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Abstract: The Hyperloop pod is a vehicle that is set to revolutionize the technological advancement of transportation systems. Like the bullet train, it is meant to transverse from point A to B at a tremendous speed, making it convenient for people that rely on transportation systems for traveling and commuting. However, the Hyperloop pod is designed to travel through a vacuum tube to negate air friction so that the pod can achieve high accelerations. Ideally, the concept compensates the practical modes of transportation by being relatively inexpensive compared to airfares and fast compared to public transportation methods. The HyperXite team has been building scaled-down prototype pods for the past four years with this Hyperloop vision in mind. After determining that building a full prototype pod would not be feasible for the team this year given the state of the competition and budgetary constraints, the team decided to move forward with a scaled down version of the pod with design concepts that we wanted to test. We set a loose requirement of a 3-foot-long pod that would still be able to move along the I-beam track with the given dimensions from the 2019 SpaceX Hyperloop competition. The pod stands at 62.36 inches in length, 30.137 inches in width, 17.452 inches in height, and its current mass is approximately 120lbs. We moved forward with a dual motor design, friction brakes that are actuated by our pneumatic system, and an aluminum chassis. Not having SpaceX Competition design requirements to follow, gave our team the freedom to test different designs for each subsystem.

Background/Aims Cervical disorders are major health problems in our society and an important source of disability. Assessing range of motion is a significant part of the physical therapist’s role when evaluating a patient presenting with cervical disorders. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the intrarater relibility as well as the criterion validity of two phone applications (clinometer and compass) when assessing the cervical range of motion among individuals with and without neck pain. Methods In total, 80 participants were included in this study and split into two groups. Group A comprised 40 participants (18 women and 22 men) without neck pain. Group B included 40 participants (26 women and 14 men) with neck pain (mean pain rating on visual analogue scale 3.76 ± 0.93). Cervical range of motion was measured with the clinometer application (flexion, extension, right and left lateral flexion) and compass application (right and left rotation). The readings were compared with a universal goniometer. Estimates of reliability and validity were then established using the intraclass correlation coefficient, standard error of measurement and minimum detectable change. Results The smartphone applications had good intrarater reliability when compared to a universal goniometer, showing good to excellent validity (intraclass correlation coefficient >0.65) for all six cervical ranges of motion in participants with and without neck pain. Conclusions The smartphone clinometer application was found to be valid and reliable in measuring frontal and sagittal cervical ranges of motion in participants with and without neck pain. The compass application was found to be valid and reliable when assessing the horizontal cervical range of motion in a seated position. The applications will benefit physiotherapists when assessing cervical range of motion.

Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) is a congenital developmental malformation and is one of the leading causes of drug-resistant focal epilepsy (DRFE). Although focal epilepsies traditionally have been regarded as acquired disorders, increasing evidence suggests a substantial genetic contribution to the pathogenesis of focal structural epilepsies, including FCDs. Variations in the Dishevelled, Egl-10, and domain-containing protein 5 (DEPDC5) have recently emerged as a causative gene mutation in familial focal epilepsies associated with FCD type 2a, including bottom-of-sulcus dysplasia (BOSD). We present the case of a 20-year-old man with DRFE, positive for DEPDC5 c.1555C>T (p.GIn519*) heterozygous pathogenic variant. Initial 3T brain MRI was unrevealing, but subsequent 7T MRI including 7T edge-enhancing gradient echo revealed a left superior frontal sulcus BOSD concordant with the electroclinical data. The patient underwent treatment with MR-guided laser interstitial thermal ablation of the left frontal BOSD without intracranial EEG monitoring (skipped candidate), resulting in a seizure-free outcome of 9 months since the last follow-up. Our case highlights the real-world application of summative information obtained through advancements in epilepsy genetic testing, minimally invasive surgeries, and ultra-high field MRI, allowing us to provide a safe and effective treatment for a patient with a genetic DRFE.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), or exosomes, are naturally occurring nano- and micro-sized membrane vesicles playing an essential role in cell-to-cell communication. There is a recent increasing interest in harnessing the therapeutic potential of these natural nanoparticles to develop cell-free regenerative medicine and manufacture highly biocompatible and targeted drug and gene delivery vectors, amongst other applications. In the context of developing novel and effective EV-based therapy, imaging tools are of paramount importance as they can be used to not only elucidate the underlying mechanisms but also provide the basis for optimization and clinical translation. In this review, recent efforts and knowledge advances on EV-based therapies have been briefly introduced, followed by an outline of currently available labeling strategies by which EVs can be conjugated with various imaging agents and/or therapeutic drugs and genes. A comprehensive review of prevailing EV imaging technologies is then presented along with examples and applications, with emphasis on imaging probes and agents, corresponding labeling methods, and the pros and cons of each imaging modality. Finally, the potential of theranostic EVs as a powerful new weapon in the arsenal of regenerative medicine and nanomedicine is summarized and envisioned.

Amblyopia is the leading cause of preventable blindness in children and young. The prevalence of amblyopia in childhood varies between 1-5%, although these values may differ. Most of the visual impairment in amblyopia is reversible if treated early at appropriate time. Various treatment modalities in children include: refractive correction, patching, atropine penalization, binocular therapy, liquid crystal display eyeglasses and transcranial magnetic stimulation. Motive of this article is to give an emphasis on newer management strategy and newer trends in amblyopia therapy. A thorough search of literature was done in PubMed, Scopus, Embase and reference list of articles until December 15, 2020 containing “amblyopia treatment or therapy” was retrieved.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)-induced COVID-19 is a complicated disease. Clinicians are continuously facing difficulties to treat infected patients using the principle of repurposing of drugs as no specific drugs are available to treat COVID-19. To minimize the severity and mortality, global vaccination is the only hope as a potential preventive measure. After a year-long global research and clinical struggle, 165 vaccine candidates have been developed and some are currently still in the pipeline. A total of 28 candidate vaccines have been approved for use and the remainder are in different phases of clinical trials. In this comprehensive report, the authors aim to demonstrate, classify and provide up-to-date clinical trial status of all the vaccines discovered to date and specifically focus on the approved candidates. Finally, the authors specifically focused on the vaccination of different types of medically distinct populations.