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Sample records for left ring finger

  1. Left hand finger force in violin playing: tempo, loudness, and finger differences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kinoshita, Hiroshi; Obata, Satoshi

    2009-07-01

    A three-dimensional force transducer was installed in the neck of a violin under the A string at the D5 position in order to study the force with which the violinist clamps the string against the fingerboard under normal playing conditions. Violinists performed repetitive sequences of open A- and fingered D-tones using the ring finger at tempi of 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 notes/s at mezzo-forte. At selected tempi, the effects of dynamic level and the use of different fingers were investigated as well. The force profiles were clearly dependent on tempo and dynamic level. At slow tempi, the force profiles were characterized by an initial pulse followed by a level force to the end of the finger contact period. At tempi higher than 2 Hz, only pulsed profiles were observed. The peak force exceeded 4.5 N at 1 and 2 Hz and decreased to 1.7 N at 16 Hz. All force and impulse values were lower at softer dynamic levels, and when using the ring or little finger compared to the index finger.

  2. The creation of the artificial RING finger from the cross-brace zinc finger by α-helical region substitution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miyamoto, Kazuhide; Togiya, Kayo

    2010-01-01

    The creation of the artificial RING finger as ubiquitin-ligating enzyme (E3) has been demonstrated. In this study, by the α-helical region substitution between the EL5 RING finger and the Williams-Beuren syndrome transcription factor (WSTF) PHD finger, the artificial E3 (WSTF PHD R ING finger) was newly created. The experiments of the chemical modification of residues Cys and the circular dichroism spectra revealed that the WSTF PHD R ING finger binds two zinc atoms and adopts the zinc-dependent ordered-structure. In the substrate-independent ubiquitination assay, the WSTF PHD R ING finger functions as E3 and was poly- or mono-ubiquitinated. The present strategy is very simple and convenient, and consequently it might be widely applicable to the creation of various artificial E3 RING fingers with the specific ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (E2)-binding capability.

  3. Convergent solid-phase and solution approaches in the synthesis of the cysteine-rich Mdm2 RING finger domain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vasileiou, Zoe; Barlos, Kostas; Gatos, Dimitrios

    2009-12-01

    The RING finger domain of the Mdm2, located at the C-terminus of the protein, is necessary for regulation of p53, a tumor suppressor protein. The 48-residues long Mdm2 peptide is an important target for studying its interaction with small anticancer drug candidates. For the chemical synthesis of the Mdm2 RING finger domain, the fragment condensation on solid-phase and the fragment condensation in solution were studied. The latter method was performed using either protected or free peptides at the C-terminus as the amino component. Best results were achieved using solution condensation where the N-component was applied with the C-terminal carboxyl group left unprotected. The developed method is well suited for large-scale synthesis of Mdm2 RING finger domain, combining the advantages of both solid-phase and solution synthesis. (c) 2009 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  4. Gold Finger: Metal Jewellery as a Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Therapy!

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    T. Hlaing

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Polyarticular psoriatic arthritis is a chronic, progressive and disabling auto-immune disease often affecting the small joints of the hands in a symmetrical fashion. The disease can progress rapidly causing joint swelling and damaging cartilage and bone around the joints resulting in severe deformities. We report a very unusual case of a 49-year-old woman who presented with polyarticular psoriatic arthritis affecting all proximal interphalangeal (PIP joints of both hands except the left ring finger PIP joint. On clinical examination there was no evidence of arthritis in the left ring finger PIP joint. We confirmed the paucity of joint damage in the PIP joint of the left ring finger using more modern imaging modalities such as musculoskeletal ultrasound and MRI scan of the small joints of the hands. All other PIP joints in both hands demonstrated advanced degrees of joint damage secondary to chronic psoriatic inflammatory arthritis. We postulated that wearing a gold wedding ring has helped protecting the PIP joint of the left ring finger from the damaging effect of inflammatory arthritis. The possible mechanisms by which metal jewellery (gold ring confer protection to adjacent joints was discussed.

  5. Estimation of Sex From Index and Ring Finger Lengths in An Indigenous Population of Eastern India

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sen, Jaydip; Ghosh, Ahana; Mondal, Nitish; Krishan, Kewal

    2015-01-01

    Introduction Forensic anthropology involves the identification of human remains for medico-legal purposes. Estimation of sex is an essential element of medico-legal investigations when identification of unknown dismembered remains is involved. Aim The present study was conducted with an aim to estimate sex from index and ring finger lengths of adult individuals belonging to an indigenous population of eastern India. Materials and Methods A total of 500 unrelated adult individuals (18-60 years) from the Rajbanshi population (males: 250, females: 250) took part in the study. A total of 400 (males: 200, 200 female) participants were randomly used to develop sex estimation models using Binary Logistic Regression Analysis (BLR). A separate group of 200 adults (18-60 years) from the Karbi tribal population (males 100, females 100) were included to validate the results obtained on the Rajbanshi population. The univarate and bivariate models derived on the study group (n=400) were tested on hold-out sample of Rajbanshi participants (n=100) and the other test population of the Karbi (n=200) participants. Results The results indicate that Index Finger Length (IFL) and Ring Finger Length (RFL) of both hands were significantly longer in males as compared to females. The ring finger was longer than the index finger in both sexes. The study successfully highlights the existence of sex differences in IFL and RFL (p<0.05). No sex differences were however, observed for the index and ring finger ratio. The predictive accuracy of IFL and RFL in sex estimation ranged between 70%-75% (in the hold out sample from the Rajbanshi population) and 60-66% (in the test sample from the Karbi population). A Receiver Operating Curve (ROC) analysis was performed to test the predictive accuracy after predicting the probability of IFL and RFL in sex estimation. The predicted probabilities using ROC analysis were observed to be higher on the left side and in multivariate analysis. Conclusion The

  6. Simulated microbe removal around finger rings using different hand sanitation methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alur, Archana A; Rane, Madhavi J; Scheetz, James P; Lorenz, Douglas J; Gettleman, Lawrence

    2009-09-01

    It is our opinion that the CDC and the WHO have underestimated cross-contamination under examination gloves in dental clinics while wearing jewelry, such as finger rings. These agencies only "recommend" removing jewelry, and only washing hands for 15 seconds with soap and warm water before donning gloves. This study examined several washing procedures and finger rings using simulated microbes. A gloved rubber hand manikin was made and fitted with a fresh disposable vinyl glove. Four fingers were fitted with rings or no ring, dusted with simulated microbes, and washed with a scrub brush for 5, 15, and 25 seconds under 20 degrees C and 40 degrees C water alone, or with liquid hand soap. Light levels (in lux) of fluorescent powder before and after washing were measured and delta scores calculated for changes in light levels, equivalent to effectiveness of hand washing procedures. A full-factorial, 3-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test for differences among levels of the three study factors-time, temperature, and soap use. Tukey's post hoc honestly significant difference (HSD) test was applied to significant factors to examine pair-wise differences between factor levels. It was found that the longer the hands with rings were washed with a scrub brush under flowing water, the more simulated microbes were removed. By 25 seconds, all methods were essentially the same. Simulated microbes were more difficult to remove from the palm compared to the back of the hand. The liquid hand soap used in this study was more effective with warm water than cold. When given a choice of washing with cold water up to 15 seconds, it would be preferable not to use soap to remove simulated microbes. Qualitatively, the outer surface of finger rings were more effectively cleaned than the crevice below the ring, and the ring with a stone setting appeared to accumulate and retain simulated microbes more than other rings. The most effective treatment was washing with warm water

  7. Polytopic dystelephalangy of the fingers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sugiura, Y.

    1989-01-01

    An 11-year old girl with dystelephalangy (Kirner deformity) of the right middle, ring, and little, and the left index through little fingers is reported. To the author's best knowledge, such polytopic affection with dystelephalangy has not yet been reported. The parents, one of the siblings and maternal grandfather showed dystelephalangy of the little finger. So, the patient was considered to be a homozygous state of dystelephalangy gene. (orig.)

  8. Signet-Ring Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma Arising on the Back of the Finger

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    Koji Nakajima

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available A variety of pathologic variants of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC has been reported, and the signet-ring variant of cutaneous SCC is extremely uncommon. We reported an 83-year-old man with signet-ring SCC arising on the back of the finger. As far as we know, only 4 cases have been described in detail, and one dermatopathologic report focused on the presence of signet-ring cells briefly described in clinical data of 6 cases. Interestingly, in these reports, the skin lesions of 10 cases occurred exclusively in the head and neck area. This case involved a skin lesion on the back of the finger and is thus the first reported case of signet-cell cutaneous SCC that did not arise in the head and neck area. The location of this lesion, together with the histological findings compatible with actinic keratosis, support the hypothesis that the development of signet-ring SCC is related to ultraviolet light-induced damage.

  9. Squamous cell carcinoma of the finger masquerading as an abscess. Case report.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    O'Sullivan, S T

    2012-02-03

    A 43-year-old man presented with an abscess on his left ring finger, which recurred despite multiple drainage procedures. Histological examination of the lesion was unhelpful; it was only on histopathological examination of the finger after ray amputation that the diagnosis of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma was established. This case illustrates the need to consider malignancy when dealing with chronic finger infections.

  10. The effect of hand position on perceived finger orientation in left- and right-handers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fraser, Lindsey E; Harris, Laurence R

    2017-12-01

    In the absence of visual feedback, the perceived orientation of the fingers is systematically biased. In right-handers these biases are asymmetrical between the left and right hands in the horizontal plane and may reflect common functional postures for the two hands. Here we compared finger orientation perception in right- and left-handed participants for both hands, across various hand positions in the horizontal plane. Participants rotated a white line on a screen optically superimposed over their hand to indicate the perceived position of the finger that was rotated to one of seven orientations with the hand either aligned with the body midline, aligned with the shoulder, or displaced by twice the shoulder-to-midline distance from the midline. We replicated the asymmetric pattern of biases previously reported in right-handed participants (left hand biased towards an orientation ~30° inward, right hand ~10° inward). However, no such asymmetry was found for left-handers, suggesting left-handers may use different strategies when mapping proprioception to body or space coordinates and/or have less specialization of function between the hands. Both groups' responses rotated further outward as distance of the hand from the body midline increased, consistent with other research showing spatial orientation estimates diverge outward in the periphery. Finally, for right-handers, precision of responses was best when the hand was aligned with the shoulder compared to the other two conditions. These results highlight the unique role of hand dominance and hand position in perception of finger orientation, and provide insight into the proprioceptive position sense of the upper limbs.

  11. Divergent dislocation of the ring and little finger carpometacarpal joints--a rare injury pattern.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Dillon, John

    2012-02-03

    Hand injuries due to longitudinal forces in the line of the metacarpals demonstrate unusual dislocation patterns. We describe a case of volar intra-articular fracture dislocation of the ring finger carpometacarpal joint in association with a pure dorsal dislocation of the little finger carpometacarpal joint. Open reduction supplemented with Kirschner wire fixation restored normal carpometacarpal joint anatomical relations and achieved an excellent clinical result.

  12. Magic Ring: A Finger-Worn Device for Multiple Appliances Control Using Static Finger Gestures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tongjun Huang

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available An ultimate goal for Ubiquitous Computing is to enable people to interact with the surrounding electrical devices using their habitual body gestures as they communicate with each other. The feasibility of such an idea is demonstrated through a wearable gestural device named Magic Ring (MR, which is an original compact wireless sensing mote in a ring shape that can recognize various finger gestures. A scenario of wireless multiple appliances control is selected as a case study to evaluate the usability of such a gestural interface. Experiments comparing the MR and a Remote Controller (RC were performed to evaluate the usability. From the results, only with 10 minutes practice, the proposed paradigm of gestural-based control can achieve a performance of completing about six tasks per minute, which is in the same level of the RC-based method.

  13. Surgical Treatment of Trigger Finger: Open Release

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    Firat Ozan

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In this study, open A1 pulley release results were evaluated in patients with a trigger finger diagnosis. 45 patients (29 females, 16 males, mean age 50.7 ± 11.9; range (24-79, 45 trigger fingers were released via open surgical technique. On the 25 of 45 cases were involved in the right hand and 16 of them were at the thumb, 2 at index, 6 at the middle and 1 at ring finger. Similarly, at the left hand, 15 of 20 cases were at the thumb, 1 at the index finger, 2 at middle finger and 2 at ring finger. Average follow-up time was 10.2 ± 2.7 (range, 6-15 months. Comorbidities in patients were; diabetes mellitus at 6 cases (13.3%, hypertension at 11 cases (24.4%, hyperthyroidism at 2 cases (4.4%, dyslipidemia at 2 cases (4.4% and lastly 2 cases had carpal tunnel syndrome operation. The mean time between the onset of symptoms to surgery was 6.9 ± 4.8 (range, 2-24 months. Patient satisfaction was very good in 34 cases (75.4% and good in 11 (24.6% patients. The distance between the pulpa of the operated finger and the palm was normal in every case postoperatively. We have not encountered any postoperative complications. We can recommend that; A1 pulley release via open incision is an effective and reliable method in trigger finger surgery.

  14. Artificial magnetism and left-handed media from dielectric rings and rods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jelinek, L; Marques, R

    2010-01-01

    It is shown that artificial magnetism with relatively large frequency bandwidth can be obtained from periodic arrangements of dielectric rings. Combined with dielectric rods, dielectric rings can provide 3D isotropic left-handed metamaterials which are an advantageous alternative to metallic split ring resonators (SRRs) and/or metallic wires when undetectability by low frequency external magnetic fields is desired. Furthermore it is shown that, unlike conventional SRRs, dielectric rings can also be combined with natural plasma-like media to obtain a left-handed metamaterial.

  15. Artificial magnetism and left-handed media from dielectric rings and rods

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jelinek, L [Department of Electromagnetic Field, Czech Technical University in Prague, 166 27-Prague (Czech Republic); Marques, R, E-mail: l_jelinek@us.e [Departamento de Electronica y Electromagnetismo, Universidad de Sevilla, 41012-Sevilla (Spain)

    2010-01-20

    It is shown that artificial magnetism with relatively large frequency bandwidth can be obtained from periodic arrangements of dielectric rings. Combined with dielectric rods, dielectric rings can provide 3D isotropic left-handed metamaterials which are an advantageous alternative to metallic split ring resonators (SRRs) and/or metallic wires when undetectability by low frequency external magnetic fields is desired. Furthermore it is shown that, unlike conventional SRRs, dielectric rings can also be combined with natural plasma-like media to obtain a left-handed metamaterial.

  16. Does the index-to-ring finger length ratio (2D:4D) differ in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)? Results from an international online case-control study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parkin Kullmann, Jane Alana; Pamphlett, Roger

    2017-08-07

    The ratio of the length of the index finger (2D) to the ring finger (4D) (2D:4D) has been reported to be lower (ie, 2Dcontrols. This has led to suggestions that exposure to increased prenatal testosterone, which also lowers this ratio, could be a risk factor for ALS. In an attempt to test this hypothesis, we examined 2D:4Ds from large numbers of patients with ALS and controls. An online multilingual questionnaire enabling respondents to measure their own index and ring finger lengths. Of the initial 949 respondents, 572 remained for analysis after elimination for inability to straighten fingers, not answering the question, statistical outliers and aged controls (112 males, 258 females). Unpaired t-tests with 95% CIs were used to assess differences in mean 2D:4Ds. Males had significantly lower mean 2D:4Ds than females, in both ALS and control groups, for both left and right hands. No significant differences were found in 2D:4Ds between ALS and control groups, in either males or females, for either left or right hands. Receiver operating characteristic curves showed no power for 2D:4Ds to predict ALS status in either males or females. 2D:4Ds did not differ between patients with ALS and controls in this study. This was despite the dataset being large enough to confirm the established finding of lower 2D:4Ds in males compared with females. These findings do not support the hypothesis that exposure to increased prenatal testosterone is a risk factor for ALS. A putative lower 2D:4D has been proposed to explain the link between ALS and exercise, but our results indicate that other exercise-related factors are more likely to explain this association. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  17. Functional roles of the pepper RING finger protein gene, CaRING1, in abscisic acid signaling and dehydration tolerance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Chae Woo; Hwang, Byung Kook; Lee, Sung Chul

    2015-09-01

    Plants are constantly exposed to a variety of biotic and abiotic stresses, which include pathogens and conditions of high salinity, low temperature, and drought. Abscisic acid (ABA) is a major plant hormone involved in signal transduction pathways that mediate the defense response of plants to abiotic stress. Previously, we isolated Ring finger protein gene (CaRING1) from pepper (Capsicum annuum), which is associated with resistance to bacterial pathogens, accompanied by hypersensitive cell death. Here, we report a new function of the CaRING1 gene product in the ABA-mediated defense responses of plants to dehydration stress. The expression of the CaRING1 gene was induced in pepper leaves treated with ABA or exposed to dehydration or NaCl. Virus-induced gene silencing of CaRING1 in pepper plants exhibited low degree of ABA-induced stomatal closure and high levels of transpirational water loss in dehydrated leaves. These led to be more vulnerable to dehydration stress in CaRING1-silenced pepper than in the control pepper, accompanied by reduction of ABA-regulated gene expression and low accumulation of ABA and H2O2. In contrast, CaRING1-overexpressing transgenic plants showed enhanced sensitivity to ABA during the seedling growth and establishment. These plants were also more tolerant to dehydration stress than the wild-type plants because of high ABA accumulation, enhanced stomatal closure and increased expression of stress-responsive genes. Together, these results suggest that the CaRING1 acts as positive factor for dehydration tolerance in Arabidopsis by modulating ABA biosynthesis and ABA-mediated stomatal closing and gene expression.

  18. Factor Rings and their decompositions in the Eisenstein integers Ring ${\\huge\\mathbb{Z}}\\left[ \\omega \\right]$

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    Manouchehr Misaghian

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available In this paper we will characterize the structure of factor rings for $\\mathbb{Z}\\left[ \\omega \\right]$ where $\\omega=\\frac{-1+\\sqrt{-3}}{2},$is a 3rd primitive root of unity. Consequently, we can recognize prime numbers(elements and their ramifications in $\\mathbb{Z}\\left[ \\omega \\right]$.

  19. C3HC4-type RING finger protein NbZFP1 is involved in growth and fruit development in Nicotiana benthamiana.

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    Wenxian Wu

    Full Text Available C3HC4-type RING finger proteins constitute a large family in the plant kingdom and play important roles in various physiological processes of plant life. In this study, a C3HC4-type zinc finger gene was isolated from Nicotiana benthamiana. Sequence analysis indicated that the gene encodes a 24-kDa protein with 191 amino acids containing one typical C3HC4-type zinc finger domain; this gene was named NbZFP1. Transient expression of pGDG-NbZFP1 demonstrated that NbZFP1 was localized to the chloroplast, especially in the chloroplasts of cells surrounding leaf stomata. Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS analysis indicated that silencing of NbZFP1 hampered fruit development, although the height of the plants was normal. An overexpression construct was then designed and transferred into Nicotiana benthamiana, and PCR and Southern blot showed that the NbZFP1 gene was successfully integrated into the Nicotiana benthamiana genome. The transgenic lines showed typical compactness, with a short internode length and sturdy stems. This is the first report describing the function of a C3HC4-type RING finger protein in tobacco.

  20. Finger tapping ability in healthy elderly and young adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aoki, Tomoko; Fukuoka, Yoshiyuki

    2010-03-01

    The maximum isometric force production capacity of the fingers decreases with age. However, little information is available on age-related changes in dynamic motor capacity of individual fingers. The purpose of this study was to compare the dynamic motor function of individual fingers between elderly and young adults using rapid single-finger and double-finger tapping. Fourteen elderly and 14 young adults performed maximum frequency tapping by the index, middle, ring, or little finger (single-finger tapping) and with alternate movements of the index-middle, middle-ring, or ring-little finger-pair (double-finger tapping). The maximum pinch force between the thumb and each finger, tactile sensitivity of each fingertip, and time taken to complete a pegboard test were also measured. Compared with young subjects, the older subjects had significantly slower tapping rates in all fingers and finger-pairs in the tapping tasks. The age-related decline was also observed in the tactile sensitivities of all fingers and in the pegboard test. However, there was no group difference in the pinch force of any finger. The tapping rate of each finger did not correlate with the pinch force or tactile sensitivity for the corresponding finger in the elderly subjects. Maximum rate of finger tapping was lower in the elderly adults compared with the young adults. The decline of finger tapping ability in elderly adults seems to be less affected by their maximum force production capacities of the fingers as well as tactile sensitivities at the tips of the fingers.

  1. What Is the Role of Manual Preference in Hand-Digit Mapping During Finger Counting? A Study in a Large Sample of Right- and Left-Handers.

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    Zago, Laure; Badets, Arnaud

    2016-01-01

    The goal of the present study was to test whether there is a relationship between manual preference and hand-digit mapping in 369 French adults with similar numbers of right- and left-handers. Manual laterality was evaluated with the finger tapping test to evaluate hand motor asymmetry, and the Edinburgh handedness inventory was used to assess manual preference strength (MPS) and direction. Participants were asked to spontaneously "count on their fingers from 1 to 10" without indications concerning the hand(s) to be used. The results indicated that both MPS and hand motor asymmetry affect the hand-starting preference for counting. Left-handers with a strong left-hand preference (sLH) or left-hand motor asymmetry largely started to count with their left hand (left-starter), while right-handers with a strong right-hand preference (sRH) or right-hand motor asymmetry largely started to count with their right hand (right-starter). Notably, individuals with weak MPS did not show a hand-starting preference. These findings demonstrated that manual laterality contributes to finger counting directionality. Lastly, the results showed a higher proportion of sLH left-starter individuals compared with sRH right-starters, indicating an asymmetric bias of MPS on hand-starting preference. We hypothesize that the higher proportion of sLH left-starters could be explained by the congruence between left-to-right hand-digit mapping and left-to-right mental number line representation that has been largely reported in the literature. Taken together, these results indicate that finger-counting habits integrate biological and cultural information. © The Author(s) 2015.

  2. Single motor unit firing behaviour in the right trapezius muscle during rapid movement of right or left index finger.

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    Karen eSøgaard

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Computer work is associated with low level sustained activity in the trapezius muscle that may cause myalgia. The activity may be attention related or part of a general multijoint motor program providing stabilization of the shoulder girdle for precise finger manipulation. This study examines single motor unit (MU firing pattern in the right trapezius muscle during fast movements of ipsi or contralateral index finger. Modulated firing rate would support a general multi joint motor program, while a generally increased and continuous firing rate would support attention related activation. 12 healthy female subjects were seated at a computer work place with elbows and forearms supported. Ten double clicks (DC were performed with right and left index finger on a computer mouse instrumented with a trigger.Surface EMG was recorded from right and left trapezius muscle. Intramuscular EMG was recorded with a quadripolar wire electrode in the right trapezius.Surface EMG was analysed as %MVE. The intramuscular EMG was decomposed into individual MU action potential trains. Instantaneous firing rate (IFR was calculated from inter-spike interval with ISI shorter than 20 ms defined as doublets. IFR was averaged across 10 DC to show IFR modulation.Surface EMG in both right and left trapezius was 1.8-2.5%MVE. During right hand DC a total of 32 MUs were identified. Four subjects showed no activity. Four showed MU activity with weak or no variations related to the timing of DC. Four subjects showed large modulation in IFR with temporal relation to DC. During left hand DC 15 MUs were identified in 4 subjects, for two of the subjects with IFR modulations related to DC. Doublets was found as an integrated part of MU activation in the trapezius muscle and for one subject temporarily related to DC. In conclusion, DC with ipsi- and contralateral fast movements of the index finger was found to evoke biomechanically as well as attention related activity pattern in the

  3. Transfer of tactile perceptual learning to untrained neighboring fingers reflects natural use relationships.

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    Dempsey-Jones, Harriet; Harrar, Vanessa; Oliver, Jonathan; Johansen-Berg, Heidi; Spence, Charles; Makin, Tamar R

    2016-03-01

    Tactile learning transfers from trained to untrained fingers in a pattern that reflects overlap between the representations of fingers in the somatosensory system (e.g., neurons with multifinger receptive fields). While physical proximity on the body is known to determine the topography of somatosensory representations, tactile coactivation is also an established organizing principle of somatosensory topography. In this study we investigated whether tactile coactivation, induced by habitual inter-finger cooperative use (use pattern), shapes inter-finger overlap. To this end, we used psychophysics to compare the transfer of tactile learning from the middle finger to its adjacent fingers. This allowed us to compare transfer to two fingers that are both physically and cortically adjacent to the middle finger but have differing use patterns. Specifically, the middle finger is used more frequently with the ring than with the index finger. We predicted this should lead to greater representational overlap between the former than the latter pair. Furthermore, this difference in overlap should be reflected in differential learning transfer from the middle to index vs. ring fingers. Subsequently, we predicted temporary learning-related changes in the middle finger's representation (e.g., cortical magnification) would cause transient interference in perceptual thresholds of the ring, but not the index, finger. Supporting this, longitudinal analysis revealed a divergence where learning transfer was fast to the index finger but relatively delayed to the ring finger. Our results support the theory that tactile coactivation patterns between digits affect their topographic relationships. Our findings emphasize how action shapes perception and somatosensory organization. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

  4. Analysis and interpretation of a unique Arabic finger ring from the Viking Age town of Birka, Sweden.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wärmländer, Sebastian K T S; Wåhlander, Linda; Saage, Ragnar; Rezakhani, Khodadad; Hamid Hassan, Saied A; Neiß, Michael

    2015-01-01

    In this work we used non-destructive SEM imaging and EDS analysis to characterize the material composition of an Arabic finger ring, which was found in a 9(th) c. woman's grave at the Viking Age (A.D. 793-1066) trading center of Birka, Sweden. The ring is set with a violet stone inscribed with Arabic Kufic writing, here interpreted as reading "il-la-lah", i.e. "For/to Allah". The stone was previously thought to be an amethyst, but the current results show it to be coloured glass. The ring has been cast in a high-grade silver alloy (94.5/5.5 Ag/Cu) and retains the post-casting marks from the filing done to remove flash and mold lines. Thus, the ring has rarely been worn, and likely passed from the silversmith to the woman buried at Birka with few owners in between. The ring may therefore constitute material evidence for direct interactions between Viking Age Scandinavia and the Islamic world. Being the only ring with an Arabic inscription found at a Scandinavian archaeological site, it is a unique object among Swedish Viking Age material. The technical analysis presented here provides a better understanding of the properties and background of this intriguing piece of jewelry. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. [When doors slam, fingers jam!].

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    Claudet, I; Toubal, K; Carnet, C; Rekhroukh, H; Zelmat, B; Debuisson, C; Cahuzac, J-P

    2007-08-01

    Epidemiological analysis in a universitary paediatric emergency unit of children admitted after accidental injuries resulting from fingers crushed in a door. Prospective, descriptive cohort study from September 6th, 2004 to July 1st, 2005 included all children admitted for finger injuries crushed in a non-automatic door. included accidents due to automatic doors, toy's or refrigerator doors, families who refused to participate to the study or families who had left the waiting area before medical examination. Collected data were patient and family characteristics, accident characteristics and its management. Three hundred and forty children affected by 427 digital lesions were included. The mean age was 5.5+/-3.8 years (range 4 months - 15.5 years). Male/female ratio was equal to 1.2: 1. Fifty-eight percent of patients belonged to families composed of 3 or more siblings. Ninety-three per cent of families came to hospital within the first 2 hours after the accident (mean delay 99+/-162 min, median range 54 minutes). Location of the accident was: domestic (62%, at home (64%)), at school (17%). Locations within the home were: the bedroom (33%), bathroom and toilets (21%). An adult was present in 75% of cases and responsible for the trauma in 25% of accidents, another child in 44%. The finger or fingers were trapped on the hinge side in 57% of patients. No specific safeguard devices were used by 94% of families. Among victims, 20% had several crushed digits; left and right hand were injured with an equal frequency. The commonest involved digits were: the middle finger (29%), the ring finger (23%). The nail plate was damaged in 60% of digital lesions, associated with a wound (50%), a distal phalanx fracture (P3) (12%). Six children had a partial or complete amputation of P3, 2 children a lesion of the extensor tendon, 1 child had a rupture of the external lateral ligament. Three percent of children required an admission to the paediatric orthopaedic surgery unit. Post

  6. Number magnitude to finger mapping is disembodied and topological.

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    Plaisier, Myrthe A; Smeets, Jeroen B J

    2011-03-01

    It has been shown that humans associate fingers with numbers because finger counting strategies interact with numerical judgements. At the same time, there is evidence that there is a relation between number magnitude and space as small to large numbers seem to be represented from left to right. In the present study, we investigated whether number magnitude to finger mapping is embodied (related to the order of fingers on the hand) or disembodied (spatial). We let healthy human volunteers name random numbers between 1 and 30, while simultaneously tapping a random finger. Either the hands were placed directly next to each other, 30 cm apart, or the hands were crossed such that the left hand was on the right side of the body mid-line. The results show that naming a smaller number than the previous one was associated with tapping a finger to the left of the previously tapped finger. This shows that there is a spatial (disembodied) mapping between number magnitude and fingers. Furthermore, we show that this mapping is topological rather than metrically scaled.

  7. Early experience of the compression anastomosis ring (CARTM 27) in left-sided colon resection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jung-Yeon; Woo, Jin-Hee; Choi, Hong-Jo; Park, Ki-Jae; Roh, Young-Hoon; Kim, Ki-Han; Lee, Hak-Yoon

    2011-01-01

    AIM: To evaluate clinical validity of the compression anastomosis ring (CAR™ 27) anastomosis in left-sided colonic resection. METHODS: A non-randomized prospective data collection was performed for patients undergoing an elective left-sided colon resection, followed by an anastomosis using the CAR™ 27 between November 2009 and January 2011. Eligibility criteria of the use of the CAR™ 27 were anastomoses between the colon and at or above the intraperitoneal rectum. The primary short-term clinical endpoint, rate of anastomotic leakage, and other clinical outcomes, including intra- and postoperative complications, length of operation time and hospital stay, and the ring elimination time were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 79 patients (male, 43; median age, 64 years) underwent an elective left-sided colon resection, followed by an anastomosis using the CAR™ 27. Colectomy was performed laparoscopically in 70 patients, in whom two patients converted to open procedure (2.9%). There was no surgical mortality. As an intraoperative complication, total disruption of the anastomosis occurred by premature enforced tension on the proximal segment of the anastomosis in one patient. The ring was removed and another new CAR™ 27 anastomosis was constructed. One patient with sigmoid colon cancer showed postoperative anastomotic leakage after 6 d postoperatively and temporary diverting ileostomy was performed. Exact date of expulsion of the ring could not be recorded because most patients were not aware that the ring had been expelled. No patients manifested clinical symptoms of anastomotic stricture. CONCLUSION: Short-term evaluation of the CAR™ 27 anastomosis in elective left colectomy suggested it to be a safe and efficacious alternative to the standard hand-sewn or stapling technique. PMID:22147979

  8. Early experience of the compression anastomosis ring (CAR™ 27) in left-sided colon resection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jung-Yeon; Woo, Jin-Hee; Choi, Hong-Jo; Park, Ki-Jae; Roh, Young-Hoon; Kim, Ki-Han; Lee, Hak-Yoon

    2011-11-21

    To evaluate clinical validity of the compression anastomosis ring (CAR™ 27) anastomosis in left-sided colonic resection. A non-randomized prospective data collection was performed for patients undergoing an elective left-sided colon resection, followed by an anastomosis using the CAR™ 27 between November 2009 and January 2011. Eligibility criteria of the use of the CAR™ 27 were anastomoses between the colon and at or above the intraperitoneal rectum. The primary short-term clinical endpoint, rate of anastomotic leakage, and other clinical outcomes, including intra- and postoperative complications, length of operation time and hospital stay, and the ring elimination time were evaluated. A total of 79 patients (male, 43; median age, 64 years) underwent an elective left-sided colon resection, followed by an anastomosis using the CAR™ 27. Colectomy was performed laparoscopically in 70 patients, in whom two patients converted to open procedure (2.9%). There was no surgical mortality. As an intraoperative complication, total disruption of the anastomosis occurred by premature enforced tension on the proximal segment of the anastomosis in one patient. The ring was removed and another new CAR™ 27 anastomosis was constructed. One patient with sigmoid colon cancer showed postoperative anastomotic leakage after 6 d postoperatively and temporary diverting ileostomy was performed. Exact date of expulsion of the ring could not be recorded because most patients were not aware that the ring had been expelled. No patients manifested clinical symptoms of anastomotic stricture. Short-term evaluation of the CAR™ 27 anastomosis in elective left colectomy suggested it to be a safe and efficacious alternative to the standard hand-sewn or stapling technique.

  9. Analysis of High-Density Surface EMG and Finger Pressure in the Left Forearm of Violin Players: A Feasibility Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cattarello, Paolo; Merletti, Roberto; Petracca, Francesco

    2017-09-01

    Wrist and finger flexor muscles of the left hand were evaluated using high-density surface EMG (HDsEMG) in 17 violin players. Pressure sensors also were mounted below the second string of the violin to evaluate, simultaneously, finger pressure. Electrode grid size was 110x70 mm (12x8 electrodes with interelectrode distance=10 mm and Ø=3 mm). The study objective was to observe the activation patterns of these muscles while the violinists sequentially played four notes--SI (B), DO# (C#), RE (D), MI (E)--at 2 bows/s (one bow up in 0.5 s and one down in 0.5 s) and 4 bows/s on the second string, while producing a constant (CONST) or ramp (RAMP) sound volume. HDsEMG images obtained while playing the notes were compared with those obtained during isometric radial or ulnar flexion of the wrist or fingers. Two image descriptors provided information on image differences. Results showed that the technique was reliable and provided reliable signals, and that recognizably different sEMG images could be associated with the four notes tested, despite the variability within and between subjects playing the same note. sEMG activity of the left hand muscles and pressure on the string in the RAMP task were strongly affected in some individuals by the sound volume (controlled by the right hand) and much less in other individuals. These findings question whether there is an individual or generally optimal way of pressing violin strings with the left hand. The answer to this question might substantially modify the teaching of string instruments.

  10. Rehabilitation of single finger amputation with customized silicone prosthesis

    OpenAIRE

    Yadav, Niharika; Chand, Pooran; Jurel, Sunit Kumar

    2016-01-01

    Finger amputations are common in accidents at home, work, and play. Apart from trauma, congenital disease and deformity also leads to finger amputation. This results in loss of function, loss of sensation as well as loss of body image. Finger prosthesis offers psychological support and social acceptance in such cases. This clinical report describes a method to fabricate ring retained silicone finger prosthesis in a patient with partial finger loss.

  11. Number to finger mapping is topological.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Plaisier, M.A.; Smeets, J.B.J.

    2011-01-01

    It has been shown that humans associate fingers with numbers because finger counting strategies interact with numerical judgements. At the same time, there is evidence that there is a relation between number magnitude and space as small to large numbers seem to be represented from left to right. In

  12. Finger replantation: surgical technique and indications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barbary, S; Dap, F; Dautel, G

    2013-12-01

    In this article, we discuss the surgical technique of finger replantation in detail, distinguishing particularities of technique in cases of thumb amputation, children fingertip replantation, ring finger avulsion, and very distal replantations. We emphasize the principles of bone shortening, the spare part concept, the special importance of nerve sutures and the use of vein graft in case of avulsion or crushing. However, even if finger replantation is now a routine procedure, a clear distinction should be made between revascularization and functional success. The indications for finger replantation are then detailed in the second part of this paper. The absolute indications for replantation are thumb, multiple fingers, transmetacarpal or hand, and any upper extremity amputation in a child whatever the level. Fingertip amputations distal to the insertion of the Flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) are also a good indication. Other cases are more controversial because of the poor functional outcome, especially for the index finger, which is often functionally excluded. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier SAS.

  13. Brown tumour in phalanx of the ring finger due to chronic kidney failure. A case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forigua V, J E; Brunicardi H, R A; Morales V, C A; Archila, M Del P; Chaparro Rivera, D M

    Brown tumours are highly vascular lytic bone lesions found in primary and secondary hyperparathyroidism. The brown term is given due to the red-brown colour of the tissue, which is due to the accumulation of hemosiderin. The case is presented of a 29 year-old male with chronic renal failure, who had a mass in the tip of the ring finger after a trauma of 4 months onset, which had increased progressively in size and pain. He was treated surgically, by amputation, with no recurrence 10 months after the surgery. Copyright © 2016 SECOT. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  14. Neural Model for Left-Handed CPW Bandpass Filter Loaded Split Ring Resonator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Haiwen; Wang, Shuxin; Tan, Mingtao; Zhang, Qijun

    2010-02-01

    Compact left-handed coplanar waveguide (CPW) bandpass filter loaded split ring resonator (SRR) is presented in this paper. The proposed filter exhibits a quasi-elliptic function response and its circuit size occupies only 12 × 11.8 mm2 (≈0.21 λg × 0.20 λg). Also, a simple circuit model is given and the parametric study of this filter is discussed. Then, with the aid of NeuroModeler software, a five-layer feed-forward perceptron neural networks model is built up to optimize the proposed filter design fast and accurately. Finally, this newly left-handed CPW bandpass filter was fabricated and measured. A good agreement between simulations and measurement verifies the proposed left-handed filter and the validity of design methodology.

  15. Multi-detector row computed tomographic evaluation of a rare type of complete vascular ring: Double aortic arch with atretic left arch distal to the origin of left subclavian artery

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hung, Ying Ying; Fu, Ching Yun; Wei, Hao Ji; Tsai, I Chen; Chen, Clayton Chi Chang [Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung (China)

    2013-10-15

    Double aortic arch with an atretic left arch distal to the origin of left subclavian artery was diagnosed with multi-detector row computed tomography (MDCT) in two children with dysphagia. This rare type of complete vascular ring is clinically important because it may be confused with right aortic arch in mirror imaging. Anatomic details of this rare type of complete vascular ring demonstrated on MDCT facilitated appropriate surgical treatment.

  16. Health effects associated with exposure to radioactively contaminated gold rings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baptiste, M.S.; Rothenberg, R.; Nasca, P.C.; Janerich, D.T.; Stutzman, C.D.; Rimawi, K.; O'Brien, W.; Matuszek, J.

    1984-01-01

    This study was designed to assess the health risks associated with exposure to radioactively contaminated gold rings. A group of 135 exposed individuals, who were identified through a statewide jewelry screening program, were studied to determine the frequency of carcinoma and other skin problems on the ring finger. Severity of skin problems increased with increasing length of wear. Forty-one of the exposures were associated with mild to severe skin problems. Nine of the individuals studied were diagnosed as having histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinomas at the site of exposure. The incidence of skin cancer on the ring finger was eleven times that expected for men and forty-five times that expected for women. These data indicate that physicians who have patients with skin lesions of the ring finger should be aware of the possibility of exposure to a radioactive gold ring

  17. Study on evaluation of normal range of maximum mouth opening among Indian adults using three finger index: A descriptive study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ravleen Nagi

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Early recognition of decreased or limited mouth opening in many pathological conditions is necessary for prompt diagnosis and to plan the treatment options judiciously. Therefore, it is essential to establish what constitutes normal opening for the population. Aim: This study was designed with an aim to consider the applicability of this method as an index to measure the maximum mouth opening (MMO among different age groups in an Indian population. Materials and Methods: Total 400 healthy participants were studied in the age range of 17 to 60 years and stratified into four groups according to their age ranges. The maximum interincisal distance and width of three fingers (index, middle, and ring fingers at the first distal interphalangeal folds of both right and left hand were measured using Vernier caliper. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 21 software package. Results: Results suggested that mean value and range of MMO for males was 51.00 mm (33.0–68.0 mm and for females it was 46.3 mm (39.0–58.0 mm. Mean values of MMO correlated significantly with the width of three fingers of left and right hand as shown by Pearson correlation test. Conclusion: The study suggested that three finger index is a convenient and reliable tool for assessing normal MMO and is a most appropriate method to normal from restricted mouth opening.

  18. An fMRI study of finger tapping in children and adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turesky, Ted K; Olulade, Olumide A; Luetje, Megan M; Eden, Guinevere F

    2018-04-02

    Functional brain imaging studies have characterized the neural bases of voluntary movement for finger tapping in adults, but equivalent information for children is lacking. When contrasted to adults, one would expect children to have relatively greater activation, reflecting compensation for an underdeveloped motor system combined with less experience in the execution of voluntary movement. To test this hypothesis, we acquired functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data on 17 healthy right-handed children (7.48 ± 0.66 years) and 15 adults (24.9 ± 2.9 years) while they performed an irregularly paced finger-tapping task in response to a visual cue (left- and right-hand examined separately). Whole-brain within-group analyses revealed that finger tapping in either age group and for either hand activated contralateral SM1, SMA, ipsilateral anterior cerebellum, and occipital cortices. We used an ANOVA factorial design to test for main effects of Age Group (children vs adults), Hand (left vs. right), and their interactions. For main effects of Age Group, children showed relatively greater activity in left SM1 (extending into bilateral SMA), and, surprisingly, adults exhibited relatively greater activity in right pre-SMA/SMA (extending into left pre-SMA/SMA), right lateral globus pallidus, left putamen, and right anterior cerebellum. The interaction of Age Group × Hand revealed that while both groups activated right SM1 during left finger tapping and exhibited signal decreases (i.e., below fixation baseline) during right finger tapping, both these responses were attenuated in children relative to adults. These data provide an important foundation by which to study children with motor disorders. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. The impact of finger counting habits on arithmetic in adults and children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newman, Sharlene D; Soylu, Firat

    2014-07-01

    Here, we explored the impact of finger counting habits on arithmetic in both adults and children. Two groups of participants were examined, those that begin counting with their left hand (left-starters) and those that begin counting with their right hand (right-starters). For the adults, performance on an addition task in which participants added 2 two-digit numbers was compared. The results revealed that left-starters were slower than right-starters when adding and they had lower forward and backward digit-span scores. The children (aged 5-12) showed similar results on a single-digit timed addition task-right-starters outperformed left-starters. However, the children did not reveal differences in working memory or verbal and non-verbal intelligence as a function of finger counting habit. We argue that the motor act of finger counting influences how number is represented and suggest that left-starters may have a more bilateral representation that accounts for the slower processing.

  20. Finger prosthesis: a boon to handicapped.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Ridhima; Kumar, Lakshya; Rao, Jitendra; Singh, Kamleshwar

    2013-08-29

    This is a clinical case report of a 52-year-old male patient with four partially missing fingers of the left hand. The article describes the clinical and laboratory procedure of making prosthesis with modern silicone material. A wax pattern was fabricated using the right hand of the patient. A special type of wax was formulated to make the pattern so that it can be easily moulded and carved. Intrinsic and extrinsic staining was also performed to match the adjacent skin colour. The patient was given the finger prosthesis and was asked to use a half glove (sports) to mask the junction between the prosthesis and the normal tissue. It also provides additional retention to the artificial fingers. The patient felt his social acceptance improved after wearing the finger prosthesis.

  1. [Treatment of trigger finger with located needle knife].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Qi-Feng; Yang, Jiang; Xi, Sheng-Hua

    2016-07-25

    To investigate the clinical effects of located needle knife in the treatment of trigger finger. The clinical data of 133 patients(145 fingers) with trigger finger underwent treatment with located needle knife from September 2010 to March 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 37 males(40 fingers) and 96 females (105 fingers), aged from 18 to 71 years old with a mean of 51.8 years. Course of disease was from 1 to 19 months with an average of 8.2 months. Affected fingers included 82 thumbs, 12 index fingers, 11 middle fingers, 36 ring fingers, and 4 little fingers. According to the standard of Quinnell grade, 42 fingers were grade III, 92 fingers were grade IV, and 11 fingers were grade V. Firstly the double pipe gab was put into the distal edge of hypertrophic tendon sheath, then small knife needle was used to release the sheath proximally along the tendon line direction. The informations of wound healing and nerve injury, postoperative finger function, finger pain at 6 months were observed. The operation time was from 8 to 25 min with an average of 9.8 min. All the patients were followed up from 6 to 26 months with an average of 12.5 months. No complications such as the wound inflammation and seepage, vascular or nerve injuries were found. According to the standard of Quinnell grade, 123 fingers got excellent results, 15 good, 7 poor. It's a good choice to treat trigger finger with located needle knife in advantage of minimal invasion, simple safe operation, and it should be promoted in clinic.

  2. Rare RNF213 variants in the C-terminal region encompassing the RING-finger domain are associated with moyamoya angiopathy in Caucasians.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guey, Stéphanie; Kraemer, Markus; Hervé, Dominique; Ludwig, Thomas; Kossorotoff, Manoëlle; Bergametti, Françoise; Schwitalla, Jan Claudius; Choi, Simone; Broseus, Lucile; Callebaut, Isabelle; Genin, Emmanuelle; Tournier-Lasserve, Elisabeth

    2017-08-01

    Moyamoya angiopathy (MMA) is a cerebral angiopathy affecting the terminal part of internal carotid arteries. Its prevalence is 10 times higher in Japan and Korea than in Europe. In East Asian countries, moyamoya is strongly associated to the R4810K variant in the RNF213 gene that encodes for a protein containing a RING-finger and two AAA+ domains. This variant has never been detected in Caucasian MMA patients, but several rare RNF213 variants have been reported in Caucasian cases. Using a collapsing test based on exome data from 68 European MMA probands and 573 ethnically matched controls, we showed a significant association between rare missense RNF213 variants and MMA in European patients (odds ratio (OR)=2.24, 95% confidence interval (CI)=(1.19-4.11), P=0.01). Variants specific to cases had higher pathogenicity predictive scores (median of 24.2 in cases versus 9.4 in controls, P=0.029) and preferentially clustered in a C-terminal hotspot encompassing the RING-finger domain of RNF213 (P<10 -3 ). This association was even stronger when restricting the analysis to childhood-onset and familial cases (OR=4.54, 95% CI=(1.80-11.34), P=1.1 × 10 -3 ). All clinically affected relatives who were genotyped were carriers. However, the need for additional factors to develop MMA is strongly suggested by the fact that only 25% of mutation carrier relatives were clinically affected.

  3. A Diabetic Elderly Man with Finger Ulcer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohamad, Noraini; Badrin, Salziyan; Wan Abdullah, Wan Noor Hasbee

    2018-03-01

    Fixed cutaneous sporotrichosis is a differential diagnosis that can be considered in diabetic patients who present with a poorly healing ulcer. Although its prevalence is low, it can occur in patients with immunocompromised status. Here we report a case of a 70-year-old man with diabetes mellitus who presented with a 1-month history of an unhealed ulcer over the tip of his left middle finger. He experienced a cat bite over his left middle finger 1 month prior to the appearance of the lesion. A skin biopsy revealed the presence of Sporothrix schenckii . Oral itraconazole 200 mg twice daily was started empirically and the patient showed marked improvement in the skin lesion after 2 months of therapy.

  4. Radiation exposure to nuclear medicine personnel handling positron emitters from 68Ge/68Ga generator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dwivedi, Durgesh Kumar; Snehlata; Kumar, Rakesh; Naswa, Niraj; Sharma, Punit; Malhotra, Arun; Bandopadhayaya, Guru Pad; Bal, Chandrashekhar; Dwivedi, Alok Kumar; Lochab, Satya Pal; Pant, Gauri Shankar

    2011-01-01

    To measure the radiation exposure to nuclear medicine personnel during synthesis and injection to the patients of 68 Ga 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-N,N',N'',N'''-tetraacetic acid (DOTA)-1-Nal -octreotide (NOC)- (DOTA-NOC) using ring thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLDs). Synthesis of 68 Ga DOTA-NOC was done on a semi-automated system. Finger doses were measured during synthesis and injection of 68 Ga DOTA-NOC. The occupational workers wore TLDs at the base of ring finger of both hands. The finger doses of two radio chemists were measured during synthesis of 68 Ga DOTA-NOC while that of a physician during its injection to the patients. Duration of the study was eight months and a total of 20 samples were prepared. During synthesis, the mean dose to base of left ring finger was 3.02 ± 1.01 mSv and to base of right ring finger was 1.96 ±0.86 mSv. Mean dose to base of left ring finger was 1.26 ± 0.35 mSv while that to base of right ring finger was 1.03 ± 0.13 mSv during injection. The mean dose was observed to be higher during synthesis than injection. However, the difference was not significant (P = 0.27 and P = 0.18, respectively). Overall mean finger dose of left hand was 2.43 ±1.21 mSv, whereas for the right hand the same was 1.65±0.82 mSv. Finger doses to radio chemists during semi-automated synthesis of 68 Ga DOTA-NOC and that to the physician involved in injection of 68 Ga DOTA-NOC were found to be within permissible limits. Ring dosimeters must be worn for the safety of the nuclear medicine personnel involved in synthesis and injection of 68 Ga DOTA-NOC. (author)

  5. Design and control of five fingered under-actuated robotic hand

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sahoo, Biswojit; Parida, Pramod Kumar

    2018-04-01

    Now a day's research regarding humanoid robots and its application in different fields (industry, household, rehabilitation and exploratory) is going on entire the globe. Among which a challenging topic is to design a dexterous robotic hand which not only can perform as a hand of a robot but also can be used in re habilitation. The basic key concern is a dexterous robot hand which can be able to mimic the function of biological hand to perform different operations. This thesis work is regarding design and control of a under-actuated robotic hand consisting of four under actuated fingers (index finger, middle finger, little finger and ring finger ) , a thumb and a dexterous palm which can copy the motions and grasp type of human hand which having 21degrees of freedom instead of 25Degree Of Freedom.

  6. Touching my left elbow: the anatomical structure of the body affects the illusion of self-touch.

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Rebekah C; Aimola Davies, Anne M

    2011-01-01

    A self-touch paradigm is used to create the illusion that one is touching one's own left elbow when one is actually touching the examiner's arm. Our new self-touch illusion is sensitive to the anatomical structure of the body: you can touch your left elbow with your right index finger but not with your left index finger. Illusion onset was faster and illusion ratings were higher when participants administered touch using the plausible right index finger compared with the implausible left index finger.

  7. The unique N-terminal zinc finger of synaptotagmin-like protein 4 reveals FYVE structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miyamoto, Kazuhide; Nakatani, Arisa; Saito, Kazuki

    2017-12-01

    Synaptotagmin-like protein 4 (Slp4), expressed in human platelets, is associated with dense granule release. Slp4 is comprised of the N-terminal zinc finger, Slp homology domain, and C2 domains. We synthesized a compact construct (the Slp4N peptide) corresponding to the Slp4 N-terminal zinc finger. Herein, we have determined the solution structure of the Slp4N peptide by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Furthermore, experimental, chemical modification of Cys residues revealed that the Slp4N peptide binds two zinc atoms to mediate proper folding. NMR data showed that eight Cys residues coordinate zinc atoms in a cross-brace fashion. The Simple Modular Architecture Research Tool database predicted the structure of Slp4N as a RING finger. However, the actual structure of the Slp4N peptide adopts a unique C 4 C 4 -type FYVE fold and is distinct from a RING fold. To create an artificial RING finger (ARF) with specific ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (E2)-binding capability, cross-brace structures with eight zinc-ligating residues are needed as the scaffold. The cross-brace structure of the Slp4N peptide could be utilized as the scaffold for the design of ARFs. © 2017 The Protein Society.

  8. In the finger it lingers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irfan Mohamad

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available A previously healthy 80-year-old woman presented with a history of a thorn prick injury over the distal phalange of her left finger obtained while gardening two months ago. She claimed to have a non-healing cut with a nodular lesion, which progressively increased in size, extending upwards towards the region of her left arm. There was no fever or palpable lymph nodes in the axillary region. She had been prescribed antibiotics from the local hospital but her condition did not improve.

  9. RING finger protein 121 facilitates the degradation and membrane localization of voltage-gated sodium channels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogino, Kazutoyo; Low, Sean E.; Yamada, Kenta; Saint-Amant, Louis; Zhou, Weibin; Muto, Akira; Asakawa, Kazuhide; Nakai, Junichi; Kawakami, Koichi; Kuwada, John Y.; Hirata, Hiromi

    2015-01-01

    Following their synthesis in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), voltage-gated sodium channels (NaV) are transported to the membranes of excitable cells, where they often cluster, such as at the axon initial segment of neurons. Although the mechanisms by which NaV channels form and maintain clusters have been extensively examined, the processes that govern their transport and degradation have received less attention. Our entry into the study of these processes began with the isolation of a new allele of the zebrafish mutant alligator, which we found to be caused by mutations in the gene encoding really interesting new gene (RING) finger protein 121 (RNF121), an E3-ubiquitin ligase present in the ER and cis-Golgi compartments. Here we demonstrate that RNF121 facilitates two opposing fates of NaV channels: (i) ubiquitin-mediated proteasome degradation and (ii) membrane localization when coexpressed with auxiliary NaVβ subunits. Collectively, these results indicate that RNF121 participates in the quality control of NaV channels during their synthesis and subsequent transport to the membrane. PMID:25691753

  10. Selective recruitment of single motor units in human flexor digitorum superficialis muscle during flexion of individual fingers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Butler, T J; Kilbreath, S L; Gorman, R B; Gandevia, S C

    2005-08-15

    Flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) is an extrinsic multi-tendoned muscle which flexes the proximal interphalangeal joints of the four fingers. It comprises four digital components, each with a tendon that inserts onto its corresponding finger. To determine the degree to which these digital components can be selectively recruited by volition, we recorded the activity of a single motor unit in one component via an intramuscular electrode while the subject isometrically flexed each of the remaining fingers, one at a time. The finger on which the unit principally acted was defined as the 'test finger' and that which flexed isometrically was the 'active' finger. Activity in 79 units was recorded. Isometric finger flexion forces of 50% maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) activated less than 50% of single units in components of FDS acting on fingers that were not voluntarily flexed. With two exceptions, the median recruitment threshold for all active-test finger combinations involving the index, middle, ring and little finger test units was between 49 and 60% MVC (60% MVC being the value assigned to those not recruited). The exceptions were flexion of the little finger while recording from ring finger units (median: 40% MVC), and vice versa (median: 2% MVC). For all active-test finger combinations, only 35/181 units were activated when the active finger flexed at less than 20% MVC, and the fingers were adjacent for 28 of these. Functionally, to recruit FDS units during grasping and lifting, relatively heavy objects were required, although systematic variation occurred with the width of the object. In conclusion, FDS components can be selectively activated by volition and this may be especially important for grasping at high forces with one or more fingers.

  11. [Right-side aortic arch with aberrant left subclavian artery and Kommerell's diverticulum. A cause of vascular ring].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tamayo-Espinosa, Tania; Erdmenger-Orellana, Julio; Becerra-Becerra, Rosario; Balderrabano-Saucedo, Norma; Segura-Standford, Begoña

    The right-side aortic arch may be associated with aberrant left subclavian artery, in some cases this artery originates from an aneurismal dilation of the aorta called Kommerell's diverticulum. A report is presented on 2 cases of vascular ring formed by a right-side aortic arch, anomalous left subclavian artery, Kommerell's diverticulum and left patent ductus arteriosus. A review the literature was also performed as regards the embryological development and the imaging methods used to help in the diagnosis of this rare vascular anomaly. Copyright © 2017 Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez. Publicado por Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.

  12. Apraxia in left-handers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldenberg, Georg

    2013-08-01

    In typical right-handed patients both apraxia and aphasia are caused by damage to the left hemisphere, which also controls the dominant right hand. In left-handed subjects the lateralities of language and of control of the dominant hand can dissociate. This permits disentangling the association of apraxia with aphasia from that with handedness. Pantomime of tool use, actual tool use and imitation of meaningless hand and finger postures were examined in 50 consecutive left-handed subjects with unilateral hemisphere lesions. There were three aphasic patients with pervasive apraxia caused by left-sided lesions. As the dominant hand is controlled by the right hemisphere, they constitute dissociations of apraxia from handedness. Conversely there were also three patients with pervasive apraxia caused by right brain lesions without aphasia. They constitute dissociations of apraxia from aphasia. Across the whole group of patients dissociations from handedness and from aphasia were observed for all manifestations of apraxia, but their frequency depended on the type of apraxia. Defective pantomime and defective tool use occurred rarely without aphasia, whereas defective imitation of hand, but not finger, postures was more frequent after right than left brain damage. The higher incidence of defective imitation of hand postures in right brain damage was mainly due to patients who had also hemi-neglect. This interaction alerts to the possibility that the association of right hemisphere damage with apraxia has to do with spatial aptitudes of the right hemisphere rather than with its control of the dominant left hand. Comparison with data from right-handed patients showed no differences between the severity of apraxia for imitation of hand or finger postures, but impairment on pantomime of tool use was milder in apraxic left-handers than in apraxic right-handers. This alleviation of the severity of apraxia corresponded with a similar alleviation of the severity of aphasia as

  13. Speed invariance of independent control of finger movements in pianists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furuya, Shinichi; Soechting, John F

    2012-10-01

    Independent control of finger movements characterizes skilled motor behaviors such as tool use and musical performance. The purpose of the present study was to identify the effect of movement frequency (tempo) on individuated finger movements in piano playing. Joint motion at the digits was recorded while 5 expert pianists were playing 30 excerpts from musical pieces with different fingering and key locations either at a predetermined normal tempo or as fast as possible. Principal component analysis and cluster analysis using an expectation-maximization algorithm determined three distinct patterns of finger movement coordination for a keypress with each of the index, middle, ring, and little fingers at each of the two tempi. The finger kinematics of each coordination pattern was overall similar across the tempi. Tone sequences assigned into each cluster were also similar for both tempi. A linear regression analysis determined no apparent difference in the amount of movement covariation between the striking and nonstriking fingers at both metacarpo-phalangeal and proximal-interphalangeal joints across the two tempi, which indicated no effect of tempo on independent finger movements in piano playing. In addition, the standard deviation of interkeystroke interval across strokes did not differ between the two tempi, indicating maintenance of rhythmic accuracy of keystrokes. Strong temporal constraints on finger movements during piano playing may underlie the maintained independent control of fingers over a wider range of tempi, a feature being likely to be specific to skilled pianists.

  14. Finger Length Ratio (2D:4D) in Central India and an Attempt to Verify Fraternal Birth Order Effect: A Population Based Cross-Sectional Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maitra, Arjun; Maitra, Chaitali; Jha, Dilip Kumar; Biswas, Rakesh

    2016-12-01

    A normal physiology of a human being is not mere a series of functions occurring with specific intensities and timing. There are lot of factors that may change the normal physiological activity within normal limits. Finger length ratio is one of the markers of intrauterine androgen exposure and it is debated and contradicted by many authors. Digit ratio varies among the ethnicities. Many Indian studies show that there is considerable difference in finger length ratio in different population. Data regarding Central India was not found on extensive search. To find out the finger length ratio and explore the birth order effect on finger length ratio among the first two successive born in the said population. We conducted a survey on 1500 volunteer persons (800 male and 700 female) over two years of time. We measured the length of the index finger (2D) and ring finger (4D) of both the hands and asked about their birth order history to find out the digit ratio for Central India population and any existing correlation of the same with birth order. T Test and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used for the measure of significance and difference among the groups. The peffect among the eldest, second born with elder brother and second born with elder sister groups, no significant (p>0.05) variation for finger length ratio of right and left hands observed in both male and female population. Our study reports that the finger length ratio (2D:4D) for Central India population did not show significant association between finger length ratio and fraternal birth order among the first two successive born.

  15. Experimental Evaluation of a Braille-Reading-Inspired Finger Motion Adaptive Algorithm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ulusoy, Melda; Sipahi, Rifat

    2016-01-01

    Braille reading is a complex process involving intricate finger-motion patterns and finger-rubbing actions across Braille letters for the stimulation of appropriate nerves. Although Braille reading is performed by smoothly moving the finger from left-to-right, research shows that even fluent reading requires right-to-left movements of the finger, known as "reversal". Reversals are crucial as they not only enhance stimulation of nerves for correctly reading the letters, but they also show one to re-read the letters that were missed in the first pass. Moreover, it is known that reversals can be performed as often as in every sentence and can start at any location in a sentence. Here, we report experimental results on the feasibility of an algorithm that can render a machine to automatically adapt to reversal gestures of one's finger. Through Braille-reading-analogous tasks, the algorithm is tested with thirty sighted subjects that volunteered in the study. We find that the finger motion adaptive algorithm (FMAA) is useful in achieving cooperation between human finger and the machine. In the presence of FMAA, subjects' performance metrics associated with the tasks have significantly improved as supported by statistical analysis. In light of these encouraging results, preliminary experiments are carried out with five blind subjects with the aim to put the algorithm to test. Results obtained from carefully designed experiments showed that subjects' Braille reading accuracy in the presence of FMAA was more favorable then when FMAA was turned off. Utilization of FMAA in future generation Braille reading devices thus holds strong promise.

  16. FingerSynth: Wearable Transducers for Exploring the Environment and Playing Music Everywhere

    OpenAIRE

    Dublon, Gershon; Paradiso, Joseph A.

    2014-01-01

    We present the FingerSynth, a wearable musical instrument made up of a bracelet and set of rings that enable its player to produce sound by touching nearly any surface in their environment. Each ring contains a small, independently controlled exciter transducer commonly used for auditory bone conduction. The rings sound loudly when they touch a hard object, and are practically silent otherwise. When a wearer touches their own (or someone else's) head, the contacted person hears the sound thro...

  17. Patient-specific prosthetic fingers by remote collaboration--a case study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John-John Cabibihan

    Full Text Available The concealment of amputation through prosthesis usage can shield an amputee from social stigma and help improve the emotional healing process especially at the early stages of hand or finger loss. However, the traditional techniques in prosthesis fabrication defy this as the patients need numerous visits to the clinics for measurements, fitting and follow-ups. This paper presents a method for constructing a prosthetic finger through online collaboration with the designer. The main input from the amputee comes from the Computer Tomography (CT data in the region of the affected and the non-affected fingers. These data are sent over the internet and the prosthesis is constructed using visualization, computer-aided design and manufacturing tools. The finished product is then shipped to the patient. A case study with a single patient having an amputated ring finger at the proximal interphalangeal joint shows that the proposed method has a potential to address the patient's psychosocial concerns and minimize the exposure of the finger loss to the public.

  18. Sliding Window-Based Region of Interest Extraction for Finger Vein Images

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Lu; Yang, Gongping; Yin, Yilong; Xiao, Rongyang

    2013-01-01

    Region of Interest (ROI) extraction is a crucial step in an automatic finger vein recognition system. The aim of ROI extraction is to decide which part of the image is suitable for finger vein feature extraction. This paper proposes a finger vein ROI extraction method which is robust to finger displacement and rotation. First, we determine the middle line of the finger, which will be used to correct the image skew. Then, a sliding window is used to detect the phalangeal joints and further to ascertain the height of ROI. Last, for the corrective image with certain height, we will obtain the ROI by using the internal tangents of finger edges as the left and right boundary. The experimental results show that the proposed method can extract ROI more accurately and effectively compared with other methods, and thus improve the performance of finger vein identification system. Besides, to acquire the high quality finger vein image during the capture process, we propose eight criteria for finger vein capture from different aspects and these criteria should be helpful to some extent for finger vein capture. PMID:23507824

  19. Bilateral fungal keratitis with ring infiltrates: a rare scenario.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaniyara, Manthan Hasmukhbhai; Pujari, Amar; Urkude, Jayanand; Sharma, Namrata

    2017-10-09

    A 12-year-old boy presented to the emergency department with chief complaints of pain, redness, discharge and diminution of vision in both eyes over the previous 20 days. There was no history of preceding trauma, contact lens use, any eye drop usage or ocular surgery. Systemic history was not significant. Presenting uncorrected visual acuity in his right eye was counting fingers at 1 m and 20/200 in the left eye, with accurate projection of rays in both eyes. Slit lamp biomicroscopy showed the presence of bilateral diffuse conjunctival congestion, corneal ring infiltrates and epithelial defect with corneal oedema. Potassium hydroxide wet mount showed the presence of septate fungal hyphae. The patient was treated with topical 5% natamycin and 1% voriconazole over a period of 6 weeks. Best-corrected visual acuity was 20/600 in the right eye and 20/20 in the left eye at 6-month follow-up. © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  20. Altered left ventricular vortex ring formation by 4-dimensional flow magnetic resonance imaging after repair of atrioventricular septal defects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calkoen, Emmeline E; Elbaz, Mohammed S M; Westenberg, Jos J M; Kroft, Lucia J M; Hazekamp, Mark G; Roest, Arno A W; van der Geest, Rob J

    2015-11-01

    During normal left ventricular (LV) filling, a vortex ring structure is formed distal to the left atrioventricular valve (LAVV). Vortex structures contribute to efficient flow organization. We aimed to investigate whether LAVV abnormality in patients with a corrected atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD) has an impact on vortex ring formation. Whole-heart 4D flow MRI was performed in 32 patients (age: 26 ± 12 years), and 30 healthy subjects (age: 25 ± 14 years). Vortex ring cores were detected at peak early (E-peak) and peak late filling (A-peak). When present, the 3-dimensional position and orientation of the vortex ring was defined, and the circularity index was calculated. Through-plane flow over the LAVV, and the vortex formation time (VFT), were quantified to analyze the relationship of vortex flow with the inflow jet. Absence of a vortex ring during E-peak (healthy subjects 0%, vs patients 19%; P = .015), and A-peak (healthy subjects 10% vs patients 44%; P = .008) was more frequent in patients. In 4 patients, this was accompanied by a high VFT (5.1-7.8 vs 2.4 ± 0.6 in healthy subjects), and in another 2 patients with abnormal valve anatomy. In patients compared with controls, the vortex cores had a more-anterior and apical position, closer to the ventricular wall, with a more-elliptical shape and oblique orientation. The shape of the vortex core closely resembled the valve shape, and its orientation was related to the LV inflow direction. This study quantitatively shows the influence of abnormal LAVV and LV inflow on 3D vortex ring formation during LV inflow in patients with corrected AVSD, compared with healthy subjects. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  1. Free toe pulp flap for finger pulp and volar defect reconstruction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jyoshid R Balan

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Fingertip injury requiring flap cover is very common in the modern era. The ideal cover should fulfill both functional and aesthetic improvement. Materials and Methods: From June 2015 to April 2016, we performed seven free toe pulp flaps for finger defect reconstruction. All patients were males. Five flaps were done in emergency post-traumatic cases, and two were done in elective set up. The cases included reconstruction of three thumbs, one index and one ring finger in an emergency set up and two ring fingers in the elective. Thumb reconstruction was done with great toe lateral pulp and the other digits reconstructed with second toe pulp flap. Follow-up evaluation included both functional and aesthetic assessment. Results: Five flaps survived completely, one suffered partial loss, and one flap failed completely. The median follow-up period was 9 months. The median duration of surgery was 255 min (range 210 to 300 min. The median two-point discrimination was 6.5 mm (range 4–8 mm. There was the return of temperature sensation in all patients; two had cold intolerance. The Semmes-Weinstein monofilament score varied from 3.61 to 5.07 (median filament index value 4.31/pressure value of 2 g/mm2. Three patients had delayed donor site wound healing. Conclusions: The free toe pulp flap is an efficient choice for fingertip and volar finger defects reconstruction with an excellent tissue match.

  2. You can count on the motor cortex: Finger counting habits modulate motor cortex activation evoked by numbers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tschentscher, Nadja; Hauk, Olaf; Fischer, Martin H.; Pulvermüller, Friedemann

    2012-01-01

    The embodied cognition framework suggests that neural systems for perception and action are engaged during higher cognitive processes. In an event-related fMRI study, we tested this claim for the abstract domain of numerical symbol processing: is the human cortical motor system part of the representation of numbers, and is organization of numerical knowledge influenced by individual finger counting habits? Developmental studies suggest a link between numerals and finger counting habits due to the acquisition of numerical skills through finger counting in childhood. In the present study, digits 1 to 9 and the corresponding number words were presented visually to adults with different finger counting habits, i.e. left- and right-starters who reported that they usually start counting small numbers with their left and right hand, respectively. Despite the absence of overt hand movements, the hemisphere contralateral to the hand used for counting small numbers was activated when small numbers were presented. The correspondence between finger counting habits and hemispheric motor activation is consistent with an intrinsic functional link between finger counting and number processing. PMID:22133748

  3. Measuring radiation exposure during percutaneous drainages: can shoulder dosemeters be used to estimate finger doses?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vehmas, Tapio; Tikkanen, Heikki

    1992-01-01

    To assess the need for extra finger dosemeters, radiologists' and assistants' radiation exposure at both shoulders and at the third fingers of both hands were recorded using thermoluminescent dosemeters during 27 interventional drainage procedures. Under couch screening was used. Mean dose rates were calculated by dividing dose by screening time. The radiologists' bilateral finger dose rates did not correlate with each other; nor did dose rates between the left shoulder and the right hand. The radiologists' dose rates at both shoulders, correlated with each other, as did shoulder dose rates with dose rates at the ispilateral hand. The right shoulder dose rates correlated with the left hand dose rates. The assistants' dose rates at places of measurement showed significant correlations with each other. (Author)

  4. Palm to Finger Ulnar Sensory Nerve Conduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davidowich, Eduardo; Nascimento, Osvaldo J M; Orsini, Marco; Pupe, Camila; Pessoa, Bruno; Bittar, Caroline; Pires, Karina Lebeis; Bruno, Carlos; Coutinho, Bruno Mattos; de Souza, Olivia Gameiro; Ribeiro, Pedro; Velasques, Bruna; Bittencourt, Juliana; Teixeira, Silmar; Bastos, Victor Hugo

    2015-12-29

    Ulnar neuropathy at the wrist (UNW) is rare, and always challenging to localize. To increase the sensitivity and specificity of the diagnosis of UNW many authors advocate the stimulation of the ulnar nerve (UN) in the segment of the wrist and palm. The focus of this paper is to present a modified and simplified technique of sensory nerve conduction (SNC) of the UN in the wrist and palm segments and demonstrate the validity of this technique in the study of five cases of type III UNW. The SNC of UN was performed antidromically with fifth finger ring recording electrodes. The UN was stimulated 14 cm proximal to the active electrode (the standard way) and 7 cm proximal to the active electrode. The normal data from amplitude and conduction velocity (CV) ratios between the palm to finger and wrist to finger segments were obtained. Normal amplitude ratio was 1.4 to 0.76. Normal CV ratio was 0.8 to 1.23.We found evidences of abnormal SNAP amplitude ratio or substantial slowing of UN sensory fibers across the wrist in 5 of the 5 patients with electrophysiological-definite type III UNW.

  5. Palm to finger ulnar sensory nerve conduction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eduardo Davidowich

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Ulnar neuropathy at the wrist (UNW is rare, and always challenging to localize. To increase the sensitivity and specificity of the diagnosis of UNW many authors advocate the stimulation of the ulnar nerve (UN in the segment of the wrist and palm. The focus of this paper is to present a modified and simplified technique of sensory nerve conduction (SNC of the UN in the wrist and palm segments and demonstrate the validity of this technique in the study of five cases of type III UNW. The SNC of UN was performed antidromically with fifth finger ring recording electrodes. The UN was stimulated 14 cm proximal to the active electrode (the standard way and 7 cm proximal to the active electrode. The normal data from amplitude and conduction velocity (CV ratios between the palm to finger and wrist to finger segments were obtained. Normal amplitude ratio was 1.4 to 0.76. Normal CV ratio was 0.8 to 1.23.We found evidences of abnormal SNAP amplitude ratio or substantial slowing of UN sensory fibers across the wrist in 5 of the 5 patients with electrophysiological-definite type III UNW.

  6. A Finger Exoskeleton Robot for Finger Movement Rehabilitation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tzu-Heng Hsu

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available In this study, a finger exoskeleton robot has been designed and presented. The prototype device was designed to be worn on the dorsal side of the hand to assist in the movement and rehabilitation of the fingers. The finger exoskeleton is 3D-printed to be low-cost and has a transmission mechanism consisting of rigid serial links which is actuated by a stepper motor. The actuation of the robotic finger is by a sliding motion and mimics the movement of the human finger. To make it possible for the patient to use the rehabilitation device anywhere and anytime, an Arduino™ control board and a speech recognition board were used to allow voice control. As the robotic finger follows the patients voice commands the actual motion is analyzed by Tracker image analysis software. The finger exoskeleton is designed to flex and extend the fingers, and has a rotation range of motion (ROM of 44.2°.

  7. Anatomic Assessment of K-Wire Trajectory for Transverse Percutaneous Fixation of Small Finger Metacarpal Fractures: A Cadaveric Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grandizio, Louis C; Speeckaert, Amy; Kozick, Zach; Klena, Joel C

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of this cadaveric study is to evaluate the trajectory of percutaneous transverse Kirschner wire (K-wire) placement for fifth metacarpal fractures relative to the sagittal profile of the fifth metacarpal in order to develop a targeting strategy for the treatment of fifth metacarpal fractures. Using 12 unmatched fresh human upper limbs, we evaluated the trajectory of percutaneous transverse K-wire placement relative to the sagittal profile of the fifth metacarpal in order to develop a targeting strategy for treatment of fifth metacarpal fractures. The midpoint of the small and ring finger metacarpals in the sagittal plane was identified at 3 points. At each point, a K-wire was inserted from the small finger metacarpal into the midpoint of the ring finger metacarpal ("center-center" position). The angle of the transverse K-wire relative to the table needed to achieve a center-center position averaged 20.8°, 18.9°, and 16.7° for the proximal diaphysis, middiaphysis, and the collateral recess, respectively. Approximately 80% of transversely placed K-wires obtained purchase in the long finger metacarpal. These results can serve as a guide to help surgeons in the accurate placement of percutaneous K-wires for small finger metacarpal fractures and may aid in surgeon training.

  8. Brain activity during bilateral rapid alternate finger tapping measured with magnetoencephalography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fukuda, Hiroshi; Odagaki, Masato; Hiwaki, Osamu; Kodabashi, Atsushi; Fujimoto, Toshiro

    2009-04-01

    Using magnetoencephalography (MEG), brain regions involved in an alternate bimanual tapping task by index fingers triggered with spontaneous timing were investigated. The tapping mode in which both index fingers moved simultaneously was interlaced during the task. The groups of the alternate tapping (AL mode) and the simultaneous tapping (SI mode) were extracted from the successive alternating taps with a histogram of intervals between the right and left index fingers. MEG signals in each mode were averaged separately before and after the tapping initiation of the dominant index finger. The activities of the contralateral sensorimotor cortex before and after the tapping initiation in the AL mode were larger than that in the SI mode. The result indicates that the activity of the contralateral sensorimotor cortex depends on the degree of achievement in the difficult motor task such as the voluntary alternate tapping movements.

  9. Left Hand Thumb Imprint Patterns Among Medical Students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khan, Omair; Haroon, Muhammad Zeeshan; Rashid, Muhammad Adnan; Khan, Muhammad Naseem; Khan, Delawar

    2017-01-01

    Finger printing is an absolute method of identification. Recovery of finger prints from a crime scene is an important method of Forensic identification. Human finger prints are detailed, unique, difficult to alter, easily classifiable and durable over life making them stable and long-term tool of human identification. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 95,3rd year MBBS students of Ayub Medical College Abbottabad from December 2014 to August 2015 to establish the frequency of left hand thumb imprints by rolling and plain method. Study shows Loops among most common finger print pattern in 55 (58%) students out of 95, followed by whorls 33 (35%), arches 5 (5%) and composite 2 (2%). It is thus concluded that most common finger print pattern is loops followed by whorls, arches and composite.

  10. Neuronal RING finger protein 11 (RNF11 regulates canonical NF-κB signaling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pranski Elaine L

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The RING domain-containing protein RING finger protein 11 (RNF11 is a member of the A20 ubiquitin-editing protein complex and modulates peripheral NF-κB signaling. RNF11 is robustly expressed in neurons and colocalizes with a population of α-synuclein-positive Lewy bodies and neurites in Parkinson disease patients. The NF-κB pathway has an important role in the vertebrate nervous system, where the absence of NF-κB activity during development can result in learning and memory deficits, whereas chronic NF-κB activation is associated with persistent neuroinflammation. We examined the functional role of RNF11 with respect to canonical NF-κB signaling in neurons to gain understanding of the tight association of inflammatory pathways, including NF-κB, with the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Methods and results Luciferase assays were employed to assess NF-κB activity under targeted short hairpin RNA (shRNA knockdown of RNF11 in human neuroblastoma cells and murine primary neurons, which suggested that RNF11 acts as a negative regulator of canonical neuronal NF-κB signaling. These results were further supported by analyses of p65 translocation to the nucleus following depletion of RNF11. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments indicated that RNF11 associates with members of the A20 ubiquitin-editing protein complex in neurons. Site-directed mutagenesis of the myristoylation domain, which is necessary for endosomal targeting of RNF11, altered the impact of RNF11 on NF-κB signaling and abrogated RNF11’s association with the A20 ubiquitin-editing protein complex. A partial effect on canonical NF-κB signaling and an association with the A20 ubiquitin-editing protein complex was observed with mutagenesis of the PPxY motif, a proline-rich region involved in Nedd4-like protein interactions. Last, shRNA-mediated reduction of RNF11 in neurons and neuronal cell lines elevated levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 and

  11. Finger length ratio (2D:4D) correlates with physical aggression in men but not in women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bailey, Allison A; Hurd, Peter L

    2005-03-01

    Finger length ratio (2D:4D) is a sexually dimorphic trait. Men have relatively shorter second digits (index fingers) than fourth digits (ring fingers). Smaller, more masculine, digit ratios are thought to be associated with either higher prenatal testosterone levels or greater sensitivity to androgens, or both. Men with more masculine finger ratios are perceived as being more masculine and dominant by female observers, and tend to perform better in a number of physical sports. We hypothesized that digit ratio would correlate with propensity to engage in aggressive behavior. We examined the relationship between trait aggression, assayed using a questionnaire, and finger length ratio in both men and women. Men with lower, more masculine, finger length ratios had higher trait physical aggression scores (r(partial) = -0.21, N = 134, P = 0.028). We found no correlation between finger length ratio and any form of aggression in females. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that testosterone has an organizational effect on adult physical aggression in men.

  12. Hemispheric Lateralization of Event-Related Brain Potentials in Different Processing Phases during Unimanual Finger Movements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi-Wen Li

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available Previous functional MRI and brain electrophysiology studies have studied the left-right differences during the tapping tasks and found that the activation of left hemisphere was more significant than that of right hemisphere. In this study, we wanted to delineate this lateralization phenomenon not only in the execution phase but also in other processing phases, such as early visual, pre-executive and post-executive phases. We have designed a finger-tapping task to delineate the left-right differences of event related potentials (ERPs to right finger movement in sixteen right handed college students. The mean amplitudes of ERPs were analyzed to examine the left-right dominance of cortical activity in the phase of early visual process (75-120ms, pre-execution (175-260ms, execution (310-420ms and post-execution (420-620ms. In the execution phase, ERPs at the left electrodes were significantly more pronounced than those at the right electrodes (F3 > F4, C3 > C4, P3 > P4, O1 > O2 under the situation without comparing the central electrodes (Fz, Cz, Pz, and Oz. No difference was found between left and right electrodes in other three phases except the C3 electrode still showed more dominant than C4 in the pre- and post-execution phase. In conclusion, the phenomenon of brain lateralization occur major in the execution phase. The central area also showed the lateralization in the pre- and post-execution to demonstrate its unique lateralized contributions to unilateral simple finger movements.

  13. Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, and Left-Right Confusion from a Left Posterior Peri-Insular Infarct

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Bhattacharyya

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The Gerstmann syndrome of dyscalculia, dysgraphia, left-right confusion, and finger agnosia is generally attributed to lesions near the angular gyrus of the dominant hemisphere. A 68-year-old right-handed woman presented with sudden difficulty completing a Sudoku grid and was found to have dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and left-right confusion. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI showed a focus of abnormal reduced diffusivity in the left posterior insula and temporoparietal operculum consistent with acute infarct. Gerstmann syndrome from an insular or peri-insular lesion has not been described in the literature previously. Pathological and functional imaging studies show connections between left posterior insular region and inferior parietal lobe. We postulate that the insula and operculum lesion disrupted key functional networks resulting in a pseudoparietal presentation.

  14. Dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and left-right confusion from a left posterior peri-insular infarct.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhattacharyya, S; Cai, X; Klein, J P

    2014-01-01

    The Gerstmann syndrome of dyscalculia, dysgraphia, left-right confusion, and finger agnosia is generally attributed to lesions near the angular gyrus of the dominant hemisphere. A 68-year-old right-handed woman presented with sudden difficulty completing a Sudoku grid and was found to have dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and left-right confusion. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a focus of abnormal reduced diffusivity in the left posterior insula and temporoparietal operculum consistent with acute infarct. Gerstmann syndrome from an insular or peri-insular lesion has not been described in the literature previously. Pathological and functional imaging studies show connections between left posterior insular region and inferior parietal lobe. We postulate that the insula and operculum lesion disrupted key functional networks resulting in a pseudoparietal presentation.

  15. Design of a Reconfigurable Robotic System for Flexoextension Fitted to Hand Fingers Size.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aguilar-Pereyra, J Felipe; Castillo-Castaneda, Eduardo

    2016-01-01

    Due to the growing demand for assistance in rehabilitation therapies for hand movements, a robotic system is proposed to mobilize the hand fingers in flexion and extension exercises. The robotic system is composed by four, type slider-crank, mechanisms that have the ability to fit the user fingers length from the index to the little finger, through the adjustment of only one link for each mechanism. The trajectory developed by each mechanism corresponds to the natural flexoextension path of each finger. The amplitude of the rotations for metacarpophalangeal joint (MCP) and proximal interphalangeal joint (PIP) varies from 0 to 90° and the distal interphalangeal joint (DIP) varies from 0 to 60°; the joint rotations are coordinated naturally. The four R-RRT mechanisms orientation allows a 15° abduction movement for index, ring, and little fingers. The kinematic analysis of this mechanism was developed in order to assure that the displacement speed and smooth acceleration into the desired range of motion and the simulation results are presented. The reconfiguration of mechanisms covers about 95% of hand sizes of a group of Mexican adult population. Maximum trajectory tracking error is less than 3% in full range of movement and it can be compensated by the additional rotation of finger joints without injury to the user.

  16. Trigger finger

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... digit; Trigger finger release; Locked finger; Digital flexor tenosynovitis ... cut or hand Yellow or green drainage from the cut Hand pain or discomfort Fever If your trigger finger returns, call your surgeon. You may need another surgery.

  17. MEG-compatible pneumatic stimulator to elicit passive finger and toe movements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piitulainen, Harri; Bourguignon, Mathieu; Hari, Riitta; Jousmäki, Veikko

    2015-05-15

    Magnetoencephalographic (MEG) signals recorded from the primary sensorimotor (SM1) cortex are coherent with kinematics of both active and passive finger movements. The coherence mainly reflects movement-related proprioceptive afference to the cortex. Here we describe a novel MEG-compatible stimulator to generate computer-controlled passive finger and toe movements that can be used as stimuli in functional brain-imaging experiments. The movements are produced by pneumatic artificial muscle (PAM), elastic actuator that shortens with increasing air pressure. To test the applicability of the stimulator to functional brain-imaging, 4-min trains of passive repetitive 5-mm flexion-extension movements of the right and left index finger and the right hallux were produced at 3Hz while the subject's brain activity was measured with whole-scalp MEG and finger or toe kinematics with an accelerometer. In all ten subjects studied, statistically significant coherence (up to 0.78) occurred between the accelerometer and MEG signals at the movement frequency or its first harmonic. Sources of coherent activity were in the contralateral hand or foot SM1 cortices. Movement-evoked fields elicited with intermittent movements of the right index finger (once every 3.2-4.0s; mean±SD peak response latency 88±25ms) were co-located with the respective coherent sources. We further moved the right index finger at 3, 6, and 12Hz (movement ranges 5, 3, and 2mm, respectively), and analyzed the first 1, 2, and 4-min epochs of data. One minute of data was sufficient to locate the left hand area of the SM1 cortex at all movement frequencies. Sound-induced spurious coherence was reliably ruled out in a control experiment. Our novel movement stimulator thus provides a robust and reliable tool to track proprioceptive afference to the cortex and to locate the SM1 cortex. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. On P-coherent endomorphism rings

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    A ring is called right -coherent if every principal right ideal is finitely presented. Let M R be a right -module. We study the -coherence of the endomorphism ring of M R . It is shown that is a right -coherent ring if and only if every endomorphism of M R has a pseudokernel in add M R ; S is a left -coherent ring if and ...

  19. Integration of tactile input across fingers in a patient with finger agnosia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anema, Helen A; Overvliet, Krista E; Smeets, Jeroen B J; Brenner, Eli; Dijkerman, H Chris

    2011-01-01

    Finger agnosia has been described as an inability to explicitly individuate between the fingers, which is possibly due to fused neural representations of these fingers. Hence, are patients with finger agnosia unable to keep tactile information perceived over several fingers separate? Here, we tested a finger agnosic patient (GO) on two tasks that measured the ability to keep tactile information simultaneously perceived by individual fingers separate. In experiment 1 GO performed a haptic search task, in which a target (the absence of a protruded line) needed to be identified among distracters (protruded lines). The lines were presented simultaneously to the fingertips of both hands. Similarly to the controls, her reaction time decreased when her fingers were aligned as compared to when her fingers were stretched and in an unaligned position. This suggests that she can keep tactile input from different fingers separate. In experiment two, GO was required to judge the position of a target tactile stimulus to the index finger, relatively to a reference tactile stimulus to the middle finger, both in fingers uncrossed and crossed position. GO was able to indicate the relative position of the target stimulus as well as healthy controls, which indicates that she was able to keep tactile information perceived by two neighbouring fingers separate. Interestingly, GO performed better as compared to the healthy controls in the finger crossed condition. Together, these results suggest the GO is able to implicitly distinguish between tactile information perceived by multiple fingers. We therefore conclude that finger agnosia is not caused by minor disruptions of low-level somatosensory processing. These findings further underpin the idea of a selective impaired higher order body representation restricted to the fingers as underlying cause of finger agnosia. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Finger ridge count correlations among four tribes of Andhra Pradesh, India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kusuma, Y S; Babu, B V; Naidu, J M

    2002-06-01

    The present paper reports the distribution of finger ridge count correlations among four tribal populations from Andhra Pradesh, India viz., Dulia, Kotia, Manne Dora and Manzai Mali, and examines the intra and inter population variation. Higher correlations are recorded in left hands compared to right hands, but they are not significant. The homologous fingers exhibit a stronger correlation. In all the tribes, the correlations between right hand fingers are relatively higher among women when compared to men. Regarding inter population variation Dulia men differ significantly from the men of Manne Dora and the Manzai Mali tribes, and Kotia women also differ from the women of the Manne Dora significantly. The average correlation coefficient of the present populations is similar to other Indian populations reported earlier but lower than African and European populations.

  1. A STUDY OF RELATIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN THE PATTERN OF FINGER PRINTS AND LIP PRINTS

    OpenAIRE

    Murugan; Karikalan

    2014-01-01

    BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The use of conventional methods such as dactylography (study of finger prints) & cheiloscopy (study of lip prints) is of paramount importance, since personal identification by other means such as DNA analysis is sophisticated and not available in rural and developing countries. Fingerprint in its narrow sense is an impression left by the friction ridges of human fingers. The second prints of interest are lip prints. Studies of association between ...

  2. Design of a Reconfigurable Robotic System for Flexoextension Fitted to Hand Fingers Size

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Felipe Aguilar-Pereyra

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Due to the growing demand for assistance in rehabilitation therapies for hand movements, a robotic system is proposed to mobilize the hand fingers in flexion and extension exercises. The robotic system is composed by four, type slider-crank, mechanisms that have the ability to fit the user fingers length from the index to the little finger, through the adjustment of only one link for each mechanism. The trajectory developed by each mechanism corresponds to the natural flexoextension path of each finger. The amplitude of the rotations for metacarpophalangeal joint (MCP and proximal interphalangeal joint (PIP varies from 0 to 90° and the distal interphalangeal joint (DIP varies from 0 to 60°; the joint rotations are coordinated naturally. The four R-RRT mechanisms orientation allows a 15° abduction movement for index, ring, and little fingers. The kinematic analysis of this mechanism was developed in order to assure that the displacement speed and smooth acceleration into the desired range of motion and the simulation results are presented. The reconfiguration of mechanisms covers about 95% of hand sizes of a group of Mexican adult population. Maximum trajectory tracking error is less than 3% in full range of movement and it can be compensated by the additional rotation of finger joints without injury to the user.

  3. Integration of tactile input across fingers in a patient with finger agnosia.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Anema, H.A.; Overvliet, K.E.; Smeets, J.B.J.; Brenner, E.; Dijkerman, H.C.

    2011-01-01

    Finger agnosia has been described as an inability to explicitly individuate between the fingers, which is possibly due to fused neural representations of these fingers. Hence, are patients with finger agnosia unable to keep tactile information perceived over several fingers separate? Here, we tested

  4. Ring Keratitis Associated With Topical Abuse of a Dilute Anesthetic After Refractive Surgery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu-Chih Hou

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Anesthetic toxic keratitis is rare and presents as a ring keratitis, which is often misdiagnosed as Acanthamoeba keratitis. Here, we report an unusual case of toxic keratitis caused by topical abuse of a dilute anesthetic. A 26-year-old woman presented with bilateral corneal edema, ring infiltrates, pigmented keratic precipitate, Descemet's membrane folding, and strong anterior chamber reactions 2 weeks after laser subepithelial keratomileusis surgery. Tracing back her medical history, topical dilute 0.1% proparacaine was prescribed and frequently used for 1 month. Toxic keratitis was suspected. After discontinuation of the topical anesthetic and initiation of treatment with topical 20% autologous serum, complete corneal epithelialization was achieved within 1 week. Corneal infiltrates and anterior chamber reaction gradually subsided. Vision improved from finger counting to 20/20 in the right eye and 20/25 in the left eye, but confocal microscopy showed decreased corneal endothelial cells. Topical abuse of a dilute topical anesthetic can cause severe toxic keratitis and endothelial cell loss. The physician must be aware of the signs of topical anesthetic abuse and should not prescribe even a dilute anesthetic for long-term use. Autologous serum can help in the recovery of toxic keratitis.

  5. Use of Mutation Breeding Technique in Improving Finger Millet in Northern Zambia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Msikita, R.N.

    2002-01-01

    Many breeders have observed that induced mutation increases genetic variability, and the expose to mutagenic agents increases mutation frequency. Studies have indicated the effect in height reduction, increased yield components,disease resistance, in crop like rice and wheat. A study was conducted in finger millet in thr Northern part of Zambia (Region III), a high rainfall area, aiming at improving finger length, number of fingers till ring capacity in order to increase the yield. the seed of Nyika variety, popular to farmers due to its medium maturity, palm shaped fingers (six fingers on average), and light brown grain. Three quantities of seed were irradiated at 15Kr, 20Kr and 30Kr doses. A dose of 15Kr of gamma rays irradiation continued to create good genetic change in the exposed material. These observations clearly suggest that 15Kr dose of gamma rays is the optimum one to expose/irradiate finger millet to create desired genetic changes. The results of 2000/2001 were not significantly different. However, FMM 165 had better yields (3193 Kg) than FMM 175 in Misamfu, while FMM 175 yielded better (3272 Kg) in Chinsali. During 2001/2002 both FMMs performed well in the national finger number of 10 per head. There were also highly significant differences among finger lengths.FMM 165 had finger length of 10.3 cm. Concerning grain yield FMM 165 and FMM 175 had 3802 and 3864 Kg/ha, respectively, which were above the overall mean 3864 Kg/ha. Grain yield correlated positively with finger number with an r-value of 0.19 and finger length r-value of 0.22 although it was not significant at 1% or 5%. Meanwhile in the advance trial there were significant differences among genotypes in finger number. Both FMMs had 9 fingers above the overall mean of 8.8. In the finger length there were highly significant differences. FMM 175 had a length of 11.5 cm while FMM 165 had 10.4 cm. There were highly significant differences among the genotypes in yield. FMM 165 (4636 Kg) and FMM 175

  6. Differences in Activation Area Within Brodmann Area 2 Caused by Pressure Stimuli on Fingers and Joints

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Mi-Hyun; Kim, Hyung-Sik; Baek, Ji-Hye; Lee, Jung-Chul; Park, Sung-Jun; Jeong, Ul-Ho; Gim, Seon-Young; Kim, Sung-Phil; Lim, Dae-Woon; Chung, Soon-Cheol

    2015-01-01

    Abstract In this study, a constant pressure stimulus was applied on the 3 joints (first [p1], second [p2], and third [p3] joints) of 4 fingers (index, middle, ring, and little fingers), and the activation areas within Brodmann area 2 (BA 2) were compared for these different fingers and joints by using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Eight healthy male college students (25.4 ± 1.32 years) participated in the study. Each session was composed of 3 blocks, and each block was composed of a Control phase (30 seconds) and a Pressure phase (30 seconds). No pressure stimulus was applied in the Control phase, during which the subjects would simply lay comfortably with their eyes closed. In the Pressure phase, a pressure stimulus was applied onto one of the joints of the selected finger. For each finger and joint, BA 2 areas activated by the pressure stimulus were extracted by the region of interest method. There was a significant difference in the activation areas for the different fingers (P = .042) as well as for the different joints (P = .050). The activation area decreased in the order of the little, index, and middle fingers, as well as in the order of p1, p3, and p2. PMID:26402840

  7. Vortex formation and instability in the left ventricle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le, Trung Bao; Sotiropoulos, Fotis; Coffey, Dane; Keefe, Daniel

    2012-09-01

    We study the formation of the mitral vortex ring during early diastolic filling in a patient-specific left ventricle (LV) using direct numerical simulation. The geometry of the left ventricle is reconstructed from Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) data of a healthy human subject. The left ventricular kinematics is modeled via a cell-based activation methodology, which is inspired by cardiac electro-physiology and yields physiologic LV wall motion. In the fluid dynamics videos, we describe in detail the three-dimensional structure of the mitral vortex ring, which is formed during early diastolic filling. The ring starts to deform as it propagates toward the apex of the heart and becomes inclined. The trailing secondary vortex tubes are formed as the result of interaction between the vortex ring and the LV wall. These vortex tubes wrap around the circumference and begin to interact with and destabilize the mitral vortex ring. At the end of diastole, the vortex ring impinges on the LV wall and the large-scale intraventricular flow rotates in clockwise direction. We show for the first time that the mitral vortex ring evolution is dominated by a number of vortex-vortex and vortex-wall interactions, including lateral straining and deformation of vortex ring, the interaction of two vortex tubes with unequal strengths, helicity polarization of vortex tubes and twisting instabilities of the vortex cores.

  8. Defective imitation of finger configurations in patients with damage in the right or left hemispheres: An integration disorder of visual and somatosensory information?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okita, Manabu; Yukihiro, Takashi; Miyamoto, Kenzo; Morioka, Shu; Kaba, Hideto

    2017-04-01

    To explore the mechanism underlying the imitation of finger gestures, we devised a simple imitation task in which the patients were instructed to replicate finger configurations in two conditions: one in which they could see their hand (visual feedback: VF) and one in which they could not see their hand (non-visual feedback: NVF). Patients with left brain damage (LBD) or right brain damage (RBD), respectively, were categorized into two groups based on their scores on the imitation task in the NVF condition: the impaired imitation groups (I-LBD and I-RBD) who failed two or more of the five patterns and the control groups (C-LBD and C-RBD) who made one or no errors. We also measured the movement-production times for imitation. The I-RBD group performed significantly worse than the C-RBD group even in the VF condition. In contrast, the I-LBD group was selectively impaired in the NVF condition. The I-LBD group performed the imitations at a significantly slower rate than the C-LBD group in both the VF and NVF conditions. These results suggest that impaired imitation in patients with LBD is partly due to an abnormal integration of visual and somatosensory information based on the task specificity of the NVF condition. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Finger muscle attachments for an OpenSim upper-extremity model.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jong Hwa Lee

    Full Text Available We determined muscle attachment points for the index, middle, ring and little fingers in an OpenSim upper-extremity model. Attachment points were selected to match both experimentally measured locations and mechanical function (moment arms. Although experimental measurements of finger muscle attachments have been made, models differ from specimens in many respects such as bone segment ratio, joint kinematics and coordinate system. Likewise, moment arms are not available for all intrinsic finger muscles. Therefore, it was necessary to scale and translate muscle attachments from one experimental or model environment to another while preserving mechanical function. We used a two-step process. First, we estimated muscle function by calculating moment arms for all intrinsic and extrinsic muscles using the partial velocity method. Second, optimization using Simulated Annealing and Hooke-Jeeves algorithms found muscle-tendon paths that minimized root mean square (RMS differences between experimental and modeled moment arms. The partial velocity method resulted in variance accounted for (VAF between measured and calculated moment arms of 75.5% on average (range from 48.5% to 99.5% for intrinsic and extrinsic index finger muscles where measured data were available. RMS error between experimental and optimized values was within one standard deviation (S.D of measured moment arm (mean RMS error = 1.5 mm < measured S.D = 2.5 mm. Validation of both steps of the technique allowed for estimation of muscle attachment points for muscles whose moment arms have not been measured. Differences between modeled and experimentally measured muscle attachments, averaged over all finger joints, were less than 4.9 mm (within 7.1% of the average length of the muscle-tendon paths. The resulting non-proprietary musculoskeletal model of the human fingers could be useful for many applications, including better understanding of complex multi-touch and gestural movements.

  10. Vortex Ring Interaction with a Heated Screen

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Jason; Krueger, Paul S.

    2008-11-01

    Previous examinations of vortex rings impinging on porous screens has shown the reformation of the vortex ring with a lower velocity after passing through the screen, the creation of secondary vortices, and mixing. A heated screen could, in principle, alter the vortex-screen interaction by changing the local liquid viscosity and density. In the present investigation, a mechanical piston-cylinder vortex ring generator was used to create vortex rings in an aqueous sucrose solution. The rings impinged on a screen of horizontal wires that were heated using electrical current. The flow was visualized with food color and video imaging. Tests with and without heat were conducted at a piston stroke-to-jet diameter ratio of 4 and a jet Reynolds number (Re) of 1000. The vortex rings slowed after passing through the screen, but in tests with heat, they maintained a higher fraction of their before-screen velocity due to reduction in fluid viscosity near the wires. In addition, small ``fingers'' that developed on the front of the vortex rings as they passed through the screen exhibited positive buoyancy effects in the heated case.

  11. Associative cortico-cortical plasticity may affect ipsilateral finger opposition movements

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rizzo, V; Bove, M; Naro, A

    2011-01-01

    We have recently demonstrated that cortico-cortical paired associative stimulation (cc-PAS) can modulate interhemispheric inhibition (IHI) in the human brain. Here we further explored the after effects of cc-PAS on fine hand movements. Ten healthy right-handed volunteers received 90 paired...... transcranial stimuli to the right and left primary motor hand area (M1(HAND)) at an interstimulus interval (ISI) of 8 ms. We studied the after effects of cc-PAS on the performance of repetitive finger opposition movements of different complexity on both hands using a sensor-engineered glove. A quantitative...... evaluation of the following parameters was performed: Touch Duration (TD), Inter Tapping Interval (ITI) and Number of Errors (NE). We confirmed previous data by showing that left-to-right and right-to-left cc-PAS attenuated IHI. The new finding is that both left-to-right and right-to-left cc-PAS were able...

  12. Arabidopsis C3HC4-RING finger E3 ubiquitin ligase AtAIRP4 positively regulates stress-responsive abscisic acid signaling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Liang; Liu, Qiaohong; Liu, Zhibin; Yang, Hao; Wang, Jianmei; Li, Xufeng; Yang, Yi

    2016-01-01

    Degradation of proteins via the ubiquitin system is an important step in many stress signaling pathways in plants. E3 ligases recognize ligand proteins and dictate the high specificity of protein degradation, and thus, play a pivotal role in ubiquitination. Here, we identified a gene, named Arabidopsis thaliana abscisic acid (ABA)-insensitive RING protein 4 (AtAIRP4), which is induced by ABA and other stress treatments. AtAIRP4 encodes a cellular protein with a C3HC4-RING finger domain in its C-terminal side, which has in vitro E3 ligase activity. Loss of AtAIRP4 leads to a decrease in sensitivity of root elongation and stomatal closure to ABA, whereas overexpression of this gene in the T-DNA insertion mutant atairp4 effectively recovered the ABA-associated phenotypes. AtAIRP4 overexpression plants were hypersensitive to salt and osmotic stresses during seed germination, and showed drought avoidance compared with the wild-type and atairp4 mutant plants. In addition, the expression levels of ABA- and drought-induced marker genes in AtAIRP4 overexpression plants were markedly higher than those in the wild-type and atairp4 mutant plants. Hence, these results indicate that AtAIRP4 may act as a positive regulator of ABA-mediated drought avoidance and a negative regulator of salt tolerance in Arabidopsis. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Integrative Plant Biology published by Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd on behalf of Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

  13. Ultrasound of the fingers for human identification using biometrics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Narayanasamy, Ganesh; Fowlkes, J Brian; Kripfgans, Oliver D; Jacobson, Jon A; De Maeseneer, Michel; Schmitt, Rainer M; Carson, Paul L

    2008-03-01

    It was hypothesized that the use of internal finger structure as imaged using commercially available ultrasound (US) scanners could act as a supplement to standard methods of biometric identification, as well as a means of assessing physiological and cardiovascular status. Anatomical structures in the finger including bone contour, tendon and features along the interphalangeal joint were investigated as potential biometric identifiers. Thirty-six pairs of three-dimensional (3D) gray-scale images of second to fourth finger (index, middle and ring) data taken from 20 individuals were spatially registered using MIAMI-Fuse software developed at our institution and also visually matched by four readers. The image-based registration met the criteria for matching successfully in 14 out of 15 image pairs on the same individual and did not meet criteria for matching in any of the 12 image pairs from different subjects, providing a sensitivity and specificity of 0.93 and 1.00, respectively. Visual matching of all image pairs by four readers yielded 96% successful match. Power Doppler imaging was performed to calculate the change in color pixel density due to physical exercise as a surrogate of stress level and to provide basic physiological information. (E-mail: gnarayan@umich.edu).

  14. Admittance Control of a Multi-Finger Arm Based on Manipulability of Fingers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jian Huang

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available In the previous studies, admittance control and impedance control for a finger-arm robot using the manipulability of the finger were studied and methods of realizing the controls have been proposed. In this study, two 3-DOF fingers are attached to the end-effector of a 6-DOF arm to configure a multi-finger arm robot. Based on the previous methods, the authors have proposed an admittance control for a multi-finger arm robot using the manipulability of the fingers in this study. Algorithms of the averaging method and the mini-max method were introduced to establish a manipulability criterion of the two fingers in order to generate a cooperative movement of the arm. Comparison of the admittance controls combined with the top search method and local optimization method for the multi-finger arm robot was made and features of the control methods were also discussed. The stiffness control and damping control were experimentally evaluated to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.

  15. Uniquely Strongly Clean Group Rings

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    WANG XIU-LAN

    2012-01-01

    A ring R is called clean if every element is the sum of an idempotent and a unit,and R is called uniquely strongly clean (USC for short) if every element is uniquely the sum of an idempotent and a unit that commute.In this article,some conditions on a ring R and a group G such that RG is clean are given.It is also shown that if G is a locally finite group,then the group ring RG is USC if and only if R is USC,and G is a 2-group.The left uniquely exchange group ring,as a middle ring of the uniquely clean ring and the USC ring,does not possess this property,and so does the uniquely exchange group ring.

  16. A multiscale approach to simulating the conformational properties of unbound multi-C₂H₂ zinc finger proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Lei; Wade, Rebecca C; Heermann, Dieter W

    2015-09-01

    The conformational properties of unbound multi-Cys2 His2 (mC2H2) zinc finger proteins, in which zinc finger domains are connected by flexible linkers, are studied by a multiscale approach. Three methods on different length scales are utilized. First, atomic detail molecular dynamics simulations of one zinc finger and its adjacent flexible linker confirmed that the zinc finger is more rigid than the flexible linker. Second, the end-to-end distance distributions of mC2H2 zinc finger proteins are computed using an efficient atomistic pivoting algorithm, which only takes excluded volume interactions into consideration. The end-to-end distance distribution gradually changes its profile, from left-tailed to right-tailed, as the number of zinc fingers increases. This is explained by using a worm-like chain model. For proteins of a few zinc fingers, an effective bending constraint favors an extended conformation. Only for proteins containing more than nine zinc fingers, is a somewhat compacted conformation preferred. Third, a mesoscale model is modified to study both the local and the global conformational properties of multi-C2H2 zinc finger proteins. Simulations of the CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF), an important mC2H2 zinc finger protein for genome spatial organization, are presented. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  17. Timing and extent of finger force enslaving during a dynamic force task cannot be explained by EMG activity patterns.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mojtaba Mirakhorlo

    Full Text Available Finger enslaving is defined as the inability of the fingers to move or to produce force independently. Such finger enslaving has predominantly been investigated for isometric force tasks. The aim of this study was to assess whether the extent of force enslaving is dependent on relative finger movements. Ten right-handed subjects (22-30 years flexed the index finger while counteracting constant resistance forces (4, 6 and 8 N orthogonal to the fingertip. The other, non-instructed fingers were held in extension. EMG activities of the mm. flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS and extensor digitorum (ED in the regions corresponding to the index, middle and ring fingers were measured. Forces exerted by the non-instructed fingers increased substantially (by 0.2 to 1.4 N with flexion of the index finger, increasing the enslaving effect with respect to the static, pre-movement phase. Such changes in force were found 260-370 ms after the initiation of index flexion. The estimated MCP joint angle of the index finger at which forces exerted by the non-instructed fingers started to increase varied between 4° and 6°. In contrast to the finger forces, no significant changes in EMG activity of the FDS regions corresponding to the non-instructed fingers upon index finger flexion were found. This mismatch between forces and EMG of the non-instructed fingers, as well as the delay in force development are in agreement with connective tissue linkages being slack when the positions of the fingers are similar, but pulled taut when one finger moves relative to the others. Although neural factors cannot be excluded, our results suggest that mechanical connections between muscle-tendon structures were (at least partly responsible for the observed increase in force enslaving during index finger flexion.

  18. Robotic finger perturbation training improves finger postural steadiness and hand dexterity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshitake, Yasuhide; Ikeda, Atsutoshi; Shinohara, Minoru

    2018-02-01

    The purpose of the study was to understand the effect of robotic finger perturbation training on steadiness in finger posture and hand dexterity in healthy young adults. A mobile robotic finger training system was designed to have the functions of high-speed mechanical response, two degrees of freedom, and adjustable loading amplitude and direction. Healthy young adults were assigned to one of the three groups: random perturbation training (RPT), constant force training (CFT), and control. Subjects in RPT and CFT performed steady posture training with their index finger using the robot in different modes: random force in RPT and constant force in CFT. After the 2-week intervention period, fluctuations of the index finger posture decreased only in RPT during steady position-matching tasks with an inertial load. Purdue pegboard test score improved also in RPT only. The relative change in finger postural fluctuations was negatively correlated with the relative change in the number of completed pegs in the pegboard test in RPT. The results indicate that finger posture training with random mechanical perturbations of varying amplitudes and directions of force is effective in improving finger postural steadiness and hand dexterity in healthy young adults. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Treatment of soft-tissue loss with nerve defect in the finger using the boomerang nerve flap.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Chao; Tang, Peifu; Zhang, Xu

    2013-01-01

    This study reports simultaneous repair of soft-tissue loss and proper digital nerve defect in the finger using a boomerang nerve flap including nerve graft from the dorsal branch of the proper digital nerve. From July of 2007 to May of 2010, the flap was used in 17 fingers in 17 patients. The injured fingers included five index, seven long, and five ring fingers. The mean soft-tissue loss was 2.5 × 1.9 cm. The mean flap size was 2.8 × 2.1 cm. Proper digital nerve defects were reconstructed using nerve graft harvested from the dorsal branch of the adjacent finger's proper digital nerve. The average nerve graft length was 2.5 cm. The comparison group included 32 patients treated using a cross-finger flap and a secondary free nerve graft. In the study group, 15 flaps survived completely. Partial necrosis at the distal edge of the flap occurred in two cases. At a mean follow-up of 22 months, the average static two-point discrimination and Semmes-Weinstein monofilament test results on the pulp of the reconstructed finger were 7.5 mm and 3.86, respectively. In the comparison group, the results were 9.3 mm and 3.91, respectively. The study group presented better discriminatory sensation on the pulp and milder pain and cold intolerance in the reconstructed finger. The boomerang nerve flap is useful and reliable for reconstructing complicated finger damage involving soft-tissue loss and nerve defect, especially in difficult anatomical regions. Therapeutic, II.

  20. Robotic hand and fingers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salisbury, Curt Michael; Dullea, Kevin J.

    2017-06-06

    Technologies pertaining to a robotic hand are described herein. The robotic hand includes one or more fingers releasably attached to a robotic hand frame. The fingers can abduct and adduct as well as flex and tense. The fingers are releasably attached to the frame by magnets that allow for the fingers to detach from the frame when excess force is applied to the fingers.

  1. Semiprime SF-rings whose essential left ideals are two-sided

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhang Jule

    1994-01-01

    Full Text Available It is proved that if R is a semiprime ELT-ring and every simple right R-module is flat then R is regular. Is R regular if R is a semiprime ELT-ring and every simple right R-module is flat? In this note, we give a positive answer to the question.

  2. Real time relationship between individual finger force and grip exertion on distal phalanges in linear force following tasks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Shi-Jian; Shu, Ge; Gong, Yan

    2018-05-01

    Individual finger force (FF) in a grip task is a vital concern in rehabilitation engineering and precise control of manipulators because disorders in any of the fingers will affect the stability or accuracy of the grip force (GF). To understand the functions of each finger in a dynamic grip exertion task, a GF following experiment with four individual fingers without thumb was designed. This study obtained four individual FFs from the distal phalanges with a cylindrical handle in dynamic GF following tasks. Ten healthy male subjects with similar hand sizes participated in the four-finger linear GF following tasks at different submaximal voluntary contraction (SMVC) levels. The total GF, individual FF, finger force contribution, and following error were subsequently calculated and analyzed. The statistics indicated the following: 1) the accuracy and stability of GF at low %MVC were significantly higher than those at high SMVC; 2) at low SMVC, the ability of the fingers to increase the GF was better than the ability to reduce it, but it was contrary at high SMVC; 3) when the target wave (TW) was changing, all four fingers strongly participated in the force exertion, but the participation of the little finger decreased significantly when TW remained stable; 4) the index finger and ring finger had a complementary relationship and played a vital role in the adjustment and control of GF. The middle finger and little finger had a minor influence on the force control and adjustment. In conclusion, each of the fingers had different functions in a GF following task. These findings can be used in the assessment of finger injury rehabilitation and for algorithms of precise control. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Origin of human motor readiness field linked to left middle frontal gyrus by MEG and PET

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Jane Rygaard; Johannsen, P; Bak, Christen Kjeldahl

    1998-01-01

    Combined magnetoencephalography and positron emission tomography identified a prior source of activity in the left middle frontal gyrus duping uncued movements of the right index finger Voluntary movements gave rise to a change in the cortical electrical potential known as the Bereitschaftspotent......Combined magnetoencephalography and positron emission tomography identified a prior source of activity in the left middle frontal gyrus duping uncued movements of the right index finger Voluntary movements gave rise to a change in the cortical electrical potential known...... sources subsequently to be active were mapped to the supplementary motor area, premotor cortex, and motor cortex (M1), all in the left hemisphere. (C) 1998 Academic Press....

  4. Differing Dynamics of Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Coordination: Two-finger and Four-Finger Tapping Experiments.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kentaro Kodama

    Full Text Available Finger-tapping experiments were conducted to examine whether the dynamics of intrapersonal and interpersonal coordination systems can be described equally by the Haken-Kelso-Bunz model, which describes inter-limb coordination dynamics. This article reports the results of finger-tapping experiments conducted in both systems. Two within-subject factors were investigated: the phase mode and the number of fingers. In the intrapersonal experiment (Experiment 1, the participants were asked to tap, paced by a gradually hastening auditory metronome, looking at their fingers moving, using the index finger in the two finger condition, or the index and middle finger in the four-finger condition. In the interpersonal experiment (Experiment 2, pairs of participants performed the task while each participant used the outside hand, tapping with the index finger in the two finger condition, or the index and middle finger in the four-finger condition. Some results did not agree with the HKB model predictions. First, from Experiment 1, no significant difference was observed in the movement stability between the in-phase and anti-phase modes in the two finger condition. Second, from Experiment 2, no significant difference was found in the movement stability between the in-phase and anti-phase mode in the four-finger condition. From these findings, different coordination dynamics were inferred between intrapersonal and interpersonal coordination systems against prediction from the previous studies. Results were discussed according to differences between intrapersonal and interpersonal coordination systems in the availability of perceptual information and the complexity in the interaction between limbs derived from a nested structure.

  5. A Study of Tapping by the Unaffected Finger of Patients Presenting with Central and Peripheral Nerve Damage

    OpenAIRE

    Zhang, Lingli; Han, Xiuying; Li, Peihong; Liu, Yang; Zhu, Yulian; Zou, Jun; Yu, Zhusheng

    2015-01-01

    Aim Whether the unaffected function of the hand of patients presenting with nerve injury is affected remains inconclusive. We aimed to evaluate whether there are differences in finger tapping following central or peripheral nerve injury compared with the unaffected hand and the ipsilateral hand of a healthy subject. Methods Thirty right brain stroke patients with hemiplegia, 30 left arm peripheral nerve injury cases, and 60 healthy people were selected. We tested finger tapping of ...

  6. Involvement of the Interosseous and Lumbrical Muscle-Tendon Units in the Lateral and Spiral Cords in Dupuytren's Disease of the Middle Fingers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thoma, Achilleas; Karpinski, Marta

    2017-07-01

    The nature of intrinsic muscle involvement in Dupuytren's disease of the middle fingers (long and ring) remains poorly characterized. Over the years, the authors have observed that both the spiral and lateral digital cords in the middle fingers receive contribution from intrinsic muscle-tendon units. This report describes the anatomical characteristics and frequency of intrinsic muscle-tendon unit involvement in Dupuytren's disease of the middle fingers. Intrinsic muscle involvement in the middle digits was recorded in the operative reports of patients undergoing Dupuytren's surgery between October of 2013 and February of 2016. The anatomical variations of diseased fascia were delineated and classified. Of the 113 digits with Dupuytren's contracture operated on during this period, 52 involved the middle fingers (12 long and 40 ring fingers). Intrinsic muscles were found to be involved in the contracture of 14 of these digits. Two unique contracture patterns were identified: type I contracture, which involves a lateral digital cord originating from intrinsic muscle-tendon units and contracting only the proximal interphalangeal joint; and type II contracture, which involves a spiral cord receiving contribution from intrinsic muscle-tendon units and contracting both the metacarpophalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joints. The frequency of type I and type II contractures was 6 percent and 12 percent, respectively. Intrinsic hand muscles may contribute to Dupuytren's disease in the middle digits, and the authors suggest resecting cords as close as possible to their musculotendinous origin to improve postoperative outcomes.

  7. Multi-fingered robotic hand

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruoff, Carl F. (Inventor); Salisbury, Kenneth, Jr. (Inventor)

    1990-01-01

    A robotic hand is presented having a plurality of fingers, each having a plurality of joints pivotally connected one to the other. Actuators are connected at one end to an actuating and control mechanism mounted remotely from the hand and at the other end to the joints of the fingers for manipulating the fingers and passing externally of the robot manipulating arm in between the hand and the actuating and control mechanism. The fingers include pulleys to route the actuators within the fingers. Cable tension sensing structure mounted on a portion of the hand are disclosed, as is covering of the tip of each finger with a resilient and pliable friction enhancing surface.

  8. Differences in finger localisation performance of patients with finger agnosia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anema, Helen A; Kessels, Roy P C; de Haan, Edward H F; Kappelle, L Jaap; Leijten, Frans S; van Zandvoort, Martine J E; Dijkerman, H Chris

    2008-09-17

    Several neuropsychological studies have suggested parallel processing of somatosensory input when localising a tactile stimulus on one's own by pointing towards it (body schema) and when localising this touched location by pointing to it on a map of a hand (body image). Usually these reports describe patients with impaired detection, but intact sensorimotor localisation. This study examined three patients with a lesion of the angular gyrus with intact somatosensory processing, but with selectively disturbed finger identification (finger agnosia). These patients performed normally when pointing towards the touched finger on their own hand but failed to indicate this finger on a drawing of a hand or to name it. Similar defects in the perception of other body parts were not observed. The findings provide converging evidence for the dissociation between body image and body schema and, more importantly, reveal for the first time that this distinction is also present in higher-order cognitive processes selectively for the fingers.

  9. Admittance Control of a Multi-Finger Arm Based on Manipulability of Fingers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takayuki Hori

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available In the previous studies, admittance control and impedance control for a finger‐arm robot using the manipulability of the finger were studied and methods of realizing the controls have been proposed. In this study, two 3‐DOF fingers are attached to the end‐effector of a 6‐DOF arm to configure a multi‐finger arm robot. Based on the previous methods, the authors have proposed an admittance control for a multi‐finger arm robot using the manipulability of the fingers in this study. Algorithms of the averaging method and the mini‐max method were introduced to establish a manipulability criterion of the two fingers in order to generate a cooperative movement of the arm. Comparison of the admittance controls combined with the top search method and local optimization method for the multi‐finger arm robot was made and features of the control methods were also discussed. The stiffness control and damping control were experimentally evaluated to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.

  10. Brain Abscess Associated with Isolated Left Superior Vena Cava Draining into the Left Atrium in the Absence of Coronary Sinus and Atrial Septal Defect

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Erol, Ilknur; Cetin, I. Ilker; Alehan, Fuesun; Varan, Birguel; Ozkan, Sueleyman; Agildere, A. Muhtesem; Tokel, Kursad

    2006-01-01

    A previously healthy 12-year-old girl presented with severe headache for 2 weeks. On physical examination, there was finger clubbing without apparent cyanosis. Neurological examination revealed only papiledema without focal neurologic signs. Cerebral magnetic resonance imaging showed the characteristic features of brain abscess in the left frontal lobe. Cardiologic workup to exclude a right-to-left shunt showed an abnormality of the systemic venous drainage: presence of isolated left superior vena cava draining into the left atrium in the absence of coronary sinus and atrial septal defect. This anomaly is rare, because only a few other cases have been reported

  11. Functional Characterization of the Apple RING E3 Ligase MdMIEL1 in Transgenic Arabidopsis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jianping AN

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available E3 ubiquitin ligases are involved in various physiological processes, and they play pivotal roles in growth and development. In this study, we identified a previously unknown gene in the apple fruit (Malus × domestica and named it MdMIEL1. The MdMIEL1 gene encoded a protein that contained a zinc-finger domain at its N-terminus and a RING-finger motif at its C-terminus. To investigate MdMIEL1 functions, we generated transgenic Arabidopsis lines expressing the MdMIEL1 gene under the control of the Cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter. Interestingly, ectopic expression of MdMIEL1 in Arabidopsis produced multiple phenotypes, including early germination, early flowering and a lateral root number increase relative to wild-type plants. Further analysis indicated that MdMIEL1 regulated lateral root initiation by increasing auxin accumulation in the roots. In a word, these results suggest that, MdMIEL1 as a novel RING-finger ubiquitin ligase influences plant growth and development, and highlight that MdMIEL1 regulates lateral root growth.

  12. A Study of Tapping by the Unaffected Finger of Patients Presenting with Central and Peripheral Nerve Damage

    OpenAIRE

    Lingli eZhang; Xiuying eHan; peihong eli; yang eliu; yulian ezhu; zhusheng eyu

    2015-01-01

    Aim: Whether the unaffected function of the hand of patients presenting with nerve injury is affected remains inconclusive. We aimed to evaluate whether there are differences in finger tapping following central or peripheral nerve injury compared with the unaffected hand and the ipsilateral hand of a healthy subject.Methods: 30 right brain stroke patients with hemiplegia, 30 left arm peripheral nerve injury cases and 60 healthy people were selected. We tested finger tapping of the right hands...

  13. Investigation of an alleged mechanism of finger injury in an automobile crash.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stacey, Stephen; Kent, Richard

    2006-07-01

    This investigation centers on the case of an adult male whose finger was allegedly amputated by the steering wheel of his car during a crash. The subject claimed to have been driving with his left index finger inserted through a hole in the spoke of his steering wheel and was subsequently involved in an offset frontal collision with a tree. The finger was found to be cleanly severed at the mid-shaft of the proximal phalanx after the crash. This injury was alleged to have been caused by inertial loading from the rotation of the steering wheel during the crash. To determine whether this injury mechanism was plausible, three laboratory tests representing distinct loading scenarios were carried out with postmortem human surrogates loaded dynamically by the subject's steering wheel. It was found that the inertial loads generated in this loading scenario are insufficient to amputate the finger. Additionally, artificially constraining the finger to force an amputation to occur revealed that a separation at the proximal interphalangeal joint occurs rather than a bony fracture of the proximal phalanx. Based on these biomechanical tests, it can be concluded that the subject's injury did not occur during the automobile crash in question. Furthermore, it can be shown that the injury was self-inflicted to fraudulently claim on an insurance policy.

  14. [Treatment of mallet finger with dorsal nail glued splint: retrospective analysis of 270 cases].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Facca, S; Nonnenmacher, J; Liverneaux, P

    2007-11-01

    Management of mallet finger is both difficult and controversial. Sequelae are not uncommon, particularly after surgical treatment. Many authors advocate orthopedic treatment which is less invasive but requires greater patient participation to implement. Despite the large number of orthopedic methods proposed, none has proven superiority. We report here our experience with a dorsal adhesive splint which preserves digital pulp function and improves observance. This retrospective analysis included 270 mallet fingers presenting 153 tendon injuries and 117 bony injuries in 265 patients aged 42 years on average and treated from 2003 to 2005. Most of the tendon injuries involved the medius (38.7%) and most of the bony injuries involved the ring finger (35.4%). A splint was fashioned for the two distal phalanges and glued to the nail plate filed for this purpose. The splint was fashioned out of an L-shaped plastic sheet of thermo-malleable plastic dipped in hot water (60 degrees C). The L was molded to the dorsal aspect of the phalanges and rolled like a ring around the second phalanx, then glued to the nail. The splint was worn for eight weeks by patients with a tendon injury and six weeks for those with a bony injury. The splint was then worn at night for two weeks. Three criteria were used to analyze outcome: residual extension deficit, joint involvement, complications. Mean follow-up was 18 months. Mean time from trauma to definitive installation of the splint was six days. The complication rate for this orthopedic method was 14.3%, complications being observed in 6% of patients. All complications were transient except for one case of swan neck deformity and one case of painful osteoarthritis. Thirty splints (11%) became unglued but were all reinstalled using the same protocol. Thirty fingers (14%) presented residual deficit of active extension measuring less than 20 degrees. The quality of the result depended on the type of injury: tendon injuries led to extension

  15. An evaluation of the spring finger solder joints on SA1358-10 and SA2052-4 connector assemblies (MC3617,W87)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kilgo, Alice C.; Vianco, Paul Thomas; Hlava, Paul Frank; Zender, Gary L.

    2006-01-01

    The SA1358-10 and SA2052-4 circular JT Type plug connectors are used on a number of nuclear weapons and Joint Test Assembly (JTA) systems. Prototype units were evaluated for the following specific defects associated with the 95Sn-5Sb (Sn-Sb, wt.%) solder joint used to attach the beryllium-copper (BeCu) spring fingers to the aluminum (Al) connector shell: (1) extended cracking within the fillet; (2) remelting of the solder joint during the follow-on, soldering step that attached the EMR adapter ring to the connector shell (and/or soldering the EMR shell to the adapter ring) that used the lower melting temperature 63Sn-37Pb (Sn-Pb) alloy; and (3) spalling of the Cd (Cr) layer overplating layer from the fillet surface. Several pedigrees of connectors were evaluated, which represented older fielded units as well as those assemblies that were recently constructed at Kansas City Plant. The solder joints were evaluated that were in place on connectors made with the current soldering process as well as an alternative induction soldering process for attaching the EMR adapter ring to the shell. Very similar observations were made, which crossed the different pedigrees of parts and processes. The extent of cracking in the top side fillets varied between the different connector samples and likely the EMR adapter ring to the shell. Very similar observations were made, which crossed the different pedigrees of parts and processes. The extent of cracking in the top side fillets varied between the different connector samples and likely reflected the different extents to which the connector was mated to its counterpart assembly. In all cases, the spring finger solder joints on the SA1358-10 connectors were remelted as a result of the subsequent EMR adapter ring attachment process. Spalling of the Cd (Cr) overplating layer was also observed for these connectors, which was a consequence of the remelting activity. On the other hand, the SA2052-4 connector did not exhibit evidence of

  16. Quantifying Parkinson's disease finger-tapping severity by extracting and synthesizing finger motion properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sano, Yuko; Kandori, Akihiko; Shima, Keisuke; Yamaguchi, Yuki; Tsuji, Toshio; Noda, Masafumi; Higashikawa, Fumiko; Yokoe, Masaru; Sakoda, Saburo

    2016-06-01

    We propose a novel index of Parkinson's disease (PD) finger-tapping severity, called "PDFTsi," for quantifying the severity of symptoms related to the finger tapping of PD patients with high accuracy. To validate the efficacy of PDFTsi, the finger-tapping movements of normal controls and PD patients were measured by using magnetic sensors, and 21 characteristics were extracted from the finger-tapping waveforms. To distinguish motor deterioration due to PD from that due to aging, the aging effect on finger tapping was removed from these characteristics. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to the age-normalized characteristics, and principal components that represented the motion properties of finger tapping were calculated. Multiple linear regression (MLR) with stepwise variable selection was applied to the principal components, and PDFTsi was calculated. The calculated PDFTsi indicates that PDFTsi has a high estimation ability, namely a mean square error of 0.45. The estimation ability of PDFTsi is higher than that of the alternative method, MLR with stepwise regression selection without PCA, namely a mean square error of 1.30. This result suggests that PDFTsi can quantify PD finger-tapping severity accurately. Furthermore, the result of interpreting a model for calculating PDFTsi indicated that motion wideness and rhythm disorder are important for estimating PD finger-tapping severity.

  17. Prevalence of self-reported finger deformations and occupational risk factors among professional cooks: a cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagasu, Miwako; Sakai, Kazuhiro; Kogi, Kazutaka; Ito, Akiyoshi; Feskens, Edith J M; Tomita, Shigeru; Temmyo, Yoshiomi; Ueno, Mitsuo; Miyagi, Shigeji

    2011-05-26

    Previous studies have pointed out that the school lunch workers in Japan are suffering from work-related disorders including finger deformations. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of self-reported finger deformations and the association with job-related risk factors. A cross-sectional questionnaire study of 5,719 subjects (response rate: 81%, 982 men and 4,737 women) was undertaken during September 2003 to February 2004. Finger deformations were found among 11.7% of the men and 35.6% of the women studied, with significant differences among sex, age and sex-age groups. For both men and women the pattern of finger deformations across the hand was similar for the right and the left hand. For women, the deformations were found in about 10% of the distal interphalangeal joints of all fingers. Based on multiple logistic regression analyses, the factors female sex, age, the number of cooked lunches per cook and cooking activities were independently associated with the prevalence of finger deformations. High prevalence odds ratios were found for those frequently carrying or using tools by hands such as delivering containers, distributing meals, preparing dishes, washing equipment, cutting and stirring foods. Among the school lunch workers studied, women had a higher prevalence of finger deformations on all joints of both hands. Various cooking tasks were associated with the prevalence of finger deformations. The results suggest that improvements in working conditions are important for preventing work-related disorders such as finger deformations.

  18. Amputation of finger by horse bite with complete avulsion of both flexor tendons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koren, Lior; Stahl, Shalom; Rovitsky, Alexey; Peled, Eli

    2011-08-08

    Amputation of fingers with tendon avulsion occurs through a traction injury, and most occur through a ring avulsion mechanism. Usually the flexor digitorum profundus is torn out with the amputated finger. Replantation usually is recommended only when the amputation is distal to the flexor digitorum superficialis insertion. Animal bites are relatively common, with a decreasing order of frequency of dogs, cats, and humans. Horse bites are relatively infrequent but are associated with crush injuries and tissue loss when they occur. This article describes a 23-year-old man with amputation of his middle finger at the level of the proximal phalanx after being bitten by a horse. The amputated stump was avulsed with the middle finger flexor digitorum profundus and flexor digitorum superficialis torn from the muscle-tendon junction from approximately the middle of the forearm. The patient had no other injuries, and he was able to move his other 4 fingers with only mild pain. As the amputated digit was not suitable for replantation, the wound was irrigated and debrided. The edges of the phalanx were trimmed, and the edges of the wound were sutured. Tetanus toxoid and rabies vaccine were administered, along with intravenous amoxicillin and clavulanic acid. The patient was discharged from the hospital 2 days later, with no sign of infection of the wound or compartment syndrome of the forearm. This case demonstrates the weakest point in the myotendinous junction and emphasizes the importance of a careful physical examination in patients with a traumatic amputation. Copyright 2011, SLACK Incorporated.

  19. Ergonomic design and evaluation of new surgical scissors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shimomura, Yoshihiro; Shirakawa, Hironori; Sekine, Masashi; Katsuura, Tetsuo; Igarashi, Tatsuo

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to design a new surgical scissors handle and determine its effectiveness with various usability indices. A new scissors handle was designed that retains the professional grip but has the shapes of the eye rings modified to fit the thumb and ring finger and finger rests for the index and little finger. The newly designed scissors and traditional scissors were compared by electromyography, subjective evaluation and task performance in experiments using cutting and peeling tasks. The newly designed scissors reduced muscle load in both hand during cutting by the closing action, and reduced the muscle load in the left hand during peeling by the opening action through active use of the right hand. In evaluation by surgeons, task performance improved in addition to the decrease in muscle load. The newly designed scissors used in this study demonstrated high usability. A new scissors handle was designed that has the eye rings modified to fit the thumb and ring finger. The newly designed scissors reduced muscle load and enabled active use of the right hand. In evaluation by surgeons, task performance improved in addition to the decrease in muscle load.

  20. CT demonstration of chicken trachea resulting from complete cartilaginous rings of the trachea in ring-sling complex

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Calcagni, Giulio; Bonnet, Damien; Sidi, Daniel; Brunelle, Francis; Vouhe, Pascal; Ou, Phalla

    2008-01-01

    We report a 10-month-old infant who presented with tetralogy of Fallot and respiratory disease in whom the suspicion of a ring-sling complex was confirmed by high-resolution CT. CT demonstrated the typical association of left pulmonary artery sling and the ''chicken trachea'' resulting from complete cartilaginous rings of the trachea. (orig.)

  1. Differences in Activation Area Within Brodmann Area 2 Caused by Pressure Stimuli on Fingers and Joints: In Case of Male Subjects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Mi-Hyun; Kim, Hyung-Sik; Baek, Ji-Hye; Lee, Jung-Chul; Park, Sung-Jun; Jeong, Ul-Ho; Gim, Seon-Young; Kim, Sung-Phil; Lim, Dae-Woon; Chung, Soon-Cheol

    2015-09-01

    In this study, a constant pressure stimulus was applied on the 3 joints (first [p1], second [p2], and third [p3] joints) of 4 fingers (index, middle, ring, and little fingers), and the activation areas within Brodmann area 2 (BA 2) were compared for these different fingers and joints by using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Eight healthy male college students (25.4 ± 1.32 years) participated in the study. Each session was composed of 3 blocks, and each block was composed of a Control phase (30 seconds) and a Pressure phase (30 seconds). No pressure stimulus was applied in the Control phase, during which the subjects would simply lay comfortably with their eyes closed. In the Pressure phase, a pressure stimulus was applied onto one of the joints of the selected finger. For each finger and joint, BA 2 areas activated by the pressure stimulus were extracted by the region of interest method. There was a significant difference in the activation areas for the different fingers (P = .042) as well as for the different joints (P = .050). The activation area decreased in the order of the little, index, and middle fingers, as well as in the order of p1, p3, and p2.

  2. Computerized measures of finger tapping: effects of hand dominance, age, and sex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hubel, Kerry A; Reed, Bruce; Yund, E William; Herron, Timothy J; Woods, David L

    2013-06-01

    Computerized measures of digit tapping rate were obtained over 3 successive, 10-sec. periods in the right and left index fingers, from a community sample of 1,519 participants (ages 18 to 65 years; 607 men, 912 women). Differences between the dominant and non-dominant hands were found for tapping rate, movement initiation, and button down times, and the decline in tapping rate over the successive, 10-sec. periods. Declines were found in tapping rate in older participants in association with increased intertap variability. Men had higher tapping rates than women in all age ranges. The computerized finger tapping test is an efficient and precise measure of tapping speed and kinetics of potential utility in research and clinical studies of motor performance.

  3. CT demonstration of chicken trachea resulting from complete cartilaginous rings of the trachea in ring-sling complex

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Calcagni, Giulio; Bonnet, Damien; Sidi, Daniel [University Paris Descartes, Department of Paediatric Cardiology, Hopital Necker-Enfants Malades, AP-HP, Paris (France); Brunelle, Francis [University Paris Descartes, Department of Paediatric Radiology, Hopital Necker-Enfants Malades, AP-HP, Paris Cedex 15 (France); Vouhe, Pascal [University Paris Descartes, Department of Paediatric Cardiovascular Surgery, Hopital Necker-Enfants Malades, AP-HP, Paris (France); Ou, Phalla [University Paris Descartes, Department of Paediatric Cardiology, Hopital Necker-Enfants Malades, AP-HP, Paris (France); University Paris Descartes, Department of Paediatric Radiology, Hopital Necker-Enfants Malades, AP-HP, Paris Cedex 15 (France)

    2008-07-15

    We report a 10-month-old infant who presented with tetralogy of Fallot and respiratory disease in whom the suspicion of a ring-sling complex was confirmed by high-resolution CT. CT demonstrated the typical association of left pulmonary artery sling and the ''chicken trachea'' resulting from complete cartilaginous rings of the trachea. (orig.)

  4. Multiple Fingers - One Gestalt.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lezkan, Alexandra; Manuel, Steven G; Colgate, J Edward; Klatzky, Roberta L; Peshkin, Michael A; Drewing, Knut

    2016-01-01

    The Gestalt theory of perception offered principles by which distributed visual sensations are combined into a structured experience ("Gestalt"). We demonstrate conditions whereby haptic sensations at two fingertips are integrated in the perception of a single object. When virtual bumps were presented simultaneously to the right hand's thumb and index finger during lateral arm movements, participants reported perceiving a single bump. A discrimination task measured the bump's perceived location and perceptual reliability (assessed by differential thresholds) for four finger configurations, which varied in their adherence to the Gestalt principles of proximity (small versus large finger separation) and synchrony (virtual spring to link movements of the two fingers versus no spring). According to models of integration, reliability should increase with the degree to which multi-finger cues integrate into a unified percept. Differential thresholds were smaller in the virtual-spring condition (synchrony) than when fingers were unlinked. Additionally, in the condition with reduced synchrony, greater proximity led to lower differential thresholds. Thus, with greater adherence to Gestalt principles, thresholds approached values predicted for optimal integration. We conclude that the Gestalt principles of synchrony and proximity apply to haptic perception of surface properties and that these principles can interact to promote multi-finger integration.

  5. Reliability of the standard goniometry and diagrammatic recording of finger joint angles: a comparative study with healthy subjects and non-professional raters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Macionis, Valdas

    2013-01-09

    Diagrammatic recording of finger joint angles by using two criss-crossed paper strips can be a quick substitute to the standard goniometry. As a preliminary step toward clinical validation of the diagrammatic technique, the current study employed healthy subjects and non-professional raters to explore whether reliability estimates of the diagrammatic goniometry are comparable with those of the standard procedure. The study included two procedurally different parts, which were replicated by assigning 24 medical students to act interchangeably as 12 subjects and 12 raters. A larger component of the study was designed to compare goniometers side-by-side in measurement of finger joint angles varying from subject to subject. In the rest of the study, the instruments were compared by parallel evaluations of joint angles similar for all subjects in a situation of simulated change of joint range of motion over time. The subjects used special guides to position the joints of their left ring finger at varying angles of flexion and extension. The obtained diagrams of joint angles were converted to numerical values by computerized measurements. The statistical approaches included calculation of appropriate intraclass correlation coefficients, standard errors of measurements, proportions of measurement differences of 5 or less degrees, and significant differences between paired observations. Reliability estimates were similar for both goniometers. Intra-rater and inter-rater intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.69 to 0.93. The corresponding standard errors of measurements ranged from 2.4 to 4.9 degrees. Repeated measurements of a considerable number of raters fell within clinically non-meaningful 5 degrees of each other in proportions comparable with a criterion value of 0.95. Data collected with both instruments could be similarly interpreted in a simulated situation of change of joint range of motion over time. The paper goniometer and the standard goniometer can

  6. Projectivity and flatness over the endomorphism ring of a finitely generated comodule

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guedenon, T.

    2006-04-01

    Let k be a commutative ring, A a k-algebra, C an A- coring that is projective as a left A-module, *C the dual ring of C and Λ a right C-comodule that is finitely generated as a left *C-module. We give necessary and sufficient conditions for projectivity and flatness of a module over the endomorphism ring End C (Λ). If C contains a grouplike element, we can replace Λ with A. (author)

  7. Habitual biting of a finger in a child

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K N Sarveswari

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available A 3-year-old male child was brought by his parents with a nonhealing ulcer on the right middle finger having no significant history except for an injury sustained to the right elbow in December 2013. On further probing, the mother revealed that the child used to indulge in habitual biting of his right middle finger while watching TV. Initially he was investigated extensively by a vascular surgeon and no abnormality was detected. He was later referred to the dermatology department and on examination, the patient was attentive with normal behaviour. The right upper limb was slightly larger than left. There was no deformity of the right elbow. The right third fingertip was enlarged and mutilated. There was no nerve thickening or hypopigmented patch. There was loss of sensation on the right hand and arm. Differential diagnosis of Lesch–Nyhan syndrome and congenital sensory neuropathy were considered. The patient was referred to a neurologist who investigated further with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, and the final diagnosis of syringomyelia was made based on MRI findings.

  8. Finger-like voids induced by viscous fingering during phase inversion of alumina/PES/NMP suspensions

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Bo

    2012-07-01

    The formation mechanism of phase-inversion ceramic hollow fibre membranes has not been well understood. In this paper, we report on the formation of finger-like macrovoids during non-solvent-induced phase inversion of alumina/PES/NMP suspensions. A membrane structure without such finger-like macrovoids was observed when the suspension was slowly immersed into pure ethanol or a mixture of 70. wt% NMP and 30. wt% water, whereas finger-like macrovoids occurred when the suspension was slid into the non-solvents at higher speeds. We found that the formation process of finger-like macrovoids could be fully or partially reversed when nascent membranes were taken out from water shortly after immersion, depending on the duration of the immersion. Splitting of the fingers during the formation of the macrovoids was also observed during the phase inversion of two alumina/PES/NMP suspensions. These experimental observations were not predicted by current theories of finger-like macrovoid formation in polymer membranes, but appear to mimic the well-known viscous fingering phenomenon. We therefore propose that in the phase inversion of ceramic suspensions, the viscous fingering phenomenon is an important mechanism in the formation of finger-like voids. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

  9. The Bmi-1 helix–turn and ring finger domains are required for Bmi-1 antagonism of (–) epigallocatechin-3-gallate suppression of skin cancer cell survival

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balasubramanian, Sivaprakasam; Scharadin, Tiffany M.; Han, Bingshe; Xu, Wen; Eckert, Richard L.

    2016-01-01

    The Bmi-1 Polycomb group (PcG) protein is an important epigenetic regulator of chromatin status. Elevated Bmi-1 expression is observed in skin cancer and contributes to cancer cell survival. (–) Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), an important green tea-derived cancer prevention agent, reduces Bmi-1 level resulting in reduced skin cancer cell survival. This is associated with increased p21Cip1 and p27Kip1 expression, reduced cyclin, and cyclin dependent kinase expression, and increased cleavage of apoptotic markers. These EGCG-dependent changes are attenuated by vector-mediated maintenance of Bmi-1 expression. In the present study, we identify Bmi-1 functional domains that are required for this response. Bmi-1 expression reverses the EGCG-dependent reduction in SCC-13 cell survival, but Bmi-1 mutants lacking the helix–turn–helix–turn–helix–turn (Bmi-1ΔHT) or ring finger (Bmi-1ΔRF) domains do not reverse the EGCG impact. The reduction in Ring1B ubiquitin ligase activity, observed in the presence of mutant Bmi-1, is associated with reduced ability of these mutants to interact with and activate Ring1B ubiquitin ligase, the major ligase responsible for the ubiquitination of histone H2A during chromatin condensation. This results in less chromatin condensation leading to increased tumor suppressor gene expression and reduced cell survival; thereby making the cells more susceptible to the anti-survival action of EGCG. We further show that these mutants act in a dominant-negative manner to inhibit the action of endogenous Bmi-1. Our results suggest that the HT and RF domains are required for Bmi-1 ability to maintain skin cancer cell survival in response to cancer preventive agents. PMID:25843776

  10. Prevalence of self-reported finger deformations and occupational risk factors among professional cooks: a cross-sectional study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomita Shigeru

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Previous studies have pointed out that the school lunch workers in Japan are suffering from work-related disorders including finger deformations. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of self-reported finger deformations and the association with job-related risk factors. Methods A cross-sectional questionnaire study of 5,719 subjects (response rate: 81%, 982 men and 4,737 women was undertaken during September 2003 to February 2004. Results Finger deformations were found among 11.7% of the men and 35.6% of the women studied, with significant differences among sex, age and sex-age groups. For both men and women the pattern of finger deformations across the hand was similar for the right and the left hand. For women, the deformations were found in about 10% of the distal interphalangeal joints of all fingers. Based on multiple logistic regression analyses, the factors female sex, age, the number of cooked lunches per cook and cooking activities were independently associated with the prevalence of finger deformations. High prevalence odds ratios were found for those frequently carrying or using tools by hands such as delivering containers, distributing meals, preparing dishes, washing equipment, cutting and stirring foods. Conclusions Among the school lunch workers studied, women had a higher prevalence of finger deformations on all joints of both hands. Various cooking tasks were associated with the prevalence of finger deformations. The results suggest that improvements in working conditions are important for preventing work-related disorders such as finger deformations.

  11. Prosthetic finger phalanges with lifelike skin compliance for low-force social touching interactions

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    Ge Shuzhi

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Prosthetic arms and hands that can be controlled by the user's electromyography (EMG signals are emerging. Eventually, these advanced prosthetic devices will be expected to touch and be touched by other people. As realistic as they may look, the currently available prosthetic hands have physical properties that are still far from the characteristics of human skins because they are much stiffer. In this paper, different configurations of synthetic finger phalanges have been investigated for their skin compliance behaviour and have been compared with the phalanges of the human fingers and a phalanx from a commercially available prosthetic hand. Methods Handshake tests were performed to identify which areas on the human hand experience high contact forces. After these areas were determined, experiments were done on selected areas using an indenting probe to obtain the force-displacement curves. Finite element simulations were used to compare the force-displacement results of the synthetic finger phalanx designs with that of the experimental results from the human and prosthetic finger phalanges. The simulation models were used to investigate the effects of (a varying the internal topology of the finger phalanx and (b varying different materials for the internal and external layers. Results and Conclusions During handshake, the high magnitudes of contact forces were observed at the areas where the full grasping enclosure of the other person's hand can be achieved. From these areas, the middle phalanges of the (a little, (b ring, and (c middle fingers were selected. The indentation experiments on these areas showed that a 2 N force corresponds to skin tissue displacements of more than 2 mm. The results from the simulation model show that introducing an open pocket with 2 mm height on the internal structure of synthetic finger phalanges increased the skin compliance of the silicone material to 235% and the polyurethane material to

  12. Covering the Dorsal Finger Defect with Reverse Cross Finger Flap

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    Kaan Gurbuz

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Reconstruction of finger extensor zone defects with or without tendon gaps still remains a challenge for surgeons. Although surgical treatments may differ, and range from the use of local, regional, to free flaps, the outcomes for all cases are not satisfactory. In this case report, we present a case of a 3rd finger extensor side crush injury including a defect of Dd (Digit Dorsal 1, Dd2 and Dd3 defects of extensor zones with tendon gap. Tendon gap was reconstructed using m. palmaris longus tendon graft and the defect was covered with reversed cross-finger flap (random pattern with good cosmetic and excellent functional results.

  13. Finger Forces in Clarinet Playing

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    Alex Hofmann

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Clarinettists close and open multiple tone holes to alter the pitch of the tones. Their fingering technique must be fast, precise, and coordinated with the tongue articulation. In this empirical study, finger force profiles and tongue techniques of clarinet students (N = 17 and professional clarinettists (N = 6 were investigated under controlled performance conditions. First, in an expressive-performance task, eight selected excerpts from the first Weber Concerto were performed. These excerpts were chosen to fit in a 2 x 2 x 2 design (register: low--high; tempo: slow--fast, dynamics: soft--loud. There was an additional condition controlled by the experimenter, which determined the expression levels (low--high of the performers. Second, a technical-exercise task, an isochronous 23-tone melody was designed that required different effectors to produce the sequence (finger-only, tongue-only, combined tongue-finger actions. The melody was performed in three tempo conditions (slow, medium, fast in a synchronization-continuation paradigm. Participants played on a sensor-equipped Viennese clarinet, which tracked finger forces and reed oscillations simultaneously. From the data, average finger force (Fmean and peak force (Fmax were calculated. The overall finger forces were low (Fmean = 1.17 N, Fmax = 3.05 N compared to those on other musical instruments (e.g. guitar. Participants applied the largest finger forces during the high expression level performance conditions (Fmean = 1.21 N.For the technical exercise task, timing and articulation information were extracted from the reed signal. Here, the timing precision of the fingers deteriorated the timing precision of the tongue for combined tongue-finger actions, especially for faster tempi. Although individual finger force profiles were overlapping, the group of professional players applied less finger force overall (Fmean = 0.54 N. Such sensor instruments provide useful insights into player

  14. Functional analysis of SH3 domain containing ring finger 2 during the myogenic differentiation of quail myoblast cells

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    Si Won Kim

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Objective Owing to the public availability of complete genome sequences, including avian species, massive bioinformatics analyses may be conducted for computational gene prediction and the identification of gene regulatory networks through various informatics tools. However, to evaluate the biofunctional activity of a predicted target gene, in vivo and in vitro functional genomic analyses should be a prerequisite. Methods Due to a lack of quail genomic sequence information, we first identified the partial genomic structure and sequences of the quail SH3 domain containing ring finger 2 (SH3RF2 gene. Subsequently, SH3RF2 was knocked out using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat/Cas9 technology and single cell-derived SH3RF2 mutant sublines were established to study the biofunctional activity of SH3RF2 in quail myoblast (QM7 cells during muscle differentiation. Results Through a T7 endonuclease I assay and genotyping analysis, we established an SH3RF2 knockout (KO QM7#4 subline with 61 and 155 nucleotide deletion mutations in SH3RF2. After the induction of myotube differentiation, the expression profiles were analyzed and compared between regular QM7 and SH3RF2 KO QM7#4 cells by global RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. Conclusion We did not detect any statistically significant role of SH3RF2 during myotube differentiation in QM7 myoblast cells. However, additional experiments are necessary to examine the biofunctional activity of SH3RF2 in cell proliferation and muscle growth.

  15. Advanced analysis of finger-tapping performance: a preliminary study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barut, Cağatay; Kızıltan, Erhan; Gelir, Ethem; Köktürk, Fürüzan

    2013-06-01

    The finger-tapping test is a commonly employed quantitative assessment tool used to measure motor performance in the upper extremities. This task is a complex motion that is affected by external stimuli, mood and health status. The complexity of this task is difficult to explain with a single average intertap-interval value (time difference between successive tappings) which only provides general information and neglects the temporal effects of the aforementioned factors. This study evaluated the time course of average intertap-interval values and the patterns of variation in both the right and left hands of right-handed subjects using a computer-based finger-tapping system. Cross sectional study. Thirty eight male individuals aged between 20 and 28 years (Mean±SD = 22.24±1.65) participated in the study. Participants were asked to perform single-finger-tapping test for 10 seconds of test period. Only the results of right-handed (RH) 35 participants were considered in this study. The test records the time of tapping and saves data as the time difference between successive tappings for further analysis. The average number of tappings and the temporal fluctuation patterns of the intertap-intervals were calculated and compared. The variations in the intertap-interval were evaluated with the best curve fit method. An average tapping speed or tapping rate can reliably be defined for a single-finger tapping test by analysing the graphically presented data of the number of tappings within the test period. However, a different presentation of the same data, namely the intertap-interval values, shows temporal variation as the number of tapping increases. Curve fitting applications indicate that the variation has a biphasic nature. The measures obtained in this study reflect the complex nature of the finger-tapping task and are suggested to provide reliable information regarding hand performance. Moreover, the equation reflects both the variations in and the general

  16. Perceiving fingers in single-digit arithmetic problems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berteletti, Ilaria; Booth, James R

    2015-01-01

    In this study, we investigate in children the neural underpinnings of finger representation and finger movement involved in single-digit arithmetic problems. Evidence suggests that finger representation and finger-based strategies play an important role in learning and understanding arithmetic. Because different operations rely on different networks, we compared activation for subtraction and multiplication problems in independently localized finger somatosensory and motor areas and tested whether activation was related to skill. Brain activations from children between 8 and 13 years of age revealed that only subtraction problems significantly activated finger motor areas, suggesting reliance on finger-based strategies. In addition, larger subtraction problems yielded greater somatosensory activation than smaller problems, suggesting a greater reliance on finger representation for larger numerical values. Interestingly, better performance in subtraction problems was associated with lower activation in the finger somatosensory area. Our results support the importance of fine-grained finger representation in arithmetical skill and are the first neurological evidence for a functional role of the somatosensory finger area in proficient arithmetical problem solving, in particular for those problems requiring quantity manipulation. From an educational perspective, these results encourage investigating whether different finger-based strategies facilitate arithmetical understanding and encourage educational practices aiming at integrating finger representation and finger-based strategies as a tool for instilling stronger numerical sense.

  17. Partial medial second toe pulp free flap and dermal substitute with skin graft for salvage reconstruction of a complete skin envelope degloving of the small finger.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calafat, V; Strugarek, C; Montoya-Faivre, D; Dap, F; Dautel, G

    2018-04-04

    Skin envelope degloving of fingers are rare injuries that require rapid care and surgical treatment. Mostly caused by ring finger injuries, these traumas include bone, tendon and neurovascular pedicle damage. The authors present an unusual case of finger degloving limited exclusively to the skin envelope, without skeletal, tendinous or vascular lesion. This rare case of skin envelope degloving rendered microsurgical revascularization impossible. The authors report the results at 12 months following salvage reconstruction combining a partial second toe pulp free flap for the volar side and a dermal substitute with a thin skin graft for the dorsum. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  18. Hand dermatitis and symptoms from the fingers among Swedish dental personnel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lönnroth, E C; Shahnavaz, H

    1998-01-01

    Hand dermatitis among dental personnel has been an issue in recent years. Dental personnel manually handle polymer materials which are known to irritate skin, and also cause allergy. In addition, dental personnel wash their hands frequently, and use latex gloves, and are therefore at risk to develop hand dermatitis. To survey the occurrence of hand dermatitis among dental personnel, questionnaires were sent to all dental teams (dentist + chair assistant) working in the two northern Swedish counties. Referents were; researchers, teachers, and secretaries from a university and high schools, from the same geographical area. The response rate was 76% for dental teams, and 66% for referents. The results show that male dentists reported a significantly higher prevalence of hand dermatitis than male reference. In contrast to chair assistants and referents, dentists (both male and female) reported a higher extent of hand dermatitis on the left than on the right hand. There was an association between hand dermatitis among dental personnel and; age, eczema in childhood, and hay fever but, not with; sex, asthma, frequent washing of the hands, and glove use. Whitening of the fingers increased with increasing age among dental personnel. Pricking was also associated with frequent glove use. Pricking of the fingers was associated with sex, and 3.5 times more common among female dental personnel than male dentists. Numbness of the fingers, and finger pain was reported by more dentists than chair assistants and referents.

  19. An Arginine Finger Regulates the Sequential Action of Asymmetrical Hexameric ATPase in the Double-Stranded DNA Translocation Motor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Zhengyi; De-Donatis, Gian Marco; Schwartz, Chad; Fang, Huaming; Li, Jingyuan; Guo, Peixuan

    2016-10-01

    Biological motors are ubiquitous in living systems. Currently, how the motor components coordinate the unidirectional motion is elusive in most cases. Here, we report that the sequential action of the ATPase ring in the DNA packaging motor of bacteriophage ϕ29 is regulated by an arginine finger that extends from one ATPase subunit to the adjacent unit to promote noncovalent dimer formation. Mutation of the arginine finger resulted in the interruption of ATPase oligomerization, ATP binding/hydrolysis, and DNA translocation. Dimer formation reappeared when arginine mutants were mixed with other ATPase subunits that can offer the arginine to promote their interaction. Ultracentrifugation and virion assembly assays indicated that the ATPase was presenting as monomers and dimer mixtures. The isolated dimer alone was inactive in DNA translocation, but the addition of monomer could restore the activity, suggesting that the hexameric ATPase ring contained both dimer and monomers. Moreover, ATP binding or hydrolysis resulted in conformation and entropy changes of the ATPase with high or low DNA affinity. Taking these observations together, we concluded that the arginine finger regulates sequential action of the motor ATPase subunit by promoting the formation of the dimer inside the hexamer. The finding of asymmetrical hexameric organization is supported by structural evidence of many other ATPase systems showing the presence of one noncovalent dimer and four monomer subunits. All of these provide clues for why the asymmetrical hexameric ATPase gp16 of ϕ29 was previously reported as a pentameric configuration by cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) since the contact by the arginine finger renders two adjacent ATPase subunits closer than other subunits. Thus, the asymmetrical hexamer would appear as a pentamer by cryo-EM, a technology that acquires the average of many images. Copyright © 2016 Zhao et al.

  20. Mesofluidic controlled robotic or prosthetic finger

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lind, Randall F; Jansen, John F; Love, Lonnie J

    2013-11-19

    A mesofluidic powered robotic and/or prosthetic finger joint includes a first finger section having at least one mesofluidic actuator in fluid communication with a first actuator, a second mesofluidic actuator in fluid communication with a second actuator and a second prosthetic finger section pivotally connected to the first finger section by a joint pivot, wherein the first actuator pivotally cooperates with the second finger to provide a first mechanical advantage relative to the joint point and wherein the second actuator pivotally cooperates with the second finger section to provide a second mechanical advantage relative to the joint point.

  1. Left hand tactile agnosia after posterior callosal lesion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balsamo, Maddalena; Trojano, Luigi; Giamundo, Arcangelo; Grossi, Dario

    2008-09-01

    We report a patient with a hemorrhagic lesion encroaching upon the posterior third of the corpus callosum but sparing the splenium. She showed marked difficulties in recognizing objects and shapes perceived through her left hand, while she could appreciate elementary sensorial features of items tactually presented to the same hand flawlessly. This picture, corresponding to classical descriptions of unilateral associative tactile agnosia, was associated with finger agnosia of the left hand. This very unusual case report can be interpreted as an instance of disconnection syndrome, and allows a discussion of mechanisms involved in tactile object recognition.

  2. Perceiving fingers in single-digit arithmetic problems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ilaria eBerteletti

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available In this study, we investigate in children the neural underpinnings of finger representation and finger movement involved in single-digit arithmetic problems. Evidence suggests that finger representation and finger-based strategies play an important role in learning and understanding arithmetic. Because different operations rely on different networks, we compared activation for subtraction and multiplication problems in independently localized finger somatosensory and motor areas and tested whether activation was related to skill. Brain activations from children between 8 and 13 years of age revealed that only subtraction problems significantly activated finger motor areas, suggesting reliance on finger-based strategies. In addition, larger subtraction problems yielded greater somatosensory activation than smaller problems, suggesting a greater reliance on finger representation for larger numerical values. Interestingly, better performance in subtraction problems was associated with lower activation in the finger somatosensory area. Our results support the importance of fine-grained finger representation in arithmetical skill and are the first neurological evidence for a functional role of the somatosensory finger area in proficient arithmetical problem solving, in particular for those problems requiring quantity manipulation. From an educational perspective, these results encourage investigating whether different finger-based strategies facilitate arithmetical understanding and encourage educational practices aiming at integrating finger representation and finger-based strategies as a tool for instilling stronger numerical sense.

  3. Sirenomelia associated with Hypoplastic Left Heart in a Newborn.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turgut, H; Ozdemir, R; Gokce, I K; Karakurt, C; Karadag, A

    2017-06-30

    Sirenomelia, also known as "mermaid malformation/syndrome," is a rare, serious congenital anomaly characterized by variable degrees of fusion of the lower limbs and associated with severe malformations of vertebral, genitourinary, cardiovascular system and single umbilical artery. The first pregnancy of a 25-year-old woman resulted in one twin born by Cesarian section at 32 weeks' gestation, who was referred to our hospital with cyanosis, a congenital anomaly and respiratory distress. On physical examination, there was no urogenital region and anal fissure and gender was indeterminate. The arms were in adduction and wrist in flexion position with four fingers on the right hand and two fingers on the left hand. There was a single lower extremity with a webbed single foot and two toes consistent with sirenomelia type IV radiologically. Abdominal ultrasonography showed urogenital system agenesis and echocardiography detected hypoplastic left heart. However, the patient died 4 hours after birth. The other twin was followed for 1 week for nutrition and respiratory support and was then discharged without any problems.

  4. Sirenomelia associated with hypoplastic left heart in a newborn

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Turgut H

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Sirenomelia, also known as “mermaid malformation/syndrome,” is a rare, serious congenital anomaly characterized by variable degrees of fusion of the lower limbs and associated with severe malformations of vertebral, genitourinary, cardiovascular system and single umbilical artery. The first pregnancy of a 25-year-old woman resulted in one twin born by Cesarian section at 32 weeks’ gestation, who was referred to our hospital with cyanosis, a congenital anomaly and respiratory distress. On physical examination, there was no urogenital region and anal fissure and gender was indeterminate. The arms were in adduction and wrist in flexion position with four fingers on the right hand and two fingers on the left hand. There was a single lower extremity with a webbed single foot and two toes consistent with sirenomelia type IV radiologically. Abdominal ultrasonography showed urogenital system agenesis and echocardiography detected hypoplastic left heart. However, the patient died 4 hours after birth. The other twin was followed for 1 week for nutrition and respiratory support and was then discharged without any problems.

  5. The Relative Contribution to Small Finger Abduction of the Ulnar Versus Radial Slip of the EDM: Implications for Tendon Transfers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akinleye, Sheriff D; Culbertson, Maya Deza; Cappelleti, Giacomo; Garofolo, Garret; Choueka, Jack

    2017-09-01

    The extensor digiti minimi (EDM) tendon is commonly divided into a radial slip (EDM-R) and an ulnar slip (EDM-U). To our knowledge, the degree to which each EDM slip concomitantly abducts the small finger with active extension has not been formally tested. This study sought to characterize the comparative contributions of finger abduction inherent to each slip of the EDM to observe the sequelae of active small finger extension following transfer of the contralateral slip. Eighteen fresh-frozen cadaveric hands were used in this study. Starting with the hand in resting position, a controlled traction of 10 N was applied to each slip of the EDM tendon. The range of small finger abduction with respect to the fixed ring finger was recorded utilizing infrared reflective markers tracked through the range of motion using a digital video camera. The mean abduction of the small finger when the radial slip of the EDM tendon was tested was 13.33° (95% confidence interval [CI]: 10.10°-16.55°), which was significantly different ( P ≤ .001) than small finger abduction produced by the ulnar slip of the EDM, with a mean of 23.72° (95% CI: 19.40°-28.04°). Given the fact that the ulnar slip of the EDM tendon is shown to be the major contributor of aberrant abduction with active small finger extension, as traction on this slip produces almost twice as much abduction as the radial slip, the EDM-U is the ideal donor graft with respect to tendon transfers of the EDM.

  6. Primary cellulitis and cutaneous abscess caused by Yersinia enterocolitica in an immunocompetent host: A case report and literature review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kato, Hirofumi; Sasaki, Shugo; Sekiya, Noritaka

    2016-06-01

    Primary extraintestinal complications caused by Yersinia enterocolitica are extremely rare, especially in the form of skin and soft-tissue manifestations, and little is known about their clinical characteristics and treatments. We presented our case and reviewed past cases of primary skin and soft-tissue infections caused by Y enterocolitica. We report a case of primary cellulitis and cutaneous abscess caused by Y enterocolitica in an immunocompetent 70-year-old woman with keratodermia tylodes palmaris progressiva. She presented to an outpatient clinic with redness, swelling, and pain of the left ring finger and left upper arm without fever or gastrointestinal symptoms 3 days before admission. One day later, ulceration of the skin with exposed bone of the proximal interphalangeal joint of the left ring finger developed, and cefditoren pivoxil was described. However, she was admitted to our hospital due to deterioration of symptoms involving the left finger and upper arm. Cefazolin was initiated on admission, then changed to sulbactam/ampicillin and vancomycin with debridement of the left ring finger and drainage of the left upper arm abscess. Wound culture grew Y enterocolitica serotype O:8 and methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus. Blood cultures were negative and osteomyelitis was ruled out. Vancomycin was switched to ciprofloxacin, then skin and soft-tissue manifestations showed clear improvement within a few days. The patient received 14 days of ciprofloxacin and oral amoxicillin/clavulanate and has since shown no recurrence. We reviewed 12 cases of primary skin and soft-tissue infections caused by Y enterocolitica from the literature. In several past cases, portal entry involved failure of the skin barrier on distal body parts. Thereafter, infection might have spread to the regional lymph nodes from the ruptured skin. Y enterocolitica is typically resistant to aminopenicillins and narrow-spectrum cephalosporins. In most cases, these inefficient

  7. Impact of Finger Type in Fingerprint Authentication

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gafurov, Davrondzhon; Bours, Patrick; Yang, Bian; Busch, Christoph

    Nowadays fingerprint verification system is the most widespread and accepted biometric technology that explores various features of the human fingers for this purpose. In general, every normal person has 10 fingers with different size. Although it is claimed that recognition performance with little fingers can be less accurate compared to other finger types, to our best knowledge, this has not been investigated yet. This paper presents our study on the topic of influence of the finger type into fingerprint recognition performance. For analysis we employ two fingerprint verification software packages (one public and one commercial). We conduct test on GUC100 multi sensor fingerprint database which contains fingerprint images of all 10 fingers from 100 subjects. Our analysis indeed confirms that performance with small fingers is less accurate than performance with the others fingers of the hand. It also appears that best performance is being obtained with thumb or index fingers. For example, performance deterioration from the best finger (i.e. index or thumb) to the worst fingers (i.e. small ones) can be in the range of 184%-1352%.

  8. Design and preliminary evaluation of the FINGER rehabilitation robot: controlling challenge and quantifying finger individuation during musical computer game play.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taheri, Hossein; Rowe, Justin B; Gardner, David; Chan, Vicki; Gray, Kyle; Bower, Curtis; Reinkensmeyer, David J; Wolbrecht, Eric T

    2014-02-04

    This paper describes the design and preliminary testing of FINGER (Finger Individuating Grasp Exercise Robot), a device for assisting in finger rehabilitation after neurologic injury. We developed FINGER to assist stroke patients in moving their fingers individually in a naturalistic curling motion while playing a game similar to Guitar Hero. The goal was to make FINGER capable of assisting with motions where precise timing is important. FINGER consists of a pair of stacked single degree-of-freedom 8-bar mechanisms, one for the index and one for the middle finger. Each 8-bar mechanism was designed to control the angle and position of the proximal phalanx and the position of the middle phalanx. Target positions for the mechanism optimization were determined from trajectory data collected from 7 healthy subjects using color-based motion capture. The resulting robotic device was built to accommodate multiple finger sizes and finger-to-finger widths. For initial evaluation, we asked individuals with a stroke (n = 16) and without impairment (n = 4) to play a game similar to Guitar Hero while connected to FINGER. Precision design, low friction bearings, and separate high speed linear actuators allowed FINGER to individually actuate the fingers with a high bandwidth of control (-3 dB at approximately 8 Hz). During the tests, we were able to modulate the subject's success rate at the game by automatically adjusting the controller gains of FINGER. We also used FINGER to measure subjects' effort and finger individuation while playing the game. Test results demonstrate the ability of FINGER to motivate subjects with an engaging game environment that challenges individuated control of the fingers, automatically control assistance levels, and quantify finger individuation after stroke.

  9. Occult lung malignancy presenting with finger pain: a case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Embley Matthew A

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Lung cancer is currently one of the most common malignancies in the world. Early detection is an important prognostic factor. Unfortunately, initial symptoms may be vague and a substantial proportion of cases present with the effects of metastases. Case presentation We discuss a case of occult lung malignancy in a 61-year-old man. The only symptom at presentation was pain in the right ring finger due to metastasis from the lung primary. Conclusion This case highlights the need for vigilance when a patient presents with unusual or unexplained symptoms, especially if they have known risk factors for cancer.

  10. Customizing Extensor Reconstruction in Vascularized Toe Joint Transfers to Finger Proximal Interphalangeal Joints: A Strategic Approach for Correcting Extensor Lag.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loh, Charles Yuen Yung; Hsu, Chung-Chen; Lin, Cheng-Hung; Chen, Shih-Heng; Lien, Shwu-Huei; Lin, Chih-Hung; Wei, Fu-Chan; Lin, Yu-Te

    2017-04-01

    Vascularized toe proximal interphalangeal joint transfer allows the restoration of damaged joints. However, extensor lag and poor arc of motion have been reported. The authors present their outcomes of treatment according to a novel reconstructive algorithm that addresses extensor lag and allows for consistent results postoperatively. Vascularized toe joint transfers were performed in a consecutive series of 26 digits in 25 patients. The average age was 30.5 years, with 14 right and 12 left hands. Reconstructed digits included eight index, 10 middle, and eight ring fingers. Simultaneous extensor reconstructions were performed and eight were centralization of lateral bands, five were direct extensor digitorum longus-to-extensor digitorum communis repairs, and 13 were central slip reconstructions. The average length of follow-up was 16.7 months. The average extension lag was 17.9 degrees. The arc of motion was 57.7 degrees (81.7 percent functional use of pretransfer toe proximal interphalangeal joint arc of motion). There was no significant difference in the reconstructed proximal interphalangeal joint arc of motion for the handedness (p = 0.23), recipient digits (p = 0.37), or surgical experience in vascularized toe joint transfer (p = 0.25). The outcomes of different techniques of extensor mechanism reconstruction were similar in terms of extensor lag, arc of motion, and reconstructed finger arc of motion compared with the pretransfer toe proximal interphalangeal joint arc of motion. With this treatment algorithm, consistent outcomes can be produced with minimal extensor lag and maximum use of potential toe proximal interphalangeal joint arc of motion. Therapeutic, IV.

  11. Simultaneous Dorsal Dislocation of the Proximal and Distal Interphalangeal Joints in the Middle Finger: A Case Report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamed Ali Sbai

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Introduction Dorsal dislocation of a proximal or distal interphalangeal joint is a common clinical problem. However, simultaneous dislocation of both joints in the same digit is rare. Case Presentation A 32-year-old male injured his left hand third finger while biking. Examination revealed a stepladder deformity. Neurovascular examination was normal. Radiographs revealed dorsal dislocation of both the proximal and distal interphalangeal joints. The finger was reduced easily by longitudinal manual traction under the digital block. The finger was splinted in the intrinsic plus position for 3 weeks accompanied with active range of motion. After 6 months, the patient returned to normal sporting activity without limitation of motion. Conclusions In case of simultaneous dorsal dislocation of a proximal and distal interphalangeal joint, closed reduction is the treatment of choice and it could result in good and normal range of motion.

  12. More than just tapping: index finger-tapping measures procedural learning in schizophrenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Da Silva, Felipe N; Irani, Farzin; Richard, Jan; Brensinger, Colleen M; Bilker, Warren B; Gur, Raquel E; Gur, Ruben C

    2012-05-01

    Finger-tapping has been widely studied using behavioral and neuroimaging paradigms. Evidence supports the use of finger-tapping as an endophenotype in schizophrenia, but its relationship with motor procedural learning remains unexplored. To our knowledge, this study presents the first use of index finger-tapping to study procedural learning in individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (SCZ/SZA) as compared to healthy controls. A computerized index finger-tapping test was administered to 1169 SCZ/SZA patients (62% male, 88% right-handed), and 689 healthy controls (40% male, 93% right-handed). Number of taps per trial and learning slopes across trials for the dominant and non-dominant hands were examined for motor speed and procedural learning, respectively. Both healthy controls and SCZ/SZA patients demonstrated procedural learning for their dominant hand but not for their non-dominant hand. In addition, patients showed a greater capacity for procedural learning even though they demonstrated more variability in procedural learning compared to healthy controls. Left-handers of both groups performed better than right-handers and had less variability in mean number of taps between non-dominant and dominant hands. Males also had less variability in mean tap count between dominant and non-dominant hands than females. As expected, patients had a lower mean number of taps than healthy controls, males outperformed females and dominant-hand trials had more mean taps than non-dominant hand trials in both groups. The index finger-tapping test can measure both motor speed and procedural learning, and motor procedural learning may be intact in SCZ/SZA patients. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Leiomyoma of uterus in a patient with ring chromosome 12: Case presentation and literature review

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hajianpour, M.J.; Habibian, R.; Hajianpour, A.K. [Children`s Hospital, Los Angeles, CA (United States)] [and others

    1996-05-17

    We report on a 30-year-old woman with de novo ring chromosome 12 mosaicism, 46,XX,r(12)(p13.3q24.3)/46,XX. In addition to the clinical manifestations generally observed in {open_quotes}ring syndrome{close_quotes} cases such as growth retardation, short stature, microcephaly, and mental deficiency, she had a broad nasal bridge, micrognathia with overbite, underdeveloped breasts, mild dorsal scoliosis, clinodactyly of the fifth fingers with a single interdigital crease, symphalangism of thumbs, tapering fingers, mild cutaneous syndactyly between the second and third toes, multiple cafe-au-lait spots, sebaceous acne on the face and back, and mild dystrophic toenails. She developed a large, pedunculated uterine leiomyoma at age 28 years. To our knowledge, uterine leiomyoma in association with r(12) has not been reported previously. However, a gain of chromosome 12 and translocations involving 12q14-15 have been described. 12 refs., 5 figs., 2 tabs.

  14. EMG finger movement classification based on ANFIS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caesarendra, W.; Tjahjowidodo, T.; Nico, Y.; Wahyudati, S.; Nurhasanah, L.

    2018-04-01

    An increase number of people suffering from stroke has impact to the rapid development of finger hand exoskeleton to enable an automatic physical therapy. Prior to the development of finger exoskeleton, a research topic yet important i.e. machine learning of finger gestures classification is conducted. This paper presents a study on EMG signal classification of 5 finger gestures as a preliminary study toward the finger exoskeleton design and development in Indonesia. The EMG signals of 5 finger gestures were acquired using Myo EMG sensor. The EMG signal features were extracted and reduced using PCA. The ANFIS based learning is used to classify reduced features of 5 finger gestures. The result shows that the classification of finger gestures is less than the classification of 7 hand gestures.

  15. TIF1alpha: a possible link between KRAB zinc finger proteins and nuclear receptors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Le Douarin, B; You, J; Nielsen, Anders Lade

    1998-01-01

    Ligand-induced gene activation by nuclear receptors (NRs) is thought to be mediated by transcriptional intermediary factors (TIFs), that interact with their ligand-dependent AF-2 activating domain. Included in the group of the putative AF-2 TIFs identified so far is TIF1alpha, a member of a new...... family of proteins which contains an N-terminal RBCC (RING finger-B boxes-coiled coil) motif and a C-terminal bromodomain preceded by a PHD finger. In addition to these conserved domains present in a number of transcriptional regulatory proteins, TIF1alpha was found to contain several protein......-protein interaction sites. Of these, one specifically interacts with NRs bound to their agonistic ligand and not with NR mutants that are defective in the AF-2 activity. Immediately adjacent to this 'NR box', TIF1alpha contains an interaction site for members of the chromatin organization modifier (chromo) family, HP...

  16. A cancer-associated RING finger protein, RNF43, is a ubiquitin ligase that interacts with a nuclear protein, HAP95

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sugiura, Takeyuki; Yamaguchi, Aya; Miyamoto, Kentaro

    2008-01-01

    RNF43 is a recently discovered RING finger protein that is implicated in colon cancer pathogenesis. This protein possesses growth-promoting activity but its mechanism remains unknown. In this study, to gain insight into the biological action of RNF43 we characterized it biochemically and intracellularly. A combination of indirect immunofluorescence analysis and biochemical fractionation experiments suggests that RNF43 resides in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) as well as in the nuclear envelope. Sucrose density gradient fractionation demonstrates that RNF43 co-exists with emerin, a representative inner nuclear membrane protein in the nuclear subcompartment. The cell-free system with pure components reveals that recombinant RNF43 fused with maltose-binding protein has autoubiquitylation activity. By the yeast two-hybrid screening we identified HAP95, a chromatin-associated protein interfacing the nuclear envelope, as an RNF43-interacting protein and substantiated this interaction in intact cells by the co-immunoprecipitation experiments. HAP95 is ubiquitylated and subjected to a proteasome-dependent degradation pathway, however, the experiments in which 293 cells expressing both RNF43 and HAP95 were treated with a proteasome inhibitor, MG132, show that HAP95 is unlikely to serve as a substrate of RNF43 ubiquitin ligase. These results infer that RNF43 is a resident protein of the ER and, at least partially, the nuclear membrane, with ubiquitin ligase activity and may be involved in cell growth control potentially through the interaction with HAP95

  17. Fingers that change color

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... gov/ency/article/003249.htm Fingers that change color To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. Fingers or toes may change color when they are exposed to cold temperatures or ...

  18. Embodied finger counting in children with different cultural backgrounds and hand dominance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liutsko L.

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Background. Embodied finger counting has been shown to have cross-cultural differences in previous studies (Lindemann, Alipour, & Fisher, 2011; Soto & Lalain, 2008. However, their results were contradictory in reference to Western populations with regard to the hand preferred: The first study showed that in Western countries — Europe and the United States — participants preferred to start with the left hand (whereas in the Middle East — Iran — they used the right hand; the second study showed that participants in France preferred the right hand. Objective. Our study aimed to observe these differences in two countries, Spain (Western Europe and Russia (Eastern Europe part, although taking into account the variety of cultural or ethnic groups who live there. Design. The observational/descriptive study, together with correlational analysis of the finger-counting pattern (from 1 to 10 used by children aged 10 to 12 who had not been taught to use their fingers for counting, considered factors of cultural origin and hand dominance. The possible effects of this action on cognition — in our case, math achievement — were considered also. Results and conclusion. The differences in the frequency of the finger-counting patterns might suggest cultural-individual differences in performance; however, the correlational analysis did not reveal that these differences were statistically significant, either for gender or for mark in math. However, hand dominance was a significant predictor of the preferred hand with which to start counting.

  19. On zero divisor graph of unique product monoid rings over Noetherian reversible ring

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ebrahim Hashemi

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Let $R$ be an associative ring with identity and $Z^*(R$ be its set of non-zero zero divisors.  The zero-divisor graph of $R$, denoted by $Gamma(R$, is the graph whose vertices are the non-zero  zero-divisors of  $R$, and two distinct vertices $r$ and $s$ are adjacent if and only if $rs=0$ or $sr=0$.  In this paper, we bring some results about undirected zero-divisor graph of a monoid ring over reversible right (or left Noetherian ring $R$. We essentially classify the diameter-structure of this graph and show that $0leq mbox{diam}(Gamma(Rleq mbox{diam}(Gamma(R[M]leq 3$. Moreover, we give a characterization for the possible diam$(Gamma(R$ and diam$(Gamma(R[M]$, when $R$ is a reversible Noetherian ring and $M$ is a u.p.-monoid. Also, we study relations between the girth of $Gamma(R$ and that of $Gamma(R[M]$.

  20. Remnants of black rings from gravity’s rainbow

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ali, Ahmed Farag [Center for Fundamental Physics, Zewail City of Science and Technology,6th of October City, Giza 12588 (Egypt); Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Benha University,Benha 13518 (Egypt); Faizal, Mir [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo,Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1 (Canada); Khalil, Mohammed M. [Department of Electrical Engineering, Alexandria University,El-Horreya Rd., Alexandria 12544 (Egypt)

    2014-12-29

    In this paper, we investigate a spinning black ring and a charged black ring in the context of gravity’s rainbow. By incorporating rainbow functions proposed by Amelino-Camelia, et al. in http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/S0217751X97000566 http://dx.doi.org/10.12942/lrr-2013-5 in the metric of the black rings, a considerable modification happens to their thermodynamical properties. We calculate corrections to the temperature, entropy and heat capacity of the black rings. These calculations demonstrate that the behavior of Hawking radiation changes considerably near the Planck scale in gravity’s rainbow, where it is shown that black rings do not evaporate completely and a remnant is left as the black rings evaporate down to Planck scale.

  1. Percutaneous distraction lengthening in brachymetacarpia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Volpi, Alexander D; Fragomen, Austin T

    2011-08-08

    Brachymetacarpia is a condition manifesting a shortened metacarpal that is caused by early closure of the epiphyseal plate and believed to arise idiopathically. The correction for brachymetacarpia is usually for cosmetic reasons as brachymetacarpia does not impair function. The literature indicates several different approaches to lengthening digits, including single-stage lengthening and rapid distraction lengthening with a bone graft. However, gradual distraction is the preferred method due to excellent cosmetic outcomes and few postoperative complications. This article reports a case of brachymetacarpia treated with distraction lengthening using a minimally invasive, percutaneous approach. A 16-year-old girl presented with a shortened left ring finger and underwent surgery to correct the deformity. The left ring finger measured 12 mm shorter than her right ring finger; however, there was normal mobility at the joints. In the operating room, an external fixator was attached using 4 self-drilling, self-tapping pins through several 3-mm skin incisions. The total fixation time was 14 weeks; however, the achieved length of 12 mm was achieved 6 weeks postoperatively. The healing index of the fixation period was 81 days/cm. The postoperative course and fixation period were uneventful, with no complications except for 2 pin infections that were treated with oral antibiotics. The method of gradual distraction lengthening in this case successfully achieved the desired length and yielded an excellent cosmetic result. Copyright 2011, SLACK Incorporated.

  2. Finger multibiometric cryptosystems: fusion strategy and template security

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Jialiang; Li, Qiong; Abd El-Latif, Ahmed A.; Niu, Xiamu

    2014-03-01

    We address two critical issues in the design of a finger multibiometric system, i.e., fusion strategy and template security. First, three fusion strategies (feature-level, score-level, and decision-level fusions) with the corresponding template protection technique are proposed as the finger multibiometric cryptosystems to protect multiple finger biometric templates of fingerprint, finger vein, finger knuckle print, and finger shape modalities. Second, we theoretically analyze different fusion strategies for finger multibiometric cryptosystems with respect to their impact on security and recognition accuracy. Finally, the performance of finger multibiometric cryptosystems at different fusion levels is investigated on a merged finger multimodal biometric database. The comparative results suggest that the proposed finger multibiometric cryptosystem at feature-level fusion outperforms other approaches in terms of verification performance and template security.

  3. Optimization for Guitar Fingering on Single Notes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Itoh, Masaru; Hayashida, Takumi

    This paper presents an optimization method for guitar fingering. The fingering is to determine a unique combination of string, fret and finger corresponding to the note. The method aims to generate the best fingering pattern for guitar robots rather than beginners. Furthermore, it can be applied to any musical score on single notes. A fingering action can be decomposed into three motions, that is, a motion of press string, release string and move fretting hand. The cost for moving the hand is estimated on the basis of Manhattan distance which is the sum of distances along fret and string directions. The objective is to minimize the total fingering costs, subject to fret, string and finger constraints. As a sequence of notes on the score forms a line on time series, the optimization for guitar fingering can be resolved into a multistage decision problem. Dynamic programming is exceedingly effective to solve such a problem. A level concept is introduced into rendering states so as to make multiple DP solutions lead a unique one among the DP backward processes. For example, if two fingerings have the same value of cost at different states on a stage, then the low position would be taken precedence over the high position, and the index finger would be over the middle finger.

  4. Emotional Communication in Finger Braille

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yasuhiro Matsuda

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available We describe analyses of the features of emotions (neutral, joy, sadness, and anger expressed by Finger Braille interpreters and subsequently examine the effectiveness of emotional expression and emotional communication between people unskilled in Finger Braille. The goal is to develop a Finger Braille system to teach emotional expression and a system to recognize emotion. The results indicate the following features of emotional expression by interpreters. The durations of the code of joy were significantly shorter than the durations of the other emotions, the durations of the code of sadness were significantly longer, and the finger loads of anger were significantly larger. The features of emotional expression by unskilled subjects were very similar to those of the interpreters, and the coincidence ratio of emotional communication was 75.1%. Therefore, it was confirmed that people unskilled in Finger Braille can express and communicate emotions using this communication medium.

  5. Comparison of Quantitative and Qualitative Dermatoglyphic Characteristics of Opium Addicts with Healthy Individuals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehrpour, Omid; Sheikhazadi, Ardeshir; Barzegar, Afsoon; Husein, Afzal; Malic, Claudia; Sheikhazadi, Elham; Saberi-Anary, Seyed Hossein

    2016-04-01

    Recreational drugs have a significant impact on the lives of drug users, their close families andfriends, as well as their society. Social, psychological, biological, and genetic factors could make a personmore prone to using recreational drugs. Finger and A-B ridges (dermatoglyphics) are formed during the firstand second trimesters of fetal development, under the influence of environmental and genetic factors. Theaim of our study was to investigate and evaluate a possible link between dermatoglyphics and opium usage. The pattern of dermatoglyphics - finger and A-B prints - obtained from a group of opium users(121 patients) was compared to those obtained from a group of opium non-users (121 patients) from Birjand,Iran. The results were analyzed using chi-square, t and Mann-Whitney tests. The results showed that although A-B ridges of palms and fingers in our study group were highercompared to the control group, there was no significant difference between these groups. The only significantdifference was the fingerprint patterns of the left ring finger in the study group, which lacked the arch patternand had less loop patterns. The dominant type of fingerprint in the left ring finger was the whorl. In ouropium user group, the arch and loop fingerprint patterns were heterogeneous and significantly different incomparison with the control group (P < 0.01). These findings suggest that a genetic factor may increase the predisposition to recreational drugusage. Further research is required to confirm this possible impact of genetic factors on the addiction process.

  6. Factors influencing left ventricular outflow tract obstruction following a mitral valve-in-valve or valve-in-ring procedure, part 1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bapat, Vinnie; Pirone, Francesco; Kapetanakis, Stam; Rajani, Ronak; Niederer, Steven

    2015-10-01

    To determine the factors influencing left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) area reduction after a mitral valve-in-valve (VIV) or a valve-in-ring (VIR) procedure. Transcatheter heart valves (THVs) are increasingly used in performing a VIV or a VIR procedure in high-risk patients. Although less invasive, a potential complication is LVOT obstruction. However, the factors predisposing to LVOT obstruction are ill defined. To understand the effects of the various factors, the study was carried out in three parts: To understand the effect of VIV and VIR on reduction in LVOT area with special attention to different surgical heart valve (SHV) orientations and depth of THV implant. This was carried out in porcine and cadaver hearts. To quantify aorto-mitral-annular (AMA) angle in 20 patients with or without mitral disease and to derive a static computational model to predict LVOT obstruction. To study the effect of SHV design on LVOT obstruction after VIV. This was carried out as a bench test. LVOT area reduction was similar after VIV irrespective of orientation of the mitral SHV implantation as it pinned open the SHV leaflets. Similar effect was seen after VIR. The degree of LVOT obstruction was partly determined by AMAangle and was inversely proportional. SHV design, ring design, and depth of SPAIEN XT implantation also had effect on LVOT obstruction. A possibility of LVOT obstruction should be considered when performing a VIV and VIR procedure. Type of SHV, flexible ring, less obtuse AMA angle, and depth of SAPIEN XT implant can influence the risk. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Finger Search in the Implicit Model

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brodal, Gerth Stølting; Nielsen, Jesper Asbjørn Sindahl; Truelsen, Jakob

    2012-01-01

    We address the problem of creating a dictionary with the finger search property in the strict implicit model, where no information is stored between operations, except the array of elements. We show that for any implicit dictionary supporting finger searches in q(t) = Ω(logt) time, the time to move...... the finger to another element is Ω(q− 1(logn)), where t is the rank distance between the query element and the finger. We present an optimal implicit static structure matching this lower bound. We furthermore present a near optimal implicit dynamic structure supporting search, change-finger, insert......, and delete in times $\\mathcal{O}(q(t))$, $\\mathcal{O}(q^{-1}(\\log n)\\log n)$, $\\mathcal{O}(\\log n)$, and $\\mathcal{O}(\\log n)$, respectively, for any q(t) = Ω(logt). Finally we show that the search operation must take Ω(logn) time for the special case where the finger is always changed to the element...

  8. Generic Automated Multi-function Finger Design

    Science.gov (United States)

    Honarpardaz, M.; Tarkian, M.; Sirkett, D.; Ölvander, J.; Feng, X.; Elf, J.; Sjögren, R.

    2016-11-01

    Multi-function fingers that are able to handle multiple workpieces are crucial in improvement of a robot workcell. Design automation of multi-function fingers is highly demanded by robot industries to overcome the current iterative, time consuming and complex manual design process. However, the existing approaches for the multi-function finger design automation are unable to entirely meet the robot industries’ need. This paper proposes a generic approach for design automation of multi-function fingers. The proposed approach completely automates the design process and requires no expert skill. In addition, this approach executes the design process much faster than the current manual process. To validate the approach, multi-function fingers are successfully designed for two case studies. Further, the results are discussed and benchmarked with existing approaches.

  9. A Study of Tapping by the Unaffected Finger of Patients Presenting with Central and Peripheral Nerve Damage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lingli eZhang

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Aim: Whether the unaffected function of the hand of patients presenting with nerve injury is affected remains inconclusive. We aimed to evaluate whether there are differences in finger tapping following central or peripheral nerve injury compared with the unaffected hand and the ipsilateral hand of a healthy subject.Methods: 30 right brain stroke patients with hemiplegia, 30 left arm peripheral nerve injury cases and 60 healthy people were selected. We tested finger tapping of the right hands, and each subject performed the test twice.Results: Finger tapping following peripheral nerve injury as compared with the unaffected hand and the dominant hand of a healthy person was significantly higher than was found for central nerve injury (P<0.05. Finger tapping of the male peripheral group’s unaffected hand and the control group’s dominant hand was significantly higher than the central group (P<0.001. However, finger tapping of the female control group’s dominant hand was markedly higher than the central group’s unaffected hand (P<0.01, P=0.002, the peripheral group’s unaffected hand (P<0.05, P=0.034. Conclusion: The unaffected function of the hand of patients with central and peripheral nerve injury was different as compared with the ipsilateral hand of healthy individuals. The rehabilitation therapist should intensify the practice of normal upper limb fine activities and coordination of the patient.

  10. Correlation of Index Finger Length (2D with Height, Weight and BMI in Adult Bangladeshi Male

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karim Rezwan Hasan

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Background: Human hand is one of the most versatile parts of the human body which plays an important role in modern medical science and evolutionary biology. By virtue of evolution and genetic arrangements, digital lengths vary from person to person according to age, sex, races, occupation or even environmental influences. It has been found that the digital lengths and their ratios are not same in different sexes and even in both hands of same individual. Specially, index to ring digit lengths and their ratios which already have been proved to represent sexual dimorphism may differ in both hands of an individual and show positive correlations with other morphological attributes like height, weight and BMI. Objectives: To analyze the variation of index finger (2D length and its correlation with height, weight and BMI in adult Bangladeshi male. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted in the department of Anatomy, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka from July 2012 to June 2013 on 100 male MBBS students (20−25 years of age. With the help of digital vernier caliper measurements of index finger length (2D was recorded. Height and weight were measured by the stadiometer and weighing scale respectively. BMI was calculated from height and weight. Pearson’s correlation analysis was done to find out the correlation of index finger length with height, weight and BMI. Results: Significant correlation has been found between the lengths of index fingers (2D and height (p0.05. Conclusion: In this study, we found variation in index finger lengths of both hands of Bangladeshi male subjects, which needs further study and comparison.

  11. TRIM37 defective in mulibrey nanism is a novel RING finger ubiquitin E3 ligase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kallijaervi, Jukka; Lahtinen, Ulla; Haemaelaeinen, Riikka; Lipsanen-Nyman, Marita; Palvimo, Jorma J.; Lehesjoki, Anna-Elina

    2005-01-01

    Mulibrey nanism is an autosomal recessive prenatal-onset growth disorder characterized by dysmorphic features, cardiomyopathy, and hepatomegaly. Mutations in TRIM37 encoding a tripartite motif (TRIM, RING-B-box-coiled-coil)-family protein underlie mulibrey nanism. We investigated the ubiquitin ligase activity predicted for the RING domain of TRIM37 by analyzing its autoubiquitination. Full-length TRIM37 and its TRIM domain were highly polyubiquitinated when co-expressed with ubiquitin. Polyubiquitination was decreased in a mutant protein with disrupted RING domain (Cys35Ser;Cys36Ser) and in the Leu76Pro mutant protein, a disease-associated missense mutation affecting the TRIM domain of TRIM37. Bacterially produced GST-TRIM domain fusion protein, but not its Cys35Ser;Cys36Ser or Leu76Pro mutants, were polyubiquitinated in cell-free conditions, implying RING-dependent modification. Ubiquitin was also identified as an interaction partner for TRIM37 in a yeast two-hybrid screen. Ectopically expressed TRIM37 rapidly formed aggregates that were ubiquitin-, proteasome subunit-, and chaperone-positive in immunofluorescence analysis, defining them as aggresomes. The Cys35Ser;Cys36Ser mutant and the Leu76Pro and Gly322Val patient mutant proteins were markedly less prone to aggregation, implying that aggresomal targeting reflects a physiological function of TRIM37. These findings suggest that TRIM37 acts as a TRIM domain-dependent E3 ubiquitin ligase and imply defective ubiquitin-dependent degradation of an as-yet-unidentified target protein in the pathogenesis of mulibrey nanism

  12. New Finger Biometric Method Using Near Infrared Imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Eui Chul; Jung, Hyunwoo; Kim, Daeyeoul

    2011-01-01

    In this paper, we propose a new finger biometric method. Infrared finger images are first captured, and then feature extraction is performed using a modified Gaussian high-pass filter through binarization, local binary pattern (LBP), and local derivative pattern (LDP) methods. Infrared finger images include the multimodal features of finger veins and finger geometries. Instead of extracting each feature using different methods, the modified Gaussian high-pass filter is fully convolved. Therefore, the extracted binary patterns of finger images include the multimodal features of veins and finger geometries. Experimental results show that the proposed method has an error rate of 0.13%. PMID:22163741

  13. Current status of ultrasonography of the finger

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Seun Ah; Kim, Baek Hyun [Dept. of Radiology, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Ansan (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Seon Jeong [Dept. of Radiology, Myongji Hospital, Seonam University College of Medicine, Goyang (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Ji Na [Dept. of Radiology, Chungnam National University Hospital, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Park, Sun Young [Dept. of Radiology, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Anyang (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Kyung Hee [Incheon Baek Hospital, Incheon (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-03-15

    The recent development of advanced high-resolution transducers has enabled the fast, easy, and dynamic ultrasonographic evaluation of small, superficial structures such as the finger. In order to best exploit these advances, it is important to understand the normal anatomy and the basic pathologies of the finger, as exemplified by the following conditions involving the dorsal, volar, and lateral sections of the finger: sagittal band injuries, mallet finger, and Boutonnière deformity (dorsal aspect); flexor tendon tears, trigger finger, and volar plate injuries (volar aspect); gamekeeper’s thumb (Stener lesions) and other collateral ligament tears (lateral aspect); and other lesions. This review provides a basis for understanding the ultrasonography of the finger and will therefore be useful for radiologists.

  14. Current status of ultrasonography of the finger

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seun Ah Lee

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available The recent development of advanced high-resolution transducers has enabled the fast, easy, and dynamic ultrasonographic evaluation of small, superficial structures such as the finger. In order to best exploit these advances, it is important to understand the normal anatomy and the basic pathologies of the finger, as exemplified by the following conditions involving the dorsal, volar, and lateral sections of the finger: sagittal band injuries, mallet finger, and Boutonnière deformity (dorsal aspect; flexor tendon tears, trigger finger, and volar plate injuries (volar aspect; gamekeeper’s thumb (Stener lesions and other collateral ligament tears (lateral aspect; and other lesions. This review provides a basis for understanding the ultrasonography of the finger and will therefore be useful for radiologists.

  15. Saturn's Rings Edge-on

    Science.gov (United States)

    1995-01-01

    In one of nature's most dramatic examples of 'now-you see-them, now-you-don't', NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captured Saturn on May 22, 1995 as the planet's magnificent ring system turned edge-on. This ring-plane crossing occurs approximately every 15 years when the Earth passes through Saturn's ring plane.For comparison, the top picture was taken by Hubble on December 1, 1994 and shows the rings in a more familiar configuration for Earth observers.The bottom picture was taken shortly before the ring plane crossing. The rings do not disappear completely because the edge of the rings reflects sunlight. The dark band across the middle of Saturn is the shadow of the rings cast on the planet (the Sun is almost 3 degrees above the ring plane.) The bright stripe directly above the ring shadow is caused by sunlight reflected off the rings onto Saturn's atmosphere. Two of Saturn's icy moons are visible as tiny starlike objects in or near the ring plane. They are, from left to right, Tethys (slightly above the ring plane) and Dione.This observation will be used to determine the time of ring-plane crossing and the thickness of the main rings and to search for as yet undiscovered satellites. Knowledge of the exact time of ring-plane crossing will lead to an improved determination of the rate at which Saturn 'wobbles' about its axis (polar precession).Both pictures were taken with Hubble's Wide Field Planetary Camera 2. The top image was taken in visible light. Saturn's disk appears different in the bottom image because a narrowband filter (which only lets through light that is not absorbed by methane gas in Saturn's atmosphere) was used to reduce the bright glare of the planet. Though Saturn is approximately 900 million miles away, Hubble can see details as small as 450 miles across.The Wide Field/Planetary Camera 2 was developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and managed by the Goddard Spaced Flight Center for NASA's Office of Space Science.This image and other images and

  16. Bimanual coordination of bowing and fingering in violinists--effects of position changes and string changes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kazennikov, Oleg; Wiesendanger, Mario

    2009-07-01

    Music performance is based on demanding motor control with much practice from young age onward. We have chosen to investigate basic bimanual movements played by violin amateurs and professionals. We posed the question whether position and string changes, two frequent mechanisms, may influence the time interval bowing (right)-fingering (left) coordination. The objective was to measure bimanual coordination, i.e., with or without position changes and string changes. The tendency was that the bimanual coordination was statistically only slightly increased or even unchanged but not perceptible. We conclude that the coordination index is limited up to 100 ms intervals, without any erroneous perception. Although the mentioned position changes and string changes are movements with their timing, they are executed in parallel rather than in series with the bow-fingering coordination.

  17. On commutativity of one-sided s-unital rings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. A. S. Abujabal

    1992-01-01

    Full Text Available The following theorem is proved: Let r=r(y>1, s, and t be non-negative integers. If R is a left s-unital ring satisfies the polynomial identity [xy−xsyrxt,x]=0 for every x,y∈R, then R is commutative. The commutativity of a right s-unital ring satisfying the polynomial identity [xy−yrxt,x]=0 for all x,y∈R, is also proved.

  18. the strategy of finger use in children's addition Relationship with short-term memory, finger dexterity, and addition skills

    OpenAIRE

    Asakawa, Atsushi; Sugimura, Shinichiro

    2009-01-01

    Previous research has shown that the children's use of the fingers in additon changes with age. In this study, a part of data on the strategy of finger use by Asakawa and Sugimura (2009) was reanalyzed to clarify the relationship between, short-term memory, finger dexterity and addition skills. A two-way ANOVA showed a significant interaction between memory span and finger use. Examination of simple main effect indicated that significant effect of memory span at the group of the children who ...

  19. Viscous fingering with permeability heterogeneity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tan, C.; Homsy, G.M.

    1992-01-01

    Viscous fingering in miscible displacements in the presence of permeability heterogeneities is studied using two-dimensional simulations. The heterogeneities are modeled as stationary random functions of space with finite correlation scale. Both the variance and scale of the heterogeneities are varied over modest ranges. It is found that the fingered zone grows linearly in time in a fashion analogous to that found in homogeneous media by Tan and Homsy [Phys. Fluids 31, 1330 (1988)], indicating a close coupling between viscous fingering on the one hand and flow through preferentially more permeable paths on the other. The growth rate of the mixing zone increases monotonically with the variance of the heterogeneity, as expected, but shows a maximum as the correlation scale is varied. The latter is explained as a ''resonance'' between the natural scale of fingers in homogeneous media and the correlation scale

  20. Torque control of underactuated tendon-driven fingers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. E. Abdallah

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Given an underactuated tendon-driven finger, the finger posture is underdetermined and can move freely ("flop" in a region of slack tendons. This work shows that such an underactuated finger can be operated in tendon force control (rather than position control with effective performance. The force control eliminates the indeterminate slack while commanding a parameterized space of desired torques. The torque will either push the finger to the joint limits or wrap around an external object with variable torque – behavior that is sufficient for primarily gripping fingers. In addition, introducing asymmetric joint radii to the design allows the finger to command an expanded range of joint torques and to scan an expanded set of external surfaces. This study is motivated by the design and control of the secondary fingers of the NASA-GM R2 humanoid hand.

    This paper was presented at the IFToMM/ASME International Workshop on Underactuated Grasping (UG2010, 19 August 2010, Montréal, Canada.

  1. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation reveals a role for the left inferior parietal lobule in matching observed kinematics during imitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reader, Arran T; Royce, Ben P; Marsh, Jade E; Chivers, Katy-Jayne; Holmes, Nicholas P

    2018-04-01

    Apraxia (a disorder of complex movement) suggests that the left inferior parietal lobule (IPL) plays a role in kinematic or spatial aspects of imitation, which may be particularly important for meaningless (i.e. unfamiliar intransitive) actions. Mirror neuron theories indicate that the IPL is part of a frontoparietal system that can support imitation by linking observed and stored actions through visuomotor matching, and have less to say about different subregions of the left IPL, or how different types of action (i.e. meaningful or meaningless) are processed for imitation. We used repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to bridge this gap and better understand the roles of the left supramarginal gyrus (SMG) and left angular gyrus (AG) in imitation. We also examined whether these areas are differentially involved in meaningful and meaningless action imitation. We applied rTMS over the left SMG, over the left AG or during a no-rTMS baseline condition, and then asked participants to imitate a confederate's actions whilst the arm and hand movements of both individuals were motion-tracked. rTMS over both the left SMG and the left AG reduced the velocity of participants' finger movements relative to the actor during imitation of finger gestures, regardless of action meaning. Our results support recent claims in apraxia and confirm a role for the left IPL in kinematic processing during gesture imitation, regardless of action meaning. © 2018 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  2. Study of the effects of the hand grip and finger strengths on the friction and petrissage - the massage manipulations - of the students who take massage courses: Kütahya City example

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erzeybek Mustafa Said

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In this research, the effect of the hand grip and finger strengths on the power development between the friction and petrissage techniques - the massage manipulations - have been studied. To the study that has been structured as a single group pretest/post test, 36 healthy males who are the students of the University of Dumlupınar, Academy of Physical Education and Sports and who take massage courses (age = 19.72 ± 1.56 years (average ± Sd have been included. The practical massage course has continued for 12 weeks, two days a week for a total of one hour and the hand grip strength of both hands (right hand grip strength = RHG, left hand grip strength = LHG and the grip strength of both fingers (right finger strength = RF, left finger strength = LF have been recorded at the beginning. For the measurements carried out before and later of the study with regard to the hand grip strength, a Takkei branded hand dynamometer and with regard to the finger grip strength a (baseline branded pinch meter have been used. All measurements have been repeated twice and for the analysis, the average values obtained from two deads have been used. For statistical analysis, with regard to the changes in the pre test-post test finger strength and hand grip strength, paired-samples t test has been used. The significance limit has been defined as p0.05. It is possible to report that massaging regularly with both hands is efficient for the development of the finger and hand grip strengths; especially, with regard to the friction (circular movements that are generally carried out with fingers and petrissage (kneading that is generally carried out with the palm techniques.

  3. Pointing with the Left and Right Hands in Congenitally Blind Children

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ittyerah, Miriam; Gaunet, Florence; Rossetti, Yves

    2007-01-01

    Congenitally blind and blindfolded sighted children at ages of 6, 8, 10 and 12 years performed a pointing task with their left and right index fingers at an array of three targets on a touch screen to immediate (0 s) and delayed (4 s) instructions. Accuracy was greater for immediate than delayed pointing and there was an effect of delay for the…

  4. Primary syphilis of the fingers

    OpenAIRE

    Starzycki, Z

    1983-01-01

    Six patients were seen with primary syphilitic chancres on their fingers between 1965 and 1980. Of these, two had bipolar chancres on their fingers and genitals resulting from sexual foreplay. Because syphilis is rarely suspected in such cases diagnostic errors are common.

  5. Laparoscopic appendicectomy using endo-ring applicator and fallope rings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ali, Iyoob V; Maliekkal, Joji I

    2009-01-01

    Wider adoption of laparoscopic appendicectomy (LA) is limited by problems in securing the appendiceal base as well as the cost and the duration compared with the open procedure. The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility and efficacy of a new method for securing the appendiceal base in LA, so as to make the entire procedure simpler and cheaper, and hence, more popular. Twenty-five patients who were candidates for appendicectomy (emergency as well as elective) and willing for the laparoscopic procedure were selected for this study. Ports used were 10 mm at the umbilicus, 5 mm at the lower right iliac fossa, and 10 mm at the left iliac fossa. Extremely friable, ruptured, or turgid organs of diameters larger than 8 mm were excluded from the study. The mesoappendix was divided close to the appendix by diathermy. Fallope rings were applied to the appendiceal base using a special ring applicator, and the appendix was divided and extracted through the lumen of the applicator. The procedure was successful in 23 (92%) cases, and the mean duration of the procedure was 20 minutes (15-32 minutes). There were no procedural complications seen during a median follow-up of two weeks. The equipment and rings were cheaper when compared with that of the standard methods of securing the base of the appendix. LA using fallope rings is a safe, simple, easy-to-learn, and economically viable method. (author)

  6. Two-finger (TF) SPUDT cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, Guenter; Biryukov, Sergey V; Schmidt, Hagen; Steiner, Bernd; Wall, Bert

    2011-03-01

    SPUDT cells including two fingers are only known thus far for so-called NSPUDT directions. In that case, usual solid-finger cells are used. The purpose of the present paper is to find SPUDT cell types consisting of two fingers only for pure mode directions. Two-finger (TF) cells for pure mode directions on substrates like 128°YX LiNbO(3) and YZ LiNbO(3) were found by means of an optimization procedure. The forward direction of a TF-cell SPUDT on 128°YX LiNbO(3) was determined experimentally. The properties of the new cells are compared with those of conventional SPUDT cells. The reflectivity of TF cells on 128°YX LiNbO(3) turns out to be two to three times larger than that of distributed acoustic reflection transducer (DART) and Hanma-Hunsinger cells at the same metal layer thickness.

  7. Cross-Cultural and Intra-Cultural Differences in Finger-Counting Habits and Number Magnitude Processing: Embodied Numerosity in Canadian and Chinese University Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kyle Richard Morrissey

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Recent work in numerical cognition has shown-that number magnitude is not entirely abstract, and at least partly rooted in embodied and situated experiences, including finger-counting. The current study extends previous cross-cultural research to address within-culture individual differences in finger counting habits. Results indicated that Canadian participants demonstrated an additional cognitive load when comparing numbers that require more than one hand to represent, and this pattern of performance is further modulated by whether they typically start counting on their left hand or their right hand. Chinese students typically count on only one hand and so show no such effect, except for an increase in errors, similar to that seen in Canadians, for those whom self-identify as predominantly two-hand counters. Results suggest that the impact of finger counting habits extend beyond cultural experience and concord in predictable ways with differences in number magnitude processing for specific number-digits. We conclude that symbolic number magnitude processing is partially rooted in learned finger-counting habits, consistent with a motor simulation account of embodied numeracy and that argument is supported by both cross-cultural and within-culture differences in finger-counting habits.

  8. Finger-like voids induced by viscous fingering during phase inversion of alumina/PES/NMP suspensions

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Bo; Lai, Zhiping

    2012-01-01

    membrane structure without such finger-like macrovoids was observed when the suspension was slowly immersed into pure ethanol or a mixture of 70. wt% NMP and 30. wt% water, whereas finger-like macrovoids occurred when the suspension was slid into the non

  9. Right cervical aortic arch with aberrant left subclavian artery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tjang, Yanto S; Aramendi, José I; Crespo, Alejandro; Hamzeh, Gadah; Voces, Roberto; Rodríguez, Miguel A

    2008-08-01

    The combination of right cervical aortic arch, aberrant retroesophageal left subclavian artery originating from a Kommerell's diverticulum, and a ligamentum arteriosum, constitutes a rare form of vascular ring. Two patients aged 21 days and 54 years, who were diagnosed by multislice 3-dimensional computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, underwent surgical division of a vascular ring. The adult required resection of a Kommerell's aneurysm and subclavian artery reimplantation.

  10. Instrumented Glove Measures Positions Of Fingers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bozeman, Richard J., Jr.

    1993-01-01

    Glove instrumented with flat membrane potentiometers to obtain crude measurements of relative positions of fingers. Resistance of each potentiometer varies with position of associated finger; translator circuit connected to each potentiometer converts analog reading to 1 of 10 digital levels. Digitized outputs from all fingers fed to indicating, recording, and/or data-processing equipment. Gloves and circuits intended for use in biomedical research, training in critical manual tasks, and other specialized applications.

  11. Analysis of prosody in finger braille using electromyography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miyagi, Manabi; Nishida, Masafumi; Horiuchi, Yasuo; Ichikawa, Akira

    2006-01-01

    Finger braille is one of the communication methods for the deaf blind. The interpreter types braille codes on the fingers of deaf blind. Finger braille seems to be the most suitable medium for real-time communication by its speed and accuracy of transmitting characters. We hypothesize that the prosody information exists in the time structure and strength of finger braille typing. Prosody is the paralinguistic information that has functions to transmit the sentence structure, prominence, emotions and other form of information in real time communication. In this study, we measured the surface electromyography (sEMG) of finger movement to analyze the typing strength of finger braille. We found that the typing strength increases at the beginning of a phrase and a prominent phrase. The result shows the possibility that the prosody in the typing strength of finger braille can be applied to create an interpreter system for the deafblind.

  12. Vertical Finger Displacement Is Reduced in Index Finger Tapping During Repeated Bout Rate Enhancement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mora-Jensen, Mark Holten; Madeleine, Pascal; Hansen, Ernst Albin

    2017-10-01

    The present study analyzed (a) whether a recently reported phenomenon of repeated bout rate enhancement in finger tapping (i.e., a cumulating increase in freely chosen finger tapping frequency following submaximal muscle activation in the form of externally unloaded voluntary tapping) could be replicated and (b) the hypotheses that the faster tapping was accompanied by changed vertical displacement of the fingertip and changed peak force during tapping. Right-handed, healthy, and recreationally active individuals (n = 24) performed two 3-min index finger tapping bouts at freely chosen tapping frequency, separated by 10-min rest. The recently reported phenomenon of repeated bout rate enhancement was replicated. The faster tapping (8.8 ± 18.7 taps/min, corresponding to 6.0 ± 11.0%, p = .033) was accompanied by reduced vertical displacement (1.6 ± 2.9 mm, corresponding to 6.3 ± 14.9%, p = .012) of the fingertip. Concurrently, peak force was unchanged. The present study points at separate control mechanisms governing kinematics and kinetics during finger tapping.

  13. Thermal stability improvement of a multiple finger power SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistor under different power dissipations using non-uniform finger spacing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Liang; Zhang Wan-Rong; Jin Dong-Yue; Shen Pei; Xie Hong-Yun; Ding Chun-Bao; Xiao Ying; Sun Bo-Tao; Wang Ren-Qing

    2011-01-01

    A method of non-uniform finger spacing is proposed to enhance thermal stability of a multiple finger power SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistor under different power dissipations. Temperature distribution on the emitter fingers of a multi-finger SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistor is studied using a numerical electro-thermal model. The results show that the SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistor with non-uniform finger spacing has a small temperature difference between fingers compared with a traditional uniform finger spacing heterojunction bipolar transistor at the same power dissipation. What is most important is that the ability to improve temperature non-uniformity is not weakened as power dissipation increases. So the method of non-uniform finger spacing is very effective in enhancing the thermal stability and the power handing capability of power device. Experimental results verify our conclusions. (interdisciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

  14. Weak incidence algebra and maximal ring of quotients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Surjeet Singh

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available Let X, X′ be two locally finite, preordered sets and let R be any indecomposable commutative ring. The incidence algebra I(X,R, in a sense, represents X, because of the well-known result that if the rings I(X,R and I(X′,R are isomorphic, then X and X′ are isomorphic. In this paper, we consider a preordered set X that need not be locally finite but has the property that each of its equivalence classes of equivalent elements is finite. Define I*(X,R to be the set of all those functions f:X×X→R such that f(x,y=0, whenever x⩽̸y and the set Sf of ordered pairs (x,y with xleft ring of quotients of I*(X,R is discussed. It is shown that the results proved can give a large class of rings whose maximal right ring of quotients need not be isomorphic to its maximal left ring of quotients.

  15. Trigger Finger

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... in a bent position. People whose work or hobbies require repetitive gripping actions are at higher risk ... developing trigger finger include: Repeated gripping. Occupations and hobbies that involve repetitive hand use and prolonged gripping ...

  16. Torque Control of Underactuated Tendon-driven Robotic Fingers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdallah, Muhammad E. (Inventor); Ihrke, Chris A. (Inventor); Reiland, Matthew J. (Inventor); Wampler, Charles W. (Inventor); Diftler, Myron A. (Inventor); Platt, Robert (Inventor); Bridgwater, Lyndon (Inventor)

    2013-01-01

    A robotic system includes a robot having a total number of degrees of freedom (DOF) equal to at least n, an underactuated tendon-driven finger driven by n tendons and n DOF, the finger having at least two joints, being characterized by an asymmetrical joint radius in one embodiment. A controller is in communication with the robot, and controls actuation of the tendon-driven finger using force control. Operating the finger with force control on the tendons, rather than position control, eliminates the unconstrained slack-space that would have otherwise existed. The controller may utilize the asymmetrical joint radii to independently command joint torques. A method of controlling the finger includes commanding either independent or parameterized joint torques to the controller to actuate the fingers via force control on the tendons.

  17. ANALYSIS WITH MSC ADAMS OF A 5-FINGER AND 3-PHALANX /FINGER UNDER-ACTUATEDMECHANICAL HAND

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gheorghe POPESCU

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available This paper studies the analysis with MSC ADAMS of a 5-fingered and 3-phalanx/finger underactuatedmechanical hand, designed by the author to work on industrial robots. Moreover, in order to increasegrasping safety in the automated handling process, the author has fitted each finger with a locking sequence inthe final phase of grasping. Thus, the mechanism of mechanical hand is considered to be a mechanical systemand is treated like a set of rigid bodies connected by mechanical linkages and elastic elements. To model andsimulate this mechanism with MSC ADAMS programme, the author covered the following stages: constructionof the model, testing-simulation, validation, finishing, parameterization, and optimization

  18. Successful treatment of nonunion in severe finger injury with low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS: a case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huber Michaela

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Severe injuries of the hand or single fingers require immediate treatment but surgical fixation methods are limited depending on soft tissue damage. Thus, it is very common that severe soft tissue damage along with poor osteosynthetic bone fixation results in a delayed healing process or nonunion. Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS has been proven to stimulate bone formation in in vitro studies and also to significantly accelerate nonunion healing in animal studies and clinical trials but to date there are no data with respect to nonunion in phalanx fracture. Case presentation We report a case in which we successfully used LIPUS in a 19-year-old Caucasian man with a nonunion of his ring finger after injury and first treatment with K-wire osteosynthesis. Conclusion We recommend that LIPUS be considered as an option to treat nonunions in fractures of the hand, especially because it is a soft tissue conserving method with a good functional result.

  19. ATL9, a RING zinc finger protein with E3 ubiquitin ligase activity implicated in chitin- and NADPH oxidase-mediated defense responses.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marta Berrocal-Lobo

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs are signals detected by plants that activate basal defenses. One of these PAMPs is chitin, a carbohydrate present in the cell walls of fungi and in insect exoskeletons. Previous work has shown that chitin treatment of Arabidopsis thaliana induced defense-related genes in the absence of a pathogen and that the response was independent of the salicylic acid (SA, jasmonic acid (JA and ethylene (ET signaling pathways. One of these genes is ATL9 ( = ATL2G, which encodes a RING zinc-finger like protein. In the current work we demonstrate that ATL9 has E3 ubiquitin ligase activity and is localized to the endoplasmic reticulum. The expression pattern of ATL9 is positively correlated with basal defense responses against Golovinomyces cichoracearum, a biotrophic fungal pathogen. The basal levels of expression and the induction of ATL9 by chitin, in wild type plants, depends on the activity of NADPH oxidases suggesting that chitin-mediated defense response is NADPH oxidase dependent. Although ATL9 expression is not induced by treatment with known defense hormones (SA, JA or ET, full expression in response to chitin is compromised slightly in mutants where ET- or SA-dependent signaling is suppressed. Microarray analysis of the atl9 mutant revealed candidate genes that appear to act downstream of ATL9 in chitin-mediated defenses. These results hint at the complexity of chitin-mediated signaling and the potential interplay between elicitor-mediated signaling, signaling via known defense pathways and the oxidative burst.

  20. Extrinsic versus intrinsic hand muscle dominance in finger flexion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Sukaini, A; Singh, H P; Dias, J J

    2016-05-01

    This study aims to identify the patterns of dominance of extrinsic or intrinsic muscles in finger flexion during initiation of finger curl and mid-finger flexion. We recorded 82 hands of healthy individuals (18-74 years) while flexing their fingers and tracked the finger joint angles of the little finger using video motion tracking. A total of 57 hands (69.5%) were classified as extrinsic dominant, where the finger flexion was initiated and maintained at proximal interphalangeal and distal interphalangeal joints. A total of 25 (30.5%) were classified as intrinsic dominant, where the finger flexion was initiated and maintained at the metacarpophalangeal joint. The distribution of age, sex, dominance, handedness and body mass index was similar in the two groups. This knowledge may allow clinicians to develop more efficient rehabilitation regimes, since intrinsic dominant individuals would not initiate extrinsic muscle contraction till later in finger flexion, and might therefore be allowed limited early active motion. For extrinsic dominant individuals, by contrast, initial contraction of extrinsic muscles would place increased stress on the tendon repair site if early motion were permitted. © The Author(s) 2016.

  1. Elastic fingering in rotating Hele-Shaw flows

    KAUST Repository

    Carvalho, Gabriel D.; Gadê lha, Hermes; Miranda, José A.

    2014-01-01

    The centrifugally driven viscous fingering problem arises when two immiscible fluids of different densities flow in a rotating Hele-Shaw cell. In this conventional setting an interplay between capillary and centrifugal forces makes the fluid-fluid interface unstable, leading to the formation of fingered structures that compete dynamically and reach different lengths. In this context, it is known that finger competition is very sensitive to changes in the viscosity contrast between the fluids. We study a variant of such a rotating flow problem where the fluids react and produce a gellike phase at their separating boundary. This interface is assumed to be elastic, presenting a curvature-dependent bending rigidity. A perturbative weakly nonlinear approach is used to investigate how the elastic nature of the interface affects finger competition events. Our results unveil a very different dynamic scenario, in which finger length variability is not regulated by the viscosity contrast, but rather determined by two controlling quantities: a characteristic radius and a rigidity fraction parameter. By properly tuning these quantities one can describe a whole range of finger competition behaviors even if the viscosity contrast is kept unchanged. © 2014 American Physical Society.

  2. Elastic fingering in rotating Hele-Shaw flows

    KAUST Repository

    Carvalho, Gabriel D.

    2014-05-21

    The centrifugally driven viscous fingering problem arises when two immiscible fluids of different densities flow in a rotating Hele-Shaw cell. In this conventional setting an interplay between capillary and centrifugal forces makes the fluid-fluid interface unstable, leading to the formation of fingered structures that compete dynamically and reach different lengths. In this context, it is known that finger competition is very sensitive to changes in the viscosity contrast between the fluids. We study a variant of such a rotating flow problem where the fluids react and produce a gellike phase at their separating boundary. This interface is assumed to be elastic, presenting a curvature-dependent bending rigidity. A perturbative weakly nonlinear approach is used to investigate how the elastic nature of the interface affects finger competition events. Our results unveil a very different dynamic scenario, in which finger length variability is not regulated by the viscosity contrast, but rather determined by two controlling quantities: a characteristic radius and a rigidity fraction parameter. By properly tuning these quantities one can describe a whole range of finger competition behaviors even if the viscosity contrast is kept unchanged. © 2014 American Physical Society.

  3. A novel hand-type detection technique with fingerprint sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abe, Narishige; Shinzaki, Takashi

    2013-05-01

    In large-scale biometric authentication systems such as the US-Visit (USA), a 10-fingerprints scanner which simultaneously captures four fingerprints is used. In traditional systems, specific hand-types (left or right) are indicated, but it is difficult to detect hand-type due to the hand rotation and the opening and closing of fingers. In this paper, we evaluated features that were extracted from hand images (which were captured by a general optical scanner) that are considered to be effective for detecting hand-type. Furthermore, we extended the knowledge to real fingerprint images, and evaluated the accuracy with which it detects hand-type. We obtained an accuracy of about 80% with only three fingers (index, middle, ring finger).

  4. The PEP electron-positron ring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rees, J.R.

    1988-01-01

    The first stage of the positron-electron-proton (PEP) colliding-beam system which has been under joint study by a Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory-Stanford Linear Accelerator Center team for the past two years, will be the electron-positron storage ring. The physics justification for the e + e/sup minus/ ring is summarized briefly and the proposed facility is described. The ring will have six arcs having gross radii of about 220 m and six interaction regions located at the centers of straight sections about 130 m long. The longitudinal distance left free for experimental apparatus at the intersection regions will be 20 m. The range of operating beam energies will be from 5 GeV to 15 GeV. The design luminosity at 15 GeV will be 10 32 cm/sup minus 2/s/sup minus 1/, and the luminosity will vary approximately as the square of the beam energy. Alternative methods under consideration for adjusting the beam cross-section are discussed. The designs of the storage ring subsystems and of the conventional facilities including the experimental halls at the interaction regions are described

  5. Finger impedance evaluation by means of hand exoskeleton.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fiorilla, Angelo Emanuele; Nori, Francesco; Masia, Lorenzo; Sandini, Giulio

    2011-12-01

    Modulation of arm mechanical impedance is a fundamental aspect for interaction with the external environment and its regulation is essential for stability preservation during manipulation. Even though past research on human arm movements has suggested that models of human finger impedance would benefit the study of neural control mechanisms and the design of novel hand prostheses, relatively few studies have focused on finger and hand impedance. This article touches on the two main aspects of this research topic: first it introduces a mechanical refinement of a device that can be used to effectively measure finger impedance during manipulation tasks; then, it describes a pilot study aimed at identifying the inertia of the finger and the viscous and elastic properties of finger muscles. The proposed wearable exoskeleton, which has been designed to measure finger posture and impedance modulation while leaving the palm free, is capable of applying fast displacements while monitoring the interaction forces between the human finger and the robotic links. Moreover, due to the relatively small inertia of the fingers, it allows us to meet some stringent specifications, performing relatively large displacements (~45°) before the stretch reflex intervenes (~25 ms). The results of measurements on five subjects show that inertia, damping, and stiffness can be effectively identified and that the parameters obtained are comparable with values from previous studies.

  6. Annular subvalvular left ventricular aneurysm in Bahia, Brazil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guimarães, A C; Filho, A S; Esteves, J P; Abreu, W N; Vinhaes, L A; de Almeida Souza, J A; Machado, A

    1976-10-01

    Two cases of left ventricular aneurysm, a 16-year-old black boy and a 23-year-old white girl, from Bahia, Brazil, are presented. In both patients there was enlargement of the cardiac silhouette and a prominent bulge of the left inferior border. On the right oblique view a ring of calcium at the ventricular opening of the aneurysms was visualized. A left ventriculogram showed a huge aneurysm in the first case and a bulge on the lateral wall of the left ventricle in the other. Cardiac catheterization showed a rise in left and right ventricular end-diastolic pressures and in the mean pulmonary artery pressure. In the first case the contour of the right ventricular pressure curve showed a restrictive pattern. The similarities of these aneurysms with the annular submitral type described in young black Africans are stressed.

  7. Generating and analyzing synthetic finger vein images

    OpenAIRE

    Hillerström, Fieke; Kumar, Ajay; Veldhuis, Raymond N.J.

    2014-01-01

    Abstract: The finger-vein biometric offers higher degree of security, personal privacy and strong anti-spoofing capabilities than most other biometric modalities employed today. Emerging privacy concerns with the database acquisition and lack of availability of large scale finger-vein database have posed challenges in exploring this technology for large scale applications. This paper details the first such attempt to synthesize finger-vein images and presents analysis of synthesized images fo...

  8. Delayed finger tapping and cognitive responses in preterm-born male teenagers with mild spastic diplegia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Fei; Mei, Xi; Chen, Andrew C N

    2015-02-01

    Information on fine motor and basic cognitive functions in spastic diplegia is sparse in the literature. The aim of this study was to investigate index finger's tapping speed and cognitive functions in categorization and old/new recognition of pictures in patients with mild spastic diplegia. Fifteen preterm-born male teenagers with mild spastic diplegia and 15 healthy male teenagers participated in this study. Finger-tapping tests and cognitive tests were performed on all participants. Outcomes were compared between the two groups. In the finger-tapping tests, the tapping speed was significantly slower in patients than in controls. In the tests of tapping one key persistently and tapping two keys alternately, the reaction time gaps between the left and right digits were larger in patients than in controls. In the categorization tests, the accuracies and reaction times for animal/plant and girl face pictures, but not for boy face pictures, were significantly worse in patients than in controls. In the recognition tests, the accuracies for old/new, animal/plant, and boy/girl face pictures were significantly lower in patients than in controls. The reaction times for old/new, animal/plant, and new face pictures, but not for old face pictures, were significantly longer in patients compared with controls. Our results demonstrate delayed finger tapping and cognitive responses in preterm-born male teenagers with mild spastic diplegia. Our experimental paradigm is sensitive for the study of fine motor and cognitive functions between patients and healthy controls. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Dorsal finger texture recognition: Investigating fixed-length SURF

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hartung, Daniel; Kückelhahn, Jesper

    2012-01-01

    We seek to create fixed-length features from dorsal finger skin images extracted by the SURF interest point detector to combine it in the privacy enhancing helper data scheme. The source of the biometric samples is the GUC45 database which features finger vein, fingerprint and dorsal finger skin...

  10. Snail recruits Ring1B to mediate transcriptional repression and cell migration in pancreatic cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jiangzhi; Xu, Hong; Zou, Xiuqun; Wang, Jiamin; Zhu, Yi; Chen, Hao; Shen, Baiyong; Deng, Xiaxing; Zhou, Aiwu; Chin, Y Eugene; Rauscher, Frank J; Peng, Chenghong; Hou, Zhaoyuan

    2014-08-15

    Transcriptional repressor Snail is a master regulator of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), yet the epigenetic mechanism governing Snail to induce EMT is not well understood. Here, we report that in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), elevated levels of the ubiquitin E3 ligase Ring1B and Snail, along with elevated monoubiquitination of H2A at K119 (H2AK119Ub1), are highly correlated with poor survival. Mechanistic investigations identified Ring1B as a Snail-interacting protein and showed that the carboxyl zinc fingers of Snail recruit Ring1B and its paralog Ring1A to repress its target promoters. Simultaneous depletion of Ring1A and Ring1B in pancreatic cancer cells decreased Snail binding to the target chromatin, abolished H2AK119Ub1 modification, and thereby compromised Snail-mediated transcriptional repression and cell migration. We found that Ring1B and the SNAG-associated chromatin modifier EZH2 formed distinct protein complexes with Snail and that EZH2 was required for Snail-Ring1A/B recruitment to the target promoter. Collectively, our results unravel an epigenetic mechanism underlying transcriptional repression by Snail, suggest Ring1A/B as a candidate therapeutic target, and identify H2AK119Ub1 as a potential biomarker for PDAC diagnosis and prognosis. ©2014 American Association for Cancer Research.

  11. Analysis of the asymmetrically expressed Ablim1 locus reveals existence of a lateral plate Nodal-independent left sided signal and an early, left-right independent role for nodal flow

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hilton Helen

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Vertebrates show clear asymmetry in left-right (L-R patterning of their organs and associated vasculature. During mammalian development a cilia driven leftwards flow of liquid leads to the left-sided expression of Nodal, which in turn activates asymmetric expression of the transcription factor Pitx2. While Pitx2 asymmetry drives many aspects of asymmetric morphogenesis, it is clear from published data that additional asymmetrically expressed loci must exist. Results A L-R expression screen identified the cytoskeletally-associated gene, actin binding lim protein 1 (Ablim1, as asymmetrically expressed in both the node and left lateral plate mesoderm (LPM. LPM expression closely mirrors that of Nodal. Significantly, Ablim1 LPM asymmetry was detected in the absence of detectable Nodal. In the node, Ablim1 was initially expressed symmetrically across the entire structure, resolving to give a peri-nodal ring at the headfold stage in a flow and Pkd2-dependent manner. The peri-nodal ring of Ablim1 expression became asymmetric by the mid-headfold stage, showing stronger right than left-sided expression. Node asymmetry became more apparent as development proceeded; expression retreated in an anticlockwise direction, disappearing first from the left anterior node. Indeed, at early somite stages Ablim1 shows a unique asymmetric expression pattern, in the left lateral plate and to the right side of the node. Conclusion Left LPM Ablim1 is expressed in the absence of detectable LPM Nodal, clearly revealing existence of a Pitx2 and Nodal-independent left-sided signal in mammals. At the node, a previously unrecognised action of early nodal flow and Pkd2 activity, within the pit of the node, influences gene expression in a symmetric manner. Subsequent Ablim1 expression in the peri-nodal ring reveals a very early indication of L-R asymmetry. Ablim1 expression analysis at the node acts as an indicator of nodal flow. Together these results make

  12. Some Results on the Intersection Graphs of Ideals of Rings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akbari, S.; Nikandish, R.; Nikmehr, M.J.

    2010-08-01

    Let R be a ring with unity and I(R)* be the set of all non-trivial left ideals of R. The intersection graph of ideals of R, denoted by G(R), is a graph with the vertex set I(R)* and two distinct vertices I and J are adjacent if and only if I intersection J ≠ 0. In this paper, we study some connections between the graph-theoretic properties of this graph and some algebraic properties of rings. We characterize all rings whose intersection graphs of ideals are not connected. Also we determine all rings whose clique number of the intersection graphs of ideals are finite. Among other results, it is shown that for every ring, if the clique number of G(R) is finite, then the chromatic number is finite too and if R is a reduced ring both are equal. (author)

  13. Quantitative assessment of finger motor performance: Normative data.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alessio Signori

    Full Text Available Finger opposition movements are the basis of many daily living activities and are essential in general for manipulating objects; an engineered glove quantitatively assessing motor performance during sequences of finger opposition movements has been shown to be useful to provide reliable measures of finger motor impairment, even subtle, in subjects affected by neurological diseases. However, the obtained behavioral parameters lack published reference values.To determine mean values for different motor behavioral parameters describing the strategy adopted by healthy people in performing repeated sequences of finger opposition movements, examining associations with gender and age.Normative values for finger motor performance parameters were obtained on a sample of 255 healthy volunteers executing sequences of finger-to-thumb opposition movements, stratified by gender and over a wide range of ages. Touch duration, inter-tapping interval, movement rate, correct sequences (%, movements in advance compared with a metronome (% and inter-hand interval were assessed.Increasing age resulted in decreased movement speed, advance movements with respect to a cue, correctness of sequences, and bimanual coordination. No significant performance differences were found between male and female subjects except for the duration of the finger touch, the interval between two successive touches and their ratio.We report age- and gender-specific normal mean values and ranges for different parameters objectively describing the performance of finger opposition movement sequences, which may serve as useful references for clinicians to identify possible deficits in subjects affected by diseases altering fine hand motor skills.

  14. Robust finger vein ROI localization based on flexible segmentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Yu; Xie, Shan Juan; Yoon, Sook; Yang, Jucheng; Park, Dong Sun

    2013-10-24

    Finger veins have been proved to be an effective biometric for personal identification in the recent years. However, finger vein images are easily affected by influences such as image translation, orientation, scale, scattering, finger structure, complicated background, uneven illumination, and collection posture. All these factors may contribute to inaccurate region of interest (ROI) definition, and so degrade the performance of finger vein identification system. To improve this problem, in this paper, we propose a finger vein ROI localization method that has high effectiveness and robustness against the above factors. The proposed method consists of a set of steps to localize ROIs accurately, namely segmentation, orientation correction, and ROI detection. Accurate finger region segmentation and correct calculated orientation can support each other to produce higher accuracy in localizing ROIs. Extensive experiments have been performed on the finger vein image database, MMCBNU_6000, to verify the robustness of the proposed method. The proposed method shows the segmentation accuracy of 100%. Furthermore, the average processing time of the proposed method is 22 ms for an acquired image, which satisfies the criterion of a real-time finger vein identification system.

  15. Robust Finger Vein ROI Localization Based on Flexible Segmentation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dong Sun Park

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Finger veins have been proved to be an effective biometric for personal identification in the recent years. However, finger vein images are easily affected by influences such as image translation, orientation, scale, scattering, finger structure, complicated background, uneven illumination, and collection posture. All these factors may contribute to inaccurate region of interest (ROI definition, and so degrade the performance of finger vein identification system. To improve this problem, in this paper, we propose a finger vein ROI localization method that has high effectiveness and robustness against the above factors. The proposed method consists of a set of steps to localize ROIs accurately, namely segmentation, orientation correction, and ROI detection. Accurate finger region segmentation and correct calculated orientation can support each other to produce higher accuracy in localizing ROIs. Extensive experiments have been performed on the finger vein image database, MMCBNU_6000, to verify the robustness of the proposed method. The proposed method shows the segmentation accuracy of 100%. Furthermore, the average processing time of the proposed method is 22 ms for an acquired image, which satisfies the criterion of a real-time finger vein identification system.

  16. Finger vein extraction using gradient normalization and principal curvature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Joon Hwan; Song, Wonseok; Kim, Taejeong; Lee, Seung-Rae; Kim, Hee Chan

    2009-02-01

    Finger vein authentication is a personal identification technology using finger vein images acquired by infrared imaging. It is one of the newest technologies in biometrics. Its main advantage over other biometrics is the low risk of forgery or theft, due to the fact that finger veins are not normally visible to others. Extracting finger vein patterns from infrared images is the most difficult part in finger vein authentication. Uneven illumination, varying tissues and bones, and changes in the physical conditions and the blood flow make the thickness and brightness of the same vein different in each acquisition. Accordingly, extracting finger veins at their accurate positions regardless of their thickness and brightness is necessary for accurate personal identification. For this purpose, we propose a new finger vein extraction method which is composed of gradient normalization, principal curvature calculation, and binarization. As local brightness variation has little effect on the curvature and as gradient normalization makes the curvature fairly uniform at vein pixels, our method effectively extracts finger vein patterns regardless of the vein thickness or brightness. In our experiment, the proposed method showed notable improvement as compared with the existing methods.

  17. Robust Finger Vein ROI Localization Based on Flexible Segmentation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Yu; Xie, Shan Juan; Yoon, Sook; Yang, Jucheng; Park, Dong Sun

    2013-01-01

    Finger veins have been proved to be an effective biometric for personal identification in the recent years. However, finger vein images are easily affected by influences such as image translation, orientation, scale, scattering, finger structure, complicated background, uneven illumination, and collection posture. All these factors may contribute to inaccurate region of interest (ROI) definition, and so degrade the performance of finger vein identification system. To improve this problem, in this paper, we propose a finger vein ROI localization method that has high effectiveness and robustness against the above factors. The proposed method consists of a set of steps to localize ROIs accurately, namely segmentation, orientation correction, and ROI detection. Accurate finger region segmentation and correct calculated orientation can support each other to produce higher accuracy in localizing ROIs. Extensive experiments have been performed on the finger vein image database, MMCBNU_6000, to verify the robustness of the proposed method. The proposed method shows the segmentation accuracy of 100%. Furthermore, the average processing time of the proposed method is 22 ms for an acquired image, which satisfies the criterion of a real-time finger vein identification system. PMID:24284769

  18. CESAR, 2 MeV electron storage ring; construction period; general view.

    CERN Multimedia

    Service Photo; CERN PhotoLab

    1962-01-01

    A general view of the 2-MeV electron storage-ring model during the last stages of assembly. The injection line for the electrons enters at the bottom of the picture (under the ladder) and meets the ring at the back, to the right. Near there, Joseph Karouanton (S.G.T.E, Paris) (inside the ring), and Marcel Bernasconi (AR Division) are seen testing for leaks in the vacuum system. In white coats are Mervin Barnes (left) and Boony Bruggerman (AR Division), considering the reading shown by one of the vacuum gauges.

  19. [Self-inflicted finger-amputation: insurance fraud or accidental injury?].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hildebrand, E; Hitzer, K; Püschel, K

    2006-03-01

    A 50-year-old surgeon was working with his electrical circle saw as a do-it-yourselfer. He was alone, nobody witnessed his mishap when he amputated his left index finger. He claimed high financial compensation from two accident insurance companies because of his disability. A long series of medical expertises followed. The juridical procedures took 12 years in total. All higher authorities had to deal with the forensic medical implications. Finally, the high court (Bundesgerichtshof) decided that the complainant would receive no compensation because he gave two very different descriptions. Concerning the reconstruction of the accident, the first version was unlikely from a biomechanical point of view. The decision of the court was solely based on the violation of the obligation to give a clear presentation of the course of events (Obliegenheitsverletzung).

  20. Hybrid-Actuated Finger Prosthesis with Tactile Sensing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cheng Yee Low

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Finger prostheses are devices developed to emulate the functionality of natural human fingers. On top of their aesthetic appearance in terms of shape, size and colour, such biomimetic devices require a high level of dexterity. They must be capable of gripping an object, and even manipulating it in the hand. This paper presents a biomimetic robotic finger actuated by a hybrid mechanism and integrated with a tactile sensor. The hybrid actuation mechanism comprises a DC micromotor and a Shape Memory Alloy (SMA wire. A customized test rig has been developed to measure the force and stroke produced by the SMA wire. In parallel with the actuator development, experimental investigations have been conducted on Quantum Tunnelling Composite (QTC and Pressure Conductive Rubber (PCR towards the development of a tactile sensor for the finger. The viability of using these materials for tactile sensing has been determined. Such a hybrid actuation approach aided with tactile sensing capability enables a finger design as an integral part of a prosthetic hand for applications up to the transradial amputation level.

  1. The role of fingers in number processing in young children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lafay, Anne; Thevenot, Catherine; Castel, Caroline; Fayol, Michel

    2013-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between finger counting and numerical processing in 4-7-year-old children. Children were assessed on a variety of numerical tasks and we examined the correlations between their rates of success and their frequency of finger use in a counting task. We showed that children's performance on finger pattern comparison and identification tasks did not correlate with the frequency of finger use. However, this last variable correlated with the percentages of correct responses in an enumeration task (i.e., Give-N task), even when the age of children was entered as a covariate in the analysis. Despite this correlation, we showed that some children who never used their fingers in the counting task were able to perform optimally in the enumeration task. Overall, our results support the conclusion that finger counting is useful but not necessary to develop accurate symbolic numerical skills. Moreover, our results suggest that the use of fingers in a counting task is related to the ability of children in a dynamic enumeration task but not to static tasks involving recognition or comparison of finger patterns. Therefore, it could be that the link between fingers and numbers remain circumscribed to counting tasks and do not extent to static finger montring situations.

  2. Foot preferences in wild-living ring-necked parakeets (Psittacula krameri, Psittacidae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Randler, Christoph; Braun, Michael; Lintker, Stephanie

    2011-03-01

    Evidence for foot preferences has been reported in parrots and the majority of parrot species uses the left foot to hold and process food objects. Here we assessed the footedness of ring-necked parakeets (Psittacula krameri) in a wild-living non-native population in Heidelberg, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany. Observations were made when parrots fed on catalpa trees Catalpa sp., with 20- to 50-cm-long fruits. Parakeets tend to bite off catalpa fruits with their beak, using one foot holding the fruit. Further, we established an experimental set-up (feeding location) and prepared pieces of apple in an adequate size to force parrots to handle the food with one foot. From 184 individuals feeding on the catalpa trees, 102 were recorded using the left foot and 82 the right foot. At the feeding location, 24 individuals were left-footed and 11 were right-footed. These observations suggest a foot preference in the ring-necked parakeet both on the population level and on the individual level.

  3. Blood pressure measurement of all five fingers by strain gauge plethysmography

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hirai, M; Nielsen, S L; Lassen, N A

    1976-01-01

    of the other fingers was measured using a 24-mm-wide cuff. Blood pressure at the proximal phalanx was higher than that at the intermediate phalanx in all fingers except finger V. The difference of blood pressure values corresponded well with circumference of the finger. In 15 normal subjects, blood pressure...... at the proximal phalanx was compared in fingers I, III, IV, and V, using 16, 20, 24 and 24 mm wide cuffs. Finger blood pressure was closest to arm systolic blood pressure when a 24-mm or 27-mm-wide cuff was used in fingers I, III, and IV, and with a 20-mm-wide cuff in finger V. As the standard deviation......The aim of the present paper was to study the methodological problems involved in measuring systolic blood pressure in all five fingers by the strain gauge technique. In 24 normal subjects, blood pressure at the proximal phalanx of finger I and both at the proximal and the intermediate phalanx...

  4. RING finger and WD repeat domain 3 (RFWD3) associates with replication protein A (RPA) and facilitates RPA-mediated DNA damage response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Shangfeng; Chu, Jessica; Yucer, Nur; Leng, Mei; Wang, Shih-Ya; Chen, Benjamin P C; Hittelman, Walter N; Wang, Yi

    2011-06-24

    DNA damage response is crucial for maintaining genomic integrity and preventing cancer by coordinating the activation of checkpoints and the repair of damaged DNA. Central to DNA damage response are the two checkpoint kinases ATM and ATR that phosphorylate a wide range of substrates. RING finger and WD repeat domain 3 (RFWD3) was initially identified as a substrate of ATM/ATR from a proteomic screen. Subsequent studies showed that RFWD3 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that ubiquitinates p53 in vitro and positively regulates p53 levels in response to DNA damage. We report here that RFWD3 associates with replication protein A (RPA), a single-stranded DNA-binding protein that plays essential roles in DNA replication, recombination, and repair. Binding of RPA to single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), which is generated by DNA damage and repair, is essential for the recruitment of DNA repair factors to damaged sites and the activation of checkpoint signaling. We show that RFWD3 is physically associated with RPA and rapidly localizes to sites of DNA damage in a RPA-dependent manner. In vitro experiments suggest that the C terminus of RFWD3, which encompass the coiled-coil domain and the WD40 domain, is necessary for binding to RPA. Furthermore, DNA damage-induced phosphorylation of RPA and RFWD3 is dependent upon each other. Consequently, loss of RFWD3 results in the persistent foci of DNA damage marker γH2AX and the repair protein Rad51 in damaged cells. These findings suggest that RFWD3 is recruited to sites of DNA damage and facilitates RPA-mediated DNA damage signaling and repair.

  5. Low-frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation over left dorsal premotor cortex improves the dynamic control of visuospatially cued actions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ward, Nick S; Bestmann, Sven; Hartwigsen, Gesa

    2010-01-01

    Left rostral dorsal premotor cortex (rPMd) and supramarginal gyrus (SMG) have been implicated in the dynamic control of actions. In 12 right-handed healthy individuals, we applied 30 min of low-frequency (1 Hz) repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over left rPMd to investigate...... the involvement of left rPMd and SMG in the rapid adjustment of actions guided by visuospatial cues. After rTMS, subjects underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while making spatially congruent button presses with the right or left index finger in response to a left- or right-sided target. Subjects were...... that left rPMd and SMG-AIP contribute toward dynamic control of actions and demonstrate that low-frequency rTMS can enhance functional coupling between task-relevant brain regions and improve some aspects of motor performance....

  6. Application of autoradiography in finger print analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stverak, B.; Kopejtko, J.; Simek, J.

    1983-01-01

    In order to broaden the possibilities of developing latent finger prints a tracer technique has been developed using sup(110m)Ag and autoradiographic imaging. This method has been tested on glass, paper and certain plastics. On paper it is possible to visualize finger prints even after previous development using Ninhydrin. It is shown that usable finger prints may be obtained also from materials from which they cannot be obtained using classical methods, e.g., polyethylene and simulated leather. (author)

  7. The influence of intrinsic sympathomimetic activity and beta-1 receptor selectivity on the recovery of finger skin temperature after finger cooling in normotensive subjects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lenders, J W; Salemans, J; de Boo, T; Lemmens, W A; Thien, T; van't Laar, A

    1986-03-01

    A double-blind randomized study was designed to investigate differences in the recovery of finger skin temperature after finger cooling during dosing with placebo or one of four beta-blockers: propranolol, atenolol, pindolol, and acebutolol. In 11 normotensive nonsmoking subjects, finger skin temperature was measured with a thermocouple before and 20 minutes after immersion of one hand in a water bath at 16 degrees C. This finger cooling test caused no significant changes in systemic hemodynamics such as arterial blood pressure, heart rate, and forearm blood flow. The recovery of finger skin temperature during propranolol dosing was better than that during pindolol and atenolol dosing. There were no differences between the recoveries of skin temperature during pindolol, atenolol, and acebutolol dosing. Thus we could demonstrate no favorable effect of intrinsic sympathomimetic activity or beta 1-selectivity on the recovery of finger skin temperature after finger cooling.

  8. Mixing methods, tasting fingers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mann, Anna; Mol, Annemarie; Satalkar, Priya

    2011-01-01

    This article reports on an ethnographic experiment. Four finger eating experts and three novices sat down for a hot meal and ate with their hands. Drawing on the technique of playing with the familiar and the strange, our aim was not to explain our responses, but to articulate them. As we seek...... words to do so, we are compelled to stretch the verb "to taste." Tasting, or so our ethnographic experiment suggests, need not be understood as an activity confined to the tongue. Instead, if given a chance, it may viscously spread out to the fingers and come to include appreciative reactions otherwise...

  9. The specificity of memory for a highly trained finger movement sequence: Change the ending, change all.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rozanov, Simon; Keren, Ofer; Karni, Avi

    2010-05-17

    How are highly trained movement sequences represented in long-term memory? Here we show that the gains attained in the performance of a well-trained sequence of finger movements can be expressed only when the order of the movements is exactly as practiced. Ten young adults were trained to perform a given 5-element sequence of finger-to-thumb opposition movements with their left hand. Movements were analyzed using video based tracking. Three weeks of training resulted, along with improved accuracy, in robustly shortened movement times as well as shorter finger-to-thumb touch times. However, there was little transfer of these gains in speed to the execution of the same component movements arranged in a new order. Moreover, even when the only change was the omission of the one before final movement of the trained sequence (Omit sequence), the initial movements of the sequence were significantly slowed down, although these movements were identical to the initial movements of the trained sequence. Our results support the notion that a well-trained sequence of finger movements can be represented, in the adult motor system, as a singular, co-articulated, unit of movement, in which even the initial component movements are contingent on the subsequent, anticipated, ones. Because of co-articulation related anticipatory effects, gains in fluency and accuracy acquired in training on a specific movement sequence cannot be expressed in full in the execution of the trained component movements or of a full segment of the trained sequence, if followed by a different ending segment. Copyright 2010. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  10. The role of fingers in number processing in young children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anne eLafay

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between finger counting and numerical processing in 4- to 7-year-old children. Children were assessed on a variety of numerical tasks and we examined the correlations between their rates of success and their frequency of finger use in a counting task. We showed that children’s performance on finger pattern comparison and identification tasks did not correlate with the frequency of finger use. However, this last variable correlated with the percentages of correct responses in an enumeration task (i.e., Give-N task, even when the age of children was entered as a covariate in the analysis. Despite this correlation, we showed that some children who never used their fingers in the counting task were able to perform optimally in the enumeration task. Overall, our results support the conclusion that finger counting is useful but not necessary to develop accurate symbolic numerical skills. Moreover, our results suggest that the use of fingers in a counting task is related to the ability of children in a dynamic enumeration task but not to static tasks involving recognition or comparison of finger patterns. Therefore, it could be that the link between fingers and numbers remain circumscribed to counting tasks and do not extent to static finger montring situations.

  11. Development of a CPM Machine for Injured Fingers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Yili; Zhang, Fuxiang; Ma, Xin; Meng, Qinggang

    2005-01-01

    Human fingers are easy to be injured. A CPM machine is a mechanism based on the rehabilitation theory of continuous passive motion (CPM). To develop a CPM machine for the clinic application in the rehabilitation of injured fingers is a significant task. Therefore, based on the theories of evidence based medicine (EBM) and CPM, we've developed a set of biomimetic mechanism after modeling the motions of fingers and analyzing its kinematics and dynamics analysis. We also design an embedded operating system based on ARM (a kind of 32-bit RISC microprocessor). The equipment can achieve the precise control of moving scope of fingers, finger's force and speed. It can serves as a rational checking method and a way of assessment for functional rehabilitation of human hands. Now, the first prototype has been finished and will start the clinical testing in Harbin Medical University shortly.

  12. Diagnostic aspects of vibration-induced white finger.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olsen, Niels

    2002-01-01

    Vibration-induced white finger (VWF) is a secondary type of Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) caused by exposure to hand-arm vibration. The present review concerns the cold-provoked attack of RP in vasospastic VWF. It concentrates on the most common clinical and laboratory methods used to diagnose RP in vibration-exposed subjects. Some physiological aspects of the attack of RP are mentioned to elucidate the diagnostic principles of the tests. Anamnestic diagnostics by medical interviews and questionnaires as well as cold-provocation tests with detection of finger colour, finger systolic blood pressure (FSP), recovery time of finger skin temperature and recovery time of normal nail colour after nail compression are mentioned. The discriminative capacity and the reproducibility of the tests are discussed. Cold-provocation tests with detection of finger colour or zero FSP during cooling are recommended to be used if an attack of RP has to be registered for diagnostic or medico-legal purposes in individual cases. An abnormal reduction in FSP during cooling makes a history of RP very probable and is a suitable laboratory test for groups of subjects. Both recovery tests may be useful screening tests in field studies of vibration-exposed subject groups.

  13. A microelectrostatic repulsive-torque rotation actuator with two-width fingers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fan, Chao; He, Siyuan

    2015-01-01

    A microelectrostatic repulsive-torque rotation actuator with two-width fingers is presented. The actuator consists of finger-shaped electrodes and is made of two thin film layers, i.e. one movable layer and one fixed layer. There are two types of finger electrodes, namely constant-width and two-width fingers. The two-width finger has a narrow lower segment and a wide top segment. The constant-width finger has only the narrow lower segment. Each rotation finger has its corresponding aligned and unaligned fixed fingers. The electrostatic repulsive torque is generated and acts on the rotation fingers to rotate them up and away from the substrate. As a result, rotation is not limited by the gap between the movable and fixed layers and the ‘pull-in’ instability is avoided. Thus a large out-of-plane rotation and high operational stability can be achieved. The actuator is suitable for two-layer surface micromachining. The model of the actuator is developed. Prototypes are fabricated and tested. The experimental tests show that the actuator achieved a mechanical rotation of 7.65° at a driving voltage of 150 V. The settling time for a mechanical rotation of 5° is 5.7 ms. (paper)

  14. Saffman-Taylor fingers with kinetic undercooling

    KAUST Repository

    Gardiner, Bennett P. J.

    2015-02-23

    © 2015 American Physical Society. The mathematical model of a steadily propagating Saffman-Taylor finger in a Hele-Shaw channel has applications to two-dimensional interacting streamer discharges which are aligned in a periodic array. In the streamer context, the relevant regularization on the interface is not provided by surface tension but instead has been postulated to involve a mechanism equivalent to kinetic undercooling, which acts to penalize high velocities and prevent blow-up of the unregularized solution. Previous asymptotic results for the Hele-Shaw finger problem with kinetic undercooling suggest that for a given value of the kinetic undercooling parameter, there is a discrete set of possible finger shapes, each analytic at the nose and occupying a different fraction of the channel width. In the limit in which the kinetic undercooling parameter vanishes, the fraction for each family approaches 1/2, suggesting that this "selection" of 1/2 by kinetic undercooling is qualitatively similar to the well-known analog with surface tension. We treat the numerical problem of computing these Saffman-Taylor fingers with kinetic undercooling, which turns out to be more subtle than the analog with surface tension, since kinetic undercooling permits finger shapes which are corner-free but not analytic. We provide numerical evidence for the selection mechanism by setting up a problem with both kinetic undercooling and surface tension and numerically taking the limit that the surface tension vanishes.

  15. Saffman-Taylor fingers with kinetic undercooling

    KAUST Repository

    Gardiner, Bennett P. J.; McCue, Scott W.; Dallaston, Michael C.; Moroney, Timothy J.

    2015-01-01

    © 2015 American Physical Society. The mathematical model of a steadily propagating Saffman-Taylor finger in a Hele-Shaw channel has applications to two-dimensional interacting streamer discharges which are aligned in a periodic array. In the streamer context, the relevant regularization on the interface is not provided by surface tension but instead has been postulated to involve a mechanism equivalent to kinetic undercooling, which acts to penalize high velocities and prevent blow-up of the unregularized solution. Previous asymptotic results for the Hele-Shaw finger problem with kinetic undercooling suggest that for a given value of the kinetic undercooling parameter, there is a discrete set of possible finger shapes, each analytic at the nose and occupying a different fraction of the channel width. In the limit in which the kinetic undercooling parameter vanishes, the fraction for each family approaches 1/2, suggesting that this "selection" of 1/2 by kinetic undercooling is qualitatively similar to the well-known analog with surface tension. We treat the numerical problem of computing these Saffman-Taylor fingers with kinetic undercooling, which turns out to be more subtle than the analog with surface tension, since kinetic undercooling permits finger shapes which are corner-free but not analytic. We provide numerical evidence for the selection mechanism by setting up a problem with both kinetic undercooling and surface tension and numerically taking the limit that the surface tension vanishes.

  16. Effect of the linkers between the zinc fingers in zinc finger protein 809 on gene silencing and nuclear localization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ichida, Yu, E-mail: ichida-y@ncchd.go.jp; Utsunomiya, Yuko; Onodera, Masafumi

    2016-03-18

    Zinc finger protein 809 (ZFP809) belongs to the Kruppel-associated box-containing zinc finger protein (KRAB-ZFP) family and functions in repressing the expression of Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMLV). ZFP809 binds to the primer-binding site (PBS)located downstream of the MoMLV-long terminal repeat (LTR) and induces epigenetic modifications at integration sites, such as repressive histone modifications and de novo DNA methylation. KRAB-ZFPs contain consensus TGEKP linkers between C2H2 zinc fingers. The phosphorylation of threonine residues within linkers leads to the inactivation of zinc finger binding to target sequences. ZFP809 also contains consensus linkers between zinc fingers. However, the function of ZFP809 linkers remains unknown. In the present study, we constructed ZFP809 proteins containing mutated linkers and examined their ability to silence transgene expression driven by MLV, binding ability to MLV PBS, and cellular localization. The results of the present study revealed that the linkers affected the ability of ZFP809 to silence transgene expression. Furthermore, this effect could be partly attributed to changes in the localization of ZFP809 proteins containing mutated linkers. Further characterization of ZFP809 linkers is required for understanding the functions and features of KRAB-ZFP-containing linkers. - Highlights: • ZFP809 has three consensus linkers between the zinc fingers. • Linkers are required for ZFP809 to silence transgene expression driven by MLV-LTR. • Linkers affect the precise nuclear localization of ZFP809.

  17. Finger agnosia and cognitive deficits in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Andrew S; Trotter, Jeffrey S; Hertza, Jeremy; Bell, Christopher D; Dean, Raymond S

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the presence of finger agnosia in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and to determine if level of finger agnosia was related to cognitive impairment. Finger agnosia is a sensitive measure of cerebral impairment and is associated with neurofunctional areas implicated in AD. Using a standardized and norm-referenced approach, results indicated that patients with AD evidenced significantly decreased performance on tests of bilateral finger agnosia compared with healthy age-matched controls. Finger agnosia was predictive of cognitive dysfunction on four of seven domains, including: Crystallized Language, Fluid Processing, Associative Learning, and Processing Speed. Results suggest that measures of finger agnosia, a short and simple test, may be useful in the early detection of AD.

  18. ZifBASE: a database of zinc finger proteins and associated resources

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Punetha Ankita

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Information on the occurrence of zinc finger protein motifs in genomes is crucial to the developing field of molecular genome engineering. The knowledge of their target DNA-binding sequences is vital to develop chimeric proteins for targeted genome engineering and site-specific gene correction. There is a need to develop a computational resource of zinc finger proteins (ZFP to identify the potential binding sites and its location, which reduce the time of in vivo task, and overcome the difficulties in selecting the specific type of zinc finger protein and the target site in the DNA sequence. Description ZifBASE provides an extensive collection of various natural and engineered ZFP. It uses standard names and a genetic and structural classification scheme to present data retrieved from UniProtKB, GenBank, Protein Data Bank, ModBase, Protein Model Portal and the literature. It also incorporates specialized features of ZFP including finger sequences and positions, number of fingers, physiochemical properties, classes, framework, PubMed citations with links to experimental structures (PDB, if available and modeled structures of natural zinc finger proteins. ZifBASE provides information on zinc finger proteins (both natural and engineered ones, the number of finger units in each of the zinc finger proteins (with multiple fingers, the synergy between the adjacent fingers and their positions. Additionally, it gives the individual finger sequence and their target DNA site to which it binds for better and clear understanding on the interactions of adjacent fingers. The current version of ZifBASE contains 139 entries of which 89 are engineered ZFPs, containing 3-7F totaling to 296 fingers. There are 50 natural zinc finger protein entries ranging from 2-13F, totaling to 307 fingers. It has sequences and structures from literature, Protein Data Bank, ModBase and Protein Model Portal. The interface is cross linked to other public

  19. Generating and analyzing synthetic finger vein images

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hillerström, Fieke; Kumar, Ajay; Veldhuis, Raymond N.J.

    2014-01-01

    Abstract: The finger-vein biometric offers higher degree of security, personal privacy and strong anti-spoofing capabilities than most other biometric modalities employed today. Emerging privacy concerns with the database acquisition and lack of availability of large scale finger-vein database have

  20. On the left perpendicular category of the modules of finite projective dimension

    OpenAIRE

    Araya, Tokuji; Iima, Kei-ichiro; Takahashi, Ryo

    2010-01-01

    In this paper, we characterize several properties of commutative notherian local rings in terms of the left perpendicular category of the category of finitely generated modules of finite projective dimension. As an application we prove that a local ring is regular if (and only if) there exists a strong test module for projectivity having finite projective dimension. We also obtain corresponding results with respect to a semidualizing module.

  1. Finger millet [Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ceasar, Stanislaus Antony; Ignacimuthu, Savarimuthu

    2015-01-01

    Millets are the primary food source for millions of people in tropical regions of the world supplying mineral nutrition and protein. In this chapter, we describe an optimized protocol for the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of finger millet variety GPU 45. Agrobacterium strain LBA4404 harboring plasmid pCAMBIA1301 which contains hygromycin phosphotransferase (hph) as selectable marker gene and β-glucuronidase (GUS) as reporter gene has been used. This protocol utilizes the shoot apex explants for the somatic embryogenesis and regeneration of finger millet after the transformation by Agrobacterium. Desiccation of explants during cocultivation helps for the better recovery of transgenic plants. This protocol is very useful for the efficient production of transgenic plants in finger millet through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation.

  2. Association Between Finger Clubbing and Chronic Lung Disease in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Finger clubbed patients had higher risk of hypoxemia (46.7%), pulmonary hypertension (46.7%) and advanced disease in WHO stage III/ IV (91.7%) compared to non-finger clubbed patients. Finger clubbed patients had lower CD4 cells count and percentage (median 369cells, 13%) compared to non-clubbed patients ...

  3. Esthetic, functional, and prosthetic outcomes with implant-retained finger prostheses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aydin, Cemal; Nemli, Secil Karakoca; Yilmaz, Handan

    2013-04-01

    Traumatic amputation of fingers results in a serious impairment of hand function and affects the psychological status of the patients. The implant-retained finger prostheses are an alternative treatment. The aim of this case report is to represent the use of osseointegrated implants for retention of finger prostheses in a patient with amputated thumb and index finger. Dental implants were placed in the residual bone of the fingers using two-stage surgery. Custom-made attachments were used to provide retention between implants and silicone prostheses. Prosthetic fingernails were made of composite resin material. After 6 months, implants were clinically successful, and the patient was satisfied with the appearance and the function of the prostheses. The complications of broken prosthetic nail and mild discoloration were observed. Reconstruction of amputated fingers with implant-retained prosthesis is a worthwhile treatment providing esthetic, functional, and psychological benefits, although some complications might be experienced. Clinical relevance Implant-retained finger prostheses are an acceptable treatment modality for patients with amputated fingers. Evaluating implant prognosis, functional results and prosthetic results of the patients are necessary to address the benefits and complications of the treatment.

  4. Viscous Fingering in Deformable Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guan, Jian Hui; MacMinn, Chris

    2017-11-01

    Viscous fingering is a classical hydrodynamic instability that occurs when an invading fluid is injected into a porous medium or a Hele-Shaw cell that contains a more viscous defending fluid. Recent work has shown that viscous fingering in a Hele-Shaw cell is supressed when the flow cell is deformable. However, the mechanism of suppression relies on a net volumetric expansion of the flow area. Here, we study flow in a novel Hele-Shaw cell consisting of a rigid bottom plate and a flexible top plate that deforms in a way that is volume-conserving. In other words, fluid injection into the flow cell leads to a local expansion of the flow area (outward displacement of the flexible surface) that must be coupled to non-local contraction (inward displacement of the flexible surface). We explore the impact of this volumetric confinement on steady viscous flow and on viscous fingering. We would like to thank EPSRC for the funding for this work.

  5. The effects of vibration-reducing gloves on finger vibration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Welcome, Daniel E.; Dong, Ren G.; Xu, Xueyan S.; Warren, Christopher; McDowell, Thomas W.

    2015-01-01

    Vibration-reducing (VR) gloves have been used to reduce the hand-transmitted vibration exposures from machines and powered hand tools but their effectiveness remains unclear, especially for finger protection. The objectives of this study are to determine whether VR gloves can attenuate the vibration transmitted to the fingers and to enhance the understanding of the mechanisms of how these gloves work. Seven adult male subjects participated in the experiment. The fixed factors evaluated include hand force (four levels), glove condition (gel-filled, air bladder, no gloves), and location of the finger vibration measurement. A 3-D laser vibrometer was used to measure the vibrations on the fingers with and without wearing a glove on a 3-D hand-arm vibration test system. This study finds that the effect of VR gloves on the finger vibration depends on not only the gloves but also their influence on the distribution of the finger contact stiffness and the grip effort. As a result, the gloves increase the vibration in the fingertip area but marginally reduce the vibration in the proximal area at some frequencies below 100 Hz. On average, the gloves reduce the vibration of the entire fingers by less than 3% at frequencies below 80 Hz but increase at frequencies from 80 to 400 Hz. At higher frequencies, the gel-filled glove is more effective at reducing the finger vibration than the air bladder-filled glove. The implications of these findings are discussed. Relevance to industry Prolonged, intensive exposure to hand-transmitted vibration can cause hand-arm vibration syndrome. Vibration-reducing gloves have been used as an alternative approach to reduce the vibration exposure. However, their effectiveness for reducing finger-transmitted vibrations remains unclear. This study enhanced the understanding of the glove effects on finger vibration and provided useful information on the effectiveness of typical VR gloves at reducing the vibration transmitted to the fingers. The new

  6. VISIONS FOR FOOTWEAR TIP SHAPE ACCORDING TO THE CONFIGURATION FINGER

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MALCOCI Marina

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Compatibility between the consumer and the interior leg permanent footwear raises a number of issues. And any new form of footwear is time for a new silhouette last. Fashion is a factor in determining the shape of the last significant role. The most important influence on fashion in footwear that has at one time is found in peak shape. During registered a variety of forms leading to the last, for example, pointed, oval, round, square, asymmetrical, curved, trapezoidal, etc. Each has added a tip top recommended. The paper analyzes the morphofunctional characteristic, namely, finger configuration. The configuration of the fingers is determined from the positions of all the fingers of one another, as are six variants. Analysis of the shape and configuration of the arm fingers allow us to make the following recommendations to consumers: people showing finger configuration as in variant V and VI are advised not to wear pointy shoes because of the limited movement of the foot, which favors the diversion finger I exterior and deformed finger V; persons who fall within I-IV variant can procure pointy shoes; a round-tipped shoes, square, curved or asymmetric may be purchased by any consumer regardless of the configuration of the fingers; shoes with cut edge must be present only in garderopa people in variant I and II; consumers whose configuration is like finger-VI and III variants are awkwardly shaped fingers can buy shoes closed in the previous summer, but of different perforations or overlapping strips.

  7. Three-dimensional viscous fingering of miscible fluids in porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suekane, Tetsuya; Ono, Jei; Hyodo, Akimitsu; Nagatsu, Yuichiro

    2017-10-01

    Viscous fingering is a flow instability that is induced at the displacement front when a less-viscous fluid (LVF) displaces a more-viscous fluid (MVF). Because of the opaque nature of porous media, most experimental investigations of the structure of viscous fingering and its development in time have been limited to two-dimensional porous media or Hele-Shaw cells. In this study, we investigate the three-dimensional characteristics of viscous fingering in porous media using a microfocused x-ray computer tomography (CT) scanner. Similar to two-dimensional experiments, characteristic events such as tip-splitting, shielding, and coalescence were observed in three-dimensional viscous fingering as well. With an increase in the Péclet number at a fixed viscosity ratio, M , the fingers appearing on the interface tend to be fine; however, the locations of the tips of the fingers remain the same for the same injected volume of the LVF. The finger extensions increase in proportion to ln M , and the number of fingers emerging at the initial interface increases with M . This fact agrees qualitatively with linear stability analyses. Within the fingers, the local concentration of NaI, which is needed for the x-ray CT scanner, linearly decreases, whereas it sharply decreases at the tips of the fingers. A locally high Péclet number as well as unsteady motions in lateral directions may enhance the dispersion at the tips of the fingers. As the viscosity ratio increases, the efficiency of each sweep monotonically decreases and reaches an asymptotic state; in addition, the degree of mixing increases with the viscosity ratio. For high flow rates, the asymptotic value of the sweep efficiency is low for high viscosity ratios, while there is no clear dependence of the asymptotic value on the Péclet number.

  8. Viscoelastic fingering with a pulsed pressure signal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Corvera Poire, E; Rio, J A del

    2004-01-01

    We derive a generalized Darcy's law in the frequency domain for a linear viscoelastic fluid flowing in a Hele-Shaw cell. This leads to an analytic expression for the dynamic permeability that has maxima which are several orders of magnitude larger than the static permeability. We then follow an argument of de Gennes (1987 Europhys. Lett. 2 195) to obtain the smallest possible finger width when viscoelasticity is important. Using this and a conservation law, we obtain the lowest bound for the width of a single finger displacing a viscoelastic fluid. When the driving force consists of a constant pressure gradient plus an oscillatory signal, our results indicate that the finger width varies in time following the frequency of the incident signal. Also, the amplitude of the finger width in time depends on the value of the dynamic permeability at the imposed frequency. When the finger is driven with a frequency that maximizes the permeability, variations in the amplitude are also maximized. This gives results that are very different for Newtonian and viscoelastic fluids. For the former ones the amplitude of the oscillation decays with frequency. For the latter ones on the other hand, the amplitude has maxima at the same frequencies that maximize the dynamic permeability

  9. Correction Factors Applied to Finger Dosimetry: A Theoretical Assessment of Appropriate Values for Use in Handling Radiopharmaceuticals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sherbini, Sami; Ilas, Dan; Eckerman, Keith F.; DeCicco, Joseph

    2011-01-01

    United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) regulations limit the dose to the skin to 500 mSv per year. This is also the dose limit recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). The operational quantity recommended by ICRP for quantifying dose to the skin is the personal dose equivalent, Hp(0.07) and is identical to NRC's shallow dose equivalent, Hs, also measured at a skin depth of 7 mg cm 2. However, whereas ICRP recommends averaging the dose to the skin over an area of 1 cm2 regardless of the size of the exposed area of skin, USNRC requires the shallow dose equivalent to be averaged over 10 cm2. To monitor dose to the skin of the hands of workers handling radioactive materials and particularly in radiopharmaceutical manufacturing facilities, which is the focus of this work, workers are frequently required to wear finger ring dosimeters. The dosimeters monitor the dose at the location of the sensitive element, but this is not the dose required to show compliance (i.e., the dose averaged over the highest exposed contiguous 10 cm2 of skin). Therefore, it may be necessary to apply a correction factor that enables estimation of the required skin dose from the dosimeter reading. This work explored the effects of finger ring placement and of the geometry of the radioactive materials being handled by the worker on the relationship between the dosimeter reading and the desired average dose. A mathematical model of the hand was developed for this purpose that is capable of positioning the fingers in any desired grasping configuration, thereby realistically modeling manipulation of any object. The model was then used with the radiation transport code MCNP to calculate the dose distribution on the skin of the hand when handling a variety of radioactive vials and syringes, as well as the dose to the dosimeter element. Correction factors were calculated using the results of these calculations and examined for any patterns that may be

  10. Comparing kinematic changes between a finger-tapping task and unconstrained finger flexion-extension task in patients with Parkinson's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teo, W P; Rodrigues, J P; Mastaglia, F L; Thickbroom, G W

    2013-06-01

    Repetitive finger tapping is a well-established clinical test for the evaluation of parkinsonian bradykinesia, but few studies have investigated other finger movement modalities. We compared the kinematic changes (movement rate and amplitude) and response to levodopa during a conventional index finger-thumb-tapping task and an unconstrained index finger flexion-extension task performed at maximal voluntary rate (MVR) for 20 s in 11 individuals with levodopa-responsive Parkinson's disease (OFF and ON) and 10 healthy age-matched controls. Between-task comparisons showed that for all conditions, the initial movement rate was greater for the unconstrained flexion-extension task than the tapping task. Movement rate in the OFF state was slower than in controls for both tasks and normalized in the ON state. The movement amplitude was also reduced for both tasks in OFF and increased in the ON state but did not reach control levels. The rate and amplitude of movement declined significantly for both tasks under all conditions (OFF/ON and controls). The time course of rate decline was comparable for both tasks and was similar in OFF/ON and controls, whereas the tapping task was associated with a greater decline in MA, both in controls and ON, but not OFF. The findings indicate that both finger movement tasks show similar kinematic changes during a 20-s sustained MVR, but that movement amplitude is less well sustained during the tapping task than the unconstrained finger movement task. Both movement rate and amplitude improved with levodopa; however, movement rate was more levodopa responsive than amplitude.

  11. Hubble again views Saturn's Rings Edge-on

    Science.gov (United States)

    1995-01-01

    Saturn's magnificent ring system is seen tilted edge-on -- for the second time this year -- in this NASA Hubble Space Telescope picture taken on August 10, 1995, when the planet was 895 million miles (1,440 million kilometers) away. Hubble snapped the image as Earth sped back across Saturn's ring plane to the sunlit side of the rings. Last May 22, Earth dipped below the ring plane, giving observers a brief look at the backlit side of the rings. Ring-plane crossing events occur approximately every 15 years. Earthbound observers won't have as good a view until the year 2038. Several of Saturn's icy moons are visible as tiny starlike objects in or near the ring plane. They are from left to right, Enceladus, Tethys, Dione and Mimas. 'The Hubble data shows numerous faint satellites close to the bright rings, but it will take a couple of months to precisely identify them,' according to Steve Larson (University of Arizona). During the May ring plane crossing, Hubble detected two, and possibly four, new moons orbiting Saturn. These new observations also provide a better view of the faint E ring, 'to help determine the size of particles and whether they will pose a collision hazard to the Cassini spacecraft,' said Larson. The picture was taken with Hubble's Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 in wide field mode. This image is a composite view, where a long exposure of the faint rings has been combined with a shorter exposure of Saturn's disk to bring out more detail. When viewed edge-on, the rings are so dim they almost disappear because they are very thin -- probably less than a mile thick.The Wide Field/Planetary Camera 2 was developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and managed by the Goddard Spaced Flight Center for NASA's Office of Space Science.This image and other images and data received from the Hubble Space Telescope are posted on the World Wide Web on the Space Telescope Science Institute home page at URL http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/

  12. Increased cardiac alpha-myosin heavy chain in left atria and decreased myocardial insulin-like growth factor (Igf-I) expression accompany low heart rate in hibernating grizzly bears.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barrows, N D; Nelson, O L; Robbins, C T; Rourke, B C

    2011-01-01

    Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) tolerate extended periods of extremely low heart rate during hibernation without developing congestive heart failure or cardiac chamber dilation. Left ventricular atrophy and decreased left ventricular compliance have been reported in this species during hibernation. We evaluated the myocardial response to significantly reduced heart rate during hibernation by measuring relative myosin heavy-chain (MyHC) isoform expression and expression of a set of genes important to muscle plasticity and mass regulation in the left atria and left ventricles of active and hibernating bears. We supplemented these data with measurements of systolic and diastolic function via echocardiography in unanesthetized grizzly bears. Atrial strain imaging revealed decreased atrial contractility, decreased expansion/reservoir function (increased atrial stiffness), and decreased passive-filling function (increased ventricular stiffness) in hibernating bears. Relative MyHC-α protein expression increased significantly in the atrium during hibernation. The left ventricle expressed 100% MyHC-β protein in both groups. Insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) mRNA expression was reduced by ∼50% in both chambers during hibernation, consistent with the ventricular atrophy observed in these bears. Interestingly, mRNA expression of the atrophy-related ubiquitin ligases Muscle Atrophy F-box (MAFBx) and Muscle Ring Finger 1 did not increase, nor did expression of myostatin or hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α). We report atrium-specific decreases of 40% and 50%, respectively, in MAFBx and creatine kinase mRNA expression during hibernation. Decreased creatine kinase expression is consistent with lowered energy requirements and could relate to reduced atrial emptying function during hibernation. Taken together with our hemodynamic assessment, these data suggest a potential downregulation of atrial chamber function during hibernation to prevent fatigue and dilation

  13. Tetanus following replantation of an amputated finger: a case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayashida, Kenji; Murakami, Chikako; Fujioka, Masaki

    2012-10-08

    Tetanus is an infectious disease caused by tetanus toxin produced by Clostridium tetani and induces severe neurological manifestations. We treated a patient who developed tetanus during hospitalization for replantation of an amputated finger. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first published case report of such an entity. A 49-year-old Japanese man had an amputation of his right middle finger at the distal interphalangeal joint region in an accident at work. His middle finger was successfully replanted, but his fingertip was partially necrotized because of crushing and so additional reconstruction with a reverse digital arterial flap was performed 15 days after the injury. Tetanus developed 21 days after replantation of the middle finger, but symptoms remitted via rapid diagnosis and treatment. In replantation after finger trauma with exposure of nerve and blood vessel bundles, concern over injuring nerves and blood vessels may prevent irrigation and debridement from being performed sufficiently; these treatments may have been insufficiently performed in this patient. It is likely that the replanted middle finger partially adhered, and Clostridium tetani colonized the partially necrotized region. Even when there is only limited soil contamination, administration of tetanus toxoid and anti-tetanus immunoglobulin is necessary when the fingers are injured outdoors and the finger nerves and blood vessels are exposed. The drugs should be administered just after replantation if the finger has been amputated. However, if clinicians pay attention to the possibility of tetanus development, treatment can be rapidly initiated.

  14. Finger Vein Recognition Based on Personalized Weight Maps

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Gongping; Xiao, Rongyang; Yin, Yilong; Yang, Lu

    2013-01-01

    Finger vein recognition is a promising biometric recognition technology, which verifies identities via the vein patterns in the fingers. Binary pattern based methods were thoroughly studied in order to cope with the difficulties of extracting the blood vessel network. However, current binary pattern based finger vein matching methods treat every bit of feature codes derived from different image of various individuals as equally important and assign the same weight value to them. In this paper, we propose a finger vein recognition method based on personalized weight maps (PWMs). The different bits have different weight values according to their stabilities in a certain number of training samples from an individual. Firstly we present the concept of PWM, and then propose the finger vein recognition framework, which mainly consists of preprocessing, feature extraction, and matching. Finally, we design extensive experiments to evaluate the effectiveness of our proposal. Experimental results show that PWM achieves not only better performance, but also high robustness and reliability. In addition, PWM can be used as a general framework for binary pattern based recognition. PMID:24025556

  15. Finger Vein Recognition Based on Personalized Weight Maps

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lu Yang

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Finger vein recognition is a promising biometric recognition technology, which verifies identities via the vein patterns in the fingers. Binary pattern based methods were thoroughly studied in order to cope with the difficulties of extracting the blood vessel network. However, current binary pattern based finger vein matching methods treat every bit of feature codes derived from different image of various individuals as equally important and assign the same weight value to them. In this paper, we propose a finger vein recognition method based on personalized weight maps (PWMs. The different bits have different weight values according to their stabilities in a certain number of training samples from an individual. Firstly we present the concept of PWM, and then propose the finger vein recognition framework, which mainly consists of preprocessing, feature extraction, and matching. Finally, we design extensive experiments to evaluate the effectiveness of our proposal. Experimental results show that PWM achieves not only better performance, but also high robustness and reliability. In addition, PWM can be used as a general framework for binary pattern based recognition.

  16. Nature or Nurture in finger counting: a review on the determinants of the direction of number-finger mapping

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paola ePrevitali

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available The spontaneous use of finger counting has been for long recognised as critical to the acquisition of number skills. Recently, the great interest on space-number associations shifted attention to the practice of finger counting itself, and specifically, to its spatial components. Besides general cross-cultural differences in mapping numbers onto fingers, contrasting results have been reported with regard to the directional features of this mapping. The key issue we address is to what extent directionality is culturally-mediated, i.e., linked to the conventional reading-writing system direction, and/or biologically determined, i.e. linked to hand dominance. Although the preferred starting hand for counting seems to depend on the surveyed population, even within the same population high inter-individual variability minimises the role of cultural factors. Even if so far largely overlooked, handedness represents a sound candidate for shaping finger counting direction. Here we discuss adults and developmental evidence in support of this view and we reconsider the plausibility of multiple and coexistent number-space mapping in physical and representational space.

  17. A comprehensive assessment of cardiovascular autonomic control using photoplethysmograms recorded from the earlobe and fingers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kiselev, A R; Mironov, S A; Karavaev, A S; Kulminskiy, D D; Prokhorov, M D; Skazkina, V V; Borovkova, E I; Ponomarenko, V I; Shvartz, V A

    2016-01-01

    We compare the spectral indices of photoplethysmogram variability (PPGV) estimated using photoplethysmograms recorded from the earlobe and the middle fingers of the right and left hand and analyze their correlation with similar indices of heart rate variability (HRV) in 30 healthy subjects (26 men) aged 27 (25, 29) years (median with inter-quartile ranges) at rest and under the head-up tilt test. The following spectral indices of PPGV and HRV were compared: mean heart rate (HR), total spectral power (TP), high-frequency (HF) and low-frequency (LF) ranges of TP in percents (HF% and LF%), LF/HF ratio, and spectral coherence. We assess also the index S of synchronization between the LF oscillations in HRV and PPGV. The constancy of blood pressure (BP) and moderate increase of HR under the tilt test indicate the presence of fast processes of cardiovascular adaptation with the increase of the sympathetic activity in studied healthy subjects. The impact of respiration on the PPGV spectrum (accessed by HF%) is less than on the HRV spectrum. It is shown that the proportion of sympathetic vascular activity (accessed by LF%) is constant in the PPGV of three analyzed PPGs during the tilt test. The PPGV for the ear PPG was less vulnerable to breathing influence accessed by HF% (independently from body position) than for PPGs from fingers. We reveal the increase of index S under the tilt test indicating the activation of interaction between the heart and distal vessels. The PPGV spectra for finger PPGs from different hands are highly coherent, but differ substantially from the PPGV spectrum for the ear PPG. We conclude that joint analysis of frequency components of PPGV (for the earlobe and finger PPGs of both hands) and HRV and assessment of their synchronization provide additional information about cardiovascular autonomic control. (paper)

  18. Convolutional Neural Network-Based Finger-Vein Recognition Using NIR Image Sensors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Hyung Gil; Lee, Min Beom; Park, Kang Ryoung

    2017-06-06

    Conventional finger-vein recognition systems perform recognition based on the finger-vein lines extracted from the input images or image enhancement, and texture feature extraction from the finger-vein images. In these cases, however, the inaccurate detection of finger-vein lines lowers the recognition accuracy. In the case of texture feature extraction, the developer must experimentally decide on a form of the optimal filter for extraction considering the characteristics of the image database. To address this problem, this research proposes a finger-vein recognition method that is robust to various database types and environmental changes based on the convolutional neural network (CNN). In the experiments using the two finger-vein databases constructed in this research and the SDUMLA-HMT finger-vein database, which is an open database, the method proposed in this research showed a better performance compared to the conventional methods.

  19. Correction of aortic insufficiency with an external adjustable prosthetic aortic ring.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gogbashian, Andrew; Ghanta, Ravi K; Umakanthan, Ramanan; Rangaraj, Aravind T; Laurence, Rita G; Fox, John A; Cohn, Lawrence H; Chen, Frederick Y

    2007-09-01

    Less invasive, valve-sparing options are needed for patients with aortic insufficiency (AI). We sought to evaluate the feasibility of reducing AI with an external adjustable aortic ring in an ovine model. To create AI, five sheep underwent patch plasty enlargement of the aortic annulus and root by placement of a 10 x 15 mm pericardial patch between the right and noncoronary cusps. An adjustable external ring composed of a nylon band was fabricated and placed around the aortic root. Aortic flow, aortic pressure, and left ventricular pressures were measured with the ring loose (off) and tightened (on). Mean regurgitant orifice area decreased by 86%, from 0.07 +/- 0.03 cm2 (ring loose, off) to 0.01 +/- 0.00 cm2 (ring tightened, on) [p < 0.01]. The regurgitant fraction decreased from 18 +/- 4% to 2 +/- 1% [p < 0.01]. The ring did not significantly affect stroke volume and aortic pressure. An ovine model of aortic root dilatation resulting in acute AI has been developed. In this model, application of an external, adjustable constricting aortic ring eliminated AI. An aortic ring may be a useful adjunct in reducing AI secondary to annular dilatation.

  20. Tetanus following replantation of an amputated finger: a case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hayashida Kenji

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Tetanus is an infectious disease caused by tetanus toxin produced by Clostridium tetani and induces severe neurological manifestations. We treated a patient who developed tetanus during hospitalization for replantation of an amputated finger. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first published case report of such an entity. Case presentation A 49-year-old Japanese man had an amputation of his right middle finger at the distal interphalangeal joint region in an accident at work. His middle finger was successfully replanted, but his fingertip was partially necrotized because of crushing and so additional reconstruction with a reverse digital arterial flap was performed 15 days after the injury. Tetanus developed 21 days after replantation of the middle finger, but symptoms remitted via rapid diagnosis and treatment. Conclusions In replantation after finger trauma with exposure of nerve and blood vessel bundles, concern over injuring nerves and blood vessels may prevent irrigation and debridement from being performed sufficiently; these treatments may have been insufficiently performed in this patient. It is likely that the replanted middle finger partially adhered, and Clostridium tetani colonized the partially necrotized region. Even when there is only limited soil contamination, administration of tetanus toxoid and anti-tetanus immunoglobulin is necessary when the fingers are injured outdoors and the finger nerves and blood vessels are exposed. The drugs should be administered just after replantation if the finger has been amputated. However, if clinicians pay attention to the possibility of tetanus development, treatment can be rapidly initiated.

  1. Non-contact finger vein acquisition system using NIR laser

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jiman; Kong, Hyoun-Joong; Park, Sangyun; Noh, SeungWoo; Lee, Seung-Rae; Kim, Taejeong; Kim, Hee Chan

    2009-02-01

    Authentication using finger vein pattern has substantial advantage than other biometrics. Because human vein patterns are hidden inside the skin and tissue, it is hard to forge vein structure. But conventional system using NIR LED array has two drawbacks. First, direct contact with LED array raise sanitary problem. Second, because of discreteness of LEDs, non-uniform illumination exists. We propose non-contact finger vein acquisition system using NIR laser and Laser line generator lens. Laser line generator lens makes evenly distributed line laser from focused laser light. Line laser is aimed on the finger longitudinally. NIR camera was used for image acquisition. 200 index finger vein images from 20 candidates are collected. Same finger vein pattern extraction algorithm was used to evaluate two sets of images. Acquired images from proposed non-contact system do not show any non-uniform illumination in contrary with conventional system. Also results of matching are comparable to conventional system. We developed Non-contact finger vein acquisition system. It can prevent potential cross contamination of skin diseases. Also the system can produce uniformly illuminated images unlike conventional system. With the benefit of non-contact, proposed system shows almost equivalent performance compared with conventional system.

  2. Sensory Feedback Training for Improvement of Finger Perception in Cerebral Palsy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tobias Blumenstein

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. To develop and to test a feedback training system for improvement of tactile perception and coordination of fingers in children and youth with cerebral palsy. Methods. The fingers of 7 probands with cerebral palsy of different types and severity were stimulated using small vibration motors integrated in the fingers of a hand glove. The vibration motors were connected through a microcontroller to a computer and to a response 5-button keyboard. By pressing an appropriate keyboard button, the proband must indicate in which finger the vibration was felt. The number of incorrect responses and the reaction time were measured for every finger. The perception and coordination of fingers were estimated before and after two-week training using both clinical tests and the measurements. Results. Proper functioning of the developed system in persons with cerebral palsy was confirmed. The tactile sensation of fingers was improved in five of seven subjects after two weeks of training. There was no clear tendency towards improvement of selective use of fingers. Conclusion. The designed feedback system could be used to train tactile perception of fingers in children and youth with cerebral palsy. An extensive study is required to confirm these findings.

  3. A new algorithmic approach for fingers detection and identification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mubashar Khan, Arslan; Umar, Waqas; Choudhary, Taimoor; Hussain, Fawad; Haroon Yousaf, Muhammad

    2013-03-01

    Gesture recognition is concerned with the goal of interpreting human gestures through mathematical algorithms. Gestures can originate from any bodily motion or state but commonly originate from the face or hand. Hand gesture detection in a real time environment, where the time and memory are important issues, is a critical operation. Hand gesture recognition largely depends on the accurate detection of the fingers. This paper presents a new algorithmic approach to detect and identify fingers of human hand. The proposed algorithm does not depend upon the prior knowledge of the scene. It detects the active fingers and Metacarpophalangeal (MCP) of the inactive fingers from an already detected hand. Dynamic thresholding technique and connected component labeling scheme are employed for background elimination and hand detection respectively. Algorithm proposed a new approach for finger identification in real time environment keeping the memory and time constraint as low as possible.

  4. TISSUE DOPPLER IMAGING OF LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF A FIBROUS RING OF MITRAL VALVE DURING ISOVOLUMIC PERIODS IN LEFT VENTRICULAR HYPERTROPHY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. Amarjagal

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim. To study change of rate and duration indicators of longitudinal movement of a fibrous ring of mitral valve (MFR during isovolumic contraction (IVC and relaxation (IVR in hypertensive patients with various degree of a left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH.Material and methods. 80 hypertensive patients with moderate LVH (n=40 and severe LVH (n=40 are examined. The control group was presented by 30 healthy volunteers. Transthoracic echocardiography and Tissue Doppler imaging has been performed with ultrasonic tomograph “HDI 5000” (Philips.Results. Increase in LVH (Smm and Е/Еmm associates with reduction in systolic velocity of movement of medial MFR (Smm. There is direct relation with duration of IVC-negative and IVR-positive components and myocardium mass index. Maximal velocity of IVC-positive component increases and maximal velocity of IVR-negative component decreases when LVH is growing.Conclusion. Velocities curves of IVC and IVR were bi-phase both in healthy persons and in hypertensive patients with LVH. Velocity and duration of positive and negative components of IVC and IVR depended on LVH degree.

  5. TISSUE DOPPLER IMAGING OF LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF A FIBROUS RING OF MITRAL VALVE DURING ISOVOLUMIC PERIODS IN LEFT VENTRICULAR HYPERTROPHY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. Amarjagal

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Aim. To study change of rate and duration indicators of longitudinal movement of a fibrous ring of mitral valve (MFR during isovolumic contraction (IVC and relaxation (IVR in hypertensive patients with various degree of a left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH.Material and methods. 80 hypertensive patients with moderate LVH (n=40 and severe LVH (n=40 are examined. The control group was presented by 30 healthy volunteers. Transthoracic echocardiography and Tissue Doppler imaging has been performed with ultrasonic tomograph “HDI 5000” (Philips.Results. Increase in LVH (Smm and Е/Еmm associates with reduction in systolic velocity of movement of medial MFR (Smm. There is direct relation with duration of IVC-negative and IVR-positive components and myocardium mass index. Maximal velocity of IVC-positive component increases and maximal velocity of IVR-negative component decreases when LVH is growing.Conclusion. Velocities curves of IVC and IVR were bi-phase both in healthy persons and in hypertensive patients with LVH. Velocity and duration of positive and negative components of IVC and IVR depended on LVH degree.

  6. The Zn Finger protein Iguana impacts Hedgehog signaling by promoting ciliogenesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glazer, Andrew; Wilkinson, Alex; Backer, Chelsea B.; Lapan, Sylvain; Gutzman, Jennifer H.; Cheeseman, Iain M.; Reddien, Peter W.

    2009-01-01

    Hedgehog signaling is critical for metazoan development and requires cilia for pathway activity. The gene iguana was discovered in zebrafish as required for Hedgehog signaling, and encodes a novel Zn finger protein. Planarians are flatworms with robust regenerative capacities and that utilize epidermal cilia for locomotion. RNA interference of Smed-iguana in the planarian S. mediterranea caused cilia loss and failure to regenerate new cilia, but did not cause defects similar to those observed in hedgehog(RNAi) animals. Smed-iguana gene expression was also similar in pattern to the expression of multiple other ciliogenesis genes, but was not required for expression of these ciliogenesis genes. iguana-defective zebrafish had too few motile cilia in pronephric ducts and in Kupffer's vesicle. Kupffer's vesicle promotes left-right asymmetry and iguana mutant embryos had left-right asymmetry defects. Finally, human Iguana proteins (dZIP1 and dZIP1L) localize to the basal bodies of primary cilia and, together, are required for primary cilia formation. Our results indicate that a critical and broadly conserved function for Iguana is in ciliogenesis and that this function has come to be required for Hedgehog signaling in vertebrates. PMID:19852954

  7. Multimodal biometric method that combines veins, prints, and shape of a finger

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Byung Jun; Park, Kang Ryoung; Yoo, Jang-Hee; Kim, Jeong Nyeo

    2011-01-01

    Multimodal biometrics provides high recognition accuracy and population coverage by using various biometric features. A single finger contains finger veins, fingerprints, and finger geometry features; by using multimodal biometrics, information on these multiple features can be simultaneously obtained in a short time and their fusion can outperform the use of a single feature. This paper proposes a new finger recognition method based on the score-level fusion of finger veins, fingerprints, and finger geometry features. This research is novel in the following four ways. First, the performances of the finger-vein and fingerprint recognition are improved by using a method based on a local derivative pattern. Second, the accuracy of the finger geometry recognition is greatly increased by combining a Fourier descriptor with principal component analysis. Third, a fuzzy score normalization method is introduced; its performance is better than the conventional Z-score normalization method. Fourth, finger-vein, fingerprint, and finger geometry recognitions are combined by using three support vector machines and a weighted SUM rule. Experimental results showed that the equal error rate of the proposed method was 0.254%, which was lower than those of the other methods.

  8. A PZT Actuated Triple-Finger Gripper for Multi-Target Micromanipulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tao Chen

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a triple-finger gripper driven by a piezoceramic (PZT transducer for multi-target micromanipulation. The gripper consists of three fingers assembled on adjustable pedestals with flexible hinges for a large adjustable range. Each finger has a PZT actuator, an amplifying structure, and a changeable end effector. The moving trajectories of single and double fingers were calculated and finite element analyses were performed to verify the reliability of the structures. In the gripping experiment, various end effectors of the fingers such as tungsten probes and fibers were tested, and different micro-objects such as glass hollow spheres and iron spheres with diameters ranging from 10 to 800 μm were picked and released. The output resolution is 145 nm/V, and the driven displacement range of the gripper is 43.4 μm. The PZT actuated triple-finger gripper has superior adaptability, high efficiency, and a low cost.

  9. Sequence-specific DNA binding activity of the cross-brace zinc finger motif of the piggyBac transposase

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morellet, Nelly; Li, Xianghong; Wieninger, Silke A; Taylor, Jennifer L; Bischerour, Julien; Moriau, Séverine; Lescop, Ewen; Bardiaux, Benjamin; Mathy, Nathalie; Assrir, Nadine; Bétermier, Mireille; Nilges, Michael; Hickman, Alison B; Dyda, Fred; Craig, Nancy L; Guittet, Eric

    2018-01-01

    Abstract The piggyBac transposase (PB) is distinguished by its activity and utility in genome engineering, especially in humans where it has highly promising therapeutic potential. Little is known, however, about the structure–function relationships of the different domains of PB. Here, we demonstrate in vitro and in vivo that its C-terminal Cysteine-Rich Domain (CRD) is essential for DNA breakage, joining and transposition and that it binds to specific DNA sequences in the left and right transposon ends, and to an additional unexpectedly internal site at the left end. Using NMR, we show that the CRD adopts the specific fold of the cross-brace zinc finger protein family. We determine the interaction interfaces between the CRD and its target, the 5′-TGCGT-3′/3′-ACGCA-5′ motifs found in the left, left internal and right transposon ends, and use NMR results to propose docking models for the complex, which are consistent with our site-directed mutagenesis data. Our results provide support for a model of the PB/DNA interactions in the context of the transpososome, which will be useful for the rational design of PB mutants with increased activity. PMID:29385532

  10. Development of CaSO4:Dy based ring dosemeter for extremity monitoring of radiation workers in India

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Srivastava, Kshama; Meenal, P.; Bhagat, R.V.; Singh, R.; Kolambe, D.H.; Chougaonkar, M.P.; Sapra, B.K.

    2014-01-01

    Extremity dosemeters are required to be worn in cases where the dose to extremities is expected to be significantly greater than the dose to the whole body. In India, CaSO 4 :Dy based three element personnel monitoring TLD badge worn at chest and wrist level are used for whole body and extremity monitoring, respectively. Presently no official/legal finger dosemeter is available for extremity monitoring for radiation workers in the country. To cater to the long standing requirement of finger dosimeter, a new compact three-element Extremity Ring Badge Dosemeter (ERBD) has been developed for measurement of the equivalent doses received by the extremities of radiation workers in terms of operational quantity Hp(0.07). It was aimed to meet the performance requirement of IEC/ISO standards. This paper gives the design detail and result of experimental studies of ERB dosemeter

  11. [Rare bone tumour of the hand: capillary haemangioma of the second finger: case report].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chbani, L; Benmlih, A; Hammas, N; Znati, K; Marzouki, A; Chbani, B; Boutayeb, F; Amarti, A

    2011-04-01

    Primary vascular tumours of bone are rare. Haemangiomas occur as incidental findings in the skull or in the spine. A solitary haemangioma of the hand skeleton is rare and difficult in radiological and histological differential diagnosis. We report a case of a 23 year-old patient presenting with a capillary hemangioma of the left second finger of few months duration for which he underwent amputation. Postoperative evolution was good and showed no recurrence. We discuss this through observation and a review of the literature including the different clinical, radiological and pathological diagnostic problems associated with an unusual site for vascular proliferation. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier SAS.

  12. A study of tapping by the unaffected finger of patients presenting with central and peripheral nerve damage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Lingli; Han, Xiuying; Li, Peihong; Liu, Yang; Zhu, Yulian; Zou, Jun; Yu, Zhusheng

    2015-01-01

    Whether the unaffected function of the hand of patients presenting with nerve injury is affected remains inconclusive. We aimed to evaluate whether there are differences in finger tapping following central or peripheral nerve injury compared with the unaffected hand and the ipsilateral hand of a healthy subject. Thirty right brain stroke patients with hemiplegia, 30 left arm peripheral nerve injury cases, and 60 healthy people were selected. We tested finger tapping of the right hands, and each subject performed the test twice. Finger tapping following peripheral nerve injury as compared with the unaffected hand and the dominant hand of a healthy person was markedly higher than was found for central nerve injury (P tapping of the male peripheral group's unaffected hand and the control group's dominant hand was significantly higher than the central group (P tapping of the female control group's dominant hand was significantly higher than the central group's unaffected hand (P < 0.01, P = 0.002), the peripheral group's unaffected hand (P < 0.05, P = 0.034). The unaffected function of the hand of patients with central and peripheral nerve injury was different as compared with the ipsilateral hand of healthy individuals. The rehabilitation therapist should intensify the practice of normal upper limb fine activities and coordination of the patient.

  13. Stainless steel quadralatch finger test report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deichelbohrer, P.R.

    1996-01-01

    The design of the quadralatch on the universal samplers was changed in response to flammable gas operating constraints. Additional redesign of the fingers was included to facilitate manufacturability. The new design was tested to assure satisfactory performance. It was shown that the fingers can hold a sampler in place with an upward force of at least 2200 N (500 pounds) and that the mechanical remote latch unit can release the quadralatch under this condition of maximum upward force

  14. Dermal pocketing following distal finger replantation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puhaindran, Mark E; Paavilainen, Pasi; Tan, David M K; Peng, Yeong Pin; Lim, Aymeric Y T

    2010-08-01

    Replantation is an ideal technique for reconstruction following fingertip amputation as it provides 'like for like' total reconstruction of the nail complex, bone pulp tissue and skin with no donor-site morbidity. However, fingertips are often not replanted because veins cannot be found or are thought to be too small to repair. Attempts at 'cap-plasty' or pocketing of replanted tips with and without microvascular anastomosis have been done in the past with varying degrees of success. We prospectively followed up a group of patients who underwent digital replantation and dermal pocketing in the palm to evaluate the outcome of this procedure. There were 10 patients with 14 amputated digits (two thumbs, five index, four middle, two ring and one little) who underwent dermal pocketing of the amputated digit following replantation. Among the 14 digits that were treated with dermal pocketing, 11 survived completely, one had partial atrophy and two were completely lost. Complications encountered included finger stiffness (two patients) and infection of the replanted fingertip with osteomyelitis of the distal phalanx (one patient). We believe that this technique can help increase the chance of survival for distal replantation with an acceptable salvage rate of 85% in our series. Copyright 2009 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Vortex ring behavior provides the epigenetic blueprint for the human heart.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arvidsson, Per M; Kovács, Sándor J; Töger, Johannes; Borgquist, Rasmus; Heiberg, Einar; Carlsson, Marcus; Arheden, Håkan

    2016-02-26

    The laws of fluid dynamics govern vortex ring formation and precede cardiac development by billions of years, suggesting that diastolic vortex ring formation is instrumental in defining the shape of the heart. Using novel and validated magnetic resonance imaging measurements, we show that the healthy left ventricle moves in tandem with the expanding vortex ring, indicating that cardiac form and function is epigenetically optimized to accommodate vortex ring formation for volume pumping. Healthy hearts demonstrate a strong coupling between vortex and cardiac volumes (R(2) = 0.83), but this optimized phenotype is lost in heart failure, suggesting restoration of normal vortex ring dynamics as a new, and possibly important consideration for individualized heart failure treatment. Vortex ring volume was unrelated to early rapid filling (E-wave) velocity in patients and controls. Characteristics of vortex-wall interaction provide unique physiologic and mechanistic information about cardiac diastolic function that may be applied to guide the design and implantation of prosthetic valves, and have potential clinical utility as therapeutic targets for tailored medicine or measures of cardiac health.

  16. Finger Vein Recognition Based on Local Directional Code

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Xianjing; Yang, Gongping; Yin, Yilong; Xiao, Rongyang

    2012-01-01

    Finger vein patterns are considered as one of the most promising biometric authentication methods for its security and convenience. Most of the current available finger vein recognition methods utilize features from a segmented blood vessel network. As an improperly segmented network may degrade the recognition accuracy, binary pattern based methods are proposed, such as Local Binary Pattern (LBP), Local Derivative Pattern (LDP) and Local Line Binary Pattern (LLBP). However, the rich directional information hidden in the finger vein pattern has not been fully exploited by the existing local patterns. Inspired by the Webber Local Descriptor (WLD), this paper represents a new direction based local descriptor called Local Directional Code (LDC) and applies it to finger vein recognition. In LDC, the local gradient orientation information is coded as an octonary decimal number. Experimental results show that the proposed method using LDC achieves better performance than methods using LLBP. PMID:23202194

  17. Finger Vein Recognition Based on Local Directional Code

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rongyang Xiao

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Finger vein patterns are considered as one of the most promising biometric authentication methods for its security and convenience. Most of the current available finger vein recognition methods utilize features from a segmented blood vessel network. As an improperly segmented network may degrade the recognition accuracy, binary pattern based methods are proposed, such as Local Binary Pattern (LBP, Local Derivative Pattern (LDP and Local Line Binary Pattern (LLBP. However, the rich directional information hidden in the finger vein pattern has not been fully exploited by the existing local patterns. Inspired by the Webber Local Descriptor (WLD, this paper represents a new direction based local descriptor called Local Directional Code (LDC and applies it to finger vein recognition. In LDC, the local gradient orientation information is coded as an octonary decimal number. Experimental results show that the proposed method using LDC achieves better performance than methods using LLBP.

  18. NUMERICALLY DETERMINED TRANSPORT LAWS FOR FINGERING ('THERMOHALINE') CONVECTION IN ASTROPHYSICS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Traxler, A.; Garaud, P.; Stellmach, S.

    2011-01-01

    We present the first three-dimensional simulations of fingering convection performed at parameter values approaching those relevant for astrophysics. Our simulations reveal the existence of simple asymptotic scaling laws for turbulent heat and compositional transport, which can be straightforwardly extrapolated from our numerically tractable values to the true astrophysical regime. Our investigation also indicates that thermo-compositional 'staircases', a key consequence of fingering convection in the ocean, cannot form spontaneously in the fingering regime in stellar interiors. Our proposed empirically determined transport laws thus provide simple prescriptions for mixing by fingering convection in a variety of astrophysical situations, and should, from here on, be used preferentially over older and less accurate parameterizations. They also establish that fingering convection does not provide sufficient extra-mixing to explain observed chemical abundances in red giant branch stars.

  19. Evaluation of finger millet incorporated noodles for nutritive value and glycemic index

    OpenAIRE

    Shukla, Kamini; Srivastava, Sarita

    2011-01-01

    The present study was undertaken to develop finger millet incorporated noodles for diabetic patients. Finger millet variety VL-149 was taken. The finger millet flour and refined wheat flour (RWF) were evaluated for nutrient composition. The finger millet flour (FMF) was blended in various proportions (30 to 50%) in refined wheat flour and used for the preparation of noodles. Control consisted of RWF noodles. Sensory quality and nutrient composition of finger millet noodles was evaluated. The ...

  20. Osmosis-driven viscous fingering of oil-in-water emulsions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Ying; Rallabandi, Bhargav; Baskaran, Mrudhula; Stone, Howard

    2017-11-01

    Viscous fingering occurs when a low viscosity fluid invades a more viscous fluid. Fingering of two miscible fluids is more complicated than that of immiscible fluids in that there is no sharp fluid-fluid interface and diffusion occurs between the phases. We experimentally studied the fingering of two miscible fluids: an oil-in-water emulsion and a sodium chloride solution. When the concentration of sodium chloride in the water phase in the emulsion exceeds that in the sodium chloride solution, the consequent osmotic flow automatically facilitates the occurrence of the fingering. On the contrary, when the sodium chloride solution has higher concentration, the spreading of emulsion is more uniform than the case without the concentration difference. We provide a model to rationalize and quantify these observations.

  1. Asymmetric transmission in planar chiral split-ring metamaterials: Microscopic Lorentz-theory approach

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Novitsky, Andrey; Galynsky, Vladimir M.; Zhukovsky, Sergei

    2012-01-01

    The electronic Lorentz theory is employed to explain the optical properties of planar split-ring metamaterials. Starting from the dynamics of individual free carriers, the electromagnetic response of an individual split-ring meta-atom is determined, and the effective permittivity tensor...... of the metamaterial is calculated for normal incidence of light. Whenever the split ring lacks in-plane mirror symmetry, the corresponding permittivity tensor has a crystallographic structure of an elliptically dichroic medium, and the metamaterial exhibits optical properties of planar chiral structures. Its...... transmission spectra are different for right-handed versus left-handed circular polarization of the incident wave, so the structure changes its transmittance when the direction of incidence is reversed. The magnitude of this change is shown to be related to the geometric parameters of the split ring...

  2. Finger-vein and fingerprint recognition based on a feature-level fusion method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Jinfeng; Hong, Bofeng

    2013-07-01

    Multimodal biometrics based on the finger identification is a hot topic in recent years. In this paper, a novel fingerprint-vein based biometric method is proposed to improve the reliability and accuracy of the finger recognition system. First, the second order steerable filters are used here to enhance and extract the minutiae features of the fingerprint (FP) and finger-vein (FV). Second, the texture features of fingerprint and finger-vein are extracted by a bank of Gabor filter. Third, a new triangle-region fusion method is proposed to integrate all the fingerprint and finger-vein features in feature-level. Thus, the fusion features contain both the finger texture-information and the minutiae triangular geometry structure. Finally, experimental results performed on the self-constructed finger-vein and fingerprint databases are shown that the proposed method is reliable and precise in personal identification.

  3. Spontaneous eye blinks are entrained by finger tapping.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cong, D-K; Sharikadze, M; Staude, G; Deubel, H; Wolf, W

    2010-02-01

    We studied the mutual cross-talk between spontaneous eye blinks and continuous, self-paced unimanual and bimanual tapping. Both types of motor activities were analyzed with regard to their time-structure in synchronization-continuation tapping tasks which involved different task instructions, namely "standard" finger tapping (Experiment 1), "strong" tapping (Experiment 2) requiring more forceful finger movements, and "impulse-like" tapping (Experiment 3) where upward-downward finger movements had to be very fast. In a further control condition (Experiment 4), tapping was omitted altogether. The results revealed a prominent entrainment of spontaneous blink behavior by the manual tapping, with bimanual tapping being more effective than unimanual tapping, and with the "strong" and "impulse-like" tapping showing the largest effects on blink timing. Conversely, we found no significant effects of the tapping on the timing of the eye blinks across all experiments. The findings suggest a functional overlap of the motor control structures responsible for voluntary, rhythmic finger movements and eye blinking behavior.

  4. Genome-Wide Identification and Analysis of Genes Encoding PHD-Finger Protein in Tomato

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hayat, S.; Cheng, Z.; Chen, X.

    2016-01-01

    The PHD-finger proteins are conserved in eukaryotic organisms and are involved in a variety of important functions in different biological processes in plants. However, the function of PHD fingers are poorly known in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). In current study, we identified 45 putative genes coding Phd finger protein in tomato distributed on 11 chromosomes except for chromosome 8. Some of the genes encode other conserved key domains besides Phd-finger. Phylogenetic analysis of these 45 proteins resulted in seven clusters. Most Phd finger proteins were predicted to PML body location. These PHD-finger genes displayed differential expression either in various organs, at different development stages and under stresses in tomato. Our study provides the first systematic analysis of PHD-finger genes and proteins in tomato. This preliminary study provides a very useful reference information for Phd-finger proteins in tomato. They will be helpful for cloning and functional study of tomato PHD-finger genes. (author)

  5. Acute Mesenteric Venous Thrombosis with a Vaginal Contraceptive Ring

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wesley Eilbert

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Mesenteric venous thrombosis is a rare cause of abdominal pain, which if left untreated may result in bowel infarction, peritonitis and death. The majority of patients with this illness have a recognizable, predisposing prothrombotic condition. Oral contraceptives have been identified as a predisposing factor for mesenteric venous thrombosis in reproductive-aged women. In the last fifteen years new methods of hormonal birth control have been introduced, including a transdermal patch and an intravaginal ring. In this report, we describe a case of mesenteric venous thrombosis in a young woman caused by a vaginal contraceptive ring. [West J Emerg Med. 2014;15(4:395-397.

  6. Making fingers and words count in a cognitive robot

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vivian Milagros De La Cruz

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Evidence from developmental as well as neuroscientific studies suggest that finger counting activity plays an important role in the acquisition of numerical skills in children. It has been claimed that this skill helps in building motor-based representations of number that continue to influence number processing well into adulthood, facilitating the emergence of number concepts from sensorimotor experience through a bottom-up process. The act of counting also involves the acquisition and use of a verbal number system of which number words are the basic building blocks. Using a Cognitive Developmental Robotics paradigm we present results of a modeling experiment on whether finger counting and the association of number words (or tags to fingers, could serve to bootstrap the representation of number in a cognitive robot, enabling it to perform basic numerical operations such as addition. The cognitive architecture of the robot is based on artificial neural networks, which enable the robot to learn both sensorimotor skills (finger counting and linguistic skills (using number words. The results obtained in our experiments show that learning the number words in sequence along with finger configurations helps the fast building of the initial representation of number in the robot. Number knowledge, is instead, not as efficiently developed when number words are learned out of sequence without finger counting. Furthermore, the internal representations of the finger configurations themselves, developed by the robot as a result of the experiments, sustain the execution of basic arithmetic operations, something consistent with evidence coming from developmental research with children. The model and experiments demonstrate the importance of sensorimotor skill learning in robots for the acquisition of abstract knowledge such as numbers.

  7. [A case of combined sensation disturbance and clumsiness of the left hand caused by an infarction localized to brodmann areas 1 and 2].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kutoku, Yumiko; Hagiwara, Hiroki; Ichikawa, Yaeko; Takeda, Katsuhiko; Sunada, Yoshihide

    2007-04-01

    A 70-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with a complaint of numbness and clumsiness of the left hand. On physical examination 23 days after the onset of cerebral infarction, she showed no apparent muscle weakness. Although her elementary somatosensory function was mostly intact with a minimal joint position sensation disturbance, she showed disturbances in tactile recognition, two-point discrimination, and weight perception. She also had difficulty in discrete finger movement of her left hand, especially when her eyes were closed. Brain MRI disclosed a small infarction localized to Brodmann areas 1 and 2 in the right postcentral gyrus. In the left median nerve short-latency somatosensory evoked potentials (s-SEPs), the N20 potential was normally evoked. This finding also indicated that the area 3b was preserved. The sensory symptoms observed in this patient were compatible with the hierarchical somatosensory processing model in the postcentral gyrus proposed by Iwamura et al, in which the elementary sensation recognized in area 3 is transferred to areas 1 and 2, and then processed to discriminative sensation. The disturbed discrete finger movement in this patient probably resulted from impaired tactile recognition which could be compensated for by visual information.

  8. Low Power Measurements on a Finger Drift Tube Linac

    CERN Document Server

    Schempp, A

    2004-01-01

    The efficiency of RFQs decreases at higher particle energies. The DTL structures used in this energy regions have a defocusing influence on the beam. To achieve a focusing effect, fingers with quadrupole symmetry were added to the drift tubes. Driven by the same power supply as the drift tubes, the fingers do not need an additional power source or feedthrough. Beam dynamics have been studied with PARMTEQ . Detailed analysis of the field distribution was done and the geometry of the finger array has been optimized with respect to beam dynamics. A spiral loaded cavity with finger drift tubes was built up and low power measurements were done. In this contribution, the results of the rf simulating with Microwave Studio are shown in comparison with bead pertubation measurement on a prototype cavity.

  9. Role of protein structure and the role of individual fingers in zinc finger protein-DNA recognition: a molecular dynamics simulation study and free energy calculations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamed, Mazen Y.

    2018-05-01

    Molecular dynamics and MM_GBSA energy calculations on various zinc finger proteins containing three and four fingers bound to their target DNA gave insights into the role of each finger in the DNA binding process as part of the protein structure. The wild type Zif 268 (PDB code: 1AAY) gave a ΔG value of - 76.1 (14) kcal/mol. Zinc fingers ZF1, ZF2 and ZF3 were mutated in one experiment and in another experiment one finger was cut and the rest of the protein was studied for binding. The ΔΔG values for the Zinc Finger protein with both ZF1 and ZF2 mutated was + 80 kcal/mol, while mutating only ZF1 the ΔΔG value was + 52 kcal/mol (relative to the wild type). Cutting ZF3 and studying the protein consisting only of ZF1 linked to ZF2 gave a ΔΔG value of + 68 kcal/mol. Upon cutting ZF1, the resulting ZF2 linked to ZF3 protein gave a ΔΔG value of + 41 kcal/mol. The above results shed light on the importance of each finger in the binding process, especially the role of ZF1 as the anchoring finger followed in importance by ZF2 and ZF3. The energy difference between the binding of the wild type protein Zif268 (1AAY) and that for individual finger binding to DNA according to the formula: ΔΔGlinkers, otherstructuralfactors = ΔGzif268 - (ΔGF1+F2+F3) gave a value = - 44.5 kcal/mol. This stabilization can be attributed to the contribution of linkers and other structural factors in the intact protein in the DNA binding process. DNA binding energies of variant proteins of the wild type Zif268 which differ in their ZF1 amino acid sequence gave evidence of a good relationship between binding energy and recognition and specificity, this finding confirms the reported vital role of ZF1 in the ZF protein scanning and anchoring to the target DNA sequence. The role of hydrogen bonds in both specific and nonspecific amino acid-DNA contacts is discussed in relation to mutations. The binding energies of variant Zinc Finger proteins confirmed the role of ZF1 in the recognition

  10. On the relationship between finger width, velocity, and fluxes in thermohaline convection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sreenivas, K. R.; Singh, O. P.; Srinivasan, J.

    2009-02-01

    Double-diffusive finger convection occurs in many natural processes. The theories for double-diffusive phenomena that exist at present consider systems with linear stratification in temperature and salinity. The double-diffusive systems with step change in salinity and temperature are, however, not amenable to simple stability analysis. Hence factors that control the width of the finger, velocity, and fluxes in systems that have step change in temperature and salinity have not been understood so far. In this paper we provide new physical insight regarding factors that influence finger convection in two-layer double-diffusive system through two-dimensional numerical simulations. Simulations have been carried out for density stability ratios (Rρ) from 1.5 to 10. For each density stability ratio, the thermal Rayleigh number (RaT) has been systematically varied from 7×103 to 7×108. Results from these simulations show how finger width, velocity, and flux ratios in finger convection are interrelated and the influence of governing parameters such as density stability ratio and the thermal Rayleigh number. The width of the incipient fingers at the time of onset of instability has been shown to vary as RaT-1/3. Velocity in the finger varies as RaT1/3/Rρ. Results from simulation agree with the scale analysis presented in the paper. Our results demonstrate that wide fingers have lower velocities and flux ratios compared to those in narrow fingers. This result contradicts present notions about the relation between finger width and flux ratio. A counterflow heat-exchanger analogy is used in understanding the dependence of flux ratio on finger width and velocity.

  11. The Incidence of Finger Ridge Counts among the Christian ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    user

    higher among the males than females, with sex difference significant ,they were compared with ... Finger prints were taken by a USB finger print reader (Biometric Scanner).According .... "Digital dermatoglyphics of three caste groups of Mysore.

  12. Experience of Percutaneous Trigger Finger Release under Local ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Trigger finger is a common disorder of upper extremity. Majority of the patients can be treated conservatively but some resistant cases eventually need surgery. Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the results of percutaneous trigger finger release under local anesthesia. Subjects and Methods: This is a ...

  13. Comparative Performance Analysis of G-RAKE Receivers with Suboptimal Finger Placement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. B. Baltzis

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Generalized RAKE (G-RAKE reception reduces the total amount of interference and provides enhanced diversity by comprising extra fingers to collect information about interference and further using channel and impairment correlation estimates for fingers allocation. However, the hardware complexity and the excessive computational requirements of GRAKE receivers may restrict their application in real systems; thus, suboptimal solutions are commonly used. In this paper, we propose and evaluate three maximum likelihood G-RAKE structures for colored noise with suboptimal finger placement. In all implementations, the fingers are optimally distributed within a time window that spans from several chip periods before the first arriving multipath to several chip periods after the latest one. The first receiver has its fingers at integer multiples of the chip period while in the rest two structures the search window is segmented in halves and tenths of the chip duration. This work also extends earlier studies by thoroughly investigating the impact of fractionally spaced finger placement on system performance. Our analysis shows that a suboptimal finger allocation reduces hardware complexity with negligible performance loss. The impact of channel delay spread and processing gain on system performance is also investigated and gives interesting results.

  14. The genetic map of finger millet, Eleusine coracana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dida, Mathews M; Srinivasachary; Ramakrishnan, Sujatha; Bennetzen, Jeffrey L; Gale, Mike D; Devos, Katrien M

    2007-01-01

    Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), expressed-sequenced tag (EST), and simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were used to generate a genetic map of the tetraploid finger millet (Eleusine coracana subsp. coracana) genome (2n = 4x = 36). Because levels of variation in finger millet are low, the map was generated in an inter-subspecific F(2) population from a cross between E. coracana subsp. coracana cv. Okhale-1 and its wild progenitor E. coracana subsp. africana acc. MD-20. Duplicated loci were used to identify homoeologous groups. Assignment of linkage groups to the A and B genome was done by comparing the hybridization patterns of probes in Okhale-1, MD-20, and Eleusine indica acc. MD-36. E. indica is the A genome donor to E. coracana. The maps span 721 cM on the A genome and 787 cM on the B genome and cover all 18 finger millet chromosomes, at least partially. To facilitate the use of marker-assisted selection in finger millet, a first set of 82 SSR markers was developed. The SSRs were identified in small-insert genomic libraries generated using methylation-sensitive restriction enzymes. Thirty-one of the SSRs were mapped. Application of the maps and markers in hybridization-based breeding programs will expedite the improvement of finger millet.

  15. Kinematic design of a finger abduction mechanism for an anthropomorphic robotic hand

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L.-A. A. Demers

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the kinematic design of an abduction mechanism for the fingers of an underactuated anthropomorphic robotic hand. This mechanism will enhance the range of feasible grasps of the underactuated hand without significantly increasing its complexity. The analysis of the link between the index finger and the third finger is first assessed, where the parameters are studied in order to follow the amplitude constraint and to minimize the coordination error. Then, the study of the mechanism joining the third finger and the little finger is summarized. Finally, a prototype of the finger's abduction system is presented.

    This paper was presented at the IFToMM/ASME International Workshop on Underactuated Grasping (UG2010, 19 August 2010, Montréal, Canada.

  16. Generation of dense plume fingers in saturated-unsaturated homogeneous porous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cremer, Clemens J. M.; Graf, Thomas

    2015-02-01

    Flow under variable-density conditions is widespread, occurring in geothermal reservoirs, at waste disposal sites or due to saltwater intrusion. The migration of dense plumes typically results in the formation of vertical plume fingers which are known to be triggered by material heterogeneity or by variations in source concentration that causes the density variation. Using a numerical groundwater model, six perturbation methods are tested under saturated and unsaturated flow conditions to mimic heterogeneity and concentration variations on the pore scale in order to realistically generate dense fingers. A laboratory-scale sand tank experiment is numerically simulated, and the perturbation methods are evaluated by comparing plume fingers obtained from the laboratory experiment with numerically simulated fingers. Dense plume fingering for saturated flow can best be reproduced with a spatially random, time-constant perturbation of the solute source. For unsaturated flow, a spatially and temporally random noise of solute concentration or a random conductivity field adequately simulate plume fingering.

  17. Radiation safety education reduces the incidence of adult fingers on neonatal chest radiographs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sahota, N; Burbridge, B E; Duncan, M D

    2014-01-01

    A previous audit revealed a high frequency of adult fingers visualised on neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) chest radiographs—representing an example of inappropriate occupational radiation exposure. Radiation safety education was provided to staff and we hypothesised that the education would reduce the frequency of adult fingers visualised on NICU chest radiographs. Two cross-sectional samples taken before and after the administration of the education were compared. We examined fingers visualised directly in the beam, fingers in the direct beam but eliminated by technologists editing the image, and fingers under the cones of the portable x-ray machine. There was a 46.2% reduction in fingers directly in the beam, 50.0% reduction in fingers directly in the beam but cropped out, and 68.4% reduction in fingers in the coned area. There was a 57.1% overall reduction in adult fingers visualised, which was statistically significant (Z value − 7.48, P < 0.0001). This study supports radiation safety education in minimising inappropriate occupational radiation exposure. (paper)

  18. X-Ray Exam: Finger

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Staying Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español X-Ray Exam: Finger KidsHealth / For Parents / X-Ray Exam: ... Muscles, and Joints Broken Bones Getting an X-ray (Video) X-Ray (Video) View more Partner Message About Us ...

  19. Intensity Variation Normalization for Finger Vein Recognition Using Guided Filter Based Singe Scale Retinex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Shan Juan; Lu, Yu; Yoon, Sook; Yang, Jucheng; Park, Dong Sun

    2015-07-14

    Finger vein recognition has been considered one of the most promising biometrics for personal authentication. However, the capacities and percentages of finger tissues (e.g., bone, muscle, ligament, water, fat, etc.) vary person by person. This usually causes poor quality of finger vein images, therefore degrading the performance of finger vein recognition systems (FVRSs). In this paper, the intrinsic factors of finger tissue causing poor quality of finger vein images are analyzed, and an intensity variation (IV) normalization method using guided filter based single scale retinex (GFSSR) is proposed for finger vein image enhancement. The experimental results on two public datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in enhancing the image quality and finger vein recognition accuracy.

  20. Evaluation of finger millet incorporated noodles for nutritive value and glycemic index.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shukla, Kamini; Srivastava, Sarita

    2014-03-01

    The present study was undertaken to develop finger millet incorporated noodles for diabetic patients. Finger millet variety VL-149 was taken. The finger millet flour and refined wheat flour (RWF) were evaluated for nutrient composition. The finger millet flour (FMF) was blended in various proportions (30 to 50%) in refined wheat flour and used for the preparation of noodles. Control consisted of RWF noodles. Sensory quality and nutrient composition of finger millet noodles was evaluated. The 30% finger millet incorporated noodles were selected best on the basis of sensory evaluation. Noodles in that proportion along with control were evaluated for glycemic response. Nutrient composition of noodles showed that 50% finger millet incorporated noodles contained highest amount of crude fat (1.15%), total ash (1.40%), crude fiber (1.28%), carbohydrate (78.54%), physiological energy (351.36 kcal), insoluble dietary fiber (5.45%), soluble dietary fiber (3.71%), iron (5.58%) and calcium (88.39%), respectively. However, control RWF noodles contained highest amount of starch (63.02%), amylose (8.72%) and amylopectin (54.29%). The glycemic index (GI) of 30% finger millet incorporated noodles (best selected by sensory evaluation) was observed significantly lower (45.13) than control noodles (62.59). It was found that finger millet flour incorporated noodles were found nutritious and showed hypoglycemic effect.

  1. Nailfold Capillaroscopy of Fingers and Toes - Variations of Normal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lambova, Sevdalina Nikolova; Muller-Ladner, Ulf

    2018-04-20

    Nailfold capillaroscopy is the only method for morphological assessment of nutritive capillaries. The literature data about capillaroscopic findings in healthy individuals are scarce. To evaluate and compare the capillaroscopic findings of fingers and toes in healthy subjects. 22 healthy individuals were included in the study. Capillaroscopic examination was performed with videocapillaroscope Videocap 3.0 (DS Medica). Exclusion criteria were as follows: history of vasospasm, presence of accompanying diseases, taking any medications, arterial hypertension in first degree relatives, overweight or obesity (body mass index > 25kg/m2) and presence of chronic arterial or venous insufficiency. Poor visibility of nailfold capillaries was found significantly more frequently in the toes (22.7%, 5/22) as compared with fingers (0/22). Slight irregularities in capillary distribution and orientation to their parallel axis were significantly more common in the toes (31.8%, 7/22) as compared with fingers (9%, 2/22), (p10%) was found significantly more often in the toes (12/22) as compared with fingers (6/22, χ2=6.769, p<0.05). Short capillary loops (length<100µm) were observed significantly more often in the toes (11/22 - toes, 1/22 - fingers, χ2=14.666, p<0.05). Capillaroscopic examination of the toes shows some differences as compared to those of the fingers such as greater number of cases with poor visibility and slight irregularities of distribution, greater number of shorter capillaries and increased tortuosity, which might be related to the thicker epidermis of the toes and increased capillary pressure due to gravity. The values of the major capillaroscopic parameters such as capillary diameters and capillary density in fingers and toes do not differ significantly. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  2. Viscous fingering of HCI through gastric mucin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhaskar, K. Ramakrishnan; Garik, Peter; Turner, Bradley S.; Bradley, James Douglas; Bansil, Rama; Stanley, H. Eugene; Lamont, J. Thomas

    1992-12-01

    THE HCI in the mammalian stomach is concentrated enough to digest the stomach itself, yet the gastric epithelium remains undamaged. One protective factor is gastric mucus, which forms a protective layer over the surface epithelium1-4 and acts as a diffusion barrier5,6 Bicarbonate ions secreted by the gastric epithelium7 are trapped in the mucus gel, establishing a gradient from pH 1-2 at the lumen to pH 6-7 at the cell surface8-10. How does HCI, secreted at the base of gastric glands by parietal cells, traverse the mucus layer without acidifying it? Here we demonstrate that injection of HCI through solutions of pig gastric mucin produces viscous fingering patterns11-18 dependent on pH, mucin concentration and acid flow rate. Above pH 4, discrete fingers are observed, whereas below pH 4, HCI neither penetrates the mucin solution nor forms fingers. Our in vitro results suggest that HCI secreted by the gastric gland can penetrate the mucus gel layer (pH 5-7) through narrow fingers, whereas HC1 in the lumen (pH 2) is prevented from diffusing back to the epithelium by the high viscosity of gastric mucus gel on the luminal side.

  3. The biometric recognition on contactless multi-spectrum finger images

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Wenxiong; Chen, Xiaopeng; Wu, Qiuxia

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents a novel multimodal biometric system based on contactless multi-spectrum finger images, which aims to deal with the limitations of unimodal biometrics. The chief merits of the system are the richness of the permissible texture and the ease of data access. We constructed a multi-spectrum instrument to simultaneously acquire three different types of biometrics from a finger: contactless fingerprint, finger vein, and knuckleprint. On the basis of the samples with these characteristics, a moderate database was built for the evaluation of our system. Considering the real-time requirements and the respective characteristics of the three biometrics, the block local binary patterns algorithm was used to extract features and match for the fingerprints and finger veins, while the Oriented FAST and Rotated BRIEF algorithm was applied for knuckleprints. Finally, score-level fusion was performed on the matching results from the aforementioned three types of biometrics. The experiments showed that our proposed multimodal biometric recognition system achieves an equal error rate of 0.109%, which is 88.9%, 94.6%, and 89.7% lower than the individual fingerprint, knuckleprint, and finger vein recognitions, respectively. Nevertheless, our proposed system also satisfies the real-time requirements of the applications.

  4. Manipulation of viscous fingering in a radially tapered cell geometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bongrand, Grégoire; Tsai, Peichun Amy

    2018-06-01

    When a more mobile fluid displaces another immiscible one in a porous medium, viscous fingering propagates with a partial sweep, which hinders oil recovery and soil remedy. We experimentally investigate the feasibility of tuning such fingering propagation in a nonuniform narrow passage with a radial injection, which is widely used in various applications. We show that a radially converging cell can suppress the common viscous fingering observed in a uniform passage, and a full sweep of the displaced fluid is then achieved. The injection flow rate Q can be further exploited to manipulate the viscous fingering instability. For a fixed gap gradient α , our experimental results show a full sweep at a small Q but partial displacement with fingering at a sufficient Q . Finally, by varying α , we identify and characterize the variation of the critical threshold between stable and unstable displacements. Our experimental results reveal good agreement with theoretical predictions by a linear stability analysis.

  5. Analysis and optimal design of an underactuated finger mechanism for LARM hand

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yao, Shuangji; Ceccarelli, Marco; Carbone, Giuseppe; Zhan, Qiang; Lu, Zhen

    2011-09-01

    This paper aims to present general design considerations and optimality criteria for underactuated mechanisms in finger designs. Design issues related to grasping task of robotic fingers are discussed. Performance characteristics are outlined as referring to several aspects of finger mechanisms. Optimality criteria of the finger performances are formulated after careful analysis. A general design algorithm is summarized and formulated as a suitable multi-objective optimization problem. A numerical case of an underactuated robot finger design for Laboratory of Robotics and Mechatronics (LARM) hand is illustrated with the aim to show the practical feasibility of the proposed concepts and computations.

  6. An estimation of finger-tapping rates and load capacities and the effects of various factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ekşioğlu, Mahmut; İşeri, Ali

    2015-06-01

    The aim of this study was to estimate the finger-tapping rates and finger load capacities of eight fingers (excluding thumbs) for a healthy adult population and investigate the effects of various factors on tapping rate. Finger-tapping rate, the total number of finger taps per unit of time, can be used as a design parameter of various products and also as a psychomotor test for evaluating patients with neurologic problems. A 1-min tapping task was performed by 148 participants with maximum volitional tempo for each of eight fingers. For each of the tapping tasks, the participant with the corresponding finger tapped the associated key in the standard position on the home row of a conventional keyboard for touch typing. The index and middle fingers were the fastest fingers for both hands, and little fingers the slowest. All dominant-hand fingers, except little finger, had higher tapping rates than the fastest finger of the nondominant hand. Tapping rate decreased with age and smokers tapped faster than nonsmokers. Tapping duration and exercise had also significant effect on tapping rate. Normative data of tapping rates and load capacities of eight fingers were estimated for the adult population. In designs of psychomotor tests that require the use of tapping rate or finger load capacity data, the effects of finger, age, smoking, and tapping duration need to be taken into account. The findings can be used for ergonomic designs requiring finger-tapping capacity and also as a reference in psychomotor tests. © 2015, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

  7. Fingerprints as an Alternative Method to Determine ABO and Rh Blood Groups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaudhary, Sonam; Deuja, Sajana; Alam, Munna; Karmacharya, Poonam; Mondal, Monami

    2017-01-01

    Blood grouping is conventionally done with invasive method by taking blood samples. The objective of this study is to determine blood group with uninvasive procedure by taking fingerprints of the participants and know the associations between their fingerprints and blood groups. Seven hundred participants of both genders with no any age limitation from Manipal Teaching Hospital and Manipal College of Medical Sciences were randomly selected. The blood grouping was done by cross reacting blood sample with the antibodies. The fingerprints were taken with the help of stamp pad imprinting the finger ridges over A4 size white papers. The loop, whorl and arch patterns were studied. O+ve blood group 224 (32%) was most prevalent among 700 participants. The loop pattern was highly distributed 3708 (53%) in all blood groups except in A-ve blood group with highest distribution of whorl 20 (40%). The mean comparisons of specific fingerprint in total and also in individual fingers with different ABO and ABO-Rh blood groups showed no any statistical association with P>0.05. However, the loop distribution in individual finger was highest in right middle finger (M) of B-ve blood group 5 (10%). The whorl distribution in individual finger was highest in right index (I), left thumb (T) and left ring (R) fingers of AB+ve blood group 20 (5.5% each). Similarly, the arch distribution was highest in right index fingers of A-ve blood group 3 (6%). The mean comparison of different fingerprints with ABO and Rh blood groups showed no significant statistical association concluding fingerprints cannot be used for blood grouping.

  8. Association between finger tapping, attention, memory, and cognitive diagnosis in elderly patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rabinowitz, Israel; Lavner, Yizhar

    2014-08-01

    This study examined the association between spontaneous finger tapping and cognitive function, with a detailed analysis of the two main phases of finger tapping, the touch-phase and the off-phase. 170 elderly patients (83 men, 87 women; M age = 82.1 yr., SD = 6.2) underwent cognitive assessment including the Mini-Mental State Examination, a forward digit span test, and 15 sec. of finger tapping. Results indicated a significant increase in the length and variability of the finger-touch phase among participants with mild cognitive impairment or dementia compared to participants with no cognitive impairment, suggesting a relationship between finger tapping and attention, short-term memory, and cognitive diagnosis. Pattern classification analyses on the finger tapping parameters indicated a specificity of 0.91 and sensitivity of 0.52 for ruling out cognitive impairment.

  9. Trigger Finger (Stenosing Tenosynovitis)

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... All Topics A-Z Videos Infographics Symptom Picker Anatomy Bones Joints Muscles Nerves Vessels Tendons About Hand Surgery What is a Hand Surgeon? What is a Hand Therapist? Media Find a Hand Surgeon Home Anatomy Trigger Finger Email to a friend * required fields ...

  10. MRI and Neuropsychological Correlates in African Americans with Hypertension and left vEntricular Hypertrophy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waldron-Perrine, B; Kisser, J E; Brody, A; Haacke, E M; Dawood, R; Millis, S; Levy, P

    2018-04-17

    African Americans (AA) are at high risk for hypertension (HTN) and poor blood pressure (BP) control. Persistently elevated BP contributes to cardiovascular morbidity. White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are a definable magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) marker of cerebrovascular injury linked to impairments in higher level thinking (i.e., executive functions), memory formation and speed of perceptual-motor processing. This sub-investigation evaluated neuropsychological functioning in association with WMH on brain MRIs in 23 otherwise healthy hypertensive AAs participating in an NIH-funded study of the effects of Vitamin D on BP and cardiac remodeling in AA patients 30-74 years of age with HTN and left ventricular hypertrophy. Neuropsychological assessment included psychomotor processing speed [(Symbol Digit Modality Test (SDMT) and Trail Making Test], executive functioning (Controlled Oral Word Association Test and Trail Making Test Part B), memory (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test), and fine motor functioning (Finger Tapping). Significant correlations (p< .05) were found between volume of periventricular lesions and Trails A (r = .51) and dominant hand finger tapping speed (r = -.69) and between subcortical lesion volume and Trails A (r = .60), both dominant (r = -.62) and non-dominant hand finger tapping speed (r = -.76) and oral SDMT (r = -.60); higher lesion volumes correlated to worse neuropsychological performance. Psychomotor tests including the Trail Making Test and finger tapping speed are sensitive indicators of subclinical deficits in mental processing speed and could serve as early markers of deep subcortical cerebrovascular injury in otherwise-healthy individuals with uncontrolled chronic HTN.

  11. Intensity Variation Normalization for Finger Vein Recognition Using Guided Filter Based Singe Scale Retinex

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shan Juan Xie

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Finger vein recognition has been considered one of the most promising biometrics for personal authentication. However, the capacities and percentages of finger tissues (e.g., bone, muscle, ligament, water, fat, etc. vary person by person. This usually causes poor quality of finger vein images, therefore degrading the performance of finger vein recognition systems (FVRSs. In this paper, the intrinsic factors of finger tissue causing poor quality of finger vein images are analyzed, and an intensity variation (IV normalization method using guided filter based single scale retinex (GFSSR is proposed for finger vein image enhancement. The experimental results on two public datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in enhancing the image quality and finger vein recognition accuracy.

  12. Computer simulation of viscous fingering in a lifting Hele-Shaw cell

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    We simulate viscous fingering generated by separating two plates with a constant force, in a lifting Hele-Shaw cell. Variation in the patterns for different fluid viscosity and lifting force is studied. Viscous fingering is strongly affected by anisotropy. We report a computer simulation study of fingering patterns, where circular or ...

  13. Fish-eye view from the water tower towards the ISR ring

    CERN Multimedia

    1977-01-01

    Among others, on the right the big hall at I-1. At the bottom one sees at left the access to I-4, and, on the corner, the I-4 control rooms. At the top of the ring stand the barracks serving as control rooms of different experiments.

  14. Finger crease pattern recognition using Legendre moments and principal component analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Rongfang; Lin, Tusheng

    2007-03-01

    The finger joint lines defined as finger creases and its distribution can identify a person. In this paper, we propose a new finger crease pattern recognition method based on Legendre moments and principal component analysis (PCA). After obtaining the region of interest (ROI) for each finger image in the pre-processing stage, Legendre moments under Radon transform are applied to construct a moment feature matrix from the ROI, which greatly decreases the dimensionality of ROI and can represent principal components of the finger creases quite well. Then, an approach to finger crease pattern recognition is designed based on Karhunen-Loeve (K-L) transform. The method applies PCA to a moment feature matrix rather than the original image matrix to achieve the feature vector. The proposed method has been tested on a database of 824 images from 103 individuals using the nearest neighbor classifier. The accuracy up to 98.584% has been obtained when using 4 samples per class for training. The experimental results demonstrate that our proposed approach is feasible and effective in biometrics.

  15. Viscous fingering effects in solvent displacement of heavy oil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cuthiell, D. [Suncor Energy, Fort McMurray, AB (Canada); Kissel, G.; Jackson, C.; Frauenfeld, T.W.J.; Fisher, D. [Alberta Research Council, Devon, AB (Canada); Rispler, K. [Saskatchewan Research Council, Saskatoon, SK (Canada)

    2004-07-01

    Vapour Extraction (VAPEX) is a solvent-based process that is analogous to steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) for the recovery of heavy oil. A cyclic solvent process is preferred for thin reservoirs, particularly primary-depleted reservoirs. In a cyclic steam stimulation process, a solvent is injected into the reservoir for a period of time before oil is produced from the well. Viscous fingering is a phenomena that characterizes several solvent-based processes for the recovery of heavy oil. A combined experimental and simulation study was conducted to characterize viscous fingering under heavy oil recovery conditions (high ratio of oil to solvent viscosity). Four experiments were conducted in heavy oil-saturated sand packs. Three involved injection of a miscible, liquid solvent at the bottom of the sand pack. The heavy oil in these experiments was displaced upwardly. The fourth experiment involved top-down injection of a gaseous solvent. The miscible liquid displacement was dominated by one solvent finger which broke through to a producing well at the other end of the sand pack. Breakthrough times were similar to that at lower viscosity. The fourth experiment showed fingering along with features of a gravity-driven VAPEX process. Key features of the experiment and realistic fingering patterns were numerically simulated using a commercial reservoir simulator. It was emphasized that accurate modelling of dispersion is necessary in matching the observed phenomena. The simulations should include the capillary effects because of their significance for gaseous fingering and the VAPEX processes. 17 refs., 2 tabs., 20 figs.

  16. Magnetic resonance imaging and radiographic findings of seal finger

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marjelund, S.; Tikkakoski, T.; Isokangas, M.; Raeisaenen, S.

    2006-01-01

    Purpose: To describe the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and radiographic findings of five patients with seal finger. Material and Methods: The MR images and radiographs of five patients with seal finger were retrospectively evaluated. MRI was performed on four patients in the subacute phase, and follow-up imaging was done on one of them at 5 months. One patient had MRI only at a later stage 5 years after onset. Radiographs were taken three times in the subacute phase and once at a later stage. One patient had had seal finger in another finger previously. Results: Short-tau inversion-recovery (STIR) sequence showed extensive subcutaneous soft tissue edema in all four patients in the subacute phase and tenosynovitis of the flexion tendons in two cases. Three patients had edema in 2-3 phalanges, and effusion in the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint was seen in one case. At the later stage, no signal pathology in soft tissues or bones was seen in STIR images. In the subacute phase, radiographs showed digital soft-tissue swelling in three patients, and one patient had a narrowed DIP joint, periarticular osteoporosis, and a periosteal reaction. At the later stage, flexion contracture of the finger was seen. Conclusion: In addition to soft-tissue infection, seal finger causes bone marrow edema, tenosynovitis, and effusion in the interphalangeal joints visible as increased signal intensity in STIR images. Radiographs reveal periarticular osteoporosis with loss of cartilage in the subacute phase and flexion contracture at the later stage. MRI (STIR) allows more precise delineation of the inflammatory process compared to radiography

  17. Magnetic resonance imaging and radiographic findings of seal finger

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marjelund, S.; Tikkakoski, T.; Isokangas, M.; Raeisaenen, S. [Oulu Univ. Hospital (Finland). Dept. of Radiology

    2006-12-15

    Purpose: To describe the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and radiographic findings of five patients with seal finger. Material and Methods: The MR images and radiographs of five patients with seal finger were retrospectively evaluated. MRI was performed on four patients in the subacute phase, and follow-up imaging was done on one of them at 5 months. One patient had MRI only at a later stage 5 years after onset. Radiographs were taken three times in the subacute phase and once at a later stage. One patient had had seal finger in another finger previously. Results: Short-tau inversion-recovery (STIR) sequence showed extensive subcutaneous soft tissue edema in all four patients in the subacute phase and tenosynovitis of the flexion tendons in two cases. Three patients had edema in 2-3 phalanges, and effusion in the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint was seen in one case. At the later stage, no signal pathology in soft tissues or bones was seen in STIR images. In the subacute phase, radiographs showed digital soft-tissue swelling in three patients, and one patient had a narrowed DIP joint, periarticular osteoporosis, and a periosteal reaction. At the later stage, flexion contracture of the finger was seen. Conclusion: In addition to soft-tissue infection, seal finger causes bone marrow edema, tenosynovitis, and effusion in the interphalangeal joints visible as increased signal intensity in STIR images. Radiographs reveal periarticular osteoporosis with loss of cartilage in the subacute phase and flexion contracture at the later stage. MRI (STIR) allows more precise delineation of the inflammatory process compared to radiography.

  18. Reconstruction of fingers after electrical injury using lateral tarsal artery flap

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhang MH

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Minghua Zhang, Mitao Huang, Pihong Zhang, Pengfei Liang, Licheng Ren, Jizhang Zeng, Jie Zhou, Xiong Liu, Tinghong Xie, Xiaoyuan Huang Department of Burns Reconstruction Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China Objective: Electrical injuries to the fingers account for the majority of total severe burns that occur each year. While several types of flaps have been used in covering finger defects, all have limitations or disadvantages. The purpose of this study was to introduce our clinical experiences of using the lateral tarsal artery (LTA flap to successfully restore fingers after electrical injury.Patients and methods: From 2005 to 2012, 10 patients with 14 severe electrical burns to their fingers, including six thumbs and four index and four middle fingers, were treated with LTA flap. The wound size ranged from 2.0×3.0 cm to 3.5×5.0 cm. The flap with free tendon graft was used to repair the tendon defect in four cases, free nerve graft was used to repair the feeling defect in two cases, and the flap with nerve was used to repair the feeling defect in two cases. All the patients were followed up for 3 months to 2 years.Results: All skin flaps adhered successfully and there were no complications. All patients were satisfied with the esthetic appearance and functional outcome of the finger reconstruction.Conclusion: LTA flap is a reliable method to restore fingers after severe electrical injuries. Keywords: electrical injuries to fingers, lateral tarsal artery flap

  19. A three-fingered, touch-sensitive, metrological micro-robotic assembly tool

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Torralba, Marta; Hastings, D J; Thousand, Jeffery D; Nowakowski, Bartosz K; Smith, Stuart T

    2015-01-01

    This article describes a metrological, robotic hand to manipulate and measure micrometer size objects. The presented work demonstrates not only assembly operations, but also positioning control and metrology capability. Sample motion is achieved by a commercial positioning stage, which provides XYZ-displacements for assembly of components. A designed and manufactured gripper tool that incorporates 21 degrees-of-freedom for independent alignment of actuators, sensors, and the three fingers of this hand is presented. These fingers can be opened and closed by piezoelectric actuators through levered flexures providing an 80 μm displacement range measured with calibrated opto-interrupter based, knife-edge sensors. The operational ends of the fingers comprise of a quartz tuning fork with a 7 μm diameter 3.2 mm long carbon fiber extending from the end of one tuning fork tine. Finger-tip force-sensing is achieved by the monitoring of individual finger resonances typically at around 32 kHz. Experimental results included are focused on probe performance analysis. Pick and place operation using the three fingers is demonstrated with all fingers being continuously oscillated, a capability not possible with the previous single or two finger tweezer type designs. By monitoring electrical feedback during pick and place operations, changes in the response of the three probes demonstrate the ability to identify both grab and release operations. Component metrology has been assessed by contacting different micro-spheres of diameters 50(±7.5) μm, 135(±20) μm, and 140(±20) μm. These were measured by the micro robot to have diameters of 67, 133, and 126 μm respectively with corresponding deviations of 4.2, 4.9, and 4.3 μm. This deviation in the measured results was primarily due to the manual, joystick-based, contacting of the fingers, difficulties associated with centering the components to the axis of the hand, and lower contact sensitivity for the smallest sphere

  20. Fingering in a channel and tripolar Loewner evolutions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Durán, Miguel A.; Vasconcelos, Giovani L.

    2011-11-01

    A class of Laplacian growth models in the channel geometry is studied using the formalism of tripolar Loewner evolutions, in which three points, namely, the channel corners and the point at infinity, are kept fixed. Initially, the problem of fingered growth, where growth takes place only at the tips of slitlike fingers, is revisited and a class of exact solutions of the corresponding Loewner equation is presented for the case of stationary driving functions. A model for interface growth is then formulated in terms of a generalized tripolar Loewner equation and several examples are presented. It is shown that the growing interface evolves into a steadily moving finger and that tip competition arises for nonsymmetric initial configurations with multiple tips.

  1. Dynamic performance of a C/C composite finger seal in a tilting mode

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hailin ZHAO

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available The complex operating state of aeroengines has an impact on the performance of finger seals. However, little work has been focused on the issue and the dynamic performance of finger seals is also rarely studied. Therefore, a distributed mass equivalent model considering working conditions is proposed in this paper for solving the existing problems. The effects of the fiber bundle density and the preparation direction of the fiber bundle of a C/C composite on the dynamic performance of a finger seal are investigated in rotor tilt based on the proposed model. The difference between the C/C composite finger seal performances under the rotor precession and nutation tilt cases is also investigated. The results show that the fiber bundle density and the preparation direction of the fiber bundle have an influence on the dynamic performance of the finger seal as rotor tilt is considered, and the dynamic performance of the finger seal is different in the two kinds of tilting modes. In addition, a novel method for design of finger seals is presented based on the contact pressure between finger boots and the rotor. Finger seals with good leakage rates and low wear can be acquired in this method.

  2. Evaluation of electron beam irradiation for disinfection of turmeric fingers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yasumoto, Kyoden; Fujino, Masayuki; Supriyadi (Kyoto Univ., Uji (Japan). Research Inst. for Food Science); Suzuki, Tetsuya; Hayashi, Toru

    1991-08-01

    Turmeric finger as one of the most popular spices has been widely used for food manufacturing. However, it has also been a major cause of bacterial infestation of food materials especially in curry, ham and sausage manufacturing. In this study decontamination of bacteria in turmeric finger by electron beam irradiation was evaluated by comparing with several other decontamination methods: i.e., boiling, microwave irradiation, treatment by twin screw extruder and gamma-ray irradiation. By estimation of colony counting on nutrient agar plate, turmeric finger without any treatment gave total viable cell at 10{sup 8}/g. Turmeric finger which was irradiated by electron beam at 10 kGy dose dramatically reduced thermotolerant cell population below self restriction level (<1000/g), which has been required by food hygiene law. The same level of sterilization effect was obtained only by gamma-ray irradiation at 10 kGy and 20 kGy. On the other hand, although treatment through twin screw extruder slightly reduced bacterial numbers, neither boiling nor microwave irradiation gave sufficient decontamination effect on turmeric fingers. (author).

  3. Evaluation of electron beam irradiation for disinfection of turmeric fingers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yasumoto, Kyoden; Fujino, Masayuki; Supriyadi; Suzuki, Tetsuya; Hayashi, Toru.

    1991-01-01

    Turmeric finger as one of the most popular spices has been widely used for food manufacturing. However, it has also been a major cause of bacterial infestation of food materials especially in curry, ham and sausage manufacturing. In this study decontamination of bacteria in turmeric finger by electron beam irradiation was evaluated by comparing with several other decontamination methods: i.e., boiling, microwave irradiation, treatment by twin screw extruder and gamma-ray irradiation. By estimation of colony counting on nutrient agar plate, turmeric finger without any treatment gave total viable cell at 10 8 /g. Turmeric finger which was irradiated by electron beam at 10 kGy dose dramatically reduced thermotolerant cell population below self restriction level (<1000/g), which has been required by food hygiene law. The same level of sterilization effect was obtained only by gamma-ray irradiation at 10 kGy and 20 kGy. On the other hand, although treatment through twin screw extruder slightly reduced bacterial numbers, neither boiling nor microwave irradiation gave sufficient decontamination effect on turmeric fingers. (author)

  4. A Method for Recognizing State of Finger Flexure and Extension

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terado, Toshihiko; Fujiwara, Osamu

    In our country, the handicapped and the elderly people in bed increase rapidly. In the bedridden person’s daily life, there may be limitations in the physical movement and the means of mutual communication. For the support of their comfortable daily lives, therefore, the development of human interface equipment becomes an important task. The equipment of this kind is being already developed by means of laser beam, eye-tracking, breathing motion and myo-electric signals, while the attachment and handling are normally not so easy. In this study, paying attention to finger motion, we have developed human interface equipment easily attached to the body, which enables one to measure the finger flexure and extension for mutual communication. The state of finger flexure and extension is identified by a threshold level analysis from the 3D-locus data for the finger movement, which can be measured through the infrared rays from the LED markers attached to a glove with the previously developed prototype system. We then have confirmed from an experiment that nearly 100% recognition for the finger movement can be achieved.

  5. Evaluation of electron beam irradiation for disinfection of turmeric fingers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yasumoto, K.; Fujino, M.; Supriyadi; Suzuki, T.; Hayashi, T.

    1991-01-01

    Turmeric finger as one of the most popular spices has been widely used for food manufacturing. However, it has also been a major cause of bacterial infestation of food materials especially in curry, ham and sausage manufacturing. In this study decontamination of bacteria in turmeric finger by electron beam irradiation was evaluated by comparing with several other decontamination methods: i.e., boiling, microwave irradiation, treatment by twin screw extruder and gamma-ray irradiation. By estimation of colony counting on nutrient agar plate, turmeric finger without any treatment gave total viable cell at 10 8 /g. Turmeric finger which was irradiated by electron beam at 10kGy dose dramatically reduced thermotolerant cell population below self restriction level (<1000/g), which has been required by food hygiene law. The same level of sterilization effect was obtained only by gamma-ray irradiation at 10kGy and 20kGy. On the other hand, although treatment through twin screw extruder slightly reduced bacterial numbers, neither boiling nor microwave irradiation gave sufficient decontamination effect on turmeric fingers

  6. Hidradenocarcinoma of the finger.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nazerali, Rahim S; Tan, Cynthia; Fung, Maxwell A; Chen, Steven L; Wong, Michael S

    2013-04-01

    Hidradenocarcinoma is a rare adnexal neoplasm representing the malignant counterpart of hidradenoma derived from eccrine sweat glands. Misdiagnosis of this disease is common due to the wide variety of histological patterns and rarity of this malignancy. We report an 87-year-old man presenting with a rare case of biopsy-proven hidradenocarcinoma of the finger. There is no standard care of treatment of hidradenocarcinoma, especially of those tumors in rare locations such as the fingers, given its rarity, variable tumor behavior and histology. Although limited treatment strategies exist, detailed data including TNM, location, histologic type and grade, and patient age should be gathered for optimal treatment strategy. The literature supports a 3-fold approach to these malignancies involving margin-free resection, sentinel lymph node biopsy to evaluate possible metastasis, and long-term follow-up given high risk of recurrence. Our treatment strategy involved a 4-fold, multidisciplinary approach involving reconstruction to optimize tumor-free remission and hand function.

  7. The CTF3 team who performed the first electron beam recombination in an isochronous ring at CERN.

    CERN Multimedia

    Maximilien Brice

    2002-01-01

    Photo 0210004_1: Part of CTF3 collaboration. From left to right: T. Ekelof (Uppsala), A. Gallo (LNF), P. Royer (Lausanne), F. Tecker (CERN), L. Rinolfi (CERN), A. Ferrari (Uppsala), R. Corsini (CERN), S. Quaglia, (LNF). Photo 0210004_2: A. Ferrari (left), T. Ekelof (middle) and A. Rydberg (right), from Uppsala University, Sweden, standing where the phase monitor HR.PHM60 is installed. Photo 0210004_4: A. Gallo (LNF) standing in front of the RF deflector designed by INFN-Frascati. Photo 0210004_7: The team who designed the CTF3 complex starting from the existing LEP Pre-Injector. From left to right L. Rinolfi, A. Ferrari, F. Tecker (standing up) and R. Corsini, P. Royer (kneeling down) in front of the electron transfer line between the linac and the combiner ring. Photo 0210004_9: The CTF3 team who performed the first electron beam recombination in an isochronous ring at CERN. From left to right, L. Rinolfi, P. Royer, F. Tecker, R. Corsini standing up in front of the two RF deflectors built at CERN and working...

  8. Twin ''Fano-Snowflakes'' over the Smallest Ring of Ternions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Metod Saniga

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available Given a finite associative ring with unity, R, any free (left cyclic submodule (FCS generated by a unimodular (n + 1-tuple of elements of R represents a point of the n-dimensional projective space over R. Suppose that R also features FCSs generated by (n + 1-tuples that are not unimodular: what kind of geometry can be ascribed to such FCSs? Here, we (partially answer this question for n = 2 when R is the (unique non-commutative ring of order eight. The corresponding geometry is dubbed a ''Fano-Snowflake'' due to its diagrammatic appearance and the fact that it contains the Fano plane in its center. There exist, in fact, two such configurations – each being tied to either of the two maximal ideals of the ring – which have the Fano plane in common and can, therefore, be viewed as twins. Potential relevance of these noteworthy configurations to quantum information theory and stringy black holes is also outlined.

  9. Evaluation of the finger wrinkling test: A pilot study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Barneveld, S.; van der Palen, Jacobus Adrianus Maria; van Putten, Michel Johannes Antonius Maria

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: Tilt table testing mainly evaluates the systemic cardiovascular part of the autonomic nervous system, while it is assumed that the finger wrinkling test assesses the peripheral part of the autonomic nervous system. In this study we explored whether the finger wrinkling test could be a

  10. Finger-tapping motion analysis in cervical myelopathy by magnetic-sensor tapping device.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miwa, Toshitada; Hosono, Noboru; Mukai, Yoshihiro; Makino, Takahiro; Kandori, Akihiko; Fuji, Takeshi

    2013-08-01

    Case-control study. The purpose of this study is to determine finger motion of patients with cervical myelopathy during finger-tapping cycles. A major symptom of patients with compressive cervical myelopathy is finger clumsiness. Therefore, understanding finger motion is prerequisite in assessing the severity of myelopathy. The popular grip-and-release test evaluates only the number of motion cycles, which is insufficient to fully describe complex finger motion. Forty-three patients with cervical myelopathy and 41 healthy controls tapped their index fingers against their thumbs as rapidly as possible for 30 seconds and the motion was recorded by a magnetic-sensor coil attached to the nail surface. Output signals were stored in a computer, which automatically calculated tapping frequency, distance moved, ratio of opening/closing velocity and the SD of the tapping interval. The SD of the tapping interval was significantly greater and all other measures were significantly smaller in patients with cervical myelopathy, than in healthy controls. All indices significantly improved after surgical decompression of the cervical spine. Distance moved (Pearson correlation coefficient: r=0.590, Ptapping interval (r=-0.451; P=0.002) were significantly correlated with the Japanese Orthopedic Association score (neurological scale). The quantitative evaluation of finger paralysis was performed by this tapping device. Speed and regularity in repetitive motion of fingers were correlated with the severity of cervical myelopathy.

  11. Models of brachial to finger pulse wave distortion and pressure decrement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gizdulich, P; Prentza, A; Wesseling, K H

    1997-03-01

    To model the pulse wave distortion and pressure decrement occurring between brachial and finger arteries. Distortion reversion and decrement correction were also our aims. Brachial artery pressure was recorded intra-arterially and finger pressure was recorded non-invasively by the Finapres technique in 53 adult human subjects. Mean pressure was subtracted from each pressure waveform and Fourier analysis applied to the pulsations. A distortion model was estimated for each subject and averaged over the group. The average inverse model was applied to the full finger pressure waveform. The pressure decrement was modelled by multiple regression on finger systolic and diastolic levels. Waveform distortion could be described by a general, frequency dependent model having a resonance at 7.3 Hz. The general inverse model has an anti-resonance at this frequency. It converts finger to brachial pulsations thereby reducing average waveform distortion from 9.7 (s.d. 3.2) mmHg per sample for the finger pulse to 3.7 (1.7) mmHg for the converted pulse. Systolic and diastolic level differences between finger and brachial arterial pressures changed from -4 (15) and -8 (11) to +8 (14) and +8 (12) mmHg, respectively, after inverse modelling, with pulse pressures correct on average. The pressure decrement model reduced both the mean and the standard deviation of systolic and diastolic level differences to 0 (13) and 0 (8) mmHg. Diastolic differences were thus reduced most. Brachial to finger pulse wave distortion due to wave reflection in arteries is almost identical in all subjects and can be modelled by a single resonance. The pressure decrement due to flow in arteries is greatest for high pulse pressures superimposed on low means.

  12. Finger Vein Recognition Using Optimal Partitioning Uniform Rotation Invariant LBP Descriptor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bang Chao Liu

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available As a promising biometric system, finger vein identification has been studied widely and many relevant researches have been proposed. However, it is hard to extract a satisfied finger vein pattern due to the various vein thickness, illumination, low contrast region, and noise existing. And most of the feature extraction algorithms rely on high-quality finger vein database and take a long time for a large dimensional feature vector. In this paper, we proposed two block selection methods which are based on the estimate of the amount of information in each block and the contribution of block location by looking at recognition rate of each block position to reduce feature extraction time and matching time. The specific approach is to find out some local finger vein areas with low-quality and noise, which will be useless for feature description. Local binary pattern (LBP descriptors are proposed to extract the finger vein pattern feature. Two finger vein databases are taken to test our algorithm performance. Experimental results show that proposed block selection algorithms can reduce the feature vector dimensionality in a large extent.

  13. Measurement of torsion angles of long finger bones using computed tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berthold, L.D.; Ishaque, N.; Mauermann, F.; Klose, K.J.; Boehringer, G.

    2001-01-01

    Objective: Rotational dislocation at the fracture site is a complication of long finger bone fractures of the metacarpals and phalanges. To evaluate such deformities, we performed CT of the articular surfaces of these bones to demonstrate the torsion angles. Design: We evaluated 10 pairs of cadaver hands. These were placed flat, with the bones of interest perpendicular to the gantry to acquire axial images. The torsion of the long bone axes was defined as the angle between a tangent positioned parallel to the proximal articular surface and a tangent parallel to the distal articular surface of individual bones. Results: The maximum difference between repeated measurements was 4 . Intraobserver differences measured between right and left hands are less than 3 . Conclusion: Side differences in torsion angles exceeding 3 are strongly suspicious of a malrotation after fracture. These measurements might help to plan derotational osteotomy and assess the results of therapy. (orig.)

  14. Fingering instabilities in bacterial community phototaxis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vps, Ritwika; Man Wah Chau, Rosanna; Casey Huang, Kerwyn; Gopinathan, Ajay

    Synechocystis sp PCC 6803 is a phototactic cyanobacterium that moves directionally in response to a light source. During phototaxis, these bacterial communities show emergent spatial organisation resulting in the formation of finger-like projections at the propagating front. In this study, we propose an analytical model that elucidates the underlying physical mechanisms which give rise to these spatial patterns. We describe the migrating front during phototaxis as a one-dimensional curve by considering the effects of phototactic bias, diffusion and surface tension. By considering the propagating front as composed of perturbations to a flat solution and using linear stability analysis, we predict a critical bias above which the finger-like projections appear as instabilities. We also predict the wavelengths of the fastest growing mode and the critical mode above which the instabilities disappear. We validate our predictions through comparisons to experimental data obtained by analysing images of phototaxis in Synechocystis communities. Our model also predicts the observed loss of instabilities in taxd1 mutants (cells with inactive TaxD1, an important photoreceptor in finger formation), by considering diffusion in mutually perpendicular directions and a lower, negative bias.

  15. Hybrid Photoacoustic/Ultrasound Tomograph for Real-Time Finger Imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oeri, Milan; Bost, Wolfgang; Sénégond, Nicolas; Tretbar, Steffen; Fournelle, Marc

    2017-10-01

    We report a target-enclosing, hybrid tomograph with a total of 768 elements based on capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducer technology and providing fast, high-resolution 2-D/3-D photoacoustic and ultrasound tomography tailored to finger imaging. A freely programmable ultrasound beamforming platform sampling data at 80 MHz was developed to realize plane wave transmission under multiple angles. A multiplexing unit enables the connection and control of a large number of elements. Fast image reconstruction is provided by GPU processing. The tomograph is composed of four independent and fully automated movable arc-shaped transducers, allowing imaging of all three finger joints. The system benefits from photoacoustics, yielding high optical contrast and enabling visualization of finger vascularization, and ultrasound provides morphologic information on joints and surrounding tissue. A diode-pumped, Q-switched Nd:YAG laser and an optical parametric oscillator are used to broaden the spectrum of emitted wavelengths to provide multispectral imaging. Custom-made optical fiber bundles enable illumination of the region of interest in the plane of acoustic detection. Precision in positioning of the probe in motion is ensured by use of a motor-driven guide slide. The current position of the probe is encoded by the stage and used to relate ultrasound and photoacoustic signals to the corresponding region of interest of the suspicious finger joint. The system is characterized in phantoms and a healthy human finger in vivo. The results obtained promise to provide new opportunities in finger diagnostics and establish photoacoustic/ultrasound-tomography in medical routine. Copyright © 2017 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Distinct neural control of intrinsic and extrinsic muscles of the hand during single finger pressing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dupan, Sigrid S G; Stegeman, Dick F; Maas, Huub

    2018-06-01

    Single finger force tasks lead to unintended activation of the non-instructed fingers, commonly referred to as enslaving. Both neural and mechanical factors have been associated with this absence of finger individuality. This study investigates the amplitude modulation of both intrinsic and extrinsic finger muscles during single finger isometric force tasks. Twelve participants performed single finger flexion presses at 20% of maximum voluntary contraction, while simultaneously the electromyographic activity of several intrinsic and extrinsic muscles associated with all four fingers was recorded using 8 electrode pairs in the hand and two 30-electrode grids on the lower arm. The forces exerted by each of the fingers, in both flexion and extension direction, were recorded with individual force sensors. This study shows distinct activation patterns in intrinsic and extrinsic hand muscles. Intrinsic muscles exhibited individuation, where the agonistic and antagonistic muscles associated with the instructed fingers showed the highest activation. This activation in both agonistic and antagonistic muscles appears to facilitate finger stabilisation during the isometric force task. Extrinsic muscles show an activation independent from instructed finger in both agonistic and antagonistic muscles, which appears to be associated with stabilisation of the wrist, with an additional finger-dependent modulation only present in the agonistic extrinsic muscles. These results indicate distinct muscle patterns in intrinsic and extrinsic hand muscles during single finger isometric force pressing. We conclude that the finger specific activation of intrinsic muscles is not sufficient to fully counteract enslaving caused by the broad activation of the extrinsic muscles. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Encoding and recall of finger sequences in experienced pianists compared with musically naïve controls: a combined behavioral and functional imaging study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pau, S; Jahn, G; Sakreida, K; Domin, M; Lotze, M

    2013-01-01

    Long-term intensive sensorimotor training alters functional representation of the motor and sensory system and might even result in structural changes. However, there is not much knowledge about how previous training impacts learning transfer and functional representation. We tested 14 amateur pianists and 15 musically naïve participants in a short-term finger sequence training procedure, differing considerably from piano playing and measured associated functional representation with functional magnetic resonance imaging. The conditions consisted of encoding a finger sequence indicated by hand symbols ("sequence encoding") and subsequently replaying the sequence from memory, both with and without auditory feedback ("sequence retrieval"). Piano players activated motor areas and the mirror neuron system more strongly than musically naïve participants during encoding. When retrieving the sequence, musically naïve participants showed higher activation in similar brain areas. Thus, retrieval activations of naïve participants were comparable to encoding activations of piano players, who during retrieval performed the sequences more accurately despite lower motor activations. Interestingly, both groups showed primary auditory activation even during sequence retrieval without auditory feedback, supporting previous reports about coactivation of the auditory cortex after learned association with motor performance. When playing with auditory feedback, only pianists lateralized to the left auditory cortex. During encoding activation in left primary somatosensory cortex in the height of the finger representations had a predictive value for increased motor performance later on (error rates). Contrarily, decreased performance was associated with increased visual cortex activation during encoding. Our study extends previous reports about training transfer of motor knowledge resulting in superior training effects in musicians. Performance increase went along with activity in

  18. A hierarchical classification method for finger knuckle print recognition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kong, Tao; Yang, Gongping; Yang, Lu

    2014-12-01

    Finger knuckle print has recently been seen as an effective biometric technique. In this paper, we propose a hierarchical classification method for finger knuckle print recognition, which is rooted in traditional score-level fusion methods. In the proposed method, we firstly take Gabor feature as the basic feature for finger knuckle print recognition and then a new decision rule is defined based on the predefined threshold. Finally, the minor feature speeded-up robust feature is conducted for these users, who cannot be recognized by the basic feature. Extensive experiments are performed to evaluate the proposed method, and experimental results show that it can achieve a promising performance.

  19. Compensating Pose Uncertainties through Appropriate Gripper Finger Cutouts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wolniakowski, Adam; Gams, Andrej; Kiforenko, Lilita

    2018-01-01

    The gripper finger design is a recurring problem in many robotic grasping platforms used in industry. The task of switching the gripper configuration to accommodate a new batch of objects typically requires engineering expertise and is a lengthy and costly iterative trial-and-error process. One...... in a sample industrial object grasping scenario for a finger that was designed using an automated simulation-based geometry optimization method (Wolniakowski et al., 2013, 2015). We test the developed gripper with a set of grasps subjected to structured perturbation in a simulation environment and in the real......-world setting. We provide a comparison of the data obtained by using both of these approaches. We argue that the strong correspondence observed in results validates the use of dynamic simulation for the gripper finger design and optimization....

  20. Ring Theory

    CERN Document Server

    Jara, Pascual; Torrecillas, Blas

    1988-01-01

    The papers in this proceedings volume are selected research papers in different areas of ring theory, including graded rings, differential operator rings, K-theory of noetherian rings, torsion theory, regular rings, cohomology of algebras, local cohomology of noncommutative rings. The book will be important for mathematicians active in research in ring theory.

  1. Involuntary Neuromuscular Coupling between the Thumb and Finger of Stroke Survivors during Dynamic Movement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Christopher L; Kamper, Derek G

    2018-01-01

    Finger-thumb coordination is crucial to manual dexterity but remains incompletely understood, particularly following neurological injury such as stroke. While being controlled independently, the index finger and thumb especially must work in concert to perform a variety of tasks requiring lateral or palmar pinch. The impact of stroke on this functionally critical sensorimotor control during dynamic tasks has been largely unexplored. In this study, we explored finger-thumb coupling during close-open pinching motions in stroke survivors with chronic hemiparesis. Two types of perturbations were applied randomly to the index with a novel Cable-Actuated Finger Exoskeleton: a sudden joint acceleration stretching muscle groups of the index finger and a sudden increase in impedance in selected index finger joint(s). Electromyographic signals for specific thumb and index finger muscles, thumb tip trajectory, and index finger joint angles were recorded during each trial. Joint angle perturbations invoked reflex responses in the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS), first dorsal interossei (FDI), and extensor digitorum communis muscles of the index finger and heteronymous reflex responses in flexor pollicis brevis of the thumb ( p  index finger joint impedance was suddenly increased, thumb tip movement was substantially increased, from 2 to 10 cm ( p  index finger impacting thumb activity. The degree of coupling modulated with the phase of motion. These findings reveal a potential mechanism for direct intervention to improve poststroke hand mobility and provide insight on prospective neurologically oriented therapies.

  2. Selective cognitive impairment and tall stature due to chromosome 19 supernumerary ring.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melis, Daniela; Genesio, Rita; Del Giudice, Ennio; Taurisano, Roberta; Mormile, Angela; D'Elia, Federica; Conti, Anna; Imperati, Floriana; Andria, Generoso; Nitsch, Lucio

    2012-01-01

    Small supernumerary marker chromosomes (sSMC) occur with a frequency of approximately 0.4 per 1000 newborns and are more frequent in the population with mental retardation and/or with dysmorphic signs. Small supernumerary chromosome rings (sSCR) usually occur as apart of a mosaic karyotype (Liehr et al., 2004). Chromosome 19 supernumerary rings are very rare. Almost all cases of sSMC19 have been reported on Thomas Liehr's website (http://www.med.uni-jena.de/fish/sSMC/19.htm#Start19). Of these cases, 14 were with phenotypic abnormalities and a clear characterization of the sSMC; two cases were suitable for comparison with our case with regard to their genetic content, but not with regard to the structure ofthe sSMC (Manvelyan et al., 2008). The phenotype, associated with partial trisomy 19q, includes facial dysmorphism, growth and mental retardation, macrocephaly, heart malformation and anomalies of the genitourinary and gastrointestinal tracts. The phenotype associated with partial trisomy 19p is characterized by dysmorphic features, severe mental retardation, abnormalities of brain morphology and anomalies of the fingers (Tercanli et al., 2000; Qorri et al., 2002; Novelli et al., 2005; Vraneković et al., 2008). Herein, we report the phenotype and molecular cytogenetic analysis in a patient with the smallest de-novo constitutional ring extended from the p12 to q12 region of chromosome 19.

  3. Neural network committees for finger joint angle estimation from surface EMG signals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reddy Narender P

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In virtual reality (VR systems, the user's finger and hand positions are sensed and used to control the virtual environments. Direct biocontrol of VR environments using surface electromyography (SEMG signals may be more synergistic and unconstraining to the user. The purpose of the present investigation was to develop a technique to predict the finger joint angle from the surface EMG measurements of the extensor muscle using neural network models. Methodology SEMG together with the actual joint angle measurements were obtained while the subject was performing flexion-extension rotation of the index finger at three speeds. Several neural networks were trained to predict the joint angle from the parameters extracted from the SEMG signals. The best networks were selected to form six committees. The neural network committees were evaluated using data from new subjects. Results There was hysteresis in the measured SMEG signals during the flexion-extension cycle. However, neural network committees were able to predict the joint angle with reasonable accuracy. RMS errors ranged from 0.085 ± 0.036 for fast speed finger-extension to 0.147 ± 0.026 for slow speed finger extension, and from 0.098 ± 0.023 for the fast speed finger flexion to 0.163 ± 0.054 for slow speed finger flexion. Conclusion Although hysteresis was observed in the measured SEMG signals, the committees of neural networks were able to predict the finger joint angle from SEMG signals.

  4. 78 FR 68907 - Agency Information Collection (Hand and Finger Conditions Disability Benefits Questionnaire...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-11-15

    ... Finger Conditions Disability Benefits Questionnaire) Under OMB Review AGENCY: Veterans Benefits... Control No. 2900- NEW (Hand and Finger Conditions Disability Benefits Questionnaire)'' in any... Benefits Questionnaire)''. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Hand and Finger Conditions Disability Benefits...

  5. Spoof Detection for Finger-Vein Recognition System Using NIR Camera

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dat Tien Nguyen

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Finger-vein recognition, a new and advanced biometrics recognition method, is attracting the attention of researchers because of its advantages such as high recognition performance and lesser likelihood of theft and inaccuracies occurring on account of skin condition defects. However, as reported by previous researchers, it is possible to attack a finger-vein recognition system by using presentation attack (fake finger-vein images. As a result, spoof detection, named as presentation attack detection (PAD, is necessary in such recognition systems. Previous attempts to establish PAD methods primarily focused on designing feature extractors by hand (handcrafted feature extractor based on the observations of the researchers about the difference between real (live and presentation attack finger-vein images. Therefore, the detection performance was limited. Recently, the deep learning framework has been successfully applied in computer vision and delivered superior results compared to traditional handcrafted methods on various computer vision applications such as image-based face recognition, gender recognition and image classification. In this paper, we propose a PAD method for near-infrared (NIR camera-based finger-vein recognition system using convolutional neural network (CNN to enhance the detection ability of previous handcrafted methods. Using the CNN method, we can derive a more suitable feature extractor for PAD than the other handcrafted methods using a training procedure. We further process the extracted image features to enhance the presentation attack finger-vein image detection ability of the CNN method using principal component analysis method (PCA for dimensionality reduction of feature space and support vector machine (SVM for classification. Through extensive experimental results, we confirm that our proposed method is adequate for presentation attack finger-vein image detection and it can deliver superior detection results compared

  6. Spoof Detection for Finger-Vein Recognition System Using NIR Camera.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Dat Tien; Yoon, Hyo Sik; Pham, Tuyen Danh; Park, Kang Ryoung

    2017-10-01

    Finger-vein recognition, a new and advanced biometrics recognition method, is attracting the attention of researchers because of its advantages such as high recognition performance and lesser likelihood of theft and inaccuracies occurring on account of skin condition defects. However, as reported by previous researchers, it is possible to attack a finger-vein recognition system by using presentation attack (fake) finger-vein images. As a result, spoof detection, named as presentation attack detection (PAD), is necessary in such recognition systems. Previous attempts to establish PAD methods primarily focused on designing feature extractors by hand (handcrafted feature extractor) based on the observations of the researchers about the difference between real (live) and presentation attack finger-vein images. Therefore, the detection performance was limited. Recently, the deep learning framework has been successfully applied in computer vision and delivered superior results compared to traditional handcrafted methods on various computer vision applications such as image-based face recognition, gender recognition and image classification. In this paper, we propose a PAD method for near-infrared (NIR) camera-based finger-vein recognition system using convolutional neural network (CNN) to enhance the detection ability of previous handcrafted methods. Using the CNN method, we can derive a more suitable feature extractor for PAD than the other handcrafted methods using a training procedure. We further process the extracted image features to enhance the presentation attack finger-vein image detection ability of the CNN method using principal component analysis method (PCA) for dimensionality reduction of feature space and support vector machine (SVM) for classification. Through extensive experimental results, we confirm that our proposed method is adequate for presentation attack finger-vein image detection and it can deliver superior detection results compared to CNN

  7. Luciferase-Zinc-Finger System for the Rapid Detection of Pathogenic Bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Chu; Xu, Qing; Ge, Yue; Jiang, Ling; Huang, He

    2017-08-09

    Rapid and reliable detection of pathogenic bacteria is crucial for food safety control. Here, we present a novel luciferase-zinc finger system for the detection of pathogens that offers rapid and specific profiling. The system, which uses a zinc-finger protein domain to probe zinc finger recognition sites, was designed to bind the amplified conserved regions of 16S rDNA, and the obtained products were detected using a modified luciferase. The luciferase-zinc finger system not only maintained luciferase activity but also allowed the specific detection of different bacterial species, with a sensitivity as low as 10 copies and a linear range from 10 to 10 4 copies per microliter of the specific PCR product. Moreover, the system is robust and rapid, enabling the simultaneous detection of 6 species of bacteria in artificially contaminated samples with excellent accuracy. Thus, we envision that our luciferase-zinc finger system will have far-reaching applications.

  8. Measurements Of Fingers Doses Of Staff Members In Nuclear Medicine Department

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    AL LEHYANI, S.H.; SHOUSHA, H.A.; HASSAN, R.A.

    2009-01-01

    For some occupationally radiation exposed groups, the hands are more heavily exposed to ionizing radiation than the rest of the body. The Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority runs an extensive personal dosimetry service in Egypt, but finger doses have not been measured to a wide extent. In this study, the finger doses were measured for five different nuclear medicine staff occupational groups for which heavy irradiation of the hands was suspected. Finger doses were measured for nuclear medicine physicians, technologists, nurses and physicists. The nuclear medicine staff working with the radioactive materials wears two TLD dosimeters during the whole period, which lasted from 1 to 4 weeks. The staff performs their work on a regular basis throughout the month, and means annual doses were calculated for these groups. The doses to the fingers for the 99m Tc technologists and nurses of groups (2) and (3) were observed to be 30.24 ± 14.5 μSv/GBq (mean ± SD) and 30.37 ± 17.5 μSv/GBq, respectively. Similarly, the dose to the fingers for the 131 I technologists in group (5) was estimated to be 126.13 ± 38.2μSv/GBq. Finger doses for the physicians could not be calculated per unit of activity because they did not handle the radiopharmaceuticals directly but their doses were reported in millisieverts that accumulated in 1 week. The doses to the fingers of the physicist were 16.3±7.7 μSv/GBq. The maximum average finger dose in this study was found to be 2.8 mSv for the technologists handled therapeutic 131 I (group 5). It could be concluded that the maximum expected annual dose to the extremities appeared to be less than the annual limit (500 mSv/y).

  9. Mixing methods, tasting fingers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mann, Anna; Mol, Annemarie; Satalkar, Priya

    2011-01-01

    This article reports on an ethnographic experiment. Four finger eating experts and three novices sat down for a hot meal and ate with their hands. Drawing on the technique of playing with the familiar and the strange, our aim was not to explain our responses, but to articulate them. As we seek wo...

  10. Fluctuation of biological rhythm in finger tapping

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshinaga, H.; Miyazima, S.; Mitake, S.

    2000-06-01

    By analyzing biological rhythms obtained from finger tapping, we have investigated the differences of two biological rhythms between healthy and handicapped persons caused by Parkinson, brain infraction, car accident and so on. In this study, we have observed the motion of handedness of all subjects and obtained a slope a which characterizes a power-law relation between frequency and amplitude of finger-tapping rhythm. From our results, we have estimated that the slope a=0.06 is a rough criterion in order to distinguish healthy and handicapped persons.

  11. Report of the eRHIC Ring-Ring Working Group

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aschenauer, E. C. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Berg, S. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Blaskiewicz, M. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Brennan, M. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Fedotov, A. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Fischer, W. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Litvinenko, V. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Montag, C. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Palmer, R. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Parker, B. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Peggs, S. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Ptitsyn, V. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Ranjbar, V. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Tepikian, S. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Trbojevic, D. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Willeke, F. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

    2015-10-13

    This report evaluates the ring-ring option for eRHIC as a lower risk alternative to the linac-ring option. The reduced risk goes along with a reduced initial luminosity performance. However, a luminosity upgrade path is kept open. This upgrade path consists of two branches, with the ultimate upgrade being either a ring-ring or a linac-ring scheme. The linac-ring upgrade could be almost identical to the proposed linac-ring scheme, which is based on an ERL in the RHIC tunnel. This linac-ring version has been studied in great detail over the past ten years, and its significant risks are known. On the other hand, no detailed work on an ultimate performance ring-ring scenario has been performed yet, other than the development of a consistent parameter set. Pursuing the ring-ring upgrade path introduces high risks and requires significant design work that is beyond the scope of this report.

  12. Personal recognition using finger knuckle shape oriented features and texture analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. Usha

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Finger knuckle print is considered as one of the emerging hand biometric traits due to its potentiality toward the identification of individuals. This paper contributes a new method for personal recognition using finger knuckle print based on two approaches namely, geometric and texture analyses. In the first approach, the shape oriented features of the finger knuckle print are extracted by means of angular geometric analysis and then integrated to achieve better precision rate. Whereas, the knuckle texture feature analysis is carried out by means of multi-resolution transform known as Curvelet transform. This Curvelet transform has the ability to approximate curved singularities with minimum number of Curvelet coefficients. Since, finger knuckle patterns mainly consist of lines and curves, Curvelet transform is highly suitable for its representation. Further, the Curvelet transform decomposes the finger knuckle image into Curvelet sub-bands which are termed as ‘Curvelet knuckle’. Finally, principle component analysis is applied on each Curvelet knuckle for extracting its feature vector through the covariance matrix derived from their Curvelet coefficients. Extensive experiments were conducted using PolyU database and IIT finger knuckle database. The experimental results confirm that, our proposed method shows a high recognition rate of 98.72% with lower false acceptance rate of 0.06%.

  13. Arrhythmokinesis is evident during unimanual not bimanual finger tapping in Parkinson's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trager, Megan H; Velisar, Anca; Koop, Mandy Miller; Shreve, Lauren; Quinn, Emma; Bronte-Stewart, Helen

    2015-01-01

    Arrhythmokinesis, the variability in repetitive movements, is a fundamental feature of Parkinson's disease (PD). We hypothesized that unimanual repetitive alternating finger tapping (AFT) would reveal more arrhythmokinesis compared to bimanual single finger alternating hand tapping (SFT), in PD. The variability of inter-strike interval (CVISI) and of amplitude (CVAMP) during AFT and SFT were measured on an engineered, MRI-compatible keyboard in sixteen PD subjects off medication and in twenty-four age-matched controls. The CVISI and CVAMP of the more affected (MA) and less affected (LA) sides in PD subjects were greater during AFT than SFT (P tapping brings out more arrhythmokinesis compared to bimanual, single finger tapping in PDs but not in controls. Arrhythmokinesis during unimanual, alternating finger tapping captured a significant difference between both the MA and LA hands of PD subjects and controls, whereas that during a bimanual, single finger tapping task only distinguished between the MA hand and controls. Arrhythmokinesis underlies freezing of gait and may also underlie the freezing behavior documented in fine motor control if studied using a unimanual alternating finger tapping task.

  14. Compensating Hand Function in Chronic Stroke Patients Through the Robotic Sixth Finger.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salvietti, Gionata; Hussain, Irfan; Cioncoloni, David; Taddei, Sabrina; Rossi, Simone; Prattichizzo, Domenico

    2017-02-01

    A novel solution to compensate hand grasping abilities is proposed for chronic stroke patients. The goal is to provide the patients with a wearable robotic extra-finger that can be worn on the paretic forearm by means of an elastic band. The proposed prototype, the Robotic Sixth Finger, is a modular articulated device that can adapt its structure to the grasped object shape. The extra-finger and the paretic hand act like the two parts of a gripper cooperatively holding an object. We evaluated the feasibility of the approach with four chronic stroke patients performing a qualitative test, the Frenchay Arm Test. In this proof of concept study, the use of the Robotic Sixth Finger has increased the total score of the patients by two points in a five points scale. The subjects were able to perform the two grasping tasks included in the test that were not possible without the robotic extra-finger. Adding a robotic opposing finger is a very promising approach that can significantly improve the functional compensation of the chronic stroke patient during everyday life activities.

  15. Rate effects on timing, key velocity, and finger kinematics in piano performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bella, Simone Dalla; Palmer, Caroline

    2011-01-01

    We examined the effect of rate on finger kinematics in goal-directed actions of pianists. In addition, we evaluated whether movement kinematics can be treated as an indicator of personal identity. Pianists' finger movements were recorded with a motion capture system while they performed melodies from memory at different rates. Pianists' peak finger heights above the keys preceding keystrokes increased as tempo increased, and were attained about one tone before keypress. These rate effects were not simply due to a strategy to increase key velocity (associated with tone intensity) of the corresponding keystroke. Greater finger heights may compensate via greater tactile feedback for a speed-accuracy tradeoff that underlies the tendency toward larger temporal variability at faster tempi. This would allow pianists to maintain high temporal accuracy when playing at fast rates. In addition, finger velocity and accelerations as pianists' fingers approached keys were sufficiently unique to allow pianists' identification with a neural-network classifier. Classification success was higher in pianists with more extensive musical training. Pianists' movement "signatures" may reflect unique goal-directed movement kinematic patterns, leading to individualistic sound.

  16. Weyl Exceptional Rings in a Three-Dimensional Dissipative Cold Atomic Gas (Author’s Manuscript)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-01-27

    in a dissipative system with particle gain and loss, we discover a new type of topological ring, dubbed Weyl exceptional ring consisting of...valued. On the other hand , the Chern number is zero when the surface S does not enclose any part of the ring even when it is located inside it...k)〉 and Ãθ(k) = i〈ũθ(k)|∂kuθ(k)〉, where 〈ũθ(k)| is the normalized left eigenstate of H [i.e., 〈ũθ(k)|H(k) = 〈ũθ(k)|Eθ(k) and 〈ũθ(k)|uθ(k)〉 = 1

  17. Finger tapping analysis in patients with Parkinson's disease and atypical parkinsonism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Djurić-Jovičić, Milica; Petrović, Igor; Ječmenica-Lukić, Milica; Radovanović, Saša; Dragašević-Mišković, Nataša; Belić, Minja; Miler-Jerković, Vera; Popović, Mirjana B; Kostić, Vladimir S

    2016-08-01

    The goal of this study was to investigate repetitive finger tapping patterns in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), progressive supranuclear palsy-Richardson syndrome (PSP-R), or multiple system atrophy of parkinsonian type (MSA-P). The finger tapping performance was objectively assessed in PD (n=13), PSP-R (n=15), and MSA-P (n=14) patients and matched healthy controls (HC; n=14), using miniature inertial sensors positioned on the thumb and index finger, providing spatio-temporal kinematic parameters. The main finding was the lack or only minimal progressive reduction in amplitude during the finger tapping in PSP-R patients, similar to HC, but significantly different from the sequence effect (progressive decrement) in both PD and MSA-P patients. The mean negative amplitude slope of -0.12°/cycle revealed less progression of amplitude decrement even in comparison to HC (-0.21°/cycle, p=0.032), and particularly from PD (-0.56°/cycle, p=0.001), and MSA-P patients (-1.48°/cycle, p=0.003). No significant differences were found in the average finger separation amplitudes between PD, PSP-R and MSA-P patients (pmsa-pd=0.726, pmsa-psp=0.363, ppsp-pd=0.726). The lack of clinically significant sequence effect during finger tapping differentiated PSP-R from both PD and MSA-P patients, and might be specific for PSP-R. The finger tapping kinematic parameter of amplitude slope may be a neurophysiological marker able to differentiate particular forms of parkinsonism. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Extremity and eye lens dosimetry for medical staff performing vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Struelens, L; Schoonjans, W; Vanhavere, F; Schils, F; De Smedt, K

    2013-01-01

    Measurements of doses to hands, legs and eyes are reported for operators in four different hospitals performing vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty. The results confirm that occupational doses can be high for interventional spine procedures. Extremity and eye lens doses were measured with thermoluminescent dosimeters positioned on the ring fingers, wrists, legs and near the eyes of interventional radiologists and neurosurgeons, over a period of 15 months. Doses were generally larger on the left side for all positions monitored. The median dose to the left finger was 225 μSv per procedure, although a maximum of 7.3 mSv was found. The median dose to the right finger was 118 μSv, but with an even higher maximum of 7.7 mSv. A median left eye dose of 34 μSv (maximum 836 μSv) was found, while the legs received the lowest doses with a median of 13 μSv (maximum 332 μSv) to the left leg. Annual dose to the hand assessed by the cumulated doses almost reached the annual dose limit of 500 mSv, while annual dose to the eyes exceeded the eye lens dose limit of 20 mSv yr −1 . Different x-ray systems and radiation protection measures were tested, like the use of lead gloves and glasses, tweezers, cement delivery systems and a magnetic navigation system. These measurements showed that doses can be significantly reduced. The use of lead glasses is strongly recommended for protection of the eyes. (paper)

  19. Digital artery perforator (DAP) flaps: modifications for fingertip and finger stump reconstruction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitsunaga, Narushima; Mihara, Makoto; Koshima, Isao; Gonda, Koichi; Takuya, Iida; Kato, Harunosuke; Araki, Jun; Yamamoto, Yushuke; Yuhei, Otaki; Todokoro, Takeshi; Ishikawa, Shoichi; Eri, Uehara; Mundinger, Gerhard S

    2010-08-01

    Various fingertip reconstructions have been reported for situations where microsurgical finger replantation is impossible. One method is the digital artery perforator (DAP) flap. Herein we report 13 DAP flaps for fingertip and finger stump reconstruction following traumatic finger amputations, highlighting modifications to the originally described DAP flap. From October 1998 to December 2007, a total of 13 fingers (11 patients) underwent fingertip and finger stump reconstruction with modified DAP flaps following traumatic finger amputations. We performed six adipocutaneous flaps, three adipose-only flaps, two supercharged flaps and two extended flaps. Flap size ranged from 1.44 to 8 cm(2) (average 3.25 cm(2)). All flaps survived completely with the exception of partial skin necrosis in two cases. One of these cases required debridement and skin grafting. Our initial three cases used donor-site skin grafting. The donor site was closed primarily in the 10 subsequent cases. No patients showed postoperative hypersensitivity of repaired fingertips. Semmes-Weinstein (SW) test result for flaps including a digital nerve branch did not differ from those without (average 4.07 vs. 3.92). Modified DAP flaps allow for preservation of digital length, volume and finger function. They can be raised as adiposal-only flaps or extended flaps and supercharged through perforator-to-perforator anastomoses. The donor defect on the lateral pulp can be closed primarily or by skin grafting. For traumatic fingertip and finger stump reconstructions, DAP flaps deliver consistent aesthetic and functional results. Copyright 2009 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Automated Finger Spelling by Highly Realistic 3D Animation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adamo-Villani, Nicoletta; Beni, Gerardo

    2004-01-01

    We present the design of a new 3D animation tool for self-teaching (signing and reading) finger spelling the first basic component in learning any sign language. We have designed a highly realistic hand with natural animation of the finger motions. Smoothness of motion (in real time) is achieved via programmable blending of animation segments. The…

  1. Feasibility of ambulatory, continuous 24-hour finger arterial pressure recording

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Imholz, B. P.; Langewouters, G. J.; van Montfrans, G. A.; Parati, G.; van Goudoever, J.; Wesseling, K. H.; Wieling, W.; Mancia, G.

    1993-01-01

    We tested Portapres, an innovative portable, battery-operated device for the continuous, noninvasive, 24-hour ambulatory measurement of blood pressure in the finger. Portapres is based on Finapres, a stationary device for the measurement of finger arterial pressure. Systems were added to record

  2. Fusarium verticillioides from finger millet in Uganda.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saleh, Amgad A; Esele, J P; Logrieco, Antonio; Ritieni, Alberto; Leslie, John F

    2012-01-01

    Finger millet (Eleusine coracana) is a subsistence crop grown in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian Sub-continent. Fusarium species occurring on this crop have not been reported. Approximately 13% of the Fusarium isolates recovered from finger millet growing at three different locations in eastern Uganda belong to Fusarium verticillioides, and could produce up to 18,600 µg/g of total fumonisins when cultured under laboratory conditions. These strains are all genetically unique, based on AFLP analyses, and form fertile perithecia when crossed with the standard mating type tester strains for this species. All but one of the strains is female-fertile and mating-type segregates 13:20 Mat-1:Mat-2. Three new sequences of the gene encoding translation elongation factor 1-α were found within the population. These results indicate a potential health risk for infants who consume finger millet gruel as a weaning food, and are consistent with the hypothesis that F. verticillioides originated in Africa and not in the Americas, despite its widespread association with maize grown almost anywhere worldwide.

  3. A new technique to determine vertical dimension of occlusion from anthropometric measurements of fingers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruchi Ladda

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: The purpose of this study was to find the correlation between vertical dimension of occlusion (VDO and length of fingers. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 400 dentate subjects comprising of 200 males and 200 females. Anthropometric measurements of VDO, length of index finger, length of little finger, and distance from tip of thumb to tip of index finger of right hand were recorded clinically using modified digital vernier caliper. Correlation between VDO and length of fingers was studied using Spearman′s coefficient. For the execution of regression command and preparation of prediction equations to estimate VDO, Statistical Package for Social Sciences Software Version 11.5 was used. Results: VDO was significantly and positively correlated with all the parameters studied. In males, correlation of VDO was strongest for length of index finger (r-0.406 whereas in females, it was strongest for length of little finger (r-0.385. VDO estimation using regression equation had a standard error of ± 3.76 in males and ± 2.86 in females for length of index finger, ±3.81 and ± 2.74 in males and females respectively for length of little finger, ±3.99 and ± 2.89 in males and females respectively for distance from tip of thumb to tip of index finger. Conclusions: Since the variations between VDO and finger lengths are within the range of 2-4 mm, VDO prediction through this method is reliable, and reproducible. Also the method is simple, economic, and non-invasive; hence, it could be recommended for everyday practice.

  4. [Comparison of Bacteria ERIC-PCR Fingerprints of Index Fingers and Contactants].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Y T; Sun, D M; Shi, S P; Yang, X

    2018-02-01

    To explore the bacteria relevance between index fingers and contactant' surfaces (mobile phone touch screen and desktop of personal office table). Bacteria were collected from the index fingers, mobile phone touch screen and desktop of personal office table of 10 volunteers. Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)-PCR fingerprint was established by PCR amplification technique of metagenome. There were 7 volunteers' ERIC-PCR fingerprints of index fingers matched that took from the mobile phone touch screens, and different from each other. There were 3 volunteers' ERIC-PCR fingerprints of index fingers matched that took from desk top of personal office table, and other 7 volunteers' ERIC-PCR fingerprints did not match perfectly with that took from desk top of personal office table, but had at least one similar band for both. The bacteria on index finger shows individual specificity, which on mobile phone touching screen and personal desktop may be a new biological sample of forensic identification. Copyright© by the Editorial Department of Journal of Forensic Medicine.

  5. On the compressor ring for the JAERI neutron science project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yamane, Isao [National Lab. for High Energy Physics, Tsukuba, Ibaraki (Japan)

    1997-11-01

    (1), As long as a 1.5 GeV-8 MW linear accelerator is constructed in the JAERI neutron science center, it is quite reasonable to construct a 5 MW compressor ring as a driver of a high intensity spallation neutron source to generate pulsed neutron beams. (2), Suppression of beam loss around the compressor ring to an acceptable level is the most crucial subject to be coped with in designing a MW-class compressor ring. This subject should be successfully cleared by carefully studying and designing the overall system of accelerator and tunnel. (3), The `PSR instability` was comprehensively discussed in the NSNS workshop held at Santa Fe in March, 1997, as a remaining problem of a high intensity proton compressor ring. People of Los Alamos attributed it to an e-p instability. But some questions like the cause that makes some part of protons leak away from a beam bunch to a bunch gap are yet left open. (4), A new scheme of two step H{sup 0} injection is proposed to remove defects of the conventional one of Los Alamos PSR. (author)

  6. The PEP [positron-electron-proton] electron-positron ring: An update

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1975-03-01

    The first stage of the positron-electron-protron (PEP) colliding-beam system, which has been under joint study by a Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory--Stanford Linear Accelerator Center team for the past two years, will be the electron-positron storage ring. The physics justification for the e + e/sup /minus// ring is summarized briefly and the proposed facility is described. The ring will have six arcs having gross radii of about 220 m and six interaction regions located at the centers of straight sections about 130 m long. The longitudinal distance left free for experimental apparatus around the interaction regions was set provisionally at 20 m. The range of operating beam energies will be from 5 GeV to 15 GeV. The design luminosity at 15 GeV will be 10 32 cm/sup /minus/2/s/sup /minus/1/, and the luminosity will vary approximately as the square of the beam energy. Alternative methods under consideration for adjusting the beam cross section are discussed. The designs of the storage ring subsystems and of the conventional facilities including the experimental halls at the interaction regions are described. 7 figs., 3 tabs

  7. Finger vein identification using fuzzy-based k-nearest centroid neighbor classifier

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosdi, Bakhtiar Affendi; Jaafar, Haryati; Ramli, Dzati Athiar

    2015-02-01

    In this paper, a new approach for personal identification using finger vein image is presented. Finger vein is an emerging type of biometrics that attracts attention of researchers in biometrics area. As compared to other biometric traits such as face, fingerprint and iris, finger vein is more secured and hard to counterfeit since the features are inside the human body. So far, most of the researchers focus on how to extract robust features from the captured vein images. Not much research was conducted on the classification of the extracted features. In this paper, a new classifier called fuzzy-based k-nearest centroid neighbor (FkNCN) is applied to classify the finger vein image. The proposed FkNCN employs a surrounding rule to obtain the k-nearest centroid neighbors based on the spatial distributions of the training images and their distance to the test image. Then, the fuzzy membership function is utilized to assign the test image to the class which is frequently represented by the k-nearest centroid neighbors. Experimental evaluation using our own database which was collected from 492 fingers shows that the proposed FkNCN has better performance than the k-nearest neighbor, k-nearest-centroid neighbor and fuzzy-based-k-nearest neighbor classifiers. This shows that the proposed classifier is able to identify the finger vein image effectively.

  8. Congenital coronary-pulmonary artery fistula originating from right and left coronary artery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Kemal Gür

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Coronary artery fistula (CAF is a rare congenital anomalywith an incidence of 1 in 50 000 live births. The fistula wasobserved at the right coronary artery in 53%, the left coronaryartery in 42% and both coronary artery in 5% of thecases. Echocardiography examination in a 46 year-oldwoman with the symptoms of chest pain, palpitation anddyspnea revealed a severe mitral valve insufficiency anda moderate to severe tricuspid valve insufficiency. A CAForiginating from the proximal part of the left anterior descendingartery (LAD and another fistula originating fromosteal part of the right coronary artery (RCA were detectedby coronary angiography. Both fistulas were draininginto the main pulmonary artery. The coronary artery fistulaclosed under cardiopulmonary by-pass. Mitral insufficiencyoriginated from the posterior leaflet was diagnosedintra-operative exploration, and thereafter it was repairedwith mitral annuloplasty including a quadrangular resectionand use of a 32 No St Jude mitral ring. Tricuspid valvewas repaired with Calangos Ring annuloplasty. Followingsix day hospital stay, the woman was discharged free ofany symptom.Key words: Dyspnea, double arteriovenous fistula, mitral and tricuspid insufficiency

  9. Population Structure and Diversity in Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana) Germplasm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    A genotypic analysis of 79 finger millet accessions (E. coracana subsp. coracana) from 11 African and 5 Asian countries, plus 14 wild E. coracana subsp. africana lines collected in Uganda and Kenya was conducted with 45 SSR markers distributed across the finger millet genome. Phylogenetic and popula...

  10. Rate effects on timing, key velocity, and finger kinematics in piano performance.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simone Dalla Bella

    Full Text Available We examined the effect of rate on finger kinematics in goal-directed actions of pianists. In addition, we evaluated whether movement kinematics can be treated as an indicator of personal identity. Pianists' finger movements were recorded with a motion capture system while they performed melodies from memory at different rates. Pianists' peak finger heights above the keys preceding keystrokes increased as tempo increased, and were attained about one tone before keypress. These rate effects were not simply due to a strategy to increase key velocity (associated with tone intensity of the corresponding keystroke. Greater finger heights may compensate via greater tactile feedback for a speed-accuracy tradeoff that underlies the tendency toward larger temporal variability at faster tempi. This would allow pianists to maintain high temporal accuracy when playing at fast rates. In addition, finger velocity and accelerations as pianists' fingers approached keys were sufficiently unique to allow pianists' identification with a neural-network classifier. Classification success was higher in pianists with more extensive musical training. Pianists' movement "signatures" may reflect unique goal-directed movement kinematic patterns, leading to individualistic sound.

  11. Variations in the nerves of the thumb and index finger.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wallace, W A; Coupland, R E

    1975-11-01

    The digital nerves to the thumb and index finger have been studied by dissecting twenty-five embalmed upper limbs. The palmar digital nerves to the thumb were constant in position and course, with a short lateral cutaneous branch from the radial palmar digital nerve in 30 per cent of cases. The palmar digital nerves to the index finger had a variable pattern, the commonest arrangement, well described in Gray's Anatomy, occurring in 74 per cent of cases. The variations and their frequency are described. By examining histological cross-sections of the index finger it was found that of about 5,000 endoneurial tubes entering the finger, 60 per cent passed beyond the distal digital crease to supply the pulp and nail bed. The depth of the palmar digital nerves was about 3 millimetres, but less at the digital creases, and their diameter lay between 1 and 1.5 millimetres as far as the distal digital crease. Clinical applications of the findings are discussed.

  12. The role of left supplementary motor area in grip force scaling.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olivier White

    Full Text Available Skilled tool use and object manipulation critically relies on the ability to scale anticipatorily the grip force (GF in relation to object dynamics. This predictive behaviour entails that the nervous system is able to store, and then select, the appropriate internal representation of common object dynamics, allowing GF to be applied in parallel with the arm motor commands. Although psychophysical studies have provided strong evidence supporting the existence of internal representations of object dynamics, known as "internal models", their neural correlates are still debated. Because functional neuroimaging studies have repeatedly designated the supplementary motor area (SMA as a possible candidate involved in internal model implementation, we used repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS to interfere with the normal functioning of left or right SMA in healthy participants performing a grip-lift task with either hand. TMS applied over the left, but not right, SMA yielded an increase in both GF and GF rate, irrespective of the hand used to perform the task, and only when TMS was delivered 130-180 ms before the fingers contacted the object. We also found that both left and right SMA rTMS led to a decrease in preload phase durations for contralateral hand movements. The present study suggests that left SMA is a crucial node in the network processing the internal representation of object dynamics although further experiments are required to rule out that TMS does not affect the GF gain. The present finding also further substantiates the left hemisphere dominance in scaling GF.

  13. IDIOPATHIC MULTIFOCAL CHOROIDITIS PRESENTING WITH A TRANSIENT PERIPAPILLARY WHITE RING.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gattoussi, Sarra; Ghadiali, Quraish; Dolz-Marco, Rosa; Freund, K Bailey

    2017-11-22

    We describe with multimodal imaging the presentation and follow-up for a patient with idiopathic multifocal choroiditis and a transient peripapillary white ring. Case report. A 39-year-old Asian woman was initially seen for an evaluation of lattice degeneration in 2015. Her medical history included Graves disease and psoriasis. Best-corrected visual acuity was 20/25 in her right eye and 20/25 in her left eye. Ultra-widefield fundus autofluorescence imaging showed a curvilinear hyperautofluorescent line in her right eye. One year later, the patient returned complaining of floaters in her right eye for 1 month. Her visual acuity was unchanged. Funduscopic examination showed new inflammatory yellowish lesions in the right eye corresponding to hyperreflective sub-retinal pigment epithelium lesions on structural spectral domain optical coherence tomography. Fluorescein angiography showed corresponding late staining of these active lesions. Late-phase indocyanine green angiography showed multiple nummular hypocyanescent dots. Ultra-widefield fundus autofluorescence showed large areas of hyperautofluorescence. The patient was started on a 60-mg oral prednisone taper and demonstrated subsequent regression of the inflammatory lesions. Ten months later, the patient returned emergently with complaints of floaters in both eyes for 2 days and a new temporal scotoma in her left eye. Funduscopic examination demonstrated a white ring around the optic nerve of the left eye corresponding to a hyperautofluorescent lesion. Ultra-widefield fundus autofluorescence showed new areas of hyperautofluorescence in both eyes. Structural spectral domain optical coherence tomography showed new sub-retinal pigment epithelium inflammatory lesions and a disruption of the ellipsoid zone in both eyes. The patient was again treated with a 60-mg oral prednisone taper and demonstrated subsequent restoration of the ellipsoid zone. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a transient annular white

  14. Systematic classification of the His-Me finger superfamily.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jablonska, Jagoda; Matelska, Dorota; Steczkiewicz, Kamil; Ginalski, Krzysztof

    2017-11-16

    The His-Me finger endonucleases, also known as HNH or ββα-metal endonucleases, form a large and diverse protein superfamily. The His-Me finger domain can be found in proteins that play an essential role in cells, including genome maintenance, intron homing, host defense and target offense. Its overall structural compactness and non-specificity make it a perfectly-tailored pathogenic module that participates on both sides of inter- and intra-organismal competition. An extremely low sequence similarity across the superfamily makes it difficult to identify and classify new His-Me fingers. Using state-of-the-art distant homology detection methods, we provide an updated and systematic classification of His-Me finger proteins. In this work, we identified over 100 000 proteins and clustered them into 38 groups, of which three groups are new and cannot be found in any existing public domain database of protein families. Based on an analysis of sequences, structures, domain architectures, and genomic contexts, we provide a careful functional annotation of the poorly characterized members of this superfamily. Our results may inspire further experimental investigations that should address the predicted activity and clarify the potential substrates, to provide more detailed insights into the fundamental biological roles of these proteins. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  15. Task-specific kinetic finger tremor affects the performance of carrom players.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kahathuduwa, Chanaka N; Weerasinghe, Vajira S; Dassanayake, Tharaka L; Priyadarshana, Rajeewa; Dissanayake, Arunika L; Perera, Christine

    2016-01-01

    We aimed to determine the effect of task-specific kinetic finger tremor, as indexed by surface electromyography (EMG), on the accuracy of a carrom stroke. Surface EMG of extensor digitorum communis muscle of the playing arm was recorded during rest, isometric contraction and stroke execution in 17 male carrom players with clinically observed finger tremor and 18 skill- and age-matched controls. Log-transformed power spectral densities (LogPSDs) of surface EMG activity (signifying tremor severity) at a 1-s pre-execution period correlated with angular error of the stroke. LogPSDs in 4-10 Hz range were higher in players with tremor than controls during pre-execution (P kinetic finger tremor in carrom players. This finger tremor during the immediate pre-execution phase appears to be a significant determinant of stroke accuracy.

  16. Gerstmann's Syndrome

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... left, and an inability to identify fingers (finger agnosia). The disorder should not be confused with Gerstmann- ... left, and an inability to identify fingers (finger agnosia). The disorder should not be confused with Gerstmann- ...

  17. Tool-specific performance of vibration-reducing gloves for attenuating fingers-transmitted vibration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Welcome, Daniel E.; Dong, Ren G.; Xu, Xueyan S.; Warren, Christopher; McDowell, Thomas W.

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND Fingers-transmitted vibration can cause vibration-induced white finger. The effectiveness of vibration-reducing (VR) gloves for reducing hand transmitted vibration to the fingers has not been sufficiently examined. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to examine tool-specific performance of VR gloves for reducing finger-transmitted vibrations in three orthogonal directions (3D) from powered hand tools. METHODS A transfer function method was used to estimate the tool-specific effectiveness of four typical VR gloves. The transfer functions of the VR glove fingers in three directions were either measured in this study or during a previous study using a 3D laser vibrometer. More than seventy vibration spectra of various tools or machines were used in the estimations. RESULTS When assessed based on frequency-weighted acceleration, the gloves provided little vibration reduction. In some cases, the gloves amplified the vibration by more than 10%, especially the neoprene glove. However, the neoprene glove did the best when the assessment was based on unweighted acceleration. The neoprene glove was able to reduce the vibration by 10% or more of the unweighted vibration for 27 out of the 79 tools. If the dominant vibration of a tool handle or workpiece was in the shear direction relative to the fingers, as observed in the operation of needle scalers, hammer chisels, and bucking bars, the gloves did not reduce the vibration but increased it. CONCLUSIONS This study confirmed that the effectiveness for reducing vibration varied with the gloves and the vibration reduction of each glove depended on tool, vibration direction to the fingers, and finger location. VR gloves, including certified anti-vibration gloves do not provide much vibration reduction when judged based on frequency-weighted acceleration. However, some of the VR gloves can provide more than 10% reduction of the unweighted vibration for some tools or workpieces. Tools and gloves can be matched for

  18. FGT-injective dimensions of -coherent rings and almost excellent ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Abstract. We study, in this article, the FGT-injective dimensions of -coherent rings. If R is right -coherent, and TI (resp. TF) stands for the class of FGT-injective (resp. FGT-flat) R-modules (n ≥ 0), we show that the following are equivalent: (1) FGT − IdR(R) ≤ n;. (2) If 0 → M → F0 → F1 → ··· is a right TF-resolution of left ...

  19. Two convergent routes to the left-wing fragment of ciguatoxin CTX3C using O,S-acetals as key intermediates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inoue, Masayuki; Yamashita, Shuji; Ishihara, Yuuki; Hirama, Masahiro

    2006-12-07

    Ciguatoxins, principal causative toxins of ciguatera seafood poisoning, are large ladderlike polycyclic ethers. Here, we report two convergent routes to synthesis of the multiolefinic left half of ciguatoxins based on a newly developed acyl radical strategy. Remarkably, only 13 steps from the monocyclic E-ring were required to construct the left wing. [reaction: see text

  20. ASSOCIATIVE RINGS SOLVED AS LIE RINGS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. B. Smirnov

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper has proved that an associative ring which is solvable of a n- class as a Lie ring has a nilpotent ideal of the nilpotent class not more than 3×10n–2  and a corresponding quotient ring satisfies an identity [[x1, x2, [x3, x4

  1. Mutational analysis of TRAF6 reveals a conserved functional role of the RING dimerization interface and a potentially necessary but insufficient role of RING-dependent TRAF6 polyubiquitination towards NF-κB activation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Megas, Charilaos; Hatzivassiliou, Eudoxia G; Yin, Qian; Marinopoulou, Elli; Hadweh, Paul; Vignali, Dario A A; Mosialos, George

    2011-05-01

    TRAF6 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that plays a pivotal role in the activation of NF-κB by innate and adaptive immunity stimuli. TRAF6 consists of a highly conserved carboxyl terminal TRAF-C domain which is preceded by a coiled coil domain and an amino terminal region that contains a RING domain and a series of putative zinc-finger motifs. The TRAF-C domain contributes to TRAF6 oligomerization and mediates the interaction of TRAF6 with upstream signaling molecules whereas the RING domain comprises the core of the ubiquitin ligase catalytic domain. In order to identify structural elements that are important for TRAF6-induced NF-κB activation, mutational analysis of the TRAF-C and RING domains was performed. Alterations of highly conserved residues of the TRAF-C domain of TRAF6 did not affect significantly the ability of the protein to activate NF-κB. On the other hand a number of functionally important residues (L77, Q82, R88, F118, N121 and E126) for the activation of NF-κB were identified within the RING domain of TRAF6. Interestingly, several homologues of these residues in TRAF2 were shown to have a conserved functional role in TRAF2-induced NF-κB activation and lie at the dimerization interface of the RING domain. Finally, whereas alteration of Q82, R88 and F118 compromised both the K63-linked polyubiquitination of TRAF6 and its ability to activate NF-κB, alteration of L77, N121 and E126 diminished the NF-κB activating function of TRAF6 without affecting TRAF6 K63-linked polyubiquitination. Our results support a conserved functional role of the TRAF RING domain dimerization interface and a potentially necessary but insufficient role for RING-dependent TRAF6 K63-linked polyubiquitination towards NF-κB activation in cells. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Fingers' vibration transmission and grip strength preservation performance of vibration reducing gloves.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamouda, K; Rakheja, S; Dewangan, K N; Marcotte, P

    2018-01-01

    The vibration isolation performances of vibration reducing (VR) gloves are invariably assessed in terms of power tools' handle vibration transmission to the palm of the hand using the method described in ISO 10819 (2013), while the nature of vibration transmitted to the fingers is ignored. Moreover, the VR gloves with relatively low stiffness viscoelastic materials affect the grip strength in an adverse manner. This study is aimed at performance assessments of 12 different VR gloves on the basis of handle vibration transmission to the palm and the fingers of the gloved hand, together with reduction in the grip strength. The gloves included 3 different air bladder, 3 gel, 3 hybrid, and 2 gel-foam gloves in addition to a leather glove. Two Velcro finger adapters, each instrumented with a three-axis accelerometer, were used to measure vibration responses of the index and middle fingers near the mid-phalanges. Vibration transmitted to the palm was measured using the standardized palm adapter. The vibration transmissibility responses of the VR gloves were measured in the laboratory using the instrumented cylindrical handle, also described in the standard, mounted on a vibration exciter. A total of 12 healthy male subjects participated in the study. The instrumented handle was also used to measure grip strength of the subjects with and without the VR gloves. The results of the study showed that the VR gloves, with only a few exceptions, attenuate handle vibration transmitted to the fingers only in the 10-200 Hz and amplify middle finger vibration at frequencies exceeding 200 Hz. Many of the gloves, however, provided considerable reduction in vibration transmitted to the palm, especially at higher frequencies. These suggest that the characteristics of vibration transmitted to fingers differ considerably from those at the palm. Four of the test gloves satisfied the screening criteria of the ISO 10819 (2013) based on the palm vibration alone, even though these caused

  3. [Necrosis in fingers and toes following local anaesthesia with adrenaline--an urban legend?].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Finsen, Vilhjalmur

    2013-09-17

    It is often maintained that a local anaesthetic (usually lidocaine) with adrenaline must not be used in fingers and toes because it may cause necrosis due to vascular spasm in end arteries. This review article is an attempt to find evidence to support this warning. Relevant literature was found by means of searches in PubMed limited downwards to 1946 and in EMBASE from 1980 to 2012, and in reference lists. Five review articles on finger necrosis following local anaesthesia concluded that lidocaine with adrenaline does not entail a risk of ischaemic injury. One article found 48 reported cases of finger necrosis in the period 1880 to 2000. Most were from the first half of the 1900s, and none involved lidocaine. Gangrene of part of the finger tip has subsequently been described in one patient with Raynaud's syndrome. No cases of necrosis have been described in a large number of reported accidents in which EpiPen injections contained the same quantity of adrenaline as is found in 60 ml lidocaine with adrenaline. Over a quarter of a million reports have been made of operations on feet, hands, fingers and toes anaesthetised with lidocaine with adrenaline without resulting necrosis. There are no grounds for the warning against using lidocaine with adrenaline in fingers and toes. This anaesthetic offers considerable practical advantages. Care should be taken with infected fingers or fingers with poor circulation.

  4. The Effective Connectivity Between the Two Primary Motor Areas in the Brain during Bilateral Tapping of Hand Fingers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yusoff, A. N.; Hamid, K. A.

    Dynamic causal modeling (DCM) was implemented on datasets obtained from an externally-triggered finger tapping functional MRI experiment performed by 5 male and female subjects. The objective was to model the effective connectivity between two significantly activated primary motor regions (M1). The left and right hemisphere M1s are found to be effectively and bidirectionally connected to each other. Both connections are modulated by the stimulus-free contextual input. These connectivities are however not gated (influenced) by any of the two M1s, ruling out the possibility of the non-linear behavior of connections between both M1s. A dynamic causal model was finally suggested.

  5. The relation between the anthropometric characteristics of fingers and cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Omid Mardanshahi

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Anthropometry is a science of human body measurement that could be used for manufacturing artificial limbs or prosthesis, investigating body differences between populations, utilizing in forensics and criminology, or even in the diagnosis of some diseases. Two of the most important anthropometric characteristics are dermatoglyphic patterns and finger length. Many studies have evaluated the relation between these two characteristics in different diseases such as cancers. It assumed that dermatoglyphic patterns and finger length could be used as predictors of some cancers such as gastric, ovarian, prostate, testicular, and breast cancers. In this review, we evaluated the relation between dermatoglyphic variability and finger length in different cancers more precisely.

  6. Finger vein recognition based on convolutional neural network

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meng Gesi

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Biometric Authentication Technology has been widely used in this information age. As one of the most important technology of authentication, finger vein recognition attracts our attention because of its high security, reliable accuracy and excellent performance. However, the current finger vein recognition system is difficult to be applied widely because its complicated image pre-processing and not representative feature vectors. To solve this problem, a finger vein recognition method based on the convolution neural network (CNN is proposed in the paper. The image samples are directly input into the CNN model to extract its feature vector so that we can make authentication by comparing the Euclidean distance between these vectors. Finally, the Deep Learning Framework Caffe is adopted to verify this method. The result shows that there are great improvements in both speed and accuracy rate compared to the previous research. And the model has nice robustness in illumination and rotation.

  7. Decontamination in the Electron Probe Microanalysis with a Peltier-Cooled Cold Finger.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buse, Ben; Kearns, Stuart; Clapham, Charles; Hawley, Donovan

    2016-10-01

    A prototype Peltier thermoelectric cooling unit has been constructed to cool a cold finger on an electron microprobe. The Peltier unit was tested at 15 and 96 W, achieving cold finger temperatures of -10 and -27°C, respectively. The Peltier unit did not adversely affect the analytical stability of the instrument. Heat conduction between the Peltier unit mounted outside the vacuum and the cold finger was found to be very efficient. Under Peltier cooling, the vacuum improvement associated with water vapor deposition was not achieved; this has the advantage of avoiding severe degradation of the vacuum observed when warming up a cold finger from liquid nitrogen (LN2) temperatures. Carbon contamination rates were reduced as cooling commenced; by -27°C contamination rates were found to be comparable with LN2-cooled devices. Peltier cooling, therefore, provides a viable alternative to LN2-cooled cold fingers, with few of their associated disadvantages.

  8. The Case Report of Trigger Finger Improved with Hominis Placenta Pharmacopuncture Treatment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeong-Won Kim

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Objectives : The Purpose of this study is to investigate and report the effectiveness of Hominis Placenta using Pharmacopuncture treatment for trigger finger. Methods : 3 Patients are admitted at Dept. of Oriental Rehabilitation, Bu-Chun Jaseng Oriental Medicine Hospital, diagnosed as Trigger finger and treated with Hominis Placenta Pharmacopuncture. Each cases are measured and assessed by Quinnell's classification of triggering and VAS (Visual Analogue Scale scores. Results : 3 Patients of trigger finger have a different kind of cause and fingers lesion they have, but nodules are not significantly found up, so we could classify all of 3 patients to diffuse type. After treatment of Hominis placenta Pharmacopuncture, spontaneous pain and tenderness, grades of triggering are decreased significantly. We would expect that Hominis placenta Pharmacopuncture has a effect on degenerative diseases of diffuse type's tendon sheath. Conclusions : Trigger finger is generally divided into two stages, inflammatory and degenerative stage, and when degenerative stage, Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture appears to be effective.

  9. Reorganization of finger coordination patterns through motor exploration in individuals after stroke.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ranganathan, Rajiv

    2017-09-11

    Impairment of hand and finger function after stroke is common and affects the ability to perform activities of daily living. Even though many of these coordination deficits such as finger individuation have been well characterized, it is critical to understand how stroke survivors learn to explore and reorganize their finger coordination patterns for optimizing rehabilitation. In this study, I examine the use of a body-machine interface to assess how participants explore their movement repertoire, and how this changes with continued practice. Ten participants with chronic stroke wore a data glove and the finger joint angles were mapped on to the position of a cursor on a screen. The task of the participants was to move the cursor back and forth between two specified targets on a screen. Critically, the map between the finger movements and cursor motion was altered so that participants sometimes had to generate coordination patterns that required finger individuation. There were two phases to the experiment - an initial assessment phase on day 1, followed by a learning phase (days 2-5) where participants trained to reorganize their coordination patterns. Participants showed difficulty in performing tasks which had maps that required finger individuation, and the degree to which they explored their movement repertoire was directly related to clinical tests of hand function. However, over four sessions of practice, participants were able to learn to reorganize their finger movement coordination pattern and improve their performance. Moreover, training also resulted in improvements in movement repertoire outside of the context of the specific task during free exploration. Stroke survivors show deficits in movement repertoire in their paretic hand, but facilitating movement exploration during training can increase the movement repertoire. This suggests that exploration may be an important element of rehabilitation to regain optimal function.

  10. Trigger finger presenting secondary to leiomyoma: a case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Harb Ziad

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction We present a previously undescribed entity: trigger finger secondary to a leiomyoma. This is the first time such a case has been reported and highlights the fact that common conditions can sometimes present secondary to rare diseases. Case presentation A 39-year-old Caucasian man presented with a fairly typical presentation of trigger finger. During surgical treatment, the lesion was excised and sent for histology, which showed tissue consistent with a leiomyoma. The patient made an uneventful recovery. Conclusion Trigger finger is a common condition that is usually easily diagnosed and managed. However, it is important to appreciate that uncommon conditions, such as leiomyoma, can present with what is sometimes considered trivial disease, and one should always consider the differential diagnoses even when faced with relatively benign conditions.

  11. Identification of the ``a'' Genome of Finger Millet Using Chloroplast DNA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hilu, K. W.

    1988-01-01

    Finger millet (Eleusine corocana subsp. coracana), an important cereal in East Africa and India, is a tetraploid species with unknown genomic components. A recent cytogenetic study confirmed the direct origin of this millet from the tetraploid E. coracana subsp. africana but questioned Eleusine indica as a genomic donor. Chloroplast (ct) DNA sequence analysis using restriction fragment pattern was used to examine the phylogenetic relationships between E. coracana subsp. coracana (domesticated finger millet), E. coracana subspecies africana (wild finger millet), and E. indica. Eleusine tristachya was included since it is the only other annual diploid species in the genus with a basic chromosome number of x = 9 like finger millet. Eight of the ten restriction endonucleases used had 16 to over 30 restriction sites per genome and were informative. E. coracana subsp. coracana and subsp. africana and E. indica were identical in all the restriction sites surveyed, while the ct genome of E. tristachya differed consistently by at least one mutational event for each restriction enzyme surveyed. This random survey of the ct genomes of these species points out E. indica as one of the genome donors (maternal genome donor) of domesticated finger millet contrary to a previous cytogenetic study. The data also substantiate E. coracana subsp. africana as the progenitor of domesticated finger millet. The disparity between the cytogenetic and the molecular approaches is discussed in light of the problems associated with chromosome pairing and polyploidy. PMID:8608927

  12. Identification of the "A" genome of finger millet using chloroplast DNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hilu, K W

    1988-01-01

    Finger millet (Eleusine corocana subsp. coracana), an important cereal in East Africa and India, is a tetraploid species with unknown genomic components. A recent cytogenetic study confirmed the direct origin of this millet from the tetraploid E. coracana subsp. africana but questioned Eleusine indica as a genomic donor. Chloroplast (ct) DNA sequence analysis using restriction fragment pattern was used to examine the phylogenetic relationships between E. coracana subsp. coracana (domesticated finger millet), E. coracana subspecies africana (wild finger millet), and E. indica. Eleusine tristachya was included since it is the only other annual diploid species in the genus with a basic chromosome number of x = 9 like finger millet. Eight of the ten restriction endonucleases used had 16 to over 30 restriction sites per genome and were informative. E. coracana subsp. coracana and subsp. africana and E. indica were identical in all the restriction sites surveyed, while the ct genome of E, tristachya differed consistently by at least one mutational event for each restriction enzyme surveyed. This random survey of the ct genomes of these species points out E. indica as one of the genome donors (maternal genome donor) of domesticated finger millet contrary to a previous cytogenetic study. The data also substantiate E. coracana subsp. africana as the progenitor of domesticated finger millet. The disparity between the cytogenetic and the molecular approaches is discussed in light of the problems associated with chromosome pairing and polyploidy.

  13. CUTANEOUS MYXOID CYST ON THE SCLEROTIC FINGER IN A PATIENT WITH DIFFUSE SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Taeko Nakamura-Wakatsuki

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Skin tumors occurring on the scleroderma fingers are rarely seen. Swollen fingers are hallmarks of systemic sclerosis, and mucin deposition in the lesional skin is a constant feature in systemic sclerosis. Here we describe a case of cutaneous myxoid cyst on the flexor aspect of the sclerotic fingers in a patient with severe diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis. Cutaneous myxoid cyst is a relatively common benign tumor; however, cases of cutaneous myxoid cysts developing on the scleroderma fingers have not been reported to date. Mucin deposition in the sclerotic skin may be a predisposing factor in the induction of myxoid cyst on the scleroderma finger in our patient.

  14. Comparative analyses reveal high levels of conserved colinearity between the finger millet and rice genomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Srinivasachary; Dida, Mathews M; Gale, Mike D; Devos, Katrien M

    2007-08-01

    Finger millet is an allotetraploid (2n = 4x = 36) grass that belongs to the Chloridoideae subfamily. A comparative analysis has been carried out to determine the relationship of the finger millet genome with that of rice. Six of the nine finger millet homoeologous groups corresponded to a single rice chromosome each. Each of the remaining three finger millet groups were orthologous to two rice chromosomes, and in all the three cases one rice chromosome was inserted into the centromeric region of a second rice chromosome to give the finger millet chromosomal configuration. All observed rearrangements were, among the grasses, unique to finger millet and, possibly, the Chloridoideae subfamily. Gene orders between rice and finger millet were highly conserved, with rearrangements being limited largely to single marker transpositions and small putative inversions encompassing at most three markers. Only some 10% of markers mapped to non-syntenic positions in rice and finger millet and the majority of these were located in the distal 14% of chromosome arms, supporting a possible correlation between recombination and sequence evolution as has previously been observed in wheat. A comparison of the organization of finger millet, Panicoideae and Pooideae genomes relative to rice allowed us to infer putative ancestral chromosome configurations in the grasses.

  15. Contamination by human fingers. The Midas touch

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gwozdz, R.; Grass, F.

    2004-01-01

    Anthropogenic activity is one of the causes of contamination in the human environment: contamination of air, water, top soils, plants and food products has complex effects on human health problems. Wear and abrasion of various surfaces are constant processes in daily life, and commonly include interaction between human fingers and surfaces of every conceivable material. New methods for investigation of trace transfer processes by human fingers are described. Results of transfer for commonly used metals such as gold, silver, zinc, cadmium, tin, cobalt, nickel, chromium and iron are presented. Relationship between transfer of metals by touch and the general problem of purity in analytical activities is briefly discussed. (author)

  16. Mapping Ring Particle Cooling across Saturn's Rings with Cassini CIRS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brooks, Shawn M.; Spilker, L. J.; Edgington, S. G.; Pilorz, S. H.; Deau, E.

    2010-10-01

    Previous studies have shown that the rings' thermal inertia, a measure of their response to changes in the thermal environment, varies from ring to ring. Thermal inertia can provide insight into the physical structure of Saturn's ring particles and their regoliths. Low thermal inertia and quick temperature responses are suggestive of ring particles that have more porous or fluffy regoliths or that are riddled with cracks. Solid, coherent particles can be expected to have higher thermal inertias (Ferrari et al. 2005). Cassini's Composite Infrared Spectrometer has recorded millions of spectra of Saturn's rings since its arrival at Saturn in 2004 (personal communication, M. Segura). CIRS records far infrared radiation between 10 and 600 cm-1 (16.7 and 1000 µm) at focal plane 1 (FP1), which has a field of view of 3.9 mrad. Thermal emission from Saturn's rings peaks in this wavelength range. FP1 spectra can be used to infer ring temperatures. By tracking how ring temperatures vary, we can determine the thermal inertia of the rings. In this work we focus on CIRS observations of the shadowed portion of Saturn's rings. The thermal budget of the rings is dominated by the solar radiation absorbed by its constituent particles. When ring particles enter Saturn's shadow this source of energy is abruptly cut off. As a result, ring particles cool as they traverse Saturn's shadow. From these shadow observations we can create cooling curves at specific locations across the rings. We will show that the rings' cooling curves and thus their thermal inertia vary not only from ring to ring, but by location within the individual rings. This research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract with NASA. Copyright 2010 California Institute of Technology. Government sponsorship acknowledged.

  17. Models of brachial to finger pulse wave distortion and pressure decrement

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gizdulich, P.; Prentza, A.; Wesseling, K.H.

    1997-01-01

    Objective: To model the pulse wave distortion and pressure decrement occurring between brachial and finger arteries. Distortion reversion and decrement correction were also our aims. Methods: Brachial artery pressure was recorded intra-arterially and finger pressure was recorded non-invasively by

  18. Evaluation of nutraceutical and antinutritional properties in barnyard and finger millet varieties grown in Himalayan region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panwar, Priyankar; Dubey, Ashutosh; Verma, A K

    2016-06-01

    Five elite varieties of barnyard (Echinochloa frumentacea) and finger (Eleusine coracana) growing at northwestern Himalaya were investigated for nutraceutical and antinutritional properties. Barnyard millet contained higher amount of crude fiber, total dietary fiber, tryptophan content, total carotenoids, α-tocopherol compared to the finger millet whereas the finger millet contains higher amount of methionine and ascorbic acid as compared to the barnyard millet. The secondary metabolites of biological functions were analyzed and found that barnyard millet contained the higher amount of polyphenols, tannins and ortho-dihydroxy phenol content compared to finger millet. Among antinutitional compounds barnyard millet contained lower phytic acid content compare to finger millet whereas no significant difference in trypsin inhibition activity of barnyard millet and finger millet varieties were found. Barnyard millet contained higher acid phosphatase, α-galactosidase and α-amylase inhibitor activity compared to finger millet. Finger millet seeds contained about 10-13 folds higher calcium content and double amount of manganese content in comparison to barnyard millet seeds. Present study suggests that barnyard millet varieties studied under present investigation were found nutritionally superior compared to finger millet varieties.

  19. A "blind" vascular ring in association with congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation: A case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Bo; Hong, Chun; Tang, Jing; Liu, Cuifen; Yu, Gang

    2017-12-01

    The occurrence of congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation (CCAM) and vascular ring (VR) is extremely rare. We present a case of left CCAM with VR consisting of a left aortic arch and right descending aorta with left tracheal compression causing atelectasis. A high-risk male neonate with the diagnosis of left CCAM was diagnosed at 20 weeks gestational age by antenatal ultrasound. Chest CT revealed multiple cysts in the left inferior lung. Cardiac CT showed VR consisting of a left aortic arch and right descending aorta with left tracheal compression causing atelectasis. left inferior lobectomy was performed. Cardiac CT showed VR consisting of a left aortic arch and right descending aorta with left tracheal compression causing atelectasis. Descending aorta transposition was performed. The patient recovered smoothly and remained asymptomatic during the 12-months of postoperative follow-up period. We report this rare case of CCAM with VR consisting of left aortic arch and right descending aorta with left tracheal compression causing atelectasis. From the findings of this report, early surgical treatment is recommended. Although the prognosis after surgery remained good, second surgery can be avoided if VR was detected early. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Localized type Volkmann's contracture treated with tendon transfer and tension-reduced early mobilization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaji, Yoshio; Nakamura, Osamu; Yamaguchi, Konosuke; Tobiume, Sachiko; Yamamoto, Tetsuji

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Rationale: For localized type Volkmann's contracture, in which degeneration of the flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) muscle to one or two fingers and restriction of finger extension occur, dissection or excision of the affected muscle is usually recommended. However, these surgical procedures need relatively wide exposure of the muscle, because the FDP muscle is in the deep portion of the forearm. Patient concerns: In this report, the case of a 35-year-old woman with localized type Volkmann's contracture is presented. Her left forearm had been compressed with an industrial roller 4 months earlier, and severe flexion contracture of the long finger and mild flexion contracture of the ring finger developed gradually. Diagnoses: localized type Volkmann's contracture. Intervention: Five months after the injury, transection of the FDP tendon to the long finger and transfer of the transected tendon to the FDP tendon to the index finger was performed after adjusting the tonus of these two tendons using a small skin incision. This procedure was followed by a tension-reduced early mobilization technique in which a tension-reduced position of the tendon suture site was maintained by taping the long finger to the volar side of the index finger, and then immediate active range of motion (ROM) exercise was started. Outcomes: Within 9 weeks after surgery, full ROM had been regained. Lessons: Using the treatment procedure presented in this case report, a good clinical result was obtained in a minimally invasive manner. PMID:28072735

  1. Osseointegrated silicone finger prosthesis using dental implants: a renovated technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vinnakota, Dileep Nag; Sankar, V Vijay; Chirumamilla, Naveen; Reddy, V Vamsikrishna

    2014-11-01

    In clinical practice, we come across patients with traumatically amputated or congenitally missing partial or complete fingers that can be restored using microsurgical replantation or transplantation procedures. However, in some cases this might not be possible due to systemic or local factors and the lost or missing part has to be replaced prosthetically to offer psychological and functional wellbeing. These prostheses can be constructed with various materials like acrylics or silicone retained with the help of auxiliary aids. However, these prostheses cause some hindrance in performing functions like writing, typing, etc. The aim of the present trial was to ameliorate the existing design of implant supported finger prosthesis. Distal phalange of middle finger replaced with implant supported silicone finger prosthesis is modified by utilizing a metal framework to support silicone material to improve rigidity while working. We could achieve a good function, esthetics and tactile sensibility with this modified design. Whenever, feasible this design can improve the performance and patients feel a deep sense of satisfaction and improved self-esteem with this modified prosthesis.

  2. Multi-fingered haptic palpation utilizing granular jamming stiffness feedback actuators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Min; Sareh, Sina; Seneviratne, Lakmal D; Wurdemann, Helge A; Althoefer, Kaspar; Ranzani, Tommaso; Dasgupta, Prokar

    2014-01-01

    This paper describes a multi-fingered haptic palpation method using stiffness feedback actuators for simulating tissue palpation procedures in traditional and in robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery. Soft tissue stiffness is simulated by changing the stiffness property of the actuator during palpation. For the first time, granular jamming and pneumatic air actuation are combined to realize stiffness modulation. The stiffness feedback actuator is validated by stiffness measurements in indentation tests and through stiffness discrimination based on a user study. According to the indentation test results, the introduction of a pneumatic chamber to granular jamming can amplify the stiffness variation range and reduce hysteresis of the actuator. The advantage of multi-fingered palpation using the proposed actuators is proven by the comparison of the results of the stiffness discrimination performance using two-fingered (sensitivity: 82.2%, specificity: 88.9%, positive predicative value: 80.0%, accuracy: 85.4%, time: 4.84 s) and single-fingered (sensitivity: 76.4%, specificity: 85.7%, positive predicative value: 75.3%, accuracy: 81.8%, time: 7.48 s) stiffness feedback. (paper)

  3. Detection and direction discrimination of single vortex rings by harbour seals (Phoca vitulina).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krüger, Yvonne; Hanke, Wolf; Miersch, Lars; Dehnhardt, Guido

    2018-04-25

    Harbour seals possess highly sensitive vibrissae that enable them to track hydrodynamic trails left behind by a swimming fish. Most of these trails contain vortex rings as a main hydrodynamic component. They may reveal information about their generator as the trails differ depending on the fish species, the fish's body shape, size and swimming style. In addition, fish generate single vortex rings in diverse natural situations. In this study, the ability of blindfolded stationary harbour seals to detect and analyse single vortex rings regarding directional information has been investigated. In three different behavioural experiments, the animals were trained to respond to single artificially generated vortex rings. The results show that harbour seals are able to respond to a variety of different vortex rings upon vibrissal stimulation. The investigation of the minimum hydrodynamically perceivable angle revealed that it is at least as small as 5.7 deg, which was the smallest adjustable angle. Moreover, harbour seals are capable of analysing the travel direction of a vortex ring perceived by the mystacial vibrissae irrespective of whether the vibrissae were stimulated ipsilaterally or contralaterally. In situations in which no complex hydrodynamic trail is available, it is advantageous for a hunting seal to be able to extract information from a single vortex ring. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  4. Finger-Based Numerical Skills Link Fine Motor Skills to Numerical Development in Preschoolers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suggate, Sebastian; Stoeger, Heidrun; Fischer, Ursula

    2017-12-01

    Previous studies investigating the association between fine-motor skills (FMS) and mathematical skills have lacked specificity. In this study, we test whether an FMS link to numerical skills is due to the involvement of finger representations in early mathematics. We gave 81 pre-schoolers (mean age of 4 years, 9 months) a set of FMS measures and numerical tasks with and without a specific finger focus. Additionally, we used receptive vocabulary and chronological age as control measures. FMS linked more closely to finger-based than to nonfinger-based numerical skills even after accounting for the control variables. Moreover, the relationship between FMS and numerical skill was entirely mediated by finger-based numerical skills. We concluded that FMS are closely related to early numerical skill development through finger-based numerical counting that aids the acquisition of mathematical mental representations.

  5. Robotic Finger Assembly

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ihrke, Chris A. (Inventor); Bridgwater, Lyndon (Inventor); Diftler, Myron A. (Inventor); Linn, Douglas Martin (Inventor); Platt, Robert J., Jr. (Inventor); Hargrave, Brian (Inventor); Askew, Scott R. (Inventor); Valvo, Michael C. (Inventor)

    2014-01-01

    A robotic hand includes a finger with first, second, and third phalanges. A first joint rotatably connects the first phalange to a base structure. A second joint rotatably connects the first phalange to the second phalange. A third joint rotatably connects the third phalange to the second phalange. The second joint and the third joint are kinematically linked such that the position of the third phalange with respect to the second phalange is determined by the position of the second phalange with respect to the first phalange.

  6. Determining the number of fingers in the lifting Hele-Shaw problem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miranda, Jose; Dias, Eduardo

    2013-11-01

    The lifting Hele-Shaw cell flow is a variation of the celebrated radial viscous fingering problem for which the upper cell plate is lifted uniformly at a specified rate. This procedure causes the formation of intricate interfacial patterns. Most theoretical studies determine the total number of emerging fingers by maximizing the linear growth rate, but this generates discrepancies between theory and experiments. In this work, we tackle the number of fingers selection problem in the lifting Hele-Shaw cell by employing the recently proposed maximum-amplitude criterion. Our linear stability analysis accounts for the action of capillary, viscous normal stresses, and wetting effects, as well as the cell confinement. The comparison of our results with very precise laboratory measurements for the total number of fingers shows a significantly improved agreement between theoretical predictions and experimental data. We thank CNPq (Brazilian Sponsor) for financial support.

  7. The PEP [positron-electron-proton] electron-positron ring: PEP Stage I

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rees, J.R.

    1974-01-01

    The first stage of the positron-electron-proton (PEP) colliding-beam system which has been under joint study by a Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory-Stanford Linear Accelerator Center team for the past two years, will be the electron-positron storage ring. The physics justification for the e/sup /plus//e/sup /minus// ring is summarized briefly and the proposed facility is described. The ring will have six arcs having gross radii of about 220 m and six interaction regions located at the centers of straight sections about 130 m long. The longitudinal distance left free for experimental apparatus around the interaction regions will be 20 m. The range of operating beam energies will be from 5 GeV to 15 GeV. The design luminosity at 15 GeV will be 10 32 cm/sup /minus/2/s/sup/minus/1/, and the luminosity will vary approximately as the square of the beam energy. Alternative methods under consideration for adjusting the beam cross-section are discussed. The designs of the storage ring subsystems and of the conventional facilities including the experimental halls at the interaction regions are described. 7 refs., 8 figs., 3 tabs

  8. Act on Numbers: Numerical Magnitude Influences Selection and Kinematics of Finger Movement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosa Rugani

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available In the past decade hand kinematics has been reliably adopted for investigating cognitive processes and disentangling debated topics. One of the most controversial issues in numerical cognition literature regards the origin – cultural vs. genetically driven – of the mental number line (MNL, oriented from left (small numbers to right (large numbers. To date, the majority of studies have investigated this effect by means of response times, whereas studies considering more culturally unbiased measures such as kinematic parameters are rare. Here, we present a new paradigm that combines a “free response” task with the kinematic analysis of movement. Participants were seated in front of two little soccer goals placed on a table, one on the left and one on the right side. They were presented with left- or right-directed arrows and they were instructed to kick a small ball with their right index toward the goal indicated by the arrow. In a few test trials participants were presented also with a small (2 or a large (8 number, and they were allowed to choose the kicking direction. Participants performed more left responses with the small number and more right responses with the large number. The whole kicking movement was segmented in two temporal phases in order to make a hand kinematics’ fine-grained analysis. The Kick Preparation and Kick Finalization phases were selected on the basis of peak trajectory deviation from the virtual midline between the two goals. Results show an effect of both small and large numbers on action execution timing. Participants were faster to finalize the action when responding to small numbers toward the left and to large number toward the right. Here, we provide the first experimental demonstration which highlights how numerical processing affects action execution in a new and not-overlearned context. The employment of this innovative and unbiased paradigm will permit to disentangle the role of nature and culture

  9. Non-destructive examination of the bonding interface in DEMO divertor fingers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Richou, Marianne; Missirlian, Marc; Vignal, Nicolas; Cantone, Vincent; Hernandez, Caroline; Norajitra, Prachai; Spatafora, Luigi

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • SATIR tests on DEMO divertor fingers (integrating or not He cooling system). • Millimeter size artificial defects were manufactured. • Detectability of millimeter size artificial defects was evaluated. • SATIR can detect defect in DEMO divertor fingers. • Simulations are well correlated to SATIR tests. -- Abstract: Plasma facing components (PFCs) with tungsten (W) armor materials for DEMO divertor require a high heat flux removal capability (at least 10 MW/m 2 in steady-state conditions). The reference divertor PFC concept is a finger with a tungsten tile as a protection and sacrificial layer brazed to a thimble made of tungsten alloy W – 1% La 2 O 3 (WL10). Defects may be located at the W thimble to W tile interface. As the number of fingers is considerable (>250,000), it is then a major issue to develop a reliable control procedure in order to control with a non-destructive examination the fabrication processes. The feasibility for detecting defect with infrared thermography SATIR test bed is presented. SATIR is based on the heat transient method and is used as an inspection tool in order to assess component heat transfer capability. SATIR tests were performed on fingers integrating or not the complex He cooling system (steel cartridge with jet holes). Millimeter size artificial defects were manufactured and their detectability was evaluated. Results of this study demonstrate that the SATIR method can be considered as a relevant non-destructive technique examination for the defect detection of DEMO divertor fingers

  10. Cortex Inspired Model for Inverse Kinematics Computation for a Humanoid Robotic Finger

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gentili, Rodolphe J.; Oh, Hyuk; Molina, Javier; Reggia, James A.; Contreras-Vidal, José L.

    2013-01-01

    In order to approach human hand performance levels, artificial anthropomorphic hands/fingers have increasingly incorporated human biomechanical features. However, the performance of finger reaching movements to visual targets involving the complex kinematics of multi-jointed, anthropomorphic actuators is a difficult problem. This is because the relationship between sensory and motor coordinates is highly nonlinear, and also often includes mechanical coupling of the two last joints. Recently, we developed a cortical model that learns the inverse kinematics of a simulated anthropomorphic finger. Here, we expand this previous work by assessing if this cortical model is able to learn the inverse kinematics for an actual anthropomorphic humanoid finger having its two last joints coupled and controlled by pneumatic muscles. The findings revealed that single 3D reaching movements, as well as more complex patterns of motion of the humanoid finger, were accurately and robustly performed by this cortical model while producing kinematics comparable to those of humans. This work contributes to the development of a bioinspired controller providing adaptive, robust and flexible control of dexterous robotic and prosthetic hands. PMID:23366569

  11. Effects of finger counting on numerical development – the opposing views of neurocognition and mathematics education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Korbinian eMoeller

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Usually children learn the basic principles of number and arithmetic by the help of finger-based representations. However, whether the reliance on finger-based representations is only beneficial or whether it may even become detrimental is the subject of an ongoing debate between neuro-cognitive and mathematics education researchers. From the neuro-cognitive perspective finger counting provides multi-sensory input conveying both cardinal and ordinal aspects of numbers. Recent data indicate that children with good finger-based numerical representations show better arithmetic skills and that training finger gnosis enhances mathematical skills. From this neuro-cognitive researchers conclude that elaborate finger-based numerical representations are beneficial for later numerical development.However, mathematics education research recommends fostering mental numerical representations so as to induce children to abandon finger-counting. More precisely mathematics education recommends moving from finger counting to concrete structured representations and then, finally, to mental representations of numbers.Taken together, there is obviously an important debate between the neuro-cognitve and mathematics education research concerning the benefits or detriments of finger-based strategies for numerical development. In the present review, the rationale of both lines of evidence will be presented and discussed.

  12. Immiscible three-dimensional fingering in porous media: A weakly nonlinear analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brandão, Rodolfo; Dias, Eduardo O.; Miranda, José A.

    2018-03-01

    We present a weakly nonlinear theory for the development of fingering instabilities that arise at the interface between two immiscible viscous fluids flowing radially outward in a uniform three-dimensional (3D) porous medium. By employing a perturbative second-order mode-coupling scheme, we investigate the linear stability of the system as well as the emergence of intrinsically nonlinear finger branching events in this 3D environment. At the linear stage, we find several differences between the 3D radial fingering and its 2D counterpart (usual Saffman-Taylor flow in radial Hele-Shaw cells). These include the algebraic growth of disturbances and the existence of regions of absolute stability for finite values of viscosity contrast and capillary number in the 3D system. On the nonlinear level, our main focus is to get analytical insight into the physical mechanism resulting in the occurrence of finger tip-splitting phenomena. In this context, we show that the underlying mechanism leading to 3D tip splitting relies on the coupling between the fundamental interface modes and their first harmonics. However, we find that in three dimensions, in contrast to the usual 2D fingering structures normally encountered in radial Hele-Shaw flows, tip splitting into three branches can also be observed.

  13. Ribosomal DNA variation in finger millet and wild species of Eleusine (Poaceae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hilu, K W; Johnson, J L

    1992-04-01

    Finger millet is an important cereal crop in the semi-arid regions of Africa and India. The crop belongs to the grass genus Eleusine, which includes nine annual and perennial species native to Africa except for the New World species E. tristachya. Ribosomal DNA (rDNA) variation in finger millet and related wild species was used to provide information on the origin of the genomes of this tetraploid crop and point out genetic relationships of the crop to other species in the genus. The restriction endonucleases used revealed a lack of variability in the rDNA spacer region in domesticated finger millet. All the rDNA variants of the crop were found in the proposed direct tetraploid ancestor, E. coracana subsp. africana. Wild and domesticated finger millet displayed the phenotypes found in diploid E. indica. Diploid Eleusine tristachya showed some similarity to the crop in some restriction sites. The remaining species were quite distinct in rDNA fragment patterns. The study supports the direct origin of finger millet from subspecies africana shows E. indica to be one of the genome donors of the crop, and demonstrates that none of the other species examined could have donated the second genome of the crop. The rDNA data raise the possibility that wild and domesticated finger millet could have originated as infraspecific polyploid hybrids from different varieties of E. indica.

  14. From viscous fingers to wormholes - interactions between structures emerging in unstable growth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Budek, Agnieszka; Kwiatkowski, Kamil; Szymczak, Piotr

    2017-04-01

    Dissolution of porous and fractured rock can lead to instabilities, where long finger-like channels or „wormholes" are spontaneously formed, focusing the majority of the flow. Formation of those structures leads to a significant increase in permeability of the system, and is thus important in many engineering applications, e.g. in acidization during oil and gas recovery stimulation. In this communication, we analyse this process using two different numerical models (a network model and a Darcy scale one). We show that wormhole patterns depend strongly on the amount of soluble material in the system, as quantified by the permeability contrast κ between the dissolved and undissolved medium. For small and intermediate values of κ, a large number of relatively thin and strongly interacting channels are formed. The longer channels attract shorter ones, with loops being formed as a result. However, for large values of κ the pattern gets sparse with individual wormholes repelling each other. Interestingly, a similar succession of patterns can be observed in viscous fingering in a rectangular network of channels. In such a system, anisotropy of the network promotes the growth of long and thin fingers which behave similarly to wormholes. The attraction rate between growing fingers depends strongly on the viscosity ratio, I. The latter plays a role similar to that of permeability ratio for dissolution of porous material. To explain this behaviour, we have created a simple analytical model of interacting fingers, allowing us to quantify their mutual interaction as a function of finger lengths, distances between them and - most importantly - relative permeabilities. The theoretical predictions are in a good agreement with simulation data for both dissolution and viscous fingering processes.

  15. Abnormal maximal finger tapping in abstinent cannabis users.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flavel, Stanley C; White, Jason M; Todd, Gabrielle

    2013-11-01

    To investigate movement speed and rhythmicity in abstinent cannabis users, we hypothesized that abstinent cannabis users exhibit decreased maximal finger tapping frequency and increased variability of tapping compared with non-drug users. The study involved 10 healthy adult cannabis users and 10 age-matched and gender-matched controls with no history of illicit drug use. Subjects underwent a series of screening tests prior to participation. Subjects were then asked to tap a strain gauge as fast as possible with the index finger of their dominant hand (duration 5 s). The average intertap interval did not significantly differ between groups, but the coefficient of variation of the intertap interval was significantly greater in the cannabis group than in controls (p=0.011). The cannabis group also exhibited a slow tapping frequency at the beginning of the task. Rhythmicity of finger tapping is abnormal in individuals with a history of cannabis use. The abnormality appears to be long lasting and adds to the list of functional changes present in abstinent cannabis users. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  16. Compensating Pose Uncertainties through Appropriate Gripper Finger Cutouts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wolniakowski Adam

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The gripper finger design is a recurring problem in many robotic grasping platforms used in industry. The task of switching the gripper configuration to accommodate for a new batch of objects typically requires engineering expertise, and is a lengthy and costly iterative trial-and-error process. One of the open challenges is the need for the gripper to compensate for uncertainties inherent to the workcell, e.g. due to errors in calibration, inaccurate pose estimation from the vision system, or object deformation. In this paper, we present an analysis of gripper uncertainty compensating capabilities in a sample industrial object grasping scenario for a finger that was designed using an automated simulation-based geometry optimization method (Wolniakowski et al., 2013, 2015. We test the developed gripper with a set of grasps subjected to structured perturbation in a simulation environment and in the real-world setting. We provide a comparison of the data obtained by using both of these approaches. We argue that the strong correspondence observed in results validates the use of dynamic simulation for the gripper finger design and optimization.

  17. A finger leaf design for dual layer MLCs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cui Weijie; Dai Jianrong

    2010-01-01

    Objective: To introduce a finger leaf design that is applied to dual layer MLCs. Methods: An optimization model was firstly constructed to describe the problem of determining leaf end shapes,and the corresponding problems were then solved by the simplex search method or the simulated annealing technique. Optimal parameters for arc shapes of leaf end projections were obtained, and a comparison was done between optimized MLCs and conventional MLCs in terms of field conformity. The optimization process was based on 634 target fields selected from the patient data base of a treatment planning system. Areas of these fields ranged from 20.0 to 602.7 cm with a mean and its standard deviation of (125.7 ± 0.0) cm 2 . Results: The optimized leaf end shapes projected to the isocenter plane were semicircles. With the finger leaf design, the total area of discrepancy regions between MLC fields and target fields was reduced by 32.3%. Conclusions: The finger leaf design improves the conformity of the MLC shaped fields to the desired target fields. (authors)

  18. Hand exposure of nuclear medicine workers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jankowski, J.; Wrzesien, M.; Olszewski, J.

    2007-01-01

    Full text: Workers of Nuclear Medicine units labelling radiopharmaceuticals with technetium 99mTc are exposed to gamma radiation. The general opinion that individual dosimetry, with the aid of personal dose meters worn on the radiopharmacists' body, reflects true exposure of that occupational group is false. The use of ring dose meters worn on the fingers does not provide a true indication of the exposure of the radiopharmacists' hands. Measurements performed in 2001 - 2005 by the Institute of Occupational Medicine, with the use of dose meters placed on radiopharmacists' fingers, revealed that the equivalent dose to the hands ranged from 5.5 mSv to 95 mSv. Mean annual dose was 29 mSv. The finger dose meter is usually worn at the base of the middle finger, even if it is the fingertips that are most exposed to the radiation. In 2004-2005, we determined the distributions of the doses to the radiopharmacists' hands. The determinations were performed during one working day. During those determinations, thermo luminescence detectors were placed at 19 locations on the left and right hands. The subjects were 13 workers of 5 nuclear medicine units. The recorded doses ranged from 0.02 to 28 mSv for the left hand, and from 0.01 to 18 mSv for the right hand. The results show that the tips of the thumb, index finger and middle finger were the most exposed areas. The chances that the skin of those three fingertips receives yearly doses in excess of the current limit of 500 mSv are fairly high. It is recommended, therefore, to use annual dose constraints for the dose recorded by the ring dose meter at the level of 100 mSv per year as a safe limit to protect workers from the risk of exceeding the limit value for the dermal exposure. Whenever the dose value approaches 100 mSv/u, where u is the number of determinations of the partial doses performed during the period of one year, steps must be undertaken to explain the reasons why such a level has been reached and suitable

  19. RADIOGRAPHIC AND ULTRASONOGRAPHIC ABDOMINAL ANATOMY IN CAPTIVE RING-TAILED LEMURS (LEMUR CATTA).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makungu, Modesta; du Plessis, Wencke M; Barrows, Michelle; Groenewald, Hermanus B; Koeppel, Katja N

    2016-06-01

    The ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) is primarily distributed in south and southwestern Madagascar. It is classified as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Various abdominal diseases, such as hepatic lipidosis, intestinal ulcers, cystitis, urinary tract obstruction, and neoplasia (e.g., colonic adenocarcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma), have been reported in this species. The aim of this study was to describe the normal radiographic and ultrasonographic abdominal anatomy in captive ring-tailed lemurs to provide guidance for clinical use. Radiography of the abdomen and ultrasonography of the liver, spleen, kidneys, and urinary bladder were performed in 13 and 9 healthy captive ring-tailed lemurs, respectively, during their annual health examinations. Normal radiographic and ultrasonographic reference ranges for abdominal organs were established and ratios were calculated. The majority (12/13) of animals had seven lumbar vertebrae. The sacrum had mainly (12/13) three segments. Abdominal serosal detail was excellent in all animals, and hypaxial muscles were conspicuous in the majority (11/13) of animals. The spleen was frequently (12/13) seen on the ventrodorsal (VD) view and rarely (3/13) on the right lateral (RL) view. The liver was less prominent and well contained within the ribcage. The pylorus was mostly (11/13) located to the right of the midline. The right and left kidneys were visible on the RL and VD views, with the right kidney positioned more cranial and dorsal to the left kidney. On ultrasonography, the kidneys appeared ovoid on transverse and longitudinal views. The medulla was hypoechoic to the renal cortex. The renal cortex was frequently (8/9) isoechoic and rarely (1/9) hyperechoic to the splenic parenchyma. The liver parenchyma was hypoechoic (5/5) to the renal cortex. Knowledge of the normal radiographic and ultrasonographic abdominal anatomy of ring-tailed lemurs may be useful in the diagnosis of diseases and in

  20. MR imaging of the finger tendons: Normal anatomy and commonly encountered pathology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ragheb, Dina; Stanley, Anthony; Gentili, Amilcare; Hughes, Tudor; Chung, Christine B.

    2005-01-01

    MR imaging has emerged as a powerful tool in the evaluation of soft tissue structures such as the tendons of the hand and finger due to its excellent soft tissue contrast and multiplanar imaging capabilities. In the finger and hand, perhaps more than in any other location in the body, a detailed and intimate understanding of anatomy is crucial for lesion localization, directing clinical management and predicting long-term prognosis. These issues are of paramount importance to both the clinician and imager, both faced with the challenge of the complex anatomy and pathology associated with these delicate structures. The anatomy of the finger including intrinsic and extrinsic muscles, retinacular structures, and tendons will be discussed. The MR imaging features of common lesions of the tendons of the hand and finger will be reviewed

  1. Finger Vein Recognition Based on a Personalized Best Bit Map

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Gongping; Xi, Xiaoming; Yin, Yilong

    2012-01-01

    Finger vein patterns have recently been recognized as an effective biometric identifier. In this paper, we propose a finger vein recognition method based on a personalized best bit map (PBBM). Our method is rooted in a local binary pattern based method and then inclined to use the best bits only for matching. We first present the concept of PBBM and the generating algorithm. Then we propose the finger vein recognition framework, which consists of preprocessing, feature extraction, and matching. Finally, we design extensive experiments to evaluate the effectiveness of our proposal. Experimental results show that PBBM achieves not only better performance, but also high robustness and reliability. In addition, PBBM can be used as a general framework for binary pattern based recognition. PMID:22438735

  2. Visual Foraging With Fingers and Eye Gaze

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ómar I. Jóhannesson

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available A popular model of the function of selective visual attention involves search where a single target is to be found among distractors. For many scenarios, a more realistic model involves search for multiple targets of various types, since natural tasks typically do not involve a single target. Here we present results from a novel multiple-target foraging paradigm. We compare finger foraging where observers cancel a set of predesignated targets by tapping them, to gaze foraging where observers cancel items by fixating them for 100 ms. During finger foraging, for most observers, there was a large difference between foraging based on a single feature, where observers switch easily between target types, and foraging based on a conjunction of features where observers tended to stick to one target type. The pattern was notably different during gaze foraging where these condition differences were smaller. Two conclusions follow: (a The fact that a sizeable number of observers (in particular during gaze foraging had little trouble switching between different target types raises challenges for many prominent theoretical accounts of visual attention and working memory. (b While caveats must be noted for the comparison of gaze and finger foraging, the results suggest that selection mechanisms for gaze and pointing have different operational constraints.

  3. Haematopoietic malignancies caused by dysregulation of a chromatin-binding PHD finger.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Gang G; Song, Jikui; Wang, Zhanxin; Dormann, Holger L; Casadio, Fabio; Li, Haitao; Luo, Jun-Li; Patel, Dinshaw J; Allis, C David

    2009-06-11

    Histone H3 lysine 4 methylation (H3K4me) has been proposed as a critical component in regulating gene expression, epigenetic states, and cellular identities1. The biological meaning of H3K4me is interpreted by conserved modules including plant homeodomain (PHD) fingers that recognize varied H3K4me states. The dysregulation of PHD fingers has been implicated in several human diseases, including cancers and immune or neurological disorders. Here we report that fusing an H3K4-trimethylation (H3K4me3)-binding PHD finger, such as the carboxy-terminal PHD finger of PHF23 or JARID1A (also known as KDM5A or RBBP2), to a common fusion partner nucleoporin-98 (NUP98) as identified in human leukaemias, generated potent oncoproteins that arrested haematopoietic differentiation and induced acute myeloid leukaemia in murine models. In these processes, a PHD finger that specifically recognizes H3K4me3/2 marks was essential for leukaemogenesis. Mutations in PHD fingers that abrogated H3K4me3 binding also abolished leukaemic transformation. NUP98-PHD fusion prevented the differentiation-associated removal of H3K4me3 at many loci encoding lineage-specific transcription factors (Hox(s), Gata3, Meis1, Eya1 and Pbx1), and enforced their active gene transcription in murine haematopoietic stem/progenitor cells. Mechanistically, NUP98-PHD fusions act as 'chromatin boundary factors', dominating over polycomb-mediated gene silencing to 'lock' developmentally critical loci into an active chromatin state (H3K4me3 with induced histone acetylation), a state that defined leukaemia stem cells. Collectively, our studies represent, to our knowledge, the first report that deregulation of the PHD finger, an 'effector' of specific histone modification, perturbs the epigenetic dynamics on developmentally critical loci, catastrophizes cellular fate decision-making, and even causes oncogenesis during mammalian development.

  4. Finger blood content, light transmission, and pulse oximetry errors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Craft, T M; Lawson, R A; Young, J D

    1992-01-01

    The changes in light emitting diode current necessary to maintain a constant level of light incident upon a photodetector were measured in 20 volunteers at the two wavelengths employed by pulse oximeters. Three states of finger blood content were assessed; exsanguinated, hyperaemic, and normal. The changes in light emitting diode current with changes in finger blood content were small and are not thought to represent a significant source of error in saturation as measured by pulse oximetry.

  5. Large-signal modeling of multi-finger InP DHBT devices at millimeter-wave frequencies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Johansen, Tom Keinicke; Midili, Virginio; Squartecchia, Michele

    2017-01-01

    A large-signal modeling approach has been developed for multi-finger devices fabricated in an Indium Phosphide (InP) Double Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor (DHBT) process. The approach utilizes unit-finger device models embedded in a multi-port parasitic network. The unit-finger model is based...... on an improved UCSD HBT model formulation avoiding an erroneous RciCbci transit-time contribution from the intrinsic collector region as found in other III-V based HBT models. The mutual heating between fingers is modeled by a thermal coupling network with parameters extracted from electro-thermal simulations...

  6. Cold-Blooded Attention: Finger Temperature Predicts Attentional Performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vergara, Rodrigo C; Moënne-Loccoz, Cristóbal; Maldonado, Pedro E

    2017-01-01

    Thermal stress has been shown to increase the chances of unsafe behavior during industrial and driving performances due to reductions in mental and attentional resources. Nonetheless, establishing appropriate safety standards regarding environmental temperature has been a major problem, as modulations are also be affected by the task type, complexity, workload, duration, and previous experience with the task. To bypass this attentional and thermoregulatory problem, we focused on the body rather than environmental temperature. Specifically, we measured tympanic, forehead, finger and environmental temperatures accompanied by a battery of attentional tasks. We considered a 10 min baseline period wherein subjects were instructed to sit and relax, followed by three attentional tasks: a continuous performance task (CPT), a flanker task (FT) and a counting task (CT). Using multiple linear regression models, we evaluated which variable(s) were the best predictors of performance. The results showed a decrement in finger temperature due to instruction and task engagement that was absent when the subject was instructed to relax. No changes were observed in tympanic or forehead temperatures, while the environmental temperature remained almost constant for each subject. Specifically, the magnitude of the change in finger temperature was the best predictor of performance in all three attentional tasks. The results presented here suggest that finger temperature can be used as a predictor of alertness, as it predicted performance in attentional tasks better than environmental temperature. These findings strongly support that peripheral temperature can be used as a tool to prevent unsafe behaviors and accidents.

  7. Cold-Blooded Attention: Finger Temperature Predicts Attentional Performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rodrigo C. Vergara

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Thermal stress has been shown to increase the chances of unsafe behavior during industrial and driving performances due to reductions in mental and attentional resources. Nonetheless, establishing appropriate safety standards regarding environmental temperature has been a major problem, as modulations are also be affected by the task type, complexity, workload, duration, and previous experience with the task. To bypass this attentional and thermoregulatory problem, we focused on the body rather than environmental temperature. Specifically, we measured tympanic, forehead, finger and environmental temperatures accompanied by a battery of attentional tasks. We considered a 10 min baseline period wherein subjects were instructed to sit and relax, followed by three attentional tasks: a continuous performance task (CPT, a flanker task (FT and a counting task (CT. Using multiple linear regression models, we evaluated which variable(s were the best predictors of performance. The results showed a decrement in finger temperature due to instruction and task engagement that was absent when the subject was instructed to relax. No changes were observed in tympanic or forehead temperatures, while the environmental temperature remained almost constant for each subject. Specifically, the magnitude of the change in finger temperature was the best predictor of performance in all three attentional tasks. The results presented here suggest that finger temperature can be used as a predictor of alertness, as it predicted performance in attentional tasks better than environmental temperature. These findings strongly support that peripheral temperature can be used as a tool to prevent unsafe behaviors and accidents.

  8. Self-Expression or Teacher Influence: The Shaw System of Finger-Painting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stankiewicz, Mary Ann

    1984-01-01

    Finger painting is often regarded as the epitome of free expression for children. However, a careful review of the history of Ruth Shaw's finger-painting system reveals that it was dominated by specific techniques and stylistic conventions taught without a critical understanding of art history or appreciation. (IS)

  9. Anatomical variations of the thymus in relation to the left brachiocephalic vein, findings of necropsia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plaza, Oscar Alonso; Moreno, Freddy

    2018-04-01

    Two cases of anatomical variations of the thymus are presented with respect to the anatomical relations with the left brachiocephalic vein and found during the necropsy process. Less than 2 days after birth with Noonan Syndrome, when the left brachiocephalic vein was scanning behind the upper thymus horns, there were other adjacent lesions consisting of three supernumerary spleens and three hepatic veins. The second case was an 8-year-old infant with child malpractice who died from urinary sepsis due to obstructive uropathy, in which case the upper lobes of the thymus were fused and formed a ring through which the left brachiocephalic vein passed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Mechanisms of inhibition of zinc-finger transcription factors by selenium compounds ebselen and selenite.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larabee, Jason L; Hocker, James R; Hanas, Jay S

    2009-03-01

    The anti-inflammatory selenium compounds, ebselen (2-phenyl-1,2-benzisoselenazol-3[2H]-one) and selenite, were found to alter the DNA binding mechanisms and structures of cysteine-rich zinc-finger transcription factors. As assayed by DNase I protection, DNA binding by TFIIIA (transcription factor IIIA, prototypical Cys(2)His(2) zinc finger protein), was inhibited by micromolar amounts of ebselen. In a gel shift assay, ebselen inhibited the Cys(2)His(2) zinc finger-containing DNA binding domain (DBD) of the NF-kappaB mediated transcription factor Sp1. Ebselen also inhibited DNA binding by the p50 subunit of the pro-inflammatory Cys-containing NF-kappaB transcription factor. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) was utilized to elucidate mechanisms of chemical interaction between ebselen and a zinc-bound Cys(2)His(2) zinc finger polypeptide modeled after the third finger of Sp1 (Sp1-3). Exposing Sp1-3 to micromolar amounts of ebselen resulted in Zn(2+) release from this peptide and the formation of a disulfide bond by oxidation of zinc finger SH groups, the likely mechanism for DNA binding inhibition. Selenite was shown by ESI-MS to also eject zinc from Sp1-3 as well as induce disulfide bond formation through SH oxidation. The selenite-dependent inhibition/oxidation mechanism differed from that of ebselen by inducing the formation of a stable selenotrisulfide bond. Selenite-induced selenotrisulfide formation was dependent upon the structure of the Cys(2)His(2) zinc finger as alteration in the finger structure enhanced this reaction as well as selenite-dependent zinc release. Ebselen and selenite-dependent inhibition/oxidation of Cys-rich zinc finger proteins, with concomitant release of zinc and finger structural changes, points to mechanisms at the atomic and protein level for selenium-induced alterations in Cys-rich proteins, and possible amelioration of certain inflammatory, neurodegenerative, and oncogenic responses.

  11. Radiosynoviorthesis in osteoarthritis of finger joints

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moedder, G.

    2006-01-01

    This is an overview about osteoarthritis of the finger joints. The scientific publications according to the therapy of this disease by means of radiosynoviorthesis are presented, comparing the results in rheumatoid arthritis. Additionally own experience and results are reported. (orig.)

  12. Insights using the molecular model of Lipoxygenase from Finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.)).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tiwari, Apoorv; Avashthi, Himanshu; Jha, Richa; Srivastava, Ambuj; Kumar Garg, Vijay; Wasudev Ramteke, Pramod; Kumar, Anil

    2016-01-01

    Lipoxygenase-1 (LOX-1) protein provides defense against pests and pathogens and its presence have been positively correlated with plant resistance against pathogens. Linoleate is a known substrate of lipoxygenase and it induces necrosis leading to the accumulation of isoflavonoid phytoalexins in plant leaves. Therefore, it is of interest to study the structural features of LOX-1 from Finger millet. However, the structure ofLOX-1 from Finger millet is not yet known. A homology model of LOX-1 from Finger millet is described. Domain architecture study suggested the presence of two domains namely PLAT (Phospho Lipid Acyl Transferase) and lipoxygenase. Molecular docking models of linoleate with lipoxygenase from finger millet, rice and sorghum are reported. The features of docked models showed that finger millet have higher pathogen resistance in comparison to other cereal crops. This data is useful for the molecular cloning of fulllength LOX-1 gene for validating its role in improving plant defense against pathogen infection and for various other biological processes.

  13. Role of zinc finger structure in nuclear localization of transcription factor Sp1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ito, Tatsuo; Azumano, Makiko; Uwatoko, Chisana; Itoh, Kohji; Kuwahara, Jun

    2009-01-01

    Transcription factor Sp1 is localized in the nucleus and regulates gene expression. Our previous study demonstrated that the carboxyl terminal region of Sp1 containing 3-zinc finger region as DNA binding domain can also serve as nuclear localization signal (NLS). However, the nuclear transport mechanism of Sp1 has not been well understood. In this study, we performed a gene expression study on mutant Sp1 genes causing a set of amino acid substitutions in zinc finger domains to elucidate nuclear import activity. Nuclear localization of the GFP-fused mutant Sp1 proteins bearing concomitant substitutions in the first and third zinc fingers was highly inhibited. These mutant Sp1 proteins had also lost the binding ability as to the GC box sequence. The results suggest that the overall tertiary structure formed by the three zinc fingers is essential for nuclear localization of Sp1 as well as dispersed basic amino acids within the zinc fingers region.

  14. Significance of Gram's stain smear, potassium hydroxide mount, culture, and microscopic pathology in the diagnosis of acrodermatitis continua of Hallopeau.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sehgal, Virendra N; Sharma, Sonal

    2011-01-01

    A 21-year-old housewife presented to the authors' clinic in 2009 with recurrent papulovesicular and pustular eruptions on the index an ring fingers of the left hand accompanied by throbbing pain that had been active for the past 10 years. The condition did not respond to topical and/or systemic treatment. There was neither a personal/family history of psoriasis nor any other systemic disease. The sk surface of the patient's left hand was marked by the presence of multiple pustules located over an erythematous background, affecting th ring and adjoining middle fingers, with crusting prominent in places along the tips (Figure 1). Gram-stained smears prepared from th purulent specimen revealed Gram-positive cocci in clusters. Potassium hydroxide (KOH) examination of the pustules did not show a fungal elements. In vitro culture of the same specimen yielded growth of Staphylococcus aureus, which was found to be sensitive to almo all conventional antibiotics on aerobic culture. Sections prepared from the skin of the tip of the patient's finger showed marked epithelial hyperplasia with uniform elongation of rete ridges and supra-papillary thinning of the epidermis. There was hyperkeratosis with foci of mounds of parakeratosis. Spongiosis with neutrophilic infiltration and microabscess formation were prominent. The dermis showed perivascular lymphohistiocytic infiltrate (Figure 2A and 2B). No organism was identified on special stains. Results from hemography and liver and renal function tests were within normal limits. The diagnosis of acrodermatitis continua of Hallopeau (ACH) was made, in keeping with the findings. The patient received ceftriaxone 1.0 g and tazobactam 125 mg by slow intravenous infusion for 3 consecutive days, following which there was complete regression of the lesions. After cessation of therapy, there was complete recurrence.

  15. Measuring contact area in a sliding human finger-pad contact.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, X; Carré, M J; Zhang, Q; Lu, Z; Matcher, S J; Lewis, R

    2018-02-01

    The work outlined in this paper was aimed at achieving further understanding of skin frictional behaviour by investigating the contact area between human finger-pads and flat surfaces. Both the static and the dynamic contact areas (in macro- and micro-scales) were measured using various techniques, including ink printing, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and Digital Image Correlation (DIC). In the studies of the static measurements using ink printing, the experimental results showed that the apparent and the real contact area increased with load following a piecewise linear correlation function for a finger-pad in contact with paper sheets. Comparisons indicated that the OCT method is a reliable and effective method to investigate the real contact area of a finger-pad and allow micro-scale analysis. The apparent contact area (from the DIC measurements) was found to reduce with time in the transition from the static phase to the dynamic phase while the real area of contact (from OCT) increased. The results from this study enable the interaction between finger-pads and contact object surface to be better analysed, and hence improve the understanding of skin friction. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. Analyses results of the EHF FW Panel with welded fingers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sviridenko, M.N.; Leshukov, A.Yu.; Razmerov, A.V.; Tomilov, S.N.; Danilov, I.V.; Strebkov, Yu.S.; Mazul, I.V.; Labusov, A.; Gervash, A.A.; Belov, A.V.; Semichev, D.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • The design of FW panel with welded fingers has been developed. • The FW panel with welded fingers has been analyzed. • The pressure drop in FW panel coolant path do not exceed allowable one. • The mass flow rate distribution between finger pairs are on acceptable level. • Temperatures in FW components do not exceed allowable one. - Abstract: According to Procurement Arrangement (PA) Russian Federation will procure 40% of enhanced heat flux first wall (FW) panels. The signing of PA is scheduled on November 2013. In framework of PA preparation the RF specialists perform EHF FW design optimization in order to provide the ability to operation of EHF FW panel under ITER conditions. This article contains the design description of EHF FW 14 developed by RF and following analysis have been performed: • Hydraulic analysis; • Transient thermal analysis; • Structural analysis. Analyses results show that new design of FW panel with two straight welds for finger fixation on FW beam developed by RF specialists can be used as a reference design for ITER blanket EHF FW panel loaded by 5 MW/m 2 peak heat flux

  17. Finger vein recognition using local line binary pattern.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosdi, Bakhtiar Affendi; Shing, Chai Wuh; Suandi, Shahrel Azmin

    2011-01-01

    In this paper, a personal verification method using finger vein is presented. Finger vein can be considered more secured compared to other hands based biometric traits such as fingerprint and palm print because the features are inside the human body. In the proposed method, a new texture descriptor called local line binary pattern (LLBP) is utilized as feature extraction technique. The neighbourhood shape in LLBP is a straight line, unlike in local binary pattern (LBP) which is a square shape. Experimental results show that the proposed method using LLBP has better performance than the previous methods using LBP and local derivative pattern (LDP).

  18. Surgery for trigger finger.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fiorini, Haroldo Junior; Tamaoki, Marcel Jun; Lenza, Mário; Gomes Dos Santos, Joao Baptista; Faloppa, Flávio; Belloti, Joao Carlos

    2018-02-20

    Trigger finger is a common clinical disorder, characterised by pain and catching as the patient flexes and extends digits because of disproportion between the diameter of flexor tendons and the A1 pulley. The treatment approach may include non-surgical or surgical treatments. Currently there is no consensus about the best surgical treatment approach (open, percutaneous or endoscopic approaches). To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of different methods of surgical treatment for trigger finger (open, percutaneous or endoscopic approaches) in adults at any stage of the disease. We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase and LILACS up to August 2017. We included randomised or quasi-randomised controlled trials that assessed adults with trigger finger and compared any type of surgical treatment with each other or with any other non-surgical intervention. The major outcomes were the resolution of trigger finger, pain, hand function, participant-reported treatment success or satisfaction, recurrence of triggering, adverse events and neurovascular injury. Two review authors independently selected the trial reports, extracted the data and assessed the risk of bias. Measures of treatment effect for dichotomous outcomes calculated risk ratios (RRs), and mean differences (MDs) or standardised mean differences (SMD) for continuous outcomes, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). When possible, the data were pooled into meta-analysis using the random-effects model. GRADE was used to assess the quality of evidence for each outcome. Fourteen trials were included, totalling 1260 participants, with 1361 trigger fingers. The age of participants included in the studies ranged from 16 to 88 years; and the majority of participants were women (approximately 70%). The average duration of symptoms ranged from three to 15 months, and the follow-up after the procedure ranged from eight weeks to 23 months.The studies reported nine types of comparisons: open surgery versus steroid injections (two

  19. Effect of simultaneous stretching of the wrist and finger extensors for lateral epicondylitis: a gross anatomical study of the tendinous origins of the extensor carpi radialis brevis and extensor digitorum communis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shirato, Rikiya; Wada, Takuro; Aoki, Mitsuhiro; Iba, Kousuke; Kanaya, Kohei; Fujimiya, Mineko; Yamashita, Toshihiko

    2015-11-01

    Pulling the wrist into flexion with the elbow in extension and forearm in pronation has been used as the stretching technique of wrist extensors for lateral epicondylitis. Simultaneous stretching of the fingers in addition to the wrist flexion has also been applied. However, the mechanism of this simultaneous stretching has not been clarified. This study is designed to clarify the mechanism underlying this simultaneous stretching technique based on the anatomical features of the origins of the extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB) and extensor digitorum communis (EDC). Thirty-nine arms from formalin-embalmed Japanese human specimens were dissected. The features of the origins of the ECRB and EDC were macroscopically observed, and the locations of each origin on the lateral epicondyle were measured. The ECRB had a long and wide, purely tendinous origin which originated from the anterior slope of the lateral epicondyle. The tendinous origin of the index finger of the EDC (EDC-IF) arose from the posterior aspect of the ECRB tendinous origin, with a coexisting muscular portion observed at the level of the proximal forearm. The middle finger of the EDC (EDC-MF) had a short tendinous origin with an associated muscular portion and originated proximo-laterally to the origin of the ECRB on the lateral epicondyle. In addition, the muscular origin of the EDC-MF arose on the superficial and posterior aspect of the ECRB tendinous origin. In contrast, the ring and little fingers of the EDC originated from the tendinous septum of the extensor digiti minimi and extensor carpi ulnaris, and had no connection with the ECRB tendinous origin. On the basis of our anatomical findings, simultaneous stretching of the wrist extensors by wrist, index and middle fingers flexion could provide stretching force to both the tendinous origins of the ECRB and EDC through the EDC-IF and EDC-MF.

  20. Design and control of three fingers motion for dexterous assembly of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In this paper, the authors describe and demonstrate how a three fingered gripper can be designed and simulated to provide both gross motion and fine motion to the fingers. ... This mimicry is required to design the correct motions and tactile forces necessary to handle delicate and non delicate engineering components.

  1. Conservation, diversification and expansion of C2H2 zinc finger proteins in the Arabidopsis thaliana genome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Böhm Siegfried

    2004-07-01

    Full Text Available Background The classical C2H2 zinc finger domain is involved in a wide range of functions and can bind to DNA, RNA and proteins. The comparison of zinc finger proteins in several eukaryotes has shown that there is a lot of lineage specific diversification and expansion. Although the number of characterized plant proteins that carry the classical C2H2 zinc finger motifs is growing, a systematic classification and analysis of a plant genome zinc finger gene set is lacking. Results We found through in silico analysis 176 zinc finger proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana that hence constitute the most abundant family of putative transcriptional regulators in this plant. Only a minority of 33 A. thaliana zinc finger proteins are conserved in other eukaryotes. In contrast, the majority of these proteins (81% are plant specific. They are derived from extensive duplication events and form expanded families. We assigned the proteins to different subgroups and families and focused specifically on the two largest and evolutionarily youngest families (A1 and C1 that are suggested to be primarily involved in transcriptional regulation. The newly defined family A1 (24 members comprises proteins with tandemly arranged zinc finger domains. Family C1 (64 members, earlier described as the EPF-family in Petunia, comprises proteins with one isolated or two to five dispersed fingers and a mostly invariant QALGGH motif in the zinc finger helices. Based on the amino acid pattern in these helices we could describe five different signature sequences prevalent in C1 zinc finger domains. We also found a number of non-finger domains that are conserved in these families. Conclusions Our analysis of the few evolutionarily conserved zinc finger proteins of A. thaliana suggests that most of them could be involved in ancient biological processes like RNA metabolism and chromatin-remodeling. In contrast, the majority of the unique A. thaliana zinc finger proteins are known or

  2. Concurrent pyogenic granuloma and bullous impetigo of a pregnant woman's finger.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qin, Rosie; Cohen, Philip R

    2017-03-15

    Bullous impetigo is a superficial skininfection caused by Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus). Pyogenic granuloma is a common benigntumor frequently associated with prior trauma.Bullous impetigo and pyogenic granuloma may occurin pregnant women. The features of a pregnant womanwith pyogenic granuloma and bullous impetigoconcurrently present in a lesion on her finger aredescribed. PubMed was used to search the followingterms: bullous impetigo, pregnancy, and pyogenicgranuloma. All papers were reviewed; relevantarticles, along with their references, were evaluatedResults: A red ulcerated nodule with a collaretteof epithelium around the tumor and surroundingbullae appeared on the fifth digit of the left hand of a31-year-old woman who was at 36 weeks gestation. Abacterial culture grew methicillin sensitive S. aureus.An excisional biopsy was performed. Histologicfindings revealed not only a benign vascular tumorwith an infiltrate of mixed inflammatory cells, butalso an intraepidermal blister. She received oralantibiotics and there was complete resolution of thefinger lesion and infection with preservation of digitfunction. Albeit uncommon, pyogenic granulomaand bullous impetigo may concurrently occur in thesame lesion. Therapeutic intervention should focuson treating both the benign skin tumor and theinfection.

  3. Robotic Hand with Flexible Fingers for Grasping Cylindrical Objects

    OpenAIRE

    柴田, 瑞穂

    2015-01-01

    In this manuscript, a robotic hand for grasping a cylindrical object is proposed. This robotic hand has flexible fingers that can hold a cylindrical object during moving. We introduce a grasping strategy for a cylindrical object in terms of state transition graph. In this strategy the robotic hand picks up the cylindrical object utilizing a suction device before the hand grasp the object. We also design the flexible fingers; then, we investigate the validity of this robotic hand via several e...

  4. More with less: A comparative kinematical analysis of Django Reinhardt's adaptations to hand injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wininger, Michael; Williams, David J

    2015-06-01

    At the age of 18 years, jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt (1910-1953) sustained significant burns to his left-hand ring and little fingers; yet, subsequently, he relearned to play and achieved international fame, despite his injuries. Archive film footage and novel motion analysis software were used to compare movements of Django's fretting hand with that of six other guitarists of the same genre. Django employed greater abduction of index and middle fingers (-9.11 ± 6.52° vs -5.78 ± 2.41°; p < 0.001) and more parallel alignment of fingers to the guitar neck (157.7 ± 3.37° vs 150.59 ± 2.67°; p < 0.001) compared to controls. In response to debilitating hand injury, Django developed quantifiable compensatory adaptation of function of his remaining functional fingers by developing an original playing technique. Hand function following injury may be optimized by maximizing latent degrees of freedom in remaining digits, rather than through extensive surgical reconstruction or complex prostheses. Further study of adaptation strategies may inform prosthesis design. © The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics 2014.

  5. Finger-Shaped GelForce: Sensor for Measuring Surface Traction Fields for Robotic Hand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sato, K; Kamiyama, K; Kawakami, N; Tachi, S

    2010-01-01

    It is believed that the use of haptic sensors to measure the magnitude, direction, and distribution of a force will enable a robotic hand to perform dexterous operations. Therefore, we develop a new type of finger-shaped haptic sensor using GelForce technology. GelForce is a vision-based sensor that can be used to measure the distribution of force vectors, or surface traction fields. The simple structure of the GelForce enables us to develop a compact finger-shaped GelForce for the robotic hand. GelForce that is developed on the basis of an elastic theory can be used to calculate surface traction fields using a conversion equation. However, this conversion equation cannot be analytically solved when the elastic body of the sensor has a complicated shape such as the shape of a finger. Therefore, we propose an observational method and construct a prototype of the finger-shaped GelForce. By using this prototype, we evaluate the basic performance of the finger-shaped GelForce. Then, we conduct a field test by performing grasping operations using a robotic hand. The results of this test show that using the observational method, the finger-shaped GelForce can be successfully used in a robotic hand.

  6. Distinct neural control of intrinsic and extrinsic muscles of the hand during single finger pressing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dupan, Sigrid S.G.; Stegeman, Dick F.; Maas, Huub

    2018-01-01

    Single finger force tasks lead to unintended activation of the non-instructed fingers, commonly referred to as enslaving. Both neural and mechanical factors have been associated with this absence of finger individuality. This study investigates the amplitude modulation of both intrinsic and

  7. Estimation method of finger tapping dynamics using simple magnetic detection system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kandori, Akihiko; Sano, Yuko; Miyashita, Tsuyoshi; Okada, Yoshihisa; Irokawa, Masataka; Shima, Keisuke; Tsuji, Toshio; Yokoe, Masaru; Sakoda, Saburo

    2010-05-01

    We have developed the simple estimation method of a finger tapping dynamics model for investigating muscle resistance and stiffness during tapping movement in normal subjects. We measured finger tapping movements of 207 normal subjects using a magnetic finger tapping detection system. Each subject tapped two fingers in time with a metronome at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 Hz. The velocity and acceleration values for both the closing and opening tapping data were used to estimate a finger tapping dynamics model. Using the frequency response of the ratio of acceleration to velocity of the mechanical impedance parameters, we estimated the resistance (friction coefficient) and compliance (stiffness). We found two dynamics models for the maximum open position and tap position. In the maximum open position, the extensor muscle resistance was twice as high as the flexor muscle resistance and males had a higher spring constant. In the tap position, the flexor muscle resistance was much higher than the extensor muscle resistance. This indicates that the tapping dynamics in the maximum open position are controlled by the balance of extensor and flexor muscle friction resistances and the flexor stiffness, and the flexor friction resistance is the main component in the tap position. It can be concluded that our estimation method makes it possible to understand the tapping dynamics.

  8. Estimation method of finger tapping dynamics using simple magnetic detection system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kandori, Akihiko; Sano, Yuko; Miyashita, Tsuyoshi; Okada, Yoshihisa; Irokawa, Masataka; Shima, Keisuke; Tsuji, Toshio; Yokoe, Masaru; Sakoda, Saburo

    2010-05-01

    We have developed the simple estimation method of a finger tapping dynamics model for investigating muscle resistance and stiffness during tapping movement in normal subjects. We measured finger tapping movements of 207 normal subjects using a magnetic finger tapping detection system. Each subject tapped two fingers in time with a metronome at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 Hz. The velocity and acceleration values for both the closing and opening tapping data were used to estimate a finger tapping dynamics model. Using the frequency response of the ratio of acceleration to velocity of the mechanical impedance parameters, we estimated the resistance (friction coefficient) and compliance (stiffness). We found two dynamics models for the maximum open position and tap position. In the maximum open position, the extensor muscle resistance was twice as high as the flexor muscle resistance and males had a higher spring constant. In the tap position, the flexor muscle resistance was much higher than the extensor muscle resistance. This indicates that the tapping dynamics in the maximum open position are controlled by the balance of extensor and flexor muscle friction resistances and the flexor stiffness, and the flexor friction resistance is the main component in the tap position. It can be concluded that our estimation method makes it possible to understand the tapping dynamics.

  9. Black rings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Emparan, Roberto; Reall, Harvey S

    2006-01-01

    A black ring is a five-dimensional black hole with an event horizon of topology S 1 x S 2 . We provide an introduction to the description of black rings in general relativity and string theory. Novel aspects of the presentation include a new approach to constructing black ring coordinates and a critical review of black ring microscopics. (topical review)

  10. Ret Finger Protein: An E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Juxtaposed to the XY Body in Meiosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Isabelle Gillot

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available During prophase I of male meiosis, the sex chromosomes form a compact structure called XY body that associates with the nuclear membrane of pachytene spermatocytes. Ret Finger Protein is a transcriptional repressor, able to interact with both nuclear matrix-associated proteins and double-stranded DNA. We report the precise and unique localization of Ret Finger Protein in pachytene spermatocytes, in which Ret Finger Protein takes place of lamin B1, between the XY body and the inner nuclear membrane. This localization of Ret Finger Protein does not seem to be associated with O-glycosylation or sumoylation. In addition, we demonstrate that Ret Finger Protein contains an E3 ubiquitin ligase activity. These observations lead to an attractive hypothesis in which Ret Finger Protein would be involved in the positioning and the attachment of XY body to the nuclear lamina of pachytene spermatocytes.

  11. Post-exercise cortical depression following repetitive passive finger movement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Otsuka, Ryohei; Sasaki, Ryoki; Tsuiki, Shota; Kojima, Sho; Onishi, Hideaki

    2017-08-24

    This study aimed to clarify the influence of range of repetitive passive finger movement on corticospinal excitability. Thirteen healthy subjects participated in this study. Passive index finger adduction-abduction movements were performed from 15° abduction to 15° adduction, 15° abduction to 0°, 0° to 15° adduction, and 15° adduction to 30° adduction, each at 15°/s for 10min on separate days. Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) elicited by transcranial magnetic stimulation and M- and F-waves were measured before and after each repetitive passive index finger movement protocol to evaluate changes in corticospinal excitability. MEP amplitude significantly decreased after all passive movements, while F-wave amplitude, F-wave persistence, and M-wave amplitude remained stable. These results suggest that cortical excitability decreases after repetitive passive movement. However, the range of repetitive passive movement does not markedly influence the magnitude of cortical depression. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Quantification of Finger-Tapping Angle Based on Wearable Sensors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Djurić-Jovičić, Milica; Jovičić, Nenad S; Roby-Brami, Agnes; Popović, Mirjana B; Kostić, Vladimir S; Djordjević, Antonije R

    2017-01-25

    We propose a novel simple method for quantitative and qualitative finger-tapping assessment based on miniature inertial sensors (3D gyroscopes) placed on the thumb and index-finger. We propose a simplified description of the finger tapping by using a single angle, describing rotation around a dominant axis. The method was verified on twelve subjects, who performed various tapping tasks, mimicking impaired patterns. The obtained tapping angles were compared with results of a motion capture camera system, demonstrating excellent accuracy. The root-mean-square (RMS) error between the two sets of data is, on average, below 4°, and the intraclass correlation coefficient is, on average, greater than 0.972. Data obtained by the proposed method may be used together with scores from clinical tests to enable a better diagnostic. Along with hardware simplicity, this makes the proposed method a promising candidate for use in clinical practice. Furthermore, our definition of the tapping angle can be applied to all tapping assessment systems.

  13. fMRI assessment of somatotopy in human Brodmann area 3b by electrical finger stimulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurth, R; Villringer, K; Mackert, B M; Schwiemann, J; Braun, J; Curio, G; Villringer, A; Wolf, K J

    1998-01-26

    Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is capable of detecting focal brain activation induced by electrical stimulation of single fingers in human subjects. In eight subjects somatotopic arrangement of the second and fifth finger was found in Brodmann area 3b of the primary somatosensory cortex. In four subjects the representation area of the second finger was located lateral and inferior to the fifth finger; in one subject the somatotopy was reversed. In three subjects representation areas of the two fingers in Brodmann area 3b were found overlapping. Additional activated areas were found on the crown of ipsilateral and contralateral postcentral gyrus (Brodmann areas 1 and 2) and posterior parietal cortex.

  14. Impaired Finger Dexterity in Parkinson's Disease Is Associated with Praxis Function

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vanbellingen, T.; Kersten, B.; Bellion, M.; Temperli, P.; Baronti, F.; Muri, R.; Bohlhalter, S.

    2011-01-01

    A controversial concept suggests that impaired finger dexterity in Parkinson's disease may be related to limb kinetic apraxia that is not explained by elemental motor deficits such as bradykinesia. To explore the nature of dexterous difficulties, the aim of the present study was to assess the relationship of finger dexterity with ideomotor praxis…

  15. Linear versus non-linear measures of temporal variability in finger tapping and their relation to performance on open- versus closed-loop motor tasks: comparing standard deviations to Lyapunov exponents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christman, Stephen D; Weaver, Ryan

    2008-05-01

    The nature of temporal variability during speeded finger tapping was examined using linear (standard deviation) and non-linear (Lyapunov exponent) measures. Experiment 1 found that right hand tapping was characterised by lower amounts of both linear and non-linear measures of variability than left hand tapping, and that linear and non-linear measures of variability were often negatively correlated with one another. Experiment 2 found that increased non-linear variability was associated with relatively enhanced performance on a closed-loop motor task (mirror tracing) and relatively impaired performance on an open-loop motor task (pointing in a dark room), especially for left hand performance. The potential uses and significance of measures of non-linear variability are discussed.

  16. Neuron selection based on deflection coefficient maximization for the neural decoding of dexterous finger movements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Yong-Hee; Thakor, Nitish V; Schieber, Marc H; Kim, Hyoung-Nam

    2015-05-01

    Future generations of brain-machine interface (BMI) will require more dexterous motion control such as hand and finger movements. Since a population of neurons in the primary motor cortex (M1) area is correlated with finger movements, neural activities recorded in M1 area are used to reconstruct an intended finger movement. In a BMI system, decoding discrete finger movements from a large number of input neurons does not guarantee a higher decoding accuracy in spite of the increase in computational burden. Hence, we hypothesize that selecting neurons important for coding dexterous flexion/extension of finger movements would improve the BMI performance. In this paper, two metrics are presented to quantitatively measure the importance of each neuron based on Bayes risk minimization and deflection coefficient maximization in a statistical decision problem. Since motor cortical neurons are active with movements of several different fingers, the proposed method is more suitable for a discrete decoding of flexion-extension finger movements than the previous methods for decoding reaching movements. In particular, the proposed metrics yielded high decoding accuracies across all subjects and also in the case of including six combined two-finger movements. While our data acquisition and analysis was done off-line and post processing, our results point to the significance of highly coding neurons in improving BMI performance.

  17. Variations in Ring Particle Cooling across Saturn's Rings with Cassini CIRS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brooks, S. M.; Spilker, L. J.; Pilorz, S.; Edgington, S. G.; Déau, E.; Altobelli, N.

    2010-12-01

    Cassini's Composite Infrared Spectrometer has recorded over two million of spectra of Saturn's rings in the far infrared since arriving at Saturn in 2004. CIRS records far infrared radiation between 10 and 600 cm-1 ( 16.7 and 1000 μ {m} ) at focal plane 1 (FP1), which has a field of view of 3.9 mrad. Thermal emission from Saturn’s rings peaks in this wavelength range. Ring temperatures can be inferred from FP1 data. By tracking how ring temperatures vary, we can determine the thermal inertia of the rings. Previous studies have shown that the rings' thermal inertia, a measure of their response to changes in the thermal environment, varies from ring to ring. Thermal inertia can provide insight into the physical structure of Saturn's ring particles and their regoliths. Low thermal inertia and rapidly changing temperatures are suggestive of ring particles that have more porous or fluffy regoliths or that are riddled with cracks. Solid particles can be expected to have higher thermal inertias. Ferrari et al. (2005) fit thermal inertia values of 5218 {Jm)-2 {K}-1 {s}-1/2 to their B ring data and 6412 {Jm)-2 {K}-1 {s}-1/2 to their C ring data. In this work we focus on CIRS observations of the shadowed portion of Saturn's rings. The rings’ thermal budget is dominated by its absorption of solar radiation. As a result, ring particles abruptly cool as they traverse Saturn's shadow. From these shadow observations we can create cooling curves at specific locations across the rings. We will show that the rings' cooling curves and thus their thermal inertia vary not only from ring to ring, but by location within the individual rings. This research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract with NASA. Copyright 2010 California Institute of Technology. Government sponsorship acknowledged.

  18. Fine finger motor skill training with exoskeleton robotic hand in chronic stroke: stroke rehabilitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ockenfeld, Corinna; Tong, Raymond K Y; Susanto, Evan A; Ho, Sze-Kit; Hu, Xiao-ling

    2013-06-01

    Background and Purpose. Stroke survivors often show a limited recovery in the hand function to perform delicate motions, such as full hand grasping, finger pinching and individual finger movement. The purpose of this study is to describe the implementation of an exoskeleton robotic hand together with fine finger motor skill training on 2 chronic stroke patients. Case Descriptions. Two post-stroke patients participated in a 20-session training program by integrating 10 minutes physical therapy, 20 minutes robotic hand training and 15 minutes functional training tasks with delicate objects(card, pen and coin). These two patients (A and B) had cerebrovascular accident at 6 months and 11 months respectively when enrolled in this study. Outcomes. The results showed that both patients had improvements in Fugl-Meyer assessment (FM), Action Research Arm Test (ARAT). Patients had better isolation of the individual finger flexion and extension based on the reduced muscle co-contraction from the electromyographic(EMG) signals and finger extension force after 20 sessions of training. Discussion. This preliminary study showed that by focusing on the fine finger motor skills together with the exoskeleton robotic hand, it could improve the motor recovery of the upper extremity in the fingers and hand function, which were showed in the ARAT. Future randomized controlled trials are needed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness.

  19. Optimization of illuminating system to detect optical properties inside a finger

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sano, Emiko; Shikai, Masahiro; Shiratsuki, Akihide; Maeda, Takuji; Matsushita, Masahito; Sasakawa, Koichi

    2007-01-01

    Biometrics performs personal authentication using individual bodily features including fingerprints, faces, etc. These technologies have been studied and developed for many years. In particular, fingerprint authentication has evolved over many years, and fingerprinting is currently one of world's most established biometric authentication techniques. Not long ago this technique was only used for personal identification in criminal investigations and high-security facilities. In recent years, however, various biometric authentication techniques have appeared in everyday applications. Even though providing great convenience, they have also produced a number of technical issues concerning operation. Generally, fingerprint authentication is comprised of a number of component technologies: (1) sensing technology for detecting the fingerprint pattern; (2) image processing technology for converting the captured pattern into feature data that can be used for verification; (3) verification technology for comparing the feature data with a reference and determining whether it matches. Current fingerprint authentication issues, revealed in research results, originate with fingerprint sensing technology. Sensing methods for detecting a person's fingerprint pattern for image processing are particularly important because they impact overall fingerprint authentication performance. The following are the current problems concerning sensing methods that occur in some cases: Some fingers whose fingerprints used to be difficult to detect by conventional sensors. Fingerprint patterns are easily affected by the finger's surface condition, such noise as discontinuities and thin spots can appear in fingerprint patterns obtained from wrinkled finger, sweaty finger, and so on. To address these problems, we proposed a novel fingerprint sensor based on new scientific knowledge. A characteristic of this new method is that obtained fingerprint patterns are not easily affected by the finger

  20. Role of Rayleigh numbers on characteristics of double diffusive salt fingers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rehman, F.; Singh, O. P.

    2018-05-01

    Double diffusion convection, driven by two constituents of the fluid with different molecular diffusivity, is widely applied in oceanography and large number of other fields like astrophysics, geology, chemistry and metallurgy. In case of ocean, heat (T) and salinity (S) are the two components with varying diffusivity, where heat diffuses hundred times faster than salt. Component (T) stabilizes the system whereas components (S) destabilizes the system with overall density remains stable and forms the rising and sinking fingers known as salt fingers. Recent observations suggest that salt finger characteristics such as growth rates, wavenumber, and fluxes are strongly depending on the Rayleigh numbers as major driving force. In this paper, we corroborate this observation with the help of experiments, numerical simulations and linear theory. An eigenvalue expression for growth rate is derived from the linearized governing equations with explicit dependence on Rayleigh numbers, density stability ratio, Prandtl number and diffusivity ratio. Expressions for fastest growing fingers are also derived as a function various non-dimensional parameter. The predicted results corroborate well with the data reported from the field measurements, experiments and numerical simulations.

  1. Finger vein recognition based on the hyperinformation feature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xi, Xiaoming; Yang, Gongping; Yin, Yilong; Yang, Lu

    2014-01-01

    The finger vein is a promising biometric pattern for personal identification due to its advantages over other existing biometrics. In finger vein recognition, feature extraction is a critical step, and many feature extraction methods have been proposed to extract the gray, texture, or shape of the finger vein. We treat them as low-level features and present a high-level feature extraction framework. Under this framework, base attribute is first defined to represent the characteristics of a certain subcategory of a subject. Then, for an image, the correlation coefficient is used for constructing the high-level feature, which reflects the correlation between this image and all base attributes. Since the high-level feature can reveal characteristics of more subcategories and contain more discriminative information, we call it hyperinformation feature (HIF). Compared with low-level features, which only represent the characteristics of one subcategory, HIF is more powerful and robust. In order to demonstrate the potential of the proposed framework, we provide a case study to extract HIF. We conduct comprehensive experiments to show the generality of the proposed framework and the efficiency of HIF on our databases, respectively. Experimental results show that HIF significantly outperforms the low-level features.

  2. Inside Hall 193 for the Antiproton Accumulator (AA) ring

    CERN Multimedia

    1979-01-01

    Installation work is in full swing. A model quadrupole on the left shows where the magnet ring will be. The cables wound on drums are part of the pulse-forming network for the injection kicker. See Annual Report 1979 p. 103, Fig. 9 and photo 7911303. For photos of the AA in different phases of completion (between 1979 and 1982) see: 7911303, 7911597X, 8004261, 8004608X, 8005563X, 8005565X, 8006716X, 8006722X, 8010939X, 8010941X, 8202324, 8202658X, 8203628X .

  3. RETRACTED ARTICLE: Nutritional, technological, and medical approach of finger millet (Eleusine coracana

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amir Gull

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Finger millet (Eleusine coracana L. is also known as African millet and is commonly called “ragi” in India. It has excellent nutritional value and is even superior to other common cereals. It is a richest source of calcium (344 mg and magnesium (408 mg than other millets. Predominant fatty acids of this millet are oleic (49%, linoleic (25%, and palmitic acids (25%. Finger millet contains both water-soluble and lipo-soluble vitamins. Emerging bakery products prepared from this millet are pasta, noodles, vermicelli, and bread. Being gluten free, it is suitable for individuals suffering from celiac disease. Finger millet grain is a rich source of several phytochemicals. Finger millet possesses blood glucose lowering, cholesterol lowering, and antiulcerative, wound healing properties as indicated by in vitro and in vivo studies. Commonly used processing techniques for this millet are milling, malting, popping, and decortications.

  4. On the granular fingering instability: controlled triggering in laboratory experiments and numerical simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vriend, Nathalie; Tsang, Jonny; Arran, Matthew; Jin, Binbin; Johnsen, Alexander

    2017-11-01

    When a mixture of small, smooth particles and larger, coarse particles is released on a rough inclined plane, the initial uniform front may break up in distinct fingers which elongate over time. This fingering instability is sensitive to the unique arrangement of individual particles and is driven by granular segregation (Pouliquen et al., 1997). Variability in initial conditions create significant limitations for consistent experimental and numerical validation of newly developed theoretical models (Baker et al., 2016) for finger formation. We present an experimental study using a novel tool that sets the initial fingering width of the instability. By changing this trigger width between experiments, we explore the response of the avalanche breakup to perturbations of different widths. Discrete particle simulations (using MercuryDPM, Thornton et al., 2012) are conducted under a similar setting, reproducing the variable finger width, allowing validation between experiments and numerical simulations. A good agreement between simulations and experiments is obtained, and ongoing theoretical work is briefly introduced. NMV acknowledges the Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Research Fellowship.

  5. Finger Vein Recognition Using Local Line Binary Pattern

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bakhtiar Affendi Rosdi

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, a personal verification method using finger vein is presented. Finger vein can be considered more secured compared to other hands based biometric traits such as fingerprint and palm print because the features are inside the human body. In the proposed method, a new texture descriptor called local line binary pattern (LLBP is utilized as feature extraction technique. The neighbourhood shape in LLBP is a straight line, unlike in local binary pattern (LBP which is a square shape. Experimental results show that the proposed method using LLBP has better performance than the previous methods using LBP and local derivative pattern (LDP.

  6. Finger-gate manipulated quantum transport in Dirac materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kleftogiannis, Ioannis; Cheng, Shun-Jen; Tang, Chi-Shung

    2015-01-01

    We investigate the quantum transport properties of multichannel nanoribbons made of materials described by the Dirac equation, under an in-plane magnetic field. In the low energy regime, positive and negative finger-gate potentials allow the electrons to make intra-subband transitions via hole-like or electron-like quasibound states (QBS), respectively, resulting in dips in the conductance. In the high energy regime, double dip structures in the conductance are found, attributed to spin-flip or spin-nonflip inter-subband transitions through the QBSs. Inverting the finger-gate polarity offers the possibility to manipulate the spin polarized electronic transport to achieve a controlled spin-switch. (paper)

  7. Finger Vein Recognition Using Local Line Binary Pattern

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosdi, Bakhtiar Affendi; Shing, Chai Wuh; Suandi, Shahrel Azmin

    2011-01-01

    In this paper, a personal verification method using finger vein is presented. Finger vein can be considered more secured compared to other hands based biometric traits such as fingerprint and palm print because the features are inside the human body. In the proposed method, a new texture descriptor called local line binary pattern (LLBP) is utilized as feature extraction technique. The neighbourhood shape in LLBP is a straight line, unlike in local binary pattern (LBP) which is a square shape. Experimental results show that the proposed method using LLBP has better performance than the previous methods using LBP and local derivative pattern (LDP). PMID:22247670

  8. The results of surgical and nonsurgical treatment of mallet finger

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Starčević Branislav

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: The injury of the hand tendon classified as mallet finger presents the loss of continuity of the united lateral band of the extensor apparatus above distal interphalangeal joint, which consequently leads to specific deformity of distal interphalangeal joint which is called mallet (hammer finger. Objective Our paper had several research Objectives: presentation of the existing Results of surgical and nonsurgical treatment of mallet finger deformities and comparison of our findings and other authors’ Results. Method: The study was retro-prospective, and analyzed 62 patients treated in the Clinical Center of Serbia in Belgrade (at the Institute of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology, and the Emergency Center in the period 1998 to 2003. The follow up of these patients lasted at least 8 months (from 8.3 months to 71.7 months. An average follow up was 28.7 months. The Objective parameters used in the study were as follows: sex, age, dominating hand, hand injury, finger injury, mode of treatment, complications, distal interphalangeal joint flexion and total movement of the distal interphalangeal joint. Collected data were analyzed by χ2-test and Student’s t-test. The confidence interval was p=0.05. Results: A total range of motion was 51.9±6.6 for nonsurgically treated patients, and 48.2±4.2 degrees for operated patients. Mean extension deficit of the distal interphalangeal joint was 6.5±3.3 for nonsurgical and 10.0±3.2 for operated patients. Conclusion: The Results confirmed that nonsurgical mode of treatment of mallet finger deformity was much more successful than surgical Method of treating the same deformity.

  9. Alternative loop rings

    CERN Document Server

    Goodaire, EG; Polcino Milies, C

    1996-01-01

    For the past ten years, alternative loop rings have intrigued mathematicians from a wide cross-section of modern algebra. As a consequence, the theory of alternative loop rings has grown tremendously. One of the main developments is the complete characterization of loops which have an alternative but not associative, loop ring. Furthermore, there is a very close relationship between the algebraic structures of loop rings and of group rings over 2-groups. Another major topic of research is the study of the unit loop of the integral loop ring. Here the interaction between loop rings and group ri

  10. Finger jointing green southern yellow pine with a soy-based adhesive

    Science.gov (United States)

    Philip H. Steele; Roland E. Kreibicha; Petrus J. Steynberg; Richard W. Hemingway

    1998-01-01

    The authors present results of laboratory tests for a soy-based adhesive to bond southern yellow pine using the finger-jointing method. There was some reason to suspect that finger jointing of southern yellow pine (SYP) with the honeymoon system using soy-based adhesive might prove more difficult than for western species. The Wood Handbook classes western species in...

  11. Primitivity and weak distributivity in near rings and matrix near rings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abbasi, S.J.

    1993-08-01

    This paper shows the structure of matrix near ring constructed over a weakly distributive and primative near ring. It is proved that a weakly distributive primitive near ring is a ring and the matrix near rings constructed over it is also a bag. (author). 14 refs

  12. Human motor cortical activity recorded with Micro-ECoG electrodes, during individual finger movements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, W; Degenhart, A D; Collinger, J L; Vinjamuri, R; Sudre, G P; Adelson, P D; Holder, D L; Leuthardt, E C; Moran, D W; Boninger, M L; Schwartz, A B; Crammond, D J; Tyler-Kabara, E C; Weber, D J

    2009-01-01

    In this study human motor cortical activity was recorded with a customized micro-ECoG grid during individual finger movements. The quality of the recorded neural signals was characterized in the frequency domain from three different perspectives: (1) coherence between neural signals recorded from different electrodes, (2) modulation of neural signals by finger movement, and (3) accuracy of finger movement decoding. It was found that, for the high frequency band (60-120 Hz), coherence between neighboring micro-ECoG electrodes was 0.3. In addition, the high frequency band showed significant modulation by finger movement both temporally and spatially, and a classification accuracy of 73% (chance level: 20%) was achieved for individual finger movement using neural signals recorded from the micro-ECoG grid. These results suggest that the micro-ECoG grid presented here offers sufficient spatial and temporal resolution for the development of minimally-invasive brain-computer interface applications.

  13. Clubbed fingers: the claws we lost?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brouwers, A.A.M.; Vermeij-Keers, C.; Zoelen, E.J.J. van; Gooren, L.J.G.

    2004-01-01

    Clubbed digits resemble the human embryonic fingers and toes, which took like the digits of a claw. Clubbed digits, thus, may represent the return of the embryonic claw and may even represent the claws man has lost during evolution, if ontogenesis realty recapitulates phylogenesis. We put forward

  14. Dynamic Behavior Analysis of Non-Contacting Hydrodynamic Finger Seal Based on Fluid-Solid-Interaction Method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Su Hua

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Finger seal is an advanced compliant seal and can be utilized to separate high (HP and low pressure (LP zones in high speed rotating shaft environment. The work to be presented concerns the dynamic behavior of a repetitive section of a two-layer finger seal with high-and padded low-pressure laminates. The dynamic performance of the finger seal are analyzed by the coupled fluid-solid-interaction (FSI simulations. By using the commercial software ANSYS-CFX, the numerical simulation results of interactions between the gas flow and fingers structural deformation are described when the radial periodic excitation from the shaft applies to the finger seal. And the gas film loading capacity, gas film stiffness and leakage varied with time are put forward in different working conditions. Compared with the dynamic performance analysis results based on equivalent dynamic method, the FSI dynamic analysis shows some different characteristics which are more accordance with actual circumstance. Moreover, it is shown that under low pressure differential and high rotation speed the non-contacting finger seal with advance features both in sealing effectiveness and potential unlimited life span can be obtained by rational structure design. But for the non-contacting finger seal with circumferential convergent pad working in high pressure and low rotating speed conditions, it is difficult to improve the sealing performance by the way of changing the structure parameters of finger seal. It is because the high pressure plays a major role on this sealing situation.

  15. Laterality of repetitive finger movement performance and clinical features of Parkinson's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stegemöller, Elizabeth; Zaman, Andrew; MacKinnon, Colum D; Tillman, Mark D; Hass, Chris J; Okun, Michael S

    2016-10-01

    Impairments in acoustically cued repetitive finger movement often emerge at rates near to and above 2Hz in persons with Parkinson's Disease (PD) in which some patients move faster (hastening) and others move slower (bradykinetic). The clinical features impacting this differential performance of repetitive finger movement remain unknown. The purpose of this study was to compare repetitive finger movement performance between the more and less affected side, and the difference in clinical ratings among performance groups. Forty-one participants diagnosed with idiopathic PD completed an acoustically cued repetitive finger movement task while "on" medication. Eighteen participants moved faster, 10 moved slower, and 13 were able to maintain the appropriate rate at rates above 2Hz. Clinical measures of laterality, disease severity, and the UPDRS were obtained. There were no significant differences between the more and less affected sides regardless of performance group. Comparison of disease severity, tremor, and rigidity among performance groups revealed no significant differences. Comparison of posture and postural instability scores revealed that the participants that demonstrated hastening had worse posture and postural instability scores. Consideration of movement rate during the clinical evaluation of repetitive finger movement may provide additional insight into varying disease features in persons with PD. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Stable expression of mtlD gene imparts multiple stress tolerance in finger millet.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramanna Hema

    Full Text Available Finger millet is susceptible to abiotic stresses, especially drought and salinity stress, in the field during seed germination and early stages of seedling development. Therefore developing stress tolerant finger millet plants combating drought, salinity and associated oxidative stress in these two growth stages is important. Cellular protection through osmotic adjustment and efficient free radical scavenging ability during abiotic stress are important components of stress tolerance mechanisms in plants. Mannitol, an osmolyte, is known to scavenge hydroxyl radicals generated during various abiotic stresses and thereby minimize stress damage in several plant species. In this study transgenic finger millet plants expressing the mannitol biosynthetic pathway gene from bacteria, mannitol-1-phosphate dehydrogenase (mtlD, were developed through Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated genetic transformation. mtlD gene integration in the putative transgenic plants was confirmed by Southern blot. Further, performance of transgenic finger millet under drought, salinity and oxidative stress was studied at plant level in T1 generation and in T1 and T2 generation seedlings. Results from these experiments showed that transgenic finger millet had better growth under drought and salinity stress compared to wild-type. At plant level, transgenic plants showed better osmotic adjustment and chlorophyll retention under drought stress compared to the wild-type. However, the overall increase in stress tolerance of transgenics for the three stresses, especially for oxidative stress, was only marginal compared to other mtlD gene expressing plant species reported in the literature. Moreover, the Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation protocol developed for finger millet in this study can be used to introduce diverse traits of agronomic importance in finger millet.

  17. Stable expression of mtlD gene imparts multiple stress tolerance in finger millet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hema, Ramanna; Vemanna, Ramu S; Sreeramulu, Shivakumar; Reddy, Chandrasekhara P; Senthil-Kumar, Muthappa; Udayakumar, Makarla

    2014-01-01

    Finger millet is susceptible to abiotic stresses, especially drought and salinity stress, in the field during seed germination and early stages of seedling development. Therefore developing stress tolerant finger millet plants combating drought, salinity and associated oxidative stress in these two growth stages is important. Cellular protection through osmotic adjustment and efficient free radical scavenging ability during abiotic stress are important components of stress tolerance mechanisms in plants. Mannitol, an osmolyte, is known to scavenge hydroxyl radicals generated during various abiotic stresses and thereby minimize stress damage in several plant species. In this study transgenic finger millet plants expressing the mannitol biosynthetic pathway gene from bacteria, mannitol-1-phosphate dehydrogenase (mtlD), were developed through Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated genetic transformation. mtlD gene integration in the putative transgenic plants was confirmed by Southern blot. Further, performance of transgenic finger millet under drought, salinity and oxidative stress was studied at plant level in T1 generation and in T1 and T2 generation seedlings. Results from these experiments showed that transgenic finger millet had better growth under drought and salinity stress compared to wild-type. At plant level, transgenic plants showed better osmotic adjustment and chlorophyll retention under drought stress compared to the wild-type. However, the overall increase in stress tolerance of transgenics for the three stresses, especially for oxidative stress, was only marginal compared to other mtlD gene expressing plant species reported in the literature. Moreover, the Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation protocol developed for finger millet in this study can be used to introduce diverse traits of agronomic importance in finger millet.

  18. Finger island flaps for treatment of dermato-desmogenic flexion contractures of proximal interphalangeal joints

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. S. Antonova

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Soft tissue defect will form after operative treatment of the dermato-desmogenic flexion contractures of fingers interphalangeal joints of the 2–3 grades after excision of the scar. Using the island flaps (Littler at the central vascular pedicle is one of the classical methods of plastic closure of such defects. Goal. To study the effectiveness of the surgical treatment of dermato-desmogenic flexion contractures of proximal interphalangeal joints of the fingers by using finger island flaps at the central vascular or neuro-vascular pedicle. Materials and methods. 14 operations were carried out on 13 patients for removing dermato-desmogenic flexion contractures of proximal interphalangeal (PIP joints of triphalangeal fingers over a 2-year period (2013–2015. The group included patients with a flexion contracture of the 2–3 grades PIP joints of triphalangeal fingers. Operations were performed on average 5 months after the injury (from 1.5 up to 16 months. Finger island flap in all cases was taken from adjacent finger by using the blood supply of their common finger artery. In all cases the island flap on the central pedicel was used, in 9 cases digital nerve was included in the pedicle (Littler. Closure of donor wound was made with free-skin grafts. Permanent splinting of the hand with extension of the interphalangeal joints and moderate flexion of the metacarpophalangeal joints were performed during 7–8 days after surgery, then exercise therapy was prescribed. Results. The results were estimated 6 and 12 months after surgery. All the results were regarded as excellent. In 5 cases of using the flap on a vascular pedicle flap hypoesthesia was detected, that has not led to dysfunction of the hand. Contracture recurrence during follow-up was not observed. Conclusions. Using the surgery for treatment of dermato-desmogenic flexion contractures of proximal interphalangeal joints of the fingers with the island flaps at the central vascular or neuro

  19. Involuntary Neuromuscular Coupling between the Thumb and Finger of Stroke Survivors during Dynamic Movement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christopher L. Jones

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Finger–thumb coordination is crucial to manual dexterity but remains incompletely understood, particularly following neurological injury such as stroke. While being controlled independently, the index finger and thumb especially must work in concert to perform a variety of tasks requiring lateral or palmar pinch. The impact of stroke on this functionally critical sensorimotor control during dynamic tasks has been largely unexplored. In this study, we explored finger–thumb coupling during close–open pinching motions in stroke survivors with chronic hemiparesis. Two types of perturbations were applied randomly to the index with a novel Cable-Actuated Finger Exoskeleton: a sudden joint acceleration stretching muscle groups of the index finger and a sudden increase in impedance in selected index finger joint(s. Electromyographic signals for specific thumb and index finger muscles, thumb tip trajectory, and index finger joint angles were recorded during each trial. Joint angle perturbations invoked reflex responses in the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS, first dorsal interossei (FDI, and extensor digitorum communis muscles of the index finger and heteronymous reflex responses in flexor pollicis brevis of the thumb (p < 0.017. Phase of movement played a role as a faster peak reflex response was observed in FDI during opening than during closing (p < 0.002 and direction of perturbations resulted in shorter reflex times for FDS and FDI (p < 0.012 for extension perturbations. Surprisingly, when index finger joint impedance was suddenly increased, thumb tip movement was substantially increased, from 2 to 10 cm (p < 0.001. A greater effect was seen during the opening phase (p < 0.044. Thus, involuntary finger–thumb coupling was present during dynamic movement, with perturbation of the index finger impacting thumb activity. The degree of coupling modulated with the phase of motion. These findings reveal a potential

  20. Marginal Accuracy of Castings Fabricated with Ringless Casting Investment System and Metal Ring Casting Investment System: A Comparative Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalavathi, M; Sachin, Bhuvana; Prasanna, B G; Shreeharsha, T V; Praveen, B; Ragher, Mallikarjuna

    2016-02-01

    The thermal expansion of the investment can be restricted by the metal casting ring because the thermal expansion of the ring is less than that of the investment. The ringless casting procedure is in use in clinical dentistry, though there is little scientific data to support its use in fixed partial dentures. In this study, marginal discrepancy of castings produced with the ringless casting technique and the conventional technique using the metal rings were compared. A total of 30 wax patterns were fabricated directly on a metal die. Optical stereomicroscope was used to measure the marginal discrepancy between the metal die and wax patterns. A total of 15 castings were invested using Bellavest T phosphate-bonded investment with the ringless technique and 15 were invested with the same investment with a metal ring; 30 castings were produced using a nickel-chromium ceramo-metal alloy. The internal surface of the castings was not modified and seated with finger pressure. The vertical marginal discrepancy was measured using an optical stereomicroscope at a magnification of 100x. The data obtained were statistically analyzed using students t-test (paired t-test and unpaired t-test). The castings of the ringless technique provided less vertical marginal discrepancy (240.56 ± 45.81 μ) than the castings produced with the conventional metal ring technique (281.98± 53.05 μ). The difference was statistically significant. The ringless casting technique had produced better marginal accuracy compared with conventional casting technique. Ringless casting system can be used routinely for clinical purpose.

  1. Zinc-finger proteins in health and disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cassandri, Matteo; Smirnov, Artem; Novelli, Flavia; Pitolli, Consuelo; Agostini, Massimiliano; Malewicz, Michal; Melino, Gerry; Raschellà, Giuseppe

    2017-01-01

    Zinc-finger proteins (ZNFs) are one of the most abundant groups of proteins and have a wide range of molecular functions. Given the wide variety of zinc-finger domains, ZNFs are able to interact with DNA, RNA, PAR (poly-ADP-ribose) and other proteins. Thus, ZNFs are involved in the regulation of several cellular processes. In fact, ZNFs are implicated in transcriptional regulation, ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation, signal transduction, actin targeting, DNA repair, cell migration, and numerous other processes. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive summary of the current state of knowledge of this class of proteins. Firstly, we describe the actual classification of ZNFs, their structure and functions. Secondly, we focus on the biological role of ZNFs in the development of organisms under normal physiological and pathological conditions.

  2. A Novel Multi-Finger Gate Structure of AlGaN/GaN High Electron Mobility Transistor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cui Lei; Wang Quan; Wang Xiao-Liang; Xiao Hong-Ling; Wang Cui-Mei; Jiang Li-Juan; Feng Chun; Yin Hai-Bo; Gong Jia-Min; Li Bai-Quan; Wang Zhan-Guo

    2015-01-01

    A novel multi-finger gate high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) is designed to reduce the peak electric field value at the drain-side gate edge when the device is at off-state. The effective gate length (L_e_f_f) of the multi-finger gate device is smaller than that of the field plate gate device. In this work, field plate gate, five-finger gate and ten-finger gate devices are simulated. The results of the simulation indicate that the multi-finger gate device has a lower peak value than the device with the gate field plate. Moreover, this value would be further reduced when the number of gate fingers is increased. In addition, it has the potential to make the HEMT work in a higher frequency since it has a lower effective length of gate. (paper)

  3. Anatomy of the fingers in MR imaging using a high resolution surface coil; Die Anatomie der Finger in der MRT unter Anwendung einer Hochaufloesungsspule

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maeurer, J. [Strahlenklinik und Poliklinik, Klinikum Rudolf Virchow, Standort Wedding, Freie Univ. Berlin (Germany); Mueller, H.F. [Strahlenklinik und Poliklinik, Klinikum Rudolf Virchow, Standort Wedding, Freie Univ. Berlin (Germany); Lemke, A.J. [Strahlenklinik und Poliklinik, Klinikum Rudolf Virchow, Standort Wedding, Freie Univ. Berlin (Germany); Requardt, R. [Siemens AG, Erlangen (Germany); Stein, I. [Strahlenklinik und Poliklinik, Klinikum Rudolf Virchow, Standort Wedding, Freie Univ. Berlin (Germany); Schedel, H. [Strahlenklinik und Poliklinik, Klinikum Rudolf Virchow, Standort Wedding, Freie Univ. Berlin (Germany); Langer, R. [Strahlenklinik und Poliklinik, Klinikum Rudolf Virchow, Standort Wedding, Freie Univ. Berlin (Germany); Felix, R. [Strahlenklinik und Poliklinik, Klinikum Rudolf Virchow, Standort Wedding, Freie Univ. Berlin (Germany)

    1994-12-31

    MR-images of the fingers of twenty healthy volunteers were obtained at a 1,5-T whole-body system with a high resolution coil. Additionally, the fingers of two formalin-fixed anatomical specismen were imaged, fronzen and then subsequently sectioned for anatomic correlation. Measurements were recorded with a slice thickness of 2 mm. A 256x256 matrix and a 2,5 cam fiel of view (FOV) were used resulting in a pixel size of 0,01 mm{sup 2}. Based on the excellent depiction of anatomic detail and contrast resolution high resolution MRI of the fingers enabled identification of osseous and cartilaginous structures, as well as delineation of tendons, ligaments blood-vessels and dermal layers. (orig.) [Deutsch] An einem 1,5-T-Ganzkoerpertomographen wurden die Finger von 20 gesunden Probanden mit einer Hochaufloesungsspule zur Darstellung der Anatomie untersucht. Zum Vergleich erfolgte die Abbildung der anatomischen Strukturen an zwei formol- und alkoholfixierten Leichepraeparaten der Hand mittels MRT. Im Anschluss wurden die untersuchten Regionen am tiefgefrorenen Praeparat mit einer Bandsaege nachgeschnitten. Die MR-Messungen wurden mit einer Schichtdicke von 3 mm, einem Field of View (FOV) von 25 mm und einer Matrix von 256x256 Pixel durchgefuehrt. Die daraus resultierende Pixelgroesse betrug 0,01 mm{sup 2}. Der Weichteilkontrast und die hohe Ortsaufloesung ermoeglichten die Identifikation von Knochen- und Knorpelstrukturen sowie die Abgrenzung von Sehnen, Baendern, Blutgefaessen und Hautschichten. (orig.)

  4. Finger Counting Habits in Middle Eastern and Western Individuals: An Online Survey

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lindemann, O.; Alipour, A.; Fischer, M.H.

    2011-01-01

    The current study documents the presence of cultural differences in the development of finger counting strategies. About 900 Middle Eastern (i.e., Iranian) and Western (i.e., European and American) individuals reported in an online survey how they map numbers onto their fingers when counting from 1

  5. Fifteen years experience with finger arterial pressure monitoring : Assessment of the technology

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Imholz, B.P.M.; Wieling, W.; Montfrans, G.A. van; Wesseling, K.H.

    1998-01-01

    We review the Finapres technology, embodied in several TNO-prototypes and in the Ohmeda 2300 and 2300e Finapres NIBP. Finapres is an acronym for FINger Arterial PRESsure, the device delivers a continuous finger arterial pressure waveform. Many papers report on the accuracy of the device in

  6. Fifteen years experience with finger arterial pressure monitoring: assessment of the technology

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Imholz, B. P.; Wieling, W.; van Montfrans, G. A.; Wesseling, K. H.

    1998-01-01

    We review the Finapres technology, embodied in several TNO-prototypes and in the Ohmeda 2300 and 2300e Finapres NIBP. Finapres is an acronym for FINger Arterial PRESsure, the device delivers a continuous finger arterial pressure waveform. Many papers report on the accuracy of the device in

  7. Multi-finger prehension: control of a redundant mechanical system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Latash, Mark L; Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M

    2009-01-01

    The human hand has been a fascinating object of study for researchers in both biomechanics and motor control. Studies of human prehension have contributed significantly to the progress in addressing the famous problem of motor redundancy. After a brief review of the hand mechanics, we present results of recent studies that support a general view that the apparently redundant design of the hand is not a source of computational problems but a rich apparatus that allows performing a variety of tasks in a reliable and flexible way (the principle of abundance). Multi-digit synergies have been analyzed at two levels of a hypothetical hierarchy involved in the control of prehensile actions. At the upper level, forces and moments produced by the thumb and virtual finger (an imagined finger with a mechanical action equal to the combined mechanical action of all four fingers of the hand) co-vary to stabilize the gripping action and the orientation of the hand-held object. These results support the principle of superposition suggested earlier in robotics with respect to the control of artificial grippers. At the lower level of the hierarchy, forces and moments produced by individual fingers co-vary to stabilize the magnitude and direction of the force vector and the moment of force produced by the virtual finger. Adjustments to changes in task constraints (such as, for example, friction under individual digits) may be local and synergic. The latter reflect multi-digit prehension synergies and may be analyzed with the so-called chain effects: Sequences of relatively straightforward cause-effect links directly related to mechanical constraints leading to non-trivial strong co-variation between pairs of elemental variables. Analysis of grip force adjustments during motion of hand-held objects suggests that the central nervous system adjusts to gravitational and inertial loads differently. The human hand is a gold mine for researchers interested in the control of natural human

  8. Quantitative assessment of finger motor impairment in multiple sclerosis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Bonzano

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To address the disability impact on fine hand motor functions in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS by quantitatively measuring finger opposition movements, with the aim of providing a new "score" integrating current methods for disability assessment. METHODS: 40 MS patients (Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS: 0-7 and 80 healthy controls (HC performed a repetitive finger-to-thumb opposition sequence with their dominant hand at spontaneous and maximal velocity, and uni- and bi-manually metronome-paced. A sensor-engineered glove was used to measure finger motor performance. Twenty-seven HC were tested twice, one month apart, to assess test-retest reliability. RESULTS: The motor parameters showed a good reproducibility in HC and demonstrated significantly worse performance in MS patients with respect to HC. A multivariate model revealed that rate of movement in the spontaneous velocity condition and inter-hand interval (IHI, indicating bimanual coordination, contributed independently to differentiate the two groups. A finger motor impairment score based on these two parameters was able to discriminate HC from MS patients with very low EDSS scores (p<0.001: a significant difference was already evident for patients with EDSS = 0. Further, in the MS group, some motor performance parameters correlated with the clinical scores. In particular, significant correlations were found between IHI and EDSS (r = 0.56; p<0.0001, MS Functional Composite (r = -0.40; p = 0.01, Paced Auditory Serial Addition (r = -0.38; p = 0.02. No motor performance parameter correlated with Timed 25-Foot Walk. CONCLUSIONS: A simple, quantitative, objective method measuring finger motor performance could be used to define a score discriminating healthy controls and MS patients, even with very low disability. This sensitivity might be of crucial importance for monitoring the disease course and the treatment effects in early MS patients, when

  9. Interaction of ring dark solitons with ring impurities in Bose-Einstein condensates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xue Jukui

    2005-01-01

    The interaction of ring dark solitons/vortexes with the ring-shaped repulsive and attractive impurities in two-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensates is investigated numerically. Very rich interaction phenomena are obtained, i.e., not only the interaction between the ring soliton and the impurity, but also the interaction between vortexes and the impurity. The interaction characters, i.e., snaking of ring soliton, quasitrapping or reflection of ring soliton and vortexes by the impurity, strongly depend on initial ring soliton velocity, impurity strength, initial position of ring soliton and impurity. The numerical results also reveal that ring dark solitons/vortexes can be trapped and dragged by an adiabatically moving attractive ring impurity

  10. The Ku70/80 ring in Non-Homologous End-Joining

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kragelund, Birthe Brandt; Weterings, Eric; Hartmann-Petersen, Rasmus

    2016-01-01

    /80 heterodimer is a key-player in the NHEJ pathway and binds to DNA termini with high affinity, where it helps to protect DNA ends from degradation and to recruit other NHEJ factors required for repair. The mechanism of Ku70/80 detachment from the DNA helix after completion of DNA repair is incompletely......Non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) is an essential DNA double strand break repair pathway during all cell cycle stages. Deficiency in NHEJ factors can lead to accumulation of unrepaired DNA breaks or faulty DNA repair, which may ultimately result in cell death, senescence or carcinogenesis. The Ku70...... understood. Some data suggest that certain DNA repair factors are ubiquitylated and targeted for proteasomal degradation after repair. Recent studies suggest that Ku80 is conjugated to lysine48-linked ubiquitin chains by the Skp1-Cullin-F-box (SCF) complex and/or the RING finger protein 8 (RNF8) ubiquitin-protein...

  11. Transcriptome wide identification and characterization of starch branching enzyme in finger millet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tyagi, Rajhans; Tiwari, Apoorv; Garg, Vijay Kumar; Gupta, Sanjay

    2017-01-01

    Starch-branching enzymes (SBEs) are one of the four major enzyme classes involved in starch biosynthesis in plants and play an important role in determining the structure and physical properties of starch granules. Multiple SBEs are involved in starch biosynthesis in plants. Finger millet is calcium rich important serial crop belongs to grass family and the transcriptome data of developing spikes is available on NCBI. In this study it was try to find out the gene sequence of starch branching enzyme and annotate the sequence and submit the sequence for further use. Rice SBE sequence was taken as reference and for characterization of the sequence different in silico tools were used. Four domains were found in the finger millet Starch branching enzyme like alpha amylase catalytic domain from 925 to2172 with E value 0, N-terminal Early set domain from 634 to 915 with E value 1.62 e-42, Alpha amylase, C-terminal all-beta domain from 2224 to 2511 with E value 5.80e-24 and 1,4-alpha-glucan-branching enzyme from 421 to 2517 with E value 0. Major binding interactions with the GLC (alpha-d-glucose), CA (calcium ion), GOL (glycerol), TRS (2-amino-2-hydroxymethylpropane- 1, 3-diol), MG (magnesium ion) and FLC (citrate anion) are fond with different residues. It was found in the phylogenetic study of the finger millet SBE with the 6 species of grass family that two clusters were form A and B. In cluster A, finger millet showed closeness with Oryzasativa and Setariaitalica, Sorghum bicolour and Zea mays while cluster B was formed with Triticumaestivum and Brachypodium distachyon. The nucleotide sequence of Finger millet SBE was submitted to NCBI with the accession no KY648913 and protein structure of SBE of finger millet was also submitted in PMDB with the PMDB id - PM0080938. This research presents a comparative overview of Finger millet SBE and includes their properties, structural and functional characteristics, and recent developments on their post-translational regulation.

  12. Task specificity of finger dexterity tests

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Berger, M.A.M.; Krul, A.; Daanen, H.A.M.

    2009-01-01

    Finger dexterity tests are generally used to assess performance decrease due to gloves, cold and pathology. It is generally assumed that the O’Connor and Purdue Pegboard test yield similar results. In this experiment we compared these two tests for dry conditions without gloves, and for dry and wet

  13. Task specificity of finger dexterity tests

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Berger, M.A.M.; Krul, A.J.; Daanen, H.A.M.

    2009-01-01

    Finger dexterity tests are generally used to assess performance decrease due to gloves, cold and pathology. It is generally assumed that the O'Connor and Purdue Pegboard test yield similar results. In this experiment we compared these two tests for dry conditions without gloves, and for dry and wet

  14. Robust Operation of Tendon-Driven Robot Fingers Using Force and Position-Based Control Laws

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdallah, Muhammad E (Inventor); Platt, Jr., Robert J. (Inventor); Reiland, Matthew J (Inventor); Hargrave, Brian (Inventor); Diftler, Myron A (Inventor); Strawser, Philip A (Inventor); Ihrke, Chris A. (Inventor)

    2013-01-01

    A robotic system includes a tendon-driven finger and a control system. The system controls the finger via a force-based control law when a tension sensor is available, and via a position-based control law when a sensor is not available. Multiple tendons may each have a corresponding sensor. The system selectively injects a compliance value into the position-based control law when only some sensors are available. A control system includes a host machine and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having a control process, which is executed by the host machine to control the finger via the force- or position-based control law. A method for controlling the finger includes determining the availability of a tension sensor(s), and selectively controlling the finger, using the control system, via the force or position-based control law. The position control law allows the control system to resist disturbances while nominally maintaining the initial state of internal tendon tensions.

  15. Assessment of the ring enhancement of the brain abscess by computerized tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanaka, Keisei; Yasunaga, Akio; Kawano, Teruaki; Miyazaki, Hisaya; Mori, Kazuo

    1982-01-01

    The underlying mechanism concerning the ring enhancement of the CT scan was considered in three cases of brain abscess. The first case, a 55-year-old male, was admitted 1 week after the onset of symptoms. A CT scan showed a contrast ring enhancement with perifocal severe edema in the right temporal lobe. A subsequent CT scan, after the administration of antibiotics and steroid treatment, showed no contrast ring enhancement. However, it reappeared after discontinuation of treatment and the disappeared again following the readministration of antibiotics. In the acute stage, functional changes in the local vessels (failure of BBB) caused by inflammation might have been responsible for the ring enhancement. The second case, an 8-year-old girl, was abmitted 1 month after the onset of symptoms. An initial CT scan showed large lobulated abscesses in the right fronto-temporal lobe, with ring enhancement. The follow-up CT scans, one and two years after onset, still showed a small disc enhancement in the temporallobe. The third case, a 10-year-old boy with tetoralogy of Fallot, developed multiple cerebral abscesses in the left frontal lobe. In spite of medical treatment, his clinical status and CT findings did not show any remarkable inprovement, and so an extracapsular excision of the abscesses was performed. Serial CT scans. however, revealed the persistence of the ring sign even after a complete excision of the brain abscesses. Microscopic findings of the excised abscess wall showed a marked, vascular-rich granulation, the outer part of which remained in situ and must have been responsible for the ring enhancement even after the extracapsular excision of the brain abscesses. (author)

  16. Persistent fifth arch anomalies - broadening the spectrum to include a variation of double aortic arch vascular ring

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Newman, Beverley; Chan, Frandics [Stanford Children' s Hospital and Stanford University, Department of Radiology, Stanford, CA (United States); Hanneman, Kate [University of Toronto, Department of Medical Imaging, Toronto, ON (Canada)

    2016-12-15

    Fifth arch anomalies are rare and complex and frequently misdiagnosed or mistaken for other entities. We report a double arch vascular ring that is thought to consist of right fourth arch and left fifth arch components, a previously undescribed persistent fifth arch variant. The currently recognized spectrum and classification of fifth arch vascular anomalies are expanded along with illustrative images to justify the proposed changes. Reviewing and expanding the classification of fifth arch anomalies to include a double arch ring variant will promote recognition, correct diagnosis and appropriate management of these anomalies. (orig.)

  17. Storage Rings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fischer, W.

    2010-01-01

    Storage rings are circular machines that store particle beams at a constant energy. Beams are stored in rings without acceleration for a number of reasons (Tab. 1). Storage rings are used in high-energy, nuclear, atomic, and molecular physics, as well as for experiments in chemistry, material and life sciences. Parameters for storage rings such as particle species, energy, beam intensity, beam size, and store time vary widely depending on the application. The beam must be injected into a storage ring but may not be extracted (Fig. 1). Accelerator rings such as synchrotrons are used as storage rings before and after acceleration. Particles stored in rings include electrons and positrons; muons; protons and anti-protons; neutrons; light and heavy, positive and negative, atomic ions of various charge states; molecular and cluster ions, and neutral polar molecules. Spin polarized beams of electrons, positrons, and protons were stored. The kinetic energy of the stored particles ranges from 10 -6 eV to 3.5 x 10 12 eV (LHC, 7 x 10 12 eV planned), the number of stored particles from one (ESR) to 1015 (ISR). To store beam in rings requires bending (dipoles) and transverse focusing (quadrupoles). Higher order multipoles are used to correct chromatic aberrations, to suppress instabilities, and to compensate for nonlinear field errors of dipoles and quadrupoles. Magnetic multipole functions can be combined in magnets. Beams are stored bunched with radio frequency systems, and unbunched. The magnetic lattice and radio frequency system are designed to ensure the stability of transverse and longitudinal motion. New technologies allow for better storage rings. With strong focusing the beam pipe dimensions became much smaller than previously possible. For a given circumference superconducting magnets make higher energies possible, and superconducting radio frequency systems allow for efficient replenishment of synchrotron radiation losses of large current electron or positron beams

  18. Reliability and Validity of Finger Strength and Endurance Measurements in Rock Climbing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michailov, Michail Lubomirov; Baláš, Jirí; Tanev, Stoyan Kolev; Andonov, Hristo Stoyanov; Kodejška, Jan; Brown, Lee

    2018-01-01

    Purpose: An advanced system for the assessment of climbing-specific performance was developed and used to: (a) investigate the effect of arm fixation (AF) on construct validity evidence and reliability of climbing-specific finger-strength measurement; (b) assess reliability of finger-strength and endurance measurements; and (c) evaluate the…

  19. An Optimal Design of Driving Mechanism in a 1 Degree of Freedom (d.o.f. Anthropomorphic Finger

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Ceccarelli

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available Mechanisms can be used in finger design to obtain suitable actuation systems and to give stiff robust behavior in grasping tasks. The design of driving mechanisms for fingers has been attached at LARM in Cassino with the aim to obtain one degree of freedom actuation for an anthropomorphic finger. The dimensional design of a finger-driving mechanism has been formulated as a multi-objective optimization problem by using evaluation criteria for fundamental characteristics regarding with finger motion, grasping equilibrium and force transmission. The feasibility of the herein proposed optimum design procedure for a finger-driving mechanism has been tested by numerical examples that have been also used to enhance a prototype previously built at LARM in Cassino.

  20. Normal tendon sheath of the second to fifth fingers as seen on oblique views

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fischer, E.

    1984-01-01

    Oblique views of the fingers, using a low kilovolt technique, show a portion of the tendon sheaths which can be regarded as representative of the entire sheath. Because of the varying obliquity of each finger, this proportion differs in the fingers. With increasing age the projected portion of the sheath becomes smaller because it is covered by increasing bone formation in the insertion of the tendon sheat. Normal values have been obtained for adults according to their decades; from these, quite minor degrees of tendon sheat thickening can be determined. In camptodactyly of the fifth finger, which is not uncommon, the tendon sheat may be widened in the absence of a tenosynovitis.