Can back exosuits simultaneously increase lifting endurance and reduce musculoskeletal disorder risk?

The objectives of this case series study were to test whether an elastic back exosuit could increase a wearer's endurance when lifting heavy objects and to assess whether lifting more cancels out the exosuit's risk reduction benefits. We found that 88% of participants increased their lifting repetitions while wearing an exosuit, with endurance increases ranging from 28 to 75%. We then used these empirical data with an ergonomic assessment model based on fatigue failure principles to estimate the effects on cumulative back damage (an indicator of low back disorder risk) when an exosuit is worn and more lifts are performed.

Development and Validation of a Brief Age-Normed Screening Tool for Subthreshold Psychosis Symptoms in Youth.

Background And Hypothesis: Improvements in screening tools for early subthreshold psychosis symptoms are needed to facilitate early identification and intervention efforts, especially given the challenges of rapidly differentiating age-appropriate experiences from potential early signs of emerging psychosis. Tools can be lengthy and time-consuming, impacting their utility and accessibility across clinical settings, and age-normed data are limited. To address this gap, we sought to develop and validate a brief, empirically derived, age-normed, subthreshold psychosis screening tool, for public use.

Evaluating the Biomechanical Effects and Real-World Usability of a Novel Ankle Exo for Runners.

Achilles tendon overuse injuries are common for long-distance runners. Ankle exos (exoskeletons and exosuits) are wearable devices that can reduce Achilles tendon loading and could potentially aid in the rehabilitation or prevention of these injuries by helping to mitigate and control tissue loading. However, most ankle exos are confined to controlled lab testing and are not practical to use in real-world running.

Expert Rater Agreement for Symptoms and Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder in Youth.

The diagnosis of bipolar disorder (BD) in young children has been a topic of debate, in part owing to varied interpretation of manic-like symptoms. We examined how expert academic clinicians participating in the pediatric bipolar biobank varied in their interpretation and application of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) criteria and diagnoses. Study co-investigators reviewed 12 standardized narratives and for each marked a visual analog scale with their confidence in the presence of manic episodes and criteria.

Wound Healing After Vaginal Delivery, Episiotomy, and Cesarean Section Delivery Among Women With IBD: Results From the PIANO Registry.

Background: Women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) face complexities of disease management during pregnancy and childbirth. Apprehension regarding vaginal delivery in pregnant individuals with IBD persists due to concern for perianal disease and perineal trauma. The incidence of poor wound healing after obstetric anal sphincter injury is approximately 4% in the general population.