Body Movements Research Articles

A new strategy for fabricating a stacked flexible capacitive sensor

Currently, flexible capacitive sensors have a wide range of application scenarios in the field of wearable electronic devices. In order to detect more subtle joint movements of the human body, a method of fabricating stacked capacitive sensors is demonstrated. An ultrathin dielectric elastomer film of about 110 μm by the “secondary calendering” method was prepared. The shape of the electrode layers was designed, printed the electrode materials on the dielectric elastomer film by screen-printing, realized the stacked-layer technology, and connected each sensor unit in parallel by the electrode columns formed inside. A 12-layer flexible capacitive sensor with an initial capacitance of 10.2nF, good resolution (1% strain), high sensitivity (1.09) and stability under 10,000 cycles is fabricated. The sensor fabricated in this paper can recognize the motion at various joints of the human body, such as elbow and knee joints. This paper provides a new method for fabrication of stacked flexible capacitive sensors, which opens up new applications in flexible sensors, wearable electronic devices and human-computer interaction.

Proximal auditory AR rehabilitation: system integration and wellness applications—from hearing support up toward vestibular rehabilitation

We present a new rehabilitation system based on novel principles, which consists of an auditory augmented reality (AR) headset we originated. The auditory AR headset, which does not cover both ears, allows users to hear both Real and Virtual environmental sounds at the same time. It can also be used in combination with Hearing Aids. We have studied a system to support hearing-impaired people and conducted a test evaluation. The system was able to provide convenience akin to “reading glasses for sound” to those who had mild hearing disabilities. Furthermore, by combining the system with surrounding speakers, a completely novel virtual auditory illusion was created in which the sound image jumps into the ear and runs away. We name this “proximal auditory AR (PAAR)” system. This system directly affects the unconscious level of reflexes for maintaining a standing position and can generate very subtle body motion disturbance. Using this system, we can modulate the standing posture and observe the autonomic nerve system's ability to subliminally compensate for the disturbance, using a stabilometer that measures body sways by center of pressure (COP). We observed a significant difference in the declination of COP only when using the PAAR, which is combined with array speakers and the auditory AR headphone, compared using a conventional closed-type and a bone-conduction headphone. By analyzing such big data of physical movement through machine learning, we expect to realize new systems for diagnosis, rehabilitation, function maintenance, and fall prevention.

Eye size does not change with artificial selection on relative telencephalon size in guppies (Poecilia reticulata).

Variation in eye size is sometimes closely associated with brain morphology. Visual information, detected by the retina, is transferred to the optic tectum to coordinate eye and body movements towards stimuli, and thereafter distributed into other brain regions for further processing. The telencephalon is an important visual processing region in many vertebrate species and a highly developed region in visually dependent species. Yet, the existence of a coevolutionary relationship between telencephalon size and eye size remains relatively unknown. Here, we use male and female guppies artificially selected for small- and large-relative-telencephalon-size to test if artificial selection on telencephalon size results in changes in eye size. In addition, we performed an optomotor test as a proxy for visual acuity. We found no evidence that eye size changes with artificial selection on telencephalon size. Eye size was similar in both absolute and relative terms between the two selection regimes, but was larger in females. This is most likely because of the larger body size in females, but it could also reflect their greater need for visual capacity due to sex-specific differences in foraging and mating behaviour. Although the optomotor response was stronger in guppies with a larger telencephalon, we found no evidence for differences in visual acuity between the selection regimes. Our study suggests that eye size and visual perception in guppies does not change rapidly with strong artificial selection on telencephalon size.

From Wilson's Disease to Neurodevelopmental Disorder with Involuntary Movements, Different Genetic Interpretations in a Female Patient.

A 19-year-old female patient presented at 2 years of age with dysarthria, incoherent speech, and unsteady ambulation. She is prone to leaning backward when walking and has involuntary movements of the whole body. Besides, she has poor numeracy skills. She has been diagnosed with Wilson's disease (WD) in China and Japan. The objective of this study was to further clarify the diagnosis of this patient. The patient and her parents were detected with whole-exome sequencing. Based on the genetic test results, genetic analyses, and clinical manifestations, a diagnosis of WD in this patient was ruled out. The patient was eventually diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorder with involuntary movements. This study reinterprets the genetic test results of a young female patient and leads to reflections on the genetic diagnostic criteria for WD: the Leipzig score is suitable for the diagnosis of most WD patients, and the genetic testing section of the score is of great diagnostic value. However, in some special cases, the proband and their first-degree relatives should further complete cosegregation analysis to determine the origin of the lesion gene and to verify the reliability of the genetic test. In addition, this study suggests that further improving the scoring rules of the gene testing part of the Leipzig scoring system may be more helpful in achieving an accurate diagnosis of WD. © 2024 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

The Effect of Myiasis on Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) Body Condition, Movement, and Habitat Use at Camp Edwards in Massachusetts

The Effect of Myiasis on Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) Body Condition, Movement, and Habitat Use at Camp Edwards in Massachusetts

On the orbital stability of pendulum periodic motions of a rigid body in the Hess case

On the orbital stability of pendulum periodic motions of a rigid body in the Hess case

Application of Digital Tools and Artificial Intelligence to the Myasthenia Gravis Core Examination.

Advances in video image analysis and artificial intelligence provide the opportunity to transform the approach to patient evaluation through objective digital evaluation. We assessed ability to quantitate Zoom video recordings of a standardized neurological examination the myasthenia gravis core examination (MG-CE), which had been designed for telemedicine evaluations. We used Zoom (Zoom Video Communications) videos of patients with myasthenia gravis undergoing the MG-CE. Computer vision in combination with artificial intelligence methods were used to build algorithms to analyze videos with a focus on eye or body motions. For the assessment of examinations involving vocalization, signal processing methods were developed, including natural language processing. A series of algorithms were built that could automatically compute the metrics of the MG-CE. Fifty-one patients with MG with videos recorded twice on separate days and 15 control subjects were assessed once. We were successful in quantitating lid, eye, and arm positions and as well as well as develop respiratory metrics using breath counts. Cheek puff exercise was found to be of limited value for quantitation. Technical limitations included variations in illumination, bandwidth, and recording being done on the examiner side, not the patient. Several aspects of the MG-CE can be quantitated to produce continuous measures via standard Zoom video recordings. Further development of the technology offer the ability for trained, non-physician, health care providers to perform precise examination of patients with MG outside the clinic, including for clinical trials. Advances in video image analysis and artificial intelligence provide the opportunity to transform the approach to patient evaluation. Here, we asked whether video recordings of the typical telemedicine examination for the patient with myasthenia gravis be used to quantitate examination findings? Despite recordings not made for purpose, we were able to develop and apply computer vision and artificial intelligence to Zoom recorded videos to successfully quantitate eye muscle, facial muscle, and limb fatigue. The analysis also pointed out limitations of human assessments of bulbar and respiratory assessments. The neuromuscular examination can be enhanced by advance technologies, which have the promise to improve clinical trial outcome measures as well as standard care.

Decoding lower-limb kinematic parameters during pedaling tasks using deep learning approaches and EEG.

Stroke is a neurological condition that usually results in the loss of voluntary control of body movements, making it difficult for individuals to perform activities of daily living (ADLs). Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) integrated into robotic systems, such as motorized mini exercise bikes (MMEBs), have been demonstrated to be suitable for restoring gait-related functions. However, kinematic estimation of continuous motion in BCI systems based on electroencephalography (EEG) remains a challenge for the scientific community. This study proposes a comparative analysis to evaluate two artificial neural network (ANN)-based decoders to estimate three lower-limb kinematic parameters: x- and y-axis position of the ankle and knee joint angle during pedaling tasks. Long short-term memory (LSTM) was used as a recurrent neural network (RNN), which reached Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) scores close to 0.58 by reconstructing kinematic parameters from the EEG features on the delta band using a time window of 250ms. These estimates were evaluated through kinematic variance analysis, where our proposed algorithm showed promising results for identifying pedaling and rest periods, which could increase the usability of classification tasks. Additionally, negative linear correlations were found between pedaling speed and decoder performance, thereby indicating that kinematic parameters between slower speeds may be easier to estimate. The results allow concluding that the use of deep learning (DL)-based methods is feasible for the estimation of lower-limb kinematic parameters during pedaling tasks using EEG signals. This study opens new possibilities for implementing controllers most robust for MMEBs and BCIs based on continuous decoding, which may allow for maximizing the degrees of freedom and personalized rehabilitation.

Amygdala and cortex relationships during learning of a sensory discrimination task.

During learning of a sensory discrimination task, cortical and sub-cortical regions display complex spatiotemporal dynamics. During learning, both amygdala and cortex link stimulus information to its appropriate association, for example a reward. In addition, both structures are also related to non-sensory parameters such as body movements and licking during the reward period. However, the emergence of cortico-amygdala relationships during learning is largely unknown. To study this, we combined wide-field cortical imaging with fiber photometry to simultaneously record cortico-amygdala population dynamics as male mice learn a whisker-dependent go/no-go task. We were able to simultaneously record neuronal populations from the posterior cortex and either the basolateral amygdala (BLA) or central medial amygdala (CEM). Prior to learning, somatosensory and associative cortex responded during sensation, while amygdala areas did not show significant responses. As mice became experts, amygdala responses emerged early during the sensation period, increasing in CEM, while decreasing in BLA. Interestingly, amygdala and cortical responses were associated with task-related body movement, displaying significant responses ∼200 ms before movement initiation which led to licking for the reward. A correlation analysis between cortex and amygdala revealed negative and positive correlation with BLA and CEM respectively, only in the expert case. These results imply that learning induces an involvement of cortex and amygdala which may aid to link sensory stimuli with appropriate associations.Significance Statement Levitan and Gilad study neuronal dynamics in cortex and amygdala as mice learn a sensory discrimination task. They find that amygdala areas display opposing responses only after the mice learn the task. In contrast cortical areas display responses both before and after learning. These results imply that learning induces an involvement of amygdala and cortical areas in order to optimally link sensory stimuli with appropriate associations.

Stretchable Iontronic Tactile Sensing Fabric.

The iontronic tactile sensing modality has garnered significant attention due to its exceptional sensitivity, immunity to noise, and versatility in materials. Recently, various formats of iontronic tactile sensors have been developed, including droplets, polymer films, paper, ionic gels, and fabrics. However, the stretchability of the current iontronic pressure sensing fabric is inadequate, hindered by the limited stretchiness of the ionic functional fabric. Incorporating a stretchable tactile sensing implement could enhance the wear comfortability by preventing relative movement and ensuring intimate contact between the sensor and the skin. The research focuses on the development of a stretchable iontronic pressure sensing (SIPS) fabric for monitoring diverse aspects of body health and movement in wearable applications. The tactile sensing structure is generated at the iontronic interface between highly stretchable ionic and conductive fabrics. In particular, the ionic fabric is prepared by coating a layer of polyurethane/ionic liquid gel onto a Spandex fabric. To showcase its remarkable sensitivity, stretchability, and ability to detect diverse body information, several application scenarios have been demonstrated including an elastic wristband for precise pulse wave detection, a flexible belt with multitactile sensing channels for respiration and motion tracking purposes, and a stretchable fabric cuff equipped with a high-resolution sensing array comprising 32 × 32 units for accurate gesture recognition.

Students' Communication Behavior in Achieving Learning Targets in Kampung Inggris Pare Kediri, East Java

The students who are immigrants from various regions in Inonesia come to Kampung Inggris to learn English English is a foreign language which requires practice in order to become accustomed to English. In achieving the learning goals, students communicate, either using language that is done verbally or using movements or visualizations in a non verbal way. Therefore, it is interesting to examine the communication behavior of student, both verbal and non-verbal in Kampung Inggris Pare Kediri in achieving learning targets. The research method uses qualitative phenomenology by thoroughly describing the data obtained during the research process. The data collection technique uses observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation. The theoretical foundation uses the theory of operant conditioning which is a conditioning process of strengthening behavior that can result in the behavior recurring or disappearing according to wishes. Moreover, it also uses the theory of social construction where there is social knowledge and reality. The results showed that Students' daily verbal communication behavior is not always in English. Only in the dormitory students must use English. Students choose a conversation partner that is one level or a higher level. Students switch reading to English reading. Non-verbal communication behavior when students wear casual clothes. Facial expressions and body movements can help in interpreting conversations. Confused students can be identified by a weakened intonation of their voice and a tendency to be silent. The more confident the student, the higher the intonation.

Assessment of visual acuity in Python regius using optokinetic response.

Snakes are known for their unique abilities including infrared reception and their heavy reliance on heat sensors and vibrations. Infrared reception of snakes has gone under immense investigation; however, there have been very few studies that elaborate on their capacity to see. The goal of this study is to determine visual acuity of ball pythons (Python regius) by observing their optokinetic response (OKR). The OKR is a series of rapid saccadic and smooth pursuit movements of the eyes. It has been used for decades to determine visual acuity in multiple species such as humans, rats, and other nonmammalian species such as zebrafish and box turtles. Past studies have discovered that birds, reptiles, and amphibians achieve gaze stabilization by head and body movements, whereas in mammals and fish, gaze stabilization is conducted by eye movements. In this study, ball pythons were placed in a clear tube in a dark room, and a spinning black and white grating was projected in front of them. The size, direction, and velocity of the grating was manipulated which allowed their visual acuity to be determined. Our hypothesis is that P. regius would have a poor OKR response with low visual acuity due to their heavy reliance on other senses. Results show that P. regius does respond to visual stimuli, shows ocular saccadic movement in the direction of their stimuli, and has a relatively poor visual acuity when compared to other previously studied reptiles.

A novel approach to understanding the genesis and distribution of widespread reservoirs at the basin edge: A case study of gas-bearing sandstone in the Sangonghe Formation, Junggar Basin, Western China

A 20 m thick sandstone drilled in the second member of the Sangonghe Formation in the Qianshao area of the Junggar Basin has been identified to be a high-quality gas-bearing reservoir. However, recent missions reveal an uncertainty in reservoir distribution and bring high risk to the subsequent gas development, although the gas-bearing reservoir has been encountered by several drillings and proved to be widespread. To investigate the accurate distribution and reveal the evolution of the reservoir, we reconstruct the stratigraphic framework and depositional stages by a high-revolution sequence stratigraphic method, effectively identify the gas-bearing reservoir by seismic attributes refusion and seismic stratigraphic slices, and finally map the distribution strata distribution at different stages. The results indicate that the landward onlap phenomenon in the seismic data indicates a retrogradational stratigraphic structure during the water level rise rather than the equal-thickness stratigraphic pattern under stable water conditions. According to the retrogradational stratigraphic structure, the real driver for the widespread characteristic of a gas-bearing reservoir is the backward staggered movement of multistage sand bodies during the transgressive process rather than single-stage deposition. The fusion of seismic acoustic impedance and main frequency attributes provides an effective survey to identify the accurate distribution of the reservoir, by which interpretation of a stratigraphic slice along the vertical centerline of the reservoir extracted from the multiattribute fusion survey can present the distribution and evolution of the three stages on only one map. Achieved by an appropriate interpretation on the map, two sandy debris flow bodies are identified as being deposited at the bottom successively during the first two transgressive stages. They are completely staggered in the source direction with a clear boundary between well Qs9 and Qs7. Subsequently, the subsequent rise of the water level led to the deposition of a large-scale multibranch shallow-water delta, which exhibits the characteristics of multistage, multisource, and multibranch. The results not only advance our comprehension of widespread sand bodies but also furnish fundamental insights for the development of lithologic condensate gas reservoirs in the Qianshao area.

Real-time body movement tracking of athletes via a CNN-based approach

Real-time body movement tracking of athletes via a CNN-based approach

Real-time body movement tracking of athletes via a CNN-based approach

Sports injuries frequently stem from improper poses and movements. This paper explores the potential of using video and deep neural network model in mitigating such risks. A novel real-time body movement tracking system is designed to enable athletes to analyze and refine their techniques without the need for intrusive sensors. Central to our approach is the development of a user-friendly graphical interface, facilitating the effortless display and examination of tracked movements. This system not only enhances athletic performance but also aims to significantly reduce the sports injuries.

Effect of Elastic Resistance on Exercise Intensity and User Satisfaction While Playing the Active Video Game BoxVR in Immersive Virtual Reality: Empirical Study.

One of the main contemporary forms of physical activity (PA) involves exercises and games in an immersive virtual reality (VR) environment, which allows the user to practice various forms of PA in a small space. Unfortunately, most of the currently available VR games and workout applications are mostly based on upper body movements, especially the arms, which do not guarantee sufficiently high exercise intensity and health benefits. Therefore, it is worth seeking solutions to help increase the exercise load during PA in VR. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of elastic arm resistance in the form of latex resistance bands of different elasticity levels on the intensity of students' PA while playing the BoxVR game. We further assessed the satisfaction of this form of exercise and its associations with PA intensity. A total of 21 healthy and physically fit men (mean age 22.5, SD 2.0 years) were included in the study. The tests consisted of 3 10-minute games. One game was run with no load and the other two were run with 1.5-meter latex resistance bands (low and high resistance). The order of the tests was randomized and the participants rested for 20 minutes after each exercise. Exercise intensity was estimated using objective (heart rate monitoring) and subjective (Borg scale) methods. The Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale was used to assess satisfaction with the PA. The effect of elastic resistance on exercise intensity and user enjoyment was estimated using ANOVA for repeated measures. The ANOVA results indicated that incorporation of elastic resistance caused a significant change (F2,40=20.235, P<.001; η²p=0.503) in the intensity of PA in VR, which was low while playing without resistance and then increased to a moderate level with additional resistance. The use of elastic bands also changed participants' perceptions of the enjoyment of exercise in VR (F2,40=9.259, P<.001; η²p=0.316). The students rated their satisfaction with PA in VR on a 7-point scale highly and similarly when exercising without an upper limb load (mean 6.19, SD 0.61) and with slight elastic resistance (mean 6.17, SD 0.66), whereas their satisfaction declined significantly (mean 5.66, SD 0.94) when incorporating a higher load. The intensity of PA among students playing the BoxVR game is at a relatively low level. With the added resistance of elastic bands attached to the upper limbs, the intensity of the exercise increased to a moderate level, as recommended for obtaining health benefits. Participants rated the enjoyment of PA in VR highly. The use of slight elastic resistance did not negatively affect satisfaction with the BoxVR game, although user satisfaction declined with a higher load. Further research should be undertaken to increase the effectiveness of exercise in VR so that regular users can enjoy the health benefits.

Tip, torque and rotation of maxillary molars during distalization using Invisalign: a CBCT study

BackgroundDesirable molar distalization by bodily movement is challenging and can be difficult to achieve. This study investigated changes in molar angulation (mesiodistal tipping), molar inclination (buccolingual torque) and rotation during distalization using clear aligner therapy (CAT).Materials and methodsThis retrospective study included 38 cone beam computed tomographic images (CBCTs) taken for patients treated with molar distalization using CAT. The study evaluated pre- (T0) and post-treatment (T1) CBCTs of 19 adult patients (36.68 ± 13.50 years) who underwent maxillary molar distalization using Invisalign® aligners (Align Technology, Inc., San José, CA, USA) with a minimum of 2 mm distalization. Changes in maxillary molar tip, torque and rotation were measured for 61 molars (183 roots). Paired t-test was used to evaluate the differences between pre- and post-treatment readings. The level of significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. The reproducibility of measurements was assessed by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).ResultsMolar angulation did not show significant change after distalization (p = 0.158) however, there was significant increase in buccal molar inclination (p = 0.034) and mesiobuccal molar rotation (p < 0.001).ConclusionMolar distalization of 2 mm did not cause significant molar tipping. Maxillary molars showed significant buccal inclination (increased torque) and mesiobuccal rotation after distalization.

Awareness of embodiment enhances enjoyment and engages sensorimotor cortices.

Whether in performing arts, sporting, or everyday contexts, when we watch others move, we tend to enjoy bodies moving in synchrony. Our enjoyment of body movements is further enhanced by our own prior experience with performing those movements, or our 'embodied experience'. The relationships between movement synchrony and enjoyment, as well as embodied experience and movement enjoyment, are well known. The interaction between enjoyment of movements, synchrony, and embodiment is less well understood, and may be central for developing new approaches for enriching social interaction. To examine the interplay between movement enjoyment, synchrony, and embodiment, we asked participants to copy another person's movements as accurately as possible, thereby gaining embodied experience of movement sequences. Participants then viewed other dyads performing the same or different sequences synchronously, and we assessed participants' recognition of having performed these sequences, as well as their enjoyment of each movement sequence. We used functional near-infrared spectroscopy to measure cortical activation over frontotemporal sensorimotor regions while participants performed and viewed movements. We found that enjoyment was greatest when participants had mirrored the sequence and recognised it, suggesting that awareness of embodiment may be central to enjoyment of synchronous movements. Exploratory analyses of relationships between cortical activation and enjoyment and recognition implicated the sensorimotor cortices, which subserve action observation and aesthetic processing. These findings hold implications for clinical research and therapies seeking to foster successful social interaction.

Nonlinear modelling of arrays of submerged wave energy converters

Studies of arrays of wave energy converters (WECs) with respect to power absorption and array interactions are often performed using linear models. However, nonlinear effects can be important and may change power estimates and optimal array designs. In this study, we have compared linear predictions of the behaviour of a shallowly submerged, buoyant point absorber with predictions from the nonlinear model SWASH with a WEC incorporated (WEC-SWASH). The latter was first comprehensively validated against 1:20 Froude scaled measured data from physical experiments. WEC-SWASH predictions of body motions and mean power absorption were generally in good agreement with measurements (absolute bias within 25%), although some discrepancies were observed in the body motions, especially when the device exhibited motion instabilities. The validated WEC-SWASH model was then compared with a linear frequency-domain model, as the latter is well-known and widely used because of its computational efficiency. Model comparisons were carried out for both an isolated WEC and small arrays (up to 5 devices). The mean power estimates from the linear model and WEC-SWASH for two representative wave farms showed good agreement for mild waves, with a difference of less than 5%. However, for larger waves, the disagreement increased to about 75 to 85% between the models (for the two wave farms tested). We found that array interactions for these arrays depend on wave amplitude and not just wave frequency. Furthermore, we discovered that the power take-off coefficients optimized using the linear model were not the optimum coefficients for the nonlinear model (WEC-SWASH).

Dynamic Analysis of Rigid–Flexible Structures with Piezoelectric Actuation and Control

In this paper, the dynamic equation of a rigid body coupled with two flexible beams was established, considering the rotational motion of the rigid body and the elastic deflection of the flexible beams. The coupling effect between the rigid body rotation and flexible beam vibration was studied in detail. The dynamic response of the flexible beam with piezoelectric effect was established based on Hamilton’s principle. Under the premise of ignoring the nonlinear vibration coupling term of flexible beams, only the first two modes of transverse displacement and one directional rotation motion were studied in case studies. It was found that the coupling term caused by rigid body rotation can slightly alter the natural frequency and amplitude of flexible beams, mainly reflected in the first-order mode. With increasing the external excitation on the rigid body, the induced transverse displacement at the tip of the flexible beam increased significantly. Meanwhile, when the flexible beam was under external excitation, the vibration could also induce rigid body rotation. With the inverse piezoelectric effect, one may actively actuate the flexible beam vibration and rigid body rotation or control the undesired motion of the system. The control effect can be adjusted by varying the applied voltage excitation on the piezoelectric patches as well as patch positions. The conclusions drawn from this study can be applied to active precise control of space facilities such as satellites. Based on the dynamic modeling of rigid–flexible multi-body systems, this paper completed the study of the coupling effects of rigid body rotation and flexible body vibration, and proposed an application idea for completing small-angle maneuvers of rigid–flexible multi-body systems through piezoelectric control.