Description of the algorithms to test the horizontal jump in a computerized testing system of gross motor skills

Gross motor skills assessment is important for children, youth and adults and can be beneficial in the study and diagnosis of different health conditions. Classical tools are administered mainly by operators. A computerized system using sensors to assess the gross motor skills would enhance these tools, providing consistency of measurements, reduced human error and automated data collection. As part of a computerized system to measure gross motor skills using the KinectTM , we present the details of development of the algorithms to test the horizontal jump (HJ) skill. These algorithms were developed by translating the performance criteria into equations of the coordinates of anatomical landmarks describing an expected kinematic behaviour of relevant body parts. Testing of the algorithms showed that they were successful in correctly evaluating the performance criteria.

Improving Response Planning by Using Numerical Models to Test Geographic Response Plans

ABSTRACT 40 CFR §300.210 outlines the requirements for each Area Committee to develop an Area Contingency Plan (ACP) for its designated area. These requirements include a list of equipment and personnel available to ensure an effective and immediate removal of a discharge. Many Area Committees take this direction to the next step and develop Geographic Response Plans (GRP) or Geographic Response Strategies (GRS) for inclusion in the ACP. These plans provide pre-identified deployment strategies for how to coordinate an effective response and protect sensitive sites in the event of an oil spill. GRPs are typically developed by Area Committee representatives behind the doors of a meeting room. While these experienced members know their regions very well and offer a wealth of knowledge in oil spill response tactics, the developed GRPs are typically not field-tested due to the cost constraints of deploying equipment. Even if an Area Committee is able to sponsor a field deployment, the equipment is only being tested against one set of environmental conditions. In addition, typical ACPs contain hundreds of GRPs. It is not possible to deploy equipment to test all of those plans. Numerical models can be used to electronically test GRPs under all possible environmental conditions. These models run quickly, allowing multiple iterations of environmental scenarios, in a short amount of time. By providing the capability to implement response options within the model, users can simulate a variety of combinations of countermeasures, including surface and subsea dispersants, in-situ burning, skimming, and booming. Analyzing the model outputs can allow Area Committee members to adjust the response plans to maximize effectiveness of the GRPs. The September 2018 update of the U.S. Coast Guard's Marine Environmental Response Manual supports the use of computer simulations for validating these plans. By developing a comprehensive computerized testing process of GRPs, the Area Committees can ensure that the coasts of the United States are protected from the devastation of an oil spill.

Investigation of Three-Tier Diagnostic and Multiple Choice Tests on Chemistry Concepts with Response Change Behaviour

This study aims to investigate the test scores of the three-tier diagnostic chemistry test (TDCT) and multiple choice chemistry test (MCCT) by response change behaviour (RCB). The study is a descriptive research study aiming to investigate the item response efforts of TDCT and MCCT in a computerized testing environment (Quizzer test program, QTP). In both TDCT and MCCT, QTP maintains a continuous record for each tier of the test. Participants in the study are students in the Science Education Department at the state university in the Aegean region of Turkey (n=115). The study was conducted in two groups: there were 58 students in Group 1 and 57 students in Group 2. In Group 1, a TDCT was used; in Group 2, an MCCT test was applied. Tests were distributed by random sampling between Group 1 and Group 2. The data were collected by adding a confirmation tier to the TDCT involving 44 items. The TDCT was applied to 115 pre-service teachers; the reliability coefficient of the test was found to be 0.72. SPSS and MS Excel programs were used to analyse the data. Data were analysed using descriptive statistical methods. Considering the results obtained from the study, the rate of completing the test with RCB of test items for both tests is approximately 7–12 per cent. Another important consequence is that RCB does not provide an advantage or disadvantage in terms of scoring.

Use of Telemedicine to Implement Remote Diagnosis and Treatment of Various Oculo-Motor and Perceptual Problems

The current pandemic has accentuated interest in alternative or adjunctive vision therapy evaluations and therapy. The BVA (Binocular Vision Analysis) Test and the PTS (Perceptual Therapy Suite) Test provide a useful baseline for the HTS/HTS2 and PTS2/PVT2 programs respectively. Computerized testing and therapy can serve as an effective complement to non-computerized testing and therapy procedures. Success in administering remote vision therapy evaluations and interventions through telemedicine platforms bodes well for the future of these technologies.

An Accurate Measure of Reaction Time can Provide Objective Metrics of Concussion

There have been numerous reports of neurological assessments of post-concussed athletes and many deploy some type of reaction time assessment. However, most of the assessment tools currently deployed rely on consumer-grade computer systems to collect this data. In a previous report, we demonstrated the inaccuracies that typical computer systems introduce to hardware and software to collect these metrics with robotics (Holden et al, 2020). In that same report, we described the accuracy of a tactile based reaction time test (administered with the Brain Gauge) as approximately 0.3 msec and discussed the shortcoming of other methods for collecting reaction time. The latency errors introduced with those alternative methods were reported as high as 400 msec and the system variabilities could be as high as 80 msec, and these values are several orders of magnitude above the control values previously reported for reaction time (200-220msec) and reaction time variability (10-20 msec). In this report, we examined the reaction time and reaction time variability from 396 concussed individuals and found that there were significant differences in the reaction time metrics obtained from concussed and non-concussed individuals for 14-21 days post-concussion. A survey of the literature did not reveal comparable sensitivity in reaction time testing in concussion studies using alternative methods. This finding was consistent with the prediction put forth by Holden and colleagues with robotics testing of the consumer grade computer systems that are commonly utilized by researchers conducting reaction time testing on concussed individuals. The significant difference in fidelity between the methods commonly used by concussion researchers is attributed to the differences in accuracy of the measures deployed and/or the increases in biological fidelity introduced by tactile based reaction times over visually administered reaction time tests. Additionally, while most of the commonly used computerized testing assessment tools require a pre-season baseline test to predict a neurological insult, the tactile based methods reported in this paper did not utilize any baselines for comparisons. The reaction time data reported was one test of a battery of tests administered to the population studied, and this is the first of a series of papers that will examine each of those tests independently.