16 research outputs found
The Effects of Surface Roughness on the Squeeze Film Characteristics with Couple stress fluids in Hip joint
On the basis of the Stokes micro continuum theory , This paper aims to study the effects of surface roughness and couple stress on the squeeze film Characteristics in hip joint. The cartilage is modeled as biphasic poro-elastic matrix and synovial fluid is modeled as couple stress fluid . Compared to the conventional Newtonian lubricant case, the couple stress and surface roughness effects characterized by the couple stress and surface roughness parameter signify an improvement in the squeeze film Characteristics. Increasing values of the surface roughness parameter increases the load-carrying capacity and the squeeze in the squeeze film can be decreased and provides a longer time to prevent sphere –plane surface contact .The approaching time of the sphere in reducing the film thickness h*=1 to h*= 0for the couple stress fluid lubricant which is longer than surface roughness. Keywords: Surface roughness, Couple stress fluid, Articular cartilage, Synovial fluid, Micro continuum theory, Hip joint
The hydrodynamic Effect of the Hyaluronic Acid on the Performance Improvement of the Human Synovial Joint
The aim of this article is to present an the theoretical analysis of the problem is presented through a mathematical model depended on the idea of a Hyaluronic acid (HA) in cartilage and synovial fluid surrounding the joints (hip, knee and ankle) where are a major component of synovial fluid modified Reynolds equation governing the fluid film pressure was derived and solved analytically, and closed form expressions for the squeeze film pressure and load carry capacity were presented. The influence of film thickness and sliding motion on the squeeze film Characteristics were discussed .It has been found that the effect of decreased film thickness tend to increased the load carry capacity , friction force and decreased flow rate, The effect of decreased sliding motion tend to increasing frication force and decreased flow rate and when additives Hyaluronic acid (HA) to bearing material (articular cartilage ) .The results indicate to increasing pressure distribution (P) and improve both load carry capacity (W), friction force (F) Compared to the disease synovial hip joint. Keywords: Hyaluronic acid , Hip joint, load carry capacity, friction force.
Flat-gain wide-band erbium doped fiber amplifier by combining two difference doped fibers
A new erbium-doped fibre amplifier (EDFA) is demonstrated using a combination of newly developed Erbium Zirconia co-doped fiber (Zr-EDF)
and the commercial silica-based Erbium-doped fiber (Si-EDF) as the gain medium. Both fibers have a very high concentration of erbium
ion. A compact amplifier operating in C-band region is firstly reported using a double-pass configuration. It is shown that average gains of
the proposed Zr-EDF amplifier are obtained at approximately 18 dB with a gain variation of +-2 dB within C-band region. A flat-gain and
wide band operation is achieved by configuring the amplifier in two stages comprising a 2 m long Zr-EDF and 9 m long Si-EDF optimised for
C- and L-band operations, respectively, in a double-pass parallel configuration. A chirp fibre Bragg grating (CFBG) is used in both stages to
ensure double propagation of the signal and thus to increase the attainable gain in both C- and L-band regions. At an input signal power
of 0 dBm, a flat gain of 15 dB is achieved with a gain variation of less than 0.5 dB within a wide wavelength range from 1530 to 1605 nm.
The corresponding noise figure varies from 6.2 to 10.8 dB within this wavelength regio
The Impact of ACE Gene Variants on Acute-Phase Reactants in Children with Rheumatic Heart Disease
Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is the most important sequela of upper respiratory group A Streptococcus (GAS) infection. The role of the common angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) variant in the disease and its subtypes remains uncertain. The acute-phase reactants (APRs) C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) form part of the Jones criteria for diagnosing RHD, and genetic factors are known to influence baseline CRP and ESR levels. Therefore, here, we investigated the relationship between the ACE I/D polymorphism and APR levels in RHD. A total of 268 individuals were recruited, including 123 RHD patients and 198 healthy controls. There was a trend toward a higher D allele frequency in RHD patients. The ACE I/D polymorphism genotype frequency and DD+ID allelic carriage were significantly associated with a high APR level (p = 0.04 and p = 0.02, respectively). These results highlight the importance of ACE I/D polymorphisms in RHD for disease stratification, but not for disease predisposition. Further studies in larger cohorts and different populations are now required to confirm this association and to explore the mechanism of this effect.This publication was supported by Qatar University, internal grant nos. QUCP-CHS-2022-551 and QUST-1-CHS-2023-923. The findings presented herein are solely the responsibility of the authors.Scopu
The global burden of adolescent and young adult cancer in 2019 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Background In estimating the global burden of cancer, adolescents and young adults with cancer are often overlooked, despite being a distinct subgroup with unique epidemiology, clinical care needs, and societal impact. Comprehensive estimates of the global cancer burden in adolescents and young adults (aged 15-39 years) are lacking. To address this gap, we analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, with a focus on the outcome of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), to inform global cancer control measures in adolescents and young adults. Methods Using the GBD 2019 methodology, international mortality data were collected from vital registration systems, verbal autopsies, and population-based cancer registry inputs modelled with mortality-to-incidence ratios (MIRs). Incidence was computed with mortality estimates and corresponding MIRs. Prevalence estimates were calculated using modelled survival and multiplied by disability weights to obtain years lived with disability (YLDs). Years of life lost (YLLs) were calculated as age-specific cancer deaths multiplied by the standard life expectancy at the age of death. The main outcome was DALYs (the sum of YLLs and YLDs). Estimates were presented globally and by Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintiles (countries ranked and divided into five equal SDI groups), and all estimates were presented with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). For this analysis, we used the age range of 15-39 years to define adolescents and young adults. Findings There were 1.19 million (95% UI 1.11-1.28) incident cancer cases and 396 000 (370 000-425 000) deaths due to cancer among people aged 15-39 years worldwide in 2019. The highest age-standardised incidence rates occurred in high SDI (59.6 [54.5-65.7] per 100 000 person-years) and high-middle SDI countries (53.2 [48.8-57.9] per 100 000 person-years), while the highest age-standardised mortality rates were in low-middle SDI (14.2 [12.9-15.6] per 100 000 person-years) and middle SDI (13.6 [12.6-14.8] per 100 000 person-years) countries. In 2019, adolescent and young adult cancers contributed 23.5 million (21.9-25.2) DALYs to the global burden of disease, of which 2.7% (1.9-3.6) came from YLDs and 97.3% (96.4-98.1) from YLLs. Cancer was the fourth leading cause of death and tenth leading cause of DALYs in adolescents and young adults globally. Interpretation Adolescent and young adult cancers contributed substantially to the overall adolescent and young adult disease burden globally in 2019. These results provide new insights into the distribution and magnitude of the adolescent and young adult cancer burden around the world. With notable differences observed across SDI settings, these estimates can inform global and country-level cancer control efforts. Copyright (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.Peer reviewe
Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries
Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely
Resonance condition of a microfiber knot resonator immersed in liquids
Effects of immersing a microfiber knot resonator (MKR) in liquid solutions that have refractive indices close to that of silica are experimentally demonstrated and theoretically analyzed. Significant improvement in resonance extinction ratio within 2 to 10 dB was observed. To achieve a better understanding, a qualitative analysis of the coupling ratio and round-trip attenuation of the MKR is performed by using a curve-fitting method. It was observed that the coupling coefficient at the knot region increased when immersed in liquids. However, depending on the initial state of the coupling and the quantity of the increment in the coupling coefficient when immersed in a liquid, it is possible that the MKR may experience a deficit in the coupling parameter due to the sinusoidal relationship with the coupling coefficient
All-fibre dual-wavelength thulium-doped fibre laser based on spatial filtering effect
We report a room-temperature all-fibre dual-wavelength thulium-doped fibre laser that operates around 1900 nm and uses a spatial mode-beating filter in a ring configuration. By pumping the gain medium with an 800 nm laser and controlling the phase mismatch at the splicing points of a thulium-doped fibre, the two output lines are obtained at 1844.8 and 1852.0 nm, with the corresponding signal-to-noise ratios of 30 and 21 dB. The threshold pump power is 109.3 mW. At the maximum pump power of 131.7 mW, the output powers are 0.297 and 0.038 mW for the 1844.8 and 1852.0 nm laser lines, respectively
PI3K-AKT Pathway Modulation by Thymoquinone Limits Tumor Growth and Glycolytic Metabolism in Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of death in men and the fourth in women worldwide and is characterized by deranged cellular energetics. Thymoquinone, an active component from Nigella sativa, has been extensively studied against cancer, however, its role in affecting deregulated cancer metabolism is largely unknown. Further, the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway is one of the most activated pathways in cancer and its activation is central to most deregulated metabolic pathways for supporting the anabolic needs of growing cancer cells. Herein, we provide evidence that thymoquinone inhibits glycolytic metabolism (Warburg effect) in colorectal cancer cell lines. Further, we show that such an abrogation of deranged cell metabolism was due, at least in part, to the inhibition of the rate-limiting glycolytic enzyme, Hexokinase 2 (HK2), via modulating the PI3/AKT axis. While overexpression of HK2 showed that it is essential for fueling glycolytic metabolism as well as sustaining tumorigenicity, its pharmacologic and/or genetic inhibition led to a reduction in the observed effects. The results decipher HK2 mediated inhibitory effects of thymoquinone in modulating its glycolytic metabolism and antitumor effects. In conclusion, we provide evidence of metabolic perturbation by thymoquinone in CRC cells, highlighting its potential to be used/repurposed as an antimetabolite drug, though the latter needs further validation utilizing other suitable cell and/or preclinical animal models
All-fiber dual-wavelength fiber laser operating at 1950 nm region based on multimode interference effect
An all-fiber dual-wavelength fiber laser operating at room temperature in 1950 nm region is reported. It uses a commercial Thulium-doped fiber (TDF) and homemade double-clad Thulium-Ytterbium co-doped fiber (TYDF) as gain media in conjunction with a multimode interferometer (MMI) filter in a ring configuration. The MMI filter consists of a 13.5 cm long MMF axially spliced at both its ends to identical single mode fibers to realize two transmission peaks at 1939.68 and 1959.60 nm with the maximum extinction ratio based on modal interference. By pumping the TDF and TYDF with a fixed 800 nm and 905 nm pumps at 143 mW and 1.5 W, respectively, dual-wavelength output lines are obtained at these two wavelengths with a signal to noise ratio of more than 27 dB, respectively. The dual-wavelength operation was stable for more than two hours and could be tunable since the laser wavelength is only determined by the function of the MMI filter