Search Results (35)

A platform for converting near-infrared (NIR) laser power modulation into the self-mixing (SM) signal of a quantum cascade laser (QCL) operating at terahertz (THz) frequencies is introduced. This approach is based on laser feedback interferometry (LFI) with a THz QCL using a metal-coated silicon nitride trampoline membrane resonator as both the external QCL laser cavity and the mechanical coupling element of the two-laser hybrid system. We show that the membrane response can be controlled with high precision and stability both in its dynamic (i.e., piezo-electrically actuated) and static state via photothermally induced NIR laser excitation. The responsivity to nanometric external cavity variations and robustness to optical feedback of the QCL LFI apparatus allows a highly sensitive and reliable transfer of the NIR power modulation into the QCL SM voltage, with a bandwidth limited by the thermal response time of the membrane resonator. Interestingly, a dual information conversion is possible thanks to the accurate thermal tuning of the membrane resonance frequency shift and displacement. Overall, the proposed apparatus can be exploited for the precise opto-mechanical control of QCL operation with advanced applications in LFI imaging and spectroscopy and in coherent optical communication. Full article

Burns significantly impact children’s physical and psychosocial recovery, even in cases of non-severe injuries, leading to long-term health and mental health risks. This study explores the psychosocial benefits of a community-based exercise program for children recovering from burn injuries, addressing concerns such as anxiety, reduced physical activity, and social challenges. A pre-test–post-test design assessed the effects of an 8-week community-based trampoline exercise intervention on psychosocial outcomes in children and their caregivers. No significant or clinically meaningful physical improvements were observed across measures such as MET score, grip strength, BMI percentile, or heart-rate recovery despite a significant improvement in trampolining performance (p < 0.0001). Psychosocial outcomes showed improved child emotional function (PedsQL, p = 0.024) as reported by parents, though children’s self-reported emotional function and Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS) scores remained unchanged. Parent-reported strengths and difficulty scores for the child remained stable over time but were higher than population norms for hyperactivity and emotional difficulty. Parental post-traumatic stress symptoms decreased significantly over time (p = 0.050), with reductions in avoidance (p = 0.009), hypervigilance (p = 0.007), and intrusion scores (p = 0.026). Children significantly improved their trampolining performance, while parents reported enhanced emotional function for their child. However, children’s self-reports did not reflect these emotional improvements. Full article

The practice of physical activity, exercise, and sports brings various benefits to the general population. However, a few intervention programs involving physical activity and sports have been specifically designed for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of implementing a sports program based on gymnastics (specifically trampolines) on the motor skills of children with ASD. The program ran from September to May 2024 (8 months duration) using the Motor Competence Assessment Battery (MCA) as an evaluation tool. It included three typically developing children and three children with ASD, all aged between 4 and 5 years. The program sessions lasted 45 min and took place twice a week. The MCA Battery was administered to assess motor skills before and after the intervention. After the intervention program, significant differences were found only between moments in the Shuttle Run test (pre-intervention ≠ and post-intervention; Bonferroni correction: t = −2.00; p = 0.043; w = 0.33). Based on these results, we can conclude that practicing a sports program based on gymnastics (namely trampolines) can contribute to improving the motor skills of children with ASD. Full article

The trampoline is a popular piece of sports equipment both for recreational use and for Olympic trampolining as a competitive sport. Maintaining body position during jumps is influenced by sensory inputs (visual, auditory, and somatosensory) and symmetrical muscle activity that help athletes to perform consecutive jumps as vertically as possible. To evaluate the effects of these inputs, 15 male and 15 female students (with an average age of 24.4 years, height of 174.3 cm, and average weight of 69.7 kg) performed 10 consecutive straight jumps under four sensory conditions: (1) looking at the edge of the trampoline, (2) without sight, (3) without hearing, and (4) without hearing or sight. Using insoles with integrated pressure sensors (Pedar^®, novel GmbH, Munich, Germany), the contact forces on the trampoline during the jump were measured separately for the left and right feet. The results showed that the lack of visual input significantly shortened flight times and increased the asymmetry of ground reaction forces between the left and right legs. For example, in the second series without vision, the average normalized force difference between the legs increased by 0.33 G compared to the control condition. An ANOVA revealed significant differences in the ground reaction forces between sensory conditions, with vision playing a key role in maintaining body control. These results provide practical insights for coaches looking to improve jumping performance and address asymmetries during training by focusing on sensory feedback strategies. Full article

Risk management involves thinking about what could happen if someone is exposed to a hazard and the likelihood of this event. The vast majority of standards relating to risk management were written in the context of Occupational Health and Safety, as well as Work Health and Safety with the aim of eliminating all risks. In 2023 Standards, Australia published AS ISO 4980:2023: `Benefit-risk assessment for sport and recreational facilities, activities and equipment’. This standard provides a tool for applying risk management in the context of sport and recreation. AS ISO 4980:2023 is a departure from the traditional view of risk management standards in that it presents a view of risk that is not limited to viewing risk only as negative, but rather balances positive benefits with negative risks within the sport and recreation industry. This standard is also different in that it is based specifically on risk to sport and recreational users and not to employees and employers. The benefit that risk provides in the context of sports and recreational activities is placed on an equal footing with the traditional method of assessing risk. There is an expectation in sports and recreational activities that the user is making an implicit trade-off between the benefits and the inherent risks of the activity, including the potential for harm. This implied expectation is that exposure to risk can be positive. Positive risk and learning from making mistakes are not restricted to childhood development where graduated challenges are used but extend throughout our entire life. The goal of this paper is to draw public attention to the new and different perspective of risk on which AS ISO 4980:2023 is based and to provide an understanding of the concept of benefit–risk assessment. The implications of viewing non-workplace risk in a balanced way are discussed. Full article

Original Entry Point (OEP) and API obfuscation techniques greatly hinder the analysis of malware. Contemporary packers, employing these sophisticated obfuscation strategies, continue to pose unresolved challenges, despite extensive research efforts. Recent studies, like API-Xray, have mainly concentrated on rebuilding obfuscated import tables in malware, but research into OEP obfuscation is still limited. As a solution, we present Pinicorn, an automated dynamic de-obfuscation system designed to tackle these complexities. Pinicorn bypasses packers’ anti-analysis techniques and retrieves the original program from memory. It is specifically designed to detect and analyze trampoline codes within both OEP and the import table. Our evaluation shows that Pinicorn successfully deobfuscates programs hidden by three different packers, confirming its effectiveness through a comparative analysis with their original versions. Furthermore, we conducted experiments on malware obfuscated by Themida and VMProtect, analyzing the obfuscation techniques and successfully de-obfuscating them to validate the effectiveness of our approach. Full article

Carbon fiber-reinforced composites are popular due to their high strength and light weight; thus, the structures demonstrate high performance and specific strength. However, these composites are susceptible to impact damage. The objective of this research was to study the behavior of carbon fiber-reinforced laminates based on a polyetheretherketone (PEEK) matrix with six stacking sequences under static and impact loading. Four-point bending, short-beam bending, drop weight impact, and compression after impact tests were carried out. The results were complemented with digital shearography to estimate the damaged areas. Finite element modeling served to assess the failure mechanisms, such as fiber and matrix failure, in different layers due to tension of compression. Three behavior pattern of layups under drop-weight impact were found: (i)—energy redistribution due to mostly linear behavior (like a trampoline) and thus lower kinetic energy absorption for damage initiation, (ii)—moderate absorption of energy with initiation and propagation of concentrated damage with depressed redistribution of energy in the material, (iii)—moderate energy absorption with good redistribution due to initiation of small, dispersed damage. The results can be used to predict the mechanical behavior of composites with different stacking sequences in materials for proper structural design. Full article

Previous research has shown that learning procedural tasks enhances REM sleep the following night. Here, we investigate whether complex motor learning affects sleep architecture. An experiment in which twenty-two subjects either learned a motor task (trampolining) or engaged in a control task (ergometer) was carried out in a balanced within-group design. After an initial laboratory adaptation night, two experimental nights were consecutive. The results indicate that learning a motor task had an effect on REM sleep parameters and, therefore, support the hypothesis that learning a procedural skill is related to an increase in REM sleep parameters. However, the statistical effect on REM sleep is smaller than found in previous studies. One might speculate that the motor learning was not intense enough compared to other studies. For sports practice, the results suggest that REM sleep, which is particularly rich in the morning, plays an important role in motor memory consolidation. Thus, this phase should not be interrupted after complex motor skill learning sessions. In future studies, other motor tasks should be applied. Full article

Trampolines are recognized as a valuable tool in exercise and rehabilitation due to their unique properties like elasticity, rebound force, low-impact exercise, and enhancement of posture, balance, and cardiopulmonary function. To quantitatively assess the effects of trampoline exercises, it is essential to estimate factors such as stiffness, elements influencing jump dynamics, and user safety. Previous studies assessing trampoline characteristics had limitations in performing repetitive experiments at various locations on the trampoline. Therefore, this research introduces a robotic system equipped with foot-shaped jigs to evaluate trampoline stiffness and quantitatively measure exercise effects. This system, through automated, repetitive movements at various locations on the trampoline, accurately measures the elastic coefficient and vertical forces. The robot maneuvers based on the coordinates of the trampoline, as determined by its torque and position sensors. The force sensor measures data related to the force exerted, along with the vertical force data at X, Y, and Z coordinates. The model’s accuracy was evaluated using linear regression based on Hooke’s Law, with Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), and Correlation Coefficient Squared (R-squared) metrics. In the analysis including only the distance between X and the foot-shaped jigs, the average MAE, RMSE, and R-squared values were 17.9702, 21.7226, and 0.9840, respectively. Notably, expanding the model to include distances in X, Y, and between the foot-shaped jigs resulted in a decrease in MAE to 15.7347, RMSE to 18.8226, and an increase in R-squared to 0.9854. The integrated model, including distances in X, Y, and between the foot-shaped jigs, showed improved predictive capability with lower MAE and RMSE and higher R-squared, indicating its effectiveness in more accurately predicting trampoline dynamics, vital in fitness and rehabilitation fields. Full article

A Mw7.8 earthquake struck Turkey on 6 February 2023, causing severe casualties and economic losses. This paper investigates the characteristics of strong ground motion and seismogenic fault of the earthquake. We collected and processed the strong ground motion records of 379 stations using Matlab, SeismoSignal, and Surfer software: Matlab (Version R2016a), SeismoSignal (Version 5.1.0), and Surfer (Version 23.0.15), and obtained the peak ground acceleration (PGA) contour map. We analyzed the near-fault effect, the fault locking segment effect, and the trampoline effect of the earthquake based on the spatial distribution of PGA, the fault geometry, and slip distribution. We found that the earthquake generated a very strong ground motion concentration effect in the near-fault area, with the maximum PGA exceeding 2000 cm/s². However, the presence of fault locking segments influenced the spatial distribution of ground motion, resulting in four significant PGA high-value concentration areas at a local dislocation, a turning point, and the end of the East Anatolian Fault. We also revealed for the first time the typical manifestation of the trampoline effect in this earthquake, which was characterized by a large vertical acceleration with a positive direction significantly larger than the negative direction. This paper provides an important reference for understanding the seismogenic mechanism, damage mode, characteristics, and strong earthquake law of the Turkey earthquake. Full article

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the acute effects of a mini trampoline training session (SuperJump^®) on leg stiffness and reactive power (R_P) while examining its relation to participants’ sex. A total of 20 participants (11 females, age: 24.4 ± 1.0 yrs; 9 males, age: 27.3 ± 2.9 yrs) performed continuous jump repetitions (RJs), measured on a force plate, before (PRE) and after (POST) a 30 min Superjump^® session. Linear repeated measures mixed models were used to examine the effects of the Superjump^® session on the leg stiffness mean (K_MEAN), mean of the best RJs (K_BEST), and R_P in relation to sex. Before and after the mini trampoline training session, females showed lower K_MEAN and K_BEST values compared with males. Despite the significant (p < 0.002) decreases in R_P after the Superjump^® session in both males (PRE: 23.1 ± 6.5 W/kg; POST: 21.2 ± 6.1 W/kg) and females (PRE: 23.6 ± 5.5 W/kg; POST: 21.9 ± 5.3 W/kg), leg stiffness remained unchanged, suggesting a potential protective effect of mini trampoline training on leg stiffness during acute adaptations. These findings suggest that Superjump^® training might exert a protective effect on leg stiffness, which prevents acute decreases that are commonly observed in other training modalities. The sex-related differences emerging from the present study emphasize the need for personalized approaches when integrating this innovative training tool into athletes’ regimens. Full article

Background and Objectives: Home-based training exercise gained popularity during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic era. Mini-trampoline exercise (MTE) is a home-based exercise that utilizes rebound force generated from the trampoline net and the motion of the joints of the lower extremities. It is known to be beneficial for improving postural balance, stability, muscle strength and coordination, bone strength, and overall health. However, we encountered several patients with mid-thoracic vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) following regular MTE, which was never reported previously, despite having no history of definite trauma. This study aims to report mid-thoracic VCFs after regular MTE and arouse public attention regarding this spinal injury and the necessity of appropriate prior instructions about the correct posture. Patients and Methods: All consecutive patients diagnosed with acute VCFs following regular MTE were included. We collected data on patient demographics, history of MTE, characteristics of symptoms, and radiological findings such as the location of fractures and anterior vertebral body compression percentage. Results: Seven patients (one man and six women) and ten fractures (T5 = 1, T6 = 3, T7 = 2, and T8 = 4) were identified. Symptoms started 2.57 ± 1.13 weeks after the beginning of regular MTE. All patients reported that they were never properly instructed on the correct posture. They also stated that they were exercising with a hunchback posture and insufficient joint motion of the lower extremities while holding the safety bar with both hands, which resulted in increased peak vertical force along the gravity z-axis in the mid-thoracic area and consequent mid-thoracic VCFs. Conclusions: Mid-thoracic VCFs can occur following regular MTE even without high-energy trauma in case of improper posture during exercise. Therefore, public attention on mid-thoracic VCFs following MTE and the appropriate prior instructions are imperative. Full article

The objective was to evaluate pediatric patients with acute elbow dislocation and/or associated fracture to determine which were indicated for surgical intervention, using a single institution, Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved retrospective review of patients who presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with an acute elbow dislocation. Inclusion criteria were age ≤ 18 years, acute elbow dislocation injury, and appropriate imaging. A total of 117 patients were included 37 had a simple elbow dislocation, 80 had an associated fracture (medial epicondyle 59, lateral condyle 9, radial head/neck 7, other 5). A total of 62% (73/117) were male. The average age was 10.3 years (range 4–17). Mechanisms of injury included: falls from height/playground equipment (46), trampoline (14), and sports (57). All 37 patients with a simple elbow dislocation were successfully treated with closed reduction. Of the 80 patients with an associated fracture, 30 (38%) went on to open reduction internal fixation (ORIF). A total of 59 patients had an associated medial epicondyle fracture; 24 (41%) of whom went on to ORIF. Nine patients had an associated lateral condyle fracture, five (56%) of whom went on to ORIF. Patients with a simple elbow dislocation can be successfully treated with a closed reduction in the ED. However, 30/80 patients with an associated fracture (medial epicondyle, lateral condyle, or radial neck) required operative management. Full article

The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between the landing position during consecutive straight jumps and standing posture stability of trampoline gymnasts with stable occlusal balance. Participants were 10 healthy men (BMI: 18.5–25.0) and 10 trampoline gymnasts (competition experience: ≥12 years), all of whom had stable occlusal balance. To assess postural control function, the displacements in the forward–backward (COP-FB) and the left–right directions (COP-LR) of the center of foot pressure were recorded under eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions. For the trampoline gymnasts, landing positions during 10 consecutive straight jumps were recorded. The horizontal displacements from the center of the bed in the forward–backward (H-FB) and the left–right directions (H-LR) directions were recorded. Differences in COP displacement between participant groups and between visual conditions were analyzed, along with the correlations between COP displacement and landing position. COP-FB in the eyes-open condition was significantly smaller in trampoline gymnasts than in healthy men (p < 0.05). Significant strong positive correlations were observed between COP-FB and H-FB, and between COP-LR and H-LR (p < 0.05). The postural control function of trampoline gymnasts was superior to that of healthy men in the eyes-open condition. The landing position during straight jumps of trampoline gymnasts with stable occlusal balance reflects standing postural control function. Full article