bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Development of a Soft Robotic Gripper for Carpet Handling
Authors: Abbas Ayman , Sahbel Anwar 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
The use of soft robotic grippers is an alternative to conventional rigid body grippers in industrial applications specifically in the handling of carpets. This paper presents, a novel design of a 3D soft robotic gripper based on a simulation model and experimental prototype that can be used for carpet handling applications. In addition, the fabrication method of the pneumatic soft robotic gripper is introduced. The pneu-net actuator geometrical parameters are optimized such as the thickness of the chamber walls and the internal structure of the chambers resulting in significantly improved pressure handling capabilities. The simple pneu-net and the modified actuator are tested at two different pressure 55 and 110 kPa, to check the range of motion. A single actuator is calculated to lift a maximum of five kilograms, with several actuators included in the gripper the weight carrying capabilities reached ten kilograms. The geometry was optimized to maximize weight carrying capabilities by increasing the amount of pressure the actuator can withstand. A finite element analysis using ABAQUS software is carried out to evaluate the stresses acting upon the soft gripper.
A Method to Account for the Effects of Electro-Osmotic Drag and Back Diffusion in PEM Fuel Cells
Authors: Ingarra Nicholas , Kobus Krzysztof (Chris) , Maisonneuve Jonathan 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
The objective of this research is to quantify the separate effects of electro-osmotic drag (EOD) and back diffusion (BD) on the net water flow across a proton exchange membrane (PEM) where these effects occur simultaneously. The solution here is to detail a method to decompose the net water flow into component drivers without making assumptions regarding the various coefficients, and instead relying on data mining to isolate the EOD and BD contributions. The net water flow across the membrane is a function of current density and water concentration differences, represented as a surface for which slopes can be determined in the direction of constant current to isolate BD, and constant concentration difference to determine EOD. This method also can be used to determine the hydration state of the membrane as well as determining which EOD and BD coefficient empirical models are valid under certain conditions. With a clearer understanding of net water flow, EOD and BD, the water balance of the fuel cell can be improved which will lead to improved fuel cell operation.
FEA-Based Prediction and Experimental Validation of Drilling Tool Lateral Motion Dynamics
Authors: Song Fei , Li Ke , Xu Liangyu 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Logging-while-drilling (LWD) tools are placed in the bottomhole assembly (BHA) at the lowest part of the drillstring, which are used for measuring formation properties during the excavation of the hole, or shortly thereafter. These formation properties can include spectral gamma ray, neutron, porosity, resistivity, and many others. With the tools being pushed to complete wells faster and cheaper, drilling conditions are becoming increasingly harsh. A variety of downhole vibration modes that hinder efficient drilling could occur and create wasted energy that is unusable to cut formation. Among them, BHA whirl is one of the undesired motions which can be faced during drilling operations, where the BHA follows an eccentric rotation about a point along the wellbore other than the geometric center. BHA whirl can be one of the most destructive types of drilling dynamics. For example, the lateral motion induced shock and vibration can be propagated from the outside collar to the inside chassis of the tool and damage the expensive electronics or other measurement devices. Therefore, having a reasonably accurate numerical model that can be used to understand and predict the lateral motion of a tool is highly demanded to mitigate the risks associated with the effect of whirl on measurement quality and health of the drilling tools.
This study focuses on simulating the most seen backward whirl scenario where the center of the motion rotates in the opposite direction of the drill string. A high-fidelity 3D finite element analysis (FEA) model that can capture the contact interaction between the outside collar and internal chassis of the tool and between the tool and wellbore is developed to predict the lateral motion of the drilling tool in the presence of backward whirl. A roll test system (i.e., a tubular assembly rolls along the inner wall of an impact ring while spinning with a drive motor) instrumented with accelerometers, strain gauges and high-speed cameras is also developed to mimic such dynamics that the tool could experience while drilling in a controlled lab environment. The measurements collected from the accelerometer and strain gauge are analyzed and the videos recorded with the high speed camera is processed with computer vision to experimentally determine the motion trajectory and characteristics. Excellent agreement is observed between experimental motion data and the predictions from the developed FEA model, which validates the FEA model. The validated numerical model can be very useful for fit-for-basin virtual qualification of new drilling tools and for post-run root cause analysis of drilling tool failures.
Additive Manufacturing Process-Induced Wing Skin Deformation and Effects on Aerodynamic Performance
Authors: Valenti Justin D. , Barolai Joseph , Cole Julia A. , Yukish Michael A. 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
The objective of this study is to characterize the trade space for the structural design of small uncrewed aerial vehicle wings fabricated using Material Extrusion Additive Manufacturing, specifically the trade-off between maintaining the wing external shape while minimizing its internal structure. Beam bending analysis shows that the structural requirements associated with flight loads are easily met with a single perimeter extrusion monocoque construction, however this approach leads to large, unsupported, thin-walled structures that can deform during the build process, creating a potential need for additional structure to maintain wing shape. To characterize the relationship between structure/weight and wing deformation, wing sections were fabricated with varying internal structures for two airfoil shapes. Weight and 3-D laser measurements were taken of the printed parts to capture the final as-built geometry. The as-built geometries were then compared to the as-designed geometries to quantify the deformation, and a coupled viscous-inviscid flow solver was used to determine the aerodynamic effects. The results indicate that while significant aerodynamic performance penalties exist for the monocoque construction, a small amount of well-placed internal structure provides sufficient improvement at minimal weight penalty. Results also showed that less internal structure is required to minimize deformation for an airfoil with larger initial curvature.
Numerical Simulation for Analyzing Interfacial Velocity and Interfacial Forces of a Bubble Motion in Taper Micro Gap
Authors: Pal Divyprakash , Shukla Maharshi , Perez-Raya Isaac , Kandlikar Satish 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Heat transfer due to the convective boiling mechanism in the microchannel plays an important role in heat transfer during boiling. Therefore, it is relevant to find ways to manipulate the vapor bubbles such that convection heat transfer is enhanced. This numerical study investigates the effects of different geometrical parameters on bubble movement through a micro tapered gap. The objective is to identify an optimal configuration such that the bubble moves at the fastest possible speed when it travels through the micro gap. To conduct this research a model is created using ANSYS-Fluent which uses the Volume of Fluid (VOF) interface tracking method. The multiphase VOF model tracks the air-water interface. A bubble is generated inside the microchannel in which fluid is flowing. The overall domain of the model consists of the surface at the bottom, having an orifice through which the air bubble is generated. Three different cases of an angled tapered surface are created 5°, 10°, and 15°. The airflow rate is kept constant throughout each simulation. Simulation results show the impact of the tapered angle on the bubble’s flow movement and flow direction. Liquid and air velocity contours can be used to analyze the flow. The impact of the taper angles on the movement and flow direction of the air bubble is discussed. It is observed that the performed simulations help to better understand the experimental observation of bubble motion; the simulations give clear evidence of the fluid dynamic behavior along the tapered microchannel.
Factors That Influence Physical Activity in Individuals With Down Syndrome: Perspectives of Guardians and Health Professionals
Authors: Schultz Emma E. , Sergi Katerina , Twietmeyer Gregg , Oreskovic Nicolas M. , Agiovlasitis Stamatis 
Published: February 2023

Identifying factors that influence physical activity (PA) among individuals with Down syndrome is essential for PA promotion. Insight can be gained from guardians and health professionals. The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of guardians and health professionals on facilitators and barriers of PA in individuals with Down syndrome. Interviews were conducted with 11 guardians (five mothers, four fathers, and two legal guardians) and 11 professionals (four PA specialists, three physical therapists, and four occupational therapists). Grounded theory was applied. Barriers and facilitators fit the levels of the ecological model of health behavior: (a) intrapersonal (perceived rewards), (b) interpersonal (interaction), (c) community (availability of programs), (d) organizational (school systems), and (e) policy (education). Guardians and professionals agreed on the importance of enjoyment, interaction, and programs to promote PA. Differences between groups were identified at the organizational and policy levels. PA in persons with Down syndrome is influenced by interactions between individual and environmental factors.
Association Between Variations in Training Load, Sleep, and the Well-Being of Professional Hockey Players
Authors: Apinis-Deshaies Amélie , Trempe Maxime , Tremblay Jonathan 
Published: February 2023

Purpose: To evaluate whether sleep quantity and quality of professional hockey players is affected by external training load (TL), their perception of well-being, and contextual factors associated with match participation. Methods: Fifty male athletes were monitored daily during the 28 weeks of the regular season using well-being and sleep surveys. On-ice external TL was monitored using portable inertial measurement units during practices and matches. Linear mixed-effects models were applied to evaluate whether well-being perception (ie, pain, nutrition, stress, and rest) and external TL may affect sleep quality and quantity. Results: High levels of well-being positively affected sleep duration and quality (P < .001), whereas high-intensity TL had a detrimental impact on sleep duration (P = .007). Moreover, away and evening matches had a detrimental effect on sleep quantity and quality (P < .001). Finally, a high match on-ice load per minute had a negative association with sleep quality (P = .04). Conclusions: Findings indicate that well-being and high-intensity trainings can impair sleep duration and quality. In addition, high-intensity match load, away matches, and evening matches can impair postmatch sleep. Therefore, monitoring well-being in conjunction with TL is essential to understand sleep disturbances in athletes. Practitioners should also implement sleep hygiene strategies that facilitate longer time in bed after high-intensity, away, and evening matches to help athletes recover.
Innovative COVID-19 point-of-care diagnostics suitable for tuberculosis diagnosis: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Yerlikaya Seda , Holtgrewe Lydia Marie-Luise , Broger Tobias , Isaacs Chris , Nahid Payam , Cattamanchi Adithya , Denkinger Claudia M 
Published: February 2023

IntroductionIn 2014, the WHO published high-priority target product profiles (TPPs) for new tuberculosis (TB) diagnostics to align end-user needs with test targets and specifications; nevertheless, no TB test meets these targets to date. The COVID-19-driven momentum in the diagnostics world offers an opportunity to address the long-standing lack of innovation in the field of TB diagnostics. This scoping review aims to summarise point-of-care (POC) molecular and antigen tests for COVID-19 diagnosis that, when applied to TB, potentially meet WHO TPPs. This summary of currently available innovative diagnostic tools will guide the development of novel TB diagnostics toward the WHO-set targets.Methods and analysisWe will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension Scoping Reviews recommendations. MEDLINE (via PubMed), bioRxiv, MedRxiv and other publicly available in vitro diagnostic test databases were searched on 23 November 2022. POC antigen or molecular tests developed for SARS-CoV-2 detection that meet the eligibility criteria will be included in the review. Developer description, test description, operation characteristics, pricing information, performance and commercialisation status of diagnostic tests identified will be extracted using a predefined standardised data extraction form. Two reviewers will independently perform the screening and data extraction. A narrative synthesis of the final data will be provided.Ethics and disseminationNo ethical approval is required because individual patient data will not be included. The findings will be published in open-access scientific journals.
Acetyltransferase fromAkkermansia muciniphilablunts colorectal tumourigenesis by reprogramming tumour microenvironment
Authors: Jiang Yi , Xu Yuejie , Zheng Chang , Ye Lei , Jiang Ping , Malik Sara , Xu Guifang , Zhou Qian , Zhang Mingming 
Published: February 2023

ObjectiveThe protein post-translational modification (PTM) in host cells can be rewritten by bacterial enzymes and represents an unprecedented mechanism in the communication between intestinal flora and the host. AlthoughAkkermansia muciniphilahas been widely investigated as a probiotic and blunts colitis-associated tumourigenesis in mice, there is little understanding regarding whetherA. muciniphilais involved in the PTM of colorectal cancer (CRC). This study investigates whether and howA. muciniphilaengages in the PTM of host CRC.DesignThe secreting extracellular vesicles fromA. muciniphilaand purified Amuc_2172 were used for different tumourigenesis mice models. Amuc_2172-induced immune activity of CD8+cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The acetyltransferase activity and downstream target genes of Amuc_2172 were investigated.ResultsAmuc_2172, a general control non-derepressible 5-related acetyltransferase ofA. muciniphila, was accessible to colorectal cells by macropinocytosis and functioned as an acetyltransferase of Lys14 on histone H3 (H3K14ac). Elevated H3K14ac onHspa1aloci promoted the transcription and secretion of heat-shock protein 70 (HSP70) in cancer cells. High level of HSP70 promoted the immune activity of CTLs in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, bioengineered nanoparticles provided a safe and reliable drug delivery strategy of Amuc_2172 for CRC treatment in an allograft mice model.ConclusionAmuc_2172 reprogrammed tumour microenvironment by inducing HSP70 secretion and promoting CTL-related immune response in the process of tumourigenesis.
Food insecurity and its association with health and well-being in middle-aged and older adults in India
Authors: Selvamani Y , Elgar Frank 
Published: February 2023

AimFood insecurity is a global public health concern; however, there is limited knowledge about its health impacts in India. We examined the associations of food insecurity with socioeconomic conditions, chronic disease and various domains of health and well-being in a community sample of middle-aged and older adults (45+ years) in India.MethodsCross-sectional nationally representative data were collected in wave 1 (2017–2018) of the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India. Food insecurity was measured by questions of access and availability of food. We used logistic regression analyses to examine associations of food insecurity with poor self-rated health, limitations in activities of daily living (ADLs), instrumental ADLs, low life satisfaction, depression, sleep problems and low body mass.ResultsFood insecurity related to all seven indicators of poor health and well-being, even after controlling for material wealth and the presence of multimorbidity (which food insecurity also predicted). Associations with mental health were stronger for those for physical health. For instance, food insecurity related to a threefold increase in probable depression (OR=2.9, 95% CI=2.4 to 3.4) and low life satisfaction (OR=3.4, 95% CI=2.9 to 3.8).ConclusionsFood insecurity is a powerful social determinant of poor health among older adults in India. Policy measures to improve population health and well-being should closely follow trends in food insecurity, particularly among those living in poverty and with multiple health conditions.
MUC1-C is a master regulator of MICA/B NKG2D ligand and exosome secretion in human cancer cells
Authors: Morimoto Yoshihiro , Yamashita Nami , Daimon Tatsuaki , Hirose Haruka , Yamano Shizuka , Haratake Naoki , Ishikawa Satoshi , Bhattacharya Atrayee , Fushimi Atsushi , Ahmad Rehan , Takahashi Hidekazu , Dashevsky Olga , Mitsiades Constantine , Kufe Donald 
Published: February 2023

BackgroundThe MUC1-C protein evolved in mammals to protect barrier tissues from loss of homeostasis; however, MUC1-C promotes oncogenesis in association with chronic inflammation. Aberrant expression of MUC1-C in cancers has been linked to depletion and dysfunction of T cells in the tumor microenvironment. In contrast, there is no known involvement of MUC1-C in the regulation of natural killer (NK) cell function.MethodsTargeting MUC1-C genetically and pharmacologically in cancer cells was performed to assess effects on intracellular and cell surface expression of the MHC class I chain-related polypeptide A (MICA) and MICB ligands. TheMICA/Bpromoters were analyzed for H3K27 and DNA methylation. Shedding of MICA/B was determined by ELISA. MUC1-C interactions with ERp5 and RAB27A were assessed by coimmunoprecipitation and direct binding studies. Exosomes were isolated for analysis of secretion. Purified NK cells were assayed for killing of cancer cell targets.ResultsOur studies demonstrate that MUC1-C represses expression of the MICA and MICB ligands that activate the NK group 2D receptor. We show that the inflammatory MUC1-C→NF-κB pathway drives enhancer of zeste homolog 2-mediated and DNMT-mediated methylation of theMICAandMICBpromoter regions. Targeting MUC1-C genetically and pharmacologically with the GO-203 inhibitor induced intracellular and cell surface MICA/B expression but not MICA/B cleavage. Mechanistically, MUC1-C regulates the ERp5 thiol oxidoreductase that is necessary for MICA/B protease digestion and shedding. In addition, MUC1-C interacts with the RAB27A protein, which is required for exosome formation and secretion. As a result, targeting MUC1-C markedly inhibited secretion of exosomes expressing MICA/B. In concert with these results, we show that targeting MUC1-C promotes NK cell-mediated killing.ConclusionsThese findings uncover pleotropic mechanisms by which MUC1-C confers evasion of cancer cells to NK cell recognition and destruction.
Epidemiology of invasive Haemophilus influenzae disease in northwestern Ontario: comparison of invasive and noninvasive H. influenzae clinical isolates
Authors: Ulanova Marina , Tsang R.S.W. , Nix E.B. , Kelly L. , Shuel M. , Lance B. ,   for the Canadian Immunization Research Network Investigators
Published: February 2023

In the post- Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine era, invasive H. influenzae type a (Hia) disease emerged in North American Indigenous populations. The role of Hia in noninvasive disease is uncertain; it is unknown whether noninvasive Hia infections are prevalent in populations with a high incidence of invasive disease, and whether invasive and noninvasive Hia isolates have different characteristics. We analyzed all invasive and noninvasive clinical H. influenzae isolates collected in a northwestern Ontario hospital serving 82% Indigenous population over 5.5 years. Serotyping, clonal analysis, and antimicrobial sensitivity testing were conducted on 233 noninvasive and 20 invasive isolates. Among noninvasive isolates, 91% were nontypeable (NTHi) and 3% were Hia; Hia was the most frequent invasive isolate (60%). Incidence rates of invasive H. influenzae disease (12.5/100 000/year) greatly exceeded average provincial data, with the highest found in <6-year-old children (63.9/100 000/year); the proportion of Hia among invasive isolates was seven times larger than in Ontario. No difference in clonal characteristics between invasive and noninvasive Hia isolates was found. Antibiotic resistance was more common among NTHi than among encapsulated isolates, without differences between invasive and noninvasive isolates. Considering the significance of Hia in Indigenous populations, pediatric immunization against Hia will be useful to prevent serious infections in young Indigenous children.