Thesis (M.S.)--Ohio University, November, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 126-130)

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2002. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 239-261). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Thesis (M.S.)--Ohio University, November, 2004. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 126-130)

OBJECTIVES:: Evaluate effects of a new off-the-shelf insert on frontal plane foot biomechanics and compare effectiveness of the new and an existing off-the-shelf insert and a motion-control shoe in neutralizing frontal plane foot biomechanics. Design: Descriptive. Setting: Biomechanics laboratory. Participants: Fifteen uninjured subjects with a flexible flatfoot secondary to forefoot varus. Assessment of risk factors: Three-dimensional kinematic and kinetic data were collected as subjects walked and jogged at their self-selected speed while wearing a motion-control running shoe, the shoe with a new off-the-shelf insert, and the shoe with an existing off-the-shelf insert. Main outcome measures: Frontal plane kinematics and rearfoot kinetics were evaluated during stance. Statistical analysis was performed using a repeated measures analysis of variance and Student-Newman-Keuls post hoc tests (α ≤ 0.05). Results: The new insert and motion-control shoe placed the forefoot in a less-everted position than the existing off-the-shelf insert during walking. There were no differences in forefoot kinematics during jogging, nor were there differences in rearfoot motion during walking or jogging. The rearfoot eversion moment was significantly lower with the new off-the-shelf insert compared with the motion-control shoe and the existing insert during walking and jogging. Conclusions: A new off-the-shelf device is available that promotes more neutral frontal plane biomechanics, thus providing a theoretical rationale for using this device for injury prevention and treatment. The comparative biomechanical effectiveness of a motion-control shoe and the orthotic inserts may assist health care professionals in selecting a device to correct the flatfoot structure.

No description available.

Thesis (MTech (Retail Business Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2016. / In an effort to remain competitive and maintain stable sales level and profitability, companies across the world have turned to global sourcing. This was a result of analysing the benefits of globalisation and advancement in technology which enabled this sourcing strategy to become very popular in many industries across the world. This was no different with the shoe retail industry in Cape Town. Shoe retailers have become dependent on international trade as it is synonymous with low costs and affordable shoes. However, despite these benefits, global sourcing is well known for being difficult to implement. For an industry so dependent on international trade, it was imperative to investigate how well shoe retailers have adopted global sourcing. This thesis aimed to investigate the implementation of global sourcing by shoe retailers in Cape Town, Western Province. Global sourcing is categorised into three main stages which include domestic sourcing, international procurement and global sourcing. These were the stages used to categorise the level of global sourcing adaptation by shoe retailers in the province. The challenges and improvements required were also examined and explored. A mixed-methods approach was implemented which involved adopting both quantitative and qualitative research. Eighty survey questionnaires were administered to retail buyers, logistics managers and executive management. This represented the quantitative research category, while twenty in-depth interviews represented the qualitative research phase which were conducted on global sourcing committee members in various shoe retail companies. The research outcomes unveiled that most shoe retailers in Cape Town source domestically through middlemen, known as sourcing intermediaries. The reasons for this included a lack of finance to support the global sourcing activities; the strategy is less risky as compared to global sourcing which is risk prone; a lack of adequate information to effectively execute global sourcing; and some retailers are too small in terms of business activity to fully implement global sourcing. The remaining retailers were split between international procurement and global sourcing. Fluctuation in exchange rates, internal communication problems, bad weather, and communication problems with manufacturers or suppliers were identified as challenges that retailers face. Areas highlighted by retailers which require improvement included internal communication between departments, increase in financial support towards global sourcing and quality control of shoes before shipment to Africa. In conclusion, global sourcing has yet to be fully adopted by most retailers in Cape Town, and sourcing intermediaries, wholesalers or agents are currently imperative for the existence of the shoe industry as they provide services which retailers cannot execute on their own

Orientador: Wilson Suzigan / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Geociências / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-15T17:13:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ruffoni-Trez_Janaina_D.pdf: 2602237 bytes, checksum: c31c9dc855a9d26f6748778594ffe484 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / Resumo: A Tese objetiva contribuir para a compreensão da dinâmica inovativa de firmas que possuem uma organização industrial específica. Essa organização é caracterizada pela proximidade geográfica entre firmas de um mesmo setor e de setores correlatos e instituições constituintes de um Sistema Local de Produção (SLP). Entende-se que, para compreender o processo de geração de inovações tecnológicas de firmas pertencentes a SLPs, é fundamental considerar tanto as características dos elementos internos à firma - que conferem uma compreensão a respeito do quão específico à firma é o processo de inovação - quanto dos elementos externos - relações entre firmas e instituições e fluxos para troca de informações e conhecimentos. Assim, a questão central é: 'quais são e que características têm os elementos influenciadores do processo de geração de inovações tecnológicas de firmas de um mesmo segmento produtivo pertencentes a um Sistema Local de Produção?' Para responder ao problema de pesquisa, optou-se pela realização de uma investigação de campo comparativa entre dois aglomerados do segmento produtor de máquinas para calçados, que são: Vigevano, na Itália, e Vale do Rio dos Sinos, no Brasil. A partir da realização das pesquisas de campo, foi possível observar que as empresas utilizam, de forma bastante intensa, suas estruturas próprias para a realização das atividades de melhoria e desenvolvimento de novos produtos, sendo que não faz parte das suas rotinas o compartilhamento de estruturas com outras empresas ou instituições. A respeito dos elementos internos à firma, é o desenvolvimento do conhecimento especializado dos técnicos que impacta, em grande medida, no processo de geração de inovações tecnológicas. Além dos elementos internos à firma, também receberam importante destaque os elementos externos representados pelas relações informais e verticais estabelecidas entre os produtores de máquinas para calçados e seus clientes e fornecedores. Foi, principalmente, por meio dessas relações que se constatou a importância da proximidade geográfica entre firmas para o processo de mudança tecnológica do setor. Diferentemente do que se supunha, os fluxos de conhecimentos estabelecidos pelas empresas nas relações horizontais e informais são pouco densos, sendo considerados rarefeitos em ambos os aglomerados investigados. Entretanto, igualmente a outros estudos semelhantes, os fluxos de informações e conhecimentos apresentaram dinâmicas distintas, são estabelecidos por grupos específicos de firmas, reforçando a percepção de que o local é formado por um grupo de firmas com comportamentos heterogêneos, e que o conhecimento tecnológico não está "difuso no ar" nem flui livremente entre as empresas. É importante destacar a contribuição dos resultados para desmistificar a supervalorização do local, por meio das relações horizontais interfirmas para troca de conhecimento tecnológico. Não são essas relações que conferem destaque ao papel da proximidade geográfica interfirmas para a geração de inovações tecnológicas, mas sim as relações estabelecidas pela lógica da cadeia produtiva, ou seja, as relações entre clientes e fornecedores. A especialidade tecnológica das firmas, somada à baixa apropriabilidade privada do conhecimento tecnológico existente no setor, desestimula a troca de conhecimento interfirmas do mesmo segmento. Acredita-se que o trabalho aponta para o fato de que as peculiaridades setoriais precisam ser consideradas quando da análise dos elementos influenciadores do processo de geração de inovações tecnológicas de empresas pertencentes a Sistemas Locais de Produção. De outra forma, o trabalho reforça que é fundamental investigar separadamente os fluxos de informação e conhecimento, pois apresentam lógicas distintas, seja pelo grau de densidade que apresentam, seja pelas características dos atores envolvidos / Abstract: This Thesis aims to contribute to the understanding of the innovative dynamics of firms that have a specific industrial organization. This organization is characterized by geographical proximity between firms within the same sector and related industries and institutions constituting the Local Production System (LPS). To understand the innovation process of firms belonging to LPS, it is essential to consider both the characteristics of internal factors to the firm - which give an understanding about how specific to the firm is the innovation process - and the external elements - relationships among firms and institutions and flows to exchange information and knowledge. So the research question is: 'what are the elements and what features they have that influence the innovation process of firms in the same productive sector belonging to a LPS?" To answer the research problem, a field investigation was done comparing two clusters in the shoe-manufacturing machinery segment, namely: Vigevano, Italy, and Vale do Rio dos Sinos, Brazil. Field research results show that companies make an intense use of their own structures for implementing product improvements and for developing new products, and also that they do not routinely share their structures with other companies or institutions. As to the internal components of the firm, the greatest impact in the process of technological innovations comes from the development of specialized knowledge by the firm's technicians. In addition, strong emphasis was also given to the external elements represented by vertical and informal relationships established between the manufacturers of shoe-machinery and their customers and suppliers. Such relationships offer evidence of the importance of geographical proximity among firms in the process of technological change in the industry. Contrary to what was previously assumed, knowledge flows among firms in horizontal relationships are informal and not dense, being considered sparse in both clusters investigated. However, also similar to other studies, the flow of information and knowledge have distinct dynamics and are determined by specific groups of firms, reinforcing the perception that the local is formed by a group of firms with heterogeneous behavior, and that technological knowledge is not "diffuse in the air" or freely flowing between companies. It is important to point out that the results contribute to demystify the usual overvaluation of the local in the horizontal interfirm exchange of technology knowledge. What gives prominence to the role of interfirm geographical proximity for technological innovation are not those relationships, but the relationships established by the logic of the production chain. The technology specialization of firms and the low level of appropriability of technological knowledge in the sector discourage interfirm exchange of knowledge. The results of the research work done in this thesis show strong evidence that sector specifics need to be considered when examining factors influencing the process of technological innovation in firms belonging to LPS. The study also stresses the essential need to investigate separately the flows of information and knowledge, which are fueled by different logics and in which the degrees of density flows and the actors involved are also different / Doutorado / Doutor em Política Científica e Tecnológica

An increase in postural sway is one of the risk factors that have been linked to an increased incidence of falls in the older adult population. Researchers have shown that peripheral sensation is crucial in maintaining a static posture for adults of all ages. It has been reported that older adults have decreased tactile sensation of the plantar surface of their feet. and when the sensory feedback was increased older adults had improved postural control. It was hypothesized that facilitation of the sole of the foot with the use of a semirigid foot orthotic would result in improved postural stability in older adults. Twenty-seven volunteers (19 females, 8 males, mean age: 87 ± 5 yrs) were recruited as subjects from a retirement community. All subjects were supplied with the SmartStep™ Stabilization System. There were a total of 5 Test Days for each subject. The first 2 Test Days were performed while the subjects wore their own shoes, while the last 3 Test Days were performed while the subjects wore the SmartStep™. Test Days 1 and 2 were performed 48 hours apart. Test Day 3 occurred 2 to 4 weeks after Test 2. Test Days 4 and 5 occurred 4-weeks after the prior Test Day. During the 8-weeks between Test Days 3 and 5, subjects were asked to wear the SmartStep™ as their daily shoe. Clinical measures of balance, force plate measurements, sensation testing, and confidence and activity scales were collected on all subjects throughout the eight week test period. Statistical significance was found for 3 of the clinical measures. The Timed “Up & Go” improved from 17.25 to 15.47 sec. The Functional Reach and Lateral Reach Tests demonstrated a decline in scores during the eight weeks. There was only 1 statistically significant finding for the force plate measures. The center of pressure displacement in the anteriorposterior direction was increased from 4.6 to 5.3 cm. No significant differences where reported for any other dependent variable. The results did not indicate statistically that the in-shoe orthotic enhanced postural stability in this group of subjects. However, there were indications that there was a subset of the current population that benefited from the intervention and this needs to be investigated further.

The general production control practices of the shoe industry are basically similar to the production planning of other small businesses in the consumer field. This study will reduce to concrete form the types of production control used by the shoe industry of Texas.

A literatura tem dado evidências de que uso de um calçado flexível e desprovido de salto que reproduza as características cinemáticas e cinéticas da marcha descalça poderia reduzir as cargas articulares e a progressão da osteoartrite (OA) de joelho. Assim, o propósito deste estudo foi avaliar e comparar a influência do uso agudo de um calçado flexível, desprovido de salto e de baixo custo (Moleca®), de um calçado moderno de salto e da condição descalça sobre os padrões cinéticos e cinemáticos do membro inferior durante a marcha de idosas com e sem OA de joelho. Foi avaliada a marcha de 45 idosas: 21 com OA (GOA) grau 2 ou 3 pelos critérios de Kellgren e Lawrence e 24 assintomáticas como grupo controle (GC) entre 60 e 75 anos. Foram adquiridas a força reação do solo vertical e horizontal e a variação angular sagital do tornozelo, joelho e quadril nas condições: descalça, Moleca® e salto alto. Também foram calculados, para as mesmas condições, os picos e o impulso dos momentos de força de adução do joelho por dinâmica inversa. As comparações inter-grupos e intercondições foram realizadas por ANOVAs dois fatores, sendo as três condições de marcha, medidas repetidas. Em ambos os grupos, o uso agudo da Moleca® impôs ao tornozelo uma variação angular sagital semelhante à condição descalça. Observou-se também que, em ambos os grupos, o uso agudo da Moleca® e do salto, gerou um aumento da amplitude de movimento sagital e da flexão final do joelho. No GOA, o salto impôs maior flexão de quadril que a condição descalça. Em ambos os grupos, o salto e a Moleca® apresentaram aumento do 1º pico da força vertical em relação à marcha descalça. Por outro lado, a magnitude dessa variável foi ainda maior com o uso do salto em relação à Moleca®. No GOA, o uso agudo da Moleca® comparado à marcha descalça proporcionou maior atenuação da força vertical durante o médio apoio. Ainda no GOA, a Moleca® em relação ao salto proporcionou maior capacidade de desaceleração e aceleração. Em ambos os grupos, o uso da Moleca® proporcionou momento de adução do joelho semelhante à marcha descalça. A Moleca®, porém, foi ainda mais efetiva que a marcha descalça na diminuição do momento de adução do joelho durante o médio apoio. Conclui-se que o calçado flexível, desprovido de salto e de baixo custo (Moleca®), em idosas com OA de joelho, devido à associação das características cinemáticas dos membros inferiores e da força reação do solo, proporciona momentos de força resultantes no joelho semelhantes à marcha descalça e uma efetiva redução de sobrecarga em relação ao calçado de salto. O uso agudo da Moleca® permitiu também, em algumas fases do apoio, uma redução ainda maior do momento de força do joelho em relação à marcha descalça, com a vantagem, porém, de proporcionar proteção externa aos pés durante a locomoção. / The literature has been given evidences that the use of flexible and non-heeled footwear that reproduces the kinematic and kinetic characteristics of barefoot gait may reduce the joint loads and the progression of the knee osteoarthritis (OA). The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the influence of the acute use of flexible, non-heeled and inexpensive footwear (Moleca®), with a modern heeled shoe and barefoot condition on the lower limb kinetic and kinematic patterns during gait in elderly women with and without knee OA. The gait of 45 elderly women was evaluated: 21 with OA grade 2 or 3 (OAG) according to Kellgren and Lawrence´s criteria and 24 asymptomatic control group (CG) between 60 and 75 years. Vertical and horizontal ground reaction force, ankle, knee and hip sagittal angular variation were acquired in the follow conditions: barefoot, Moleca® and heeled shoe. Knee adduction moments and angular impulse were also calculated by inverse dynamics. Comparisons intergroups and inter-conditions were performed by two-way ANOVAs, and the three gait conditions were within factors. In both groups, the acute use of Moleca® produced ankle sagittal angular variation similar to barefoot condition. In the sagittal plane, the use of Moleca® and heeled shoe generated an increased knee range of motion and increased knee final flexion in both groups. In the OAG, the heeled shoe imposed an increased hip flexion compared to the barefoot condition. In both groups, the heeled shoe and Moleca® increased the 1st vertical force peak in comparison to barefoot condition. Moreover, the magnitude of this variable was even greater when using the heeled shoe compared to the Moleca®. In the OAG, the acute use of Moleca® provided greater attenuation of the vertical force in midstance. Also in the OAG, the Moleca® provided greater capacity of deceleration and acceleration in comparison to the heeled shoe. In both groups, the Moleca® provided joint loads to the knee medial compartment similar to barefoot gait. Moleca®, however, was even more effective than barefoot gait in reducing the knee loads during midstance. We conclude that flexible, nonheeled and inexpensive footwear (Moleca®), in elderly women with knee OA, due to the association of the lower limb kinematics and ground reaction force characteristics, provides loads on the knee joint similar to barefoot gait and a significant reduction of overloads in comparison to the heeled shoe. The Moleca® also allows, in some gait support phases, a greater reduction in the knee joint load compared to the barefoot gait; however, with the advantage of providing external protection to the feet during gait.