News — Page 7

Researchers explored the effectiveness of a non-invasive inductive tongue-computer interface designed to assist individuals with motor disabilities in interacting with technology. The study involved five participants without motor disabilities and seven with disabilities, including five with spin...

A healthcare system overwhelmed by demands hampers the timely diagnosis of specific learning disabilities (SLDs) in children. The need for improved school-based screening is highlighted, as teachers often lack clinical training. This study analyzed data from 364 children referred for clinical con...

A study reveals a new machine learning method to predict shear forces at the body-seat interface, which are key contributors to pressure injuries. Utilizing data from pressure mapping systems and a customizable experimental seat, researchers developed a Random Forest Regression model. This model ...

A study in Denmark examines the experiences of Military-Connected Children and Young People (MCCYP) and the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Benevolent Childhood Experiences (BCEs) on their lives, particularly related to parental combat-related PTSD. Using content analysis, rese...

An investigation has been conducted into an audio-controlled edge semantic segmentation system aimed at improving assistive technology for visually impaired individuals. The multimodal system uses audio inputs to manage semantic segmentation processes. It employs distinct convolutional networks f...

Operation Homefront is delivering holiday meals to military families, providing more than just food. The organization’s events aim to foster a sense of community and support for service members and their families during the festive season. These gatherings not only offer meals but also create opp...

A study on national management of Hansen’s disease highlights key policies and evaluates past successes and challenges. A literature review was conducted to inform the findings. In 2024, there were five new cases of Hansen’s disease among foreigners, with a total of 7,135 individuals eligible for...

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) can significantly aid individuals with severe motor and communication disabilities by enabling the recognition of neural signals for activities like handwriting. This study introduces the first implementation of neural signal inference on a portable device for eff...

Meningitis continues to pose significant health risks for children aged 0-14, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, despite improvements in vaccines and healthcare. An analysis using Global Burden of Disease data from 1990 to 2021 found a 52% decline in global prevalence, a 69.2% drop...

A new study presents a multimodal framework that combines BLIP-2, a vision-language model, with Stable Diffusion to decode brain activity from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data. This innovative approach translates neural signals into structured text descriptions and extracts seman...

A study examined factors limiting antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence among persons with disabilities living with HIV in Nigeria. Thirteen service providers, including medical doctors and community workers, shared their insights through in-depth interviews across six states. The research highl...

A commentary on a randomized controlled trial examines the effectiveness of manual versus powered toothbrushes in improving gingival health among individuals with disabilities. The original study, conducted by Sinha et al. (2024), found no significant differences in clinical outcomes between the ...

A new deep neural network and mobile application have been developed to assist the deaf and hard-of-hearing community by classifying and detecting five significant sounds: a running faucet, a dripping faucet, a car engine, a car horn, and a fridge alarm. This research builds on prior work that ut...

Research on denoising physiological signals highlights the challenges of motion artifacts during physical activities, particularly for individuals with disabilities. A review of various denoising techniques was conducted to evaluate their computational costs and feasibility for use in wearable sy...

A study evaluated the use of Electroencephalography (EEG) as a diagnostic tool for attention-related disorders, including ADHD, anxiety, and learning disabilities. EEG data were collected from 31 participants, including those with ADHD, during a Go/No-Go task that tested attention and impulsivity...

A new model called Dual Channel Feature Fusion Network (DC-FFNet) has been developed to enhance the classification of steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEP) in brain-computer interface (BCI) systems. SSVEPs are known for their high accuracy and quick response, making them useful for contro...

Most older adults in Europe prefer to age in their own homes, but this is not always possible or desirable due to factors like financial constraints, lack of support, or sudden life changes. Alternatives such as co-housing, naturally occurring retirement communities (NORCs), sheltered housing, an...

A scoping review analyzed the research on communication between general practitioners and deaf patients, focusing on sign language use. The study aimed to identify gaps in the literature regarding communication in general practice. Researchers searched databases including CINAHL, PubMed, and Web ...

A study evaluated the EXOTIC upper limb exoskeleton, aimed at helping individuals with severe disabilities perform daily activities. The system uses a tongue-based control interface and intelligent computer vision assistance. Six participants with tetraplegia tested the device and took about one ...