Key performance indicators and reference values for turn performance in elite youth, junior and adult swimmers.

This study aimed to determine kinematic and kinetic key performance indicators (KPI) of swimming turn performance using principal component analysis (PCA) and multiple linear regression analysis and provide reference values using percentiles. Touch and tumble turn performances of male (n = 68) and female (n = 48) Swiss national team members from three age categories-adult (20.2 ± 2.7 yrs, 790 ± 57 points), junior (16.2 ± 0.8 yrs, 729 ± 53 points) and youth swimmers (14.4 ± 1.0 years of age, 667 ± 53 World Aquatics swimming points, respectively)-were assessed with a motion analysis system equipped with a force plate on the pool wall, one over- and four underwater cameras sampling forces at 500 Hz and footages at 100 Hz. The PCA reduced the 27 original variables by up to 15% depending on turn type and age category using Varimax component loading of >0.6 and explained up to 91% of the total variance. The highest Varimax component loadings for each principal component were used to determine KPI for each turn type and age category using multiple-regression analysis with total turn time as dependent variable. These KPI should be used to interpret turn performances and identify individual swimmers' strengths, weaknesses and future potentials with the help of the percentiles as reference values.

Peak tibial accelerations in different foot strike patterns during level running: an independent investigation in different cohorts.

Peak tibial accelerations are used to monitor impact severity during distance running and as input for bio-feedback. Here, peak tibial accelerations were compared between rearfoot and forefoot strikes. Two different studies were undertaken by independent research centres. Tibial acceleration and optical motion capture were collected in 14 rearfoot strikers who changed to a forefoot strike in the first centre. In the second centre, tibial acceleration of 14 other rearfoot strikers and nine forefoot strikers were collected and processed. In over-ground level running at a submaximal speed, the resultant peak tibial acceleration was greater in the instructed forefoot strike condition (ΔX = 7.6 ± 1.3 g, mean ± standard error difference) and in the habitual forefoot strikers (ΔX- = 3.7 ± 1.1 g) than in the rearfoot strikers. The shank kinematics revealed a greater decrease in antero-posterior velocity following touchdown in the forefoot strike condition. The forefoot strikes experienced greater posterior tibial acceleration, which resulted in an increased resultant peak tibial acceleration that also occurred earlier than in the rearfoot strikes. No significant difference in axial peak tibial acceleration was found between these foot strike patterns. In conclusion, the foot strike pattern differently affects peak tibial accelerations in level running, which can have implications for monitoring and biofeedback applications.

Performance of the Aptis distal radioulnar joint implant: kinematic and geometric analysis.

This study reviews the performance of the Aptis distal radioulnar joint arthroplasty by comparing multiple kinematic and geometric measurements in the operated and contralateral healthy forearm to elucidate whether these are altered after arthroplasty. Forearm geometry and motion were captured using 3-D and 4-D computed tomography in 12 patients with unilateral Aptis arthroplasties. After segmentation and registration, the axis of forearm rotation, translation of the radius along the ulna and range of wrist flexion-extension were measured, and the Dice coefficient and Hausdorff distance were calculated. The forearm rotation axis in the corrected arm deviated 2.3° from the healthy contralateral rotation axis, radial translation along the ulna decreased by 45% and wrist flexion-extension also decreased significantly. Multiple intra-individual geometric differences were observed. The Aptis distal radioulnar joint arthroplasty considerably alters forearm kinematics, which can have clinical implications.Level of evidence: IV.

Evidence of invariant lower-limb kinematics in anticipation of ground contact during drop-landing and drop-jumping.

Gravity is a ubiquitous external force that must be considered when producing coordinated movements. Drop-landing is a popular task to study how humans cope with gravity, because anticipatory muscle activations can be released before the estimated ground contact. But the consequences of these anticipatory muscle activations have only been interpreted in terms of stiffening the lower-limbs in preparation for ground contact, without considering potential anticipatory kinematic consequences. The objective of this study is to quantify the kinematic consequences of anticipatory muscle activations in two different landing tasks, to clarify whether anticipatory muscle activations are adapted to cope with gravity, to the dynamic constraints of the movement to perform, or both. Twenty young athletes performed drop-landing and drop-jumping from a 35 cm elevated platform. Sagittal angles and angular velocities of the hip, knee, and ankle joints, and acceleration of the foot were computed, as well as the onset of joint flexions and onset of foot vertical acceleration change. We found the same pattern of anticipatory hip and knee flexion, both starting before ground contact in all participants and in both tasks. We found no anticipatory kinematics for the ankle joint. Consecutive to the hip and knee flexion, the foot accelerated upwards before ground contact. Our results show that anticipatory muscle activations used by humans have systematic and invariant kinematic consequences during the air-time phase to cope with gravity: they initiate the hip and knee joints flexion before ground contact. This strategy likely limits the amount of ground reaction forces developed to oppose the gravity external force, and completes the stiffening role already described in the literature. These two complementary consequences -rotation and stiffening- seem to serve the same purpose of protecting the skeletal system. Since gravity is ubiquitous, these automated movements must be considered in other movements involving landing phases, such as heel strikes during gait.

Locomotor and gait changes in the LPS model of neuroinflammation are correlated with inflammatory cytokines in blood and brain.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge in mice has been used to identify the mechanisms and therapeutics for neuroinflammation. In this study, we aimed to comprehensively evaluate the behavioral changes including locomotion, exploration, and memory, correlating them with a panel of thirteen inflammatory cytokines in both blood and brain.We found that acute LPS administration (0.83 mg/Kg i.p.) reduced body weight, food intake, and glucose levels compared to the saline-injected mice, concomitant with decreased activity in home cage monitoring. Locomotion was significantly reduced in Open Field, Introduced Object, and Y-Maze tests. Decreased exploratory behavior in the Y-Maze and Introduced Object tests was noticed, by measuring the number of arms explored and object interaction time, respectively. Additionally, in rotarod, LPS administration led to a significant decrease in the distance achieved, while in the MouseWalker, LPS led to a reduction in average velocity.LPS induced a decrease in microglia ramification index in the motor cortex and the striatum, while surprisingly a reduction in microglia number was observed in the motor cortex.The concentrations of thirteen cytokines in the blood were significantly altered, while only CXCL1, CCL22, CCL17, G-CSF, and IL-12p40 were changed in the brain. Correlations between cytokine levels in blood and brain were found, most notably for CCL17 and CCL22. TGFß was the only one with negative correlations to other cytokines. Correlations between cytokines and behavior changes were also disclosed, especially for CCL17, CCL22, G-CSF, and IL-6 and negatively for TGFß and IL-10.In summary, our study employing acute LPS challenge in mice has revealed a comprehensive profile of behavioral alterations alongside significant changes in inflammatory cytokine levels, both in peripheral blood and brain tissue. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the interplay between inflammation and behavior, with possible implications for identifying prognostics and therapeutic targets for neuroinflammatory conditions.

Wearable technology mediated biofeedback to modulate spine motor control: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Lower back pain (LBP) is a disability that affects a large proportion of the population and treatment for this condition has been shifting towards a more individualized, patient-centered approach. There has been a recent uptake in the utilization and implementation of wearable sensors that can administer biofeedback in various industrial, clinical, and performance-based settings. Despite this, there is a strong need to investigate how wearable sensors can be used in a sensorimotor (re)training approach, including how sensory biofeedback from wearable sensors can be used to improve measures of spinal motor control and proprioception. RESEARCH QUESTION: The purpose of this scoping review was to examine the wide range of wearable sensor-mediated biofeedback frameworks currently being utilized to enhance spine posture and motor function. METHODS: A comprehensive scoping review was conducted in adherence with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Guidelines extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) across the following databases: Embase, PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and IEEEXplore. Articles related to wearable biofeedback and spine movement were reviewed dated from 1980 - 2020. Extracted data was collected as per a predetermined checklist including the type, timing, trigger, location, and magnitude of sensory feedback being applied to the body. RESULTS: A total of 23 articles were reviewed and analysed. The most used wearable sensor to inform biofeedback were inertial measurement units (IMUs). Haptic (vibrotactile) feedback was the most common sensory stimulus. Most studies used an instantaneous online trigger to initiate sensory feedback derived from information pertaining to gross lumbar angles or the absolute orientations of the thorax or pelvis. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to review wearable sensor-derived sensory biofeedback to modulate spine motor control. Although the type of wearable sensor and feedback were common, this study highlights the lack of consensus regarding the timing and structure of sensory feedback, suggesting the need to optimize any sensory feedback to a specific use case. The findings from this study help to improve the understanding surrounding the ecological utility of wearable sensor-mediated biofeedback in industrial, clinical, and performance settings to enhance the sensorimotor control of the lumbar spine.

Automatic gait evoking in healthy adults through Vojta's peripheric somatosensory stimulation: a double-blind randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: To study the effects of different interventions on automatic gait processing in contrast with voluntary gait processing in healthy subjects. METHODS: A double-blind randomised controlled trial was designed (120 able-body persons between 18 and 65 years old entered and completed the study), with pre-intervention and post-intervention assessments using the 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT). The participants were randomly distributed into four groups. Prior to intervention, all participants performed voluntary gait on the ground (VoG) in a calibrated circuit following the 6MWT. The presence of automatic gait (AG) was explored post-intervention without a voluntary demand in the same circuit following the 6MWT. Each group received a different intervention for 30 min: Vojta stimulation, MOTOMED® at no less than 60 revolutions/minute, treadmill walking at 3 km/h, and resting in a chair (control). The main assessment, conducted by a blinded rater, was the difference in distance covered (in meters) during the 6MWT between pre- and post-intervention. Surface electromyography (sEMG) average root mean square (RMS) signals in the right tibialis anterior, right soleus, right rectus femoris, and right biceps femoris were also considered outcome measures. RESULTS: The Vojta group was the only one that initiated AG after the intervention (476.4 m ± 57.1 in VoG versus 9.0 m ± 8.9 in AG, p < 0.001) with comparable kinematics and EMG parameters during voluntary gait, except for ankle dorsal flexion. Within the Vojta group, high variability in kinematics, sEMG activity, and distance covered was observed. CONCLUSIONS: AG isolation is approachable through Vojta at only one session measurable with the 6MWT without any voluntary gait demand. No automatic gait effects were observed post-intervention in the other groups. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT04689841 (ClinicalTrials.gov).

Mobile brain-body imaging data set of indoor treadmill walking and outdoor walking with a visual search task.

To fully understand brain processes in the real world, it is necessary to record and quantitatively analyse brain processes during real world human experiences. Mobile electroencephalography (EEG) and physiological data sensors provide new opportunities for studying humans outside of the laboratory. The purpose of this study was to document data from high-density EEG and mobile physiological sensors while humans performed a visual search task both on a treadmill in a laboratory setting and overground in a natural outdoor setting. The data set includes 49 young, healthy participants on an outdoor arboretum path and on a treadmill in a laboratory with a large virtual reality screen. The data provide a valuable research tool for scientists interested in signal processing, electrocortical brain processes, mobile brain imaging, and brain-computer interfaces based on mobile EEG. Given the comparison data between laboratory and real world conditions, researchers can test the viability of new processing algorithms across conditions or investigate changes in electrocortical activity related to behavioural dynamics coded into the data.

The Effect of Static Trial on Knee Adduction Moment During Walking.

Background and aim Sophisticated technologies in rehabilitation, such as three-dimensional gait analysis, allow for measuring kinematic and kinetic variables while performing activities. The first peak external knee adduction moment (EKAM) is considered an important outcome in individuals with knee osteoarthritis (OA) and has been shown to be affected by changes in foot position in static trials. The present study aimed to explore the variables in static trials that may lead to changes in the value of the EKAM while walking. Methods Twelve individuals participated in the current study and were asked to perform three static trials as follows: 20° toe-out, straight (0°), and 20° toe-in. The participants were asked to walk five trials (their own shoes and paces). The first peak EKAM was the main study outcome and was compared between conditions. Linear regression was used to investigate which variables in the static trials significantly predicted the magnitude of change in the EKAM while walking. Results The first peak EKAM significantly decreased by 8.2% while walking when changing the foot position in static trials from 20° toe-in to 20° toe-out. The magnitude of change in the EKAM was significantly (p<0.01) predicted by the magnitude of change in the knee joint frontal plane angle, shank transverse plane angle, ankle joint frontal plane angle, and hip joint frontal plane angle during static trials between 20° toe-in and 20° toe-out. The model was able to predict 94% of the variation in the EKAM due to changes in foot position during static trials. Conclusion Modifications in foot position during static trials led to a change in the first peak EKAM while walking. Researchers should focus on controlling the knee joint frontal plane angle, shank transverse plane angle, ankle joint frontal plane angle, and hip joint frontal plane angle during static trials when conducting longitudinal or crossover studies. Controlling these variables is necessary to reduce the likelihood of the EKAM being affected by static trials and to ensure that the EKAM changes in dynamic trials are not masked or increased by static trials.

Increasing Movement Amplitude in Speeded Hitting Enhances Contact Velocity Without Affecting Directional Accuracy or Movement Variability.

Performance of sport-related ballistic motor skills, like ball hitting in golf and baseball, requires wide movements to produce highly fast and spatially accurate movements. In this study, we assessed the effect of movement amplitude on directional accuracy in a ballistic hitting task. Participants performed the task of moving a manual handle over a flat surface to hit with high speed a moveable disc, aiming to propel it towards a frontal target. Five movement amplitudes were compared, ranging from 11.5 cm to 27.5 cm in steps of 4 cm. Kinematic analysis evaluated motions of the handle, disc, and arm joints. Results showed that greater movement amplitudes led to longer acceleration phases, with delayed peak velocities at the handle, shoulder and elbow, leading to higher contact and peak linear velocities of the handle, and higher angular velocities at the shoulder and elbow. Manipulation of movement amplitude led to no evidence for effects on either disc directional accuracy or variability. Results also revealed no evidence for differences in variability of contact velocity, peak velocity and time of peak velocity across movement amplitudes in the shoulder, elbow, and wrist. Our results indicated that greater movement amplitudes in hitting a spatial target lead to increased contact velocity while not affecting directional accuracy or movement variability.

Reliability of motion phase identification for long-track speed skating using inertial measurement units.

Background: Precise identification of motion phases in long-track speed skating is critical to characterize and optimize performance. This study aimed to estimate the intra- and inter-rater reliability of movement phase identification using inertial measurement units (IMUs) in long-track speed skating. Methods: We analyzed 15 skaters using IMUs attached to specific body locations during a 500m skate, focusing on the stance phase, and identifying three movement events: Onset, Edge-flip, and Push-off. Reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and Bland-Altman analysis. Results: Results showed high intra- and inter-rater reliability (ICC [1,1]: 0.86 to 0.99; ICC [2,1]: 0.81 to 0.99) across all events. Absolute error ranged from 0.56 to 6.15 ms and from 0.92 to 26.29 ms for intra- and inter-rater reliability, respectively. Minimally detectable change (MDC) ranged from 17.56 to 62.22 ms and from 33.23 to 131.25 ms for intra- and inter-rater reliability, respectively. Discussion: Despite some additive and proportional errors, the overall error range was within acceptable limits, indicating negligible systematic errors. The measurement error range was small, demonstrating the accuracy of IMUs. IMUs demonstrate high reliability in movement phase identification during speed skating, endorsing their application in sports science for enhanced kinematic studies and training.

Effects of foot orthoses application during walking on lower limb joint angles and moments in adults with flat Feet: A systematic review with Meta-Analysis.

This systematic review with meta-analysis aimed to investigate the effects of foot orthoses (FO) application on lower limb joint angles and moments in adults with flexible flat-feet during walking. The following five databases were systematically searched from inception until March 2024: Scopus, PubMed, EMBASE, PEDro, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). Between-group standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals were computed using a random-effects model. Study heterogeneity was assessed using the I2-index. Twenty-four studies were identified and meta-analyzed. Studies were then categorized according to the applied flat-feet assessment method: (1) foot posture index (FPI-6) or clinical observation; (2) foot print arch index or radiography; (3) arch height index (including navicular drop, the arch height index, navicular height normalized to foot length [NNHT]); (4) forefoot varus method; (5) rearfoot eversion or resting calcaneal stance position (RCSP). The meta-analysis showed significant effects of FO application during walking on peak rearfoot eversion (ten studies: moderate SMDs), peak ankle dorsiflexion (five studies: small SMDs), and eversion (seven studies: moderate SMDs). This meta-analysis indicated significant effects of FO application on peak ankle eversion moment (five studies: small SMDs) and peak knee adduction moment (six studies: small SMDs). We observed greater effects of FO application on walking mechanics in the studies that used the FPI-6 method for the assessment of foot posture. Since previous research showed particularly high test-retest reliability measures for the FPI-6 method, we recommend to uniformly use this type of foot posture measure in future studies.

Longitudinal Analysis of Race-Management Strategies in a World-Class 200-m Freestyle Swimmer: A Case Study.

PURPOSE: To investigate race-management strategies over a longitudinal case study of one of the world's best female swimmers of the 200-m freestyle to understand if only 1 race-management strategy allowed her to succeed or whether several profiles have been used over the 8 years of analysis. METHODS: Different race-management strategies within and between 50-m laps emerged from cluster analysis. To better explain race management, additional characteristics described the level of adversity, the level of competition, the performance outcome, and the type of race. RESULTS: Two strategies of race management between laps have been used, and both allowed her to succeed in her career. The first was characterized by a fast start and a greater decrease of the speed between laps, whereas the second exhibited a more stable speed management. When those strategies were examined in relation to the level of competition and the level of adversity, it appeared that the first strategy was used more in international competitions and associated with higher time intervals between the studied swimmer and the direct rivals, while the second one was used more in national competitions and associated with lower time intervals. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggested that this top elite swimmer did not adhere to a single "ideal" race-management strategy. Instead, she demonstrated flexibility and the ability to adapt her race management to contextual factors throughout her career, effectively controlling adversity. This highlights the importance of including adversity analysis in race-management studies.

Effects of Virtual Reality on Biomechanical Parameters of Gait in Older Adults: A Systematic Review.

Objectives: To conduct a systematic review of the literature on the effect of virtual reality (VR) on biomechanical gait parameters (BGPs) in older adults. Specifically, the spatial-temporal parameters of gait, gait velocity, kinematics, and ground reaction forces, and examine how they are affected by VR interventions. To evaluate the effectiveness and validity of VR gait training and subsequently its potential integration into rehabilitation therapies. This review is a valuable contribution to the current literature as it does not limit its focus to a particular disease. By examining a wide range of studies, we sought to provide a comprehensive analysis of the effects of VR on the BGP in older adults. Our findings can inform future research on VR gait training and its potential role in rehabilitation for older adults. Data Sources: Two authors independently conducted an electronic search from August 18, 2021, to December 17, 2021, using the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases, including articles published between January 1997 and July 2021. Study Selection: The search yielded 1226 articles, and after exclusion, 16 articles were included in the analysis. Data Extraction: The Joanna Briggs Institute appraisal tool for randomized controlled trials and experimental studies, and the Cochrane risk of bias tool, version 2, were used to assess the level of evidence and bias in the studies. Data Synthesis: In our synthesis, we included data from 9 studies with a total of 217 subjects. The range of follow-up periods across these studies was 2-10 weeks, and 40% of the studies conducted the study in community-dwelling individuals. Of the randomized controlled trials, 9 had a low-risk level, whereas 1 study had moderate risk. All studies with control groups and low bias levels demonstrated a positive effect of VR intervention on the BGP in older adults. Conclusions: Consistent evidence suggests that VR intervention has positive effects on gait performance in older adults.

Impact of Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) Weights on Firefighter's Kinematics During Simulated Firefighter Tasks.

Firefighters face a multitude of hazards in their line of duty, with overexertion being one of the foremost causes of injuries or fatalities. This high risk is often exacerbated by the burden of carrying a heavy self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). This study aims to explore the impact of SCBA weight on firefighters' musculoskeletal joint movements. Six firefighters participated in this study, performing four simulated firefighting tasks under three different SCBA weight conditions. A hybrid inverse kinematics approach was employed to analyze the kinematic data from two participants. The results revealed a notable decrease in lumbar range of motion (ROM) as the weight increased, particularly noticeable during hose advancement and stair climbing tasks. Conversely, an increase in hip ROM during stair climbing was observed, suggesting a compensatory response to reduced spinal flexibility. These findings underscore the critical need to understand the implications of turnout gear and SCBA weight to enhance firefighter performance and reduce the risk of injury.

Validation of Markerless Motion Capture for Soldier Movement Patterns Assessment Under Varying Body-Borne Loads.

Field performance of modern soldiers is affected by an increase in body-borne load due to technological advancements related to their armour and equipment. In this project, the Theia3D markerless motion capture system was compared to the marker-based gold standard for capturing movement patterns of participants wearing various body-borne loads. The aim was to estimate lower body joint kinematics, gastrocnemius lateralis and medialis muscle activation patterns, and lower body joint reaction forces from the two motion capture systems. Data were collected on 16 participants performing three repetitions of walking and running under four body-borne load conditions by both motion capture systems simultaneously. A complete musculoskeletal analysis was completed in OpenSim. Strong correlations ( r > 0.8 ) and acceptable differences were observed between the kinematics of the marker-based and markerless systems. Timing of muscle activations of the gastrocnemius lateralis and medialis, as estimated through OpenSim from both systems, agreed with the ones measured using electromyography. Joint reaction force results showed a very strong correlation ( r > 0.9 ) between the systems; however, the markerless model estimated greater joint reaction forces when compared the marker-based model due to differences in muscle recruitment strategy. Overall, this research highlights the potential of markerless motion capture to track participants wearing body-borne loads.

The Effect of Metallic Nanoparticles Supplementation in Semen Extender on Post-thaw Quality and Fertilizing Ability of Egyptian Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) Spermatozoa.

Nanomaterials offer several promising prospects in the field of farm animal reproduction, encompassing a broad range of applications such as transgenesis and the precise delivery of substances to sperm cells, antimicrobial, antioxidants properties as well as their potent role in improving cryopreservation methods. The aim of the present study is to explore the effect of supplementing the semen extender with 10 µg/mL nano gold (Au-NPs10), 10 µg/mL nano silver (Ag-NPs10), 1 µg/mL nano selenium (Se-NPs1), and 100 µg/mL nano zinc oxide (ZnO-NPs100) on sperm characteristics and kinematics parameters, acrosome integrity, oxidative biomarkers, morphological and apoptosis-like changes of frozen-thawed buffalo bull sperm, and, ultimately, their fertilizing capacity. The results revealed that all aforementioned nano materials significantly improved viability, progressive motility, membrane integrity, acrosome integrity, and kinematic parameters as well as apoptosis-like changes of post-thawed buffalo bull sperm compared to the control (p < 0.05). No discernible effects were observed on sperm ultrastructure morphology measures as a response to the addition of these metallic nanoparticles to the extender. The values of caspase 3 significantly decreased by 64.22, 45.99, 75.59, and 49.39% in Au-NPs10, Ag-NPs10, Se-NPs1, and ZnO-NPs100 treated groups, respectively, compared to the control. The addition of 100 µg ZnO-NPs to the extender significantly decreased the total count of bacteria, fungi, and yeast compared to the control (p < 0.05). The AuNPs10 and SeNPs1 treated groups showed lower content of malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide, and nitric oxide concentrations and higher values of total antioxidant capacity of post-thawed extended semen (p < 0.05). Pregnancy rates increased by 17.5, 20, and 30% in buffalo cows inseminated with sperm treated with ZnO-NPs100, Se-NPs1, and Au-NPs10, respectively, compared to the control group. The present results indicate that the freezing extender supplemented with metallic nanoparticles can be an effective strategy to enhance the cryotolerance and fertility potential of buffalo bull sperm.

The efficacy of the Novel Hybrid Passive Spring Damper Ankle Foot Orthosis regard to kinetic and kinematic parameters of patients with Multiple Sclerosis: An intervention study.

Drop foot is a common consequence of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), which may be improved somewhat by an ankle-foot orthosis (AFO). This study aimed to examine the immediate effect of using the recently developed Novel Hybrid Passive Spring Damper AFO (the novel HPSDAFO) on the kinetic and kinematic parameters of patients with MS (PwMS) in the sagittal plane. Twelve PwMS who suffered a unilateral drop foot participated in this study and fitted with the novel HPSDAFO. They walked with the novel HPSDAFO on the affected side and shoe on the affected side at a self-selected speed. Walking by the novel HPSDAFO, the symmetry of all of the evaluated sagittal kinetic and kinematic parameters improved noticeably. The range of ankle plantarflexion and knee flexion increased significantly at the stance phase. Power generation increased at all three joints. The peak of ankle dorsiflexion at early stances and the first peak of knee extension moments increased significantly but decreased at the hip joint. Changes in sagittal ROM, moment, and power generation in the plane and the improved symmetry revealed a more normal walking by using the novel HPSDAFO on the affected limb of PwMS.

mmPose-FK: A Forward Kinematics Approach to Dynamic Skeletal Pose Estimation Using mmWave Radars.

In this paper, we propose mmPose-FK, a novel millimeter wave (mmWave) radar-based pose estimation method that employs a dynamic forward kinematics (FK) approach to address the challenges posed by low resolution, specularity, and noise artifacts commonly associated with mmWave radars. These issues often result in unstable joint poses that vibrate over time, reducing the effectiveness of traditional pose estimation techniques. To overcome these limitations, we integrate the FK mechanism into the deep learning model and develop an end-to-end solution driven by data. Our comprehensive experiments using various matrices and benchmarks highlight the superior performance of mmPose-FK, especially when compared to our previous research methods. The proposed method provides more accurate pose estimation and ensures increased stability and consistency, which underscores the continuous improvement of our methodology, showcasing superior capabilities over its antecedents. Moreover, the model can output joint rotations and human bone lengths, which could be further utilized for various applications such as gait parameter analysis and height estimation. This makes mmPose-FK a highly promising solution for a wide range of applications in the field of human pose estimation and beyond.

Whole-Body Vibration (WBV) as a Conditioning Activity for Roundhouse Kick (mawashi geri) Performance in Karate.

Karate athletes strategically use lower-limb techniques in combat, with the roundhouse kick (mawashi geri) being highly effective in kumite. To quickly improve the technical performance before training or competitions, conditioning activities (CAs) are often utilized. Recently, Whole-Body Vibration (WBV) has emerged as a potential conditioning activity (CA). This study aimed to analyze the acute effects of WBV as a CA on the performance of the mawashi geri. The sample included sixteen male karate athletes. The study had a familiarization and two experimental sessions: one with WBV and the other without (NWBV), conducted randomly and counterbalanced, each preceded and followed by a mawashi geri assessment on a force platform. During the CA intervention, the participants performed four sets of isometric half-squats on a vibration platform at a frequency of 26 Hz and an amplitude of 4 mm in the WBV condition, while the platform was off in the NWBV condition. A significant reduction in the mawashi geri attack phase time was observed under the WBV condition [pre: 0.31 ± 0.03 s; post: 0.30 ± 0.03 s] compared to the NWBV condition [pre: 0.31 ± 0.04 s; post: 0.32 ± 0.03 s] (p = 0.02). However, no differences were noted regarding the impact force or other kinetic variables between the conditions. Therefore, WBV did not increase the performance of the kinetic and kinematic variables of the mawashi geri in karate athletes, but it is possible that there is a positive effect on attack time, suggesting that further studies with different vibration protocol configurations would be beneficial.