Mass Kinematics Research Articles

Reliability and practical clinical application of an accelerometer-based dual-task gait balance control assessment

BackgroundGait balance control assessment using whole body center of mass (COM) kinematic measures in concussed individuals reveals persistent balance deficits up to two months post-injury. A reliable and clinically practical gait balance control assessment leveraging similar kinematic measures is necessary to improve concussion assessment and management. Research questionCan peak accelerations collected during a dual-task (DT) gait assessment from a single low back placed accelerometer be measured reliably on different days, by different raters, in different environments, and be practically applied in a Division One (D1) athletics program? MethodsA single accelerometer placed on the low back over the L5 vertebra was utilized with a DT gait analysis protocol. Twenty (10 F) healthy participants performed the assessment in a laboratory and non-laboratory environment, on two separate days, and with two different raters. Eight gait event specific peak accelerations along three orthogonal axes were collected. In addition, data were collected from a cohort of 14 D1 female soccer players during a single assessment to explore the practical clinical application. ResultsCronbach’s α values for the eight metrics ranged from 0.881 to 0.980 and ICC values from 0.868 to 0.987. Average assessment time for the 14 D1 female athletes was 8.50 ± 0.58 min, and significant differences between walking conditions were identified for Vert Accel 1 (p < .01), Vert Accel 2 (p = .01), and A-P Accel (p < .01). SignificanceHigh Cronbach’s α and ICC values coupled with a short assessment time and sensitivity to differences in gait balance control indicate our testing apparatus and protocol are both reliable and clinically practical. Additionally, gait event specific peak accelerations from a single accelerometer can detect subtle changes in gait balance control and may facilitate improvements in sport-related concussion diagnosis and return to activity decision making.

Physics textbooks and its network structures

We can observe self-organised networks all around us. These networks are, in general, scale-invariant networks described by the Barabasi-Albert model. The self-organised networks show certain universalities. These networks, in simplified models, have scale-invariant distribution (power law distribution) and the characteristic parameter α of the distribution has value between 2 and 5. Textbooks are an essential part of the learning process; therefore, we analysed the curriculum in secondary school textbooks of physics from the viewpoint of semantic network structures. We converted the textbook into a tripartite network, where the nodes represented sentences, terms and formulae. We found the same distribution as for self-organised networks. Cluster analysis was applied on the resulting network and we found individual modules—clusters. We obtained nine clusters, three of which were significantly larger. These clusters presented kinematics of point mass, dynamics of point mass and gravitational field with electric field.&#x0D; Keywords: Physics textbook, scale-invariant distribution, semantic network.

What does kinematical target mass sensitivity in DIS reveal about hadron structure?

We study the role of purely external kinematical approximations in inclusive deep-inelastic lepton--hadron scattering within QCD factorization, and consider factorization with an exact treatment of the target hadron mass. We discuss how an observed phenomenological improvement obtained by accounting for target mass kinematics could be interpreted in terms of general properties of target structure, and argue that such an improvement implies a hierarchy of nonperturbative scales within the hadron.

Associated production of a top quark pair with a heavy electroweak gauge boson at NLO+NNLL accuracy

We perform threshold resummation of soft gluon corrections to the total cross sections and the invariant mass distributions for production of a top-antitop quark pair associated with a heavy electroweak boson V = W^+, W^- or Z in pp collisions at the Large Hadron Collider. The resummation is carried out at next-to-next-to-leading-logarithmic (NNLL) accuracy using the direct QCD Mellin space technique in the three-particle invariant mass kinematics. It is found that for the t{bar{t}} Z process the soft gluon resummation introduces significant corrections to the next-to-leading order (NLO) results. For the central scale equal to the t{bar{t}} Z invariant mass the corrections reach nearly 30%. For this process, the dominant theoretical uncertainty of the cross section due to the scale choice is significantly reduced at the NLO+NNLL level with respect to the NLO results. The effects of resummation are found to be less pronounced in the t{bar{t}} W^{pm } case. The obtained results are compared to recent measurements performed by CMS and ATLAS collaborations at the LHC.

Functional reduction of Feynman integrals

A method for reducing Feynman integrals, depending on several kinematic variables and masses, to a combination of integrals with fewer variables is proposed. The method is based on iterative application of functional equations proposed by the author. The reduction of the one-loop scalar triangle and box integrals with massless internal propagators to simpler integrals is described in detail. The triangle integral depending on three variables is represented as a sum over three integrals depending on two variables. By solving the dimensional recurrence relations for these integrals, an analytic expression in terms of the 2F1 Gauss hypergeometric function and the logarithmic function was derived.By using the functional equations, the one-loop box integral with massless internal propagators, which depends on six kinematic variables, was expressed as a sum of 12 terms. These terms are proportional to the same integral depending only on three variables different for each term. For this integral with three variables, an analytic result in terms of the F1 Appell and 2F1 Gauss hypergeometric functions was derived by solving the recurrence relation with respect to the spacetime dimension d. The reduction equations for the box integral with some kinematic variables equal to zero are considered.

On the status of expansion by regions

We discuss the status of expansion by regions, i.e. a well-known strategy to obtain an expansion of a given multiloop Feynman integral in a given limit where some kinematic invariants and/or masses have certain scaling measured in powers of a given small parameter. Using the Lee–Pomeransky parametric representation, we formulate the corresponding prescriptions in a simple geometrical language and make a conjecture that they hold even in a much more general case. We prove this conjecture in some partial cases.

The thrashed mass kinematic parameters establishment in the roller thrashing unit clearance

Planetary mechanisms are used to create the working movement of operating bodies of metallurgical and mining machines. Rolling working bodies, for the drive of which the planetary mechanisms are used are increasingly used in the designs of harvesters. The processes taking place in the differential threshing devices of harvesters are poorly studied due to the lack of information about the properties of the material in the case of rapidly changing stresses in them. The present work is a result of the analysis of theoretical and experimental researches in threshing. We described the technological scheme of the shock–vibration threshing device and the principle of its operation. There were studied the possible options of the placement of rollers and a concave. The relationship between the angular velocities of a roll, rollers and a concave was found out. The installation of three–sided rollers on the threshing device according to the scheme proposed by us makes it possible to shake the whole threshed rice mass from 75 to 110 times per second.

Long range effects in gravity theories with Vainshtein screening

In this paper we study long range modifications of gravity in the consistent framework of bigravity, which introduces a second massive spin-2 field and allows to continuously interpolate between the regime of General Relativity (mediated by a massless spin-2 field) and massive gravity (mediated by a massive spin-2 field). In particular we derive for the first time the equations for light deflection in this framework and study the effect on the lensing potential of galaxy clusters. By comparison of kinematic and lensing mass reconstructions, stringent bounds can be set on the parameter space of the new spin-2 fields. Furthermore, we investigate galactic rotation curves and the effect on the observable dark matter abundance within this framework.

Systematic approximation of multi-scale Feynman integrals

An algorithm for the systematic analytical approximation of multi-scale Feynman integrals is presented. The algorithm produces algebraic expressions as functions of the kinematical parameters and mass scales appearing in the Feynman integrals, allowing for fast numerical evaluation. The results are valid in all kinematical regions, both above and below thresholds, up to in principle arbitrary orders in the dimensional regulator. The scope of the algorithm is demonstrated by presenting results for selected two-loop threepoint and four-point integrals with an internal mass scale that appear in the two-loop amplitudes for Higgs+jet production.

Effects of center of mass kinematics on ball velocity during jump throwing in handball

Effects of center of mass kinematics on ball velocity during jump throwing in handball

Effects of a powered ankle-foot orthosis on perturbed standing balance

BackgroundLower extremity exoskeletons are mainly used to provide stepping support, while balancing is left to the user. Designing balance controllers is one of the biggest challenges in the development of exoskeletons. The goal of this study was to design and evaluate a balance controller for a powered ankle-foot orthosis and assess its effect on the standing balance of healthy subjects.MethodsWe designed and implemented a balance controller based on the subject’s body sway. This controller was compared to a simple virtual-ankle stiffness and a zero impedance controller. Ten healthy subjects wearing a powered ankle-foot orthosis had to maintain standing balance without stepping while receiving anteroposterior pushes. Center of mass kinematics, ankle torques and muscle activity of the lower legs were analyzed to assess the balance performance of the user and exoskeleton.ResultsThe different controllers did not significantly affect the center of mass responses. However, the body sway based controller resulted in a decrease of 29% in the biological ankle torque compared to the zero impedance controller and a decrease of 32% compared to the virtual-ankle stiffness. Furthermore, the soleus muscle activity of the left and right leg decreased on average with 8%, while the tibialis anterior muscle activity increased with 47% compared to zero impedance.ConclusionThe body sway based controller generated human-like torque profiles, whereas the virtual-ankle stiffness did not. As a result, the powered ankle-foot orthosis with the body sway based controller was effective in assisting the healthy subjects in maintaining balance, although the improvements were not seen in the body sway response, but in the subjects’ decreased biological ankle torques to counteract the perturbations. This decrease was a combined effect of decreased soleus muscle activity and increased tibialis anterior muscle activity.

Associated tt¯H production at the LHC: Theoretical predictions at NLO+NNLL accuracy

We perform threshold resummation of soft gluon corrections to the total cross section and the invariant mass distribution for the process $pp \to t\bar{t}H$. The resummation is carried out at next-to-next-to-leading-logarithmic (NNLL) accuracy using the direct QCD Mellin space technique in the three-particle invariant mass kinematics. After presenting analytical expressions we discuss the impact of resummation on the numerical predictions for the associated Higgs boson production with top quarks at the LHC. We find that NLO+NNLL resummation leads to predictions for which the central values are remarkably stable with respect to scale variation and for which theoretical uncertainties are reduced in comparison to NLO predictions.

ZFIRE: 3D Modeling of Rotation, Dispersion, and Angular Momentum of Star-forming Galaxies at z ∼ 2

Abstract We perform a kinematic and morphological analysis of 44 star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 2 in the COSMOS legacy field using near-infrared spectroscopy from Keck/MOSFIRE and F160W imaging from CANDELS/3D-HST as part of the ZFIRE survey. Our sample consists of cluster and field galaxies from 2.0 &lt; z &lt; 2.5 with K-band multi-object slit spectroscopic measurements of their Hα emission lines. Hα rotational velocities and gas velocity dispersions are measured using the Heidelberg Emission Line Algorithm (HELA), which compares directly to simulated 3D data cubes. Using a suite of simulated emission lines, we determine that HELA reliably recovers input S 0.5 and angular momentum at small offsets, but V 2.2/σ g values are offset and highly scattered. We examine the role of regular and irregular morphology in the stellar mass kinematic scaling relations, deriving the kinematic measurement S 0.5, and finding with no significant offset between morphological populations and similar levels of scatter (∼0.16 dex). Additionally, we identify a correlation between M ⋆ and V 2.2/σ g for the total sample, showing an increasing level of rotation dominance with increasing M ⋆, and a high level of scatter for both regular and irregular galaxies. We estimate the specific angular momenta (j disk) of these galaxies and find a slope of 0.36 ± 0.12, shallower than predicted without mass-dependent disk growth, but this result is possibly due to measurement uncertainty at M ⋆ &lt; 9.5 However, through a Kolmogorov–Smirnov test we find irregular galaxies to have marginally higher j disk values than regular galaxies, and high scatter at low masses in both populations.

An Inertial Sensor-Based Method for Estimating the Athlete's Relative Joint Center Positions and Center of Mass Kinematics in Alpine Ski Racing.

For the purpose of gaining a deeper understanding of the relationship between external training load and health in competitive alpine skiing, an accurate and precise estimation of the athlete's kinematics is an essential methodological prerequisite. This study proposes an inertial sensor-based method to estimate the athlete's relative joint center positions and center of mass (CoM) kinematics in alpine skiing. Eleven inertial sensors were fixed to the lower and upper limbs, trunk, and head. The relative positions of the ankle, knee, hip, shoulder, elbow, and wrist joint centers, as well as the athlete's CoM kinematics were validated against a marker-based optoelectronic motion capture system during indoor carpet skiing. For all joints centers analyzed, position accuracy (mean error) was below 110 mm and precision (error standard deviation) was below 30 mm. CoM position accuracy and precision were 25.7 and 6.7 mm, respectively. Both the accuracy and precision of the system to estimate the distance between the ankle of the outside leg and CoM (measure quantifying the skier's overall vertical motion) were found to be below 11 mm. Some poorer accuracy and precision values (below 77 mm) were observed for the athlete's fore-aft position (i.e., the projection of the outer ankle-CoM vector onto the line corresponding to the projection of ski's longitudinal axis on the snow surface). In addition, the system was found to be sensitive enough to distinguish between different types of turns (wide/narrow). Thus, the method proposed in this paper may also provide a useful, pervasive way to monitor and control adverse external loading patterns that occur during regular on-snow training. Moreover, as demonstrated earlier, such an approach might have a certain potential to quantify competition time, movement repetitions and/or the accelerations acting on the different segments of the human body. However, prior to getting feasible for applications in daily training, future studies should primarily focus on a simplification of the sensor setup, as well as a fusion with global navigation satellite systems (i.e., the estimation of the absolute joint and CoM positions).

Effects of a flexible net barrier on the dynamic behaviours and interception of debris flows in mountainous areas

Flexible net barriers are a new type of effective mitigation measure against debris flows in valleys and can affect the kinematic energy and mass of debris flows. Here, ten flume tests were performed to study the dynamic behaviours of debris flows with differences in volumes, concentrations (solid volume fraction), and travel distances after interception by a uniform flexible net barrier. A high-speed camera was used to monitor the whole test process, and their dynamic behaviours were recorded. A preliminary computational framework on energy conversion is proposed according to the deposition mechanisms and outflow of debris flow under the effects of the flexible net barrier. The experimental results show that the dynamic interaction process between a debris flow and the flexible net barrier can be divided into two stages: (a) the two-phase impact of the leading edge of the debris flow with the net and (b) collision and friction between the body of the debris flow and intercepted debris material. The approach velocity of a debris flow decreases sharply (a maximum of 63%) after the interception by the net barrier, and the mass ratio of the debris material being intercepted and the kinetic energy ratio of the debris material being absorbed by the net barrier are close due to the limited interception efficiency of the flexible net barrier, which is believed to be related to the flexibility. The energy ratio of outflow is relative small despite the large permeability of the flexible net barrier.

CLASH-VLT: constraints on f(R) gravity models with galaxy clusters using lensing and kinematic analyses

We perform a maximum likelihood kinematic analysis of the two dynamically relaxed galaxy clusters MACS J1206.2-0847 at z=0.44 and RXC J2248.7-4431 at z=0.35 to determine the total mass profile in modified gravity models, using a modified version of the MAMPOSSt code of Mamon, Biviano and Bou'e. Our work is based on the kinematic and lensing mass profiles derived using the data from the Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble (hereafter CLASH) and the spectroscopic follow-up with the Very Large Telescope (hereafter CLASH-VLT). We assume a spherical Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW hereafter) profile in order to obtain a constraint on the fifth force interaction range λ for models in which the dependence of this parameter on the environment is negligible at the scale considered (i.e. λ=const) and fixing the fifth force strength to the value predicted in f(R) gravity. We then use information from lensing analysis to put a prior on the other NFW free parameters. In the case of MACSJ 1206 the joint kinematic+lensing analysis leads to an upper limit on the effective interaction range λ≤1.61 mpc at Δχ2=2.71 on the marginalized distribution. For RXJ 2248 instead a possible tension with the ΛCDM model appears when adding lensing information, with a lower limit λ≥0.14 mpc at Δχ2=2.71. This is consequence of the slight difference between the lensing and kinematic data, appearing in GR for this cluster, that could in principle be explained in terms of modifications of gravity. We discuss the impact of systematics and the limits of our analysis as well as future improvements of the results obtained. This work has interesting implications in view of upcoming and future large imaging and spectroscopic surveys, that will deliver lensing and kinematic mass reconstruction for a large number of galaxy clusters.

Research into technological process of convective fruit drying in a solar dryer

We proposed a generalized procedure of convective fruit drying, which takes into account comprehensive combination of thermal-physical and physical-chemical properties of fruit with their kinematic heat and mass exchange characteristics. We developed a mathematical model of heat, moisture and mass exchange for convective fruit drying, which considers moisture-yielding velocity of the dried material in the operation zone of the heat carrier under conditions of diffusion process of moisture transfer in the dried material. The given model allows us to determine heat and mass exchange characteristics and intensity of the drying process. We proposed the systems of differential equations of heat and moisture transfer in the process of convective fruit drying for parabolic and uniformed original distribution of temperature and moisture content. As a result of the solution of a system of differential equations, we obtained appropriate dependences to determine the energy of bound moisture, moisture content on the surface and in the center of the material, difference of moisture content between the surface and central layers, as well as critical moisture content. The obtained results may be used when predicting the heat and mass exchange processes, for improvement of technology and equipment for fruit drying in the solar dryer, for increasing technological and energy efficiency of the process.

A Comparison of Numerical Strategies for Modeling the Transport Phenomena in High-Energy Laser Surface Alloying Process

A comparative assessment is done on the effectiveness of some developed and reported macroscopic and mesoscopic models deployed for addressing the three-dimensional thermo-fluidic transport during high power laser surface alloying process. The macroscopic models include the most celebrated k-e turbulence model and the large eddy simulation (LES) model, whereas a kinetic theory based lattice Boltzmann (LB) approach is invoked under the mesoscopic paradigm. The time dependent Navier-Stokes equations are transformed into the k- turbulence model by performing the Reynolds averaging technique, whereas a spatial filtering operation is used to produce the LES model. The models are suitably modified to address the turbulent melt-pool convection by using a modified eddy viscosity expression including a damping factor in the form of square root of the liquid fraction. The LB scheme utilizes three separate distribution functions to monitor the underlying hydrodynamic, thermal and compositional fields. Accordingly, the kinematic viscosity, thermal and mass diffusivities are adjusted independently. A single domain fixed-grid enthalpy-porosity approach is utilized to model the phase change phenomena in conjunction with an appropriate enthalpy updating closure scheme. The performance of these models are recorded by capturing the characteristic nature of the thermo-fluidic transport during the laser material processing. The maximum values of the pertinent parameters in the computational domain obtained from several modeling efforts are compared in order to assess their capabilities. The comparison shows that the prediction from the k-e turbulence model is higher than the LES and LB models. Additionally, the results from all three models are compared with the available experimental results in the form of dimensionless composition of the alloyed layer along the dimensionless depth of the pool. The comparison reveals that the LB and the LES approaches are better than the k-e turbulence approach in reproducing the experimental results.

Reducing gravity takes the bounce out of running.

In gravity below Earth-normal, a person should be able to take higher leaps in running. We asked 10 subjects to run on a treadmill in five levels of simulated reduced gravity and optically tracked centre-of-mass kinematics. Subjects consistently reduced ballistic height compared with running in normal gravity. We explain this trend by considering the vertical take-off velocity (defined as maximum vertical velocity). Energetically optimal gaits should balance the energetic costs of ground-contact collisions (favouring lower take-off velocity), and step frequency penalties such as leg swing work (favouring higher take-off velocity, but less so in reduced gravity). Measured vertical take-off velocity scaled with the square root of gravitational acceleration, following energetic optimality predictions and explaining why ballistic height decreases in lower gravity. The success of work-based costs in predicting this behaviour challenges the notion that gait adaptation in reduced gravity results from an unloading of the stance phase. Only the relationship between take-off velocity and swing cost changes in reduced gravity; the energetic cost of the down-to-up transition for a given vertical take-off velocity does not change with gravity. Because lower gravity allows an elongated swing phase for a given take-off velocity, the motor control system can relax the vertical momentum change in the stance phase, thus reducing ballistic height, without great energetic penalty to leg swing work. Although it may seem counterintuitive, using less 'bouncy' gaits in reduced gravity is a strategy to reduce energetic costs, to which humans seem extremely sensitive.

Top Quark Mass Calibration for MonteCarlo Event Generators.

The most precise top quark mass measurements use kinematic reconstruction methods, determining the top mass parameter of a MonteCarlo event generator m_{t}^{MC}. Because of hadronization and parton-shower dynamics, relating m_{t}^{MC} to a field theory mass is difficult. We present a calibration procedure to determine this relation using hadron level QCD predictions for observables with kinematic mass sensitivity. Fitting e^{+}e^{-} 2-jettiness calculations at next-to-leading-logarithmic and next-to-next-to-leading-logarithmic order to pythia 8.205, m_{t}^{MC} differs from the pole mass by 900 and 600MeV, respectively, and agrees with the MSR mass within uncertainties, m_{t}^{MC}≃m_{t,1 GeV}^{MSR}.