Role of stability and limb support in recovery against a fall following a novel slip induced in different daily activities

The purpose of this study was to determine whether stability and limb support play a similar role in governing slip outcome in gait-slip as in sit-to-stand-slip, and whether such prediction could also be derived based on measures of these variables during regular, unperturbed movements. Fifty-three and forty-one young subjects all took one recovery step following an unannounced, novel, forward slip induced in gait and in sit-to-stand, respectively. Logistic regression was used to predict recovery outcome based on preslip and reactive measures of stability and limb support across tasks. Following slip onset, all subjects in both tasks experienced rapid decay in stability and limb support (indicated by a hip descent), leading to some actual falls that could not have been predicted from regular, preslip walking. Immediately before recovery step touchdown, stability and limb support could together best predict 88.9% and 100% falls, respectively, for gait-slip and sit-to-stand-slip. Because of differences in the execution of the recovery step, stability became a better predictor of fallers in sit-to-stand-slip than in gait-slip after recovery limb touchdown. Recovery steps were highly effective in restoring stability, regardless of outcome and task. The predictive strength of stability diminished in gait-slip or reduced in sit-to-stand-slip after recovery touchdown, while limb support remained able to differentiate fallers from those who recovered in both tasks. When slip-induced instability was combined with inadequate limb support, falls were nearly inevitable in both tasks.     

Alteration in community-dwelling older adults' level walking following perturbation training

While perturbation training is promising in reducing fall-risk among older adults, its impact on altering their spontaneous gait pattern has not been investigated. The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent older adults' gait pattern would be affected by exposure to repeated slips. Seventy-three community-dwelling older adults (age: 72.6±5.4 years) underwent 24 repeated-slip exposure induced by unannounced unlocking and relocking of low-friction sections of a 7-m pathway upon which they walked. Full body kinematics and kinetics were recorded during the training. The gait parameters and the center of mass (COM) stability against backward balance loss were compared before and after the training. The results revealed that the training reduced fall incidence from 43.8% upon the novel slip to 0 at the end of training. After the training, subjects significantly improved gait stability by forward positioning of their COM relative to the base of support without altering gait speed. This forward COM shift resulted from a shortened step at the end of single stance and forward trunk leaning during double stance. They also adopted flat foot landing with knee flexed at touchdown (with an average change of 6.9 and 4.1 degrees, respectively). The perturbation training did alter community-dwelling older adults' spontaneous gait pattern. These changes enabled them to improve their volitional control of stability and their resistance to unpredictable and unpreventable slip-related postural disturbance.     

Can sacral marker approximate center of mass during gait and slip-fall recovery among community-dwelling older adults?

Falls are prevalent in older adults. Dynamic stability of body center of mass (COM) is critical for maintaining balance. A simple yet accurate tool to evaluate COM kinematics is essential to examine the COM stability. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which the COM position derived from body segmental analysis can be approximated by a single (sacral) marker during unperturbed (regular walking) and perturbed (gait-slip) gait. One hundred eighty seven older adults experienced an unexpected slip after approximately 10 regular walking trials. Two trials, the slip trial and the preceding regular walking trial, monitored with a motion capture system and force plates, were included in the present study. The COM positions were calculated by using the segmental analysis method wherein, the COM of all body segments was calculated to further estimate the body COM position. These body COM positions were then compared with those of the sacral marker placed at the second sacral vertebra for both trials. Results revealed that the COM positions were highly correlated with those of the sacrum׳s over the time intervals investigated for both walking (coefficient of correlation R>0.97) and slip (R>0.90) trials. There were detectable kinematic difference between the COM and the sacral for both trials. Our results indicated that the sacral marker can be used as a simple approximation of body COM for regular walking, and to somewhat a lesser extent, upon a slip. The benefits from the simplicity appear to overweigh the limitations in accuracy.     

Can stability really predict an impending slip-related fall among older adults?

The primary purpose of this study was to systematically evaluate and compare the predictive power of falls for a battery of stability indices, obtained during normal walking among community-dwelling older adults. One hundred and eighty seven community-dwelling older adults participated in the study. After walking regularly for 20 strides on a walkway, participants were subjected to an unannounced slip during gait under the protection of a safety harness. Full body kinematics and kinetics were monitored during walking using a motion capture system synchronized with force plates. Stability variables, including feasible-stability-region measurement, margin of stability, the maximum Floquet multiplier, the Lyapunov exponents (short- and long-term), and the variability of gait parameters (including the step length, step width, and step time), were calculated for each subject. Sensitivity of predicting slip outcome (fall vs. recovery) was examined for each stability variable using logistic regression. Results showed that the feasible-stability-region measurement predicted fall incidence among these subjects with the highest sensitivity (68.4%). Except for the step width (with an sensitivity of 60.2%), no other stability variables could differentiate fallers from those who did not fall for the sample included in this study. The findings from the present study could provide guidance to identify individuals at increased risk of falling using the feasible-stability-region measurement or variability of the step width.     

Statistical method for prediction of gait kinematics with Gaussian process regression

We propose a novel methodology for predicting human gait pattern kinematics based on a statistical and stochastic approach using a method called Gaussian process regression (GPR). We selected 14 body parameters that significantly affect the gait pattern and 14 joint motions that represent gait kinematics. The body parameter and gait kinematics data were recorded from 113 subjects by anthropometric measurements and a motion capture system. We generated a regression model with GPR for gait pattern prediction and built a stochastic function mapping from body parameters to gait kinematics based on the database and GPR, and validated the model with a cross validation method. The function can not only produce trajectories for the joint motions associated with gait kinematics, but can also estimate the associated uncertainties. Our approach results in a novel, low-cost and subject-specific method for predicting gait kinematics with only the subject's body parameters as the necessary input, and also enables a comprehensive understanding of the correlation and uncertainty between body parameters and gait kinematics.     

基于CA-Markov模型的石羊河流域生态承载力时空格局预测

生态承载力是区域可持续发展的重要物质基础。为了探讨我国干旱区内陆河流域未来生态承载力的时空格局变化,以石羊河流域为研究区,基于该流域1992、2002年和2012年3期Landsat TM遥感影像,选取10个影响生态承载力变化的主要驱动因素,利用元胞自动机-马尔科夫模型(CA-Markov),以土地利用预测为切入点,对该流域2022年的生态承载力时空格局进行了模拟预测。首先基于1992—2002年数据预测了2012年石羊河流域土地利用状况,并与当年实际土地利用状况进行对比和验证,结果显示:Kappa系数为0.7956,说明本文所选用的预测方法预测结果可靠,可以用于该流域土地利用预测;其次,以2012年为起始年,模拟预测了2022年土地利用空间数据,并计算生态承载力时空格局,结果显示:2022年石羊河流域单位面积生态承载力与1992年、2002年和2012年相比整体空间分布格局变化不大,但区域内部变化却呈明显的空间分异特征;1992—2022年流域生态承载力总量以2002年为拐点呈先减少后增加的趋势,其中建设用地的生态承载力增加最为显著;预测可知,较2012年,2022年流域上游山区的林地、中游绿洲的建筑用地生态承载力均增加较快,且呈现较明显的斑块聚集,而中、下游绿洲区耕地、草地生态承载力增、减变化复杂,斑块分布较为离散和破碎;2012—2022年土地利用类型将发生频繁转换,导致流域生态承载力结构组成变化较大,其中未利用地的转出对2022年流域生态承载力的增加贡献突出。研究结果表明自2002年以后,该流域实施的退耕还林还草、关井压田等生态工程已经并将继续对该流域生态效益的提高起到积极的作用。     

基于DNA变异在亚欧混合人群中预测男性型脱发

男性型脱发(male pattern baldness,MPB)是一种雄激素依赖性的遗传性脱发疾病,对个人形象、心理产生较大的消极影响.近期欧美人群中进行的大样本全基因组关联分析(genome wide association studies,GWAS)已报道大量与MPB相关的遗传易感性单核苷酸多态性(single nucleotide polymorphisms,SNPs)位点,但这些位点在东亚人群中的遗传效应尚不清楚.本研究基于我国684个亚欧混合人群(Eurasian)样本,对在英国生物样本库(UK Biobank) 205 327个欧洲男性GWAS分析发现的624个与MPB相关的SNPs进行人群异质性分析,基于多基因风险打分(polygenic risk scores,PRS)建立预测模型,并对预测因子数量与模型预测性能的关系进行了研究.通过质控的467个SNPs中6.9%与MPB显著相关(P<0.05).结合年龄、体质指数(body mass index,BMI)和25个SNPs建立的线性回归和逻辑回归模型,效果较好(R²=28.9%,AUC=0....     

Focus: Sex and Gender Health: Perceived Fall Risk and Functional Decline: Gender Differences in Patient's Willingness to Discuss Fall Risk,Fall History,or to Have a Home Safety Evaluation

The CDC reports that among older adults, falls are the leading cause of injury-related death and rates of fall-related fractures among older women are twice those of men. We set out to 1) determine patient perceptions (analyzed by gender) about their perceived fall risk compared to their actual risk for functional decline and death and 2) to report their comfort level in discussing their fall history or a home safety plan with their provider. Elders who presented to the Emergency Department (ED†) were surveyed. The survey included demographics, the Falls Efficacy Scale (FES) and the Vulnerable Elders Survey (VES); both validated surveys measuring fall concern and functional decline. Females had higher FES scores (mean 12.3, SD 5.9) than males (mean 9.7, SD 5.9 p = .007) in the 146 surveys analyzed. Females were more likely to report an increased fear of falling, and almost three times more likely to have a VES score of 3 or greater than males (OR = 2.86, 95% CI: 1.17-7.00, p = .02). A strong correlation was observed between FES and VES scores (r = 0.80, p < .001). No difference in correlation was observed between males and females, p = .26. Participants (77 percent) reported they would be comfortable discussing their fall risk with a provider; there was no difference between genders (p = .57). In this study, irrespective of gender, there appears to be a high association between subjects’ perceived fall risk and risk for functional decline and death. The majority of patients are likely willing to discuss their fall risk with their provider. These findings may suggest a meaningful opportunity for fall risk mitigation in this setting.     

The uptake and metabolism of urea by Chara australis: IV. Symport with sodium—A slip model for the high and low affinity systems

We have previously investigated the electrogenic influx of urea in Chara, and the urea- and sodium-dependent membrane current. We have shown that there is a sodium-stimulated component of urea influx and a urea-stimulated component of sodium influx, and that these are of the same size. We conclude that the electrogenic inward transport of urea, and of its analogues acetamide and acrylamide, is by sodium symport, with a stoichiometric ratio of 1∶1. The kinetics of the fluxes and currents show two different K _M values for sodium in different cells and two different kinds of kinetics for the effect of urea on membrane current, one of which fits the Michaelis-Menten equation, while the other shows a maximum and fits the difference of two Michaelis-Menten terms, suggesting a phenomenon like cis-inhibition. Similarities in kinetic characteristics between the inhibitory site and the electrically silent uptake site (System II) lead us to suggest that the same protein may be responsible for both the low-K _M, electrogenic influx of urea (System I) and the high-K _M, electrically silent influx by System II. We suggest a “slip” model for urea uptake in Chara.     

水库消落带植物多样性空间格局预测模型及环境解释——基于XGBoost-SHAP模型框架

生物多样性的监测与预测对实现生物多样性保护及其可持续管理至关重要。传统方法通过实地调查来构建环境与生物多样性之间的多变量关系模型。空间大数据技术及机器和深度学习算法的发展为探索环境-生物多样性关系和预测生物多样性空间格局提供了新的视角和方法。构建了一种基于XGBoost算法的预测模型,融合实地调查的植物多样性数据和来自多源数据库的环境变量数据,分别构建了气候、地形、土壤、水文和人类活动5类共34个环境变量与植物群落物种丰富度、物种多样性和谱系多样性的关系模型,对丹江口水库消落带的植物多样性空间格局进行预测,同时结合SHAP框架确定关键环境因素;并进一步预测2050年水库消落带的植物多样性空间格局。研究表明,XGBoost算法在预测水库消落带植物多样性方面表现较好,3个多样性指标中谱系多样性的预测模型展现了最优的预测能力,而物种多样性预测模型的预测能力相对较低。结合SHAP分析发现年平均水淹时长、人类足迹与最冷季平均气温是影响消落带植物群落物种丰富度、物种多样性和谱系多样性的关键环境因素,其中年平均水淹时长的影响最为显著,随着年平均水淹时长增加,物种丰富度、物种多样性和谱系多样性降低。本研究构建的可解释预测模型可有效揭示消落带的植物多样性空间格局,为消落带生物多样性的保护和可持续管理提供科学依据,为生物多样性的监测和管理提供了新方法,对评估全球变化对生态系统的影响并促进生物多样性保护有重要意义。