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The electrocortical activity of elite Rubik's cube athletes while solving the cube
Get PDFSolving the Rubik's Cube (RC) swiftly demands intricate cognitive abilities to generate strategic and precise movements, and the electrocortical demands in high-level RC athletes have not been explored. Therefore, we aimed at examining the electrocortical activity associated with planning and executing the RC, alongside tasks assessing planning, fine motor skills, spatial working memory, and visuospatial ability. Thirteen experienced male speed-cubers underwent EEG recordings while performing RC-related tasks (planning and execution), Tower of London (TOL), Judgment of Line Angle and Position-15 (JLAP), Memory Match (MEM), and Fine Motor Skills (FMS). Our results demonstrated that speed-cubers presented similar EEG power spectrum when planning and executing the RC across all frequency bands (p > 0.05). Pearson's correlation demonstrated that Delta-band EEG power spectrum in the occipital lobe exhibited a significant association with RC execution (r = 0.71, p = 0.009), underscoring the importance of visuomotor integration. Similarly, JLAP performance correlated significantly with frontal (r=-0.65, p = 0.022) and occipital EEG power spectrum (r=-0.57, p = 0.048) at the Delta-band, emphasizing the role of visuospatial abilities. Moreover, TOL performance correlated significantly with temporal EEG power spectrum at the Delta- (r=-0.64, p = 0.025) and Theta-band (r = 0.67, p = 0.011), highlighting the role of planning abilities while solving the RC. In conclusion, this study sheds light on the complex neural mechanisms underlying speed-cubing, revealing intricate neural signatures across multiple brain regions associated with RC-related tasks and isolated cognitive activities. Understanding these neurocognitive underpinnings could pave the way for enhanced training protocols in tasks demanding high-level cognitive and motor skills.</p
Computational Evaluation of a Biomimetic Kinetic Façade Inspired by the Venus Flytrap for Daylight and Glare Performance
Get PDFCentralized daylight control has been extensively studied for its ability to optimize useful daylight while mitigating glare in targeted areas. However, this approach lacks a comprehensive visual comfort framework, as it does not simultaneously address spatial glare distribution, uniform high useful daylight levels across all sensor points, and overheating prevention through regulated annual solar exposure. Nevertheless, decentralized control facilitates autonomous operation of the individual façade components, addressing all the objectives. This study integrates a biomimetic functional approach with building performance simulations by computational design to evaluate different kinetic façade configurations. Through the implementation of parametric modeling and daylight analysis, we have identified an optimal angular configuration (60° for the focal region, 50° for the non-focal region) that significantly increases building performance. The optimized design demonstrates substantial improvements, reducing excessive sunlight exposure by 45–55% and glare incidence by 65–72% compared to other dynamic solutions. The recommended steeper angles achieve superior performance, maintaining high useful daylight illuminance (UDI > 91.5%) while dramatically improving visual comfort. Sensitivity analysis indicates that even minor angular adjustments (5–10°) can induce a 10–15% variation in glare performance, emphasizing the necessity of precise control mechanisms in both focal and non-focal regions of the façade. These findings establish a framework for creating responsive building façades that balance daylight provision with occupant comfort in real-time operation
"Let's Join Forces!":Cultural Sustainabilty in Danish Community Health Centres
No full textThis publication aims to frame the relatively new concept of 'cultural sustainability' in health and healthcare. The book also examines whether - and if so, how - the concept of 'cultural sustainability' can be operationalised in the parctices of the healthcare sector
Effects, Barriers, and Facilitators of Self-Management Interventions for Spinal Pain:A Systematic Review
No full textEducation matters when it comes to pain: a cross-sectional study of self-reported pain competencies among physiotherapists
Get PDFThe increasing burden of chronic pain raises demands for improved competencies for physiotherapists. Research suggests that postgraduate training and improved prelicensure pain curriculum might enhance physiotherapists skills in the management of people with chronic pain. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine self-reported pain competences among physiotherapists, and to look for potential impact of experience and education. Competencies were evaluated using an online questionnaire based on The European Diploma in Pain Physiotherapy curriculum (EDPP) using the approach of Bloom's taxonomy. Questions reflected all sections of the curriculum for the EDPP. Total score of the EDPP-questionnaire was used as the primary outcome. Responses were grouped by years of professional experience (<2, 2–7, >7 years) and level of education (entry-level, professional courses, MSc-level or higher). The validity of the hypothesis was analyzed using a two-factor ANOVA. 369 physiotherapists were eligible for analysis. A large main effect of education was found, ω 2 = 0.149 (95 % CI: 0.085–0.215), p < 0.001. Additionally, a small, but significant main effect of experience was found as well, ω 2 = 0.018 (95 % CI: 0.00–0.050), p = 0.008. We conclude that physiotherapists with post-graduate education are more likely to report higher levels of pain competencies, independently of how long they have worked as physiotherapists. We speculate that this may relate to their scholarly achievements, e.g., critical thinking skills, rather than more pain education alone.</p
A Self-Explainable Heterogeneous GNN for Relational Deep Learning
No full textRecently, significant attention has been given to the idea of viewing relational databases as heterogeneous graphs, enabling the application of graph neural network (GNN) technology for predictive tasks. However, existing GNN methods struggle with the complexity of the heterogeneous graphs induced by databases with numerous tables and relations. Traditional approaches either consider all possible relational meta-paths, thus failing to scale with the number of relations, or rely on domain experts to identify relevant meta-paths. A recent solution does manage to learn informative meta-paths without expert supervision, but assumes that a node’s class depends solely on the existence of a meta-path occurrence. In this work, we present a self-explainable heterogeneous GNN for relational data, that supports models in which class membership depends on aggregate information obtained from multiple occurrences of a meta-path. Experimental results show that in the context of relational databases, our approach effectively identifies informative meta-paths that faithfully capture the model’s reasoning mechanisms. It significantly outperforms existing methods in both synthetic and real-world scenario
From Knowledge to Leverage:How to Use Musculoskeletal Simulation to Design Exoskeleton Concepts
Get PDFBackground: An exoskeleton and its wearer form a mutually dependent biomechanical system, where design choices for the exoskeleton can affect the wearer in complex and often unforeseeable ways, and this makes exoskeleton design challenging. Advanced simulation methods provide an insight into the consequences of design choices, but such analysis is usually employed towards the end of the design process. This paper demonstrates an option for musculoskeletal simulation to be used already in the conceptual design phase. Methods: We present the workflow by means of an example of box lifting. We show that the mathematical algorithm underlying the solution of the redundant equilibrium equations in musculoskeletal modeling has a structure that can be exploited to gain information about ideal actuator forces for an exoskeleton supporting the selected work task. Results: Based on the identified forces, passive or active actuators can be selected, and control strategies can be devised. Conclusions: We conclude that this methodology can save design cycles and improve exoskeleton development
Whole mitochondrial DNA sequencing improves resolution of population structure for Pacific green turtles (Chelonia mydas)
Get PDFMitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis is a key tool for defining population structure in marine turtles, due to their strong natal homing behavior, which leads to genetic differentiation among rookeries. However, the widespread occurrence of common haplotypes across large geographic areas, has limited the ability to resolve fine-scale population structure, particularly in the western Pacific. Understanding these population dynamics is crucial for effective conservation and management, as distinct nesting populations may face different threats. This study evaluates the use of whole mitochondrial genome sequencing to improve genetic resolution of population structure and enhance the accuracy of mixed stock analysis (MSA). We analyzed 197 nesting green turtles from six Pacific rookeries, representing two common mtDNA haplotypes (CmP20.1 and CmP22.1). Using mitochondrial capture enrichment and MSA simulations, we detected significant genetic differentiation between the rookeries in Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), which were previously considered a single genetic stock based on traditional control region sequencing. Our findings demonstrate that whole mitochondrial genome sequencing enhances stock resolution, improves the accuracy of MSA, and strengthens the ability to determine connectivity between nesting and foraging populations throughout the region. Refining genetics baselines using whole mitogenome sequencing will support more precise conservation strategies, allowing for targeted protection of genetically distinct populations, improved assessments of bycatch impacts, and better-informed management of critical foraging and nesting habitats.</p
A Team Orienteering Problem with Zoning for Safe and Flexible Operations of UAVs in a Dynamic Environment
Get PDFA Team Orienteering Problem (TOP) that seeks the most profitable routes for multiple players given limited travel time or length is one of the most relevant routing problems for service delivery by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) with limited battery or energy capacity. In this study, we propose a variant of the TOP, where an operational area for multiple UAVs is divided into non-overlapping zones and routes for UAVs are derived within the zones. Importantly, by allocating designated zones to each UAV, any update on a UAV’s route within its zone does not interfere with other UAVs’ routes. This aspect is critical for a service or a mission to be executed under a highly dynamic environment especially with limited communication between UAVs. The operational and practical benefits of applying the proposed solution approach are demonstrated by comparing it to a classic TOP solution in a simulation environment where a profit of visiting a location is uncertain.</p