Mechanical Work Research Articles

Efficacy and working mechanisms of a Go/No-Go task-based inhibition training in smoking: A randomized-controlled trial.

Deficits in inhibitory control contribute to smoking behavior. Inhibitory control training (ICT), which involves repeatedly inhibiting responses to general or substance-related stimuli, shows promise in reducing problematic substance use. This preregistered randomized-controlled trial is the first to investigate the efficacy of general and smoking-specific Go/No-Go task-based ICT on smoking behavior compared to control groups receiving no ICT. Three potential working mechanisms were examined: inhibitory enhancement, automatic stimulus-stop associations, and stimulus devaluation. Individuals who smoke (N=122) were randomly assigned to complete 28 sessions of smoking-specific Go/No-Go, general Go/No-Go, Sham training, or to a Waitlist control condition. Clinical outcomes included daily cigarettes (primary outcome), carbon monoxide levels, tobacco dependence severity, and craving, assessed at post-intervention and 3-month follow-up. Go/No-Go training resulted in a significantly greater reduction in tobacco dependence (β=-0.88, p=.004) and craving (β=-4.31, p=.012) post-intervention compared to both control groups. The greater reduction in craving remained significant when compared to the Sham training group only (β=-4.64, p=.026). No significant effects of group were observed on daily cigarette consumption (β=-1.97, p=.093) or carbon monoxide levels (β=2.16, p=.818) post-intervention. At the 3-month follow-up, no significant effects of group emerged (all ps>.794). Smoking-specific Go/No-Go training did not outperform general Go/No-Go training (all ps>.075). No working mechanism for clinical outcome improvements was identified. Preliminary evidence suggests that (smoking-specific) GNG training reduces tobacco dependence severity and craving post-intervention in individuals who smoke compared to non-ICT-based control conditions. Its efficacy as an add-on in smoking cessation needs to be investigated. DRKS00014652.

Experimental analysis of a hybrid thermochemical cycle driven by intermediate grade heat sources for energy storage and combined cold and work productions

This paper presents an experimental study of a hybrid thermochemical cycle for the simultaneous cogeneration of cold and mechanical power, and thermal storage based on medium temperature sources. This concept is based on the integration of an expander machine on the reactive gas flow between the evaporator and the reactor to allow mechanical work production. The paper shows the proof of concept of this hybridization by continuous mechanical production and cold during the whole production phase: 68.33 kJ mechanical energy and 15.18 MJ cold, stable pressure ratio at the expander (around 1.3) and stable rotational speed (around 400 rpm). The prototype conception and design are detailed. The integration of the expander creates a pressure difference between the evaporator and the reactor (contrary to a classical thermochemical cycle), and thus an experimental sensitivity study investigating the effect of the cold production temperature at the evaporator (which defines the inlet pressure of the expander) on the mechanical production of the prototype and its dynamics is done. This allowed to analyze the strong coupling between the reactor and the expander in different operating conditions, experimentally and from a theoretical point of view. Indeed, the identified limitations of these two main components, it is worth mentioning that this is the first hybrid thermochemical prototype with stable output productions. The prototype works properly by providing continuous mechanical production during the whole production phase under different cold temperatures and constant electrical load, in comparison with what was found in the literature.

Sabatier Principle Inspired Bifunctional Alloy Interface for Stable and High-Depth Discharging Zinc Metal Anodes.

Achieving stable Zn anodes is essential for advancing high-performance Zn metal batteries. Here, we propose a Sabatier principle inspired bifunctional transition-metal (TM) interface to enable homogeneous Zn dissolution during discharging and dendrite-free Zn deposition during charging. Among various TM-coated Zn (TM@Zn) electrodes, Cu@Zn exhibits the highest reversibility and structural stability, attributed to the optimal interaction between Cu and Zn. The heteroatomic interaction-dependent electrochemical performance parallels the Sabatier principle. Morphological analyses reveal that bare Zn anodes display detrimental etching pits during stripping, which is different from the uniform dissolution for Cu@Zn electrodes. During subsequent plating, the conductive interface serves as a secondary current collector for uniform Zn deposition in Cu@Zn, thus demonstrating a bifunctional nature. Atomic observations disclose the working mechanisms of this interface as a gradual phase transition from Cu to CuZn5 during cycling. The Cu@Zn anodes exhibit an ultralong cycling lifespan of over 8000 h at a low current of 1 mA cm-2 and over 250 h at a high depth of discharge of 80%. They also demonstrate practical feasibility by maintaining 88.7% capacity retention after 1000 cycles in Cu@Zn||VO2 full cells. This work provides new insights into the Sabatier chemistry inspired bifunctional layers for Zn metal battery system.

Compensating the Symptomatic Increase in Plantarflexion Torque and Mechanical Work for Dorsiflexion in Patients with Spastic Paresis Using the “Hermes” Ankle–Foot Orthosis

Background/Objectives: “Hermes” is an ankle–foot orthosis (AFO) with negative stiffness designed to mechanically compensate the symptomatic increase in plantarflexion (PF) torque (i.e., ankle joint torque resistance to dorsiflexion, DF) in patients with spastic paresis. Methods: The effectiveness of “Hermes” was evaluated in twelve patients with chronic unilateral spastic paresis after stroke. Using a robotic ankle manipulator, stiffness at the ankle joint was assessed across three conditions: ankle without Hermes (A), ankle with Hermes applying no torque compensation (A+H0%), and ankle with Hermes tuned to compensate 100% of the patients’ ankle joint stiffness (A+H100%). Results: A significant reduction in PF torque was found with Hermes applying compensation (A+H100%) compared to the conditions without Hermes (A) and with Hermes applying no compensation (A+H0%). Furthermore, a significant reduction in positive dorsiflexion work was found with Hermes applying compensation (A+H100%) compared to the condition with Hermes applying no compensation (A+H0%). Hermes did not significantly contribute to additional PF torque or positive work when applying no compensation (A+H0%). Conclusions: The reductions in PF torque achieved with Hermes are comparable to those seen with repeated ankle stretching programs and ankle robot training. Thus, Hermes is expected to assist voluntary dorsiflexion and improve walking in patients with spastic paresis.

Nanotweezers for Manipulating Untethered Micro/Nanoscale Bio‐Tools: Principles, Performance, and Highlighted Applications

The rapid advancement of nanotweezers for wireless manipulation of artificial micro‐ and nanoparticles has unlocked unprecedented possibilities in biomedicine. This review delves into optical, electric, and magnetic tweezers, emphasizing their roles in controlling single particles with micro/nanoscale features as miniaturized tools. Instead of providing a comprehensive review, this work highlights a select number of representative historical and contemporary examples of each type of tweezer, covering their rudimental working mechanisms, experimental setups, performance characteristics, and niche biomedical applications. Particularly, the focus lies in providing a quantitative comparison of the performances in spatial precision and degrees of freedom in controlling single particles, along with associated challenges and prospects.

Piezoelectric energy harvesting: a review of energy sources, structures, and working mechanisms in high-frequency excitations and operations

Piezoelectric energy harvesting: a review of energy sources, structures, and working mechanisms in high-frequency excitations and operations

Exploring the protective role of caffeine against Taraxacum-Induced ribotoxic stress mediated through autophagy and mitochondrial depolarization

The ribotoxic stress response is a pathway that gets activated when ribosomes get impaired, leading to disruptions in protein synthesis, increased inflammatory signaling, and cell death if left unresolved. Taraxacum can induce apoptosis-associated ribosomal RNA (rRNA) cleavage, however, the exact working mechanism of Taraxacum-induced rRNA cleavage remains unclear. In this study, we used the RNA integrity (RIN) value and 28S/18S ratio to confirm the integrity of experiments. Our RNA sequencing data showed that Taraxacum formosanum (T. formosanum) upregulated 893 genes and downregulated 509 genes and triggered hallmark genes of spliceosomes, TNF-α signaling via NF-κB, inflammatory response, and IL6-JAK-STAT3 signaling. Additionally, T. formosanum imbalanced the levels of ribosomal proteins of the large and small subunits. We found that caffeine was the only screening agent that could rescue the cleavage of 28S and 18S rRNA induced by T. formosanum. However, caffeine failed to rescue T. formosanum-targeted mRNAs when the RIN values were relatively lower. T. formosanum induced the N-terminal clipping of histone H3, which was observed not only in human HeLa cervical cancer cells but also in human Huh6 and HepG2 liver cancer cells. Our study revealed that caffeine could reverse the effects of T. formosanum on the reduction of autophagy and the disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential. However, caffeine could only change the populations of necrotic and apoptotic cells but not T. formosanum-induced cell death. By providing detailed information on Taraxacum-induced rRNA cleavage and N-truncated histone H3’s mechanisms of gene regulation, we hope to understand their respective cellular death and survival stresses.

Graphene Oxide Foam-Based Floating Actuators Manipulated via Dual-Marangoni-Effect Propulsion and Magnetic-Field-Guided Navigation.

Intelligent stimuli-responsive actuators that can convert environmental energies into mechanical works have garnered significant research interests. Among different actuation principles, Marangoni effect is distinguished due to simplicity, high efficiency, remote manipulation, and water environment adaptability. Nevertheless, both chemical and physical Marangoni actuators face their own challenges with respect to limited chemical loading, precise light illumination, and relatively poor motion controllability. In this study, floating actuators based on graphene oxide foam (GOF), manipulable via dual Marangoni effects and magnetic field, are fabricated by Direct Laser Writing (DLW). This is the first work to realize dual-Marangoni-effect actuators. Specifically, it is observed that the actuator driven by the chemical Marangoni effect can attain an average speed of 0.57rads-1. Meanwhile, the actuator driven by the photothermal Marangoni effect is capable of reaching an average speed of 0.17rads-1, and the average speed is 1.34cms-1 under the manipulation of magnetic field. Multi-field coupling and dual Marangoni effects make actuators more flexible and intelligent, with promising potential for intelligent control and biomedical engineering.

N Praise Of Botho, Leadership And Kindness At Work

This paper examises the concept of Botho-Ubuntu, which loosely means humanness, compassion, or kindness, its applicability in leadership and business management is considered to mitigate the crisis of capitalism and motivation of people at work. This is assessed in the context of the nature of capitalism, how the system uses the management function as an instrument of work organization and mechanism of control over the labour process to secure surplus value___ profitability. Through management capitalism not only exploits and underpays workers. It presides over deplorable working conditions, which alienates and dehumanizes a worker. The resultant effect is poor morale, disengagement and resistance which are expressed and released at the point of interface of customer service and occasionally via strikes.

Design and Study of a Novel P-Type Junctionless FET for High Performance of CMOS Inverter.

In this paper, a novel p-type junctionless field effect transistor (PJLFET) based on a partially depleted silicon-on-insulator (PD-SOI) is proposed and investigated. The novel PJLFET integrates a buried N+-doped layer under the channel to enable the device to be turned off, leading to a special work mechanism and optimized performance. Simulation results show that the proposed PJLFET demonstrates an Ion/Ioff ratio of more than seven orders of magnitude, with Ion reaching up to 2.56 × 10-4 A/μm, Ioff as low as 3.99 × 10-12 A/μm, and a threshold voltage reduced to -0.43 V, exhibiting excellent electrical characteristics. Furthermore, a new CMOS inverter comprising a proposed PJLFET and a conventional NMOSFET is designed. With the identical geometric dimensions and gate electrode, the pull-up and pull-down driving capabilities of the proposed CMOS are equivalent, showing the potential for application in high-performance chips in the future.

Dissection of the long-range circuit of the mouse intermediate retrosplenial cortex

The retrosplenial cortex (RSP) is a complex brain region with multiple interconnected subregions that plays crucial roles in various cognitive functions, including memory, spatial navigation, and emotion. Understanding the afferent and efferent connectivity of the RSP is essential for comprehending the underlying mechanisms of its functions. Here, via viral tracing and fluorescence micro-optical sectioning tomography (fMOST), we systematically investigated the anatomical organisation of the upstream and downstream circuits of glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons in the dorsal and ventral RSP. The cortical connections of the RSP show laminar organisation in which the input neurons are distributed more in the deeper layers of the upstream cortex. Although different types of neurons have similar upstream circuits, GABAergic neurons show bidirectional connections with the hippocampus, whereas glutamatergic neurons only show unidirectional connections. Moreover, GABAergic neurons receive more inputs from the primary sensory cortex than from the prefrontal cortex and association cortex. The dorsal and ventral subregions have preferred circuits such that the dorsal RSP exhibits spatially topological connections with the dorsal visual cortex and lateral thalamus. The systematic study on long-range connections across RSP subregions and cell types may provide useful information for future revealing of RSP working mechanisms.

A scoping review on motor imagery-based rehabilitation: Potential working mechanisms and clinical application for cognitive function and depression.

To map evidence on the characteristics, effectiveness, and potential mechanisms of motor imagery interventions targeting cognitive function and depression in adults with neurological disorders and/or mobility impairments. Six English databases (The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Sciences, and PsycINFO), two Chinese databases (CNKI and WanFang), and a gray literature database were searched from inception to December 2024. This scoping review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute Scoping Review methodology. Interventional studies that evaluated motor imagery for cognitive function and/or depression in adults with neurological disorders and/or mobility impairments were included. A total of 24 studies, primarily involving adults with cerebrovascular diseases, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease, were identified. Motor imagery was typically conducted at home/clinic, occurring 2 to 3 sessions per week for approximately 2 months, with each session lasting 20 to 30 minutes. The 62.5% of studies (n = 10) reported significant improvements in cognitive function, exhibiting moderate-to-large effect sizes (Cohen's d = 0.48-3.41), especially in memory, attention, and executive function, while 53.3% (n = 8) indicated alleviation in depression with moderate-to-large effect sizes (Cohen's d = -0.72- -2.56). Motor imagery interventions could relieve pain perception and promote beneficial neurological changes in brains by facilitating neurotrophic factor expression and activating neural circuits related to motor, emotional, and cognitive functions. Motor imagery could feasibly be conducted at home, with promising effects on cognitive function and depression. More high-quality randomized controlled trials and neuroimaging techniques are needed to investigate the effects of motor imagery on neuroplasticity and brain functional reorganization, thereby aiding in the development of mechanism-driven interventions.

EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) Method Intervention in Reducing the Risk of Work Stress in Female Health Workers

Background: Work stress is still one of the problems in the workplace. Survey results show that 55.2% of health workers in hospitals experience work stress. Health workers, especially female nurses and midwives, are more susceptible to stress and anxiety because of their dual roles as housewives and workers along with the work pressures that must be carried out. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of EFT in reducing work stress in female health workers (nakes) in hospitals. Method: The research design used was Quasi Experimental. The sample was health workers, namely nurses and inpatient midwives who worked with a shift work mechanism of 25 people and were measured twice. Intervention method in this study was EFT treatment which was carried out for 7 consecutive days with 3 repetitions in each treatment. ENSS questionnaire was used to assess work stress. Data that had been collected was processed and analyzed using the Paired Sample T-Test. Result: The research findings show that the difference in work stress reduction is 31.76. Analysis test shows p-value = 0.000 (?0.05) which means there is a significant difference between work stress before and after the intervention. This study proves that EFT treatment is effective in reducing the risk of work stress in health workers, especially nurses and midwives who work with irregular shift work mechanisms. The main implication of the results of this study is the innovation of work stress interventions in a way that is fun and easy for workers to do. Conclusion: EFT can be used as one of the efforts to reduce the risk of work stress in health workers in hospitals. This treatment can be adopted as a routine work program in controlling work stress in hospitals, so that it can be applied sustainably both at work and at home independently.

Positioning error prediction and compensation for the multi-boom working mechanism of a drilling jumbo

Positioning error prediction and compensation for the multi-boom working mechanism of a drilling jumbo

Analysis on the Influencing Factors of the Effectiveness of Forward Guidance

Economic growth is confronting a downturn despite the low interest rate. Forward Guidance (FG) has been studied and applied to monetary policy for a long time within countries where interest rate is close to the Zero Lower Bound (ZLB). Central banks resorted to FG in practice and have been benefited from the exclusive advantage of it. The paper studies the FG during the period of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), focusing on the factors that influence the effectiveness of FG and how these factors work in a market mechanism. The research on identified factors challenges the popular proposition that Delphic FG is better off than Odyssean FG. From the transmission channels to the contents of FG, this paper provides an overview of the factors and the mechanisms, as well as recommendations for central banks in terms of the evaluation on the effectiveness of FG. The policy makers are suggested to be more careful when apply FG. Besides, the responses of market agencies should be considered when formulating central bank communication.

Use of psychedelic treatments in psychiatric clinical practice: an EPA policy paper.

Recent years show an exponential increased interest ("renaissance") in the use of psychedelics for the treatment of mental disorders and broader. Some of these treatments, such as psilocybin for depression, are in the process of formal regulation by regulatory bodies in the US (FDA) and Europe (EMA), and as such on the brink of real-world implementation. In the slipstream of these developments increasing commercial initiatives are taking shape. The European Psychiatric Association (EPA) acknowledges both the therapeutic potential of psychedelic substances and the challenges for both research and clinical implementation. Steps need to be taken toward a well-balanced policy based upon sound scientific evidence and research, aiming at safe, ethical responsible integration of psychedelic therapy available for all patients who can potentially benefit. In this EPA policy paper, we highlight the potential benefits, and also the challenges of psychedelic treatments, which can be relevant for the future real-world implementation of these treatments. In addition to an overview of the current evidence and hypotheses of working mechanisms of psychedelic treatment, this policy paper specifically highlights the importance of the psychosocial components of the treatment as well as the ethical and professional aspects playing a role in real-world implementation. Four recommendations are formulated for further research and clinical implementation.

Oscillatory mechanoluminescence of Mn2+-doped SrZnOS in dynamic response to rapid compression

Photon emission may be continuously produced from mechanical work through self-recoverable mechanoluminescence (ML). Significant progress has been made in high-performance ML materials in the past decades, but the rate-dependent ML kinetics remains poorly understood. Here, we have conducted systematic studies on the self-recoverable ML of Mn2+-doped SrZnOS (SrZnOS: Mn2+) under rapid compression up to ~10 GPa. Rate-dependent distinct kinetics is revealed: a diffuse-like ML behavior below ~1.2 GPa/s, oscillatory emission with a series of ML peaks at critical rate of ~1.2–1.5 GPa/s, and suppression of ML above 1.5 GPa/s. Analysis from the rate-independent structural evolution and photoluminescence under high pressures show that the oscillatory ML emission at the critical rate corresponds to multi-cyclic piezoelectrically-induced excitation (PIE) and self-recoverable processes. Both characteristic time (τ) for the PIE and self-recoverable processes are minimized at the critical rate, indicating the time limit of ML in the dynamic response to rapid compression. High temperature is slightly favorable for PIE, but is unfavorable for the self-recoverable process. The present work uncovers the temporal characteristics of self-recoverable ML and provides insight into understanding the rate-dependent ML kinetics in the mechanical-photon energy conversion, conducive to the design of ML-based optoelectronic devices.

A Muscle Physiology-Based Framework for Quantifying Training Load in Resistance Exercises.

Objective training load (TL) indexes used in resistance training lack physiological significance. This study was aimed to provide a muscle physiology-based approach for quantifying TL in resistance exercises (REs). Following individual torque-velocity profiling, fifteen participants (11 healthy males, stature: 178.36 ± 3.95 cm, and body mass (BM): 77.48 ± 7.74 kg; 4 healthy females, stature: 169.25 ± 5.03 cm, and body mass: 60.62 ± 3.91 kg) performed isokinetic leg extension exercise sessions at low, moderate, and high intensities (LI, MI, and HI, respectively). Systemic and local physiological responses were measured, and sessions were volume-equated according to the "volume-load" (VL) method. Significant differences were found between sessions in terms of mechanical work (p<0.05 and p<0.001, for LI-MI and MI-HI, respectively), averaged normalised torque (p<0.001), mechanical impulse (p<0.001), and rate of force development (RFD, p<0.001 for LI-MI). RFD was mainly impacted by the accumulation of repetitions. Muscle function impairments mainly occurred at low intensities-long series, and high intensities, supported by greater RFD rate decay and changes in electromyographic activity. Therefore, accounting for muscle fatigue kinetics within objective TL indexes and using dimension reduction methods better described physiological responses to RE. A generic equation of muscle fatigue rise could add value to TL quantification in RE. Considering other training-related information and TL indexes stands essential, applicable to field situations and supports the multidimensional facet of physiological responses to RE.

Research on the optimization of drum structure based on virtual prototyping technology

Drums are the core working mechanism of the coal mining machine for coal mining. The structural design level of the drum is crucial for mining efficiency and safety production. Traditional design methods not only have long design cycles and high costs, but also limited design capabilities. This study used computer numerical simulation methods to establish coupled models for drum cutting complex coal seams, which was used to obtain the working performance of drums with different structures. By fitting the comprehensive performance evaluation function of the drum, the optimal structural parameters are obtained through the improved Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithms (NSGA-II). Taking into account both technical and economic factors, the optimal helix angle is ultimately determined to be 18°, the optimal installation angle is 45°, and the optimal cutting distance is 71 mm. Through experiments, it has been proven that the performance of the optimized drum has significantly improved. Specifically, the average cutting resistance has been reduced by 12.72%, the load fluctuation coefficient has been reduced by 9.81%, the cutting specific energy consumption has been reduced by 2.85%, and the coal loading rate has been increased by 9.59%, providing a reference for the optimization design of the shearer drum structure.

Clinical Application of PARP1 Inhibitors and Challenges in Cancer Therapy.

Among the Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase (PARP) family in mammals, PARP1 is the first identified and well-studied member that plays a critical role in DNA damage repair and has been proven to be an effective target for cancer therapy. Here, we have reviewed not only the role of PARP1 in different DNA damage repair pathways, but also the working mechanisms of several PARP inhibitors (PARPi), inhibiting Poly-ADP-ribosylation (PARylation) processing and PAR chains production to trap PARP1 on impaired DNA and inducing Transcription- replication Conflicts (TRCs) by inhibiting the PARP1 activity. This review has systematically summarized the latest clinical application of six authorized PARPi, including olaparib, rucaparib, niraparib, talazoparib, fuzuloparib and pamiparib, in monotherapy and combination therapies with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy, in different kinds of cancer. Furthermore, probable challenges in PARPi application and drug resistance mechanisms have also been discussed. Despite these challenges, further development of new PARP1 inhibitors appears promising as a valuable approach to cancer treatment.