and HIIT by ~26% and ~39% (p < 0.01), respectively, but remain unchanged in MICT. In contrast, fasting glucose levels were only reduced with MICT (p < 0.01). The three training strategies are equally effective in improving V?O_2peak and reducing body mass, however, the SIT is time-efficient. High-intensity training (i.e. SIT and HIIT) seems to be more beneficial than MICT in improving insulin sensitivity.

Abbreviations: BMI: body mass index; CVD: cardiovascular disease; HIEG: hyperinsulinaemic euglycaemic glucose; HIIT: high-intensity interval training; HOMA-IR: homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance; HR: heart rate; MICT: moderate-intensity continuous training; RPE: ratings of perceived exertion; SIT: sprint interval training; T2D: type 2 diabetes; V?O_2peak: peak oxygen consumption     

Virtual worlds vs books and videos in history education

In this paper, we investigate an application of virtual reality and artificial intelligence (AI) as a technological combination that has a potential to improve the learning experience and engage with the modern generation of students. To address this need, we have created a virtual reality replica of one of humanity's first cities, the city of Uruk and populated this city with AI-controlled 3D avatars, which re-enact everyday life of ancient Sumerians in the period around 3000 B.C. Our hypothesis is that by immersing students into this environment and allowing them to learn by browsing through it and interacting with its virtual citizens can be more engaging and motivating than simply reading the corresponding history text or watching an educational video. To confirm this assumption, we have designed a study with three groups of students. One group was given a historical text about Uruk and everyday life of its citizens (created by our subject matter experts), the second group was shown a documentary video on Uruk and the third group was immersed into virtual Uruk and engaged into interactions with its virtual inhabitants. The outcomes of the study suggest that not only did people in the third group provide much more positive qualitative feedback about the learning experience, but they also showed a better comprehension of the study material by performing (on average) 20% better than the first two groups on the mini-exam that was conducted as a part of this study.     

Virtual Reality: Why Magazines Should Adopt a Mobile-First Publishing Strategy

This paper examines the state of the magazine industry in the US and offers research to show why publishers should shift their thinking from a print- or digital-first publishing strategy to a mobile-first publishing strategy. The publishing industry faces increasing challenges to generate a profit and grow their audience. These challenges are compounded by a difficult economy, the proliferation of new technological devices, and consumers’ changing reading habits. Mobile publishing offers new and expanding ways for the magazine industry to diversity income, expand readership, and position their titles for future growth.     

Continuing professional development crediting system for specialists in laboratory medicine within 28 EFLM national societies

Introduction:

Continuing professional development (CPD) with corresponding crediting system is recognized as essential for the laboratory medicine specialists to provide optimal service for the patients. Article presents results of the survey evaluating current CPD crediting practice among members of European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM).

Materials and methods:

A questionnaire had been forwarded to presidents/national representatives of all EFLM members, with invitation to provide information about CPD programmes and crediting policies, as well as feedback on individual CPD categories, through scoring their relevance.

Results:

Complete or partial answers were received from 28 of 38 members. In 23 countries, CPD programmes exist and earn credits, with 19 of them offering access to non-medical scientists. CPD activities are evaluated in all participating countries, regardless to the existence of an official CPD programme. Among participating members with mandatory specialists’ licensing (22/28), CPD is a prerequisite for relicensing in 13 countries. Main categories recognized as CPD are: continuing education (24 countries), article/book (17/14 countries) authorship and distance learning (14 countries). The highest median score of relevance (20) is allocated to professional training, editor/authorship and official activities in professional organizations, with the first category showing the least variation among scores.

Conclusions:

Majority of EFLM members have developed CPD programmes, regularly evaluated and accompanied by crediting systems. Programmes differ in accessibility for non-medical scientists and impact on relicensing eligibility. Continuing education, authorship and e-learning are mainly recognized as CPD activities, although the professional training is appreciated as the most important individual CPD category.