An integrated personalized assistive devices approach to reduce the risk of foot ulcer recurrence in diabetes (DIASSIST): study protocol for a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

Background: Preventing foot ulcers in people with diabetes can increase quality of life and reduce costs. Despite the availability of various interventions to prevent foot ulcers, recurrence rates remain high. We hypothesize that a multimodal treatment approach incorporating various footwear, self-management, and education interventions that matches an individual person's needs can reduce the risk of ulcer recurrence with beneficial cost-utility.

Effect of a carbon reinforcement for maximizing shoe outsole bending stiffness on plantar pressure and walking comfort in people with diabetes at high risk of foot ulceration.

Background: Different shoe design features can reduce peak plantar pressure to help prevent foot ulcers in people with diabetes. A carbon reinforcement of the shoe outsole to maximize bending stiffness is commonly applied in footwear practice, but its effect has not been studied to date.

Research Question: What is the effect of a carbon shoe-outsole reinforcement on peak plantar pressure and walking comfort in people with diabetes at high risk of foot ulceration?

Methods: In 24 high-risk people with diabetes, in-shoe regional peak pressures were measured during walking at a comfortable speed in two different shoe conditions: an extra-depth diabetes-specific shoe with a non-reinforced outsole and the same type of shoe with a 3-mm-thick full-length carbon reinforcement of the outsole.

Optimizing footwear for the diabetic foot: Data-driven custom-made footwear concepts and their effect on pressure relief to prevent diabetic foot ulceration.

Aims: To assess the effect of data-driven custom-made footwear concepts on plantar pressure relief to prevent diabetic foot ulceration.

Methods: Twenty-four neuropathic diabetic patients at high risk of foot ulceration were measured for in-shoe plantar pressures during walking in four data-driven custom-made footwear conditions, an athletic shoe and an off-the-shelf non-therapeutic shoe. Two evidence-based footwear conditions (Shoe-A; Insole-A) follow a scientific-based design protocol, are handmade, and use in-shoe plantar pressure guided optimization.

High-Throughput Simulations Reveal Membrane-Mediated Effects of Alcohols on MscL Gating.

The mechanosensitive channels of large conductance (MscL) are bacterial membrane proteins that serve as last resort emergency release valves in case of severe osmotic downshock. Sensing bilayer tension, MscL channels are sensitive to changes in the bilayer environment and are, therefore, an ideal test case for exploring membrane protein coupling. Here, we use high-throughput coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations to characterize MscL gating kinetics in different bilayer environments under the influence of alcohols.

Stochastic Dynamics with Correct Sampling for Constrained Systems.

In this paper we discuss thermostatting using stochastic methods for molecular simulations where constraints are present. For so-called impulsive thermostats, like the Andersen thermostat, the equilibrium temperature will differ significantly from the imposed temperature when a limited number of particles are picked and constraints are applied. We analyze this problem and give two rigorous solutions for it.