Biomedical subjects

Simon C Wilson

Publications and source records attributed to Simon C Wilson.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2004

A direction-sensitive underwater blast detector and its application for managing blast fishing.

Little is known about the spatial and temporal distribution of blast fishing which hampers enforcement against this activity. We have demonstrated that a triangular array of hydrophones 1 m apart is capable of detecting blast events whilst effectively rejecting other sources of underwater noise such as snapping shrimp and nearby boat propellers. A total of 13 blasts were recorded in Sepangor bay, North of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia from 7th to 15th July 2002 at distances estimated to be up to 20 km, with a directional uncertainty of 0.2 degrees . With such precision, a network of similar hydrophone arrays has potential to locate individual blast events by triangulation to within 30 m at a range of 10 km.

Acoustics↗

PubMed2004

Do within-session changes in pain intensity and range of motion predict between-session changes in patients with low back pain?

Physiotherapists commonly use post-treatment changes in a patient's pain intensity and range of motion to guide treatment selection and predict possible longer-term outcomes. This study tested the validity of this practice by evaluating the predictive value of within-session changes in pain intensity and range of motion in 53 patients with low back pain. Pain intensity and range of motion measurements of spinal flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and straight-leg-raise were taken by the patient's therapist before and after one treatment session, and were repeated by a blinded therapist at the beginning of the patient's subsequent treatment session. Regression analysis revealed that the strength of association between within-session and between-session changes ranged from r = 0.35 to r = 0.80 for range of motion measurements, and from r = 0.24 to r = 0.47 for pain intensity. Odds ratios for pain and range of motion ranged from 3.5 (95% CI 0.9 to 14.6) to 37.0 (95% CI 4.1 to 330), indicating greater odds of improving between-session if improvement was obtained within-session. These results provide preliminary support for the practice of using within-session changes in pain intensity and range of motion to guide treatment selection when treating impairments in patients with low back pain.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Acoustic characteristics of fish bombing: potential to develop an automated blast detector.

The use of explosives to catch fish has caused extensive damage to coral reefs throughout Southeast Asia, but the frequency with which they are used is largely unknown. The aim of this work is to develop a detection system capable of distinguishing underwater explosions from background noise, and locating their origin by triangulation. Blast signals have been recorded over a range of distances and the key features that differentiate them from background noise have been determined. For small charges the effective range of such a detector is more than 12 km and may extend up to 50 km depending on the mass of the charges being used. Such a system would help to determine the scale of the problem, identify areas at greatest risk and quantify the effectiveness of management intervention designed to control destructive fishing practices. It may assist with fisheries enforcement in some areas.

Acoustics↗