• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.112-117
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a task-specific obstacle crossing rehabilitation program on functional gait ability in patients with cerebellar ataxia. Overall, we sought to provide ataxia-specific locomotor rehabilitation guidelines for use in clinical practice based on quantitative evidence using relevant analysis of gait kinematics including valid clinical tests. Methods: Patients with cerebellar disease (n=13) participated in obstacle crossing training focusing on maintenance of dynamic balance and posture, stable transferring of body weight, and production of coordinated limb movements for 8 weeks, 2 times per week, 90 minutes per session. Throughout the training of body weight transfer, the instructions emphasized conscious perception and control of the center of body stability, trunk and limb alignment, and stepping kinematics during the practice of each walking phase. Results: According to the results, compared with pre-training data, foot clearance, pre-&post-obstacle distance, delay time, and total obstacle crossing time were increased after intervention. In addition, body COM measures indicated that body sway and movement variability, therefore posture stability during obstacle crossing, showed improvement after training. Based on these results, body sway was reduced and stepping pattern became more consistent during obstacle crossing gait after participation in patients with cerebellar ataxia. Conclusion: Findings of this study suggest that task-relevant obstacle crossing training may have a beneficial effect on recovery of functional gait ability in patients with cerebellar disease.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.92-103
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• 2013

Humanoid robot is the most intimate robot platform suitable for human interaction and services. Biped walking is its basic locomotion method, which is performed with combination of joint actuator's rotations in the lower extremity. The present work employs humanoid robot simulator and numerical optimization method to generate optimal joint trajectories for biped walking. The simulator is developed with Matlab based on the robot structure constructed with the Denavit-Hartenberg (DH) convention. Particle swarm optimization method minimizes the cost function for biped walking associated with performance index such as altitude trajectory of clearance foot and stability index concerning zero moment point (ZMP) trajectory. In this paper, instead of checking whether ZMP's position is inside the stable region or not, reference ZMP trajectory is approximately configured with feature points by which piece-wise linear trajectory can be drawn, and difference of reference ZMP and actual one at each sampling time is added to the cost function. The optimized joint trajectories realize three phases of stable gait including initial, periodic, and final steps. For validation of the proposed approach, a small-sized humanoid robot named DARwIn-OP is commanded to walk with the optimized joint trajectories, and the walking result is successful.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.47-55
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• 2019

Purpose: This study tries to propose the dimensions and area related to patient bed and surroundings in ICU considering nurses' observation and medical care. Methods: Literature survey, 11 Case studies, some Interviews with nurses and measuring of medical equipments' dimension in ICU have been mobilized in order to deepen the ICU bed area standards. Results: 0.3m clearance between head wall and patient bed is necessary for emergency cases. The minimum distance at the foot of the bed should not be less than 0.9m for EMR cart and medical tray. The clear floor area of one bed and surroundings in open ward is $10.2m^2(3m{\times}3.4m)$. In a single-bed patient room, the minimum clear floor area is $16.0m^2(4m{\times}4m)$. Considering the control of cross infection in ICU, Single bed patient room is recommended. Implications: The result of this study can be applied to the design of ICU and legislation of ICU standard.

• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.731-736
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• 2023

Walking is a periodic motion that contains specific phases and is a basic movement method for humans. Through gait analysis, various musculoskeletal health conditions can be identified. In this study, we propose a calf wearable sensor system that can perform gait analysis without space limitations. Using a ToF(: Time-of-Flight) sensor that measures distance and an IMU(: Inertial Measurement Unit) sensor that measures inclination the heel trajectory of walking was derived by proposed method. In case of abnormal gait with risk of fall, gait is evaluated by analyzing the change pattern of the heel trajectory.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.161-166
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• 2016

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the knee and ankle joint kinematics and kinetics by comparing downhill walking with valley-shape combined slope walking. Method: Eighteen healthy men participated in this study. A three-dimensional motion capture system equipped with eight infrared cameras and a synchronized force plate, which was embedded in the sloped walkway, was used. Obtained kinematic and kinetic parameters were compared using paired two-tailed Student's t-tests at a significance level of 0.05. Results: The knee flexion angle after the mid-stance phase, the mean peak knee flexion angle in the early swing phase, and the ankle mean peak dorsiflexion angle were greater during downhill walking compared with valley-shape combined slope walking (p < 0.001). Both the mean peak vertical ground reaction force (GRF) in the early stance phase and late stance phase during downhill walking were smaller than those values during valley-shape combined slope walking. (p = 0.007 and p < 0.001, respectively). The mean peak anterior GRF, appearing right after toe-off during downhill walking, was also smaller than that of valley-shape combined slope walking (p = 0.002). The mean peak knee extension moment and ankle plantar flexion moment in late stance phase during downhill walking were significantly smaller than those of valley-shape combined slope walking (p = 0.002 and p = 0.015, respectively). Conclusion: These results suggest that gait strategy was modified during valley-shape combined slope walking when compared with continuous downhill walking in order to gain the propulsion for lifting the body up the incline for foot clearance.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.11-17
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• 2008

Falls associated with tripping over an obstacle can be dangerous, yet little is known about the strategies used for stepping over obstacles by Parkinson's patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate stepping over gait characteristics according to obstacle height in Parkinson's patients. The gait of 7 Parkinson's patients was examined during a 5.0 m approach to, and while stepping over, obstacles of 0, 2.5, 5.2, and 15.2 cm. Only five Parkinson's patients were able to clear all obstacles successfully; as such, only their data were analyzed. A one-way ANOVA for repeated measures was employed for selected kinematic variables to analyze the differences of the height of four obstacles. The results showed significant differences between obstacle height and: approaching speed (AS), foot clearance from the obstacle(FC), and step width (SW). The results showed no significant differences between obstacle height and: crossing speed (CS), toe distance (TD), and heel distance (HD). This strategy tends to reduce the risk of toe contact with the obstacle. Parkinson's patients were stepping over the obstacle slowly, stably and inefficiently.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.539-547
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes of kinetic and kinematic parameters in obstacle gaits after 12 weeks of an aquatic exercise program. Eight female elders walked in four different heights of obstacles(0, 2.5, 5.1, & 15.2cm) on their self-selected speed. The ROM of hip was significantly increased after the aquatic exercise program. Swing and Stance duration were decreased. The step length was significantly increased and the step width was decreased. After the exercise program the clearance between the right foot and the top of obstacle(except 15.2cm) increased and the crossing speed was increased. The braking force, propulsive force, braking impulse, and propulsive impulse were significantly changed after the aquatic exercise program. The 12 weeks of the aquatic exercise program resulted in lower body strength and balance gains in female elders. The improvements were associated with changes in kinetic and kinematic parameters leading to an obstacle-crossing speed and a safer lower-limb control. The aquatic exercise program is suggested as an effective intervention to promote gait ability and prevent fall-related to the injuries.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.22-31
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• 2010

Purpose : This study was performed to evaluate the relationship between glomerular basement membrane (GBM) alterations to epithelial cell (EpC) structure and renal function in Alport Syndrome (AS) patients. Methods : Fifteen patients diagnosed with AS (4-26yrs) were examined. The GBM in AS was categorized as : C1) normal, C2) minor alterations (widening of lamina rara interna or externa without lamina densa change), C3) nonspecific splitting of lamina densa, C4) basket-weaving pattern of lamina densa splitting. The length of each GBM portion along the epithelial side was measured on the systematically obtained electron microscopic photographs. Furthermore to obtain an objective assessment of the degree of glomerular EpC foot process change, the number of slit pores along $10\;{\mu}m$ of peripheral GBM in each category was obtained. Results : The percentage of normal GBM portion (C1) correlated inversely with daily protein excretion (g/day/$m^2$, P<0.05) and sum of the percentage of abnormal GBM portion (C2+C3+C4) had direct correlation with daily protein excretion (g/day/$m^2$, P<0.05). There were no significant relationships between the percentages of other categories of GBM alterations and creatinine clearance or protein excretion. There were no significant relationships between of creatinine clearance in relation to normal GBM(C1) portion as well as that in relation to sum of the percentage of abnormal GBM portion (C2+C3+C4). GBM abnormality did not correlate with age at biopsy. Conclusion : The extent of GBM structural abnormality is related to proteinuria in AS but the epithelial response is uniform even though the GBM ultrastructural lesions are not.