Channel 1 Networks
Aaron is the webmaster of Channel 1 Networks and video editor/camera man for most all produced media content.
Homepage: http://c1n.tv
Posts by Channel 1 Networks
CU research propels “Blade Runner” to Olympics
Jul 11th
Professors Rodger Kram and Alena Grabowski of the integrative physiology department have been involved in several studies analyzing the performance of amputee athletes, including Pistorius, who use blade-like, carbon fiber leg prostheses in track events. In 2007, Pistorius was barred from international competition by officials from the International Association of Athletics Federations, or IAAF, who ruled his Cheetah Flex-Foot leg prostheses conferred him an advantage over other runners.
Barred from competition, then exonerated
The decision was based in large part on a German study commissioned by the IAAF. However, data presented in April 2008 by a team that included Kram and Grabowski to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland — an international group set up to settle disputes in sports — showed Pistorius gained no physiological advantage from the Cheetah prostheses over competitors. The team’s evidence and testimony played a key role in overturning the decision, allowing Pistorius to compete in able-bodied events.

The Blade Runner good to go
“The methodology of the German study that involved measuring Oscar’s oxygen consumption while running was flawed,” said Kram, who has been measuring the oxygen consumption of runners since 1983. “When we had a chance to properly measure Oscar we found that while he is quite economical in oxygen consumption compared to your average Joe, his values are well within what would be expected for a high-caliber athlete.”
At the arbitration hearings in Switzerland, Kram also argued that if a prosthetic device provides a mechanical advantage, it would very likely provide an energetic or physiological advantage. “Since there is no energetic advantage, it infers that the prostheses do not provide a mechanical advantage either,” said Kram.
Another chance
Although Pistorius subsequently failed to make the 2008 Olympic team, he was selected by South Africa’s Olympic Committee last week to run in both the individual 400 meters and a leg of the 4×400 meter relay in the 2012 Olympic Games in London, which begin on July 27. “I was delighted that Oscar was selected,” said Kram. “I was sure he’d be named to the 4×400 meter relay, but being named to the 400-meter individual event was a surprise.”
Since 2008, the research team involving CU-Boulder has continued its studies. In a 2010 study led by Grabowski, researchers used force-measuring treadmills to analyze the biomechanics of unilateral amputees — those with one amputated leg — over a wide range of running speeds. The team found the force produced by the prosthetic, carbon fiber leg was 9 percent less than that of the unaffected leg. “Applying force to the ground is crucial in sprinting events,” said Grabowski.
“We inferred that running-specific prostheses impair force generation and likely limit top sprinting speed,” said Grabowski, who received her doctorate under Kram in 2008 and recently returned to CU-Boulder as a research faculty member after doing postdoctoral work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Other authors on the 2010 paper included Kram, Craig McGowan of the University of Idaho, William McDermott of the Orthopedic Specialty Hospital in Murray, Utah, and Hugh Herr of MIT.
In a 2012 paper by the same group and led by McGowan, the leg stiffness of Paralympic sprinters with both unilateral and bilateral leg amputations was compared to non-amputee sprinters across a range of speeds. The team found leg stiffness remained constant or increased with speed in non-amputees but decreased in sprinting amputees.
“During running, the leg behaves much like a spring, and the stiffness of the leg greatly influences the overall mechanics of the runner,” said Grabowski. “The study indicates that the prosthetic device limits the ability of a sprinter to change their leg stiffness during running.” In the future, she said, researchers may be able to design a prosthetic device with “adaptive stiffness” that would more accurately emulate the mechanics of a biological ankle during sprinting.
Research fueled by veterans needs
Grabowski, whose work is funded by the Veterans Administration, is particularly interested in designing better prosthetic ankle devices for military veterans or those on active duty who have undergone amputations. In collaboration with the Denver Department of Veterans Affairs, Grabowski is beginning a research effort to further develop battery-powered ankle-foot prostheses for walking and running. Such prostheses have the potential to restore mobility to users similar to the mobility they had prior to amputation, she said.
The research team is interested in locating potential test subjects in the Denver-Boulder area with leg amputations to participate in lab studies. “CU-Boulder is actively pursuing research that aims to improve the lives of amputees, particularly veterans and current military personnel,” she said. Potential study candidates can contact Grabowski at Alena.Grabowski@colorado.edu.
Research in Kram’s Locomotion Laboratory on the CU-Boulder campus goes far beyond athletics. Collaborating faculty and students are targeting the energetic costs of walking, including uphill and downhill walking in older adults; the energetics of passive cycling to treat and prevent obesity and heart disease; and studies on animal locomotion, including kangaroos, tortoises and elephants.
For more information on the CU-Boulder Locomotion Laboratory visit http://www.colorado.edu/intphys/research/locomotion.html. For more information on CU’s integrative physiology department visithttp://www.colorado.edu/intphys/.
Boneheads kept rescuers busy Tuesday
Jul 11th
Multiple Rescues on Flagstaff Mountain and First Flatiron
On Tuesday, July 10th, 2012 at approximately 1645 hours, Rocky Mountain Rescue Group and Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, along with the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks Rangers responded to the report of a 22-year old female who became stuck while scrambling on the the first Flatiron. The woman was not injured and eventually assisted back down to safety by Rocky Mountain Rescue Group members.
At about 1800 hours, a 16 year old female rock climber requested assistance in getting down off the first Flatiron as she fell while climbing the “Fandango” route and sustained a lower leg injury. Rocky Mountain Rescue responded and assisted the climber to safety.
At around the same time, another rescue was reported on the Green Ridge Trail off of Flagstaff Drive. A 52 year old male injured his leg and required assistance and advanced medical care. Rocky Mountain Rescue Group members responded and used a litter to carry the man to safety.
Although the Flatirons appear to be a low complexity climb, caution should be considered when climbing the higher sections of the iconic formations. The rock is typically slick, the slopes steep, and the climb quickly becomes treacherous without proper equipment and climbing knowledge.
Skeeters carrying West Nile virus are HERE!
Jul 11th
First mosquito pool tests positive for West Nile Virus in City of Boulder
The City of Boulder received notification today of the season’s first mosquito pool to test positive for West Nile Virus within city limits. The mosquito sample was pooled from three different traps that came from Tom Watson Park, Christensen Park and Stazio Ball Fields. The infected mosquitoes could have come from any of those sites, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are present at all three.
No human cases have been reported in Colorado so far this season; however, the city urges residents to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites and to drain standing water to prevent mosquito breeding sites.
Keep safe this summer and remember the four D’s:
1. Use insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus.
2. DRESS in long sleeves and pants.
3. Avoid the outdoors from DUSK until DAWN.
4. DRAIN standing water outside your home.
Mosquito activity this year has been lower than usual so far due to the dry conditions. However, the type of mosquitoes that have the ability to transmit West Nile Virus have been present in greater percentages earlier in the season than in previous years.
City residents can help minimize the spread of West Nile Virus by eliminating any potential breeding grounds from around their properties:
- Clean gutters regularly.
- Change water in bird baths every three days.
- Check and empty any outside items that collect standing water (flower pots, lawn ornaments and toys).
- Do not overwater lawns.
- Keep trash cans covered and clean.
For general information about West Nile Virus, visit Boulder County Public Health’s website or call the West Nile Virus Hotline at 877-462-2911 or the Boulder County Hotline at 303-441-1460.