During the last few years, interest has been growing to mechatronic and robotic technologies utilized in wearable powered exoskeletons that assist standing and walking. The available literature includes single-case reports, clinical studies conducted in small groups of subjects, and several recent systematic reviews. These publications have fulfilled promotional and marketing objectives but have not yet resulted in a fully optimized, practical wearable exoskeleton. Here we evaluate the progress and future directions in this field from a joint perspective of health professionals, manufacturers, and consumers. We describe the taxonomy of existing technologies and highlight the main improvements needed for the development and functional optimization of the practical exoskeletons.

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The oral streptococci are microorganisms whose major habitat is the oral cavity and oropharynx. The Streptococcus anginosus group, formerly known as Streptococcus milleri group, comprises the following commensal species: S. anginosus, S. constellatus and S. intermedius. Sometimes these species may produce different oral or extraoral infections, especially oro-maxillo-facial infections and deepseated abscess. Objective: The aim of the present article was to provide the reader with the essential knowledge about S. anginosus group characteristics and a useful updated review of its important contribution to develop brain abscess. Data sources and selection: The most important evidence concerning the recent taxonomical data, main phenotypical features and findings referring to the involvement of these bacteria in causing cerebral abscess in adults and children were collected from PubMed/Medline database. Only articles published between January 2011-November 2015 were selected and the significant data have been presented in a synthesized form, without performing a meta-analysis. Conclusion: The S. anginosus group merits greater attention from both clinicians and microbiologists due to its importance in human pathology, especially in life-threatening infections, like brain abscesses, which often require a multidisciplinary team for proper diagnosis and treatment.