Publications by authors named "Rachel Kwan"
Objective: To examine the effectiveness of a specially designed video-based exercise program in promoting physical and balance performance in people with intellectual disability.
Methods: This study was a multicenter controlled trial. Participants with intellectual disability were divided into exercise group and control group by cluster sampling.
Background: Patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) are found to have a lower level of physical activity, and may have reduced exercise capacity due to spinal deformity. Previous study showed the benefits of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), named E-Fit, which is specifically designed for patients with AIS to improve musculoskeletal health and psychological well-being. To optimize the beneficial effects of training, the current study aimed to investigate the appropriate exercise intensity and metabolic demand in patients with AIS when performing E-Fit.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStudying the molecular development of the human brain presents unique challenges for selecting a data analysis approach. The rare and valuable nature of human postmortem brain tissue, especially for developmental studies, means the sample sizes are small (), but the use of high throughput genomic and proteomic methods measure the expression levels for hundreds or thousands of variables [e.g.
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- Body weight supported treadmill training (BWSTT) is commonly used for helping people with spinal cord injuries (SCI) regain their walking abilities, but traditional methods can be limited due to therapist and patient fatigue.
- A study involving 16 individuals with incomplete SCI tested the effectiveness of robotic-assisted BWSTT (RABWSTT) combined with an EMG biofeedback system, leading to significant improvements in walking and cardiopulmonary functions compared to a control group.
- The findings suggest that the addition of EMG-biofeedback to RABWSTT not only enhances walking performance but also boosts cardiovascular health in individuals with SCI.
Article Synopsis
- The study reviewed the effectiveness of various biophysical energies (BPEs) in treating diabetic foot ulcers by analyzing published cell studies and animal experiments from 1966 to 2018.
- Among the BPEs examined were electrical stimulation (ES), pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF), extracorporeal shockwave (ECSW), photo energies, and ultrasound (US), with a total of 82 studies selected for analysis.
- Findings indicated that PEMF and low-level laser therapy (LLL) significantly reduced original wound size compared to controls, while ultrasound showed no significant effect; however, the researchers call for more rigorous, well-designed studies to validate these results due to the variability in existing trials.
Article Synopsis
- A study evaluated the effectiveness of an exercise program aimed at improving postural control and mobility in older adults aged 65 and above with type 2 diabetes, involving 93 participants.
- The intervention group engaged in ankle strengthening and mobility exercises twice a week for 10 weeks, resulting in significantly better scores in various balance tests compared to the control group.
- The findings suggest that targeted ankle exercises can enhance postural stability and potentially improve balance and mobility in older adults with type 2 diabetes.
Robot-Assisted Training for People With Spinal Cord Injury: A Meta-Analysis.
Arch Phys Med Rehabil
November 2017
Objective: To investigate the effects of robot-assisted training on the recovery of people with spinal cord injury (SCI).
Data Sources: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or quasi-RCTs involving people with SCI that compared robot-assisted upper limbs or lower limbs training with a control of other treatment approach or no treatment. We included studies involving people with complete or incomplete SCIs.
Glucose oxidase (GO) activity is generally restricted to glucose and is susceptible to inactivation by HO. By comparison, the Y300A variant of gluco-oligosaccharide oxidase (GOOX) from Sarocladium strictum showed broader substrate range and higher HO stability. Specifically, Y300A exhibited up to 40 times higher activity on all tested sugars except glucose, compared to GO.
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- The study investigates the impact of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) on blood circulation in the skin of patients with diabetes and healthy individuals.
- PEMFs significantly increased blood flow velocity in the smallest veins compared to sham treatment, suggesting a positive effect on microcirculation.
- However, no significant changes were observed in vein diameter or overall microcirculation between the two groups, indicating that while PEMFs may enhance circulation, their effects might not be uniform across all measures.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to evaluate the impact of pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy on healing chronic diabetic foot ulcers and improving microcirculation.
- A clinical trial involving 13 patients with type 2 diabetes divided into active PEMF and control groups showed that the PEMF group had greater reductions in wound size and enhanced blood flow compared to the control group.
- Results indicated that PEMF therapy not only accelerated healing (18% wound size reduction vs. 10%) but also significantly improved microcirculation, suggesting it is a beneficial treatment option for diabetic foot ulcers.
The Traveling Salesman Problem involves finding the shortest possible route visiting all destinations on a map only once before returning to the point of origin. The present study demonstrates a strategy for solving Traveling Salesman Problems using modified E. coli cells as processors for massively parallel computing.
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- The study tested a new ultrasound foot scanner to measure the thickness and stiffness of soft tissue in healthy individuals while they were sitting and standing.
- Results showed high reliability in measurements, with significant changes in thickness (10-14% thinner) and stiffness (123-164% stiffer) when moving from sitting to standing.
- The device could be useful in clinical settings to assess foot health, particularly for the elderly or diabetic patients at risk for foot complications.
Effects of relative embodiment in lexical and semantic processing of verbs.
Acta Psychol (Amst)
June 2014
Research examining semantic richness effects in visual word recognition has shown that multiple dimensions of meaning are activated in the process of word recognition (e.g., Yap et al.
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- Reduced collagen deposition in diabetic wounds slows their recovery, but myofibroblasts aid in closure and collagen synthesis during healing.
- Pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) treatment was examined for its effects on wound healing in diabetic rats, where it significantly improved wound closure and re-epithelialization by increasing myofibroblast presence.
- The study found that while PEMF treatment showed benefits in the early stages of wound healing, these effects diminished as the healing process continued, suggesting a potential role of myofibroblasts in enhancing recovery.
Article Synopsis
- Vascular complications in diabetes increase over time, prompting a study to compare peripheral blood flow among individuals with short (≤10 years) and long (>10 years) diabetes histories against healthy controls.
- Thirty-two type 2 diabetes patients and thirty-eight healthy volunteers participated, with blood flow measured using ultrasound biomicroscopy and Laser Doppler Flowmetry.
- Although no significant differences were found among the groups in terms of blood flow, those with a long history of diabetes showed a trend toward reduced blood flow compared to healthy controls, suggesting that noticeable angiopathy may start around the ten-year mark of diabetes.
Purpose: To examine the risk of fall for people with diabetes compared with healthy control subjects. Correlation between tactile sensation and postural control was examined for subjects with diabetes.
Methods: Subjects with type 2 diabetes were classified into two groups: (i) diabetes without neuropathy (n = 23) and (ii) diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) (n = 9).
Background: The ankle-foot complex plays an important role in the mechanics of postural control. The objectives of this study were to compare the biomechanical properties of the ankle-foot complex of people with diabetes who had or did not have peripheral neuropathy with those healthy individuals; and to examine its correlation with postural control.
Methods: A total of 64 individuals participated in this study: 9 people with diabetic peripheral neuropathy, 23 diabetes without neuropathy, and 32 healthy controls.
To systematically assess published reports on the efficacy of electrophysical therapy in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers, including electrical stimulation, low-level laser therapy, therapeutic ultrasound and electromagnetic therapy. Databases searched included MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) from 1966 to 2011. Studies reviewed included only randomised controlled trials (RCTs) on treatment with electrophysical modalities compared with sham, conventional treatment or other electrophysical modalities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe effect of aging on the biomechanical properties of plantar soft tissues.
Clin Biomech (Bristol)
July 2010
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how the biomechanical properties of plantar soft tissues change with age in healthy adults aged 41 to 83.
- The researchers used ultrasound to measure the thickness and stiffness of these tissues at various points on the foot and found that both stiffness and thickness generally increased with age.
- The findings suggest that increased stiffness in the plantar soft tissues may contribute to more foot problems in older adults, indicating potential areas for preventive care.