Virtual Human Retina: Simulating Neural Signalling, Degeneration, and Responses to Electrical Stimulation.

Introduction: Current brain-based visual prostheses pose significant challenges impeding adoption such as the necessarily complex surgeries and occurrence of more substantial side effects due to the sensitivity of the brain. This has led to much effort toward vision restoration being focused on the more approachable part of the brain - the retina. Here we introduce a novel, parameterized simulation platform that enables study of human retinal degeneration and optimization of stimulation strategies.

Wearable Technology in Mobility and Falls Health Care: Finding Consensus on Their Clinical Utility and Identifying a Roadmap to Actual Use.

Background: Despite the promise wearable technology offers through detailed insight into mobility and fall risk, timely identification of high risk, assessment of risk severity, evaluation of clinical interventions, and potential to redefine the assessment of behaviours which influence health, they are not routinely used in clinical practice.

Objective: Establish consensus on how wearable technology can be applied to support clinical care for people aged 50 and over experiencing changes to mobility and/or who are at increased risk of falling.

Methods: A Delphi study was conducted among 17 hospital-based health professionals.

Development of a Self-Deploying Extra-Aortic Compression Device for Medium-Term Hemodynamic Stabilization: A Feasibility Study.

Hemodynamic stabilization is crucial in managing acute cardiac events, where compromised blood flow can lead to severe complications and increased mortality. Conditions like decompensated heart failure (HF) and cardiogenic shock require rapid and effective hemodynamic support. Current mechanical assistive devices, such as intra-aortic balloon pumps (IABP) and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), offer temporary stabilization but are limited to short-term use due to risks associated with prolonged blood contact.

Virtual reality obstacle avoidance training can be enhanced by physical feedback via perturbations: A proof-of-concept study.

Background: Fall injuries resulting from trips are a major health concern. Virtual reality (VR) offers an effective way of training obstacle avoidance while walking due to its ability to provide safe and meaningful real-time feedback during rehabilitation. This proof-of-concept study examined the benefit of providing physical feedback during obstacle avoidance gait training using VR.

Vector-Free Deep Tissue Targeting of DNA/RNA Therapeutics via Single Capacitive Discharge Conductivity-Clamped Gene Electrotransfer.

Viral vector and lipid nanoparticle based gene delivery have limitations around spatiotemporal control, transgene packaging size, and vector immune reactivity, compromising translation of nucleic acid (NA) therapeutics. In the emerging field of DNA and particularly RNA-based gene therapies, vector-free delivery platforms are identified as a key unmet need. Here, this work addresses these challenges through gene electrotransfer (GET) of "naked" polyanionic DNA/mRNA using a single needle form-factor which supports "electro-lens" based compression of the local electric field, and local control of tissue conductivity, enabling single capacitive discharge minimal charge gene delivery.