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Medical Devices (Auckland, N.Z.) 2024To address the application requirements of soft actuators in rehabilitation training gloves, and in combination with ergonomic requirements, we designed a segmented soft...
PURPOSE
To address the application requirements of soft actuators in rehabilitation training gloves, and in combination with ergonomic requirements, we designed a segmented soft actuator with bending and elongation modules. This actuator can achieve independent or coupled movements of the finger joints.
METHODS
A finite element model of the joint actuator was established to compare the driving performance of actuators with different structural forms. Numerical calculations were used to analyze the effects of structural size parameters on the bending characteristics and end output force of the actuator. The design was then refined based on these analyses.
RESULTS
The joint actuator designed in this study demonstrated a 71% increase in bending angle compared to the standard fast pneumatic network structure. Key factors affecting the driving performance include the thickness of the constraint layer, the inner wall thickness of the chamber, chamber height, chamber width, chamber spacing, chamber length, and the number of chambers. After improvements, the bending angle of the joint actuator increased by 60.6%, and the output force increased by 145.9%, indicating significant improvement.
CONCLUSION
This study designed and improved a soft actuator for hand rehabilitation training, achieving independent and coupled joint movements. The bending angle, bending shape, and joint driving force of the soft actuator meet the requirements for finger rehabilitation training.
PubMed: 38953048
DOI: 10.2147/MDER.S476464 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2024The immune system plays an important role in the development and treatment of thyroid cancer(THCA).However, the correlation between immune cells and THCA has not been...
BACKGROUND
The immune system plays an important role in the development and treatment of thyroid cancer(THCA).However, the correlation between immune cells and THCA has not been systematically studied.
METHODS
This study used a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study to determine the causal relationship between immune cell characteristics and THCA. Based on a large sample of publicly available genetic data, we explored the causal relationship between 731 immune cell characteristics and THCA risk. The 731 immunophenotypes were divided into 7 groups, including B cell panel(n=190),cDC panel(n=64),Maturation stages of T cell panel(n=79),Monocyte panel(n=43),Myeloid cell panel(n=64),TBNK panel(n=124),and Treg panel(n=167). The sensitivity of the results was analyzed, and heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy were excluded.
RESULTS
After FDR correction, the effect of immunophenotype on THCA was not statistically significant. It is worth mentioning, however, that there are some unadjusted low P-values phenotypes. The odds ratio (OR) of CD62L on monocyte on THCA risk was estimated to be 0.953 (95% CI=0.930~0.976, =1.005×10),and which was estimated to be 0.975(95% CI=0.961-0.989, =7.984×10) for Resting Treg%CD4 on THCA risk. Furthermore, THCA was associated with a reduced risk of 5 immunophenotype:CD25 on CD39+ CD4 on Treg (OR=0.871, 95% CI=0.812~0.935, =1.274×10), activated Treg AC (OR=0.884, 95% CI=0.820~0.953, =0.001), activated & resting Treg % CD4 Treg (OR=0.872, 95%CI=0.811~0.937,=2.109×10),CD28- CD25++ CD8br AC(OR=0.867,95% CI=0.809~0.930,=6.09×10),CD28-CD127-CD25++CD8brAC(OR=0.875,95%CI=0.814~0.942,=3.619×10).THCA was associated with an increased risk of Secreting Treg % CD4 Treg (OR=1.143, 95% CI=1.064~1.229, =2.779×10) and CD19 on IgD+ CD24+ (OR=1.118, 95% CI=1.041~1.120, =0.002).
CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest the causal associations between immune cells and THCA by genetic means. Our results may have the potential to provide guidance for future clinical research.
Topics: Humans; Mendelian Randomization Analysis; Thyroid Neoplasms; Immunophenotyping; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Monocytes
PubMed: 38953025
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1425873 -
Sexual Medicine Jun 2024Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and erectile dysfunction (ED) frequently co-occur, significantly affecting the quality of life of individuals. (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and erectile dysfunction (ED) frequently co-occur, significantly affecting the quality of life of individuals.
AIM
To assess the impact of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) on ED in patients with CVD through a systematic review and meta-analysis.
METHODS
This study analyzed randomized controlled trials and other studies comparing CR with usual care for adult males (≥18 years) with any cardiac disease. Literature searches were extensive, and the risk of bias was evaluated by the Cochrane Collaboration tool. Data from 6 studies involving 668 participants were included in the meta-analysis.
OUTCOMES
The primary outcome was the improvement in ED, as measured with the International Index of Erectile Function.
RESULTS
A statistically significant improvement in erectile function was observed across 6 studies, with a Morris dppc2 effect size of 0.38 (95% CI, 0.17-0.59). Despite initial high heterogeneity ( = 95.7%), identification and correction for selective outcome reporting bias mitigated this issue.
CLINICAL TRANSLATION
CR has a modest but statistically significant impact on improving ED in patients with CVD, indicating its potential positive contribution to the quality of life of this group.
STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS
The study's strengths include a comprehensive literature search and a rigorous methodological approach. Limitations involve high heterogeneity among studies and a low level of evidence due to small sample sizes and study quality; however, the source of heterogeneity was identified and mitigated following risk-of-bias assessment.
CONCLUSION
The results suggest that CR has a statistically significant but modest impact on improving ED in patients with CVD. Clinicians should consider the integration of CR into the clinical management of these individuals. This study underscores the potential for CR to contribute positively to the quality of life for patients with CVD by addressing associated ED (PROSPERO: CRD42022374625).
PubMed: 38953013
DOI: 10.1093/sexmed/qfae043 -
PeerJ 2024To investigate the effects of 12-week weight-bearing dance aerobics (WBDA) on muscle morphology, strength and functional fitness in older women.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of 12-week weight-bearing dance aerobics (WBDA) on muscle morphology, strength and functional fitness in older women.
METHODS
This controlled study recruited 37 female participants (66.31y ± 3.83) and divided them into intervention and control groups according to willingness. The intervention group received 90-min WBDA thrice a week for 12 weeks, while the control group maintained normal activities. The groups were then compared by measuring muscle thickness, fiber length and pennation angle by ultrasound, muscle strength using an isokinetic multi-joint module and functional fitness, such as 2-min step test, 30-s chair stand, chair sit-and-reach, TUG and single-legged closed-eyed standing test. The morphology, strength, and functional fitness were compared using ANCOVA or Mann-Whitney U test to study the effects of 12 weeks WBDA.
RESULTS
Among all recruited participants, 33 completed all tests. After 12 weeks, the thickness of the vastus intermedius ( = 17.85, < 0.01) and quadriceps ( = 15.62, < 0.01) was significantly increased in the intervention group compared to the control group, along with a significant increase in the torque/weight of the knee flexor muscles ( = 4.47, = 0.04). Similarly, the intervention group revealed a significant improvement in the single-legged closed-eyed standing test (2.16, = 0.03) compared to the control group.
CONCLUSION
The study concluded that compared to the non-exercising control group, 12-week WBDA was shown to thicken vastus intermedius, increase muscle strength, and improve physical function in older women. In addition, this study provides a reference exercise program for older women.
Topics: Humans; Female; Muscle Strength; Aged; Dancing; Weight-Bearing; Physical Fitness; Lower Extremity; Middle Aged; Muscle, Skeletal; Exercise; Quadriceps Muscle
PubMed: 38952989
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17606 -
PeerJ 2024High velocity thrust manipulation is commonly used when managing joint dysfunctions. Often, these thrust maneuvers will elicit an audible pop. It has been unclear what...
INTRODUCTION
High velocity thrust manipulation is commonly used when managing joint dysfunctions. Often, these thrust maneuvers will elicit an audible pop. It has been unclear what conclusively causes this audible sound and its clinical meaningfulness. This study sought to identify the effect of the audible pop on brainwave activity directly following a prone T7 thrust manipulation in asymptomatic/healthy subjects.
METHODS
This was a quasi-experimental repeated measure study design in which 57 subjects completed the study protocol. Brain wave activity was measured with the Emotiv EPOC+, which collects data with a frequency of 128 HZ and has 14 electrodes. Testing was performed in a controlled environment with minimal electrical interference (as measured with a Gauss meter), temperature variance, lighting variance, sound pollution, and other variable changes that could have influenced or interfered with pure EEG data acquisition. After accommodation each subject underwent a prone T7 posterior-anterior thrust manipulation. Immediately after the thrust manipulation the brainwave activity was measured for 10 seconds.
RESULTS
The non-audible group ( = 20) consisted of 55% males, and the audible group ( = 37) consisted of 43% males. The non-audible group EEG data revealed a significant change in brain wave activity under some of the electrodes in the frontal, parietal, and the occipital lobes. In the audible group, there was a significant change in brain wave activity under all electrodes in the frontal lobes, the parietal lobe, and the occipital lobes but not the temporal lobes.
CONCLUSION
The audible sounds caused by a thoracic high velocity thrust manipulation did not affect the activity in the audible centers in the temporal brain region. The results support the hypothesis that thrust manipulation with or without audible sound results in a generalized relaxation immediately following the manipulation. The absence of a significant difference in brainwave activity in the frontal lobe in this study might indicate that the audible pop does not produce a "placebo" mechanism.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Adult; Manipulation, Spinal; Brain Waves; Electroencephalography; Young Adult; Sound
PubMed: 38952977
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17622 -
Frontiers in Neuroscience 2024Evidence has demonstrated that exoskeleton robots can improve intestinal function in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). However, the underlying mechanisms remain...
Evidence has demonstrated that exoskeleton robots can improve intestinal function in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). However, the underlying mechanisms remain unelucidated. This study investigated the effects of exoskeleton-assisted walking (EAW) on intestinal function and intestinal flora structure in T2-L1 motor complete paraplegia patients. The results showed that five participants in the EAW group and three in the conventional group reported improvements in at least one bowel management index, including an increased frequency of bowel evacuations, less time spent on bowel management per day, and less external assistance (manual digital stimulation, medication, and enema usage). After 8 weeks of training, the amount of glycerol used in the EAW group decreased significantly (0.05). The EAW group showed an increasing trend in the neurogenic bowel dysfunction (NBD) score after 8 weeks of training, while the conventional group showed a worsening trend. Patients who received the EAW intervention exhibited a decreased abundance of and , while , , and were upregulated. In addition, there were decreases in the abundances of , , , , , , and . In contrast, , , , , , , and showed upregulation among the top 15 genera. The abundance of was significantly higher in the EAW group than in the conventional group, and increased significantly in EAW individuals at 8 weeks. This study suggests that EAW can improve intestinal function of SCI patients in a limited way, and may be associated with changes in the abundance of intestinal flora, especially an increase in beneficial bacteria. In the future, we need to further understand the changes in microbial groups caused by EAW training and all related impact mechanisms, especially intestinal flora metabolites. : https://www.chictr.org.cn/.
PubMed: 38952922
DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1395671 -
Biology of Sport Jul 2024This study examined the acute effects of exercise testing on immunology markers, established blood-based biomarkers, and questionnaires in endurance athletes, with a...
This study examined the acute effects of exercise testing on immunology markers, established blood-based biomarkers, and questionnaires in endurance athletes, with a focus on biological sex differences. Twenty-four healthy endurance-trained participants (16 men, age: 29.2± 7.6 years, maximal oxygen uptake ( ): 59.4 ± 7.5 ml · min · kg; 8 women, age: 26.8 ± 6.1 years, : 52.9 ± 3.1 ml · min · kg) completed an incremental submaximal exercise test and a ramp test. The study employed exploratory bioinformatics analysis: mixed ANOVA, k-means clustering, and uniform manifold approximation and projection, to assess the effects of exhaustive exercise on biomarkers and questionnaires. Significant increases in biomarkers (lymphocytes, platelets, procalcitonin, hemoglobin, hematocrit, red blood cells, cell-free DNA (cfDNA)) and fatigue were observed post-exercise. Furthermore, differences pre- to post-exercise were observed in cytokines, cfDNA, and other blood biomarkers between male and female participants. Three distinct groups of athletes with differing proportions of females (Cluster 1: 100% female, Cluster 2: 85% male, Cluster 3: 37.5% female and 65.5% male) were identified with k-means clustering. Specific biomarkers (e.g., interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-10, and IL-13, as well as cfDNA) served as primary markers for each cluster, potentially informing individualized exercise responses. In conclusion, our study identified exercise-sensitive biomarkers and provides valuable insights into the relationships between biological sex and biomarker responses.
PubMed: 38952916
DOI: 10.5114/biolsport.2024.132998 -
Biology of Sport Jul 2024This study examined the effects of plyometric-based structured game active breaks on fundamental movement skills (FMS), muscular fitness, student self-perception, and...
Effects of plyometric-based structured game active breaks on fundamental movement skills, muscular fitness, self-perception, and actual behaviour in primary school students.
This study examined the effects of plyometric-based structured game active breaks on fundamental movement skills (FMS), muscular fitness, student self-perception, and teacher's rating of actual behaviour in Grade 3 and 4 students. Primary school children aged 8-10 years old, from four classes, were cluster-randomly assigned to an intervention group (IG) ( = 54) or a control group (CG) ( = 48). The IG participated in structured plyometric-based game active breaks for 7-10 minutes daily, for six consecutive weeks. The CG resumed their regular daily school routine. FMS were assessed with the Canadian Agility Movement Skills Assessment test, and muscular fitness with the standing long jump (SLJ), countermovement jump (CMJ), and seated medicine ball chest throw tests. The Self-Perception Profile for Children and the Teacher's Rating Scale of Child's Actual Behaviour assessed student self-perception and teacher's perception of student actual behaviour, respectively. A significant ( < 0.01) interaction group by time was observed, with greater improvements in the IG compared to the CG in FMS (%diff = 13.11, ƞp = 0.12), SLJ (%diff = 6.67, ƞp = 0.02), seated medicine ball chest throw (%diff = 4.69, ƞp = 0.08), student social self-perception (%diff = 9.31, ƞp = 0.10), student scholastic self-perception (%diff = 7.27, ƞp = 0.10), and teacher perception of student social competence (%diff = 8.31, ƞp = 0.05). No difference ( > 0.05) was found in other variables. Integrating plyometric-based structured game active breaks into primary school settings evidenced improvement in FMS, muscular fitness, student self-perception, and teacher's rating of student actual behaviour.
PubMed: 38952915
DOI: 10.5114/biolsport.2024.132991 -
Can transcranial photobiomodulation improve cognitive function in TBI patients? A systematic review.Frontiers in Psychology 2024Transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) is a non-invasive neuromodulation technology which has become a promising therapy for treating many brain diseases. Although it...
INTRODUCTION
Transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) is a non-invasive neuromodulation technology which has become a promising therapy for treating many brain diseases. Although it has been confirmed in studies targeting neurological diseases including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's that tPBM can improve cognitive function, the effectiveness of interventions targeting TBI patients remains to be determined. This systematic review examines the cognitive outcomes of clinical trials concerning tPBM in the treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI).
METHODS
We conducted a systematic literature review, following the PRISMA guidelines. The PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases were searched before October 31, 2023.
RESULTS
The initial search retrieved 131 articles, and a total of 6 studies were finally included for full text-analysis after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria.
CONCLUSION
Results showed improvements in cognition for patients with chronic TBI after tPBM intervention. The mechanism may be that tPBM increases the volume of total cortical gray matter (GM), subcortical GM, and thalamic, improves cerebral blood flow (CBF), functional connectivity (FC), and cerebral oxygenation, improving brain function. However, due to the significant heterogeneity in application, we cannot summarize the optimal parameters for tPBM treatment of TBI. In addition, there is currently a lack of RCT studies in this field. Therefore, given this encouraging but uncertain finding, it is necessary to conduct randomized controlled clinical trials to further determine the role of tPBM in cognitive rehabilitation of TBI patients.
PubMed: 38952831
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1378570 -
Frontiers in Digital Health 2024Accelerometers were traditionally worn on the hip to estimate energy expenditure (EE) during physical activity but are increasingly replaced by products worn on the...
BACKGROUND
Accelerometers were traditionally worn on the hip to estimate energy expenditure (EE) during physical activity but are increasingly replaced by products worn on the wrist to enhance wear compliance, despite potential compromises in EE estimation accuracy. In the older population, where the prevalence of hearing loss is higher, a new, integrated option may arise. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the accuracy and precision of EE estimates using an accelerometer integrated into a hearing aid and compare its performance with sensors simultaneously worn on the wrist and hip.
METHODS
Sixty middle-aged to older adults (average age 64.0 ± 8.0 years, 48% female) participated. They performed a 20-min resting energy expenditure measurement (after overnight fast) followed by a standardized breakfast and 13 different activities of daily living, 12 of them were individually selected from a set of 35 activities, ranging from sedentary and low intensity to more dynamic and physically demanding activities. Using indirect calorimetry as a reference for the metabolic equivalent of task (MET), we compared the EE estimations made using a hearing aid integrated device (Audéo) against those of a research device worn on the hip (ZurichMove) and consumer devices positioned on the wrist (Garmin and Fitbit). Class-estimated and class-known models were used to evaluate the accuracy and precision of EE estimates via Bland-Altman analyses.
RESULTS
The findings reveal a mean bias and 95% limit of agreement for Audéo (class-estimated model) of -0.23 ± 3.33 METs, indicating a slight advantage over wrist-worn consumer devices (Garmin: -0.64 ± 3.53 METs and Fitbit: -0.67 ± 3.40 METs). Class-know models reveal a comparable performance between Audéo (-0.21 ± 2.51 METs) and ZurichMove (-0.13 ± 2.49 METs). Sub-analyses show substantial variability in accuracy for different activities and good accuracy when activities are averaged over a typical day's usage of 10 h (+61 ± 302 kcal).
DISCUSSION
This study shows the potential of hearing aid-integrated accelerometers in accurately estimating EE across a wide range of activities in the target demographic, while also highlighting the necessity for ongoing optimization efforts considering precision limitations observed across both consumer and research devices.
PubMed: 38952746
DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2024.1400535