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Background: Despite the potential benefits of virtual reality technology in physical rehabilitation, only a few studies have evaluated the efficacy of this type of treatment in patients with neck pain. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of virtual reality training (VRT) versus conventional proprioceptive training (CPT) in patients with neck pain. Materials and Methods: Forty four participants with nonspecific chronic neck pain were randomly assigned to VRT or CPT in this assessor-blinded clinical trial. A novel videogame called Cervigame® was designed for VRT. It comprises of 50 stages divided into unidirectional and two-directional stages ordered from easy to hard. CPT consisted of eye-follow, gaze stability, eye-head coordination and position and movement sense training. Both groups completed 8 training sessions over 4 weeks. Visual analogue scale score, neck disability index and Y-balance test results were recorded at baseline, immediately after and 5 weeks post-intervention. Mixed repeated measure ANOVA was used to analyze differences between mean values for each variable at an alpha level of 0.05. Results: There were significant improvements in all variables in both groups immediately after and 5 weeks after the intervention. Greater improvements were observed in the visual analogue scale and neck disability index scores in VRT group, and the results for all directions in Y-balance test were similar in both groups. No side effects were reported. Conclusion: Improvements in neck pain and disability were greater in VRT than CPT group. Cervigame® is a potentially practical tool for rehabilitation in patients with neck pain. Citation: Rezaei I, Razeghi M, Ebrahimi S, Kayedi S, Rezaeian Zadeh A. A Novel Virtual Reality Technique (Cervigame®) Compared to Conventional Proprioceptive Training to Treat Neck Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Biomed Phys Eng. 2019;9(3):355-366. https://doi. org/10.31661/jbpe.v0i0.556.

Background: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) disability has been particularly frustrating because its treatment has been a great therapeutic challenge. Disability has been suggested to depend on different factors that should be found and considered in the medical management. The inter-segmental coordination is often impaired in CLBP subjects; however, to the best of our knowledge, there is no evidence about the relationship between the existence of coordination problems and disability in CLBP patients. Objective: To evaluate the correlation between sagittal plane trunk-pelvis inter-segmental coordination parameters during walking and disability level in CLBP patients. Methods: Kinematic data were collected from 16 non-specific CLBP (18-40 years) volunteers during walking. Sagittal plane time-normalized segmental angles and velocities were used to calculate continuous relative phase for each data point. Coordination parameters, mean absolute relative phase (MARP) and deviation phase (DP) were derived to quantify the trunk-pelvis coordination pattern and variability during gait cycles, respectively. The disability level was quantified through Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) questionnaire. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to find the probable correlation between coordination parameters and disability level. Results: The analysis demonstrated a significant correlation between sagittal plane MARP or DP and disability level (%ODI) in CLBP subjects during walking (r= -0.806 P

The performance characteristics of a distributed-feedback quantum-cascade laser exhibiting high-power continuous-wave (CW) operation in a single spectral mode at lambda approximately 4.8-mum and temperatures up to 333 K is measured and modeled. CW output powers of 99 mW at 298 K and 357 mW at 200 K are obtained at current well below the thermal rollover point.

A study on infrared detectors in the range of eight-12-micron wavelength reports the first demonstration of uncooled-InAs-GaSb type-II detectors for the long-wavelength infrared range, their growth and characterization. The measured detectivity of the processed device is 1.3 x 10 to the eighth power cm.Hz1/2/W at 11 microns at room temperature without any optical immersion lens or anti-reflector coatings. Experimental design, modeling and results are presented.

GaN and AlN slab waveguides were found to produce phase-matched optical second-harmonics (SH). Phase-matching was attained by waveguide modal dispersion. Several phase-matched SH peaks were seen in the visible spectrum spanning the blue to red wavelengths when the output wavelength of an optical parameter amplifier was properly tuned. The peak positions were in agreement with the values computed employing the dispersive refractive indices of the film and substrate materials.

A study was conducted to analyze relaxation kinetics in a quantum cascade intersubband laser. A kinetic model was utilized to consider the intra and intersubband electron-LO-phonon relaxation supporting characteristic times. Experimental results indicated that step-like distributions in the lasing bands and number of nonequilibrium phonons in the active area were self-consistent from kinetic and energy balance equations.