Most individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) demonstrate problems in learning and movement coordination. Consequently, they usually have difficulties in activities such as standing, walking, and stair climbing. To monitor the physical impairments of these children, regular gross motor evaluation is crucial. Straight-line level walking is the most frequently used test of their mobility. However, numerous studies have found that unless the children have multiple disabilities, no significant differences can be found between the children with ID and typically-developed children in this test. Stair climbing presents more challenges than level walking because it is associated with numerous physical factors, including lower extremity strength, cardiopulmonary endurance, vision, balance, and fear of falling. Limited ability in those factors is one of the most vital markers for children with ID. In this paper, we propose a sensor-based approach for measuring stair-walking performance, both upstairs and downstairs, for adolescents with ID. Particularly, we address the problem of sensor calibration to ensure measurement accuracy. In total, 62 participants aged 15 to 21 years, namely 32 typically-developed (TD) adolescents, 20 adolescents with ID, and 10 adolescents with multiple disabilities (MD), participated. The experimental results showed that stair-walking is more sensitive than straight-line level walking in capturing gait characteristics for adolescents with ID.
An outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread globally, with over 500 million cases and 6 million deaths to date. COVID-19 is associated with a systemic inflammatory response and abnormalities of the extracellular matrix (ECM), which is also involved in inflammatory storms. Upon viral infection, ECM proteins are involved in the recruitment of inflammatory cells and interference with target organ metabolism, including in the lungs. Additionally, serum biomarkers of ECM turnover are associated with the severity of COVID-19 and may serve as potential targets. Consequently, understanding the expression and function of ECM, particularly of the lung, during severe acute respiratory syndrome of the coronavirus 2 infection would provide valuable insights into the mechanisms of COVID-19 progression. In this review, we summarize the current findings on ECM, such as hyaluronic acid, matrix metalloproteinases, and collagen, which are linked to the severity and inflammation of COVID-19. Some drugs targeting the extracellular surface have been effective. In the future, these ECM findings could provide novel perspectives on the pathogenesis and treatment of COVID-19.
Chlorine dioxide is a safe, environmentally friendly disinfecting agent. In this study, aqueous chlorine dioxide (ACD) was used to improve the water quality of dental chairs. However, chlorine dioxide is readily released from ACD solutions under open atmosphere conditions. Described herein is a water purification and disinfection system using ACD. The system was designed, fabricated, and integrated into an existing dental chair water system. This system is referred to as an ACD dental chair. Because ClO2 readily degasses from ACD, there needs to be a way to maintain and measure the ACD solution in real time. In our studies, we found that pH and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) change as a function of chlorine dioxide concentration and are easily controlled and measured. The dosing of the ACD was designed to begin at 800 mV and stop dosing at 810 mV in the ACD dental chair. Through use of this continuous monitoring and automatic dosing system, the water ORP was controlled between 800 and 860 mV. This range is the effective concentration of chlorine dioxide that is without chlorine-like odor and microorganism growth. The ACD dental chair controlled the total bacterial count to <5 CFU/mL and the chlorite concentration was less than 0.0004 mg/L, meeting legal standards of Taiwan, the USA, and China. In addition to the application of ACD in dental chairs, it may also be used in closed water systems for food, cosmetics, beverages, and other industries.
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