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To help children to engage with the challenging sessions using a new robotic device, researchers gamified the training so that the kids saw themselves kicking a ball as they extended their leg. (Yuebing Li et al/Nature)
A lightweight, wearable robotic device can help children living with a rare condition called spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) improve their knee function, which could help them stand unassisted. The device provides resistance training tailored to the individual needs of children who are unable to walk because of SMA. After using the robot for six weeks, six children — aged between 6 and 10 years — could stand from a lower sitting angle, had 20% bigger quadriceps, and could generate more than twice as much force when bending their knees, compared to pre-training assessments.
Nature | 5 min read
Reference: Nature paper
Papers that are put through the wringer during the peer-review process go on to have a higher impact in science than those that sail through it. Researchers used artificial intelligence to analyse the peer-review correspondence associated with a selection of papers published in Nature Communications. They found that papers that elicited stronger criticism from reviewers and required more-extensive revisions received more citations than did papers that drew lighter comments. A higher ‘quality’ of reviewer comments — those that were more specific and well-reasoned — was also associated with a boost in citations to the published product.
Nature | 5 min read
Reference: arXiv preprint (not peer reviewed)
An extra-long snooze after a short night’s sleep appears to offset some of the negative health effects associated with sleep deprivation. Researchers found that people who caught up on sleep the night after a brief slumber — termed ‘sleep rebound’ — were less likely to die in the eight years following the study period than were people who didn’t. They also found that most sleep rebounders didn’t wait until the weekend to sleep in. Instead, they tried to compensate for lost sleep as soon as possible.
Science | 4 min read
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