Laboratory study on the effect of stress cycling pattern and rate on seismicity evolution

Recent laboratory and field studies suggest that temporal variations in injection patterns (e.g., cyclic injection) might trigger less seismicity than constant monotonic injection. This study presents results from uniaxial compressive experiments performed on Red Felser sandstone samples providing new information on the effect of stress...

Clavien-Dindo, comprehensive complication index and classification of intraoperative adverse events: a uniform and holistic approach in adverse event registration for (deep) endometriosis surgery

STUDY QUESTION: What is the additional value of the comprehensive complication index (CCI) and ClassIntra system (classification for intraoperative adverse events (ioAEs)) in adverse event (AE) reporting in (deep) endometriosis (DE) surgery compared to only using the Clavien-Dindo (CD) system? SUMMARY ANSWER: The CCI and ClassIntra are useful...

Quantification and mitigation of byproduct formation by low-glycerol-producing Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains containing Calvin-cycle enzymes

Background: Anaerobic Saccharomyces cerevisiae cultures require glycerol formation to re-oxidize NADH formed in biosynthetic processes. Introduction of the Calvin-cycle enzymes phosphoribulokinase (PRK) and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO) has been shown to couple re-oxidation of biosynthetic NADH to ethanol...

Development of a Knitted Strain Sensor for Health Monitoring Applications †

As an emerging technology, smart textiles have attracted attention for rehabilitation purposes to monitor heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, body posture and limb movements. Compared with traditional sensors, knitted sensors constructed from conductive yarns are breathable, stretchable and washable, and therefore, provide more...

The role of prototyping and co-creation in circular economy-oriented innovation: A longitudinal case study in the kitchen industry

To bridge the gap between the conceptualisation and implementation of circular value propositions, recent research efforts have focused on linking design-driven approaches with circular-oriented innovation. Such approaches can facilitate iterative processes that emphasise co-creation, prototyping, and real-life experimentation, ultimately...

Shape memory alloy actuators for haptic wearables: A review

Devices delivering sophisticated and natural haptic feedback often encompass numerous mechanical elements, leading to increased sizes and wearability challenges. Shape memory alloys (SMAs) are lightweight, compact, and have high power-to-weight ratios, and thus can easily be embedded without affecting the overall device shapes. Here, a review...

Environmental sustainability and gynaecological surgery: Which factors influence behaviour? An interview study

Objective: To assess the various factors that influence environmentally sustainable behaviour in gynaecological surgery and examine the differences between gynaecologists and residents. Design: An interview study. Setting: Academic and non-academic hospitals in the Netherlands. Population: Gynaecologists (n = 10) and residents (n = 6)....

MRI-based synthetic CT in the detection of knee osteoarthritis: Comparison with CT

Magnetic resonance Imaging is the gold standard for assessment of soft tissues; however, X-ray-based techniques are required for evaluating bone-related pathologies. This study evaluated the performance of synthetic computed tomography (sCT), a novel MRI-based bone visualization technique, compared with CT, for the scoring of knee...

On the Derivation of Closed-Form Expressions for Displacements, Strains, and Stresses Inside Poroelastic Reservoirs

We critically review the derivation of closed-form analytical expressions for elastic displacements, strains, and stresses inside a subsurface reservoir undergoing pore pressure changes using inclusion theory. Although developed decades ago, inclusion theory has been used recently by various authors to obtain fast estimates of depletion...

Design and modelling of a reversible shape memory alloy torsion hinge actuator

Conventional hinge actuators often face limitations including excessive weight, large size and unpleasant noise. Shape memory alloys (SMAs) offer a solution to address these issues due to their favorable characteristics, such as lightweight, high actuation force and small form factor. However, most existing SMA-based hinge actuators rely on...

User experience of wearing comfort of reusable versus disposable surgical gowns and environmental perspectives: A cross-sectional survey

Objective: To determine the user experience of wearing comfort of reusable sterile surgical gowns and compare these gowns with conventional disposable surgical gowns. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Setting: An academic hospital in the Netherlands. Population: Gynaecologists, surgeons, residents and operating room assistants (n=80). Methods:...

Promoting the private rented sector in metropolitan China: Key challenges and solutions

The private rented sector (PRS) plays an increasingly important role in accommodating young people and migrants in China’s metropolitan cities. However, the PRS in China is still underdeveloped, as evidenced by, e.g. a low degree of professionalisation, lack of basic rental laws and regulations, and poor housing experiences of tenants. The...

The interplay of collagen, macrophages, and microcalcification in atherosclerotic plaque cap rupture mechanics

The rupture of an atherosclerotic plaque cap overlying a lipid pool and/or necrotic core can lead to thrombotic cardiovascular events. In essence, the rupture of the plaque cap is a mechanical event, which occurs when the local stress exceeds the local tissue strength. However, due to inter- and intra-cap heterogeneity, the resulting ultimate...

Mimosa: Modular Self-folding Hinges Kit for Creating Shape-changing Objects

We developed a shape-changing constructive kit, named Mimosa1. A key component of the toolkit is the modular hinges, each of which is equipped with two antagonistic shape memory alloy (SMA) wires. One wire deforms the hinge to approach its predetermined angle at high temperature, and another wire drives the hinge back when it cools down....

Effect of unidirectional airflow ventilation on surgical site infection in cardiac surgery: environmental impact as a factor in the choice for turbulent mixed air flow

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) in the form of postoperative deep sternal wound infection (DSWI) after cardiac surgery is a rare, but potentially fatal, complication. In addressing this, the focus is on preventive measures, as most risk factors for SSI are not controllable. Therefore, operating rooms are equipped with heating,...