Volunteer Subjects Research Articles

Caracterización de la identidad digital en estudiantes chilenos de ciencias de la salud. Un estudio de caso según género

The fingerprints left by participating in a highly digitized and hyper-connected world accompany individuals throughout their lives and are constitutive elements of their digital identity. This descriptive, non-experimental, cross-sectional case study based on the quantitative paradigm aims to describe the physical self in digital media, according to gender under its binary conceptualization of man and woman, in order to identify stereotypical gender behaviors that should be considered in the training process in students of the Chilean Health Sciences area. From the perspective of the participants, this research considered a non-probabilistic sample of 224 university students (164 women and 60 men) who participated voluntarily. Nonparametric tests were used since the data is ordinal and one of the advantages of these tests is that they should not fit any distribution and can be applied even if the parametric validity conditions are not met. To look for differences by gender, the Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon U test was applied (95 %; .05). Among the relevant results is the fact that men preferably use the internet connection available at home, women choose the one provided by their cell phone (p = .0469 and p = .0404, respectively). Likewise, the cellphone is the main technological device from which both prefer to access the network. From the sample, 79.88 % of women and 76.67 % of men state that they are, at least, 3 hours a day connected to the network. Women tend to identify themselves on digital platforms more frequently than men, using their real name and surname. Meanwhile, men tend to use nicknames more often than women. In this research it was concluded that students in the Health Sciences area are highly truthful in relation to the information they share in digital media, leaving data available that allows for a clear identification of their physical self on the internet. In addition, their main means of connection are their cellphones and the data networks that they provide through the use of their phone plans. There is a clear reflection of correspondence between their face-to-face and digital life, maintaining certain behaviors that can be attributed to gender stereotypes, but to a low degree. Finally, there is a clear need to include aspects related to digital competences in the training process that address the importance and proper management of communications in digital media, as well as the development and management of digital identity from a professional ethics perspective, since their actions on the network can involve and affect not only the construction of their own personal and professional digital identity, but also the personal lives of their patients and colleagues. It is important to note that these conclusions have some limitations, since this research is a cross-sectional study, and the sample was intentional per volunteer subject and not random. This implies that the results obtained are limited to the sample studied and describe its behavior at a given time. However, according to the purpose of the study, this type of sample manages to build a theoretical body that describes the common elements and the differences inherent in a collective case study, so it can be considered a good approximation to the Chilean reality. From a practical point of view, the conclusions of this research provide higher education institutions with evidence that allows progress towards a comprehensive, solid, and coherent training regarding the digital skills required by a university professional graduating in a highly digitized world. Considering the above, it would be advisable to advance in future studies that consider knowing what digital protection measures are incorporated in the training of university students. https://doi.org/10.16888/interd.2023.40.1.19

STUDIES ON LIPID PROFILE AND LEVELS OF SOME SEX HORMONES IN SUBJECTS WITH PROSTATE CANCER

Studies on lipid profile and levels of some sex hormones in subjects with prostate cancer were evaluated using standard methods. Two hundred volunteer subjects were recruited for the study. Results obtained for lipid profile showed significant (p<0.05) increase in levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL-cholesterol in test subjects when compared to control subjects. Levels of testosterone and prolactin were insignificantly (p>0.05) affected in test subjects against the control subjects. When the indices were considered along age groups A and B of this study, younger adult males between the age group of 40-58 years had increased cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL-cholesterol while levels of prostate-specific antigen and sex hormone binding globulin were significantly higher in group B when compared to group A. These could be how they vary with respect to prostate cancer situation. This study has evaluated the lipid profile and levels of some sex hormones in subjects with prostate cancer.

Influence of emotion on precision grip force control: A comparison of pleasant and neutral emotion.

The present study aimed to investigate the impact of emotion on force steadiness of isometric precision pinch grip that is not direction-specific. Thirty-two healthy volunteer subjects participated in the present study. Subjects were divided into two experimental groups: pleasant image group and neutral image group. The isometric precision pinch grip task was performed for three times. Specifically, the first task was performed before pleasant or neutral picture viewing, the second task was performed immediately after picture viewing, further the third task was performed 30 seconds after the second task. During the isometric precision pinch grip task, participants were asked to exert pinch grip force at 10% of maximal voluntary contraction with visual feedback. The coefficient of variation of force production and normalized root mean square value of electromyography activity were calculated. After pleasant picture viewing, coefficient of variation of pinch force production and normalized root mean square value of electromyography was decreased. While, in the neutral image condition, theses variables were not altered. More important, compared to the neutral image condition, pleasant emotion led to lower coefficient of variation of pinch grip force production. These findings indicate that pleasant emotion improves force control of isometric precision pinch grip. Therefore, in clinical settings, the emotional state of patients may affect the effectiveness of rehabilitation and should be taken into consideration.

Results From a Multiple Ascending Dose Study in Healthy Volunteers of ACD856, a Positive Modulator of Neurotrophin Trk‐Receptors

AbstractBackgroundACD856 is a novel positive allosteric modulator of Trk‐receptors in clinical development for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and other disorders where cognition is impaired. The aim of this study was to assess the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of multiple ascending doses of ACD856.Method24 healthy volunteer subjects were administered ACD856 or placebo as a daily oral solution over 7 days in 3 cohorts of stepwise ascending doses. After each dose, the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of ACD856 were assessed by an internal Safety Review Committee to decide on the escalation of dose to the next cohort.ResultThere were no clinically significant changes from baseline in mean ECG, vital signs, physical examination findings, clinical chemistry, haematology, coagulation, or urinalysis parameters after receiving the 7 daily doses of ACD856. Occasional individual abnormal laboratory values were observed but all were assessed as not clinically significant. Most of the reported adverse events were of mild intensity, only a few were of moderate intensity and none of severe intensity. No serious adverse events were reported.The pharmacokinetic data confirmed the findings from the previously performed single ascending dose (SAD) study, including that ACD856 has a rapid absorption, long half‐life, high bioavailability, and a linear dose‐dependent exposure. The Cmax at steady state was approximately 1.6‐fold higher than the initial dose administration and no time‐dependent clearance was observed. Moreover, initial CSF data confirms CNS exposure of ACD856. Further PK, CSF and pharmacodynamic data will be shown at the time of presentation.ConclusionACD856 was shown to be safe and well tolerated in man at the tested dose levels and with a suitable pharmacokinetic profile for further clinical development. In the next step, ACD856 will be evaluated in a phase Ib study with the aim to further assess pharmacodynamic effects.

Breathing Pattern Monitoring by Using Remote Sensors.

The ability to continuously and unobtrusively monitor and classify breathing patterns can be very valuable for automated health assessments because respiration is tightly coupled to many physiological processes. Pathophysiological changes in these processes often manifest in altered breathing patterns and can thus be immediately detected. In order to develop a breathing pattern monitoring system, a study was conducted in which volunteer subjects were asked to breathe according to a predefined breathing protocol containing multiple breathing patterns while being recorded with color and thermal cameras. The recordings were used to develop and compare several respiratory signal extraction algorithms. An algorithm for the robust extraction of multiple respiratory features was developed and evaluated, capable of differentiating a wide range of respiratory patterns. These features were used to train a one vs. one multiclass support vector machine, which can distinguish between breathing patterns with an accuracy of 95.79 %. The recorded dataset was published to enable further improvement of contactless breathing pattern classification, especially for complex breathing patterns.

Distribution of ABO and Rhesus Types in the Northern Asir Region in Saudi Arabia.

The ABO blood group system is used to denote the presence of one, both, or neither of the A and B antigens on erythrocytes. In humans, this is the most important of the 43 different blood type (or group) classification systems currently recognized. Distribution of ABO and Rh among the Saudi population could affect many factors such as blood transfusion, prognosis, resistance and susceptibility to diseases. The impetus of this study was to develop an understanding of the distribution of the ABO and Rh types of healthy volunteer blood donors in the northern Asir region of Saudi Arabia, comparing the findings to similar studies. Understanding the frequency of different blood types in different populations is imperative. This study was performed during the period of January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2020, using samples from 4167 voluntary subjects obtained from the blood bank of the King Abdullah Hospital, Bisha. Commercially provided anti-A, anti-B and anti-D antibodies were used for the standard blood grouping procedure. The findings in this study showed that O was the most prominent ABO blood group, whereas AB was the least so. The frequency of the blood type A was the second highest, followed by the blood group B, whereas Rh positivity was more common than Rh negativity. O+ > A+ > B+ > O-> AB+> A-> B- > AB- was found to be the order of blood group frequency in the current study.

Estimation of blood and urine levels of eight metals and essential trace elements collected from living Subjects compared to urine, cardiac and femoral postmortem blood, and other postmortem samples: A forensic toxicology study

Along with the regular toxicology testing, different samples collected during the autopsy might be subjected to metal level estimation to investigate the cause of death in some cases. Utilizing a scientific procedure on postmortem specimens is crucial for interpreting forensic toxicological analytical results. Even modest procedural errors made by incompetent forensic toxicologists and chemists who lack proper specialized training and knowledge can alter the scientific conclusions and hence the legal verdict.The current work studies an overview of eight metals and element levels in living and deceased human bodies. It could be a substantial contribution to establishing normal or so-called "reference" metal levels under antemortem and postmortem situations, hence aiding in identifying reliable future interpretations of results produced by numerous researchers in the same field. Aim of the workThe current work aimed to study the concentration of eight metals in the blood samples (cardiac and femoral), urine, and other samples (Spleen, liver, and renal tissues) collected from human cadavers at different postmortem intervals in addition to blood and urine samples collected from the living population as a contribution to establishing normal or so-called "reference" metal levels under antemortem and postmortem situations. Subjects and methodsPostmortem autopsy blood samples (cardiac and femoral), urine, and other samples (Spleen, liver, and renal tissues) were collected from 400 deceased subjects. These samples were analyzed for the estimation of the eight metals under research, namely, Arsenic (As), Selenium (Se), Silver (Ag), Cadmium (Cd), Antimony (Sb), Mercury (Hg), Zinc (Zn) and Lead (Pb). In addition, blood and urine samples from 400 living volunteer subjects were analyzed for the same eight elements under study. ResultsIn the postmortem group, the mean metal levels in cases with absent, early, and advanced putrefaction simultaneously in μg/L were 2.45 ± 3.30, 3.25 ± 5.18, and 3.81 ± 1.95 for As. For Se, the results were 10.74 ± 4.21, 10.54 ± 5.28, and 9.96 ± 4.14. 4.04 ± 1.74, 3.48 ± 1.32, and 3.74 ± 0.91 were the results for Ag. For Cd, they were 8.35 ± 3.91, 12.15 ± 3.05, and 24.51 ± 31.25 with P < 0.0001**. 1.48 ± 1.85, 1.61 ± 1.85, and 1.62 ± 1.74 were the same results for Sb; 6.07 ± 2.44, 5.22 ± 2.17, and 5.39 ± 1.82 for Hg. 395 ± 79.8, 553 ± 51.7, and 704 ± 97.2 for Zn with a P-value <0.005*. As for lead, the results were 15.61 ± 24.19, 14.76 ± 23.05, and 24.61 ± 52.72. As the postmortem interval increased, Cd and Zn levels increased (p < 0.0001, <0.005* simultaneously).

Brucellar Spondylitis causes Alteration in Serum protein and Electrophoretic pattern

Background and Objectives: The frequency of Brucellosis is expanding in the Middle East particularly in Iraq. Spondylitis is the most incessant difficulty, yet it is hard to analyze in light of the fact that its clinical side effects are vague. The cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate abnormal serum protein electrophoresis patience living with brucellar spondylitis and it is related to the disease. This study shares out the distribution of protein pattern in Brucellar spondylitis patients. Methods: The current study included a total number of 40 voluntary subjects covers of 25 cases and 15 controls. Total serum protein was determined using the biuret method, serum albumin was determined using bromocresol green method, Serum protein electrophoresis was determined using SAS-MX serum protein gel. Results: Total proteins, Alpha 1 Globulin, and Gamma Globulin were significantly increased in Brucellar spondylitis when compared to controls. Ratio Albumin/Gamma was significantly decreased in Brucellar spondylitis compared to control. Albumin, Alpha 2 Globulin, and Beta Globulin did not appear significant difference. According to the multivariable regression analysis the level of Alpha 1 Globulin was highly related to total protein in Brucellar spondylitis. The cluster analysis showed that the investigated parameters organized into four clusters in the serum of patients with Brucellar spondylitis. Conclusion: we conclude that Total proteins, Alpha 1 Globulin, and Gamma Globulin have altered in patients Brucellar spondylitis when compared to control, Also Alpha 1 Globulin was associated with total protein in the studied cases.

Salivary Exosomal MicroRNA-486-5p and MicroRNA-10b-5p in Oral and Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Background and Objectives: The research aimed at evaluating the capacity of salivary exosomal miR-10b-5p and miR-486-5p for oral and oropharyngeal cancer detection. Materials and Methods: The saliva samples were harvested from histopathological diagnosed oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma patients and healthy volunteer subjects. The exosomes were isolated by differential ultracentrifugation and quantified by Nano Track Analysis. The microRNAs were extracted and quantified from salivary exosomes by quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction. Results: This research comprised fifty participants. When compared to healthy controls, salivary exosomal miR-486-5p was elevated and miR-10b-5p was reduced in oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Moreover, miR-486-5p had a high expression level in stage II of cancer in comparison to the other cancer stages. The cancer samples presented an increased exosome dimension compared to the control samples. Conclusions: Salivary exosomal miR-10b-5p and miR-486-5p have an altered expression in oral and oropharyngeal cancer.

Tiredness, depression, and sleep disorders in frontline healthcare workers during COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam: A field hospital study.

The COVID-19 outbreak witnessed in the autumn of 2021 led to unprecedented changes in healthcare systems in some emerging countries. Many field-hospitals, temporary sites of care for COVID-19 patients, were built around the country and followed by the healthcare workers who were mobilized. This study aimed to measure sleep disorders, depression, and fatigue in volunteers working at field hospitals during the COVID-19 outbreak. This was a cross-sectional study. The self-report questionnaire was used for each study subject. Sleep characters, including STOP's elements were questioned. Healthcare workers' burnout was detected by using Pichot's questionnaire. One hundred front-line healthcare workers (FHWs), predominantly last year and graduated medical students, were included in the study (86% female subjects). The mean sleep-time of FHWs before, while working, and during the isolation period after working at COVID-19 field hospitals were: 7.78 ± 1.48, 5.71 ± 1.40, and 8.78 ± 2.31 h per day, respectively. Burnout was not a crucial issue for these volunteer subjects. The mean scores of Pichot's Fatigue Scale and Pichot's Depression Scale, measured after 4 weeks working at field hospitals, were 4.18 ± 5.42 and 2.54 ± 3.36, respectively. Thirteen participants were suspected of depression. The fatigue scores decreased significantly in the group who claimed short sleep latency. The factor that increased the depression score was "anxious feeling" (p = 0.001). Other significant factors were "short sleep latency," "observed sleep apnea," "tiredness, daily sleepiness" and "snoring." Appropriate work schedule, better sleep conditions, and mental health support could be helpful for FHWs. The mandatory 2 weeks of isolation after working in field hospitals provided opportunity for FHWs' recovery.

Modulation of gut microbiota: The effects of a fruits and vegetables supplement.

The consumption of an optimal amount of fruits and vegetables is known to improve physical fitness and physiological body functions. Healthy eating habits, including intake of fruits and vegetables, can modify gut microbiota. This study aimed to demonstrate the effectiveness of a formulated fruit and vegetable supplement (FVS) in modulating the antioxidant capacity and the gut microbiota composition. We enrolled 30 healthy volunteer subjects, matched for age, gender, BMI, and smoking habits, and randomized them into the FVS and the placebo (PLA) groups. Among the serum vitamins, the folic acid level was significantly higher (p = 0.001) in the FVS group than in the PLA group, whereas the vitamin B2 level was significantly higher in the PLA group than in the FVS group (p = 0.028). The antioxidant capacity, measured by using the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) method, was also slightly higher in the FVS group than in the PLA group but did not reach statistical significance. The dietary intake, assessed by 24-h recalls, did not show any significant changes after the supplementation in both the groups. The gut microbiome composition, measured by 16S rDNA sequencing, showed no difference in both alpha and beta diversities, whereas the LEfse analysis revealed a microbial shift after the treatment, with a decreased abundance of the genus Ruminococcus from the Lachnospiraceae family (p = 0.009), and the unclassified genus from the family Erysipelotrichaceae (UC36, p = 0.003) in the FVS group compared with the PLA group (confirmed by SIAMCAT analysis, AUC = 74.1%). With a minor effect, the genus Faecalibacterium and unclassified genus and family from the order Lactobacillales (UC31) were also increased in the FVS group compared with the PLA group (p = 0.0474, p = 0.0352, respectively). SCFA measurement by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry showed an increased level of 2-methylbutyrate in the FVS group compared with the PLA group (p = 0.0385). Finally, the Spearman correlation analysis showed that in the FVS group, the genus Faecalibacterium positively correlated with 2-methyl butyrate (p = 0.040). In the PLA group, none of the significant bacteria correlated with either SCFA or serum biomarkers. The network analysis confirmed the positive correlation between genus Faecalibacterium and 2-methyl butyrate. We can conclude that the FVS in healthy individuals modified the gut microbiota composition and metabolites, and it can potentially contribute to reduce the pro-inflammatory response along with the antioxidant capacity.

Cadaveric and Ultrasound Validation of Percutaneous Electrolysis Approach at the Achilles Tendon as a Potential Treatment for Achilles Tendinopathy: A Pilot Study.

Achilles tendon tendinopathy (AT) is a musculoskeletal condition characterized by pain in the Achilles tendon and impaired physical performance or sport activities. AT is difficult to treat, and the results are variable. Preliminary evidence suggests a positive effect for pain of percutaneous electrolysis in patients with tendinopathy. Our aim was to determine the validity and safety of a percutaneous electrolysis approach targeting the interphase between the Achilles tendon and the Kager’s fat with ultrasound imaging in both healthy individuals and on a fresh cadaver model (not ultrasound guiding). A needle was inserted from the medial to the lateral side under the body of the Achilles tendon, just between the tendon and the Kager’s triangle, about 5 cm from the insertion of tendon in the calcaneus in 10 healthy volunteers (ultrasound study) and 10 fresh cadaver legs. An accurate needle penetration of the interphase was observed in 100% of the approaches, in both human and cadaveric models. No neurovascular bundle of the sural nerve was pierced in any insertion. The distance from the tip of the needle to the sural nerve was 5.28 ± 0.7 mms in the cadavers and 4.95 ± 0.68 mms in the volunteer subjects, measured in both cases at a distance of 5 cm from the insertion of the Achilles tendon. The results of the current study support that percutaneous electrolysis can be safely performed at the Kager’s fat–Achilles tendon interphase if it is US guided. In fact, penetration of the sural nerve was not observed in any needle approach when percutaneous needling electrolysis was performed by an experienced clinician. Future studies investigating the clinical effectiveness of the proposed intervention are needed.

Ethnicity-based classifications and medical genetics: One Health approaches from a Western Pacific perspective.

A new era presently dawns for medical genetics featuring individualised whole genome sequencing and promising personalised medical genetics. Accordingly, we direct readers attention to the continuing value of allele frequency data from Genome-Wide Association Surveys (GWAS) and single gene surveys in well-defined ethnic populations as a guide for best practice in diagnosis, therapy, and prescription. Supporting evidence is drawn from our experiences working with Austronesian volunteer subjects across the Western Pacific. In general, these studies show that their gene pool has been shaped by natural selection and become highly diverged from those of Europeans and Asians. These uniquely evolved patterns of genetic variation underlie contrasting schedules of disease incidence and drug response. Thus, recognition of historical bonds of kinship among Austronesian population groups across the Asia Pacific has distinct public health advantages from a One Health perspective. Other than diseases that are common among them like gout and diabetes, Austronesian populations face a wide range of climate-dependent infectious diseases including vector-borne pathogens as they are now scattered across the Pacific and Indian Oceans. However, we caution that the value of genetic survey data in Austronesians (and other groups too) is critically dependent on the accuracy of attached descriptive information in associated metadata, including ethnicity and admixture.

Active neck orthosis for musculoskeletal cervical disorders rehabilitation using a parallel mini-robotic device

This work presents the design, construction, simulation, instrumentation, and implementation of a closed chain robotic active neck orthosis with four degrees of freedom satisfying a similar configuration to a four-legged Stewart platform. The dynamics of the device is regulated by a robust control strategy with state restrictions based on a first sliding mode controller with state dependent gains that operates as a divergent function as the states approach the state restrictions. The formal justification about the application of the controller on the proposed orthosis, the finite-time convergence to a sliding surface and the effect of the constraints is proven. The orthosis is also controlled with a traditional state feedback strategy to evaluate the tracking error concerning an external disturbance and compare its performances against the proposed control strategy. A graphical interface based on computer vision is developed to select the type of therapy and assess the patient’s range of motion while wearing the orthosis. The system is tested in some selected volunteers subjects, managing to limit the range of motion within a pre-established area based on the range of motion reported by patients with cervicalgia and whiplash syndrome found in the literature. The developed system offers a novel method to deal with the treatment of neck illnesses based on a novel mechatronic device.

Effect of the Pelvic Correction Exercise with Sports Taping Treatment on Trunk Isokinetic Muscle Function and Movement and Flexibility of Female Who Have Lumbar Kyphosis

This study aimed to provide fundamental data of pelvic correction exercise with sports taping treatment (PCE and STT) on trunk isokinetic muscle function and movement and flexibility of female who have lumbar kyphosis. This study conducted from April to September 2020 on female who have lumbar kyphosis who took part in PCE and SPT program. These subjects were compared with non-exercise group (NEG). Forty-eight voluntary subjects were divided by NEG (n=12), the second group who participated in the PCE and STT program 1 - 2 times a week (DEG, n=12), and the third group who normally participated in the PCE and STT (OEG, n=12), respectively. The results of this study were as follows: First, as a result of analyzing the change of trunk isokinetic muscle function according to PCE and STT, OEG was significantly improved compared to NEG and DEG. Second, as a result of analyzing the change of pelvic movement according to PCE and STT, OEG was significantly improved compared to NEG and DEG. Third, as a result of analyzing the change of flexibility according to PCE and STT, OEG was significantly improved compared to NEG and DEG. As conclusions, these results informed that the PCE and STT for 16 weeks would provide positive effects on trunk isokinetic muscle function and movement and flexibility.

83. Cervical inclination angle (CIA) normative values in an adult multiethnic asymptomatic population.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT The role of the cranio-cervical complex in spinal sagittal alignment has rarely been analyzed and described but it may play a fundamental role in postoperative mechanical complications. PURPOSE The aim of the study is to analyze the normative value of the cervical inclination angle for each thoracic vertebra in an adult asymptomatic multiethnic population. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING Observational study; multiethnic cohort study. PATIENT SAMPLE Multiethnic cohort of adult asymptomatic volunteers. OUTCOME MEASURES Measurement of the cervical inclination angle of each thoracic vertebra in adult asymptomatic volunteers using stereoradiography according to patient's age and ethnicity. METHODS Standing full-spine EOS imaging of adult asymptomatic volunteer subjects from five different countries (France, Japan, Singapore, Tunisia and USA) were analyzed. The cervical inclination angle was first analyzed globally and then in each decade of life (<20 years; 21-30 years; 31-40 years; 41-50 years; 51-60 years; 61-70 years; 71-80 years). Different ethnicities were compared. Comparisons between different age and ethnicities groups were performed using a t-test and statistical significance was considered with a p value <0.05. RESULTS EOS images of 468 volunteers were analyzed. The global mean cervical inclination angle was 80,2° with a maximum difference of 9° between T1 and T12 (p <0,001; range 77,05° to 86,05°). The CIA angle remains constant until 60 years old then it decreases significantly passing from a mean value before 20 years old of 82,25° to 73,65° after 70 years old. A statistically significant difference was found between the Arabic and all other ethnicities with the former having an inferior CIA angle: this was related to a mean older age (45,48 vs 39,35 years; p < 0,05) and higher BMI (27,13 vs 23,86 Kg/m2; p <0,05) in the Arabic population. CONCLUSIONS The cervical inclination angle remains constant through age until 60 years-old and reduces slightly but never lower under 70°. This angle might be a helpful tool to evaluate the lever arm on the thoracic spine after an ASD surgery and could predict the occurrence of a proximal junctional kyphosis when its value is lower than normal. Further clinical studies must confirm this theory, particularly in surgically treated patients with long fusion. FDA DEVICE/DRUG STATUS This abstract does not discuss or include any applicable devices or drugs. The role of the cranio-cervical complex in spinal sagittal alignment has rarely been analyzed and described but it may play a fundamental role in postoperative mechanical complications. The aim of the study is to analyze the normative value of the cervical inclination angle for each thoracic vertebra in an adult asymptomatic multiethnic population. Observational study; multiethnic cohort study. Multiethnic cohort of adult asymptomatic volunteers. Measurement of the cervical inclination angle of each thoracic vertebra in adult asymptomatic volunteers using stereoradiography according to patient's age and ethnicity. Standing full-spine EOS imaging of adult asymptomatic volunteer subjects from five different countries (France, Japan, Singapore, Tunisia and USA) were analyzed. The cervical inclination angle was first analyzed globally and then in each decade of life (<20 years; 21-30 years; 31-40 years; 41-50 years; 51-60 years; 61-70 years; 71-80 years). Different ethnicities were compared. Comparisons between different age and ethnicities groups were performed using a t-test and statistical significance was considered with a p value <0.05. EOS images of 468 volunteers were analyzed. The global mean cervical inclination angle was 80,2° with a maximum difference of 9° between T1 and T12 (p <0,001; range 77,05° to 86,05°). The CIA angle remains constant until 60 years old then it decreases significantly passing from a mean value before 20 years old of 82,25° to 73,65° after 70 years old. A statistically significant difference was found between the Arabic and all other ethnicities with the former having an inferior CIA angle: this was related to a mean older age (45,48 vs 39,35 years; p < 0,05) and higher BMI (27,13 vs 23,86 Kg/m2; p <0,05) in the Arabic population. The cervical inclination angle remains constant through age until 60 years-old and reduces slightly but never lower under 70°. This angle might be a helpful tool to evaluate the lever arm on the thoracic spine after an ASD surgery and could predict the occurrence of a proximal junctional kyphosis when its value is lower than normal. Further clinical studies must confirm this theory, particularly in surgically treated patients with long fusion.

Deep Learning-Based Verification of Iridology in Diagnosing Type II Diabetes Mellitus

Type II Diabetes Mellitus (Type II DM) is a chronic condition that has detrimental effect on vital organs if left untreated, necessitating early diagnosis and treatment. Iridology, a subset of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), has the potential to serve as a tool for noninvasive early diagnosis of Type II DM. Iridology involves analyzing the characteristics of iris such as color and pattern for detection of organ and system defects. Deep learning algorithm is one of the promising methods in diagnosing various health-related issues. In this study, we have demonstrated the efficiency of iridology in diagnosing Type II DM using deep learning algorithms. Near Infra-Red images of iris were captured using iris scanner from 178 voluntary subjects belonging to two categories namely, Type II DM (95 subjects) and nondiabetic or healthy category (83 subjects). We have developed an algorithm using Fully Convolutional Neural network for effective iris segmentation. Normalized iris images were used to crop out our region of interest, pancreas, based on the iridology chart. Classification networks such as AlexNet, VGG-16, and ResNet-50 were used to classify Type II DM versus healthy category. Our proposed model for iris segmentation achieved an accuracy and sensitivity of 0.99, specificity and F-Score of 0.98, and a precision of 0.97. Results obtained using AlexNet classifier exhibits better classification accuracy of 95.85% for Zero-padding based resized image. The classifier yielded a sensitivity, specificity, and precision of 95.80%, 95.85%, and 96.11%, respectively. Our study results establish the efficacy and emphasize the importance of the proposed algorithm for diagnosing Type II DM.

Lipid Parameters and Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9 in Healthy Lebanese Adults.

Background: High levels of non-HDL cholesterol (non-HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)), and Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) as well as low levels of HDL-C are strongly associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Our study aims to estimate the prevalence of dyslipidemia and high Lp(a) in the Lebanese population and to study the relationship of these variables with gender, age, body mass index (BMI), and PCSK9. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on a sample of healthy volunteers aged 18 to 65. Blood samples were drawn from volunteers for total cholesterol (TC), HDL-C, TG, PCSK9, and Lp(a) measurements. Non-HDL-C was calculated by subtracting HDL-C from TC. Results: In total, 303 volunteer subjects with an average age of 38.9 years were included in the study. Respectively, 44%, 29.8%, and 44% of men had high non-HDL-C and TG with low HDL-C versus 23.5%, 8%, and 37% in women. Non-HDL-C and TG were significantly higher in men than in women, while the reverse was observed for HDL-C (p < 0.0001 for the three comparisons). Non-HDL-C and TG were significantly correlated with age and BMI (p< 0.0001 for all correlations), while HDL-C was inversely correlated with BMI (p < 0.0001) but not with age. Abnormal Lp(a) levels (≥75 nmol/L) were found in 19.1% of the population, predominantly in women (24.1% versus 13.4% in men, p = 0.004). The median PCSK9 and its interquartile was 300 (254–382) ng/L with no gender difference (p = 0.18). None of the following factors: gender, age, BMI, non-HDL-C, HDL-C, or TG, were independently associated with Lp(a), while PCSK9 was significantly correlated with age, non-HDL-C, and TG in both men and women and inversely correlated with HDL-C in men. Dyslipidemia is very common in the Lebanese population and is associated with age, high BMI, and male sex. Lp(a) is higher in women without any correlation with the lipid profile, whereas PCSK9 is associated with non-HDL-C and TG. Further studies are needed to evaluate the potential role of Lp(a) and PCSK9 in predicting CVD in healthy populations.

Smart Insole Based on Flexi Force and Flex Sensor for Monitoring Different Body Postures.

This study aims to fabricate smart insoles using wireless Flexi force and bend sensing technology. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film was chosen as the substrate to hold all the sensors. The developed smart insole has a three-layer structure (insole-PVC layer-fabric layer) and is calibrated in an isolation laboratory to evaluate its measurement performance. One male volunteer subject exhibited four different body postures, namely tree pose, forward-leaning, squatting, and forward folding pose. Changes in pressure distribution were considered to be similar for the forward, squat, and forward-folded positions. When subjects performed a full squat, the flex sensor exhibited maximum flexion during the squat position, and the flex sensor response against the squat pose was found to be higher by about 18.18% than in the forward lean, respectively. The tree pose has the highest error rate at the first metatarsal, about 18.6%, of which the maximum absolute relative error of the sensor is less than 5%. Plantar pressure distribution and body posture measurements were successfully validated using Flexi force and flex sensors embedded in the smart insole. The smart insole proposed in this research work has broader prospects for clinical application.

A Novel Method for Detecting Misclassifications of the Locomotion Mode in Lower-Limb Exoskeleton Robot Control

Lower-limb exoskeleton robots can support hemiplegic patients’ affected limbs and assist in their rehabilitation. In order to set effective control strategies, it is necessary to obtain the user’s motion intention accurately and timeously. These requirements pose many challenges. The surface electromyography (sEMG) signal has long been used for detecting a person’s locomotion mode. However, most traditional myoelectric motion recognition methods need to collect multi-channel sEMG signals (more than eight) and use feature engineering to obtain the desired accuracy. Additionally, traditional methods make decisions when the recognition probability is still uncertain, resulting in misclassification during continuous recognition. In order to overcome these limitations, a dual-purpose autoencoder-guided temporal convolution network (DA-TCN) is proposed, which is used as a motion detection model for a lower-limb exoskeleton robot based on sEMG. In the proposed method, we first obtain four-channel sEMG signals without any feature engineering. Next, the DA-TCN is used to obtain the discriminative deep features of the sEMG signals. Compared with separable features from common TCNs, discriminative features assist in obtaining a more discriminative twins-loss. Finally, the classification result is redetermined by the decoder, based on the reconstruction of deep features, and misclassifications are rejected based on the value of the twins-loss. The performance of the proposed method was evaluated by obtaining data from seven volunteer subjects in seven locomotion modes. The proposed method was able to effectively detect misclassifications and significantly improved the stability of continuous recognition.