People with restricted mobility face several issues in their daily lives. These issues ultimately affect their quality of life. But all thanks to the technological advancements in mobility aids, things have improved for good. Now, people with limited mobility can move to fair distances with ease, comfort, and free of any stress or pain.

Today, there are a plethora of mobility aids available that can offer a solution to diverse mobility challenges. In this article, we will list the top 6 types of mobility aids that can enhance mobility and freedom in your or your loved one’s life.

6 Types of Mobility Aids that Can Enhance Mobility

Canes

Canes are arguably the most common type of mobility aid used by people who require a particular device to support their walking. It supports the body weight and helps the person transmit the load from his legs to the upper body. People who face problems in balancing or are at the risk of falling can use canes for risk-free mobility.

People can also use additional accessories like walking stick ferrules. While choosing ferrules, one should pick PVC and rubber walking stick ferrules over the metal ones. It’s because the former makes the stick shock-resistant, offering jerk-free mobility.

Reacher Grabber

Reacher grabber is a tool that helps people with restricted mobility and dexterity to retrieve items. It functions as an extension of the arm and helps the person to reach the needed items quickly. Reacher grabber for elderly comes in various lengths and features. For example, it comes with a magnet that makes collecting coins and other metal objects easy.

Walkers

Walkers are meant to offer stability and support to the user with restricted mobility. It’s convenient for those people who have limited mobility and don’t have enough strength to use a cane. Walkers comprise a metal framework consisting of four legs, making it a stable walking aid for the person. Sometimes, it also comes with wheels on the front two legs to make the forward movement easier.

Crutches

Like canes, crutches also transfer weight from the legs to the upper body. A person with restricted mobility can either use it as a single unit or in pairs. Crutches can work well as a temporary walking device and are generally used after a leg injury. As compared to canes, crutches can be cumbersome, obstructive, and challenging to use.

Wheelchairs

Wheelchairs are suitable for those who cannot walk or those who shouldn’t put weight on their lower limbs. It can be manually propelled by the user or pushed by someone else. In an electric wheelchair, the user can travel moderate distances without any manual work or external assistance. Wheelchairs are undergoing several technological advancements. In 2016, a wheelchair was designed that could operate through neural impulses. Wheelchairs are suitable for those users who have highly restricted mobility and are required to travel greater distances.

Mobility scooters

Mobility scooters are a suitable device for those who cannot use manual wheelchairs. Although mobility scooters are similar to wheelchairs, the former is a bulkier machine. It’s designed to be used outdoors. Mobility scooters have a seat mounted on 3, 4, or even 5 wheels. This device is powered by a battery and comes with steering wheels to control direction.

People considering mobility scooters should also consider getting the training. It’s because the rules for driving mobility scooters are different in different places.

Conclusion

Today, you can find a wide range of mobility aids for all kinds of mobility restrictions. Using these aids can extend freedom and improve the quality of life for you or your loved ones. While choosing the mobility aid, you should consider the pros and cons of that device. You should also consider the magnitude of the mobility restriction and other factors that will help you choose the most suitable and compatible mobility device.

Stepping into the bathroom is one of the daily chores that we do easily. And that’s why we take it for granted. However, it’s not the same for older people or people with limited mobility. For them, this chore can be painful, unfeasible, and even unsafe.

Thanks to the recent developments in bathroom aids, you can now make your bathroom elderly-friendly. These aids are known to assist your loved ones in taking a shower or use the toilet efficiently, safely, and independently. So, without further ado, let’s have a look at the top 5 bathroom aids that can make your loved one’s life easy and safe.

Top 5 Bathroom Aids for Elderly that You Should Know

Tap Turners

Tap turners are a blessing for those older adults who have arthritis, hand weakness, and grip problems. This device comes in different sizes and fits on all kinds of taps. The primary function of this bathroom aid is to offer extra leverage and grip. So, that your loved ones, despite having painful joints, can open and close taps without any hassles. Tap tuners come in prominent colour coded handles, which eliminates any mishaps. Furthermore, you can quickly transfer tap turners from one tap to another.

Bathtub Safety Rails

A bathtub can be a risky spot in the bathroom. It’s because there’s a high possibility of slipping and falling in and around the bathtub. This risk magnifies when it comes to older people who might end up getting a severe injury with such a fall. You can eliminate or minimize this risk by placing bathtub safety rails.

Bathtub safety rails are simply rails installed around a bathtub. It helps older people to go in and out of the bathtub risk-free by offering extra grip, support, and stability.

Bathtub Pillows

Apart from the risk of slipping and falling, staying inside the bathtub can also have serious injuries to your neck and back. You can avoid this by using bathtub pillows that correctly position the neck and back, minimizing the risk of injuries.

A bathtub pillow is a cushion made up of water-resistant materials. It also has suction cups that offer better grip. The soap and water make the surface of the tub slippery, putting extra pressure on the neck and back to stay in the original position. A bathtub pillow can help to achieve a better grip. It makes it easier to stay in the same position for longer times without any risk of injuries.

Bath Lifts

A bath lift is a medical device that mechanically lowers and lifts the individual from a bathtub. Bath lifts are best suited for people who have arthritis or any other mobility issues. Generally, bath lifts are operated with the help of a battery and controlled with a button device. These devices are easy and quick to install. You can also remove and store it easily, allowing other people to have easy access to bathing.

Raised Toilet Seats

Sitting down and standing up can be challenging for the elderly as it requires a significant amount of muscle strength and flexibility. Raised toilet seats can make these actions easier for older adults. This aid is suitable for those older people who suffer from back trouble and are otherwise totally dependent on their caregiver to use the toilet.

Conclusion

If you’ve an elderly member in your family who often finds it difficult to go to the bathroom, then you must buy and install bathroom aids to eliminate the risk, pain, and discomfort. Today, there’s a wide range of bathroom aids available that serve different functions. You can choose the bathroom aid that serves your elderly member the best.

The benefits of bathroom aids are immense. Apart from offering comfort and safety, it also enables your loved ones to become independent in doing their chores. Furthermore, it also enables them to maintain their hygiene routine, thus improving their overall hygiene.

Ligase is an enzyme that catalyzes the joining of two molecules into one molecule or the end to end of a molecule. This reaction is coupled with the decomposition reaction of ATP. When the two molecules are connected, the high-energy phosphate bond of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is broken, such as DNA ligase. Ligase is an important class in enzyme classification (EC 6): 6.1 forms C-O bonds; 6.2 forms C-S bonds; 6.3 forms C-N bonds; 6.4 forms C-C bonds.

DNA ligase was first discovered at the same time by three laboratories in 1967. After decades of research by scientists, it has been discovered that DNA ligases have been found in viruses, bacteria and eukaryotes. Different types of DNA ligases have different mechanisms of action. In general, DNA ligase can be divided into adenosine triphosphate (ATP) dependent type and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) dependent type according to the energy source required for the reaction catalyzed by DNA ligase. Dependent DNA ligase is widely present in eukaryotes, archaea, eubacteria and viruses, while nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dependent DNA ligase is distributed in archaea, eubacteria and viruses.

Common types and mechanism of action

T4 DNA Ligase
T4 DNA ligase is a DNA ligase coded by viral genomes that is currently widely used, and is widely used in gene recombination. Current studies have found that T4 phage can synthesize T4 DNA ligase, and it has been able to extract the enzyme from E. coli infected with T4 bacteriophage. In addition, scientists have also located the synthetic gene of the enzyme, the 30 gene of bacteriophage T4. T4 DNA ligase has the function of connecting sticky ends and flat ends. The researchers summarized the ligation process of DNA fragments and believe that the entire DNA ligation reaction can be completed in three consecutive steps:

(1) ATP releases energy by breaking the last high-energy phosphate bond, and the simultaneously produced AMP and T4 DNA ligase use the energy released by ATP hydrolysis to form an E-AMP complex.

(2) The formed E-AMP complex can recognize the nick cut before the DNA double strand. After recognition, the AMP will break away from the E-AMP complex and bind to the 5′-P group of the DNA.

(3) The 3′-OH of another piece of DNA molecule that needs to be connected will attack the second step to form 5′-P-AMP, and the 3′-OH will react with the phosphate residues to form a phosphodiester bond and release an AMP at the same time.

Eukaryotic DNA Ligase
There are three ATP-dependent DNA ligases in eukaryotes—DNA ligase `, DNA ligase b and DNA ligase c. Studies have shown that DNA ligase I and DNA ligase IV are widely distributed in eukaryotes, such as the plant kingdom and animal kingdom, while DNA ligase III is mainly distributed in vertebrates.

At present, scientists believe that DNA ligase I may play a major role in the DNA replication process in eukaryotes. The regulation of DNA ligase I activity is related to its amino terminus, and there is a specific site near the active center at its amino terminus. This part can regulate the activity of DNA ligase I through phosphorylation. The function of DNA ligase I is to connect the discontinuous lagging strand (Okazaki fragment) formed at the replication fork during DNA replication. In this process, DNA Ligase I does not work alone, but needs to work closely with a variety of protein factors.

During DNA replication in eukaryotes, the lagging strand is catalyzed and synthesized by DNA polymerase α. DNA polymerase α first catalyzes the synthesis of a primer, and then relies on DNA polymerase δ and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (continuous replication factor) to synthesize DNA from the primer, and then the primer is degraded. In addition, DNA ligase I also plays an important role in the base repair of damaged DNA. First, the specific endonuclease and exonuclease in the cell specifically recognize the damage site, cut near the DNA single-stranded damage site, and excise a piece of DNA. Then DNA polymerase uses another complete DNA strand as a template to repair and synthesize this piece of DNA again, and finally the gap is connected by DNA ligase I.

There are two types of enzymes produced by biological cells: one type of enzymes that are produced inside the cell and then secreted outside the cell for action, called extracellular enzymes. Most of these enzymes are hydrolases. For example, the two amylases used in enzymatic production of glucose are secreted by Bacillus subtilis and root enzymes during fermentation. Such enzymes are generally high in content and easy to obtain.

Another type of enzyme is produced in the cell and is not secreted outside the cell, but plays a catalytic role in the cell, which is called intracellular enzyme. A series of chemical reactions in the fermentation and production of citric acid, inosinic acid and monosodium glutamate are carried out in cells under the catalysis of a variety of enzymes. This type of enzyme is often combined with the cell structure in the cell, has a certain distribution area, and the catalyzed reaction has a certain sequence, so that many reactions can proceed in an orderly manner.

The source of enzymes is mostly biological cells. Although the total amount of enzymes produced in biological cells is very high, the content of each enzyme is extremely low. For example, there are many types of hydrolases in the mid-pancreas digestion, but the content of various enzymes is very different.

Therefore, when extracting a certain enzyme, you should first select the material that contains the most abundant enzyme according to your needs. For example, pancreas is a good material for extracting trypsin, chymotrypsin, amylase and lipase. Since the extraction of enzyme preparations from animal organs or plant fruits is limited by raw materials, the cost is very high if they cannot be used comprehensively.

At present, the industry mostly adopts the method of cultivating microorganisms to obtain a large amount of enzyme preparations. There are many advantages of producing enzyme preparations from microorganisms. It is not restricted by climate and geographical conditions, and most of the enzymes in animals and plants can be found in microorganisms. The microorganisms multiply fast and the enzyme production is abundant.

In biological tissues, in addition to a certain enzyme we need, there are often many other enzymes, general proteins and other impurities. Therefore, in order to prepare a certain enzyme preparation, it must go through the steps of enzyme separation and enzyme purification.

Enzymes are proteins with catalytic activity. Protein is easy to denature, so in the purification process of enzyme should avoid using strong acid and strong base and keep the operation at a lower temperature. In the purification process, it is easier to track the whereabouts of the enzyme in the separation and purification process by measuring the catalytic activity of the enzyme.

The catalytic activity of the enzyme can be used as an index for the selection of separation and purification methods and operating conditions. In each step of the entire enzyme separation and purification process, always determine the total activity and specific activity of the enzyme. Only in this way can we know how many enzymes are recovered through a certain step and how much purity has been improved, which determines the choice of a step.

The separation and purification of enzymes generally includes three basic steps: extraction, purification, crystallization or preparation.

First, the required enzyme is introduced into the solution from the raw material. At this time, some impurities are inevitably entrained. It is necessary to selectively separate the enzyme from the solution (or selectively remove impurities from the solution). Finally, purified enzyme preparation is made.