Postural Deformities Research Articles

Adversarially trained RTMpose: A high-performance, non-contact method for detecting Genu valgum in adolescents

Genu valgum (GV), a prevalent postural deformity in adolescents, is traditionally diagnosed using methods that are complex, costly, and accompanied by radiation risks. To address these challenges, we evaluated 1,519 Chinese adolescents, collecting GV annotations from three medical professionals to establish a robust dataset. Leveraging these annotations, we developed an end-to-end GV prediction model using RTMpose for body landmark extraction from images. However, a key challenge was the inaccuracy of landmarks, which adversely affects downstream tasks. To mitigate this, we harnessed the parallels between pose estimation biases and adversarial perturbations, implementing adversarial training to bolster model robustness against noisy landmark data. Our model achieved a significant improvement, with an accuracy of 75%, compared to the baseline’s 64.25%. These results underscore the model’s efficacy as a high-performance, non-contact GV detection method and demonstrate the effectiveness of adversarial training in enhancing landmark-related tasks, providing a safer, cost-effective alternative for adolescent GV diagnosis.

Effects of Physical Activity Level and Sedentary Behavior on the Musculoskeletal System in Young Adults

Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between the level of physical activity and sedentary behavior in young adults aged 18-35 and to evaluate the effects of this relationship on musculoskeletal pain, posture, muscle shortness, and trunk muscle endurance. Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, conducted at the Faculty of Health Sciences of a university between March 2018 and August 2018, 219 students were included. Data were obtained by using the case report form which determines the demographic characteristics and sedentary behavior of the students, The International Physical Activity Index - short form, posture analysis form, muscle shortness evaluation form, and trunk muscle endurance evaluation form. Results: In the study, 66.2% of patients were female and 33.8% were male. In the evaluation of physical activity level, the ratio of highly active individuals in males, and inactive and insufficiently active individuals in females was significantly higher (p <0.05). Musculoskeletal pain was significantly higher in inactive and insufficiently active individuals (p<0.001). A negative correlation existed between physical activity level and pain frequency, duration, and scores (p<0.001). There was a positive correlation between trunk endurance tests and physical activity and exercise participation. Non-exercisers showed shortening of lumbar extensor muscles and gastrosoleus, with increased thoracic kyphosis (p<0.05). Daily sitting time correlated positively with elbow, wrist, and knee pain, and lumbar lordosis (p<0.05). Those spending more time at the computer experienced higher levels of head-neck and elbow pain, pain duration, muscle shortness, thoracic kyphosis, shoulder protraction, and anterior head tilt (p<0.05). Conclusion: In young adults, increasing physical activity and reducing daily sitting time are necessary to prevent musculoskeletal pain and reduce postural deformities. Keywords: Musculoskeletal diseases, musculoskeletal pain, physical exertion, posture, sedentary behavior, trunk muscular endurance, young adult.

Gender Differences in the Relationship between Physical Activity, Postural Characteristics and Non-Specific Low Back Pain in Young Adults.

Background/Aim: University students are a particularly vulnerable population, as they spend increasing amounts of time sitting, which poses a major threat to their musculoskeletal health and posture. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate gender differences in the relationships between physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior, spinal curvatures and mobility, the endurance and balance of the trunk muscles, and the possible presence of non-specific low back pain (NS-LBP) in young adults aged 18-25 years. Methods: A total of 139 students completed all required tests. Results: Male students engaged in significantly more PA related to recreation, sports and leisure and were significantly more likely to be hyperkyphotic than female students. The more the male students participated in sports, the more pronounced the thoracic kyphosis. Female students had significantly more pronounced lumbar lordosis and anterior pelvic tilt that correlated with lumbar lordosis. Female students generally had significantly higher trunk extensor endurance and more balanced trunk musculature than males. NS-LBP correlated with PA in female students who generally had higher levels of NS-LBP than male students, with a statistically significant difference between those who practiced the most PA. Conclusions: Our results suggest that female students practice less PA and have pronounced lordosis and trunk extensor endurance, in contrast to males who practice more PA and have pronounced trunk flexor endurance and hyperkyphosis. Our findings suggest that more PA should be encouraged but implemented with caution and as an individualized gender-specific approach to prevent postural deformities and chronic musculoskeletal disorders, including NS-LBP.

The causality between rheumatoid arthritis and postural deformities: bidirectional Mendelian randomization study and mediation analysis.

To better understand the preventive or therapeutic clinical interventions that may be supported by the association between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and postural deformities including hallux valgus, flat foot, and scoliosis, this study was conducted using Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. It aimed to investigate whether RA is causally associated with postural deformities in European populations. Summary-level data on RA and postural deformities were obtained from the IEU OpenGWAS project and Finngen database, respectively. LDSC regression analysis was conducted to assess the genetic correlation between these diseases. The inverse variance weighting (IVW) method was employed as the primary approach for two-sample MR analyses to evaluate causality. Supplementary methods included MR-Egger, maximum likelihood, weighted median, and cML-MA. To test for potential horizontal pleiotropy, we performed the MR-Egger intercept test, cML-MA, and secondary analyses after excluding confounders. Additionally, mediation analyses were conducted using two-step MR. The IVW method revealed RA to be causally associated with hallux valgus (OR 1.132, 95% CI 1.087-1.178, P < 0.001) and flat foot (OR 1.197, 95% CI 1.110-1.291, P < 0.001). Among postural deformities, hallux valgus was causally associated with flat foot (OR 1.823, 95% CI 1.569-2.119, P < 0.001) and scoliosis (OR 1.150, 95% CI 1.027-1.287, P < 0.05). No significant horizontal pleiotropy was detected. Moreover, mediation analyses indicated that hallux valgus mediates the effect of RA on flat foot (mediation effect 0.024, 95% CI 0.005-0.044, P < 0.05), with a mediation proportion of 41.31%. These findings indicate a potential causal association between genetically predicted RA and both hallux valgus and flat foot. Furthermore, hallux valgus serves as a mediator in the pathway from RA to flat foot. This underscores the importance of early screening and preventive treatment of foot deformities in RA patients. Further research is necessary to determine the applicability of these findings in non-European populations.

The relationship between static and dynamic postural deformities with pain and quality of life in non-athletic women

BackgroundThe assessment of the postural condition with functional tests are used with the least facilities in the shortest time, for a wide the range of movements for different parts of the body. Both static and dynamic posture measurements are predictive of injury. These two assessments provide different information regarding posture control. Also, with the advancement of this technology, the speed of posture assessment and deformity diagnosis can be increased and done with the minimum facilities. This can signal a new method for the quick diagnosis of abnormalities and ultimately prevent or correct psychological effects and musculoskeletal pain in the future. Because as seen according to the citations, abnormalities cause musculoskeletal pains, movement restrictions and ultimately affect the quality of life.MethodsThe current research is of the applied and semi-experimental type, and in terms of the results it is of the relational and correlational type. In this research, 148 non-Athletic women from Fardis City participated, in which the results obtained from the static evaluation was analyzed by the Posture Screen application after taking photos from four directions using a smartphone, and also the dynamic evaluation was identified and analyzed by the researcher using the overhead squat test of compensatory movements, with the data that from Cornell pain and quality of life SF-36 questionnaires was. Data description and correlation between variables were done with the η coefficient method.ResultsAccording to the findings there is a positive and significant correlation between the prevalence of uneven pelvic deformity and the amount of pain in non-athletic women (P = 0.036, η (148) = 0.17). In other words, pain increased significantly when the pelvis was changed from a normal position to a lateral deviation position. Also, there is a negative and significant relationship between the prevalence of deformity of knee movement, back arch, straight back, heel lift and the quality of life in non-athletic women (P = 0.020, η (148) = 0.19).ConclusionsAccording to the results, deformities have an effect on pain and the frequency of pain, on the other hand, in the present study, dynamic evaluations showed deformities more accurately than static evaluations.

Surface electromyographic analysis of the bilateral abdomen and back muscle during selected yoga posture

Sedentary lifestyles lead to postural deformities, Lower Back Pain(LBP) and Colorectal cancer(CRC). Practicing Yoga attains definite strength in muscles by activating muscle fibers. The Yoga poses analyzed are often used in strengthening and stability programs for the abdomen and back muscles. ObjectiveTo determine the potential use of Dolphin pose and Dolphin plank in specific strengthening endurance and rehabilitation programs via sEMG analysis in the selected bilateral abdomen and lower back muscles. MethodsSurface electromyographic analysis was conducted on bilateral muscles, including the Rectus Abdominis(RA), External oblique(EO), Internal oblique(IO), and Erector Spinae(ES), resulting in Dolphin pose(DS), Dolphin plank(DP), and High plank(HP). Data were expressed by Root Mean Square(RMS) of each bilateral muscle during each Pose normalized as 100% of maximum voluntary isometric contraction(MVIC). ResultsDolphin plank(DP) generated a very high-level muscle activation than 100% MVIC in all bilateral muscles, and there was a significant main effect of Pose e (p < 0.001). Erector spinae generated more activation in the Dolphin pose (p < 0.05) than in the HP and DS. No significant difference between bilateral activity differences in DP and DS. There was a significant difference between RRA and LRA (p < 0.001) and RIO and LIO (p < 0.0001). ConclusionFindings have suggested that the Dolphin plank could be used for abdomen strengthening, performance enhancement, and rehabilitation programs. Dolphin pose may benefit lower back stability by providing endurance to the Erector spinae muscle. So, this yoga pose can be incorporated into the yoga training module for addressing lower back pain(LBP) caused by longer sitting in a sedentary lifestyle.

MPPD: A User-Friendly Posture Deformation Program for Mesh-Type Computational Phantoms.

Recently, the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) released adult Mesh-type Reference Computational Phantoms (MRCPs), which have great advantage in high deformability. Previous studies have exploited their high deformability to investigate the dosimetric influence of varying statures and postures, demonstrating significant variations in radiation doses. However, the previous studies are constrained by their inability to consider both stature and posture concurrently and by the limited range of postures analyzed. In the present study, a computer program named MPPD (Mesh-type Phantom Posture Deformer) was developed, a user-friendly graphical user interface that enables users to adjust the posture of adult MRCPs and corresponding library phantoms. The MPPD program was applied to deform five adult male phantoms of different statures into sitting and kneeling postures, showcasing its rapid computational speed and minimal RAM usage. The effectiveness of the MPPD program for dose calculation was also investigated by computing the detriment-weighted doses for MPPD-deformed adult male MRCPs, which showed good agreement with dose values for existing posture-deformed phantoms of the previous study. Furthermore, as an application of the MPPD program, the combined dosimetric impact of stature and posture was investigated, which is the inaugural effort to estimate doses by considering these factors concurrently. The result showed that the impact of stature and posture on radiation doses could largely vary depending on the radiation source, highlighting the importance of simultaneous consideration of stature and posture for accurate dose estimation.

The effect of the Pisa syndrome on balance and gait in Parkinson’s disease: a comparative study

INTRODUCTION. Pisa syndrome is a postural deformity that can lead to impaired posture control and balance in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), which increases the risk of injury and reduces the quality of life. AIM. To study the effect of the Pisa syndrome on postural control, balance and gait of patients with Parkinson’s disease. HYPOTHESIS. It is assumed that patients with PD with the Pisa syndrome will have specific features of postural control and balance, which must be taken into account when developing rehabilitation technologies for correcting postural disorders. MATERIALS AND METHODS. As part of the comparative study, 30 people of both sexes were examined, all study participants received levodopa drugs in an individual dosage selected by a neurologist-parkinsonologist. The subjects were divided into 2 groups of 15 people each according to the principle of the presence of the Pisa syndrome and its absence. Criteria for inclusion in the groups: voluntary informed consent of persons with PD for the study; age from 45–80 years, stage 2–4 of Hoehn-Yahr Parkinson’s disease, absence of other diseases and gross cognitive impairment. The diagnosis was carried out using the COBS Physiomed stabilometry system and the EQ-5D-3L questionnaire, a diary of falls and a dynamic gait index (DGI). The reliability of the differences was determined by the Mann-Whitney U-test. Data processing was carried out using the Statistica 10 program. RESULTS. Significant differences were revealed in the parameter of the coordination index of the Standing Balance test for the right leg and on the EQ-5D-3L scale at a significance level of p 0.05, in the group of people with PD without the Pisa syndrome, the quality of life was significantly higher, the number of falls was significantly higher in the group of people suffering from PD with the Pisa syndrome towers. DISCUSSION. Walking with a change of direction and multitasking is the most significant problem for people with PD with the Pisa syndrome, the differences between the groups are significant at a significance level of p 0.01. CONCLUSION. Patients with PD and Pisa syndrome have altered gait associated with body tilt forward, instability and decreased balance control.

Effectiveness of Three-Dimensional Myofascial Release on Lumbar Lordosis in Individuals with Asymptomatic Hyperlordosis: A Placebo Randomized Controlled Trial.

Lumbar hyperlordosis is the most prevalent musculoskeletal postural deformity. Maintenance of normal limits of lumbar lordosis is necessary for obtaining an ideal posture. Literature suggests that poor posture results in fascial restriction in which the fascia reorganizes in response to tension. Gross myofascial release (MFR) combined with posterior pelvic tilting exercises proved to be beneficial in improving the lumbar range of motion. Three-dimensional (3D) MFR is a novel approach toward reducing fascial restrictions. However, the literature determining the effects of 3D MFR is still emerging. To determine the effect of 3D MFR on a lumbar lordosis angle and lumbar range of motion, in individuals with asymptomatic hyperlordosis. Participants (n = 30) with hyperlordosis were randomly assigned to either the experimental group receiving 3D MFR (n = 15) or the control group (n = 15) that received sham 3D MFR for six sessions (3 alternate days for 2 weeks). The outcomes were assessed at day 1 and day 6. Lumbar range of motion was assessed using modified-modified Schober's test and the lumbar lordosis angle was measured using x-ray and flexicurve. There was significant decrease (p = 0.0001) in the lumbar lordosis angle, increase in the lumbar flexion (p = 0.0001), and decrease in the extension (p = 0.0011) range of motion in the experimental group when compared to the control group. Lumbar lordosis decreased and the lumbar range of motion increased in the experimental group only with 3D MFR and not with sham 3D MFR. Hence, 3D MFR is an effective method in the correction of lumbar hyperlordosis and improving the lumbar range.Clinical Trial Registry of India (CTRI) trial number CTRI/2023/03/050340.

Assessing the reliability of a computer-vision tool for curing postural deformities

Postural deformities, such as rounded shoulders, kyphosis, and lordosis, are a prevalent issue affecting individuals of all ages. These deformities can lead to pain, discomfort, and reduced mobility, significantly impacting one's quality of life. Traditional methods for addressing postural deformities include physiotherapy, exercise, and postural braces, which can be time-consuming, expensive, and difficult to adhere to. To solve these problems computer vision technology has emerged as a promising tool for evaluating and correcting postural deformities. Computer vision algorithms can analyze images and videos of an individual's posture, identifying postural abnormalities and providing real-time feedback. The fusion of computer vision technology with AI-driven analytics not only revolutionizes postural correction methodologies but also paves the way for comprehensive, accessible, and efficient solutions to address the spectrum of postural deformities. As this technology continues to evolve, it holds immense potential in reshaping the landscape of posture-related healthcare, offering tailored, accessible, and effective interventions to enhance individuals' postural well-being. Keywords: Postural deformities, AI-driven analytics, Computer vision technology, Dashboard

Physiotherapeutic Scoliosis-Specific Exercise for the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

To compare the rehabilitative efficacy of different physiotherapy scoliosis-specific exercises (PSSE) for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) using a network meta-analysis. PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EMBASE, VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and Wan Fang Data were searched until October 2023. Meta-analysis and network meta-analysis were conducted using RevMan 5.4 and R4.3.1. This study follows the PRISMA statement and was registered on the PROSPERO platform (No. CRD42022379206). Seventeen RCTs involving 857 patients were included. The meta-analysis showed that PSSE therapy improved Cobb's angle than conventional rehabilitation therapy (standardized mean difference [SMD] = -0.7; 95% confidence interval [CI] = -0.95, -0.44; p = 0.001), angle of trunk rotation (ATR; SMD = -1.05; 95% CI = -1.52, -0.58; p < 0.001), and quality of life (QoL; SMD = 0.61; 95% CI = 0.16, 1.07; p < 0.001). Network meta-analysis showed that Schroth + Scientific Exercise Approach to Scoliosis (SEAS) was the most effective in improving Cobb angle and ATR, while Schroth alone was most effective in improving the QoL. The combination of Schroth and SEAS improved the body posture and trunk deformity in patients with AIS, while Schroth alone improved the QoL. The effectiveness of combining different PSSE techniques supports future evidence-based research on AIS treatment.

Early Screening for the Parkinson Variant of Multiple System Atrophy: A 6-Item Score.

A 4-item score based on ≥2 features out of orthostatic hypotension, overactive bladder, urinary retention and postural instability was previously shown to early distinguish the Parkinson-variant of multiple system atrophy (MSA-P)from Parkinson's disease (PD) with 78% sensitivity and 86% specificity. To replicate and improve the 4-item MSA-P score. We retrospectively studied 161 patients with early parkinsonism [ie, ≤2 years disease duration or no postural instability, aged 64 (57; 68) years, 44% females] and a diagnosis of clinically established MSA-P (n = 38) or PD (n = 123) after ≥24 months follow-up. The 4-item MSA-P score had a 92% sensitivity and 78% specificity for a final MSA-P diagnosis. By including dopaminergic responsiveness and postural deformities into a 6-item score (range: 0-6), reaching ≥3 points at early disease identified MSA-P patients with 89% sensitivity and 98% specificity. The 6-item MSA-P score is a cost-effective tool to pinpoint individuals with early-stage MSA-P.

369 Camptocormia in Parkinsons Disease: Systematic Review of Management Using Spine Surgery

INTRODUCTION: Postural instability or deformity manifests in a variety of ways for a Parkinson's disease (PD) patient, including the classical stooped posture, as well as antecollis, pisa syndrome, degenerative scoliosis, and a debilitating forward flexion of the trunk termed camptocormia. Camptocormia was first described in the midst of World War 1, where young soldiers were found to have a non-fixed forward-bent trunk attributed to the stress of battle. METHODS: PubMed was queried for studies involving spine surgery as treatment of PD-associated camptocormia. Studies that described nonsurgical management, deep brain stimulation (DBS), repetitive tran-spinal magnetic stimulation (rTSMS), or were descriptive in nature were excluded. RESULTS: The screening process resulted in 5 studies that reported on the use of spine surgery in PD-associated camptocormia. The total number of patients was 19, 12 of which experienced hardware failure warranting revision surgery (63.1%). Clinical and radiologic improvement was inconsistent. Patient outcomes were ultimately satisfactory, only after high reoperation and complication rates. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence for the feasibility of spine surgery as management for PD-associated camptocormia is lacking in the literature. In this particular patient population, these procedures carry a high risk of complications and subsequent revision operations, which may negatively affect long-term quality of life. In the absence of or resistance to conservative management, DBS, or rTSMS, spine surgery may be the only option for some patients. Continued investigation via longitudinal and large-scale studies is crucial in order to provide definitive recommendations and treatment algorithms for providers to adhere to.

Congenital muscular torticollis

Torticollis is a clinical condition in which there are head tilt on the affected side and chin lift toward the contralateral side. Congenital muscular torticollis is the second most common cause of congenital musculoskeletal deformities. Torticollis is one of the most common causes of postural deformity. Congenital muscular torticollis is the most common cause of torticollis, others being nonmuscular causes. The incidence of congenital muscular torticollis is ranging from 0.2% to 3%. We report a 3-year-old female child with muscular torticollis with facial asymmetry. The child was investigated. Computed tomography was normal. The child was treated with sternocleidomastoid release. In this case, we emphasize the importance of early diagnosis and early intervention.

Nonvascularized Bone Grafting for Scaphoid Nonunion

Abstract Background Surgical management of scaphoid nonunions requires not only stable fixation but restoration of carpal alignment and reconstruction of bone defects. The latter can be done with either vascularized or non-vascularized bone grafts, depending largely on surgeon preference. Materials and Methods This article describes the use of non-vascularized bone grafts for scaphoid nonunions and examines reported outcomes. We also describe the senior author's preferred surgical treatment, the hybrid Russe procedure. Description of Technique The hybrid Russe procedure utilizes a corticocancellous strut from the volar aspect of the distal radius to restore anatomy in scaphoid nonunions with flexion deformities. Once the alignment of the scaphoid and associated lunate postural deformities are corrected, fixation then proceeds with a headless compression screw. This combination resulted in healing of 17 scaphoid fracture nonunions at an average time of 15 weeks. Conclusions The literature does not demonstrate a difference in union rates when comparing the use of vascularized and non-vascularized grafts for scaphoid nonunions. When the proximal pole of the scaphoid can be salvaged, the choice of fixation is left to the surgeon's discretion.

Prevalence of Postural Deformities Among School Going Children in Rural Areas Due To School Furniture: A Cross-Sectional Study

Posture is an upright position that is generally kept against gravity. Body posture is influenced by many factors including general health, musculoskeletal alignment, body endurance, muscle strength, weight, height, fatigue, state of mind, and age etc. The perfect collaboration between segments of the body is called good posture. The imperfect collaboration between segments of the body is called bad posture. Abnormal body posture can cause various musculoskeletal disorders along with headache, fatigue, cervical and lumber pain. The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in school going children can be reduced by macro and micro ergonomic approach such as postural awareness, furniture design and bag pack loads carriage. School pupils sit for many of their classroom lessons and adopt different postures. An inappropriate body posture can destroy a student’s interest, even during the most stimulating lecture. School children attend schools for a considerable amount of time, 6 h a day on average. They spend the largest part of their time at school performing different related activities, which lead them to be seated on their seats constantly for a long time. Classroom furniture is usually not designed to accommodate the dimensions of the individual user. Considering that school is an ideal setting for the acquisition of healthy habits that can continue into adulthood, it is necessary to implement actions to identify ideal school furniture dimensions.

Comparative Effects of Hold Relax with Agonist Contraction and Active Release Therapy on Pain, Functional Disability, and Sleep Quality in Piriformis Syndrome

Background: Piriformis syndrome is characterized by pain, numbness, and tingling from the hip down to the leg. It develops from a variety of contributing factors. Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the effects of active release therapy (ART) and hold relax with agonist contraction (HRAC) on pain, functional disability, and sleep quality in patients with piriformis syndrome. Material and Methods: This study was conducted from March 2022 to November 2022. A total of 82 participants of both genders, 25 to 55 years of age, diagnosed with piriformis syndrome were involved in the study. Those with a history of fracture of the pelvis or hip, disc disease, or postural deformity were excluded. Participants were assigned into two groups; HRAC and ART with routine physical therapy. Outcome measures were pain, functional disability, and sleep quality measured by the Numeric Pain Rating Scale, Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire, and Chronic Pain Sleep Inventory respectively. Assessment was made at baseline, at the end of 1st and 2nd week. Mann-Whitney Test was used for between-group analysis and Friedman’s ANOVA was computed for within-group differences. Results: Between-groups analysis showed a statistically significant difference in pain score (P ≤ 0.05), but no significant difference was found between both techniques regarding functional disability and sleep quality (P ≥ 0.05). However, the within-group analysis showed statistically significant results in all outcome measures (P&lt;0.05). Conclusion: ART was more effective in decreasing pain. Whereas, both techniques had equal effects in enhancing sleep quality and reducing functional disability among patients with piriformis syndrome.

Torsobarography: Intra-Observer Reliability Study of a Novel Posture Analysis Based on Pressure Distribution.

Postural deformities often manifest themselves in a sagittal imbalance and an asymmetric morphology of the torso. As a novel topographic method, torsobarography assesses the morphology of the back by analysing pressure distribution along the torso in a lying position. At torsobarography's core is a capacitive pressure sensor array. To evaluate its feasibility as a diagnostic tool, the reproducibility of the system and extracted anatomical associated parameters were evaluated on 40 subjects. Landmarks and reference distances were identified within the pressure images. The examined parameters describe the shape of the spine, various structures of the trunk symmetry, such as the scapulae, and the pelvic posture. The results showed that the localisation of the different structures performs with a good (ICC > 0.75) to excellent (ICC > 0.90) reliability. In particular, parameters for approximating the sagittal spine shape were reliably reproduced (ICC > 0.83). Lower reliability was observed for asymmetry parameters, which can be related to the low variability within the subject group. Nonetheless, the reliability levels of selected parameters are comparable to commercial systems. This study demonstrates the substantial potential of torsobarography at its current stage for reliable posture analysis and may pave the way as an early detection system for postural deformities.

Use of Internet and Its Influence on Health: A Study on the Postgraduate Students of Assam University Article Sidebar

In recent years, the usage of the Internet has increased dramatically among young adults. As Internet use is mostly a sedentary activity, spending too much time on internet may lead to a range of health issues such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, postural deformity and eye problems. The present study conducted on 592 postgraduate students of Assam University Silchar aims to find out the influence of internet use on the physical health of the respondents. The objectives of the study are to find the extent of internet use among the respondents, to study the awareness of the respondents about the physical health issues associated with the use of smartphones and internet, and to explore the relationship between the extent of internet use and their self-reported physical health problems. A mixed method approach has been adopted to realize the objectives of the present study. The result indicates that most of the respondents are moderate users of internet. Also, most of the respondents are aware of the health problems associated with the use of smartphones and internet. There is a significant relationship between the extent of internet use and the frequency of occurrence of the self-reported physical health problems of the respondents.

KL-DNAS: Knowledge Distillation-Based Latency Aware-Differentiable Architecture Search for Video Motion Magnification.

Video motion magnification is the task of making subtle minute motions visible. Many times subtle motion occurs while being invisible to the naked eye, e.g., slight deformations in muscles of an athlete, small vibrations in the objects, microexpression, and chest movement while breathing. Magnification of such small motions has resulted in various applications like posture deformities detection, microexpression recognition, and studying the structural properties. State-of-the-art (SOTA) methods have fixed computational complexity, which makes them less suitable for applications requiring different time constraints, e.g., real-time respiratory rate measurement and microexpression classification. To solve this problem, we propose a knowledge distillation-based latency aware-differentiable architecture search (KL-DNAS) method for video motion magnification. To reduce memory requirements and to improve denoising characteristics, we use a teacher network to search the network by parts using knowledge distillation (KD). Furthermore, search among different receptive fields and multifeature connections are applied for individual layers. Also, a novel latency loss is proposed to jointly optimize the target latency constraint and output quality. We are able to find 2.8 × smaller model than the SOTA method and better motion magnification with lesser distortions. https://github.com/jasdeep-singh-007/KL-DNAS.