Development of a Walking Dummy Reproducible Fall Sign Patterns of Wearable Walking Support Devices

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroyasu Ikeda ◽  
Tsuyoshi Saito ◽  
Kohei Okabe
Keyword(s):  
Sign Patterns ◽  
Support Devices

Mixed-Methods Evaluation as Scaffold to the Development of a Mobile Health Application to Support the Prescription of Wheelchairs and Postural Support Devices (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Klein ◽  
Roseli de Deus Lopes ◽  
Rodrigo Suigh
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
The Third ◽  
Evaluation Approach ◽  
Mixed Methods Evaluation ◽  
Usability Tests ◽  
Third Phase ◽  
Postural Support ◽  
Support Devices

BACKGROUND EasySeating is a mobile health (mHealth) app that supports the prescription of wheelchair and postural support devices (WPSD). It can be used by occupational therapists (OT) and physiotherapists (PT) who prescribe WPSD. The app offers a standardization of the prescription procedure, showing images, metrics and details that guide the prescriber to decide on the best equipment. It was developed with an iterative mixed-methods evaluation approach. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the processes involved in the prescription of WPSD and to propose, develop and evaluate a mHealth to support OT and PT prescribers. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate the processes involved in the prescription of WPSD and to propose, develop and evaluate a mHealth to support OT and PT prescribers. METHODS This study was divided into three phases and was carried out as an iterative process composed of user consulting/testing (using a mixed-methods evaluation approach), system (re)design and software development. The first phase consisted of the collection of qualitative and quantitative data to map and understand the users requirements and of the development of the first prototype (v1) of the app. This data collection was performed through semi-structured interviews with 14 OT and PT prescribers, 5 specialized technicians and 5 WPSD users. The second phase aimed at improving the overall functionality of the app and consisted in the development, test and evaluation of the prototypes v1, v2, v3 and v4. A total of 59 prescribers tested and evaluated these prototypes by means of open interviews, semi-structured questionnaires and focus groups. The third phase focused in the usability aspects of the app. It consisted in the development and test of the prototype v5. Eight technology specialists assessed its usability through heuristics evaluation. RESULTS Data collected in phase one indicated there is a lack of standardization on the prescription of postural support devices (PSD). A divergent nomenclature for the PSDs was also found and classified in eight categories. These information guided the development of the first prototype of the EasySeating app. Phase two results pointed that the prescribers value the insertion of the app into their clinical practice, as it accelerates and increases the quality of the evaluation process and improves the organization of the prescription information. Significant suggestions for the improvement of the app were given during the users tests, including the use of images to represent the PSDs. The usability tests from the third phase revealed two strong issues that must be solved: the need of greater feedback and failures in the persistence of the input data. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated that there is a lack of systematization of the WPSD prescription process. The evaluation of the developed EasySeating app demonstrated that there is a potential to standardize, integrate and organize the WPSD prescription information, supporting and facilitating the decision making process of the prescribers. CLINICALTRIAL This study was approved by the Research Ethics Board of the Universidade de São Paulo (registered protocol n°53929516.6.0000.0065) URL - http://plataformabrasil.saude.gov.br/login.jsf

scholarly journals Braille Block Detection via Multi-Objective Optimization from an Egocentric Viewpoint

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 2775
Author(s):  
Tsubasa Takano ◽  
Takumi Nakane ◽  
Takuya Akashi ◽  
Chao Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Optimization Problem ◽  
Line Pair ◽  
Objective Functions ◽  
Multi Objective Optimization ◽  
Multi Objective ◽  
Optimization Framework ◽  
Visually Impaired People ◽  
Comprehensive Comparison ◽  
Basic Characteristics ◽  
Support Devices

In this paper, we propose a method to detect Braille blocks from an egocentric viewpoint, which is a key part of many walking support devices for visually impaired people. Our main contribution is to cast this task as a multi-objective optimization problem and exploits both the geometric and the appearance features for detection. Specifically, two objective functions were designed under an evolutionary optimization framework with a line pair modeled as an individual (i.e., solution). Both of the objectives follow the basic characteristics of the Braille blocks, which aim to clarify the boundaries and estimate the likelihood of the Braille block surface. Our proposed method was assessed by an originally collected and annotated dataset under real scenarios. Both quantitative and qualitative experimental results show that the proposed method can detect Braille blocks under various environments. We also provide a comprehensive comparison of the detection performance with respect to different multi-objective optimization algorithms.

scholarly journals Performance of EasyBreath Decathlon Snorkeling mask for delivering continuous positive airway pressure

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Noto ◽  
Claudia Crimi ◽  
Andrea Cortegiani ◽  
Massimiliano Giardina ◽  
Filippo Benedetto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure ◽  
Airway Pressure ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Positive Airway Pressure ◽  
High Flow ◽  
Hospital Capacity ◽  
System Generator ◽  
Flow Generator ◽  
Full Face ◽  
Support Devices

AbstractDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for noninvasive respiratory support devices has dramatically increased, sometimes exceeding hospital capacity. The full-face Decathlon snorkeling mask, EasyBreath (EB mask), has been adapted to deliver continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) as an emergency respiratory interface. We aimed to assess the performance of this modified EB mask and to test its use during different gas mixture supplies. CPAP set at 5, 10, and 15 cmH2O was delivered to 10 healthy volunteers with a high-flow system generator set at 40, 80, and 120 L min−1 and with a turbine-driven ventilator during both spontaneous and loaded (resistor) breathing. Inspiratory CO2 partial pressure (PiCO2), pressure inside the mask, breathing pattern and electrical activity of the diaphragm (EAdi) were measured at all combinations of CPAP/flows delivered, with and without the resistor. Using the high-flow generator set at 40 L min−1, the PiCO2 significantly increased and the system was unable to maintain the target CPAP of 10 and 15 cmH2O and a stable pressure within the respiratory cycle; conversely, the turbine-driven ventilator did. EAdi significantly increased with flow rates of 40 and 80 L min−1 but not at 120 L min−1 and with the turbine-driven ventilator. EB mask can be safely used to deliver CPAP only under strict constraints, using either a high-flow generator at a flow rate greater than 80 L min−1, or a high-performance turbine-driven ventilator.

scholarly journals Sarnak’s conjecture for sequences of almost quadratic word growth

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-56
Author(s):  
REDMOND MCNAMARA
Keyword(s):  
Box Dimension ◽  
Multiplicative Functions ◽  
Logarithmic Density ◽  
Liouville Function ◽  
Sign Patterns

Abstract We prove the logarithmic Sarnak conjecture for sequences of subquadratic word growth. In particular, we show that the Liouville function has at least quadratically many sign patterns. We deduce the main theorem from a variant which bounds the correlations between multiplicative functions and sequences with subquadratically many words which occur with positive logarithmic density. This allows us to actually prove that our multiplicative functions do not locally correlate with sequences of subquadratic word growth. We also prove a conditional result which shows that if the ( $\kappa -1$ )-Fourier uniformity conjecture holds then the Liouville function does not correlate with sequences with $O(n^{t-\varepsilon })$ many words of length n where $t = \kappa (\kappa +1)/2$ . We prove a variant of the $1$ -Fourier uniformity conjecture where the frequencies are restricted to any set of box dimension less than $1$ .

The actual use of embedded support devices in self‐study materials by students in a distance education setting

1993 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.M.A. Valcke ◽  
R.L. Martens ◽  
P.H.A.G. Poelmans ◽  
M.M. Daal
Keyword(s):  
Distance Education ◽  
Study Materials ◽  
Self Study ◽  
Actual Use ◽  
Support Devices

Stability of sign patterns from a system of second order ODEs

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam H. Berliner ◽  
Minerva Catral ◽  
D.D. Olesky ◽  
P. van den Driessche
Keyword(s):  
Second Order ◽  
Sign Patterns
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