Bumping Elbows explores a workflow integrating 3D body scanning technology with robotic knitting to create personalized garments. Traditional 3D knitting development relies on 2D drafts and panels, rooted in industrial flatbed knitting practices. Our approach leverages accurate topology measurements from 3D body scans to directly inform garment design and production, allowing for custom fits to unique body shapes. We will demonstrate this process through live 3D scanning and software demonstrations, highlighting the challenges and opportunities integrating body scans and knitting techniques like goring. Our included software addresses limitations of previous work and outlines advancements needed for broader research adoption, emphasizing the potential of combining 3D scanning with robotic knitting. This method offers enhanced personalization and sustainability in garment production, showcasing the ongoing challenges and advancements in achieving precision in robotic knitting.
DOCUMENT
ObjectiveThe Plants for Joints (PFJ) intervention significantly improved pain, stiffness, and physical function, and metabolic outcomes, in people with metabolic syndrome-associated osteoarthritis (MSOA). This secondary analysis investigated its effects on body composition.MethodIn the randomized PFJ study, people with MSOA followed a 16-week intervention based on a whole-food plant-based diet, physical activity, and stress management, or usual care. For this secondary analysis, fat mass, muscle mass, and bone mineral density were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) for all participants. Additionally, in a subgroup (n = 32), hepatocellular lipid (HCL) content and composition of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) were measured using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). An intention-to-treat analysis with a linear-mixed model adjusted for baseline values was used to analyse between-group differences.ResultsOf 66 people randomized, 64 (97%) completed the study. The PFJ group experienced significant weight loss (−5.2 kg; 95% CI –6.9, −3.6) compared to controls, primarily from fat mass reduction (−3.9 kg; 95% CI –5.3 to −2.5). No significant differences were found in lean mass, muscle strength, or bone mineral density between groups. In the subgroup who underwent MRI scans, the PFJ group had a greater reduction in HCL (−6.5%; 95% CI –9.9, 3.0) compared to controls, with no observed differences in VAT composition.ConclusionThe PFJ multidisciplinary intervention positively impacted clinical and metabolic outcomes, and appears to significantly reduce body fat, including liver fat, while preserving muscle mass and strength.
MULTIFILE
Non-invasive, rapid, on-site detection and identification of body fluids is highly desired in forensic investigations. The use of fluorescence-based methods for body fluid identification, have so far remain relatively unexplored. As such, the fluorescent properties of semen, serum, urine, saliva and fingermarks over time were investigated, by means of fluorescence spectroscopy, to identify specific fluorescent signatures for body fluid identification. The samples were excited at 81 different excitation wavelengths ranging from 200 to 600 nm and for each excitation wavelength the emission was recorded between 220 and 700 nm. Subsequently, the total emitted fluorescence intensities of specific fluorescent signatures in the UV–visible range were summed and principal component analysis was performed to cluster the body fluids. Three combinations of four principal components allowed specific clustering of the body fluids, except for fingermarks. Blind testing showed that 71.4% of the unknown samples could be correctly identified. This pilot study shows that the fluorescent behavior of ageing body fluids can be used as a new non-invasive tool for body fluid identification, which can improve the current guidelines for the detection of body fluids in forensic practice and provide the robustness of methods that rely on fluorescence.
MULTIFILE
Huntington’s disease (HD) and various spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA) are autosomal dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorders caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the disease-related gene1. The impact of HD and SCA on families and individuals is enormous and far reaching, as patients typically display first symptoms during midlife. HD is characterized by unwanted choreatic movements, behavioral and psychiatric disturbances and dementia. SCAs are mainly characterized by ataxia but also other symptoms including cognitive deficits, similarly affecting quality of life and leading to disability. These problems worsen as the disease progresses and affected individuals are no longer able to work, drive, or care for themselves. It places an enormous burden on their family and caregivers, and patients will require intensive nursing home care when disease progresses, and lifespan is reduced. Although the clinical and pathological phenotypes are distinct for each CAG repeat expansion disorder, it is thought that similar molecular mechanisms underlie the effect of expanded CAG repeats in different genes. The predicted Age of Onset (AO) for both HD, SCA1 and SCA3 (and 5 other CAG-repeat diseases) is based on the polyQ expansion, but the CAG/polyQ determines the AO only for 50% (see figure below). A large variety on AO is observed, especially for the most common range between 40 and 50 repeats11,12. Large differences in onset, especially in the range 40-50 CAGs not only imply that current individual predictions for AO are imprecise (affecting important life decisions that patients need to make and also hampering assessment of potential onset-delaying intervention) but also do offer optimism that (patient-related) factors exist that can delay the onset of disease.To address both items, we need to generate a better model, based on patient-derived cells that generates parameters that not only mirror the CAG-repeat length dependency of these diseases, but that also better predicts inter-patient variations in disease susceptibility and effectiveness of interventions. Hereto, we will use a staggered project design as explained in 5.1, in which we first will determine which cellular and molecular determinants (referred to as landscapes) in isogenic iPSC models are associated with increased CAG repeat lengths using deep-learning algorithms (DLA) (WP1). Hereto, we will use a well characterized control cell line in which we modify the CAG repeat length in the endogenous ataxin-1, Ataxin-3 and Huntingtin gene from wildtype Q repeats to intermediate to adult onset and juvenile polyQ repeats. We will next expand the model with cells from the 3 (SCA1, SCA3, and HD) existing and new cohorts of early-onset, adult-onset and late-onset/intermediate repeat patients for which, besides accurate AO information, also clinical parameters (MRI scans, liquor markers etc) will be (made) available. This will be used for validation and to fine-tune the molecular landscapes (again using DLA) towards the best prediction of individual patient related clinical markers and AO (WP3). The same models and (most relevant) landscapes will also be used for evaluations of novel mutant protein lowering strategies as will emerge from WP4.This overall development process of landscape prediction is an iterative process that involves (a) data processing (WP5) (b) unsupervised data exploration and dimensionality reduction to find patterns in data and create “labels” for similarity and (c) development of data supervised Deep Learning (DL) models for landscape prediction based on the labels from previous step. Each iteration starts with data that is generated and deployed according to FAIR principles, and the developed deep learning system will be instrumental to connect these WPs. Insights in algorithm sensitivity from the predictive models will form the basis for discussion with field experts on the distinction and phenotypic consequences. While full development of accurate diagnostics might go beyond the timespan of the 5 year project, ideally our final landscapes can be used for new genetic counselling: when somebody is positive for the gene, can we use his/her cells, feed it into the generated cell-based model and better predict the AO and severity? While this will answer questions from clinicians and patient communities, it will also generate new ones, which is why we will study the ethical implications of such improved diagnostics in advance (WP6).
De kledingindustrie heeft een slecht duurzaamheidsimago. Tijdens het maakproces gaat ongeveer 30% van het basismateriaal als snijafval verloren. Daarnaast is er een grote reststroom van niet verkocht materiaal. In dit project werken de bedrijven NEFFA, gespecialiseerd in het ontwerpen van modecollecties en textiele producten, East4West, strategisch adviesbureau voor de kledingindustrie en het Centre of Expertise Biobased Economy samen bij het ontwikkelen van een nieuwe maaktechniek waarbij gebruik wordt gemaakt van mycelium als grondstof voor een kledingstuk dat met de mal wordt geproduceerd. Via een bodyscan die over te brengen is op een flexibele mal is de ideale pasvorm te maken. Hierop kan een gegroeid schimmelmycelium aangebracht worden dat door zijn sterke bindings- eigenschappen het mogelijk maakt dat grotere vlakken kunnen worden samengesteld. Via deze techniek wordt dan een gepersonaliseerd kledingstuk gemaakt zonder reststromen dat aan het einde van de gebruiksduur ook composteerbaar is zonder milieubelasting. Het doel van deze nieuw te ontwikkelen techniek is het terugdringen van afvalverlies en het benutten van mycelium als potentiele grondstof voor kleding.
Along with the rapidly growing number of disabled people participating in competitive sports, there is an increased need for (para)medical support in disability sports. Disabled athletes experience differences in body composition, metabolism, training load and habitual activity patterns compared with non-disabled athletes. Moreover, it has been suggested that the well-recognized athlete triad, and low energy availability and low bone mineral density in particular, is even a greater challenge in disabled athletes. Therefore, it is not surprising that sport nutritionists of disabled athletes have expressed an urgency for increased knowledge and insights on the nutritional demands of this group. This project aims to investigate energy expenditure, dietary intake, body composition and bone health of disabled athletes, ultimately leading to nutritional guidelines that promote health and optimal sports performance for this unique population. For this purpose, we will conduct a series of studies and implementation activities that are inter-related and build on the latest insights from sports practice, technology and science. Our international consortium is highly qualified to achieve this goal. It consists of knowledge institutes including world-leading experts in sport and nutrition research, complemented with practical insights from nutritionists working with disabled athletes and the involvement of athletes and teams through the Dutch and Norwegian Olympic committees. The international collaboration, which is a clear strength of this project, is not only focused on research, but also on the optimization of professional practice and educational activities. In this regard, the outcomes of this project will be directly available for practical use by the (para)medical staff working with disabled athletes, and will be extensively communicated to sport teams to ensure that the new insights are directly embedded into daily practice. The project outcomes will also be incorporated in educational activities for dietetics and sport and exercise students, thereby increasing knowledge of future practitioners.
