Walking Person Research Articles

The Implication, Challenges, and Pathways of College Students' Ideal Education in the New Era

College students' ideal education in the new era is different from the ideal education of any period in the past. It has a unique times implication, including three aspects of political implication, innovation implication and actual effect implication. At the same time, there is also a gap between the expected state and the actual situation. It has fallen into the realistic dilemma of "weak political attributes", "insufficient reform and innovation", and "insufficient practical results". Only with a direction in heart can a person walk steadily and far. College students' ideal education in the new era must adhere to the correct reform path. Firstly, we need to optimize educational concepts and adhere to political attributes. Secondly, we need to activate educational motivation and innovate teaching paradigms. Finally, we must adhere to the "San Quan" education and consolidate educational effectiveness.

Joint reaction and simulated muscle forces during squatting and walking in persons with hemophilia

BackgroundPersons with hemophilia experience joint bleeding that can lead to debilitating arthropathy, most commonly seen in ankles, knees, and elbows. Arthropathy can hinder participation in daily and athletic activities. We explored how hemophilic arthropathy impacts movement patterns in walking and bilateral squatting tasks in persons with hemophilia compared to healthy controls. MethodsPersons with hemophilia and healthy controls completed walking and squatting tasks while kinematic and kinetic motion capture data were collected. The Hemophilia Joint Health Score exam was performed to measure hemophiliac arthropathy. OpenSim was used to model muscle and joint reaction forces and calculate moments and angles. Peak values were compared using Cohen's d to estimate effect sizes of hemophilia on movement parameters. FindingsNine persons with hemophilia and eight age-matched controls were analyzed. Temporal-spatial metrics were similar between hemophilia and control groups in both tasks. In walking, persons with hemophilia had higher peak ankle dorsiflexion angles, vertical ground reaction force weight acceptance peaks, and hip extension and flexion moments compared to controls. In squatting, persons with hemophilia had lower knee extension moments, ankle joint reaction force, and knee extensor forces, but had higher hip extension moments. InterpretationTemporal-spatial metric similarity between hemophilia and controls suggests that kinetic and kinematic analyses are needed to identify movement pattern differences. These data identify potential compensatory strategies at the hip that may be used by persons with hemophilia to mitigate impact on the knee and ankle. Future work will confirm these data in a larger sample size and be used to develop physical therapy strategies.

Gait Recognition by Computing Fixed Body Parameters

Biometrics is a very important science, especially in recent years. This science was used to identify people based on their physical and behavioral characteristics. Gaiting is a behavioral characteristic that arises from the feeling that a person close to us can be identified even from a distance simply by recognizing how the person walks. The main advantage of gait recognition is that they are hidden and unnoticed. People can be identified from a distance. This paper implement Using computing fixed Body Parameters in the gait recognition. Computing fixed Body Parameters techniques has the advantage of being less sensitive to gait variance. The data captured manually from 50 persons, and the system can identify about (50 )% from the number of persons.

Dorsiflexion Specific Ankle Robotics to Enhance Motor Learning After Stroke: A Preliminary Report.

Robotics has emerged as a promising avenue for gait retraining of persons with chronic hemiparetic gait and footdrop, yet there is a gap regarding the biomechanical adaptations that occur with locomotor learning. We developed an ankle exoskeleton (AMBLE) enabling dorsiflexion assist-as-needed across gait cycle sub-events to train and study the biomechanics of motor learning stroke. This single-armed, non-controlled study investigates effects of nine hours (9 weeks × 2 sessions/week) locomotor task-specific ankle robotics training on gait biomechanics and functional mobility in persons with chronic hemiparetic gait and foot drop. Subjects include N = 16 participants (8 male, 8 female) age 53 ± 12 years with mean 11 ± 8 years since stroke. All baseline and post-training outcomes including optical motion capture for 3-D gait biomechanics are conducted during unassisted (no robot) over-ground walking conditions. Robotics training with AMBLE produced significant kinematic improvements in ankle peak dorsiflexion angular velocity (°/s, + 44 [49%], p < 0.05), heel-first foot strikes (%steps, + 14 [15%], p < 0.01) toe-off angle (°, + 83[162%], p < 0.05), and paretic knee flexion (°, + 20 [30%], p < 0.05). Improvements in gait temporal-spatial parameters include increased paretic step length (cm, + 12 [20%], p< 0.05), reduced paretic swing duration (%GC, -3[6%], p < 0.05), and trend toward improved step length symmetry (-16 [11%], p = 0.08). Functional improvements include 10-meter comfortable (m/s, + 13 [16%], p < 0.01) and fastest (m/s, + 13 [15%], p<0.01) walking velocities, 6-minute timed walk distance (m, + 16 [19%], p < 0.01) and Dynamic Gait Index scores (+15 [15%], p < 0.01). Subjects' perceived improvements surpassed the minimal clinically important difference on the Stroke Impact Scale (SIS) mobility subscale (+11 [19%], p < 0.05). AMBLE training improves paretic ankle neuromotor control, paretic knee flexion, and gait temporal-distance parameters during unassisted over-ground walking in persons with chronic stroke and foot drop. This locomotor learning indexed by an increase in volitional autonomous (non-robotic) control of paretic ankle across training translated to improvements in functional mobility outcomes. Larger randomized clinical trials are needed to investigate the effectiveness of task-specific ankle robotics, and precise training characteristics to durably improve gait, balance, and home and community-based functional mobility for persons with hemiparetic gait and foot drop. NCT04594837.

How the Science Behind Video Games Helps Kids Walk

Did you know that some of the same technology used to make video games and movie special effects can help scientists better understand human movement? During motion capture, also called mocap, small reflective balls, or markers as they are called, are placed on specific points of a person’s body. Mocap systems work using multiple cameras around the room that track the motion of the markers as a person walks, runs, jumps, or plays. The information gathered during mocap can be used to help doctors decide the best possible care to improve a child’s walking. It can also be used to determine when someone is ready to go back to sports after an injury, to help prevent people from getting injuries in the first place, or to improve their sports performance.

Understanding Frailty: Perspectives and Experiences of Rural Older Adults in India.

In India, frailty has been predominantly studied as a physiological aspect, overlooking the subjective perceptions of community-dwelling older adults, which holds global significance. This study aims to explore frailty perceptions among community-dwelling older adults, comparing those enrolled in a geriatric welfare program facility to those not-enrolled. A cross-sectional design with a qualitative descriptive framework was employed, using focus group methodology. The study took place in rural West Bengal, located in eastern India, with a sample of 27 participants aged 60-87 years. Data collection occurred between October 2018 and January 2020, conducted through a face-to-face, semistructured discussion guide. Thematic analysis was performed to ensure data saturation and reliability. Three key themes emerged from the analysis: (a) Perceptions of frailty were associated with aging, functional dependence, and psychosocial health, (b) Exposure to a scientific definition led to an ideological dilemma influenced by personal experiences, (c) Walking speed and grip strength were prominent components of frailty. The findings revealed that there was no difference in perception between program-enrolled and nonenrolled older adults, likely due to the concept of frailty being new to all participants. However, it was noteworthy that participants enrolled in the welfare program exhibited a resilient mindset toward the definition and demonstrated a proactive interest in preserving their overall health. This novel study underscores the necessity of enhancing community awareness and integrating frailty management into the Indian health care system, which is yet to be fully integrated, aiming to promote the well-being of older adults.

Looking for It: Language, Literacy, and History in Place

Within this article, we explore how teachers, researchers, and community members—including youth—worked in collaborative conversations and place-based projects to explore the languages, stories, and histories of their local Georgia communities. By examining the process of “looking for it,” as one youth researcher puts it, this article explores three inquiry practices Georgia youth use to identify and sustain community language and literacy practices: personal storytelling, walking histories, and breaking bread. These community literacies resulted in youth having a stronger sense of self and community and understanding the relationship between them. Additionally, the practices spurred critical thinking, historical inquiry, and socioemotional learning. Community exploration through community literacies created the foundation for place-based language, literacy, and history research to take root and flourish.

Ground Force Precision Calibration Method for Customized Piezoresistance Sensing Flexible Force Measurement Mat.

A force plate is mainly used in biomechanics; it aims to measure the ground reaction force in a person's walking or standing position. In this study, a large-area force mat of the piezoresistance sensing type was developed, and a deep-learning-based weight measurement calibration method was applied to solve the problem in which measurements are not normalized because of physical limitations in hardware and signal processing. The test set was composed of the values measured at each point by weight and the value of the center of the pressure variable, and the measured value was predicted using a deep neural network (DNN) regression model. The calibration verification results show that the average weight errors range from a minimum of 0.06% to a maximum of 3.334%. This is simpler than the previous method, which directly measures the ratio of the resistance value to the measured weight of each sensor and derives an equation.

Generation of Power from Footpath Using IOT

The present scenario, the requirement for energy has been increasing in a distressing rate and the availability of the energy resources are not abundant for sustainable development and the need of the hour is to establish an economical pollution free inexhaustible energy resource to compensate the increasing demands. Since, walking is the most common activity in human day to day life, whenever a person walks, he exhausts energy to the ground which goes as a waste. In order to preserve and make use of this energy we are converting it into electrical energy using piezoelectric effect. Piezoelectric effect is utilized by piezoelectric sensor producing output energy in the form of AC voltage. To produce energy in a large extent, in this model implementation of the piezoelectric sensor network along the footpath is carried out which is given to the lane of streetlights along with it the smart shoe is implemented for a small production that consists GPS tracking. In this proposed work model, GPS tracking has been added and also streetlights switching technique comparing with existing model

Visual feedback improves propulsive force generation during treadmill walking in people with Parkinson disease

Persons with Parkinson's disease experience gait alterations, such as reduced step length. Gait dysfunction is a significant research priority as the current treatments targeting gait impairment are limited. This study aimed to investigate the effects of visual biofeedback on propulsive force during treadmill walking in persons with Parkinson's. Sixteen ambulatory persons with Parkinson's participated in the study. They received real-time biofeedback of anterior ground reaction force during treadmill walking at a constant speed. Peak propulsive force values were measured and normalized to body weight. Spatiotemporal parameters were also assessed, including stride length and double support percent. Persons with Parkinson's significantly increased peak propulsive force during biofeedback compared to baseline (p <.0001, Cohen's dz = 1.69). Variability in peak anterior ground reaction force decreased across repeated trials (p <.0001, dz = 1.51). While spatiotemporal parameters did not show significant changes individually, stride length and double support percent improved marginally during biofeedback trials. Persons with Parkinson's can increase propulsive force with visual biofeedback, suggesting the presence of a propulsive reserve. Though stride length did not significantly change, clinically meaningful improvements were observed. Targeting push-off force through visual biofeedback may offer a potential rehabilitation technique to enhance gait performance in Persons with Parkinson's. Future studies could explore the long-term efficacy of this intervention and investigate additional strategies to improve gait in Parkinson's disease.

Integration of Wearable Sensors and Electrical Muscle Stimulation in Lower Limb Robotics for Gait Rehabilitation

Combining wearing devices with electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) in robotic lower limbs has shown promise in helping people learn how to walk again. This new method blends the benefits of smart technology and EMS to help people with neurological or joint problems improve their motor function and walking patterns. Wearable devices, like inertial measurement units (IMUs) and electromyography (EMG) monitors, record information about how the body moves and what muscles are doing while the person moves. These monitors give the user and the therapy team feedback in real time, which makes it possible for personalized and flexible recovery plans. Data from personal monitors can also be used to look at how people walk and see how they're doing over time. EMS is used to target certain muscles and make them stronger, more coordinated, and easier to control. By combining EMS with robots for the lower limbs, therapists can focus on certain muscle groups and make recovery routines more successful. EMS can also be timed to move with the robotic suit to help the person walk in a more natural and useful way. Wearable sensors and EMS work well together in lower limb robots for many reasons. EMS therapy can be made more specific and flexible because wearing monitors let doctors change the frequency and strength of the therapy in real time. The person is also encouraged to be more involved with this method because they get instant feedback on their actions and can see how they're doing over time. The combining wearing sensors and EMS in lower limb robots has a lot of promise to make gait therapy work better. Future study should focus on finding the best ways to combine these tools and looking at how they affect the quality of life and ability to walk for people who have movement problems in the long run.

The effect of motor imagery and action observation on autonomic functions in patients with chronic stroke

ABSTRACT Objectives This study aimed to investigate the effects of motor imagery (MI), action observation (AO), and action execution (AE) interventions on the autonomic nervous system (ANS) in individuals with chronic stroke. Methods This was a single-center, randomized, case-control study. Thirty-six patients were randomly assigned to MI (n = 10), AO (n = 15), and the AE group (n = 11). Heart rate (HR)-based measurements (HR, heart rate variability (HRV)) and blood pressure were evaluated before the practice of each group. In the MI group, participants were instructed to imagine themselves walking at their own comfortable pace for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in the AO group, participants were shown a video of a person walking for 5 minutes. Finally, in the AE group, participants were instructed to actually walk for 5 minutes. Then, all measurements were taken again. Results A statistically significant difference was found in HR and mean RR interval within the AE group (p < 0.05). There was a statistically significant difference in the Root Mean Square of Successive Differences Between Normal Heartbeats (RMSSD) (ms) within the AO group (p < 0.05). There was a significant difference in HR and mean RR intervals (ms) between groups (p < 0.05). According to post-hoc analyses, HR was statistically significantly higher in the AE group compared to the other groups, and the mean RR interval was statistically significantly lower (p < 0.05). Conclusions In conclusion, in patients with chronic stroke, AE and AO may affect ANS by increasing sympathetic activation. It is recommended for future studies to evaluate whether patients actually engage in imagery during the MI task.

A single sequence of intermittent hypoxia does not alter stretch reflex excitability in able-bodied individuals.

Spasticity attributable to exaggerated stretch reflex pathways, particularly affecting the ankle plantar flexors, often impairs overground walking in persons with incomplete spinal cord injury. Compelling evidence from rodent models underscores how exposure to acute intermittent hypoxia (AIH) can provide a unique medium to induce spinal plasticity in key inhibitory pathways mediating stretch reflex excitability and potentially affect spasticity. In this study, we quantify the effects of a single exposure to AIH on the stretch reflex in able-bodied individuals. We hypothesized that a single sequence of AIH will increase the stretch reflex excitability of the soleus muscle during ramp-and-hold angular perturbations applied to the ankle joint while participants perform passive and volitionally matched contractions. Our results revealed that a single AIH exposure did not significantly change the stretch reflex excitability during both passive and active matching conditions. Furthermore, we found that able-bodied individuals increased their stretch reflex response from passive to active matching conditions after both sham and AIH exposures. Together, these findings suggest that a single AIH exposure might not engage inhibitory pathways sufficiently to alter stretch reflex responses in able-bodied persons. However, the generalizability of our present findings requires further examination during repetitive exposures to AIH along with potential reflex modulation during functional movements, such as overground walking.

On the Human Thermal Load in Fog

We characterized the thermal load of a person walking and/or standing in the fog by analyzing the thermal resistance of clothing, rcl, and operative temperature, To. The rcl–To model applies to individuals using weather data. The body mass index and basal metabolic flux density values of the person analyzed in this study are 25 kg m−2 and 40 W m−2, respectively. Weather data are taken from the nearest automatic weather station. We observed 146 fog events in the period 2017–2024 in Martonvásár (Hungary’s Great Plain region, Central Europe). The main results are as follows: (1) The rcl and To values were mostly between 2 and 0.5 clo and −4 and 16 °C during fog events, respectively. (2) The largest and smallest rcl and To values were around 2.5 and 0 clo and −7 and 22 °C, respectively. (3) The rcl differences resulting from interpersonal and wind speed variability are comparable, with a maximum value of around 0.5–0.7 clo. (4) Finally, rcl values are significantly different for standing and walking persons. At the very end, we can emphasize that the thermal load of the fog depends noticeably on the person’s activity and anthropometric characteristics.

Fusion of Time-of-Flight Based Sensors with Monocular Cameras for a Robotic Person Follower

Human-robot collaboration (HRC) is becoming increasingly important in advanced production systems, such as those used in industries and agriculture. This type of collaboration can contribute to productivity increase by reducing physical strain on humans, which can lead to reduced injuries and improved morale. One crucial aspect of HRC is the ability of the robot to follow a specific human operator safely. To address this challenge, a novel methodology is proposed that employs monocular vision and ultra-wideband (UWB) transceivers to determine the relative position of a human target with respect to the robot. UWB transceivers are capable of tracking humans with UWB transceivers but exhibit a significant angular error. To reduce this error, monocular cameras with Deep Learning object detection are used to detect humans. The reduction in angular error is achieved through sensor fusion, combining the outputs of both sensors using a histogram-based filter. This filter projects and intersects the measurements from both sources onto a 2D grid. By combining UWB and monocular vision, a remarkable 66.67% reduction in angular error compared to UWB localization alone is achieved. This approach demonstrates an average processing time of 0.0183s and an average localization error of 0.14 meters when tracking a person walking at an average speed of 0.21 m/s. This novel algorithm holds promise for enabling efficient and safe human-robot collaboration, providing a valuable contribution to the field of robotics.

“De” – The Xin of TCVM Practice with an Emphasis on Tui-na

In the primordial Chinese classic, Dao De Ching, opposites are a consistent and universal theme – Yin and Yang permeate the Cosmos. Even the title exemplifies this – in the word “De” 德. As Western acculturated individuals our experience with “de” comes from the French word for “of”… A little word with a little meaning. In contrast, one little word in Chinese has one big meaning – the illusionary and polar state of nature summed up in the word “De”. For the Chinese, “De” connotes a profound concept, the concept of Virtue. Dao De Ching literally means “The Way (or Path) of Virtue Classic”. “De” is the embodiment of Virtue in the individual. Virtue includes both the values of honest living and the resulting power derived from it – particularly the power of healing. The character, or pictogram (德), representing “De” is composed of three parts. On the left is a person walking (progress or action), on the top right is a symbol meaning “something observed from all angles or directions shows no deviation” (being perfectly right), and a symbol on the bottom right representing the character for “Xin” (the Heart). The imagery can be interpreted as a virtuous person’s behavior perfectly reflects their heart. For the practitioner the incorporation of “Xin” underscores the importance of utilizing both the heart and mind in daily practice. The ability to combine one’s mind (thoughts) with one’s heart (intuition) will refine one’s being as a healer. Further, it implies “the ability to directly bypass one’s mind and know spontaneously with one’s heart, the heart of all things.”

Walking and physical performance in black and white adults with multiple sclerosis controlling for social determinants of health

BackgroundThere is evidence for reduced walking and physical performance in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) compared with healthy controls (HCs). There is further evidence suggesting increased overall mobility disability in Black persons with MS compared with White counterparts, yet little is known about the interplay of social determinants of health (SDOH) when considering differences in walking and physical performance. PurposeThis cross-sectional, comparative study examined differences in walking and physical performance in Black and White persons with MS and HCs (MS Status), statistically controlling for SDOH. MethodsThe study sample consisted of 208 persons with MS (141 White participants and 67 Black participants) and 95 HCs (59 White participants and 36 Black participants). Walking and physical function were measured using timed 25-foot walk (T25FW), six-minute walk (6MW), timed-up-and-go (TUG), and short physical performance battery (SPPB). We examined the differences in the walking and physical functions as a function of MS Status (MS vs. HCs) and Race (Black vs. White) using Multivariate Analysis of Covariance, controlling for age, sex, marital status and SDOH (i.e., education, employment, income). ResultsThere were no significant interactions between MS Status and Race on the outcomes, and the main effects of MS Status and Race remained statistically significant, controlling for SDOH and covariates. The main effects indicated significant lower T25FW (F = 34.6, p < .001, Ƞp2 = 0.11), 6MW (F = 58.5, p < .001, Ƞp2 = 0.18), TUG (F = 22.1, p < .001, Ƞp2 = 0.08), and SPPB (F = 25.2, p < .001, Ƞp2 = 0.09) performance for MS than HCs, and lower T25FW (F = 15.5, p < .001, Ƞp2 = 0.05), 6MW (F = 11.6, p < .001, Ƞp2 = 0.04), and TUG (F = 4.1, p < .05, Ƞp2 = 0.02) performance in Black than White samples. ConclusionsWe conclude that MS Status and Race independently influence walking and physical performance even after accounting for SDOH, and Black persons with MS have compromised walking and physical performance, perhaps necessitating focal rehabilitation.

Robotic Leg Prosthesis: A Survey From Dynamic Model to Adaptive Control for Gait Coordination.

Gait coordination (GC), meaning that one leg moves in the same pattern but with a specific phase lag to the other, is a spontaneous behavior in the walking of a healthy person. It is also crucial for unilateral amputees with the robotic leg prosthesis to perform ambulation cooperatively in the real world. However, achieving the GC for amputees poses significant challenges to the prostheses' dynamic modeling and control design. Still, there has not been a clear survey on the initiation and evolution of the detailed solutions, hindering the precise decision of future explorations. To this end, this paper comprehensively reviews GC-oriented dynamic modeling and adaptive control methods for robotic leg prostheses. Considering the two representative environments concerned with adaptive control, we first classify the dynamic models into the deterministic model for structured terrain and the constrained stochastic model for stochastically uneven terrain. Inspired by the concept of synchronization, we then emphasize three typical problems for the GC realization, i.e., complete coordination on structured terrain, stochastic coordination on stochastically uneven terrain, and finite-time delayed stochastic coordination. Finally, we conclude with a discussion on the remaining challenges and opportunities in controlling robotic leg prostheses.

ТЕОРЕТИЧЕСКИЕ ОСНОВЫ ВЫБОРА ПАССАЖИРОМ СРЕДСТВА ПЕРЕДВИЖЕНИЯ

The article considers a scientifically based approach to the issue of a passenger choosing a travel mode in the city from three alternatives: urban public transport, a personal vehicle or walking. The factors influencing this choice are analyzed. A method for calculating the probabilities of choosing a travel mode to be used in transport planning is proposed.

Defining characteristics of independent walking persons after stroke presenting with different arm swing coordination patterns

BackgroundPersons after stroke present with an altered arm swing during walking. Given the known influence of the arm swing on gait, it is important to identify the characteristics of persons with stroke with different arm-to-leg coordination patterns during walking. MethodsTwenty-five persons after stroke walked on a self-paced treadmill at comfortable walking speed. The frequency of shoulder movements per stride was detected by Fast Fourier transform analysis on the kinematic data for hemiplegic shoulder movements in the sagittal plane. An independent-sample t-test or Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare clinical and biomechanical parameters between identified subgroups. ResultsTwo earlier described subgroups based on the number of shoulder flexion-extension movements during one stride could be confirmed. Participants in the 1:1 ratio subgroup (one arm swing during one stride, N = 15) presented with a less upper limb impairment and less spasticity of the elbow extensors (p = 0.012) than the participants in the 2:1 ratio subgroup (two arm swings during one stride, N = 9). Although not significant, the participants in the 1:1 subgroup also seemed to have less spasticity of the shoulder internal rotators (p = 0.06) and a less walking variability based on the standard deviation of the step width. Further research on a greater sample should confirm these findings. ConclusionFast Fourier transform analysis was used to identify subgroups based on sagittal shoulder kinematics during walking. The clinical and gait related differences between the identified subgroups can be taken into account in future research investigating post-stroke gait interventions aiming to improve the arm swing.