Wrapping Technique Research Articles

Performance analysis and experimental investigation on mechanical properties of RCC beam with fibre wrapping

In recent years the usage of fibres for construction works has been developed rapidly due to its high strength and high performance. In the current research work of Kevlar, kenaf the basalt fibre of strengthening of flexure beam in bending test by reinforced concrete beam in different groups. The ultimate load and deflection of flexural strengthening effect on the behavior of externally bonded of RC beams with Kevlar kenaf, basalt fibres, wrapped in single layer of U-configuration, partial wrapping technique. The results showed that Kevlar, kenaf, basalt fibre wrapping of RC beams by increasing the flexural strength of 42%, 40% and 40% with full wrapping technique and 34%, 33.25% and 37% respectively with partial wrapping technique. This concept can be highly implemented in repair and rehabilitation work and in the environmentally affected zone.

Conniving for the first time of BiVO4 – rGO/CE-BN and its potential as enhanced electrochemical sensing of non-steroidal anti-androgen drug

This work focuses on the electrochemical sensing of Flutamide (FLA) drug using a ternary composite material namely reduced graphene oxide (rGO) wrapped with bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) loaded on chemically exfoliated boron nitride (CE-BN). To synthesize this material, BiVO4 was prepared using the solvothermal method; secondly, graphene oxide was prepared using the modified Hummer’s method, and CE-BN was prepared using the chemical exfoliation method. After the preparation of the individual materials, reduced graphene oxide was bound over bismuth vanadate using the wrapping technique and then loaded onto the CE-BN surface using the wet impregnation technique. After the preparation of each compound, characterization studies such as XRD, FT-IR, and FE-SEM analysis were carried out in order to confirm the structural details, formation of the compound, and other functional properties and to check the purity of the material. Finally, the confirmed compounds were used for electrochemical sensing studies in a three-electrode setup; the electrochemical performance of the BiVO4-rGO/CE-BN composite was investigated using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and digital pulse voltammetry (DPV). With lower cathodic peak potential, greater cathodic current, a better linear range (0.04–102.2 µM), a lower limit of detection (0.011 µM), and better sensitivity (3.8028 µA µM−1 cm−2) on the modified BiVO4-rGO/CE-BN, it demonstrates superior electrochemical activity towards the reduction of FLA. Furthermore, interference studies were conducted in presence of other drugs to test the selectivity of the proposed sensor, which revealed that BiVO4-rGO/CE-BN/GCE possesses a greater selectivity. In addition, the practical feasibility of the prepared sensor was tested with lake water samples, which showed a satisfactory recovery in real samples. Based on the findings, the suggested sensor (BiVO4-rGO/CE-BN/GCE) appears to be a better choice for FLA detection.

Optimal threshold padlock systems

In 1968, Liu described the problem of securing documents in a shared secret project. In an example, at least six out of eleven participating scientists need to be present to open the lock securing the secret documents. Shamir proposed a mathematical solution to this physical problem in 1979, by designing an efficient k-out-of-n secret sharing scheme based on Lagrange’s interpolation. Liu and Shamir also claimed that the minimal solution using physical locks is clearly impractical and exponential in the number of participants. In this paper we relax some implicit assumptions in their claim and propose an optimal physical solution to the problem of Liu that uses physical padlocks, but the number of padlocks is not greater than the number of participants. Then, we show that no device can do better for k-out-of-n threshold padlock systems as soon as k ⩾ 2 n , which holds true in particular for Liu’s example. More generally, we derive bounds required to implement any threshold system and prove a lower bound of O ( log ( n ) ) padlocks for any threshold larger than 2. For instance we propose an optimal scheme reaching that bound for 2-out-of-n threshold systems and requiring less than 2 log 2 ( n ) padlocks. We also discuss more complex access structures, a wrapping technique, and other sublinear realizations like an algorithm to generate 3-out-of-n systems with 2.5 n padlocks. Finally we give an algorithm building k-out-of-n threshold padlock systems with only O ( log ( n ) k − 1 ) padlocks. Apart from the physical world, our results also show that it is possible to implement secret sharing over small fields.

The wrapping technique as an alternative method for the treatment of ascending aortic dilatation

Abstract Background The natural history of Ascending Aorta Dilatations (AAD) is unpredictable because acute dissections and ruptures have been observed even at aortic diameter sizes as small as 40s mm. Current data are unclear in terms of the simultaneous treatment of Ascending Aorta Aneurysms (AAD) with a coexisting surgical pathology requiring open heart surgery (OHS). To overcome the aforementioned complications in patients with ADD and a concomitant indication for OHS, we have applied a less invasive technique, in contrast to the conventional method of replacement of the ascending aorta with a supracoronary synthetic tubular graft interposition. Purpose The safety and efficacy of the Wrapping Ascending Aorta Dilatation (WAAD) technique that is based on the wrapping of the dilated ascending aorta with a synthetic graft from the sinotubular junction to the origin of innominate artery. Methods We studied 254 patients who underwent ascending aorta surgery from 2000 to 2020 at a Euroclinic Hospital Greece, from the same senior Cardiac Surgeon. Patients with an AAD with a diameter of 40–45mm in combination with a coexisting cardiac surgical pathology requiring OHS were treated with the wrapping technique, while patients with AAD diameter more than 45mm were treated with replacement. The WAAD technique was applied during patient's rewarming period using a longitudinally opened synthetic tubular Dacron graft around the AAD, without increasing the patient's time on extracorporeal circulation. The mean follow-up interval was 12.2±4.5 years. Results Two hundred and three patients (80%) were treated with OHS with replacement of the ascending aorta. Fifty one patients (20%) had an AAD with a diameter of 40–45mm (mean diameter 43±3.3mm) in combination with a coexisting cardiac surgical pathology requiring OHS and were treated with the WAAD technique. due to concomitant aortic valve surgery in 34 patients (67%), coronary artery bypass Graft in 10 patients (19.6%) and mitral valve surgery in 7 (14%). One of the patients who underwent mitral valve surgery exhibited AAD as well as dilation of the common pulmonary trunk extending to the right pulmonary artery and had both treated with the wrapping technique. During follow up no AAD recurrence or any other event concerning the ascending aorta or pulmonary artery were observed. Conclusion In patients with AAD undergoing OHS for a different cardiac pathology, WAAD is safe and effective and may be beneficial for patients with AAD with an aortic diameter of 40–45mm. Further randomized control studies are needed to confirm our results. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

The safety and efficacy of a modified Wrapping technique for the treatment of ascending aortic dilatation

Abstract Background Current data are unclear in terms of the simultaneous treatment of Ascending Aorta Aneurysms (AAD) with a coexisting surgical pathology requiring open heart surgery (OHS), since replacement of the ascending aorta in all of those AAD patients may increase morbidity and mortality in respect with longer time in extracorporeal circulation. To overcome the aforementioned complications in patients with ADD and a concomitant indication for OHS, we have applied a less invasive technique, in contrast to the conventional method of replacement of the ascending aorta with a supracoronary synthetic tubular graft interposition Purpose We tested the safety and the efficacy of the Wrapping Ascending Aorta Dilatation (WAAD) technique that is based on the wrapping of the dilated ascending aorta with a synthetic graft from the sinotubular junction to the origin of innominate artery. Methods We retrospectively studied 254 patients who underwent ascending aorta surgery from 2000 to 2020 at Euroclinic Hospital of Athens Greece, from the same senior Cardiac Surgeon. Patients with an AAD with a diameter of 40–45mm in combination with a coexisting cardiac surgical pathology requiring OHS were treated with the wrapping technique, while patients with AAD diameter more than 45mm were treated with replacement. The WAAD technique was applied during patient's rewarming period using a longitudinally opened synthetic tubular Dacron graft around the AAD, without increasing the patient's time on extracorporeal circulation. The mean follow-up interval was 12.2±4.5 years. Results Two hundred and three patients (80%) were treated with OHS with replacement of the ascending aorta. Fifty one patients (20%) had an AAD with a diameter of 40–45mm (mean diameter 43±3.3mm) in combination with a coexisting cardiac surgical pathology requiring OHS and were treated with the WAAD technique. due to concomitant aortic valve surgery in 34 patients (67%), coronary artery bypass Graft in 10 patients (19.6%) and mitral valve surgery in 7 (14%). One of the patients who underwent mitral valve surgery exhibited AAD as well as dilation of the common pulmonary trunk extending to the right pulmonary artery and had both treated with the wrapping technique. During follow up no AAD recurrence or any other event concerning the ascending aorta or pulmonary artery were observed. Conclusion In patients with AAD undergoing OHS for a different cardiac pathology, WAAD is safe and effective and may be beneficial for patients with AAD with an aortic diameter of 40–45mm. Further randomized control studies are needed to confirm our results. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

Wrapping technique for infants and toddlers undergoing dermatology clinic procedures

Outpatient dermatology clinics provide an ideal setting for short, minimally invasive procedures. However, without general anesthesia, procedures can be obstructed by infants’ and toddlers’ difficulty to remain still throughout the perceived stressful event(s) in clinic.1 Assistance from parents, caregivers, or medical assistants is not always available or reliable. Thus, immobilization can be achieved in procedural settings with the blanket/sheet wrapping technique for children less than 4 years of age.

Aortic Remodeling After Stepwise External Wrapping for Type A Acute Aortic Dissection

BackgroundThe optimal repair technique for type A acute aortic dissection is graft replacement; however, the treatment approach in high-risk patients remains controversial or suboptimal. MethodsWe have retrospectively analyzed a cohort of high-risk patients who were admitted to our center for type A acute aortic dissection and who were treated by a new surgical approach using artificial grafts (stepwise external wrapping) between January 2016 and January 2020. The primary endpoints included inhospital mortality and survival during follow-up. Secondary endpoints included the assessment of aortic remodeling after ascending aorta wrapping. ResultsAmong the 134 patients admitted for type A acute aortic dissection, 43 patients underwent stepwise external wrapping. The mean patient age was 79.1 ± 6.8 years. The new standard European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation score was 64% ± 12%. There was one hospital death (2.3%). There were two major complications of persistent cerebral disorder (4.6%). Minor complications included temporary neurologic disorder (2.3%) and renal failure (2.3%). The intensive care unit and hospital stays were 2.8 ± 1.0 days and 11.7 ± 2.5 days, respectively. The follow-up survival rate was 95.3% ± 6.2% and 91% ± 10.2% at 1 and 3 years, respectively, after surgery. There was no aortic-related death during follow-up. At 1 year after surgery, complete remodeling of the ascending aorta was obtained in 30 patients (85.7%), and 5 patients (14.3%) showed partial remodeling. ConclusionsOur stepwise external wrapping technique was associated with excellent outcomes for high-risk patients with type A acute aortic dissection.

Adjunctive proximal aortic and aortodistal prosthetic wrapping of vascular anastomoses for Adamantiadis-Behçet's aortic/aortoiliac aneurysms: A revisit

BackgroundWe described our local experiences with a single-layer wrapping technique for the vascular anastomoses in patients with Adamantiadis-Behçet's aortic/aortoiliac aneurysms using InterGard Silver-impregnated Dacron® patch prosthesis. MethodsBetween January 2013 to December 2019, we retrospectively reviewed 20 patients presented with Adamantiadis-Behçet's aortic/aortoiliac aneurysms. All patients presented with Adamantiadis-Behçet's aortic/aortoiliac aneurysms. Two groups were analyzed, Group I, considered as a control group (n = 20). While group II (n = 20), of which prosthetic wrapping was performed. Follow up took place for a maximum of 24 months. Resultsduring a six-year retrospective study period, 20 patients were recruited. They included 15 males and five females (ratio 3:1). The median age was 30.5 ± 4.2 years. Anastomotic pseudoaneurysms were reported in group I (control, [non-wrapping group]). While group II doesn't (wrapping group). Paired samples t test revealed a significant difference between those underwent wrapping and those with non-wrapping (p = .019 and .038). False aneurysms were reported in 80% of the non-wrapping group as estimated by the Kaplan-Meier curves. While Log-rank test results revealed a significant difference between both the studied groups (p < .008). Primary graft patency was 90% at 24 months as reported by the Kaplan-Meier survival method. Conclusionsadjunctive wrapping for vascular anastomoses using Intergard Silver-impregnated Dacron® patch in patients with Adamantiadis-Behçet's aortic/aortoiliac aneurysms is an applicable, simple, and reliable technique. It was associated with low morbidity and mortality rates. Moreover, we discussed a relatively old technique aiming to explore its success and safety in treating arterial aneurysms in Adamantiadis-Behçet's disease patients.

Enhanced Marketing Decision Making for Consumer Behaviour Classification Using Binary Decision Trees and a Genetic Algorithm Wrapper

An excessive amount of data is generated daily. A consumer’s journey has become extremely complicated due to the number of electronic platforms, the number of devices, the information provided, and the number of providers. The need for artificial intelligence (AI) models that combine marketing data and computer science methods is imperative to classify users’ needs. This work bridges the gap between computer and marketing science by introducing the current trends of AI models on marketing data. It examines consumers’ behaviour by using a decision-making model, which analyses the consumer’s choices and helps the decision-makers to understand their potential clients’ needs. This model is able to predict consumer behaviour both in the digital and physical shopping environments. It combines decision trees (DTs) and genetic algorithms (GAs) through one wrapping technique, known as the GA wrapper method. Consumer data from surveys are collected and categorised based on the research objectives. The GA wrapper was found to perform exceptionally well, reaching classification accuracies above 90%. With regard to the Gender, the Household Size, and Household Monthly Income classes, it manages to indicate the best subsets of specific genes that affect decision making. These classes were found to be associated with a specific set of variables, providing a clear roadmap for marketing decision-making.

Wrapping technique of ascending aorta in Hybrid procedure for complex aortic arch disease

Background: The hybrid procedure proved to be very suitable for Vietnamese conditions in the treatment of complex aortic diseases in the arch and on supra-renal lesion. There is a difficult situation when the ascending aorta is more dilated than can be accommodated by stent-grafts. Wrapping techique is a solution to this situation. Methods: Report on a clinical case of successful application of aortic wraping technique to treat complex aortic cross injuries at Cardiovascular and Thoracic Center, Viet Duc University Hospital. Results: A 73-year-old female patient was admitted to the hospital because of sudden chest pain. History of high blood pressure, heart failure, dyslipidemia and hypothyroidism. MSCT revealed type B aortic dissection, left hemothorax complication, the entire ascending aorta and a part of cross dilated to 50mm (maximum stent-graft size is 46mm). Poor general condition, severe and complicated acute aortic injury, if the classic surgery requires total thoracic aorta replacement – ​​the risk of death is very high, so the hybrid solution is a reasonable choice if having the solution is to solve the problem to create a landing zone for stent-graft. Hybrid surgery was started with open sternotomy, bilateral aortic - carotid bypass with Dacron prothesis 9mm, using a large artificial vessel to wrap around the ascending aorta to reduce the medium size to 38mm. Drain and close the sternum. Next is endovascular intervention – installing a stent-grafts of 42x42x200 and 42x38x150 then 38x34x150 to the diaphragm, plug for left subclavian artery. Left pleural drainage. The patient was discharged 10 days after surgery. Follow-up after 2 years for good results. Conclusion: The hybrid procedure can still be applied in the situation of ascending aorta dilatation with wrapping technique – decreasing the size of the aorta to fit the size of the stent-graft in some high-risk situations. with classic surgery.

Facial Skincare Journey

Consumer journey analysis led to efficient marketing implementation. A journey represents a path of steps and interaction between consumer and service units at each touchpoint. Dissatisfaction in the touchpoint, causes a negative effect to retain a customer. Previous studies always constructed the journey maps relied on the narrative approach. According to use Google, consumers always face massive websites to access, which is a pain point in the journey. Improving consumer buying, led to the research aims: identifying consumer needs, and reducing SEO pain-point using content relevance indexing. The data (social media posts from the Thai beauty communities in the year 2020) is analyzed and has found that there are two need types: curative and preventive. The study can segment the 150 websites into four groups which reduce the search space. Moreover, the significant words from the wrapping technique can use to create keywords in the homepage introduction that are matching the products to consumer needs.

Novel wrapping surgery for symptomatic sacral perineural cysts.

Perineural cysts, also called Tarlov cysts, are dilatations of the nerve root sleeves commonly found in the sacrum. The majority of the cysts are asymptomatic and found incidentally on routine spine imaging. Symptomatic sacral perineural cysts (SPCs) that induce intractable low-back pain, radicular symptoms, and bladder/bowel dysfunction require surgery. However, the surgical strategy for symptomatic SPCs remains controversial. The authors hypothesized that the symptoms were caused by an irritation of the adjacent nerve roots caused by SPCs, and developed a wrapping surgery to treat these cysts. Seven patients with severe unilateral medial thigh pain and ipsilateral SPCs were included. Preoperative MRI showed that the cysts were severely compressing the adjacent nerve roots in all patients. After a partial laminectomy of the sacrum, the SPCs were punctured and CSF was aspirated to reduce their size, followed by dissection of the adjacent nerve roots from the SPCs. The SPCs were then wrapped with a Gore-Tex membrane to avoid reexpansion. All 7 patients experienced substantial relief of their symptoms. The average numeric rating scale pain score was reduced from an average preoperative value of 7.9 to 0.6 postoperatively. Postoperative MRI showed that all cysts were reduced in size and the adjacent nerve roots were decompressed. Regrowth of the treated cysts or recurrence of the symptoms did not occur during the entire follow-up period, which ranged from 39 to 90 months. No complications were noted. The authors' new wrapping technique was effective in relieving radicular symptoms for patients with symptomatic SPCs. The results suggested that the symptoms stemmed from compression of the adjacent nerve roots caused by the SPCs, and not from the nerve roots in the cysts.

Wrapping technique of ascending aorta in Hybrid procedure for complex aortic arch disease

Background: The hybrid procedure proved to be very suitable for Vietnamese conditions in the treatment of complex aortic diseases in the arch and on supra-renal lesion. There is a difficult situation where the ascending aorta is more dilated than can be accommodated by stent-grafts. Wrapping techique is a solution to this situation. Methods: Report on a clinical case of successful application of aortic wrap technique to treat complex aortic cross injuries at Cardiovascular and Thoracic Center, Viet Duc University Hospital. Results: A 73-year-old female patient was admitted to the hospital because of sudden chest pain. History of high blood pressure, heart failure, dyslipidemia and hypothyroidism. MSCT revealed type B aortic dissection, left hemothorax complication, the entire ascending aorta and a part of cross dilated to 50mm (maximum stent-graft size is 46mm). Poor general condition, severe and complicated acute aortic injury, if the classic surgery requires total thoracic aorta replacement – ​​the risk of death is very high, so the hybrid solution is a reasonable choice if having the solution is to solve the problem to create a landing zone for stent-graft. Hybrid surgery was started with open sternotomy, bilateral aortic - carotid bypass with Dacron prothesis 9mm, using a large artificial vessel to wrap around the ascending aorta to reduce the medium size to 38mm. Drain and close the sternum. Next is endovascular intervention – installing a stent-grafts of 42x42x200 and 42x38x150 then 38x34x150 to the diaphragm, plug for left subclavian artery. Left pleural drainage. The patient was discharged 10 days after surgery. Follow-up after 2 years for good results. Conclusion: The hybrid procedure can still be applied in the situation of ascending aorta dilatation with wrapping technique – decreasing the size of the aorta to fit the size of the stent-graft in some high-risk situations. with classic surgery.

Influence of FRP on the shear behaviour of RC rectangular beam elements

This article presents the outcomes of an experimental study on the shear behaviour of FRP strengthened RC beams. Shear deficient RC beams may exhibit brittle shear failure when the applied stress exceeds the designed level. Many strengthening measures, such as steel plate bonding, RC-jacketing etc., are efficient but laborious and not time effective solutions compared to the externally bonded FRP wrapping technique. External FRP wrapping is one of the efficient strengthening schemes in terms of its strength to weight ratio. This technique does not increase the structural member's cross-sectional size and dead load. The cost of FRP materials and mechanical properties also varies with respect to the type of fibre, thickness, and profile. In this study, RC beams of a/d ratio 1.25 have been used with CFRP and BFRP composites. The test results show a 17.98% increase in strength and improves ductility by 77%. The strengthening scheme increases the shear strength by controlling the early formation of diagonal cracks in the strengthened shear zone and exhibiting ductile failure. Triantafillou’s model has been validated with the test results of CFRP strengthened beams, and the proposed model has been verified using the experimental data and literature data collected. The proposed methodology works well in estimating the shear capacity of CFRP strengthened RC beams.

Innovation in measuring obese patients' blood pressure: measurement with conical wrapping technique.

Accurate measurement of blood pressure (BP) is difficult in obese patients due to their upper arm shape and width. Errors made during BP measurement cause misdiagnosis or lead to wrong treatment. The data of this methodological study were collected from 40 patients who were 18 years old or above, with a BMI above 25 kg/m2, and who were followed up with radial catheter arterial pressure in adult intensive care and postoperative care units between March and December 2020. In total 55% of the participants were male with a mean age of 63.9 years, mean height of 165.7 cm, mean weight of 85.2 kg and mean BMI of 31.0 ± 2.1 kg/m2. Intra-arterial BP (IABP) measurement values were found to be correlated with conical wrapping technique and cylindrical wrapping technique (P < 0.001). As a result, a statistically significance was found between conical SBP and intra-arterial SBP (r = 0.921; P < 0.05) and conical DBP and intra-arterial DBP (r = 0.902; P < 0.05). It was determined that the SBP and DBP results of the conical wrapping technique were closer to the results obtained by IABP measurements. For this reason, it is more appropriate to measure BP with conical wrapping technique in clinically obese patients.

Elaboration by Wrapping Process and Multiscale Characterisation of Thermoplastic Bio-Composite Based on Hemp/PA11 Constituents

The present work investigates the potential of developing bio-composites based on thermoplastic polymers reinforced with natural fibres by using hybrid yarns. The hybrid yarns were produced by the wrapping technique, in which a multifilament of polyamide 11 (PA11) was wrapped around an untreated low-twisted hemp roving to produce a yarn with sufficient tenacity and stiffness for the next step of weaving. The tensile behaviour of the wrapped yarns was identified both in the dry- and thermo-state. Then, two different fabrics were woven and tested to study the influence of yarn densities and weave diagrams on the tensile and flexural properties. At this fabric scale, properties of fabrics made from hybrid yarns were compared with those of fabrics from a previous study made from 100% hemp roving. Composites made from these fabrics, with stacking of two cross-plies, were produced by thermocompression and characterised regarding mechanical strength.

Y-shaped Muscular Wrapping Technique Avoiding Re-infection of a Replaced Aortic Graft: A Cadaveric Study.

Summary:Replacing an infected prosthetic thoracic aorta graft carries a high re-infection risk. We previously reported two clinical cases successfully treated with a new muscular wrapping technique: latissimus dorsi (LD) muscle flap with a distally based serratus anterior (SA) extension; however, a cadaveric study to prove the regular existence of the distal attachment area was lacking. We tried to establish an appropriate way of elevating the combined muscle flap safely. All of the cadavers were preserved using the Thiel embalming technique to retain flexibility. We checked for the existence of the distal attachment area between the LD and SA. Combined muscle flaps were elevated proximally while identifying the thoracodorsal artery, including the LD and SA branches. After the SA branch was ligated and cut, the SA muscle was manually peeled from the LD muscle with only the distal tight attachment area remaining. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography was performed using a multislice computed tomography system. Six human cadavers (three men, three women: 91 years old, on average) were examined. All six LD and SA combined muscle flaps showed a distal tight attachment area at the level from the seventh rib to the ninth rib. The tip of the SA muscle easily reached the sternum. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography failed to reconfirm the distal vascular flow from the LD to the reverse SA muscle, which we had visualized in a clinical case. We demonstrated the anatomical reliability of the new Y-shaped muscular flaps, which are suitable for preventing re-infection of aortic graft replacement.

Wrapping technique and wrapping height interact to modify physical exposures during manual pallet wrapping

Occupational tasks often involve musculoskeletal demands that contribute to injury risk. In pallet wrapping tasks, 36% of workplace claims involve over exertion and repetitive exposures (Workplace Safety and Prevention Services, 2012). Tools that modify how the wrap is handled by workers have been introduced to help mitigate over exertion and extreme postures wherever possible. A novel device has been introduced that places the required tension on the roll to mitigate these factors. However, the effect of reducing the necessary tension on the roll during pallet wrapping in limiting muscular demand and extreme postures is unknown. Fourteen healthy university aged participants completed 12 wrapping trials on a simulated pallet (2 repetitions of 2 wrapping techniques (device, hand wrapping) at 3 wrapping heights (low, medium, high)). Surface electromyography (sEMG) was measured on 6 shoulder and 2 low back muscles; anterior and middle deltoids, biceps brachii, infraspinatus, supraspinatus, upper trapezius, and erector spinae (T8 & L3). Kinematic data were collected for the torso and upper extremity and global to torso, and torso to upper arm angles were computed. Repeated measures ANOVAs were performed for the following experimental factors: 1) technique used (device or hand wrapping) and 2) the wrapping height (low, medium, high) for each muscle (8), angle (5), rating of perceived discomfort (1) and rating of perceived exertion (1). Pallet wrapping without a device required greater trunk flexion at lower heights and thoracohumeral elevation at higher wrapping heights as compared to using the device. Muscular activation increased when using the device, specifically at the higher and lower heights. Posture and muscular demands during pallet wrapping tasks are sensitive to both wrapping technique and wrapping height. Ergonomics interventions such as this device may mitigate postural risks associated with manual material handling tasks.

Natural Jute Fibre‐Reinforced Polymer Composite System for Posttensioned Beam Strengthening in Flexure

Existing structures require repair and strengthening owing to degradation caused by incorrect design and construction, environmental impacts, or structural upgradation to meet new seismic design standards or to correct execution problems that occurred during construction. These strengthening requirements can be satisfied by a variety of strengthening techniques. The creation of a fibre‐reinforced polymer (FRP) composite system offers a new design method for the strengthening of existing structures. In this study, posttensioned beams are strengthened by using sustainable materials such as natural jute fibre‐reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. The performance of these composite systems in the flexural strengthening of posttensioned beams was used to assess their effectiveness. Consequential result for longitudinal reinforcement throughout the length of the beam for flexural strengthening was evaluated. Flexural performance, crack width, ductility, and load‐deflection relationship study of control beams (Scheme A) and retrofitted beams (Schemes B and C) under different wrappings were considered in the investigation. An experimental study depicts that using the full wrapping (FW) technique increases the flexural strength of PSC beams wrapped in JFRP by 23% and, by using the strip wrapping (SW) technique, the flexural strength is increased by 10%. The JFRP composite system of strengthening has shown the highest deformability index and showed that the JFRP material has enormous potential as a structural strengthening material.

Concomitant Acromioclavicular and Coracoclavicular Ligament Reconstruction with a Duo-Figure-8 Autogenic Graft Wrapping Technique for Treating Chronic Acromioclavicular Separation.

BackgroudCoracoacromial ligament transfer is the traditional procedure for treating chronic acromioclavicular separation, but it is significantly inferior to ligament reconstruction according to biomechanical and clinical studies. However, ligament reconstruction carries the risk of complications of graft loosening and peri-tunnel fractures. Currently, there is no ligament reconstruction procedure optimal for preventing such complications. The purpose of this study was to describe and retrospectively analyze the clinical and radiological outcomes of a “duo-figure-8” autogenic graft wrapping technique, which was used to concomitantly reconstruct the acromioclavicular and coracoclavicular ligaments.MethodsPreoperative, immediate postoperative, and final follow-up oputcomes were evaluated in 10 enrolled patients. Radiographic outcomes were indicated by the bilateral difference of the coracoclavicular distance (CCD) and overlapping length of the acromioclavicular joint (OLac). Quality of reduction was classified into 4 grades according to bilateral CCD difference into overreduction (< 0 mm), anatomic reduction (0–4 mm), partial loss of reduction (4–8 mm), and recurrent dislocation (> 8 mm). Clinical outcomes were evaluated using the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) and Constant scores.ResultsThe mean side-to-side differences for CCD were 11.9 mm (preoperative), −0.1 mm (immediate postoperative), and 3.4 mm (final follow-up); those for OLac were 9.4 mm (preoperative) and 2.7 mm (final follow-up). CCD and OLac outcomes significantly improved at final follow-up (p < 0.05). At the immediate postoperative stage, 6 and 4 patients had overreduction and anatomic reduction, respectively. At final follow-up, 7 and 3 patients had anatomic reduction and partial loss of reduction, respectively. The magnitude of improvement of ASES scores for patients with anatomic reduction and partial loss of reduction (p = 0.20) was 18.1 and 20.0, respectively. The magnitude of improvement of Constant scores in patients with anatomic reduction and partial loss of reduction (p = 0.25) was 19.9 and 22.3, respectively.ConclusionsThe technique yielded acceptable functional outcomes in patients with anatomic reduction or partial loss of reduction. The “duo-figure-8” wrapping method—a single autogenic tendon graft passing beneath the coracoid process with a tendon-knot fixation over the distal clavicle and looping around the acromion intramedullary—did not increase the risk of peri-tunnel fractures over the clavicle, coracoid process, or acromion.