A novel motion tracking system for evaluation of functional rehabilitation of the upper limbs

Upper limb function impairment is one of the most common sequelae of central nervous system injury, especially in stroke patients and when spinal cord injury produces tetraplegia. Conventional assessment methods cannot provide objective evaluation of patient performance and the tiveness of therapies. The most common assessment tools are based on rating scales, which are inefficient when measuring small changes and can yield subjective bias. In this study, we designed an inertial sensor-based monitoring system composed of five sensors to measure and analyze the complex movements of the upper limbs, which are common in activities of daily living. We developed a kinematic model with nine degrees of freedom to analyze upper limb and head movements in three dimensions. This system was then validated using a commercial optoelectronic system. These findings suggest that an inertial sensor-based motion tracking system can be used in patients who have upper limb impairment through data integration with a virtual reality-based neuroretation system.

40ar/39ar Dating of alunite from the Pueblo Viejo Gold-Silver District, Dominican Republic

New 40Ar/39Ar ages for alunite from the Moore and Monte Negro deposits in the Pueblo Viejo district, as well as from a newly discovered alunite-bearing zone on Loma la Cuaba west of the known deposits, are reported here. The ages range from about 80 to 40 Ma, with closely adjacent samples exhibiting very different ages. Interpretation of these results in the context of estimated closure temperatures for alunite and the geologic and tectonic evolution of Hispaniola does not lead to a simple conclusion about the age of mineralization. The simplest interpretation, that mineralization was caused by a buried Late Cretaceous (~80 Ma) intrusion, is complicated by lack of intrusions of this age in the area and absence of alteration in overlying limestone. The alternative interpretation, that mineralization was formed during Early Cretaceous (~110 Ma) magmatism and that the 40Ar/39Ar ages were completely reset by Late Cretaceous thrusting, is complicated by a lack of information on the timing and thermal effects of thrusting in central Hispaniola. Alunite studies have yielded similar unclear results in other pre-Cenozoic ore systems, notably those of the Lachlan fold belt in Australia