The Effect of Obesity on Musculosceletal System

Obesity arises and persists during an excessive long-term pos- itive energy balance. Risk factors for the development of obe- sity are, in particular: ahigh-calorie diet, low physical activity; adaptation to asedentary lifestyle; irregular diet. The most commonly used criterion for assessing obesity is the Body Mass Index – BMI. The incidence of obesity in Europe is be- tween 10% to 25% in women, while more than 50% of the pop- ulation in most European countries is overweight and obese. The effect of obesity on the musculoskeletal system is demon- strable in patients who suffer its consequences during their life. Long-term overweight is the cause of excessive strain on bones, joints and muscles, which over time, due to the chronic course of obesity, affects almost every obese individual. Obesity prevention programs, the development of a healthy lifestyle, healthy eating and exercise-related activities are our common goals for preventing obesity.

An intuitive surgical handle design for robotic neurosurgery

Purpose The expanded endoscopic endonasal approach, a representative example of keyhole brain surgery, allows access to the pituitary gland and surrounding areas through the nasal and sphenoid cavities. Manipulating rigid instruments through these constrained spaces makes this approach technically challenging, and thus, a handheld robotic instrument could expand the surgeon’s capabilities. In this study, we present an intuitive handle prototype for such a robotic instrument. Methods We have designed and fabricated a surgical instrument handle prototype that maps the surgeon’s wrist directly to the robot joints. To alleviate the surgeon’s wrist of any excessive strain and fatigue, the tool is mounted on the surgeon’s forearm, making it parallel with the instrument’s shaft. To evaluate the handle’s performance and limitations, we constructed a surgical task simulator and compared our novel handle with a standard neurosurgical tool, with the tasks being performed by a consultant neurosurgeon. Results While using the proposed handle, the surgeon’s average success rate was $$80\%$$ 80 % , compared to $$41\%$$ 41 % when using a conventional tool. Additionally, the surgeon’s body posture while using the suggested prototype was deemed acceptable by the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment ergonomic survey, while early results indicate the absence of a learning curve. Conclusions Based on these preliminary results, the proposed handle prototype could offer an improvement over current neurosurgical tools and procedural ergonomics. By redirecting forces applied during the procedure to the forearm of the surgeon, and allowing for intuitive surgeon wrist to robot-joints movement mapping without compromising the robotic end effector’s expanded workspace, we believe that this handle could prove a substantial step toward improved neurosurgical instrumentation.

High–load capacity origami transformable wheel

Composite membrane origami has been an efficient and effective method for constructing transformable mechanisms while considerably simplifying their design, fabrication, and assembly; however, its limited load-bearing capability has restricted its application potential. With respect to wheel design, membrane origami offers unique benefits compared with its conventional counterparts, such as simple fabrication, high weight-to-payload ratio, and large shape variation, enabling softness and flexibility in a kinematic mechanism that neutralizes joint distortion and absorbs shocks from the ground. Here, we report a transformable wheel based on membrane origami capable of bearing more than a 10-kilonewton load. To achieve a high payload, we adopt a thick membrane as an essential element and introduce a wireframe design rule for thick membrane accommodation. An increase in the thickness can cause a geometric conflict for the facet and the membrane, but the excessive strain energy accumulation is unique to the thickness increase of the membrane. Thus, the design rules for accommodating membrane thickness aim to address both geometric and physical characteristics, and these rules are applied to basic origami patterns to obtain the desired wheel shapes and transformation. The capability of the resulting wheel applied to a passenger vehicle and validated through a field test. Our study shows that membrane origami can be used for high-payload applications.

Injury Prevention by Design: Measuring Greenhouse Worker Social Sustainability for Redesigned Equipment

The greenhouse industry is a multibillion-dollar sector of U.S. agricultural production. Greenhouse workers often experience hazardous working conditions placing them at risk for injury. These injuries include but are not limited to mechanized operations causing machine and tool related injuries, on-site shipping and loading practices placing excessive strain on a worker’s body, working from height leading to slips and falls, and a strenuous indoor working environment exceeding workers’ physical capabilities. This project focused on identifying greenhouse worker injury trends using workers’ compensation data from the Midwest region and observing and interviewing workers at one specific greenhouse company host site. Physical exertion, lifting and handling, and falls were all high value workers’ compensation problems for Midwestern regional greenhouses. A new piece of equipment and process was designed to prevent worker injury identified within the host site. The baseline risk from the original equipment was compared to the new equipment using a newly proposed indicator of social sustainability based on a validated safety professional tool, the risk assessment matrix (RAM), was utilized. The RAM found a reduction in risk between the original and new equipment. The new equipment design and process exhibited improvement in six out of the eleven hazards identified in the RAM. These improvements addressed lifting and handling concerns. Combining workers’ compensation data analysis, on-site observation, and worker interviews together was an effective method to rapidly deploy and design safer and thus more socially sustainable equipment for greenhouse workers.

Machine Learning for Subsea Pipeline Reeling Mechanics

Installation of subsea pipelines using reeling process is an attractive method. The pipeline is welded in long segments, typically several kilometers in length, and reeled onto a large diameter drum. The pipeline is then transported onto such reel to the offshore site where it is unreeled and lowered on the seabed. The deformation imposed on the pipeline while spooled onto the drum needs to be controlled so that local buckling is avoided. Mitigation of such failure is generally provided by proper pipeline design & reeling operation parameters. Buckling stems from excessive strain concentration near the circumferential weld area resulting from strength discontinuity at pipeline joints, mainly depending on steel wall thickness and yield strength. This requires the characterization of critical mismatches obtained by trial and error. Such method is a long process since each “trial” requires a complete Finite Element Analysis run. Such simulations are complex and lengthy. Occasionally, this can drive the selection of the pipeline minimum wall thickness, which is a key parameter for progressing the project. The timeframe of such method is therefore not compatible with such a key decision. The paper discusses the use of approximation models to capitalize on the data and alleviate the design cost. To do so, design of experiments and automation of the computational tool chain are implemented. It is demonstrated that initial complex chain of FEA computational process can be replaced using design space description and exploration techniques such as design of experiments combined with advanced statistical regression techniques in order to provide an approximation model. This paper presents the implementation of such methodology and the results are discussed.

The management of Hemorrhoidal Disease by Dearterialization and Mucopexy.

: Several minimally invasive surgical procedures have been recently developed to treat hemorrhoids without any excision. About 25 years ago, a non-excisional procedure providing doppler-guided ligation of the hemorrhoidal arteries has been proposed - named “hemorrhoidal dearterialization”. The original technique has been modified over the years, and indications were expanded. In particular, a plication of the redundant and prolapsing mucosa/submucosa of the rectum (named “mucopexy”) has been introduced to treat hemorrhoidal prolapse, without excision of the hemorrhoidal piles. At present, the THD® Doppler procedure is one of the most used techniques to treat hemorrhoids. Aim of this technique is to realize a target dearterialization, using a Doppler probe with the final purpose to reduce the arterial overflow to the hemorrhoidal piles. In case of associated hemorrhoidal prolapse, a mucopexy is performed together with Doppler-guided dearterialization. The entity and circumferential extension of the hemorrhoidal prolapse guides the mucopexy, which can be considered tailored to a single patient; the dearterialization should be considered mandatory. Advantages of this surgical technique are the absence of serious and life-threatening postoperative events, chronic complications, and limited recurrence risks. The impact of the procedure on the anorectal physiology is negligible. However, a careful postoperative management is mandatory to avoid complications and to guarantee an improved long-term outcome. Therefore, regular physiologic bowel movements, excessive strain at the defecation and strong physical activity are advisable.

Primary Seal Deformation in Multipane Glazing Units

Quadruple glazing has become a high-end standard in the field of sealed insulating glass units. With more than three glass panes a set of internal heat-related technical problems emerges. Durability, being the most pressing problem, requires careful management of the primary sealant deformation, especially under summer environmental conditions. Namely, the role of the primary seal in insulating glass units is to protect their humidity-sensitive, low-emissivity coatings from moisture and the quality of such protection is a key factor in durability. In this paper, a new methodology is proposed for a feasibility assessment of a new multipane insulating glass unit design, where proper design enables avoidance of excessive strain on the primary seal. It focuses on the calculation of the primary sealant strains, which are nonhomogeneous and multiaxial according to different loading conditions. This approach leads to analytical expressions that enable convenient identification of the critical location on the primary sealant. Finally, feasibility is assessed with the proposed methodology for the newly developed highly insulative six-pane facade unit by means of a comparison of the calculated strain state with the anticipated allowable strains, based on technical practice.

Islamic Perspectives on Reducing Meat Consumption to Promote Earth’s Sustainability

Livestock farming and meat consumption, especially red meat, both have a severe impact on the Earth’s environment and sustainability, causing forest destruction, wildlife extinctions, excessive greenhouse gas emissions, and global climate change. Currently, as a protein source for the world’s rapidly expanding middle class populations, increased meat consumption will likely put excessive strain on Earth’s well-being, exceeding planetary boundaries of safety. Although God Almighty provided livestock for human benefit, today considerations of protecting the higher objectives (maqasid) of Islamic shariah, the fiqh principle (qawa’id) of reducing harm, and also promoting social equity and physical health, require Muslims to reduce meat consumption and live more simply, like the Prophet (pbuh) and his Companions, who were ‘semivegetarians’. The review of animal sacrifice in Islam, particularly during the annual Eid ul-‘adha celebration, confirms that Islam strongly promotes these practices. However, the alternative to sacrificing (fasting for Tamattu’ and Qiran pilgrims) should be availed upon wherever possible, not just during Eid ul-‘adha. Mujtahids should investigate in which situations, such as following large-scale human calamities or cases of severe environmental harm, Islam may permit the giving of sadaqah or other aid instead of the traditional sacrifice.

Effect of ball position on the risk of injury to the lower limb joints during the hockey sweep pass in women

ObjectivesThis study aimed to determine if ball position influences the risk of lower limb non-contact injury in hockey sweep pass. It also aimed to determine a ball position that minimises excessive strain placed on the lower limb joints of the lead leg during the sweep pass.MethodsA cohort of 18 female hockey-playing volunteers (age: 19.7±1.5 years; height: 165.5±5.4 cm; body mass: 66.4±7.0 kg) were recruited. Participants performed the sweep pass using three different ball positions: in front, in line with, and behind the heel of the lead (left) foot.Motion analysis and force plate data were collected. Moments and angles in all three planes of motion for the three main lower limb joints were then calculated using Vicon software. Results were statistically analysed using SPSS software.ResultsSignificant differences (p<0.05) were found between the three tested ball positions for the mean maximum angles and moments, and mean ranges of motion produced at the lead three main lower limb joints. Positioning the ball in line with the heel of the lead foot resulted in the lowest moments and angles when compared with the other two ball positions.ConclusionsThe results indicate that positioning the ball in line with the heel of the lead foot is recommended to minimise the risk of injury to the lower limb joints during the hockey sweep pass. It is hoped that these findings will result in this position being implemented by players new to hockey or those returning to the sport following injury.

Properties of Alkali Activated Slag Concrete Incorporating Waste Materials as Aggregate: A Review

Alkali activated slag (AAS) has gained huge attention in recent years due to its ability to replace ordinary Portland cement (OPC) as a binder in concrete. A need to replace OPC is imminent due to the high carbon dioxide emitted into the environment during its production. However, the use of this type of binder did not eliminate the huge strain placed on the deposit of natural resources. With the demand for concrete predicted to rise significantly in coming years, this means there will be a consequential increase in the amount of natural deposits of aggregates exploited, as aggregates make up about 80% by the volume of concrete. Therefore, in order to meet this forthcoming demand of sustainable concrete, and reduce the excessive strain on the use of natural aggregates, it is essential to find alternative materials that can be used as aggregate in concrete using AAS as a binder. This paper summarizes experimental results from various studies on the use of waste materials on aggregate. The fresh and hardened properties, alongside the cost and sustainability indications, are explored. It was drawn from this review that more reduction in carbon dioxide emission and cost could be achieved with the use of waste materials as aggregate in concrete. In addition, concrete made with AAS as a binder and incorporating waste as aggregate showed similar/higher properties with those made with natural aggregate. However, proper selection of types of wastes and replacement levels of these waste materials used as aggregate is still required to achieve enhanced properties.