Foot Motion Character During Forward and Backward Walking With Shoes and Barefoot

Abstract

Backward walking (BW) has been extensively used in athletic training and orthopedic rehabilitation as it may have value for enhancing balance. This study identified the differences in foot intersegment kinematics (forward walking (FW) vs. time-reversed BW) and plantar pressure parameters of 16 healthy habitually shod individuals walking FW and BW using flexible shoes (SH) and under barefoot conditions (BF). BW was found to have shorter stride length (SL) and higher stride frequency (SF) under BF conditions compared with SH, which indicates a better BW gait stability under BF conditions. Decreased HX/FF dorsiflexion at HO in BW induces less plantar aponeurosis tension which may inhibit the windlass mechanism compared to FW walking. Increased forefoot relative to hindfoot (FF/HF) pronation and sequentially hindfoot relative to tibia (HF/TB) eversion combined with medially distributed plantar pressure and a higher plantar contact area in the medial side in BW–BF maybe beneficial in maintaining balance. These results indicate that BW training may be more reliable under BF conditions compared to the SH conditions based on greater sensory information feedback from the plantar area resulting in better biomechanical behavior.     

Harnessing the Power of a Novel Program for Dynamic Balance Perturbation with Supported Body Weight

Abstract

Self-initiated postural adjustments commonly occur in daily life. To accessibly measure this type of dynamic balance, we developed a simple computer program to induce virtual perturbations and combined it with a commercially available balance board and portable EMG system to measure resulting self-initiated postural adjustments. When performing perturbed balance tests, safety harness with body weight support (BWS) is often used. However, influences of these harnesses on postural reactions are not well known. This study investigated the sensitivity of our assessment tool under different BWS conditions and muscle responses during postural adjustments following perturbation at different directions. Fifteen neurologically intact participants performed self-initiated postural adjustments under conditions with: (1) no harness; (2) harness with no BWS; and (3) harness with 10% BWS. Postural adjustment time and muscle activities of the lower leg were measured. We observed significant increases in postural adjustment time in the harness with no BWS condition and differneces in lower leg muscles response to virtual perturbation. Our findings suggest that the combination of our customized program with EMG is a sensitive and convenient tool to measure postural adjustments that approximate real-world scenarios. This method can be used with light body weight support to ensure safety without influencing muscle synergies.     

论全球化境遇中道教的发展——以道教戒律建设为例

今天,我们生活于一个全球化的时代,在这样的全球化的境遇中,有着近二千年历史的中国道教的发展既面临着机遇,也面临着挑战.道教怎样去面对机遇与挑战?如何在新世纪对人类的文明与和平事业发挥更大的作用?这无疑是应该认真研究的问题.     

追求"东方"与"西方"之间的和谐--韩国哲学与文化观感

2004年8月至2005年8月,我有幸得到韩国高等教育财团国际学术交流项目的资助,到成均馆大学任客座教授,主要从事“全球化与东亚价值观”项目的研究。成均馆大学的前身是封建时代的文庙,迄今已经607周年,是韩国东亚研究、特别是儒教文化的大本营。一年来在成均馆大学的耳濡目染,对韩国各地的十多次文化考察,以及因研究项目的需要而做的大量文献调研、与韩国哲学与文化领域教授们的广泛交流,使我对韩国哲学与文化形成了一些基本的印象。在历史文化传统方面,正如许多学者指出的,韩国是世界上与中国最为类似的国家,素有“小中华”之称。在历史上,…     

The structure of traits delineating personality disorder in a Chinese sample

The present study examined the factorial structure of a Chinese language version of the self-report Dimensional Assessment of Personality Pathology Questionnaire in 581 adults. Four factors were extracted (Emotional Dysregulation, Dissocial, Inhibition, and Compulsivity) that are similar to the factors extracted in the scales' normative clinical and general population samples from North America (factor comparability coefficients range from .88 to .96), supporting the idea that this trait structure is invariant across diverse populations. The internal consistency of the scales (Cronbach's alpha) was satisfactory across age and gender groups with the exception of the Intimacy Problems scale. Possible explanations for the poor internal consistency of the Intimacy Problems scale, such as cultural differences in social factors influencing marital and romantic relationships in Chinese populations, as opposed to other populations are discussed.     

Virtually driving: are the driving environments "real enough" for exposure therapy with accident victims? An explorative study.

There is a small but growing body of research supporting the effectiveness of computer-generated environments in exposure therapy for driving phobia. However, research also suggests that difficulties can readily arise whereby patients do not immerse in simulated driving scenes. The simulated driving environments are not "real enough" to undertake exposure therapy. This sets a limitation to the use of virtual reality (VR) exposure therapy as a treatment modality for driving phobia. The aim of this study was to investigate if a clinically acceptable immersion/presence rate of >80% could be achieved for driving phobia subjects in computer generated environments by modifying external factors in the driving environment. Eleven patients referred from the Accident and Emergency Department of a general hospital or from their General Practitioner following a motor vehicle accident, who met DSM-IV criteria for Specific Phobia-driving were exposed to a computer-generated driving environment using computer driving games (London Racer/Midtown Madness). In an attempt to make the driving environments "real enough," external factors were modified by (a) projection of images onto a large screen, (b) viewing the scene through a windscreen, (c) using car seats for both driver and passenger, and (d) increasing vibration sense through use of more powerful subwoofers. Patients undertook a trial session involving driving through computer environments with graded risk of an accident. "Immersion/presence" was operationally defined as a subjective rating by the subject that the environment "feels real," together with an increase in subjective units of distress (SUD) ratings of >3 and/or an increase of heart rate of >15 beats per minute (BPM). Ten of 11 (91%) of the driving phobic subjects met the criteria for immersion/presence in the driving environment enabling progression to VR exposure therapy. These provisional findings suggest that the paradigm adopted in this study might be an effective and relatively inexpensive means of developing driving environments "real enough," to make VR exposure therapy a viable treatment modality for driving phobia following a motor vehicle accident (MVA).     

Disclosure of HIV status is a family matter: field notes from China.

This study examines the role that family plays in disclosure of HIV-AIDS in China. In-depth semistructured interviews were conducted with 30 individuals living with HIV-AIDS infected through different routes. The vast majority of participants were between the ages of 20 and 39 years old (93.4%) and about a third (36.7%) were women. Two primary disclosure processes, involuntary and voluntary, are described. In both processes, family members other than the patient are usually the first to know HIV status. Positive impacts of disclosure include strengthening family relations and help with medical care and counseling, whereas negative impacts include fear, isolation, avoidance, and psychological burden. This study illustrates that family is an intricate part of the disclosure process in China and demonstrates the importance of including families in HIV-AIDS interventions.     

情绪性工作的研究现状

情绪性工作是为表达组织所期待的情绪所做出的心理调节加工,是制约工作绩效高低和组织目标达成的重要因素。该文在介绍情绪性工作的涵义、特征的基础上,从规则的效度、表达的类型、调节的策略、理论的模型以及工作的后效等方面,介绍了当前情绪性工作的研究现状。     

小学生快速阅读的眼动研究

用自然实验和实验室实验考察了对小学四年级学生进行快速阅读训练的有效性,结果发现：（1）快速阅读训练可以显著地提高小学生的有效读速;（2）快速阅读训练可以显著减少注视次数、注视点平均持续时间;（3）快速阅读训练可以显著扩大眼跳距离。     

《管子》立法思想刍议

在《管子》系统丰富的"以法治国"思想理论体系中,立法思想占有重要的地位。它较为全面地阐述了诸如君主独享立法权,立法应遵从天道、顺应民心,因时因俗而变,宽严适度,公开透明等一系列关于立法的基本原则问题。尽管有其历史局限性,但《管子》立法思想所呈现出的超越时代的理性光芒,至今依然熠熠生辉,极具借鉴意义。