bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mechanism for tension adjustment in tendon driven remote center-of-motion mechanism for minimally invasive surgery
Authors: Singh Amanpreet , Khatait Jitendra P 
Published: May 2022

Tendon drive is used for transmission design in applications ranging from wearable rehabilitation and surgical robots to industrial robots. For their efficient operation, one of the principal design requirements is to have adequate tension in the tendon element. This paper introduces a novel mechanism for tension adjustment using a secondary cable-pulley arrangement via a lever mechanism. An adjustment in a tension spring applies a force in the tendon element meant for the transmission of remote centre-of-motion (RCM) mechanism for medical robotic application. Thereafter, the current work presents the kinematic and force analyses of the proposed concept along with a series of plots of various mechanism parameters. The variation of these parameters is in good agreement with the physical motion of the devised mechanism. As compared to the conventional methods of tension adjustment, the proposed concept is a better solution for problems that arise due to low manufacturing tolerances and the need for independent tension adjustment in a multi degrees-of-freedom tendon driven RCM mechanism. In the preferred embodiment, it is proposed to use cables (wire-ropes) as tendon elements to drive a mechanically constrained double-parallelogram-based RCM mechanism which is extensively used for Minimally Invasive Surgery. From this implementation, it is learnt that the presented mechanism can be implemented in several configurations. However, this paper presents the preferred embodiment only which meets the demand, of invariant tendon length, of the RCM mechanism under consideration. An initial prototype is made from acrylic sheets, PLA material, and standard elements (like bearings, pulleys, aluminum pins, 0.5 mm stainless-steel wire-rope, etc.) using laser micromachining and 3D printing.
Punch-less and die-less sheet hydroforming process for manufacturing of serpentine-shaped micro-channels in ultra-thin sheets
Authors: Sudarsan Coomar , Panda Sushanta Kumar 
Published: May 2022

In the present work, novel serpentine-shaped micro-channels were successfully fabricated in ultra-thin sheets of AA1050, C101, and SS304 materials using the sheet hydroforming (SHF) process. In-house fabrication methods, namely punch-less SHF and die-less SHF processes were designed and developed on a 20-t press to manufacture these channels. The finite element (FE) modeling of both processes was developed for the prediction of the deformation behavior of these sheets. The elasto-plastic FE models incorporated the elastic properties, Barlat 89 anisotropic yield model, and Hollomon hardening law for all the three sheets, and their corresponding forming limit diagrams (FLDs) were implemented as damage criteria. It was observed that the maximum pressure was 28 MPa and 32 MPa for the punch-less and die-less SHF process, respectively. The manufacturability of the hydroformed channels was examined through channel depth, aspect ratio, and thickness distribution. The average channel depth and aspect ratio were found to be higher in the case of the die-less SHF compared to punch-less SHF. The failure occurred in the AA1050 channel under plane strain deformation mode near the die corner region and punch corner region for punch-less and die-less SHF processes, respectively, indicated by a sudden dip in the thickness distribution profile. Moreover, the surface quality of the formed channels was investigated through surface roughness value, and this was further correlated with effective plastic strain incurred in the deformation process. It was observed that the surface roughness of the deformed channels fabricated by the punch-less SHF process was lower than those formed through the die-less SHF process in the present study.
Optimization of heat affected zone in laser cutting of Kevlar-29 fiber composite using hybrid response surface based grey wolf optimization (RSGWO) algorithm
Authors: Prajapati Akanksha , Norkey Gavendra , Gautam Girish D 
Published: May 2022

The large strength-to-weight rate and superior mechanical qualities, Kevlar fiber reinforced polymers (KFRP) are commonly utilized in the aerospace, vehicle, and energy sectors. The fine machining of KFRPs in these sectors was required for specific applications. Because of low matrix cracking, burr development, negligible tool wear, and fiber delamination, laser beam cutting (LBC) is a promising alternative to traditional cutting processes in KFRP cutting. During pulsed laser cutting of neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet of the K-29 (Kevlar composite laminate) for the 1.25 mm thickness, the heat affected zone (HAZ) was determined experimentally at various settings of the lamp current, pulse frequency, and cutting speed. A second-order regression model for HAZ was demonstrated by using experimentally obtained data. A novel response surface-based grey wolf optimization (RSGWO) algorithm has also been proposed and used to discover optimal levels of process parameter conditions for minimizing HAZ. The RSGWO technique has proposed ideal values for the specified parameters at low pulse frequency (20 Hz) and lamp current (160 A), as well as greater air pressure (10 kg/cm2) with cutting speed (200 mm/min). At optimal cutting parameter values, a 14.92% improvement in HAZ was observed. Furthermore, parametric effects have been studied, and it has been discovered that compressed air pressure is the valuable parameter for HAZ for laser-cut KFRP composite, while lamp current (I) is the least important.
Thermal analysis of a box type solar cooker coupled with Fresnel lens
Authors: Engoor Gulsavin Guruprasad , Shanmugam S , Veerappan AR 
Published: May 2022

The thermal analysis of a Box-type solar cooker (BTSC) coupled with two Fresnel lens magnifiers (FLMG) is presented in this paper. A time dependent numerical model based on heat balances occurring at different parts of the cooker was prepared and executed in a MATLAB program. To check the robustness of the model, the temperature variation of the cooker elements obtained by the mathematic modeling was compared with the experimental results. The comparison showed the average estimated error between the experimental and numerical values fell between 0.73–3.49 percentage. In order to check the effectiveness of the FLMG, First Figure of merit (F1) and Second figure of merit (F2) tests were performed as per international testing procedures. The first figure of merit value increased from 0.11 to 0.12 m2 °C/W, converting the BTSC from B grade category to A grade. The Second figure of merit rose from 0.43 to 0.45 by utilizing the FLMG, indicating the improvement in heat exchange to the load in the cooking vessel. The temperature of all the components of the BTSC was increased by incorporating the FLMG. The paper also discusses the variation of different heat transfer coefficients coming to play in the cooker. Basmati rice was successfully cooked by the solar cooker in an interval of 58 min.
Exosomal miR-455-3p from BMMSCs prevents cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury
Authors: Wang Yue , Shen Yusi 
Published: May 2022

Objective Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) exert protective effects against myocardial infarction (MI). Here, we focused on the function and mechanism of miR-455-3p from BMMSCs-derived exosomes (BMMSCs-Exo) in myocardial infarction. Materials and methods BMMSCs were isolated from rat bone marrow, and the exosomes from the culture medium of BMMSCs were separated, and administered to H9C2 cells under hypoxia-reperfusion (H/R) stimulation. MTT and TUNEL staining analyzed cell viability and apoptosis, respectively. RT-qPCR determined miR-455-3p expression. Apoptosis-related proteins, autophagy-associated proteins, and the MEKK1-MKK4-JNK signaling pathway were detected. The interaction between miR-455-3p and MEKK1 was confirmed through dual luciferase activity and RIP assay. An in vivo ischemia reperfusion (I/R) model was established in rats. 2, 3, 5 triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining, hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining, Masson staining, and TUNEL staining evaluated the infarct volume and histopathological changes. Results miR-455-3p′s expression was down-regulated in BMMSCs-derived exosomes, I/R myocardial tissues, and H/R myocardial cells. miR-455-3p enriched by BMMSC exosomes reduced H/R-mediated cardiomyocyte damage and death-related autophagy. miR-455-3p upregulation suppressed MEKK1-MKK4-JNK. MEKK1 overexpression notably mitigated cell apoptosis, cramped cell viability, suppressed autophagy expansion, and attenuated Exo-miR-455-3p′s protection on H/R myocardial cells. In-vivo trials reflected that BMMSC exosomes enriched with miR-455-3p repressed ischemia reperfusion-induced myocardial damage and myocardial cell function. Conclusion miR-455-3p, shuttled by exosomes from MSCs, targets the MEKK1-MKK4-JNK signaling pathway to guard against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion damage.
Myrica salicifolia Hochst. ex A. Rich. suppress acetic acid-induced ulcerative colitis in rats by reducing TNF-alpha and interleukin-6, oxidative stress parameters and improving mucosal protection
Authors: Rehman NU , Ansari MN , Palla AH , Karim A , Imam F , Raish M , Hamad AM , Noman M 
Published: May 2022

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with rising prevalence in developing countries, and limited success of current therapies, natural products have immense potential for therapy due to their “disease modifying and side-effect neutralizing” potential. Myrica salicifolia is traditionally used for gastrointestinal diseases and have reported antiinflammatory activities, but its use in IBD has not yet been studied. Therefore, in the present study, the effects of the root extract of M. salicifolia (Ms.Cr) were investigated using the acetic acid-induced UC model in rats. For 6 days, the rats were given either vehicle (10 mL/kg), lower (200 mg/kg), and higher (400 mg/kg) doses of Ms.Cr, or the positive control drug (prednisolone; 2 mg/kg) orally. A single dosage of 5% acetic acid (1.0 mL) was administered intrarectally to rats on day 6 to induce UC. Disease activity index (DAI), histological observations, the biochemical parameters related to oxidative stress, and specific cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and the tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were determined to assess the effect of Ms.Cr. In comparison to the AA-induced colitis rats, Ms.Cr’s pretreatment significantly decreased DAI, colonic ulceration, and inflammatory score. Total glutathione levels and catalase activity were considerably recovered in the colitis group treated with Ms.Cr, whereas enhanced lipid peroxidation in colon tissues was significantly decreased. Moreover, Ms.Cr pretreatment also caused inhibition of the activation of IL-6 and TNF-α in the colonic tissues of respective groups. Based on these findings, Ms.Cr might be developed to treat UC in the future.
Teriflunomide normalizes anti-anxiety effect in anti-ANXA2 APS mice model teriflunomide in anti-ANXA2 mice model
Authors: Zmira Ofir , Gofrit Shany Guly , Aharoni Shay Anat , Weiss Ronen , Shavit-Stein Efrat , Chapman Joab 
Published: May 2022

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) affects the brain by both hypercoagulation and immunological mechanisms. APS is characterized by several autoantibodies binding to a thrombolytic complex including beta-2-glycoprotein I (β2-GPI) and annexin A2 (ANXA2). Teriflunomide, an oral drug for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), has a cytostatic effect on B cells and is therefore a potential antibody-targeting treatment for APS. In this study, we assessed the effect of teriflunomide in two APS mouse models by inducing autoantibody formation against β2-GPI and ANXA2 in female BALB/c mice. The ANXA2 model displayed a behavioral change suggesting an anti-anxiety effect in open field and forced swim tests, early in the course of the disease. This effect was normalized following teriflunomide treatment. Conversely, behavioral tests done later during the study demonstrated depression-like behavior in the ANXA2 model. No behavioral changes were seen in the β2-GPI model. Total brain IgG levels were significantly elevated in the ANXA2 model but not in the teriflunomide treated group. No such change was noted in the brains of the β2-GPI model. High levels of serum autoantibodies were induced in both models, and their levels were not lowered by teriflunomide treatment. Teriflunomide ameliorated behavioral changes in mice immunized with ANXA2 without a concomitant change in serum antibody levels. These findings are compatible with the effect of teriflunomide on neuroinflammation. Teriflunomide ameliorated behavioral and brain IgG levels in mice immunized with ANXA2 without a concomitant change in serum antibody levels. These findings are compatible with an effect of teriflunomide on the IgG permeability to the brain and neuroinflammation.
Social media as source of information for Spanish-speaking patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Barahona-Correa Julián E , Romero-Alvernia Diana M , Rueda-Ortiz Camilo , Muñoz Oscar , Garcia Angel A , Fernández-Ávila Daniel G 
Published: May 2022

Introduction Although patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) may benefit from health-care information in social media (SoMe), they may also be prone to misleading information. An assessment of the reliability, comprehensiveness, and quality of information uploaded to SoMe for Spanish-speaking patients with SLE is lacking. Methods This analytical observational study evaluates the videos uploaded to YouTube® in Spanish about SLE. Information about video length, engagement (i.e., views and likes), time on the internet, popularity index, and source was retrieved, and an evaluation on reliability, comprehensiveness, and quality was performed using standardized scores. Results One hundred eighty-six videos were included in the analysis. Most videos were considered as useful (87%) or useful patient opinion (8.1%), whereas only 2.2% were considered misleading and 2.7% as misleading patient opinion. The number of views (Median 7207 vs 113,877, p = .012), popularity index (Median 13.8 vs 168.7, p < .001), number of likes (Median 155 vs 3400, p < .001), and number of dislikes (Median 3 vs 138, p = .004) were higher for misleading videos. The videos uploaded by independent users had a higher engagement than those from government or news agencies, professional organizations or academic channels. Misleading videos and those uploaded by independent users had lower rates of reliability, comprehensiveness and quality ( p < .001). Conclusions Most of the information shown in YouTube® videos on SLE tends to be useful. However, audience engagement parameters are larger for misleading videos. Exploring the qualitative features of the most popular videos is necessary to establish what features are more engaging for the audiences and to improve the content and popularity of reliable videos on chronic diseases.
Role of interleukin-6 and interferon-α in systemic lupus erythematosus: A case–control study and meta-analysis
Authors: Pattanaik Sarit Sekhar , Panda Aditya K , Pati Abhijit , Padhi Sunali , Tripathy Rina , Tripathy Saumya Ranjan , Parida Manoj Kumar , Das Bidyut Kumar 
Published: May 2022

Background Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disorder affecting various organ systems with unknown etiology. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interferon-alpha (IFN-α) have been shown to have a major role in disease pathogenesis, and they correlate with SLE disease activity, but reports in the literature are conflicting. The present study aims to investigate the significance of IL-6 and IFN-α levels in SLE pathogenesis in an eastern Indian cohort. Material and Methods 70 SLE patients fulfilled SLICC 2012 criteria, and 40 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HC) were enrolled. Baseline characteristics along with disease activity were recorded for all patients. Levels of IL-6 and IFN-α were measured by using ELISA. For the meta-analysis, published articles were searched through different databases. Two independent researchers extracted data, and the meta-analysis was performed with CMA v3.1. Results The plasma levels of IL-6 and IFN-α in SLE patients were significantly elevated compared to HC (IL-6: p < .0001, IFN-α: p = 0.01). SLEDAI score correlated positively with plasma IL-6 ( p < .0001, r = 0.46) and IFN-α levels ( p < .0001; r = 0.47). Meta-analysis of previous reports, including our case–control data, revealed higher IL-6 ( p < .0001) and IFN-α ( p = .005) in SLE patients compared to HC. Furthermore, IL-6 ( p < .0001, r = 0.526) and IFN-α ( p < .0001; r = 0.371) levels positively correlated with the disease activity. Conclusion IL-6 and IFN-α levels are elevated in SLE and they correlate with disease activity. Further studies with a larger sample size in different populations are required to validate our findings.
Efficacy and safety of acupuncture as a complementary therapy for sepsis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Xian Jin , Wang Ling , Zhang Changyun , Wang Jian , Zhu Yushuo , Yu Huijuan , Zhang Xin , Tan Qiwen 
Published: May 2022

Background: Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by dysregulation of the host response to infection. Acupuncture is used for treatment of inflammatory diseases; however, its effectiveness and safety as a complementary therapy for sepsis has not been fully explored. Methods: Data were retrieved from eight databases. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared acupuncture plus conventional therapies versus conventional therapies alone were included. Pre-specified primary outcomes were mortality at 28 days and Acute Physiologic and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II scores. Results: A total of 17 studies with 1099 participants were included in this study. In terms of the primary outcomes, acupuncture plus routine therapy reduced mortality at 28 days (risk ratio (RR)): 0.69, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.52 to 0.91, p < 0.001) and APACHE II scores (mean difference (MD): −2.84, 95% CI: −4.09 to −1.58, p < 0.001) at day 7 after treatment compared with routine therapy alone. In terms of secondary outcomes, acupuncture plus routine therapy reduced white blood cell counts and levels of procalcitonin (PCT), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6 and lactic acid and intra-abdominal pressure (IAP), and improved CD3+, CD4+ and monocytes of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR at day 7 after treatment compared with routine therapy alone. However, acupuncture plus routine therapy had no significant effects on levels of IL-10, C-reactive protein (CRP), CD8+ and CD4+/CD8+ ratios compared with routine therapy alone. Quality of evidence was low to very low for all parameters (GRADE). Conclusion: The available evidence showed that combination of acupuncture and routine therapy may have benefit for sepsis compared with use of routine therapy only. Due to the low degree of certainty regarding its effects, further research is required. Trial registration number: ICRD42019141491 (PROSPERO).
Synthesis of chitosan graft poly (acrylic acid-co-2-acrylamide-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid)/graphite oxide composite hydrogel and the study of its adsorption
Authors: Zhu Linhui , Liu Yu , Yaoji Tang Yangwenyi L, 
Published: May 2022

Chitosan graft poly (acrylic acid-co-2-acrylamide-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid)/graphite oxide (CTS-g-P(AA-co-AMPS)/GO) composite hydrogel is synthesized and used to remove rhodamine 6G (R6G) and methyl violet (MV) from aqueous solutions by adsorption. The composite is characterized by infrared spectroscopy (IR), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The effect of the adsorption conditions, including the amount of graphite oxide (GO), the initial concentration of dye solutions, the adsorption time, ionic strength, and the mass of the composite, on the adsorption capacities has been studied in detail. It can be seen that small amount of GO can improve the adsorption capacities of both dyes. It is found that the adsorption capacities of R6G and MV can be increased by 57.26% and 26.39%, respectively, compared with CTS-g-P(AA-co-AMPS graft copolymer. The maximal adsorption capacity of R6G and MV is 625.3 and 326.4 mg/g, respectively. The interaction between GO and dye molecules are speculated. GO acts as crosslinking points and combine with the CTS-g-P(AA-co-AMPS) graft copolymer through hydrogen bonds and electrostatic actions. The adsorption isotherms and thermodynamics are discussed. The Gibbs free energy of R6G and MV is that △GR6GӨ = −2.478 KJ/mol and △GMVӨ = −2.577 KJ/mol and it indicates that the adsorption of R6G and MV on CTS-g-P(AA-co-AMPS)/GO is spontaneous and satisfied the Redlich-Peterson equation. Kinetic studies show that the adsorption is in accordance with the Lagergren pseudo first-order kinetic model.
One or two faecal immunochemical tests in an organised population-based colorectal cancer screening programme in Murcia (Spain)
Authors: Tourne-Garcia Carlos , Perez-Riquelme Francisco , Monteagudo-Piqueras Olga , Fraser Callum G , Yepes-Garcia Pedro 
Published: May 2022

Objective Roll-out of population-based colorectal cancer (CRC) screening with faecal immunochemical test (FIT) is limited by availability of further investigations, particularly colonoscopy and examination of excised lesions. Our objective was to assess whether variation in number of faecal samples and threshold adjustment can optimise resource utilisation and CRC detection rate. Methods Three different screening strategies were compared for the same FIT threshold using a quantitative FIT system: one FIT, positive when >20 µg Hb/g faeces; two FIT, positive when either was >20 µg Hb/g faeces; and two FIT, positive when the mean was >20 µg Hb/g faeces. We calculated changes in the size of population the provider could invite to screening for an equal number of screening positive results, and CRC and adenoma detected. Results In our setting, Region of Murcia, south of Spain (not fully rolled out screening programme), changing the usual strategy of two FIT, positive when either to positive when the mean was >20 µg Hb/g faeces, would increase population invited by 37.81% with the same number of positive results (which would generate a CRC detection rate of 19.2%). In a fully rolled out programme, changing the strategy from one to two FIT (positive when the mean is >20 µg Hb/g faeces), would increase CRC detection rate by 4.64% with an increase of only 13.34% in positive FIT. Conclusions In a population-based CRC screening programme, smart use of number of FITs and positivity threshold can increase population invited and CRC detection without increasing the number of colonoscopies and pathological examinations needed.