Manipulations

The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of roughened surface features on the perceived hardness of various materials. Thirteen participants used a visual analog scale to evaluate the hardness of ten 3D-printed specimens by sliding a fingertip on them. The specimens had two types of surface features: flat and smooth, or with microscopic rectangular gratings. They were fabricated from two types of plastic with different Young's moduli-2.46 and 9.35 MPa. We found that both surface pattern and mechanical hardness significantly contributed to the perceived hardness of a material individually and without interaction...

Probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (pCLE) has a role in characterising tissue intraoperatively to guide tumour resection during surgery. To capture good quality pCLE data which is important for diagnosis, the probe-tissue contact needs to be maintained within a working range of micrometre scale. This can be achieved through micro-surgical robotic manipulation which requires the automatic estimation of the probe-tissue distance. In this paper, we propose a novel deep regression framework composed of the Deep Regression Generative Adversarial Network (DR-GAN) and a Sequence Attention (SA) module...

Human-centered environments provide affordance for the use of two-handed mobile manipulators. Yet robots designed to function in and physically interact with such environments are not yet capable of meeting human users' requirements. This work proposes a whole body control framework of a two-handed mobile manipulator driven by series elastic actuators (SEAs) for cart pushing tasks. A whole body dynamic model for an integrated mobile platform and on-board arms is revealed, which takes into account the interaction forces with the cart...

Over the past 2 decades, the use and importance of robotic surgery in minimally invasive surgery has increased. Across various surgical specialties, robotic technology has gained popularity through its use of 3D visualization, optimal ergonomic positioning, and precise instrument manipulation. This growing interest has also been seen in acute care surgery, where laparoscopic procedures are used more frequently. Despite the growing popularity of robotic surgery in the acute care surgical realm, there is very little research on the utility of robotics regarding its effects on health outcomes and cost-effectiveness...

The valorization of humins side streams from bio-refineries holds significant economic and sustainability potential. One plausible strategy involves using them as building blocks to create new materials. However, in their natural state, humins pose conceptual challenges due to their high viscosity, processing difficulties, and temperature sensitivity. This article presents a synthetic strategy for modifying humins properties to make them thermally stable and processable. Employing a sequence of esterification reactions and varying the reagent steric length, we showcase the selective transformation of humins into thermally-stable fine powders and low-viscosity liquids...

The demand for state-of-the-art high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries is increasing. However, the low specific capacity of electrode materials in conventional full-cell systems cannot meet the requirements. Ni-rich layered oxide cathodes such as Li(Ni0.8 Co0.1 Mn0.1 )O2 (NCM811) have a high theoretical specific capacity of 200 mAh g-1 , but it is always accompanied by side reactions on the electrode/electrolyte interface. Phosphorus anode possesses a high theoretical specific capacity of 2596 mAh g-1 , but it has a huge volume expansion (≈300%)...

The treatment of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP), with high mortality rates, poses a significant clinical challenge. Investigating the pathological changes associated with SAP using animal models can aid in identifying potential therapeutic targets and exploring novel treatment approaches. Previous studies primarily induced pancreatic injury through retrograde bile duct injection of sodium taviaurocholate, but the impact of surgical damage on the quality of the animal model remains unclear. In this study, we employed various frequencies of intraperitoneal Caerulein injections combined with different doses of LPS to induce pancreatic injury in C57BL/6J mice and compared the extent of injury across five intraperitoneal injection protocols...

AIMS: Synaptic vesicle protein 2A (SV2A) is a unique therapeutic target for pharmacoresistant epilepsy (PRE). As seizure-induced neuronal programmed death, parthanatos was rarely reported in PRE. Apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF), which has been implicated in parthanatos, shares a common cytoprotective function with SV2A. We aimed to investigate whether parthanatos participates in PRE and is mitigated by SV2A via AIF. METHODS: An intraperitoneal injection of lithium chloride-pilocarpine was used to establish an epileptic rat model, and phenytoin and phenobarbital sodium were utilized to select PRE and pharmacosensitive rats...

INTRODUCTION: Extrapulmonary manifestations of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) may play a critical pathobiological role and a deeper understanding will advance insight into mechanisms and novel therapeutic targets. This manuscript reviews our understanding of extrapulmonary manifestations of PAH. AREAS COVERED: A group of experts was assembled and a complimentary PubMed search performed (October 2023 - March 2024). Inflammation is observed throughout the central nervous system and attempts at manipulation are an encouraging step toward novel therapeutics...

Diabetes mellitus is a collection of metabolic disorders marked by elevated levels of glucose in the blood due to irregularities in the generation or functioning of insulin. Medical nutrition therapy and weight loss are crucial elements in the management of diabetes and the prevention of complications. Several diets have become popular over time for the goal of achieving weight loss, but their popularity has declined due to a lack of reliable scientific evidence. This study classifies popular diets into three categories: diets that manage the composition of macronutrients, diets that restrict specific foods or food groups, and diets that manipulate meal timing...

The threat landscape of biological hazards with the evolution of AI presents challenges. While AI promises innovative solutions, concerns arise about its misuse in the creation of biological weapons. The convergence of AI and genetic editing raises questions about biosecurity, potentially accelerating the development of dangerous pathogens. The mapping conducted highlights the critical intersection between AI and biological threats, underscoring emerging risks in the criminal manipulation of pathogens. Technological advancement in biology requires preventative and regulatory measures...

Miniaturization has been the driving force in contemporary technologies. However, two main obstacles limit further progress: additional reduction in size has reached its quantum limit, and lithography has reached its threshold. Future progress requires tackling three challenges: chemical synthesis of a complete device, active cooling for exploiting quantum characteristics, and quantum coherent control for operation. Chemical synthesis replaces the current top-bottom approach to manufacturing with bottom-up synthesis from elementary building blocks...

Surface acoustic wave (SAW)-enabled acoustofluidic technologies have recently atttracted increasing attention for applications in biology, chemistry, biophysics, and medicine. Most SAW acoustofluidic devices generate acoustic energy which is then transmitted into custom microfabricated polymer-based channels. There are limited studies on delivering this acoustic energy into convenient commercially-available glass tubes for manipulating particles and fluids. Herein, we have constructed a capillary-based SAW acoustofluidic device for multifunctional fluidic and particle manipulation...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Medical image visualization is a requirement in many types of surgery such as orthopaedic, spinal, thoracic procedures or tumour resection to eliminate risk such as "wrong level surgery". However, direct contact with physical devices such as mice or touch screens to control images is a challenge because of the potential risk of infection. To prevent the spread of infection in sterile environments, a contagious infection-free medical interaction system has been developed for manipulating medical images...

After failed biliary cannulation via standard endoscopic retrograde cholangiography approach, endoscopic-ultrasound-based rendezvous-endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (EUS-RV-ERC) is a valid alternative. One of the challenging factors in this setting is the management of the guidewire. Here, we propose a method, where a slim endoscope is used to stabilize the guidewire and optimize wire manipulation in a patient who underwent EUS-RV-ERC via a transgastric approach. This was executed in a patient suffering from severe alcoholic pancreatitis presented with a severely narrowed duodenum due to extrinsic compression and inflammation in the setting of cholangitis Tokyo Grade III...

Breast cancer is the most prevalent malignancy in women, and is characterized by its heterogeneity; exhibiting various subgroups identifiable through molecular biomarkers that also serve as predictive indicators. More than two thirds of breast tumors are classified as luminal with positive hormone receptors (HR), indicating that cancer cells proliferation is promoted by hormones. Endocrine therapies play a vital role in the effective treatment of breast cancer by manipulating the signaling of estrogen receptors (ER), leading to a reduction in cell proliferation and growth rate...

Autophagy is recognized as a crucial regulatory process, instrumental in the removal of senescent, dysfunctional, and damaged cells. Within the autophagic process, lysosomal digestion plays a critical role in the elimination of impaired organelles, thus preserving fundamental cellular metabolic functions and various biological processes. Mitophagy, a targeted autophagic process that specifically focuses on mitochondria, is essential for sustaining cellular health and energy balance. Therefore, a deep comprehension of the operational mechanisms and implications of autophagy and mitophagy is vital for disease prevention and treatment...

Introduction Needlestick and sharp injuries (NSI) continue to pose a significant risk for healthcare workers (HCWs) at their workplace. The incidence rate of NSI in hospitals depends on multiple risk factors. This study aimed to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of NSI among HCWs and the risk factors influencing NSI rates and to provide further direction for NSI prevention in secondary care hospitals. Methods This study included all the NSI cases reported by HCWs in King Abdul Aziz Hospital, Makkah from 2005 to 2017...

The incidence and prevalence of concussion, a type of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), have steadily increased among athletes, both students and professionals, across a wide variety of sports, including, but not limited to, swimming, tennis, football, and boxing. Recent data have demonstrated that sports are one of the leading causes of concussions among student athletes. While the exact mechanism of concussion onset has yet to be fully elucidated, data suggest that the pathophysiology involves rotational acceleration and deceleration of the brain, leading to axon tearing and disturbance in the metabolic cascade of glucose...

Introduction While various 3D vertebral models have been utilized in numerous studies, there is a notable gap in the representation of pediatric lumbar vertebrae and spine. This study aimed to describe the changing shapes of lumbar vertebrae and spine with age and to develop precise 3D models. Materials and methods Solid-state 3D models of pediatric lumbar vertebrae and spine were created using SOLIDWORKS® Simulation software for five age groups: newborns, infants (ages 0-1), toddlers (ages 1-3), middle childhood (ages 4-7), and preadolescents (ages 8-12)...