Buckland & Taylor (Canada)

Background:Deficits in motor movement automaticity in Parkinson's disease (PD), especially during multitasking, are early and consistent hallmarks of cognitive function decline, which increases fall risk and reduces quality of life. This study aimed to test the feasibility and potential efficacy of a wearable sensor-enabled technological platform designed for an in-home music-contingent stepping-in-place (SIP) training program to improve step automaticity during dual-tasking (DT).Methods:This was a 4-week prospective intervention pilot study. The intervention uses a sensor system and algorithm that runs off the iPod Touch which calculates step height (SH) in real-time. These measurements were then used to trigger auditory (treatment group, music; control group, radio podcast) playback in real-time through wireless headphones upon maintenance of repeated large amplitude stepping. With small steps or shuffling, auditory playback stops, thus allowing participants to use anticipatory motor control to regain positive feedback. Eleven participants were recruited from an ongoing trial (Trial Number: ISRCTN06023392). Fear of falling (FES-I), general cognitive functioning (MoCA), self-reported freezing of gait (FOG-Q), and DT step automaticity were evaluated.Results:While we found no significant effect of training on FES-I, MoCA, or FOG-Q, we did observe a significant group (music vs podcast) by training interaction in DT step automaticity (P<0.01).Conclusion:Wearable device technology can be used to enable musically-contingent SIP training to increase motor automaticity for people living with PD. The training approach described here can be implemented at home to meet the growing demand for self-management of symptoms by patients.

The Angus L. Macdonald Bridge, a major suspension bridge that crosses Halifax Harbour in Halifax, Nova Scotia, was opened for traffic in 1955. The bridge deck has reached the end of its service life, and the design of the new bridge superstructure and its replacement sequence have been completed. The entire suspended structure and hangers will be replaced sequentially during night closures while the bridge will be opened for traffic during daytime. The erection sequence has been supported by sophisticated automated erection analysis models which take into account the geometry of the existing bridge, positioning of the erection equipment on the deck, and necessary hanger and strand jack adjustments. Significant wind tunnel testing and analysis have been performed to ensure aerodynamic stability of the bridge during erection and in its final condition.

(2014). Changes Happen Faster Now. Structural Engineering International: Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 7-7.

The problem: how to cross a wide navigable river beneath an airport’s flight path given the fact that a cable-stayed bridge would be too tall and a concrete box girder bridge too deep. The solution: an extradosed bridge—a hybrid of the two bridge forms that features shorter towers and shorter girder profiles. The new bridge, in Vancouver, British Columbia, is the first extradosed bridge to be completed in North America.

The main objective of the research presented in this paper is to expand the body of experimental results on transverse fillet welds to include the flux cored arc welding (FCAW) process and to confirm the applicability of the current provisions of the Canadian Standard, CSA—S16—01, and Appendix J2.4 of the AISC specification to a broader range of electrode types and other conditions. In particular, the selected filler metals were to possess varying levels of material toughness. The effects of wire manufacturer, steel fabricator, weld size and number of passes, root notch orientation, and ambient temperature were also investigated. A review of the literature is presented in order to obtain a better understanding of the basis for the current design equation and its limitations. A description of the comprehensive test program recently conducted at the University of Alberta to investigate the strength and behavior of transverse fillet welds is then presented. A companion paper, also published in this issue of the Engineering Journal, presents parametric and reliability analyses of the test results to evaluate the level of safety being provided by the current design equation.

There is a tendency for traffic loads to increase with the passage of time. It is not uncommon, therefore, for bridges to be strengthened and/or widened or sometimes to have lanes or even complete decks added. A few bridges were designed initially with a view to future expansion, such as the George Washington Suspension Bridge, designed to accommodate an extra deck, and the Salazar (now April 25) Bridge, designed to have two train tracks added, but these are exceptions. Suspension bridges behave somewhat differently from other bridge types, and the methods for increasing capacity can also be different. Some ideas are presented of how suspension bridges can be altered to accommodate more load, be it automobile, pedestrian, or even train traffic, and some examples are given. The importance of understanding both structural behavior and structural safety is emphasized.

The flash distillation plant being built at the Cardon refinery will be the largest single capacity unit in the world. It is designed to produce high‐purity distillate, for high‐pressure boiler feed, from untreated sea‐water. This short article, after briefly describing the plant, shows how the problems of corrosion and scale were dealt with. The direct heat input device mentioned is the subject of a patent application.