Glove-Based Hand Gesture Recognition for Diver Communication.

We have developed a smart dive glove that recognizes 13 static hand gestures used in diving communication. The smart glove employs five dielectric elastomer sensors to capture finger motion and implements a machine learning classifier in the onboard electronics to recognize gestures. Five basic classification algorithms are trained and assessed: the decision tree, support vector machine (SVM), logistic regression, Gaussian naïve Bayes, and multilayer perceptron.

Controversies and Trends in United Kingdom Bunion Surgery.

Current practice and controversies in UK bunion surgery are discussed. Patients tend to be offered a distally based metatarsal osteotomy, such as a chevron or scarf osteotomy, for mild to moderate symptomatic bunions. Greater deformities are managed with a more extreme scarf, supplemented with a proximal phalangeal osteotomy.

Second-Generation Ceramic First Metatarsophalangeal Joint Replacement for Hallux Rigidus.

Background: Ceramic first metatarsophalangeal (MP) joint replacement has been reported for treatment of hallux rigidus, but there are no published mid- or long-term studies available. We present our midterm results using a second-generation ceramic first MP joint implant.

Methods: A retrospective review of clinical data and radiographs was performed for 31 feet (24 women; mean age at surgery, 55 ± 6 years) who had first MP joint replacement with a second-generation ceramic prosthesis (primary, 29 feet; revision, 2 feet).

First metatarsophalangeal arthrodesis for hallux valgus.

Arthrodesis of the first metatarsophalangeal joint is a reliable operation in the treatment of selected cases of hallux valgus. It corrects deformity of hallux valgus and metatarsus primus varus, leading to good functional results with a low complication rate. It is a technique well suited to patients with hallux valgus associated with degenerative changes or severe deformity, and those for whom primary hallux valgus surgery has failed.

Intermetatarsal angular change following fusion of the first metatarsophalangeal joint.

Background: Arthrodesis of the first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint with a low profile fixed angle plate allows for a consistent resultant hallux valgus angle. There is no clear consensus on whether a separate corrective osteotomy of the first metatarsal should be performed in addition to the first metatarsophalangeal joint fusion in patients with an increased intermetatarsal angle. We quantified the amount of correction of the intermetatarsal angle as well as the position of the tibial sesamoid in this group of patients following fusion of the first MTP joint.

Toll-like receptor 4 in butylated hydroxytoluene-induced mouse pulmonary inflammation and tumorigenesis.

Because chronic pulmonary diseases predispose to lung neoplasia, the identification of the molecular mechanisms involved could provide novel preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic strategies. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) transduce exogenous and endogenous signals into the production of inflammatory cytokines to coordinate adaptive immune responses. To determine the role of Tlr4 in chronic lung inflammation, we compared lung permeability, leukocyte infiltration, and nuclear factor kappa B (NFkappaB) and activator protein 1 (AP-1) DNA binding in butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)-treated (four weekly injections of 125-200 mg/kg each) inbred mouse strains with functional Tlr4 (OuJ and BALB) and mutated Tlr4 (HeJ and BALB(Lps-d)).