Crosslinking of Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives with Polymer-Grafted Nanoparticles.

Nanocomposite filler particles provide multiple routes to mechanically reinforce pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs), as their large surface area to volume ratios provide a means of effectively crosslinking multiple polymer chains. A major advancement could therefore be enabled by the design of a particle architecture that forms multiple physical and chemical interactions with the surrounding polymer matrix, while simultaneously ensuring particle dispersion and preventing particle aggregation. Understanding how such multivalent interactions between a nanoparticle crosslinking point and the PSA polymer affect material mechanical performance would provide both useful scientific knowledge on the mechanical structure-property relationships in polymer composites, as well as a new route to synthesizing useful PSA materials.

Ordered polymer composite materials: challenges and opportunities.

Polymer nanocomposites containing nanoscale fillers are an important class of materials due to their ability to access a wide variety of properties as a function of their composition. In order to take full advantage of these properties, it is critical to control the distribution of nanofillers within the parent polymer matrix, as this structural organization affects how the two constituent components interact with one another. In particular, new methods for generating ordered arrays of nanofillers represent a key underexplored research area, as emergent properties arising from nanoscale ordering can be used to introduce novel functionality currently inaccessible in random composites.

Manual wheelchair users gradually face fewer postural stability and control challenges with increasing rolling resistance while maintaining a rear-wheel wheelie.

Teaching manual wheelchair users to perform wheelies using various rolling resistances is expected to facilitate learning of this advanced wheelchair skill. However, limited scientific evidence is available to support this approach. This study aimed to measure and compare postural stability and control requirements when maintaining a stationary wheelie on different rolling resistances.

Unmatched speed perceptions between overground and treadmill manual wheelchair propulsion in long-term manual wheelchair users.

Background: Manual wheelchair (MWC) propulsion is increasingly assessed on a motorized treadmill (TM), which is often considered more ecologically valid than stationary rollers. However, no clear consensus on the similarities between overground (OG) and TM propulsion has yet been reached. Furthermore, no study has investigated the participants' perceptions of propelling a MWC on a TM compared to OG.

Characterization of humeral head displacements during dynamic glenohumeral neuromuscular control exercises using quantitative ultrasound imaging: A feasibility study.

The objectives of the present study were to test the feasibility of measuring humeral head displacements using quantitative ultrasound imaging during the performance of two different dynamic glenohumeral neuromuscular control exercises and to investigate the influence of these exercises on the acromiohumeral distance (AHD) and anterior-posterior distance (APD). Ten individuals who have no history of shoulder injury at the non-dominant shoulder completed three repetitions of an active humeral head lowering exercise and three repetitions of a posteriorisation exercise in a random order in a seated position. The AHD and the APD of the humeral head relative to the glenoid cavity were measured continuously using an ultrasound imaging system during each exercise.

Synthesis and structure determination of CeCdTe: a new chalcogen-containing member of the RECdT family (RE is a rare-earth metal and T is a late group 14, 15 and 16 element).

The ternary phase hexacerium tricosacadmium telluride, CeCdTe, was synthesized by a high-temperature reaction of the elements in sealed Nb ampoules and was structurally characterized by powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The structure, established from single-crystal X-ray diffraction methods, is isopointal with the ZrZnSi structure type (Pearson symbol cF120, cubic space group Fm-3m), a filled version of the ThMn structure with the same space group and Pearson symbol cF116. Though no Cd-containing rare-earth metal binaries are known to form with this structure, it appears that the addition of small amounts of a p-block element allows the formation of such interstitially stabilized ternary compounds.

Trunk and shoulder kinematic and kinetic and electromyographic adaptations to slope increase during motorized treadmill propulsion among manual wheelchair users with a spinal cord injury.

The main objective was to quantify the effects of five different slopes on trunk and shoulder kinematics as well as shoulder kinetic and muscular demands during manual wheelchair (MWC) propulsion on a motorized treadmill. Eighteen participants with spinal cord injury propelled their MWC at a self-selected constant speed on a motorized treadmill set at different slopes (0°, 2.7°, 3.

Pushrim biomechanical changes with progressive increases in slope during motorized treadmill manual wheelchair propulsion in individuals with spinal cord injury.

The purpose of this study was to quantify the effects of five distinct slopes on spatiotemporal and pushrim kinetic measures at the nondominant upper limb during manual wheelchair (MWC) propulsion on a motorized treadmill in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Eighteen participants with SCI propelled their MWC at a self-selected natural speed on a treadmill at different slopes (0, 2.7, 3.

Upper extremity kinematics and kinetics during the performance of a stationary wheelie in manual wheelchair users with a spinal cord injury.

No comprehensive biomechanical study has documented upper extremity (U/E) kinematics and kinetics during the performance of wheelchair wheelies among manual wheelchair users (MWUs). The aim of this study was to describe movement strategies (kinematics), mechanical loads (kinetics), and power at the nondominant U/E joints during a wheelie among MWUs with spinal cord injury (SCI). During a laboratory assessment, 16 MWUs with SCI completed four wheelie trials on a rigid surface.

Magnitude of forward trunk flexion influences upper limb muscular efforts and dynamic postural stability requirements during sitting pivot transfers in individuals with spinal cord injury.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of imposing different degrees of forward trunk flexion during sitting pivot transfers on electromyographic activity at the leading and trailing upper limb muscles and on dynamic stability requirements. Thirty-two individuals with a spinal cord injury performed three types of sitting pivot transfers: natural technique, exaggerated forward trunk flexion and upright trunk position. Ground reaction forces, trunk kinematics, and bilateral electromyographic activity of eight upper limb muscles were recorded.

Biomechanical maturation of joint dynamics during early childhood: updated conclusions.

Dynamic parameters have been commonly explored to characterize the biomechanical maturation of children's gaits, i.e., age-revealing joint moment and power patterns similar to adult patterns.

Ascending curbs of progressively higher height increases forward trunk flexion along with upper extremity mechanical and muscular demands in manual wheelchair users with a spinal cord injury.

High upper extremity (U/E) demands are required when manual wheelchair users (MWUs) with spinal cord injury (SCI) ascend curbs; this may contribute to the risk of developing U/E musculoskeletal impairments. The aim of this study was to compare movement strategies (kinematics), mechanical loads (kinetics) and muscular demand (EMG) at the non-dominant U/E among 15 MWUs with SCI when ascending curbs of 4 cm (3 trials), 8 cm (3 trials) and 12 cm high (3 trials) from a starting line set 3 m before the curb. Biomechanical data was collected during three trials for each height.

Effects of sensorimotor trunk impairments on trunk and upper limb joint kinematics and kinetics during sitting pivot transfers in individuals with a spinal cord injury.

Background: Depending on the level and severity of the sensorimotor impairment in individuals with a spinal cord injury, the subsequent reduced seated postural stability and strength generating-capacity at the upper limbs could affect performance during sitting pivot transfer. This study aimed to determine the effects of sensorimotor impairments on head, trunk and upper limb movement and efforts during sitting pivot transfers.

Methods: Twenty-six individuals with a spinal cord injury participated and were stratified in two subgroups: with (N=15) and without voluntary motor control (N=11) of their lower back and abdominal muscles.

Effects of rolling resistances on handrim kinetics during the performance of wheelies among manual wheelchair users with a spinal cord injury.

Study Design: Repeated cross-sectional study.

Objectives: To compare the effects of rolling resistances (RRs) on handrim kinetic intensity at the non-dominant upper limb and on handrim kinetic symmetry during wheelies performed by manual wheelchair users (MWUs) with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Setting: Pathokinesiology Laboratory.

Development of an automated method to detect sitting pivot transfer phases using biomechanical variables: toward a standardized method.

Background: Sitting pivot transfer (SPT) is one of the most important, but at the same time strenuous at the upper extremity, functional task for spinal cord injured individuals. In order to better teach this task to those individuals and to improve performance, a better biomechanical understanding during the different SPT phases is a prerequisite. However, no consensus has yet been reached on how to depict the different phases of the SPT.

Foot mechanics during the first six years of independent walking.

Recognition of the changes during gait that occur normally as a part of growth is essential to prevent mislabeling those changes from adult gait as evidence of gait pathology. Currently, in the literature, the definition of a mature age for ankle joint dynamics is controversial (i.e.

Expression of joint moment in the joint coordinate system.

The question of using the nonorthogonal joint coordinate system (JCS) to report joint moments has risen in the literature. However, the expression of joint moments in a nonorthogonal system is still confusing. The purpose of this paper is to present a method to express any 3D vector in a nonorthogonal coordinate system.

Upper limb joint dynamics during manual wheelchair propulsion.

Background: Inverse dynamic methods have been widely used to estimate joint loads during manual wheelchair propulsion. However, the interpretation of 3D net joint moments and powers is not always straightforward. It has been suggested to use joint coordinate systems (expression of joint moment on anatomical axes) and the 3D angle between joint moment and angular velocity vectors (propulsion, resistance or stabilization joint configuration) for a better understanding of joint dynamics.

3D joint dynamics analysis of healthy children's gait.

The 3D joint moments and 2D joint powers have been largely explored in the literature of healthy children's gait, in particular to compare them with pathologic subjects' gait. However, no study reported on 3D joint power in children which could be due to the difficulties in interpreting the results. Recently, the analysis of the 3D angle between the joint moment and the joint angular velocity vectors has been proposed in order to help 3D joint power interpretation.

Teleophthalmology screening for diabetic retinopathy through mobile imaging units within Canada.

Background: This study aimed to describe and measure the health results of a Category 3 teleophthalmology screening project for diabetic retinopathy (DR). Implemented through mobile screening imaging units located within pharmacies, the project had the goal of reaching unscreened diabetic patients in urban communities while lowering barriers to screening and saving medical resources.

Methods: Image capture of both eyes of 3505 known diabetic individuals was performed in the provinces of Quebec, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.

Preoperative planning simulator for spinal deformity surgeries.

Study Design: Proof of concept of a spine surgery simulator (S3) for the assessment of scoliosis instrumentation configuration strategies.

Objective: To develop and assess a surgeon-friendly spine surgery simulator that predicts the correction of a scoliotic spine as a function of the patient characteristics and instrumentation variables.

Summary Of Background Data: There is currently no clinical tool sufficiently user-friendly, reliable and refined for the preoperative planning and prediction of correction using different instrumentation configurations.

Stroke pattern classification during manual wheelchair propulsion in the elderly using fuzzy clustering.

The purpose of this study was to analyse the kinematic pattern of elderly group during manual wheelchair propulsion. Fourteen elderly persons propelled manually in a wheelchair ergometer. A new objective method based on metrical and topological aspect of the contour of hand center of mass is proposed.

Relationship between resultant force at the pushrim and the net shoulder joint moments during manual wheelchair propulsion in elderly persons.

Objective: To determine the relationship between the resultant force at the pushrim and the net shoulder joint moments during manual wheelchair propulsion in elderly persons.

Design: Convenience sample.

Setting: Motion analysis laboratory.