Fuzzy inference model evaluating turn for Parkinson's disease patients.

Parkinson's disease is a chronic illness that affects motor skills. The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale sponsored by the Movement Disorder Society (MDS-UPDRS) quantifies the current state of the disease based on clinician's observations. In this scale, turning is part of the gait assessment, yet specific guidelines on which features to observe and rate are still unclear.

Electrical Stimulation at the ST36 Acupoint Protects against Sepsis Lethality and Reduces Serum TNF Levels through Vagus Nerve- and Catecholamine-Dependent Mechanisms.

Electrical vagus nerve (VN) stimulation during sepsis attenuates tumor necrosis factor (TNF) production through the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway, which depends on the integrity of the VN and catecholamine production. To characterize the effect of electroacupuncture at ST36 (EA-ST36) on serum TNF, IL-6, nitrite, and HMGB1 levels and survival rates, based on VN integrity and catecholamine production, a sepsis model was induced in rats using cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). The septic rats were subsequently treated with EA-ST36 (CLP+ST36), and serum samples were collected and analyzed for cytokines levels.