Journal of Mechanics in Medicine and BiologyVol. 22, No. 08, 2202002 (2022) Free AccessPREFACE: A SPECIAL SELECTION ON EMERGING TECHNIQUES FOR BIOMECHANICS–PART IIEsteban Peña Pitarch and Eddie Y. K. NgEsteban Peña PitarchUniversitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Spain and Eddie Y. K. NgNanyang Technological University, Singaporehttps://doi.org/10.1142/S021951942202002XCited by:0 Next This article is part of the issue: A Special Selection on Emerging Techniques for Biomechanics — Part IIGuest Editors: E. P. Pitarch and E. Y. K. Ng AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsRecommend to Librarian ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail Part II of this special section collects the contributions focusing on Emerging Techniques for Biomechanics. It aims to account for excellent and novel research in newly developed technology for biomedical engineering. The details of the accepted 23 papers are as follows:Min-Jeong Kim et al. evaluate the effect of the input image format on the accuracy in deep learning using tagged image file format (TIFF), PNG and JPEG images converted from DICOM images. They propose a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based deep learning model based on the evaluation results. The proposed CNN model exhibits excellent performance in the classification of normal hearts and cardiomegaly on chest X-ray images. It is expected to achieve superior results for the classification of diseases in chest X-ray images.Shunqi Zhang et al. study a signal processing method of magneto-acoustic imaging (MAI) using chirp excitation. The results show that the signal-to-noise ratio of magneto-acoustic signal is improved, and the imaging efficiency is improved comparing with the traditional average processing method under single pulse excitation. When the ultrasonic transducer array is used for detection, combined with other mature medical ultrasound technology, it will be of great help to realize the real-time functional imaging of MAI, to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of magneto-acoustic signal and to promote the clinical application of MAI.Kai Li et al. investigate the effect of two surgical treatment schemes on complex proximal humeral fractures (PHFs). Intramedullary nail fixation and plate internal fixation for complex PHFs have good and comparable outcomes. The results indicate that the proposed methods are suitable for treating complex PHFs. However, in practice, surgeons should select the most appropriate treatment method based on the actual fracture to ensure the best postoperative outcome with the least amount of pain.So-Jung Lee et al. examine whether contact-free bed sensors apply to sleep disorders, especially in individuals with spinal cord injury. They investigate whether their motion characteristics affect heart rate (HR), sleep latency and sleep stage. Sleep-monitoring devices are expected to help improve their quality of life. However, sleep monitoring for individuals with very limited limb movements brings challenges such as inaccurate monitoring values owing to movement restrictions, various bed characteristics and the environment around the bed. Therefore, users should check the strengths and weaknesses of the sensor types.Wonjun Oh et al. research the therapeutic effect of High-frequency diathermy (HFD) in adjusting muscle pain in participants with iliopsoas (IL) tightness. HFD is efficient in decreasing pain, resulting in a significant decrease in both IL and quadratus lumborum (QL) muscle pain. Nevertheless, additional experiments are necessary to measure the lasting effectiveness of HFD on the IL and QL muscles, including muscle tightness reduction and postural movement around the pelvic and lumbar areas. Clinically, this research data provide important insights into pain control when designing therapeutic interventions for participants with IL tightness.Bing-Ru Peng et al. analyze a comprehensive review of applying Taguchi’s optimization methodology to medical facilities in this study. Most of Taguchi’s analyses focus on optimizing the imaging quality for diagnosis. The medical facilities include regular X-ray, cardiac X-ray, CT (computed tomography), CTA (computed tomography angiography), LINAC (medical linear accelerator) or gamma camera scans. The images are all manipulated according to various radiation-induced interactions; thus, the optimization process of imaging resolution can offer an essential contribution to this kind of facility. Adopting dynamic or static analyses in realizing the research tasks to build up a comprehensive concept in applying Taguchi’s methodology to medical facilities in the future are also discussed.Fujun Han et al. propose that the extremely low frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields (ELF-PEMFs) could modulate the myoblasts (C2C12) differentiation by apparent changes in the expression and synthesis of myogenic regulatory factors (MyoD and Myf5), which are indispensable in the transcriptional regulation of myotropic development-specific genes. The results indicate that compared with control group, different intensity of extremely low frequency pulse electromagnetic fields could induce myoblast nuclear fusion, amplify MyoD and Mfy5 expression. The study can pave a way for the development of a non-invasive and effective clinical prevention and treatment strategy in serious disorders like skeletal muscle atrophy.Chong Sun et al. choose biomechanical indicators as the characteristics of the rolling manipulation in this experiment, and the biomechanical data of the rolling manipulation are gathered efficiently using flexible sensors. The ideal combination of parameters for the changes in skin blood flow and skin temperature generated by the rolling manipulation is investigated using the orthogonal experimental design method. To increase the rolling manipulation’s clinical efficacy and further investigate the dose–response mechanism, solid experimental evidence is provided by this study, which can effectively direct the clinical operation of the massage physicians.Jeong-Han Yi et al. demonstrate the differences in cognitive function between parous and nulliparous groups based on the changes observed in the event-related potential (ERP) patterns during 1- and 2-back task performance. The findings in this study show no significant differences in the working memory capacity (accuracy rate and reaction time) and the ERP components, which are closely associated with the working memory capacity, between the two groups. The study examines reactions in the brain and actual behavioral outcomes based on ERP signals, which is a highly reliable bio-indicator. It demonstrates that parous women are as capable and mentally stimulated as nulliparous women biologically.Xinpeng Zhang et al. put forward an inception deconvolutional neural network (ID-Net) for the multi-class classification of early lesions in the retinal fundus images. Experimental results demonstrate that the method obtains the significant performance of multi-class classification and show that the ID-Net can accurately classify early lesions and achieve higher sensitivity and accuracy than the state-of-the-art evaluation on the public database. Most of the early lesions can be accurately classified with few false positives (FPs). The further work aims to improve the capability of feature representation and use more features to distinguish between dark lesions and spots in the background.Jian Fang et al. use knee MR imaging features to quantify the severity of knee injury in patients and analyze the predictive value of knee MR imaging features in their risk of knee replacement with knee arthritis. The resulting models suggest good predictive accuracy and consistency. The drawn nomogram could be used as a useful tool to personalize the prognosis of patients with knee arthritis and guide clinical decisions on knee replacement.Han Qin et al. explore the effect of periostin on autophagy and factors related to bone metabolism in osteoblasts. According to experimental design, some osteoblast-like cells (MC3T3-E1) are transfected by lentiviral vector to silence periostin gene. The results show that periostin may have therapeutic effect in protection of osteoblasts against abnormal replacement of primary teeth caused by excessive inflammation. Future research on periostin in the inflammatory microenvironment during primary teeth replacement offers an optimistic outlook for the treatment of alveolar dynamic equilibrium imbalance.Jung-Hun Kim et al. confirm whether the InceptionV3 model, which shows excellent performance in lung disease classification using chest X-ray images, is suitable for cardiac disease classification. In addition, they propose a method in improving classification accuracy by improving the structure of the existing InceptionV3 model. The results reveal that if the structure of the deep learning algorithm is modified, or optimization studies are conducted after hyperparameter tuning, a deep learning algorithm that is helpful for medical image classification can be developed.Chong Su et al. use a feature fusion-based 3-dimensional convolution neural network (3D-CNN), multi-view convolution neural network (MV-CNN) and 3D point cloud to retrospectively detect abnormal bladder contours among prostate cancer patients. The results show that the proposed recognition method using feature fusion-based MV-CNN can accurately recognize the bladder anomalies, including discontinuity and surface aberrations. This recognition pipeline demonstrates its potential value in radiation therapy. Further work is underway to test the algorithm in larger annotated cancer CT scan datasets, including other critical Region of Interests (ROIs).Yu-Ri Kwon et al. investigate test–retest reliability of center of pressure (COP) variables during static balance performance in elderly adults. Results of this study demonstrate that the COP mean velocity is the most reliable postural sway variable in both two-trials and three-trials. Moreover, balance test of two-trials might be rather effective for elderly adults because the reliability of two-trials is similar to that of three-trials. Findings of this study can be used to develop an optimal protocol of static balance test and select postural balance variables for elderly adults.Zhiwei Zhou et al. research the effects of grinding, polishing, and aging on physical properties using self-made zirconia and commonly used ultra-clear ceramic materials and glass ceramics in the clinic. It also evaluates the excellent properties of the self-made materials by measuring the effects of grinding, polishing and aging on the physical properties of the four materials. The objectives are to provide theoretical support for the choice of all-ceramic materials by clinical practitioners and the change in all-ceramic materials during use after grinding, polishing, and also to promote the development and promotion of dentate zirconia materials in the medical field.Wangyang Li et al. propose a new processing circuit of music electroacupuncture signal using a novel portable music electroacupuncture apparatus based on the Chinese Medical music therapy. As the stimulus signal changes synchronously with the music, the frequency of the stimulus plus signal can be flexibly controlled. Using headphones, a selected synchronous intervention music and electrical stimulation worked synchronously to achieve the therapeutic effect of physical and mental harmony. Experiments and measurements confirm that the stimulation parameters of the proposed electroacupuncture apparatus in this study meet the provisions of relevant standards, and the stimulation output is safe and reliable.Byung Chang Son et al. derive and analyze the static, dynamic, and muscle strength measurement items of amputees in Korea for the design of large-scale agricultural work equipment considering their altered physical characteristics and functions. The data measured for amputees in this study can serve as basic data in designing various equipment, devices, and instruments for amputees. As a follow-up study, it is necessary to provide the basic data for designing agricultural work equipment for all people, including the people with disabilities by expanding the anthropometric measurements of other subtypes of people with physical disabilities.Xinyu Cao et al. propose a coarse-to-fine contour extraction method to resolve the problem of missing vessel wall caused by catheter and vessel branches in coronary optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging. They use the basic network (RSM-Network) to realize coarse contour segmentation, and then the contour extraction results are refined by the attentional class feature (ACF) module. Finally, the contour extraction results are post-processed by the fully connected conditional random field (CRF) module. The experimental results show that compared with other contour segmentation models, the proposed method improves the accuracy of lumen contour extraction. It is lucrative for coronary heart disease diagnosis and treatment.Chanhee Park et al. determine what effects the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has on the cardiopulmonary endurance, HR, and oxygen saturation in children with cerebral palsy (CP) during a 6-min walk test (6MWT). The clinical case series study demonstrates that after the COVID-19 pandemic, the participants with CP have experienced increased HRs and decreased minimal oxygen saturation, cardiopulmonary endurance. Recent advances in communication and information technology allow physical therapists to train and refine individually through remote rehabilitation. Exercise and combining VR remote education can be a way to maintain cardiopulmonary functions that have fallen due to the pandemic.Chuxi Zhang et al. aim to introduce laser scanning in craniomaxillofacial bone surgery, so as to create a new method of navigation accuracy verification and compare the image with the preoperative plan. The experimental results show that relying solely on individual points to depict the operation of the entire bone surface is insufficient in navigation surgery. Laser has emerged as a new method to replace intraoperative CT for intraoperative accuracy calculation, bringing the simulated plane closer to the real bone surface. The point set registration algorithm based on artificial intelligence will be introduced in the future to improve registration accuracy.Ziyuan Xu et al. design wearable care equipment based on the narrow-band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) to assist in applying health-related big data and gain the optimum treatment time for patients with fractures. The test results indicate that the wearable care equipment based on the NB-IoT technique could realize the acquisition, storage, and analysis of the physiological parameters of patients. The wearable equipment has a series of characteristics, including low cost, low power dissipation, stable signal connection, and strong practicability, having a certain practical significance for the consistency of enhancing the health service and assisting the health-related big data development.Xuefei Wang et al. analyze and summarize the rules and relationships between the composition of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions and prescription indications for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Taking the classic Chinese medicine prescriptions for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases as samples, the authors discuss the mining process of prescription rules and the methods and techniques of data preprocessing. The machine learning method is used to construct a mining model of prescription rules based on set relations, and the similarity between prescription is calculated, and the “Mean-Link” clustering algorithm is used for clustering.In general, the special issue is our unremitting endeavor devoted to biological applications of mechanics1,2,8,12,13,17,18,21,22,23,24,25,26 associated with biomedical imaging in diagnosis and therapy.3,4,5,6,7,9,10,11,14,15,16,19,20 We expect this special issue could shed some light to the readers of this journal and help them make more contributions to the correlational research.