Passive and Active Exoskeleton Solutions: Sensors, Actuators, Applications, and Recent Trends.

Recent advancements in exoskeleton technology, both passive and active, are driven by the need to enhance human capabilities across various industries as well as the need to provide increased safety for the human worker. This review paper examines the sensors, actuators, mechanisms, design, and applications of passive and active exoskeletons, providing an in-depth analysis of various exoskeleton technologies. The main scope of this paper is to examine the recent developments in the exoskeleton developments and their applications in different fields and identify research opportunities in this field.

Modeling Cortical Versus Hippocampal Network Dysfunction in a Human Brain Assembloid Model of Epilepsy and Intellectual Disability.

Neurodevelopmental disorders often impair multiple cognitive domains. For instance, a genetic epilepsy syndrome might cause seizures due to cortical hyperexcitability and present with memory impairments arising from hippocampal dysfunction. This study examines how a single disorder differentially affects distinct brain regions by using human patient iPSC-derived cortical- and hippocampal-ganglionic eminence assembloids to model Developmental and Epileptic Encephalopathy 13 (DEE-13), a condition arising from gain-of-function mutations in the gene.

Neuroanatomical distribution of fluorophores within adult RXFP3 Cre-tdTomato/YFP mouse brain.

Relaxin-family peptide 3 receptor (RXFP3) is activated by relaxin-3 in the brain to influence arousal and related functions, such as feeding and stress responses. Two transgenic mouse lines have recently been developed that co-express different fluorophores within RXFP3-expressing neurons: either yellow fluorescent protein (YFP; RXFP3-Cre/YFP mice) or tdTomato (RXFP3-Cre/tdTomato mice). To date, the characteristics of neurons that express RXFP3-associated fluorophores in these mice have only been investigated in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus.

Efficacy and safety of deferoxamine, deferasirox and deferiprone triple iron chelator combination therapy for transfusion-dependent β-thalassaemia with very high iron overload: a protocol for randomised controlled clinical trial.

Introduction: Despite the improvement in medical management, many patients with transfusion-dependent β-thalassaemia die prematurely due to transfusion-related iron overload. As per the current guidelines, the optimal chelation of iron cannot be achieved in many patients, even with two iron chelators at their maximum therapeutic doses. Here, we evaluate the efficacy and safety of triple combination treatment with deferoxamine, deferasirox and deferiprone over dual combination of deferoxamine and deferasirox on iron chelation in patients with transfusion-dependent β-thalassaemia with very high iron overload.

Novel insights on genetics and epigenetics as clinical targets for paediatric astrocytoma.

Paediatric and adult astrocytomas are notably different, where clinical treatments used for adults are not as effective on children with the same form of cancer and these treatments lead to adverse long-term health concerns. Integrative omics-based studies have shown the pathology and fundamental molecular characteristics differ significantly and cannot be extrapolated from the more widely studied adult disease. Recent clinical advances in our understanding of paediatric astrocytomas, with the aid of next-generation sequencing and epigenome-wide profiling, have led to the identification of key canonical mutations that vary based on the tumour location and age of onset.

Lithium use and bone health in women with bipolar disorder: A cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Several psychiatric disorders and medications used to treat them appear to be independently associated with skeletal deficits. As there is increasing evidence that lithium possesses skeletal protective properties, we aimed to investigate the association between lithium use and bone health in a group of women with bipolar disorder.

Method: Women with bipolar disorder (n = 117, 20+ years) were recruited from south-eastern Australia.

Human cerebellar organoids with functional Purkinje cells.

Research on human cerebellar development and disease has been hampered by the need for a human cell-based system that recapitulates the human cerebellum's cellular diversity and functional features. Here, we report a human organoid model (human cerebellar organoids [hCerOs]) capable of developing the complex cellular diversity of the fetal cerebellum, including a human-specific rhombic lip progenitor population that have never been generated in vitro prior to this study. 2-month-old hCerOs form distinct cytoarchitectural features, including laminar organized layering, and create functional connections between inhibitory and excitatory neurons that display coordinated network activity.

Unravelling the Glioblastoma Tumour Microenvironment: Can Aptamer Targeted Delivery Become Successful in Treating Brain Cancers?

The key challenges to treating glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) are the heterogeneous and complex nature of the GBM tumour microenvironment (TME) and difficulty of drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The TME is composed of various neuronal and immune cells, as well as non-cellular components, including metabolic products, cellular interactions, and chemical compositions, all of which play a critical role in GBM development and therapeutic resistance. In this review, we aim to unravel the complexity of the GBM TME, evaluate current therapeutics targeting this microenvironment, and lastly identify potential targets and therapeutic delivery vehicles for the treatment of GBM.

Biofabrication of functional bone tissue: defining tissue-engineered scaffolds from nature.

Damage to bone leads to pain and loss of movement in the musculoskeletal system. Although bone can regenerate, sometimes it is damaged beyond its innate capacity. Research interest is increasingly turning to tissue engineering (TE) processes to provide a clinical solution for bone defects.

Antipsychotic medication use and fracture: a case-control study.

It has been reported that antipsychotic use is associated with lower bone mineral density and bone quality. We aimed to determine whether antipsychotic use is associated with fracture risk in a population-based sample of adults living in the Barwon Statistical Division, south-eastern Australia. In this case-control study, 1458 participants (51.

Antipsychotic medication use in association with quantitative heel ultrasound (QUS).

Purpose: Antipsychotic medication use has been associated with decreased bone mineral density; however, less is known whether antipsychotics affect other parameters of bone health. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the association between antipsychotic medication use and quantitative heel ultrasound (QUS) in a population based sample of men and women.

Methods: Thirty-one antipsychotic users and 155 non-users matched for age and sex were drawn from the Geelong Osteoporosis Study.

Antipsychotic-induced bone loss: the role of dopamine, serotonin and adrenergic receptor signalling.

Antipsychotics are commonly used in treating psychiatric disorders. These medications primarily target dopamine the serotonin receptors, they have some affinity to adrenergic, histamine, glutamate and muscarinic receptors. There is clinical evidence that antipsychotic use decreases BMD and increases fracture risk, with dopamine, serotonin and adrenergic receptor-signalling becoming an increasing area of focus where the presence of these receptors in osteoclasts and osteoblasts have been demonstrated.

Use of antipsychotic medication and its relationship with bone mineral density: A population-based study of men and women.

Background: Schizophrenia has been shown to be associated with reduced bone mineral density (BMD) and higher fracture risk. However, less is known whether antipsychotic treatment is associated with reduced BMD. Thus, we aimed to examine associations between antipsychotic use and BMD among men and women drawn from the general population.

Lipopolysaccharide-binding protein and bone health: data from a population-based sample of men.

Unlabelled: We aimed to investigate the association between serum lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) and bone health in men. LBP was associated with lower bone density at the mid-forearm and the quantitative heel ultrasound measure, broadband ultrasound attenuation, for heavier participants. Data do not support clear associations between serum LBP and bone health.

Patient size as a parameter for determining Diagnostic Reference Levels for paediatric Computed Tomography (CT) procedures.

Introduction: The paediatric radiation dose has never been studied in Sri Lanka, nor has a national diagnostic reference level (NDRL) established. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to propose diagnostic reference levels (DRL) and achievable dose (AD) values for paediatric CT examinations based on size.

Methods: A total of 658 paediatric (0-15 years) non-contrast-enhanced (NC) studies of head, chest and abdomen regions performed during six months in two dedicated paediatric hospitals (out of the three such institutions in the country) were included.

Zebrafish Models of Paediatric Brain Tumours.

Paediatric brain cancer is the second most common childhood cancer and is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children. Despite significant advancements in the treatment modalities and improvements in the 5-year survival rate, it leaves long-term therapy-associated side effects in paediatric patients. Addressing these impairments demands further understanding of the molecularity and heterogeneity of these brain tumours, which can be demonstrated using different animal models of paediatric brain cancer.

Self-Assembled Peptide Habitats to Model Tumor Metastasis.

Metastatic tumours are complex ecosystems; a community of multiple cell types, including cancerous cells, fibroblasts, and immune cells that exist within a supportive and specific microenvironment. The interplay of these cells, together with tissue specific chemical, structural and temporal signals within a three-dimensional (3D) habitat, direct tumour cell behavior, a subtlety that can be easily lost in 2D tissue culture. Here, we investigate a significantly improved tool, consisting of a novel matrix of functionally programmed peptide sequences, self-assembled into a scaffold to enable the growth and the migration of multicellular lung tumour spheroids, as proof-of-concept.

Triple-negative breast cancer brain metastasis: An update on druggable targets, current clinical trials, and future treatment options.

The key challenges with the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer brain metastasis (TNBC-BM) are the lack of any targeted therapy and difficulties associated with drug delivery to the brain. These add to the high toxicity profile of existing treatments and the poor outcomes for patient. In this review, we introduce current drugs based on their molecular targets and look to improve brain drug delivery using more efficient and promising drug delivery systems.

Defining the nature of human pluripotent stem cell-derived interneurons via single-cell analysis.

The specification of inhibitory neurons has been described for the mouse and human brain, and many studies have shown that pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) can be used to create interneurons in vitro. It is unclear whether in vitro methods to produce human interneurons generate all the subtypes found in brain, and how similar in vitro and in vivo interneurons are. We applied single-nuclei and single-cell transcriptomics to model interneuron development from human cortex and interneurons derived from PSCs.

Anticonvulsant use and fracture: a case-control study.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate fracture risk associated with anticonvulsant use in a population-based sample of men and women.

Methods: Data from 1,458 participants (51.8% women) with a radiologically confirmed incident fracture (cases) were compared to 1,796 participants (46.

Identification of neural oscillations and epileptiform changes in human brain organoids.

Brain organoids represent a powerful tool for studying human neurological diseases, particularly those that affect brain growth and structure. However, many diseases manifest with clear evidence of physiological and network abnormality in the absence of anatomical changes, raising the question of whether organoids possess sufficient neural network complexity to model these conditions. Here, we explore the network-level functions of brain organoids using calcium sensor imaging and extracellular recording approaches that together reveal the existence of complex network dynamics reminiscent of intact brain preparations.

Augmented reality in medical education: students' experiences and learning outcomes.

Augmented reality (AR) is a relatively new technology that allows for digitally generated three-dimensional representations to be integrated with real environmental stimuli. AR can make use of smart phones, tablets, or other devices to achieve a highly stimulating learning environment and hands-on immersive experience. The use of AR in industry is becoming widespread with applications being developed for use not just for entertainment and gaming but also healthcare, retail and marketing, education, military, travel and tourism, automotive industry, manufacturing, architecture, and engineering.

Anticonvulsant use and bone health in a population-based study of men and women: cross-sectional data from the Geelong Osteoporosis Study.

Background: Anticonvulsant use has been linked to bone deficits in specific patient populations. We studied the association between anticonvulsant use and bone health in a population-based sample of men and women.

Methods: Data from 926 men (24-73 yr) and 1070 women (21-94 yr) participating in the Geelong Osteoporosis Study were included.

Dietary tryptophan and bone health: a cross-sectional, population-based study.

Unlabelled: Tryptophan metabolites influence bone. We aimed to investigate the relationship between dietary tryptophan and bone health in a population-based sample of men and women. Following adjustment for age, dietary tryptophan was not associated with bone quantity or quality, suggesting a non-critical role of superfluous tryptophan on the skeleton.