Assessing neuromuscular mechanisms in human-exoskeleton interaction.

In this study, we propose to evaluate a 7 DOF exoskeleton in terms of motion control. Using criteria from the human motor control literature, inverse optimization was performed to assess an industrial screwing movement. The results of our study show that the hybrid composition of the free arm movement was accurately determined.

A mouse model for monitoring calpain activity under physiological and pathological conditions.

Calpains are Ca(2+)-dependent cysteine proteases known to be important for the regulation of cell functions and which aberrant activation causes cell death in a number of degenerative disorders. To provide a tool for monitoring the status of calpain activity in vivo under physiological and pathological conditions, we created a mouse model that expresses ubiquitously a fluorescent reporter consisting of eCFP and eYFP separated by a linker cleavable by the ubiquitous calpains. We named this mouse CAFI for calpain activity monitored by FRET imaging.

Computerised dystrophic muscle simulator: prospecting potential therapeutic strategies for muscle dystrophies using a virtual experimental model.

Inherited muscle diseases are often characterised by widespread muscle damage in the body, limiting the clinical relevance of cell or gene therapy based upon direct injections into muscles. Recent studies have shown, however, that cells originating from the bone marrow are able to target necrosis-regeneration sites as they occur and, in addition, may also participate in the muscle regeneration after undergoing myogenic differentiation. Here, we present a computerised dystrophic muscle simulator that allows the prospecting of different scenarios of both disease evolution and appropriate employment of blood-borne cells as therapeutic shuttles.