Neuromechanical adaptations in the gastrocnemius muscle after Achilles tendon rupture during walking.

Although some Achilles tendon rupture (ATR) patients regain function in low-force levels activities, it is not yet well known how neuromuscular and structural alterations after ATR manifest during everyday-locomotion. This study assessed medial gastrocnemius (MG) fascicle shortening during walking 1-year after ATR. Additionally, we explored neuromuscular alterations in lateral gastrocnemius (LG), soleus and flexor hallucis longus (FHL) muscles.

Shear stress-stimulated AMPK couples endothelial cell mechanics, metabolism and vasodilation.

Endothelial cells respond to mechanical force by stimulating cellular signaling, but how these pathways are linked to elevations in cell metabolism and whether metabolism supports the mechanical response remains poorly understood. Here, we show that the application of force to endothelial cells stimulates VE-cadherin to activate liver kinase B1 (LKB1; also known as STK11) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a master regulator of energy homeostasis. VE-cadherin-stimulated AMPK increases eNOS (also known as NOS3) activity and localization to the plasma membrane, reinforcement of the actin cytoskeleton and cadherin adhesion complex, and glucose uptake.

Validity of IMU sensors for assessing features of walking in laboratory and outdoor environments among older adults.

Introduction: IMU sensors (three-dimensional accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer) enable assessment of walking in older adults outside the laboratory. We studied whether IMUs are valid for detecting walking parameters (step events, time, length, and cadence) in a laboratory and outdoors on a level surface in older adults.

Methods: This validation study is part of a larger cross-sectional study.

Estimating intra- and inter-subject oxygen consumption in outdoor human gait using multiple neural network approaches.

Oxygen consumption ([Formula: see text]) is an important measure for exercise test, such as walking and running, that can be measured outdoors using portable spirometers or metabolic analyzers. However, these devices are not feasible for regular use by consumers as they intervene with the user's physical integrity, and are expensive and difficult to operate. To circumvent these drawbacks, indirect estimation of [Formula: see text] using neural networks combined with motion features and heart rate measurements collected with consumer-grade sensors has been shown to yield reasonably accurate [Formula: see text] for intra-subject estimation.

Early Predictors of Recovery From Nonoperatively Treated Achilles Tendon Rupture: 1 Year Follow-Up Study.

Purpose: To investigate early structural and mechanical predictors of plantarflexor muscle strength and the magnitude of Achilles tendon (AT) nonuniform displacement at 6 and 12 months after AT rupture.

Methods: Thirty-five participants (28 males and 7 females; mean ± SD age 41.7 ± 11.