Casteism stratifies people in India into hierarchical ranks, imposing customs, rituals, and traditions in accordance with the division of labour. This systematic continuity of casteism preserves memory that is passed down from generation to generation, not merely by ideology but also embodied by mnemonic practices. Dalits are the most afflicted community by both ideological and habitual oppression of the upper caste. Beyond legal abolition of untouchability, it persists as a system of descent-based ethnic inequality. This study explores autobiographies of Omprakash Valmiki's Joothan (1997) and Urmila Pawar's The Weave of My Life (2008), two Marathi Dalit writers who have penned their experiences of suffering and humiliation inflicted by upper caste. Using thematic narrative analysis through the lens of Paul Connerton's concept of habit memory and incorporated practices, this study demonstrates that casteism is sustained in everyday habits by treating autobiographies as sociological evidence of ethnic caste discrimination. Embodied memory is performed through bodily acts, identifying five incorporated practices such as commensality, untouchability, labour division, spatial segregation, and postural discipline that function as bodily mnemonic systems through which hierarchical coercion is naturalised across generations. Existing scholarly works primarily focus on the abstract idea of casteism, identity quest, and trauma which leave a significant gap in understanding the role of embodied memory in sustaining inequality.

Dysferlinopathy (Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy R2/LGMD2B) causes progressive weakness of limb-girdle muscles. Although gait abnormalities are common, the contribution of spinal muscles to disease symptoms remains poorly understood. Using cross-sectional MRI in patients and longitudinal analyses in a dysferlinopathic mouse model, we identify early-onset, progressive adipogenic degeneration of spinal muscles as a previously unrecognized hallmark of dysferlinopathy. Multiple spinal muscles, including the iliocostalis, longissimus, and spinalis, are affected, with degeneration preceding pathology in limb muscles. In mice, early spinal muscle loss is associated with altered posture and gait, implicating axial muscle degeneration as a functional driver of disease. Mechanistically, spinal muscle degeneration is accompanied by an intrinsic increase in adipogenic differentiation of spinal fibroadipogenic progenitors (FAPs). Transcriptomic profiling implicated HDAC and Wnt/β-catenin signaling as the main regulators of FAP adipogenic shift. Pharmacological inhibition of either pathway suppressed adipogenic differentiation of dysferlinopathic FAPs in vitro, with in vivo inhibition of GSK3 reducing adipogenic degeneration in spinal and injured limb muscles. These findings establish early spinal muscle degeneration as a key pathological feature of dysferlinopathy and identify GSK3 signaling as a promising therapeutic target.

This paper summarizes Professor ZHUANG Lixing's clinical experience in treatment of postural instability in Parkinson's disease (PD) with acupuncture. The core pathogenesis of this disease lies in "imbalanced pivoting" of the governor vessel, Shaoyang meridians and the belt vessel. The pathological evolution follows the pattern of "loss of spirit/mind governance, loss of qi pivoting, and loss of physical function". The therapeutic principle is "mind-regulating, pivot-restoring, and sinew-relaxing", with the method of "mind-regulating and pivot-restoring" operated throughout treatment. The main acupoint prescriptions include "mind-regulating needling" (Sishenzhen, Shenting [GV24], Yintang [GV24[+]], Shenmen [HT7] Sanyinjiao [SP6]), "pivot-restoring acupoints" (Dusanzhen, Fengchi [GB20], Waiguan [TE5], Zulinqi [GB41]), and "the sinew-relaxing acupoints" (Yanglingquan [GB34], Luansanzhen, aishi point). Treatment is administered according to the stage of disease progression and the acupoints are modified based on symptoms, and the acupuncture technique of "directing qi to preserve essence", and fire needling are combined. This therapeutic idea emphasizes the integration of acupuncture and rehabilitation training, adopts staging treatment based on illness conditions, and demonstrates clear therapeutic effect. This therapeutic regimen can stabilize the central axis, correct gait, relieve contracture, improve motor function and enhance quality of life in PD patients with postural instability.

This study compared knee and ankle joint moments, muscle activation, and co-contraction between young adults with flexible pes planus and normal foot posture. Forty young adults (20 per group) performed barefoot stair ascent and descent. Three-dimensional motion analysis, ground reaction force, and surface electromyography (EMG) data were collected. Peak joint moments were analyzed using two-way mixed-design analyses of variance. Peak normalized electromyographic amplitudes and co-contraction indices (CCIs) were compared between groups for each task using Mann-Whitney U tests with false discovery rate adjustment. A group × task interaction was observed for the knee frontal-plane moment. The flexible pes planus group demonstrated a greater peak knee varus moment during descent but not ascent. The normal foot group demonstrated greater peak ankle dorsiflexion moments across both tasks. During stair ascent, the flexible pes planus group showed lower peak normalized gluteus medius and tibialis anterior activity relative to task-specific reference values. No between-group differences were observed in peak normalized muscle activity during stair descent or in knee and ankle CCIs. These findings highlight knee varus moment differences during descent and peak normalized EMG differences during ascent. Generalizability to older adults or individuals with symptomatic flexible pes planus, pain, or functional limitations is limited.

The overlap between the femoral vein (FV) and femoral artery (FA) complicates FV cannulation. This study used ultrasonography to evaluate the combined effects of body position and passive knee bending on FV size and exposure. In 103 healthy participants, femoral vessels were imaged and compared at three positions regarding inguinal crease in either supine or Reverse Trendelenburg positions with 4 different postures of leg bending. Although most difference were not significant, the results showed the highest FV/FA ratio, but the lowest FV overlap degree can be detected in the supine position with right heel resting against the medial aspect of the left knee. This was especially true at the level of the inguinal crease. This specific body site, position, and posture may provide the best FV cannulation accessibility and lowest risk of arterial injury. More study is needed for confirmation.

Coordination patterns and variability are key components of motor control. This study aimed to examine the effects of a 4-week high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) combined with foot core exercise (FCE) on lower limb coordination patterns and variability during Y-balance test (YBT). Fifty-five healthy male participants were allocated to four groups by using randomization procedure (i.e., HD-tDCS + FCE, sham-tDCS + FCE, HD-tDCS, and FCE). Participants performed three YBT trials on the non-dominant (left) limb before and after a 4-week intervention (3 sessions/week, 20 min/session). The post-test reaching distance was matched to baseline performance to minimize the effect of variations in reaching distance on movement kinematics. A modified vector coding technique was used to characterize hip-ankle (H-A), hip-knee (H-K), and knee-ankle (K-A) coordination. In the posteromedial direction of YBT, the sagittal-plane H-K coupling demonstrated an increase in in-phase coordination (10.89%, p = 0.013) and a reduction in proximal-dominant coordination (13.86%, p = 0.015) following the HD-tDCS + FCE intervention relative to baseline and the FCE group. Sagittal-plane K-A coordination variability increased (p = 0.001) and frontal-plane K-A coordination variability (p = 0.021) and transverse-plane H-K coordination variability decreased (p = 0.004) following the combined intervention. These changes were significantly greater than those observed after sham stimulation and single interventions. A 4-week intervention combining HD-tDCS and FCE modulated coordination patterns and induced plane-related changes in coordination variability, suggesting a synergistic effect and a potential neuromechanical basis for enhanced postural stability.

BackgroundVibroarthrography (VAG) is a non-invasive technique for evaluating joint health through acoustic signals generated during movement. However, reliable signal acquisition during dynamic activities remains challenging due to sensor displacement, motion artifacts, and inconsistent skin contact.ObjectiveThis study proposes an advanced wearable VAG system integrating PID-controlled negative-pressure suction and real-time posture estimation to improve signal stability and enhance the assessment of knee joint mechanics during movement.MethodsThe proposed system combines a wearable acoustic sensing module with a vacuum-assisted suction cup and a PID controller that consistently maintains sensor adhesion. Real-time posture estimation is achieved using MediaPipe Pose, which computes knee flexion angles. VAG signals and kinematic data are synchronously acquired during OKC and CKC exercises for integrated analysis.ResultsIn this single-subject pilot test, the system achieved stable sensor attachment and repeatable vibroacoustic recordings throughout dynamic movements. Distinguishable frequency-domain characteristics were observed at relevant knee flexion angles, including approximately 30°, 63°, and 129°.ConclusionsThis pilot feasibility study demonstrates that the proposed wearable VAG platform can achieve stable acquisition of synchronized vibroacoustic and kinematic signals during dynamic knee movement in a single subject. These preliminary findings suggest potential future applications in osteoarthritis screening, rehabilitation assessment, and ambulatory monitoring, pending validation in larger, statistically powered cohorts.