Part Of Finger Research Articles

Optimal shape design of a brake calliper for squeal noise reduction considering system instability

Squeal is a noise phenomenon occurring in the last stage of automobile braking with a high-frequency sound. It is very difficult to express the phenomenon using a mathematical model, since the origin of squeal noise is physically complex. However, the possibility of squeal generation can be predicted by solving the vibration equation of the self-excited system using the complex eigenvalue analysis method. The results of the method are expressed as the magnitude of the unstable mode, and the generation of squeal noise can be prevented by reducing the magnitude of the unstable mode of the brake system. The objective of this research is to determine the optimal design process focused on the calliper housing shape to suppress squeal noise generation by reducing the system instability. The objective function is set to minimize the real part of the complex eigenvalue, i.e. the instability index. In the optimization design process, the design variable for topology optimization is established by focusing on the finger part of the calliper housing, which transmits the braking pressure to the pad lining. To supplement the complex shape generated by the topology optimization process, parametric design variables are selected for the subsequent process. Parameters are set to adjust the housing finger stiffness and are defined by considering the topology optimization result. Finally, the asymmetric shape of the calliper housing is obtained to reduce squeal noise generation.

Dephosphorylation of Threonine 38 Is Required for Nuclear Translocation and Activation of Human Xenobiotic Receptor CAR (NR1I3)

Upon activation by therapeutics, the nuclear xenobiotic/ constitutive active/androstane receptor (CAR) regulates various liver functions ranging from drug metabolism and excretion to energy metabolism. CAR can also be a risk factor for developing liver diseases such as hepatocellular carcinoma. Here we have characterized the conserved threonine 38 of human CAR as the primary residue that regulates nuclear translocation and activation of CAR. Protein kinase C phosphorylates threonine 38 located on the alpha-helix spanning from residues 29-42 that constitutes a part of the first zinc finger and continues into the region between the zinc fingers. Molecular dynamics study has revealed that this phosphorylation may destabilize this helix, thereby inactivating CAR binding to DNA as well as sequestering it in the cytoplasm. We have found, in fact, that helix-stabilizing mutations reversed the effects of phosphorylation. Immunohistochemical study using an anti-phospho-threonine 38 peptide antibody has, in fact, demonstrated that the classic CAR activator phenobarbital dephosphorylates the corresponding threonine 48 of mouse CAR in the cytoplasm of mouse liver and translocates CAR into the nucleus. These results define CAR as a cell signal-regulated constitutive active nuclear receptor. These results also provide phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of the threonine as the primary drug target for CAR activation.

‘Sausage finger’ without bone involvement

A 58-year-old man presented with a history coughing and expectoration. He also reported dyspnoea, chest pain, weight loss, exhaustion, joint pain and swelling. The dyspnoea had been the first respiratory symptom to arise, which had started 6 months before presentation, and the first nonrespiratory symptom was weight loss, which started 4 months before presentation. The patient had no history of tuberculosis, and he did not smoke or consume alcohol. Chest radiography and computed tomography of the thorax revealed bilateral hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes and nodular lesions. A fibre-optic bronchoscopy did not show any abnormalities. Pulmonary function tests were consistent with a restrictive lung disease. There was no evident involvement of the peripheral lymph nodes, upper respiratory system, eyes, bones or joints. Bronchoalveolar lavage was negative for acidresistant bacilli. Angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) was 73 U ⁄ L (normal range 8.3–21.4). An X-ray of the second finger of left hand showed oedema surrounding the soft tissue and no osseous abnormalities (Fig. 1a), and the patient was referred to the dermatology department On physical examination, swelling of the left index finger, from the metacarpophalangeal joint to the fingertip, was noted (Fig. 1b), giving a ‘sausage finger’ appearance. No other abnormalities were found. A punch biopsy was taken from the extensor part of left index finger.

Within-limb somatotopy in primary motor cortex – revealed using fMRI

IntroductionControversy exists regarding within-limb somatotopy, i.e., organization of representations of within-limb segments (e.g., elbow, fingers), in the primary motor cortex (M1). While some believe that within-limb representations overlap, others postulate somatotopic distinction. The purpose of our study was to aid the resolution of this controversy by exploring a) overlap between finger and elbow representations using high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), b) somatotopic differences between the two representations with and without the overlap, c) different location markers – center of mass (COM) and peak of activation (POA) and d) intensity differences between the two representations with and without the overlap. MethodsTwenty-four subjects underwent fMRI during finger and elbow tracking for definition of activation-based finger and elbow representations and their overlapping parts. Differential analysis was used to generate parts of finger and elbow representations that did not overlap. Location measures, COM and POA and fMRI signal intensity for all parts of finger and elbow representations were recorded. ResultsFinger and elbow representations overlap but still possess distinct somatotopic centers, i.e., finger is lateral to overlap, which is lateral to the elbow. When overlap is excluded, locations of finger and elbow representations become more distinct. COM shows distinction along x, y and z-axes, but POA only shows distinction along the x-axis. Overlap has the highest intensity, while non-overlapping finger and elbow representations have the lowest intensity during finger and elbow tracking, respectively. ConclusionsSomatotopic gradients exist in M1 despite the overlap. This finding supports ‘functional somatotopy’, i.e., within-limb representations overlap for multi-joint coordination, yet possess discrete centers for individuated control. Such a flexible somatotopy might allow representational reorganization. COM could be marker for ‘location’ and POA within in a high-intensity zone could emphasize ‘reorganization’ following learning/disease. Also, fMRI intensity could be a marker of change of overlap or somatotopic distinction.

Intraosseous Glomus Tumor Treated by Toe-to-Finger Transfer: Case Report

We report a case of intraosseous glomus tumor that developed in the right ring finger distal phalanx of a 19-year-old man. Clinical and radiographic findings were atypical. The tumor was excised en bloc because of the extensive involvement. The left second toe was transferred to the right ring finger to reconstruct the excised finger part. Symptom relief, function, and cosmetic outcome were satisfactory during 2-year follow-up.

Control of Grasp and Manipulation by Soft Fingers with 3-Dimensional Deformation

In this paper, we consider control of grasp and manipulation of an object in a 3-dimensional space by a 3- fingered hand robot with soft finger tips. We firstly propose a 3-dimensional deformation model of a hemispherical soft finger tip and verify its relevance by experimental data. Second, we consider the contact kinematics and derive the dynamical equations of the fingers and the object where the 3-dimensional deformation is considered. For the system, we thirdly propose a method to regulate the object and the internal force with the information of the hand, the object and the deformation. A simulation result is presented to show the effectiveness of the control method. rolling contact in a two-dimensional space. They considered vertical deformation to the flat part of the soft finger and de- formation parallel to the surface of the contacted object. These studies proposed reasonable deformation models and control methods for grasp and manipulation, which take into account the properties of the deformation. However, since their de- formation models and control methods are considered in re- stricted two-dimensional space, their methods can not be ap- plied to manipulation in a 3-dimensional space. Yokokohji et al. (10) considered the grasp and manipulation of an object in 3-dimensional space by a three-fingered robot hand with hemi- spherical soft fingers and proposed a controller with friction compensation of the torsion moments about contact normals. However, the deformation of the soft finger is not considered because the contact is assumed to be point. In this paper, we firstly derive a three-dimensional deforma- tion model of a hemispherical soft finger, which is composed of three translational forces and one torsion moment about the contact normal. The all four force components generated by a soft finger (11) is included in this model. The relevancy of the deformation model is verified by experiment data. With this model, we consider control of grasp and manipulation of an object in 3-dimensional space by a 3-fingered hand robot, each of which has three degrees of freedom. Second, we consider the contact kinematics with the finger deformation and derive the dynamical equations of the fingers and the grasped object with deformation effects. For the system, we thirdly propose a method to regulate the object and the internal force with the information of the hand, the object and the deformations. A simulation is presented to show the effectiveness of the control method.

Development of Haptic Display Actuated with Magnetorheological Fluid and Artificial Muscle (HAMA Device)

To operate in Immersive Virtual Environment (IVE) with standard devices, beginners will feel difficulties to do it because they are not intuitive devices. Haptic sense is very important for intuitive operation. But existing haptic device is not suited to use in IVE for reasons of displayed sense and the size of the device itself. A device that is a portable one can only display Force-Feedback sense, and a device that can display tactile sense is impossible to be mounted on a hand.In this paper we proposed Haptic display Actuated with Magnetorheological fluid and Artificial muscle (HAMA device). It is a potable haptic device that can display Force-Feedback and tactile sense. The device is constructed of two small devices, a device for displaying Force-Feedback sense and a device for displaying tactile sence. They use Artificial Muscle and Magnetorheological fluid for an actuator. This time we developed index finger part for a trial and evaluate it.

Latex hand glove: a safe and convenient device for the endoscopic removal of foreign bodies

or pointed object from the upper gastro− intestinal tract, both the pharyngoesoph− ageal junction and the esophagogastric junction can be easily injured. The use of a latex protector hood and overtube has been previously reported as world−stand− ard equipment [1,2]. However, their costs are usually high. Furthermore, there is much patient distress associated with their use during the endoscopic examina− tion. We therefore devised a new proce− dure. The latex hand glove (LHG) is a basic ne− cessity for every endoscopic examination. It is one of the reasonably priced endo− scopic instruments (l Fig. 1). However, the other intended use of LHG has not been previously reported. We herein de− scribe the use of the LHG for the endo− scopic removal of foreign bodies. The LHG (Toray Medical Co., Ltd.; Cat.No. 8857SN) was used in the following way: 1. The finger part of the glove (l Fig. 2) is cut out and firmly attached to the endoscope with vinyl tape (l Fig. 3). 2. Straight grasping forceps are used as an endoscopic grasper of foreign bod− ies (l Fig. 4). 3. When the endoscope is pulled back after grasping, the LHG is automatic− ally reversed, and foreign bodies are enveloped within (l Fig. 5). The sharp and pointed objects can then be safely removed while carefully protecting the gastrointestinal mucosa. In our hospital, this procedure has some− times been selected for the removal of foreign bodies. The procedure has been successful and has not caused any com− plications. In addition, the use of the LHG device has demonstrated a good cost per− formance. Neither the overtube nor the latex protector hood is needed during this procedure and it is therefore also less painful for patients. These results suggest that the LHG may therefore be a convenient, safe, and useful piece of equipment, and we recommend its use for the endoscopic removal of foreign bodies.

Development of Soft-Actuator-Based Wearable Tactile Display

As a major human sensory function, the implementation of the tactile sensation for the human-machine interface has been one of the core research interests for long time. In this paper, an innovative tactile display device based on the soft actuator technology is presented. Using electroactive polymer for the construction of the tactile display device, it can provide stimulation on the human skin without any additional electromechanical transmission. Softness and flexibility of the device structure, ease of fabrication, possibility for miniaturization, and low cost for mass production are the representative benefits of the presented device. Especially, the device application is open to many different purposes since the flexible structure offers the excellent adaptability to any contour of the human body. To prove its feasibility, a wearable device that can fit to the distal part of the human finger is presented and its performance is evaluated, experimentally.

New Approach for Static Gesture Recognition

Static gestures can convey certain meanings and act as specific transitions in dynamic gestures. Therefore, recognizing static gestures is one of the most important aspects of gesture recognition. In this paper, a new approach is presented for recognizing static gestures based on Zernike moments (ZMs) and pseudo-Zernike moments (PZMs). The binary hand silhouette is first accommodated with a minimum bounding circle (MBC). The binary hand silhouette is then decomposed into the finger part and the palm part by morphological operations according to the radius of the MBC. After that, the ZMs & PZMs of the finger part and the palm part with different importance, respectively, are computed based on the center of the MBC. Finally, 1-nearest neighbor techniques are used to perform feature matching between an input feature vector and stored feature vectors for static gesture identification. Results show that the proposed approach performs better than previous methods based on conventional ZMs & PZMs in recognizing static gestures. The proposed technique could be useful in improving the recognition rate, of static gestures.

Radiographic 2D:4D index in females: no relation to anthropometric, behavioural, nutritional, health-related, occupational or fertility variables

BackgroundThe ratio of index finger to ring finger length (2D:4D index) may be an indicator of gonadal hormone exposure, because the differentiation of gonads, fingers and toes is influenced by the same HOXA and HOHD genes. Some previous studies have found significant associations between the 2D:4D index and sexual, psychological or behavioural variables. We studied the usability of the radiographic 2D:4D index as a potential predictor of several features in a large female sample.Methods271 female dentists and 219 teachers (age 45 – 63 years) had their hands radiographed and their right 2nd and 4th fingers measured from the base of the bony proximal phalanxes to the tip of the distal phalanxes to define the radiographic 2D:4D index. The study subjects were classified into two distinctly separate clusters (by using cluster analysis with the K-means algorithm) in each of the following dimensions: anthropometric (including four items), behavioural (five items), nutritional (five items), health-related (seven items), occupational (Karasek job control and job demand scores) and fertility (four items).ResultsThe radiographic 2D:4D index ranged from 0.845 to 0.981 (mean 0.925, SD 0.021). The intraclass correlation between three radiographers' measurements (31 cases) was 0.971. No differences concerning the 2D:4D index were found between clusters 1 and 2 in any studied dimension, nor did any of the items in clusters have relations with the 2D:4D index when tested separately with bivariate tests.ConclusionDespite the ideal set-up of the measuring possibilities in a relatively large radiographic material the variables currently studied were not dependent on the length of finger bones. It can therefore be questioned whether any real associations between the bony 2D:4D index in adult life and (direct or indirect) hormone dependent effects exist. There may be a publication bias explaining that mostly positive findings have been the previously reported. However, the associations of the 2D:4D index with various features, if present, may be related to the soft parts of fingers rather than to the length of bones.

Sensory nerve conduction velocities of median, ulnar and radial nerves in patients with vibration syndrome

The present study aimed to clarify the range of involvement for hand-arm vibration syndrome (VS) in the median, ulnar and radial nerves of the hand. Sensory nerve conduction velocities (SCVs) for 3 nerves in the hands and arms were examined for 34 patients with VS and 23 age-matched controls. Neuropathy types were classified by possible carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), Guyon's syndrome and digital neuropathy in three nerves. SCV in the median nerve (middle finger, wrist-elbow) and ulnar nerve (little finger, wrist-elbow), and amplitudes of the median nerve (wrist-proximal and distal parts of the middle finger), ulnar nerve (wrist-proximal and distal parts of the little finger; forearm-proximal part of the little finger; upper arm-proximal part of the little finger) and radial nerve (dorsal side of the hand-thumb) were significantly reduced in VS patients compared with controls. According to subject classifications based on the results of SCV and amplitude of nerve action potential, 52.9% of VS patients displayed multi-focal neuropathy including digital neuropathy, possible CTS and/or Guyon's syndrome. These findings suggest that VS affects all three nerves in the hand. According to classification results, the main disorders of peripheral nerves comprise digital neuropathy.

Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty for Treatment of Critical Hand Ischemia

A 62-year-old man with insulin-dependent type II diabetes mellitus and chronic renal failure being treated with dialysis complained of chronic critical ischemia of the left hand with severe pain. A necrotic skin lesion with soft tissue infection and osteomyelitis of the distal part of the fourth finger was present (Figure 1A). A standard x-ray of the hand showed diffuse calcifications of the arteries (Figure 1B and 1C). An angiographic study was performed before therapeutic decisions were made. Homolateral antegrade brachial approach with an 11-cm 4F introducer sheath was …

A case of Behçet’s disease associated with necrotizing small vessel vasculitis

Cutaneous manifestations are an important feature of Behçet's disease (BD) and are classified as a major diagnostic criterion by the International Study Group (ISG). Necrotizing vasculitis as a skin manifestation in patients with BD has been reported rarely. In this report, we describe a patient who fulfills ISG criteria for the diagnosis of BD with necrotizing small vessel vasculitis developed necrosis on distal part of the fifth finger of right foot and the heel.

Local Decrease of Pressure Pain Threshold in Nummular Headache

Nummular headache (NH) is a primary disorder presenting with localized pain that is circumscribed to a coin-shaped area of the head surface. In 12 patients with NH (3 men and 9 women, 21 to 67 years old), we measured the pressure pain threshold (PPT) in several points while they were headache-free. The following cephalic and extracephalic points were explored: the symptomatic cranial area, a symmetrical point on the nonsymptomatic side, and 3 standardized pairs of symmetrical points (anterior part of the temporal muscle, upper trapezius muscle, and distal dorsal part of the second finger). Three consecutive PPT readings were obtained with an algometer on each point, and the repeatability of these measurements was always high (ICC: 0.93 to 0.97). Mean PPT was lower in the symptomatic cranial area than in the contra-lateral symmetrical point (1.8 +/- 0.6 kg/cm(2) vs 2.4 +/- 0.6 kg/cm(2); P < .001), whereas in the remaining reference points PPT was almost equal on both sides. According to these data, NH seems to be associated with a local increase of pain sensitivity to mechanical stimulation.

The Early-Immediate Gene EGR-1 Is Induced by Transforming Growth Factor-β and Mediates Stimulation of Collagen Gene Expression

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) stimulates collagen synthesis and accumulation, and aberrant TGF-beta signaling is implicated in pathological organ fibrosis. Regulation of type I procollagen gene (COL1A2) transcription by TGF-beta involves the canonical Smad signaling pathway as well as additional protein and lipid kinases, coactivators, and DNA-binding transcription factors that constitute alternate non-Smad pathways. By using Affymetrix microarrays to detect cellular genes whose expression is regulated by Smad3, we identified early growth response factor-1 (EGR-1) as a novel Smad3-inducible gene. Previous studies implicated Egr-1 in cell growth, differentiation, and survival. We found that TGF-beta induced rapid and transient accumulation of Egr-1 protein and mRNA in human skin fibroblasts. In transient transfection assays, TGF-beta stimulated the activity of the Egr-1 gene promoter, as well as that of a minimal Egr-1-responsive reporter construct. Furthermore, TGF-beta enhanced endogenous Egr-1 interaction with a consensus Egr-1-binding site element and with GC-rich DNA sequences of the human COL1A2 promoter in vitro and in vivo. Forced expression of Egr-1 by itself caused dose-dependent up-regulation of COL1A2 promoter activity and further enhanced the stimulation induced by TGF-beta. In contrast, the TGF-beta response was abrogated when the Egr-1-binding sites of the COL1A2 promoter were mutated or deleted. Furthermore, Egr-1-deficient embryonic mouse fibroblasts showed attenuated TGF-beta responses despite intact Smad activation, and forced expression of ectopic EGR-1 in these cells could restore COL1A2 stimulation in a dose-dependent manner. Taken together, these findings identify Egr-1 as a novel intracellular TGF-beta target that is necessary for maximal stimulation of collagen gene expression in fibroblasts. The results therefore implicate Egr-1 in the profibrotic responses elicited by TGF-beta and suggest that Egr-1 may play a new and important role in the pathogenesis of fibrosis.

Five novel androgen receptor gene mutations associated with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome

Mutations in the androgen receptor (AR) gene result in androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS). We have identified five novel mutations that result in a complete loss in AR function and are associated with complete AIS. The mutations span all three AR major functional domains. In two cases, the loss of AR function could be explained on the basis of the current knowledge of AR molecular structure and function. N-terminal mutation c.256C>T (p.Gln86X) leads to an early stop codon and abolishes all DNA and ligand binding. The DNA-binding domain mutation c.1685G>A (p.Cys562Tyr) is located in the N-terminal part of the first zinc finger; a mutation in this position is likely to impair the association of the mutated AR with the androgen response element of target genes. The splice site mutation at intron 2/exon 3 junction (c.1766-1G>A) is shown to lead to c.1765_1766 ins69 (p.[Gly589_Lys590ins23;Gly589Glu]). The two novel ligand-binding domain mutations identified were recreated by site-directed mutagenesis. Both mutations c.2171G>T (p.Gly724Val) and c.2435T>C (p.Leu812Pro) abolished AR ligand binding and severely impaired AR mediated transactivation. Residue p.Gly724 is located in the ligand binding domain, between helices 3 and 4. This region is known to be involved not only in ligand binding but also in AR N/C-terminal interactions. The mutation p.Leu812Pro is located in the C-terminal end of helix 8. This domain is highly conserved and critical for ligand binding. This study extends current understanding of AR mutations associated with CAIS.

Sentinel node biopsy in patients with breast cancer—evaluation of exposureto radiation of medical staff

AimTo measure the absorbed doses of radiation to hands of medical staff performing sentinel node biopsy in breast cancer patients. MethodsThe study was conducted in 2004, during sentinel node biopsies in 13 breast cancer patients (T1/T2N0). Sentinel nodes were identified with the use of combined radiotracer/blue dye technique (lymphoscintigraphy—99mTc on albumin carrier, surgery after 24h; blue dye; intraoperative detection of gamma radiation). Highly sensitive thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD) made of LiF were used to assess the absorbed doses of radiation during the procedure. During lymphoscintigraphy and during surgical procedure a total of 57 TLDs was placed on different parts of hands of medical staff. ResultsMaximal dose recorded during lymphoscintigraphy by TLDs placed on the hands of the physician injecting the radiotracer was 164μSv. Mean recorded doses were higher for non-dominant hand, especially for distal parts of the index finger, third finger and thumb. During the surgical procedure, TLDs placed on the hands of medical staff recorded much lower doses of radiation than during lymphoscintigraphy. The highest dose was recorded by TLD placed on the pulp of the dominant hand index finger (22μSv) of the operating surgeon. Mean doses recorded by TLDs placed on the hands of the operating surgeon ranged from 2 to 8μSv. The absorbed dose of radiation to hands of the scrub nurse was similar to that absorbed to hands of the operating surgeon. ConclusionThe maximum recorded dose during sentinel node biopsy in this study was 2200 times smaller than current 1-year dose limit.

DMi-2 Chromatin Binding and Remodeling Activities Are Regulated by dCK2 Phosphorylation

A plethora of ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling enzymes have been identified during the last decade. Many have been shown to play pivotal roles in the organization and expression of eukaryotic genomes. It is clear that their activities need to be tightly regulated to ensure their coordinated action. However, little is known about how ATP-dependent remodelers are regulated at the molecular level. Here, we have investigated the ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling enzyme Mi-2 of Drosophila melanogaster. Radioactive labeling of S2 cells reveals that dMi-2 is a phosphoprotein in vivo. dMi-2 phosphorylation is constitutive, and we identify dCK2 as a major dMi-2 kinase in cell extracts. dCK2 binds to and phosphorylates a dMi-2 N-terminal region. Dephosphorylation of recombinant dMi-2 increases its affinity for the nucleosome substrate, nucleosome-stimulated ATPase, and ATP-dependent nucleosome mobilization activities. Our results reveal a potential mechanism for regulation of the dMi-2 enzyme and point toward CK2 phosphorylation as a common feature of CHD family ATPases.

A pulse-operating electrostatic microactuator for bi-stable latching

We propose a novel microactuator with spade comb fingers designed for pulse-operating bi-stability. When the broad parts of the movable comb fingers are positioned facing the broad parts of the fixed comb fingers, the direction of electrostatic force is inward, like a conventional comb actuator. However, the spade comb fingers generate outward electrostatic force when the broad end part of each movable comb finger is positioned facing the narrow part of the fixed comb fingers. The proposed spade comb is combined with chevron-type springs to effectively operate the actuator in a bi-stable latching. For a driving input, a fast electrical pulse was applied to one driving electrode, and its operability was investigated in terms of voltage magnitude and duty time. Through an FEA (finite element analysis) and a numerical analysis, the dynamic characteristics were theoretically investigated including transient time response and operable bi-stability, which were compared with the experimental values. The bi-stable actuator was fabricated using a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer, and successfully operated by a pulse voltage input of 55 V with a duty time of 0.32 ms.