Physical Rehabilitation calls for papers / publications

Call for Papers for a Special Issue of Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine: New Methods of Human-Robot Interaction in Medical Practice

Medical robots, which can be considered as professional service robots, constitute one of the most promising fields in robotics having a market growth expectation of 40% in the coming years. Several indicators show that the use of personal robots in everyday life will be a major achievement of the 21st century. To accomplish this objective, important obstacles have to be overcome: robots have to act in unstructured environments (such as those involved in medical practice) and to dynamically adapt their behaviour along their interaction with humans in a natural way.

In this perspective, research on Human-Robot Interaction methods represents a key field for the development of robots as assistants in medical practice, providing more flexibility and making them suitable in increasingly complex services.

Researchers working in academy or industry are invited to submit papers to this Special Issue of the Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine on the theoretical, technological and experimental aspects of biomedicine.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

The papers should be focused on computing methodology and software systems derived from computing and engineering science for implementation in all aspects of human-robot interaction in medical practice. The topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

Safety in human-robot interaction in medical practice.

Artificial intelligence of human-robot interaction in medical practice.

Natural interfaces for medical robotics

Multimodal interaction systems

Rehabilitation and assistive robotics

Human-robot cooperation

Human gesture/motion recognition

Cognitive modelling

Surgical and healthcare robotics

Proposed Guest Editors

Loredana Zollo
Università Campus Bio-Medico
l.zollo@unicampus.it

Alicia Casals
Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya.
alicia.casals@upc.edu

Nicolás Garcia-Aracil
Miguel Hernandez University
nicolas.garcia@umh.es

Jose M. Sabater
Miguel Hernandez Univesity
j.sabater@umh.es

Manuscripts can be submitted via the online submission site: http://ees.elsevier.com/cmpb/

Deadline for submission is 15 July 2013

Authors who have any queries about the suitability of their manuscript for this special issue are encouraged to contact Nicolas Garcia-Aracil (Nicolas.garcia@umh.es)

Call for Papers for a Special Issue of the International Journal of Human Factors Modelling and Simulation: Muscle Strength and Fatigue Modelling – Theory, Development and Implementation

Guest Editors:

Dr. Ting Xia, Palmer College of Chiropractic, USA

Prof. Liang Ma, Tsinghua University, China

Prof. Maury A. Nussbaum, Virginia Tech, USA

Human factors engineering is a multidisciplinary field dedicated to improving efficiency and productivity and reducing injuries and disorders, as well as to issues associated with usability, comfort, organisational design, etc.

To achieve these goals, it is often critical to understand human physical capabilities, including range of motion (ROM), muscle strength and fatigue, and the individual and environmental factors that affect them. Such knowledge is also important for rehabilitation science and related fields, as the prompt recovery of physical capabilities is essential for patients (e.g. to improve their quality of life and return quickly to work).

In recent decades, there has been a substantial increase in our abilities to solve ROM-related problems, such as reachability, due to the development of advanced, multi-joint kinematic theories and methods. On the other hand, existing knowledge regarding muscle strength and fatigue remains inadequate in several respects, and is often limited to single-joint and task-specific levels. This lack of applicable knowledge is largely a result of the inherent complexity of muscle strength and fatigue, and of current limitations in theories and methods for modelling and assessing these aspects of human capabilities.

This special issue will report on the frontiers of research on muscle strength and fatigue, including theories, modelling techniques and assessment methods. New data on muscle strength and fatigue are also considered critical, particularly for purposes of evaluation and design. Articles providing original research, systematic literature reviews and/or overviews of historical and current developments are sought.

Subject Coverage

Suitable topics include but are not limited to:

Single- and multi-joint muscle capacity (strength)

Theories and methods related to modelling multi-joint and/or multi-planar muscle strength

Experimental and analytic methods for muscle force assessment, particularly under submaximal exertion conditions

Prediction of muscle strength based on anatomical features of muscles including cross-sectional area, fiber pennation angle and moment arm, and their changes with varying joint angles and exertion levels

Quantitative analyses of muscle strength differences between healthy and physically impaired populations

Novel working definitions of fatigue at the joint and whole body levels that are suitable for workplace implementation

Fatigue assessment and/or measurement, both locally and globally (whole body)

Theories and methods for fatigue modelling, including data-driven, physiology-based and phenomenological (parameter-based) approaches

Prediction and control of fatigue in the workplace, for tasks involving either simple (e.g. prolonged static) or more complex (e.g. repetitive, intermittent) exertions

Prediction and control of fatigue in rehabilitation, for treatments involving natural (e.g. exercise) and/or artificial (e.g. functional electrical stimulation) techniques

Data on muscle fibre-type composition and relevant assessment methods

Critical review of studies on muscle strength and fatigue for the purposes of meta-analysis, reliability analysis or database generation

Notes for Prospective Authors

Submitted papers should not have been previously published nor be currently under consideration for publication elsewhere. Previous work published for conferences may be submitted, but only if the submission represents a substantial expansion (to be determined by the editors), text recycling is avoided, and relevant written permissions have been obtained from any copyright holders of the original paper.

All papers will be refereed through a peer review process.

All papers must be submitted online. To submit a paper, please read our information on preparing and submitting articles.

Important Dates

Submission of manuscripts: 15 November, 2013

Notification to authors: 28 February, 2014

Revised versions due: 31 March, 2014

Final versions due: 30 April, 2014

Call for Manuscripts for a Special Issue of the Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy: Motor Learning in Neurorehabilitation

The Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy (JNPT) is reviewing manuscripts for a special issue on Motor Learning in Neurorehabilitation. Over the past 30 years, we have witnessed an expansion of basic and clinical research in motor learning that has furthered our understanding of the neural and psychological mechanisms underlying learning in healthy and clinical populations.  This special issue will feature recent advances in the field and how they may be applied to neurorehabilitation.

Potential topics may include but are not limited to:

Reframing motor learning theories in the 21st century

Motivation, expectation, and self-efficacy influences on motor learning

Neural correlates and mechanisms of different forms of motor learning

Innovative approaches to enhancing motor learning in neurologic rehabilitation

Emerging interventions derived from new understandings of brain function (e.g. imagery, action observation)

Impact of neurologic pathology on motor learning capacity

Please note this is a competitive call for papers. JNPT receives more submissions than can be published and therefore it will likely not be possible to publish all manuscripts submitted in response to this call. Prospective authors are encouraged to contact the Special Issue Editors: Drs. Catherine Lang (langc@wustl.edu), Beth Fisher (bfisher@usc.edu) and Susanne Morton (susanne-morton@uiowa.edu) regarding their submission. First drafts will be due on September 1, 2013 with a target JNPT publication date of April 1, 2014.

JNPT and its web site offers fully searchable archives and:

Indexed by PubMed

Shortened time to press with individual articles Published ahead of Print and full issues published to the web site one to two weeks ahead of the mail date

Access via Ovid Technologies for libraries and other institutions to expand the global reach JNPT, offering an enhanced Web presence in Europe, Asia, and around the world

Published by Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a leading international publisher of professional health information resources

Call for Papers: PM&R – The Journal of Injury, Function and Rehabilitation

Submission of manuscripts is encouraged from physiatrists, physicians and researchers in related disciplines, and other multidisciplinary rehabilitation professionals.

PM&R is a monthly, peer-reviewed scholarly publication advancing education and impacting the specialty of physical medicine and rehabilitation through the timely delivery of clinically relevant and evidence-based research and review information. PM&R emphasizes principles of injury, function, and rehabilitation, and is designed to be relevant to researchers and practitioners in a variety of medical and surgical specialties and rehabilitation disciplines. Article categories include Original Research, Clinical Reviews, Point/Counterpoint, Case Presentations, and Special Features. Articles in press are published online in advance of print publication.