2023-12-23 11:00:00
In her class, Adeline helps students improve their voice in different ways, but also their way of singing. And for that, each student has their points to correct. Concerning Djebril, Adeline noticed a tic: he sings all the time with his head raised. For the singing teacher, it takes away “50% of her voice”. So she makes him rehearse her way of singing several times… and it works!
Learn more regarding Adeline Toniutti or Djebril
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#Star #Academy #Djebrils #tic #Adeline #correct #Star #Academy
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2023-12-23 16:00:00
At least half of veterans with spinal cord injuries develop sores on their skin due to the constant pressure of long periods of sitting in a wheelchair. These skin ulcers can greatly limit the mobility of patients. A team of researchers is working on an innovative solution that might be a game-changer.
The problem of pressure injuries
Pressure injuries are a constant concern for people in wheelchairs, especially for veterans with spinal cord injuries.
According to Kim House, a physician and medical director of the Spinal Cord Injury Clinic at the Atlanta Veterans Administration Health Care System, these injuries have a direct impact on veterans’ quality of life. This is because the healthcare provider may order the veteran to stay in bed for weeks or even months to allow the wound to heal.
An innovative solution in development
Materials engineersGeorgia Institute of Technology are working on a solution that might help prevent these injuries. They are developing new tissue sensors and a personalized wheelchair system that automatically assesses and relieves pressure at contact points to prevent injury from developing.
Professor Sundaresan Jayaraman, from the School of Materials Science and Engineering, explains that there are three key issues: continuous pressure, humidity and shear. When a person attempts to move, the skin experiences shearing. This perfect combination is what causes pressure injuries.
Sundaresan Jayaraman (left) examines pressure data from fabric sensors he developed with Sungmee Park, who sits in their wheelchair prototype. (Photo : Candler Hobbs)
The system developed by Prof. Jayaraman and lead researcher Sungmee Park includes a fabric with an integrated sensor array that covers the seat of a wheelchair. A conductive material is woven into the textile, and it is washable without degrading the sensors.
Pressure and humidity data from the sensors is fed into a processing unit that uses artificial intelligence algorithms to identify problem spots in real time and selectively raise or lower a series of actuators under the chair seat rolling to relieve pressure. This has the benefit of eliminating any shearing forces on the skin that come from sliding once morest the seat.
At the same time, a series of fans activates to eliminate humidity. A lab-developed smartphone app allows users to override the system to maintain comfort and stability, which is especially important for people with spinal cord injuries who may not be able to correct their body position through them -themselves.
Synthetic
The smart wheelchair system in development at the Georgia Institute of Technology represents a significant advance in preventing pressure injuries among people in wheelchairs. Using fabric sensors and artificial intelligence algorithms, the system is able to identify problem spots in real time and take action to relieve pressure and moisture.
For a better understanding
What causes pressure injuries in wheelchair users?
Pressure injuries are caused by a combination of continuous pressure, moisture and shearing of the skin.
The system uses fabric sensors to collect pressure and humidity data. This data is then processed by artificial intelligence algorithms which identify problem spots and take action to relieve pressure and humidity.
What are the advantages of this system?
The system might improve the quality of life of people in wheelchairs by preventing pressure injuries. It might also reduce costs associated with treating these injuries.
Is the system already available?
No, the system is currently under development at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Could the system be used in other contexts?
Yes, researchers are considering using the system in other settings, such as hospital beds or neonatal intensive care units.
References
Main illustration caption: A customized wheelchair system – including tissue sensors, actuators and fans – designed to prevent pressure injuries. (Photo: Candler Hobbs)
Georgia Tech College of Engineering. (2023).
[ Rédaction ]
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#smart #wheelchair #prevent #pressure #injuries
Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupé (2023) Truck Mishap: Road Gives Way Under Truck’s Weight
written by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief
2023-12-23 11:00:00
Zapping Autonews Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupé (2023): the SUV Coupé on video
Determined to park at the side of this small road, the truck driver did not want to back down from any obstacle. So obviously, when a bike blocked his path, he quickly demanded that its owner come and move it.
The latter quickly complied, well aware that the truck driver had no time to lose.
However, what the truck driver did not yet know was that he would very soon lose a lot of time in a totally improbable situation.
The roadway gives way under its weight
If the road supported the small parked bicycle without any problem. She obviously had more difficulty coping with a truck carrying more than 2 tons of bricks.
The asphalt actually broke under the weight of the overloaded convoy and the truck was swallowed by the road.
More fear than harm since no one was injured, but getting this truck out of the hole that formed under its wheels must not have been an easy task.
And bref
While he simply wanted to park on the side of the road, this heavy goods vehicle found itself in a more than delicate situation. The road literally collapsed under his weight and the rear of the truck sank into the ground.
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#parked #road #collapses #truck
Vikings vs. Lions Showdown: Relevance in December and Competitive Rebuilds
written by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief
2023-12-23 14:29:50
To the Vikings, the only unfamiliar thing regarding these Detroit Lions is their place atop the NFC North and their potential staying power.
Tight end T.J. Hockenson knows of the struggle in Detroit, where he was a part of just 12 wins in three and a half seasons as a first-round draft pick. He’s already enjoyed more wins (14) since being traded to the Vikings last year. He’ll need another win on Sunday to prevent his former team from clinching Detroit’s first division title in 30 years.
The surging Lions arrive to U.S. Bank Stadium with respect from Vikings coaches and players who are familiar with quarterback Jared Goff, the former Rams starter; wunderkind play caller Ben Johnson, who is Hockenson’s former tight ends coach; and an impressive Lions roster that appears to be taking the next step in Year 3 under general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell.
“They know what we can do, and we know what they can do,” Hockenson said. “There’s not really many secrets. Just who can go out there and play the best and prepare the best? And who can play fast and make plays? It’ll be fun.”
The Vikings and Lions play each other twice in the season’s final three weeks, ending the regular season in Detroit. It was a successful bet by NFL schedule makers who expected new relevance in the rivalry. The rise of the Lions gives the Vikings a chance to see just how competitive their “competitive rebuild” can be in Year 2 under general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell.
“We still have the crown,” Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson said. “The crown hasn’t been taken from us yet.”
To keep the crown, the Vikings (7-7) need to win their last three games, including a home game once morest Green Bay on New Year’s Eve, and need the Lions (10-4) to lose Dec. 30 in Dallas. The Vikings, on their fourth quarterback, are limping to the finish line with no intention to pull punches.
“Where we are as a team and some of the things we have had to overcome, this is all regarding whatever it takes to win this,” O’Connell said, adding, “This is a really good team coming into our house.”
Is this personal to Hockenson? The jovial giant called the Lions “just another team” when asked regarding seeing them atop the division standings.
“You want to be relevant in December, right?” he said. “You want to be playing for something in December and that’s what we’re doing in this locker room. It’s going to be a lot of fun these next few weeks.”
Detroit way: ‘rugged, real gritty’
A three-week stretch in January 2021 set Detroit on a new course following decades of losing. The Lions first hired Holmes — a longtime Rams scout — to lead their front office. Then came Campbell, the brash 47-year-old football lifer, to coach. In their second week together, they agreed to trade longtime quarterback Matthew Stafford to the Rams for Goff, two first-round picks and a third-round pick.
Stafford immediately won a Super Bowl with the Rams. But the Lions didn’t lose the trade.
The Lions have a top-five offense for the second straight season. Goff, the No. 1 overall pick in 2016, has thrown 55 touchdowns to 17 interceptions in that span while averaging 263 passing yards per game. He’s 18-6 in his last 24 starts. Johnson, the offensive coordinator, has worked his way into NFL head coaching conversations. Running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs are one of the best tandems in football.
Goff’s production hasn’t surprised two of his former Rams coaches, O’Connell and Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips.
“I wish he wasn’t in the division because I can really root for Jared Goff,” Phillips said. “I really enjoyed my time with him. … He’s one of those guys that if you can scheme it right — and Ben Johnson has done a great job — if you scheme it right, he’s going to hit it every time. Kind of like what I’d say regarding Kirk [Cousins].”
Campbell, a former NFL tight end, is known as an outlandish motivator. At his introductory news conference, he famously said his players will “bite a kneecap off” following getting knocked down.
His imprint in Detroit can be seen by many in Minnesota.
“They’re really good people outside of the football,” special teams coordinator Matt Daniels said, “but they’re really nasty during it.”
“It’s kind of that Detroit way, really,” he added. “It’s kind of rugged, real gritty. That’s just kind of who the identity of the team is and you really appreciate that. The guys understand this isn’t the same Detroit you’re used to seeing, and we’re going to have to put our big boy pads on to be ready for a physical, physical football game.”
Now Campbell has to maintain his team’s edge as they shift from underdogs to favorites.
The Vikings are 3.5-point underdogs in their own building on Sunday.
“The more you win, the more the pressure goes up,” Campbell told Detroit reporters this week. “But you can’t let that — you should enjoy that. And I think that’s kind of where we’re that. I mean, I think we — it’s when we’re at our best is when you have people gunning for you.”
Holmes, the third-year GM, has built a roster with staying power.
His front office has drafted key contributors, including receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, tackle Penei Sewell, edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, Gibbs, tight end Sam LaPorta, linebacker Jack Campbell and defensive back Brian Branch.
Holmes also traded Hockenson to the Vikings in November 2022, opening the door for LaPorta — this year’s second-round pick out of Iowa — to seamlessly replace him.
LaPorta caught three touchdowns last week once morest the Broncos. He is already just the third rookie tight end in NFL history with at least 70 catches. After St. Brown, Goff has looked LaPorta’s way for 71 grabs, 758 yards and nine scores.
Hockenson, an Iowa alum, recalled meeting a sophomore LaPorta in 2020.
“He’s been awesome for them,” Hockenson said. “My second year in the league, I went down there [to Iowa City] and sat in the meeting room with him, taught him some stuff, you know? It’s just cool to see all the Iowa guys. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you play, there’s a bond there just being Hawks. It’s great to see, and he’s going to be very successful in this league.”
Young Vikings showing ‘a lot are capable’
A year behind the Lions’ rebuild, the Vikings moved on from many star players last offseason. But they still sit atop the NFC North in star power — at least as reflected in the popularity contest of Pro Bowl fan voting, which ends Monday and counts for one-third of All-Star balloting. Players and coaches voted Friday.
As of Tuesday, the last update available, fans voted eight Vikings players into the top 5 at their positions in the NFC: Hockenson; outside linebacker Danielle Hunter; safeties Josh Metellus, Harrison Smith and Camryn Bynum; long snapper Andrew DePaola; fullback C.J. Ham and center Garrett Bradbury. Two big names — Cousins and Jefferson — are absent following each were injured and missed regarding half the season so far.
Fans ranked seven Lions among the top 5 in the NFC: Goff, St. Brown, LaPorta, center Frank Ragnow, Sewell, Hutchinson and long snapper Jake McQuaide.
The Vikings’ sixth-ranked scoring defense under coordinator Brian Flores has kept them relevant despite key injuries. The development of players like the 25-year-old Metellus and rookie linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. have answered some questions regarding roster depth. Difference-makers, like receiver Jordan Addison, have been slower to emerge from Adofo-Mensah’s drafts.
The Vikings are the NFL’s only team with three safeties atop Pro Bowl fan voting due to the unique way Flores designs the defense.
Bynum, 25, said the defense should at least have five Pro Bowlers in himself, Metellus, Smith, Hunter and cornerback Byron Murphy Jr.
“A lot of people are capable,” Bynum said. “I think especially us in the secondary, I’d say me, Harry and Josh — in a humble way — we pride ourselves on trying to be the best backfield in the league, so I think we for sure deserve some recognition.”
The futures of Smith and Hunter, who may have just three Vikings games left, are up in the air. But the Vikings’ young core also includes offensive tackles Brian O’Neill and Christian Darrisaw, whom O’Neill sponsored for the Pro Bowl.
“There’s one that absolutely needs to be and that’s Christian Darrisaw,” O’Neill said. “What he’s done for the past couple years, he deserves to be recognized for how elite he is week in and week out. That’s really all I care regarding is that he goes.”
The Vikings have to overcome more impactful injuries, including to Murphy this week, but they feel they’ve got enough to tame the Lions on Sunday.
“Easier said than done sometimes once morest a defense like this,” O’Connell said, “where they are well coached and have clearly added talent.”
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#Vikings #Lions