An Ontology-Based Decision Support System for Tailored Clinical Nutrition Recommendations for Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Development and Acceptability Study.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic condition among the main causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, representing a burden on health care systems. Scientific literature highlights that nutrition is pivotal in respiratory inflammatory processes connected to COPD, including exacerbations. Patients with COPD have an increased risk of developing nutrition-related comorbidities, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and malnutrition.

A Knowledge-based Decision Support System for recommending safe recipes to individuals with dysphagia.

Background: Dysphagia is a disorder that can be associated to several pathological conditions, including neuromuscular diseases, with significant impact on quality of life. Dysphagia often leads to malnutrition, as a consequence of the dietary changes made by patients or their caregivers, who may deliberately decide to reduce or avoid specific food consistencies (because they are not perceived as safe), and the lack of knowledge in how to process foods are critics. Such dietary changes often result in unbalanced nutrients intake, which can have significant consequences for frail patients.

Masticatory Muscles Activation and TMJ Space During Asymmetrically Loaded Jaw Closing.

Masticatory muscle activation and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) load generated during asymmetrically loaded jaw closing are largely unknown. Two different strategies were developed to explain how the central nervous system (CNS) generates muscle activation patterns during motion: minimization of joint load (MJL) vs. minimization of muscle effort (MME).

Wrist-Worn Sensor Validation for Heart Rate Variability and Electrodermal Activity Detection in a Stressful Driving Environment.

Wearable sensors are widely used to gather psychophysiological data in the laboratory and real-world applications. However, the accuracy of these devices should be carefully assessed. The study focused on testing the accuracy of the Empatica 4 (E4) wristband for the detection of heart rate variability (HRV) and electrodermal activity (EDA) metrics in stress-inducing conditions and growing-risk driving scenarios.

Prevalence of Temporomandibular Disorders Based on a Shortened Symptom Questionnaire of the Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders and Its Screening Reliability for Children and Adolescents Aged 7-14 Years.

The prevalence and adequacy of diagnostic approaches for temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in children and adolescents are still matters of debate. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of TMD and oral habits in children and adolescents aged 7-14 years and evaluate the consistency between self-reported TMD symptoms and clinical findings using a shortened Axis I of Diagnostic Criteria for TMD (DC/TMD). Children (aged 7-10) and adolescents (aged 11-14) of both sexes were invited to participate in this study ( = 1468).

A virtual reality-based endurance training program for COPD patients: acceptability and user experience.

Purpose: To investigate the acceptability and user experience of an in-hospital endurance training program based on the Virtual Park, a semi-immersive Virtual Reality (VR) system for patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).Patients performed 20 min of cycling two times/day for around ten days. The evaluation included adherence, exercise capacity, physical performance, and user experience.

In-vivo kinematic assessment of alloplastic temporomandibular joint replacements by means of helical axis: A cohort study with historical control.

Alloplastic total temporomandibular joint replacement (TJR) is a surgical procedure used to restore normal mandibular function when conservative therapies fail. The instantaneous helical axis (HA), is a mathematical model used to visualize globally rigid body kinematics. It can be applied to mandibular motion for quantification of movement patterns and irregularities.

Short-term effects of NTI-tss and Michigan splint on nocturnal jaw muscle activity: A pilot study.

Objectives: Sleep bruxism is mostly assessed by reporting of tooth-grinding or clenching during sleep and by clinical signs (tooth wear, cracks, or fractures). Parafunctional tooth damage is usually prevented by employing occlusal appliances mainly of the full arch covering type (Michigan splint) and of the partial type covering only central incisors (NTI-tss). To date, the effects of occlusal appliances on sleep bruxism or jaw muscle activity during sleep are still controversial.

Influence of bolus size and chewing side on temporomandibular joint intra-articular space during mastication.

Previous studies suggested that, during mastication, magnitude and location of mechanical load in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) might depend on chewing side and bolus size. Aim of this study was to dynamically measure the TMJ space while chewing on standardized boluses to assess the relationship among minimum intra-articular distances (MID), their location on the condylar surface, bolus size, and chewing side. Mandibular movements of 12 participants (6f, 24±1y.

Tensile Strength and Failure Types of Direct and Indirect Resin Composite Copings for Perio-Overdentures Luted Using Different Adhesive Cementation Modalities.

Perio-overdenture design helps to reduce periodontal diseases and secondary caries on abutment teeth. Composite copings can be cemented adhesively to the abutment teeth with different techniques. In this study, direct/indirect resin composite copings for perio-overdentures, luted using different adhesive cementation modalities were compared.

Ultrasound Imaging of Injections in Masseter Muscle without Contrast Agent Using Strain Elastography and a Novel B-Mode Spatiotemporal Filter.

Botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) injections in masseter muscle can alleviate muscle tightness and aching pain caused by idiopathic masticatory myalgia, a subform of the myofascial pain syndrome. Yet the injection procedure (number, amount) is currently empirical. In this ex vivo study, we determined the feasibility of using contrast-free ultrasound imaging to visualize the short-term injectate propagation.

A Social Virtual Reality-Based Application for the Physical and Cognitive Training of the Elderly at Home.

Frailty is a clinical condition affecting the elderly population which results in an increased risk of falls. Previous studies demonstrated that falls prevention programs are effective, but they suffer from low adherence, especially when subjects have to train unsupervised in their homes. To try to improve treatment adherence, virtual reality and social media have been proposed as promising strategies for the increase of users' motivation and thus their willingness to practice.

Virtual reality-based wheelchair simulators: A scoping review.

Sense of presence (SoP) has recently emerged as one of the key elements promoting the effectiveness of virtual reality-based training programs. In the context of wheelchair simulators (WSs), the effectiveness of the simulation has been sought using different perception and interaction devices, providing the end-users with different levels of SoP. We performed a scoping review searching scientific and grey literature databases with the aim of assessing the extent of published research dealing with SoP and effectiveness of WSs.

Temporomandibular joint magnetic resonance imaging findings in adolescents with anterior disk displacement compared to those with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Background: Deformation of the mandibular condyle can be associated with anterior disk displacement (ADD) or involvement of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) by juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Diagnostic differentiation is critical for proper management.

Objectives: To compare morphology and inflammation between TMJs with ADD and JIA.

Displacement of teeth without and with bonded fixed orthodontic retainers: 3D analysis using triangular target frames and optoelectronic motion tracking device.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate the anterior tooth movement without and with bonded fixed orthodontic retainers under incremental loading conditions.

Materials And Methods: Six extracted mandibular anterior human teeth were embedded in acrylic resin in True Form I Arch type and 3D reconstruction of Digital Volume Tomography (DVT) images (0.4 mm voxels) were obtained.

Articular cartilage response to a sliding load using two different-sized spherical indenters1.

Background: Cartilage surface contact geometry influences the deformational behavior and stress distribution throughout the extracellular matrix (ECM) under load.

Objective: To test the correlation between the mechanical and cellular response of articular cartilage when loaded with two different-sized spherical indenters under dynamic reciprocating sliding motion.

Methods: Articular cartilage explants were subjected to a reciprocating sliding load using a 17.

StimTrack: An open-source software for manual transcranial magnetic stimulation coil positioning.

Background: During Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) experiments researchers often use a neuronavigation system to precisely and accurately maintain coil position and orientation.

New Method: This study aimed to develop and validate an open-source software for TMS coil navigation. StimTrack uses an optical tracker and an intuitive user interface to facilitate the maintenance of position and orientation of any type of coil within and between sessions.

Intra and inter-session reliability of rapid Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation stimulus-response curves of tibialis anterior muscle in healthy older adults.

Objective: The clinical use of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) as a technique to assess corticospinal excitability is limited by the time for data acquisition and the measurement variability. This study aimed at evaluating the reliability of Stimulus-Response (SR) curves acquired with a recently proposed rapid protocol on tibialis anterior muscle of healthy older adults.

Methods: Twenty-four neurologically-intact adults (age:55-75 years) were recruited for this test-retest study.

Properties and Mechanobiological Behavior of Bovine Nasal Septum Cartilage.

Bovine nasal septum (BNS) is a source of non-load bearing hyaline cartilage. Little information is available on its mechanical and biological properties. The aim of this work was to assess the characteristics of BNS cartilage and investigate its behavior in in vitro mechanobiological experiments.

Mechanical behavior of bovine nasal cartilage under static and dynamic loading.

Abnormal mechanical loading may trigger cartilage degeneration associated with osteoarthritis. Tissue response to load has been the subject of several in vitro studies. However, simple stimuli were often applied, not fully mimicking the complex in vivo conditions.

Coupling plowing of cartilage explants with gene expression in models for synovial joints.

Articular cartilage undergoes complex loading modalities generally including sliding, rolling and plowing (i.e. the compression by a condyle normally to the tissue surface under simultaneously tangential displacement, thus generating a tractional force due to tissue deformation).

Design, construction and validation of a computer controlled system for functional loading of soft tissue.

Osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerative disease affecting body joints. Abnormal mechanical loading could be an initiating factor of cartilage damage, by influencing chondrocytes activity. To date, devices performing mechanical studies of viable tissues are mostly uniaxial.

Temporomandibular joint loading patterns related to joint morphology: a theoretical study.

It is unclear which aspects of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) anatomy and/or kinematics determine shape and location of disk-compressive areas (stress field). The aim of this study was a quantitative analysis of TMJ anatomy to predict stress field path direction. Twenty-five asymptomatic TMJs (12 females and 13 males, aged 20-38 years) were tracked during unloaded opening/closing cycles.

Secondhand tobacco smoke in public places in Latin America, 2002-2003.

Context: The success of measures to restrict smoking in indoor environments and the intensity of enforcement vary among countries around the world. In 2001, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) launched the Smoke-Free Americas Initiative to build capacity to achieve smoke-free environments in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Objective: To assess secondhand smoke concentrations in public places in the capital cities of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay in conjunction with the Smoke-Free Americas Initiative.