Feasibility of mitigating out-toeing gait using compression tights with inward-directing taping lines.

Out-toeing gait may cause alterations in lower limb biomechanics that could lead to an increased risk of overuse injuries. Surgery and physical therapy are conventional methods for mitigating such gait, but they are costly and time-consuming. Wearable devices like braces and orthoses are used as affordable alternatives, but they apply non-negligible stress on the skin. Haptic feedback-delivering shoes were also recently developed, but they require actuators and power sources. The purpose of our study is to develop compression tights with inward directing taping lines that apply compression to lower limb muscles and segments to facilitate inward rotation of the foot, overcoming the drawbacks of previous methods. These compression tights were manufactured to fit the average height, leg length, hip girth, and waist girth of South Korean females in their twenties. The efficacy of these compression tights was evaluated by comparing walking kinematics and user satisfaction of 12 female dancers with an out-toeing gait under three conditions: wearing tights with taping lines, tights without taping lines, and basic bicycle shorts. The foot rotation angles and joint kinematics were recorded using a pressure-pad treadmill and motion capture system, respectively. Multiple pairwise comparisons revealed that the compression tights with inward-directing lines significantly reduced foot rotation angles (up to an average of 20.1%) compared with the bicycle shorts (p = 0.002 and 0.001 for dominant and non-dominant foot, respectively) or the compression tights without taping lines (p = 0.005 and p = 0.001 for dominant and non-dominant foot, respectively). Statistical parametric mapping revealed significant main effects of the tight type on joint kinematics. Also, t-tests revealed that the participants reported significantly higher ratings of perceived functionality and usability on the compression tights with inward-directing taping lines. In conclusion, we developed a comfortable and practical apparel-type wearable and demonstrated its short-term efficacy in mitigating out-toeing gait.

Copper arsenite-complexed Fenton-like nanoparticles as oxidative stress-amplifying anticancer agents.

We report copper(II) arsenite (CuAS)-integrated polymer micelles (CuAS-PMs) as a new class of Fenton-like catalytic nanosystem that can display reactive oxygen species (ROS)-manipulating anticancer therapeutic activity. CuAS-PMs were fabricated through metal-catechol chelation-based formation of the CuAS complex on the core domain of poly (ethylene glycol)-b-poly(3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine) (PEG-PDOPA) copolymer micelles. CuAS-PMs maintained structural robustness under serum conditions. The insoluble state of the CuAS complex was effectively retained at physiological pH, whereas, at endosomal pH, the CuAS complex was ionized to release arsenite and cuprous Fenton catalysts (Cu+ ions). Upon endocytosis, CuAS-PMs simultaneously released hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-generating arsenite and Fenton-like reaction-catalyzing Cu+ ions in cancer cells, which synergistically elevated the level of highly cytotoxic hydroxyl radicals (•OH), thereby preferentially killing cancer cells. Animal experiments demonstrated that CuAS-PMs could effectively suppress the growth of solid tumors without systemic in vivo toxicity. The design rationale of CuAS-PMs may provide a promising strategy to develop diverse oxidative stress-amplifying agents with great potential in cancer-specific therapy.