From agricultural biomass to D form lactic acid in ton scale via strain engineering of Lactiplantibacillus pentosus.

Worsening environmental conditions make lactic acid a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based plastics. This study created a genetically-engineered strain Lactiplantibacillus pentosus PeL containing a disrupted L-lactate dehydrogenase gene to produce high yield and optically pure D-lactic acid. Cellobiose was identified as the optimal sugar in the single carbon source test, yielding the highest lactic acid.

Effects of Thermal Stimulation and Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation on Sensory and Motor Function of Upper Extremity in Acute Stroke Survivors: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study.

Objective Upper-limb coordination is crucial for daily activities, especially among stroke survivors who may encounter obstacles during upper-limb rehabilitation. This study aimed to investigate the effects of thermal stimulation (TS) and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on sensory and motor function during recovery in acute stroke patients. Design This is a parallel study with a randomized controlled design.

Compare the Quadriceps Activity between Mini-Midvastus and Mini-Medial Parapatellar Approach in Total Knee Arthroplasty with Electromyography.

The comparison between the mini-midvastus (mini-MV) and mini-parapatellar (mini-MPP) approach in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) remains a subject of debate. The present study compared quadriceps activation, pain levels, and clinical outcomes between the two approaches; quadricep activation was assessed using surface electromyography (sEMG). This retrospective cross-sectional study comprised a total of 78 patients aged between 50 and 85 years with primary osteoarthritis.

Enhancing Whole-Brain Magnetic Field Homogeneity for 3D-Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging with a Novel Unified Coil: A Preliminary Study.

The spectral quality of magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) can be affected by strong magnetic field inhomogeneities, posing a challenge for 3D-MRSI's widespread clinical use with standard scanner-equipped 2nd-order shim coils. To overcome this, we designed an empirical unified shim-RF head coil (32-ch RF receive and 51-ch shim) for 3D-MRSI improvement. We compared its shimming performance and 3D-MRSI brain coverages against the standard scanner shim (2nd-order spherical harmonic (SH) shim coils) and integrated parallel reception, excitation, and shimming (iPRES) 32-ch AC/DC head coil.

Reliable Off-Resonance Correction in High-Field Cardiac MRI Using Autonomous Cardiac B Segmentation with Dual-Modality Deep Neural Networks.

B0 field inhomogeneity is a long-lasting issue for Cardiac MRI (CMR) in high-field (3T and above) scanners. The inhomogeneous B0 fields can lead to corrupted image quality, prolonged scan time, and false diagnosis. B0 shimming is the most straightforward way to improve the B0 homogeneity.

Factors Associated With Emergency Department Visits Among Patients Receiving Publicly-Funded Homecare Services: A Retrospective Chart Review From Southern Taiwan Regional Hospital.

Background: The public health strategy of increasing access to comprehensive home or community-based healthcare services and emergency home visits is intent on reducing the overcrowding of emergency departments. However, scientific evidence regarding the association between home-based healthcare services and emergency department uses is surprisingly insufficient and controversial so far. The present retrospective study identified the risk factors for emergency department visits among patients receiving publicly-funded homecare services.

Characteristics of the Electrophysiological Properties of Neuromuscular Motor Units and Its Adaptive Strategy Response in Lower Extremity Muscles for Seniors with Pre-Sarcopenia: A Preliminary Study.

Older adults with sarcopenia, which is an aging-related phenomenon of muscle mass loss, usually suffer from decreases in both strength and functional performance. However, the causality between function loss and physiological changes is unclear. This study aimed to explore the motor unit characteristics of the neurological factors between normal subjects and those with sarcopenia.

The Effect of Walking Backward on a Treadmill on Balance, Speed of Walking and Cardiopulmonary Fitness for Patients with Chronic Stroke: A Pilot Study.

This study determines the effect of walking backward on a treadmill on balance, speed of walking and cardiopulmonary fitness for patients with chronic stroke. Subjects with chronic stroke for more than six months, whose level of Brunnstrom stage is greater than IV and who are able to walk more than eleven meters with or without assistive devices were recruited. After grouping for a single-blind clinical randomized controlled trial, the subjects were divided into two groups: eight in the control group and eight in the experimental group.

The Recovery Benefit on Skin Blood Flow Using Vibrating Foam Rollers for Postexercise Muscle Fatigue in Runners.

Purpose: To determine the effect of vibrating rollers on skin blood flow after running for recovery from muscle fatigue.

Method: 23 healthy runners, aged between 20 to 45 years, participated in a crossover trial. Muscle fatigue was induced by running, and recovery using a vibrating roller was determined before and after the intervention.

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy for Monitoring Sternocleidomastoid Muscular Oxygenation during Isometric Flexion for Patients with Mild Nonspecific Neck Pain: A Pilot Study.

Since there is merit in noninvasive monitoring of muscular oxidative metabolism for near-infrared spectroscopy in a wide range of clinical scenarios, the present study attempted to evaluate the clinical usability for featuring the modulatory strategies of sternocleidomastoid muscular oxygenation using near-infrared spectroscopy in mild nonspecific neck pain patients. The muscular oxygenation variables of the dominant or affected sternocleidomastoid muscles of interest were extracted at 25% of the maximum voluntary isometric contraction from ten patients (5 males and 5 females, 23.6 ± 4.

Intra-articular Injection of Platelet-Rich Plasma Is Superior to Hyaluronic Acid or Saline Solution in the Treatment of Mild to Moderate Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Triple-Parallel, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.

Purpose: To prospectively compare the efficacy of intra-articular injections of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and hyaluronic acid (HA) with a sham control group (normal saline solution [NS]) for knee osteoarthritis in a randomized, dose-controlled, placebo-controlled, double-blind, triple-parallel clinical trial.

Methods: A total of 87 osteoarthritic knees (53 patients) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups receiving 3 weekly injections of either leukocyte-poor PRP (31 knees), HA (29 knees), or NS (27 knees). The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective score were collected at baseline and at 1, 2, 6, and 12 months after treatment.

Characteristics of the Motor Units during Sternocleidomastoid Isometric Flexion among Patients with Mechanical Neck Disorder and Asymptomatic Individuals.

Mechanical neck disorder is a widespread and non-neurological musculoskeletal condition resulting from modern lifestyles. Presently, the fundamental electrophysiological properties of the motor units of the sternocleidomastoid muscles and the characteristics of the short-term synchronization of the motor unit in patients with neck pain are ambiguous. This study therefore aims to clarify the fundamental electrophysiological properties of the motor units of the sternocleidomastoid muscles in patients with mechanical neck disorder and in asymptomatic individuals.

Comparison of neck movement smoothness between patients with mechanical neck disorder and healthy volunteers using the spectral entropy method.

Purpose: Mechanical neck disorder is one of the most common health issues. No related observations have applied spectral entropy to explore the smoothness of cervical movement. Therefore, the objectives were to ascertain whether the spectral entropy of time-series linear acceleration could extend to estimate the smoothness of cervical movement and compare the characteristics of the smoothness of cervical movement in patients with mechanical neck pain (MND) with healthy volunteers.

A new concept for quantifying the complicated kinematics of the cervical spine and its application in evaluating the impairment of clients with mechanical neck disorders.

Mechanical neck disorder (MND) is one of the most common health issues and is characterized by restricted cervical mobility. However, traditional kinematic information often focuses on primary movement in the cardinal plane, which seems insufficient to fully determine the kinematics of the cervical spine because of the complexity of the anatomical structures involved. Therefore, the current investigation aimed to modify the concept of the three-dimensional workspace to propose an objective mathematical model to quantify the complicated kinematics of the cervical spine.