Technical Faults Research Articles

Stiffness-fault-tolerant control strategy for elastic actuators with interaction impedance adaptation

Elastic actuators have the potential to enable safe interaction and energy efficient mobility, making them suitable for physical human–robot interaction. However, their increased complexity makes technical faults and their prevention a relevant research topic, particularly considering faults in elastic and kinematic elements. In this article we investigate a stiffness-fault-tolerant control strategy for elastic actuators, based on impedance control, which compensates for internal faults and adapts to a desired interaction impedance behavior. We analyze the control strategy regarding its stability, and adapt it to the dynamic characteristics of two systems: a mechanically adjustable compliance actuator (MACCEPA) and a series–parallel elastic actuator (+SPEA), highlighting the strategy’s general applicability to multiple actuator designs, considering nonlinear and redundant characteristics. Experimental validation with these systems shows that the control strategy is capable of accurately tracking reference output trajectories and adapting interaction characteristics, under fault and disturbance conditions, showcasing the versatile applicability of the strategy while achieving fault-tolerance.

ON THE ISSUE OF ENSURING THE OPERABILITY OF FREIGHT CAR AXLE BOXES

The article is devoted to analysing the reliability of freight car axle boxes. Wheelsets and axle boxes are especially important for ensuring the traffic safety of trains. The study examined cases of cars uncoupling from a train along the route due to technical faults resulting in delays in train movement. The analysis covered the period of 1995–2023. It found that failures of car axle boxes and automatic brakes predominated. After a significant decrease from 2000–2014, the number of roller axle box failures in recent years fluctuated at 30% of the total number of uncouplings. The analysis obtained a dependency for the change in car detachments due to roller bearing failures, calculated per 1,000 cars in the operating fleet. Despite fluctuations in the number of railcars, the safety level of operations in recent years remained virtually at the same level. The study highlighted that excessive heating accompanies damage in the elements of the axle box unit. It considered methods for detecting possible failures and their advantages and disadvantages. The authors identified the primary causes of axle box component failures. Cylindrical bearings and end mountings remain the most dangerous for failure probability. We demonstrated that the axle box design with cylindrical bearings has a fundamental flaw. Axial forces are perceived through the rolling friction of the ends of the rollers against the ring flanges, leading to the formation of ‘chevron’ scratches and dents on the roller ends, which are stress concentrators. The study established that the surface of the axle box housing is constantly in contact with the side frame of the freight car bogie and wears out. It results in pinching of the axle box body and contributes to the appearance of additional permanent forces acting on the axle box assembly. The end-bearing mounts are weakened and destroyed. Skewed rollers in the bearings cause fatigue failure of the rolling races. It leads to increased heating of the axle box assemblies and uncoupling of the car. A promising direction is the improvement of axle box bodies. Keywords: rolling stock, traffic safety, reliability, axle box assembly, roller bearing, axle box body, failure.

Detecting faults in the cooling systems by monitoring temperature and energy

The cooling systems contribute to 40% of overall building energy consumption. Out of which, 40% is wasted because of faulty parts that cause anomalies in the cooling systems. We propose a three-stage, non-invasive part-level anomaly detection technique to identify anomalies in both cooling systems, a ducted-centralized and a ductless-split. We use COTS sensors to monitor temperature and energy without invading the cooling system. After identifying the anomalies, we find the cause of the anomaly. Based on the anomaly, the solution recommends a fix. If there is a technical fault, our proposed technique informs the technician regarding the faulty part, reducing the cost and time needed to repair it. In the first stage, we propose a domain-inspired time-series statistical technique to identify anomalies in cooling systems. We observe an AUC-ROC score of more than 0.93 in simulation and experimentation. In the second stage, we propose using a rule-based technique to identify the cause of the anomaly. We classify causes of anomalies into three classes. We observe an AUC-ROC score of 1. Based on the anomaly classification, we identify the faulty part of the cooling system in the third stage. We use the Nearest-Neighbour Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (NN-DBSCAN) algorithm with transfer learning capabilities to train the model only once, where it learns the domain knowledge using the simulated data. The trained model is used in different environmental scenarios with both types of cooling systems. The proposed algorithm shows an accuracy score of 0.82 in simulation deployment and 0.88 in experimentation. In the simulation we used both ducted-centralized and ductless-split cooling systems and in the experimentation we evaluated the solution with ductless-split cooling systems. The overall accuracy of the three-stage technique is 0.82 and 0.86 in simulation and experimentation, respectively. We observe energy savings of up to 68% in simulation and 42% during experimentation, with a reduction of ten days in the cooling system’s downtime and up to 75% in repair cost.

Anomaly Detection in Smart Electric Meters for Detecting Faults and Misuse of Electric Energy Consumption

The emergence of Smart Electric Meters (SEMs) has revolutionized energy management, providing real-time data collection and monitoring capabilities. However, ensuring the accuracy and security of this data presents challenges. Anomaly detection in electric energy consumption patterns is crucial for identifying issues like technical faults, erroneous billing, and misuse of electricity. Our project offers an Anomaly Detection System that leverages data analytics and machine learning to scrutinize SEM data. By analyzing historical patterns, the system distinguishes anomalies from routine fluctuations, triggering alerts when irregularities are detected. This system enhances the reliability and security of electric energy consumption data, fostering a more efficient and sustainable energy sector. Key Words: Anomaly Detection, Smart electric Meters, Fault Detection, Energy Misuse.

Performance differences and determinants of success in world men's handball championships

Abstract - Aim It is to compare performance indicators among World Men's Handball Championships, 2017, 2019 and 2021. Taking into consideration that the last one took place under pandemic restrictions, and thus affecting all stages of preparation and competition, we also investigated indicators that mostly affected the teams’ ranking. Methods: The sample consisted of sets of performance indicator variables specifically related to court player and goalkeeper efficacy, offense, defense, and punishment of all participant teams. We used the analysis of variance and the ordinary least square regression. Results: No significant differences in shots (p = 0.165, η2 = 0.046) and goals per game (p = 0.211, η2 = 0.040) were found in the last three successive world championships examined in our study. However, significant differences were found in court player efficacy at 6 m (p = 0.000, η2 = 0.226) and breakthrough (p = 0.047, η2 = 0.077) while for goalkeeper efficacy, differences were observed at 6 m (p = 0.000, η2 = 0.199), penalty (p = 0.049, η2 = 0.099) and fast break (p = 0.005, η2 = 0.132). From the set of variables related to offense, defense and punishment, significant differences were observed only for assists per game (p = 0.004, η2 = 0.134). Conclusion: The determinants of success of the top teams were the variables of court player efficacy and goalkeeper efficacy at 9 m followed by goalkeeper breakthrough efficacy, technical faults and 2-min suspensions per game.

METHODOLOGICAL AND DIAGNOSTIC RELIABILITY OF 24-H ABPM: A PARADIGM SHIFT IN DAILY CLINICAL PRACTICE?

Objective: Blood pressure measurementst form the cornerstone of diagnosing, treating, and researching arterial hypertension. The 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (24-h ABPM) is widely considered best practice, but challenges such as availability and cost persist. This study evaluates the validity, accuracy, and practicality of ABPM in clinical settings. Design and method: Retrospectively analyzing 450 24-h ABPM measurements from the Nephrology Center Göttingen, using validated devices from I.E.M. and BOSO, this study assesses adherence to European Society of Hypertension (ESH) and German Hypertension Society (DHL) guidelines. Criteria include a minimum 24-hour recording, at least 20 valid day and 7 valid night measurements, and a minimum of 70% overall validity. Patient cancellations are considered if measurements end before 7:30 a.m. or last less than 22 hours without technical faults. Results: Only 23% (n=106) of ABPMs met all guideline criteria; 77% failed at least one criterion. In 27% (n=120) of cases, duration was below 24 hours, and in 22% (n=98), it was below 22 hours. Motion artifacts caused validity failures in 50%, daytime pressurization issues in 17%, and nighttime issues in 27%. Patient cancellations constituted 20.6% (n=93), with adipose patients 40% more likely to cancel. Diabetes and severe hypertension correlated with a 40% reduction in guideline-conforming measurements. Sixteen percent (n=72) were canceled without recording early morning blood pressure, correlating strongly with cardiovascular risk. Conclusions: The study emphasizes the importance of correct ABPM execution, urging explicit discussions with patients. Acknowledging ABPM limitations, the paper recommends additional methods like telemetrically transferred blood pressure measurements at home (idTM) for intervention options. Given the variability in ABPM data quality, its validity must be scrutinized case by case. The findings advocate for increased use of home blood pressure measurements, aligning with current guidelines for diagnostics and therapy.

ОСНОВНІ РЕЖИМИ РОБОТИ І ГРАФІЧНИЙ ІНТЕРФЕЙС КОРИСТУВАЧА КОМПЛЕКСУ ДЛЯ ЕКСПЕРИМЕНТАЛЬНИХ ДОСЛІДЖЕНЬ МАГНІТНИХ ПОЛІВ І ДІАГНОСТУВАННЯ ЕЛЕКТРОЕНЕРГЕТИЧНОГО ОБЛАДНАННЯ

Hardware and software monitoring complex is designed to study the relationship between changes in the patterns of the magnetic field intensity distribution with power equipment failures. In experimental studies with predetermined techni-cal faults artificially introduced into the object the complex will provide useful and reliable results by registering changes in the magnetic field induction in the spatial, temporal and frequency domains. The choice and flexible adjust-ment of data collection tools by the researcher will ensure the use of the most appropriate method for measuring, con-verting and displaying information about the investigated faults. The article presents the main operating modes and graphical user interfaces of a personal computer and a mobile data acquisition system that jointly convert, store, ana-lyze and display measurement information received from various magnetic sensors. The generalized functional specifi-cation of the complex software, the design of the graphical user interface (GUI) as parts of the real-time operating sys-tem (RTOS) of the mobile data acquisition system (DAQ) and PC software will also be used in the development of prob-lem-oriented computer diagnostic systems for electric power equipment. Ref. 12, fig. 3.

Construction of block diagrams of a simulation model of the customer service process

The article, which is part of the author’s dissertation research, is devoted to the construction of a simulation model, namely a discrete-event model of the customer service process «as is» and «as will be». The introduction substantiates the relevance of the research topic, highlighting the object and subject of the study. A hierarchical structure of the system of quality indicators for infocommunication services has been constructed. There are 4 levels of indicators, at each level quality indicators are highlighted, namely: service speed indicators (average service time for a technical fault, average response time for reference services); satisfaction indicators (percentage of calls regarding technical aspects of service, percentage of calls regarding organizational aspects of service) and others. A hypothesis has been put forward about a change in the state of the service process after the introduction of a functional dialog agent into the process, which involves a reduction in customer service time. To test the hypothesis about reducing customer service time, discrete-event simulation models of the process «as is» and «as will be» were built, since modeling in terms of queuing theory not only improves the understanding of existing processes in the company, but also helps to identify bottlenecks and identify areas for further optimization, which ultimately leads to increased customer satisfaction and the efficiency of the company as a whole. Within the framework of the developed discrete-event model, the main attention is paid to two main stages: modeling the receipt of requests and modeling the processing of requests. Process optimization includes the introduction of an automated diagnostic system, namely a functional conversational agent to reduce wait time and increase request processing throughput. Block diagrams of discrete-event simulation models of the service process were also constructed in terms of the AnyLogic environment, and the advantages of its use were highlighted. The main objects used to create discrete-event models that describe the mathematical state of the simulated system are presented.

Technical faults that can ground an aircraft

Research shows that the airline industry loses billions of dollars each year because of what are referred to as “aircraft on ground” delays. In this article, Artemis Aerospace briefly looks at the most common technical faults that cause an aircraft to be taken out of service, and what can be done to get it back in the air as quickly as possible.

Robust Cubature Kalman Filter for Moving-Target Tracking with Missing Measurements.

Handling the challenge of missing measurements in nonlinear systems is a difficult problem in various scientific and engineering fields. Missing measurements, which can arise from technical faults during observation, diffusion channel shrinking, or the loss of specific metrics, can bring many challenges when estimating the state of nonlinear systems. To tackle this issue, this paper proposes a technique that utilizes a robust cubature Kalman filter (RCKF) by integrating Huber's M-estimation theory with the standard conventional cubature Kalman filter (CKF). Although a CKF is often used for solving nonlinear filtering problems, its effectiveness might be limited due to a lack of knowledge regarding the nonlinear model of the state and noise-related statistical information. In contrast, the RCKF demonstrates an ability to mitigate performance degradation and discretization issues related to track curves by leveraging covariance matrix predictions for state estimation and output control amidst dynamic disruption errors-even when noise statistics deviate from prior assumptions. The performance of extended Kalman filters (EKFs), unscented Kalman filters (UKFs), CKFs, and RCKFs was compared and evaluated using two numerical examples involving the Univariate Non-stationary Growth Model (UNGM) and bearing-only tracking (BOT). The numerical experiments demonstrated that the RCKF outperformed the EKF, EnKF, and CKF in effectively handling anomaly errors. Specifically, in the UNGM example, the RCKF achieved a significantly lower ARMSE (4.83) and ANCI (3.27)-similar outcomes were observed in the BOT example.

Tele‐Dementia in Africa: Setting roadmap for implementation

AbstractBackgroundAlzheimer’s disease and dementia related disorder incidence and prevalence continue to increase in Africa due to changing ageing demographics. Despite this rise, overall quality and quantity of available evidence to inform best practices in recruitment, retention and inclusion of underrepresented population in ADRD research is very low. Africa needs creative innovations to bridge the dementia care gap and telemedicine offers a unique opportunity for prompt diagnosis, follow up and care supportMethodThis was an observational study of remote video assessment of persons living with Dementia and their caregivers. Mobile phone and web‐based applications for virtual consultation and health information management system were built to engage patients with various clinical conditions across multiple specialties. The assessment and follow up were done between September 2020 and December 2022.Cognitive assessment tools were administered via telemedicine platform for screening and post diagnostic management due to the COVID‐19 lock downResultA total of 50 patients with Dementia and their caregivers attending Neurology clinic at the Geriatric centre UCH were engaged on the platform for clinical follow up. Mean(+SD) age of was 74.0(+7.2) year and 56% were females, 82.8% had some form of formal education, 67.2% married and 97.9 lived with other persons. Over 31.9% participants had at least one comorbidity. 93% of the participants expressed satisfaction with video conferencing platform. 87% retention rate on follow up on the platform,13% of drop out rate due to technical fault and poor internet connectionConclusionwe believe implementation of telemedicine will improve recruitment and retention of persons living with dementia and it offers a promising dementia management strategy for Africa

Tele‐Dementia in Africa: Setting roadmap for implementation

AbstractBackgroundAlzheimer’s disease and dementia related disorder incidence and prevalence continue to increase in Africa due to changing ageing demographics. Despite this rise, overall quality and quantity of available evidence to inform best practices in recruitment, retention and inclusion of underrepresented population in ADRD research is very low. Africa needs creative innovations to bridge the dementia care gap and telemedicine offers a unique opportunity for prompt diagnosis, follow up and care supportMethodThis was an observational study of remote video assessment of persons living with Dementia and their caregivers. Mobile phone and web‐based applications for virtual consultation and health information management system were built to engage patients with various clinical conditions across multiple specialties. The assessment and follow up were done between September 2020 and December 2022.Cognitive assessment tools were administered via telemedicine platform for screening and post diagnostic management due to the COVID‐19 lock downResultA total of 50 patients with Dementia and their caregivers attending Neurology clinic at the Geriatric centre UCH were engaged on the platform for clinical follow up. Mean(+SD) age of was 74.0(+7.2) year and 56% were females, 82.8% had some form of formal education, 67.2% married and 97.9 lived with other persons. Over 31.9% participants had at least one comorbidity. 93% of the participants expressed satisfaction with video conferencing platform. 87% retention rate on follow up on the platform,13% of drop out rate due to technical fault and poor internet connectionConclusionwe believe implementation of telemedicine will improve recruitment and retention of persons living with dementia and it offers a promising dementia management strategy for Africa

Supervisory Monitoring and Control Solution on Android Mobile Devices for the Water Industry 4.0

The capacity for using mobile devices for monitoring and controlling local processes has seen rapid growth in industry for maintenance operations before and after deployment. This is especially important in the case of geographically widely-dispersed locations, such as in the case of the water sector, where processes, technologies, and local automation solutions are widely spread. Usually, the available mobile solutions are dependent on Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) software installed in the control rooms of water and wastewater facilities, usually without configuration possibilities. Considering the various SCADA control rooms, each focusing on a specific system, and hundreds of smaller locations accessible only with PLC and eventually a small touch screen, the dependence on local SCADA software is proving increasingly impractical. This paper presents the implementation of an easy-to-use SCADA system for the Android operating system, conceived following Industry 4.0 concepts. An OPC UA client-based architecture is proposed to cope with current interoperability standards, mobility and security across industrial processes in various domains. The design relies on a foreground service for uninterrupted communication between the application and the OPC UA client. The system is envisaged to provide notifications to alert the user when alarms are triggered, including both an independent application level alarming module and a new Alarms and Conditions based protocol level module, increasing visibility and response time for technical issues or faults, and being adaptable to both legacy and modern OPC UA specifications. The solution was tested first in the laboratory to validate the communication system with as many OPC UA structures as possible, and then in real scenarios with drinking water and wastewater systems interfacing PLC, HMI and SCADA level OPC UA servers. The tests in the real scenarios included a second-level test for water operators and engineers which accessed and monitored various processes with the developed solution, and all results proved to be satisfactory.

Effects of technical and security factors on grid electricity reliability: evidence from Uganda national electricity grid network

PurposeAn unreliable supply of grid electricity has a strong negative impact on industrial and commercial profitability as well as on household activities and government services that rely on electricity supply. This unreliable grid electricity could be a result of technical and security factors affecting the grid network. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effects of technical and security factors on the transmission and distribution of grid electricity in Uganda.Design/methodology/approachThis study used the ordinary least squares (OLS) and autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) models to examine the effects of technical and security factors on grid electricity reliability in Uganda. The study draws upon secondary time series monthly data sourced from the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) government utility, which transmits electricity to both distributors and grid users. Additionally, data from Umeme Limited, the largest power distribution utility in Uganda, were incorporated into the analysis.FindingsThe findings revealed that technical faults, failed grid equipment, system overload and theft and vandalism affected grid electricity reliability in the transmission and distribution subsystems of the Ugandan power grid network. The effect was computed both in terms of frequency and duration of power outages. For instance, the number of power outages was 116 and 2,307 for transmission and distribution subsystems, respectively. In terms of duration, the power outages reported on average were 1,248 h and 5,826 h, respectively, for transmission and distribution subsystems.Originality/valueThis paper investigates the effects of technical and security factors on the transmission and distribution grid electricity reliability, specifically focusing on frequency and duration of power outages, in the Ugandan context. It combines both OLS and ARDL models for analysis and adopts the systems reliability theory in the area of grid electricity reliability research.

Adverse Events Among Plateletpheresis Donors in a Tertiary Care Hospital at Dhaka, Bangladesh

Introduction: The rising demand for platelet transfusions among patients has increased the usage of automated blood collections. Many of the same reactions and injuries are found with pooled platelets received from whole blood donation, although notable differences exist. Objective: To study the adverse events (AEs) during plateletpheresis procedures in a tertiary care hospital and plateletpheresis procedure session profiles. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted from January 2021 to December 2021 by analyzing records of two-hundred and thirteen (213) plateletpheresis procedures done in transfusion medicine department. All the donors were male. All adverse effects were recorded and noted in the registrar. Results: A total of 13 (Thirteen) AEs were noted, of which 08 (61.53%) events were associated with donors, 03 (23.07 %) were owed to a fault in the kit/equipment, and 02 (15.38 %) were due to technical faults. Donor-related AEs included hematoma (23.07%), vasovagal (23.07%), and perioral tingling sensation (15.38%). Technique-related AEs were 23.07%, and faulty kit/equipment-related AEs were 15.38%. Conclusion: Apheresis donations performed on apheresis machines are safe. Careful donor selection, well-trained expert technical personnel, and supervision of experienced transfusion medicine specialists will make the donor’s experience more pleasant. Sir Salimullah Med Coll J 2023; 31: 67-72

Real-Time Anomaly Detection for Water Quality Sensor Monitoring Based on Multivariate Deep Learning Technique.

With the increased use of automated systems, the Internet of Things (IoT), and sensors for real-time water quality monitoring, there is a greater requirement for the timely detection of unexpected values. Technical faults can introduce anomalies, and a large incoming data rate might make the manual detection of erroneous data difficult. This research introduces and applies a pioneering technology, Multivariate Multiple Convolutional Networks with Long Short-Term Memory (MCN-LSTM), to real-time water quality monitoring. MCN-LSTM is a cutting-edge deep learning technology designed to address the difficulty of detecting anomalies in complicated time series data, particularly in monitoring water quality in a real-world setting. The growing reliance on automated systems, the Internet of Things (IoT), and sensor networks for continuous water quality monitoring is driving the development and deployment of the MCN-LSTM approach. As these technologies become more widely used, the rapid and precise identification of unexpected or aberrant data points becomes critical. Technical difficulties, inherent noise, and a high data influx pose significant hurdles to manual anomaly detection processes. The MCN-LSTM technique takes advantage of deep learning by integrating Multiple Convolutional Networks and Long Short-Term Memory networks. This combination of approaches offers efficient and effective anomaly detection in multivariate time series data, allowing for identifying and flagging unexpected patterns or values that may signal water quality issues. Water quality data anomalies can have far-reaching repercussions, influencing future analyses and leading to incorrect judgments. Anomaly identification must be precise to avoid inaccurate findings and ensure the integrity of water quality tests. Extensive tests were carried out to validate the MCN-LSTM technique utilizing real-world information obtained from sensors installed in water quality monitoring scenarios. The results of these studies proved MCN-LSTM's outstanding efficacy, with an impressive accuracy rate of 92.3%. This high level of precision demonstrates the technique's capacity to discriminate between normal and abnormal data instances in real time. The MCN-LSTM technique is a big step forward in water quality monitoring. It can improve decision-making processes and reduce adverse outcomes caused by undetected abnormalities. This unique technique has significant promise for defending human health and maintaining the environment in an era of increased reliance on automated monitoring systems and IoT technology by contributing to the safety and sustainability of water supplies.

Structural Confusion in the Cantigas de Santa Maria: Navigating Unstable Narratives in the Miracles of Castrojeriz

AbstractThis article addresses links between musical-poetic structure and architecture in four songs of the Cantigas de Santa Maria. Made at Alfonso X of Castile’s court in the latter years of his reign (1252–84), the Cantigas present a unique case of miracle narratives (cantigas de miragre) set to song. As Parkinson has shown, the four songs in the Castrojeriz set present technical faults that hinder effective comprehension of their miracle texts. This article shows that the songs’ cyclical structures can aid textual logic by aligning narrative highlights with points of sonic focus in the poetry and music. Tension between textual and musical-poetic form often mirrors the songs’ narratives, which concern difficulties during the construction of Castrojeriz’s church. This article argues that such tensions can be read as a text-as-building metaphor, also alluded to in the songs as they appear in surviving manuscripts.

Perception of Shared Electric Scooters: A Case Study from Poland

Scooter-sharing services, that is, short-term rental of electric scooters, have been gaining popularity among last-mile transport solutions in recent years, winning both their supporters and opponents. Recognizing the different approaches of societies to scooters in the world, the objective of this work was to determine the perception of scooter-sharing services in Poland, that is, the fifth largest European market in terms of micromobility. The study was based on survey data conducted using the CAWI method among the points of active users of scooter-sharing systems. The article presents the results regarding the perception of electric scooters in terms of safety, use, operation, education, and elements of communication behavior. The results indicate that the respondents perceive the Polish market of sharing electric scooters well. They believe that riding a scooter is safe (despite pointing out numerous technical faults that may indicate insufficient technical knowledge about what they can mean for users), and they are against mobility hubs and disrupting free systems. Interestingly, respondents emphasize the need to modernize the regulations, the need for penalties for damage to vehicles, and the need to reduce fees. The results provide valuable clues on how to manage the new electric mobility. They also indicate a different approach of Polish users to the issue of perceiving scooters in relation to other European societies (such as France or Denmark), which is a valuable clue for modeling transport behavior.

Role of Collagen in the Etiology of Inguinal Hernia Patients: A Case-Control Study.

Introduction Technical faults are no longer accepted as the sole reason for recurrence following inguinal hernia (InH) repairs. Medical literature has been studied to find any contributing factors and collagen has emerged as a promising marker. Owing to their long half-lives, it has been found to best reflect the process of scarring, which is central to ensuring the formation of a proper fibrous tissue that incorporates the mesh with the abdominal wall. Methods Sixty participants were divided into two groups. The case group were patients diagnosed with InH and the control group had patients undergoing abdominal surgeries for indications other than abdominal wall hernias. A 0.5x0.5cm specimen of skin and transversalis fascia were biopsied and subsequently stained to determine the amount of collagen I and III. Results Collagen I, collagen III and the ratio of collagen I to III was measured. Collagen I was normal in the skin of both groups but decreased in transversalis fascia of cases. Collagen III was found to be normal in transversalis fascia of both cases and controls, but increased in the skin of cases. Ratio of collagen I to III was decreased in both skin and transversalis fascia of cases. Statistical analysis was carried out using an unpaired t-test, non-parametric Mann-Whitney test, ANOVA and chi-square test. Conclusions Our study has reported that in patients with inguinal hernia, collagen III or immature collagen is increased in skin and collagen I or mature collagen is decreased in the transversalis fascia. The ratio of collagen I/III is decreased in both skin and transversalis fascia.

Attack with Empty Goal (7 vs 6) in Team Handball - Analysis of Men’s EHF Euro 2022

Abstract Team handball is constantly evolving. Since the beginning of the century some changes has been introduced but no rule has been as controversial and not consensual as the one introduced in 2016 that allows the change of a goalkeeper for a field player (Empty goal) allowing teams to play 7 vs. 6 (Prudente et al., 2022). With this study we intend to analyze and characterize the attack with empty goal (7 vs. 6) of the 12 best ranked teams in Men’s EHF Euro 2022. Observational Methodology was used and it was built, validated by experts and subsequently used a mixed ad hoc instrument combining a 12 criteria field format with 77 category category system to observe and register data. Data were gathered from 28 matches involving teams classified in the first twelve places in the 2022 Men’s EHF Euro 2022. These were recorded from TV broadcasts, and the total number of offensive sequences carried out in an organized attack game method 7 vs. 6 with empty goal (n = 121) was analyzed. For data analysis, prospective and retrospective sequential analysis and the technique of polar coordinates was used. The main results show a stronger association between: a) No Goal by Technical Fault and succeeded direct goal attempt; b) Direct Goal Attempt and Goal. Results also show that best ranked teams used less 7 vs. 6 attack system. According to the main results, teams that used 7 vs. 6 and lost the ball by technical fault had a stronger association with a direct goal attempt by the opponent team. That is positively associated with goal. This leads to a practical recommendation that teams that want to use 7 vs. 6 should practice this special option in order to achieve more efficiency, reducing the number of technical faults and consequently the opponents goal to goal attempts.