Explore the vast range of titles available.

Imagine having a knowledge graph that can extract medical health knowledge related to patient diagnosis solutions and treatments from thousands of research papers, distilled using machine learning techniques in healthcare applications. Medical doctors can quickly determine treatments and medications for urgent patients, while researchers can discover innovative treatments for existing and unknown diseases. This would be incredible! Our approach serves as an all-in-one solution, enabling users to employ a unified design methodology for creating their own knowledge graphs. Our rigorous validation process involves multiple stages of refinement, ensuring that the resulting answers are of the utmost professionalism and solidity, surpassing the capabilities of other solutions. However, building a high-quality knowledge graph from scratch, with complete triplets consisting of subject entities, relations, and object entities, is a complex and important task that requires a systematic approach. To address this, we have developed a comprehensive design flow for knowledge graph development and a high-quality entities database. We also developed knowledge distillation schemes that allow you to input a keyword (entity) and display all related entities and relations. Our proprietary methodology, multiple levels refinement (MLR), is a novel approach to constructing knowledge graphs and refining entities level-by-level. This ensures the generation of high-quality triplets and a readable knowledge graph through keyword searching. We have generated multiple knowledge graphs and developed a scheme to find the corresponding inputs and outputs of entity linking. Entities with multiple inputs and outputs are referred to as joints, and we have created a joint-version knowledge graph based on this. Additionally, we developed an interactive knowledge graph, providing a user-friendly environment for medical professionals to explore entities related to existing or unknown treatments/diseases. Finally, we have advanced knowledge distillation techniques.

Critical shoulder angle (CSA) is the angle between the superior and inferior bone margins of the glenoid and the most lateral border of the acromion and is potentially affected during a rotator cuff tear (RCT). Acromioplasty is generally performed to rectify the anatomy of the acromion during RCT repair surgery. However, limited information is available regarding the changes in the CSA after anterolateral acromioplasty. We hypothesized that CSA can be decreased after anterolateral acromioplasty. Data were retrospectively collected from 712 patients with RCTs and underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair between January 2012 and December 2018, of which 337 patients were included in the study. The presurgical and postsurgical CSA were then determined and compared using a paired samples t test. Because previous study mentioned CSA more than 38 degrees were at risk of rotator cuff re-tear, patients were segregated into two groups: CSA < 38° and CSA ≥ 38°; these groups were compared using an independent-samples t test. These 337 participants (160 male and 177 female) presented a CSA of 38.4° ± 6.0° before anterolateral acromioplasty, which significantly decreased to 35.8° ± 5.9° after surgery ( P < .05). Before surgery, 172 patients were present in the CSA ≥ 38° group and 57 were preset in the CSA < 38° group after surgery. The CSA decreased significantly in the CSA ≥ 38° group rather than in the CSA < 38° group ( P < .05). In conclusion, the CSA can be effectively decreased through anterolateral acromioplasty, and this reduction in the CSA is more significant among individuals with CSA ≥ 38° than among those with CSA < 38°, indicating that acromioplasty is recommended along with RCT repair especially among individuals with a wide presurgical CSA.

Background Robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) is a practical treatment that can complement conventional rehabilitation by providing high-intensity repetitive training for patients with stroke. RAGT systems are usually either of the end-effector or exoskeleton types. We developed a novel hybrid RAGT system that leverages the advantages of both types. Objective This single-blind randomized controlled trial evaluated the beneficial effects of the novel RAGT system both immediately after the intervention and at the 3-month follow-up in nonambulatory patients with subacute stroke. Methods We recruited 40 patients with subacute stroke who were equally randomized to receive conventional rehabilitation either alone or with the addition of 15 RAGT sessions. We assessed lower-extremity motor function, balance, and gait performance by using the following tools: active range of motion (AROM), manual muscle test (MMT), the Fugl–Meyer Assessment (FMA) lower-extremity subscale (FMA-LE) and total (FMA-total), Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke (PASS), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Tinetti Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA) balance and gait subscores, and the 3-m and 6-m walking speed and Timed Up and Go (TUG) tests. These measurements were performed before and after the intervention and at the 3-month follow-up. Results Both groups demonstrated significant within-group changes in the AROM, MMT, FMA-LE, FMA-total, PASS, BBS, POMA, TUG, and 3-m and 6-m walking speed tests before and after intervention and at the 3-month follow-up ( p  < 0.05). The RAGT group significantly outperformed the control group only in the FMA-LE ( p  = 0.014) and total ( p  = 0.002) assessments. Conclusion Although the novel hybrid RAGT is effective, strong evidence supporting its clinical effectiveness relative to controls in those with substantial leg dysfunction after stroke remains elusive. Trial registration The study was registered with an International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number, ISRCTN, ISRCTN15088682. Registered retrospectively on September 16, 2016, at https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN15088682

Background The proportion of older adults and individuals with disabilities in the general population increases each year. Thus, clinical clerkships designed for physiotherapy interns should provide more than simply knowledge and skills. For such interns to be able to handle the requirements of their future jobs, clerkships must enable them to develop empathy and positive attitudes toward patients. This study investigated the effect of simulation-based, holistic health-care education on physiotherapy interns’ empathy, attitudes, and knowledge.  Methods A parallel-group design. Thirty physiotherapy interns from a medical institution were enrolled as participants, with experimental and control groups each comprising 15 participants. Both groups received standard clinical training. However, the experimental group received an additional 3.5 h of simulation-based holistic health-care education. The Jefferson Scale of Empathy, Kogan’s Attitudes Toward Old People Scale, the Attitudes Towards the Elderly Scale, the Knowledge About Aging Scale, Knowledge of the Situation of Older People Scale, Perceptions of Working with Older People Scale, and Care Willingness Scale were used in a pretest and posttest. Results After the intervention period, we observed substantial between-group differences of 6.4 points on the Jefferson Scale of Empathy ( p  = 0.001), 7.7 points on Kogan’s Attitudes Toward Old People Scale ( p  = 0.002), 3.5 points on the Attitudes Toward the Elderly Scale ( p  = 0.002), 2.5 points on Knowledge About Aging ( p  = 0.055), 4.5 points on the Knowledge of the Situation of Older People Scale ( p  < 0.001), and 2.1 points on Perceptions of Working with Older People Scale ( p  = 0.046). Conclusion Simulation-based, holistic health-care education can significantly improve the empathy, knowledge, and attitudes of physiotherapy interns.

Stroke results in paretic limb disabilities, but few studies have investigated the impacts of stroke on muscle perception deficits in multiaxis movements and related functional changes. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate stroke-related changes in muscle perceptions using a multiaxis ankle haptic interface and analyze their relationships with various functions. Sixteen stroke patients and 22 healthy participants performed active reproduction tests in multiaxis movements involving the tibialis anterior (TA), extensor digitorum longus (EDL), peroneus longus, and flexor digitorum longus (FDL) of the ankle joint. The direction error (DE), absolute error (AE), and variable error (VE) were calculated. The lower extremity of Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA-LE), Barthel Index (BI), Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke Patients, Tinetti Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA), and 10-m walk test (10MWT) were evaluated. VE of EDL for the paretic ankle was significantly lower than that for the nonparetic ankle (p = 0.009). AE of TA, EDL, and FDL and VE of EDL and FDL of muscle perceptions were significantly lower in healthy participants than in stroke patients (p < 0.05 for both). DE of TA for the paretic ankle was moderately correlated with FMA-LE (r = −0.509) and POMA (r = −0.619) scores. AE and VE of EDL for the paretic ankle were moderately correlated with the 10MWT score (r = 0.515 vs. 0.557). AE of FDL for the paretic ankle was also moderately correlated with BI (r = −0.562). This study indicated poorer accuracy and consistency in muscle perception for paretic ankles, which correlated with lower limb functions of stroke patients.

Background The aging population has caused assistive technology (AT) to receive attention. Thus, ensuring accurate user comprehension of AT has become increasingly crucial, and more specialized education for students in relevant fields is necessary. The goal of this study was to explore the learning outcomes in the context of AT for older adults and individuals with disabilities through the use of VR experiential learning. Methods A parallel-group design was used. Sixty third-year university students studying gerontology and long-term-care-related subjects in Taiwan were enrolled, with the experimental (VR) and control (two-dimensional [2D] video) groups each comprising 30 participants. Both groups received the same 15-minute lecture. Subsequently, the experimental group received experiential learning through a VR intervention, whereas the control group watched a 2D video to learn. The students’ knowledge of AT was assessed using a pretest and posttest. Additionally, their skills in evaluation of residential environments were assessed using the Residential Environment Assessment (REA) Form for Older Adults. All data analyses were performed with SPSS version 22. Results In the posttest conducted after the intervention, the experimental group exhibited a significant 20.67 point improvement ( p  < 0.05), whereas the control group only exhibited improvement of 3.67 points ( p  = 0.317). Furthermore, the experimental group demonstrated a significantly higher score (+ 2.17 points) on the REA Form for Older Adults than did the control group ( p  < 0.05). Conclusion VR experiential learning can significantly improve undergraduate students’ knowledge and evaluation skills in relation to AT for older adults and individuals with disabilities.

Background Lateral epicondylitis is frequently seen in racquet sport players and the treatments are usually symptomatic rather than curative. Taping therapy is cheap and easy to apply in the sport field. In this study we valued the effectiveness of Kinesio taping (KT) on immediate pain control for patients with chronic lateral epicondylitis. Methods We conducted a randomized, double-blinded, cross-over study with 15 patients with chronic lateral epicondylitis. All participants received two taping sessions in a random order with a 3-day interval in between: one with KT and the other with sham taping (ST). Pain perceived during resisted wrist extension and at rest using numeric rating scale (NRS), the pain-free grip strength, and the pressure pain threshold, were measured before and 15 min after the tape was applied. Results A significant reduction of 2.1 ± 1.6 (Z = − 3.081, P  = 0.002) and 0.7 ± 0.8 (Z = − 2.428, P  = 0.015) was found on a NRS with KT and ST, respectively, indicating that both taping sessions produced immediate pain relief for resisted wrist extension. Both taping sessions significantly improved the pain-free grip strength with increases of 3.31 ± 5.05 (Z = − 2.615, P  = 0.009) and 2.43 ± 3.31 (Z = − 2.783, P  = 0.005) kg found with KT and ST, respectively. Compared with ST, KT exhibited superiority in controlling pain experienced during resisted wrist extension (Z = − 2.168, P  = 0.030). Conclusions Taping produced unneglectable placebo effects on pain relief and painf-free grip strength for patients with lateral epicondylitis, and KT seemed to have additional effects on controlling pain that was elicited by resisted wrist extension. Trial registration ISRCTN13618356 (retrospectively registered on 13/02/2017).

The number of migrant workers in Taiwan increases annually. The majority is from Indonesia and most of them are female caregivers. This study aims to determine the access to health services and the associated factors among Indonesian female domestic workers in Taiwan. In this cross-sectional study, data were collected from February to May 2019, using a structured questionnaire. Subsequently, multiple logistic regression was used to examine the association between socio-demographic factors and health service access. Two hundred and eighty-four domestic migrant workers were interviewed. Eighty-five percent of the respondents declared sickness at work, but only 48.8% seek health care services. Factors associated with health service access were marital status, income, and the availability of an attendant to accompany the migrant workers to the healthcare facilities. Language barrier and time flexibility were the main obstacles. Further research and an effective health service policy are needed for the domestic migrant workers to better access health care services.

Obesity can limit physical capacity and lower physical activity levels in elderly people. Low physical activity levels may be mediated by autonomic dysfunction with decreased heart rate variability (HRV). However, the relationship between autonomic dysfunction and low physical capability remains unclear. This cross-sectional study investigated the association of low physical capability with HRV in older adults with obesity. We recruited 231 old man and 210 old women with a mean (range) age of 65.5 (51-78) and 62.9 (52-76) years, respectively. Physical capability was measured using mobility tasks, including functional reach, single-leg stance (SLS), gait speed (GS), timed up and go, and timed chair rise (TCR), and the scores on these tasks were merged and transformed into a global physical capability score (GPCS). HRV was measured using a 7-min resting pulse-based technique, and the time- and frequency-domain indices of HRV were obtained including standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN), root mean square of successive differences at rest (rMSSD), and high-frequency (HF) power. All HRV indices were natural log (ln) transformed for analysis. Participants were divided into high, moderate, and low physical-capability groups according to their physical performance. Multivariate analysis of covariance was performed to test differences in HRV indices among physical-capability groups with participants' characteristics serving as covariates. A stepwise regression model was established to identify the determinants of HRV indices. We used hierarchical regression analysis to identify the association of the GPCS with HRV indices. In both men and women, the low physical-capability group exhibited significantly increased heart rate (P <0.05) and decreased HRV in terms of a decreased ln[SDNN] (P <0.001), ln[rMSSD] (P <0.05) and ln[HF] (P <0.05), compared with the high physical-capability group. GS positively predicted ln[SDNN], whereas SLS, GS, and TCR were determinants of ln[HF], regardless of gender. The GPCS in older men and women independently accounted for 29.9% (P <0.001) and 23.7% (P <0.001), respectively, in variance in ln[SDNN]. A low physical-capability level is an independent determinant of decreased HRV in older adults with obesity.

Background: Aging is key to inclusion, and it should be taken into account when designing every place of human activity. However, the implementation of such guidelines often fails the human-centric aspiration as health and design domain interpretation gaps impede the suitable reading and implementation strategies. Purpose: This study aimed to understand critical factors in the place-of-aging and to examine the gap in domain interpretation affecting age-friendly housing. Methods: Using grounded theory as a base, questionnaire interviews were implemented either face-to-face or through an online process by health and design domain experts. Overall, 40 respondents (20 health and 20 design experts) evaluated the key criteria to prioritize according to their value of importance. The factor analysis resulted in the stated deviation, suggesting a necessity to redefine the attributes of the dwelling based on a people, place and process framework. Results: The systemic analysis affirmed the inter-disciplinary gap to enhancing the dwelling provision. The health domain experts consistently ranked the criteria higher or equal than the design domain except for safety and security criteria. Both domains agreed that affordability is a main concern, as elders must be able to afford their dwelling choice. Conclusion: The valuable finding of the key criteria in the study is to uphold the value of the urban health resilience implication as the core of this study.