Modular hip exoskeleton improves walking function and reduces sedentary time in community-dwelling older adults

Numerous studies showed that postural balance improves through light touch on a stable surface highlighting the importance of haptic information, seemingly downplaying the mechanical contributions of the support. The present study examined the mechanical effects of canes for assisting balance in healthy individuals challenged by standing on a beam. Sixteen participants supported themselves with two canes, one in each hand, and applied minimal, preferred, or maximum force onto the canes. They positioned the canes in the frontal plane or in a tripod configuration. Statistical analysis used a linear mixed model to evaluate the effects on the center of pressure and the center of mass. The canes significantly reduced the variability of the center of pressure and the center of mass to the same level as when standing on the ground. Increasing the exerted force beyond the preferred level yielded no further benefits, although in the preferred force condition, participants exploited the altered mechanics by resting their arms on the canes. The tripod configuration allowed for larger variability of the center of pressure in the task-irrelevant anterior–posterior dimension. High forces had a destabilizing effect on the canes: the displacement of the hand on the cane handle increased with the force. Given this static instability, these results show that using canes can provide not only mechanical benefits but also challenges. From a control perspective, effort can be reduced by resting the arms on the canes and by channeling noise in the task-irrelevant dimensions. However, larger forces exerted onto the canes can also have destabilizing effects and the instability of the canes needs to be counteracted, possibly by arm and shoulder stiffness. Insights into the variety of mechanical effects is important for the design of canes and the instructions of how to use them.     

基于苗药五藤膏外敷对CIA大鼠炎性骨破坏的影响探讨苗医外治就近驱邪的作用＊

目的 通过研究明确苗药五藤膏外敷缓解胶原诱导性关节炎（CIA）大鼠关节局部炎症和骨破坏的机制，证实苗医外治就近驱邪的作用。方法 将70只Wistar大鼠随机分为空白组、模型组、苗药五藤膏高、中、低剂量组、扶他林组及IL-17阻断组，每组10只。除空白组外，其余6组均构建CIA模型，并给予相应的外敷治疗。观察大鼠一般情况，HE染色进行病理学分析，TRAP染色检测OC生成，ELISA检测各炎症因子的含量，RT-PCR和WB分别检测RANKL的基因及蛋白表达。结果 苗药五藤膏能改善CIA大鼠破骨细胞浸润及关节病理性结构，并降低RANKL蛋白、基因表达以及TNF-α、IL-1、IL-6、IL-17含量。结论 苗药五藤膏外敷剂对CIA大鼠的治疗机制可能与降低致炎因子的分泌，抑制RANKL及OC的表达相关。     

Correction to: “Living with COVID”—implications for immunosuppressed and immunocompromised

Clinical Rheumatology -     

Pure laparoscopic living donor liver transplantation: Dreams come true

Minimally invasive approaches are increasingly being applied in surgeries and have recently been used in living donor hepatectomy. We have developed a safe and reproducible method for minimally invasive living donor liver transplantation, which consists of pure laparoscopic explant hepatectomy and pure laparoscopic implantation of the graft, which was inserted through a suprapubic incision. Pure laparoscopic explant hepatectomy without liver fragmentation was performed in a 60-year-old man with alcoholic liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The explanted liver was retrieved through a suprapubic incision. A modified right liver graft, procured from his 24-year-old son using the pure laparoscopic method, was inserted through a suprapubic incision, and implantation was performed intracorporeally throughout the procedure. The time required to remove the liver was 369 min, and the total operative time was 960 min. No complications occurred during or after the surgery. The patient recovered well, and his hospital stay was of 11 days. Pure laparoscopic living donor liver transplantation from explant hepatectomy to implantation was performed successfully. It is a feasible procedure when performed by a highly experienced surgeon and transplantation team. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm its safety and feasibility.

     

Calculation of the Biological Efficiency of the Proton Component from 14.8 MeV Neutron Irradiation in Computational Biology with Help of Video Cards

Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine - Fast neutron therapy, which previously has demonstrated effective results, but along with a large number of complications, can again be considered a...     

Quantitative Assessment and Predicting the Effects of Soil Pollutants on Herbaceous Biomass Production in Reserved Forests

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section B: Biological Sciences - Heavy metal concentrations in surface soils of Reserved Forests (RFs) have a significant impact on...