Continuous-Context, User-Independent, Real-Time Intent Recognition for Powered Lower-Limb Prostheses.

Community ambulation is essential for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but it poses significant challenges for individuals with limb loss due to complex task demands. In wearable robotics, particularly powered prostheses, there is a critical need to accurately estimate environmental context, such as walking speed and slope, to offer intuitive and seamless assistance during varied ambulation tasks. We developed a user-independent and multicontext, intent recognition system that was deployed in real-time on an Open Source Leg (OSL).

Investigations into disease associations with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection in lions (Panthera leo) in Australia: a case-control study.

Background: Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a highly mutable retrovirus with numerous species-specific strains, such as those infecting domestic cats (Felis catus, FIV) and wild populations of nondomestic cats including lions (Panthera leo, FIV). When FIV infection manifests as disease in domestic cats, common presentations include lymphadenopathy, lymphoid malignancies, oral cavity disease, immunological dysfunctions and neurological abnormalities. In contrast to domestic cats, there has been little published evidence of direct FIV disease associations in lions.

Mitigating Crouch Gait With an Autonomous Pediatric Knee Exoskeleton in the Neurologically Impaired.

Crouch gait is one of the most common compensatory walking patterns found in individuals with neurological disorders, often accompanied by their limited physical capacity. Notable kinematic characteristics of crouch gait are excessive knee flexion during stance and reduced range of motion during swing. Knee exoskeletons have the potential to improve crouch gait by providing precisely controlled torque assistance directly to the knee joint.

Comparing the lower limb joint biomechanics of the Power Knee, C-Leg and Rheo Knee during ramp and stair ambulation.

One of the most significant developments in prosthetic knee technology has been the introduction of the Microprocessor-Controlled Prosthetic Knee (MPK). However, there is a lack of consensus over how different types of MPKs affect performance in different ambulation modes. In this study, we investigated the biomechanical differences in ramp and stair maneuvers when an individual with transfemoral amputation wears three commercial MPKs: the Össur Power Knee, the Össur Rheo Knee and the Ottobock C-Leg 4.

Gait quality in prosthesis users is reflected by force-based metrics when learning to walk on a new research-grade powered prosthesis.

Introduction: Powered prosthetic feet require customized tuning to ensure comfort and long-term success for the user, but tuning in both clinical and research settings is subjective, time intensive, and the standard for tuning can vary depending on the patient's and the prosthetist's experience levels.

Methods: Therefore, we studied eight different metrics of gait quality associated with use of a research-grade powered prosthetic foot in seven individuals with transtibial amputation during treadmill walking. We compared clinically tuned and untuned conditions with the goal of identifying performance-based metrics capable of distinguishing between good (as determined by a clinician) from poor gait quality.

Towards comprehensive evaluation of the FLEXotendon glove-III: a case series evaluation in pediatric clinical cases and able-bodied adults.

Injuries involving the nervous system, such as a brachial plexus palsy or traumatic brain injury, can lead to impairment in the functionality of the hand. Assistive robotics have been proposed as a possible method to improve patient outcomes in rehabilitation. The work presented here evaluates the FLEXotendon Glove-III, a 5 degree-of-freedom, voice-controlled, tendon-driven soft robotic hand exoskeleton, with two human subjects with hand impairments and four able-bodied subjects.

Towards meaningful community ambulation in individuals post stroke through use of a smart hip exoskeleton: A preliminary investigation.

Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability in the United States, leaving survivors with profound mobility challenges that impact independent community ambulation. Evidence shows assistance at the hip during walking may be beneficial for stroke survivors. In this cross-over design study, we examine the impact of a novel hip exoskeleton on both functional and patient reported outcomes measuring speed, fall risk, gait symmetry, energy expenditure and perceived walking ability during both indoors and outdoors in single and serial counting dual task paradigms.

Reducing Knee Hyperextension With an Exoskeleton in Children and Adolescents With Genu Recurvatum: A Feasibility Study.

Genu recurvatum, or knee hyperextension, is a complex gait pattern with a variety of etiologies, and is often connected with knee weakness, lack of motor control, and spasticity. Because of the atypical forces placed on the soft tissues, early treatment or prevention of knee hyperextension may help prevent further degradation of the knee joint. In this study, we assessed the feasibility of a knee exoskeleton to mitigate hyperextension and increase swing range of motion in five children/adolescents who presented with unilateral genu recurvatum.

Evaluation of the FLEXotendon glove-III through a human subject case study.

Cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) can significantly impair an individual's hand functionality due to the disruption of nerve signals from the brain to the upper extremity. Robotic assistive hand exoskeletons have been proposed as a potential technology to facilitate improved patient rehabilitation outcomes, but few exoskeleton studies utilize standardized hand function tests and questionnaires to produce quantitative data regarding exoskeleton performance. This work presents the human subject case study evaluation of the FLEXotendon Glove-III, a 5 degree-of-freedom voice-controlled, tendon-driven soft robotic assistive hand exoskeleton for individuals with SCI.

Electrical Stimulation of Distal Tibial Nerve During Stance Phase of Walking May Reverse Effects of Unilateral Paw Pad Anesthesia in the Cat.

Cutaneous feedback from feet is involved in regulation of muscle activity during locomotion, and the lack of this feedback results in motor deficits. We tested the hypothesis that locomotor changes caused by local unilateral anesthesia of paw pads in the cat could be reduced/reversed by electrical stimulation of cutaneous and proprioceptive afferents in the distal tibial nerve during stance. Several split-belt conditions were investigated in four adult female cats.

Biomechanical Evaluation of Stair Ambulation Using Impedance Control on an Active Prosthesis.

Active prostheses can provide net positive work to individuals with amputation, offering more versatility across locomotion tasks than passive prostheses. However, the effect of powered joints on bilateral biomechanics has not been widely explored for ambulation modes different than level ground and treadmill walking. In this study, we present the bilateral biomechanics of stair ascent and descent with a powered knee-ankle prosthesis compared to the biomechanical profiles of able-bodied subjects at different configurations of stair height between 102 mm and 178 mm.

Effects of Bilateral Assistance for Hemiparetic Gait Post-Stroke Using a Powered Hip Exoskeleton.

Hemiparetic gait due to stroke is characterized by an asymmetric gait due to weakness in the paretic lower limb. These inter-limb asymmetries increase the biomechanical demand and reduce walking speed, leading to reduced community mobility and quality of life. With recent progress in the field of wearable technologies, powered exoskeletons have shown great promise as a potential solution for improving gait post-stroke.

Quantifying Asymmetry Between Medial and Lateral Compartment Knee Loading Forces Using Acoustic Emissions.

Objective: Osteoarthritis is the most common type of knee arthritis that can be affected by excessive and compressive loads and can affect one or more compartments of the knee: medial, lateral, and patellofemoral. The medial compartment tends to be the most vulnerable to injuries and research suggests that a better understanding of the medial to lateral load distribution conditions could provide insights to the quantitative usage of knee compartments in activities of daily life.

Methods: Prior to study in an osteoarthritic clinical population which may present with various complicating anatomical and physiological changes, we investigate knee acoustical emissions of able-bodied individuals during a varying width squat exercise which simulates loading asymmetries that would typically be seen in this clinical population.

Koala retrovirus diversity, transmissibility, and disease associations.

Background: Koalas are infected with the koala retrovirus (KoRV) that exists as exogenous or endogenous viruses. KoRV is genetically diverse with co-infection with up to ten envelope subtypes (A-J) possible; KoRV-A is the prototype endogenous form. KoRV-B, first found in a small number of koalas with an increased leukemia prevalence at one US zoo, has been associated with other cancers and increased chlamydial disease.

Epidemiology and molecular phylogeny of Babesia sp. in Little Penguins Eudyptula minor in Australia.

Blood parasites are potential threats to the health of penguins and to their conservation and management. Little penguins Eudyptula minor are native to Australia and New Zealand, and are susceptible to piroplasmids (Babesia), hemosporidians (Haemoproteus, Leucocytozoon, Plasmodium) and kinetoplastids (Trypanosoma). We studied a total of 263 wild little penguins at 20 sites along the Australian southeastern coast, in addition to 16 captive-bred little penguins.

Diagnosis and management of tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) in an Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) with a newborn calf.

In 2006, five Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) were imported to Taronga Zoo, Australia, from Thailand. Pre-import and initial postarrival tuberculosis screening was performed by trunk wash (TW) culture and was negative for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In April 2009, the ElephantTB STAT-PAK (SP) assay was used to test the elephants.

A comparison of orthoses in the treatment of idiopathic toe walking: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: Orthotic treatment of idiopathic toe walking is complicated by the lack of a known etiology. This study compared control of toe walking using an articulated ankle-foot orthosis versus a rigid carbon fiber footplate attached to a foot orthosis.

Objectives: Ascertain differences between two orthoses in the control of idiopathic toe walking.

Partial replacement of an artificial nectar diet with native browse for feather-tail gliders (Acrobates pygmaeus) in captivity.

Captive-bred feather-tail gliders (Acrobates pygmaeus) housed at Taronga Zoo have had a long history of eye cholesterol plaques that may be associated with a largely sugar-based diet such as artificial nectar. The gliders also have prolonged periods of reduced activity when they are not visible in exhibits. This may be due to the ad libitum supply of an energy rich feed and reduced need to forage.

Stifle osteochondritis dissecans in snow leopards (Uncia uncia).

Three snow leopard (Uncia uncia) cubs, female and male siblings and an unrelated female, had lameness attributed to osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) lesions noted at 6, 8, and 10 mo of age, respectively. All cubs were diagnosed with OCD via radiographs. The sibling cubs both had lesions of the right lateral femoral condyles, while the unrelated cub had bilateral lesions of the lateral femoral condyles.

Risk factors associated with fatal animal-vehicle collisions in the United States, 1995-2004.

Objective: Animal-vehicle collisions are a significant public health concern in the United States. The annual economic cost currently exceeds $1 billion from injuries and property damage. A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention evaluated nonfatal injuries from animal-vehicle collisions, but information on fatal animal-vehicle collisions is limited.

Posaconazole therapy for systemic coccidioidomycosis in a chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes): a case report.

Systemic coccidioidomycosis was diagnosed in a 4-year-old male chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) with ascites and failure to thrive. Physical examination, laboratory and radiological studies, and exploratory laparotomy showed signs of systemic fungal infection that included penetration into the central nervous system (CNS). Serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) titres, along with ascites cytology findings, confirmed the presence of Coccidioides immitis.

Assessment of microleakage of restorative materials by a diffusion model.

The time-dependent microleakage behaviour of two types of restorative materials, a microfilled composite resin and a glass ionomer, was studied. A dentine bonding agent was also included. This study was based on a diffusion model of microleakage.

Ophthalmological, psychometric and therapeutic investigation in two sisters with hereditary glutathione synthetase deficiency (5-oxoprolinuria).

Two sisters with hereditary glutathione synthetase deficiency (5-oxoprolinuria) were investigated. Assays of erythrocyte enzyme levels in relatives revealed additional clinically healthy carriers. The girls had chronic metabolic acidosis, which was corrected by substitution with bicarbonate.