Changes in muscle fiber conduction velocity indicate recruitment of distinct motor unit populations.

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Houtman, C J; Stegeman, D F; Van Dijk, J P; Zwarts, M J

2003-09-01

To obtain more insight into the changes in mean muscle fiber conduction velocity (MFCV) during sustained isometric exercise at relatively low contraction levels, we performed an in-depth study of the human tibialis anterior muscle by using multichannel surface electromyogram. The results show an increase in MFCV after an initial decrease of MFCV at 30 or 40% maximum voluntary contraction in all of the five subjects studied. With a peak velocity analysis, we calculated the distribution of conduction velocities of action potentials in the bipolar electromyogram signal. It shows two populations of peak velocities occurring simultaneously halfway through the exercise. The MFCV pattern implies the recruitment of two different populations of motor units. Because of the lowering of MFCV of the first activated population of motor units, the newly recruited second population of motor units becomes visible. It is most likely that the MFCV pattern can be ascribed to the fatiguing of already recruited predominantly type I motor units, followed by the recruitment of fresh, predominantly type II, motor units.

Synchronization of low- and high-threshold motor units.

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Defreitas, Jason M; Beck, Travis W; Ye, Xin; Stock, Matt S

2014-04-01

We examined the degree of synchronization for both low- and high-threshold motor unit (MU) pairs at high force levels. MU spike trains were recorded from the quadriceps during high-force isometric leg extensions. Short-term synchronization (between -6 and 6 ms) was calculated for every unique MU pair for each contraction. At high force levels, earlier recruited motor unit pairs (low-threshold) demonstrated relatively low levels of short-term synchronization (approximately 7.3% extra firings than would have been expected by chance). However, the magnitude of synchronization increased significantly and linearly with mean recruitment threshold (reaching 22.1% extra firings for motor unit pairs recruited above 70% MVC). Three potential mechanisms that could explain the observed differences in synchronization across motor unit types are proposed and discussed. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Adjustments differ among low-threshold motor units during intermittent, isometric contractions.

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Farina, Dario; Holobar, Ales; Gazzoni, Marco; Zazula, Damjan; Merletti, Roberto; Enoka, Roger M

2009-01-01

We investigated the changes in muscle fiber conduction velocity, recruitment and derecruitment thresholds, and discharge rate of low-threshold motor units during a series of ramp contractions. The aim was to compare the adjustments in motor unit activity relative to the duration that each motor unit was active during the task. Multichannel surface electromyographic (EMG) signals were recorded from the abductor pollicis brevis muscle of eight healthy men during 12-s contractions (n = 25) in which the force increased and decreased linearly from 0 to 10% of the maximum. The maximal force exhibited a modest decline (8.5 +/- 9.3%; P motor units that were active for 16-98% of the time during the first five contractions were identified throughout the task by decomposition of the EMG signals. Action potential conduction velocity decreased during the task by a greater amount for motor units that were initially active for >70% of the time compared with that of less active motor units. Moreover, recruitment and derecruitment thresholds increased for these most active motor units, whereas the thresholds decreased for the less active motor units. Another 18 motor units were recruited at an average of 171 +/- 32 s after the beginning of the task. The recruitment and derecruitment thresholds of these units decreased during the task, but muscle fiber conduction velocity did not change. These results indicate that low-threshold motor units exhibit individual adjustments in muscle fiber conduction velocity and motor neuron activation that depended on the relative duration of activity during intermittent contractions.

Variations in motor unit recruitment patterns occur within and between muscles in the running rat (Rattus norvegicus).

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Hodson-Tole, E F; Wakeling, J M

2007-07-01

Motor units are generally considered to follow a set, orderly pattern of recruitment within each muscle with activation occurring in the slowest through to the fastest units. A growing body of evidence, however, suggests that recruitment patterns may not always follow such an orderly sequence. Here we investigate whether motor unit recruitment patterns vary within and between the ankle extensor muscles of the rat running at 40 cm s(-1) on a level treadmill. In the past it has been difficult to quantify motor unit recruitment patterns during locomotion; however, recent application of wavelet analysis techniques has made such detailed analysis of motor unit recruitment possible. Here we present methods for quantifying the interplay of fast and slow motor unit recruitment based on their myoelectric signals. Myoelectric data were collected from soleus, plantaris and medial gastrocnemius muscles representing populations of slow, mixed and fast fibres, respectively, and providing a good opportunity to relate myoelectric frequency content to motor unit recruitment patterns. Following wavelet transformation, principal component analysis quantified signal intensity and relative frequency content. Significant differences in signal frequency content occurred between different time points within a stride (Pmotor units. The goodness-of-fit of the optimised wavelets to the signal intensity was high for all three muscles (r2>0.98). The low-frequency band had a significantly better fit to signals from the soleus muscle (P<0.001), while the high-frequency band had a significantly better fit to the medial gastrocnemius (P<0.001).

Motor unit recruitment strategies are altered during deep-tissue pain.

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Tucker, Kylie; Butler, Jane; Graven-Nielsen, Thomas; Riek, Stephan; Hodges, Paul

2009-09-02

Muscle pain is associated with decreased motor unit discharge rate during constant force contractions. As discharge rate is a determinant of force, other adaptations in strategy must explain force maintenance during pain. Our aim was to determine whether motor unit recruitment strategies are altered during pain to maintain force despite reduced discharge rate. Motor unit discharge behavior was recorded in two muscles, one with (quadriceps) and one without [flexor pollicis longus (FPL)] synergists. Motor units were recruited during matched low-force contractions with and without experimentally induced pain, and at higher force without pain. A total of 52 and 34 units were recorded in quadriceps and FPL, respectively, during low-force contractions with and without pain. Of these, 20 quadriceps and 9 FPL units were identified during both trials. The discharge rate of these units reduced during pain in both muscles [quadriceps: 8.7 (1.5) to 7.5 (1.3) Hz, p units discharged only with or without pain, but not in both conditions. Only one-third of the additional units recruited during pain (quadriceps n = 7/19, FPL n = 3/15) were those expected given orderly recruitment of the motor unit pool as determined during higher-force contractions. We conclude that reduced motor unit discharge rate with pain is accompanied by changes in the population of units used to maintain force. The recruitment of new units is partly inconsistent with generalized inhibition of the motoneuron pool predicted by the "pain adaptation" theory, and provides the basis for a new mechanism of motor adaptation with pain.

Motor unit firing intervals and other parameters of electrical activity in normal and pathological muscle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fuglsang-Frederiksen, Anders; Smith, T; Høgenhaven, H

1987-01-01

The analysis of the firing intervals of motor units has been suggested as a diagnostic tool in patients with neuromuscular disorders. Part of the increase in number of turns seen in patients with myopathy could be secondary to the decrease in motor unit firing intervals at threshold force...

PyMUS: Python-Based Simulation Software for Virtual Experiments on Motor Unit System.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hojeong; Kim, Minjung

2018-01-01

We constructed a physiologically plausible computationally efficient model of a motor unit and developed simulation software that allows for integrative investigations of the input-output processing in the motor unit system. The model motor unit was first built by coupling the motoneuron model and muscle unit model to a simplified axon model. To build the motoneuron model, we used a recently reported two-compartment modeling approach that accurately captures the key cell-type-related electrical properties under both passive conditions (somatic input resistance, membrane time constant, and signal attenuation properties between the soma and the dendrites) and active conditions (rheobase current and afterhyperpolarization duration at the soma and plateau behavior at the dendrites). To construct the muscle unit, we used a recently developed muscle modeling approach that reflects the experimentally identified dependencies of muscle activation dynamics on isometric, isokinetic and dynamic variation in muscle length over a full range of stimulation frequencies. Then, we designed the simulation software based on the object-oriented programing paradigm and developed the software using open-source Python language to be fully operational using graphical user interfaces. Using the developed software, separate simulations could be performed for a single motoneuron, muscle unit and motor unit under a wide range of experimental input protocols, and a hierarchical analysis could be performed from a single channel to the entire system behavior. Our model motor unit and simulation software may represent efficient tools not only for researchers studying the neural control of force production from a cellular perspective but also for instructors and students in motor physiology classroom settings.

Motor unit activity after eccentric exercise and muscle damage in humans.

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Semmler, J G

2014-04-01

It is well known that unaccustomed eccentric exercise leads to muscle damage and soreness, which can produce long-lasting effects on muscle function. How this muscle damage influences muscle activation is poorly understood. The purpose of this brief review is to highlight the effect of eccentric exercise on the activation of muscle by the nervous system, by examining the change in motor unit activity obtained from surface electromyography (EMG) and intramuscular recordings. Previous research shows that eccentric exercise produces unusual changes in the EMG–force relation that influences motor performance during isometric, shortening and lengthening muscle contractions and during fatiguing tasks. When examining the effect of eccentric exercise at the single motor unit level, there are substantial changes in recruitment thresholds, discharge rates, motor unit conduction velocities and synchronization, which can last for up to 1 week after eccentric exercise. Examining the time course of these changes suggests that the increased submaximal EMG after eccentric exercise most likely occurs through a decrease in motor unit conduction velocity and an increase in motor unit activity related to antagonist muscle coactivation and low-frequency fatigue. Furthermore, there is a commonly held view that eccentric exercise produces preferential damage to high-threshold motor units, but the evidence for this in humans is limited. Further research is needed to establish whether there is preferential damage to high-threshold motor units after eccentric exercise in humans, preferably by linking changes in motor unit activity with estimates of motor unit size using selective intramuscular recording techniques.

The effects of local forearm muscle cooling on motor unit properties.

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Mallette, Matthew M; Green, Lara A; Gabriel, David A; Cheung, Stephen S

2018-02-01

Muscle cooling impairs maximal force. Using needle electromyography (EMG) to assess motor unit properties during muscle cooling, is limited and equivocal. Therefore, we aimed to determine the impact of local muscle cooling on motor unit firing properties using surface EMG decomposition. Twenty participants (12 M, 8 F) completed maximal, evoked, and trapezoidal contractions during thermoneutral and cold muscle conditions. Forearm muscle temperature was manipulated using 10-min neutral (~ 32 °C) or 20-min cold (~ 3 °C) water baths. Twitches and maximal voluntary contractions were performed prior to, and after, forearm immersion in neutral or cold water. Motor unit properties were assessed during trapezoidal contractions to 50% baseline force using surface EMG decomposition. Impaired contractile properties from muscle cooling were evident in the twitch amplitude, duration, and rate of force development indicating that the muscle was successfully cooled from the cold water bath (all d ≥ 0.5, P motor units (d = 0.7, P = 0.01) and motor unit action potential (MUAP) duration (d = 0.6, P motor unit firing rates (d = 0.1, P = 0.843) nor recruitment threshold (d = 0.1, P = 0.746) changed; however, the relationship between the recruitment threshold and motor unit firing rate was steeper (d = 1.0, P motor units, and small but coupled changes in motor unit firing rates and recruitment threshold to produce the same force.

Microgravity induced changes in the control of motor units

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de Luca, C.; Roy, S.

The goal of this project is to understand the effects of microgravity on the control of muscles. It is motivated by the notion that in order to adequately address microgravity-induced deterioration in the force generating capacity of muscles, one needs to understand the changes in the control aspects in addition to histochemical and morphological changes. The investigations into muscle control need to include the regulation of the firing activity of motor units that make up a muscle and the coordination of different muscles responsible for the control of a joint. In order to understand the effects of microgravity on these two aspects of muscle control, we will test astronauts before and after spaceflight. The investigations of the control of motor units will involve intramuscular EMG techniques developed in our laboratory. We will use a quadrifilar electrode to detect simultaneously three differential channels of EMG activity. These data will be decomposed accurately using a sophisticated set of algorithms constructed with artificial intelligence knowledge- based techniques. Particular attention will be paid to the firing rate and recruitment behavior of motor units and we will study the degree of cross-correlation of the firing rates. This approach will enable us to study the firing behavior of several (approx. 10) concurrently active motor units. This analysis will enable us to detect modifications in the control of motor units. We will perform these investigations in a hand muscle, which continues being used in prehensile tasks in space, and a leg muscle whose antigravity role is not needed in space. The comparison of the effects of weightlessness on these muscles will determine if continued use of muscles in space deters the possible deleterious effects of microgravity on the control of motor units, in addition to slowing down atrophy. We are particularly interested in comparing the results of this study to similar data already obtained from elderly subjects

Large motor units are selectively affected following a stroke.

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Lukács, M; Vécsei, L; Beniczky, S

2008-11-01

Previous studies have revealed a loss of functioning motor units in stroke patients. However, it remained unclear whether the motor units are affected randomly or in some specific pattern. We assessed whether there is a selective loss of the large (high recruitment threshold) or the small (low recruitment threshold) motor units following a stroke. Forty-five stroke patients and 40 healthy controls participated in the study. Macro-EMG was recorded from the abductor digiti minimi muscle at two levels of force output (low and high). The median macro motor unit potential (macro-MUP) amplitude on the paretic side was compared with those on the unaffected side and in the controls. In the control group and on the unaffected side, the macro-MUPs were significantly larger at the high force output than at the low one. However, on the paretic side the macro-MUPs at the high force output had the same amplitude as those recorded at the low force output. These changes correlated with the severity of the paresis. Following a stroke, there is a selective functional loss of the large, high-threshold motor units. These changes are related to the severity of the symptoms. Our findings furnish further insight into the pathophysiology of the motor deficit following a stroke.

PyMUS: Python-Based Simulation Software for Virtual Experiments on Motor Unit System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hojeong Kim

2018-04-01

Full Text Available We constructed a physiologically plausible computationally efficient model of a motor unit and developed simulation software that allows for integrative investigations of the input–output processing in the motor unit system. The model motor unit was first built by coupling the motoneuron model and muscle unit model to a simplified axon model. To build the motoneuron model, we used a recently reported two-compartment modeling approach that accurately captures the key cell-type-related electrical properties under both passive conditions (somatic input resistance, membrane time constant, and signal attenuation properties between the soma and the dendrites and active conditions (rheobase current and afterhyperpolarization duration at the soma and plateau behavior at the dendrites. To construct the muscle unit, we used a recently developed muscle modeling approach that reflects the experimentally identified dependencies of muscle activation dynamics on isometric, isokinetic and dynamic variation in muscle length over a full range of stimulation frequencies. Then, we designed the simulation software based on the object-oriented programing paradigm and developed the software using open-source Python language to be fully operational using graphical user interfaces. Using the developed software, separate simulations could be performed for a single motoneuron, muscle unit and motor unit under a wide range of experimental input protocols, and a hierarchical analysis could be performed from a single channel to the entire system behavior. Our model motor unit and simulation software may represent efficient tools not only for researchers studying the neural control of force production from a cellular perspective but also for instructors and students in motor physiology classroom settings.

Motor unit recruitment patterns 2: the influence of myoelectric intensity and muscle fascicle strain rate.

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Hodson-Tole, Emma F; Wakeling, James M

2008-06-01

To effectively meet the force requirements of a given movement an appropriate number and combination of motor units must be recruited between and within muscles. Orderly recruitment of motor units has been shown to occur in a wide range of skeletal muscles, however, alternative strategies do occur. Faster motor units are better suited to developing force rapidly, and produce higher mechanical power with greater efficiency at faster shortening strain rates than slower motor units. As the frequency content of the myoelectric signal is related to the fibre type of the active motor units, we hypothesised that, in addition to an association between myoelectric frequency and intensity, there would be a significant association between muscle fascicle shortening strain rate and myoelectric frequency content. Myoelectric and sonomicrometric data were collected from the three ankle extensor muscles of the rat hind limb during walking and running. Myoelectric signals were analysed using wavelet transformation and principal component analysis to give a measure of the signal frequency content. Sonomicrometric signals were analysed to give measures of muscle fascicle strain and strain rate. The relationship between myoelectric frequency and both intensity and muscle fascicle strain rate was found to change across the time course of a stride, with differences also occurring in the strength of the associations between and within muscles. In addition to the orderly recruitment of motor units, a mechanical strategy of motor unit recruitment was therefore identified. Motor unit recruitment is therefore a multifactorial phenomenon, which is more complex than typically thought.

Motor unit recruitment patterns 1: responses to changes in locomotor velocity and incline.

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Hodson-Tole, Emma F; Wakeling, James M

2008-06-01

Mammalian skeletal muscles are composed of a mixture of motor unit types, which contribute a range of mechanical and physiological properties to the muscle. For a muscle to effectively contribute to smooth, co-ordinated movement it must activate an appropriate number and combination of motor units to generate the required force over a suitable time period. Much evidence exists indicating that motor units are activated in an orderly fashion, from the slowest through to the fastest. A growing body of evidence, however, indicates that such a recruitment strategy does not always hold true. Here we investigate how motor unit recruitment patterns were influenced by changes in locomotor velocity and incline. Kinematics data and myoelectric signals were collected from three rat ankle extensor muscles during running on a treadmill at nine velocity and incline combinations. Wavelet and principal component analysis were used to simultaneously decompose the signals into time and frequency space. The relative frequency components of the signals were quantified during 20 time windows of a stride from each locomotor condition. Differences in signal frequency components existed between muscles and locomotor conditions. Faster locomotor velocities led to a relative increase in high frequency components, whereas greater inclines led to a relative increase in the low frequency components. These data were interpreted as representing changes in motor unit recruitment patterns in response to changes in the locomotor demand. Motor units were not always recruited in an orderly manner, indicating that recruitment is a multi-factorial phenomenon that is not yet fully understood.

Task-specific recruitment of motor units for vibration damping.

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Wakeling, James M; Liphardt, Anna-Maria

2006-01-01

Vibrations occur within the soft tissues of the lower extremities due to the heel-strike impact during walking. Increases in muscle activity in the lower extremities result in increased damping to reduce this vibration. The myoelectric intensity spectra were compared using principal component analysis from the tibialis anterior and lateral gastrocnemius of 40 subjects walking with different shoe conditions. The soft insert condition resulted in a significant, simultaneous increase in muscle activity with a shift to higher myoelectric frequencies in the period 0-60 ms after heel-strike which is the period when the greater vibration damping occurred. These increases in myoelectric frequency match the spectral patterns which indicate increases in recruitment of faster motor units. It is concluded that fast motor units are recruited during the task of damping the soft-tissue resonance that occurs following heel-strike.

The relationship of motor unit size, firing rate and force.

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Conwit, R A; Stashuk, D; Tracy, B; McHugh, M; Brown, W F; Metter, E J

1999-07-01

Using a clinical electromyographic (EMG) protocol, motor units were sampled from the quadriceps femoris during isometric contractions at fixed force levels to examine how average motor unit size and firing rate relate to force generation. Mean firing rates (mFRs) and sizes (mean surface-detected motor unit action potential (mS-MUAP) area) of samples of active motor units were assessed at various force levels in 79 subjects. MS-MUAP size increased linearly with increased force generation, while mFR remained relatively constant up to 30% of a maximal force and increased appreciably only at higher force levels. A relationship was found between muscle force and mS-MUAP area (r2 = 0.67), mFR (r2 = 0.38), and the product of mS-MUAP area and mFR (mS-MUAP x mFR) (r2 = 0.70). The results support the hypothesis that motor units are recruited in an orderly manner during forceful contractions, and that in large muscles only at higher levels of contraction ( > 30% MVC) do mFRs increase appreciably. MS-MUAP and mFR can be assessed using clinical EMG techniques and they may provide a physiological basis for analyzing the role of motor units during muscle force generation.

The compensatory interaction between motor unit firing behavior and muscle force during fatigue.

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Contessa, Paola; De Luca, Carlo J; Kline, Joshua C

2016-10-01

Throughout the literature, different observations of motor unit firing behavior during muscle fatigue have been reported and explained with varieties of conjectures. The disagreement amongst previous studies has resulted, in part, from the limited number of available motor units and from the misleading practice of grouping motor unit data across different subjects, contractions, and force levels. To establish a more clear understanding of motor unit control during fatigue, we investigated the firing behavior of motor units from the vastus lateralis muscle of individual subjects during a fatigue protocol of repeated voluntary constant force isometric contractions. Surface electromyographic decomposition technology provided the firings of 1,890 motor unit firing trains. These data revealed that to sustain the contraction force as the muscle fatigued, the following occurred: 1) motor unit firing rates increased; 2) new motor units were recruited; and 3) motor unit recruitment thresholds decreased. Although the degree of these adaptations was subject specific, the behavior was consistent in all subjects. When we compared our empirical observations with those obtained from simulation, we found that the fatigue-induced changes in motor unit firing behavior can be explained by increasing excitation to the motoneuron pool that compensates for the fatigue-induced decrease in muscle force twitch reported in empirical studies. Yet, the fundamental motor unit control scheme remains invariant throughout the development of fatigue. These findings indicate that the central nervous system regulates motor unit firing behavior by adjusting the operating point of the excitation to the motoneuron pool to sustain the contraction force as the muscle fatigues. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Benefit on motor and non-motor behavior in a specialized unit for Parkinson's disease.

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Müller, Thomas; Öhm, Gabi; Eilert, Kathrin; Möhr, Katharina; Rotter, Stephanie; Haas, Thomas; Küchler, Matthias; Lütge, Sven; Marg, Marion; Rothe, Hartmut

2017-06-01

Treatment of patients with Parkinson's disease in specialized units is quite common in Germany. Data on the benefit of this hospitalization of patients with Parkinson's disease on motor and non-motor symptoms in conjunction with standardized tests are rare. Objective was to determine the efficacy of this therapeutic setting. We scored disease severity and performed clinical tests, respectively, instrumental procedures under standardized conditions in consecutively referred in-patients initially and at the end of their hospital stay. There was a decrease of motor and non-motor symptoms. The extent of improvement of non-motor and motor symptoms correlated to each other. Performance of complex movement sequences became better, whereas execution of simple movement series did not ameliorate. The interval for the timed up and go test went down. We demonstrate the effectiveness of an in-patient stay in a specialized unit for Parkinson's disease. Objective standardized testing supplements subjective clinical scoring with established rating scales.

Motor unit recruitment by size does not provide functional advantages for motor performance.

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Dideriksen, Jakob L; Farina, Dario

2013-12-15

It is commonly assumed that the orderly recruitment of motor units by size provides a functional advantage for the performance of movements compared with a random recruitment order. On the other hand, the excitability of a motor neuron depends on its size and this is intrinsically linked to its innervation number. A range of innervation numbers among motor neurons corresponds to a range of sizes and thus to a range of excitabilities ordered by size. Therefore, if the excitation drive is similar among motor neurons, the recruitment by size is inevitably due to the intrinsic properties of motor neurons and may not have arisen to meet functional demands. In this view, we tested the assumption that orderly recruitment is necessarily beneficial by determining if this type of recruitment produces optimal motor output. Using evolutionary algorithms and without any a priori assumptions, the parameters of neuromuscular models were optimized with respect to several criteria for motor performance. Interestingly, the optimized model parameters matched well known neuromuscular properties, but none of the optimization criteria determined a consistent recruitment order by size unless this was imposed by an association between motor neuron size and excitability. Further, when the association between size and excitability was imposed, the resultant model of recruitment did not improve the motor performance with respect to the absence of orderly recruitment. A consistent observation was that optimal solutions for a variety of criteria of motor performance always required a broad range of innervation numbers in the population of motor neurons, skewed towards the small values. These results indicate that orderly recruitment of motor units in itself does not provide substantial functional advantages for motor control. Rather, the reason for its near-universal presence in human movements is that motor functions are optimized by a broad range of innervation numbers.

Convergence of pattern generator outputs on a common mechanism of diaphragm motor unit recruitment.

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Mantilla, Carlos B; Seven, Yasin B; Sieck, Gary C

2014-01-01

Motor units are the final element of neuromotor control. In manner analogous to the organization of neuromotor control in other skeletal muscles, diaphragm motor units comprise phrenic motoneurons located in the cervical spinal cord that innervate the diaphragm muscle, the main inspiratory muscle in mammals. Diaphragm motor units play a primary role in sustaining ventilation but are also active in other nonventilatory behaviors, including coughing, sneezing, vomiting, defecation, and parturition. Diaphragm muscle fibers comprise all fiber types. Thus, diaphragm motor units display substantial differences in contractile and fatigue properties, but importantly, properties of the motoneuron and muscle fibers within a motor unit are matched. As in other skeletal muscles, diaphragm motor units are recruited in order such that motor units that display greater fatigue resistance are recruited earlier and more often than more fatigable motor units. The properties of the motor unit population are critical determinants of the function of a skeletal muscle across the range of possible motor tasks. Accordingly, fatigue-resistant motor units are sufficient to generate the forces necessary for ventilatory behaviors, whereas more fatigable units are only activated during expulsive behaviors important for airway clearance. Neuromotor control of diaphragm motor units may reflect selective inputs from distinct pattern generators distributed according to the motor unit properties necessary to accomplish these different motor tasks. In contrast, widely distributed inputs to phrenic motoneurons from various pattern generators (e.g., for breathing, coughing, or vocalization) would dictate recruitment order based on intrinsic electrophysiological properties. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Discharge patterns of human genioglossus motor units during arousal from sleep.

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Wilkinson, Vanessa; Malhotra, Atul; Nicholas, Christian L; Worsnop, Christopher; Jordan, Amy S; Butler, Jane E; Saboisky, Julian P; Gandevia, Simon C; White, David P; Trinder, John

2010-03-01

Single motor unit recordings of the human genioglossus muscle reveal motor units with a variety of discharge patterns. Integrated multiunit electromyographic recordings of genioglossus have demonstrated an abrupt increase in the muscle's activity at arousal from sleep. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of arousal from sleep on the activity of individual motor units as a function of their particular discharge pattern. Genioglossus activity was measured using intramuscular fine-wire electrodes inserted via a percutaneous approach. Arousals from sleep were identified using the ASDA criterion and the genioglossus electromyogram recordings analyzed for single motor unit activity. Sleep research laboratory. Sleep and respiratory data were collected in 8 healthy subjects (6 men). 138 motor units were identified during prearousalarousal sleep: 25% inspiratory phasic, 33% inspiratory tonic, 4% expiratory phasic, 3% expiratory tonic, and 35% tonic. At arousal from sleep inspiratory phasic units significantly increased the proportion of a breath over which they were active, but did not appreciably increase their rate of firing. 80 new units were identified at arousals, 75% were inspiratory, many of which were active for only 1 or 2 breaths. 22% of units active before arousal, particularly expiratory and tonic units, stopped at the arousal. Increased genioglossus muscle activity at arousal from sleep is primarily due to recruitment of inspiratory phasic motor units. Further, activity within the genioglossus motoneuron pool is reorganized at arousal as, in addition to recruitment, approximately 20% of units active before arousals stopped firing.

Assessment of load of beam-balanced pumping units by electric motor power indicators

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Д. И. Шишлянников

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The results of experimental studies on the loading of beam-balanced pumping units (BP of sucker rod- pumping equipment (SRPE are presented. It is noted that the key factor that has the most significant effect causing the SRPE failure is the balance of the beam pumping unit, which determines the amount of specific energy consumption for the rise of reservoir fluid and the level of dynamic loads on the machine units. The urgency of using software-recording systems for estimating the loading of units of oil field pumping installations is substantiated. The principle of operation and design of the «AKD-SK» software recording system is described. The prospects of using this method for controlling the performance parameters and evaluating the technical state of the sicker rod-pumping units is proved on the basis of an analysis of the magnitude and nature of the changes in the loads of drive motors determined by the registration of the instantaneous values of the consumed power. The main provisions of the methodology for analyzing the watt-meters of drive motors of the sucker rod-pumping units are outlined. The nature of the manifestation of the main defects of submersible pumps and beam-balanced pumping units is described. The results of pilot-industrial tests of the beam-balanced pumping units equipped with advanced permanent magnet motors and intelligent control stations are presented. It is proved that the use of permanent magnet motors allows to reduce the specific energy consumption for the rise of reservoir fluid, which increases the efficiency of the SRPE.However, the presence of transient processes and generator operating modes of the permanent magnet motors results in the occurrence of significant dynamic loads, which, due to the rigid fixing of the rotor of magnet motor on the reducer shaft, negatively affect the life of the gearbox bearings. It has been shown that the lack of its own bearings in the tested motors causes a high probability

Firing patterns of spontaneously active motor units in spinal cord-injured subjects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zijdewind, Inge; Thomas, Christine K.

Involuntary motor unit activity at low rates is common in hand muscles paralysed by spinal cord injury. Our aim was to describe these patterns of motor unit behaviour in relation to motoneurone and motor unit properties. Intramuscular electromyographic activity (EMG), surface EMG and force were

Recruitment and rate coding organisation for soleus motor units across entire range of voluntary isometric plantar flexions.

Science.gov (United States)

Oya, Tomomichi; Riek, Stephan; Cresswell, Andrew G

2009-10-01

Unlike upper limb muscles, it remains undocumented as to how motor units in the soleus muscle are organised in terms of recruitment range and discharge rates with respect to their recruitment and de-recruitment thresholds. The possible influence of neuromodulation, such as persistent inward currents (PICs) on lower limb motor unit recruitment and discharge rates has also yet to be reported. To address these issues, electromyographic (EMG) activities from the soleus muscle were recorded using selective branched-wire intramuscular electrodes during ramp-and-hold contractions with intensities up to maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). The multiple single motor unit activities were then derived using a decomposition technique. The onset-offset hysteresis of motor unit discharge, i.e. a difference between recruitment and de-recruitment thresholds, as well as PIC magnitude calculated by a paired motor unit analysis were used to examine the neuromodulatory effects on discharge behaviours, such as minimum firing rate, peak firing rate and degree of increase in firing rate. Forty-two clearly identified motor units from five subjects revealed that soleus motor units are recruited progressively from rest to contraction strengths close to 95% of MVC, with low-threshold motor units discharging action potentials slower at their recruitment and with a lower peak rate than later recruited high-threshold units. This observation is in contrast to the 'onion skin phenomenon' often reported for the upper limb muscles. Based on positive correlations of the peak discharge rates, initial rates and recruitment order of the units with the magnitude of the onset-offset hysteresis and not PIC contribution, we conclude that discharge behaviours among motor units appear to be related to a variation in an intrinsic property other than PICs.

Motor unit recruitment strategies and muscle properties determine the influence of synaptic noise on force steadiness

Science.gov (United States)

Dideriksen, Jakob L.; Negro, Francesco; Enoka, Roger M.

2012-01-01

Motoneurons receive synaptic inputs from tens of thousands of connections that cause membrane potential to fluctuate continuously (synaptic noise), which introduces variability in discharge times of action potentials. We hypothesized that the influence of synaptic noise on force steadiness during voluntary contractions is limited to low muscle forces. The hypothesis was examined with an analytical description of transduction of motor unit spike trains into muscle force, a computational model of motor unit recruitment and rate coding, and experimental analysis of interspike interval variability during steady contractions with the abductor digiti minimi muscle. Simulations varied contraction force, level of synaptic noise, size of motor unit population, recruitment range, twitch contraction times, and level of motor unit short-term synchronization. Consistent with the analytical derivations, simulations and experimental data showed that force variability at target forces above a threshold was primarily due to low-frequency oscillations in neural drive, whereas the influence of synaptic noise was almost completely attenuated by two low-pass filters, one related to convolution of motoneuron spike trains with motor unit twitches (temporal summation) and the other attributable to summation of single motor unit forces (spatial summation). The threshold force above which synaptic noise ceased to influence force steadiness depended on recruitment range, size of motor unit population, and muscle contractile properties. This threshold was low (motor unit recruitment and muscle properties of a typical muscle are tuned to limit the influence of synaptic noise on force steadiness to low forces and that the inability to produce a constant force during stronger contractions is mainly attributable to the common low-frequency oscillations in motoneuron discharge rates. PMID:22423000

Task-Dependent Intermuscular Motor Unit Synchronization between Medial and Lateral Vastii Muscles during Dynamic and Isometric Squats.

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Mohr, Maurice; Nann, Marius; von Tscharner, Vinzenz; Eskofier, Bjoern; Nigg, Benno Maurus

2015-01-01

Motor unit activity is coordinated between many synergistic muscle pairs but the functional role of this coordination for the motor output is unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the short-term modality of coordinated motor unit activity-the synchronized discharge of individual motor units across muscles within time intervals of 5ms-for the Vastus Medialis (VM) and Lateralis (VL). Furthermore, we studied the task-dependency of intermuscular motor unit synchronization between VM and VL during static and dynamic squatting tasks to provide insight into its functional role. Sixteen healthy male and female participants completed four tasks: Bipedal squats, single-leg squats, an isometric squat, and single-leg balance. Monopolar surface electromyography (EMG) was used to record motor unit activity of VM and VL. For each task, intermuscular motor unit synchronization was determined using a coherence analysis between the raw EMG signals of VM and VL and compared to a reference coherence calculated from two desynchronized EMG signals. The time shift between VM and VL EMG signals was estimated according to the slope of the coherence phase angle spectrum. For all tasks, except for singe-leg balance, coherence between 15-80Hz significantly exceeded the reference. The corresponding time shift between VM and VL was estimated as 4ms. Coherence between 30-60Hz was highest for the bipedal squat, followed by the single-leg squat and the isometric squat. There is substantial short-term motor unit synchronization between VM and VL. Intermuscular motor unit synchronization is enhanced for contractions during dynamic activities, possibly to facilitate a more accurate control of the joint torque, and reduced during single-leg tasks that require balance control and thus, a more independent muscle function. It is proposed that the central nervous system scales the degree of intermuscular motor unit synchronization according to the requirements of the movement task at hand.

75 FR 26794 - New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc., Formerly a Joint Venture of General Motors Corporation and...

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2010-05-12

... Manufacturing, Inc., Formerly a Joint Venture of General Motors Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation... United Motor Manufacturing, Inc., formerly a joint venture of General Motors Corporation and Toyota Motor... reviewed the certification for workers of the subject firm. The workers assemble the Toyota Corolla and the...

49 CFR 565.14 - Motor vehicles imported into the United States.

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2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Motor vehicles imported into the United States...) REQUIREMENTS VIN Requirements § 565.14 Motor vehicles imported into the United States. (a) Importers shall utilize the VIN assigned by the original manufacturer of the motor vehicle. (b) All passenger cars...

Motor unit recruitment in human genioglossus muscle in response to hypercapnia.

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Nicholas, Christian L; Bei, Bei; Worsnop, Christopher; Malhotra, Atul; Jordan, Amy S; Saboisky, Julian P; Chan, Julia K M; Duckworth, Ella; White, David P; Trinder, John

2010-11-01

single motor unit recordings of the genioglossus (GG) muscle indicate that GG motor units have a variety of discharge patterns, including units that have higher discharge rates during inspiration (inspiratory phasic and inspiratory tonic), or expiration (expiratory phasic and expiratory tonic), or do not modify their rate with respiration (tonic). Previous studies have shown that an increase in GG muscle activity is a consequence of increased activity in inspiratory units. However, there are differences between studies as to whether this increase is primarily due to recruitment of new motor units (motor unit recruitment) or to increased discharge rate of already active units (rate coding). Sleep-wake state studies in humans have suggested the former, while hypercapnia experiments in rats have suggested the latter. In this study, we investigated the effect of hypercapnia on GG motor unit activity in humans during wakefulness. sleep research laboratory. sixteen healthy men. each participant was administered at least 6 trials with P(et)CO(2) being elevated 8.4 (SD = 1.96) mm Hg over 2 min following a 30-s baseline. Subjects were instrumented for GG EMG and respiratory measurements with 4 fine wire electrodes inserted subcutaneously into the muscle. One hundred forty-one motor units were identified during the baseline: 47% were inspiratory modulated, 29% expiratory modulated, and 24% showed no respiratory related modulation. Sixty-two new units were recruited during hypercapnia. The distribution of recruited units was significantly different from the baseline distribution, with 84% being inspiratory modulated (P units active during baseline, nor new units recruited during hypercapnia, increased their discharge rate as P(et)CO(2) increased (P > 0.05 for all comparisons). increased GG muscle activity in humans occurs because of recruitment of previously inactive inspiratory modulated units.

Discharge patterns of human tensor palatini motor units during sleep onset.

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Nicholas, Christian L; Jordan, Amy S; Heckel, Leila; Worsnop, Christopher; Bei, Bei; Saboisky, Julian P; Eckert, Danny J; White, David P; Malhotra, Atul; Trinder, John

2012-05-01

Upper airway muscles such as genioglossus (GG) and tensor palatini (TP) reduce activity at sleep onset. In GG reduced muscle activity is primarily due to inspiratory modulated motor units becoming silent, suggesting reduced respiratory pattern generator (RPG) output. However, unlike GG, TP shows minimal respiratory modulation and presumably has few inspiratory modulated motor units and minimal input from the RPG. Thus, we investigated the mechanism by which TP reduces activity at sleep onset. The activity of TP motor units were studied during relaxed wakefulness and over the transition from wakefulness to sleep. Sleep laboratory. Nine young (21.4 ± 3.4 years) males were studied on a total of 11 nights. Sleep onset. Two TP EMGs (thin, hooked wire electrodes), and sleep and respiratory measures were recorded. One hundred twenty-one sleep onsets were identified (13.4 ± 7.2/subject), resulting in 128 motor units (14.3 ± 13.0/subject); 29% of units were tonic, 43% inspiratory modulated (inspiratory phasic 18%, inspiratory tonic 25%), and 28% expiratory modulated (expiratory phasic 21%, expiratory tonic 7%). There was a reduction in both expiratory and inspiratory modulated units, but not tonic units, at sleep onset. Reduced TP activity was almost entirely due to de-recruitment. TP showed a similar distribution of motor units as other airway muscles. However, a greater proportion of expiratory modulated motor units were active in TP and these expiratory units, along with inspiratory units, tended to become silent over sleep onset. The data suggest that both expiratory and inspiratory drive components from the RPG are reduced at sleep onset in TP.

Effects of aging and Parkinson's disease on motor unit remodeling: influence of resistance exercise training.

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Kelly, Neil A; Hammond, Kelley G; Bickel, C Scott; Windham, Samuel T; Tuggle, S Craig; Bamman, Marcas M

2018-04-01

Aging muscle atrophy is in part a neurodegenerative process revealed by denervation/reinnervation events leading to motor unit remodeling (i.e., myofiber type grouping). However, this process and its physiological relevance are poorly understood, as is the wide-ranging heterogeneity among aging humans. Here, we attempted to address 1) the relation between myofiber type grouping and molecular regulators of neuromuscular junction (NMJ) stability; 2) the impact of motor unit remodeling on recruitment during submaximal contractions; 3) the prevalence and impact of motor unit remodeling in Parkinson's disease (PD), an age-related neurodegenerative disease; and 4) the influence of resistance exercise training (RT) on regulators of motor unit remodeling. We compared type I myofiber grouping, molecular regulators of NMJ stability, and the relative motor unit activation (MUA) requirement during a submaximal sit-to-stand task among untrained but otherwise healthy young (YA; 26 yr, n = 27) and older (OA; 66 yr, n = 91) adults and OA with PD (PD; 67 yr, n = 19). We tested the effects of RT on these outcomes in OA and PD. PD displayed more motor unit remodeling, alterations in NMJ stability regulation, and a higher relative MUA requirement than OA, suggesting PD-specific effects. The molecular and physiological outcomes tracked with the severity of type I myofiber grouping. Together these findings suggest that age-related motor unit remodeling, manifested by type I myofiber grouping, 1) reduces MUA efficiency to meet submaximal contraction demand, 2) is associated with disruptions in NMJ stability, 3) is further impacted by PD, and 4) may be improved by RT in severe cases. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Because the physiological consequences of varying amounts of myofiber type grouping are unknown, the current study aims to characterize the molecular and physiological correlates of motor unit remodeling. Furthermore, because exercise training has demonstrated neuromuscular benefits in aged

Recruitment of motor units in two fascicles of the semispinalis cervicis muscle.

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Schomacher, Jochen; Dideriksen, Jakob Lund; Farina, Dario; Falla, Deborah

2012-06-01

This study investigated the behavior of motor units in the semispinalis cervicis muscle. Intramuscular EMG recordings were obtained unilaterally at levels C2 and C5 in 15 healthy volunteers (8 men, 7 women) who performed isometric neck extensions at 5%, 10%, and 20% of the maximal force [maximum voluntary contraction (MVC)] for 2 min each and linearly increasing force contractions from 0 to 30% MVC over 3 s. Individual motor unit action potentials were identified. The discharge rate and interspike interval variability of the motor units in the two locations did not differ. However, the recruitment threshold of motor units detected at C2 (n = 16, mean ± SD: 10.3 ± 6.0% MVC) was greater than that of motor units detected at C5 (n = 92, 6.9 ± 4.3% MVC) (P motor unit pairs when computed within one spinal level but only in 28 of 110 pairs of motor units between the two levels. The common input strength, which quantifies motor unit synchronization, was greater for pairs within one level (0.47 ± 0.32) compared with pairs between levels (0.09 ± 0.07) (P < 0.05). In a second experiment on eight healthy subjects, interference EMG was recorded from the same locations during a linearly increasing force contraction from 0 to 40% MVC and showed significantly greater EMG amplitude at C5 than at C2. In conclusion, synaptic input is distributed partly independently and nonuniformly to different fascicles of the semispinalis cervicis muscle.

Independence Between Two Channels of Surface Electromyogram Signal to Measure the Loss of Motor Units

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Arjunan Sridhar P.

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This study has investigated the relationship in the connectivity of motor units in surface electromyogram (sEMG of biceps brachii muscle. It is hypothesized that with ageing, there is reduction/loss in number of motor units, leading to reduction in the independence between the channels of the recorded muscle activity. Two channels of sEMG were recorded during three levels of isometric muscle contraction: 50 %, 75 % and 100 % maximal voluntary contraction (MVC. 73 subjects (age range 20-70 participated in the experiments. The independence in channel index (ICI between the two sEMG recording locations was computed using the independent components and Frobenius norm. ANOVA Statistical analysis was performed to test the effect of age (loss of motor units and level of contraction on ICI. The results show that the ICI among the older cohort was significantly lower compared with the younger adults. This research study has shown that the reduction in number of motor units is reflected by the reduction in the ICI of the sEMG signal.

Orderly recruitment of motor units under optical control in vivo.

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Llewellyn, Michael E; Thompson, Kimberly R; Deisseroth, Karl; Delp, Scott L

2010-10-01

A drawback of electrical stimulation for muscle control is that large, fatigable motor units are preferentially recruited before smaller motor units by the lowest-intensity electrical cuff stimulation. This phenomenon limits therapeutic applications because it is precisely the opposite of the normal physiological (orderly) recruitment pattern; therefore, a mechanism to achieve orderly recruitment has been a long-sought goal in physiology, medicine and engineering. Here we demonstrate a technology for reliable orderly recruitment in vivo. We find that under optical control with microbial opsins, recruitment of motor units proceeds in the physiological recruitment sequence, as indicated by multiple independent measures of motor unit recruitment including conduction latency, contraction and relaxation times, stimulation threshold and fatigue. As a result, we observed enhanced performance and reduced fatigue in vivo. These findings point to an unanticipated new modality of neural control with broad implications for nervous system and neuromuscular physiology, disease research and therapeutic innovation.

Task-Dependent Intermuscular Motor Unit Synchronization between Medial and Lateral Vastii Muscles during Dynamic and Isometric Squats.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maurice Mohr

Full Text Available Motor unit activity is coordinated between many synergistic muscle pairs but the functional role of this coordination for the motor output is unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the short-term modality of coordinated motor unit activity-the synchronized discharge of individual motor units across muscles within time intervals of 5ms-for the Vastus Medialis (VM and Lateralis (VL. Furthermore, we studied the task-dependency of intermuscular motor unit synchronization between VM and VL during static and dynamic squatting tasks to provide insight into its functional role.Sixteen healthy male and female participants completed four tasks: Bipedal squats, single-leg squats, an isometric squat, and single-leg balance. Monopolar surface electromyography (EMG was used to record motor unit activity of VM and VL. For each task, intermuscular motor unit synchronization was determined using a coherence analysis between the raw EMG signals of VM and VL and compared to a reference coherence calculated from two desynchronized EMG signals. The time shift between VM and VL EMG signals was estimated according to the slope of the coherence phase angle spectrum.For all tasks, except for singe-leg balance, coherence between 15-80Hz significantly exceeded the reference. The corresponding time shift between VM and VL was estimated as 4ms. Coherence between 30-60Hz was highest for the bipedal squat, followed by the single-leg squat and the isometric squat.There is substantial short-term motor unit synchronization between VM and VL. Intermuscular motor unit synchronization is enhanced for contractions during dynamic activities, possibly to facilitate a more accurate control of the joint torque, and reduced during single-leg tasks that require balance control and thus, a more independent muscle function. It is proposed that the central nervous system scales the degree of intermuscular motor unit synchronization according to the requirements of the movement

Age-related motor unit remodeling in the Tibialis Anterior.

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Siddiqi, Ariba; Kumar, Dinesh; Arjunan, Sridhar

2015-01-01

Limited studies exist on the use of surface electromyogram (EMG) signal features to detect age-related motor unit remodeling in the Tibialis Anterior. Motor unit remodeling leads to declined muscle strength and force steadiness during submaximal contractions which are factors for risk of falls in the elderly. This study investigated the remodeling phenomena in the Tibialis Anterior using sample entropy and higher order statistics. Eighteen young (26.1 ± 2.9 years) and twelve elderly (68.7 ± 9.0 years) participants performed isometric dorsiflexion of the ankle at 20% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) and their Tibialis Anterior (TA) EMG was recorded. Sample entropy, Gaussianity and Linearity Test statistics were calculated from the recorded EMG for each MVC. Shapiro-Wilk test was used to determine normality, and either a two-tail student t-test or Wilcoxon rank sum test was performed to determine significant difference in the EMG features between the young and old cohorts. Results show age-related motor unit remodeling to be depicted by decreased sample entropy (p <; 0.1), increased non-Gaussianity (p <; 0.05) and lesser degree of linearity in the elderly. This is due to the increased sparsity of the MUAPs as a result of the denervation-reinnervation process, and the decrease in total number of motor units.

Distribution of muscle fibre conduction velocity for representative samples of motor units in the full recruitment range of the tibialis anterior muscle.

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Del Vecchio, A; Negro, F; Felici, F; Farina, D

2018-02-01

Motor units are recruited in an orderly manner according to the size of motor neurones. Moreover, because larger motor neurones innervate fibres with larger diameters than smaller motor neurones, motor units should be recruited orderly according to their conduction velocity (MUCV). Because of technical limitations, these relations have been previously tested either indirectly or in small motor unit samples that revealed weak associations between motor unit recruitment threshold (RT) and MUCV. Here, we analyse the relation between MUCV and RT for large samples of motor units. Ten healthy volunteers completed a series of isometric ankle dorsiflexions at forces up to 70% of the maximum. Multi-channel surface electromyographic signals recorded from the tibialis anterior muscle were decomposed into single motor unit action potentials, from which the corresponding motor unit RT, MUCV and action potential amplitude were estimated. Established relations between muscle fibre diameter and CV were used to estimate the fibre size. Within individual subjects, the distributions of MUCV and fibre diameters were unimodal and did not show distinct populations. MUCV was strongly correlated with RT (mean (SD) R 2  = 0.7 (0.09), P motor units), which supported the hypothesis that fibre diameter is associated with RT. The results provide further evidence for the relations between motor neurone and muscle fibre properties for large samples of motor units. The proposed methodology for motor unit analysis has also the potential to open new perspectives in the study of chronic and acute neuromuscular adaptations to ageing, training and pathology. © 2017 Scandinavian Physiological Society. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Architecture of vagal motor units controlling striated muscle of esophagus: peripheral elements patterning peristalsis?

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Powley, Terry L; Mittal, Ravinder K; Baronowsky, Elizabeth A; Hudson, Cherie N; Martin, Felecia N; McAdams, Jennifer L; Mason, Jacqueline K; Phillips, Robert J

2013-12-01

Little is known about the architecture of the vagal motor units that control esophageal striated muscle, in spite of the fact that these units are necessary, and responsible, for peristalsis. The present experiment was designed to characterize the motor neuron projection fields and terminal arbors forming esophageal motor units. Nucleus ambiguus compact formation neurons of the rat were labeled by bilateral intracranial injections of the anterograde tracer dextran biotin. After tracer transport, thoracic and abdominal esophagi were removed and prepared as whole mounts of muscle wall without mucosa or submucosa. Labeled terminal arbors of individual vagal motor neurons (n=78) in the esophageal wall were inventoried, digitized and analyzed morphometrically. The size of individual vagal motor units innervating striated muscle, throughout thoracic and abdominal esophagus, averaged 52 endplates per motor neuron, a value indicative of fine motor control. A majority (77%) of the motor terminal arbors also issued one or more collateral branches that contacted neurons, including nitric oxide synthase-positive neurons, of local myenteric ganglia. Individual motor neuron terminal arbors co-innervated, or supplied endplates in tandem to, both longitudinal and circular muscle fibers in roughly similar proportions (i.e., two endplates to longitudinal for every three endplates to circular fibers). Both the observation that vagal motor unit collaterals project to myenteric ganglia and the fact that individual motor units co-innervate longitudinal and circular muscle layers are consistent with the hypothesis that elements contributing to peristaltic programming inhere, or are "hardwired," in the peripheral architecture of esophageal motor units. © 2013.

Triphasic behavioral response of motor units to submaximal fatiguing exercise.

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Dorfman, L J; Howard, J E; McGill, K C

1990-07-01

We have measured the firing rate and amplitude of 4551 motor unit action potentials (MUAPs) recorded with concentric needle electrodes from the brachial biceps muscles of 10 healthy young adults before, during, and after 45 minutes of intermittent isometric exercise at 20% of maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), using an automatic method for decomposition of electromyographic activity (ADEMG). During and after exercise, MUAPs derived from contractions of 30% MVC showed progressive increase in mean firing rate (P less than or equal to .01) and amplitude (P less than or equal to .05). The firing rate increase preceded the rise in mean amplitude, and was evident prior to the development of fatigue, defined as reduction of MVC. Analysis of individual potentials revealed that the increase in firing rate and in amplitude reflected different MUAP subpopulations. A short-term (less than 1 minute) reduction in MUAP firing rates (P less than or equal to .05) was also observed at the onset of each test contraction. These findings suggest that motor units exhibit a triphasic behavioral response to prolonged submaximal exercise: (1) short-term decline and stabilization of onset firing rates, followed by (2) gradual and progressive increase in firing rates and firing variability, and then by (3) recruitment of additional (larger) motor units. The (2) and (3) components presumably compensate for loss of force-generating capacity in the exercising muscle, and give rise jointly to the well-known increase in total surface EMG which accompanies muscle fatigue.

Motor unit potential morphology differences in individuals with non-specific arm pain and lateral epicondylitis

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McLean Linda

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The pathophysiology of non-specific arm pain (NSAP is unclear and the diagnosis is made by excluding other specific upper limb pathologies, such as lateral epicondylitis or cervical radiculopathy. The purpose of this study was to determine: (i if the quantitative parameters related to motor unit potential morphology and/or motor unit firing patterns derived from electromyographic (EMG signals detected from an affected muscle of patients with NSAP are different from those detected in the same muscle of individuals with lateral epicondylitis (LE and/or control subjects and (ii if the quantitative EMG parameters suggest that the underlying pathophysiology in NSAP is either myopathic or neuropathic in nature. Methods Sixteen subjects with NSAP, 11 subjects with LE, eight subjects deemed to be at-risk for developing a repetitive strain injury, and 37 control subjects participated. A quantitative electromyography evaluation was completed using decomposition-based quantitative electromyography (DQEMG. Needle- and surface-detected EMG signals were collected during low-level isometric contractions of the extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB muscle. DQEMG was used to extract needle-detected motor unit potential trains (MUPTs, and needle-detected motor unit potential (MUP and surface detected motor unit potential (SMUP morphology and motor unit (MU firing rates were compared among the four groups using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA. Post hoc analyses were performed using Tukey's pairwise comparisons. Results Significant group differences were found for all MUP variables and for MU firing rate (p p p p p Conclusion The size-related parameters suggest that the NSAP group had significantly smaller MUPs and SMUPs than the control and LE subjects. Smaller MUPs and SMUPs may be indicative of muscle fiber atrophy and/or loss. A prospective study is needed to confirm any causal relationship between smaller MUPs and SMUPs and NSAP as found

Vastus Lateralis Motor Unit Firing Rate Is Higher in Women With Patellofemoral Pain.

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Gallina, Alessio; Hunt, Michael A; Hodges, Paul W; Garland, S Jayne

2018-05-01

To compare neural drive, determined from motor unit firing rate, in the vastus medialis and lateralis in women with and without patellofemoral pain. Cross-sectional study. University research laboratory. Women (N=56) 19 to 35 years of age, including 36 with patellofemoral pain and 20 controls. Not applicable. Participants sustained an isometric knee extension contraction at 10% of their maximal voluntary effort for 70 seconds. Motor units (N=414) were identified using high-density surface electromyography. Average firing rate was calculated between 5 and 35 seconds after recruitment for each motor unit. Initial firing rate was the inverse of the first 3 motor unit interspike intervals. In control participants, vastus medialis motor units discharged at higher rates than vastus lateralis motor units (P=.001). This was not observed in women with patellofemoral pain (P=.78) because of a higher discharge rate of vastus lateralis compared with control participants (P=.002). No between-group differences were observed for vastus medialis (P=.93). Similar results were obtained for the initial motor unit firing rate. These findings suggest that women with patellofemoral pain have a higher neural drive to vastus lateralis but not vastus medialis, which may be a contributor of the altered patellar kinematics observed in some studies. The different neural drive may be an adaptation to patellofemoral pain, possibly to compensate for decreased quadriceps force production, or a precursor of patellofemoral pain. Copyright © 2018 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Motor unit discharge rate in dynamic movements of the aging soleus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kallio, Jouni; Søgaard, Karen; Avela, Janne

2014-01-01

Aging is related to a variety of changes at the muscular level. It seems that the age-related changes in motor unit activation are muscle- and intensity dependent. The purpose of this study was to examine the motor unit discharge rate (MUDR) in both isometric and dynamic contractions of the aging...

Variations in Static Force Control and Motor Unit Behavior with Error Amplification Feedback in the Elderly

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Yi-Ching Chen

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Error amplification (EA feedback is a promising approach to advance visuomotor skill. As error detection and visuomotor processing at short time scales decline with age, this study examined whether older adults could benefit from EA feedback that included higher-frequency information to guide a force-tracking task. Fourteen young and 14 older adults performed low-level static isometric force-tracking with visual guidance of typical visual feedback and EA feedback containing augmented high-frequency errors. Stabilogram diffusion analysis was used to characterize force fluctuation dynamics. Also, the discharge behaviors of motor units and pooled motor unit coherence were assessed following the decomposition of multi-channel surface electromyography (EMG. EA produced different behavioral and neurophysiological impacts on young and older adults. Older adults exhibited inferior task accuracy with EA feedback than with typical visual feedback, but not young adults. Although stabilogram diffusion analysis revealed that EA led to a significant decrease in critical time points for both groups, EA potentiated the critical point of force fluctuations <ΔFc2>, short-term effective diffusion coefficients (Ds, and short-term exponent scaling only for the older adults. Moreover, in older adults, EA added to the size of discharge variability of motor units and discharge regularity of cumulative discharge rate, but suppressed the pooled motor unit coherence in the 13–35 Hz band. Virtual EA alters the strategic balance between open-loop and closed-loop controls for force-tracking. Contrary to expectations, the prevailing use of closed-loop control with EA that contained high-frequency error information enhanced the motor unit discharge variability and undermined the force steadiness in the older group, concerning declines in physiological complexity in the neurobehavioral system and the common drive to the motoneuronal pool against force destabilization.

Recruitment and derecruitment characteristics of motor units in a hand muscle of young and old adults.

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Jesunathadas, Mark; Marmon, Adam R; Gibb, James M; Enoka, Roger M

2010-06-01

The significant decline in motor neuron number after approximately 60 yr of age is accompanied by a remodeling of the neuromuscular system so that average motor unit force increases and the ability of old adults to produce an intended force declines. One possible explanation for the loss of movement precision is that the remodeling increases the difference in recruitment forces between successively recruited motor units in old adults and this augments force variability at motor unit recruitment. The purpose of the study was to compare the forces and discharge characteristics of motor units in a hand muscle of young and old adults at motor unit recruitment and derecruitment. The difference in recruitment force between pairs of motor units did not differ between young (n=54) and old adults (n=56; P=0.702). However, old adults had a greater proportion of contractions in which motor units discharged action potentials transiently before discharging continuously during the ramp increase in force (young: 0.32; old: 0.41; P=0.045). Force variability at motor unit recruitment was greater for old adults compared with young adults (Por=0.729). These results suggest that the difference in force between the recruitment of successive motor units does not differ between age groups, but that motor unit recruitment may be more transient and could contribute to the greater variability in force observed in old adults during graded ramp contractions.

Shifts in the relationship between motor unit recruitment thresholds versus derecruitment thresholds during fatigue.

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Stock, Matt S; Mota, Jacob A

2017-12-01

Muscle fatigue is associated with diminished twitch force amplitude. We examined changes in the motor unit recruitment versus derecruitment threshold relationship during fatigue. Nine men (mean age = 26 years) performed repeated isometric contractions at 50% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) knee extensor force until exhaustion. Surface electromyographic signals were detected from the vastus lateralis, and were decomposed into their constituent motor unit action potential trains. Motor unit recruitment and derecruitment thresholds and firing rates at recruitment and derecruitment were evaluated at the beginning, middle, and end of the protocol. On average, 15 motor units were studied per contraction. For the initial contraction, three subjects showed greater recruitment thresholds than derecruitment thresholds for all motor units. Five subjects showed greater recruitment thresholds than derecruitment thresholds for only low-threshold motor units at the beginning, with a mean cross-over of 31.6% MVC. As the muscle fatigued, many motor units were derecruited at progressively higher forces. In turn, decreased slopes and increased y-intercepts were observed. These shifts were complemented by increased firing rates at derecruitment relative to recruitment. As the vastus lateralis fatigued, the central nervous system's compensatory adjustments resulted in a shift of the regression line of the recruitment versus derecruitment threshold relationship. Copyright © 2017 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

REDUNDANT ELECTRIC MOTOR DRIVE CONTROL UNIT DESIGN USING AUTOMATA-BASED APPROACH

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Yuri Yu. Yankin

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Implementation of redundant unit for motor drive control based on programmable logic devices is discussed. Continuous redundancy method is used. As compared to segregated standby redundancy and whole system standby redundancy, such method provides preservation of all unit functions in case of redundancy and gives the possibility for continuous monitoring of major and redundant elements. Example of that unit is given. Electric motor drive control channel block diagram contains two control units – the major and redundant; it also contains four power supply units. Control units programming was carried out using automata-based approach. Electric motor drive control channel model was developed; it provides complex simulation of control state-machine and power converter. Through visibility and hierarchy of finite state machines debug time was shortened as compared to traditional programming. Control state-machine description using hardware description language is required for its synthesis with FPGA-devices vendor design software. This description was generated automatically by MATLAB software package. To verify results two prototype control units, two prototype power supply units, and device mock-up were developed and manufactured. Units were installed in the device mock-up. Prototype units were created in accordance with requirements claimed to deliverable hardware. Control channel simulation and tests results in the perfect state and during imitation of major element fault are presented. Automata-based approach made it possible to observe and debug control state-machine transitions during simulation of transient processes, occurring at imitation of faults. Results of this work can be used in development of fault tolerant electric motor drive control channels.

Risk assessment analysis of the future technical unit dedicated to the evaluation and treatment of motor disabilities.

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Grelier, S; Thetio, M; Quentin, V; Achache, V; Sanchez, N; Leroux, V; Durand, E; Pequignot, R

2011-03-01

The National Hospital of Saint Maurice (HNSM) for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation aims at strengthening its position as a pivot rehabilitation and physical therapy center. The opening in 2011 of a new unit for the evaluation and treatment of motor disabilities meets this objective. This project includes several parts: clinical, financial, architectural, organizational, applied clinical research as well as dealing with medical equipments and information system. This study focuses on the risk assessment of this future technical unit. This study was conducted by a group of professionals working for the hospital. It started with the design of a functional model to better comprehend the system to be analyzed. Risk assessment consists in confronting this functional model to a list of dangers in order to determine the vulnerable areas of the system. Then the team designed some scenarios to identify the causes, securities barriers and consequences in order to rank the risks. The analysis targeted various dangers, e.g. political, strategic, financial, economical, marketing, clinical and operational. The team identified more than 70 risky scenarios. For 75% of them the criticality level was deemed initially tolerable and under control or unacceptable. The implementation of an action plan for reducing the level of risks before opening this technical unit brought the system down to an acceptable level at 66%. A year prior to opening this technical unit for the evaluation and treatment of motor disabilities, conducting this preliminary risk assessment, with its exhaustive and rigorous methodology, enabled the concerned professionals to work together around an action plan for reducing the risks. 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Respiration-related discharge of hyoglossus muscle motor units in the rat.

Science.gov (United States)

Powell, Gregory L; Rice, Amber; Bennett-Cross, Seres J; Fregosi, Ralph F

2014-01-01

Although respiratory muscle motor units have been studied during natural breathing, simultaneous measures of muscle force have never been obtained. Tongue retractor muscles, such as the hyoglossus (HG), play an important role in swallowing, licking, chewing, breathing, and, in humans, speech. The HG is phasically recruited during the inspiratory phase of the respiratory cycle. Moreover, in urethane anesthetized rats the drive to the HG waxes and wanes spontaneously, providing a unique opportunity to study motor unit firing patterns as the muscle is driven naturally by the central pattern generator for breathing. We recorded tongue retraction force, the whole HG muscle EMG and the activity of 38 HG motor units in spontaneously breathing anesthetized rats under low-force and high-force conditions. Activity in all cases was confined to the inspiratory phase of the respiratory cycle. Changes in the EMG were correlated significantly with corresponding changes in force, with the change in EMG able to predict 53-68% of the force variation. Mean and peak motor unit firing rates were greater under high-force conditions, although the magnitude of discharge rate modulation varied widely across the population. Changes in mean and peak firing rates were significantly correlated with the corresponding changes in force, but the correlations were weak (r(2) = 0.27 and 0.25, respectively). These data indicate that, during spontaneous breathing, recruitment of HG motor units plays a critical role in the control of muscle force, with firing rate modulation playing an important but lesser role.

Condition monitoring of primary coolant pump-motor units of Indian PHWR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rshikesan, P.B.; Sharma, S.S.; Mhetre, S.G.

1994-01-01

As the primary coolant pump motor units are located in shut down accessible area, their start up, satisfactory operation and shut down are monitored from control room. As unavailability of one pump in standardised 220 MWe station reduces the station power to about 110 MWe, satisfactory operation of the pump is also important from economic considerations. All the critical parameters of pump shaft, mechanical seal, bearing system, motor winding and shaft displacement (vibrations) are monitored/recorded to ensure satisfactory operation of critical, capital intensive pump-motor units. (author). 2 tabs., 1 fig

Motor unit firing behaviour of soleus muscle in isometric and dynamic contractions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kallio, Jouni; Søgaard, Karen; Avela, Janne

2013-01-01

Understanding the detailed control of human locomotion and balance can be improved, when individual motor units can be isolated and their firing rates followed in natural movement of large, fuctionally important muscles. For this reason the present study investigated the motor unit discharge rate...

Electrical stimulation of transplanted motoneurons improves motor unit formation

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yang; Grumbles, Robert M.

2014-01-01

Motoneurons die following spinal cord trauma and with neurological disease. Intact axons reinnervate nearby muscle fibers to compensate for the death of motoneurons, but when an entire motoneuron pool dies, there is complete denervation. To reduce denervation atrophy, we have reinnervated muscles in Fisher rats from local transplants of embryonic motoneurons in peripheral nerve. Since growth of axons from embryonic neurons is activity dependent, our aim was to test whether brief electrical stimulation of the neurons immediately after transplantation altered motor unit numbers and muscle properties 10 wk later. All surgical procedures and recordings were done in anesthetized animals. The muscle consequences of motoneuron death were mimicked by unilateral sciatic nerve section. One week later, 200,000 embryonic day 14 and 15 ventral spinal cord cells, purified for motoneurons, were injected into the tibial nerve 10–15 mm from the gastrocnemii muscles as the only neuron source for muscle reinnervation. The cells were stimulated immediately after transplantation for up to 1 h using protocols designed to examine differential effects due to pulse number, stimulation frequency, pattern, and duration. Electrical stimulation that included short rests and lasted for 1 h resulted in higher motor unit counts. Muscles with higher motor unit counts had more reinnervated fibers and were stronger. Denervated muscles had to be stimulated directly to evoke contractions. These results show that brief electrical stimulation of embryonic neurons, in vivo, has long-term effects on motor unit formation and muscle force. This muscle reinnervation provides the opportunity to use patterned electrical stimulation to produce functional movements. PMID:24848463

United Motors narashtshivajet oborotõ / Sergei Kolikov

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Kolikov, Sergei

2007-01-01

BMW ja MINI esindaja Eestis AS United Motors müüs 2006. aastal 697 autot, esialgsetel andmete ületas kompanii käive 450 miljonit krooni, mis on kolmandiku võrra suurem kui 2005. aastal. Kompanii aastatulu oli 15 miljonit krooni

Effects of Barbell Deadlift Training on Submaximal Motor Unit Firing Rates for the Vastus Lateralis and Rectus Femoris

Science.gov (United States)

Stock, Matt S.; Thompson, Brennan J.

2014-01-01

Previous investigations that have studied motor unit firing rates following strength training have been limited to small muscles, isometric training, or interventions involving exercise machines. We examined the effects of ten weeks of supervised barbell deadlift training on motor unit firing rates for the vastus lateralis and rectus femoris during a 50% maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) assessment. Twenty-four previously untrained men (mean age  = 24 years) were randomly assigned to training (n = 15) or control (n = 9) groups. Before and following the intervention, the subjects performed isometric testing of the right knee extensors while bipolar surface electromyographic signals were detected from the two muscles. The signals were decomposed into their constituent motor unit action potential trains, and motor units that demonstrated accuracy levels less than 92.0% were not considered for analysis. One thousand eight hundred ninety-two and 2,013 motor units were examined for the vastus lateralis and rectus femoris, respectively. Regression analyses were used to determine the linear slope coefficients (pulses per second [pps]/% MVC) and y-intercepts (pps) of the mean firing rate and firing rate at recruitment versus recruitment threshold relationships. Deadlift training significantly improved knee extensor MVC force (Cohen's d = .70), but did not influence force steadiness. Training had no influence on the slopes and y-intercepts for the mean firing rate and firing rate at recruitment versus recruitment threshold relationships. In agreement with previous cross-sectional comparisons and randomized control trials, our findings do not support the notion that strength training affects the submaximal control of motor units. PMID:25531294

Effects of barbell deadlift training on submaximal motor unit firing rates for the vastus lateralis and rectus femoris.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matt S Stock

Full Text Available Previous investigations that have studied motor unit firing rates following strength training have been limited to small muscles, isometric training, or interventions involving exercise machines. We examined the effects of ten weeks of supervised barbell deadlift training on motor unit firing rates for the vastus lateralis and rectus femoris during a 50% maximum voluntary contraction (MVC assessment. Twenty-four previously untrained men (mean age  = 24 years were randomly assigned to training (n = 15 or control (n = 9 groups. Before and following the intervention, the subjects performed isometric testing of the right knee extensors while bipolar surface electromyographic signals were detected from the two muscles. The signals were decomposed into their constituent motor unit action potential trains, and motor units that demonstrated accuracy levels less than 92.0% were not considered for analysis. One thousand eight hundred ninety-two and 2,013 motor units were examined for the vastus lateralis and rectus femoris, respectively. Regression analyses were used to determine the linear slope coefficients (pulses per second [pps]/% MVC and y-intercepts (pps of the mean firing rate and firing rate at recruitment versus recruitment threshold relationships. Deadlift training significantly improved knee extensor MVC force (Cohen's d = .70, but did not influence force steadiness. Training had no influence on the slopes and y-intercepts for the mean firing rate and firing rate at recruitment versus recruitment threshold relationships. In agreement with previous cross-sectional comparisons and randomized control trials, our findings do not support the notion that strength training affects the submaximal control of motor units.

Effects of barbell deadlift training on submaximal motor unit firing rates for the vastus lateralis and rectus femoris.

Science.gov (United States)

Stock, Matt S; Thompson, Brennan J

2014-01-01

Previous investigations that have studied motor unit firing rates following strength training have been limited to small muscles, isometric training, or interventions involving exercise machines. We examined the effects of ten weeks of supervised barbell deadlift training on motor unit firing rates for the vastus lateralis and rectus femoris during a 50% maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) assessment. Twenty-four previously untrained men (mean age  = 24 years) were randomly assigned to training (n = 15) or control (n = 9) groups. Before and following the intervention, the subjects performed isometric testing of the right knee extensors while bipolar surface electromyographic signals were detected from the two muscles. The signals were decomposed into their constituent motor unit action potential trains, and motor units that demonstrated accuracy levels less than 92.0% were not considered for analysis. One thousand eight hundred ninety-two and 2,013 motor units were examined for the vastus lateralis and rectus femoris, respectively. Regression analyses were used to determine the linear slope coefficients (pulses per second [pps]/% MVC) and y-intercepts (pps) of the mean firing rate and firing rate at recruitment versus recruitment threshold relationships. Deadlift training significantly improved knee extensor MVC force (Cohen's d = .70), but did not influence force steadiness. Training had no influence on the slopes and y-intercepts for the mean firing rate and firing rate at recruitment versus recruitment threshold relationships. In agreement with previous cross-sectional comparisons and randomized control trials, our findings do not support the notion that strength training affects the submaximal control of motor units.

Similar alteration of motor unit recruitment strategies during the anticipation and experience of pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Tucker, Kylie; Larsson, Anna-Karin; Oknelid, Stina; Hodges, Paul

2012-03-01

A motor unit consists of a motoneurone and the multiple muscle fibres that it innervates, and forms the final neural pathway that influences movement. Discharge of motor units is altered (decreased discharge rate and/or cessation of firing; and increased discharge rate and/or recruitment of new units) during matched-force contractions with pain. This is thought to be mediated by nociceptive (pain) input on motoneurones, as demonstrated in animal studies. It is also possible that motoneurone excitability is altered by pain related descending inputs, that these changes persist after noxious stimuli cease, and that direct nociceptive input is not necessary to induce pain related changes in movement. We aimed to determine whether anticipation of pain (descending pain related inputs without nociceptor discharge) alters motor unit discharge, and to observe motor unit discharge recovery after pain has ceased. Motor unit discharge was recorded with fine-wire electrodes in the quadriceps of 9 volunteers. Subjects matched isometric knee-extension force during anticipation of pain (anticipation: electrical shocks randomly applied over the infrapatellar fat-pad); pain (hypertonic saline injected into the fat-pad); and 3 intervening control conditions. Discharge rate of motor units decreased during pain (Precruitment of 1 population of units and new recruitment of another population were observed during both anticipation and pain; some changes in motor unit recruitment persisted after pain ceased. This challenges the fundamental theory that pain-related changes in muscle activity result from direct nociceptor discharge, and provides a mechanism that may underlie long-term changes in movement/chronicity in some musculoskeletal conditions. Copyright © 2011 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Motor unit recruitment and bursts of activity in the surface electromyogram during a sustained contraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Riley, Zachary A; Terry, Mary E; Mendez-Villanueva, Alberto; Litsey, Jane C; Enoka, Roger M

2008-06-01

Bursts of activity in the surface electromyogram (EMG) during a sustained contraction have been interpreted as corresponding to the transient recruitment of motor units, but this association has never been confirmed. The current study compared the timing of trains of action potentials discharged by single motor units during a sustained contraction with the bursts of activity detected in the surface EMG signal. The 20 motor units from 6 subjects [recruitment threshold, 35.3 +/- 11.3% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) force] that were detected with fine wire electrodes discharged 2-9 trains of action potentials (7.2 +/- 5.6 s in duration) when recruited during a contraction that was sustained at a force below its recruitment threshold (target force, 25.4 +/- 10.6% MVC force). High-pass filtering the bipolar surface EMG signal improved its correlation with the single motor unit signal. An algorithm applied to the surface EMG was able to detect 75% of the trains of motor unit action potentials. The results indicate that bursts of activity in the surface EMG during a constant-force contraction correspond to the transient recruitment of higher-threshold motor units in healthy individuals, and these results could assist in the diagnosis and design of treatment in individuals who demonstrate deficits in motor unit activation.

Firing patterns of spontaneously active motor units in spinal cord-injured subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Zijdewind, Inge; Thomas, Christine K

2012-04-01

Involuntary motor unit activity at low rates is common in hand muscles paralysed by spinal cord injury. Our aim was to describe these patterns of motor unit behaviour in relation to motoneurone and motor unit properties. Intramuscular electromyographic activity (EMG), surface EMG and force were recorded for 30 min from thenar muscles of nine men with chronic cervical SCI. Motor units fired for sustained periods (>10 min) at regular (coefficient of variation ≤ 0.15, CV, n =19 units) or irregular intervals (CV>0.15, n =14). Regularly firing units started and stopped firing independently suggesting that intrinsic motoneurone properties were important for recruitment and derecruitment. Recruitment (3.6 Hz, SD 1.2), maximal (10.2 Hz, SD 2.3, range: 7.5-15.4 Hz) and derecruitment frequencies were low (3.3 Hz, SD 1.6), as were firing rate increases after recruitment (~20 intervals in 3 s). Once active, firing often covaried, promoting the idea that units received common inputs.Half of the regularly firing units showed a very slow decline (>40 s) in discharge before derecruitment and had interspike intervals longer than their estimated after hyperpolarisation potential (AHP) duration (estimated by death rate and breakpoint analyses). The other units were derecruited more abruptly and had shorter estimated AHP durations. Overall, regularly firing units had longer estimated AHP durations and were weaker than irregularly firing units, suggesting they were lower threshold units. Sustained firing of units at regular rates may reflect activation of persistent inward currents, visible here in the absence of voluntary drive, whereas irregularly firing units may only respond to synaptic noise.

49 CFR 565.24 - Motor vehicles imported into the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Motor vehicles imported into the United States...) REQUIREMENTS Alternative VIN Requirements In Effect for Limited Period § 565.24 Motor vehicles imported into... motor vehicle. (b) A passenger car certified by a Registered Importer under 49 CFR part 592 shall have a...

Relationships between motor unit size and recruitment threshold in older adults: implications for size principle.

Science.gov (United States)

Fling, Brett W; Knight, Christopher A; Kamen, Gary

2009-08-01

As a part of the aging process, motor unit reorganization occurs in which small motoneurons reinnervate predominantly fast-twitch muscle fibers that have lost their innervation. We examined the relationship between motor unit size and the threshold force for recruitment in two muscles to determine whether older individuals might develop an alternative pattern of motor unit activation. Young and older adults performed isometric contractions ranging from 0 to 50% of maximal voluntary contraction in both the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles. Muscle fiber action potentials were recorded with an intramuscular needle electrode and motor unit size was computed using spike-triggered averaging of the global EMG signal (macro EMG), which was also obtained from the intramuscular needle electrode. As expected, older individuals exhibited larger motor units than young subjects in both the FDI and the TA. However, moderately strong correlations were obtained for the macro EMG amplitude versus recruitment threshold relationship in both the young and older adults within both muscles, suggesting that the size principle of motor unit recruitment seems to be preserved in older adults.

Quantitative motor unit action potential analysis of supraspinatus, infraspinatus, deltoideus and biceps femoris muscles in adult Royal Dutch sport horses.

Science.gov (United States)

Jose-Cunilleras, E; Wijnberg, I D

2016-03-01

Reference values for quantitative electromyography (QEMG) in shoulder and hindlimb muscles of horses are limited. To determine normative data on QEMG analysis of supraspinatus (SS), infraspinatus (IS), deltoideus (DT) and biceps femoris (BF) muscles. Experimental observational study and retrospective case series. Seven adult healthy Royal Dutch sport horses underwent quantitative motor unit action potential analysis of each muscle using commercial electromyography equipment. Measurements were made according to published methods. One-way ANOVA was used to compare quantitative motor unit action potential variables between muscles, with post hoc testing according to Bonferroni, with significance set at Paction potential were 8.7-10.4 ms, 651-867 μV, 3.2-3.7, 3.7-4.7, 1054-1457 μV·ms and 1.1-1.5 for SS, 9.6-11.0 ms, 779-1082 μV, 3.3-3.7, 3.8-4.7, 1349-2204 μV·ms and 1.4-1.9 for IS, 6.0-9.1 ms, 370-691 μV, 2.9-3.7, 2.8-4.5, 380-1374 μV·ms and 0.3-1.3 for DT and 5.7-7.8 ms, 265-385 μV, 2.7-3.2, 2.6-3.1, 296-484 μV·ms and 0.2-0.5 for BF, respectively. Mean duration, amplitude, number of phases and turns, area and size index were significantly (P15% polyphasic motor unit action potentials in SS and IS muscles. Differences between muscles should be taken into account when performing QEMG in order to be able to distinguish normal horses from horses with suspected neurogenic or myogenic disorders. These normal data provide the basis for objective QEMG assessment of shoulder and hindlimb muscles. Quantitative electromyography appears to be helpful in diagnosing neuropathies and discriminating these from myopathies. © 2015 EVJ Ltd.

Speed of the bacterial flagellar motor near zero load depends on the number of stator units.

Science.gov (United States)

Nord, Ashley L; Sowa, Yoshiyuki; Steel, Bradley C; Lo, Chien-Jung; Berry, Richard M

2017-10-31

The bacterial flagellar motor (BFM) rotates hundreds of times per second to propel bacteria driven by an electrochemical ion gradient. The motor consists of a rotor 50 nm in diameter surrounded by up to 11 ion-conducting stator units, which exchange between motors and a membrane-bound pool. Measurements of the torque-speed relationship guide the development of models of the motor mechanism. In contrast to previous reports that speed near zero torque is independent of the number of stator units, we observe multiple speeds that we attribute to different numbers of units near zero torque in both Na + - and H + -driven motors. We measure the full torque-speed relationship of one and two H + units in Escherichia coli by selecting the number of H + units and controlling the number of Na + units in hybrid motors. These experiments confirm that speed near zero torque in H + -driven motors increases with the stator number. We also measured 75 torque-speed curves for Na + -driven chimeric motors at different ion-motive force and stator number. Torque and speed were proportional to ion-motive force and number of stator units at all loads, allowing all 77 measured torque-speed curves to be collapsed onto a single curve by simple rescaling. Published under the PNAS license.

Load type influences motor unit recruitment in biceps brachii during a sustained contraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Baudry, Stéphane; Rudroff, Thorsten; Pierpoint, Lauren A; Enoka, Roger M

2009-09-01

Twenty subjects participated in four experiments designed to compare time to task failure and motor-unit recruitment threshold during contractions sustained at 15% of maximum as the elbow flexor muscles either supported an inertial load (position task) or exerted an equivalent constant torque against a rigid restraint (force task). Subcutaneous branched bipolar electrodes were used to record single motor unit activity from the biceps brachii muscle during ramp contractions performed before and at 50 and 90% of the time to failure for the position task during both fatiguing contractions. The time to task failure was briefer for the position task than for the force task (P=0.0002). Thirty and 29 motor units were isolated during the force and position tasks, respectively. The recruitment threshold declined by 48 and 30% (P=0.0001) during the position task for motor units with an initial recruitment threshold below and above the target force, respectively, whereas no significant change in recruitment threshold was observed during the force task. Changes in recruitment threshold were associated with a decrease in the mean discharge rate (-16%), an increase in discharge rate variability (+40%), and a prolongation of the first two interspike intervals (+29 and +13%). These data indicate that there were faster changes in motor unit recruitment and rate coding during the position task than the force task despite a similar net muscle torque during both tasks. Moreover, the results suggest that the differential synaptic input observed during the position task influences most of the motor unit pool.

Human spinal cord injury : motor unit properties and behaviour

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Thomas, C. K.; Bakels, R.; Klein, C. S.; Zijdewind, I.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in widespread variation in muscle function. Review of motor unit data shows that changes in the amount and balance of excitatory and inhibitory inputs after SCI alter management of motoneurons. Not only are units recruited up to higher than usual relative forces when

Non-stationarity and power spectral shifts in EMG activity reflect motor unit recruitment in rat diaphragm muscle.

Science.gov (United States)

Seven, Yasin B; Mantilla, Carlos B; Zhan, Wen-Zhi; Sieck, Gary C

2013-01-15

We hypothesized that a shift in diaphragm muscle (DIAm) EMG power spectral density (PSD) to higher frequencies reflects recruitment of more fatigable fast-twitch motor units and motor unit recruitment is reflected by EMG non-stationarity. DIAm EMG was recorded in anesthetized rats during eupnea, hypoxia-hypercapnia (10% O(2)-5% CO(2)), airway occlusion, and sneezing (maximal DIAm force). Although power in all frequency bands increased progressively across motor behaviors, PSD centroid frequency increased only during sneezing (pmotor units were recruited during different motor behaviors. Motor units augmented their discharge frequencies progressively beyond the non-stationary period; yet, EMG signal became stationary. In conclusion, non-stationarity of DIAm EMG reflects the period of motor unit recruitment, while a shift in the PSD towards higher frequencies reflects recruitment of more fatigable fast-twitch motor units. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ia Afferent input alters the recruitment thresholds and firing rates of single human motor units.

Science.gov (United States)

Grande, G; Cafarelli, E

2003-06-01

Vibration of the patellar tendon recruits motor units in the knee extensors via excitation of muscle spindles and subsequent Ia afferent input to the alpha-motoneuron pool. Our first purpose was to determine if the recruitment threshold and firing rate of the same motor unit differed when recruited involuntarily via reflex or voluntarily via descending spinal pathways. Although Ia input is excitatory to the alpha-motoneuron pool, it has also been shown paradoxically to inhibit itself. Our second purpose was to determine if vibration of the patellar tendon during a voluntary knee extension causes a change in the firing rate of already recruited motor units. In the first protocol, 10 subjects voluntarily reproduced the same isometric force profile of the knee extensors that was elicited by vibration of the patellar tendon. Single motor unit recordings from the vastus lateralis (VL) were obtained with tungsten microelectrodes and unitary behaviour was examined during both reflex and voluntary knee extensions. Recordings from 135 single motor units showed that both recruitment thresholds and firing rates were lower during reflex contractions. In the second protocol, 7 subjects maintained a voluntary knee extension at 30 N for approximately 40-45 s. Three bursts of patellar tendon vibration were superimposed at regular intervals throughout the contraction and changes in the firing rate of already recruited motor units were examined. A total of 35 motor units were recorded and each burst of superimposed vibration caused a momentary reduction in the firing rates and recruitment of additional units. Our data provide evidence that Ia input modulates the recruitment thresholds and firing rates of motor units providing more flexibility within the neuromuscular system to grade force at low levels of force production.

High-threshold motor unit firing reflects force recovery following a bout of damaging eccentric exercise.

Science.gov (United States)

Macgregor, Lewis J; Hunter, Angus M

2018-01-01

Exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) is associated with impaired muscle function and reduced neuromuscular recruitment. However, motor unit firing behaviour throughout the recovery period is unclear. EIMD impairment of maximal voluntary force (MVC) will, in part, be caused by reduced high-threshold motor unit firing, which will subsequently increase to recover MVC. Fourteen healthy active males completed a bout of eccentric exercise on the knee extensors, with measurements of MVC, rate of torque development and surface electromyography performed pre-exercise and 2, 3, 7 and 14 days post-exercise, on both damaged and control limb. EIMD was associated with decreased MVC (235.2 ± 49.3 Nm vs. 161.3 ± 52.5 Nm; p exercise. Mean motor unit firing rate was reduced (16.4 ± 2.2 Hz vs. 12.6 ± 1.7 Hz; p motor units only, 48h post-exercise, and common drive was elevated (0.36 ± 0.027 vs. 0.56 ± 0.032; pexercise. The firing rate of high-threshold motor units was reduced in parallel with impaired muscle function, whilst early recruited motor units remained unaltered. Common drive of motor units increased in offset to the firing rate impairment. These alterations correlated with the recovery of force decrement, but not of pain elevation. This study provides fresh insight into the central mechanisms associated with EIMD recovery, relative to muscle function. These findings may in turn lead to development of novel management and preventative procedures.

Innervation zones of fasciculating motor units: observations by a linear electrode array.

Science.gov (United States)

Jahanmiri-Nezhad, Faezeh; Barkhaus, Paul E; Rymer, William Z; Zhou, Ping

2015-01-01

This study examines the innervation zone (IZ) in the biceps brachii muscle in healthy subjects and those with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) using a 20-channel linear electromyogram (EMG) electrode array. Raster plots of individual waveform potentials were studied to estimate the motor unit IZ. While this work mainly focused on fasciculation potentials (FPs), a limited number of motor unit potentials (MUPs) from voluntary activity of 12 healthy and seven ALS subjects were also examined. Abnormal propagation of MUPs and scattered IZs were observed in fasciculating units, compared with voluntarily activated MUPs in healthy and ALS subjects. These findings can be related to muscle fiber reinnervation following motor neuron degeneration in ALS and the different origin sites of FPs compared with voluntary MUPs.

Recruitment order of motor units in human vastus lateralis muscle is maintained during fatiguing contractions.

Science.gov (United States)

Adam, Alexander; De Luca, Carlo J

2003-11-01

Motor-unit firing patterns were studied in the vastus lateralis muscle of five healthy young men [21.4 +/- 0.9 (SD) yr] during a series of isometric knee extensions performed to exhaustion. Each contraction was held at a constant torque level, set to 20% of the maximal voluntary contraction at the beginning of the experiment. Electromyographic signals, recorded via a quadrifilar fine wire electrode, were processed with the precision decomposition technique to identify the firing times of individual motor units. In repeat experiments, whole-muscle mechanical properties were measured during the fatigue protocol using electrical stimulation. The main findings were a monotonic decrease in the recruitment threshold of all motor units and the progressive recruitment of new units, all without a change of the recruitment order. Motor units from the same subject showed a similar time course of threshold decline, but this decline varied among subjects (mean threshold decrease ranged from 23 to 73%). The mean threshold decline was linearly correlated (R2 >or= 0.96) with a decline in the elicited peak tetanic torque. In summary, the maintenance of recruitment order during fatigue strongly supports the notion that the observed common recruitment adaptations were a direct consequence of an increased excitatory drive to the motor unit pool. It is suggested that the increased central drive was necessary to compensate for the loss in force output from motor units whose muscle fibers were actively contracting. We therefore conclude that the control scheme of motor-unit recruitment remains invariant during fatigue at least in relatively large muscles performing submaximal isometric contractions.

Acute effects of dynamic exercises on the relationship between the motor unit firing rate and the recruitment threshold.

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Xin; Beck, Travis W; DeFreitas, Jason M; Wages, Nathan P

2015-04-01

The aim of this study was to compare the acute effects of concentric versus eccentric exercise on motor control strategies. Fifteen men performed six sets of 10 repetitions of maximal concentric exercises or eccentric isokinetic exercises with their dominant elbow flexors on separate experimental visits. Before and after the exercise, maximal strength testing and submaximal trapezoid isometric contractions (40% of the maximal force) were performed. Both exercise conditions caused significant strength loss in the elbow flexors, but the loss was greater following the eccentric exercise (t=2.401, P=.031). The surface electromyographic signals obtained from the submaximal trapezoid isometric contractions were decomposed into individual motor unit action potential trains. For each submaximal trapezoid isometric contraction, the relationship between the average motor unit firing rate and the recruitment threshold was examined using linear regression analysis. In contrast to the concentric exercise, which did not cause significant changes in the mean linear slope coefficient and y-intercept of the linear regression line, the eccentric exercise resulted in a lower mean linear slope and an increased mean y-intercept, thereby indicating that increasing the firing rates of low-threshold motor units may be more important than recruiting high-threshold motor units to compensate for eccentric exercise-induced strength loss. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessment of the integrity and functional requirement of moderator pump-motor units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soni, R.S.; Chawla, D.S.; Dutta, B.K.; Kushwaha, H.S.; Mahajan, S.C.; Kakodkar, A.

1995-01-01

The design of various active components in a nuclear power plant calls for a satisfactory analysis of these components for various loadings from the point of view of safety because a designated number of these components must always remain functional. Presented herein is the structural and seismic qualification of one the active components namely the moderator system pump-motor units for a typical PHWR. (author). 5 refs., 8 figs

A nerve stimulation method to selectively recruit smaller motor-units in rat skeletal muscle

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Bolhuis, A.I.; Holsheimer, J.; Savelsberg, H.H.C.M.

2001-01-01

Electrical stimulation of peripheral nerve results in a motor-unit recruitment order opposite to that attained by natural neural control, i.e. from large, fast-fatiguing to progressively smaller, fatigue-resistant motor-units. Yet animal studies involving physiological exercise protocols of low

Do Additional Inputs Change Maximal Voluntary Motor Unit Firing Rates After Spinal Cord Injury?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zijdewind, Inge; Gant, Katie; Bakels, Rob; Thomas, Christine K.

Background. Motor unit firing frequencies are low during maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs) of human thenar muscles impaired by cervical spinal cord injury (SCI). Objective. This study aimed to examine whether thenar motor unit firing frequencies increase when driven by both maximal voluntary

Fatigue-related changes in motor-unit synchronization of quadriceps muscles within and across legs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boonstra, T.W.; Daffertshofer, A.; van Ditshuizen, J.C.; van den Heuvel, M.R.C.; Hofman, C.; Willigenburg, N.W.; Beek, P.J.

2008-01-01

Two experiments were conducted to examine effects of muscle fatigue on motor-unit synchronization of quadriceps muscles (rectus femoris, vastus medialis, vastus lateralis) within and between legs. We expected muscle fatigue to result in an increased common drive to different motor units of

High-threshold motor unit firing reflects force recovery following a bout of damaging eccentric exercise

Science.gov (United States)

Macgregor, Lewis J.

2018-01-01

Exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) is associated with impaired muscle function and reduced neuromuscular recruitment. However, motor unit firing behaviour throughout the recovery period is unclear. EIMD impairment of maximal voluntary force (MVC) will, in part, be caused by reduced high-threshold motor unit firing, which will subsequently increase to recover MVC. Fourteen healthy active males completed a bout of eccentric exercise on the knee extensors, with measurements of MVC, rate of torque development and surface electromyography performed pre-exercise and 2, 3, 7 and 14 days post-exercise, on both damaged and control limb. EIMD was associated with decreased MVC (235.2 ± 49.3 Nm vs. 161.3 ± 52.5 Nm; p motor unit firing rate was reduced (16.4 ± 2.2 Hz vs. 12.6 ± 1.7 Hz; p motor units only, 48h post-exercise, and common drive was elevated (0.36 ± 0.027 vs. 0.56 ± 0.032; pmotor units was reduced in parallel with impaired muscle function, whilst early recruited motor units remained unaltered. Common drive of motor units increased in offset to the firing rate impairment. These alterations correlated with the recovery of force decrement, but not of pain elevation. This study provides fresh insight into the central mechanisms associated with EIMD recovery, relative to muscle function. These findings may in turn lead to development of novel management and preventative procedures. PMID:29630622

[Clinico-electromyographic evaluation of the state of motor units of the hand muscles replanted after traumatic amputation].

Science.gov (United States)

Rezkov, G I

1991-01-01

Needle electromyography was used to study motor units of the muscles leading away the thumb and little finger, replanted after traumatic amputation of the large segment of the upper limb in 34 patients. A direct relationship was discovered between the time of the appearance of action potentials of motor units (PMU), recovery of the movements, and trauma level. The appearance of clear PMU associated with movement recovery was recorded not earlier than 6-7 months after trauma. Analysis of PMU is a reliable criterion for the recovery of the own movements of the muscles and function of the neuromotor apparatus in patients with the replanted upper limb segment.

Characteristics of the Motor Units during Sternocleidomastoid Isometric Flexion among Patients with Mechanical Neck Disorder and Asymptomatic Individuals.

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Chia-Chi Yang

Full Text Available Mechanical neck disorder is a widespread and non-neurological musculoskeletal condition resulting from modern lifestyles. Presently, the fundamental electrophysiological properties of the motor units of the sternocleidomastoid muscles and the characteristics of the short-term synchronization of the motor unit in patients with neck pain are ambiguous. This study therefore aims to clarify the fundamental electrophysiological properties of the motor units of the sternocleidomastoid muscles in patients with mechanical neck disorder and in asymptomatic individuals. We further investigated whether alterations in the degree of motor unit short-term synchronization occur. The surface electrophysiological signals of the bilateral sternal heads of the sternocleidomastoid muscles of twelve patients with mechanical neck disorder and asymptomatic individuals were detected at 25% of the maximum voluntary contraction during cervical isometric flexion and then decomposed into individual motor unit action potential trains. We found that the patients with mechanical neck disorder showed significantly higher initial and mean firing rates of the sternocleidomastoid muscles and displayed substantially lower motor unit short-term synchronization values compared with the asymptomatic subjects. Consequently, these convincing findings support the assertion that patients with mechanical neck disorder display altered neuromuscular control strategies, such as the reinforcement of motor unit recruitment firing rates in the sternocleidomastoid muscles. The motor units of these patients also revealed neural recruitment strategies with relatively poor efficiency when executing the required motor tasks.

Characteristics of the Motor Units during Sternocleidomastoid Isometric Flexion among Patients with Mechanical Neck Disorder and Asymptomatic Individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Chia-Chi; Su, Fong-Chin; Yang, Po-Ching; Lin, Hwai-Ting; Guo, Lan-Yuen

2016-01-01

Mechanical neck disorder is a widespread and non-neurological musculoskeletal condition resulting from modern lifestyles. Presently, the fundamental electrophysiological properties of the motor units of the sternocleidomastoid muscles and the characteristics of the short-term synchronization of the motor unit in patients with neck pain are ambiguous. This study therefore aims to clarify the fundamental electrophysiological properties of the motor units of the sternocleidomastoid muscles in patients with mechanical neck disorder and in asymptomatic individuals. We further investigated whether alterations in the degree of motor unit short-term synchronization occur. The surface electrophysiological signals of the bilateral sternal heads of the sternocleidomastoid muscles of twelve patients with mechanical neck disorder and asymptomatic individuals were detected at 25% of the maximum voluntary contraction during cervical isometric flexion and then decomposed into individual motor unit action potential trains. We found that the patients with mechanical neck disorder showed significantly higher initial and mean firing rates of the sternocleidomastoid muscles and displayed substantially lower motor unit short-term synchronization values compared with the asymptomatic subjects. Consequently, these convincing findings support the assertion that patients with mechanical neck disorder display altered neuromuscular control strategies, such as the reinforcement of motor unit recruitment firing rates in the sternocleidomastoid muscles. The motor units of these patients also revealed neural recruitment strategies with relatively poor efficiency when executing the required motor tasks.

A nerve stimulation method to selectively recruit smaller motor-units in rat skeletal muscle.

Science.gov (United States)

van Bolhuis, A I; Holsheimer, J; Savelberg, H H

2001-05-30

Electrical stimulation of peripheral nerve results in a motor-unit recruitment order opposite to that attained by natural neural control, i.e. from large, fast-fatiguing to progressively smaller, fatigue-resistant motor-units. Yet animal studies involving physiological exercise protocols of low intensity and long duration require minimal fatigue. The present study sought to apply a nerve stimulation method to selectively recruit smaller motor-units in rat skeletal muscle. Two pulse generators were used, independently supplying short supramaximal cathodal stimulating pulses (0.5 ms) and long subthreshold cathodal inactivating pulses (1.5 s) to the sciatic nerve. Propagation of action potentials was selectively blocked in nerve fibres of different diameter by adjusting the strength of the inactivating current. A tensile-testing machine was used to gauge isometric muscle force of the plantaris and both heads of the gastrocnemius muscle. The order of motor-unit recruitment was estimated from twitch characteristics, i.e. peak force and relaxation time. The results showed prolonged relaxation at lower twitch peak forces as the intensity of the inactivating current increased, indicating a reduction of the number of large motor-units to force production. It is shown that the nerve stimulation method described is effective in mimicking physiological muscle control.

Reduced firing rates of high threshold motor units in response to eccentric overload.

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Balshaw, Tom G; Pahar, Madhu; Chesham, Ross; Macgregor, Lewis J; Hunter, Angus M

2017-01-01

Acute responses of motor units were investigated during submaximal voluntary isometric tasks following eccentric overload (EO) and constant load (CL) knee extension resistance exercise. Ten healthy resistance-trained participants performed four experimental test sessions separated by 5 days over a 20 day period. Two sessions involved constant load and the other two used eccentric overload. EO and CL used both sessions for different target knee eccentric extension phases; one at 2 sec and the other at 4 sec. Maximal voluntary contractions (MVC) and isometric trapezoid efforts for 10 sec at 70% MVC were completed before and after each intervention and decomposed electromyography was used to measure motor unit firing rate. The firing rate of later recruited, high-threshold motor units declined following the 2-sec EO but was maintained following 2sec CL (P motor units were maintained for both loading types following 4-sec extension phases. MVC and rate of force development where maintained following both EO and CL and 2 and 4 sec phases. This study demonstrates a slower firing rate of high-threshold motor units following fast eccentric overload while MVC was maintained. This suggests that there was a neuromuscular stimulus without cost to the force-generating capacity of the knee extensors. © 2017 The Authors. Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Physiological Society and the American Physiological Society.

Synchronization of lower limb motor unit activity during walking in human subjects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Naja L; Hansen, S; Christensen, L. O. D.

2001-01-01

lateralis and medialis of quadriceps), but not or rarely for paired recordings from ankle and knee muscles. The data demonstrate that human motor units within a muscle as well as synergistic muscles acting on the same joint receive a common synaptic drive during human gait. It is speculated that the common...... drive responsible for the motor unit synchronization during gait may be similar to that responsible for short-term synchronization during tonic voluntary contraction....

Changes in time and frequency related aspects of motor unit action potentials during fatigue

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wallinga, W.; Bouwens, Jeroen S.; Baten, Christian T.M.

1996-01-01

During fatigue the shape of motor unit action potentials (MUAPs) change. Characteristics of the MUAPs described before concern several time related aspects. No attention has been given to the frequency spectrum changes of MUAPS. The median frequency of MUAPS has now been determined for motor units

Discharge properties of motor units during steady isometric contractions performed with the dorsiflexor muscles.

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Jesunathadas, Mark; Klass, Malgorzata; Duchateau, Jacques; Enoka, Roger M

2012-06-01

The purpose of this study was to record the discharge characteristics of tibialis anterior motor units over a range of target forces and to import these data, along with previously reported observations, into a computational model to compare experimental and simulated measures of torque variability during isometric contractions with the dorsiflexor muscles. The discharge characteristics of 44 motor units were quantified during brief isometric contractions at torques that ranged from recruitment threshold to an average of 22 ± 14.4% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) torque above recruitment threshold. The minimal [range: 5.8-19.8 pulses per second (pps)] and peak (range: 8.6-37.5 pps) discharge rates of motor units were positively related to the recruitment threshold torque (R(2) ≥ 0.266; P recruitment was positively associated with recruitment threshold torque (R(2) = 0.443; P recruitment threshold torque. The variability in the simulated torque did not differ from the experimental values once the recruitment range was set to ∼85% MVC torque, and the association between motor twitch contraction times and peak twitch torque was defined as a weak linear association (R(2) = 0.096; P motor units in the tibialis anterior.

Characterization of motor units in behaving adult mice shows a wide primary range.

Science.gov (United States)

Ritter, Laura K; Tresch, Matthew C; Heckman, C J; Manuel, Marin; Tysseling, Vicki M

2014-08-01

The mouse is essential for genetic studies of motor function in both normal and pathological states. Thus it is important to consider whether the structure of motor output from the mouse is in fact analogous to that recorded in other animals. There is a striking difference in the basic electrical properties of mouse motoneurons compared with those in rats, cats, and humans. The firing evoked by injected currents produces a unique frequency-current (F-I) function that emphasizes recruitment of motor units at their maximum force. These F-I functions, however, were measured in anesthetized preparations that lacked two key components of normal synaptic input: high levels of synaptic noise and neuromodulatory inputs. Recent studies suggest that the alterations in the F-I function due to these two components are essential for recreating firing behavior of motor units in human subjects. In this study we provide the first data on firing patterns of motor units in the awake mouse, focusing on steady output in quiet stance. The resulting firing patterns did not match the predictions from the mouse F-I behaviors but instead revealed rate modulation across a remarkably wide range (10-60 Hz). The low end of the firing range may be due to changes in the F-I relation induced by synaptic noise and neuromodulatory inputs. The high end of the range may indicate that, unlike other species, quiet standing in the mouse involves recruitment of relatively fast-twitch motor units. Copyright © 2014 the American Physiological Society.

Motor unit recruitment during neuromuscular electrical stimulation: a critical appraisal.

Science.gov (United States)

Bickel, C Scott; Gregory, Chris M; Dean, Jesse C

2011-10-01

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is commonly used in clinical settings to activate skeletal muscle in an effort to mimic voluntary contractions and enhance the rehabilitation of human skeletal muscles. It is also used as a tool in research to assess muscle performance and/or neuromuscular activation levels. However, there are fundamental differences between voluntary- and artificial-activation of motor units that need to be appreciated before NMES protocol design can be most effective. The unique effects of NMES have been attributed to several mechanisms, most notably, a reversal of the voluntary recruitment pattern that is known to occur during voluntary muscle contractions. This review outlines the assertion that electrical stimulation recruits motor units in a nonselective, spatially fixed, and temporally synchronous pattern. Additionally, it synthesizes the evidence that supports the contention that this recruitment pattern contributes to increased muscle fatigue when compared with voluntary actions and provides some commentary on the parameters of electrical stimulation as well as emerging technologies being developed to facilitate NMES implementation. A greater understanding of how electrical stimulation recruits motor units, as well as the benefits and limitations of its use, is highly relevant when using this tool for testing and training in rehabilitation, exercise, and/or research.

Effects of fatigue on motor unit firing rate versus recruitment threshold relationships.

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Stock, Matt S; Beck, Travis W; Defreitas, Jason M

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of fatigue on the average firing rate versus recruitment threshold relationships for the vastus lateralis (VL) and vastus medialis. Nineteen subjects performed ten maximum voluntary contractions of the dominant leg extensors. Before and after this fatiguing protocol, the subjects performed a trapezoid isometric muscle action of the leg extensors, and bipolar surface electromyographic signals were detected from both muscles. These signals were then decomposed into individual motor unit action potential trains. For each subject and muscle, the relationship between average firing rate and recruitment threshold was examined using linear regression analyses. For the VL, the linear slope coefficients and y-intercepts for these relationships increased and decreased, respectively, after fatigue. For both muscles, many of the motor units decreased their firing rates. With fatigue, recruitment of higher threshold motor units resulted in an increase in slope for the VL. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Fluctuations in isometric muscle force can be described by one linear projection of low-frequency components of motor unit discharge rates.

Science.gov (United States)

Negro, Francesco; Holobar, Ales; Farina, Dario

2009-12-15

The aim of the study was to investigate the relation between linear transformations of motor unit discharge rates and muscle force. Intramuscular (wire electrodes) and high-density surface EMG (13 x 5 electrode grid) were recorded from the abductor digiti minimi muscle of eight healthy men during 60 s contractions at 5%, 7.5% and 10% of the maximal force. Spike trains of a total of 222 motor units were identified from the EMG recordings with decomposition algorithms. Principal component analysis of the smoothed motor unit discharge rates indicated that one component (first common component, FCC) described 44.2 +/- 7.5% of the total variability of the smoothed discharge rates when computed over the entire contraction interval and 64.3 +/- 10.2% of the variability when computed over 5 s intervals. When the FCC was computed from four or more motor units per contraction, it correlated with the force produced by the muscle (62.7 +/- 10.1%) by a greater degree (P FCC and the force signal increased up to 71.8 +/- 13.1% when the duration and the shape of the smoothing window for discharge rates were similar to the average motor unit twitch force. Moreover, the coefficients of variation (CoV) for the force and for the FCC signal were correlated in all subjects (R(2) range = 0.14-0.56; P measures on the tibialis anterior muscle of an additional eight subjects during contractions at forces up to 20% of the maximal force (e.g. FCC explained 59.8 +/- 11.0% of variability of the smoothed discharge rates). In conclusion, one signal captures most of the underlying variability of the low-frequency components of motor unit discharge rates and explains large part of the fluctuations in the motor output during isometric contractions.

Recruitment of single human low-threshold motor units with increasing loads at different muscle lengths.

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McNulty, P A; Cresswell, A G

2004-06-01

We investigated the recruitment behaviour of low threshold motor units in flexor digitorum superficialis by altering two biomechanical constraints: the load against which the muscle worked and the initial muscle length. The load was increased using isotonic (low load), loaded dynamic (intermediate load) and isometric (high load) contractions in two studies. The initial muscle position reflected resting muscle length in series A, and a longer length with digit III fully extended in series B. Intramuscular EMG was recorded from 48 single motor units in 10 experiments on five healthy subjects, 21 units in series A and 27 in series B, while subjects performed ramp up, hold and ramp down contractions. Increasing the load on the muscle decreased the force, displacement and firing rate of single motor units at recruitment at shorter muscle lengths (Precruitment pattern was observed between loaded dynamic and isotonic contractions, but not between isometric and loaded dynamic contractions. Thus, the recruitment properties of single motor units in human flexor digitorum superficialis are sensitive to changes in both imposed external loads and the initial length of the muscle.

Task-dependent output of human parasternal intercostal motor units across spinal levels.

Science.gov (United States)

Hudson, Anna L; Gandevia, Simon C; Butler, Jane E

2017-12-01

During breathing, there is differential activity in the human parasternal intercostal muscles and the activity is tightly coupled to the known mechanical advantages for inspiration of the same regions of muscles. It is not known whether differential activity is preserved for the non-respiratory task of ipsilateral trunk rotation. In the present study, we compared single motor units during resting breathing and axial rotation of the trunk during apnoea. We not only confirmed non-uniform recruitment of motor units across parasternal intercostal muscles in breathing, but also demonstrated that the same motor units show an altered pattern of recruitment in the non-respiratory task of trunk rotation. The output of parasternal intercostal motoneurones is modulated differently across spinal levels depending on the task and these results help us understand the mechanisms that may govern task-dependent differences in motoneurone output. During inspiration, there is differential activity in the human parasternal intercostal muscles across interspaces. We investigated whether the earlier recruitment of motor units in the rostral interspaces compared to more caudal spaces during inspiration is preserved for the non-respiratory task of ipsilateral trunk rotation. Single motor unit activity (SMU) was recorded from the first, second and fourth parasternal interspaces on the right side in five participants in two tasks: resting breathing and 'isometric' axial rotation of the trunk during apnoea. Recruitment of the same SMUs was compared between tasks (n = 123). During resting breathing, differential activity was indicated by earlier recruitment of SMUs in the first and second interspaces compared to the fourth space in inspiration (P motor units showed an altered pattern of recruitment because SMUs in the first interspace were recruited later and at a higher rotation torque than those in the second and fourth interspaces (P recruitment measures, was good-excellent [intraclass

Assessment of Psychophysiological Response and Specific Fine Motor Skills in Combat Units.

Science.gov (United States)

Sánchez-Molina, Joaquín; Robles-Pérez, José J; Clemente-Suárez, Vicente J

2018-03-02

Soldiers´ training and experience can influence the outcome of the missions, as well as their own physical integrity. The objective of this research was to analyze the psycho-physiological response and specific motor skills in an urban combat simulation with two units of infantry with different training and experience. psychophysiological parameters -Heart Rate, blood oxygen saturation, glucose and blood lactate, cortical activation, anxiety and heart rate variability-, as well as fine motor skills were analyzed in 31 male soldiers of the Spanish Army, 19 belonging to the Light Infantry Brigade, and 12 to the Heavy Forces Infantry Brigade, before and after an urban combat simulation. A combat simulation provokes an alteration of the psycho-physiological basal state in soldiers and a great unbalance in the sympathetic-vagal interaction. The specific training of Light Infantry unit involves lower metabolic, cardiovascular, and anxiogenic response not only previous, but mainly after a combat maneuver, than Heavy Infantry unit's. No differences were found in relation with fine motor skills, improving in both cases after the maneuver. This fact should be taken into account for betterment units´ deployment preparation in current theaters of operations.

Physiological recruitment of motor units by high-frequency electrical stimulation of afferent pathways.

Science.gov (United States)

Dideriksen, Jakob L; Muceli, Silvia; Dosen, Strahinja; Laine, Christopher M; Farina, Dario

2015-02-01

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is commonly used in rehabilitation, but electrically evoked muscle activation is in several ways different from voluntary muscle contractions. These differences lead to challenges in the use of NMES for restoring muscle function. We investigated the use of low-current, high-frequency nerve stimulation to activate the muscle via the spinal motoneuron (MN) pool to achieve more natural activation patterns. Using a novel stimulation protocol, the H-reflex responses to individual stimuli in a train of stimulation pulses at 100 Hz were reliably estimated with surface EMG during low-level contractions. Furthermore, single motor unit recruitment by afferent stimulation was analyzed with intramuscular EMG. The results showed that substantially elevated H-reflex responses were obtained during 100-Hz stimulation with respect to a lower stimulation frequency. Furthermore, motor unit recruitment using 100-Hz stimulation was not fully synchronized, as it occurs in classic NMES, and the discharge rates differed among motor units because each unit was activated only after a specific number of stimuli. The most likely mechanism behind these observations is the temporal summation of subthreshold excitatory postsynaptic potentials from Ia fibers to the MNs. These findings and their interpretation were also verified by a realistic simulation model of afferent stimulation of a MN population. These results suggest that the proposed stimulation strategy may allow generation of considerable levels of muscle activation by motor unit recruitment that resembles the physiological conditions. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

Motor unit recruitment and firing rate in medial gastrocnemius muscles during external perturbations in standing in humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Pollock, C L; Ivanova, T D; Hunt, M A; Garland, S J

2014-10-01

There is limited investigation of the interaction between motor unit recruitment and rate coding for modulating force during standing or responding to external perturbations. Fifty-seven motor units were recorded from the medial gastrocnemius muscle with intramuscular electrodes in response to external perturbations in standing. Anteriorly directed perturbations were generated by applying loads in 0.45-kg increments at the pelvis every 25-40 s until 2.25 kg was maintained. Motor unit firing rate was calculated for the initial recruitment load and all subsequent loads during two epochs: 1) dynamic response to perturbation directly following each load drop and 2) maintenance of steady state between perturbations. Joint kinematics and surface electromyography (EMG) from lower extremities and force platform measurements were assessed. Application of the external loads resulted in a significant forward progression of the anterior-posterior center of pressure (AP COP) that was accompanied by modest changes in joint angles (recruitment, motor unit firing rate immediately after the load drop was significantly lower than during subsequent load drops or during the steady state at the same load. There was a modest increase in motor unit firing rate immediately after the load drop on subsequent load drops associated with regaining balance. There was no effect of maintaining balance with increased load and forward progression of the AP COP on steady-state motor unit firing rate. The medial gastrocnemius utilized primarily motor unit recruitment to achieve the increased levels of activation necessary to maintain standing in the presence of external loads. Copyright © 2014 the American Physiological Society.

Asynchronous recruitment of low-threshold motor units during repetitive, low-current stimulation of the human tibial nerve.

Science.gov (United States)

Dean, Jesse C; Clair-Auger, Joanna M; Lagerquist, Olle; Collins, David F

2014-01-01

Motoneurons receive a barrage of inputs from descending and reflex pathways. Much of our understanding about how these inputs are transformed into motor output in humans has come from recordings of single motor units during voluntary contractions. This approach, however, is limited because the input is ill-defined. Herein, we quantify the discharge of soleus motor units in response to well-defined trains of afferent input delivered at physiologically-relevant frequencies. Constant frequency stimulation of the tibial nerve (10-100 Hz for 30 s), below threshold for eliciting M-waves or H-reflexes with a single pulse, recruited motor units in 7/9 subjects. All 25 motor units recruited during stimulation were also recruited during weak (recruited more units (n = 3/25 at 10 Hz; n = 25/25 at 100 Hz) at shorter latencies (19.4 ± 9.4 s at 10 Hz; 4.1 ± 4.0 s at 100 Hz) than lower frequencies. When a second unit was recruited, the discharge of the already active unit did not change, suggesting that recruitment was not due to increased synaptic drive. After recruitment, mean discharge rate during stimulation at 20 Hz (7.8 Hz) was lower than during 30 Hz (8.6 Hz) and 40 Hz (8.4 Hz) stimulation. Discharge was largely asynchronous from the stimulus pulses with "time-locked" discharge occurring at an H-reflex latency with only a 24% probability. Motor units continued to discharge after cessation of the stimulation in 89% of trials, although at a lower rate (5.8 Hz) than during the stimulation (7.9 Hz). This work supports the idea that the afferent volley evoked by repetitive stimulation recruits motor units through the integration of synaptic drive and intrinsic properties of motoneurons, resulting in "physiological" recruitment which adheres to Henneman's size principle and results in relatively low discharge rates and asynchronous firing.

Numerical analysis of stiffener for hybrid drive unite

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Jakubovičová Lenka

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The matter of this article is a stress-strain analysis of hybrid drive prototype unit connected directly to convention Concrete Transit Mixer Gearbox. The unite was developed with intention to do field test on existing convection machines with possibility to use existing interfaces. The hybrid drive unit consists from electric and hydrostatic motor connected through addition mechanical transmission gearbox. The question is if today standard interface is good enough or need additional support a “stiffener”. Two engineering design were analysed. The first one includes using the stiffener to fixate the construction of hybrid drive unite connected to the planetary gear. The second one is without the stiffener. For strain-stress analysis, a finite element software ANSYS Workbench was used.

Common Input to Motor Units of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Hand Muscles During Two-Digit Object Hold

OpenAIRE

Winges, Sara A.; Kornatz, Kurt W.; Santello, Marco

2008-01-01

Anatomical and physiological evidence suggests that common input to motor neurons of hand muscles is an important neural mechanism for hand control. To gain insight into the synaptic input underlying the coordination of hand muscles, significant effort has been devoted to describing the distribution of common input across motor units of extrinsic muscles. Much less is known, however, about the distribution of common input to motor units belonging to different intrinsic muscles and to intrinsi...

Eccentric muscle damage has variable effects on motor unit recruitment thresholds and discharge patterns in elbow flexor muscles.

Science.gov (United States)

Dartnall, Tamara J; Rogasch, Nigel C; Nordstrom, Michael A; Semmler, John G

2009-07-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of eccentric muscle damage on recruitment threshold force and repetitive discharge properties of low-threshold motor units. Ten subjects performed four tasks involving isometric contraction of elbow flexors while electromyographic (EMG) data were recorded from human biceps brachii and brachialis muscles. Tasks were 1) maximum voluntary contraction (MVC); 2) constant-force contraction at various submaximal targets; 3) motor unit recruitment threshold task; and 4) minimum motor unit discharge rate task. These tasks were performed on three separate days before, immediately after, and 24 h after eccentric exercise of elbow flexor muscles. MVC force declined (42%) immediately after exercise and remained depressed (29%) 24 h later, indicative of muscle damage. Mean motor unit recruitment threshold for biceps brachii was 8.4+/-4.2% MVC, (n=34) before eccentric exercise, and was reduced by 41% (5.0+/-3.0% MVC, n=34) immediately after and by 39% (5.2+/-2.5% MVC, n=34) 24 h after exercise. No significant changes in motor unit recruitment threshold were observed in the brachialis muscle. However, for the minimum tonic discharge rate task, motor units in both muscles discharged 11% faster (10.8+/-2.0 vs. 9.7+/-1.7 Hz) immediately after (n=29) exercise compared with that before (n=32). The minimum discharge rate variability was greater in brachialis muscle immediately after exercise (13.8+/-3.1%) compared with that before (11.9+/-3.1%) and 24 h after exercise (11.7+/-2.4%). No significant changes in minimum discharge rate variability were observed in the biceps brachii motor units after exercise. These results indicate that muscle damage from eccentric exercise alters motor unit recruitment thresholds for >or=24 h, but the effect is not the same in the different elbow flexor muscles.

Vastus medialis motor unit properties in knee osteoarthritis

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Chess David G

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Maximal isometric quadriceps strength deficits have been widely reported in studies of knee osteoarthritis (OA, however little is known about the effect of osteoarthritis knee pain on submaximal quadriceps neuromuscular function. The purpose of this study was to measure vastus medialis motor unit (MU properties in participants with knee OA, during submaximal isometric contractions. Methods Vastus medialis motor unit potential (MUP parameters were assessed in 8 patients with knee OA and 8 healthy, sex and age-matched controls during submaximal isometric contractions (20% of maximum isometric torque. Unpaired t-tests were used to compare groups for demographic and muscle parameters. Results Maximum knee extension torque was ~22% lower in the OA group, a difference that was not statistically significantly (p = 0.11. During submaximal contractions, size related parameters of the needle MUPs (e.g. negative peak duration and amplitude-to-area ratio were greater in the OA group (p Conclusions Changes in MU recruitment and rate coding strategies in OA may reflect a chronic reinnervation process or a compensatory strategy in the presence of chronic knee pain associated with OA.

Spontaneous motor unit behavior in human thenar muscles after spinal cord injury

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zijdewind, Inge; Thomas, CK

Our first aim was to characterize spontaneous motor unit activity in thenar muscles influenced by chronic cervical spinal cord injury. Thenar surface electromyography (EMG), intramuscular EMG, and abduction and flexion forces were recorded. Subjects were instructed to relax for 2 min. Units still

Disturbances of motor unit rate modulation are prevalent in muscles of spastic-paretic stroke survivors

Science.gov (United States)

Heckman, C. J.; Powers, R. K.; Rymer, W. Z.; Suresh, N. L.

2014-01-01

Stroke survivors often exhibit abnormally low motor unit firing rates during voluntary muscle activation. Our purpose was to assess the prevalence of saturation in motor unit firing rates in the spastic-paretic biceps brachii muscle of stroke survivors. To achieve this objective, we recorded the incidence and duration of impaired lower- and higher-threshold motor unit firing rate modulation in spastic-paretic, contralateral, and healthy control muscle during increases in isometric force generated by the elbow flexor muscles. Impaired firing was considered to have occurred when firing rate became constant (i.e., saturated), despite increasing force. The duration of impaired firing rate modulation in the lower-threshold unit was longer for spastic-paretic (3.9 ± 2.2 s) than for contralateral (1.4 ± 0.9 s; P unit was also longer for the spastic-paretic (1.7 ± 1.6 s) than contralateral (0.3 ± 0.3 s; P = 0.007) and control (0.1 ± 0.2 s; P = 0.009) muscles. This impaired firing rate of the lower-threshold unit arose, despite an increase in the overall descending command, as shown by the recruitment of the higher-threshold unit during the time that the lower-threshold unit was saturating, and by the continuous increase in averages of the rectified EMG of the biceps brachii muscle throughout the rising phase of the contraction. These results suggest that impairments in firing rate modulation are prevalent in motor units of spastic-paretic muscle, even when the overall descending command to the muscle is increasing. PMID:24572092

United Motors avas eile 100miljonilise BMW keskuse / Hille Tressum

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Tressum, Hille

2008-01-01

United Motors avas Tallinna läheduses uue, 100 miljonit krooni maksma läinud BMW autokeskuse, lisaks salongile asub keskuses ka remonditöökoda, milles ettevõtte juht Ants Kanter näeb peamist sissetulekuallikat. Lisa: Taust

Asynchronous recruitment of low-threshold motor units during repetitive, low-current stimulation of the human tibial nerve

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jesse eDean

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Motoneurons receive a barrage of inputs from descending and reflex pathways. Much of our understanding about how these inputs are transformed into motor output in humans has come from recordings of single motor units during voluntary contractions. This approach, however, is limited because the input is ill-defined. Herein, we quantify the discharge of soleus motor units in response to well-defined trains of afferent input delivered at physiologically-relevant frequencies. Constant frequency stimulation of the tibial nerve (10-100 Hz for 30 s, below threshold for eliciting M-waves or H-reflexes with a single pulse, recruited motor units in 7/9 subjects. All 25 motor units recruited during stimulation were also recruited during weak (<10% MVC voluntary contractions. Higher frequencies recruited more units (n=3/25 at 10 Hz; n=25/25 at 100 Hz at shorter latencies (19.4±9.4 s at 10 Hz; 4.1±4.0 s at 100 Hz than lower frequencies. When a second unit was recruited, the discharge of the already active unit did not change, suggesting that recruitment was not due to increased synaptic drive. After recruitment, mean discharge rate during stimulation at 20 Hz (7.8 Hz was lower than during 30 Hz (8.6 Hz and 40 Hz (8.4 Hz stimulation. Discharge was largely asynchronous from the stimulus pulses with time-locked discharge occurring at an H-reflex latency with only a 24% probability. Motor units discharged after the stimulation ended in 89% of trials, although at a lower rate (5.8 Hz than during the stimulation (7.9 Hz. This work supports the idea that the afferent volley evoked by repetitive stimulation recruits motor units through the integration of synaptic drive and intrinsic properties of motoneurons, resulting in physiological recruitment which adheres to Henneman's size principle and results in relatively low discharge rates and asynchronous firing.

Gross Motor Skills and Cardiometabolic Risk in Children: A Mediation Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Burns, Ryan D; Brusseau, Timothy A; Fu, You; Hannon, James C

2017-04-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the linear relationship between gross motor skills and cardiometabolic risk, with aerobic fitness as a mediator variable, in low-income children from the United States. Participants were a convenience sample of 224 children (mean ± SD age = 9.1 ± 1.1 yr; 129 girls and 95 boys) recruited from five low-income elementary schools from the Mountain West Region of the United States. Gross motor skills were assessed using the Test for Gross Motor Development, 3rd Edition. Gross motor skills were analyzed using a locomotor skill, a ball skill, and a total gross motor skill score. Aerobic fitness was assessed using the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run that was administered during physical education class. A continuous and age- and sex-adjusted metabolic syndrome score (MetS) was calculated from health and blood marker measurements collected in a fasted state before school hours. Total effects, average direct effects, and indirect effects (average causal mediation effect) were calculated using a bootstrap mediation analysis method via a linear regression algorithm. The average causal mediation effect of gross locomotor skills on MetS scores, using aerobic fitness as the mediator variable, was statistically significant (β = -0.055, 95% confidence interval = -0.097 to -0.021, P = 0.003). The model explained approximately 17.5% of the total variance in MetS with approximately 43.7% of the relationship between locomotor skills and MetS mediated through aerobic fitness. Ball skills did not significantly relate with cardiometabolic risk. There is a significant relationship between gross locomotor skills and cardiometabolic risk that is partially mediated through aerobic fitness in a sample of low-income children from the United States.

A speed estimation unit for induction motors based on adaptive linear combiner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marei, Mostafa I.; Shaaban, Mostafa F.; El-Sattar, Ahmed A.

2009-01-01

This paper presents a new induction motor speed estimation technique, which can estimate the rotor resistance as well, from the measured voltage and current signals. Moreover, the paper utilizes a novel adaptive linear combiner (ADALINE) structure for speed and rotor resistance estimations. This structure can deal with the multi-output systems and it is called MO-ADALINE. The model of the induction motor is arranged in a linear form, in the stationary reference frame, to cope with the proposed speed estimator. There are many advantages of the proposed unit such as wide speed range capability, immunity against harmonics of measured waveforms, and precise estimation of the speed and the rotor resistance at different dynamic changes. Different types of induction motor drive systems are used to evaluate the dynamic performance and to examine the accuracy of the proposed unit for speed and rotor resistance estimation.

EQUATIONS OF ELECTRIC MOTOR POWER SUPPLY UNIT DISSYMMETRY UNDER PHASE SHORT-CIRCUIT FAULT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V.Y. Tchaban

2013-04-01

Full Text Available In the paper, a formula is introduced for calculating electric motor supply unit voltage under feeding by a common transformer in the condition of a phase short-circuit in one of the motors. The formula is used in every time step of electromechanical state equations integration.

Common input to motor units of intrinsic and extrinsic hand muscles during two-digit object hold.

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Winges, Sara A; Kornatz, Kurt W; Santello, Marco

2008-03-01

Anatomical and physiological evidence suggests that common input to motor neurons of hand muscles is an important neural mechanism for hand control. To gain insight into the synaptic input underlying the coordination of hand muscles, significant effort has been devoted to describing the distribution of common input across motor units of extrinsic muscles. Much less is known, however, about the distribution of common input to motor units belonging to different intrinsic muscles and to intrinsic-extrinsic muscle pairs. To address this void in the literature, we quantified the incidence and strength of near-simultaneous discharges of motor units residing in either the same or different intrinsic hand muscles (m. first dorsal, FDI, and m. first palmar interosseus, FPI) during two-digit object hold. To extend the characterization of common input to pairs of extrinsic muscles (previous work) and pairs of intrinsic muscles (present work), we also recorded electromyographic (EMG) activity from an extrinsic thumb muscle (m. flexor pollicis longus, FPL). Motor-unit synchrony across FDI and FPI was weak (common input strength, CIS, mean +/- SE: 0.17 +/- 0.02). Similarly, motor units from extrinsic-intrinsic muscle pairs were characterized by weak synchrony (FPL-FDI: 0.25 +/- 0.02; FPL-FPI: 0.29 +/- 0.03) although stronger than FDI-FPI. Last, CIS from within FDI and FPI was more than three times stronger (0.70 +/- 0.06 and 0.66 +/- 0.06, respectively) than across these muscles. We discuss present and previous findings within the framework of muscle-pair specific distribution of common input to hand muscles based on their functional role in grasping.

Recruitment of motor units in the medial gastrocnemius muscle during human quiet standing: is recruitment intermittent? What triggers recruitment?

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Vieira, Taian M M; Loram, Ian D; Muceli, Silvia; Merletti, Roberto; Farina, Dario

2012-01-01

The recruitment and the rate of discharge of motor units are determinants of muscle force. Within a motoneuron pool, recruitment and rate coding of individual motor units might be controlled independently, depending on the circumstances. In this study, we tested whether, during human quiet standing, the force of the medial gastrocnemius (MG) muscle is predominantly controlled by recruitment or rate coding. If MG control during standing was mainly due to recruitment, then we further asked what the trigger mechanism is. Is it determined internally, or is it related to body kinematics? While seven healthy subjects stood quietly, intramuscular electromyograms were recorded from the MG muscle with three pairs of wire electrodes. The number of active motor units and their mean discharge rate were compared for different sway velocities and positions. Motor unit discharges occurred more frequently when the body swayed faster and forward (Pearson R = 0.63; P motor unit potentials was explained chiefly by the recruitment of additional units. During forward body shifts, the median number of units detected increased from 3 to 11 (P motor units did not discharge continuously throughout standing. They were recruited within individual, forward sways and intermittently, with a modal rate of two recruitments per second. This modal rate is consistent with previous circumstantial evidence relating the control of standing to an intrinsic, higher level planning process.

The effect of fast and slow motor unit activation on whole-muscle mechanical performance: the size principle may not pose a mechanical paradox.

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Holt, N C; Wakeling, J M; Biewener, A A

2014-05-22

The output of skeletal muscle can be varied by selectively recruiting different motor units. However, our knowledge of muscle function is largely derived from muscle in which all motor units are activated. This discrepancy may limit our understanding of in vivo muscle function. Hence, this study aimed to characterize the mechanical properties of muscle with different motor unit activation. We determined the isometric properties and isotonic force-velocity relationship of rat plantaris muscles in situ with all of the muscle active, 30% of the muscle containing predominately slower motor units active or 20% of the muscle containing predominately faster motor units active. There was a significant effect of active motor unit type on isometric force rise time (p motor units were active than when either fast or slow motor units were selectively activated. We propose this is due to the greater relative effects of factors such as series compliance and muscle resistance to shortening during sub-maximal contractions. The findings presented here suggest that recruitment according to the size principle, where slow motor units are activated first and faster ones recruited as demand increases, may not pose a mechanical paradox, as has been previously suggested.

CONTRACTION CHARACTERISTICS AND MYOSIN HEAVY-CHAIN COMPOSITION OF RABBIT MASSETER MOTOR UNITS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

KWA, SHS; WEIJS, WA; JUCH, PJW

1. We studied isometric twitch peak force (TPF) and twitch contraction time (TCT) of 249 motor units of the masseter muscle in 41 rabbits after extracellular electrical stimulation of single trigeminal motoneurons in the brain stem. In 41 of these units we determined the amount of tension decrease

Discharge characteristics of biceps brachii motor units at recruitment when older adults sustained an isometric contraction.

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Pascoe, Michael A; Holmes, Matthew R; Enoka, Roger M

2011-02-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the discharge characteristics of motor units recruited during an isometric contraction that was sustained with the elbow flexor muscles by older adults at target forces that were less than the recruitment threshold force of each isolated motor unit. The discharge times of 27 single motor units were recorded from the biceps brachii in 11 old adults (78.8 ± 5.9 yr). The target force was set at either a relatively small (6.6 ± 3.7% maximum) or large (11.4 ± 4.5% maximum) difference below the recruitment threshold force and the contraction was sustained until the motor unit was recruited and discharged action potentials for about 60 s. The time to recruitment was longer for the large target-force difference (P = 0.001). At recruitment, the motor units discharged repetitively for both target-force differences, which contrasts with data from young adults when motor units discharged intermittently at recruitment for the large difference between recruitment threshold force and target force. The coefficient of variation (CV) for the first five interspike intervals (ISIs) increased from the small (18.7 ± 7.9) to large difference (35.0 ± 10.2%, P = 0.008) for the young adults, but did not differ for the two target force differences for the old adults (26.3 ± 14.7 to 24.0 ± 13.1%, P = 0.610). When analyzed across the discharge duration, the average CV for the ISI decreased similarly for the two target-force differences (P = 0.618) in old adults. These findings contrast with those of young adults and indicate that the integration of synaptic input during sustained contractions differs between young and old adults.

Periodic modulation of motor-unit activity in extrinsic hand muscles during multidigit grasping.

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Johnston, Jamie A; Winges, Sara A; Santello, Marco

2005-07-01

We recently examined the extent to which motor units of digit flexor muscles receive common input during multidigit grasping. This task elicited moderate to strong motor-unit synchrony (common input strength, CIS) across muscles (flexor digitorum profundus, FDP, and flexor pollicis longus, FPL) and across FDP muscle compartments, although the strength of this common input was not uniform across digit pairs. To further characterize the neural mechanisms underlying the control of multidigit grasping, we analyzed the relationship between firing of single motor units from these hand muscles in the frequency domain by computing coherence. We report three primary findings. First, in contrast to what has been reported in intrinsic hand muscles, motor units belonging to different muscles and muscle compartments of extrinsic digit flexors exhibited significant coherence in the 0- to 5- and 5- to 10-Hz frequency ranges and much weaker coherence in the higher 10-20 Hz range (maximum 0.0025 and 0.0008, respectively, pooled across all FDP compartment pairs). Second, the strength and incidence of coherence differed considerably across digit pairs. Third, contrary to what has been reported in the literature, across-muscle coherence can be stronger and more prevalent than within-muscle coherence, as FPL-FDP2 (thumb-index digit pair) exhibited the strongest and most prevalent coherence in our data (0.010 and 43% at 3 Hz, respectively). The heterogeneous organization of common input to these muscles and muscle compartments is discussed in relation to the functional role of individual digit pairs in the coordination of multiple digit forces in grasping.

Masseter motor unit recruitment is altered in experimental jaw muscle pain.

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Minami, I; Akhter, R; Albersen, I; Burger, C; Whittle, T; Lobbezoo, F; Peck, C C; Murray, G M

2013-02-01

Some management strategies for chronic orofacial pain are influenced by models (e.g., Vicious Cycle Theory, Pain Adaptation Model) proposing either excitation or inhibition within a painful muscle. The aim of this study was to determine if experimental painful stimulation of the masseter muscle resulted in only increases or only decreases in masseter activity. Recordings of single-motor-unit (SMU, basic functional unit of muscle) activity were made from the right masseters of 10 asymptomatic participants during biting trials at the same force level and direction under infusion into the masseter of isotonic saline (no-pain condition), and in another block of biting trials on the same day, with 5% hypertonic saline (pain condition). Of the 36 SMUs studied, 2 SMUs exhibited a significant (p units were present only during the no-pain block and 10 units during the pain block only. The findings suggest that, rather than only excitation or only inhibition within a painful muscle, a re-organization of activity occurs, with increases and decreases occurring within the painful muscle. This suggests the need to re-assess management strategies based on models that propose uniform effects of pain on motor activity.

MOTOR UNIT TERRITORIES AND FIBER TYPES IN RABBIT MASSETER MUSCLE

NARCIS (Netherlands)

WEIJS, WA; JUCH, PJW; KWA, SHS; KORFAGE, JAM

1993-01-01

The myosin heavy chain (MHC) content and spatial distribution of the fibers of 11 motor units (MUs) of the rabbit masseter muscle were determined. The fibers of single MUs were visualized in whole-muscle serial sections by a negative periodic acid/Schiff reaction for glycogen after they had been

Recruitment and Decruitment of Motor Units Activities of M. Biceps Brachii During Isovelocity Movements

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Okuno, Ryuhei

2001-01-01

... (from 0 DEG to 120 DEG) of elbow joint angle with a surface electrode array. We identified action potensials of each moitor unit and detected recruitment and decruitment of the identified motor units...

Recruitment of faster motor units is associated with greater rates of fascicle strain and rapid changes in muscle force during locomotion.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sabrina S M; de Boef Miara, Maria; Arnold, Allison S; Biewener, Andrew A; Wakeling, James M

2013-01-15

Animals modulate the power output needed for different locomotor tasks by changing muscle forces and fascicle strain rates. To generate the necessary forces, appropriate motor units must be recruited. Faster motor units have faster activation-deactivation rates than slower motor units, and they contract at higher strain rates; therefore, recruitment of faster motor units may be advantageous for tasks that involve rapid movements or high rates of work. This study identified motor unit recruitment patterns in the gastrocnemii muscles of goats and examined whether faster motor units are recruited when locomotor speed is increased. The study also examined whether locomotor tasks that elicit faster (or slower) motor units are associated with increased (or decreased) in vivo tendon forces, force rise and relaxation rates, fascicle strains and/or strain rates. Electromyography (EMG), sonomicrometry and muscle-tendon force data were collected from the lateral and medial gastrocnemius muscles of goats during level walking, trotting and galloping and during inclined walking and trotting. EMG signals were analyzed using wavelet and principal component analyses to quantify changes in the EMG frequency spectra across the different locomotor conditions. Fascicle strain and strain rate were calculated from the sonomicrometric data, and force rise and relaxation rates were determined from the tendon force data. The results of this study showed that faster motor units were recruited as goats increased their locomotor speeds from level walking to galloping. Slow inclined walking elicited EMG intensities similar to those of fast level galloping but different EMG frequency spectra, indicating that recruitment of the different motor unit types depended, in part, on characteristics of the task. For the locomotor tasks and muscles analyzed here, recruitment patterns were generally associated with in vivo fascicle strain rates, EMG intensity and tendon force. Together, these data provide

Recruitment of faster motor units is associated with greater rates of fascicle strain and rapid changes in muscle force during locomotion

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sabrina S. M.; de Boef Miara, Maria; Arnold, Allison S.; Biewener, Andrew A.; Wakeling, James M.

2013-01-01

SUMMARY Animals modulate the power output needed for different locomotor tasks by changing muscle forces and fascicle strain rates. To generate the necessary forces, appropriate motor units must be recruited. Faster motor units have faster activation–deactivation rates than slower motor units, and they contract at higher strain rates; therefore, recruitment of faster motor units may be advantageous for tasks that involve rapid movements or high rates of work. This study identified motor unit recruitment patterns in the gastrocnemii muscles of goats and examined whether faster motor units are recruited when locomotor speed is increased. The study also examined whether locomotor tasks that elicit faster (or slower) motor units are associated with increased (or decreased) in vivo tendon forces, force rise and relaxation rates, fascicle strains and/or strain rates. Electromyography (EMG), sonomicrometry and muscle-tendon force data were collected from the lateral and medial gastrocnemius muscles of goats during level walking, trotting and galloping and during inclined walking and trotting. EMG signals were analyzed using wavelet and principal component analyses to quantify changes in the EMG frequency spectra across the different locomotor conditions. Fascicle strain and strain rate were calculated from the sonomicrometric data, and force rise and relaxation rates were determined from the tendon force data. The results of this study showed that faster motor units were recruited as goats increased their locomotor speeds from level walking to galloping. Slow inclined walking elicited EMG intensities similar to those of fast level galloping but different EMG frequency spectra, indicating that recruitment of the different motor unit types depended, in part, on characteristics of the task. For the locomotor tasks and muscles analyzed here, recruitment patterns were generally associated with in vivo fascicle strain rates, EMG intensity and tendon force. Together, these

Adult mouse motor units develop almost all of their force in the subprimary range: a new all-or-none strategy for force recruitment?

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Manuel, Marin; Heckman, C J

2011-10-19

Classical studies of the mammalian neuromuscular system have shown an impressive adaptation match between the intrinsic properties of motoneurons and the contractile properties of their motor units. In these studies, the rate at which motoneurons start to fire repetitively corresponds to the rate at which individual twitches start to sum, and the firing rate increases linearly with the amount of excitation ("primary range") up to the point where the motor unit develops its maximal force. This allows for the gradation of the force produced by a motor unit by rate modulation. In adult mouse motoneurons, however, we recently described a regime of firing ("subprimary range") that appears at lower excitation than what is required for the primary range, a finding that might challenge the classical conception. To investigate the force production of mouse motor units, we simultaneously recorded, for the first time, the motoneuron discharge elicited by intracellular ramps of current and the force developed by its motor unit. We showed that the motor unit developed nearly its maximal force during the subprimary range. This was found to be the case regardless of the input resistance of the motoneuron, the contraction speed, or the tetanic force of the motor unit. Our work suggests that force modulation in small mammals mainly relies on the number of motor units that are recruited rather than on rate modulation of individual motor units.

Motor Unit Action Potential Clustering—Theoretical Consideration for Muscle Activation during a Motor Task

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael J. Asmussen

2018-01-01

Full Text Available During dynamic or sustained isometric contractions, bursts of muscle activity appear in the electromyography (EMG signal. Theoretically, these bursts of activity likely occur because motor units are constrained to fire temporally close to one another and thus the impulses are “clustered” with short delays to elicit bursts of muscle activity. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a sequence comprised of “clustered” motor unit action potentials (MUAP can explain spectral and amplitude changes of the EMG during a simulated motor task. This question would be difficult to answer experimentally and thus, required a model to study this type of muscle activation pattern. To this end, we modeled two EMG signals, whereby a single MUAP was either convolved with a randomly distributed impulse train (EMG-rand or a “clustered” sequence of impulses (EMG-clust. The clustering occurred in windows lasting 5–100 ms. A final mixed signal of EMG-clust and EMG-rand, with ratios (1:1–1:10, was also modeled. A ratio of 1:1 would indicate that 50% of MUAP were randomly distributed, while 50% of “clustered” MUAP occurred in a given time window (5–100 ms. The results of the model showed that clustering MUAP caused a downshift in the mean power frequency (i.e., ~30 Hz with the largest shift occurring with a cluster window of 10 ms. The mean frequency shift was largest when the ratio of EMG-clust to EMG-rand was high. Further, the clustering of MUAP also caused a substantial increase in the amplitude of the EMG signal. This model potentially explains an activation pattern that changes the EMG spectra during a motor task and thus, a potential activation pattern of muscles observed experimentally. Changes in EMG measurements during fatiguing conditions are typically attributed to slowing of conduction velocity but could, per this model, also result from changes of the clustering of MUAP. From a clinical standpoint, this type of muscle

The effects of poliomyelitis on motor unit behavior during repetitive muscle actions: a case report.

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Trevino, Michael A; Herda, Trent J; Cooper, Michael A

2014-09-06

Acute paralytic poliomyelitis is caused by the poliovirus and usually results in muscle atrophy and weakness occurring in the lower limbs. Indwelling electromyography has been used frequently to investigate the denervation and innervation characteristics of the affected muscle. Recently developed technology allows the decomposition of the raw surface electromyography signals into the firing instances of single motor units. There is limited information regarding this electromyographic decomposition in clinical populations. In addition, regardless of electromyographic methods, no study has examined muscle activation parameters during repetitive muscle actions in polio patients. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the motor unit firing rates and electromyographic amplitude and center frequency of the vastus lateralis during 20 repetitive isometric muscle actions at 50% maximal voluntary contraction in healthy subjects and one patient that acquired acute paralytic poliomyelitis. One participant that acquired acute type III spinal poliomyelitis (Caucasian male, age = 29 yrs) at 3 months of age and three healthy participants (Caucasian females, age = 19.7 ± 2.1 yrs) participated in this study. The polio participant reported neuromuscular deficiencies as a result of disease in the hips, knees, buttocks, thighs, and lower legs. None of the healthy participants reported any current or ongoing neuromuscular diseases or musculoskeletal injuries. An acute bout of poliomyelitis altered motor unit behavior, such as, healthy participants displayed greater firing rates than the polio patient. The reduction in motor unit firing rates was likely a fatigue protecting mechanism since denervation via poliomyelitis results in a reduction of motorneurons. In addition, the concurrent changes in motor unit firing rates, electromyography amplitude and frequency for the polio participant would suggest that the entire motorneuron pool was utilized in each contraction unlike

Motor unit activity when young and old adults perform steady contractions while supporting an inertial load

Science.gov (United States)

Gould, Jeffrey R.; Enoka, Roger M.

2013-01-01

The purpose of the study was to compare the discharge characteristics of biceps brachii motor units of young and old adults when they performed steady, submaximal contractions while the arm supported different inertial loads. Young (28 ± 4 yr; n = 16) and old (75 ± 4 yr; n = 14) adults performed steady contractions with the elbow flexors at target forces set at either small (11.7 ± 4.4% maximum) or large (17.8 ± 6.5% maximum) differences below the recruitment threshold force of the motor unit (n = 40). The task was to maintain an elbow angle at 1.57 rad until the motor unit was recruited and discharged action potentials for ∼120 s. Time to recruitment was longer for the larger target force difference (187 ± 227 s vs. 23 ± 46 s, P recruited, motor units discharged action potentials either repetitively or intermittently, with a greater proportion of motor units exhibiting the repetitive pattern for old adults. Discharge rate at recruitment and during the steady contraction was similar for the two target force differences for old adults but was greater for the small target force difference for young adults. Discharge variability was similar at recruitment for the two age groups but less for the old adults during the steady contraction. The greatest difference between the present results and those reported previously when the arm pulled against a rigid restraint was that old adults modulated discharge rate less than young adults across the two contraction intensities for both load types. PMID:23221403

Statistically rigorous calculations do not support common input and long-term synchronization of motor-unit firings

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Kline, Joshua C.

2014-01-01

Over the past four decades, various methods have been implemented to measure synchronization of motor-unit firings. In this work, we provide evidence that prior reports of the existence of universal common inputs to all motoneurons and the presence of long-term synchronization are misleading, because they did not use sufficiently rigorous statistical tests to detect synchronization. We developed a statistically based method (SigMax) for computing synchronization and tested it with data from 17,736 motor-unit pairs containing 1,035,225 firing instances from the first dorsal interosseous and vastus lateralis muscles—a data set one order of magnitude greater than that reported in previous studies. Only firing data, obtained from surface electromyographic signal decomposition with >95% accuracy, were used in the study. The data were not subjectively selected in any manner. Because of the size of our data set and the statistical rigor inherent to SigMax, we have confidence that the synchronization values that we calculated provide an improved estimate of physiologically driven synchronization. Compared with three other commonly used techniques, ours revealed three types of discrepancies that result from failing to use sufficient statistical tests necessary to detect synchronization. 1) On average, the z-score method falsely detected synchronization at 16 separate latencies in each motor-unit pair. 2) The cumulative sum method missed one out of every four synchronization identifications found by SigMax. 3) The common input assumption method identified synchronization from 100% of motor-unit pairs studied. SigMax revealed that only 50% of motor-unit pairs actually manifested synchronization. PMID:25210152

[Statistical (Poisson) motor unit number estimation. Methodological aspects and normal results in the extensor digitorum brevis muscle of healthy subjects].

Science.gov (United States)

Murga Oporto, L; Menéndez-de León, C; Bauzano Poley, E; Núñez-Castaín, M J

Among the differents techniques for motor unit number estimation (MUNE) there is the statistical one (Poisson), in which the activation of motor units is carried out by electrical stimulation and the estimation performed by means of a statistical analysis based on the Poisson s distribution. The study was undertaken in order to realize an approximation to the MUNE Poisson technique showing a coprehensible view of its methodology and also to obtain normal results in the extensor digitorum brevis muscle (EDB) from a healthy population. One hundred fourteen normal volunteers with age ranging from 10 to 88 years were studied using the MUNE software contained in a Viking IV system. The normal subjects were divided into two age groups (10 59 and 60 88 years). The EDB MUNE from all them was 184 49. Both, the MUNE and the amplitude of the compound muscle action potential (CMAP) were significantly lower in the older age group (page than CMAP amplitude ( 0.5002 and 0.4142, respectively pphisiology of the motor unit. The value of MUNE correlates better with the neuromuscular aging process than CMAP amplitude does.

Motor units in vastus lateralis and in different vastus medialis regions show different firing properties during low-level, isometric knee extension contraction.

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de Souza, Leonardo Mendes Leal; Cabral, Hélio Veiga; de Oliveira, Liliam Fernandes; Vieira, Taian Martins

2018-04-01

Architectural differences along vastus medialis (VM) and between VM and vastus lateralis (VL) are considered functionally important for the patellar tracking, knee joint stability and knee joint extension. Whether these functional differences are associated with a differential activity of motor units between VM and VL is however unknown. In the present study, we, therefore, investigate neuroanatomical differences in the activity of motor units detected proximo-distally from VM and from the VL muscle. Nine healthy volunteers performed low-level isometric knee extension contractions (20% of their maximum voluntary contraction) following a trapezoidal trajectory. Surface electromyograms (EMGs) were recorded from VM proximal and distal regions and from VL using three linear adhesive arrays of eight electrodes. The firing rate and recruitment threshold of motor units decomposed from EMGs were then compared among muscle regions. Results show that VL motor units reached lower mean firing rates in comparison with VM motor units, regardless of their position within VM (P motor units (P = .997). Furthermore, no significant differences in the recruitment threshold were observed for all motor units analysed (P = .108). Our findings possibly suggest the greater potential of VL to generate force, due to its fibres arrangement, may account for the lower discharge rate observed for VL then either proximally or distally detected motor units in VM. Additionally, the present study opens new perspectives on the importance of considering muscle architecture in investigations of the neural aspects of motor behaviour. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Motor unit activation patterns during concentric wrist flexion in humans with different muscle fibre composition.

Science.gov (United States)

Søgaard, K; Christensen, H; Fallentin, N; Mizuno, M; Quistorff, B; Sjøgaard, G

1998-10-01

Muscle activity was recorded from the flexor carpi radialis muscle during static and dynamic-concentric wrist flexion in six subjects, who had exhibited large differences in histochemically identified muscle fibre composition. Motor unit recruitment patterns were identified by sampling 310 motor units and counting firing rates in pulses per second (pps). During concentric wrist flexion at 30% of maximal exercise intensity the mean firing rate was 27 (SD 13) pps. This was around twice the value of 12 (SD 5) pps recorded during sustained static contraction at 30% of maximal voluntary contraction, despite a larger absolute force level during the static contraction. A similar pattern of higher firing rates during dynamic exercise was seen when concentric wrist flexion at 60% of maximal exercise intensity [30 (SD 14) pps] was compared with sustained static contraction at 60% of maximal voluntary contraction [19 (SD 8) pps]. The increase in dynamic exercise intensity was accomplished by recruitment of additional motor units rather than by increasing the firing rate as during static contractions. No difference in mean firing rates was found among subjects with different muscle fibre composition, who had previously exhibited marked differences in metabolic response during corresponding dynamic contractions. It was concluded that during submaximal dynamic contractions motor unit firing rate cannot be deduced from observations during static contractions and that muscle fibre composition may play a minor role.

Change in muscle fascicle length influences the recruitment and discharge rate of motor units during isometric contractions.

Science.gov (United States)

Pasquet, Benjamin; Carpentier, Alain; Duchateau, Jacques

2005-11-01

This study examines the effect of fascicle length change on motor-unit recruitment and discharge rate in the human tibialis anterior (TA) during isometric contractions of various intensities. The torque produced during dorsiflexion and the surface and intramuscular electromyograms (EMGs) from the TA were recorded in eight subjects. The behavior of the same motor unit (n = 59) was compared at two ankle joint angles (+10 and -10 degrees around the ankle neutral position). Muscle fascicle length of the TA was measured noninvasively using ultrasonography recordings. When the ankle angle was moved from 10 degrees plantarflexion to 10 degrees dorsiflexion, the torque produced during maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) was significantly reduced [35.2 +/- 3.3 vs. 44.3 +/- 4.2 (SD) Nm; P Motor units were activated at a lower recruitment threshold for short compared with long muscle fascicle length, either when expressed in absolute values (2.1 +/- 2.5 vs. 3.6 +/- 3.7 Nm; P motor-unit recruitment were observed at a given absolute or relative torque when muscle fascicles were shortened. However, the data indicate that increased rate coding was mainly present at low torque level (recruitment of additional motor units played a dominant role at higher torque level and decreased compliance (10-35% MVC). Taken together, the results suggest that the central command is modulated by the afferent proprioceptive information during submaximal contractions performed at different muscle fascicle lengths.

Dualities in the analysis of phage DNA packaging motors

Science.gov (United States)

Serwer, Philip; Jiang, Wen

2012-01-01

The DNA packaging motors of double-stranded DNA phages are models for analysis of all multi-molecular motors and for analysis of several fundamental aspects of biology, including early evolution, relationship of in vivo to in vitro biochemistry and targets for anti-virals. Work on phage DNA packaging motors both has produced and is producing dualities in the interpretation of data obtained by use of both traditional techniques and the more recently developed procedures of single-molecule analysis. The dualities include (1) reductive vs. accretive evolution, (2) rotation vs. stasis of sub-assemblies of the motor, (3) thermal ratcheting vs. power stroking in generating force, (4) complete motor vs. spark plug role for the packaging ATPase, (5) use of previously isolated vs. new intermediates for analysis of the intermediate states of the motor and (6) a motor with one cycle vs. a motor with two cycles. We provide background for these dualities, some of which are under-emphasized in the literature. We suggest directions for future research. PMID:23532204

Synchronization of motor unit firings: an epiphenomenon of firing rate characteristics not common inputs.

Science.gov (United States)

Kline, Joshua C; De Luca, Carlo J

2016-01-01

Synchronous motor unit firing instances have been attributed to anatomical inputs shared by motoneurons. Yet, there is a lack of empirical evidence confirming the notion that common inputs elicit synchronization under voluntary conditions. We tested this notion by measuring synchronization between motor unit action potential trains (MUAPTs) as their firing rates progressed within a contraction from a relatively low force level to a higher one. On average, the degree of synchronization decreased as the force increased. The common input notion provides no empirically supported explanation for the observed synchronization behavior. Therefore, we investigated a more probable explanation for synchronization. Our data set of 17,546 paired MUAPTs revealed that the degree of synchronization varies as a function of two characteristics of the motor unit firing rate: the similarity and the slope as a function of force. Both are measures of the excitation of the motoneurons. As the force generated by the muscle increases, the firing rate slope decreases, and the synchronization correspondingly decreases. Different muscles have motor units with different firing rate characteristics and display different amounts of synchronization. Although this association is not proof of causality, it consistently explains our observations and strongly suggests further investigation. So viewed, synchronization is likely an epiphenomenon, subject to countless unknown neural interactions. As such, synchronous firing instances may not be the product of a specific design and may not serve a specific physiological purpose. Our explanation for synchronization has the advantage of being supported by empirical evidence, whereas the common input does not. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Firing rate modulation of human motor units in different muscles during isometric contraction with various forces.

Science.gov (United States)

Seki, K; Narusawa, M

1996-05-06

To examine the factors affecting the control of human motor units, rate coding strategies of the motor units were investigated in upper limb and intrinsic hand muscles during voluntary isometric contraction of steady force levels up to 80% of maximal voluntary contraction. Numerous spike trains from single motor units were recorded from the m. first dorsal interosseous (FDI) and the m. biceps brachii (BB) of eight human subjects by means of tungsten micro-electrodes, and the mean firing rate (MFR) was calculated for each subject and inter-individual comparisons made. The MFRs of the FDI were larger than that of the BB at the higher force level, and substantial differences were not found between these muscles at the lower force level. The slope of the linear regression line of MFRs vs. exerted forces for the FDI was more than twice that for the BB. Therefore, isometric force control of the FDI depends more on the rate coding strategy. The difference in rate coding between the FDI and BB motor units may be determined by factors other than muscle fiber composition, because both muscles are known to possess a similar composition of fiber types. Possible mechanisms underlying these characteristics of rate coding strategy are considered in this report.

Phenomenological and neuropsychological profile across motor variants of delirium in a palliative care unit

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Leonard, Maeve

2011-01-01

Studies using composite measurement of cognition suggest that cognitive performance is similar across motor variants of delirium. The authors assessed neuropsychological and symptom profiles in 100 consecutive cases of DSM-IV delirium allocated to motor subtypes in a palliative-care unit: Hypoactive (N=33), Hyperactive (N=18), Mixed (N=26), and No-Alteration motor groups (N=23). The Mixed group had more severe delirium, with highest scores for DRS-R-98 sleep-wake cycle disturbance, hallucinations, delusions, and language abnormalities. Neither the total Cognitive Test for Delirium nor its five neuropsychological domains differed across Hyperactive, Mixed, and Hypoactive motor groups. Most patients (70%) with no motor alteration had DRS-R-98 scores in the mild or subsyndromal range even though they met DSM-IV criteria. Motor variants in delirium have similar cognitive profiles, but mixed cases differ in expression of several noncognitive features.

A CFD study of Screw Compressor Motor Cooling Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Branch, S.

2017-08-01

Screw compressors use electric motors to drive the male screw rotor. They are cooled by the suction refrigerant vapor that flows around the motor. The thermal conditions of the motor can dramatically influence the performance and reliability of the compressor. The more optimized this flow path is, the better the motor performance. For that reason it is important to understand the flow characteristics around the motor and the motor temperatures. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) can be used to provide a detailed analysis of the refrigerant’s flow behavior and motor temperatures to identify the undesirable hot spots in the motor. CFD analysis can be used further to optimize the flow path and determine the reduction of hot spots and cooling effect. This study compares the CFD solutions of a motor cooling model to a motor installed with thermocouples measured in the lab. The compressor considered for this study is an R134a screw compressor. The CFD simulation of the motor consists of a detailed breakdown of the stator and rotor components. Orthotropic thermal conductivity material properties are used to represent the simplified motor geometry. In addition, the analysis includes the motor casings of the compressor to draw heat away from the motor by conduction. The study will look at different operating conditions and motor speeds. Finally, the CFD study will investigate the predicted motor temperature change by varying the vapor mass flow rates and motor speed. Recommendations for CFD modeling of such intricate heat transfer phenomenon have thus been proposed.

Behaviour of motor units of human arm muscles: differences between slow isometric contraction and relaxation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Denier van der Gon, J.J.; Haar Romenij, ter B.M.; Zuylen, Van E.J.

1985-01-01

The behaviour of motor units in the m. biceps brachii (long head), in the m. brachialis and in the m. supinator during slow isometric contraction and relaxation was studied when subjects were performing different motor tasks. These tasks were: flexion of the elbow joint, supination of the forearm

Influence of Water and Mineral Oil on the Leaks in Satellite Motor Commutation Unit Clearances

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Śliwiński Paweł

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The article describes the flow rates of mineral oil and water flowing, as working media, through the commutation unit of a hydraulic satellite motor. It is demonstrated that geometrical dimensions of commutation unit clearances change as a function of the machine shaft rotation angle. Methods for measuring the rate of this flow and the pressure in the working chamber are presented. The results of pressure measurements in the working chamber during the transition from the filling cycle to the emptying cycle are included. The pressure in the motor’s working chamber changes linearly as a function of the shaft rotation angle, which has a significant effect on the leakage in the commutation unit clearances. The paper presents new mathematical formulas in the form: Q=f(Δpγ to calculate the flow rate of water and mineral oil in the commutation unit clearances. The γ factor is described as a function of fluid viscosity and clearance length (the motor shaft rotation angle. The coefficients used in these formulas were determined based on the results of laboratory tests of a motor supplied with water and mineral oil.

Analytical modeling for thermal errors of motorized spindle unit

OpenAIRE

Liu, Teng; Gao, Weiguo; Zhang, Dawei; Zhang, Yifan; Chang, Wenfen; Liang, Cunman; Tian, Yanling

2017-01-01

Modeling method investigation about spindle thermal errors is significant for spindle thermal optimization in design phase. To accurately analyze the thermal errors of motorized spindle unit, this paper assumes approximately that 1) spindle linear thermal error on axial direction is ascribed to shaft thermal elongation for its heat transfer from bearings, and 2) spindle linear thermal errors on radial directions and angular thermal errors are attributed to thermal variations of bearing relati...

Motor control for a brushless DC motor

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, William J. (Inventor); Faulkner, Dennis T. (Inventor)

1985-01-01

This invention relates to a motor control system for a brushless DC motor having an inverter responsively coupled to the motor control system and in power transmitting relationship to the motor. The motor control system includes a motor rotor speed detecting unit that provides a pulsed waveform signal proportional to rotor speed. This pulsed waveform signal is delivered to the inverter to thereby cause an inverter fundamental current waveform output to the motor to be switched at a rate proportional to said rotor speed. In addition, the fundamental current waveform is also pulse width modulated at a rate proportional to the rotor speed. A fundamental current waveform phase advance circuit is controllingly coupled to the inverter. The phase advance circuit is coupled to receive the pulsed waveform signal from the motor rotor speed detecting unit and phase advance the pulsed waveform signal as a predetermined function of motor speed to thereby cause the fundamental current waveform to be advanced and thereby compensate for fundamental current waveform lag due to motor winding reactance which allows the motor to operate at higher speeds than the motor is rated while providing optimal torque and therefore increased efficiency.

Age-related decreases in motor unit discharge rate and force control during isometric plantar flexion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kallio, J; Søgaard, Karen; Avela, J

2012-01-01

Aging is related to multiple changes in muscle physiology and function. Previous findings concerning the effects of aging on motor unit discharge rate (DR) and fluctuations in DR and force are somewhat contradictory. Eight YOUNG and nine OLD physically active males performed isometric ramp (RECR......) and isotonic (ISO) plantar flexions at 10 and 20% of surface EMG at MVC. Motor unit (MU) action potentials were recorded with intramuscular fine-wire electrodes and decomposed with custom build software "Daisy". DR was lower in OLD in RECR-10% (17.9%, p...

Dynamic Analysis & Characterization of Conventional Hydraulic Power Supply Units

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schmidt, Lasse; Liedhegener, Michael; Bech, Michael Møller

2016-01-01

Hydraulic power units operated as constant supply pres-sure systems remain to be widely used in the industry, to supply valve controlled hydraulic drives etc., where the hydraulic power units are constituted by variable pumps with mechanical outlet pressure control, driven by induction motors....... In the analysis of supplied drives, both linear and rotary, emphasis is commonly placed on the drives themselves and the related loads, and the supply system dynamics is often given only little attention, and usually neglected or taken into account in a simplified fashion. The simplified supply system dynamics...... and drives will reduce the flow-to-pressure gain of the supply system, and hence increase the time constant of the sup-ply pressure dynamics. A consequence of this may be large vari-ations in the supply pressure, hence large variations in the pump shaft torque, and thereby the induction motor load torque...

Reactor coolant pump testing using motor current signatures analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burstein, N.; Bellamy, J.

1996-12-01

This paper describes reactor coolant pump motor testing carried out at Florida Power Corporation`s Crystal River plant using Framatome Technologies` new EMPATH (Electric Motor Performance Analysis and Trending Hardware) system. EMPATH{trademark} uses an improved form of Motor Current Signature Analysis (MCSA), technology, originally developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratories, for detecting deterioration in the rotors of AC induction motors. Motor Current Signature Analysis (MCSA) is a monitoring tool for motor driven equipment that provides a non-intrusive means for detecting the presence of mechanical and electrical abnormalities in the motor and the driven equipment. The base technology was developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory as a means for determining the affects of aging and service wear specifically on motor-operated valves used in nuclear power plant safety systems, but it is applicable to a broad range of electric machinery. MCSA is based on the recognition that an electric motor (ac or dc) driving a mechanical load acts as an efficient and permanently available transducer by sensing mechanical load variations, large and small, long-term and rapid, and converting them into variations in the induced current generated in the motor windings. The motor current variations, resulting from changes in load caused by gears, pulleys, friction, bearings, and other conditions that may change over the life of the motor, are carried by the electrical cables powering the motor and are extracted at any convenient location along the motor lead. These variations modulate the 60 Hz carrier frequency and appear as sidebands in the spectral plot.

Electric motor drive unit, especially adjustment drive for vehicles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Litterst, P

1980-05-29

An electric motor drive unit, particularly an adjustment drive for vehicles with at least two parallel drive shafts is described, which is compact and saves space, and whose manufacturing costs are low compared with those of well-known drive units of this type. The drive unit contains a suitable number of magnet systems, preferably permanent magnet systems, whose pole axes are spaced and run parallel. The two pole magnet systems have diametrically opposite shell-shaped segments, to which the poles are fixed. In at least one magnet system the two segments are connected by diametrically opposite flat walls parallel to the pole axes to form a single magnetic circuit pole housing. The segments of at least one other magnet system are arranged on this pole housing so that one of these flat walls is a magnetically conducting, connecting component of the magnetic circuit of the other magnet system.

The effect of recording site on extracted features of motor unit action potential.

Science.gov (United States)

Artuğ, N Tuğrul; Goker, Imran; Bolat, Bülent; Osman, Onur; Kocasoy Orhan, Elif; Baslo, M Baris

2016-06-01

Motor unit action potential (MUAP), which consists of individual muscle fiber action potentials (MFAPs), represents the electrical activity of the motor unit. The values of the MUAP features are changed by denervation and reinnervation in neurogenic involvement as well as muscle fiber loss with increased diameter variability in myopathic diseases. The present study is designed to investigate how increased muscle fiber diameter variability affects MUAP parameters in simulated motor units. In order to detect this variation, simulated MUAPs were calculated both at the innervation zone where the MFAPs are more synchronized, and near the tendon, where they show increased temporal dispersion. Reinnervation in neurogenic state increases MUAP amplitude for the recordings at both the innervation zone and near the tendon. However, MUAP duration and the number of peaks significantly increased in a case of myopathy for recordings near the tendon. Furthermore, of the new features, "number of peaks×spike duration" was found as the strongest indicator of MFAP dispersion in myopathy. MUAPs were also recorded from healthy participants in order to investigate the biological counterpart of the simulation data. MUAPs which were recorded near to tendon revealed significantly prolonged duration and decreased amplitude. Although the number of peaks was increased by moving the needle near to tendon, this was not significant. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hip position and sex differences in motor unit firing patterns of the vastus medialis and vastus medialis oblique in healthy individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Yi-Ling; Tenan, Matthew S; Griffin, Lisa

2018-06-01

Weakness of the vastus medialis oblique (VMO) has been proposed to explain the high prevalence of knee pain in female subjects. Clinicians commonly use exercises in an attempt to preferentially activate the VMO. Recently, our group found evidence to support clinical theory that the VMO is neurologically distinct from the vastus medialis (VM). However, the ability to voluntarily activate these muscle subsections is still disputed. The aim of this study was to determine if VM and VMO activation varies between sexes and if control of the two muscles is different between rehabilitation exercises. Thirteen men and 13 women performed isometric straight leg raises in two hip positions, neutral hip rotation and 30 degrees lateral hip rotation. Bipolar intramuscular fine-wire electrodes were inserted into the VM and VMO to obtain motor unit recruitment thresholds and initial firing rates at recruitment. Linear mixed models and Tukey post hoc tests were used to assess significant differences in 654 motor units. Women demonstrated faster motor unit firing rate at recruitment, 1.18 ± 0.56 Hz higher than men. Motor units fired 0.47 ± 0.19 Hz faster during neutral hip rotation compared with lateral hip rotation. The VMO motor units were recruited 2.92 ± 1.28% earlier than the VM. All motor units were recruited 3.74 ± 1.27% earlier during neutral hip rotation than lateral hip rotation. Thus the VM and the VMO can be activated differentially, and their motor unit recruitment properties are affected by sex and hip position. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This is the first study to reveal differential activation of the vastus medialis oblique from the vastus medialis in clinical exercise protocols. Our research group used fine-wire electrodes to examine EMG signals of the vastus medialis oblique and vastus medialis to avoid possible cross talk. We also consider the effect of sex on motor unit firing patterns because of higher prevalence of knee pain in women, and yet few

Changes in recruitment order of motor units in the human biceps muscle

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Haar Romenij, ter B.M.; Denier van der Gon, J.J.; Gielen, C.C.A.M.

1982-01-01

Changes in recruitment threshold of individual motor units of the human biceps (caput longum), a multifunctional muscle, were investigated during different tasks, i.e., isometric flexion of the elbow, isometric supination of the forearm, and isometric exorotation of the humerus of the 110° flexed

Parkinson's Disease Subtypes Identified from Cluster Analysis of Motor and Non-motor Symptoms.

Science.gov (United States)

Mu, Jesse; Chaudhuri, Kallol R; Bielza, Concha; de Pedro-Cuesta, Jesus; Larrañaga, Pedro; Martinez-Martin, Pablo

2017-01-01

Parkinson's disease is now considered a complex, multi-peptide, central, and peripheral nervous system disorder with considerable clinical heterogeneity. Non-motor symptoms play a key role in the trajectory of Parkinson's disease, from prodromal premotor to end stages. To understand the clinical heterogeneity of Parkinson's disease, this study used cluster analysis to search for subtypes from a large, multi-center, international, and well-characterized cohort of Parkinson's disease patients across all motor stages, using a combination of cardinal motor features (bradykinesia, rigidity, tremor, axial signs) and, for the first time, specific validated rater-based non-motor symptom scales. Two independent international cohort studies were used: (a) the validation study of the Non-Motor Symptoms Scale ( n = 411) and (b) baseline data from the global Non-Motor International Longitudinal Study ( n = 540). k -means cluster analyses were performed on the non-motor and motor domains (domains clustering) and the 30 individual non-motor symptoms alone (symptoms clustering), and hierarchical agglomerative clustering was performed to group symptoms together. Four clusters are identified from the domains clustering supporting previous studies: mild, non-motor dominant, motor-dominant, and severe. In addition, six new smaller clusters are identified from the symptoms clustering, each characterized by clinically-relevant non-motor symptoms. The clusters identified in this study present statistical confirmation of the increasingly important role of non-motor symptoms (NMS) in Parkinson's disease heterogeneity and take steps toward subtype-specific treatment packages.

Changes in force, surface and motor unit EMG during post-exercise development of low frequency fatigue in vastus lateralis muscle.

Science.gov (United States)

de Ruiter, C J; Elzinga, M J H; Verdijk, P W L; van Mechelen, W; de Haan, A

2005-08-01

We investigated the effects of low frequency fatigue (LFF) on post-exercise changes in rectified surface EMG (rsEMG) and single motor unit EMG (smuEMG) in vastus lateralis muscle (n = 9). On two experimental days the knee extensors were fatigued with a 60-s-isometric contraction (exercise) at 50% maximal force capacity (MFC). On the first day post-exercise (15 s, 3, 9, 15, 21 and 27 min) rsEMG and electrically-induced (surface stimulation) forces were investigated. SmuEMG was obtained on day two. During short ramp and hold (5 s) contractions at 50% MFC, motor unit discharges of the same units were followed over time. Post-exercise MFC and tetanic force (100 Hz stimulation) recovered to about 90% of the pre-exercise values, but recovery with 20 Hz stimulation was less complete: the 20-100 Hz force ratio (mean +/- SD) decreased from 0.65+/-0.06 (pre-exercise) to 0.56+/-0.04 at 27 min post-exercise (Pexercise rsEMG (% pre-exercise maximum) and motor unit discharge rate were 51.1 +/- 12.7% and 14.1 +/- 3.7 (pulses per second; pps) respectively, 15 s post-exercise the respective values were 61.4 +/- 15.4% (P0.05). Thereafter, rsEMG (at 50% MFC) remained stable but motor unit discharge rate significantly increased to 17.7 +/- 3.9 pps 27 min post-exercise. The recruitment threshold decreased (Pexercise to 25.2 +/- 6.7% 27 min post-exercise. The increase in discharge rate was significantly greater than could be expected from the decrease in recruitment threshold. Thus, post-exercise LFF was compensated by increased motor unit discharge rates which could only partly be accounted for by the small decrease in motor unit recruitment threshold.

The motor intervention as delays prevention factor in motor and cognitive development of infants during the hospital stay

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

arolina Panceri

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Cognitive-motor tasks intervention is beneficial for the infant’s motor and cognitive development. These interventions in the hospital setting, have been widely studied in neonatal intensive care units, however, few studies evaluate child development within pediatric units. Objective: To evaluate the impact of cognitive-motor intervention in motor and cognitive development of infants hospitalized with respiratory diseases. Method: The research was characterized as quasi-experimental, 22 babies hospitalized in the pediatric unit for respiratory disease were divided into 2 groups (10 in the control group and 12 in the intervention group without significant differences in biological and socioeconomic data. The mean age was 5.50 months (SD ± 4.51, ranging between 1 and 16 months. Questionnaire was conducted with the infant’s parent/guardian for sample characterization. The Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS and the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID-III was used to evaluate motor e cognitive development. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, Student’s t test, General Linear Model and One Way ANOVA. Results: The results show a significant interaction between group x time in motor and cognitive scores. When comparing the two times, the intervention group changed positively and significantly from pre- to post-intervention in motor and cognitive scores. The same was not observed for the control group. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the intervention during the hospital stay contributes positively to the motor and cognitive development.

Discharge properties of upper airway motor units during wakefulness and sleep.

Science.gov (United States)

Trinder, John; Jordan, Amy S; Nicholas, Christian L

2014-01-01

Upper airway muscle motoneurons, as assessed at the level of the motor unit, have a range of different discharge patterns, varying as to whether their activity is modulated in phase with the respiratory cycle, are predominantly inspiratory or expiratory, or are phasic as opposed to tonic. Two fundamental questions raised by this observation are: how are synaptic inputs from premotor neurons distributed over motoneurons to achieve these different discharge patterns; and how do different discharge patterns contribute to muscle function? We and others have studied the behavior of genioglossus (GG) and tensor palatini (TP) single motor units at transitions from wakefulness to sleep (sleep onset), from sleep to wakefulness (arousal from sleep), and during hypercapnia. Results indicate that decreases or increases in GG and TP muscle activity occur as a consequence of derecruitment or recruitment, respectively, of phasic and tonic inspiratory-modulated motoneurons, with only minor changes in rate coding. Further, sleep-wake state and chemical inputs to this "inspiratory system" appear to be mediated through the respiratory pattern generator. In contrast, phasic and tonic expiratory units and units with a purely tonic pattern, the "tonic system," are largely unaffected by sleep-wake state, and are only weakly influenced by chemical stimuli and the respiratory cycle. We speculate that the "inspiratory system" produces gross changes in upper airway muscle activity in response to changes in respiratory drive, while the "tonic system" fine tunes airway configuration with activity in this system being determined by local mechanical conditions. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

REM Sleep Behavior and Motor Findings in Parkinson's Disease: A Cross-sectional Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abhimanyu Mahajan

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Parkinson's disease (PD represents a major public health challenge that will only grow in our aging population. Understanding the connection between PD and associated prodromal conditions, such as rapid eye movement sleep behavioral disorder (RBD, is critical to identifying prevention strategies. However, the relationship between RBD and severity of motor findings in early PD is unknown. This study aims to examine this relationship. Methods: The study population consisted of 418 PD patients who completed the Movement Disorders Society‐United Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS‐UPDRS and rapid eye movement sleep (REM disorder questionnaires at the baseline visit of the Michael J. Fox's Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI. Cross‐sectional analysis was carried out to assess the association between REM Sleep Behavior Screening Questionnaire score and MDS UPDRS‐3 (motor score categories. Correlation with a higher score category was described as “worse motor findings”. A score of 5 on the REM disorder questionnaire was defined as predictive of RBD.Results: Out of the 418 PD patients, 113 (27.0% had RBD. With univariate logistic regression analysis, individuals with scores predictive of RBD were 1.66 times more likely to have worse motor findings (p = 0.028. Even with age, gender, and Geriatric Depression Scale scores taken into account, individuals with scores predictive of RBD were 1.69 times more likely to have worse motor findings (p = 0.025.Discussion: PD patients with RBD symptoms had worse motor findings than those unlikely to have RBD. This association provides further evidence for the relationship between RBD and PD.

Electrical stimulation site influences the spatial distribution of motor units recruited in tibialis anterior.

Science.gov (United States)

Okuma, Yoshino; Bergquist, Austin J; Hong, Mandy; Chan, K Ming; Collins, David F

2013-11-01

To compare the spatial distribution of motor units recruited in tibialis anterior (TA) when electrical stimulation is applied over the TA muscle belly versus the common peroneal nerve trunk. Electromyography (EMG) was recorded from the surface and from fine wires in superficial and deep regions of TA. Separate M-wave recruitment curves were constructed for muscle belly and nerve trunk stimulation. During muscle belly stimulation, significantly more current was required to generate M-waves that were 5% of the maximal M-wave (M max; M5%max), 50% M max (M 50%max) and 95% M max (M 95%max) at the deep versus the superficial recording site. In contrast, during nerve trunk stimulation, there were no differences in the current required to reach M5%max, M 50%max or M 95%max between deep and superficial recording sites. Surface EMG reflected activity in both superficial and deep muscle regions. Stimulation over the muscle belly recruited motor units from superficial to deep with increasing stimulation amplitude. Stimulation over the nerve trunk recruited superficial and deep motor units equally, regardless of stimulation amplitude. These results support the idea that where electrical stimulation is applied markedly affects how contractions are produced and have implications for the interpretation of surface EMG data. Copyright © 2013 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Motor Importance of motor assessment in school children: analysis of the reliability of the motor development scale

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kassandra Nunes Amaro

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to investigate the motor performance of school chil-dren aged 6 to 10 years without learning difficulties (n=101, and to analyze the reliability of the Motor Development Scale (MDS (Rosa Neto, 2002. Descriptive statistics with calculation of the mean, standard deviation, and range was used for data analysis. The internal consistency of the MDS was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, and the correlation between variables was determined by Pearson’s linear correlation, with p<0.05. The results showed (1 that motor development was within normal limits in 96% of the children, and (2 a high correlation betwe-en chronological age and general motor age, indicating good internal consistency. These data demonstrate the logic and structured design of the MDS, confirming its reliability.

Steady and dynamic states analysis of induction motor: FEA approach

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper deals with the steady and dynamic states analysis of induction motor using finite element analysis (FEA) approach. The motor has aluminum rotor bars and is designed for direct-on-line operation at 50 Hz. A study of the losses occurring in the motor performed at operating frequency of 50Hz showed that stator ...

Electric Motors. An Instructional Unit for High School Teachers of Vocational Agriculture.

Science.gov (United States)

Dalton, Delmer; Carpenter, Bruce

Designed as a 3-week course of study in the agricultural mechanics curriculum to be taught at the junior or senior high school level, this unit on electric motors is divided into 11 major performance objectives. Each objective is subdivided into the areas of content, suggested teaching and learning activities, resources, and evaluation. Topics for…

Motor Neurons

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hounsgaard, Jorn

2017-01-01

Motor neurons translate synaptic input from widely distributed premotor networks into patterns of action potentials that orchestrate motor unit force and motor behavior. Intercalated between the CNS and muscles, motor neurons add to and adjust the final motor command. The identity and functional...... in in vitro preparations is far from complete. Nevertheless, a foundation has been provided for pursuing functional significance of intrinsic response properties in motoneurons in vivo during motor behavior at levels from molecules to systems....

Safety aspects of postanesthesia care unit discharge without motor function assessment after spinal anesthesia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aasvang, Eske Kvanner; Jørgensen, Christoffer Calov; Laursen, Mogens Berg

2017-01-01

Background: Postanesthesia care unit (PACU) discharge without observation of lower limb motor function after spinal anesthesia has been suggested to signifcantly reduce PACU stay and enhance resource optimization and early rehabilitation but without enough data to allow clinical recommendations...... or knee arthroplasty was noninferior to motor function assessment in achieving length of stay 4 days or less or 30-day readmissions. Because a nonsignifcant tendency toward increased adverse events during the frst 24h in the ward was discovered, further safety data are needed in patients without...

System Cost Analysis for an Interior Permanent Magnet Motor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peter Campbell

2008-08-01

The objective of this program is to provide an assessment of the cost structure for an interior permanent magnet ('IPM') motor which is designed to meet the 2010 FreedomCAR specification. The program is to evaluate the range of viable permanent magnet materials for an IPM motor, including sintered and bonded grades of rare earth magnets. The study considers the benefits of key processing steps, alternative magnet shapes and their assembly methods into the rotor (including magnetization), and any mechanical stress or temperature limits. The motor's costs are estimated for an annual production quantity of 200,000 units, and are broken out into such major components as magnetic raw materials, processing and manufacturing. But this is essentially a feasibility study of the motor's electromagnetic design, and is not intended to include mechanical or thermal studies as would be done to work up a selected design for production.

Vastus lateralis surface and single motor unit EMG following submaximal shortening and lengthening contractions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Altenburg, T.M.; de Ruiter, C.J.; Verdijk, P.W.L.; van Mechelen, W.; de Haan, A.

2008-01-01

A single shortening contraction reduces the force capacity of muscle fibers, whereas force capacity is enhanced following lengthening. However, how motor unit recruitment and discharge rate (muscle activation) are adapted to such changes in force capacity during submaximal contractions remains

Motor unit firing rates during spasms in thenar muscles of spinal cord injured subjects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zijdewind, Inge; Bakels, Robert; Thomas, Christine K.

2014-01-01

Involuntary contractions of paralyzed muscles (spasms) commonly disrupt daily activities and rehabilitation after human spinal cord injury (SCI). Our aim was to examine the recruitment, firing rate modulation, and derecruitment of motor units that underlie spasms of thenar muscles after cervical

Motor unit activation order during electrically evoked contractions of paralyzed or partially paralyzed muscles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Thomas, CK; Nelson, G; Than, L; Zijdewind, Inge

The activation order of motor units during electrically evoked contractions of paralyzed or partially paralyzed thenar muscles was determined in seven subjects with chronic cervical spinal cord injury. The median nerve was stimulated percutaneously with pulses of graded intensity to produce

Design of voice coil motor dynamic focusing unit for a laser scanner

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Moon G.; Kim, Gaeun; Lee, Chan-Woo; Lee, Soo-Hun; Jeon, Yongho, E-mail: princaps@ajou.ac.kr [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ajou University, San 5, Woncheon-dong, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do 443-749 (Korea, Republic of)

2014-04-15

Laser scanning systems have been used for material processing tasks such as welding, cutting, marking, and drilling. However, applications have been limited by the small range of motion and slow speed of the focusing unit, which carries the focusing optics. To overcome these limitations, a dynamic focusing system with a long travel range and high speed is needed. In this study, a dynamic focusing unit for a laser scanning system with a voice coil motor (VCM) mechanism is proposed to enable fast speed and a wide focusing range. The VCM has finer precision and higher speed than conventional step motors and a longer travel range than earlier lead zirconium titanate actuators. The system has a hollow configuration to provide a laser beam path. This also makes it compact and transmission-free and gives it low inertia. The VCM's magnetics are modeled using a permeance model. Its design parameters are determined by optimization using the Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno method and a sequential quadratic programming algorithm. After the VCM is designed, the dynamic focusing unit is fabricated and assembled. The permeance model is verified by a magnetic finite element method simulation tool, Maxwell 2D and 3D, and by measurement data from a gauss meter. The performance is verified experimentally. The results show a resolution of 0.2 μm and travel range of 16 mm. These are better than those of conventional focusing systems; therefore, this focusing unit can be applied to laser scanning systems for good machining capability.

Physiological consequences of doublet discharges on motoneuronal firing and motor unit force

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Włodzimierz eMrówczyński

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The double discharges are observed at the onset of contractions of mammalian motor units (MUs, especially during their recruitment to strong or fast movements. Doublets lead to MU force increase and improve ability of muscles to maintain high force during prolonged contractions. In this review we discuss an ability to produce doublets by fast and slow motoneurons (MNs, their influence on the course of action potential afterhyperpolarization as well as its role in modulation of the initial stage of the firing pattern of MNs. In conclusion, a generation of doublets is an important strategy of motor control, responsible for fitting the motoneuronal firing rate to the optimal for MUs at the start of their contraction, necessary for increment of muscle force.

Cross-cultural analysis of the motor development of Brazilian, Greek and Canadian infants assessed with the Alberta Infant Motor Scale

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raquel Saccani

2013-09-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To compare the motor development of infants from three population samples (Brazil, Canada and Greece, to investigate differences in the percentile curves of motor development in these samples, and to investigate the prevalence of motor delays in Brazilian children. METHODS: Observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study with 795 Brazilian infants from zero to 18 months of age, assessed by the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS at day care centers, nurseries, basic health units and at home. The Brazilian infants' motor scores were compared to the results of two population samples from Greece (424 infants and Canada (2,400 infants. Descriptive statistics was used, with one-sample t-test and binomial tests, being significant p≤0.05. RESULTS: 65.4% of Brazilian children showed typical motor development, although with lower mean scores. In the beginning of the second year of life, the differences in the motor development among Brazilian, Canadian and Greek infants were milder; at 15 months of age, the motor development became similar in the three groups. A non-linear motor development trend was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The lowest motor percentiles of the Brazilian sample emphasized the need for national norms in order to correctly categorize the infant motor development. The different ways of motor development may be a consequence of cultural differences in infant care.

Motor current signature analysis for determining operational readiness of motor-operated valves (MOVs)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kryter, R.C.; Haynes, H.D.

1987-01-01

Motor current signature analysis (MCSA) is a novel diagnostic process for condition monitoring of electric-motor-driven mechanical equipment (e.g., pumps, motor-operated valves, compressors, and processing machinery). The MCSA process identifies, characterizes, and trends over time the instantaneous load variations of mechanical equipment in order to diagnose changes in the condition of the equipment (e.g., due to degradation or service wear), which, if allowed to continue, may lead to failure. It monitors the instantaneous variations (noise content) in the electric current flowing through the power leads to the electric motor that drives the equipment. The motor itself thereby acts as a transducer, sensing both large and small, long-term and rapid, mechanical load variations and converting them to variations in the induced current generated in the motor windings. This motor current noise signature is detected, amplified, and further processed as needed to examine its time domain and frequency domain (spectral) characteristics. The operational principles of MCSA and the nonintrusive data collection apparatus and procedure used with MOVs will be described. Data collected from MOVs in both laboratory and in-plant environments will also be shown to illustrate the ability of MCSA to ''see'' the detailed inner workings of the valve and operator and thus to detect degraded performance at an incipient stage. (Set of 18 vugraphs)

Nonlinear analysis of field distribution in electric motor with periodicity conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stabrowski, M M; Sikora, J

1981-01-01

Numerical analysis of electromagnetic field distribution in linear motion tubular electric motor has been performed with the aid of finite element method. Two Fortran programmes for the solution of DBBF and BF large linear symmetric equation systems have been developed for purposes of this analysis. A new iterative algorithm, taking into account iron nonlinearity and periodicity conditions, has been introduced. Final results of the analysis in the form of induction diagrammes and motor driving force are directly useful for motor designers.

Analysis of a hysteresis motor on asynchronous speed using complex permeability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horii, T.; Yuge, N.; Wakui, G.

1994-01-01

Although hysteresis motors have a comparatively small output for their mechanical dimensions compared with other types of motor, they offer the advantages of extremely low vibration and noise levels, and so are widely used as driving motors in acoustic equipment and uranium gas centrifuges. This paper deals with a method for determining the complex permeability in analysis of hysteresis motors. The method assumes that the magnetic intensity distribution is sinusoidal in the direction of rotation. Analysis of the asynchronous speed of a hysteresis motor is then performed for cylindrical coordinates, using modified Bessel functions. The results of calculations are in good agreement with experimental results, confirming the effectiveness of the proposed model and method for determining the complex permeability

Proposal for the award of a contract for the supply of motor unit for the jacks for the LHC low-beta quadrupoles

CERN Document Server

2005-01-01

This document concerns the award of a contract for the supply of 134 motor units for the jacks for the LHC low-beta quadrupoles. The Finance Committee is invited to agree to the negotiation of a contract with ZTS VVU KOSICE (SK), the lowest bidder, for the supply of 134 motor units for a total amount of 1 266 674 Swiss francs, not subject to revision.

Categorization of safety related motor operated valve safety significance for Ulchin Unit 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, D. I.; Kim, K. Y.

2002-03-01

We performed a categorization of safety related Motor Operated Valve (MOV) safety significance for Ulchin Unit 3. The safety evaluation of MOV of domestic nuclear power plants affects the generic data used for the quantification of MOV common cause failure ( CCF) events in Ulchin Units 3 PSA. Therefore, in this study, we re-estimated the MGL(Multiple Greek Letter) parameter used for the evaluation of MOV CCF probabilities in Ulchin Units 3 Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA) and performed a classification of the MOV safety significance. The re-estimation results of the MGL parameter show that its value is decreased by 30% compared with the current value in Ulchin Unit 3 PSA. The categorization results of MOV safety significance using the changed value of MGL parameter shows that the number of HSSCs(High Safety Significant Components) is decreased by 54.5% compared with those using the current value of it in Ulchin Units 3 PSA

Contractile function and motor unit firing rates of the human hamstrings.

Science.gov (United States)

Kirk, Eric A; Rice, Charles L

2017-01-01

Neuromuscular properties of the lower limb in health, aging, and disease are well described for major lower limb muscles comprising the quadriceps, triceps surae, and dorsiflexors, with the notable exception of the posterior thigh (hamstrings). The purpose of this study was to further characterize major muscles of the lower limb by comprehensively exploring contractile properties in relation to spinal motor neuron output expressed as motor unit firing rates (MUFRs) in the hamstrings of 11 (26.5 ± 3.8) young men. Maximal isometric voluntary contraction (MVC), voluntary activation, stimulated contractile properties including a force-frequency relationship, and MUFRs from submaximal to maximal voluntary contractile intensities were assessed in the hamstrings. Strength and MUFRs were assessed at two presumably different muscle lengths by varying the knee joint angles (90° and 160°). Knee flexion MVCs were 60-70% greater in the extended position (160°). The frequency required to elicit 50% of maximum tetanic torque was 16-17 Hz. Mean MUFRs at 25-50% MVC were 9-31% less in the biceps femoris compared with the semimembranosus-semitendinosus group. Knee joint angle (muscle length) influenced MUFRs such that mean MUFRs were greater in the shortened (90°) position at 50% and 100% MVC. Compared with previous reports, mean maximal MUFRs in the hamstrings are greater than those in the quadriceps and triceps surae and somewhat less than those in the tibialis anterior. Mean maximal MUFRs in the hamstrings are influenced by changes in knee joint angle, with lower firing rates in the biceps femoris compared with the semimembranosus-semitendinosus muscle group. We studied motor unit firing rates (MUFRs) at various voluntary contraction intensities in the hamstrings, one of the only major lower limb muscles to have MUFRs affected by muscle length changes. Within the hamstrings muscle-specific differences have greater impact on MUFRs than length changes, with the biceps femoris

IEMDC IN-LINE ELECTRIC MOTOR DRIVEN COMPRESSOR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Michael J. Crowley; Prem N. Bansal

2004-10-01

This report contains the final project summary and deliverables required by the award for the development of an In-line Electric Motor Driven Compressor (IEMDC). Extensive work was undertaken during the course of the project to develop the motor and the compressor section of the IEMDC unit. Multiple design iterations were performed to design an electric motor for operation in a natural gas environment and to successfully integrate the motor with a compressor. During the project execution, many challenges were successfully overcome in order to achieve the project goals and to maintain the system design integrity. Some of the challenges included limiting the magnitude of the compressor aerodynamic loading for appropriate sizing of the magnetic bearings, achieving a compact motor rotor size to meet the rotor dynamic requirements of API standards, devising a motor cooling scheme using high pressure natural gas, minimizing the impact of cooling on system efficiency, and balancing the system thrust loads for the magnetic thrust bearing. Design methods that were used on the project included validated state-of-the-art techniques such as finite element analysis and computational fluid dynamics along with the combined expertise of both Curtiss-Wright Electro-Mechanical Corporation and Dresser-Rand Company. One of the most significant areas of work undertaken on the project was the development of the unit configuration for the system. Determining the configuration of the unit was a significant step in achieving integration of the electric motor into a totally enclosed compression system. Product review of the IEMDC unit configuration was performed during the course of the development process; this led to an alternate design configuration. The alternate configuration is a modular design with the electric motor and compressor section each being primarily contained in its own pressure containing case. This new concept resolved the previous conflict between the aerodynamic flow

Motor unit number index (MUNIX) derivation from the relationship between the area and power of surface electromyogram: a computer simulation and clinical study

Science.gov (United States)

Miralles, Francesc

2018-06-01

Objective. The motor unit number index (MUNIX) is a technique based on the surface electromyogram (sEMG) that is gaining acceptance as a method for monitoring motor neuron loss, because it is reliable and produces less discomfort than other electrodiagnostic techniques having the same intended purpose. MUNIX assumes that the relationship between the area of sEMG obtained at increasing levels of muscle activation and the values of a variable called ‘ideal case motor unit count’ (ICMUC), defined as the product of the ratio between area and power of the compound muscle action potential (CMAP) by that of the sEMG, is described by a decreasing power function. Nevertheless, the reason for this comportment is unknown. The objective of this work is to investigate if the definition of MUNIX could derive from more basic properties of the sEMG. Approach. The CMAP and sEMG epochs obtained at different levels of muscle activation from (1) the abductor pollicis brevis (APB) muscle of persons with and without a carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and (2) from a computer model of sEMG generation previously published were analysed. Main results. MUNIX reflects the power relationship existing between the area and power of a sEMG. The exponent of this function was smaller in patients with motor CTS than in the rest of the subjects. The analysis of the relationship between the area and power of a sEMG could aid in distinguishing a MUNIX reduction due to a motoneuron loss from that due to a loss of muscle fibre. Significance. MUNIX is derived from the relationship between the area and power of a sEMG. This relationship changes when there is a loss of motor units (MUs), which partially explains the diagnostic sensibility of MUNIX. Although the reasons for this change are unknown, it could reflect an increase in the proportion of MUs of great amplitude.

Vibration analysis of the synchronous motor of a propane compressor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nogueira, D.; Rangel Junior, J. de S. [Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. - PETROBRAS, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)], Emails: diananogueira@petrobras.com.br, joilson_jr@petrobras.com.br; Moreira, R.G. [Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. - PETROBRAS, Cabiunas, RJ (Brazil)], E-mail: ricgmoreira@petrobras.com.br

2010-07-01

This paper aims at describing the Analysis of a synchronous electric motor which presented high vibration levels (shaft displacement and bearing housing vibration) during the commissioning process, as well as propose the best practices for the solution of vibration problems in similar situations. This motor belongs to the propane centrifugal compressor installed at a Gas Compression Station. The methodology used in this study conducted an investigation of the problems presented in the motor through the execution of many types of tests and the analysis of the results. The main evaluations were performed, such as the vibration analysis and the rotor dynamic analysis. The electric motor was shipped back to the manufacturer's shop, where the manufacturer made certain modifications to the motor structure so as to improve the structure stiffness, such as the improvement of the support and the increase of the thickness of the structural plates. In addition to that, the dynamic balancing of the rotating set was checked. Finally, the excitation at a critical speed close to the rated speed was found after Rotor Dynamics Analysis was performed again, because of the increase in bearing clearances. The bearing shells were replaced so as to increase the separation margin between these frequencies. In order to verify the final condition of the motor, the manufacturer repeated the standard tests - FAT (Factory Acceptance Tests) - according to internal procedure and international standards. As a result of this work, it was possible to conclude that there was a significant increase in the vibration levels due to unbalance conditions. It was also possible to conclude that there are close relationships between high vibration levels and unbalance conditions, as well as between high vibration levels and the stiffness of the system and its support. Certain points of attention related to the manufacturing process of the motor compressor are described at the end of this paper, based

EQUATIONS OF ELECTRIC MOTOR POWER SUPPLY UNIT DISSYMMETRY UNDER PHASE-TO-PHASE SHORT-CIRCUIT FAULT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V.Y. Tchaban

2013-10-01

Full Text Available In the paper, a formula is introduced to calculate electric motor supply unit voltage under feeding by a common transformer in the condition of a phase-to-phase short-circuit. The formula is used in every time step of electromechanical state equations integration.

Condition monitoring of machinery using motor current signature analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kryter, R.C.; Haynes, H.D.

1989-01-01

Motor current signature analysis (MCSA) is a powerful monitoring tool for motor-driven equipment that provides a nonintrusive means for detecting the presence of mechanical and electrical abnormalities in the motor and the driven equipment, including altered conditions in the process ''downstream'' of the motor-driven equipment. It was developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory as a means for determining the effects of aging and service wear systems, but it is applicable to a broad range of machinery. MCSA is based on the recognition that an electric motor (ac or dc) driving a mechanical load acts as an efficient and permanently available transducer by sensing mechanical load variations, large and small, long-term and rapid, and converting them into variations in the induced current generated in the motor windings. These motor current variations are carried by the electrical cables processes as desired. Motor current signatures, obtained in both time and over time to provide early indication of degradation. Successful applications of MCSA technology (patent applied for) include not only motor-operated valves but also pumps of various designs, blowers, and air conditioning systems. Examples are presented briefly, and speculation regarding the applicability of MCSA to a broader range of equipment monitoring and production line testing is also given. 1 ref., 13 figs

Motor function and incident dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kueper, Jacqueline Kathleen; Speechley, Mark; Lingum, Navena Rebecca; Montero-Odasso, Manuel

2017-09-01

cognitive and mobility decline are interrelated processes, whereby mobility decline coincides or precedes the onset of cognitive decline. to assess whether there is an association between performance on motor function tests and incident dementia. electronic database, grey literature and hand searching identified studies testing for associations between baseline motor function and incident dementia in older adults. of 2,540 potentially relevant documents, 37 met the final inclusion criteria and were reviewed qualitatively. Three meta-analyses were conducted using data from 10 studies. Three main motor domains-upper limb motor function, parkinsonism and lower limb motor function-emerged as associated with increased risk of incident dementia. Studies including older adults without neurological overt disease found a higher risk of incident dementia associated with poorer performance on composite motor function scores, balance and gait velocity (meta-analysis pooled HR = 1.94, 95% CI: 1.41, 2.65). Mixed results were found across different study samples for upper limb motor function, overall parkinsonism (meta-analysis pooled OR = 3.05, 95% CI: 1.31, 7.08), bradykinesia and rigidity. Studies restricted to older adults with Parkinson's Disease found weak or no association with incident dementia even for motor domains highly associated in less restrictive samples. Tremor was not associated with an increased risk of dementia in any population (meta-analysis pooled HR = 0.80, 95% CI 0.31, 2.03). lower limb motor function was associated with increased risk of developing dementia, while tremor and hand grip strength were not. Our results support future research investigating the inclusion of quantitative motor assessment, specifically gait velocity tests, for clinical dementia risk evaluation. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society.All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Performance Analysis of Permanent Magnet Motors for Electric Vehicles (EV Traction Considering Driving Cycles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thanh Anh Huynh

2018-05-01

Full Text Available This paper evaluates the electromagnetic and thermal performance of several traction motors for electric vehicles (EVs. Two different driving cycles are employed for the evaluation of the motors, one for urban and the other for highway driving. The electromagnetic performance to be assessed includes maximum motor torque output for vehicle acceleration and the flux weakening capability for wide operating range under current and voltage limits. Thermal analysis is performed to evaluate the health status of the magnets and windings for the prescribed driving cycles. Two types of traction motors are investigated: two interior permanent magnet motors and one permanent magnet-assisted synchronous reluctance motor. The analysis results demonstrate the benefits and disadvantages of these motors for EV traction and provide suggestions for traction motor design. Finally, experiments are conducted to validate the analysis.

Selective fatigue of fast motor units after electrically elicited muscle contractions.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamada, Taku; Kimura, Tetsuya; Moritani, Toshio

2004-10-01

The aim of the present study was to elucidate the electrophysiological manifestations of selective fast motor unit (MU) activation by electrical stimulation (ES) of knee extensor muscles. In six male subjects, test contraction measurement at 40% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) was performed before and at every 5 min (5, 10, 15 and 20 min) during 20-min low intensity intermittent exercise of either ES or voluntary contractions (VC) at 10% MVC (5-s isometric contraction and 5-s rest cycles). Both isolated intramuscular MU spikes obtained from three sets of bipolar fine-wire electrodes and surface electromyogram (EMG) were simultaneously recorded and were analyzed by means of a computer-aided intramuscular spike amplitude-frequency analysis and frequency power spectral analysis, respectively. Results indicated that mean MU spike amplitude, particularly those MUs with relatively large amplitude, was significantly reduced while those MUs with small spike amplitude increased their firing rate during the 40% MVC test contraction after the ES. This was accompanied by the increased amplitude of surface EMG (rmsEMG). However, no such significant changes in the intramuscular and surface EMGs were observed after VC. These findings indicated differential MU activation patterns in terms of MU recruitment and rate coding characteristics during ES and VC, respectively. Our data strongly suggest the possibility of "an inverse size principle" of MU recruitment during ES.

Lifecycle Analysis of Different Motors from the Standpoint of Environmental Impact

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Orlova S.

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Comparative analysis is performed for different motors from the standpoint of damage inflicted by them during their lifecycle. Three types of motors have been considered: the synchronous reluctance motor, the permanent magnet assisted synchronous reluctance motor and the induction motor. The assessment of lifecycle has been made in terms of its four stages: manufacturing, distribution, use and end of life. The results show that the production costs of synchronous reluctance motor are lower compared to that of permanent magnet assisted motors, but due to their low efficiency they exert the greatest environmental impact. The main conclusion is that the assessment made at the early designing stage for the related environmental impact enables its reduction.

Market Analysis and Consumer Impacts Source Document. Part II. Review of Motor Vehicle Market and Consumer Expenditures on Motor Vehicle Transportation

Science.gov (United States)

1980-12-01

This source document on motor vehicle market analysis and consumer impacts consists of three parts. Part II consists of studies and review on: motor vehicle sales trends; motor vehicle fleet life and fleet composition; car buying patterns of the busi...

76 FR 10396 - New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc., Formerly a Joint Venture of General Motors Corporation and...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-24

... Manufacturing, Inc., Formerly a Joint Venture of General Motors Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation, Including On- Site Leased Workers From Corestaff, ABM Janitorial, Toyota Engineering and Manufacturing North... Motor Manufacturing, Inc., formerly a joint venture of General Motors Corporation and Toyota Motor...

The effect of electrical stimulation of the corticospinal tract on motor units of the human biceps brachii

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Nicolas Caesar; Taylor, Janet L; Gandevia, Simon C

2002-01-01

In healthy human subjects, descending motor pathways including the corticospinal tract were stimulated electrically at the level of the cervicomedullary junction to determine the effects on the discharge of motoneurones innervating the biceps brachii. Post-stimulus time histograms (PSTHs) were...... constructed for 15 single motor units following electrical stimulation of the corticospinal tract and for 11 units following electrical stimulation of large diameter afferents at the brachial plexus. Responses were assessed during weak voluntary contraction. Both types of stimulation produced a single peak...... in the two conditions when the intensity of the stimulation was adjusted so that responses of the same size could be compared. Estimates of the descending conduction velocity and measurements of presumed peripheral conduction time suggest that there is less than 0.5 ms for spinal events (including synaptic...

Loss analysis of a 1 MW class HTS synchronous motor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baik, S K; Kwon, Y K; Kim, H M; Lee, J D; Kim, Y C; Park, H J; Kwon, W S; Park, G S

2009-01-01

The HTS (High-Temperature Superconducting) synchronous motor has advantages over the conventional synchronous motor such as smaller size and higher efficiency. Higher efficiency is due to smaller loss than the conventional motor, so it is important to do loss analysis in order to develop a machine with higher efficiency. This paper deals with machine losses those are dissipated in each part of a HTS synchronous motor. These losses are analyzed theoretically and compared with loss data obtained from experimental results of a 1 MW class HTS synchronous motor. Each machine loss is measured based on IEEE 115 standard and the results are analyzed and considered based on the manufacturing of the test machine.

Analysis of Single Coil PM-BLDC Motor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boguslaw Grzesik

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of the paper is FEM analysis of single coil BLDC motor operated as drive of small piston pump. The paper contains analysis of design, distribution of magnetic field, forces and torque under static and dynamic conditions. Voltages, currents, signals waveforms are also given as the results of analysis. The cogging torque and total torque are discussed in the paper.

Linear stability analysis in a solid-propellant rocket motor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, K.M.; Kang, K.T.; Yoon, J.K. [Agency for Defense Development, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1995-10-01

Combustion instability in solid-propellant rocket motors depends on the balance between acoustic energy gains and losses of the system. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the capability of the program which predicts the standard longitudinal stability using acoustic modes based on linear stability analysis and T-burner test results of propellants. Commercial ANSYS 5.0A program can be used to calculate the acoustic characteristic of a rocket motor. The linear stability prediction was compared with the static firing test results of rocket motors. (author). 11 refs., 17 figs.

50 CFR 35.5 - Commercial enterprises, roads, motor vehicles, motorized equipment, motorboats, aircraft...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Commercial enterprises, roads, motor... Rules § 35.5 Commercial enterprises, roads, motor vehicles, motorized equipment, motorboats, aircraft... private rights, there shall be no commercial enterprise and no permanent road within a wilderness unit...

Motor unit properties of biceps brachii in chronic stroke patients assessed with high-density surface EMG

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kallenberg, L.A.C.; Hermens, Hermanus J.

2009-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate motor unit (MU) characteristics of the biceps brachii in post-stroke patients, using high-density surface electromyography (sEMG). Eighteen chronic hemiparetic stroke patients took part. The Fugl-Meyer score for the upper extremity was assessed. Subjects

Vastus lateralis single motor unit EMG at the same absolute torque production at different knee angles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Altenburg, T.M.; de Haan, A.; Verdijk, P.W.; van Mechelen, W.; de Ruiter, C.J.

2009-01-01

Single motor unit electromyographic (EMG) activity of the knee extensors was investigated at different knee angles with subjects (n = 10) exerting the same absolute submaximal isometric torque at each angle. Measurements were made over a 20° range around the optimum angle for torque production

Interleaved neuromuscular electrical stimulation: Motor unit recruitment overlap.

Science.gov (United States)

Wiest, Matheus J; Bergquist, Austin J; Schimidt, Helen L; Jones, Kelvin E; Collins, David F

2017-04-01

In this study, we quantified the "overlap" between motor units recruited by single pulses of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) delivered over the tibialis anterior muscle (mNMES) and the common peroneal nerve (nNMES). We then quantified the torque produced when pulses were alternated between the mNMES and nNMES sites at 40 Hz ("interleaved" NMES; iNMES). Overlap was assessed by comparing torque produced by twitches evoked by mNMES, nNMES, and both delivered together, over a range of stimulus intensities. Trains of iNMES were delivered at the intensity that produced the lowest overlap. Overlap was lowest (5%) when twitches evoked by both mNMES and nNMES produced 10% peak twitch torque. iNMES delivered at this intensity generated 25% of maximal voluntary dorsiflexion torque (11 Nm). Low intensity iNMES leads to low overlap and produces torque that is functionally relevant to evoke dorsiflexion during walking. Muscle Nerve 55: 490-499, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Comparative analysis of linear motor geometries for Stirling coolers

Science.gov (United States)

R, Rajesh V.; Kuzhiveli, Biju T.

2017-12-01

Compared to rotary motor driven Stirling coolers, linear motor coolers are characterized by small volume and long life, making them more suitable for space and military applications. The motor design and operational characteristics have a direct effect on the operation of the cooler. In this perspective, ample scope exists in understanding the behavioural description of linear motor systems. In the present work, the authors compare and analyze different moving magnet linear motor geometries to finalize the most favourable one for Stirling coolers. The required axial force in the linear motors is generated by the interaction of magnetic fields of a current carrying coil and that of a permanent magnet. The compact size, commercial availability of permanent magnets and low weight requirement of the system are quite a few constraints for the design. The finite element analysis performed using Maxwell software serves as the basic tool to analyze the magnet movement, flux distribution in the air gap and the magnetic saturation levels on the core. A number of material combinations are investigated for core before finalizing the design. The effect of varying the core geometry on the flux produced in the air gap is also analyzed. The electromagnetic analysis of the motor indicates that the permanent magnet height ought to be taken in such a way that it is under the influence of electromagnetic field of current carrying coil as well as the outer core in the balanced position. This is necessary so that sufficient amount of thrust force is developed by efficient utilisation of the air gap flux density. Also, the outer core ends need to be designed to facilitate enough room for the magnet movement under the operating conditions.

Comparative analysis of some brushless motors based on catalog data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anton Kalapish

2005-10-01

Full Text Available Brushless motors (polyphased AC induction, synchronous and brushless DC motors have no alternatives in modern electric drives. They possess highly efficient and very wide range of speeds. The objective of this paper is to represent some relation between the basic parameters and magnitudes of electrical machines. This allows to be made a comparative analysis and a choice of motor concerning each particular case based not only on catalogue data or price for sale.

75 FR 28656 - New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc., Formerly a Joint Venture of General Motors Corporation, and...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-21

... Manufacturing, Inc., Formerly a Joint Venture of General Motors Corporation, and Toyota Motor Corporation, Including On- Site Leased Workers From Corestaff, ABM Janitorial, and Toyota Engineering and Manufacturing... joint venture of General Motors Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation, including on-site leased...

75 FR 62424 - New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. Formerly a Joint Venture of General Motors Corporation and...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-08

... Manufacturing, Inc. Formerly a Joint Venture of General Motors Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation Including On- Site Leased Workers From Corestaff, ABM Janitorial, Toyota Engineering and Manufacturing North... Manufacturing, Inc., formerly a joint venture of General Motors Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation...

75 FR 47632 - New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc., Formerly a Joint Venture of General Motors Corporation and...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-06

... Manufacturing, Inc., Formerly a Joint Venture of General Motors Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation, Including On- Site Leased Workers From Corestaff, ABM Janitorial, Toyota Engineering and Manufacturing North... of General Motors Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation, including on-site leased workers from...

Seismic qualification of moderator system pump-motor units for RAPP-3,4 and KAIGA-1,2 235 MWe PHWRs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neelwarne, A.; Soni, R.S.; Kushawaha, H.S.; Mahajan, S.C.; Kakodkar, A.

1992-01-01

Smooth operation of active components like primary heat transport pumps, moderator pumps, emergency core cooling pumps etc. is always required to ensure safety of any nuclear power plants in case of normal as well as abnormal conditions such as earthquake loading. In order to ensure the functional requirement of such rotating equipment, is necessary to demonstrate, either through theoretical means or through experimental means, that in an event like earthquake loading, the static parts and the rotating parts of the equipment do not rub against each other giving rise to trouble during their operation. The moderator system pump units for RAPP-3,4 and Kaiga-1,2 have been analysed theoretically to demonstrate the structural integrity of various components of the unit as well as the functional requirement during an earthquake loading. A detailed Finite Element Model (FEM) was prepared for this which includes the modelling of static parts, rotating parts, anti-friction bearings and fluid-film journal bearings. Response spectrum analysis of the unit was carried out using the applicable floor response spectra for RAPP-3,4 and Kaiga-1,2 sites. It was concluded from this analysis that the pump-motor unit analysed meets the required design intent in terms of structural integrity and operability of the unit. The present report gives a detailed description of the problem, the development of FEM model, results and the conclusions arrived at. (author). 23 refs., 9 tabs., 17 figs

Obesity and motor skills among 4 to 6-year-old children in the united states: nationally-representative surveys

OpenAIRE

Castetbon Katia; Andreyeva Tatiana

2012-01-01

Abstract Background Few population-based studies have assessed relationships between body weight and motor skills in young children. Our objective was to estimate the association between obesity and motor skills at 4 years and 5-6 years of age in the United States. We used repeated cross-sectional assessments of the national sample from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) of preschool 4-year-old children (2005-2006; n = 5 100) and 5-6-year-old kindergarteners (2006-2...

Electric motor-transformer aggregate in hermetic objects of transport vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Zabora, Igor

2017-10-01

The construction and features of operation for new electrical unit - electric motor-transformer aggregate (DTA) are considered. Induction motors are intended for operation in hermetic plants with extreme conditions surrounding gas, steam-to-gas and liquid environment at a high temperature (to several hundred of degrees). Main objective of spent researches is the substantiation of possibility reliable and effective electric power transform with electric machine means directly in hermetic objects with extreme conditions environment by means of new DTA. The principle and job analysis of new disk induction motors of block-module type are observed.

Electromagnetic phenomena analysis in brushless DC motor with speed control using PWM method

Science.gov (United States)

Ciurys, Marek Pawel

2017-12-01

Field-circuit model of a brushless DC motor with speed control using PWM method was developed. Waveforms of electrical and mechanical quantities of the designed motor with a high pressure vane pump built in a rotor of the motor were computed. Analysis of electromagnetic phenomena in the system: single phase AC network - converter - BLDC motor was carried out.

Motor coordination and balance in rodents.

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, R J; Morton, J; Dunnett, S B

2001-08-01

Measurement of motor coordination and balance can be used not only to assess the effect of drugs or other experimental manipulations on mice and rats, but also to characterize the motor phenotype of transgenic or knock-out animals. Three well established and widely used protocols for measuring motor coordination and balance in mice and rats (rotarod, beam walking and footprint analysis) are described in this unit. The tests can be used equally well for rats and mice, and have been used both for the phenotypic characterization of transgenic mice and for evaluating the effects of lesions and aging in rats. The protocols are described in the primary context of testing mice, but modifications of the test apparatus or variations in the test parameters for assessment of rats are noted.

Motor unit firing during and after voluntary contractions of human thenar muscles weakened by spinal cord injury

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zijdewind, Inge; Thomas, CK

Spinal cord injury may change both the distribution and the strength of the synaptic input within a motoneuron pool and therefore alter force gradation. Here, we have studied the relative contributions of motor unit recruitment and rate modulation to force gradation during voluntary contractions of

System for Monitoring and Analysis of Vibrations at Electric Motors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriela Rață

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The monitoring of vibration occurring at the electric motors is of paramount importance to ensure their optimal functioning. This paper presents a monitoring system of vibrations occurring at two different types of electric motors, using a piezoelectric accelerometer (ICP 603C11 and a data acquisition board from National Instruments (NI 6009. Vibration signals taken from different parts of electric motors are transferred to computer through the acquisition board. A virtual instrument that allows real-time monitoring and Fourier analysis of signals from the vibration sensor was implemented in LabVIEW.

Static Analysis of High-Performance Fixed Fluid Power Drive with a Single Positive-Displacement Hydraulic Motor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. F. Nikitin

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the static calculations in designing a high-performance fixed fluid power drive with a single positive-displacement hydraulic motor. Designing is aimed at using a drive that is under development and yet unavailable to find and record the minimum of calculations and maximum of existing hydraulic units that enable clear and unambiguous performance, taking into consideration an available assortment of hydraulic units of hydraulic drives, to have the best efficiency.The specified power (power, moment and kinematics (linear velocity or angular velocity of rotation parameters of the output element of hydraulic motor determine the main output parameters of the hydraulic drive and the useful power of the hydraulic drive under development. The value of the overall efficiency of the hydraulic drive enables us to judge the efficiency of high-performance fixed fluid power drive.The energy analysis of a diagram of the high-performance fixed fluid power drive shows that its high efficiency is achieved when the flow rate of fluid flowing into each cylinder and the magnitude of the feed pump unit (pump are as nearly as possible.The paper considers the ways of determining the geometric parameters of working hydromotors (effective working area or working volume, which allow a selection of the pumping unit parameters. It discusses the ways to improve hydraulic drive efficiency. Using the principle of holding constant conductivity allows us to specify the values of the pressure losses in the hydraulic units used in noncatalog modes. In case of no exact matching between the parameters of existing hydraulic power modes and a proposed characteristics of the pump unit, the nearest to the expected characteristics is taken as a working version.All of the steps allow us to create the high-performance fixed fluid power drive capable of operating at the required power and kinematic parameters with high efficiency.

Obesity and motor skills among 4 to 6-year-old children in the united states: nationally-representative surveys

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background Few population-based studies have assessed relationships between body weight and motor skills in young children. Our objective was to estimate the association between obesity and motor skills at 4 years and 5-6 years of age in the United States. We used repeated cross-sectional assessments of the national sample from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) of preschool 4-year-old children (2005-2006; n = 5 100) and 5-6-year-old kindergarteners (2006-2007; n = 4 700). Height, weight, and fine and gross motor skills were assessed objectively via direct standardized procedures. We used categorical and continuous measures of body weight status, including obesity (Body Mass Index (BMI) ≥ 95th percentile) and BMI z-scores. Multivariate logistic and linear models estimated the association between obesity and gross and fine motor skills in very young children adjusting for individual, social, and economic characteristics and parental involvement. Results The prevalence of obesity was about 15%. The relationship between motor skills and obesity varied across types of skills. For hopping, obese boys and girls had significantly lower scores, 20% lower in obese preschoolers and 10% lower in obese kindergarteners than normal weight counterparts, p motor skills and fine motor skills of young children were not consistently related to BMI z-scores and obesity. Conclusions Based on objective assessment of children's motor skills and body weight and a full adjustment for confounding covariates, we find no reduction in overall coordination and fine motor skills in obese young children. Motor skills are adversely associated with childhood obesity only for skills most directly related to body weight. PMID:22420636

Structural optimisation of cage induction motors using finite element analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Palko, S.

The current trend in motor design is to have highly efficient, low noise, low cost, and modular motors with a high power factor. High torque motors are useful in applications like servo motors, lifts, cranes, and rolling mills. This report contains a detailed review of different optimization methods applicable in various design problems. Special attention is given to the performance of different methods, when they are used with finite element analysis (FEA) as an objective function, and accuracy problems arising from the numerical simulations. Also an effective method for designing high starting torque and high efficiency motors is presented. The method described in this work utilizes FEA combined with algorithms for the optimization of the slot geometry. The optimization algorithm modifies the position of the nodal points in the element mesh. The number of independent variables ranges from 14 to 140 in this work.

Development of the pump protection system against cavitation on the basis of the stator current signature analysis of drive electric motor

Science.gov (United States)

Kipervasser, M. V.; Gerasimuk, A. V.; Simakov, V. P.

2018-05-01

In the present paper a new registration method of such inadmissible phenomenon as cavitation in the operating mode of centrifugal pump is offered. Influence of cavitation and extent of its development on the value of mechanical power consumed by the pump from the electric motor is studied. On the basis of design formulas the joint mathematical model of centrifugal pumping unit with the synchronous motor is created. In the model the phenomena accompanying the work of a pumping installation in the cavitation mode are considered. Mathematical modeling of the pump operation in the considered emergency operation is carried out. The chart of stator current of the electric motor, depending on the degree of cavitation development of is received. On the basis of the analysis of the obtained data the conclusion on the possibility of registration of cavitation by the current of drive electric motor is made and the functional diagram of the developed protection system is offered, its operation principle is described.

An evaluation of the utility and limitations of counting motor unit action potentials in the surface electromyogram

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Ping; Zev Rymer, William

2004-12-01

The number of motor unit action potentials (MUAPs) appearing in the surface electromyogram (EMG) signal is directly related to motor unit recruitment and firing rates and therefore offers potentially valuable information about the level of activation of the motoneuron pool. In this paper, based on morphological features of the surface MUAPs, we try to estimate the number of MUAPs present in the surface EMG by counting the negative peaks in the signal. Several signal processing procedures are applied to the surface EMG to facilitate this peak counting process. The MUAP number estimation performance by this approach is first illustrated using the surface EMG simulations. Then, by evaluating the peak counting results from the EMG records detected by a very selective surface electrode, at different contraction levels of the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscles, the utility and limitations of such direct peak counts for MUAP number estimation in surface EMG are further explored.

Design and Analysis of Multi-Phase BLDC Motors for Electric Vehicles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Boztas

2018-04-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a design and analysis of multi-phase brushless direct current (BLDC motor for electric vehicles (EV. In this work, hub-wheels having 110Nm, 900rpm rated values have been designed for the proposed EV. This EV can produce 440 Nm without using transmission, differential and other mechanical components which have very high losses due to the mechanical fraction. The motors to be used in the EV have been designed as 3-, 5- and 7-phase by Infolytica/Motor Solve Software to compare their performances at the same load conditions. The same rotor geometry has been utilized for the motors. However, slot numbers and dimensions of the stator have been determined by considering the motor phase number. Performance curves of phase-currents, output powers, torques, efficiencies and power factors have been presented for these motors at the same operating conditions. It can be possible to use lower power switches in motor drive system thanks to the phase current reduction since the phase currents decrease proportionally to motor phase number. This work shows that the multi-phase BLDC motors are a good alternative in order to obtain lower torque and lower power inverter structure than the 3-phase BLDC motors which are used as standard.

Comparison the programs of energy efficiency for industrial electric motors; Comparacao de programas de eficiencia energetica para motores eletricos industriais

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mariotoni, Carlos Alberto; Naturesa, Jim Silva; Santos Junior, Joubert Rodrigues dos; Demanboro, Antonio Carlos [Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP (Brazil). Faculdade de Engenharia Civil, Arquitetura e Urbanismo. Nucleo Interdisciplinar de Planejamento Energetico (NIPE)]. E-mail: cam@fec.unicamp.br; jimnaturesa@yahoo.com; joubert@fec.unicamp.br; anto1810@fec.unicamp.br

2006-07-01

This paper aims to present a comparison among the existing programs of energy efficiency for industrial electric motors in Brazil, in the United States of America and in the European Community. The analysis is restricted to the action of each program, considering that the mentioned countries present distinct economical, political and social characteristics. Therefore, it is intended to discuss the main barriers existing in the Brazilian industrial context which cause difficulties to develop a program of electric motors efficiency and to indicate some ways to overcome those barriers. (author)

Segmented motor drive - with multi-phase induction motor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bendixen, Flemming Buus

of the induction motor is set up. The model is able to calculate dynamical electric, magnetic and mechanic state variables, but initially it is used to calculate static characteristics in motors with different number of phases and different voltage supply shapes. This analysis show i.e. that the efficiency....... The multi-phase motor is selected for further analysis. The project is limited to examine if increasing the number of phases can improve the characteristics for induction motor drives. In the literature it is demonstrated that torque production in a six-phase motor can be increased, if a 3rd harmonic......This PhD project commences in modulation of motor drives, i.e. having the advantage of reducing the number of variants and improves the system reliability at error situations. Four different motor drive topologies with modular construction as common denominator are compared on a general level...

75 FR 39045 - New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc., Formerly a Joint Venture of General Motors Corporation and...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-07

... Manufacturing, Inc., Formerly a Joint Venture of General Motors Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation, Including On- Site Leased Workers From Corestaff, ABM Janitorial, Toyota Engineering and Manufacturing North... Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation, including on-site leased workers from Corestaff, ABM Janitorial, and...

Control Of Motor Unit Firing During Step-Like Increases In Voluntary Force

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaogang eHu

2014-09-01

Full Text Available In most skeletal muscles, force is generated by a combination of motor unit (MU recruitment and increases in the firing rate of previously active MUs. Two contrasting patterns of firing rate organization have been reported. In the first pattern, the earliest recruited MUs reach the highest firing rates as force is increased, and later recruited MUs fire at lower rates. When firing rate of multiple MUs are superimposed, these rate trajectories form a concentric layered profile termed ‘onion skin’. In the second pattern, called ‘reverse onion skin’, later recruited MUs reach higher firing rates, and crossing of firing rate trajectories for recorded MUs is common (although such trajectories are assembled routinely from different trials. Our present study examined the firing rate organization of concurrently active MUs of the first dorsal interosseous muscle during serial, step-like increases in isometric abduction forces. We used a surface sensor array coupled with MU discrimination algorithms to characterize MU firing patterns. Our objective was to determine whether ‘onion skin’ profiles are contingent upon the force trajectory of the motor task, examined here using step-like increases of force output, and also whether they are manifested at different force levels.Our results revealed that the overall ‘onion skin’ firing rate profile was retained as the force level increased with each force step up to 15% MVC. However, the distribution of firing rates across MUs was compressed with increasing force, and overlapping firing rate of units were observed. This rate compression was largely due to rate saturation of the relatively high frequency discharging MUs.Our results reflect flexible firing patterns across MUs at different levels of excitation drive. It is also evident that many units did not follow all the step increases consistently. This failure to track firing rate increases at higher forces could be due to an intrinsically

Internal Flow Analysis of Large L/D Solid Rocket Motors

Science.gov (United States)

Laubacher, Brian A.

2000-01-01

Traditionally, Solid Rocket Motor (SRM) internal ballistic performance has been analyzed and predicted with either zero-dimensional (volume filling) codes or one-dimensional ballistics codes. One dimensional simulation of SRM performance is only necessary for ignition modeling, or for motors that have large length to port diameter ratios which exhibit an axial "pressure drop" during the early burn times. This type of prediction works quite well for many types of motors, however, when motor aspect ratios get large, and port to throat ratios get closer to one, two dimensional effects can become significant. The initial propellant grain configuration for the Space Shuttle Reusable Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM) was analyzed with 2-D, steady, axi-symmetric computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The results of the CFD analysis show that the steady-state performance prediction at the initial burn geometry, in general, agrees well with 1-D transient prediction results at an early time, however, significant features of the 2-D flow are captured with the CFD results that would otherwise go unnoticed. Capturing these subtle differences gives a greater confidence to modeling accuracy, and additional insight with which to model secondary internal flow effects like erosive burning. Detailed analysis of the 2-D flowfield has led to the discovery of its hidden 1-D isentropic behavior, and provided the means for a thorough and simplified understanding of internal solid rocket motor flow. Performance parameters such as nozzle stagnation pressure, static pressure drop, characteristic velocity, thrust and specific impulse are discussed in detail and compared for different modeling and prediction methods. The predicted performance using both the 1-D codes and the CFD results are compared with measured data obtained from static tests of the RSRM. The differences and limitations of predictions using ID and 2-D flow fields are discussed and some suggestions for the design of large L/D motors and

Obesity and motor skills among 4 to 6-year-old children in the United States: nationally-representative surveys.

Science.gov (United States)

Castetbon, Katia; Andreyeva, Tatiana

2012-03-15

Few population-based studies have assessed relationships between body weight and motor skills in young children. Our objective was to estimate the association between obesity and motor skills at 4 years and 5-6 years of age in the United States. We used repeated cross-sectional assessments of the national sample from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) of preschool 4-year-old children (2005-2006; n = 5 100) and 5-6-year-old kindergarteners (2006-2007; n = 4 700). Height, weight, and fine and gross motor skills were assessed objectively via direct standardized procedures. We used categorical and continuous measures of body weight status, including obesity (Body Mass Index (BMI) ≥ 95th percentile) and BMI z-scores. Multivariate logistic and linear models estimated the association between obesity and gross and fine motor skills in very young children adjusting for individual, social, and economic characteristics and parental involvement. The prevalence of obesity was about 15%. The relationship between motor skills and obesity varied across types of skills. For hopping, obese boys and girls had significantly lower scores, 20% lower in obese preschoolers and 10% lower in obese kindergarteners than normal weight counterparts, p Obese girls could jump 1.6-1.7 inches shorter than normal weight peers (p motor skills and fine motor skills of young children were not consistently related to BMI z-scores and obesity. Based on objective assessment of children's motor skills and body weight and a full adjustment for confounding covariates, we find no reduction in overall coordination and fine motor skills in obese young children. Motor skills are adversely associated with childhood obesity only for skills most directly related to body weight.

Obesity and motor skills among 4 to 6-year-old children in the united states: nationally-representative surveys

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Castetbon Katia

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Few population-based studies have assessed relationships between body weight and motor skills in young children. Our objective was to estimate the association between obesity and motor skills at 4 years and 5-6 years of age in the United States. We used repeated cross-sectional assessments of the national sample from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B of preschool 4-year-old children (2005-2006; n = 5 100 and 5-6-year-old kindergarteners (2006-2007; n = 4 700. Height, weight, and fine and gross motor skills were assessed objectively via direct standardized procedures. We used categorical and continuous measures of body weight status, including obesity (Body Mass Index (BMI ≥ 95th percentile and BMI z-scores. Multivariate logistic and linear models estimated the association between obesity and gross and fine motor skills in very young children adjusting for individual, social, and economic characteristics and parental involvement. Results The prevalence of obesity was about 15%. The relationship between motor skills and obesity varied across types of skills. For hopping, obese boys and girls had significantly lower scores, 20% lower in obese preschoolers and 10% lower in obese kindergarteners than normal weight counterparts, p p Conclusions Based on objective assessment of children's motor skills and body weight and a full adjustment for confounding covariates, we find no reduction in overall coordination and fine motor skills in obese young children. Motor skills are adversely associated with childhood obesity only for skills most directly related to body weight.

Design and Analysis of Multi-Phase BLDC Motors for Electric Vehicles

OpenAIRE

Boztas, Gullu; Yildirim, Merve; Aydogmus, Omur

2018-01-01

This paper presents a design and analysis of multiphase brushless direct current (BLDC) motor for electric vehicles (EV). In this work, hub-wheels having 110Nm, 900rpm rated values have been designed for the proposed EV. This EV can produce 440 Nm without using transmission, differential and other mechanical components which have very high losses due to the mechanical fraction. The motors to be used in the EV have been designed as 3-, 5- and 7-phase by Infolytica/Motor Solve Software to compa...

Failure analysis of motor bearing of sea water pump in nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bian Chunhua; Zhang Wei

2015-01-01

The motor bearing of sea water pump in Qinshan Phase II Nuclear Power plant broke after only one year's using. This paper introduces failure analysis process of the motor bearing. Chemical composition analysis, metallic phase analysis, micrographic examination, and hardness analysis, dimension analysis of each part of the bearing, as well as the high temperature and low temperature performance analysis of lubricating grease are performed. According to the analysis above mentioned, the failure mode of the bearing is wearing, and the reason of wearing is inappropriate installation of the bearing. (authors)

Lower layers in the motor cortex are more effective targets for penetrating microelectrodes in cortical prostheses

Science.gov (United States)

Parikh, Hirak; Marzullo, Timothy C.; Kipke, Daryl R.

2009-04-01

Improving cortical prostheses requires the development of recording neural interfaces that are efficient in terms of providing maximal control information with minimal interface complexity. While the typical approaches have targeted neurons in the motor cortex with multiple penetrating shanks, an alternative approach is to determine an efficient distribution of electrode sites within the layers of the cortex with fewer penetrating shanks. The objective of this study was to compare unit activity in the upper and lower layers of the cortex with respect to movement and direction in order to inform the design of penetrating microelectrodes. Four rats were implanted bilaterally with multi-site single-shank silicon microelectrode arrays in the neck/shoulder region of the motor cortex. We simultaneously recorded unit activity across all layers of the motor cortex while the animal was engaged in a movement direction task. Localization of the electrode array within the different layers of the cortex was determined by histology. We denoted units from layers 2 and 3 and units as upper layer units, and units from layers 5 and 6 as lower layer units. Analysis of unit spiking activity demonstrated that both the upper and lower layers encode movement and direction information. Unit responses in either cortical layer of the cortex were not preferentially associated with contralateral or ipsilateral movement. Aggregate analysis (633 neurons) and best session analysis (75 neurons) indicated that units in the lower layers (layers 5, 6) are more likely to encode direction information when compared to units in the upper layers (layers 2, 3) (p< 0.05). These results suggest that electrode sites clustered in the lower layers provide access to more salient control information for cortical neuroprostheses.

Electric vehicle traction motors - The development of an advanced motor concept

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, P.

1980-01-01

An axial-field permanent magnet traction motor is described, similar to several advanced motors that are being developed in the United States. This type of machine has several advantages over conventional dc motors, particularly in the electric vehicle application. The rapidly changing cost of magnetic materials, particularly cobalt, makes it important to study the utilization of permanent magnet materials in such machines. The impact of different magnets on machine design is evaluated, and the advantages of using iron powder composites in the armature are assessed.

Factor analysis of the contextual fine motor questionnaire in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Chin-Kai; Meng, Ling-Fu; Yu, Ya-Wen; Chen, Che-Kuo; Li, Kuan-Hua

2014-02-01

Most studies treat fine motor as one subscale in a developmental test, hence, further factor analysis of fine motor has not been conducted. In fact, fine motor has been treated as a multi-dimensional domain from both clinical and theoretical perspectives, and therefore to know its factors would be valuable. The aim of this study is to analyze the internal consistency and factor validity of the Contextual Fine Motor Questionnaire (CFMQ). Based on the ecological observation and literature, the Contextual Fine Motor Questionnaire (CFMQ) was developed and includes 5 subscales: Pen Control, Tool Use During Handicraft Activities, the Use of Dining Utensils, Connecting and Separating during Dressing and Undressing, and Opening Containers. The main purpose of this study is to establish the factorial validity of the CFMQ through conducting this factor analysis study. Among 1208 questionnaires, 904 were successfully completed. Data from the children's CFMQ submitted by primary care providers was analyzed, including 485 females (53.6%) and 419 males (46.4%) from grades 1 to 5, ranging in age from 82 to 167 months (M=113.9, SD=16.3). Cronbach's alpha was used to measure internal consistency and explorative factor analysis was applied to test the five factor structures within the CFMQ. Results showed that Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the CFMQ for 5 subscales ranged from .77 to .92 and all item-total correlations with corresponding subscales were larger than .4 except one item. The factor loading of almost all items classified to their factor was larger than .5 except 3 items. There were five factors, explaining a total of 62.59% variance for the CFMQ. In conclusion, the remaining 24 items in the 5 subscales of the CFMQ had appropriate internal consistency, test-retest reliability and construct validity. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mountain Plains Learning Experience Guide: Electric Motor Repair.

Science.gov (United States)

Ziller, T.

This Electric Motor Repair Course is designed to provide the student with practical information for winding, repairing, and troubleshooting alternating current and direct current motors, and controllers. The course is comprised of eight units: (1) Electric Motor Fundamentals, (2) Rewinding, (3) Split-phase Induction Motors, (4) Capacitor Motors,…

Motor Impairments in Transient Ischemic Attack Increase the Odds of a Subsequent Stroke: A Meta-Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neha Lodha

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Background and purposeTransient ischemic attack (TIA increases the risk for a subsequent stroke. Typical symptoms include motor weakness, gait disturbance, and loss of coordination. The association between the presence of motor impairments during a TIA and the chances of a subsequent stroke has not been examined. In the current meta-analysis, we examine whether the odds of a stroke are greater in TIA individuals who experience motor impairments as compared with those who do not experience motor impairments.MethodsWe conducted a systematic search of electronic databases as well as manual searches of the reference lists of retrieved articles. The meta-analysis included studies that reported an odds ratio relating motor impairments to a subsequent stroke, or the number of individuals with or without motor impairments who experienced a subsequent stroke. We examined these studies using rigorous meta-analysis techniques including random effects model, forest and funnel plots, I2, publication bias, and fail-safe analysis.ResultsTwenty-four studies with 15,129 participants from North America, Australia, Asia, and Europe qualified for inclusion. An odds ratio of 2.11 (95% CI, 1.67–2.65, p = 0.000 suggested that the chances of a subsequent stroke are increased by twofolds in individuals who experience motor impairments during a TIA compared with those individuals who have no motor impairments.ConclusionThe presence of motor impairments during TIA is a significantly high-risk clinical characteristic for a subsequent stroke. The current evidence for motor impairments following TIA relies exclusively on the clinical reports of unilateral motor weakness. A comprehensive examination of motor impairments in TIA will enhance TIA prognosis and restoration of residual motor impairments.

Tribal motor vehicle injury prevention programs for reducing disparities in motor vehicle-related injuries.

Science.gov (United States)

West, Bethany A; Naumann, Rebecca B

2014-04-18

A previous analysis of National Vital Statistics System data for 2003-2007 that examined disparities in rates of motor vehicle-related death by race/ethnicity and sex found that death rates for American Indians/Alaska Natives were two to four times the rates of other races/ethnicities. To address the disparity in motor vehicle-related injuries and deaths among American Indians/Alaska Natives, CDC funded four American Indian tribes during 2004-2009 to tailor, implement, and evaluate evidence-based road safety interventions. During the implementation of these four motor vehicle-related injury prevention pilot programs, seat belt and child safety seat use increased and alcohol-impaired driving decreased. Four American Indian/Alaska Native tribal communities-the Tohono O'odham Nation, the Ho-Chunk Nation, the White Mountain Apache Tribe, and the San Carlos Apache Tribe-implemented evidence-based road safety interventions to reduce motor vehicle-related injuries and deaths. Each community selected interventions from the Guide to Community Preventive Services and implemented them during 2004-2009. Furthermore, each community took a multifaceted approach by incorporating several strategies, such as school and community education programs, media campaigns, and collaborations with law enforcement officers into their programs. Police data and direct observational surveys were the main data sources used to assess results of the programs. Results included increased use of seat belts and child safety seats, increased enforcement of alcohol-impaired driving laws, and decreased motor vehicle crashes involving injuries or deaths. CDC's Office of Minority Health and Health Equity selected the intervention analysis and discussion as an example of a program that might be effective for reducing motor vehicle-related injury disparities in the United States. The Guide to Community Preventive Services recognizes these selected interventions as effective; this report examines the

Performance analysis of samarium cobalt P.M. synchronous motor fed from PWM inverters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahman, M.A.; Choudhury, M.A.

1985-01-01

This paper presents an analysis and performance of samarium cobalt permanent magnet (P.M.) synchronous motors fed from two types of voltage source pulse width modulated (PWM) inverters. The analysis and test results on the steady state performance of a P.M. motor fed from PWM inverters are presented. PWM inverters are used in variable voltage variable frequency applications to avoid a double conversion process of ordinary inverters. In drives, they are used for voltage and speed regulation of motors. Use of modulation technique in inverters also allow to eliminate or minimize selected harmonics from the inverter output voltage

A model for improving energy efficiency in industrial motor system using multicriteria analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herrero Sola, Antonio Vanderley; Mota, Caroline Maria de Miranda; Kovaleski, Joao Luiz

2011-01-01

In the last years, several policies have been proposed by governments and global institutions in order to improve the efficient use of energy in industries worldwide. However, projects in industrial motor systems require new approach, mainly in decision making area, considering the organizational barriers for energy efficiency. Despite the wide application, multicriteria methods remain unexplored in industrial motor systems until now. This paper proposes a multicriteria model using the PROMETHEE II method, with the aim of ranking alternatives for induction motors replacement. A comparative analysis of the model, applied to a Brazilian industry, has shown that multicriteria analysis presents better performance on energy saving as well as return on investments than single criterion. The paper strongly recommends the dissemination of multicriteria decision aiding as a policy to support the decision makers in industries and to improve energy efficiency in electric motor systems. - Highlights: → Lack of decision model in industrial motor system is the main motivation of the research. → A multicriteria model based on PROMETHEE method is proposed with the aim of supporting the decision makers in industries. → The model can contribute to transpose some barriers within the industries, improving the energy efficiency in industrial motor system.

A model for improving energy efficiency in industrial motor system using multicriteria analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herrero Sola, Antonio Vanderley, E-mail: sola@utfpr.edu.br [Federal University of Technology, Parana, Brazil (UTFPR)-Campus Ponta Grossa, Av. Monteiro Lobato, Km 4, CEP: 84016-210 (Brazil); Mota, Caroline Maria de Miranda, E-mail: carolmm@ufpe.br [Federal University of Pernambuco, Cx. Postal 7462, CEP 50630-970, Recife (Brazil); Kovaleski, Joao Luiz [Federal University of Technology, Parana, Brazil (UTFPR)-Campus Ponta Grossa, Av. Monteiro Lobato, Km 4, CEP: 84016-210 (Brazil)

2011-06-15

In the last years, several policies have been proposed by governments and global institutions in order to improve the efficient use of energy in industries worldwide. However, projects in industrial motor systems require new approach, mainly in decision making area, considering the organizational barriers for energy efficiency. Despite the wide application, multicriteria methods remain unexplored in industrial motor systems until now. This paper proposes a multicriteria model using the PROMETHEE II method, with the aim of ranking alternatives for induction motors replacement. A comparative analysis of the model, applied to a Brazilian industry, has shown that multicriteria analysis presents better performance on energy saving as well as return on investments than single criterion. The paper strongly recommends the dissemination of multicriteria decision aiding as a policy to support the decision makers in industries and to improve energy efficiency in electric motor systems. - Highlights: > Lack of decision model in industrial motor system is the main motivation of the research. > A multicriteria model based on PROMETHEE method is proposed with the aim of supporting the decision makers in industries. > The model can contribute to transpose some barriers within the industries, improving the energy efficiency in industrial motor system.

Optimization analysis of propulsion motor control efficiency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

CAI Qingnan

2017-12-01

Full Text Available [Objectives] This paper aims to strengthen the control effect of propulsion motors and decrease the energy used during actual control procedures.[Methods] Based on the traditional propulsion motor equivalence circuit, we increase the iron loss current component, introduce the definition of power matching ratio, calculate the highest efficiency of a motor at a given speed and discuss the flux corresponding to the power matching ratio with the highest efficiency. In the original motor vector efficiency optimization control module, an efficiency optimization control module is added so as to achieve motor efficiency optimization and energy conservation.[Results] MATLAB/Simulink simulation data shows that the efficiency optimization control method is suitable for most conditions. The operation efficiency of the improved motor model is significantly higher than that of the original motor model, and its dynamic performance is good.[Conclusions] Our motor efficiency optimization control method can be applied in engineering to achieve energy conservation.

Dynamics Analysis of Unbalanced Motorized Spindles Supported on Ball Bearings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junfeng Liu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an improved dynamic model for unbalanced high speed motorized spindles. The proposed model includes a Hertz contact force model which takes into the internal clearance and an unbalanced electromagnetic force model based on the energy of the air magnetic field. The nonlinear characteristic of the model is analysed by Lyapunov stability theory and numerical analysis to study the dynamic properties of the spindle system. Finally, a dynamic operating test is carried out on a DX100A-24000/20-type motorized spindle. The good agreement between the numerical solutions and the experimental data indicates that the proposed model is capable of accurately predicting the dynamic properties of motorized spindles. The influence of the unbalanced magnetic force on the system is studied, and the sensitivities of the system parameters to the critical speed of the system are obtained. These conclusions are useful for the dynamic design of high speed motorized spindles.

Changes in motor unit recruitment strategy during pain alters force direction.

Science.gov (United States)

Tucker, Kylie J; Hodges, Paul W

2010-10-01

Motor unit (MU) recruitment is altered (decreased discharge rate and cessation of discharge in some units, and recruitment of new units) in force-matched contractions during pain compared to contractions performed before pain. As MU's within a motoneurone pool have different force direction properties we hypothesised that altered MU recruitment during experimental knee pain would change the force vector (total force (F(T)): amplitude and angle) generated by the quadriceps. Force was produced at two levels during 1 × 60-s and 3 × 10-s isometric contractions of knee extensors, and recorded by two force transducers at right angles. This enabled calculation of both F(E) (extension force) and F(T). MU recruitment was recorded from the medial and lateral vastii with four fine-wire electrodes. Pain was induced by hypertonic saline injection in the infra-patella fat pad. Nine subjects matched F(E) and six subjects also matched both medial and lateral forces (F(T)) before and during pain. Changes in MU discharge pattern (decreased discharge rate (Precruitment of new units) during pain were associated with a ∼5° change in absolute force angle. As force angle changed in both directions (left/right) for individual subjects with pain there was no change in average F(T) amplitude between conditions. When both medial and lateral forces were matched MU discharge rate decreased (Punits ceased firing or were newly recruited during pain. Change in motoneurone recruitment during pain alters direction of muscle force. This may be a strategy to avoid pain or protect the painful part. Copyright © 2010 European Federation of International Association for the Study of Pain Chapters. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Learning and Chaining of Motor Primitives for Goal-directed Locomotion of a Snake-Like Robot with Screw-Drive Units

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chatterjee, Sromona; Nachstedt, Timo; Tamosiunaite, Minija

2015-01-01

-directed locomotion for the robot. The behavioural primitives of the robot are generated using a reinforcement learning approach called "Policy Improvement with Path Integrals" (PI2). PI2 is numerically simple and has the ability to deal with high-dimensional systems. Here, PI2 is used to learn the robot’s motor...... controls by finding proper locomotion control parameters, like joint angles and screw-drive unit velocities, in a coordinated manner for different goals. Thus, it is able to generate a large repertoire of motor primitives, which are selectively stored to form a primitive library. The learning process...

Global thermal analysis of air-air cooled motor based on thermal network

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Tian; Leng, Xue; Shen, Li; Liu, Haidong

2018-02-01

The air-air cooled motors with high efficiency, large starting torque, strong overload capacity, low noise, small vibration and other characteristics, are widely used in different department of national industry, but its cooling structure is complex, it requires the motor thermal management technology should be high. The thermal network method is a common method to calculate the temperature field of the motor, it has the advantages of small computation time and short time consuming, it can save a lot of time in the initial design phase of the motor. The domain analysis of air-air cooled motor and its cooler was based on thermal network method, the combined thermal network model was based, the main components of motor internal and external cooler temperature were calculated and analyzed, and the temperature rise test results were compared to verify the correctness of the combined thermal network model, the calculation method can satisfy the need of engineering design, and provide a reference for the initial and optimum design of the motor.

Comparison of the Efficacy of Different Drugs on Non-Motor Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease: a Network Meta-Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Bao-Dong; Cui, Jing-Jun; Song, Jia; Qi, Ce; Ma, Pei-Feng; Wang, Ya-Rong; Bai, Jing

2018-01-01

A network meta-analysis is used to compare the efficacy of ropinirole, rasagiline, rotigotine, entacapone, apomorphine, pramipexole, sumanirole, bromocriptine, piribedil and levodopa, with placebo as a control, for non-motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD). PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library were searched from their establishment dates up to January 2017 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the efficacy of the above ten drugs on the non-motor symptoms of PD. A network meta-analysis combined the evidence from direct comparisons and indirect comparisons and evaluated the pooled weighted mean difference (WMD) values and surfaces under the cumulative ranking curves (SUCRA). The network meta-analysis included 21 RCTs. The analysis results indicated that, using the United Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) III, the efficacies of placebo, ropinirole, rasagiline, rotigotine, entacapone, pramipexole, sumanirole and levodopa in treating PD were lower than that of apomorphine (WMD = -10.90, 95% CI = -16.12∼-5.48; WMD = -11.85, 95% CI = -17.31∼-6.16; WMD = -11.15, 95% CI = -16.64∼-5.04; WMD = -11.70, 95% CI = -16.98∼-5.60; WMD = -11.04, 95% CI = -16.97∼-5.34; WMD = -13.27, 95% CI = -19.22∼-7.40; WMD = -10.25, 95% CI = -15.66∼-4.32; and WMD = -11.60, 95% CI = -17.89∼-5.57, respectively). Treatment with ropinirole, rasagiline, rotigotine, entacapone, pramipexole, sumanirole, bromocriptine, piribedil or levodopa, with placebo as a control, on PD exhibited no significant differences on PD symptoms when the UPDRS II was used for evaluation. Moreover, using the UPDRS III, the SUCRA values indicated that a pomorphine had the best efficacy on the non-motor symptoms of PD (99.0%). Using the UPDRS II, the SUCRA values for ropinirole, rasagiline, rotigotine, entacapone, pramipexole, sumanirole, bromocriptine, piribedil and levodopa treatments, with placebo as a control, indicated that bromocriptine showed the best efficacy on the non-motor

Analysis of failure and maintenance experiences of motor operated valves in a Finnish nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simola, K.; Laakso, K.

1992-01-01

Operating experiences from 1981 up to 1989 of totally 104 motor operated closing valves (MOV) in different safety systems at TVO I and II nuclear power units were analysed in a systematic way. The qualitative methods used were failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) and maintenance effects and criticality analysis (MECA). The failure descriptions were obtained from power plant's computerized failure reporting system. The reported 181 failure events were reanalysed and sorted according to specific classifications developed for the MOV function. Filled FMEA and MECA sheets on individual valves were stored in a microcomputer data base for further analyses. Analyses were performed for the failed mechanical and electrical valve parts, ways of detection of failure modes, failure effects, and repair and unavailability times

Large-signal analysis of DC motor drive system using state-space averaging technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bekir Yildiz, Ali

2008-01-01

The analysis of a separately excited DC motor driven by DC-DC converter is realized by using state-space averaging technique. Firstly, a general and unified large-signal averaged circuit model for DC-DC converters is given. The method converts power electronic systems, which are periodic time-variant because of their switching operation, to unified and time independent systems. Using the averaged circuit model enables us to combine the different topologies of converters. Thus, all analysis and design processes about DC motor can be easily realized by using the unified averaged model which is valid during whole period. Some large-signal variations such as speed and current relating to DC motor, steady-state analysis, large-signal and small-signal transfer functions are easily obtained by using the averaged circuit model

Structural Analysis of the Support System for a Large Compressor Driven by a Synchronous Electric Motor

Science.gov (United States)

Winter, J. R.

1984-01-01

For economic reasons, the steam drive for a large compressor was replaced by a large synchronous electric motor. Due to the resulting large increase in mass and because the unit was mounted on a steel frame approximately 18 feet above ground level, it was deemed necessary to determine if a steady state or transient vibration problem existed. There was a definite possibility that a resonant or near resonant condition could be encountered. The ensuing analysis, which led to some structural changes as the analysis proceeded, did not reveal any major steady state vibration problems. However, the analysis did indicate that the system would go through several natural frequencies of the support structure during start-up and shutdown. This led to the development of special start-up and shutdown procedures to minimize the possibility of exciting any of the major structural modes. A coast-down could result in significant support structure and/or equipment damage, especially under certain circumstances. In any event, dynamic field tests verified the major analytical results. The unit has now been operating for over three years without any major vibration problems.

Análisis vibrodinámico de motores eléctricos // Vibrational and dynamic analysis of electric motors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Orestes González-Quintero

2010-01-01

Full Text Available ResumenEl artículo aborda el estudio vibrodinámico ejecutado en motores eléctricos de la fábrica de azúcar“Cristino Naranjo” durante la implementación del mantenimiento predictivo. En el mismo seexponen los trabajos realizados en las diferentes etapas de implementación del mantenimiento y eldiagnóstico de defectos mediante la utilización del análisis espectral de vibraciones. Se muestranespectros de motor con problemas y en funcionamiento normal.Palabras claves: Ingeniería de Mantenimiento, Mantenimiento Predictivo, análisis, vibraciones.__________________________________________________________________________________AbstractThis work is concerned with the vibrational and dynamic study of electrical motors located inCristino Naranjo sugar mill. It is done during the predictive maintenance implementation. At thesome time some works are shown during this process as well the failures diagnostic by means ofthe use of spectrum analysis of vibration. The spectrums shown are related to motors withdifficulties or well working.Key words: Maintenance Engineering, Predictive Maintenance, vibration, análisis.

Fixed-Time Stability Analysis of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors with Novel Adaptive Control

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Maoxing Liu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available We firstly investigate the fixed-time stability analysis of uncertain permanent magnet synchronous motors with novel control. Compared with finite-time stability where the convergence rate relies on the initial permanent magnet synchronous motors state, the settling time of fixed-time stability can be adjusted to desired values regardless of initial conditions. Novel adaptive stability control strategy for the permanent magnet synchronous motors is proposed, with which we can stabilize permanent magnet synchronous motors within fixed time based on the Lyapunov stability theory. Finally, some simulation and comparison results are given to illustrate the validity of the theoretical results.

Motor units in the human medial gastrocnemius muscle are not spatially localized or functionally grouped.

Science.gov (United States)

Héroux, Martin E; Brown, Harrison J; Inglis, J Timothy; Siegmund, Gunter P; Blouin, Jean-Sébastien

2015-08-15

Human medial gastrocnemius (MG) motor units (MUs) are thought to occupy small muscle territories or regions, with low-threshold units preferentially located distally. We used intramuscular recordings to measure the territory of muscle fibres from MG MUs and determine whether these MUs are grouped by recruitment threshold or joint action (ankle plantar flexion and knee flexion). The territory of MUs from the MG muscle varied from somewhat localized to highly distributed, with approximately half the MUs spanning at least half the length and width of the muscle. There was also no evidence of regional muscle activity based on MU recruitment thresholds or joint action. The CNS does not have the means to selectively activate regions of the MG muscle based on task requirements. Human medial gastrocnemius (MG) motor units (MUs) are thought to occupy small muscle territories, with low-threshold units preferentially located distally. In this study, subjects (n = 8) performed ramped and sustained isometric contractions (ankle plantar flexion and knee flexion; range: ∼1-40% maximal voluntary contraction) and we measured MU territory size with spike-triggered averages from fine-wire electrodes inserted along the length (seven electrodes) or across the width (five electrodes) of the MG muscle. Of 69 MUs identified along the length of the muscle, 32 spanned at least half the muscle length (≥ 6.9 cm), 11 of which spanned all recording sites (13.6-17.9 cm). Distal fibres had smaller pennation angles (P recruitment threshold or contraction type, nor was there a relationship between MU territory size and recruitment threshold (Spearman's rho = -0.20 and 0.13, P > 0.18). MUs in the human MG have larger territories than previously reported and are not localized based on recruitment threshold or joint action. This indicates that the CNS does not have the means to selectively activate regions of the MG muscle based on task requirements. © 2015 The Authors. The Journal of

Analysis of the linear induction motor in transient operation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gentile, G; Rotondale, N; Scarano, M

1987-05-01

The paper deals with the analysis of a bilateral linear induction motor in transient operation. We have considered an impressed voltage one-dimensional model which takes into account end effects. The real winding distribution of the armature has been represented as a lumped parameters system. By using the space vectors methodology, the partial differential equation of the sheet is solved bythe variable separation method. Therefore it's possible to arrange a system of ordinary differential equations where the unknown quantities are the space vectors of the air-gap flux density and sheet currents. Finally, we have analyzed the characteristic quantities for a no-load starting of small power motors.

DESIGN AND EXPERIENCE WITH THE WS/HS ASSEMBLY MOVEMENT USING LABVIEW VIS, NATIONAL INSTRUMENT MOTION CONTROLLERS, AND COMPUMOTOR ELECTRONIC DRIVE UNITS AND MOTORS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barr, D.S.; Day, L.A.

2001-01-01

The Low-Energy Demonstration Accelerator (LEDA), designed and built at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, is part of the Accelerator Production of Tritium (APT) program and provides a platform for measuring high-power proton beam-halo formation. The technique used for measuring the beam halo employs nine combination Wire Scanner and Halo Scraper (WS/HS) devices. This paper will focus on the experience gained in the use of National Instrument (NI) LabVIEW VIs and motion controllers, and Compumotor electronic drive units and motors. The base configuration couples a Compumotor motor driven by a Parker-Hannifin Gemini GT Drive unit. The drive unit is controlled by a NI PXI-7344 controller card, which in turn is controlled by a PC running custom built NI LabVIEW VIs. The function of the control VI's is to interpret instructions from the main control system, the Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS), and carry out the corresponding motion commands. The main control VI has to run all nineteen WS/HS motor axes used in the accelerator. A basic discussion of the main accelerator control system, EPICs which is hosted on a VXI platform, and its interface with the PC based LabVIEW motion control software will be included

Training in the Motor Vehicle Repair and Sales Sector in the United Kingdom. Report for the FORCE Programme. First Edition.

Science.gov (United States)

Rhys, Garel

An international team of researchers studied the following aspects of training in the United Kingdom's motor vehicle repair and sales sector: structure and characteristics; institutional and social context; relationship to the labor market; changing structural, economic, and organizational conditions; and training/recruitment and relationship to…

Computer model verification for seismic analysis of vertical pumps and motors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDonald, C.K.

1993-01-01

The general principles of modeling vertical pumps and motors are discussed and then two examples of verifying the models are presented in detail. The first examples is a vertical pump and motor assembly. The model and computer analysis are presented and the first four modes (frequencies) calculated are compared to the values of the same modes obtained from a shaker test. The model used for this example is a lumped mass connected by massless beams model. The shaker test was performed by National Technical Services, Los Angeles, CA. The second example is a larger vertical motor. The model used for this example is a finite element three dimensional shell model. The first frequency obtained from this model is compared to the first frequency obtained from shop tests for several different motors. The shop tests were performed by Reliance Electric, Stratford, Ontario and Siemens-Allis, Inc., Norwood, Ohio

Microcomputer-based stepping-motor controller

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, K.

1983-04-01

A microcomputer-controlled stepping motor is described. A Motorola MC68701 microcomputer unit is interfaced to a Cybernetic CY500 stored-program controller that outputs through Motorola input/output isolation modules to the stepping motor. A complex multifunction controller with enhanced capabilities is thus available with a minimum number of parts

A MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF THERMAL POWER PLANTS SMOKE EXHAUSTERS INDUCTION MOTORS SYSTEM OPERATION MODES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. M. Vasyliv

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose. Development of a model-software complex (MSC for computer analysis of modes of the system of induction motors (IM of smoke exhausters of thermal power plant (TPP, the basic elements of which are mathematical models and corresponding software written in the programming language FORTRAN. Methodology. Mathematical model serves as a system of differential equations of electrical and mechanical condition. The equation of electric state is written in phase coordinates based on Kirchhoff's laws, and mechanical condition described by the d'Alembert equation. Mathematical model focuses on explicit numerical integration methods. Scientific novelty. The equation of state of electrical connections takes into account the mutual electromagnetic circuits for transformer of own needs (TON and induction motors and interdependence (in all possible combinations between: TON (from which motors powered and each of the two IM and blood pressure between themselves. The complex allows to simulate electromagnetic and electromechanical processes in transitional and steady, symmetric and asymmetric modes including modes of self-induction motors. Results. Complex is used for computer analysis of electromagnetic and electromechanical processes and established the basic laws of motion modes of starting, stopping and self-start of IM of smoke exhausters of the TPP unit. Practical value. The complex is suitable for computer analysis of modes of other similar units of own needs of thermal power plants.

Comparison of the Efficacy of Different Drugs on Non-Motor Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease: a Network Meta-Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bao-Dong Li

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background/Aims: A network meta-analysis is used to compare the efficacy of ropinirole, rasagiline, rotigotine, entacapone, apomorphine, pramipexole, sumanirole, bromocriptine, piribedil and levodopa, with placebo as a control, for non-motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease (PD. Methods: PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library were searched from their establishment dates up to January 2017 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs investigating the efficacy of the above ten drugs on the non-motor symptoms of PD. A network meta-analysis combined the evidence from direct comparisons and indirect comparisons and evaluated the pooled weighted mean difference (WMD values and surfaces under the cumulative ranking curves (SUCRA. The network meta-analysis included 21 RCTs. Results: The analysis results indicated that, using the United Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS III, the efficacies of placebo, ropinirole, rasagiline, rotigotine, entacapone, pramipexole, sumanirole and levodopa in treating PD were lower than that of apomorphine (WMD = -10.90, 95% CI = -16.12∼-5.48; WMD = -11.85, 95% CI = -17.31∼-6.16; WMD = -11.15, 95% CI = -16.64∼-5.04; WMD = -11.70, 95% CI = -16.98∼-5.60; WMD = -11.04, 95% CI = -16.97∼-5.34; WMD = -13.27, 95% CI = -19.22∼-7.40; WMD = -10.25, 95% CI = -15.66∼-4.32; and WMD = -11.60, 95% CI = -17.89∼-5.57, respectively. Treatment with ropinirole, rasagiline, rotigotine, entacapone, pramipexole, sumanirole, bromocriptine, piribedil or levodopa, with placebo as a control, on PD exhibited no significant differences on PD symptoms when the UPDRS II was used for evaluation. Moreover, using the UPDRS III, the SUCRA values indicated that a pomorphine had the best efficacy on the non-motor symptoms of PD (99.0%. Using the UPDRS II, the SUCRA values for ropinirole, rasagiline, rotigotine, entacapone, pramipexole, sumanirole, bromocriptine, piribedil and levodopa treatments, with placebo as a control, indicated that

Motor Importance of motor assessment in school children: analysis of the reliability of the motor development scale doi: 10.5007/1980-0037.2010v12n6p422

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisco Rosa Neto

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to investigate the motor performance of school chil-dren aged 6 to 10 years without learning difficulties (n=101, and to analyze the reliability of the Motor Development Scale (MDS (Rosa Neto, 2002. Descriptive statistics with calculation of the mean, standard deviation, and range was used for data analysis. The internal consistency of the MDS was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, and the correlation between variables was determined by Pearson’s linear correlation, with p<0.05. The results showed (1 that motor development was within normal limits in 96% of the children, and (2 a high correlation betwe-en chronological age and general motor age, indicating good internal consistency. These data demonstrate the logic and structured design of the MDS, confirming its reliability.

Reciprocal inhibition between motor neurons of the tibialis anterior and triceps surae in humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Yavuz, Utku Ş; Negro, Francesco; Diedrichs, Robin; Farina, Dario

2018-05-01

Motor neurons innervating antagonist muscles receive reciprocal inhibitory afferent inputs to facilitate the joint movement in the two directions. The present study investigates the mutual transmission of reciprocal inhibitory afferent inputs between the tibialis anterior (TA) and triceps surae (soleus and medial gastrocnemius) motor units. We assessed this mutual mechanism in large populations of motor units for building a statistical distribution of the inhibition amplitudes during standardized input to the motor neuron pools to minimize the effect of modulatory pathways. Single motor unit activities were identified using high-density surface electromyography (HDsEMG) recorded from the TA, soleus (Sol), and medial gastrocnemius (GM) muscles during isometric dorsi- and plantarflexion. Reciprocal inhibition on the antagonist muscle was elicited by electrical stimulation of the tibial (TN) or common peroneal nerves (CPN). The probability density distributions of reflex strength for each muscle were estimated to examine the strength of mutual transmission of reciprocal inhibitory input. The results showed that the strength of reciprocal inhibition in the TA motor units was fourfold greater than for the GM and the Sol motor units. This suggests an asymmetric transmission of reciprocal inhibition between ankle extensor and flexor muscles. This asymmetry cannot be explained by differences in motor unit type composition between the investigated muscles since we sampled low-threshold motor units in all cases. Therefore, the differences observed for the strength of inhibition are presumably due to a differential reciprocal spindle afferent input and the relative contribution of nonreciprocal inhibitory pathways. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We investigated the mutual transmission of reciprocal inhibition in large samples of motor units using a standardized input (electrical stimulation) to the motor neurons. The results demonstrated that the disynaptic reciprocal inhibition exerted

Directionality analysis on functional magnetic resonance imaging during motor task using Granger causality.

Science.gov (United States)

Anwar, A R; Muthalib, M; Perrey, S; Galka, A; Granert, O; Wolff, S; Deuschl, G; Raethjen, J; Heute, U; Muthuraman, M

2012-01-01

Directionality analysis of signals originating from different parts of brain during motor tasks has gained a lot of interest. Since brain activity can be recorded over time, methods of time series analysis can be applied to medical time series as well. Granger Causality is a method to find a causal relationship between time series. Such causality can be referred to as a directional connection and is not necessarily bidirectional. The aim of this study is to differentiate between different motor tasks on the basis of activation maps and also to understand the nature of connections present between different parts of the brain. In this paper, three different motor tasks (finger tapping, simple finger sequencing, and complex finger sequencing) are analyzed. Time series for each task were extracted from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data, which have a very good spatial resolution and can look into the sub-cortical regions of the brain. Activation maps based on fMRI images show that, in case of complex finger sequencing, most parts of the brain are active, unlike finger tapping during which only limited regions show activity. Directionality analysis on time series extracted from contralateral motor cortex (CMC), supplementary motor area (SMA), and cerebellum (CER) show bidirectional connections between these parts of the brain. In case of simple finger sequencing and complex finger sequencing, the strongest connections originate from SMA and CMC, while connections originating from CER in either direction are the weakest ones in magnitude during all paradigms.

Thermal analysis of linear pulse motor for SMART control element drive mechanism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hur, H.; Kim, J. H.; Kim, J. I.; Jang, K. C.; Kang, D. H.

1999-01-01

It is important that the temperature of the motor windings be maintained within the allowable limit of the insulation, since the linear pulse motor of CEDM is always supplied with current during the reactor operation. In this study three motor windings were fabricated with three different diameters of coil wires, and the temperatures inside the windings were measured with different current values. As the insulation of the windings is composed of teflon, glass fiber, and air, it is not an easy task to determine experimentally the thermal properties of the complex insulation. In this study, the thermal properties of the insulation were obtained by comparing the results of finite element thermal analyses and those of experiment. The thermal properties obtained here will be used as input for the optimization analysis of the motor

Examination of muscle composition and motor unit behavior of the first dorsal interosseous of normal and overweight children.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Jonathan D; Sterczala, Adam J; Trevino, Michael A; Herda, Trent J

2018-05-01

We examined differences between normal weight (NW) and overweight (OW) children aged 8-10 yr in strength, muscle composition, and motor unit (MU) behavior of the first dorsal interosseous. Ultrasonography was used to determine muscle cross-sectional area (CSA), subcutaneous fat (sFAT), and echo intensity (EI). MU behavior was assessed during isometric muscle actions at 20% and 50% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) by analyzing electromyography amplitude (EMG RMS ) and relationships between mean firing rates (MFR), recruitment thresholds (RT), and MU action potential amplitudes (MUAP size ) and durations (MUAP time ). The OW group had significantly greater EI than the NW group ( P = 0.002; NW, 47.99 ± 6.01 AU; OW, 58.90 ± 10.63 AU, where AU is arbitrary units) with no differences between groups for CSA ( P = 0.688) or MVC force ( P = 0.790). MUAP size was larger for NW than OW in relation to RT ( P = 0.002) and for MUs expressing similar MFRs ( P = 0.011). There were no significant differences ( P = 0.279-0.969) between groups for slopes or y-intercepts from the MFR vs. RT relationships. MUAP time was larger in OW ( P = 0.015) and EMG RMS was attenuated in OW compared with NW ( P = 0.034); however, there were no significant correlations ( P = 0.133-0.164, r = 0.270-0.291) between sFAT and EMG RMS . In a muscle that does not support body mass, the OW children had smaller MUAP size as well as greater EI, although anatomical CSA was similar. This contradicts previous studies examining larger limb muscles. Despite evidence of smaller MUs, the OW children had similar isometric strength compared with NW children. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Ultrasound data and motor unit action potential sizes suggest that overweight children have poorer muscle composition and smaller motor units in the first dorsal interosseous than normal weight children. Evidence is presented that suggests differences in action potential size cannot be explained

Performance Analysis of Three-Phase Induction Motor with AC Direct and VFD

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Dinesh

2018-03-01

The electrical machine analysis and performance calculation is a very important aspect of efficient drive system design. The development of power electronics devices and power converters provide smooth speed control of Induction Motors by changing the frequency of input supply. These converters, on one hand are providing a more flexible speed control that also leads to problems of harmonics and their associated ailments like pulsating torque, distorted current and voltage waveforms, increasing losses etc. This paper includes the performance analysis of three phase induction motor with three-phase AC direct and variable frequency drives (VFD). The comparison has been concluded with respect to various parameters. MATLAB-SIMULINKTM is used for the analysis.

Reassessment of Non-Monosynaptic Excitation from the Motor Cortex to Motoneurons in Single Motor Units of the Human Biceps Brachii.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakajima, Tsuyoshi; Tazoe, Toshiki; Sakamoto, Masanori; Endoh, Takashi; Shibuya, Satoshi; Elias, Leonardo A; Mezzarane, Rinaldo A; Komiyama, Tomoyoshi; Ohki, Yukari

2017-01-01

Corticospinal excitation is mediated by polysynaptic pathways in several vertebrates, including dexterous monkeys. However, indirect non-monosynaptic excitation has not been clearly observed following transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) or cervicomedullary stimulation (CMS) in humans. The present study evaluated indirect motor pathways in normal human subjects by recording the activities of single motor units (MUs) in the biceps brachii (BB) muscle. The pyramidal tract was stimulated with weak TES, CMS, and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) contralateral to the recording side. During tasks involving weak co-contraction of the BB and hand muscles, all stimulation methods activated MUs with short latencies. Peristimulus time histograms (PSTHs) showed that responses with similar durations were induced by TES (1.9 ± 1.4 ms) and CMS (2.0 ± 1.4 ms), and these responses often showed multiple peaks with the PSTH peak having a long duration (65.3% and 44.9%, respectively). Such long-duration excitatory responses with multiple peaks were rarely observed in the finger muscles following TES or in the BB following stimulation of the Ia fibers. The responses obtained with TES were compared in the same 14 BB MUs during the co-contraction and isolated BB contraction tasks. Eleven and three units, respectively, exhibited activation with multiple peaks during the two tasks. In order to determine the dispersion effects on the axon conduction velocities (CVs) and synaptic noise, a simulation study that was comparable to the TES experiments was performed with a biologically plausible neuromuscular model. When the model included the monosynaptic-pyramidal tract, multiple peaks were obtained in about 34.5% of the motoneurons (MNs). The experimental and simulation results indicated the existence of task-dependent disparate inputs from the pyramidal tract to the MNs of the upper limb. These results suggested that intercalated interneurons are present in the spinal cord and

Reassessment of Non-Monosynaptic Excitation from the Motor Cortex to Motoneurons in Single Motor Units of the Human Biceps Brachii

Science.gov (United States)

Nakajima, Tsuyoshi; Tazoe, Toshiki; Sakamoto, Masanori; Endoh, Takashi; Shibuya, Satoshi; Elias, Leonardo A.; Mezzarane, Rinaldo A.; Komiyama, Tomoyoshi; Ohki, Yukari

2017-01-01

Corticospinal excitation is mediated by polysynaptic pathways in several vertebrates, including dexterous monkeys. However, indirect non-monosynaptic excitation has not been clearly observed following transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) or cervicomedullary stimulation (CMS) in humans. The present study evaluated indirect motor pathways in normal human subjects by recording the activities of single motor units (MUs) in the biceps brachii (BB) muscle. The pyramidal tract was stimulated with weak TES, CMS, and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) contralateral to the recording side. During tasks involving weak co-contraction of the BB and hand muscles, all stimulation methods activated MUs with short latencies. Peristimulus time histograms (PSTHs) showed that responses with similar durations were induced by TES (1.9 ± 1.4 ms) and CMS (2.0 ± 1.4 ms), and these responses often showed multiple peaks with the PSTH peak having a long duration (65.3% and 44.9%, respectively). Such long-duration excitatory responses with multiple peaks were rarely observed in the finger muscles following TES or in the BB following stimulation of the Ia fibers. The responses obtained with TES were compared in the same 14 BB MUs during the co-contraction and isolated BB contraction tasks. Eleven and three units, respectively, exhibited activation with multiple peaks during the two tasks. In order to determine the dispersion effects on the axon conduction velocities (CVs) and synaptic noise, a simulation study that was comparable to the TES experiments was performed with a biologically plausible neuromuscular model. When the model included the monosynaptic-pyramidal tract, multiple peaks were obtained in about 34.5% of the motoneurons (MNs). The experimental and simulation results indicated the existence of task-dependent disparate inputs from the pyramidal tract to the MNs of the upper limb. These results suggested that intercalated interneurons are present in the spinal cord and

Magnetic Field Equivalent Current Analysis-Based Radial Force Control for Bearingless Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huangqiu Zhu

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Bearingless permanent magnet synchronous motors (BPMSMs, with all advantages of permanent magnet motors (PMSMs and magnetic bearings, have become an important research direction in the bearingless motor field. To realize a stable suspension for the BPMSM, accurate decoupling control between the electromagnetic torque and radial suspension force is indispensable. In this paper, a concise and reliable analysis method based on a magnetic field equivalent current is presented. By this analysis method, the operation principle is analyzed theoretically, and the necessary conditions to produce a stable radial suspension force are confirmed. In addition, mathematical models of the torque and radial suspension force are established which is verified by the finite element analysis (FEA software ANSYS. Finally, an experimental prototype of a 2-4 poles surface-mounted BPMSM is tested with the customized control strategy. The simulation and experimental results have shown that the motor has good rotation and suspension performance, and validated the accuracy of the proposed analysis method and the feasibility of the control strategy.

Relation between location of a motor unit in the human biceps brachii and its critical firing levels for different tasks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gielen, C.C.A.M.; Haar Romeny, B.M. ter; Gon, J.J.D. van der

1984-01-01

Critical firing levels (CFLs) of single motor units (MUs) in the long head of the human biceps brachii muscle were determined in combinations of two isometric tasks: flexion of the elbow, supination of the lower arm, and exorotation of the humerus, as well as the corresponding antagonistic tasks.

Interplay of upper and lower motor neuron degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

de Carvalho, Mamede; Poliakov, Artiom; Tavares, Cristiano; Swash, Michael

2017-11-01

We studied motor unit recruitment to test a new method to identify motor unit firing rate (FR) variability. We studied 68 ALS patients, with and without upper neuron signs (UMN) in lower limbs, 24 patients with primary lateral sclerosis (PLS), 13 patients with spinal cord lesion and 39 normal subjects. All recordings were made from tibialis anterior muscles of normal strength. Subjects performed a very slight contraction in order to activate 2 motor units in each recording. 5-7 motor unit pairs were recorded in each subject. Mean consecutive differences (MCD) were calculated for each pair of potentials. The mean MCD for each muscle was estimated as the mean from the total number of pairs recorded. Ap valuemotor unit in a pair of units was markedly reduced in PLS, and in subjects with spinal cord lesions. These results support a lower threshold and reduced FR fluctuation in spinal motor neurons of spastic patients. This method can be developed for detection of UMN lesions. Copyright © 2017 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Output Properties of the Cortical Hindlimb Motor Area in Spinal Cord-Injured Rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Frost, Shawn B; Dunham, Caleb L; Barbay, Scott; Krizsan-Agbas, Dora; Winter, Michelle K; Guggenmos, David J; Nudo, Randolph J

2015-11-01

The purpose of this study was to examine neuronal activity levels in the hindlimb area of motor cortex following spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats and compare the results with measurements in normal rats. Fifteen male Fischer-344 rats received a 200 Kdyn contusion injury in the thoracic cord at level T9-T10. After a minimum of 4 weeks following SCI, intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) and single-unit recording techniques were used in both the forelimb and hindlimb motor areas (FLA, HLA) under ketamine anesthesia. Although movements could be evoked using ICMS in the forelimb area with relatively low current levels, no movements or electromyographical responses could be evoked from ICMS in the HLA in any of the injured rats. During the same procedure, electrophysiological recordings were obtained with a single-shank, 16-channel Michigan probe (Neuronexus) to monitor activity. Neural spikes were discriminated using principle component analysis. Neural activity (action potentials) was collected and digitized for a duration of 5 min. Despite the inability to evoke movement from stimulation of cortex, robust single-unit activity could be recorded reliably from hindlimb motor cortex in SCI rats. Activity in the motor cortex of SCI rats was significantly higher compared with uninjured rats, and increased in hindlimb and forelimb motor cortex by similar amounts. These results demonstrate that in a rat model of thoracic SCI, an increase in single-unit cortical activity can be reliably recorded for several weeks post-injury.

Changes in motor unit behavior following isometric fatigue of the first dorsal interosseous muscle

Science.gov (United States)

Rymer, William Z.; Lowery, Madeleine M.; Suresh, Nina L.

2015-01-01

The neuromuscular strategies employed to compensate for fatigue-induced muscle force deficits are not clearly understood. This study utilizes surface electromyography (sEMG) together with recordings of a population of individual motor unit action potentials (MUAPs) to investigate potential compensatory alterations in motor unit (MU) behavior immediately following a sustained fatiguing contraction and after a recovery period. EMG activity was recorded during abduction of the first dorsal interosseous in 12 subjects at 20% maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), before and directly after a 30% MVC fatiguing contraction to task failure, with additional 20% MVC contractions following a 10-min rest. The amplitude, duration and mean firing rate (MFR) of MUAPs extracted with a sEMG decomposition system were analyzed, together with sEMG root-mean-square (RMS) amplitude and median frequency (MPF). MUAP duration and amplitude increased immediately postfatigue and were correlated with changes to sEMG MPF and RMS, respectively. After 10 min, MUAP duration and sEMG MPF recovered to prefatigue values but MUAP amplitude and sEMG RMS remained elevated. MU MFR and recruitment thresholds decreased postfatigue and recovered following rest. The increase in MUAP and sEMG amplitude likely reflects recruitment of larger MUs, while recruitment compression is an additional compensatory strategy directly postfatigue. Recovery of MU MFR in parallel with MUAP duration suggests a possible role for metabolically sensitive afferents in MFR depression postfatigue. This study provides insight into fatigue-induced neuromuscular changes by examining the properties of a large population of concurrently recorded single MUs and outlines possible compensatory strategies involving alterations in MU recruitment and MFR. PMID:25761952

Effects of whole body vibration on motor unit recruitment and threshold.

Science.gov (United States)

Pollock, Ross D; Woledge, Roger C; Martin, Finbarr C; Newham, Di J

2012-02-01

Whole body vibration (WBV) has been suggested to elicit reflex muscle contractions but this has never been verified. We recorded from 32 single motor units (MU) in the vastus lateralis of 7 healthy subjects (34 ± 15.4 yr) during five 1-min bouts of WBV (30 Hz, 3 mm peak to peak), and the vibration waveform was also recorded. Recruitment thresholds were recorded from 38 MUs before and after WBV. The phase angle distribution of all MUs during WBV was nonuniform (P recruitment threshold after WBV and average recruitment threshold; the lowest threshold MUs increased recruitment threshold (P = 0.008) while reductions were observed in the higher threshold units (P = 0.031). We investigated one possible cause of changed thresholds. Presynaptic inhibition in the soleus was measured in 8 healthy subjects (29 ± 4.6 yr). A total of 30 H-reflexes (stimulation intensity 30% Mmax) were recorded before and after WBV: 15 conditioned by prior stimulation (60 ms) of the antagonist and 15 unconditioned. There were no significant changes in the relationship between the conditioned and unconditioned responses. The consistent phase angle at which each MU fired during WBV indicates the presence of reflex muscle activity similar to the tonic vibration reflex. The varying response in high- and low-threshold MUs may be due to the different contributions of the mono- and polysynaptic pathways but not presynaptic inhibition.

Interventions to improve gross motor performance in children with neurodevelopmental disorders: a meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lucas, Barbara R; Elliott, Elizabeth J; Coggan, Sarah; Pinto, Rafael Z; Jirikowic, Tracy; McCoy, Sarah Westcott; Latimer, Jane

2016-11-29

Gross motor skills are fundamental to childhood development. The effectiveness of current physical therapy options for children with mild to moderate gross motor disorders is unknown. The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature to investigate the effectiveness of conservative interventions to improve gross motor performance in children with a range of neurodevelopmental disorders. A systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted. MEDLINE, EMBASE, AMED, CINAHL, PsycINFO, PEDro, Cochrane Collaboration, Google Scholar databases and clinical trial registries were searched. Published randomised controlled trials including children 3 to ≤18 years with (i) Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) or Cerebral Palsy (CP) (Gross Motor Function Classification System Level 1) or Developmental Delay or Minimal Acquired Brain Injury or Prematurity (gross motor outcomes obtained using a standardised assessment tool. Meta-analysis was performed to determine the pooled effect of intervention on gross motor function. Methodological quality and strength of meta-analysis recommendations were evaluated using PEDro and the GRADE approach respectively. Of 2513 papers, 9 met inclusion criteria including children with CP (n = 2) or DCD (n = 7) receiving 11 different interventions. Only two of 9 trials showed an effect for treatment. Using the least conservative trial outcomes a large beneficial effect of intervention was shown (SMD:-0.8; 95% CI:-1.1 to -0.5) with "very low quality" GRADE ratings. Using the most conservative trial outcomes there is no treatment effect (SMD:-0.1; 95% CI:-0.3 to 0.2) with "low quality" GRADE ratings. Study limitations included the small number and poor quality of the available trials. Although we found that some interventions with a task-orientated framework can improve gross motor outcomes in children with DCD or CP, these findings are limited by the very low quality of the available evidence. High quality intervention

Changes in force, surface and motor unit EMG during post-exercise development of low frequency fatigue in vastus lateralis muscle

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Ruiter, C.J.; Elzinga, M.J.; Verdijk, P.W.L.; van Mechelen, W.; de Haan, A.

2005-01-01

We investigated the effects of low frequency fatigue (LFF) on post-exercise changes in rectified surface EMG (rsEMG) and single motor unit EMG (smuEMG) in vastus lateralis muscle (n=9). On two experimental days the knee extensors were fatigued with a 60-s-isometric contraction (exercise) at 50%

The analysis of the permanent magnet motor using the new magnetic field analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimoji, Hiroyasu; Enokizono, Masato; Todaka, Takashi

2002-01-01

In this paper iron loss analysis of the permanent magnet motor considering anisotropy of magnetic material is carried out. Recently the magnetic material can be measured using of vector quantity technique. Non-oriented silicon steel sheets for the iron core material have the anisotropy. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out the analysis considering the anisotropy of the magnetic material. We used the magnetic field analysis, which consider the anisotropy by combining finite element method with the E and S (Enokizono and Soda) modeling. (Author)

Quantifying motor recovery after stroke using independent vector analysis and graph-theoretical analysis

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Jonathan Laney

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The assessment of neuroplasticity after stroke through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI analysis is a developing field where the objective is to better understand the neural process of recovery and to better target rehabilitation interventions. The challenge in this population stems from the large amount of individual spatial variability and the need to summarize entire brain maps by generating simple, yet discriminating features to highlight differences in functional connectivity. Independent vector analysis (IVA has been shown to provide superior performance in preserving subject variability when compared with widely used methods such as group independent component analysis. Hence, in this paper, graph-theoretical (GT analysis is applied to IVA-generated components to effectively exploit the individual subjects' connectivity to produce discriminative features. The analysis is performed on fMRI data collected from individuals with chronic stroke both before and after a 6-week arm and hand rehabilitation intervention. Resulting GT features are shown to capture connectivity changes that are not evident through direct comparison of the group t-maps. The GT features revealed increased small worldness across components and greater centrality in key motor networks as a result of the intervention, suggesting improved efficiency in neural communication. Clinically, these results bring forth new possibilities as a means to observe the neural processes underlying improvements in motor function.

Design of a Subscale Propellant Slag Evaluation Motor Using Two-Phase Fluid Dynamic Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Whitesides, R. Harold; Dill, Richard A.; Purinton, David C.; Sambamurthi, Jay K.

1996-01-01

Small pressure perturbations in the Space Shuttle Reusable Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM) are caused by the periodic expulsion of molten aluminum oxide slag from a pool that collects in the aft end of the motor around the submerged nozzle nose during the last half of motor operation. It is suspected that some motors produce more slag than others due to differences in aluminum oxide agglomerate particle sizes that may relate to subtle differences in propellant ingredient characteristics such as particle size distributions or processing variations. A subscale motor experiment was designed to determine the effect of propellant ingredient characteristics on the propensity for slag production. An existing 5 inch ballistic test motor was selected as the basic test vehicle. The standard converging/diverging nozzle was replaced with a submerged nose nozzle design to provide a positive trap for the slag that would increase the measured slag weights. Two-phase fluid dynamic analyses were performed to develop a nozzle nose design that maintained similitude in major flow field features with the full scale RSRM. The 5 inch motor was spun about its longitudinal axis to further enhance slag collection and retention. Two-phase flow analysis was used to select an appropriate spin rate along with other considerations, such as avoiding bum rate increases due to radial acceleration effects. Aluminum oxide particle distributions used in the flow analyses were measured in a quench bomb for RSRM type propellants with minor variations in ingredient characteristics. Detailed predictions for slag accumulation weights during motor bum compared favorably with slag weight data taken from defined zones in the subscale motor and nozzle. The use of two-phase flow analysis proved successful in gauging the viability of the experimental program during the planning phase and in guiding the design of the critical submerged nose nozzle.

Characterization of fine motor development: dynamic analysis of children's drawing movements.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Qiushi; Luo, Jianfei; Wu, Zhongcheng; Shen, Fei; Sun, Zengwu

2015-04-01

In this study, we investigated children's fine motor development by analyzing drawing trajectories, kinematics and kinetics. Straight lines drawing task and circles drawing task were performed by using a force sensitive tablet. Forty right-handed and Chinese mother-tongue students aged 6-12, attending classes from grade 1 to 5, were engaged in the experiment. Three spatial parameters, namely cumulative trace length, vector length of straight line and vertical diameter of circle were determined. Drawing duration, mean drawing velocity, and number of peaks in stroke velocity profile (NPV) were derived as kinematic parameters. Besides mean normal force, two kinetic indices were proposed: normalized force angle regulation (NFR) and variation of fine motor control (VFC) for circles drawing task. The maturation and automation of fine motor ability were reflected by increased drawing velocity, reduced drawing duration, NPV and NFR, with decreased VFC in circles drawing task. Grade and task main effects as well as significant correlations between age and parameters suggest that factors such as schooling, age and task should be considered in the assessment of fine motor skills. Compared with kinematic parameters, findings of NFR and VFC revealed that kinetics is another important perspective in the analysis of fine motor movement. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Localised task-dependent motor-unit recruitment in the masseter.

Science.gov (United States)

Schindler, H J; Hellmann, D; Giannakopoulos, N N; Eiglsperger, U; van Dijk, J P; Lapatki, B G

2014-07-01

Localised motor-unit (MU) recruitment in the masseter was analysed in this study. We investigated whether differential activation behaviour, which has already been reported for distant masseter regions, can also be detected in small muscle subvolumes at the level of single MUs. Two bipolar fine-wire electrodes and an intra-oral 3D bite-force transmitter were used to record intra-muscular electromyograms (EMG) resulting from controlled bite-forces of 10 healthy human subjects (mean age 24.1 ± 1.2 years). Two-hundred and seventeen decomposed MUs were organised into localised MU task groups with different (P < 0.001) force-direction-specific behaviour. Proportions of MUs involved in one, two, three or four examined tasks were 46%, 31%, 18% and 5%, respectively. This study provides evidence of the ability of the neuromuscular system to modify the mechanical output of small masseter subvolumes by differential control of adjacent MUs belonging to distinct task groups. Localised differential activation behaviour of the masseter may be the crucial factor enabling highly flexible and efficient adjustment of the muscle activity in response to complex local biomechanical needs, for example, continually varying bite-forces during the demanding masticatory process. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Flywheel and power unit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seeley, R.W.

1992-10-28

A power unit, e.g. for an electrically driven vehicle, incorporates a flywheel for storing kinetic energy and a battery for storing electrical energy. The battery is incorporated as a substantial part of the rotating mass of the flywheel. Preferably the unit further includes an electrical machine being a motor or generator or machine operable either as a motor or a generator for transferring energy between the battery and the flywheel and/or for the input or output of rotary energy therefrom or thereto. The motor may be used for powering the flywheel and may also operate in a regenerative mode for recharging the unit on de-acceleration of the vehicle. The unit of the invention may also be utilized as an electrical stored power source, e.g. wind or water driven. (author)

Advanced Motor Control Test Facility for NASA GRC Flywheel Energy Storage System Technology Development Unit

Science.gov (United States)

Kenny, Barbara H.; Kascak, Peter E.; Hofmann, Heath; Mackin, Michael; Santiago, Walter; Jansen, Ralph

2001-01-01

This paper describes the flywheel test facility developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center with particular emphasis on the motor drive components and control. A four-pole permanent magnet synchronous machine, suspended on magnetic bearings, is controlled with a field orientation algorithm. A discussion of the estimation of the rotor position and speed from a "once around signal" is given. The elimination of small dc currents by using a concurrent stationary frame current regulator is discussed and demonstrated. Initial experimental results are presented showing the successful operation and control of the unit at speeds up to 20,000 rpm.

Small vertical changes in jaw relation affect motor unit recruitment in the masseter.

Science.gov (United States)

Terebesi, S; Giannakopoulos, N N; Brüstle, F; Hellmann, D; Türp, J C; Schindler, H J

2016-04-01

Strategies for recruitment of masseter muscle motor units (MUs), provoked by constant bite force, for different vertical jaw relations have not previously been investigated. The objective of this study was to analyse the effect of small changes in vertical jaw relation on MU recruitment behaviour in different regions of the masseter during feedback-controlled submaximum biting tasks. Twenty healthy subjects (mean age: 24·6 ± 2·4 years) were involved in the investigation. Intra-muscular electromyographic (EMG) activity of the right masseter was recorded in different regions of the muscle. MUs were identified by the use of decomposition software, and root-mean-square (RMS) values were calculated for each experimental condition. Six hundred and eleven decomposed MUs with significantly (P recruitment behaviour were organised into localised MU task groups. MUs with different task specificity in seven examined tasks were observed. The RMS EMG values obtained from the different recording sites were also significantly (P recruitment was significantly (P recruited MUs and the RMS EMG values decreased significantly (P recruitment behaviour in discrete subvolumes of the masseter in response to small changes in vertical jaw relations. These fine-motor skills might be responsible for its excellent functional adaptability and might also explain the successful management of temporomandibular disorder patients by somatic intervention, in particular by the use of oral splints. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Variable-Reluctance Motor For Electric Vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Lang, Jeffrey H.

1987-01-01

Report describes research on variable-reluctance electric-motor drive for eventual use in electric-vehicle propulsion. Primary design and performance criteria were torque and power output per unit mass of motor, cost, and drive efficiency. For each criterion, optimized drive design developed, and designs unified to yield single electric-vehicle drive. Scaled-down motor performed as expected. Prototype of paraplegic lift operated by toggle switch and joystick. Lift plugs into household electrical outlet for recharging when not in use.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LINGUISTIC UNITS AND MOTOR COMMANDS.

Science.gov (United States)

FROMKIN, VICTORIA A.

ASSUMING THAT SPEECH IS THE RESULT OF A NUMBER OF DISCRETE NEUROMUSCULAR EVENTS AND THAT THE BRAIN CAN STORE ONLY A LIMITED NUMBER OF MOTOR COMMANDS WITH WHICH TO CONTROL THESE EVENTS, THE RESEARCH REPORTED IN THIS PAPER WAS DIRECTED TO A DETERMINATION OF THE SIZE AND NATURE OF THE STORED ITEMS AND AN EXPLANATION OF HOW SPEAKERS ENCODE A SEQUENCE…

High Power Density Motors

Science.gov (United States)

Kascak, Daniel J.

2004-01-01

With the growing concerns of global warming, the need for pollution-free vehicles is ever increasing. Pollution-free flight is one of NASA's goals for the 21" Century. , One method of approaching that goal is hydrogen-fueled aircraft that use fuel cells or turbo- generators to develop electric power that can drive electric motors that turn the aircraft's propulsive fans or propellers. Hydrogen fuel would likely be carried as a liquid, stored in tanks at its boiling point of 20.5 K (-422.5 F). Conventional electric motors, however, are far too heavy (for a given horsepower) to use on aircraft. Fortunately the liquid hydrogen fuel can provide essentially free refrigeration that can be used to cool the windings of motors before the hydrogen is used for fuel. Either High Temperature Superconductors (HTS) or high purity metals such as copper or aluminum may be used in the motor windings. Superconductors have essentially zero electrical resistance to steady current. The electrical resistance of high purity aluminum or copper near liquid hydrogen temperature can be l/lOO* or less of the room temperature resistance. These conductors could provide higher motor efficiency than normal room-temperature motors achieve. But much more importantly, these conductors can carry ten to a hundred times more current than copper conductors do in normal motors operating at room temperature. This is a consequence of the low electrical resistance and of good heat transfer coefficients in boiling LH2. Thus the conductors can produce higher magnetic field strengths and consequently higher motor torque and power. Designs, analysis and actual cryogenic motor tests show that such cryogenic motors could produce three or more times as much power per unit weight as turbine engines can, whereas conventional motors produce only 1/5 as much power per weight as turbine engines. This summer work has been done with Litz wire to maximize the current density. The current is limited by the amount of heat it

Performance Analysis of Regenerative Braking in Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor Drives

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Andrew Adib

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the design and analysis of a regenerative braking system for a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM drive for electric vehicle (EV applications. First studied is the principle for electric braking control of a PMSM motor under field-oriented control (FOC. Next, the maximum braking torque in the regeneration mode as well as the braking torque for the maximum regeneration power, respectively, are deduced. Additionally, an optimum switching scheme for the inverter is developed with the objective of maximizing energy recovery during regenerative braking to the DC-bus capacitor. The integration of an ultra-capacitor module with the battery allows for the efficient and high power transfer under regenerative braking. It was important to manage the power flow to the DC-bus as this is a key issue that affects the efficiency of the overall system. Finally, the amounts of braking energy that can be recovered, and the efficiency with which it can be returned to the battery/ultra-capacitor, is analyzed for a PMSM coupled with a DC motor as the load. The results of the analysis are validated through experimentation.

Assessment of reliability and maintenance of motor operated valves at Finnish NPPS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laakso, K.; Haenninen, S.; Simola, K.

1994-01-01

This paper summarizes two studies on motor operated valve (MOV) failure and maintenance experiences in Finnish nuclear power plants. In the first study, described in section 2 of this paper, the failure reports of MOVs at Finnish BWR units from a nine years' time period were analyzed in a systematic way. The dominant failure mechanisms were identified and time-dependencies in failure occurrence were studied. This study initiated an experience based reliability centered maintenance (RCM) analysis of motor operated valve drives, which is summarized in chapter 3 of this paper. The RCM analysis resulted in the identification and proposal of the most suitable and effective maintenance tasks for consideration. 9 refs, 3 figs, 1 tab

Motor areas of the frontal cortex in patients with motor eloquent brain lesions.

Science.gov (United States)

Bulubas, Lucia; Sabih, Jamil; Wohlschlaeger, Afra; Sollmann, Nico; Hauck, Theresa; Ille, Sebastian; Ringel, Florian; Meyer, Bernhard; Krieg, Sandro M

2016-12-01

OBJECTIVE Because of its huge clinical potential, the importance of premotor areas for motor function itself and plastic reshaping due to tumors or ischemic brain lesions has received increased attention. Thus, in this study the authors used navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS) to investigate whether tumorous brain lesions induce a change in motor cortex localization in the human brain. METHODS Between 2010 and 2013, nTMS motor mapping was performed in a prospective cohort of 100 patients with brain tumors in or adjacent to the rolandic cortex. Spatial data analysis was performed by normalization of the individual motor maps and creation of overlays according to tumor location. Analysis of motor evoked potential (MEP) latencies was performed regarding mean overall latencies and potentially polysynaptic latencies, defined as latencies longer than 1 SD above the mean value. Hemispheric dominance, lesion location, and motor-function deficits were also considered. RESULTS Graphical analysis showed that motor areas were not restricted to the precentral gyrus. Instead, they spread widely in the anterior-posterior direction. An analysis of MEP latency showed that mean MEP latencies were shortest in the precentral gyrus and longest in the superior and middle frontal gyri. The percentage of latencies longer than 1 SD differed widely across gyri. The dominant hemisphere showed a greater number of longer latencies than the nondominant hemisphere (p < 0.0001). Moreover, tumor location-dependent changes in distribution of polysynaptic latencies were observed (p = 0.0002). Motor-function deficit did not show any statistically significant effect. CONCLUSIONS The distribution of primary and polysynaptic motor areas changes in patients with brain tumors and highly depends on tumor location. Thus, these data should be considered for resection planning.

Analysis and Stabilization of Chaos in Permanent Magnet DC Motor Driver

Science.gov (United States)

Tahir, Fadhil Rahma; Abdul-Hassan, Khalid M.; Abdullah, Mohammed Abbas; Pham, Viet-Thanh; Hoang, Thang Manh; Wang, Xiong

In this paper, the nonlinear dynamics of permanent magnet (PM) DC motor drive with proportional (P) controller have been investigated. The drive system shows different dynamical behaviors; periodic, quasi-periodic, and chaotic behaviors, and those are characterized by using bifurcation diagram, phase portrait, and time series. The stability analysis of period-1 behavior is studied by using Filippov’s method, the analytic results show good agreement with simulation ones. Then, the stabilization of chaos to fixed point is carried out by using the sliding mode control (SMC). In addition, experimentally the nonlinear dynamics and the proposed stabilization method to PM DC motor drive system have been achieved by using a microcontroller. For the first time, it is noted that when the system is in chaotic dynamics, the vibration of the motor is increased approximately 400% compared with the system in periodic dynamical behavior.

ANALYSIS OF MOTOR ABILITES OF FOOTBALL AT PLAYERS AT DIFFERENT LEVELS COMPETITION

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Omer Špirtović

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The study was conducted on a sample of 170 respondents, players - seniors, aged 18-27 years, from areas of Montenegro. System was applied 16 variables of motor skills. Research objective was to determine the discriminatory ability of their rank accord¬ing to modalities which belong tested players (second and third league competition. Discriminant analysis results indicate that the motor variables are tested athletes in relation to the level of competition significantly different.

Hydrodynamic Stability Analysis of Particle-Laden Solid Rocket Motors

Science.gov (United States)

Elliott, T. S.; Majdalani, J.

2014-11-01

Fluid-wall interactions within solid rocket motors can result in parietal vortex shedding giving rise to hydrodynamic instabilities, or unsteady waves, that translate into pressure oscillations. The oscillations can result in vibrations observed by the rocket, rocket subsystems, or payload, which can lead to changes in flight characteristics, design failure, or other undesirable effects. For many years particles have been embedded in solid rocket propellants with the understanding that their presence increases specific impulse and suppresses fluctuations in the flowfield. This study utilizes a two dimensional framework to understand and quantify the aforementioned two-phase flowfield inside a motor case with a cylindrical grain perforation. This is accomplished through the use of linearized Navier-Stokes equations with the Stokes drag equation and application of the biglobal ansatz. Obtaining the biglobal equations for analysis requires quantification of the mean flowfield within the solid rocket motor. To that end, the extended Taylor-Culick form will be utilized to represent the gaseous phase of the mean flowfield while the self-similar form will be employed for the particle phase. Advancing the mean flowfield by quantifying the particle mass concentration with a semi-analytical solution the finalized mean flowfield is combined with the biglobal equations resulting in a system of eight partial differential equations. This system is solved using an eigensolver within the framework yielding the entire spectrum of eigenvalues, frequency and growth rate components, at once. This work will detail the parametric analysis performed to demonstrate the stabilizing and destabilizing effects of particles within solid rocket combustion.

Hydrodynamic Stability Analysis of Particle-Laden Solid Rocket Motors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elliott, T S; Majdalani, J

2014-01-01

Fluid-wall interactions within solid rocket motors can result in parietal vortex shedding giving rise to hydrodynamic instabilities, or unsteady waves, that translate into pressure oscillations. The oscillations can result in vibrations observed by the rocket, rocket subsystems, or payload, which can lead to changes in flight characteristics, design failure, or other undesirable effects. For many years particles have been embedded in solid rocket propellants with the understanding that their presence increases specific impulse and suppresses fluctuations in the flowfield. This study utilizes a two dimensional framework to understand and quantify the aforementioned two-phase flowfield inside a motor case with a cylindrical grain perforation. This is accomplished through the use of linearized Navier-Stokes equations with the Stokes drag equation and application of the biglobal ansatz. Obtaining the biglobal equations for analysis requires quantification of the mean flowfield within the solid rocket motor. To that end, the extended Taylor-Culick form will be utilized to represent the gaseous phase of the mean flowfield while the self-similar form will be employed for the particle phase. Advancing the mean flowfield by quantifying the particle mass concentration with a semi-analytical solution the finalized mean flowfield is combined with the biglobal equations resulting in a system of eight partial differential equations. This system is solved using an eigensolver within the framework yielding the entire spectrum of eigenvalues, frequency and growth rate components, at once. This work will detail the parametric analysis performed to demonstrate the stabilizing and destabilizing effects of particles within solid rocket combustion

Finite element analysis of permanent magnet motors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boglietti, A.; Chiampi, M.; Tartaglia, M.; Chiarabaglio, D.

1989-01-01

The analysis of permanent magnet D.C. brushless motors, supplied by current control inverters, is developed employing a finite element package tailored for such devices. The study is devoted to predicting the performance of a set of four poles machines, under different operating conditions (no-load, rated load). The over-load conditions are also considered including the saturation effect. Moreover the influence of such design parameters, as the tooth shape and the number of magnet segments, is investigated. Computed results are found in satisfactory agreement with experimental ones

Finite element analysis of propellant of solid rocket motor during ship motion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kai Qu

2013-03-01

Full Text Available In order to simulate the stress and strain of solid rocket motors (SRMs, a finite element analysis model was established. The stress spectra of the SRM elements with respect to time in the case that the vessel cruises under a certain shipping condition were obtained by simulation. According to the analysis of the simulation results, a critical zone was confirmed, and the Mises stress amplitudes of the different critical zones were acquired. The results show that the maximum stress and strain of SRM are less than the maximum tensile strength and elongation, respectively, of the propellant. The cumulative damage of the motor must also be evaluated by random fatigue loading.

Upper Extremity Motor Learning among Individuals with Parkinson's Disease: A Meta-Analysis Evaluating Movement Time in Simple Tasks

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K. Felix

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Motor learning has been found to occur in the rehabilitation of individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD. Through repetitive structured practice of motor tasks, individuals show improved performance, confirming that motor learning has probably taken place. Although a number of studies have been completed evaluating motor learning in people with PD, the sample sizes were small and the improvements were variable. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to determine the ability of people with PD to learn motor tasks. Studies which measured movement time in upper extremity reaching tasks and met the inclusion criteria were included in the analysis. Results of the meta-analysis indicated that people with PD and neurologically healthy controls both demonstrated motor learning, characterized by a decrease in movement time during upper extremity movements. Movement time improvements were greater in the control group than in individuals with PD. These results support the findings that the practice of upper extremity reaching tasks is beneficial in reducing movement time in persons with PD and has important implications for rehabilitation.

Thermal and vibration dynamic analysis of an induction motor using optical fiber Bragg gratings

Science.gov (United States)

Sousa, Kleiton d. M.; Dreyer, Uilian J.; Martelli, Cicero; Cardozo da Silva, Jean Carlos

2015-09-01

In this paper it is presented the results of temperature and vibration measurements in a Three-phase Induction Motor (TIM) running at no-load condition. Vibration and temperature analysis are the most successful techniques used for condition monitoring of induction motors. The vibration is measured using two FBGs installed inside of the motor between two subsequent stator teeth. The motor spectrum of vibration when power is at 60 Hz presents the frequencies 60 Hz, 120 Hz, 180 Hz, and 240 Hz as theoretically expected. For the temperature measurement two FBGs are encapsulated in an alumina tube fixed along the stator. The results show 0.9°C difference between the two FBG caused by the motor ventilation nearer of one FBG. These measurements can be used to determine TIM parameters and still be predictive maintenance tool.

Motor of Lift RSG-GAS Performance Analysis after Repair

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asep-Saepuloh; Yayan-Andriyanto; Yuyut-Suraniyanto

2006-01-01

The out of order an equipment is ordinary natural process happened, above all the equipment be used continually with very old time, as for as out of order can be resulted from kinds of cause. Lift motor out of order can be result by motor is broken or happened the body shorten then affected do not function it the lift, so until done rewinding process. The rewinding is furl to repeat at motor coils. Motor of Lift represent main activator machine turning around shares pulley. Lift Motor will work if there is called in normal operation condition or the moment manual switch if done maintenance. Motor used at lift is motor three phases with two speeds that is low speed and high speed. Rewinding process must be done removed the motor from Lift machine and have to be done by professional workshop. In during function test take place, temperature at coil reach 70 o C (exceeding boundary permitted). After done installation addition thermal at motor coil hence his temperature become normal that is only reach 50 o C. (author)

Design of BLDCM emulator for transmission control units

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Chang; He, Yongyi; Zhang, Bodong

2018-04-01

According to the testing requirements of the transmission control unit, a brushless DC motor emulating system is designed based on motor simulation and power hardware-in-the-loop. The discrete motor model is established and a real-time numerical method is designed to solve the motor states. The motor emulator directly interacts with power stage of the transmission control unit using a power-efficient circuit topology and is compatible with sensor-less control. Experiments on a laboratory prototype help to verify that the system can emulate the real motor currents and voltages whenever the motor is starting up or suddenly loaded.

MOTOR UNIT FIRING RATES DURING SPASMS IN THENAR MUSCLES OF SPINAL CORD INJURED SUBJECTS

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Inge eZijdewind

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Involuntary contractions of paralyzed muscles (spasms commonly disrupt daily activities and rehabilitation after human spinal cord injury. Our aim was to examine the recruitment, firing rate modulation, and derecruitment of motor units that underlie spasms of thenar muscles after cervical spinal cord injury. Intramuscular electromyographic activity (EMG, surface EMG, and force were recorded during thenar muscle spasms that occurred spontaneously or that were triggered by movement of a shoulder or leg. Most spasms were submaximal (mean: 39%, SD: 33 of the force evoked by median nerve stimulation at 50 Hz with strong relationships between EMG and force (R2>0.69. Unit recruitment occurred over a wide force range (0.2-103% of 50 Hz force. Significant unit rate modulation occurred during spasms (frequency at 25% maximal force: 8.8 Hz, 3.3 SD; at maximal force: 16.1 Hz, 4.1 SD. Mean recruitment frequency (7.1 Hz, 3.2 SD was significantly higher than derecruitment frequency (5.4 Hz, 2.4 SD. Coactive unit pairs that fired for more than 4 s showed high (R2>0.7, n=4 or low (R2:0.3-0.7, n=12 rate-rate correlations, and derecruitment reversals (21 pairs, 29%. Later recruited units had higher or lower maximal firing rates than lower threshold units. These discrepant data show that coactive motoneurons are driven by both common inputs and by synaptic inputs from different sources during muscle spasms. Further, thenar motoneurons can still fire at high rates in response to various peripheral inputs after spinal cord injury, supporting the idea that low maximal voluntary firing rates and forces in thenar muscles result from reduced descending drive.

Experimental Analysis and Full Prediction Model of a 5-DOF Motorized Spindle

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Weiyu Zhang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The cost and power consumption of DC power amplifiers are much greater than that of AC power converters. Compared to a motorized spindle supported with DC magnetic bearings, a motorized spindle supported with AC magnetic bearings is inexpensive and more efficient. This paper studies a five-degrees-of-freedom (5-DOF motorized spindle supported with AC hybrid magnetic bearings (HMBs. Most models of suspension forces, except a “switching model”, are quite accurate, but only in a particular operating area and not in regional coverage. If a “switching model” is applied to a 5-DOF motorized spindle, the real-time performance of the control system can be significantly decreased due to the large amount of data processing for both displacement and current. In order to solve this defect, experiments based on the “switching model” are performed, and the resulting data are analyzed. Using the data analysis results, a “full prediction model” based on the operating state is proposed to improve real-time performance and precision. Finally, comparative, verification and stiffness tests are conducted to verify the improvement of the proposed model. Results of the tests indicate that the rotor has excellent characteristics, such as good real-time performance, superior anti-interference performance with load and the accuracy of the model in full zone. The satisfactory experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the “full prediction model” applied to the control system under different operating stages. Therefore, the results of the experimental analysis and the proposed full prediction model can provide a control system of a 5-DOF motorized spindle with the most suitable mathematical models of the suspension force.

Optimization analysis of the motor cooling method in semi-closed single screw refrigeration compressor

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Z. L.; Shen, Y. F.; Wang, Z. B.; Wang, J.

2017-08-01

Semi-closed single screw refrigeration compressors (SSRC) are widely used in refrigeration and air conditioning systems owing to the advantages of simple structure, balanced forces on the rotor, high volumetric efficiency and so on. In semi-closed SSRCs, motor is often cooled by suction gas or injected refrigerant liquid. Motor cooling method will changes the suction gas temperature, this to a certain extent, is an important factor influencing the thermal dynamic performance of a compressor. Thus the effects of motor cooling method on the performance of the compressor must be studied. In this paper mathematical models of motor cooling process by using these two methods were established. Influences of motor cooling parameters such as suction gas temperature, suction gas quantity, temperature of the injected refrigerant liquid and quantity of the injected refrigerant liquid on the thermal dynamic performance of the compressor were analyzed. The performances of the compressor using these two kinds of motor cooling methods were compared. The motor cooling capacity of the injected refrigerant liquid is proved to be better than the suction gas. All analysis results obtained can be useful for optimum design of the motor cooling process to improve the efficiency and the energy efficiency of the compressor.

Inhibition linearizes firing rate responses in human motor units: implications for the role of persistent inward currents.

Science.gov (United States)

Revill, Ann L; Fuglevand, Andrew J

2017-01-01

Motor neurons are the output neurons of the central nervous system and are responsible for controlling muscle contraction. When initially activated during voluntary contraction, firing rates of motor neurons increase steeply but then level out at modest rates. Activation of an intrinsic source of excitatory current at recruitment onset may underlie the initial steep increase in firing rate in motor neurons. We attempted to disable this intrinsic excitatory current by artificially activating an inhibitory reflex. When motor neuron activity was recorded while the inhibitory reflex was engaged, firing rates no longer increased steeply, suggesting that the intrinsic excitatory current was probably responsible for the initial sharp rise in motor neuron firing rate. During graded isometric contractions, motor unit (MU) firing rates increase steeply upon recruitment but then level off at modest rates even though muscle force continues to increase. The mechanisms underlying such firing behaviour are not known although activation of persistent inward currents (PICs) might be involved. PICs are intrinsic, voltage-dependent currents that activate strongly when motor neurons (MNs) are first recruited. Such activation might cause a sharp escalation in depolarizing current and underlie the steep initial rise in MU firing rate. Because PICs can be disabled with synaptic inhibition, we hypothesized that artificial activation of an inhibitory pathway might curb this initial steep rise in firing rate. To test this, human subjects performed slow triangular ramp contractions of the ankle dorsiflexors in the absence and presence of tonic synaptic inhibition delivered to tibialis anterior (TA) MNs by sural nerve stimulation. Firing rate profiles (expressed as a function of contraction force) of TA MUs recorded during these tasks were compared for control and stimulation conditions. Under control conditions, during the ascending phase of the triangular contractions, 93% of the firing

Effect of zinc intake on mental and motor development in infants: a meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Nissensohn, Mariela; Sánchez-Villegas, Almudena; Fuentes Lugo, Daniel; Henríquez Sánchez, Patricia; Doreste Alonso, Jorge; Skinner, Anna L; Medina, Marisol W; Lowe, Nicola M; Hall Moran, Victoria; Serra-Majem, Lluis

2013-01-01

A systematic review and meta-analysis of available randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted to evaluate the effect of zinc (Zn) intake on mental and motor development in infants. Out of 5500 studies identified through electronic searches and reference lists, 5 RCTs were selected after applying the exclusion/inclusion criteria. The influence of Zn intake on mental and motor development was considered in the overall meta-analysis. Other variables were also taken into account as possible effect modifiers: doses of Zn intake, intervention duration, nutritional situation, and risk of bias. Indices of mental and motor development assessed were the Mental Development Index (MDI) and Psychomotor Development Index (PDI). Additionally we carried out a sensitivity analysis. The pooled β was -0.01 (95 %CI -0.02, 0) for MDI and 0 (95 %CI -0.03, 0.02) for PDI, with a substantial heterogeneity in both analyses. When we performed a meta-regression, the effect of Zn supplementation on MDI changed depending on the dose of supplementation. Regarding PDI, there was a differential effect of Zn intake depending on intervention duration, dose of supplementation, nutritional situation, and risk of bias. Zn supplementation showed a negative, weak and significant effect on PDI score in those studies with a length of 4 to 20 weeks (β= -0.05; CI 95 % -0.06 to -0.04). In conclusion, no association was found between Zn intake and mental and motor development in infants. Further standardized research is urgently needed to clarify the role of Zn supplementation upon infant mental and motor development, particularly in Europe.

Stator winding service life analysis of wet winding motor RCP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yeoh Eingyee; Li Linsen; Wang Ziguan; Shen Feng

2017-01-01

The reactor coolant pump type RUV of KSB is specially designed for the Westinghouse AP1000 reactor. It is hermetically sealed, wet winding motor pump. This wet winding motor concept has higher efficiency as compared to a canned motor since there are no eddy current losses, but this makes the stator cable insulator face the challenge of degradation by γ-irradiation in coolant. Radiation dose at the RUV is evaluated in interest from the material degradation point of view and the service life of stator winding in RUV is preliminarily analyzed. The values obtained are less than the dose rate and the dose which change the mechanical properties of the insulator material. According to the preliminary analysis, it can be concluded that the degradation of cable insulator of stator winding by γ-irradiation in coolant is negligible for the 60 years' service life of reactor coolant pump. This result also ensures crosslinked polyethylene used as cable insulator of stator winding is reliable in reactor coolant pump. (author)

Development of Rotor Diagnosis Method via Motor Current Signature Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Jin Seok; Huh, Hyung; Kim, Min Hwan; Jeong, Kyeong Hoon; Lee, Gyu Mhan; Park, Jin Ho; Park, Keun Bae; Lee, Cheol Kwon; Hur, S

2006-01-15

A study on motor current signature analysis has been performed to monitor a journal bearing fault due to increasing clearance. It was known that the journal bearing clearance produces side band frequencies, the supplied current frequency plus and minus rotational rotor frequency in motor current. But the existence information of the side band frequencies is not sufficient to diagnose whether the journal bearing is safe or not. Four journal bearing sets with different clearances are used to measure the side band frequency amplitude and the rotor vibration amplitude versus the journal bearing clearance. The side band frequency amplitude and the rotor vibration amplitude are increased as the journal bearing clearance is increasing. This trend assures that ASME OM vibration guide line can be applied to estimate the journal bearing clearance size. In this research, 2.5 times the reference side band amplitude is suggested as an indicator of a journal bearing fault. Further study is necessary to make out more specific quantitative relations between the side band frequency amplitude and the journal bearing clearance of a motor.

Development of Rotor Diagnosis Method via Motor Current Signature Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Jin Seok; Huh, Hyung; Kim, Min Hwan; Jeong, Kyeong Hoon; Lee, Gyu Mhan; Park, Jin Ho; Park, Keun Bae; Lee, Cheol Kwon; Hur, S.

2006-01-01

A study on motor current signature analysis has been performed to monitor a journal bearing fault due to increasing clearance. It was known that the journal bearing clearance produces side band frequencies, the supplied current frequency plus and minus rotational rotor frequency in motor current. But the existence information of the side band frequencies is not sufficient to diagnose whether the journal bearing is safe or not. Four journal bearing sets with different clearances are used to measure the side band frequency amplitude and the rotor vibration amplitude versus the journal bearing clearance. The side band frequency amplitude and the rotor vibration amplitude are increased as the journal bearing clearance is increasing. This trend assures that ASME OM vibration guide line can be applied to estimate the journal bearing clearance size. In this research, 2.5 times the reference side band amplitude is suggested as an indicator of a journal bearing fault. Further study is necessary to make out more specific quantitative relations between the side band frequency amplitude and the journal bearing clearance of a motor

Torque Characteristic Analysis of a Transverse Flux Motor Using a Combined-Type Stator Core

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Xiaobao Yang

2016-11-01

Full Text Available An external rotor transverse flux motor using a combined-type stator core is proposed for a direct drive application in this paper. The stator core is combined by two kinds of components that can both be manufactured conveniently by generic laminated silicon steel used in traditional motors. The motor benefits from the predominance of low manufacturing cost and low iron loss by using a silicon-steel sheet. Firstly, the basic structure and operation principles of the proposed motor are introduced. Secondly, the expressions of the electromagnetic torque and the cogging torque are deduced by theoretical analysis. Thirdly, the basic characteristics such as permanent magnet flux linkage, no-load back electromotive force, cogging torque and electromagnetic torque are analyzed by a three-dimensional finite element method (3D FEM. Then, the influence of structure parameters on the torque density is investigated, which provides a useful foundation for optimum design of the novel motor. Finally, the torque density of the proposed motor is calculated and discussed, and the result shows that the proposed motor in this paper can provide considerable torque density by using few permanent magnets.

Comparative Study of Time-Frequency Decomposition Techniques for Fault Detection in Induction Motors Using Vibration Analysis during Startup Transient

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Paulo Antonio Delgado-Arredondo

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Induction motors are critical components for most industries and the condition monitoring has become necessary to detect faults. There are several techniques for fault diagnosis of induction motors and analyzing the startup transient vibration signals is not as widely used as other techniques like motor current signature analysis. Vibration analysis gives a fault diagnosis focused on the location of spectral components associated with faults. Therefore, this paper presents a comparative study of different time-frequency analysis methodologies that can be used for detecting faults in induction motors analyzing vibration signals during the startup transient. The studied methodologies are the time-frequency distribution of Gabor (TFDG, the time-frequency Morlet scalogram (TFMS, multiple signal classification (MUSIC, and fast Fourier transform (FFT. The analyzed vibration signals are one broken rotor bar, two broken bars, unbalance, and bearing defects. The obtained results have shown the feasibility of detecting faults in induction motors using the time-frequency spectral analysis applied to vibration signals, and the proposed methodology is applicable when it does not have current signals and only has vibration signals. Also, the methodology has applications in motors that are not fed directly to the supply line, in such cases the analysis of current signals is not recommended due to poor current signal quality.

Market Analysis and Consumer Impacts Source Document. Part I. The Motor Vehicle Market in the Late 1970's

Science.gov (United States)

1980-12-01

The source document on motor vehicle market analysis and consumer impact consists of three parts. Part I is an integrated overview of the motor vehicle market in the late 1970's, with sections on the structure of the market, motor vehicle trends, con...

Application of Bayesian configural frequency analysis (BCFA) to determine characteristics user and non-user motor X

Science.gov (United States)

Mawardi, Muhamad Iqbal; Padmadisastra, Septiadi; Tantular, Bertho

2018-03-01

Configural Frequency Analysis is a method for cell-wise testing in contingency tables for exploratory search type and antitype, that can see the existence of discrepancy on the model by existence of a significant difference between the frequency of observation and frequency of expectation. This analysis focuses on whether or not the interaction among categories from different variables, and not the interaction among variables. One of the extensions of CFA method is Bayesian CFA, this alternative method pursue the same goal as frequentist version of CFA with the advantage that adjustment of the experiment-wise significance level α is not necessary and test whether groups of types and antitypes form composite types or composite antitypes. Hence, this research will present the concept of the Bayesian CFA and how it works for the real data. The data on this paper is based on case studies in a company about decrease Brand Awareness & Image motor X on Top Of Mind Unit indicator in Cirebon City for user 30.8% and non user 9.8%. From the result of B-CFA have four characteristics from deviation, one of the four characteristics above that is the configuration 2212 need more attention by company to determine promotion strategy to maintain and improve Top Of Mind Unit in Cirebon City.

Motor control theories and their applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Latash, Mark L; Levin, Mindy F; Scholz, John P; Schöner, Gregor

2010-01-01

We describe several influential hypotheses in the field of motor control including the equilibrium-point (referent configuration) hypothesis, the uncontrolled manifold hypothesis, and the idea of synergies based on the principle of motor abundance. The equilibrium-point hypothesis is based on the idea of control with thresholds for activation of neuronal pools; it provides a framework for analysis of both voluntary and involuntary movements. In particular, control of a single muscle can be adequately described with changes in the threshold of motor unit recruitment during slow muscle stretch (threshold of the tonic stretch reflex). Unlike the ideas of internal models, the equilibrium-point hypothesis does not assume neural computations of mechanical variables. The uncontrolled manifold hypothesis is based on the dynamic system approach to movements; it offers a toolbox to analyze synergic changes within redundant sets of elements related to stabilization of potentially important performance variables. The referent configuration hypothesis and the principle of abundance can be naturally combined into a single coherent scheme of control of multi-element systems. A body of experimental data on healthy persons and patients with movement disorders are reviewed in support of the mentioned hypotheses. In particular, movement disorders associated with spasticity are considered as consequences of an impaired ability to shift threshold of the tonic stretch reflex within the whole normal range. Technical details and applications of the mentioned hypo-theses to studies of motor learning are described. We view the mentioned hypotheses as the most promising ones in the field of motor control, based on a solid physical and neurophysiological foundation.

James Webb Space Telescope Deployment Brushless DC Motor Characteristics Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Tran, Ahn N.

2016-01-01

A DC motor's performance is usually characterized by a series of tests, which are conducted by pass/fail criteria. In most cases, these tests are adequate to address the performance characteristics under environmental and loading effects with some uncertainties and decent power/torque margins. However, if the motor performance requirement is very stringent, a better understanding of the motor characteristics is required. The purpose of this paper is to establish a standard way to extract the torque components of the brushless motor and gear box characteristics of a high gear ratio geared motor from the composite geared motor testing and motor parameter measurement. These torque components include motor magnetic detent torque, Coulomb torque, viscous torque, windage torque, and gear tooth sliding torque. The Aerospace Corp bearing torque model and MPB torque models are used to predict the Coulomb torque of the motor rotor bearings and to model the viscous components. Gear tooth sliding friction torque is derived from the dynamo geared motor test data. With these torque data, the geared motor mechanical efficiency can be estimated and provide the overall performance of the geared motor versus several motor operating parameters such as speed, temperature, applied current, and transmitted power.

MOTORIC STIMULATION RELATED TO FINE MOTORIC DEVELOPMENT ON CHILD

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Mira Triharini

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Motor developmental stimulation is an activity undertaken to stimulate the children basic skills and so they can grow and develop optimally. Children who obtain a direct stimulus will grow faster than who get less stimulus. Mother’s behavior of stimulation is very important for children, it is considering as the basic needs of children and it must be fulfilled. Providing good stimulation could optimize fine motor development in children. The purpose of this study was to analyze mother’s behavior about motor stimulation with fine motor development in toddler age 4-5 years old. Method: Design have been  used in this study was cross sectional. Population were mothers and their toddler in Group A of Dharma Wanita Persatuan Driyorejo Gresik Preschool. Sample were 51 respondents recruited by using purposive sampling technique according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. The independent variable was mother’s behavior about motor stimulation whereas dependent variable was fine motor development in toddler. The data were collected using questionnaire and conducting observation on fine motor development based on Denver Development Screening Test (DDST. Data then analyzed using Spearman Rho (r test to find relation between mother’s behaviors about stimulation motor on their toddler fine motor development. Result: Results  of this study showed that there were correlations between mother’s knowledge and fine motor development in toddler (p=0.000, between mother’s attitude and fine motor development in toddler (p=0.000, and between mother’s actions and fine motor development in toddler (p=0.000. Analysis: In sort study found that there were relation between fine motor development and mother’s behavior. Discussion: Therefore mother’s behavior needed to be improved. Further research about stimulation motor and fine motor development aspects in toddler is required.

Piezoelectric motor development at AlliedSignal Inc., Kansas City Division

Science.gov (United States)

Pressly, Robert B.; Mentesana, Charles P.

1994-11-01

The Kansas City Division of AlliedSignal Inc. has been investigating the fabrication and use of piezoelectric motors in mechanisms for United States Department of Energy (DOE) weapons applications for about four years. These motors exhibit advantages over solenoids and other electromagnetic actuators. Prototype processes have been developed for complete fabrication of motors from stock materials, including abrasive machining of piezoelectric ceramics and more traditional machining of other motor components, electrode plating and sputtering, electric poling, cleaning, bonding and assembly. Drive circuits have been fabricated and motor controls are being developed. Laboratory facilities have been established for electrical/mechanical testing and evaluation of piezo materials and completed motors. Recent project efforts have focused on the potential of piezoelectric devices for commercial and industrial use. A broad range of various motor types and application areas has been identified, primarily in Japan. The Japanese have been developing piezo motors for many years and have more recently begun commercialization. Piezoelectric motor and actuator technology is emerging in the United States and quickly gaining in commercial interest. The Kansas City Division is continuing development of piezoelectric motors and actuators for defense applications while supporting and participating in the commercialization of piezoelectric devices with private industry through various technology transfer and cooperative development initiatives.

Neurons other than motor neurons in motor neuron disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruffoli, Riccardo; Biagioni, Francesca; Busceti, Carla L; Gaglione, Anderson; Ryskalin, Larisa; Gambardella, Stefano; Frati, Alessandro; Fornai, Francesco

2017-11-01

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is typically defined by a loss of motor neurons in the central nervous system. Accordingly, morphological analysis for decades considered motor neurons (in the cortex, brainstem and spinal cord) as the neuronal population selectively involved in ALS. Similarly, this was considered the pathological marker to score disease severity ex vivo both in patients and experimental models. However, the concept of non-autonomous motor neuron death was used recently to indicate the need for additional cell types to produce motor neuron death in ALS. This means that motor neuron loss occurs only when they are connected with other cell types. This concept originally emphasized the need for resident glia as well as non-resident inflammatory cells. Nowadays, the additional role of neurons other than motor neurons emerged in the scenario to induce non-autonomous motor neuron death. In fact, in ALS neurons diverse from motor neurons are involved. These cells play multiple roles in ALS: (i) they participate in the chain of events to produce motor neuron loss; (ii) they may even degenerate more than and before motor neurons. In the present manuscript evidence about multi-neuronal involvement in ALS patients and experimental models is discussed. Specific sub-classes of neurons in the whole spinal cord are reported either to degenerate or to trigger neuronal degeneration, thus portraying ALS as a whole spinal cord disorder rather than a disease affecting motor neurons solely. This is associated with a novel concept in motor neuron disease which recruits abnormal mechanisms of cell to cell communication.

Economical motor protection using microcomputer technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Woodruff, N.

1983-09-01

A trend to design new motors closer to their design limits and the high cost of plant shutdown has increased the need for better protection of smaller three phase motors. A single chip microcomputer relay can be applied to replace thermal overloads which are of limited effectiveness on low and medium voltage machines with comprehensive, economical motor protection. The requirement for different protection features and how they are achieved is presented. All the protection features discussed are commercially available in a compact unit that uses a single chip microcomputer.

ANALYSIS OF INDUCTION MOTOR WITH BROKEN BARS AND CONSTANT SPEED USING CIRCUIT-FIELD COUPLED METHOD

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N. Halem

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the use of the two-dimensional finite element method for modeling the three-phase squirrel-cage induction motor by using circuit coupled method. In order to analyze the machine performances, the voltage source is considered. The Ansys magnetic analysis software is used for calculating the magnetic field of an induction motor having a cage fault. The experimental results prove that the proposed approach constitutes a useful tool for the study and diagnostics of induction motors.

Probability analysis of dynamical effects of axial piston hydraulic motor

OpenAIRE

Sapietova Alzbeta; Dekys Vladimír; Sapieta Milan; Sulka Peter; Gajdos Lukas; Rojek Izabela

2018-01-01

The paper presents an analysis of impact force on stopper screw in axial piston hydraulic motor. The solution contains probabilistic description of input variables. If the output parameters of probabilistic solution are compared with arbitrary values and values acquired by analytical solution, the probability of proper operation of the device can be evaluated.

Motor unit firing frequency of lower limb muscles during an incremental slide board skating test.

Science.gov (United States)

Piucco, Tatiane; Bini, Rodrigo; Sakaguchi, Masanori; Diefenthaeler, Fernando; Stefanyshyn, Darren

2017-11-01

This study investigated how the combination of workload and fatigue affected the frequency components of muscle activation and possible recruitment priority of motor units during skating to exhaustion. Ten male competitive speed skaters performed an incremental maximal test on a slide board. Activation of six muscles from the right leg was recorded throughout the test. A time-frequency analysis was performed to compute overall, high, and low frequency bands from the whole signal at 10, 40, 70, and 90% of total test time. Overall activation increased for all muscles throughout the test (p  0.80). There was an increase in low frequency (90 vs. 10%, p = 0.035, ES = 1.06) and a decrease in high frequency (90 vs. 10%, p = 0.009, ES = 1.38, and 90 vs. 40%, p = 0.025, ES = 1.12) components of gluteus maximus. Strong correlations were found between the maximal cadence and vastus lateralis, gluteus maximus and gluteus medius activation at the end of the test. In conclusion, the incremental skating test lead to an increase in activation of lower limb muscles, but only gluteus maximus was sensitive to changes in frequency components, probably caused by a pronounced fatigue.

Simulation and Analysis of Magnetisation Characteristics of Interior Permanent Magnet Motors

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J. A. Walker

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Modern permanent magnet (PM synchronous brushless machines often have magnetic circuits in which the patterns of saturation are complex and highly variable with the position of the rotor. The classical phasor diagram theory of operation relies on the assumption of sinusoidal variation of flux-linkage with rotor position, and neglects the non-linear effects that arise in different operating states. The finite element method is a useful tool for detailed magnetic analysis, but it is important to verify simulation results by direct measurement of the magnetic characteristics of the motor, in terms of “magnetisation curves” of current and flux-linkage. This paper presents results from finite element simulations to determine the magnetisation in a split-phase interior permanent magnet (IPM motor. Investigation has been made to determine the effects of the rotor geometry on the synchronous reactances and airgap flux distribution. Comparisons are made with a second IPM motor with a different rotor configuration. 

Core stability exercise is as effective as task-oriented motor training in improving motor proficiency in children with developmental coordination disorder: a randomized controlled pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Au, Mei K; Chan, Wai M; Lee, Lin; Chen, Tracy Mk; Chau, Rosanna Mw; Pang, Marco Yc

2014-10-01

To compare the effectiveness of a core stability program with a task-oriented motor training program in improving motor proficiency in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). Randomized controlled pilot trial. Outpatient unit in a hospital. Twenty-two children diagnosed with DCD aged 6-9 years were randomly allocated to the core stability program or the task-oriented motor program. Both groups underwent their respective face-to-face training session once per week for eight consecutive weeks. They were also instructed to carry out home exercises on a daily basis during the intervention period. Short Form of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (Second Edition) and Sensory Organization Test at pre- and post-intervention. Intention-to-treat analysis revealed no significant between-group difference in the change of motor proficiency standard score (P=0.717), and composite equilibrium score derived from the Sensory Organization Test (P=0.100). Further analysis showed significant improvement in motor proficiency in both the core stability (mean change (SD)=6.3(5.4); p=0.008) and task-oriented training groups (mean change(SD)=5.1(4.0); P=0.007). The composite equilibrium score was significantly increased in the task-oriented training group (mean change (SD)=6.0(5.5); P=0.009), but not in the core stability group (mean change(SD) =0.0(9.6); P=0.812). In the task-oriented training group, compliance with the home program was positively correlated with change in motor proficiency (ρ=0.680, P=0.030) and composite equilibrium score (ρ=0.638, P=0.047). The core stability exercise program is as effective as task-oriented training in improving motor proficiency among children with DCD. © The Author(s) 2014.

Voluntary drive-dependent changes in vastus lateralis motor unit firing rates during a sustained isometric contraction at 50% of maximum knee extension force.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Ruiter, C.J.; Elzinga, M.J.; Verdijk, PW; van Mechelen, W.; de Haan, A.

2004-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to relate the expected inter-subject variability in voluntary drive of the knee extensor muscles during a sustained isometric contraction to the changes in firing rates of single motor units. Voluntary activation, as established with super-imposed electrical

Imaging Flow Cytometry Analysis to Identify Differences of Survival Motor Neuron Protein Expression in Patients With Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

Science.gov (United States)

Arakawa, Reiko; Arakawa, Masayuki; Kaneko, Kaori; Otsuki, Noriko; Aoki, Ryoko; Saito, Kayoko

2016-08-01

Spinal muscular atrophy is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the deficient expression of survival motor neuron protein in motor neurons. A major goal of disease-modifying therapy is to increase survival motor neuron expression. Changes in survival motor neuron protein expression can be monitored via peripheral blood cells in patients; therefore we tested the sensitivity and utility of imaging flow cytometry for this purpose. After the immortalization of peripheral blood lymphocytes from a human healthy control subject and two patients with spinal muscular atrophy type 1 with two and three copies of SMN2 gene, respectively, we used imaging flow cytometry analysis to identify significant differences in survival motor neuron expression. A bright detail intensity analysis was used to investigate differences in the cellular localization of survival motor neuron protein. Survival motor neuron expression was significantly decreased in cells derived from patients with spinal muscular atrophy relative to those derived from a healthy control subject. Moreover, survival motor neuron expression correlated with the clinical severity of spinal muscular atrophy according to SMN2 copy number. The cellular accumulation of survival motor neuron protein was also significantly decreased in cells derived from patients with spinal muscular atrophy relative to those derived from a healthy control subject. The benefits of imaging flow cytometry for peripheral blood analysis include its capacities for analyzing heterogeneous cell populations; visualizing cell morphology; and evaluating the accumulation, localization, and expression of a target protein. Imaging flow cytometry analysis should be implemented in future studies to optimize its application as a tool for spinal muscular atrophy clinical trials. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

EPRI flow-loop/in situ test program for motor-operated valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hosler, J.F.; Dorfman, L.S.

1994-01-01

The Electric Power Research Institute is undertaking a comprehensive research program to develop and validate methods for predicting the performance of common motor-operated gate, global, and butterfly valves. To assess motor-operated valve (MOV) performance characteristics and provide a basis for methods validation, full-scale testing was conducted on 62 MOVs. Tests were performed in four flow-loop facilities and in nine nuclear units. Forty-seven gate, five globe, and 10 butterfly valves were tested under a wide range of flow and differential pressure conditions. The paper describes the test program scope, test configurations, instrumentation and data acquisition, testing approach, and data analysis methods. Key results are summarized

Application of Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm and Finite Element Analysis for Optimum Design of Brushless Permanent Magnet Motor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reza Ilka

2012-04-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: This paper develops a mathematical relationship for the purpose of designing and selecting the optimum dimensions of a brushless permanent magnet motor. The design is optimised by the use of artificial bee colony algorithm with the goal of maximizing the power density and efficiency of the motor. The required dimensions of the brushless motor are calculated based on the optimum power density and efficiency requirements. Finally, the predicted results of the optimisation are validated using a 2-D numerical program based on finite element analysis.ABSTRAK: Kajian ini mencadangkan persamaan yang menghubungkan rekabentuk dan dimensi magnet motor kekal tanpa berus. Rekabentuk optima berdasarkan algorisma koloni lebah tiruan dengan tujuan meningkatkan ketumpatan kuasa dan keberkesanan dibentangkan dalam kajian ini. Dimensi magnet motor kekal tanpa berus dihitung dengan ketumpatan kuasa optima dan keberkesanan. Akhirnya, keputusan telah disahkan dengan menggunakan program berangka 2-D berdasarkan analisis elemen finit.KEYWORDS: brushless; permanent magnet motor; power density; artificial bee colony; algorithm; finite element analysis

Recovery of motor deficit accompanying sciatica--subgroup analysis of a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Overdevest, Gijsbert M; Vleggeert-Lankamp, Carmen L A M; Jacobs, Wilco C H; Brand, Ronald; Koes, Bart W; Peul, Wilco C

2014-09-01

In patients with sciatica due to a lumbar disc herniation, it is generally recommended to reserve surgical treatment for those who suffer from intolerable pain or those who demonstrate persistent symptoms after conservative management. Controversy exists about the necessity of early surgical intervention for those patients that have an additional motor deficit. The aim of this study was to compare the recovery of motor deficit among patients receiving early surgery to those receiving prolonged conservative treatment. Subgroup analysis of a randomized controlled trial. This subgroup analysis focuses on 150 (53%) of 283 patients with sciatica due to a lumbar disc herniation and whose symptoms at baseline (before randomization) were accompanied by a motor deficit. Motor deficit was assessed through manual muscle testing and graded according to the Medical Research Council (MRC) scale. In total, 150 patients with 6 to 12 weeks of sciatica due to a lumbar disc herniation and whose symptoms were accompanied by a moderate (MRC Grade 4) or severe (MRC Grade 3) motor deficit were randomly allocated to early surgery or prolonged conservative treatment. Repeated standardized neurologic examinations were performed at baseline and at 8, 26, and 52 weeks after randomization. This study was supported by a grant from the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMW) and the Hoelen Foundation The Hague. Sciatica recovered among seven (10%) of the 70 patients assigned to early surgery before surgery could be performed, and of the 80 patients assigned to conservative treatment, 32 patients (40%) were treated surgically because of intolerable pain. Baseline severity of motor deficit was graded moderate in 84% of patients and severe in 16% of patients. Motor deficit recovered significantly faster among patients allocated to early surgery (p=.01), but the difference was no longer significant at 26 (p=.21) or 52 weeks (p=.92). At 1 year, complete recovery of motor

Effects of Interventions Based in Behavior Analysis on Motor Skill Acquisition: A Meta-Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Alstot, Andrew E.; Kang, Minsoo; Alstot, Crystal D.

2013-01-01

Techniques based in applied behavior analysis (ABA) have been shown to be useful across a variety of settings to improve numerous behaviors. Specifically within physical activity settings, several studies have examined the effect of interventions based in ABA on a variety of motor skills, but the overall effects of these interventions are unknown.…

Optimization and Analysis of a U-Shaped Linear Piezoelectric Ultrasonic Motor Using Longitudinal Transducers.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Hongpeng; Quan, Qiquan; Tian, Xinqi; Li, He

2018-03-07

A novel U-shaped piezoelectric ultrasonic motor that mainly focused on miniaturization and high power density was proposed, fabricated, and tested in this work. The longitudinal vibrations of the transducers were excited to form the elliptical movements on the driving feet. Finite element method (FEM) was used for design and analysis. The resonance frequencies of the selected vibration modes were tuned to be very close to each other with modal analysis and the movement trajectories of the driving feet were gained with transient simulation. The vibration modes and the mechanical output abilities were tested to evaluate the proposed motor further by a prototype. The maximum output speed was tested to be 416 mm/s, the maximum thrust force was 21 N, and the maximum output power was 5.453 W under frequency of 29.52 kHz and voltage of 100 V rms . The maximum output power density of the prototype reached 7.59 W/kg, which was even greater than a previous similar motor under the exciting voltage of 200 V rms . The proposed motor showed great potential for linear driving of large thrust force and high power density.

Aberrant supplementary motor complex and limbic activity during motor preparation in motor conversion disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Voon, Valerie; Brezing, Christina; Gallea, Cecile; Hallett, Mark

2011-11-01

Conversion disorder (CD) is characterized by unexplained neurological symptoms presumed related to psychological issues. The main hypotheses to explain conversion paralysis, characterized by a lack of movement, include impairments in either motor intention or disruption of motor execution, and further, that hyperactive self-monitoring, limbic processing or top-down regulation from higher order frontal regions may interfere with motor execution. We have recently shown that CD with positive abnormal or excessive motor symptoms was associated with greater amygdala activity to arousing stimuli along with greater functional connectivity between the amygdala and supplementary motor area. Here we studied patients with such symptoms focusing on motor initiation. Subjects performed either an internally or externally generated 2-button action selection task in a functional MRI study. Eleven CD patients without major depression and 11 age- and gender-matched normal volunteers were assessed. During both internally and externally generated movement, conversion disorder patients relative to normal volunteers had lower left supplementary motor area (SMA) (implicated in motor initiation) and higher right amygdala, left anterior insula, and bilateral posterior cingulate activity (implicated in assigning emotional salience). These findings were confirmed in a subgroup analysis of patients with tremor symptoms. During internally versus externally generated action in CD patients, the left SMA had lower functional connectivity with bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortices. We propose a theory in which previously mapped conversion motor representations may in an arousing context hijack the voluntary action selection system, which is both hypoactive and functionally disconnected from prefrontal top-down regulation. Copyright © 2011 Movement Disorder Society.

Aberrant supplementary motor complex and limbic activity during motor preparation in motor conversion disorder

Science.gov (United States)

Voon, V; Brezing, C; Gallea, C; Hallett, M

2014-01-01

Background Conversion disorder is characterized by unexplained neurological symptoms presumed related to psychological issues. The main hypotheses to explain conversion paralysis, characterized by a lack of movement, include impairments in either motor intention or disruption of motor execution, and further, that hyperactive self-monitoring, limbic processing or top-down regulation from higher order frontal regions may interfere with motor execution. We have recently shown that conversion disorder with positive abnormal or excessive motor symptoms was associated with greater amygdala activity to arousing stimuli along with greater functional connectivity between the amgydala and supplementary motor area. Here we studied patients with such symptoms focusing on motor initiation. Methods Subjects performed either an internally or externally generated two-button action selection task in a functional MRI study. Results Eleven conversion disorder patients without major depression and 11 age- and gender-matched normal volunteers were assessed. During both internally and externally generated movement, conversion disorder patients relative to normal volunteers had lower left supplementary motor area (SMA) (implicated in motor initiation) and higher right amygdala, left anterior insula and bilateral posterior cingulate activity (implicated in assigning emotional salience). These findings were confirmed in a subgroup analysis of patients with tremor symptoms. During internally versus externally generated action in CD patients, the left SMA had lower functional connectivity with bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortices. Conclusion We propose a theory in which previously mapped conversion motor representations may in an arousing context hijack the voluntary action selection system which is both hypoactive and functionally disconnected from prefrontal top-down regulation. PMID:21935985

Electric Motor Thermal Management

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bennion, Kevin S [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2017-09-01

Thermal management enables more efficient and cost-effective motors. This Annual Merit Review presentation describes the technical accomplishments and progress in electric motor thermal management R&D over the last year. This project supports a broad industry demand for data, analysis methods, and experimental techniques to improve and better understand motor thermal management.

A Manufacturing Cost and Supply Chain Analysis of SiC Power Electronics Applicable to Medium-Voltage Motor Drives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Horowitz, Kelsey [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Remo, Timothy [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Reese, Samantha [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2017-03-24

Wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductor devices are increasingly being considered for use in certain power electronics applications, where they can improve efficiency, performance, footprint, and, potentially, total system cost compared to systems using traditional silicon (Si) devices. Silicon carbide (SiC) devices in particular -- which are currently more mature than other WBG devices -- are poised for growth in the coming years. Today, the manufacturing of SiC wafers is concentrated in the United States, and chip production is split roughly equally between the United States, Japan, and Europe. Established contract manufacturers located throughout Asia typically carry out manufacturing of WBG power modules. We seek to understand how global manufacturing of SiC components may evolve over time by illustrating the regional cost drivers along the supply chain and providing an overview of other factors that influence where manufacturing is sited. We conduct this analysis for a particular case study where SiC devices are used in a medium-voltage motor drive.

Numerical analysis and finite element modelling of an HTS synchronous motor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ainslie, M.D., E-mail: mda36@cam.ac.u [University of Cambridge, Department of Electrical Engineering (Division B), CAPE Building, 9 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0FA (United Kingdom); Jiang, Y.; Xian, W.; Hong, Z.; Yuan, W.; Pei, R.; Flack, T.J.; Coombs, T.A. [University of Cambridge, Department of Electrical Engineering (Division B), CAPE Building, 9 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0FA (United Kingdom)

2010-11-01

This paper investigates the electromagnetic properties of high-temperature superconductors with a particular focus on the AC loss in coils made from YBCO superconductors. The numerical analysis and finite element modelling of the YBCO superconductors used in Cambridge's superconducting permanent magnet synchronous motor currently in development is described. The stack of tapes in the superconducting coils is modelled using the direct H formulation, a B-dependent critical current density and a bulk approximation. Magnetic boundary conditions for this model are derived from a 2D finite element method (FEM) motor model. The combination of these models allows the total AC loss (combined transport and magnetisation losses) in the HTS coils used in an all-superconducting machine design to be estimated. The raw AC loss figures are compared to the output power of the motor for two test cases, and it is found that the AC loss contributes significantly to the total loss and therefore efficiency. An experimental rig is also described, which has been built in order to test the electromagnetic properties and performance of the motor. It is explained how this rig will be used to investigate the magnetisation of the rotor and carry out AC loss measurements on the stator coils.

Off Like a Rocket: A Media Discourse Analysis of Tesla Motor Corporation

OpenAIRE

McKay, Jordan

2016-01-01

Energy and transportation are topics of great importance to global sustainable development.  Tesla Motor Corporation is an electric vehicle company with the objective to “accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy” (Musk, 2016).  This thesis, a media discourse analysis, examines media texts concerning Tesla Motors to provide a better understanding of the company’s hitherto success in penetrating the automotive market.  Qualitative analyses of text were utilized to first define th...

DEVELOPMENT OF FINE MOTOR COORDINATION AND VISUAL-MOTOR INTEGRATION IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haris MEMISEVIC

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Fine motor skills are prerequisite for many everyday activities and they are a good predictor of a child's later academic outcome. The goal of the present study was to assess the effects of age on the development of fine motor coordination and visual-motor integration in preschool children. The sample for this study consisted of 276 preschool children from Canton Sara­jevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. We assessed children's motor skills with Beery Visual Motor Integration Test and Lafayette Pegboard Test. Data were analyzed with one-way ANOVA, followed by planned com­parisons between the age groups. We also performed a regression analysis to assess the influence of age and motor coordination on visual-motor integration. The results showed that age has a great effect on the development of fine motor skills. Furthermore, the results indicated that there are possible sensitive periods at preschool age in which the development of fine motor skills is accelerated. Early intervention specialists should make a thorough evaluations of fine motor skills in preschool children and make motor (rehabilitation programs for children at risk of fine motor delays.

Advanced analysis technique for the evaluation of linear alternators and linear motors

Science.gov (United States)

Holliday, Jeffrey C.

1995-01-01

A method for the mathematical analysis of linear alternator and linear motor devices and designs is described, and an example of its use is included. The technique seeks to surpass other methods of analysis by including more rigorous treatment of phenomena normally omitted or coarsely approximated such as eddy braking, non-linear material properties, and power losses generated within structures surrounding the device. The technique is broadly applicable to linear alternators and linear motors involving iron yoke structures and moving permanent magnets. The technique involves the application of Amperian current equivalents to the modeling of the moving permanent magnet components within a finite element formulation. The resulting steady state and transient mode field solutions can simultaneously account for the moving and static field sources within and around the device.

Contamination analysis unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gregg, H.R.; Meltzer, M.P.

1996-01-01

The portable Contamination Analysis Unit (CAU) measures trace quantities of surface contamination in real time. The detector head of the portable contamination analysis unit has an opening with an O-ring seal, one or more vacuum valves and a small mass spectrometer. With the valve closed, the mass spectrometer is evacuated with one or more pumps. The O-ring seal is placed against a surface to be tested and the vacuum valve is opened. Data is collected from the mass spectrometer and a portable computer provides contamination analysis. The CAU can be used to decontaminate and decommission hazardous and radioactive surfaces by measuring residual hazardous surface contamination, such as tritium and trace organics. It provides surface contamination data for research and development applications as well as real-time process control feedback for industrial cleaning operations and can be used to determine the readiness of a surface to accept bonding or coatings. 1 fig

Analysis and Design Considerations of a High-Power Density, Dual Air Gap, Axial-Field Brushless, Permanent Magnet Motor.

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Chahee Peter

1995-01-01

Until recently, brush dc motors have been the dominant drive system because they provide easily controlled motor speed over a wide range, rapid acceleration and deceleration, convenient control of position, and lower product cost. Despite these capabilities, the brush dc motor configuration does not satisfy the design requirements for the U.S. Navy's underwater propulsion applications. Technical advances in rare-earth permanent magnet materials, in high-power semiconductor transistor technology, and in various rotor position-sensing devices have made using brushless permanent magnet motors a viable alternative. This research investigates brushless permanent magnet motor technology, studying the merits of dual-air gap, axial -field, brushless, permanent magnet motor configuration in terms of power density, efficiency, and noise/vibration levels. Because the design objectives for underwater motor applications include high-power density, high-performance, and low-noise/vibration, the traditional, simplified equivalent circuit analysis methods to assist in meeting these goals were inadequate. This study presents the development and verification of detailed finite element analysis (FEA) models and lumped parameter circuit models that can calculate back electromotive force waveforms, inductance, cogging torque, energized torque, and eddy current power losses. It is the first thorough quantification of dual air-gap, axial -field, brushless, permanent magnet motor parameters and performance characteristics. The new methodology introduced in this research not only facilitates the design process of an axial field, brushless, permanent magnet motor but reinforces the idea that the high-power density, high-efficiency, and low-noise/vibration motor is attainable.

Differential recruitment of the sensorimotor putamen and frontoparietal cortex during motor chunking in humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Wymbs, Nicholas F; Bassett, Danielle S; Mucha, Peter J; Porter, Mason A; Grafton, Scott T

2012-06-07

Motor chunking facilitates movement production by combining motor elements into integrated units of behavior. Previous research suggests that chunking involves two processes: concatenation, aimed at the formation of motor-motor associations between elements or sets of elements, and segmentation, aimed at the parsing of multiple contiguous elements into shorter action sets. We used fMRI to measure the trial-wise recruitment of brain regions associated with these chunking processes as healthy subjects performed a cued-sequence production task. A dynamic network analysis identified chunking structure for a set of motor sequences acquired during fMRI and collected over 3 days of training. Activity in the bilateral sensorimotor putamen positively correlated with chunk concatenation, whereas a left-hemisphere frontoparietal network was correlated with chunk segmentation. Across subjects, there was an aggregate increase in chunk strength (concatenation) with training, suggesting that subcortical circuits play a direct role in the creation of fluid transitions across chunks. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A latent low-dimensional common input drives a pool of motor neurons: a probabilistic latent state-space model.

Science.gov (United States)

Feeney, Daniel F; Meyer, François G; Noone, Nicholas; Enoka, Roger M

2017-10-01

Motor neurons appear to be activated with a common input signal that modulates the discharge activity of all neurons in the motor nucleus. It has proven difficult for neurophysiologists to quantify the variability in a common input signal, but characterization of such a signal may improve our understanding of how the activation signal varies across motor tasks. Contemporary methods of quantifying the common input to motor neurons rely on compiling discrete action potentials into continuous time series, assuming the motor pool acts as a linear filter, and requiring signals to be of sufficient duration for frequency analysis. We introduce a space-state model in which the discharge activity of motor neurons is modeled as inhomogeneous Poisson processes and propose a method to quantify an abstract latent trajectory that represents the common input received by motor neurons. The approach also approximates the variation in synaptic noise in the common input signal. The model is validated with four data sets: a simulation of 120 motor units, a pair of integrate-and-fire neurons with a Renshaw cell providing inhibitory feedback, the discharge activity of 10 integrate-and-fire neurons, and the discharge times of concurrently active motor units during an isometric voluntary contraction. The simulations revealed that a latent state-space model is able to quantify the trajectory and variability of the common input signal across all four conditions. When compared with the cumulative spike train method of characterizing common input, the state-space approach was more sensitive to the details of the common input current and was less influenced by the duration of the signal. The state-space approach appears to be capable of detecting rather modest changes in common input signals across conditions. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We propose a state-space model that explicitly delineates a common input signal sent to motor neurons and the physiological noise inherent in synaptic signal

Instrument for analysis of electric motors based on slip-poles component

Science.gov (United States)

Haynes, Howard D.; Ayers, Curtis W.; Casada, Donald A.

1996-01-01

A new instrument for monitoring the condition and speed of an operating electric motor from a remote location. The slip-poles component is derived from a motor current signal. The magnitude of the slip-poles component provides the basis for a motor condition monitor, while the frequency of the slip-poles component provides the basis for a motor speed monitor. The result is a simple-to-understand motor health monitor in an easy-to-use package. Straightforward indications of motor speed, motor running current, motor condition (e.g., rotor bar condition) and synthesized motor sound (audible indication of motor condition) are provided. With the device, a relatively untrained worker can diagnose electric motors in the field without requiring the presence of a trained engineer or technician.

Thermal and Arc Flash Analysis of Electric Motor Drives in Distribution Networks

OpenAIRE

Nikolovski, Srete; Mlakić, Dragan; Alibašić, Emir

2017-01-01

The paper presents thermal analysis and arc flash analysis taking care of protection relays coordination settings for electric motor drives connected to the electrical network. Power flow analysis is performed to check if there are any voltage and loading violation conditions in the system. Fault analysis is performed to check the short circuit values and compute arc flash energy dissipated at industrial busbars to eliminate damage to electrical equipment and electrical shocks and hazard to p...

A new nonlinear magnetic circuit model for dynamic analysis of interior permanent magnet synchronous motor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamura, Kenji; Saito, Kenichi; Watanabe, Tadaaki; Ichinokura, Osamu

2005-01-01

Interior permanent magnet synchronous motors (IPMSMs) have high efficiency and torque, since the motors can utilize reluctance torque in addition to magnet torque. The IPMSMs are widely used for electric household appliances and electric bicycles and vehicles. A quantitative analysis method of dynamic characteristics of the IPMSMs, however, has not been clarified fully. For optimum design, investigation of dynamic characteristics considering magnetic nonlinearity is needed. This paper presents a new nonlinear magnetic circuit model of an IPMSM, and suggests a dynamic analysis method using the proposed magnetic circuit model

Detection of Static Eccentricity Fault in Saturated Induction Motors by Air-Gap Magnetic Flux Signature Analysis Using Finite Element Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Halem

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Unfortunately, motor current signature analysis (MCSA cannot detect the small degrees of the purely static eccentricity (SE defects, while the air-gap magnetic flux signature analysis (FSA is applied successfully. The simulation results are obtained by using time stepping finite elements (TSFE method. In order to show the impact of magnetic saturation upon the diagnosis of SE fault, the analysis is carried out for saturated induction motors. The index signatures of static eccentricity fault around fundamental and PSHs are detected successfully for saturated motor.

DETECTION OF STATIC ECCENTRICITY FAULT IN SATURATED INDUCTION MOTORS BY AIR-GAP MAGNETIC FLUX SIGNATURE ANALYSIS USING FINITE ELEMENT METHOD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Halem

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Unfortunately, motor current signature analysis (MCSA cannot detect the small degrees of the purely static eccentricity (SE defects, while the air-gap magnetic flux signature analysis (FSA is applied successfully. The simulation results are obtained by using time stepping finite elements (TSFE method. In order to show the impact of magnetic saturation upon the diagnosis of SE fault, the analysis is carried out for saturated induction motors. The index signatures of static eccentricity fault around fundamental and PSHs are detected successfully for saturated motor.

DETECTION OF STATIC ECCENTRICITY FAULT IN SATURATED INDUCTION MOTORS BY AIR-GAP MAGNETIC FLUX SIGNATURE ANALYSIS USING FINITE ELEMENT METHOD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Halem

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Unfortunately, motor current signature analysis (MCSA cannot detect the small degrees of the purely static eccentricity (SE defects, while the air-gap magnetic flux signature analysis (FSA is applied successfully. The simulation results are obtained by using time stepping finite elements (TSFE method. In order to show the impact of magnetic saturation upon the diagnosis of SE fault, the analysis is carried out for saturated induction motors. The index signatures of static eccentricity fault around fundamental and PSHs are detected successfully for saturated motor.

Observability analysis for model-based fault detection and sensor selection in induction motors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakhaeinejad, Mohsen; Bryant, Michael D

2011-01-01

Sensors in different types and configurations provide information on the dynamics of a system. For a specific task, the question is whether measurements have enough information or whether the sensor configuration can be changed to improve the performance or to reduce costs. Observability analysis may answer the questions. This paper presents a general algorithm of nonlinear observability analysis with application to model-based diagnostics and sensor selection in three-phase induction motors. A bond graph model of the motor is developed and verified with experiments. A nonlinear observability matrix based on Lie derivatives is obtained from state equations. An observability index based on the singular value decomposition of the observability matrix is obtained. Singular values and singular vectors are used to identify the most and least observable configurations of sensors and parameters. A complex step derivative technique is used in the calculation of Jacobians to improve the computational performance of the observability analysis. The proposed algorithm of observability analysis can be applied to any nonlinear system to select the best configuration of sensors for applications of model-based diagnostics, observer-based controller, or to determine the level of sensor redundancy. Observability analysis on induction motors provides various sensor configurations with corresponding observability indices. Results show the redundancy levels for different sensors, and provide a sensor selection guideline for model-based diagnostics, and for observer-based controllers. The results can also be used for sensor fault detection and to improve the reliability of the system by increasing the redundancy level in measurements

Changes in contractile properties and action potentials of motor units in the rat medial gastrocnemius muscle during maturation.

Science.gov (United States)

Dobrzynska, Z; Celichowski, J

2016-02-01

The early phase of development of muscles stops following the disappearance of embryonic and neonatal myosin and the elimination of polyneuronal innervation of muscle fibres with the formation of motor units (MUs), but later the muscle mass still considerably increases. It is unknown whether the three types are visible among newly formed MUs soon after the early postnatal period and whether their proportion is similar to that in adult muscle. Moreover, the processes responsible for MU-force regulation by changes in motoneuronal firing rate as well as properties of motor unit action potentials (MUAPs) during maturation are unknown. Three groups of Wistar rats were investigated - 1 month old, 2 months old and the adult, 9 months old. The basic contractile properties and action potentials of MUs in the medial gastrocnemius (MG) muscle were analysed. The three types of MUs were distinguishable in all age groups, but higher proportion of slow MUs was noticed in young rats (29%, 18% and 11% in 1, 2 and 9 months rats, respectively). The fatigue index for fast fatigable MUs in 1 month old rats was about 2 times higher than in 9 months old rats. The twitch time parameters of fast MUs were shortened during the maturation; for these units, the force-frequency curves in young rats were shifted towards lower frequencies, which suggested that fast motoneurons of young animals generate lower firing rates. Higher twitch-to-tetanus ratios noted for the three MU types in young rats suggested the smaller role of rate coding in force regulation processes, and the higher role of MU recruitment in young rats. No significant differences in MUAP parameters between two groups of young and adult animals were observed. Concluding, the maturation process evokes deeper changes in fast MUs than in slow ones.

A Recommended New Approach on Motorization Ratio Calculations of Stepper Motors

Science.gov (United States)

Nalbandian, Ruben; Blais, Thierry; Horth, Richard

2014-01-01

mechanisms. The rationale at CDR level versus TRR/TRB level will be discussed, aiming at avoiding too much conservatism for units that have extensive test and in flight heritage. A critical topic is related to the magnetic losses and how to sort out such phenomena as a function of the motor type being used. For instance, detent torque is a major contributor that has no reason to evolve during life and is not an uncontrolled torque loss.

Design and Optimization of Fast Switching Valves for Large Scale Digital Hydraulic Motors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Roemer, Daniel Beck

The present thesis is on the design, analysis and optimization of fast switching valves for digital hydraulic motors with high power ratings. The need for such high power motors origins in the potential use of hydrostatic transmissions in wind turbine drive trains, as digital hydraulic machines...... have been shown to improve the overall efficiency and efficient operation range compared to traditional hydraulic machines. Digital hydraulic motors uses electronically controlled independent seat valves connected to the pressure chambers, which must be fast acting and exhibit low pressure losses...... to enable efficient operation. These valves are complex components to design, as multiple design aspects are present in these integrated valve units, with conflicting objectives and interdependencies. A preliminary study on a small scale single-cylinder digital hydraulic pump has initially been conducted...

Operation analysis of AC traction motors in terms of electromagnetic torque capability on sustainable railway vehicles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bulucea Cornelia A.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Sustainable operation of electric railway systems represents a significant purpose nowadays in the development of high power and high speed locomotives and trains. At present, high speed electric vehicles mostly work with three-phase induction motors or three-phase synchronous motors as traction motors. The two electric machine types have different efficiencies at different operation points, and experience differences with respect to safety, speed and power, energy use and exergy efficiency. An important issue that correlates these aspects is the electromagnetic torque developed by an electric traction motor. In order to provide an overview of the technical performance of the operation of sustainable railway systems, a detailed analysis is carried out of the electromagnetic torque capability of AC electric motors utilized as traction motors in modern locomotives of high power and/or high speed. The results of this work may help in enhancing the main criteria for optimising the safe and sustainable operation of electric railway traction systems.

Motor fuel prices in Turkey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erdogdu, Erkan

2014-01-01

The world's most expensive motor fuel (gasoline, diesel and LPG) is sold most likely in the Republic of Turkey. This paper investigates the key issues related to the motor fuel prices in Turkey. First of all, the paper analyses the main reason behind high prices, namely motor fuel taxes in Turkey. Then, it estimates the elasticity of motor fuel demand in Turkey using an econometric analysis. The findings indicate that motor fuel demand in Turkey is quite inelastic and, therefore, not responsive to price increases caused by an increase in either pre-tax prices or taxes. Therefore, fuel market in Turkey is open to opportunistic behavior by firms (through excessive profits) and the government (through excessive taxes). Besides, the paper focuses on the impact of high motor fuel prices on road transport associated activities, including the pattern of passenger transportation, motorization rate, fuel use, total kilometers traveled and CO 2 emissions from road transportation. The impact of motor fuel prices on income distribution in Turkey and Turkish public opinion about high motor fuel prices are also among the subjects investigated in the course of the study. - Highlights: • The key issues (e.g. taxes) related to motor fuel prices in Turkey are explored. • Their impact on transport activities and income distribution is also investigated. • An econometric analysis is performed to estimate motor fuel demand in Turkey. • Motor fuel demand in Turkey is found to be quite inelastic. • Turkish fuel market is open to opportunistic behavior by firms and the government

Analysis of ZDDP Content and Thermal Decomposition in Motor Oils Using NAA and NMR

Science.gov (United States)

Ferguson, S.; Johnson, J.; Gonzales, D.; Hobbs, C.; Allen, C.; Williams, S.

Zinc dialkyldithiophosphates (ZDDPs) are one of the most common anti-wear additives present in commercially-available motor oils. The ZDDP concentrations of motor oils are most commonly determined using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). As part of an undergraduate research project, we have determined the Zn concentrations of eight commercially-available motor oils and one oil additive using neutron activation analysis (NAA), which has potential for greater accuracy and less sensitivity to matrix effects as compared to ICP-AES. The 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (31P-NMR) spectra were also obtained for several oil additive samples which have been heated to various temperatures in order to study the thermal decomposition of ZDDPs.

Alcohol Advertising and Motor Vehicle Fatalities

OpenAIRE

Henry Saffer

1994-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to empirically estimate the effect of alcohol advertising on motor vehicle fatalities. The concept of an industry level advertising response function is developed and other empirical issues in estimating the effects of advertising are reviewed. The data set consists of quarterly observations, from 1986 to 1989, for 75 advertising markets in the United States and includes 1200 observations. Since motor vehicle fatalities and alcohol advertising are jointly determin...

Modal Analysis of In-Wheel Motor-Driven Electric Vehicle Based on Bond Graph Theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Di Tan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A half-car vibration model of an electric vehicle driven by rear in-wheel motors was developed using bond graph theory and the modular modeling method. Based on the bond graph model, modal analysis was carried out to study the vibration characteristics of the electric vehicle. To verify the effectiveness of the established model, the results were compared to ones computed on the ground of modal analysis and Newton equations. The comparison shows that the vibration model of the electric vehicle based on bond graph theory not only is able to better compute the natural frequency but also can easily determine the deformation mode, momentum mode, and other isomorphism modes and describe the dynamic characteristics of an electric vehicle driven by in-wheel motors more comprehensively than other modal analysis methods.

Energy-saving motor; Energiesparmotor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lindegger, M.

2002-07-01

This report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) describes the development and testing of an advanced electrical motor using a permanent-magnet rotor. The aims of the project - to study the technical feasibility and market potential of the Eco-Motor - are discussed and the three phases of the project described. These include the calculation and realisation of a 250-watt prototype operating at 230 V, the measurement of the motor's characteristics as well as those of a comparable asynchronous motor on the test bed at the University of Applied Science in Lucerne, Switzerland, and a market study to establish if the Eco-Motor and its controller can compete against normal asynchronous motors. Also, the results of an analysis of the energy-savings potential is made, should such Eco-Motors be used. Detailed results of the three phases of the project are presented and the prospects of producing such motors in Switzerland for home use as well as for export are examined.

Electrical performance analysis of HTS synchronous motor based on 3D FEM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baik, S.K.; Kwon, Y.K.; Kim, H.M.; Lee, J.D.; Kim, Y.C.; Park, G.S.

2010-01-01

A 1-MW class superconducting motor with High-Temperature Superconducting (HTS) field coil is analyzed and tested. This machine is a prototype to make sure applicability aimed at generator and industrial motor applications such as blowers, pumps and compressors installed in large plants. This machine has the HTS field coil made of Bi-2223 HTS wire and the conventional copper armature (stator) coils cooled by water. The 1-MW class HTS motor is analyzed by 3D electromagnetic Finite Element Method (FEM) to get magnetic field distribution, self and mutual inductance, and so forth. Especially excitation voltage (Back EMF) is estimated by using the mutual inductance between armature and field coils and compared with experimental result. Open and short circuit tests were conducted in generator mode while a 1.1-MW rated induction machine was rotating the HTS machine. Electrical parameters such as mutual inductance and synchronous inductance are deduced from these tests and also compared with the analysis results from FEM.

Study on the VFD (Variable Frequency Drive) for RCP (Reactor Coolant Pump) Motors of APR1400

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Jung Ha; Robert, M. Field; Kim, Tae Ryong [Department of NPP Engineering, KEPCO International Nuclear Graduate School, Ulsan (Korea, Republic of)

2014-10-15

Most industrial facilities are continually searching for ways to reduce energy costs while increasing or maintaining current production. In terms of electric motors, Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) units represent a critical opportunity for energy savings. Currently, VFDs are used on about ten (10) percent of industrial process motors, and this percentage is increasing every year. Properly applied VFDs have been documented to save as much as fifty percent of the energy consumed by certain industrial processes. Nuclear Power - Power plants in general and Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) in particular are slow to adopt new technology. The nuclear power industry requires a nearly absolute demonstration through operating experience in other industries in which the new approach will result in a net improvement in plant reliability without any surprises. Only recently has the nuclear industry begun to adapt VFD units for large motors. Specifically, there are several examples in the Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) fleet of replacing Motor-Generator (M-G) sets with VFD units for Reactor Recirculation (RR) pump motor service. At one station, VFD units were introduced upstream of the Circulating Water (CWP) pump motors to address environmental issues. They units are taking advantage of VFD technology whose benefits include increased reliability, reduction in electrical house load, improved flow control, and reduced maintenance. RCP Application - In the case of new generation, it has been reported that the Westinghouse AP1000 will make use of VFD units for the Reactor Coolant Pump (RCP) motors.

Maximization of learning speed in the motor cortex due to neuronal redundancy.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ken Takiyama

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Many redundancies play functional roles in motor control and motor learning. For example, kinematic and muscle redundancies contribute to stabilizing posture and impedance control, respectively. Another redundancy is the number of neurons themselves; there are overwhelmingly more neurons than muscles, and many combinations of neural activation can generate identical muscle activity. The functional roles of this neuronal redundancy remains unknown. Analysis of a redundant neural network model makes it possible to investigate these functional roles while varying the number of model neurons and holding constant the number of output units. Our analysis reveals that learning speed reaches its maximum value if and only if the model includes sufficient neuronal redundancy. This analytical result does not depend on whether the distribution of the preferred direction is uniform or a skewed bimodal, both of which have been reported in neurophysiological studies. Neuronal redundancy maximizes learning speed, even if the neural network model includes recurrent connections, a nonlinear activation function, or nonlinear muscle units. Furthermore, our results do not rely on the shape of the generalization function. The results of this study suggest that one of the functional roles of neuronal redundancy is to maximize learning speed.

2-Deoxyglucose autoradiography of single motor units: labelling of individual acutely active muscle fibers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toop, J.; Burke, R.E.; Dum, R.P.; O'Donovan, M.J.; Smith, C.B.

1982-01-01

2-Deoxy-D-[1- 14 C]glucose (2DG) was given intravenously during repetitive stimulation of single motor units in adult cats and autoradiographs were made of frozen sections of the target muscles in order to evaluate methods designed to improve the spatial resolution of [ 14 C]2DG autoradiography. With the modifications used, acutely active muscle fibers, independently identified by depletion of intrafiber glycogen, were associated with highly localized accumulations of silver grains over the depleted fibers. The results indicate that [ 14 C]2DG autoradiography can successfully identify individual active muscle fibers and might in principle be used to obtain quantitative data about rates of glucose metabolism in single muscle fibers of defined histochemical type. The modifications may be applicable also to other tissues to give improved spatial resolution with [ 14 C]-labeled metabolic markers. (Auth.)

Impedance calculations for power cables to primary coolant pump motors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hegerhorst, K.B.

1977-01-01

The LOFT primary system motor generator sets are located in Room B-239 and are connected to the primary coolant pumps by means of a power cable. The calculated average impedance of this cable is 0.005323 ohms per unit resistance and 0.006025 ohms per unit reactance based on 369.6 kVA and 480 volts. The report was written to show the development of power cable parameters that are to be used in the SICLOPS (Simulation of LOFT Reactor Coolant Loop Pumping System) digital computer program as written in LTR 1142-16 and also used in the pump coastdowns for the FSAR Analysis

Mathematical Model and Computational Analysis of Selected Transient States of Cylindrical Linear Induction Motor Fed via Frequency Converter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrzej Rusek

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The mathematical model of cylindrical linear induction motor (C-LIM fed via frequency converter is presented in the paper. The model was developed in order to analyze numerically the transient states. Problems concerning dynamics of ac-machines especially linear induction motor are presented in [1 – 7]. Development of C-LIM mathematical model is based on circuit method and analogy to rotary induction motor. The analogy between both: (a stator and rotor windings of rotary induction motor and (b winding of primary part of C-LIM (inductor and closed current circuits in external secondary part of C-LIM (race is taken into consideration. The equations of C-LIM mathematical model are presented as matrix together with equations expressing each vector separately. A computational analysis of selected transient states of C-LIM fed via frequency converter is presented in the paper. Two typical examples of C-LIM operation are considered for the analysis: (a starting the motor at various static loads and various synchronous velocities and (b reverse of the motor at the same operation conditions. Results of simulation are presented as transient responses including transient electromagnetic force, transient linear velocity and transient phase current.

Sleep/wake firing patterns of human genioglossus motor units.

Science.gov (United States)

Bailey, E Fiona; Fridel, Keith W; Rice, Amber D

2007-12-01

Although studies of the principal tongue protrudor muscle genioglossus (GG) suggest that whole muscle GG electromyographic (EMG) activities are preserved in nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, it is unclear what influence sleep exerts on individual GG motor unit (MU) activities. We characterized the firing patterns of human GG MUs in wakefulness and NREM sleep with the aim of determining 1) whether the range of MU discharge patterns evident in wakefulness is preserved in sleep and 2) what effect the removal of the "wakefulness" input has on the magnitude of the respiratory modulation of MU activities. Microelectrodes inserted into the extrinsic tongue protrudor muscle, the genioglossus, were used to follow the discharge of single MUs. We categorized MU activities on the basis of the temporal relationship between the spike train and the respiration cycle and quantified the magnitude of the respiratory modulation of each MU using the eta (eta(2)) index, in wakefulness and sleep. The majority of MUs exhibited subtle increases or decreases in respiratory modulation but were otherwise unaffected by NREM sleep. In contrast, 30% of MUs exhibited marked sleep-associated changes in discharge frequency and respiratory modulation. We suggest that GG MUs should not be considered exclusively tonic or phasic; rather, the discharge pattern appears to be a flexible feature of GG activities in healthy young adults. Whether such flexibility is important in the response to changes in the chemical and/or mechanical environment and whether it is preserved as a function of aging or in individuals with obstructive sleep apnea are critical questions for future research.

Motor Skill Competence and Perceived Motor Competence: Which Best Predicts Physical Activity among Girls?

Science.gov (United States)

Khodaverdi, Zeinab; Bahram, Abbas; Khalaji, Hassan; Kazemnejad, Anoshirvan

2013-10-01

The main purpose of this study was to determine which correlate, perceived motor competence or motor skill competence, best predicts girls' physical activity behavior. A sample of 352 girls (mean age=8.7, SD=0.3 yr) participated in this study. To assess motor skill competence and perceived motor competence, each child completed the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 and Physical Ability sub-scale of Marsh's Self-Description Questionnaire. Children's physical activity was assessed by the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children. Multiple linear regression model was used to determine whether perceived motor competence or motor skill competence best predicts moderate-to-vigorous self-report physical activity. Multiple regression analysis indicated that motor skill competence and perceived motor competence predicted 21% variance in physical activity (R(2)=0.21, F=48.9, P=0.001), and motor skill competence (R(2)=0.15, ᵝ=0.33, P= 0.001) resulted in more variance than perceived motor competence (R(2)=0.06, ᵝ=0.25, P=0.001) in physical activity. Results revealed motor skill competence had more influence in comparison with perceived motor competence on physical activity level. We suggest interventional programs based on motor skill competence and perceived motor competence should be administered or implemented to promote physical activity in young girls.

Motor unit firing rate patterns during voluntary muscle force generation: a simulation study

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Xiaogang; Rymer, William Z.; Suresh, Nina L.

2014-04-01

Objective. Muscle force is generated by a combination of motor unit (MU) recruitment and changes in the discharge rate of active MUs. There have been two basic MU recruitment and firing rate paradigms reported in the literature, which describe the control of the MUs during force generation. The first (termed the reverse ‘onion skin’ profile), exhibits lower firing rates for lower threshold units, with higher firing rates occurring in higher threshold units. The second (termed the ‘onion skin’ profile), exhibits an inverse arrangement, with lower threshold units reaching higher firing rates. Approach. Using a simulation of the MU activity in a hand muscle, this study examined the force generation capacity and the variability of the muscle force magnitude at different excitation levels of the MU pool under these two different MU control paradigms. We sought to determine which rate/recruitment scheme was more efficient for force generation, and which scheme gave rise to the lowest force variability. Main results. We found that the force output of both firing patterns leads to graded force output at low excitation levels, and that the force generation capacity of the two different paradigms diverged around 50% excitation. In the reverse ‘onion skin’ pattern, at 100% excitation, the force output reached up to 88% of maximum force, whereas for the ‘onion skin’ pattern, the force output only reached up to 54% of maximum force at 100% excitation. The force variability was lower at the low to moderate force levels under the ‘onion skin’ paradigm than with the reverse ‘onion skin’ firing patterns, but this effect was reversed at high force levels. Significance. This study captures the influence of MU recruitment and firing rate organization on muscle force properties, and our results suggest that the different firing organizations can be beneficial at different levels of voluntary muscle force generation and perhaps for different tasks.

Premium Efficiency Motor Selection and Application Guide – A Handbook for Industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gilbert A. McCoy and John G. Douglass

2014-02-01

This handbook informs new motor purchase decisions by identifying energy and cost savings that can come from replacing motors with premium efficiency units. The handbook provides an overview of current motor use in the industrial sector, including the development of motor efficiency standards, currently available and emerging advanced efficiency motor technologies, and guidance on how to evaluate motor efficiency opportunities. It also several tips on getting the most out of industrial motors, such as how to avoid adverse motor interactions with electronic adjustable speed drives and how to ensure efficiency gains are not lost to undervoltage operation or excessive voltage unbalance.

Characteristics Analysis and Comparison of High-Speed 4/2 and Hybrid 4/4 Poles Switched Reluctance Motor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grace Firsta Lukman

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a characteristics analysis and performance comparison of high-speed two-phase 4/2 and hybrid single-phase 4/4 switched reluctance motors (SRMs. Although the motors are advantageous as high-speed drives, both conventional structures have high torque ripple as a result of the presence of the torque dead zone. In this paper, solutions to the torque dead zone problem for each motor are discussed. For the 4/2 SRM, a wide-rotor stepper-type is adopted, while for the 4/4 SRM, the structure is changed to a hybrid by adding permanent magnets (PMs. Both motors have a non-uniform air gap to modify their inductance profile, which leads to the elimination of the torque dead zone. A finite-element method was used to analyze the characteristics of each motor. Then, the manufactured motors were tested through experiments, and lastly, their performance was compared.

Linear Motor With Air Slide

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Bruce G.; Gerver, Michael J.; Hawkey, Timothy J.; Fenn, Ralph C.

1993-01-01

Improved linear actuator comprises air slide and linear electric motor. Unit exhibits low friction, low backlash, and more nearly even acceleration. Used in machinery in which positions, velocities, and accelerations must be carefully controlled and/or vibrations must be suppressed.

Selective recruitment of single motor units in human flexor digitorum superficialis muscle during flexion of individual fingers.

Science.gov (United States)

Butler, T J; Kilbreath, S L; Gorman, R B; Gandevia, S C

2005-08-15

Flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) is an extrinsic multi-tendoned muscle which flexes the proximal interphalangeal joints of the four fingers. It comprises four digital components, each with a tendon that inserts onto its corresponding finger. To determine the degree to which these digital components can be selectively recruited by volition, we recorded the activity of a single motor unit in one component via an intramuscular electrode while the subject isometrically flexed each of the remaining fingers, one at a time. The finger on which the unit principally acted was defined as the 'test finger' and that which flexed isometrically was the 'active' finger. Activity in 79 units was recorded. Isometric finger flexion forces of 50% maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) activated less than 50% of single units in components of FDS acting on fingers that were not voluntarily flexed. With two exceptions, the median recruitment threshold for all active-test finger combinations involving the index, middle, ring and little finger test units was between 49 and 60% MVC (60% MVC being the value assigned to those not recruited). The exceptions were flexion of the little finger while recording from ring finger units (median: 40% MVC), and vice versa (median: 2% MVC). For all active-test finger combinations, only 35/181 units were activated when the active finger flexed at less than 20% MVC, and the fingers were adjacent for 28 of these. Functionally, to recruit FDS units during grasping and lifting, relatively heavy objects were required, although systematic variation occurred with the width of the object. In conclusion, FDS components can be selectively activated by volition and this may be especially important for grasping at high forces with one or more fingers.

Effects of Voice Therapy on Laryngeal Motor Units During Phonation in Chronic Superior Laryngeal Nerve Paresis Dysphonia.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaneko, Mami; Hitomi, Takefumi; Takekawa, Takashi; Tsuji, Takuya; Kishimoto, Yo; Hirano, Shigeru

2017-09-26

Injury to the superior laryngeal nerve can result in dysphonia, and in particular, loss of vocal range. It can be an especially difficult problem to address with either voice therapy or surgical intervention. Some clinicians and scientists suggest that combining vocal exercises with adjunctive neuromuscular electrical stimulation may enhance the positive effects of voice therapy for superior laryngeal nerve paresis (SLNP). However, the effects of voice therapy without neuromuscular electrical stimulation are unknown. The purpose of this retrospective study was to demonstrate the clinical effectiveness of voice therapy for rehabilitating chronic SLNP dysphonia in two subjects, using interspike interval (ISI) variability of laryngeal motor units by laryngeal electromyography (LEMG). Both patients underwent LEMG and were diagnosed with having 70% recruitment of the cricothyroid muscle, and 70% recruitment of the cricothyroid and thyroarytenoid muscles, respectively. Both patients received voice therapy for 3 months. Grade, roughness, breathiness, asthenia, and strain (GRBAS) scale, stroboscopic examination, aerodynamic assessment, acoustic analysis, and Voice Handicap Index-10 were performed before and after voice therapy. Mean ISI variability during steady phonation was also assessed. After voice therapy, both patients showed improvement in vocal assessments by acoustic, aerodynamic, GRBAS, and Voice Handicap Index-10 analysis. LEMG indicated shortened ISIs in both cases. This study suggests that voice therapy for chronic SLNP dysphonia can be useful for improving SLNP and voice quality. Copyright © 2017 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Speed controller for an alternating - current motor