Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modelling the interaction between wearable assistive devices and digital human models—A systematic review

Exoskeletons, orthoses, exosuits, assisting robots and such devices referred to as wearable assistive devices are devices designed to augment or protect the human body by applying and transmitting force. Due to the problems concerning cost- and time-consuming user tests, in addition to the possibility to test different configurations of a device, the avoidance of a prototype and many more advantages, digital human models become more and more popular for evaluating the effects of wearable assistive devices on humans. The key indicator for the efficiency of assistance is the interface between device and human, consisting mainly of the soft biological tissue. However, the soft biological tissue is mostly missing in digital human models due to their rigid body dynamics. Therefore, this systematic review aims to identify interaction modelling approaches between wearable assistive devices and digital human models and especially to study how the soft biological tissue is considered in the simulation. The review revealed four interaction modelling approaches, which differ in their accuracy to recreate the occurring interactions in reality. Furthermore, within these approaches there are some incorporating the appearing relative motion between device and human body due to the soft biological tissue in the simulation. The influence of the soft biological tissue on the force transmission due to energy absorption on the other side is not considered in any publication yet. Therefore, the development of an approach to integrate the viscoelastic behaviour of soft biological tissue in the digital human models could improve the design of the wearable assistive devices and thus increase its efficiency and efficacy.
Light effects on seedling growth in simulated forest canopy gaps vary across species from different successional stages

Tropical forests continue to suffer from various kinds of disturbances in the Anthropocene. An immediate impact of disturbances on forest ecosystems is the creation of numerous large and small canopy gaps, which dramatically affect forest structure and function. Yet, we know little about the effect of canopy gaps on forest successional trajectory. More specifically, the responses of seedlings from different successional stages to increased light intensity under large and small canopy gaps in understory remain unclear. In this study, dominant tree seedlings from early-, mid-, and late-successional stages were selected, respectively from a tropical montane forest in Hainan Island, China to study their growth rate, biomass and traits. Our results showed that the light condition under small canopy gaps (SG, 10–15% of full sunlight) and large canopy gaps (LG, 40–50% of full sunlight) induced greater increment of relative growth rates for seedlings from early- and mid-successional stages relative to that in late-successional stage. Both SG and LG also significantly increased photosynthesis rate, leaf area (LA), light saturation point (LSP), root mass ratio (RMR) and root: shoot ratio, but decreased specific leaf area (SLA) of seedlings across successional stages. Tree seedlings from the early-successional stage displayed the greatest decrease in leaf mass ratio, increase in LA, LSP, and RMR, in comparison to those from mid- and late- successional stages. Light condition and SLA were the most important factors for seedlings’ relative growth rate across successional stages. SLA connected the interaction between the light condition and successional stage on seedlings’ growth, thereby jointly explaining the 93% variation of seedlings’ growth, combining with area-based light saturated rate of CO2 assimilation. Our study highlights the distinct effect of disturbance-induced canopy gaps on seedling regeneration in the understory in tropical forest due to the variation of light intensity. We suspect that the seedlings from late-successional stage will recover relatively slow after disturbances causing canopy losses, which can have detrimental impacts on structure feature and successional trajectory in tropical forest, as well as forest-based ecosystem services.
Prevalence of diabetes, diabetic foot ulcer, and lower extremity amputation among Medicare beneficiaries, 2006 to 2008

The prevalence rates for foot ulcer and lower extremity amputation among diabetic Medicare beneficiaries vary dramatically by geographic region. More than 16 million people in the United States (U.S.) have diabetes mellitus. The prevalence of diabetes among those over 65 years of age was last estimated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) using 2008 data from the National Health Interview Survey. It is about 19.9 percent among those ages 65 to 74 and 17.1 percent among those more than 75 years of age. These estimates are based on self-reports and are thought to underestimate the true prevalence by one-third (www.cdc.gov/diabetes/statistics/prev/national/figbyage.htm). Those with diabetes are expected to suffer from several associated medical complications, such as renal disease, cardiac disease, and retinopathy. In addition, between 10 and 15 percent of those with diabetes can expect to develop a foot ulcer at some point in their lives.1,2 Lower extremity amputation (LEA) is a less common complication associated with diabetes and foot ulcer. Both foot ulcer and amputation vary by geographic location.3
A Siamese tracker with “dynamic–static” dual-template fusion and dynamic template adaptive update

In recent years, visual tracking algorithms based on Siamese networks have attracted attention for their desirable balance between speed and accuracy. The performance of such tracking methods relies heavily on target templates. Static templates cannot cope with the adverse effects of target appearance change. The dynamic template method, with a template update mechanism, can adapt to the change in target appearance well, but it also causes new problems, which may lead the template to be polluted by noise. Based on the DaSiamRPN and UpdateNet template update networks, a Siamese tracker with “dynamic–static” dual-template fusion and dynamic template adaptive update is proposed in this paper. The new method combines a static template and a dynamic template that is updated in real time for object tracking. An adaptive update strategy was adopted when updating the dynamic template, which can not only help adjust to the changes in the object appearance, but also suppress the adverse effects of noise interference and contamination of the template. The experimental results showed that the robustness and EAO of the proposed method were 23% and 9.0% higher than those of the basic algorithm on the VOT2016 dataset, respectively, and that the precision and success were increased by 0.8 and 0.4% on the OTB100 dataset, respectively. The most comprehensive real-time tracking performance was obtained for the above two large public datasets.
The happy learner: Effects of academic boredom, burnout, and engagement

This study aimed to investigate the impact of demographic and contextual variables on boredom in English and mathematics, and to test structural models of boredom, learner burnout, learner engagement, and life satisfaction. Using a cross-sectional survey design and employing a convenience sampling technique, 544 secondary school learners in the Sedibeng District, Gauteng, South Africa, took part in the study. The participants completed the Achievement Emotions Questionnaire – English, the Achievement Emotions Questionnaire – Mathematics, the Schoolwork Engagement Inventory, the School Burnout Inventory, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Latent variable modeling was used to test measurement and structural models of boredom, burnout, engagement, and life satisfaction. The indirect effects of boredom on life satisfaction were also computed. The results showed that Afrikaans as the home language, the final mark for English in the previous examination, caregivers that cannot help with English homework, and disliking the English teacher predicted boredom in English. Afrikaans as the home language, marks for mathematics in the previous examination, not having the ability to focus on schoolwork at home, and disliking the mathematics teacher predicted boredom in mathematics. Boredom in mathematics and English resulted in an increase in learner burnout and a decrease in learner engagement. Furthermore, boredom in mathematics and English indirectly affected life satisfaction via learner burnout and engagement.
A novel strategy for bioactive natural products targeting NLRP3 inflammasome in Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common type of dementia, is an ageing-related progressive neurodegenerative brain disorder. Extracellular neuritic plaques composed of misfolded amyloid β (Aβ) proteins and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles formed by hyperphosphorylated tau protein are the two classical characteristics of AD. Aβ and tau pathologies induce neurite atrophy and neuronal apoptosis, leading to cognitive, language, and behavioral deficits. For decades, researchers have made great efforts to explore the pathogens and therapeutics of AD; however, its intrinsic mechanism remains unclear and there are still no well-established strategies to restore or even prevent this disease. Therefore, it would be beneficial for the establishment of novel therapeutic strategy to determine the intrinsic molecular mechanism that is interrelated with the initiation and progression of AD. A variety of evidence indicates that neuroinflammation plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of AD. Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) is a key inflammasome sensor of cellular stress and infection that is involved in the innate immune system. In response to a wide range of stimuli like Aβ, NLRP3 assembles apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC) and procaspase-1 into an inflammasome complex to induce the caspase-1 mediated secretion of interleukin (IL)-1β/IL-18 in M1 polarized microglia, triggering the pathophysiological changes and cognitive decline of AD. Therefore, targeting NLRP3 inflammasome seems an efficient path for AD treatment via regulating brain immune microenvironment. Furthermore, accumulating evidence indicates that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) exerts beneficial effects on AD via NLRP3 inflammasome inactivation. In this review, we summarize current reports on the role and activated mechanisms of the NLRP3 inflammasome in the pathogenesis of AD. We also review the natural products for attenuating neuroinflammation by targeting NLRP3 inflammasome activation, which provides useful clues for developing novel AD treatments.
Calcitriol-enhanced autophagy in gingival epithelium attenuates periodontal inflammation in rats with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)-associated periodontitis is a common disease with high prevalence, associated with persistent infection and complicated manifestations. Calcitriol (1 alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, 1,25D) is the active form of vitamin D that plays a protective role in immune regulation, bone metabolism, and inflammatory response. In this study, we constructed a T2DM model in rats by combining a high-fat diet with low-dose streptozotocin. The periodontitis model in rats was developed by ligation and Porphyromonas gingivalis (ATCC 33277) inoculation. Rats were randomly divided into five groups: non-diabetic blank, diabetic blank, diabetes with calcitriol treatment, diabetes with 3-methyladenine (3-MA) treatment, or diabetes with calcitriol and 3-MA treatment. The diabetic rats exhibited an intense inflammatory response and decreased autophagy compared with the non-diabetic rats. Intraperitoneal injection of calcitriol and autophagy inhibitor (3-MA) allowed us to explore the effect of calcitriol on inflammation in the gingival epithelium and the role of autophagy in this process. Treatment with calcitriol resulted in the decreased expression of NFκB-p65, p62/SQSTM1 and inflammatory response and increased expression of LC3-II/LC3-I. Application of 3-MA significantly suppressed autophagy, which was apparently retrieved by calcitriol. Antibacterial peptide (LL-37) is the only antimicrobial peptide in the cathelicidin family that is found in the human body, and it exhibits a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity and regulates the immune system. In the present study, our findings indicated that calcitriol-enhanced autophagy may attenuated periodontitis and the decrease of LL-37 was rescued by calcitriol treatment in the gingival epithelial cells of T2DM rats. Our study provides evidence for the application of calcitriol as an adjunctive treatment for T2DM-associated periodontitis.
Perceptions of COVID-19 among frontline health workers in Burkina Faso

Introduction In Burkina Faso, the first cases of COVID-19 were reported in March 2020. Health personnel are on the front line of COVID-19 control, and it is important to understand their perceptions and knowledge of the disease. The objective was to determine the knowledge and perceptions of healthcare personnel of COVID-19 in the city of Ouagadougou. Method The study was conducted in five plots in the city of Ouagadougou. A total of 20 health workers from public and private health centers in the city of Ouagadougou were selected during May 2020. In-depth individual interviews were conducted, and a thematic analysis was performed using NVIVO. Results and discussion The routes of transmission identified were promiscuity, respiratory tract, and physical contact. Various symptoms have been noted, such as fever, cough, and runny nose. However, they recognize that these symptoms are not sufficient to make a diagnosis of COVID-19. Similarly, the treatments mentioned are modern medicine and phytomedicine. Conclusion The research has generated information on healthcare workers' knowledge and perceptions of COVID-19. Therefore, they are useful for decision-making regarding protective measures for health workers in the management of COVID-19.
PANGeA: PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND NUTRITION FOR GREAT AGEING

The global problem of ageing is one of the most significant issues of modern society. With this issue arise the challenges of searching for healthy ageing criteria, which will enable individuals to enjoy a high quality of life and be independent in their old age. Research has already shown that the process and consequences of ageing have a strong correlation with lifestyle, but the criteria according to which ageing can be seen as healthy have not yet been defined. The Institute of Kinesiology Research of the Science and Research Centre of the University of Primorska decided to explore and study ageing criteria together with local and foreign partners in the Cross-border Cooperation Programme Slovenia – Italy 2007-2013 PANGeA: Physical Activity and Nutrition for Great Ageing. The project partners are now in the process of preparing the measurements for the study of the situation of the older population in the project area. By interpreting the characteristics of healthy and active elderly people, we will try to define the criteria of healthy ageing. The knowledge will then be applied in practice working with target groups with the cooperation of public institutions from participating regions that are active in the field of assuring the quality of life for the older population.
Body water-body weight (Part II)

This article will introduce the reader to the concepts of body weight-body water… two concepts that should be mentally inseparable when planning the hemodialysis procedure. Understanding these concepts in tandem is vital to performing adequate dialysis therapy. Body water is the single most abundant substance in the normal, healthy adult. Thus, body water is the single major component of body Freight in a healthy, normal human. A clear understanding of body weight-body water as they apply to the hemodialysis procedure is essential for all healthcare providers who deal with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. Proper control of body weight-body water are, like dialysis dose, among the primary and most important issues and risk factors that contribute to the morbidity and mortality of ESRD patients. Without knowledge of body weight-body water, the healthcare provider cannot render adequate dialysis care, nor provide good-to-excellent patient survival. In a hemodialysis facility, the four classic vital signs of temperature, pulse, respirations, and blood pressure should be supplemented with the patient's actual weight, both pre-and post-dialysis. This educational article has been especially designed to provide two (2) contact hour (CH) credits for registered nurses (RNs), Patient Care Technicians (PCTs), and other direct-care personnel who are licensed or certified by the Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) of California. Most (not all) American states recognize and accept the California BRN-certified CHs. Thus, most American healthcare personnel can receive CHs-which are applicable for recertification or relicensure-from reading this article and then answering a post-test (see sidebar). There is no charge to receive the CH credits. It is the reader's responsibility to contact his/her state's BRN or its equivalent prior to submitting the post-test for CH credits to determine acceptability by the reader's state agency. Part II of this article will appear in the November 2001 issue of Dialysis & Transplantation.
Bilateral optic neuritis as the presenting symptom of multiple sclerosis

Background: Optic neuritis (ON) is one of the earliest manifestations of multiple sclerosis (MS). The prevalence of bilateral ON (BON) as the presenting symptom is not clear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of BON as the presenting symptom in MS and compare it with unilateral ON (UON). Subjects and Methods: In this study, two groups of definite MS patients according to the McDonald's criteria were enrolled: Thirty patients with BON and fifty persons with UON (selected randomly from all of the UON patients) as the presenting manifestation. The patients' data were collected from the Isfahan MS Society Registry. The SPSS 22 software was used for analysis of the data. P <0.05 considered as significant. Results: Thirty of 3972 MS patients presented with BON. The mean of their ages was 26.00 ± 6.29 in BON and 30.10 ± 8.25 in UON group (P = 0.015). Twenty-five of BON patients were females, and five were males and in the UON group, 42 were females, and eight were males. Expanded disability status scale was 1.83 ± 1.17 in BON and 1.84 ± 1.25 in UON group (P = 0.975). The severities of relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD) (in pluses) were 2.00 ± 0.52 and 1.43 ± 0.72 in two groups, respectively. Conclusions: The prevalence of BON as the presenting symptom was about 0.7%. The patients who presented with BON were younger at the time of diagnosis when they were compared with those who diagnosed with UON and also had a more severe RAPD. BON could be considered as one of the important presenting manifestations of MS.
Der Bundes-Gesundheitssurvey 1997/98

The first German Health Survey, a representative study of the health status of the population in unified Germany, was started in October 1997. In this project which is being carried out by the Robert Koch Institute on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Health about 7,200 study participants aged between 18 and 79 are going through a medical check-up and are interviewed as to health-relevant issues. The German National Health Survey consists of a core survey and supplementary modules. These modules are, for the most part, carried out in subsamples of the study population. They partially have been designed and co-financed by cooperating institutions of the RKI. This time, the opportunity given to the individual Lander to increase the size of the sample was realized by Bavaria. This practised principle of a modular structure and co-financing may be regarded as a model and serve as an example for the cost effective implementation of such extensive health surveys. As a result, the German National Health Examination Survey will yield information enabling the RKI to deliver relevant health reports on a federal level and, therefore, to support decisions in health policy. The demand for representative population-based data will be met by supply of survey data as a file for public use.
The diagnosis of migraine and tension-type headache, then and now.

: Making an accurate headache diagnosis is important, and most medical personnel believe that they can do it properly. Until 1988, the diagnostic schema of the Ad Hoc Committee had been used, but it was found to be vague and too general. The operational criteria proposed by the Classification Committee of the International Headache Society (IHS) and published in Cephalalgia in 1988 are more specific. Their strong and weak points are reviewed and compared with the older criteria. The literature is reviewed with the conclusion that although the IHS criteria are not perfect, they represent a positive step. Further study will help to refine the criteria to make them more accurate and easier to use.
Time of day effect on isokinetic peak torque during knee flexion and extension

BACKGROUND: The effects of circadian rhythms on aerobic exercise have been well documented, but little research has been conducted during isokinetic exercise. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine how isokinetic peak torque of the knee extensors changes throughout the day. METHODS: Twenty-five college-aged recreational athletes (14 females, 11 males) completed one familiarization and three experimental sessions on a Cybex NORM isokinetic dynamometer, with start times of 08:00–09:00, 13:00–14:00, and 18:00– 19:00. Each session began with a five-minute warmup on a cycle ergometer and three sets of four submaximal concentric discrete knee extensions at 60, 180 and 300 ◦ /s, with knee flexion held constant at 300 ◦ /s and a one minute rest between velocity sets. This was followed by four maximal concentric discrete knee extensions with the same parameters as the warmup. Peak torque was recorded for each velocity. Data were analyzed using a two-way 3 (time) × 3 (velocity) repeated measures ANOVA (α 0.05). RESULTS: There were no significant differences in peak torque by time of day at any velocity among females (n = 14), males (n = 11), or the entire group (n = 25). CONCLUSIONS: When measuring knee extension peak torque in these college-aged subjects, time of day was not a factor.