• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.50-55
• /
• 2010

Gait initiation is a transitional process from the balanced upright standing to the beginning of steady-state walking. Dysbalanced gait initiation often causes stroke patients to fall. The net center of pressure, measured by two triaxial force plates from twenty healthy subjects and two stroke patients, was investigated to assess asymmetry of gait initiation in hemiparetic subjects. The time interval and distance of the net center of pressure(CoP) moved from the initiation point to the toe off(S1) and from the toe off to the initial contact(S2) were calculated during gait initiation of normal and stroke patients. When the patient with right hemiplegia(A) initiated his gait with right foot, the time interval and the distance of the net CoP in S1 and S2 were smaller than that of normal subjects' values. However, he initiated the gait with left foot(unaffected side) the time interval and the distance of net CoP in S1 were larger than normative values. Differently, the patient with left hemiplegia(B) has shown that larger time interval and distance in S1 and smaller time interval and distance in S2 in both sides. His asymmetry(with which side the gait initiated) was not significant. It is too early to conclude that these results could be general characteristics of the stroke patients because the variations were large and moreover, the level of motor recovery of the patients was different. However, it is expected that these trials could help to set up the strategy of the therapy for the rehabilitation or prevention of fall in stroke patients.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.5-13
• /
• 2020

The relief wells have been studied to be effective in seepage control in small dams such as agricultural dams. However, quantitative studies on the effects of the relief well are rare and there is no design standard also. To quantitatively analyze the effects of the seepage control in small dams, the research of up-lift pressure influencing the toe of dam body was conducted by seepage analysis, which investigates the behavior characteristics, according to the conditions of dam and foundation. The effect of seepage control was studied by analyzing the reduction effect of up-lift pressure at foundation ground of the toe of downstream dam slope depending on the installation of the relief well. As a result, it was found that the relief wells are effective in reducing the pore water pressure in the foundation, which can cause piping and sliding failure.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
• /
• v.25 no.5
• /
• pp.217-227
• /
• 2020

In this paper, I propose that what factors affect logistics companies' adoption of blockchain technology and to analyze the effects of blockchain technology on logistics performance. The variables influencing the adoption of blockchain technology were presented based on the TOE frame. Expected profit, organizational readiness, technology compatibility, and competitive pressure were suggested as factors to adopt blockchain technology. Also, as a blockchain technology, smart contracts and information transparency were presented. Logistics performance suggested agility and alignment. A survey was conducted with Korean logistics companies. Looking at the results of analyzing the collected data, it was found that expected profit and technology compatibility have a positive effect on this blockchain technology (smart contract, information transparency). Organizational readiness was found to have a positive effect on information transparency. Blockchain technology was found to have a positive effect on logistics performance.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.87-92
• /
• 2009

Objects：The purpose of this study is to investigate the values of foot pressure of the stance phase during a gait cycle in hemiplegic gait. Method：42 patients who had a stroke and 42 healthy adults were evaluated by the RSscan system to analyze the stance phase of hemiplegic gait. The stance phase was evaluated as plantar foor pressure. Results：1) Foot plantar pressure of toe area, affected side and less affected side showed low distribution of the plantar foot pressure which is lower than plantar foot pressure of normal adults(p<0.05). 2) Foot plantar pressure of metatarsal area, showed significantly differences among hemiplesic patient's affected side and less affected side and distribution of plantar foot pressure of normal adults(p<0.05). 3) Foot plantar pressure of heel area, hemiplesic patients' affected side and less affected side showed lower distribution of the plantar foot pressure than plantar foot pressure of normal adults(p<0.05). Conclusion：The results of this study suggest that not only affected side but also less affected side in hemiplegic patients showed significantly differences in distribution of the plantar foot pressure of normal adults.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
• /
• v.18 no.6
• /
• pp.5-16
• /
• 2002

A hydrogeomechanical numerical model is presented to evaluate rainfall impacts on groundwater flow in slopes and slope stability. This numerical model is developed based on the fully coupled poroelastic governing equations for groundwater flow in deforming variably saturated geologic media and the Galerkin finite element method. A series of numerical experiments using the model developed are then applied to an unsaturated slope under various rainfall rates. The numerical simulation results show that the overall hydromechanical slope stability deteriorates, and the potential failure nay initiate from the slope toe and propagate toward the slope crest as the rainfall rate increases. From the viewpoint of hydrogeology, the pressure head and hence the total hydraulic head increase as the rainfall rate increases. As a result, the groundwater table rises, the unsaturated zone reduces, the seepage face expands from the slope toe toward the slope crest, and the groundwater flow velocity increases along the seepage face. From the viewpoint of geomechanics, the horizontal displacement increases, and the vertical displacement decreases toward the slope toe as the rainfall rate increases. This may result from the buoyancy effect associated with the groundwater table rise as the rainfall rate increases. As a result, the overall deformation intensifies toward the slope toe, and the unstable zone, in which the factor of safety against shear failure is less than 1, becomes thicker near the slope toe and propagates from the slope toe toward the slope crest. The numerical simulation results also suggest that the potential tension failure is likely to occur within the slope between the potential shear failure surface and the ground surface.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
• /
• v.21 no.7
• /
• pp.51-63
• /
• 2023

This study aimed to verify the effects of a 4-week program of ankle-strengthening exercise and toe-taping walk exercise on the basic lower body strength and walking to examine the benefits of the two exercises. The subjects involved 30 women in their 20s enrolled in university A. The subjects were equally divided into three groups - ankle-strengthening exercise group, toe-taping walk exercise group, and control group. The subjects were instructed to massage and do ankle-strengthening exercises using a towel, massage ball, and CRT, for 60 minutes, 3 times a week. They also taped their hallux valgus using a kinesiology tape and walked for 20 minutes with white tape applied. To sum up, the 4-week ankle-strengthening exercise and toe-taping walk exercise were identified to have a partial statistical significance on the basic lower body strength (muscular strength, power, and balance) and walking (length of gait line, plantar pressure, and COP) of women in their 20s. Therefore, the study confirmed the effects of ankle-strengthening exercises and toe-taping walk exercise on the lower body exercise function, and it is considered that further studies should be conducted on more various effects of the exercises by subdividing them into different pain locations and orthomechanic findings.

• Physical Therapy Korea
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.35-41
• /
• 2001

In-shoe measurement systems allow the clinician and researcher to examine the pressure parameters within the shoe. The purpose of this study was to investigate the test-retest reliability of plantar pressures using the Parotec system over speeds and plantar regions. Seventeen healthy subjects were recruited for the study. Sampling rate was 100 Hz, and data of six variables (pressure on medial heel, lateral heel, 1st metatarsal head, 5th metatarsal head, and great toe and total impulse) were collected in four different gait speed (1.0 m/sec, 1.5 m/sec, 2.0 m/sec, and comfortable walking speed) in each day. The result indicates fair to excellent reliability between the two day test. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) ranged from .693 to .979, and range of reliability was similar depending on the speed and plantar region. In most cases, data recorded by the Parotec systems provide good evidence for the reliability.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.282-287
• /
• 2022

High shear adhesion on wet and rough surfaces and tactile feedback of gripping forces are highly important for realizing robotic gripper systems. Here, we propose a bioinspired robotic gripper with highly shear adhesion and sensitive pressure sensor for tactile feedback systems. To achieve them, we fabricated multi-walled carbon nanotube sensing layer on a thin polymeric adhesive layer of polydimethylsiloxane. With densely hexagonal-packed microstructures, the pressure sensor achieved 9 times the sensing property of a sensor without microstructures. We then assembled hexagonal microstructures inspired by the toe pads of a tree frog, giving strong shear adhesion under both dry and wet surfaces such as silicon (42 kPa for dry and ~30 kPa for underwater conditions) without chemical-residues after detachment. Our robotic gripper can prevent damage to weak or smooth surfaces that can be damaged at low pressure through pressure signal feedback suggesting a variety of robotic applications.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.49-53
• /
• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the plantar pressure distribution between the affected and unaffected side in adult hemiplegia during gait with the use of a quad-cane. Methods: Thirty-four stroke patients from 34 to 83 years of age were enrolled in this study, and in random order, all patients were asked to walk at their most comfortable speed three times along a walkway with the use of quad-cane over a period of three days. Plantar pressure distribution was measured with regard to foot contact pattern and center of pressure (CoP) trajectories during the stance phase, progressing from heel-strike to toe-off. The F-scan system was used to compare the foot pressure of the affected and unaffected sides. Results: A significant reduction in the total contact area, the width of fore foot (FF) and hind foot (HF), and anterior/posterior (AP) CoP trajectory of the affected side was found. However, contact pressure of the hind foot on the affected side during walking increased when compared to that on the unaffected side. Conclusion: We demonstrated that plantar pressure distribution on the affected side of adult hemiplegia patients was generally poorer than that on the unaffected side when these patients walked with cane assistance. However, the use of a quad-cane was shown to increase contact pressure of the hind foot on the affected side because weight can be borne on the affected side during heel-strike with use of the cane.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
• /
• v.42 no.6
• /
• pp.295-303
• /
• 2021

Idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus (INPH) is considered a potentially treatable neurological disorder by shunt surgery and characterized by a triad of symptoms including gait disturbance, cognitive impairment and urinary dysfunction. Although disorders of white matter are generally viewed as the principal pathological features of INPH, analysis of cortical features are important since the destruction of neural tracts could be associated with cortical structural changing. The aim of the study was to determine whether there was any relationship between gait parameter and structural features of cerebral cortex in INPH patients. Gait parameters were measured as follows: step width, toe in/out angle, coefficient of variation (CV) value of stride length, CV value of stride time. After obtaining individual brain MRI of patients with INPH and hemispheric cortical surfaces were automatically extracted from each MR volume, which reconstructed the inner and outer cortical surface. Then, cortical thickness, surface area, and volume were calculated from the cortical surface. As a result, step width was positively correlated with bilateral postcentral gyrus and left precentral gyrus, and toe in/out was positively correlated with left posterior parietal cortex and left insula. Also, the CV value of stride length showed positive correlation in the right superior frontal sulcus, left insula, and the CV value of stride time showed positive correlation in the right superior frontal sulcus. Unique parameter of cerebral cortical changes, as measured using MRI, might underline impairments in distinct gait parameters in patients with INPH.