Search

The intra-subject, the inter-operator, and the inter-laboratory variabilities are the main sources of uncertainties in gait analysis, and their effects have been partially described in the literature for adult populations. This study aimed to extend the repeatability and reproducibility analysis to a pediatric population, accounting for the effects induced by the intra-subject variations, the measurement setup, the marker set configuration, and the involved operators in placing markers and EMG electrodes. We evaluated kinematic, kinetic and EMG outputs collected from gait analyses performed on two healthy children in two laboratories, by two operators, and with two marker placement protocols. The two involved centers previously defined a common acquisition procedure based on their routine pipelines. The similarity of kinematic, kinetic, and EMG curves were evaluated by means of the coefficients of the Linear Fit Method, and the Mean Absolute Variability with and without the offset among curves. The inter-operator variability was found to be the main contribution to the overall reproducibility of kinematic and kinetic gait data. On the contrary, the main contribution to the variability of the EMG signals was the intra-subject repeatability that is due to the physiological stride to stride muscle activation variability.

A greater ethical conscience, new global rules and a modified perception of ethical consciousness entail a more rigorous control on utilizations of vertebrates for in vivo studies. To cope with this new scenario, numerous alternatives to rodents have been proposed. Among these, the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella had a preponderant role, especially in the microbiological field, as demonstrated by the growing number of recent scientific publications. The reasons for its success must be sought in its peculiar characteristics such as the innate immune response mechanisms and the ability to grow at a temperature of 37°C. This review aims to describe the most relevant features of G. mellonella in microbiology, highlighting the most recent and relevant research on antibacterial strategies, novel drug tests and toxicological studies. Although solutions for some limitations are required, G. mellonella has all the necessary host features to be a consolidated in vivo model host.

Repeatability and reproducibility indices are often used in gait analysis to validate models and assess patients in their follow-up. When comparing joint kinematics, their interpretation can be ambiguous due to a lack of understanding of the exact sources of their variations. This paper studied four indices (Root Mean Square Deviation, Mean Absolute Variability, Coefficient of Multiple Correlation, and Linear Fit Method) in relation to five confusing-factors: joints’ range of motion, sample-by-sample amplitude variability, offset, time shift and curve shape. A first simulation was conducted to test the mathematics behind each index. A second simulation tested the influence of the curve shape on the indices using a Fourier’s decomposition. The Coefficient of Multiple Correlation and the Linear Fit method Coefficients were independent from the range of motion. Different Coefficients of Multiple Correlation were found among different joints, leading to misinterpretation of the results. The Linear Fit Method coefficients should not be adopted when time shift increases. Root Mean Square Deviation and Mean Absolute Variability were sensitive to all the confusing-factors. The Linear Fit Method coefficients seemed to be the most suitable to assess gait data variability, complemented with Root Mean Square Deviation or Mean Absolute Variability as measurements of data dispersion.