Taekwondo masters and coaches believe that they have a kind of “eagle eye” and that is why they feel comfortable to analyze athletes’ skills without using essential tools. The aim of this study was to analyze the athletes’ technical indicators during performance of the Miluh-chagi kick. To analyze the reliability and precision of the cycle of ten kicks (n = 120), performed by 5 women and 7 men senior athletes, we used an expert panel and a previously published observational tool. The coefficient of variation was calculated to verify precision. The intraclass correlation coefficient was calculated to confirm the reliability among the evaluators. Student’s t-test was used for group-to-group analysis. Correlation analyses were accessed using Spearman’s rho. The data quality sample reliability results, for group, intra- and inter-rater were excellent and good re-spectively. Statistically significant differences, with a large effect size, were found in the foot take-off, knee up and start leg flexion observational moments. The values showed a small and negative to moderate correlation between the conducts and aggregates criteria. Perfect correlation values were found between support leg foot and contact leg position. These findings meet the measurement requirements of athletes’ technical indicators to analyze motor behavior, develop-ment and performance of this technique.

Improving the acquisition and retention of a new motor skill is of great importance. The present study (i) investigated the effects of difficulty manipulation strategies (gradual difficulty), combined with different modalities of feedback (FB) frequency on performance accuracy and consistency when learning a novel fine motor coordination task, and (ii) examined relationships between novel fine motor task performance and executive function (EF), working memory (WM), and perceived difficulty (PD). Thirty-six, right-handed, novice physical education students volunteered to participate in this study. Participants were divided into three progressive difficulty groups (PDG), 100% visual FB (FB1), 50% FB (FB2), and 33% FB (FB3). Progressive difficulty was increased by the manipulation of the distance to the target; 2 m, 2.37 m, and 3.56 m. Three FB modalities were investigated (i.e.: 100% visual FB (100% FB), 50% reduced feedback condition (50% RFB), and 33% reduced feedback conditions (33% RFB)). Performance assessments were conducted following familiarization, acquisition, and retention learning phases. Two stress-conditions of dart throws were investigated (i.e.: free condition (FC) and time pressure condition (TPC)). After the learning intervention, data showed that, under the free condition, the 100% FB group had a significant improvement in accuracy during all learning phases. Under time pressure condition, for the 50% RFB and the 33% RFB group, the measured variable (accuracy and consistency) showed a significant linear improvement in performance. The association between the percentage of RFB frequencies and the task difficulty (50% group) may be a more appropriate and manageable cognitive load compared to the 33% RFB and the 100% FB group. The present findings could have practical implications for practitioners because, while strategies are clearly necessary for improving learning, the efficacy of the process appears to be essentially based on the characteristics of the learners.

Recent advances in recording and real-time analysis of surface electromyographic signals (sEMG) have fostered the use of sEMG human-machine interfaces for controlling personal computers, prostheses of upper limbs, and exoskeletons among others. Despite a relatively high mean performance, sEMG-interfaces still exhibit strong variance in the fidelity of gesture recognition among different users. Here we systematically study the latent factors determining the performance of sEMG-interfaces in synthetic tests and in an arcade game. We show that the degree of muscle cooperation and the amount of the body fatty tissue are the decisive factors in synthetic tests. Our data suggest that these factors can only be adjusted by a long-term training, which promotes fine-tuning of low-level neural circuits driving the muscles. A short-term training has no effect on synthetic tests, but significantly increases the game scoring. This implies that it works at a higher decision-making level, not relevant for synthetic gestures. We propose a procedure that enables quantification of the gestures’ fidelity in a dynamic gaming environment. For each individual subject the approach allows identifying “problematic” gestures that decrease gaming performance. This information can be used for optimizing the training strategy and for adapting the signal processing algorithms to individual users, which could be a way for a qualitative leap in the development of future sEMG-interfaces.

A lack of evidence exists regarding the intervention effect on motor performance, including the timing ability and health-related physical fitness, of children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). We aimed to assess the effects of school-based intervention that improves fundamental motor skills (FMS) on the motor performance and health-related physical fitness of children with DCD. The participants were 55 children (age 8 – 9 years) with DCD. Children with DCD were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n = 27) or control group (n = 28). The intervention group participated in FMS training. The control group participated in a conventional physical education class. Motor performance was evaluated before and after the intervention using the Test of Gross Motor Development, second edition, Movement Assessment Battery for Children, second edition, and Interactive Metronome. Health-related physical fitness was assessed using the physical activity promotion system. A significant difference was observed when we considered the interaction effect of the intervention and time regarding motor performance and health-related physical fitness; however, no significant difference was observed regarding body composition. In conclusion, the intervention showed significant improvements in the parameters evaluated, suggesting that a school-based intervention to improve FMS may effectively improve the motor performance and health-related physical fitness of children with DCD.

Previous studies have reported certain sex differences in motor performance precision. The aim of the present study was to analyse sex differences in fine motor precision performance for both hands in different tests conditions. 220 Spanish participants (ages: 12-95) performed fine motor tasks - tracing over the provided models – lines of 40 mm for both hands, two sensory conditions (PV – proprioceptive-visual; P – proprioceptive only) and three movement types (F – frontal, T – transversal and S - Sagittal). Differences in line length (the task focused on precision) were observed through MANOVA analysis for all test conditions, both sexes and different age groups. Sex differences in precision were observed in F and T movement types (statistically significance level and higher Cohens’ d was observed in condition with vision). No any statistically significant differences were observed in both hands and sensory conditions in sagittal type. Sex differences in fine motor precision were more frequently observed in the PV sensory condition in the frontal movement type and less in the sagittal one.

External motivational stimuli have been shown to improve athletic performance. However, the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying this improvement remain poorly understood. This randomized crossover study investigated the effects of music and verbal encouragement on measures of muscle excitation and myoelectric manifestations of fatigue in the biceps brachii (BB) and brachioradialis (BR) muscles during an endurance task. Fifteen untrained (mean age 29.57 ± 2.77 years) and 13 trained individuals (mean age 32.92 ± 2.90 years) were included. The endurance task, performed to exhaustion, consisted of keeping the dominant arm flexed to 90 degrees while holding a dumbbell loaded to 80% of 1RM with a supine grip in three randomized conditions: standard, with self-selected music, and with verbal encouragement. The untrained subjects showed an increase in task duration of 15.26% (p < 0.003) with music and 15.85% (p < 0.002) with verbal encouragement compared to the condition without external stimuli. There were no significant differences in the myoelectric manifestations of fatigue between the dif-ferent conditions. Regarding the muscle excitation metrics, although the mean amplitude, peak value and area under the curve remained unchanged across conditions, a significant reduction in the trend coefficient, indicating motor unit recruitment over time, was observed with both music (BB: -10.39%, p < 0.001; BR: -9.40%, p < 0.001) and verbal encouragement (BB: -7.61%, p < 0.001; BR: -6.51%, p < 0.001) compared to the standard condition. For the trained participants, no significant differences were observed between conditions in terms of task duration and outcome measures related to muscle excitation and myoelectric manifestations of fatigue, suggesting the possible presence of a ceiling effect on motivation. These results highlight the significant role of external motivational stimuli, such as music and verbal encouragement, in improving task performance in untrained subjects, probably through more ef-fective and efficient recruitment of motor units.

Motor imagery(MI)-based Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI) have shown increased potential for the rehabilitation of stroke patients; nonetheless, their implementation in clinical practice has been restricted due to their low accuracy performance. To date, although a lot of research has been made in benchmarking and highlighting the most valuable classification algorithms in BCI configurations, most of them are using offline data and not from real BCI performance during the closed-loop (or online) sessions. Since rehabilitation training relies on the availability of an accurate feedback system, we surveyed articles of current and past EEG-based BCI frameworks who report the online classification of the movement of two upper limbs in both healthy volunteers and stroke patients. We found that the recently developed Deep Learning methods do not outperform the traditional machine learning algorithms. In addition, patients and healthy subjects exhibit similar classification accuracy in current BCI configurations. Lastly, in terms of neurofeedback modality, Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) yielded the best performance compared to non-FES systems.

In this paper, the design of a low cost portable ventilator with performance analysis have been done to solve the scarcity of respiratory ventilators for COVID-19 patients. The materials used to build the system are: DC motor, rotating disc and pneumatic piston. The system input is the patient heart beat and the output is volume of air to the patient lung with adjusted breathing rate. This ventilator adjusts the breathing rate to the patient depending on his heart beat rate. The performance analysis of this system have been done using Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) and Full State Feedback H2 controllers. Comparison of the system with the proposed controllers have been done using a step change and a random change of the patient heart beat and a promising result have been analyzed successfully.

Variable during practice is widely accepted to be advantageous for motor learning and therefor a valuable strategy to effectively reduce high-risk landing mechanics and prevent primary anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Few attempts have examined the specific effects of variable train-ing in athletes who have undergone ACL reconstruction. Thereby it is still unclear to what extent the variations in different sensor areas lead to different effects. Accordingly, we compared the effects of versatile movement variations (DL) with variations of movements with emphasis on disrupting visual information (VMT) in athletes who had undergone ACL reconstruction. For-ty-five interceptive sports athletes after ACL reconstruction were randomly allocated to a DL group (n= 15), VT group (n= 15) or control group (n= 15). The primary outcome was functional performance (Triple Hop Test). The secondary outcomes included dynamic balance (Star Excur-sion Balance Test (SEBT)), biomechanics during single-leg drop-landing task hip flexion (HF), knee flexion (KF), ankle dorsiflexion (AD), knee valgus (KV), and vertical ground reaction force (VGRF), and kinesiophobia (Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK)) assessed before and after the 8-weeks of interventions. Data were analyzed be means of 3×2 repeated measures ANOVA fol-lowed by post hoc comparison (Bonferroni) at the significance level of p≤0.05. Significant group × time interaction effects, main effect of time and main effect of group were found for triple hop test, all eight directions of SEBT, HF, KF, AD, KV, VGRF and TSK. There was no significant main ef-fect of group in HF and triple hop test. Also, significant differences in triple hop test, seven direc-tions of SEBT, HF, KF, KV, VGRF and TSK were found between control group with the DL and VMT groups. Between group differences in AD and medial direction of SEBT were not signifi-cant. Also, there was no significant differences between VMT and control groups in triple hop test and HF variables. Both motor learning (DL and VMT) programs improved outcomes in patients after ACL reconstruction. Findings suggest that DL and VMT training programs lead to compa-rable improvements in rehabilitation.

The synuclein family consists of α-, β-, and γ-Synuclein (α-Syn, β-Syn, and γ-Syn), expressed in the neurons and concentrated in synaptic terminals. While α-Syn is at the center of interest due to its implication in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and other synucleinopathies, limited information exists on the other members. The current study aimed at investigating the biological role of γ-Syn controlling the midbrain dopamine (DA) function. We generated two different mouse models with i) γ-Syn overexpression induced by an adeno-associated viral vector and ii) γ-Syn knockdown induced by a ligand-conjugated antisense oligonucleotide, to modify the endogenous γ-Syn transcription levels in midbrain DA neurons. The progressive overexpression of γ-Syn decreased DA neurotransmission in the nigrostriatal and mesocortical pathways. In parallel, mice evoked motor deficits in the rotarod and impaired cognitive performance as assessed by novel object recognition, passive avoidance, and Morris water maze tests. Conversely, acute γ-Syn knockdown selectively in DA neurons facilitated forebrain DA neurotransmission. Importantly, modifications in γ-Syn expression did not induce the loss of DA neurons or changes in α-Syn expression. Collectively, our data strongly suggest that DA re-lease/re-uptake processes in the nigrostriatal and mesocortical pathways are partially dependent on SNc/VTA γ-Syn transcription levels, and are linked to modulation of DA transporter function, similar to α-Syn.

In this paper, the design and performance investigation of the permanent magnet machines have been done to increase the mechanical and electrical outputs improvement of the systems. A permanent magnet Dc motor (PMDM) and generator (PMDG) have been modelled and designed to improve the angular position and generated current respectively. In this work, augmentation based H 2 optimal and H infinity synthesis controllers have been designed as a controller for the two systems and a comparison between the proposed controller for tracking a reference inputs and a promising results have been obtained.

This study investigated the relationship between functional movement (FM) and adiposity in adolescents (16-17 years). This research is a part of the CRO-PALS study conducted in a random sample of adolescents (n=652, mean age±SD: 16.6±0.4). Body mass index (BMI), a sum of four skinfolds (S4S), waist and hip circumference were measured, and FM was assessed via Functional Movement Screen™ (FMSTM). Multilevel analysis were employed to determine the relationship between different predictors and total FMS score. After controlling for age, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, and socioeconomic status, relationship between variables of adiposity and total FMS score was significant and negative among boys (BMI:β=-0.18, p<0.0001; S4S:β=-0.04, p<0.0001; waist circumference:β=-0.08, p<0.0001; hip circumference:β=-0.09, p<0.0001). However, among girls, in adjusted models, only S4S showed a significant and negative effect on total FMS score (β=-0.03, p<0.0001), while other coefficients failed to reach significance (BMI:β=-0.05, p=0.23; waist circumference:β=-0.04, p=0.06; hip circumference:β=-0.01, p=0.70). Results showed that the effect of adiposity on FM in adolescence is sex-specific, suggesting that boys with overweight and obesity could be more prone to develop dysfunctional movement patterns. Therefore, exercise interventions directed toward correcting dysfunctional patterns should be sex-specific, targeting more boys with overweight and obesity rather than adolescent girls with overweight and obesity.

In this paper, by evaluating extreme value of the qth-power current, a torque sharing function (TSF) family for reducing the torque ripples in the switched reluctance motor (SRM) is proposed. The optimization criteria of the TSF has two secondary objectives, including the maximization of the torque-speed range and the minimization of copper loss. The evaluation indices in terms of the peak phase current, the rms phase current, and the torque ripple factor are compared between the proposed TSF family and four conventional TSFs including linear, sinusoidal, exponential, and cubic TSFs. An optimization objective function that combines the maximum absolute value of the rate-of-change of the flux linkage (MAV-RCFL) and the qth-power of current is proposed and a weighting factor is used to balance the influence of the two optimization objectives. An optimal TSF can be easily obtained by solving the optimization problem from the TSF family. The proposed TSF is validated by using simulations and experiments with a three-phase 6/4 SRM with 7.5 kW, 3000 rpm, and 270 V DC-link voltage. The dynamic simulation model is implemented in Matlab/Simulink. The results demonstrate the validity and superiority of the proposed control method; the optimal TSF provides better torque-speed performance, and a better reduction in copper loss and torque ripples at high speed compared to the conventional TSFs obviously.

Human development encompasses the integration of neuromotor, psychological, social-emotional, and cognitive processes across time. However, a better understanding of the interconnectedness of motor and cognitive development throughout the lifespan is needed. The integrative and dynamic nature of short-term motor skill acquisition and long-term developmental processes may foster executive functions. Unfortunately, assessments of motor competence have traditionally focused on skillfulness from a movement perspective, using restrictive task protocols that decontextualize performance and limit cognitive involvement. Additionally, traditional motor-cognitive dual-task assessments centered on cognitive involvement during specific movement protocols, have minimized impacts of task complexity and motor competence on cognitive performance. To gain a more ecologically valid understanding of the relation between motor and cognitive development, a novel assessment paradigm using an integrative approach to motor-cognitive dual-tasking is needed. The purpose of the present paper is to: 1) provide a conceptual bridge, based on multidisciplinary evidence, to effectively link the concurrent development of motor competence and executive functions via learning-related and exercise-related neurotrophic mechanisms, and 2) use this conceptual bridge to inform the development of novel motor-cognitive dual-task assessments that account for the role of task complexity, current levels of motor competence, and the continuous decision-making inherent in “real world” performance environments.

Human motor planning combines such interesting aspects as modular organization in motor primitives and characteristics of stochastic optimality. Motor primitives aided in the description of motor skill learning. In this study, for the first time, an interpretation is proposed to explain how motor primitives are shaped in a stochastic optimality process.To this end, sensory information is assumed to be random variables at each moment. Theoretically, the results confirmed that the variability of a movement increased with passing time. As a result, motor planning should be performed in shorter durations to achieve an accurate movement. It means that a task should be divided into several subtasks at various stages of time. Moreover, theoretically, the results confirmed that motor planning is statistically optimal if the movement is planned in minimum jerk space, which is in accordance with what is reported in the literature. Comparing the proposed mathematical model with the results of experimental data in two different types of motor action (i.e., arm reaching movement and sit-to-stand transfer from a chair) confirmed that the proposed model can be considered a framework to investigate the effect of bottom-up information on human motor planning level. Further experiments need to investigate it more deeply.

The electrical motor design requires a lot of work and resources. In the field, motor designers need to decide on competitive motor sizing quickly to compete with other motor suppliers. Generally, it requires expensive FEM S/W to get accurate motor sizing results, but buying and maintaining many licenses is costly. Moreover, it needs some patience to get the result from FEM analysis. In this paper, the motor sizing technique using an existing production motor is presented to respond to urgent requests from customers without using FEM analysis. In order to enhance the fidelity of the result, magnetic flux loss by magnet coating and non-linear characteristics are considered during the motor sizing process. The proposed sizing method was verified by comparison to the FEM analysis and test result and showed reasonable confidence in them. Also, this method has the substantial advantage of outputting accurate results instantly without taking any time. It helps with the modification design of electrical motors without using expensive FEM S/W and a certain level of skill or experience.

Magnetic levitation vibration isolation platform are essential for testing space telescopes. This paper presents the design of a Large Air-Gap Voice Coil Motor (LAG-VCM) specifically for use in such platforms. The electromagnetic design of the voice coil motor begins with the Equivalent Magnetic Circuit Method, followed by the analysis and optimization of the motor design using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). Subsequently, a prototype was constructed and tested. The test results confirm that the prototype meets the design specifications and requirements.

The aim of this study was to determine gender differences in the level of motor skills and effects of a multi-year exercise program on the level of motor skills in 161 preschool children (5-6 yo). Patricipants were deployed into one control and three experimental groups. Motor skills were assessed with the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT-2). To determine difference in scores for each BOT-2 tests between control and experimental groups, one-way ANOVA was used for girls and boys separately while two-way ANOVA was employed to determine difference between the gender in the overall BOT-2 score. The results indicates that one-year multilateral exercise program has a positive effect on the level of motor skills in preschool children. Interestingly, additional years of participation in exercise program yielded in maintenance of acquired motor skills level. Also, exercise program affected more girls than preschool boys considering both individual and composite BOT-2 scores. According to the findings of this study, presented exercise program could have potential benefits on multilateral development of the motor skills in preschool children which could facilitate balance of locomotor and manipulative skills. Therefore, integration of multilateral program intended for preschool children could be considered for implementation within the kindergarten curriculum.

In order to realize the tram's low-floor structure, most of the trams that have been recently introduced adopt an independently rotating wheelset. In the case of trains driving in two regions with different gauges, an independently rotating wheelset may be applied to utilize the variable track technology. Since the independent rotation type wheelset has no rotational restraint of the left and right wheels, the difference in rotational speed between the outer and inner wheels occurs naturally during curved driving, and it is applied to railroad vehicles traveling in steep curve sections because it smoothly drives curved driving. However, the longitudinal creep force and the lateral restoring force are weakened as the left and right rotational constraints disappear. Lack of transverse direction restoring force weakens stability while causing continuous flange contact driving or zigzag phenomenon against disturbance. Under the conditions of driving in a steep curve, these railway vehicles generate excessive wear, noise, and lateral pressure, as well as deterioration of ride comfort and derailment. In order to overcome these drawbacks, a method has been proposed in which the torque of a motor mounted on each wheel is individually controlled to generate lateral restoring force or to improve driving performance through lateral displacement control using a yaw moment. In this paper, development using HILs was performed to check the performance and stability of the individual motor torque control technology before verifying by applying the individual motor torque control to the actual vehicle. HILs were constructed by combining a real-time dynamic analysis model of a railway vehicle with a drive motor to which real individual motor control was applied. Under the conditions of driving the test track where the actual test vehicle was tested, the analysis of the driving characteristics and the control characteristics of the disturbance was performed to confirm the proposed individual motor torque control performance.

Nowadays, there are several electric vehicle (EV) on the market, due to the innovation of technology that promotes the new components such as battery, transmission, electric motors. This paper proposes a design approach for the configuration synthesis and simulation of the in-wheel-hub motor transmissions with the six-link mechanisms. The synthesis process shows 6 mechanisms with six members and eight joints, 15 new clutchless motor transmissions and 16 new clutched motor transmissions. A novel motor transmission in the feasibility of the synthesized configurations is selected as an example to analyze the working principle with operation modes and power flow paths. And, this design is modeled for the simulation process that generates the results of operation mode transition and energy regulation.

Childhood is an obvious period for motor learning since children’s musculoskeletal and nervous systems are still in development. Adults adapt movements based on reward feedback about success and failure but it is less established whether school-age children also exhibit such reward-based motor learning. We designed a new ‘circle-drawing’ task suitable for assessing reward-based motor learning in both children and adults. Participants drew circles with their unseen hand on a tablet. They received binary reward feedback after each attempt based on the proximity of the average radius of their drawing to a target radius set as double the radius of their baseline drawings. We rewarded about 50% of the trials based on a performance-dependent reward criterion. Both children (7-17 years old) and adults increased the radius of their drawings in the direction of the target radius. We observed no difference in learning between children and adults. Moreover, both groups changed the radius less following reward than following reward absence, which is a sign of reward-based motor learning. We conclude that school-age children, like adults, exhibit reward-based motor learning.

This study examined how practice distribution schedules influenced accuracy and efficacy in the tennis serve. 24 recreational players were randomized into two experimental groups. Both groups carried out 4 series of 10 services per session during 12 sessions. Massed practice group did not rested between services and rested 10 seconds between series. Distributed practice group rested 10 seconds between services and 30 seconds between series. The accuracy and efficacy were registered and computed based on the 2D digitalization. The learning and retention were tested in a post-test and retention test. The learning program increased the efficacy in the post-test in both groups (p =.001 massed group; p =.015 distributed group). On the retest, the group of massed practice decreased efficacy (p =.021). In accuracy, the group of massed practice reduced its performance in the post-test (p =.015). The effects of the program on the accuracy in the retention test were not observed. It is concluded that this type of sports learning programs, applied at a recreational level, can provide a rigorous approach that contributes with guarantees to the learning of tennis.

Primates have an unparalleled ability to produce a wide range of dexterous movements, each sensitive to context and robust to perturbation. Recent progress in understanding the neural basis of movement generation comes from two largely independent ideas, “Optimal Feedback Control” and “Neural Dynamical Systems”. The optimal control framework was largely inspired by research programs from the ‘80s showing that the brain doesn’t seem to plan a simple desired movement trajectory, but instead produces movements by transforming sensory information into motor output that satisfies an optimality criterion. The more recent idea that the motor cortex acts as a dynamical system came about only as it became possible to analyze large numbers of simultaneously recorded single neurons. These two framings of the motor system have been largely incommensurate, neither able to contribute much to the understanding of the other. In this review, we reconcile these two views into a single model we call “Dynamical Feedback Control”. We propose that the dynamics in the motor cortex emerge from a sensorimotor transformation that couples the motor cortex to sensory input from the periphery, and to contextual inputs from other cortical and subcortical areas. Dynamics in motor cortex can be thought to approximate gains of a feedback controller, and by moving the neural state to different regions of state space, the motor system can rapidly alternate between different controllers. The DFC framework presents a new lens to interpret neural dynamics, and to understand how ensembles of neurons generate flexible and responsive patterns of muscle activity.

Despite copious research, the methods for assessing upper- and lower-limb motor coordination are limited. We devised a simplified evaluation method based on upper- and lower-limb motor coordination jumping and conducted a practical examination of the characteristics of the motion and applicability of the evaluation method. Overall, 88 high-school athletes with comparable competitive abilities were included in this study. The participants were divided into two groups based on their prior experience with motor coordination training (24 in the experienced group; 64 in the inexperienced group). First, a population proportion test was employed to assess the success rate of the four upper- and lower-limb motions in each task. This revealed significant difference between all tasks, except for the fourth motion, indicating that different motions have varying degrees of difficulty and that the combination of motions with differing difficulty coefficients can result in the creation of entirely new tasks with varying degrees of difficulty. Second, the experienced group demonstrated significantly superior performance compared to the inexperienced group by a t-test. These results confirmed that athletes (with the same level of competitive ability) trained in upper and lower limb motor coordination were able to excel in this evaluation method, confirming its validity.

Motor intention is a high-level brain function related to planning for movement. Although studies have shown that motor intentions can be decoded from brain signals before movement execution, it was unclear whether intentions relating to mental imagery of movement could be decoded. Here, we investigated whether differences in spatial and temporal patterns of brain activation were elicited by intentions to perform different types of motor imagery and whether the patterns could be used by a multivariate pattern classifier to detect such differential intentions. The results showed that it is possible to decode intentions before the onset of different types of motor imagery from functional MR signals obtained from fronto-parietal brain regions, such as the premotor cortex and posterior parietal cortex, while controlling for eye movements and for muscular activity of the hands. These results highlight the critical role played by the aforementioned brain regions in covert motor intentions. Moreover, they have substantial implications for rehabilitating patients with motor disabilities.

Extraocular eye muscles (EOMs) are innervated by axons of three ocular motor nuclei, the oculomotor (CNIII), trochlear (CNIV), and abducens (CNVI) neurons. The purpose of this review is to analyze the origin of ocular motor neurons, define the pattern of innervation of nerve fibers that project to the EOMs, pro-vide an overview of vestibular pathway inputs to ocular motor nuclei, and describe congenital disorders that alter the development of ocular motor neurons. Oculomotor neurons originate in the midbrain and innervate the ipsilateral orbit, except for the superior rectus and the levator palpebrae which are contra-laterally innervated. Trochlear motor neurons originate at the midbrain-hindbrain junction and innervate the contralateral superior oblique muscle. Abducens motor neurons originate variously in the rhombomeres r4-6 and innervate the posterior (or lateral) rectus muscle and innervate the retractor bulbi. Genes allow yielding a distinction between special somatic (CNIII, IV) and somatic (CNVI) ocular motor neurons. The ocular motor neurons are innervating somites, which receive innervates vestibular nuclei that connects with the brainstem motor neurons. Development of ocular motor neurons and their axonal projections to the EOMs may be derailed by various genetic causes, resulting in the congenital cranial dysinnervation disorders.

Recently, due to the decrease in labor force, increase in labor costs, and the desire for improved quality of life, research on robots has been actively conducted to address these issues. However, it is currently difficult to find robots that physically interact with humans. The reason is that the actuators of robots do not have high torque density on their own. To solve this problem, high torque density motors, such as proprioceptive actuators, are being researched. However, the torque density is still insufficient for physical interaction with humans, so we have developed a motor with higher torque density. However, high torque density motors have the disadvantage of lower speed characteristics due to increased Back-EMF. Therefore, to address the deterioration of speed characteristics in the developed motor, we applied the Independent 3-Phase winding structure to improve the speed characteristics. Consequently, through comparison with Y-Connection and Delta-Connection, we propose the most suitable winding structure for high torque density motors intended for physical interaction with humans.

The associations among increased pain sensitivity, obesity, and systemic inflammation have not been described as a direct link between BBB dysfunctions. To analyze the metabolic, behavioral, and inflammatory effects of a HFD and ultrastructural modifications in brain regions, we used an experimental model. Adult male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to one of two conditions, an ad libitum control group, or a high-fat-diet (60%) group (HFD-fed), for eight weeks. At the end of the protocol, glucose, and insulin tolerance tests were performed. Additionally, we analyzed the response to a normally innocuous mechanical stimulus and changes in motor coordination. At the end of the protocol, HFD-fed individuals presented increased HOMA-IR and metabolic syndrome (MetS) prevalence. HFD-fed rats also developed an increased nociceptive response to mechanical stimuli and neurological injury, resulting in impaired motor function. Hypothalamus and cerebellum neurons from HFD-fed presented with nuclear swelling, an absence of nucleoli, and karyolysis. These results reveal that HFD consumption affecting vital brain structures such as the cerebellum, hippocampus, and hypothalamus. This, in turn, causes neuronal damage, impairs cellular communication, and alters motricity and pain sensitivity. Understanding the link between BBB impairment and sensory and motor changes could lead to targeted therapeutic strategies.

In this paper, we examined the temperature variations of key constituents during the operational cycle of a custom-built electric vehicle. The vehicle was made employing a motor of 10kW, a KLS7275D controller, and a lithium-ion battery. Temperature sensors for monitoring was affixed to the motor, controller, and battery, facilitating a comprehensive analysis of thermal behaviors. A controlled 20 minute driving tests encompassing both high and low speeds were executed to scrutinize temperature variations. Our findings reveal that the controller exhibited the most substantial temperature fluctuation compared to the battery and motor. Results shows the importance of thermal management strategies for components to ensure optimal driving performance and component reliability in electric vehicles.

The aim of this study was to assess the differences in motor coordination (MC) of primary school students based on sex, age, and physical activity participation (PAP), as well as investigation the binary and triple interactions of these variables on MC. In addition, ıt is aim to determine the validation and reliability of the KTK3+ test for Turkish schoolchildren aged 6-9. The sample consisted of 848 students from public primary schools, aged between 6-9 years, including 412 boys and 436 girls. Anthropometric characteristics such as height and body weight were meas-ured, and Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated. The Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder (KTK3+) test battery was utilized to evaluate the levels of MC of the students. One-way multi-variate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to determine the binary and triple interactions of sex, age and PAP variables on the MC parameters of the participants. The study revealed that boys had higher scores than girls on eye-hand coordination (EHC) (p < 0.05). No significant dif-ference was found balancing backwards (BB), jumping sideways (JS) and moving sideways (MS) (p > 0.05). When the subtests of the KTK3+ were compared by age levels, a significant difference was determined between the groups in all subtests (p < 0.05). With respect to PAP, students who PAP had a significant advantage in all subtests of the KTK3+ (p < 0.05). It was determined that none of the interaction terms between sex, age, and PAP created a significant difference in any KTK (p= 0.294; 0.680; 0.471; 0.970, p > 0.05, respectively). The results that the boys aged 6-9 per-formed better than girls in EHC, but girls Furthermore, an increase in age level and PAP result-ed in higher scores in all subtests. This study presents evidence supporting sex differences in the motor skills of children within this age range and highlights the potential impact of age and physical activity on motor development.

Three-phase motors are commonly adopted in several industrial contexts and their failures can result in costly downtime causing undesired service outages; this way, motor diagnostics is an issue that assumes great importance. To prevent their failures and timely face the considered service outages, a non-invasive method to identify electrical and mechanical faults in three-phase asynchronous electric motors is proposed in the paper. In particular, a measurement strategy along with a machine learning algorithm based on Artificial Neural Network is exploited to properly classify failures. In particular, digitized current samples of each motor phase are first processed by means of FFT and PSD in order to estimate the associated spectrum. Suitable features (in terms of frequency and amplitude of the spectral components) are then singled out to either train or feed a neural network acting as a classifier. The method is preliminary validated on a set of 28 electric motors, and its performance is compared with common state-of-art machine learning techniques. The obtained results show that the proposed methodology is able to reach accuracy levels greater than 98\% in identifying anomalous conditions of three-phase asynchronous motors.

Daytime napping offers benefits for motor memory learning and is used as habitual countermeasure to improve daytime functioning. A single napping is shown to ameliorate motor memory learning, although the effect of consecutive napping on motor memory consolidation remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the effect of daytime napping over multiple days on motor memory learning. Twenty university students were divided into the napping group and no-nap (awake) group. Napping group performed motor adaption tasks before and after napping for three consecutive days, whereas no-nap group performed the task on the similar time schedule as the napping group. In addition, a subsequent retest was conducted one week after the end of the intervention. The speed to complete the task of the napping group was significantly shorter than that of the awake group in the retention test. No significant difference was confirmed for trajectory length to complete the task. Thus, consecutive napping may facilitate motor learning and motor memory consolidation in the long term.

During two decades back, the growth of the fisheries sector in Indonesia was showing increasing trend, however, behind the rapid development of the sector, small-scale fisheries role is often neglected as one of the main actors to support the whole sector. They remain poor and doing fishing activities traditionally. Therefore, this study aims to describe the real situation of small-scale fishers, analyzing fishers’ ownership of the boat, analyzing their income level to reveal their poverty condition, to analyze the factors affecting their income. The regression analysis results indicate that fishing days, boat category, sea fish catch, fish selling price, variable cost, and secondary job have significant affect to fishers’ net income.

Human genome studies have suggested that strawberry notch homologue 1 (SBNO1) is crucial for normal brain development, with mutations potentially contributing to neurodevelopmental disorders. In a previous study, we observed significant developmental abnormalities in the neocortex of Sbno1 as early as one week after birth. In the present study, we conducted an extensive analysis of Sbno1 postnatal expression in the brain of C57BL/6 mice using a newly developed in-house polyclonal antibody against Sbno1. We found that Sbno1 is expressed in all neurons, with certain neuronal populations exhibiting distinct dynamic changes (both temporal and spatial) in expression level. These findings suggest that the neuronal expression of Sbno1 is developmentally regulated after birth. They also indicate that while Sbno1 may play a general role across all neurons, it may also serve more specialized functions in certain neuronal types and/or for certain cellular activities related to particular neuronal pathways.

Background and Purpose: This pilot randomized controlled trial evaluated the effects of 12 sessions of patient-specific adaptive dynamic cycling (PSADC) versus non-adaptive cycling (NA) on motor function and mobility in individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD), using IMU sensors for objective assessment. Methods: Twenty-three participants with PD (13 in the PSADC group and 10 in the NA group) completed the study over a 4-week period. Motor function was measured using the Kinesia™ sensors and the MDS-UPDRS Motor III, while mobility was assessed with the TUG test using OPAL IMU sensors. Results: The PSADC group showed significant improvements in MDS-UPDRS Motor III scores (t = 5.165, p &lt; 0.001) and dopamine-sensitive symptoms (t = 4.629, p = 0.001), whereas the NA group did not improve. Both groups showed non-significant improvements in TUG time. IMU sensors provided continuous, quantitative, and unbiased measurements of motor function and mobility, offering a more accurate tracking of improvements over time. Conclusion: PSADC demonstrated enhanced treatment effects on PD motor function compared to NA, while also reducing variability in individual responses. The integration of IMU sensors was essential for precise monitoring, supporting the feasibility of a data-driven, individualized exercise approach to optimize treatment outcomes for individuals with PD.

The search for more sustainable and efficient propulsion & power systems has become a focal point in aerospace engineering, driven by the necessity to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate environmental impact. In response, this paper explores the optimized fabrication of an Adams pulse motor integrated with an Arduino microcontroller, aiming to enhance performance while addressing the specific demands of aerospace applications. The Adams pulse motor, renowned for its simplicity and efficiency, serves as the basis of this study. Operating on the principles of electromagnetism, the motor comprises a stator and rotor configuration. When given electricity in pulses, the magnetic fields generated by stators interact with the rotor, inducing rotational motion. This simplicity makes the Adams pulse motor an attractive candidate for aerospace propulsion systems, where reliability and fuel efficiency are very important. Integration with an Arduino microcontroller introduces sophisticated control capabilities, enabling real-time adjustment of motor parameters such as speed, torque, and direction. Furthermore, the Arduino facilitates sensor feedback integration, allowing for autonomous operation and fault detection. This level of control not only enhances performance but also contributes to overall system reliability. One of the key highlights of this study is the application of the optimized Adams pulse motor integrated with an Arduino microcontroller in the aerospace industry. Aircraft propulsion systems are undergoing a shift towards more sustainable alternatives. The integration of the Adams pulse motor with Arduino aligns with this motive, offering a greener and more efficient propulsion/ power solution for aerospace applications. In conclusion, the optimized fabrication of Adams pulse motors integrated with Arduino microcontrollers holds tremendous promise for the aerospace industry. As the demand for sustainable propulsion solutions continues to grow, this integrated system presents a compelling option for future aircraft propulsion systems.

The study involves the creation of a solar-powered car that can travel up to 70 km with a maximum speed of 35.7 km/h, the vehicle mass is 300 kg. It stores some energy, which is then converted into electric energy that can be consumed by other electrical appliances, making it an electrical energy generator. The two back wheels are equipped with 3,000 W electric motors to enable movement. When the vehicle moves, power dissipates due to resistances that must be overcome to move it. Auxiliary components and the battery powering the system also require energy, resulting in not all power being transmitted to the electric vehicle's wheels. This article aims to create a prototype of the electric vehicle model. A model of the photovoltaic system, considering the geographic coordinates and solar parameters of the location, as well as the BLDC motor and vehicle dynamics, is required to examine the component behavior based on the observable parameters. These pa-rameters consist of the resistive torque, angular speed, and resistance values that need to be overcome to evaluate the electric vehicle's performance. Once the lost power has been determined, the remaining power will be allocated to power other electrical devices. The variations in the parameters considered are crucial for the performance of an electric vehicle equipped with a photovoltaic and mechanical power supply system, as one of the sources of our prototype is mechanical and provides 400 W of power.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) represents a distinctive technique for non-invasive brain stimulation. Recent advancements in image processing have enabled the enhancement of TMS by integrating magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) modalities with TMS via a neuronavigation system. The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of navigated TMS for cortical mapping in comparison to surgical mapping using direct electrical stimulation (DES). The study involved 30 neurosurgical procedures for tumors located in or adjacent to the precentral gyrus. The DES points were compared with TMS responses based on the original distances of vectorial modules. There was a notable similarity in the points obtained from the two mapping methods. The distances between the geometric centers of TMS and DCS were 4.85 ± 1.89 mm. A strong correlation was identified between these vectorial points (r = 0.901, p < 0.001). The motor threshold in TMS was highest in the motor cortex adjacent to the tumor compared to the normal cortex (p < 0.001). Patients with deficits exhibited excellent accuracy in both methods. In view of this, TMS demonstrated reliable and precise application in brain mapping, which is a promising method for preoperative functional mapping in motor cortex tumor surgery.

This article describes the study and digital implementation of a system onboard a TMS 3208F28335 ® DSP for vector control of the bearing motor speed with 4 poles split winding with 250W of power. Smart techniques: ANFIS and Neural Networks were investigated and computationally implemented to evaluate the bearing motor performance under the following conditions: operating as an estimator of uncertain parameters and as a speed controller. Therefore, the MATLAB program and its toolbox were used for the simulations and the parameter adjustments involving the structure ANFIS (Adaptive-Network-Based Fuzzy Inference System) and simulations with the Neural Network. The simulated results showed a good performance for the two techniques applied differently: the estimator and a speed controller using both a model of the induction motor operating as a bearing motor. The experimental part for velocity vector control uses three control loops: current, radial position, and speed, where the configurations of the peripherals, that is, the interfaces or drivers for driving the bearing motor.

The MiniMovers (MM) APP combines motor development theory with creativity expertise and has been designed to provide parents with developmentally appropriate activities to support children’s motor skills. This study investigates how MiniMovers activities enabled parents to support their children’s physical development. Families participated in an 8-week MM programme of activities from the MM APP (Mini, Mighty and Mega levels), with pre- and post-intervention data collected. Mixed research methods were applied among children (N=8; aged 21-79 months) and their parents, providing quantitative analysis on children’s performance (running, throwing, jumping, kicking, balancing and catching), as well as qualitative analysis on parents’ attitude and behaviour (co-activity questionnaire, two-weekly feedback surveys and interviews). Kinematic data and kinetic data were captured using marker-based motion capture system and a force plate, respectively. For catching, children at Mighty and Mega levels were also tested using eye-tracking glasses. Videos were recorded for developmental stage evaluation. The results showed that five children improved across different ages, with two children improving in almost all tasks, and three children who had more tasks that improved than did not. Parents reported increased levels of co-activity, increased children’s enjoyment, independence, and confidence. This pilot study provides support for the research and development of MM App and suggests a need for more research into the use of APPs to support in home activities among families with young children.

Adapted and personalized motor activities prove to be effective for meeting the specific needs of children with SEN, tailoring to their unique limitations and abilities. Our focus was to craft and apply a structured program for psychomotor abilities development, targeting balance and motor-cognitive skills. The study aims to enhance the behavior and psychomotor manifestations of 28 students with SEN (aged 12-14) from two institutional centers in Romania. The "Sfântul Ștelian" Inclusive Education School Center of Costesti, Arges (CC-12 subjects), and the "Sfânta Filofteia" Inclusive Education School Center of Ștefănești (CS-16 subjects). Across a 36-week training regimen, participants engaged in sessions lasting 30 minutes, twice weekly. Evaluation of their psychomotor skills involved a battery of tests: assessing balance, both with eyes open and closed, brain processing speed, upper limb motor laterality. Initial and final data were gathered to assess their motor development and physical state. Instruments utilized included the Optojump Next optical system for movement analysis, Witty SEM intelligent semaphore, Sensamove balance miniboard. Statistical analysis compared the initial and final assessments using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and Wilcoxon Z test. Out of the total comparisons made between the initial and final assessments for the evaluation of the psychomotor component, statistically significant differences were found in only 37.5% of these comparisons.

Instep weights cause mechanical changes, modifying muscle activity and changing ground plantar support. 30 semi-professional sprinters, randomized in 3 groups [no-weight, Ascending (50, 100, 150 and 200g), Descending (200, 150, 100 and 50g)] run 6 consecutive 50-meter series at maximum speed (first and sixth without weights); partial, total times and speed were analyzed. Instep weights were safe and well tolerated. 6th series speed decreased except in men’s ascending group, who achieved a lower time in sixth compared to first series. Weights presented in ascending order in men during warm-up could improve running time. Instep weights neuromuscular effects could compensate men’s tiredness in last series; weights could be included in training methodologies. Men training weights presented in ascending order may provide better results.

Molecular motors play a vital role in the transport of material within the cell. A family of motors of growing interest are burnt bridge ratchets (BBRs). BBRs rectify spatial fluctuations into directed motion by creating and destroying motor-substrate bonds. It has been shown that the motility of a BBR can be optimized as a function of the system parameters. However, the amount of energy input required to generate such motion and the resulting efficiency has been less well characterized. Here, using a deterministic model, we calculate the efficiency of a particular type of BBR, namely a polyvalent hub interacting with a surface of substrate. We find that there is an optimal burn rate and substrate concentration that leads to optimal efficiency. Additionally, the substrate turnover rate has important implications on motor efficiency. We also consider the effects of force-dependent unbinding on the efficiency and find that under certain conditions the motor works more efficiently when bond breaking is included. Our results provide guidance for how to optimize the efficiency of BBRs.

Studies show that executive functions and motor development are associated among each other and with learning ability. A more technological lifestyle, related with digital culture, should be considered an important component to stimulate children. In addition, digital games constitute an element of the digital culture in which children are inserted. The aim of this study is to present a systematic mapping of the literature involving executive functions, motor development and the use of digital games in intervention programs for elementary school children, from 6 to 11 years old. Four databases were searched: PubMed, Scielo, Science Direct and SCOPUS, including publications between 2012 and March 2021. The initial results indicated 4881 works. After the selection process, 15 investigations that presented the central theme of the study were selected. The main results indicate that intervention strategies are quite heterogeneous. Most of the studies demonstrated significant positive effects after intervention protocols and were conducted in Europe and 46% of the studies were conducted in a school environment. No researches were identified that involved technological solutions involving executive functions, motor development and digital games in an integrated manner, constituting a field of future scientific research.

We analyze real telematics information for a sample of drivers with usage-based insurance policies. We examine the statistical distribution of distance driven above the posted speed limit – which presents a strong positive asymmetry – using quantile regression models. We find that, at different percentile levels, the distance driven at speeds above the posted limit depends on total distance driven and, more generally, on such factors as the percentages of urban and nighttime driving and on the driver’s gender. However, the impact of these covariates differs according to the percentile level. We stress the importance of understanding telematics information, which should not be limited to simply characterizing average drivers, but can be useful for signaling dangerous driving by predicting quantiles associated with specific driver characteristics. We conclude that the risk of driving long distances above the speed limit is heterogeneous and, moreover, we show that prevention campaigns should target primarily male, non-urban drivers, especially if they present a high percentage of nighttime driving.

Proper regulation of microtubules (MTs) is critical for the execution of diverse cellular processes, including mitotic spindle assembly and chromosome segregation. There are a multitude of cellular factors that regulate the dynamicity of MTs and play critical roles in mitosis. Members of the Kinesin-8 family of motor proteins act as MT-destabilizing factors to control MT length in a spatially and temporally regulated manner. In this review, we focus on recent advances in our understanding of the structure and function of the Kinesin-8 motor domain, and the emerging contributions of the C-terminal tail of Kinesin-8 proteins to regulate motor activity and localization.

Background. The markerless motion capture system (MLS) is a new technology that uses deep learning to detect body segments from digital images. This study tested the agreement between the MLS and a force-plate based system (FPS, “gold standard”) to quantify stability control and motor performance (MP) during gait initiation (GI). Methods. Healthy adults (young and elderly) and patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) performed GI series at spontaneous and maximal velocity on an FPS while being filmed by an MLS. Signals from both systems were used to compute the peak of forward center-of-mass velocity (indicator of MP) and the braking index (BI, indicator of stability control). Results. Descriptive statistics indicated that both systems detected between-groups differences and velocity effects similarly, while a Bland-Altman (BA) plot anal-ysis showed that BI and MP mean biases were virtually zero in all groups and conditions. Bayes factor 01 indicated strong (for BI) and moderate (for MP) evidence that both systems provided equivalent values. However, trial-by-trial analysis of BA plots revealed the possibility of differ-ences > 10% between the two systems. Conclusion. Although non-negligible differences do occur, MLS appears to be as efficient as FPS in detecting PD and velocity condition effects on BI and MP

Background/Objectives: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common childhood neurodevelopmental disorder affecting 5.29%-7.2% of children worldwide. Research supports the use of physical activity programs for children with ADHD, which have been shown to provide benefits in neuropsychological and cognitive parameters, executive functions, and social-emotional development. One such program that incorporates physical activity is group psychomotor therapy (GPT), which utilizes inclusion as a key design and implementation principle. However, there is limited data on the effectiveness of GPT for children both with and without ADHD. This study investigated the effects of group psychomotor therapy (GPT), a physical activity-based approach emphasizing inclusion, on the socio-emotional competence and motor competence of preschool aged children with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methods: A total of 54 children (19 with ADHD and 35 without; Mage= 61.80±5.40 months) participated in a 27-week GPT program. Assessments of motor competence and socio-emotional competence were conducted pre- and post- programme’s implementation, using the DEMOST-PRE© and the Psychosocial Adjustment Test, respectively. Results: Children without ADHD scored statistically higher scores across all assessed variables. However, both groups presented significant improvements in both motor and social-emotional competence. Conclusions: Children without ADHD scored statistically higher scores across all assessed variables. However, both groups presented significant improvements in both motor and social-emotional competence.

When we grow old, we experience loss of muscle strength and power, a condition commonly referred to as sarcopenia (ICD-10-CM code (M62.84)). Sarcopenia leads to disability in 5-10% of the population. In this review we emphasise that it is not a sudden event, but a deterioration that occurs over time but is only recognised as a disease when it becomes clinically manifest in the 6th-7th decade of life. Evidence from animal studies, elite athletes and longitudinal population studies all confers that once sarcopenia is manifested, the underlying process has been ongoing for decades. We present various hypotheses about the underlying cause(s) of this process and their supporting evidence, i.e. does this disease have a neurogenic, a myogenic or a scaffold-related origin? We briefly review various proposals to alleviate sarcopenia, including stem cell rejuvenation, combating scaffold degeneration, reducing senescent cell burden, skeletal muscle secretomes and muscle innervation. We conclude that although there are potential target candidates and ongoing preclinical and clinical trials with drug treatments, the only evidence-based intervention today is exercise. We present different execrcise programmes and discuss to what extent the inter-individual susceptibility to developing sarcopenia is due to our genetic predisposition or lifestyle factors.

Motor imagery requires mental representation of the body, which is obtained by the integration of exteroceptive and interoceptive information. The aim of the study was to investigate the role of interoceptive sensitivity in motor imagery performed through visual and kinesthetic modalities in participants with low (lows, N = 26), medium (mediums, N = 11) and high hypnotizability scores (highs, N = 16), measured by the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale: Form A. These groups display different motor imagery abilities and interoceptive sensitivity. The efficacy of motor imagery was measured by chronometric index and self-reported experience, and interoceptive sensitivity by the Multisensory Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA) questionnaire. EEG alpha and beta power spectral densities were extracted from recordings acquired during baseline, actual movement, visually and kinesthetically imagined movements. The chronometric indices did not reveal significant differences among groups and between imagery modalities. In contrast, the self-reported imagery efficacy indicated better kinesthetic imagery in highs and mediums than in lows, and no modality difference among lows. MAIA dimensions sustained the differences in sub-jective experience and almost all the EEG differences, slightly different in highs, mediums and lows. This is the first report of a major role played by interoceptive sensitivity in motor imagery.

Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) are perceived as a first step towards the future of sustainable transport. Of course, battery electric vehicles (EVs) are currently ideal for what is wanted to stand for transport in the future. The lack of infrastructure for these vehicles makes many potential users choose hybrid vehicles in these conditions. This paper analyzes the influence of the engine and electric motor of hybrid vehicles on their performances. Three engines with slightly different power and close characteristics were considered for configured models. Also, two electric motors with very different power but having a very close maximum continuous torque have been used in models. One is an induction motor, and the other is a permanent magnet synchronous motor. ADVISOR software has been used for vehicles configuration and simulation. Series and parallel hybrid vehicles have been considered. The main dynamic performances and the fuel consumption in two driving cycles were compared for the configured models. Three conventional models with the same engines used in HEVs have also been simulated for reference. The results highlight that in the case of HEVs, the choice of combination engine/electric motor is crucial in obtaining the best report between dynamic performances and low fuel consumption, and implicitly a low negative impact on the environment.

Some studies investigated the relationship between frequency domain analysis of heart rate variability and the cognitive performance at the Stroop task. We propose a combined assessment also of trunk mobility in 72 healthy women to investigate the relationship between cognitive, cardiac and motor variables based on a principal component analysis. We also assessed the change on this result after an intervention of two months aiming at improving the perception-action link. At baseline, the PCA correctly identified 3 components: one related to cardiac variables, one to trunk motion and one to the performance of Stroop task. After the intervention, only two components were found with trunk symmetry and range of motion, accuracy and time to complete the Stroop task and low frequency heart rate variability aggregated in a single component by PCA. It suggested that this protocol was effective in investigating the embodied cognition and we defined this approach as “embodimetrics”.

Membrane nanotubes (NTs) are dynamic communication channels connecting spatially separated cells even over long distances and promoting the transport of different cellular cargos. NTs are also involved in the intercellular spread of different pathogens and the deterioration of some neuro-logical disorders. Transport processes via NTs may be controlled by cytoskeletal elements. NTs are frequently observed membrane projections in numerous mammalian cell lines including various immune cells, but their functional significance in the ‘antibody factory’ B cells is poorly elucidated. Here we report that as active channels, NTs of B cells can mediate bidirectional mitochondrial transport, promoted by the cooperation of two different cytoskeletal motor proteins, kinesin along microtubules and myosin VI along actin, and bidirectional transport processes are also supported by the heterogeneous arrangement of the main cytoskeletal filament systems of the NTs. We revealed that despite NTs and axons being different cell extensions the mitochondrial transport they mediate may exhibit significant similarities. Furthermore, we found that microtubules may improve the stability and lifespan of B cell NTs, while F-actin strengthens NTs by providing a structural framework for them. Our results may contribute to a better understanding of the regulation of the major cells of humoral immune response to infections.

Body image disturbance (BID) involves negative attitudes towards shape and weight and is associated with lower levels of interoception (awareness of and attention toward internal physiological states). This association is considered a risk factor for developing eating disorders (EDs) and is linked to altered sensorimotor representations of the body (i.e., body schema). BIDs manifest across genders and are currently understudied in men. This study investigated gender-related differences in BID and its relationship to the body schema and interoception. Data were collected from 86 men and women. BID was assessed using questionnaires measuring self-objectification, state, and trait body dissatisfaction. Interoceptive sensibility was measured via the MAIA-2. The body schema was indexed via an embodied mental rotation task. Results showed that women reported higher BID than men across all scales. Gender differences in sub-components of interoceptive sensibility were found. Overall, both gender and interoceptive sensibility predicted BID. However, interoceptive sensibility exhibited its own unique association with BID beyond the influence of gender. BID, IS and gender were not significant predictors of performance in the body schema task. Therefore, while gender predicts differences in BID and interoceptive sensibility, there was no evidence of gender-related differences in body schema.

Abstract Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder featured with motor and non-motor deficits. Using 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) induced dopamine neuron degeneration has been widely used to produce reliable animal models of the PD. However, most of previous preclinical studies focused on the motor dysfunctions, few non-motor symptoms were evaluated. So far there is a lack of comprehensive investigation of the non-motor symptoms in animal models. Objectives: In this study, we aim to use a battery of behavioral methods to evaluate the non-motor symptoms in MPTP-induced non-human primate PD models. Methods: Cognitive functions, sleep and psychiatric behaviors were evaluated in MPTP-treated cynomolgus monkeys. The tests consisted of delayed matching-to-sample (DMTS), physical activity monitor (PAM), apathy feeding task (AFT), human intruder test (HIT), novel fruit test (NFT) and predator confrontation test (PCT). In addition, we tested whether the dopamine receptor agonist pramipexole (PPX) will improve these non-motor symptoms. Results: The present results show that the MPTP-treated monkeys exhibited cognitive deficits, abnormal sleep, and anxiety-like behaviors as compared to the control monkeys. These symptoms were relieved partially by PPX. Conclusions: These results suggest that MPTP-induced PD monkeys displayed non-motor symptoms that were similar to those found in PD patients. PPX treatment showed moderate therapeutic effects on these non-motor symptoms. This battery of behavioral tests may provide a valuable model for future preclinical research.

Abstract: The EMU(electric multiple units) traction motors are powered by converters. The PWM(pulse width modulation) voltage increases the voltage stress borne by the motor insulation system, making the ITSC(inter-turn short-circuit) fault more prominent. An index based on short-circuit thermal power was proposed in the article to evaluate the non-metallic ITSC faults degree. The apFFT(all phase FFT) time-shift phase difference correction with double Hanning-windows is used to calculate the fundamental frequency of the traction motor's ZSVC（zero se-quence voltage component）, the fundamental amplitudes of ZSVC and three-phase current. The five parameters are used as fault features to train the SVM (support vector machine)fault diagnosis model. The SVM hyper-parameters C and g are optimized by K-CV (K fold cross-validation) and grid search methods. The experimental verification was carried out by the EMU electric traction simulation experimental platform. According to the non-metallic degree index proposed in this article, the experimental samples were divided into three categories, normal, incipient and serious fault samples. The ITSC fault diagnosis accuracy was 100% on the training data set and 93.33 % on the test data set. There was no misclassification between normal and serious ITSC fault samples.

Cognitive function, arthrogryposis, obstetrics palsy, children, motor disorder

We investigated preschool-aged children’s understanding of early fractional tasks and how that performance correlates with fine motor skills and use of gestures while counting. Participants were 33 preschoolers aged 4 to 5 in two Southeastern public elementary schools. Children were tested individually in an interview-like setting. Mathematics tasks were presented in a paper and pencil format and the Grooved Pegboard test assessed fine motor skills. Finally, utilization of gestures was evaluated by taking a behavioral rating of the child’s hand morphology, accuracy of gestures, and synchrony of gestures and spoken word while performing a counting task. Results indicate performance on fractional reasoning tasks significantly predicts both fine motor ability and accuracy of gestures.

Reinforcement learning (RL) is an extensively applied control method for the purpose of designing intelligent control systems to achieve high accuracy as well as better performance. In the present article, the PID controller is considered as the main control strategy for brushless DC (BLDC) motor speed control. For better performance, the fuzzy Q-learning (FQL) method as a reinforcement learning approach is proposed to adjust the PID coefficients. A comparison with the adaptive PID (APID) controller is also performed for the superiority of the proposed method, and the findings demonstrate the reduction of the error of the proposed method and elimination of the overshoot for controlling the motor speed. MATLAB/SIMULINK has been used for modeling, simulation, and control design of the BLDC motor.

Background: The present study compared corticospinal excitability to the biceps brachii muscle during arm cycling at a self-selected and a fixed cadence (SSC and FC, respectively). We hypothesized that corticospinal excitability would not be different between the two conditions. Methods: The SSC was initially performed and the cycling cadence was recorded every 5 seconds for one minute. The average cadence of the SSC cycling trial was then used as a target for FC of cycling that the participants were instructed to maintain. Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) elicited via transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the motor cortex were recorded from the biceps brachii during each trial of SSC and FC arm cycling. Results: Corticospinal excitability as assessed via normalized MEP amplitudes (MEPs were made relative to a maximal compound muscle action potential) were not different between groups. Conclusions: Focusing on maintaining a FC cadence during arm cycling does not influence corticospinal excitability as assessed via TMS-evoked MEPs.

Heavy caffeine consumption is associated with adverse health effects. The effects of moderate and high doses of caffeine mixed with drinking water on the motor coordination, learning and memory and the social behavior in mice were studied in mice. Animals were divided into 3 groups: control group, moderate dose group (Ac MD) and high dose group (Ac HD). The animals were tested after 7 days of caffeine administration. Rota rod test for motor coordination showed that the mice of the moderate dose group could stay more time on the rotating rod before they fall than the control group and the high dose group. Water maze test for learning and memory showed better performance of mice receiving moderate dose of caffeine compared to the other groups. Animals that were administered moderate as well as high doses of caffeine showed no sociability and no preference for social novelty in the three-chamber test used to test the social behavior. In elevated plus maze, control animals showed no anxiety- like behavior while mice administered with caffeine were both showing anxiety-like behaviors. We concluded that acute administration of moderate dose of caffeine to mice could enhance their spatial memory and motor coordination. High doses however caused defects in memory and learning. The social behavior as the level of anxiety and sociability was affected negatively by moderate as well as high dose caffeine administration.

Fault detection at the early stage of development is of great importance in the maintenance of electric motors. In this regard, Motor Current Signature Analysis (MCSA) is cited in many articles to detect rotor bar fracture. The popularity of MCSA is due to its non-invasive and non-destructive nature, simplicity, and, compatibility with several signal processing tools. The vast variety of the signal processing tools which are commonly used for detecting the broken rotor bar fault is based on the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) of the stator current signal and analysis of the produced Fourier spectrum; however, because of the small amplitude at the fault frequency relative to the main frequency amplitude, the former cannot be easily discriminated from the latter. Therefore, the peak at the fault frequency is hidden in the shadow of the main frequency component, hence the fault will not be detectable. As a solution to vanish the base frequency component, a method based on the Algebraic Identity of trinomial expansion is proposed in this paper which enables us to display the difference between the frequency of the fault signature and the base frequency. In this article, the fault of the broken rotor bars of the squirrel cage induction motor is revealed by the proposed method. In addition, a frequency weighting technique is presented to magnify the component at the fault related frequency compared to the lower frequencies. To validate the proposed methods, they are examined on the laboratory data obtained from three different operating conditions including the direct online start, the direct torque control, and the scalar control and the results show the ability of the proposed methods in fault detection of an induction motor.

Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) are essential in advancing medical diagnosis and treatment by providing non-invasive tools to assess neurological states. Among these, Motor Imagery (MI), where patients mentally simulate motor tasks without physical movement, has proven to be an effective paradigm for diagnosing and monitoring neurological conditions. Electroencephalography (EEG) is widely used for MI data collection due to its high temporal resolution, cost-effectiveness, and portability. However, EEG signals can be noisy from a number of sources, including physiological artifacts and electromagnetic interference. They can also vary from person to person, which makes it harder to extract features and understand the signals. Additionally, this variability, influenced by genetic and cognitive factors, presents challenges for developing subject-independent solutions. To address these limitations, this paper presents a Multimodal and Explainable Deep Learning (MEDL) approach for MI-EEG classification and physiological interpretability. Our approach involves: i) evaluating different deep learning (DL) models for subject-dependent MI-EEG discrimination; ii) employing Class Activation Mapping (CAM) to visualize relevant MI-EEG features; and iii) utilizing a Questionnaire-MI Performance Canonical Correlation Analysis (QMIP-CCA) to provide multidomain interpretability. On the GIGAScience MI dataset, experiments show that shallow neural networks are good at classifying MI-EEG data, while the CAM-based method finds spatio-frequency patterns. Moreover, the QMIP-CCA framework successfully correlates physiological data with MI-EEG performance, offering an enhanced, interpretable solution for BCIs.

This study presents a novel predictive model to address the churn problem in the motor insurance sector using a dual-phase framework. The first phase employs a cave-degree perturbation technique for effective feature selection, while the second phase applies the Magnetic Force Perturbation Technique (MFPT) to optimize the search process and avoid local optima traps. Two metaheuristics are proposed: the Adaptive Random Forest-Assisted Large Neighborhood Feature Optimizer (ARALFO) and the Adaptive Random Forest Particle Swarm Optimizer (ARFPSO) to enhance churn prediction accuracy. The model was evaluated on two real-world motor insurance datasets, achieving a 95% accuracy rate and outperforming state-of-the-art algorithms. An ablation study confirmed the significant impact of the cave-degree and MFPT techniques in boosting predictive performance.

Although significant progress has been made in understanding the cortical correlates underlying balance control, these studies focused on a single task limiting the ability to generalize the find-ings. Different balance tasks may elicit cortical activations in the same regions but show different levels of activation because of distinct underlying mechanisms. In this study, we instructed twenty young, neurotypical adults to maintain standing balance while the standing support surface was either translated or rotated and investigated the differences in cortical activations between these two widely used tasks using whole head electroencephalography (EEG). Addi-tionally, we investigated whether transcranial magnetic stimulation could modulate these cortical activations. We found higher delta and lower alpha relative power over the fronto-central region during the platform translation task when compared to the platform rotation task suggesting greater engagement of attentional and sensory integration resources for the former. Continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) over the supplementary motor area (SMA) significantly reduced delta activity in the fronto-central region but did not alter alpha activity during the platform translation task. Our results provide a direct comparison of neural activations between two commonly used balance tasks and are expected to lay a strong foundation for designing neuro-interventions for balance improvements with effects generalizable across multiple balance scenarios.

This study evaluates the effectiveness of an integrated vestibular rehabilitation program in improving balance, motor control, and proprioceptive function in patients diagnosed with Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). The prospective observational study involved 107 participants who underwent a tailored rehabilitation regimen, including the Epley maneuver, Brandt-Daroff exercises, and balance and proprioceptive training. The program was designed to address the vestibular and proprioceptive deficits caused by BPPV, with the goal of restoring normal function and reducing the risk of symptom recurrence. Dynamic Gait Index (DGI) and Balance Beam Test were used to assess progress, showing significant improvements in balance stability and dynamic motor function. The findings support the integration of vestibular rehabilitation into standard care for BPPV patients, highlighting the program's potential to enhance patient outcomes and reduce recovery time. However, the study also notes limitations such as the lack of a control group and the need for further research to explore the long-term effects of such interventions.

This study explores the application of AncorLam HR (Höganäs, Sweden), a soft magnetic composite (SMC) material, in the stator core of an axial flux permanent magnet (AFPM) drive motor. Building on previous research that provided mechanical and thermal properties of AncorLam HR, the study focuses on analyzing how the manufacturing process affects the motor core's shape. A bulk prototype was created based on Case 3, which demonstrated the least deviation in density and internal stress. The prototypes were produced under the specified conditions of SPM 7 and 90°C, resulting in an average density and simulation density error of 0.54%, which confirms the effectiveness of the process. To further verify the reliability, the microstructure of the AncorLam HR powder and the resulting bulk prototype was analyzed. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements at 5mm, 20mm, and 25mm on Sample 2, which had the highest density, confirmed the consistency between simulation and prototype density trends. Additionally, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis revealed a random orientation of the powder, while X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed consistent iron (Fe) peaks at 44.9°, 65.0°, and 82.3° in both the powder and bulk prototypes, indicating no significant change in the internal phase structure. Further analysis using energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) identified that the phosphorus (P) content was eliminated during the molding process, which led to the destruction of the insulating layer, a critical performance factor for SMC materials. In AFPM motor simulations, the average torque was measured at 34.5 mN·m, with core loss increasing as frequency increased. The observation of iron loss spikes during motor startup indicates the need for further research to optimize material selection. This study confirms the viability of using AncorLam HR in electric vehicle motor cores and provides essential data for improving the performance of AFPM motors. Future research should prioritize optimizing SMC materials to enhance the performance and efficiency of AFPM motor applications.

ACL injuries present significant challenges in sports medicine, particularly in restoring knee joint function and preventing further complications like subsequent injuries or post-traumatic osteoarthritis. Traditional rehabilitation techniques, which often rely on pre-planned exercises and standardized assessments, may not adequately prepare athletes for the unpredictable nature of sports. This paper argues for a comprehensive approach that recognizes ACL injuries as failures of complex nonlinear systems rather than merely biomechanical deficiencies. The complexity of ACL injuries involves a dynamic interplay of individual skills, team dynamics, and external conditions. Traditional rehabilitation approaches that focus solely on biomechanical factors overlook the critical role of interpersonal dynamics and sensorimotor control. The brain’s integration of sensory information to form a comprehensive environmental representation is vital for motor actions. Disruptions in this sensorimotor feedback loop can impair motor control, increasing the risk of ACL injuries. Effective rehabilitation should enhance sensory integration and feedback mechanisms, improving motor control and reducing re-injury risk. Addressing proprioceptive deficits and arthrogenic muscle inhibition (AMI) is crucial for successful rehabilitation. Neurocognitive training, focusing on enhancing decision-making and motor responses, is essential for sports performance and injury prevention. Techniques like neurofeedback training can optimize brain activity patterns, leading to better motor responses and adaptation to dynamic environments. Psychological factors such as motivation, anxiety, and fear significantly influence recovery. Integrating psychological support into rehabilitation programs can address these factors, leading to more comprehensive and effective recovery strategies. Innovative rehabilitation approaches, including EMG biofeedback, motor imagery, and virtual reality-based training, can enhance reactive motor planning and adaptability, preparing athletes for the demands of their sport. The future of ACL rehabilitation lies in embracing the complexity of the sensorimotor system and developing multidisciplinary interventions that promote beneficial neuroplasticity. Advances in neuroscience and technology, such as artificial intelligence, can lead to more personalized and effective rehabilitation programs. Recognizing and addressing the multifaceted nature of ACL injuries can significantly improve rehabilitation outcomes, ensuring athletes can safely and effectively return to their sports.

The aim of the study was to assess the effects of an 8-week cognitive-motor training program on postural control and knee proprioception under single and dual-task conditions. Design: Randomized clinical trial. Methods: 20 healthy and physically active older adults (73.255.98 years) volunteered to participate and were randomly assigned into an experimental and a control group (EG and CG). Postural control was measured with the Romberg test, with open (RBOE), closed eyes (RBCE) and under unipodal dominant side (RUDL) conditions. Proprioception was assessed by measuring participants’ ability to reposition their dominant knee at 45º. Finally, performance on the cognitive task was measured through a subscale of the Barcelona Test called “categorical evocation in associations.” The EG and the CG completed 8-week training programme with two sessions the 30 minutes per week of postural control and proprioception exercises. The EG additionally included music in each session. Results: The results showed significant differences in both group at the postural control tests (RBOE and RBCE) and proprioceptive test post intervention. Conclusion: The 8-week training program had a positive impact on the post-intervention results for motor control and proprioception, but not on the results of the cognitive task. There were no significant differences between the groups that carried out sessions with or without music.

Three-phase induction motors play a key role in industrial operations. However, their failure can result in serious operational problems. This study focuses on the early identification of faults through accurate diagnosis and classification of faults in three-phase induction motors, using artificial intelligence techniques, by analyzing current, temperature, and vibration signals. Experiments were conducted on a test bench, simulating real operating conditions, including stator phase unbalance, bearing damage and shaft unbalance. To classify the faults, an Auto-Regressive Neural Network with Exogenous Inputs (NARX) was developed. The parameters of this network were determined through a process of selecting the best network, using the scanning method with multiple training and validation iterations, with the introduction of new data. The results of these tests showed that the network had excellent generalization in all the situations evaluated, achieving the following accuracy rates: Motor without fault = 94.2%, Unbalance fault = 95%, Bearings with fault =98% and Stator with fault = 95%.

Cysteamine HCl has been established as a potent ulcerogenic agent of the gastrointestinal (GI) system. GI dysfunction and olfactory deficits are the most common clinical symptoms of many movement disorders including Parkinson's disease (PD). Cysteamine HCl has been shown to interfere with dopamine, a neurotransmitter crucial for motor, olfactory, and cognitive functions. However, the reports on the effect of cysteamine HCl treatment on the behavior and dopamine system appear to be inconsistent. Therefore, we revisited the impact of cysteamine HCl on motor function in experimental mice using a battery of behavioral tests such as pole test (PT), beam walking test (BWT), and rotarod test (RDT), while the olfactory ability and cognitive functions were examined through food buried test (FBT) and Y maze. Furthermore, we investigated the effect of cysteamine HCl on the density of dopaminergic tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive cells in the substantia nigra (SN) and olfactory bulb (OB) of experimental mice using immunohistochemistry. Results revealed that cysteamine HCl administration in mice induced significant impairments in motor balance and coordination, as their movement-related performance was markedly reduced in behavioral tasks. Mice exposed to cysteamine HCl showed a pronounced reduction in odor discrimination ability and cognitive impairments. Strikingly, the number of TH-positive neurons was found to be reduced in the SN and OB of the cysteamine HCl-treated group which is a bonafide neuropathogenic hallmark of PD. This study highlights the potential neurotoxic effects of cysteamine HCl in experimental brains and suggests further investigation into its role in pathogenesis of Parkinsonism.

Introduction: Physiotherapy exercises administered to preterm infants in the NICU can enhance motor skills and expedite the discharge process for infants born before 30 weeks of gestational age. The research delves into the influence of physiotherapy programs on these preterm infants' activity and participation levels. Methods: The intervention group received a one-month physiotherapy program including massage around the mouth, mobilization and weight-bearing exercises, and massage therapy for the extremities, while the control group did not. The motor skills were evaluated by the Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP), Dubowitz Neurological examination, and Preterm Oral Feeding Readiness Scales (POFRAS). Results: There was a significant difference in The TIMP, Dubowitz Optimal Score, Type of Non-Invasive Ventilation, TIMP Range, and POFRAS scores in the physiotherapy group rather than the control group (p<0.05). There were no differences in the length of stay in the NICU, respiration rate, heart rate, body temperature, oxygen saturation, body weight on the evaluation day, body weight at discharge, head circumference at discharge between the groups (p>0.05) Discussion: We conclude that physiotherapy in NICU improves the motor outcomes, activity and participation in preterm infants rather than the body functions and structure like vital signs and infants’ body weight.

Brown-Séquard Syndrome (BSS) is a rare spinal cord injury characterized by asymmetrical motor and sensory dysfunction. Trauma to the spinal cord, particularly the hemi section, is the primary cause. Diagnosis involves a thorough medical history, physical examination, and imaging studies. Treatment focuses on stabilization, rehabilitation, and potential emerging therapies. This article provides a comprehensive overview of BSS, including its causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.

This article presents the impact analysis of space harmonics (SH) presence on a single-sided three-phase linear induction motor, along with a comprehensive parametric investigation. The presence of SH often reduces the LIM performances. The electromagnetic phenomena are governed by Maxwell's equations associated with equivalent circuit modelling. The chosen mathematical model uses 2D formulation with magnetic vector potential A. The model implementation is performed with finite element method on Gmsh-GetDP free platform. The electromagnetic thrust is calculated in current excitation case by a numerical model (FEM) with and without term generating SH in order to highlight the effect of SH. The adaptation to voltage supply operation is obtained by equivalent electric circuits (EEC), through calculation of the operational impedance. The main objective of the study consists in a comparative exploration of SH presence using two numerical models (single and multi-harmonics), and an assessment of parameters effect on space harmonic presence and various machine characteristics such as thrust, efficiency, and power factor. The motor’s characteristics (ie: thrust, efficiency and power factor) strongly depend on parameters such as the pole pair number and conductivity. Improving the operation and maximizing the performances of such a machine for a given specification requires the use of optimization algorithms.

Despite the popularity of infant swimming programs, no evidence exists to determine whether they influence infants’ judgements and behavior when confronted with bodies of water. In the current study we examined whether the total number of swimming sessions an infant had participated in predicted whether they avoided a body of water they could enter via an edge (n = 101 infants) or a slope (n = 77 infants). An initial regression analysis revealed no association between the number of sessions and avoidance of the water via either type of entry. However, a secondary analysis of infants who had participated in fewer or more than 10 sessions revealed a significant interaction between number of sessions and type of entry into the water. Infants who participated in more than 10 sessions were more likely to avoid the water if they could access it via an edge but significantly more likely to enter the water if they could access it via a slope. Because we tested the two groups of infants in different countries, further research is warranted to determine if cultural differences in child rearing practices or variations in the content and/or teaching of the swimming programs might explain these intriguing findings.

Recent studies show that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) improves cognitive and motor functions in patients with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Gamma rhythm low-field magnetic stimulation (LFMS) is a new non-invasive rTMS technique that generates diffused and low-intensity magnetic stimulation to deep cortical and subcortical areas. To investigate potential therapeutic effects of LFMS in PD, we subjected an experimental mouse model to LFMS (as early treatment). We examined the LFMS effect on motor functions as well as neuronal and glial activities in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) induced male C57BL/6J mice. Mice received MPTP injection (30 mg/kg, i.p., once daily for 5 days) followed by LFMS treatment, 20 minutes each day for 7 days. LFMS treatment improved motor functions compared to the sham-treated MPTP mice. Further, LFMS significantly improved tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and decreased glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) levels, in substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and non- significantly in striatal (ST) regions. LFMS treatment improved neuronal nuclei (NeuN) level in SNpc. Our findings suggest that early LFMS treatment improved the neuron survival and in turn, motor functions in MPTP intoxicated mice brain. Further investigation is required to clearly define the molecular mechanisms by which LFMS improves motor and cognitive function in PD patients.

Brain vascular health appears to be of critical importance for protection against the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) as well as the slowing of disease progression. ALS patients often demonstrate cardiovascular risk factors and commonly suffer from cerebrovascular disease, with evidence of pathological alterations in the small cerebral vessels. Impaired vascular brain health has detrimental effects on motor neurons as lowered vascular endothelial growth factor levels compromise endothelial cell formation, promoting blood-brain barrier leakage and inflammation. Increased turnover of neurovascular unit cells precedes their senescence, which, together with pericyte alterations, further fosters the failure of toxic metabolite removal. We here provide a comprehensive overview of the pathogenesis of impaired brain vascular health in ALS and how novel magnetic resonance imaging techniques can aid its detection. In particular, we discuss vascular patterns of blood supply to the motor cortex with the number of branches from the anterior and middle cerebral arteries acting as a novel marker of resistance and resilience against downstream effects of vascular risk and events in ALS. We outline how certain interventions adapted to patient needs and capabilities have the potential to mechanistically target the brain microvasculature towards favorable motor cortex blood supply patterns. Through this strategy, we aim to guide novel approaches to ALS management and a better understanding of ALS pathophysiology.

The aim of this work was to study the, so far, unexplored possibility that non-genetic inheritance of animal behavioral characteristics could depend on the state of the parents at the time of conception, by studying inheritance of high and low motor and exploratory activity in the first generation of rats. In this study, we measured the levels of motor and exploratory activity in rats at the ages of 2 and 5 months. Male and female rats were mated at the age of 5 months. The following groups were used: male and female rats with high motor activity at ages of 2 and 5 months (ACT+); male and female rats with high activity at the age of 2 months, but low activity at the age of 5 months (ACT–); male and female rats with low activity at the ages of 2 and 5 months (PAS–); male and female rats with low activity at the age of 2 months, but high activity at the age of 5 months (PAS+). Significant differences in the severity of exploratory activity were found between the offspring of ACT+ and ACT– rats. Moreover, these differences were observed only in males, and not in females. Differences between the offspring of PAS+ and PAS– rats were observed in both the male and female rats. The motor activity of animals in the period from 20 minutes after the start of registration did not differ between groups. Thus, it can be considered that individual characteristics of general motor activity are due to genetically inherited factors, while differences in the level of exploratory activity, apparently, are formed due to non-genetic influences from parents during mating.

Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) is a training module designed to provide basic surgical skills. During skill training of the FLS "suturing and intracorporeal knot-tying" task – the most difficult among the five psychomotor FLS tasks, learning from errors is one of the basic principles of motor skill acquisition where appropriate contextual switching of the brain state on error is postulated. This study investigated changes in the brain state following an error event based on the fusion of simultaneously acquired functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and electroencephalography (EEG) signals. Here, human error processing is postulated to differentiate experts from novices based on the differences in the error-related chain of mental processes. Thirteen right-handed novice medical students and nine expert surgeons participated in this study. Error-related microstate analysis was performed using 32-channel EEG data at a high temporal resolution. Six microstate prototypes were identified from combined EEG data from experts and novices during the FLS task. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) found that the proportion of the total time spent in different microstates during the 10 sec error epoch was significantly affected by the skill level (p<0.01), microstate type (p<0.01), and the interaction between the skill level and the microstate type (p<0.01). Then, the EEG band power (1-40Hz) related to slower oxyhemoglobin (HbO) changes were found using regularized temporally embedded Canonical Correlation Analysis of the fNIRS-EEG signals. The HbO signal from the fNIRS channel overlying ‘Frontal_Inf_Oper_L’, ‘Frontal_Mid_Orb_L’, ‘Postcentral_L’, ‘Temporal_Sup_L’, ‘Frontal_Mid_Orb_R’ cortical areas from Automatic Anatomical Labelling showed significant (p<0.05) difference between experts and novices in the 10-sec error epoch. Here, the frontal/prefrontal cortical areas are postulated to be related to the perception and the activation of the primary somatosensory cortex at the postcentral cortical area is hypothesized to be related to the action underpinning perception-action coupling model for the error-related chain of mental processes. Therefore, our study highlighted the importance of error-related brain states from portable brain imaging when comparing complex surgical skill levels.

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of a motor skills training program in children with DCD considering their gender. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC-2) classified the children and assessed skill changes over time. The study was implemented at four kindergartens in the Khorezm region of Uzbekistan. In the study, all children had DCD (5.17 ± 0.70 years; 10 girls), and all indicators on MABC-2 were less than 16 percent. Participants were divided into an experimental group (n=17) receiving ten weeks of motor skills training program for 45 min twice per week, the control group (n=7) proceeded with exercises of everyday living. All children in the experimental group had a significant increase in total percentile rank of MABC-2 and concerning each domain (manual dexterity; throwing and catching; balance). In the control group, a significant decrease in the total percentile rank of MABC-2 and each domain of MABC-2 was observed. The effectiveness of the intervention program was similar across both genders. The study supports that a period of 10 weeks of a motor skills training program can increase the quality of children's motor coordination and represent a valuable procedure for physical education specialists to enhance motor skills for children with DCD.

Neuromuscular disorders cause progressive muscular weakness, which limits upper extremity mobility and performance during activities of daily life. A dynamic arm support can improve mobility and quality of life. However, their use is often discontinued over time for unclear reasons. This study aimed to evaluate whether users of dynamic arm supports demonstrate and perceive quantifiable mobility benefits over a period of two months. Nine users of dynamic arm supports were included in this observational study. They had different neuromuscular disorders and collectively used four different arm supports. They were observed for three consecutive weeks during which they were equipped with a multi-sensor network of accelerometers to assess the actual use of the arm support and they were asked to provide self-reports on the perceived benefits of the devices. Benefits were experienced mainly during anti-gravity activities and the measured use did not change over time. The self-reports provided contextual information in domains such as participation to social life, in addition to the sensor system. However self-reports overestimated the actual use by up to three-fold compared to the accelerometer measures. A combination of objective and subjective methods is recommended for meaningful and quantifiable mobility benefits during activities of daily life.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rare, progressive, neurodegenerative disorder caused by degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons. The disease process leads from lower motor neuron involvement to progressive muscle atrophy, weakness, fasciculations for the upper motor neuron involvement to spasticity. Muscle atrophy in ALS is caused by a dysregulation in the molecular network controlling fast and slow muscle fibres. Denervation and reinnervation processes in skeletal muscle occur in the course of ALS and are modulated by rehabilitation. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that modulate a wide range of biological functions under various pathophysiological conditions. MiRNAs can be secreted by various cell types and they are markedly stable in body fluids. MiR-1, miR-133 a, miR-133b, and miR-206 are called “myomiRs” and are considered markers of myogenesis during muscle regeneration and neuromuscular junction stabilization or sprouting. We observed a positive effect of a standard aerobic exercise rehabilitative protocol conducted for six weeks in 18 ALS patients during hospitalization in our center. We correlated clinical scales with molecular data on myomiRs. After six weeks of moderate aerobic exercise, myomiRNAs were down-regulated, suggesting an active proliferation of satellite cells in muscle and increased neuromuscular junctions. Our data suggest that circulating miRNAs modulate during skeletal muscle recovery in response to physical rehabilitation in ALS.

Piezoelectric ultrasonic motors (USMs) are actuators that use ultrasonic frequency piezoelectric vibration generated waves to transform electrical energy into rotary or translating motion. USMs are paid more attention because they offer distinct qualities over traditional magnet-coil-based motors, such as miniaturization, great accuracy, speed, non-magnetic nature, silent operation, straightforward construction, broad temperature operations, and adaptability. This review study focuses on the principle of USMs and their classifications, characterization, fabrication methods, applications, and future challenges. Firstly, the classifications of USMs, especially, standing wave, traveling wave, hybrid mode, multi degree of freedom USMs are summarized, and their respective functioning principles are explained. Secondly, the finite element modelling analysis for design and performance predictions, the conventional and nano/micro fabrication methods, and, the various characterization methods are presented. Thirdly, their advantages, such as high accuracy, small size, and silent operation and their benefits over conventional motors for the different specific applications are examined. In addition, the substantial contributions to a variety of tech-nical fields like surgical robots, industrial, aerospace, and biomedical applications are introduced. Finally, their future prospects and challenges in USMs development, with an emphasis on downsizing, increasing efficiency, and new materials are outlined.

The term `motor control´ encompasses a wide range of mechanisms thought to be implicated in the organization of movements. Their study, like that of any other scientific field, must use specific notions to get to grips with them. This review is therefore organized along a series of notions that are frequently used in motor control, and we will discuss them with particular emphasis on neurological conditions, which may disrupt normal motor functioning. We will start with a short description of the roles of space and time, in which movements take place. Subsequently we will deal with kinematics and kinetics (dynamics) of movements. Then, we will list the inputs to motoneurons (MNs), which, in different forms, convey signals from the central nervous system (CNS) to skeletal muscles and muscle spindles, including central pattern generators (CPGs), sensory inputs and supraspinal descending fiber systems. Some helpers in movement organization will be introduced, such as internal models and neuronal network models. A relatively brief section on sensory-motor learning will follow because learning abilities are required to endow the sensory-motor system with flexibility and adaptability. The major emphasis is placed on neurological processes, which result from genetic modifications, autoimmune diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, infections in the nervous system as well as vascular and traumatic lesions. These neurological diseases lead to a variety of impairments and symptoms, particularly movement derangements including cerebellar ataxia, spasticity, and (other) movement disorders such as Parkinson’s syndromes. The conclusion is that there is no unique top controller that controls ´motor control`.

The purpose of water treatment through ultraviolet (UV) radiation is to interrupt the development and multiplication of microorganisms by preventing their growth and reproduction.Ultraviolet treatment has become a very affordable solution to produce clean water of optimal quality in regions where access to drinking water is essential. The experimental water treatment unit is powered by a photovoltaic (PV) source. It incorporates a discharge lamp used to generate ultraviolet radiation, which is harnessed to address bacteriological issues related to water quality. This lamp is continuously powered by a photovoltaic (PV) source through an inverter and an electronic ballast. The water treatment system also includes a motor pump designed to draw contaminated water from the input reservoir, a flow control valve to adjust flow rates as needed, and a filter aimed at enhancing the quality of the contaminated water. The water circulates between the input reservoir (contaminated water) and the output reservoir (treated water) through the UV lamp. The relationship between the intensity of the UV lamp and the water flow rate can ensure an adequate water quality.

Addressing the issue of compromised performance and stability in distributed drive electric vehicles during high-speed operation in the event of motor failure. A fault-tolerant control strategy for distributed drive electric vehicles is proposed, based on Model Reference Adaptive Control (MRAC). First, a seven-degree-of-freedom vehicle dynamics reference model is established, from which the output torque of each wheel during stable operation is determined. Secondly, based on the compensation principle that maintains constant longitudinal speed and total torque before and after the fault, the output torque of the remaining wheels is determined to ensure normal vehicle operation in the event of a single motor failure. To improve torque distribution accuracy, an MRAC controller that takes into account the output hysteresis of the motor is designed. The transfer functions of both the reference model and the actual model are derived. Using Lyapunov's second method, the adaptation rate of the MRAC system is formulated, ensuring that the state of the actual model converges to that of the reference model, thereby achieving adaptive regulation of system parameters and global stability. Finally, simulation experiments are conducted under high-speed dual-lane conditions. The results indicate that, in the case of a single motor failure with constant vehicle speed, the yaw rate and lateral displacement of the vehicle's center of mass decrease, thereby validating the effectiveness of the proposed fault-tolerant control strategy.

The study presents a methodology, used in the design development of stepper motors. The methodology unites virtual and physical techniques to assess the structure under development at its various design stages. Virtual prototyping is used twice, at the concept and early design stages. Concept check aims to give more general directions for further design development, while the simulations at the detailed design stage allow assessing various design parameters at a high level of confidence. The testing of a physical prototype is used to validate simulation results. It is also used to check the design just before it's finished. The presented methodology is demonstrated in an industrial use case for stepper motor development for hydraulic valve application.

The two-thirds power law is a link between angular speed $\omega$ and curvature $\kappa$ observed in voluntary human movements: $\omega$ is proportional to $\kappa^{2/3}$. Squared jerk is known to be a Lagrangian leading to the latter law. However, it leads to unbounded movements and is therefore incompatible with a quasi-periodic dynamics, such as the movement of the tip of a pen drawing ellipses. To solve this drawback, we give a class of higher-derivative Lagrangians that allow for both quasi-periodic and unbounded movements, and at the same time leading to the two-thirds power law. We then perform the Hamiltonian analysis leading to action-angle variables through Ostrogradski's procedure. In this framework, squared jerk is recovered as an action variable, and its minimization may be related to power expenditure minimization during motion. The identified higher-derivative Lagrangians are therefore natural candidates for cost functions, i.e. movement functions that are targeted to be minimal when an individual performs a voluntary movement.

Neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) occurs in 1.5 per 1000 live births, leaving affected children with long-term motor and cognitive deficits. Few animal models of HIE incorporate maternal immune activation (MIA) despite the significant risk MIA poses to HIE incidence and diagnosis. Our non-invasive model of HIE pairs late gestation MIA with postnatal hypoxia. HIE pups exhibited a trend toward smaller overall brain size and delays in the ontogeny of several developmental milestones. In adulthood, HIE animals had reduced strength and gait deficits, but no difference in speed. Surprisingly, HIE animals performed better on the rotarod, an assessment of motor coordination. There was significant upregulation of inflammatory genes in microglia 24 hours after hypoxia. Single cell RNAseq revealed two microglia subclusters of interest following HIE. Pseudobulk analysis revealed increased microglia motility gene expression and upregulation of epigenetic machinery and neurodevelopmental genes in macrophages following HIE. No sex differences were found in any measures. These results support a two-hit noninvasive model pairing MIA and hypoxia as a model for HIE in humans. This model results in a milder phenotype compared to established HIE models; however, HIE is a clinically heterogeneous injury resulting in a variety of outcomes in humans. The pathways identified in our model of HIE may reveal novel targets for therapy for neonates with HIE.

This study evaluates the R3THA™ technology-supported assessment protocol for home-based rehabilitation in children with cerebral palsy (CP). It focuses on the reliability and validity of R3THA™ in assessing hand and arm function, comparing kinematic assessments with standard clinical assessments. Conducted during a 4-week summer camp, the study involved children with CP aged 3-18, assessing their functional and impairment levels. The findings suggest that R3THA™ is more reliable for children aged 8 and older, indicating that age significantly influences the protocol's effectiveness. Results also showed that R3THA-AP's kinematic measurements of hand and wrist movements were positively correlated with the Box and Blocks Test Index (BBTI), reflecting hand function and dexterity. Additionally, R3THA-AP's accuracy metrics for hand and wrist activities aligned with the Melbourne Assessment 2's Range of Motion (MA2-ROM) scores, suggesting a meaningful relationship between R3THA-AP data and clinical assessments of motor skills. However, no significant correlations were observed between R3THA-AP and MA2's accuracy and dexterity measures, indicating areas for further research. These findings validate R3THA-AP's utility in assessing motor abilities in CP, supporting its integration into clinical practice.

Proprioceptive deficits accompanied with motor paresis after stroke, namely sensory ataxic motor paresis has a poorer prognosis of recovery than pure motor deficit. We aimed to investigate the effects of repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation (rPMS) on sensory ataxic upper extremity (UE) paresis at acute stroke. Eighteen stroke participants with sensory ataxic UE paresis were randomized. rPMS group received five sessions of intervention per week, where 20 minutes of rPMS prior to 20 minutes of physical therapy (PT) every other day, alternating with 40 minutes of PT. The control group received five sessions of 40 minutes of PT/week. Outcome measures were Wolf motor function test (WMFT), UE motor section of Fugl-Meyer Motor Assessment Scale (FMA-UE), and Thumb localizing test (TLT). All assessments were compared before and after intervention. rPMS group received mean 6.5 sessions and the control group received 12.8 sessions, showing significantly imbalanced intervention due to different timing of hospital discharge. The imbalance was corrected by calculating gains of motor scores divided by sessions as Progress Rate (PR). Corrected gains (PR) of rPMS group was more significantly enhanced in WMFT and FMA-UE than control groups. rPMS group tended to improve TLT more than control one. rPMS might improve sensory ataxic UE paresis after stroke and proprioceptive deficit.

Previous studies on the mechanisms underlying willed actions reported that the premotor cortex may be involved in the construction of motor awareness. However, its exact role is still under investigation. Here we investigated the role of the dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) in motor awareness by modulating its activity applying inhibitory rTMS to PMd, before a specific motor awareness task (under three conditions: without stimulation, after rTMS and after sham stimulation). During the task, subjects had to trace straight lines to a given target, receiving a visual feedback of the line trajectories on a computer screen. Crucially, in most trials the trajectories on the screen were deviated and to produce straight lines, subjects had to correct their movements towards the opposite direction. After each trial, participants were asked to judge whether the line seen on the computer screen corresponded to the line actually drawn. Results show that participants in the no stimulation condition did not recognize the perturbation until 14 degrees of deviation. Importantly, active, but not sham, rTMS significantly modulated motor awareness, decreasing the amplitude of the angle at which participants became aware of the trajectory correction. These results suggest that PMd plays a crucial role in action self- monitoring.

Previous studies have found that individuals with limited motor capabilities due to acquired neurological injury (e.g., spinal cord injury and stroke) can make accurate action possibility judgements for neurologically healthy individuals. Previous studies have shown that people with limited motor capabilities may rely on previous motor experience (i.e., pre-injury) when making action possibility judgments for others. In the present study, we examined whether having severely limited previous motor experience from birth, as a consequence of spinal muscle atrophy (SMA), alters the action possibility judgments made for neurologically healthy individuals. Participants with SMA and Neurologically Healthy (NH) sex- and age-matched controls performed a perceptual-motor judgment task using the Fitts’s law paradigm (see Fitts, 1954). Participants observed apparent motion videos of reciprocal aiming movements with varying indices of difficulty (ID, see: Manson et al., 2014). For each movement, participants predicted the shortest movement time (MT) at which a neurologically healthy young adult could perform the task while maintaining accuracy. Between-group comparisons revealed that participants with SMA predicted significantly longer MTs compared to controls. Regression analyses revealed that predicted MTs of both NH and SMA participants exhibited a Fitts’s law relationship (i.e., the predicted MTs significantly increased as movement difficulty increased). A supplementary analysis on the SMA group revealed no differences in predicted MTs between the participants with some and no motor function as assessed by the SMA health index. Overall, these results provide evidence that participants with SMA who have limited or no motor experience may make more conservative action possibility judgments for others. Critically, our finding that the pattern of action possibility judgements (e.g., the slopes of the regression lines) were not different between SMA and NH groups provides evidence that limited previous motor experience may not completely impair action possibility judgements.

A single paragraph of about 200 words maximum. Electroencephalography (EEG) accumulates the electrical activities of human brain. It is an easy and cost effective tool to characterize motor imagery (MI) task used in brain computer interface (BCI) implementation. The MI task is represented by short time trial of multichannel EEG. In this paper, the raw EEG is decomposed into a finite set of narrowband signals obtained from individual EEG channels using Fourier transformation based bandpass filter. Each of the subband signals represents narrowband rhythmic components which characterize the brain activities related to motor imagery. The subband signals are arranged to extent the dimension of EEG trial in spatial domain. The spatial features are extracted from the set of extended trials using common spatial pattern (CSP). An optimum number of features are used to classify the motor imagery tasks represented by EEG trials. Artificial neural network is used to classify MI tasks. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated using two publicly available benchmark datasets. The experimental results show that it performs better than the recently developed algorithms.

The transportation sector is seeing an increased adoption rate of electric vehicles (EV), which comprise battery electric vehicles (BEV), hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV). This mode of transportation is likely to displace automobiles powered by internal combustion engines (ICE) in the nearest future, as indicated by the current trend. Each of the key EC components is home to a variety of technologies that are either currently in use or will be in the near future. Electric vehicles have the potential to have a significant impact on a variety of fields, including the economy, the energy infrastructure, and the natural environment. As a result of the production of carbon dioxide gas from the combustion of fossil fuels, transportation is the sector that is responsible for the second-highest amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Electric vehicles, often known as EVs, are getting a lot of attention as a potentially game-changing solution to this issue. It is possible for electric vehicles to produce fewer emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) than conventional automobiles due to the fact that an electric motor serves as the vehicle's propeller rather than an internal combustion engine. EVs have the potential to become zero-emission vehicles if they are paired with renewable energy sources. This document presents an overview of the numerous types of EV drive circuits, covering their design as well as the benefits and drawbacks associated with each type. The current state of battery technology, particularly that pertaining to the batteries utilized in electronic vehicles, is discussed in this paper. This article also discusses electric motor efficiency, power density, fault tolerance, dependability, cost, and the best electric motor for EVs. Then, a thorough study of future EV implementation's obstacles and prospects is done. Charging times and battery performance are examples of technological challenges, but government regulation of EVs continues to be a substantial non-technical hurdle.

The stator winding insulation system is the most critical and weak part of the EMU's (electric multiple unit) traction motor. The effective diagnosis for stator ITSC (inter-turn short-circuit) faults can prevent the fault from expanding into phase-to-phase or ground short-circuits. The TCU(traction control unit) controls the traction inverter to output SPWM (sine pulse width modulation) excitation voltage when the traction motor is stationary. Three ITSC fault diagnostic conditions are based on different IGBTs control logic. The Goertzel algorithm is used to calculate the fundamental current amplitude difference Δi and phase angle difference Δθ of equivalent parallel windings under the three diagnostic conditions. The six parameters under the three diagnostic conditions are used as features to establish an ITSC fault diagnostic model based on random forest. The proposed method was validated using a simulation experimental platform for ITSC fault diagnosis of EMU traction motors. The experimental results indicate that the current amplitude features Δi and phase angle features Δθ change obviously with the increase of ITSC fault extent if the ITSC fault occurs at the equivalent parallel windings. The accuracy of the ITSC fault diagnosis model based on the random forest for ITSC fault detection and location both in train and test samples are 100%.

: Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic, progressive illness with a profound impact on health-related quality of life, and it is crucial to know what factors influence quality of life throughout the course of the disease. This study aimed to evaluate PD patients’ motor and non-motor symptoms to compare symptom severity between PD clinical phenotypes and to assess the impact of disease symptoms on quality of life in a cohort of Latvian patients. Methods: We evaluated 43 patients with Parkinson’s disease. Fourteen patients had tremor-dominant (TD) PD, twenty-five patients had postural instability/gait difficulty (PIGD), and four patients had a mixed phenotype. Results: The patients’ mean age was 65.21 years, and the disease’s mean duration was 7 years. The most common non-motor symptoms were fatigue (95.3%), sleep disturbance (83.7%), daytime sleepiness (83.7%), and pain and other sensations (81.4%). PIGD patients had a higher prevalence of depressed mood, daytime sleepiness, constipation, light headedness on standing, cognitive impairment, and severe gastrointestinal and urinary disturbances (as assessed using the SCOPA-AUT domains) compared with TD patients. A high prevalence of fatigue was assessed in both disease subtypes. Health-related quality of life significantly statistically correlated with MDS-UPDRS parts III and IV (r = 0.704), the Hoehn and Yahr scale (r = 0.723), as well as the SCOPA-AUT scale’s gastrointestinal (r = 0.639), cardiovascular (r = 0.586), thermoregulatory (r = 0.566) and pupillomotor domains (r = 0.597). Conclusion: The severity of motor symptoms, as well as non-motor symptoms, such as fatigue, apathy, sleep problems and daytime sleepiness, pain, and disturbances in gastrointestinal and cardiovascular function, negatively affect PD patients’ health-related quality of life. Thermoregulatory and pupillomotor symptoms also significantly affect PD patients’ well-being.

Increased definite power, reduced cost, and dynamic construction are the important features required by electric motors for various applications. One such motor accommodating all the requisites mentioned above is Switched reluctance. Applications pertaining to small, commercial, and EV find Switched reluctance machine as a developing competitor to the conventional induction and permanent magnet motors. Though SRMS contribute a considerable number of advantages over induction motors and permanent magnet motors, the primary disadvantages pertaining to SRMs are the torque ripple, especially at high-speed operation, and the resulting acoustic noise. These disadvantages may not always be detrimental to the systems in entirely all cases, but depending on the application to be employed, torque ripple and acoustic noise form are detrimental to the system. This paper reviews the technology status and recent trends in the minimization of torque ripples switched reluctance machines.

Learning dental procedures is a complex task involving the development of fine motor skills. The reported use of theories and/ or evidence for designing learning activities to develop the fine motor skills needed for dental practice is limited. The aim of this review is to explore the available body of knowledge related to learning fine motor skills in dentistry. Evidence from studies investigating motor skill learning highlights the negative impact of self-focus and self-regulation on learning outcomes, particularly during the early stages of learning. The development of activities and schedules that enable novices to demonstrate characteristics similar to experts, without the reported long period of ‘deliberate practice’, is clearly of value. Outcomes of learning implicitly are important in dentistry because working under stressful conditions is common, either during undergraduate study or in practice. It is suggested that learning implicitly in the simulation stage can reduce disrupted performance when transitioning to clinical settings. Therefore, further investigation of effective methods for learning dental fine motor skills is indicated, using approaches that result in robust performance, even under stressful conditions.

The efficiency of performance in various sports has the development of certain specific skills at its core. In ice hockey, both the technical aspects (techniques, stance) and the cognitive ones (keeping attention on the puck, game strategy, etc.) are highly important. This study is aimed at the identification of specific features that determine the performance efficiency of professional hockey players. We used virtual reality (VR) to study the differences between professional ice hockey players and novices in terms of motor responses to the puck’s presentation on different levels of difficulty. The study involved 22 participants, 13 of them being professional ice hockey players (M_age=20±2.9; mean age of training experience М=14.18±3.8) and 9 being not experienced participants (M_age=20±1.4). The study showed that the stick response time of professional hockey players is significantly higher (0.98 ms vs 1.5 ms, p≤0.05) in more difficult situations close to a real game. Moreover, professionals proved to have more stable movement patterns of the knee and hip joints. They also make fewer head movements as a response to stimuli during all runs (0.66 vs 1.25, p≤0.05). Therefore, the results indicate specific spatial-temporal, technical and tactical, and energetic determinants, that ensure higher performance efficiency in hockey players