This research, which focuses on wave energy generating technology, suggests a brand-new oscillating float-type wave energy conversion system that is appropriate for the offshore wave environment. To accurately model the device, a three-dimensional viscous numerical pool is created based on STAR-CCM+. The array-type power generation device is numerically simulated using theoretical analysis and numerical simulation, and the wave energy power generation device is arranged as double floats in the front and rear rows, representing triangular array type and rectangular array type, respectively. The triangular array type is a superior layout and can make greater use of marine resources, according to this paper's analysis of the hydrodynamic and power generation impacts of the three array types. The findings are meant to serve as a guide for engineering practice.

The development of cost-effective methods for estimating hydraulic conductivity profiles has been an ongoing effort in the field of engineering practice, which can be used to increase availability to clarify the hydrogeological complexity of fractured rock aquifers for the aid of solving groundwater-related problems. A methodology is presented, which combines electrical well logs, fluid conductivity logs, double packer hydraulic tests, Archie’s law, and the Kozeny-Carman-Bear equation to investigate relations between formation factor and hydraulic conductivity. This method was applied to develop hydraulic conductivity profiles based on the data collected from 88 boreholes in Taiwan's mountainous areas. The investigation results include: (1) Well logging signals were suggested to be categorized by rock types to establish effective relationships with hydraulic conductivity. (2) Removing the mud-bearing section data with two proposed data clustering techniques could effectively enhance the correlation between the formation factor and hydraulic conductivity. (3) The predictive models for estimating hydraulic conductivity have been developed for sandstone, schist, and slate. (4) The prevalence of clay content in most of Taiwan's mountainous rock formations has been found, which implies that careful consideration of clay-related issues in complex geologic formations is essential while applying Archie's law theory.

Aujeszky Disease Virus (ADV) is a double-stranded DNA virus with a lipoprotein envelope. The natural hosts of the infection are suidae, but the virus can infect many other mammals. The gold-standard method identified by the WOAH for the diagnosis of Aujeszky disease is ELISA method. The objective of this study was to compare the performance of meat juice and oral fluid matrices using a commercial ELISA kit designed for serum. A total of 80 blood and oral fluid samples were collected from four pig farms selected for this study. Diaphragm muscle samples of about 100 g and blood samples were collected from 213 animals at the abattoir. These biological matrices were collected from the same animals and tested using a competitive ELISA kit to detect antibodies against ADV. The relative accuracy of the meat juice compared to that of the serum was 96.7% (95% CI: 93.3%-98.7%), with 206 correct results out of 213. The relative accuracy of the oral fluid compared to that of the serum was 61.3% (95% CI: 49.7%-71.9%), with 58 correct results out of 80. Meat juice has a better combination of sensitivity and specificity than oral fluid. The usage of meat juice in routine diagnostic examinations could be achieved after further investigations to optimize the procedure.

An axial wind turbine's performance is analyzed numerically using geometrical and operational parameters. The performance of an axial wind turbine is simulated using three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and compared with experimental data, which confirms the validity of the assumptions and method used. A study of the effects of air in clean and sand particlesy conditions is then conducted. A study was also conducted on mechanical power and the impact of the blade tip on the extension of the vortex. It has been found that different sand particle sizes have a significant impact on wind performance numerically from 0.1 to 0.9, and the results indicate that mechanical power and thrust increase as wind velocity increases, but larger sand particle sizes reduce power, thrust, and torque as wind velocity increases. The turbulence intensity causes the pressure distribution on the walls to be irregular, thereby increasing mechanical power and propulsion force. Moreover, as the wind velocity increases, the tip speed ratio increases and the vortexes are subsequently extended.

Onion is not just an edible food but its seeds can also be an important source of valuable oil with various sensitive applications mainly in pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food fields. This has encouraged the use of a supercritical fluid extraction in the present study to obtain oil from local onion seeds, hence avoiding even traces of organic solvents. For several advantages carbon dioxide at supercritical conditions was used as the fluid. The effects of four key operating parameters like pressure, temperature, particle size and CO2 mass flowrate were investigated in ranges of [150, 250 bars], [35, 65°C], [0.25, 0.85mm] and [50, 100g/min], respectively, using a Box-Behnken experimental design, for a constant extraction time of 3 hours. This led to optimal operating conditions of 250 bar, 57°C, 0.25mm and 50g CO2/min for the highest oil extraction yield value of 24.36%. Furthermore, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to identify qualitatively and quantitatively the chemical composition of the onion seed oils. About ten components were identified in the extracts, but with four major ones, namely 9,12-Octadecadienoic acid ,methyl ester, 9,12-Octadecadienoic acid (Z,Z)-,methyl ester, 9-Octadecadienoic acid (Z)-,methyl ester and Hexadecanoic acid, methyl ester, present with significant percentages, depending on the operating parameters values. These fatty acids are well known for their benefits for human health. Finally the study shows the importance and the merits of fluids when used under particular conditions of pressure and temperature, in very sensitive industrial fields.

Idiopathic scoliosis (IS) is an unexplained dysplasia of the spine that can occur at any age, with idiopathic scoliosis making up the largest proportion of the total population worldwide, approximately 2-3%. Scoliosis is not just a cosmetic defect, but the development of the spinal deformity can lead to cardiovascular and respiratory lesions, often resulting in serious health problems. Treatment of the condition usually involves major surgery, which is both a physical and financial burden for patients. In order to clarify the aetiology of IS and provide a theoretical basis for new diagnostic and treatment methods IS, it is important to use different animal models for experiments. Zebrafish is an emerging model animal with a short reproductive cycle, minimal breeding expenses, and other beneficial traits including in vitro fertilisation, in vitro development, and embryo transparency. As a result, genetic alteration and observation are simpler than with traditional model animals. This study examines the history of animal models for IS research, focuses on the benefits and drawbacks of zebrafish as an IS model and the advances it provides to IS research, and anticipates zebrafish application prospects in IS research.

With the development of free trade port in Hainan Island, the construction of tourist roads around the island is also in full swing. Under the weather conditions of strong typhoon and rainstorm in Hainan, the highway cutting slope built on the coastal weak sandy terraces has strong sand loss and is easy to be scour by rainfall. MICP green spray irrigation solidification technology is used to strengthen the sandy cutting, and pore water pressure monitoring is carried out on the slope model during MICP solidification and rainfall scour. Combined with the model pore water pressure and flow slip failure pattern, dynamic analysis was carried out. The results show that MICP sprinkler irrigation technology can solidified the surface of the slope model in a short time, and the cementation depth of the model reaches 4cm after three sets of rotation reinforcement. The surface reinforcement effect is good, and the sand samples are closely connected. Under the erosion effect of simulated rainfall intensity, the sand loss of the slope is weakened, and no sand binding damage occurs, and the integrity is enhanced. Due to the cementation between sand grains, most of the rainfall was converted into runoff, and the slope slid after 150s. When the slope began to slip, the leading edge of the slope model lost sand and unloaded, and the failure mode was graded creep slip failure. Finally, the slope was divided into several blocks due to the continuous expansion of cracks after the slope failure. The erosion stability of the sandy slope under heavy rains is optimized and the sand loss is prevented effectively. In this study, a new method of MICP remediation techniques is proposed, which provides a new test basis for the application of MICP technology in practical engineering.

We previously described spherical crystals in minerals from prismatine-bearing rock from Waldheim, including ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) minerals such as stishovite and coesite, in uncommon crustal environments. To determine if this was an outlier phenomenon, we searched for equivalent inclusions in other rocks, which we indeed discovered in a Variscan tin granite sensu stricto from the Erzgebirge. The identification of more examples of this phenomenon implies a novel, very rapid transcrustal transport mechanism, which however is not unique. We demonstrate the unusual occurrence of UHP minerals (moissanite, diamond, lonsdaleite, stishovite, coesite, kumdykolite, and cristobalite-II) in topaz of granitic rocks, which reflects the direct interaction of mantle and crust via supercritical fluids or extremely volatile-rich melts. Most UHP minerals are tiny inclusions in moissanite. The trapping by this mineral prevents a fast reaction in an extraneous environment.

Road vehicles are a large contributor to Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) pollution. The routine road-side monitoring stations, however, may underrepresent the severity of personal exposure in urban areas, because long-term average readings cannot capture the effects of momentary, high peaks of air pollution. While numerical modelling tools historically have been used to propose an improved distribution of monitoring stations, ultra-high resolution Computational Fluid Dynamics models can further assist the relevant stakeholders in understanding the important details of pollutant dispersion and exposure at local level. This study deploys a 10 cm-resolution CFD model to evaluate actual high peaks of personal exposure to NOx from traffic, by tracking the gases emitted from the tailpipe of moving vehicles being dispersed towards the roadside. The investigation shows that a set of four Euro 5-rated diesel vehicles travelling at constant speed may generate momentary road-side concentrations of NOx as high as 1.25 mg/m3, with 25% expected increase for doubling the number of vehicles and approximately 50% reduction when considering Euro 6-rated vehicles. The paper demonstrates how the numerical tool can be used to identify the impact of measures to reduce personal exposure, such as protective urban furniture, as traffic patterns and environmental conditions change.

Lipid metabolism is clearly associated to Parkinson´s disease (PD). Although lipid homeostasis has been widely studied in multiple animal and cellular models as well as in blood derived from PD individuals, the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) lipidomic profile in PD remains largely unexplored. In this study, we have characterized the CSF lipidomic imbalance between neurologically intact controls (n=10) and PD subjects (n=20). The combination of dual extraction with ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-qToF-MS/MS) allowed to monitor 257 lipid species across all samples. Complementary multivariate and univariate data analysis pointed out that glycerolipids (mono-, di-, and triacylglycerides), saturated and mono/polyunsaturated fatty acids, primary fatty amides, glycerophospholipids (phosphatidylcholines, phosphatidylethanolamines), sphingolipids (ceramides, sphingomyelins), N-acylethanolamines and sterol lipids (cholesteryl esters, steroids) were significantly increased in the CSF of PD compared to control group. These results, despite the limitation of being obtained in a small population, demonstrate and extensive CSF lipid remodelling in PD, shedding new light on the deployment of CSF lipidomics as a promising tool to identify potential lipid markers as well as discriminatory lipid species between PD and other atypical parkinsonisms.

This study addressed a Fluid-Structure Interaction of an open Water test for vp1304 propeller to predict pressure and stress distributions with a low cost and high precision method. The most striking aspect of such a method(one-way coupling) is to use one hydrodynamic solution for the number of different structural sets involved in other materials or different layup methods and combinations of layers. An open-access software(OpenFOAM) with an open-source code solver is used to simulate the fluid domain. Abaqus is used To evaluate and predict the deformation and strength of the blade with the Finite Element Method(FEM). The coupling approach is based on dry condition, which means the added mass effects due to propeller blades vibration is neglected. The pressures imposed on the blades are extracted from the fluid solver for each time step. Then, These pressures role as a load condition for the structure solver. This approach was verified in the last paper(wedge impact); a key factor for the present solution is the rotational rate interrelated between two solution domains, which is explained in this paper. Finally, the blades' stress and strain are calculated and compared in each advance coefficient.

Adhesion systems are very important in robots for infrastructure inspection (especially in vertical walls). They present the challenge of optimizing the ratio vacuum/power consumption in battery-powered robots. In this paper a CFD (Computer Fluid Dynamics) modelling and optimization process of a robot adhesion system is carried out to determine the best performing configuration in terms of vacuum and power consumption. Analytical and numerical models were developed to predict the behaviour of the system for different configurations. The models were validated, using test rig measurements, by calibrating an arbitrary defined inlet height that simulates the leakage flow. Then, different geometric parameters were varied to determine the best performing configuration based on the vacuum/power consumption ratio value. The model presented in the paper was capable of predicting the behaviour of the system for different configurations, with a margin of error of 15% for the vacuum prediction and a 25% for the motor power calculation. Finally, the model was used to optimize parameters of the system, like the number of blades of the impeller. The adhesion system was conceived for the modular autonomous climbing legged robot ROMERIN.

It is a theoretical exportation for mass transpiration and thermal transpiration of Casson nanofluid over an extending cylindrical surface. The Stagnation point flow through porous matrix is influenced by magnetic field of form strength. Appropriate similarity functions are availed to yield the transmuted system of leading differential equations. Existence for the solution of momentum equation is proved for various values of Casson parameter β, magnetic parameter M, porosity parameter Kp and Raynolds number Re in two situations of mass transpiration (suction/injuction). Moreover, uniqueness results are discussed and for skin friction factor are established to attain accuracy for large injection values. Thermal and concentration profiles are delineated numerically by applying Runge-Kutta method and shooting technique.

The adoption of Machine Learning (ML) for building emulators for complex physical processes has seen an exponential rise in the recent years. While neural networks are good function approximators, optimizing the hyper-parameters of the network to reach a global minimum is not trivial, and often needs human knowl- edge and expertise. In this light, automatic ML or autoML methods have gained large interest as they automate the process of network hyper-parameter tuning. In addition, Neural Architecture Search (NAS) has shown promising outcomes for improving model performance. While autoML methods have grown in popularity for image, text and other applications, their effectiveness for high-dimensional, complex scientific datasets remains to be investigated. In this work, a data driven emulator for turbulence closure terms in the context of Large Eddy Simulation (LES) models is trained using Artificial Neural Networks and an autoML frame- work based on Bayesian Optimization, incorporating priors to jointly optimize the hyper-parameters as well as conduct a full neural network architecture search to converge to a global minima, is proposed. Additionally, we compare the effect of using different network weight initializations and optimizers such as ADAM, SGDM and RMSProp, to explore the best performing setting. Weight and function space similarities during the optimization trajectory are investigated, and critical differences in the learning process evolution are noted and compared to theory. We observe ADAM optimizer and Glorot initialization consistently performs better, while RMSProp outperforms SGDM as the latter appears to have been stuck at a local minima. Therefore, this autoML BayesOpt framework provides a means to choose the best hyper-parameter settings for a given dataset.

Persistent, non-explosive passive degassing is a common characteristic of active volcanoes. Distinct periodic components in measurable parameters of gas release have been widely identified over timescales ranging from seconds to months. The development and implementation of high temporal resolution gas measurement techniques now enables the robust quantification of high frequency processes operating on timescales comparable to those detectable in geophysical datasets. This review presents an overview of the current state of understanding regarding periodic volcanic degassing, and evaluates the methods available for detecting periodicity, e.g., autocorrelation, variations of the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), and the continuous wavelet transform (CWT). Periodicities in volcanic degassing from published studies are summarised and statistically analysed, together with analyses of literature-derived datasets where periodicity had not previously been investigated. Finally, an overview of current knowledge on drivers of periodicity is presented and discussed in the framework of four main generating categories, including: (1) non-volcanic (e.g., atmospheric or tidally generated); (2) gas-driven, shallow conduit processes; (3) magma movement, intermediate to shallow storage zone; and (4) deep magmatic processes.

Due to poor ventilation conditions in the tunnel, if gas pipeline leaks, the consequence of the accident will be more serious. Therefore, before the emergency repair, gas in the tunnel needs to be excharged so as not to explode during the repair process. Therefore, it is necessary to study the ventilation of gas in the tunnel. Based on the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) theory and taking the Yanyingshan tunnel section of China-Myanmar pipeline as an example, this paper uses Fluent software to establish the leakage model of the gas pipeline and fan model in the tunnel and analyzes the influence of different fan locations and number of fans on gas concentration. It can be concluded that: (1) the use of press-in method makes it more efficient to discharge gas out of the tunnel. (2) In order to make ventilation efficient, the fan should be arranged in a higher position and needs to be at a distance from the top of the tunnel. (3) Parallel use of two fans has better ventilation effect than single fan.

Starting with a hypothetical geostrophic zonal current in an unbounded ocean, the investigation points out the response of this simple system to a thermal forcing, applied to the free surface and consistent with the maintenance of the geostrophic balance. The main result is the formation of a meridional component of the current, according to the Sverdrup relation, such that the full velocity vector rotates clockwise for heating and anticlockwise for cooling to adjust eventually in the initial zonal direction for large depths.

In the realm of metal steel and iron manufacturing, there is a constant drive to optimize production efficiency and enhance the quality of the final products. This abstract explores a paradigm shift in this industry through the utilization of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) as a powerful tool for achieving these goals .The study focuses on various critical aspects of the manufacturing process. Firstly, it delves into three-phase processes such as slag and gas entrainment in liquid steel, which have a significant impact on the overall product quality. Understanding and optimizing these processes is crucial to ensure the desired chemical composition and physical properties of the final metal.The abstract investigates the role of CFD in vacuum degassing, a process that plays a pivotal role in removing impurities, such as hydrogen and oxygen, from the liquid steel. By leveraging CFD to simulate and analyze the fluid flow patterns, researchers and engineers can design more efficient vacuum degassing systems, leading to improved product purity and reduced waste.Another crucial aspect explored in this abstract is the alloy melt and mixing process. By employing CFD simulations, researchers can gain insights into the movement of different alloy components and optimize their distribution within the melt. This aids in achieving the desired alloy composition, ensuring uniformity, and enhancing the mechanical properties of the final product.In addition, the study delves into the movement and flotation of inclusions, which are unwanted impurities present in the metal. CFD can be utilized to model and analyze the behavior of these inclusions, enabling engineers to design efficient strategies for their removal, thereby enhancing the purity and integrity of the final product.Moreover, the abstract considers the impact of melt temperature losses, which can occur during different stages of the manufacturing process. By employing CFD, it becomes possible to understand and mitigate these temperature losses, leading to improved energy efficiency and better control over the manufacturing parameters.Part 1 of this abstract critically evaluates the use of CFD in iron making, analyzing its benefits and limitations. It highlights how CFD can aid in process optimization, improving the understanding of complex phenomena involved in iron making, and ultimately leading to enhanced production efficiency.Part 2 focuses on the application of CFD in steel making and steel operation. It explores the fluid flow dynamics during different stages of steel production, including refining, casting, and rolling. By leveraging CFD, engineers can optimize these processes, leading to improved product quality, reduced defects, and increased productivity.This abstract demonstrates the transformative potential of Computational Fluid Dynamics in metal, steel, and iron manufacturing. By utilizing CFD as a tool to model and analyze complex fluid flow phenomena, researchers and engineers can revolutionize the production process, maximizing efficiency, and ensuring high-quality end products.

This article discusses the results of fluid inclusions study in barite collected at the Jan Mayen vent field area (Troll Wall and Perle & Bruce) and Loki’s Castle vent field of the Mohns Ridge segment of the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge. Three mafic-hosted volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits were examined within the active vent fields that adequately correspond to geological settings of ultraslow-spreading ridges and PT-conditions. Hydrothermal sediments were investigated to determine the temperature and salinity of the fluids responsible for barite precipitation. The hydrothermal origin of the barite was confirmed by its morphology. Fluid inclusions are two-phase and homogenized into the liquid phase on heating at temperatures below 287ºC. The salt concentration in fluids trapped in inclusions is 2.6–4.4 wt.% NaCl eq. The crystallization temperatures varied from 276ºС to 119ºС and from 307ºС to 223ºС for the Jan Mayen and Loki’s Castle vent fields, respectively. The data obtained allowed us to confirm evidence of fluid phase separation in the hydrothermal systems and to expand our knowledge of the temperature and salinity of mineral fluids previously known from recent direct measurements during the cruises within the G.O. Sars research vessel. The fluid inclusions data obtained from barites emphasize the fluid features characteristic of volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits, the similarities and differences for the studied hydrothermal sites, and allow comparisons with similar products from other active hydrothermal systems.

We propose the Hamiltonian formalism of Bianchi type 1 cosmological model for perfect fluid. We have considered both the equation of state parameter ω and the cosmological constant Λ as the function of volume V(t) which is defined by the product of three scale factors of the Bianchi type 1 line element. We propose a Lagrangian for the anisotropic Bianchi type-1 model in view of a variable mass moving in a variable potential . We can decompose the anisotropic expansion in terms of expansion and shearing motion by Lagrangian mechanism. We have considered a canonical transformation from expanding scale factor to scalar field ø which helps us to give the proper classical definition of that scalar field in terms of scale factors of the mentioned model. This definition helps us to explain the cosmological inflation. We have used large anisotropy(as in the cases of Bianchi models) and proved that cosmic inflation is not possible in such large anisotropy. Therefore we can conclude that the extent of anisotropy is less in case of our universe. Otherwise the inflation theory which explained the limitations of Big Bang cannot be resolved.Part II is contained with some analysis of the lagrangian ; derived in Part I ; on the quintessence model.

The development of ballistic protection vests (BPVs) has become increasingly significant, particularly in the design of soft panels, which are critical to the overall size and configuration of these vests. Despite their importance, a standardized design process for soft panels is lacking in the literature. This research addresses this gap by creating soft panels tailored to the body types of regional soldiers while adhering to relevant standards. We propose a comprehensive design algorithm and evaluate the applicability of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) standard 0101.06 test templates for configuring these panels. This study aims to design soft ballistic panels for BPVs that cater to the body type requirements of regional soldiers and comply with NIJ 0101.06 standards. We have developed an algorithm for designing soft panels and analyzed the feasibility of using NIJ test templates for their configuration. The research encompasses a detailed literature review, analysis of existing BPV soft panels, and comparison with NIJ test templates. The panels were designed and scaled using computer-aided design (CAD) systems and evaluated through by physical fitting on mannequins and virtual fitting using the Clo3D program. Our findings indicate that the NIJ standard test templates are only partially applicable to the design of soft panels. The developed methodology includes an algorithm and size specifications tailored to regional covers. A coefficient (K) was identified to calculate the soft panel surface area prior to design, thereby saving time and resources.

Background: Bioelectrical impedance (BIA) and ultrasound (US) have become popular for estimating body fat percentage (BF%) due to their low cost and clinical convenience. However, agreement of these devices with gold standard method still require investigation. The aim was to analyze the agreement between a gold standard %BF assessment method with BIA and US devices. Methods: Twenty-three men (age 30.1 ± 7.7 years, 82.5 ± 14.9 kg, 1.77 ± 0.05 m) underwent Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA), BIA (tetrapolar) and US (three-site method) %BF assessment. Pearson and concordance correlations were analyzed. T-test compared means between methods, and Bland Altman plots analyzed agreement and proportional bias. Alpha was set at < .05. Results: Pearson coefficients between BIA and US with DXA were high (BIA = 0.94; US = 0.89; both p < .001). Concordance coefficient was high for BIA (0.80) and moderate for US (0.49). BF% measured by BIA (24.5 ± 7.5) and US (19.4 ± 7.0) were on average 4.4% and 9.6% lower than DXA (29.0 + 8.5%), respectively (p < .001). Lower and upper agreement limits between DXA and BIA were -1.45 and 10.31, while between DXA and US were 2.01 and 17.14, respectively. There was a tendency of both BIA (p = .09) and US (p = .057) to present proportional bias and underestimate BF%. Conclusions: Despite the correlation, the mean difference between the methods were significant, and the agreement limits are very wide. This indicate that BIA and US, as measured in this study, have limited potential to accurately measure %BF compared to DXA, especially in individuals with higher body fat.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally, with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounting for over 85% of cases and poor prognosis in advanced stages. This study explored shifts in circulating metabolite levels in NSCLC patients versus healthy controls and examined the effects of conventionally fractionated radiation therapy (CFRT) and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). We enrolled 91 NSCLC patients (38 CFRT and 53 SBRT) and 40 healthy controls. Plasma metabolite levels were assessed using semi-targeted metabolomics, revealing 32 elevated and 18 reduced metabolites in patients. Key discriminatory metabolites included ethylmalonic acid, maltose, 3-phosphoglyceric acid, taurine, glutamic acid, glycocolic acid, and d-arabinose, with a combined Receiver Operating Characteristics curve indicating perfect discrimination between patients and controls. CFRT and SBRT affected different metabolites, but both changes suggested a partial normalization of energy and amino acid metabolism pathways. In conclusion, metabolomics identified distinct metabolic signatures in NSCLC patients with potential as diagnostic biomarkers. The differing metabolic responses to CFRT and SBRT reflect their unique therapeutic impacts, underscoring the utility of this technique in enhancing NSCLC diagnosis and treatment monitoring.

Weight loss solutions are on the rise, and there is growing interest in natural alternatives to the pharmaceuticals in the market, which are not devoid of relevant side effects. To this end, the objective of the current study is to assess the effects of a botanical-based blend comprised of lemon verbena and hibiscus extracts in weight management, body fat, appetite, lipid, and glucose profiles, in an overweight population, for 90 days. As a result, the volunteers presented significant weight loss in absence of diet, which coincided with decreased body fat. Body fat was assessed by anthropometry, electrical bioimpedance and DEXA scan. Cholesterol levels were also significantly decreased. Satiety assessment revealed that the product contributed to increased feeling of fullness and satisfaction after a meal, compared to the placebo group, which could contribute to the weight loss observed. Blood glucose and blood pressure levels remained unchanged, which was expected as the volunteers were normoglycemic and their blood pressure was in the healthy range. In conclusion, daily supplementation of a botanical-based blend contributes to weight loss in overweight individuals, in absence of diet, while not affecting other parameters that are in the healthy range. This product could be a candidate alternative or add-on to other weight loss products, as part of a healthy lifestyle.

The importance of cognitive health for academic success is well-recognized. However, longitudinal data regarding the associations of body fatness, physical fitness and cognition are relatively scarce and mixed. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether body fatness, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and muscular fitness (MF) in preschool are associated with cognitive skills in first grade at school. 133 South Estonian children aged 6-7 years were recruited from 13 kindergartens and again at 7-8 years when they had entered school. Body fat percentage (BF%), CRF, MF as the mean of z-scores of relative handgrip strength and standing long jump tests, and cognitive skills (verbal, conceptual, perceptual) were studied. There were no associations between BF% and CRF in pre-school with perceptual, conceptual or verbal skills in school in boys and girls. In boys, higher MF in preschool predicted higher verbal skills (β = 0.293, p = 0.021) in school after adjustment for con-founders. Cognitive skills at baseline seemed predominantly predict later cognitive performance in school. In conclusion, higher muscular fitness in preschool predicted better verbal skills in first grade at school in boys but not in girls. Body fatness and cardiorespiratory fitness in preschool were not associated with cognitive skills in school.

Background: A careful work-up before Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) consists not only of measuring anatomical conditions but also assessment of frailty. Previous studies have evaluated body composition parameters, primarily fat and muscle mass. Few data are available on other frailty parameters, which, however, can be easily determined by pre-TAVR computed tomography (CT). Objectives: The primary objective was to investigate the impact of total muscle area (TMA) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT), as frailty parameters, on 5-year all-cause mortality in patients undergoing TAVR. Methods: Between 01/2017 and 12/2018, consecutive TAVR patients undergoing CT-angiography scan enabling TMA and VAT measurement were included. A single axial image was acquired at the level of the middle third lumbar vertebra to perform TMA and VAT measurements using dedicated slicing software (Sliceomatic, TomoVision). Results: A total of 500 patients qualified for TMA analysis. Age was not associated with a higher risk of 5-year mortality HR 1.02 (95% CI: 0.998 - 1.049; p=0.069). Body surface area normalized TMA (nTMA) was significantly associated with 5-year all-cause mortality (HR 0.927, 95% CI: 0.927-0.997; p= 0.033), while VAT had no effect (HR 1.002, 95% CI: 0.99-1.015; p= 0.7). The effect of nTMA on 5- year all-cause mortality was gender-dependent: the protective effect of higher nTMA was found in male patients (pinteraction: sex * nTMA = 0.007). The combination of normalized TMA and VAT was not associated with higher mortality rates. Conclusion: Normalized TMA derived from routine CT before TAVR complements frailty assessment in patients undergoing TAVR.

(1) Background: This study aimed to explore how prolonged mask use during the COVID-19 pandemic affected appearance anxiety; (2) Methods: It implemented a quantitative–qualitative mixed-research approach based on a convenience sample of young people in Taiwan; (3) Results: A total of 1,118 participants completed the online questionnaire. A total of 49 participants reached the 55-point threshold of Appearance Anxiety Scale. Higher score of appearance anxiety was correlated to higher state anxiety statistically (r = 0.4, p < 0.001). Ten participants were interviewed and qualitative content analysis revealed 5 main themes and 16 subthemes. Three of the main themes were related to the positive effects of wearing masks for pandemic prevention and reducing appearance anxiety: “Wearing masks indicates compliance with the epidemic prevention requirement,” “Wearing masks functions as protection against lack of confidence in appearance,” and “Wearing masks helps mitigate the fear of being judged by others.” The remaining two “Wearing masks shifts attention from appearance to figure” and “Prolonged mask wearing exacerbates the anxiety about taking it off” were related to the impacts of long-term mask use; (4) Conclusions: results enhance understanding of negative emotional experiences and anxiety related to physical appearance.

Body weight support (BWS) and incline running (IR) are commonly used either during rehabilitation or during training separately, with many positive effects on athletes’ performance and rehabilitation. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of BWS and IR. In eighteen healthy men (age: 20.3 ± 1.2 yr, body weight: 70.2 ± 4.8 kg, body height: 179.6 ± 5.4 cm), the changes in electromyographic activity (EMGA) during a 10-min run with BWS (15% or 30% of body weight; in different occasions) and IR at 7%, as well as jumping performance and gait spatiotemporal parameters were evaluated. Lower Rating of Perceived Exertion and a significant decrease in VL (33,4%), SOL (17%), and GL EMGA (28.5%, p &lt; 0.05) but not in GM (10.5%, p &gt; 0.05), were observed during BWS30% at 7% slope compared to flat running. Also, low-frequency fatigue of the quadriceps was induced only after running without BWS at 7% slope (P = 0.011). No changes were found in jumping performance (p = 0.246) and gait spatiotemporal parameters (p &gt; 0.05) except for flight time (p &lt; 0.006). In conclusion, compared to normal flat running, BWS reduces electromyographic activity and fatigue during slope running.

A micro energy harvesting device proposed in the literature, is numerically studied. It consists of two bluff bodies in a micro-channel and a flexible diaphragm at its upper wall. Vortex shedding behind bodies induces pressure fluctuation causing vibration of the diaphragm that converts me-chanical energy to electrical by means of a piezoelectric membrane. Research on enhancing vortex shedding is justified due to the low power output of the device. Amplitude and frequency of un-steady pressure fluctuation on the diaphragm center are numerically predicted. Vortex shedding severity is mainly assessed in terms of pressure amplitude. The CFD model set-up is described in detail and appropriate metrics to assess energy harvesting potential are defined. Several cases are simulated to study the effect of inlet Reynolds number and channel blockage ratio on the prospec-tive performance of the device. Furthermore, the critical blockage ratio leading to vortex shedding suppression is sought. Higher inlet velocity for a constant blockage ratio is found to enhance vor-tex shedding and pressure drop. Great blockage ratio values, but lower than the critical one, seem to provide great pressure amplitudes in the expense of moderate pressure drop. There is evidence that the field is fruitful for research and relevant directions are provided.

Background: Changes in body weight are associated with the regulation of DNA methylation (DNAm). In this study, we investigated the associations between maternal gestational weight gain-related DNAm and foetal and neonatal body composition. Methods: Brazilian pregnant women from the Araraquara Cohort Study were followed up during pregnancy, delivery, and after hospital discharge. Women with normal pre-pregnancy BMI were allocated to two groups: adequate gestational weight gain (AGWG, n=45) and excessive gestational weight gain (EGWG, n=30). Foetal and neonatal body composition was evaluated by ultrasound and plethysmography, respectively. DNAm was assessed in maternal blood using Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip arrays. Linear regression models were used to explore the associations between DNAm and foetal and neonatal body composition. Results: Maternal weight, GWG, neonatal weight, and fat mass were higher in the EGWG group. Analysis of DNAm identified 46 differentially methyl-ated positions and 11 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) between the EGWG and AGWG groups. Nine human phenotypes were enriched for these 11 DMRs located in 13 genes (EMILIN1, HOXA5, CPT1B, CLDN9, ZFP57, BRCA1, POU5F1, ANKRD33, HLA-B, RANBP17, ZMYND11, DIP2C, TMEM232), highlighting the terms insulin resistance, and hyperglycaemia. Maternal DNAm was associated with foetal total thigh and arm tissues and subcutaneous thigh and arm fat, as well as with neonatal fat mass percentage and fat mass. Conclusion: The methylation pat-tern in the EGWG group indicated a risk for developing chronic diseases and involvement of ma-ternal DNAm in foetal lean and fat mass and in neonatal fat mass.

This study aimed to assess the physical characteristics of elite international soccer referees, compare them with other referee populations in the literature, and establish reference tolerance ellipses for the bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA) point graph. Forty-one elite international soccer referees (age 38.8 ± 3.6 years) participated in the study. the participants underwent body composition assessments, including dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, BIVA, and somatotype. The Somatotype Attitudinal Distance (SAD), the two-sample Hotelling’s T2 test, and the Mahalanobis test were used to determine somatotype and bioelectrical vector differences with the literature. The average somatotype of the referees was a balanced mesomorph (2.8, 6.5, 2.8). Elite international referees significantly differed from other samples in the literature (SAD = 2.1, 2.6, 2.9 with respect to Zimbabwean, Brazilian, and South African referees, respectively). The bioelectrical vector was significantly different from the general population (T2  76.6; F = 38.8; D = 1.44; P < 0.001) and athletes (T2  25.3; F = 12.6; D = 0.8; P < 0.001). Somatotype values and tolerance ellipses from this study may be useful as a reference for developing training programs and improving the selection process of referees in soccer.

Thermoregulation is important for maintaining homeostasis of our body. It can be easily broken under anesthesia. An appropriate method to measure the core body temperature is needed, especially for elderly patients because the efficiency of thermoregulation gradually decreases with age. The aim of this study was to examine the accuracy and feasibility of using of SpotOn® sensor in lower extremity orthopedic surgery in elderly patients aged over 80 years by comparing a SpotOn® sensor with two other reliable minimal-invasive methods: a tympanic membrane thermometer and a bladder thermometer. This study enrolled 45 patients aged over 80 years who were scheduled to undergo a lower extremity surgery. Body temperature was measured using a SpotOn® sensor, tympanic membrane thermometer and bladder thermometer. Agreements between the SpotOn® sensor and the other two methods were assessed using Bland and Altman plots for repeated measures adjusted for unequal numbers of measurements per patient. Compared with TempBladder, bias and limits of agreement for TempZHF were 0.07℃ ± 0.58℃. Compared with TempTympanic, bias and limits of agreement for TempZHF were -0.28℃ ± 0.61℃. 3M SpotOn® sensor using ZHF method for patients aged over 80 years undergoing lower extremity surgery shows feasible measurement value and sensitivity.

Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is the most common inflammatory rheumatic disease among people over the age of 50 and occurs with symptoms such as musculoskeletal pain and stiffness in the neck, shoulders and hips. To date, corticosteroids represent the cornerstone of PMR treatment, although it is well known that their prolonged use is associated with several adverse effects, making it crucial to find therapeutic alternatives to their use. The purpose of this case report was to describe the effectiveness of 10 whole-body cryostimulation (WBC) sessions on a 74-year-old woman suffering from PMR. An improvement in disease impact, fatigue, pain, quality of sleep and total physical activity was observed after WBC. Moreover, the patient reduced her daily drug intake by 67% following WBC treatments. Given the increasing prevalence of PMR and considering the side effects that drug treatments can lead to, WBC could represent a valuable adjuvant and well-tolerated alternative for the treatment of PMR.

: Background: The thymus gland is the first lymphoid organ formed to regulate a newborn's immunity. It reaches its maximum size during puberty, after which it undergoes an atrophic procedure called involution, but its ability to grow again in response to some stresses, such as infections, neoplasia, surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy is maintained. There is not any comprehensive study on computed tomographic features of thymus gland in dogs. So, the goal of the present study is to achieve some information about thymus gland using computed tomography as a non-invasive method. Methods: One hundred and fifty dogs classified in 5 age groups and 2 breed groups were entered to this study and the thymus gland was evaluated using 2-slice computed tomography machine. The inclusion criteria for the present study were having normal complete blood count, plain and post-contrast CT scan examination of thoracic region and no history of neoplasia, chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The visibility, density, enhancement, grade, size, volume, shape, borders and lateralization of the thymus were evaluated and statistical analysis were performed. The effect of obesity on thymic grade and volume were also investigated. Results: The visibility, density, dorsal length, volume and grade decreased with increasing age. The thymic shape and lateralization were mostly wedge-shaped and left sided respectively. The borders became concave with aging and increasing body fat content caused to increase fatty degeneration of thymus. Conclusions: Declining of thymic density, grade, size and volume with aging was related to thymic involution and fatty degeneration was accelerated by increasing body fat content. Females and Males were different only in thymic shape and small and large breeds were different only in thymic volume. The thymus was visible in some geriatric dogs with no underlying disease. We hope that the present work can be used by radiologists in reading thoracic computed tomography but investigation of thymic characteristics in dogs with neoplasia and history of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and thoracic surgeries can complete this study.

It is widely acknowledged that adolescent females are particularly at risk of low body-esteem. Low body-esteem is associated with poor mental health and other negative outcomes. Interventions to help raise body-image could have considerable impact, especially if the intervention is low-cost, easy to implement and scalable. We investigated the efficacy of an intervention where participnants could chose their own clothes to wear during a Physical Education (PE lesson) on changes in body-esteem. We hypothesized that body-esteem would improve with choice. To show that body-esteem is not a transient construct, we tested its stability when assessed in a test-retest design when completed in a classroom setting, hypothesizing body-esteem would be stable. Participants (N =110; Mage =14.9; SDage = 0.68) females completed a 14-item body-esteem scale 4 times; a) wearing school uniform in an assembly, b) during a PE lesson separated by a 2-week gap. The intervention was implemented where students got a choice of PE kit and could wear their own clothes. Findings indicate that body-esteem was stable in the classroom setting where clothes and context were stable, but improved significantly when participants were given a free choice of kit to wear during PE. We argue that this low-cost and scalable intervention represents a useful start point for helping support low body-esteem among a potentially vulnerable population.

This study is centred on Insecurity and Electoral Administration in Nigeria. Elections are the leading mechanism for selecting governments and a cardinal feature of democratisation. The quest for fair representation, development, good governance, inclusiveness and a true sense of belonging has been the driving force for election. The conduct of credible elections remains one of the thorny and fundamental issues in a democracy. The trajectory of electoral administration in Nigeria is long and tortuous; it precedes independence and is punctuated by the elite's scheming and cunning, electoral fraud, gimmicks and violence. Nigeria has had its fair share of insecurity from diverse sources such as banditry, insurgency, recurring violent religious crises, ethnic, resource and poverty-induced militancy, and crises occasioned by the clamour for self-determination. This has left the electoral management body in a quandary and has undoubtedly imperilled the administration of elections in Nigeria and equally accentuated the temerity for a holistic approach in reversing the trend and engendering the right atmosphere for the administration of elections. This study depends mainly on secondary sources and uses qualitative means in data analysis. It is revealed in this study that violence and various degrees of interruptions have taken the front burner in the democratisation process and are one of the dangerous dimensions in electoral administration; electoral politics remains one of the remarkable principal bases of clashes, political failure and social dislocation, Elections and their administration are some of the most complicated, time-sensitive activities undertaken by any country which will be exacerbated by insecurity. Democratic elections are successful when the electorate can make informed decisions; when faith in the process is sustained; when fraud is disincentivised, detected and punished. When insecurity is whittled down, mitigated or eradicated. The need for electoral security can never be overemphasised.

Background: Affective states play a role in dietary behaviors. Yet, little research has studied within-subjects associations between affect and diet during pregnancy. We examined the acute bidirectional relationships between affect and food intake and moderation by pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) in low-income, Hispanic pregnant women using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Methods: Women (N=57) completed four days of EMA during their first trimester. Women responded to five random prompts per day about their current affect and past two-hour food intake. Results: Higher positive affect (PA) or lower negative affect (NA) predicted greater likelihood of fruit/vegetable consumption in the next two hours in women with lower pre-pregnancy BMI and lower likelihood in women with higher pre-pregnancy BMI. Higher PA predicted less likelihood of fast food consumption in the next two hours in women with lower pre-pregnancy BMI and slightly higher likelihood in women with higher pre-pregnancy BMI. Women with lower pre-pregnancy BMI had higher PA when they reported consuming chips/fries in the past two hours, and women with higher pre-pregnancy BMI had lower PA when they reported consumption of chips/fries in the past two hours. Conclusions: Results showed differential relationships between affect and food intake as a function of pre-pregnancy BMI.

Background: Elevated fasting plasma glucose and visceral fat area (VFA) is highly prevalent in obese adults. This study investigated the associations between systemic arterial hypertension (SAH) and laboratory, anthropometric, heart rate variability (HRV), and obstructive sleep apnea markers. Methods: Cross-sectional study with 95 obese patients treated at Obesity Treatment and Surgery Center, located in Salvador, BA, Brazil. SAH data were obtained from electronic medical records of patients. To evaluate the association of SAH with the predictor variables, the sample was stratified in Normotense Group (NG) and Hypertensive Group (HG), and laboratory markers, body composition, polysomnography data, and HRV were measured. Results: The average age of the NG was 36.3 ± 10.1 and HG 40.4 ± 10.6 years, 73.7% were women in the NG and 57.9% in HG; 82.4% in HG had insulin resistance. In the multivarious logistics regression model with adjustments age, sex, height, and oxyhemoglobin saturation, SAH was inversely associated with fasting plasma glucose mg/dL (odds ratio [OR] = 0.96; 95% interval confidence [CI] = 0.92 - 0.99) and VFA cm² (OR = 0.98; 95% CI = 0.97 - 0.99). The area under curve the VFA was 0.728; CI 95% (0.620 - 0.836) and fasting plasma glucose 0.693; CI 95% (0.582 - 0.804). Conclusions: Lower VFA and fasting plasma glucose concentrations were inversely associated with SAH. These results indicate opportunities to improve the outcome in obese patients through counseling and clinical interventions.

Each year in March, adherents of the Bahá’í faith abstain from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset for 19 days. Thus, Bahá’í fasting (BF) can be considered as a form of daytime dry fasting. We tested if BF decreases energy expenditure after a meal and improves anthropometric measures, and systemic and tissue-level metabolic parameters. This was a self-controlled cohort study with 11 healthy men. We measured anthropometric parameters, metabolic markers in venous blood, and pre- and postprandial energy metabolism at systemic (indirect calorimetry) and tissue (adipose tissue and skeletal muscle microdialysis) level, both before and during BF. During BF, we found reduced body weight, body mass index, body fat and blood glucose. Postprandial increase in energy expenditure was lower, diet-induced thermogenesis tended to be lower. In adipose tissue, perfusion, glucose supply and lipolysis were increased. In skeletal muscle, tissue perfusion did not change. Glucose supply and lipolysis were decreased. Glucose oxidation was increased, indicating an improved insulin sensitivity. BF may be a promising approach to losing weight and improving metabolism and health. However, outside the context of religiously-motivated fasting, skipping a meal rather in the evening (dinner cancelling) might be recommended, as metabolism appears to be reduced in the evening.

The lordosis of the haemal part of the vertebral column is a frequent abnormality in reared fish. Haemal lordosis develops during the late larval and early juvenile period, mainly due to the high swimming activity of the fish in the rearing tanks. In the present study we examined whether haemal lordosis recovers during the growth of European sea bass. Furthermore, we aimed to develop simple morphometric indices (PrAn1 and PrAn2) that could link the severity of lordosis at the juvenile stage with fish morphological quality at harvesting. At 111 days post-hatching (dph, 53±4 mm standard length, SL), 600 seabass juveniles with lordotic (L, 200 fish) or normal (N, 400 fish) external morphology were selected and introduced in a common tank. At 150 dph (75±7 mm SL), 350 fish were randomly selected, pit-tagged and transferred in a sea cage for on-growing up to 502 dph (234±16 mm SL). The morphological examination of the fish at 150 and 502 dph revealed that the 60% (46 out of 77) of L juveniles turned into normal phenotype by the end of on-growing period. Interestingly, 56% of the fish with recovered external morphology (N-Rec) presented either a completely normal vertebral column (31%) or minor abnormalities of individual vertebrae (25%). Following the results of geometric morphometric analysis, the differences in the body shape between N-Rec and N fish were not significant (p&gt;0.05, canonical variate analysis). The examined morphometric indices were effective in discriminating the normal fish from the 58% (PrAn1) to 65% (PrAn2) of lordotic juveniles. Results are discussed with respect to the mechanism of lordosis recovery, as well as to their application for the quality control and cull out of the abnormal fish in the commercial hatcheries.

Recent evidence suggests that among behavioral-lifestyle factors, adherence to a healthy dietary pattern such as the Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) is linked not only to better psychological health and mental positive status but also to increased subjective well-being (SWB). Nevertheless, this association has been unexplored among individuals with excessive weight. This study explored whether adherence to the MedDiet and the intake of healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables (FV) are associated with increased happiness and life satisfaction among Spanish adults with overweight or obesity when weight, body image, and body satisfaction are also considered. A convenience sample of adult individuals with excessive weight completed self-reports on the study variables, and weight and BMI were measured by bioimpedance. No evidence of a relationship with SWB indicators was obtained for MedDiet global indicators, probably due to the low adherence to a healthy diet by these individuals. In contrast, FV intake, as a powerful indicator of healthy eating, was associated with life satisfaction when BMI and body image dimensions were considered, among which body satisfaction also had a key role. Moreover, life satisfaction fully mediated the relationship between FV consumption and happiness. Our findings are expected to make a relevant contribution to knowledge on the positive correlates or protective factors for overall well-being in obesity, including dietary habits and body appreciation. Our results may inform obesity management actions focused on inclusive, positive aesthetic models and promoting a healthy lifestyle for happiness in obesity.

The oral administration of (R)-3-hydroxybutyl-(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate, allows inducing a beneficial level of blood ketone bodies without the adverse effects due to the adhesion to a ketogenic diet. Several studies documented the therapeutic effectiveness of the (R)-3-hydroxybutyl (R)-3-hydroxybutyrate in treating neurodegenerative diseases as well as its boosting activity of athletic and cognitive performances during prolonged physical exercises. Further studies considering this ketone body ester for therapy of other pathologies are also underway. In the present work, we describe the synthesis of (R)-3-hydroxybutyl-(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate through the enantioselective transesterification of racemic ethyl 3-hydroxybutyrate with (R)-1,3-butanediol catalyzed by immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B (CAL-B). The enantiopure (R)-1,3-butanediol was in turn obtained from the kinetic resolution of the racemate by CAL-B catalyzed acetylation with vinyl acetate. The economy of the synthetic procedure has been improved by recycling the unreacted (S) enantiomers of the ethyl 3-hydroxybutyrate and 1,3-buatnediol after stereochemical inversion achieved by tosylation and SN2 with ammonium acetate. The overall procedure allows to incorporate up to 70% of the starting racemic reagents into the final product.

Routing quantum information among different nodes in a network is a fundamental prerequisite for a quantum internet. While single-qubit routing has been largely addressed, many-qubit routing protocols have not been intensively investigated so far. Building on the many-excitation transfer protocol in Ref. , we apply the perturbative transfer scheme to a two-excitation routing protocol on a network where multiple two-receivers block are coupled to a linear chain. We address both the case of switchable and permanent couplings between the receivers and the chain. We find that the protocol allows for efficient two-excitation routing on a fermionic network, although for a spin-12 network only a limited region of the network is suitable for high-quality routing.

This case study examined changes in body composition, resting metabolic rate (RMR), aerobic capacity, and daily physical activity in a patient who had ulcerative colitis who underwent ileal pouch‒anal anastomosis (IPAA) surgery. Body composition, RMR, and VO2 peak were assessed prior to, 4, 8, and 16 weeks after IPAA surgery. Daily physical activity data was extracted from a wrist-worn activity tracker preoperatively and 16 months postoperatively. At baseline, total body mass was 95.3 kg; body fat, 11.6 %; lean body mass, 81.1 kg; RMR, 2,416 kcal/d; and V̇O2peak, 42.7 mL/kg/min. All values decreased from baseline at 4 weeks postoperatively, body mass was 85.2 kg (-10.5%); body fat, 10.9% (-6.0%); lean body mass, 73.1 kg (-9.9%); RMR 2,210 kcal/d (-8.5%) and V̇O2peak, 25.5 mL/kg/min (-40.3%). At 16 weeks postoperatively, most parameters were near their baseline levels (within 1%-7%); exceptions were V̇O2peak, which was 20.4% below baseline, and RMR, which increased to nearly 20% above baseline. After the patient had an IPAA surgery, his total and lean body masses, RMR, and aerobic capacity were markedly decreased. Daily physical activity decreased postoperatively and likely contributed to the decreased aerobic capacity, which may take longer to recover compared to body composition and RMR parameters.

Automotive aerodynamics comprises of the study of aerodynamics of road vehicles. Its main goals are reducing drag, minimizing noise emission, improving fuel economy, preventing undesired lift forces and minimizing other causes of aerodynamic instability at high speeds. The Ahmed body has the form of a highly simplified car, consisting of a blunt nose with rounded edges fixed onto a box-like middle section and a rear end that has an upper slanted surface, the angle of which can be varied. It retains vital features of real vehicles in order to study the flow fields around it and the related turbulence models which characterizes the actual flow at elevated Reynolds number. In the present study, the aerodynamic behavior of this body is investigated numerically by the aid of commercial CFD tool: Ansys Fluent. The results of the simulation are validated with available experimental data and results of the simulations from other literatures. The numerical data were obtained for a fixed free stream velocity of 25 m/s at the inlet. The simulations were performed at a fixed slant angle of 25 degree and zero yaw angle. The present study focuses on how local refinement of mesh inside the concerned body and the outside, helps affect the results and for which grid dependency test is the primary objective of this paper. The present study also helps demonstrate how the drag of the body behaves, which is mainly the effect of pressure drag force generated at the rear portion of the body. The study also focuses on important properties like the velocity magnitude at different locations for different meshing cases, and to capture the flow pattern in the front or near the wake region. The study can be further helpful to future researchers in determining resistance, fuel efficiency etc. helping designers to optimize in specialized areas for better efficiency.

Various risks and uncertainties are strengthening the downside of the global economy. This paper aims to estimate the impact of US-China conflict and the WTO Appellate Body's shutdown on global logistics demand and to show the seriousness of the situation. Existing literature studies on protectionism or US-China trade conflict, with a focus on the effects of specific issues or impact on bilateral relations. No research has considered the adverse effects of the WTO Appellate Body's shutdown. This paper considers both US-China conflict and the installation of new NTBs in other countries due to weakened WTO function, and tries to suggest that the combination of tariffs and NTBs can severely reduce international trade and the demand for maritime logistics services, making this paper differs from previous studies. This paper suggests that a catastrophe could occur in global maritime logistics, based on quantitative estimates for the impact of global protectionism. Finally, underlining that the international trade order should not seriously be damaged, this paper proposes that countries around the world should seriously discuss this issue at the 12th WTO Trade Ministers' Meeting in Kazakhstan June 2020.

The purpose of this case study was to evaluate the benefits that evidence-based nutritional and training recommendations could have on the time course of reconditioning following hip arthroplasty in a competitive master triathlete. Methods: During 38 weeks (from 6 weeks prior to surgery through to the return to competition), the athlete was provided with detailed training and nutritional recommendations based on the latest research evidence. Dietary intake (via the remote food photographic method), body composition (via DXA), peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak), peak power output (PPO) and cycling efficiency (GE) were assessed 6 weeks pre- and 8, 12, 18, 21 and 25-weeks post-surgery. Training load was quantified (TRIMP score) daily during the retraining. Results: Total body mass increased by 8.2 kg (attributable to a 3.5 and 4.6 kg increase in fat mass and lean mass, respectively) between week -6 and week 8 despite a reduction in carbohydrate (CHO) intake post-surgery (<3.0g/kg/day). This was accompanied with a decrease in VO2peak, PPO, and GE due to a drop in training load. From week 7, the athlete resumed training and was advised to gradually increase CHO intake according to the demands of training. Conclusions: Eventually the athlete was able to return to competition in week 32 with a higher PPO, improved VO2peak and GE. Throughout retraining, energy availability was maintained around 30 kcal/kg LBM/day, protein intake was high while CHO intake was periodised. Such dietary conditions allowed the athlete to maintain and even increase lean mass, which represents a major challenge with ageing.

Background A body composition monitor (BCM) has a role not only in determining over-hydration (OH) but also as an aid to nutritional assessment. For dialysis patient-specific clinical applications of BCM, it is necessary to clarify the relationship between body composition parameters and OH in healthy Chinese individuals. Methods This cross-sectional study involved 314 healthy individuals with a mean age of 45.7±13.1 years. BCM measurements were performed while the subjects were fasting. Results The mean OH level was 0.379±0.81 L. Lean tissue index (LTI) and Lean tissue mass (LTM) were significantly higher in males (p<0.001), while fat tissue index (FTI) was significantly higher in females (p<0.001). In univariate correlation analysis, FTI, Fat, and ATM had a negative correlation with OH in females and all subjects (p<0.05), while LTM and BCM had a positive correlation in all subjects (p<0.05). There was a significant negative correlation between phase angle (PhA) and OH in males, females, and all subjects (r=-0.634, p<0.001; r=-0.666, p<0.001; r=-0.484, p<0.001, respectively). In multivariate linear regression analysis, PhA (b=-1.266, p<0.001), LTM (b=0.987, p<0.001), age (b=-0.307, p<0.001) were independent predictors of OH. Conclusions This study demonstrated that age, LTM and especially PhA, had important roles in predicting OH in healthy Chinese individuals. In the future, PhA may aid in clinical assessment by helping to titrate dry weight among hemodialysis patients with malnutrition.

Today, due to recent developments in technology, children devote plenty of time for screen viewing. However, its harmful effects are not yet clear. The purpose of present study was to examine the associations among screen viewing and sleep duration, and body mass index (BMI) in under-five years old children. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 322 under-five healthy children that were selected using multistage stratified cluster sampling method in 2017. The data that were gathered by time-use diary method were analyzed using Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Spearman correlation tests, multiple linear regression analysis, one-way ANCOVA, two-way ANCOVA. There was a negative correlation between screen time and sleep duration (rs = -0.42, p = 0.00), positive correlation between screen time and BMI (rs = 0.38, p = 0.00) and sleep duration negatively correlated with BMI (rs = -0.22, p = 0.00). screen viewing was a predictive factor for both sleep duration (β = -0.26, p = 0.00) and BMI (β = -0.26, p = 0.00). screen viewing had a significant impact on sleep duration (4, 314) = 5.02, P = 0.001) and BMI (F (4, 314) = 1.16, P=0.298). Results of this study indicated that screen viewing is related to sleep duration and BMI in under-five children. furthermore, screen time has an impact on sleep duration and BMI scores of children. findings of our study suggest that sleep duration negatively is associated with BMI in under-five-year-old children.

This work shows the preliminary description of the origin of a sedimentary - exhalative outcrop of Jurassic Lower Pliensbachian. The location of this deposit was achieved by applying an examination based in the identification of sedimentary transgressions of heterochronies ages and the identification of a Rift – type mega –structure. According with the methodology, it was carried out a study of the discordant relationships between two types of sediments: continental and marine. According the characterization, it was noted the existence of light rare earths, in values that show positive anomalies in comparison with the distribution of elements in upper continental crust according to the Clarke [1], reflecting so a felsic affinity of the mineral deposit. Also, positive anomalies of platinum and Pd, were determined with marginal contents of Au and Ag; and finally the base metals Zn, Pb and Cu were detected in low contents, which could be due to the presence of altered shale. According to the sedimentary lithology found, which was of siliciclastic type; to the exhalative roots observed during the fieldwork; the presence of quartz minerals such as biotite and muscovite; the presence of minerals of hydrothermal remobilization like chalcopyrite with some base metals, altered shale, as well as sulfur deficiency; this mineral reservoir could be defined as a SEDEX – type.

Most of the structures in flowing water are a challenge to their stability and sustainable with different flow conditions. Recent, renewable energy research and development covers ocean and river energy platform in which flow of water drag considered in various conversion devices towards the offshore and onshore establishment. Various energy platforms have been suggested for offshore development. However, the stability of these platforms in water is a serious concern. To study the water interaction over circular and square cross-section cascade system under the water has been carried out. Water flow around the pillars or column of the energy platform are analyzed through simulation software. Very low velocity 0.5 m/s has been considered to analyze the system. Total fifteen numbers of cascade pillars having circular and square cross-section area were considered. K-ε turbulence model is adopted to calculate the flow interaction to the column. A velocity, pressure, and energy fields are found around the column.

In the era when the market segment of Internet of Things (IoT) tops the chart in various business reports, it is apparently envisioned that the field of medicine expects to gain a large benefit from the explosion of wearables and internet-connected sensors that surround us to acquire and communicate unprecedented data on symptoms, medication, food intake, and daily-life activities impacting one’s health and wellness. However, IoT-driven healthcare would have to overcome many barriers, such as: 1) There is an increasing demand for data storage on cloud servers where the analysis of the medical big data becomes increasingly complex; 2) The data, when communicated, are vulnerable to security and privacy issues; 3) The communication of the continuously collected data is not only costly but also energy hungry; 4) Operating and maintaining the sensors directly from the cloud servers are non-trial tasks.This book chapter defined Fog Computing in the context of medical IoT. Conceptually, Fog Computing is a serviceoriented intermediate layer in IoT, providing the interfaces between the sensors and cloud servers for facilitating connectivity, data transfer, and queryable local database. The centerpiece of Fog computing is a low-power, intelligent, wireless, embedded computing node that carries out signal conditioning and data analytics on raw data collected from wearables or other medical sensors and offers efficient means to serve telehealth interventions. We implemented and tested an fog computing system using the Intel Edison and Raspberry Pi that allows acquisition, computing, storage and communication of the various medical data such as pathological speech data of individuals with speech disorders, Phonocardiogram (PCG) signal for heart rate estimation, and Electrocardiogram (ECG)-based Q, R, S detection. The book chapter ends with experiments and results showing how fog computing could lessen the obstacles of existing cloud-driven medical IoT solutions and enhance the overall performance of the system in terms of computing intelligence, transmission, storage, configurable, and security. The case studies on various types of physiological data shows that the proposed Fog architecture could be used for signal enhancement, processing and analysis of various types of bio-signals.

Micro elastofluidics is a transformative branch of microfluidics, leveraging fluid-structure interaction (FSI) at the microscale to enhance the functionality and efficiency of various microdevices. This review paper elucidates the critical role of advanced computational FSI methods in the field of micro elastofluidics. By focusing on the interplay between fluid mechanics and structural responses, these computational methods facilitate the intricate design and optimisation of microdevices such as microvalves, micropumps, and micromixers, which rely on the precise control of fluidic and structural dynamics. In addition, these computational tools extend to the development of biomedical devices, enabling precise particle manipulation and enhancing therapeutic outcomes in cardiovascular applications. Furthermore, this paper addresses the current challenges in computational FSI and highlights the necessity for further development of tools to tackle complex, time-dependent models under microfluidic environments and varying conditions. Our review highlights the expanding potential of FSI in micro elastofluidics, offering a roadmap for future research and development in this promising area.

Failures in hydraulic systems in offshore wind turbines represent an enormous challenge for manufacturers and operators, as the pitch system statistically is one of the subsystems contributing the most to the downtime of the turbines, which is the case for both electrical and hydraulic pitch systems. However, the complex failure mechanisms of the various different hydraulic components mean that, typically, the critical components of hydraulic systems must be tested to better understand the failure mechanisms. Nonetheless, conventional testing procedures are lengthy and costly. Accelerated testing plays a critical role as it can mimic hydraulic system failure mechanisms in a shorter period. However, the lack of standardized test methods and detailed knowledge about the failure-accelerating effects complicates the process. Therefore, this paper offers a comprehensive examination of approaches applicable to conducting accelerated tests on hydraulic systems. It identifies and discusses five primary component types or sub-components related to the acceleration of testing in hydraulic systems being: pumps, cylinders, seals, valves, and hoses. Each section references studies that delve into accelerated testing methodologies for these individual components. Furthermore, within each component, a concise overview of the current techniques is provided, followed by a discussion and summary based on the state of the art.

The Shimensi super-large tungsten polymetallic deposit is located in Late Jurassic- Early Cretaceous Porphyry-Skarn tungsten ore belt in the south Yangtze metallogenic belt. There are 3 types of mineralization: veinlet-disseminated type, thick quartze vein type and hydrothermal crypto-explosive breccia type. Based on geological studies, this paper presents new petrographic, microthermometric, laser Raman spectroscopic and hydrogen and oxygen isotope research of the fluid inclusions from the deposit. The results show that there are five different types of fluid inclusions: liquid-rich inclusions, vapor-rich inclusions, pure liquid inclusions, pure vapor inclusions, and fluid inclusions containing a solid crystal. The homogenization temperatures of the fluid inclusion range from 140℃-270℃, the salinities are 3%-5% NaCleq and the densities of ore-forming fluid range from 0.64 g/cm3 to 0.99 g/cm3. For the analyses of Laser Raman spectroscopic, the ore-forming fluids can be approximated by a Ca2+-Na+-SO42--Cl- fluid system with small amount of CO2, CH4 and N2. Otherwise, the datas of the pressure, pH and Eh show a fluid metallogenic environment of low pressure, weak acid and weak reduction. The values of the homogenization temperature in 3 types of orebodies suggest that the mineralization is characterized by the decrease of the temperature under the condition of the fluid immiscibility. The H-O isotope values are interpreted to indicate that the ore-forming fluids are mainly composed of magmatic water, and also the meteoric water was added with the process of the magma rising.

Hemodynamic relevance of differently located stenoses of the internal jugular veins remains undetermined. It particularly concerns nozzle-like strictures in the upper parts of these veins and stenotic jugular valves located at the end of this vein. This study was aimed at understanding flow disturbances caused by such stenoses. Computational fluid dynamics software, Flowsquare+, was used. We constructed 3-dimensional models of venous outflow, comprising two alternative routes: tube representing the internal jugular vein and irregular network representing the vertebral veins. At the beginning of the tube representing the internal jugular vein, differently-shaped and sized short strictures, representing nozzle-like strictures were built in. At the end of this tube, differently-shaped membranes, representing the jugular valve, were built in. With the use of computational fluid dynamics modeling, we studied how these two obstacles influenced the outflow. We found that the most relevant outflow disturbances were evoked by nozzle-like strictures in the upper part of the internal jugular vein that were either small, long or asymmetrically positioned. Very tight stenotic valves and septum-like malformed valve were equally hemodynamically relevant. These findings suggest that both upper and lower strictures of the internal jugular vein can be of clinical significance.

The emergence of electric vehicles has brought new issues such as the problem of rolling element bearings (REBs) operating at high speeds. Losses due to these components in mechanical transmissions are a key issue and must therefore be taken into account right from the design stage of these systems. Among these losses, the one induced by the motion of rolling elements , known as drag loss, becomes predominant in high-speed REBs. Although an experimental approach is still possible, it is difficult to isolate this loss in order to study it properly. A numerical approach based on CFD is therefore a possible way forward, even if other issues arise. The aim of this article is to study the ability of such an approach to correctly estimate the drag coefficient associated with the motion of rolling elements. The influence of the numerical domain extension, the mesh refinement, the simplification of the ring shape and the presence of the cage, on the values of the drag coefficient is presented. While it seems possible to compromise on the calculation domain and mesh size, it appears that the other parameters must be taken into account as much as possible to obtain realistic results.

: AliCPT-1 is the first Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) experiment in China, dedicated to achieve accurate measurements of B-mode polarization. Situated in Ali of Tibet, China, this telescope is currently undergoing deployment and will operate in two frequency bands centered at 90 and 150 GHz. The Far-Field Flat Mirror（FFF）is a calibration device of AliCPT-1 telescope for far-field beam mapping. The design of FFF is optimized for easy assembly and adjustment. Meteorological station data reveals that the maximum wind speed near FFF is 17.5 m/s, while the maximum wind speed on the windward side is 8 m/s. The wind pressure on FFF was analysed using a maximum wind speed of 17.5m/s as the input condition, based on the fluid-structure coupling method in ANSYS. The results demonstrate that it is safe and reliable when withstanding combined gravity and wind pressure loads. The torque on the mount is within the motor rated torque. The flatness of the FFF reflective surface can be adjusted to an RMS value of 0.05 mm when taken into account the effect of gravity and assembly accuracy. The deformation caused by the maximum wind loads is approximately 0.0587 mm under the protection of wind-proof wall. The combined deformation is 0.077 mm in RMS value combining the two influences, which is less than 1/20 of wavelength. The FFF mirror assembly is stable and precisely for telescope calibration.

Hydrocephalus is caused by an overproduction of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), a blockage of fluid circulation, or improper reabsorption. CSF accumulation in the brain’s ventricles causes ventriculomegaly and brain cell damage. Hydrocephalus can be caused by brain trauma, hemorrhage, infection, tumors, or genetic mutations. Currently, there is no cure for hydrocephalus. Treatments like shunting and endoscopic third ventriculostomies are used, but unfortunately, these techniques require brain surgery and have high failure rates. To advance the development of hydrocephalus treatments, physiologically relevant pre-clinical models are crucial. This review covers some of the current animal and cell culture methods used to study hydrocephalus. The choroid plexus epithelium (CPe) is thought to be the major producer of CSF in the brain. It is a polarized epithelium that regulates ion and water movement from a fenestrated capillary exudate to the ventricles. Despite decades of research, control of electrolyte movement in the CPe is still not fully understood. This review discusses important transporters on the CPe and how some of these could be potential targets for hydrocephalus treatment.

In view of the inability to directly and accurately obtain the athlete's aerodynamic force during take-off phase through wind tunnel test, the athlete's aerodynamic force and surrounding flow field form under different take-off postures are obtained through numerical simulation research, and the effects of different take-off modes on the aerodynamic characteristics during take-off in ski jumping are discussed. The multi-body system composed of the athlete and skis was selected as the research objects. By using partially averaged Navier-Stokes (PANS) turbulence model and 3D numerical simulation of computational fluid dynamics (CFD), the aerodynamic characteristics of the athlete under different take-off postures were predicted. Take-off modes include knee-push-hip (KPH) mode and hip-drive-knee (HDK) mode, and the hip joint angle of HDK mode is significantly greater than KPH mode. First, the aerodynamic force ratio of the athlete’s torso and legs is obviously large. Although the aerodynamic force of arms themselves is not obvious, they have a great impact on the overall aerodynamic characteristics of the athlete, so the posture of arms cannot be ignored. Then, the total drag and moment of HDK mode are significantly higher than that of KPH mode, and the lift-to-drag ratio of HDK mode is significantly lower than that of KPH mode. At first the total lift of HDK mode is higher than that of KPH mode, but in the last attitude the total lift of HDK mode does not rise but fall, and finally the total lift of HDK mode is lower than KPH mode. The aerodynamic characteristics change dramatically during take-off phase, and the aerodynamic characteristics of the two take-off modes are quite different, and these changes and differences are difficult to be observed in real training and competition site. KPH mode has obvious aerodynamic advantage over HDK mode. During the take-off process, the athlete should increasethe force generated by the knee joint extension and appropriately reduce the speed of hip joint extension, and control the using force order of the lower limb joints, and push hip joint extension by knee joint extension, in order to avoid issues such as the hip joint angle is too large, the hip joint extension angle is too fast, the center of gravity is to back and other problems. Studying the aerodynamic characteristics during the take-off phase provides valuable insights for athletes to achieve favorable flight postures after take-off, offering scientific guidance to improve training strategies and enhance competitive performance.

Machine learning (ML) based on neural network (NN) facilitates data-driven techniques for handling large amounts of data, either obtained through experiments or simulations at multiple spatio-temporal scales, thereby finding the hidden patterns underlying these data and promoting efficient research methods. The main purpose of this paper is to extend the capabilities of a new solver, called realFluidReactingNNFoam, under development at University of Perugia in OpenFOAM with NN algorithm for replacing complex real-fluid thermophysical property evaluations, using the approach of coupling OpenFOAM and Python-trained NN models. Currently, NN models are trained against data generated using the Peng-Robinson equation of state (PR-EoS) assuming mixture frozen temperature. The OpenFOAM solver, where needed, calls the NN models in each grid-cell with appropriate inputs, and the returned results are used and stored in suitable OpenFOAM data structures. Such inference for the thermophysical properties is achieved via the “Neural Network Inference in C made Easy” (NNICE) library, which proved to be very efficient and robust. The overall model is validated considering a liquid-rocket benchmark comprised of liquid-oxygen (LOX) and gaseous-hydrogen (GH2) streams. The model accounts for real-fluid thermodynamics and transport properties, making use of the PR-EoS and the Chung transport models. First, the development of a real-fluid model (RFM) with artificial neural network is described in detail. Then, the numerical results of the transcritical mixing layer (LOX/GH2) benchmark are presented and analyzed in terms of accuracy and computational ef-ficiency. Results of the overall implementation indicate that the combined OpenFOAM and ML approach provides a speed-up factor higher than seven, while preserving the original solver accuracy.

Numerical simulations of standard situations in the transition region from gas kinetics to fluid dynamics at small Mach numbers indicate a clear dependence of the simulation results on the underlying kinetic model (here: nonlinear and linearized Boltzmann collision operator vs. BGK relaxation model). We develop an improved mathematical framework (trace theory) to explain these differences. In particular we reveal certain deficiencies for the classical BKG system as well as for the standard Navier Stokes approach.

Magnetorheological (MR) fluids have been known to react to magnetic fields of sufficient magnitudes. While in the presence of the field the material develops a yield stress. The tunable property has made it attractive in e.g. semi-active damper applications in vibration control domain in particular. Within the context of a given application the fluids can be exploited in at least one of the fundamental operating modes of which the so-called gradient pinch mode has been least explored. Contrary to the other operating modes, the MR fluid volume in the flow channel is exposed to a non-uniform magnetic field in such a way that the Venturi-like contraction is developed in a flow channel solely by means of a solidified material in the regions near the walls rather than mechanically driven changes of the channel’s geometry. The pinch mode rheology of the material has made it a potential candidate in developing on a new category of MR valves. By convention, a pinch mode valve features a single flow channel with poles over which non-uniform magnetic field is induced. In this study the authors examine ways of extending the dynamic range of pinch mode valves by employing a number of such arrangements (stages) in series. To accomplish this, the authors developed a prototype of a multi-stage (three-stage) valve, and then compared its performance against that of a single-stage valve across a wide range of hydraulic and magnetic stimuli. To summarize, improvements in the pinch mode valve dynamic range are evident, however, at the same time it is hampered by the presence of serial air gaps in the flow channel.

One of the operational challenges for the use of bentonite pellets as a sealing material in the abandonment of offshore fields consists in their disposition inside the well. This study aims to analyze the interaction of fluid media, consisting of saline solutions (NaCl, CaCl2 and KCl) and organic compounds (diesel, glycerin and olefin), with bentonite pellets, aiming its application as displacement fluid in offshore oil well abandonment operations. The physical integrity of the bentonite pellets in contact with the fluids was verified through visual inspections and dispersibility tests. Linear swelling tests were also performed to evaluate the potential for swelling of pellets in deionized water after contact with the fluid media. The results indicated that NaCl, CaCl2 and KCl solutions completely compromise the physical integrity of the pellets, while diesel and olefin showed the best responses regarding the structural preservation. Futhermore, the linear swelling tests showed that, even after the contact with diesel and olefin for 1 hour, bentonite pellets have reached a total swelling in water of 78%, after 24 hours. In this way, diesel and olefin proved to be highly promising alternatives to be used as displacement fluids for bentonite pellets in wells to be abandoned in a submarine environment.

In recent years, applying deep learning to solve physics problems has attracted much attention. Data-driven deep learning methods produce operators that can learn solutions to the whole system of partial differential equations. However, the existing methods are only evaluated on simple flow equations (e.g., Burger's equation), and only consider the generalization ability on different initial conditions. In this paper, we construct CFDBench, a benchmark with four classic problems in computational fluid dynamics (CFD): lid-driven cavity flow, laminar boundary layer flow in circular tubes, dam flows through the steps, and periodic Karman vortex street. Each flow problem includes data with various boundary conditions, fluid physical properties, and domain geometries. Compared to existing datasets, the advantages of CFDBench are (1) comprehensive. It contains common physical parameters such as velocity, pressure, and cavity fraction. (2) realistic. It is very suitable for deep learning solutions of fluid mechanics equations. (3) challenging. It has a certain learning difficulty, prompting to find models with strong learning ability. (4) standardized. CFDBench facilitates a comprehensive and fair comparison of different deep learning methods for CFD. We make appropriate modifications to popular deep neural networks to apply them to CFDBench and enable the accommodation of more changing inputs. The evaluation on CFDBench reveals some new shortcomings of existing works and we propose possible directions for solving such problems.

This study focuses on the aerodynamic optimization of the re-entry capsule (REC) Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) module, evaluating its performance using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Three different models, namely Baseline, 2-Duct, and 4-Duct, are investigated under a wide range of flow speeds, from supersonic (Ma=1.6) to hypersonic (Ma=6) regimes. Thermofluids aspects, drag coefficient, surface heat flux, and the effectiveness of the modified geometry are assessed using aerodynamic and temperature-based models. The results show that the introduction of ducts in the 2-Duct and 4-Duct models leads to an average decrease in the drag coefficient of approximately 2.1% and 2.9%, respectively, compared to the baseline model, across all Mach numbers. The maximum reduction in drag coefficient is 3.55%, observed at Ma=1.4 using the 4-Duct capsule. However, it is found that the addition of extra ducts to the model increases the maximum heat transfer rate. Specifically, the heat flux is increased by up to 69% for the 4-Duct model at Ma=6, compared to the baseline model. On average, the heat flux is increased by approximately 28.6% for all conditions. The findings indicate that the introduction of ducts in the REC model improves its aerothermodynamic performance by reducing drag but also increases the heat transfer rate on the surface.

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)-based simulation has been the traditional way to model complex industrial systems and processes. One very large and complex industrial system that has benefited from CFD-based simulations is the steel blast furnace. The problem with the CFD-based simulation approach is that it tends to be very slow to generate data. The CFD-only approach may not be fast enough for use in real-time decision-making. To address this issue, in this work, the authors propose the use of machine learning techniques to train and test models based on data generated via CFD simulation. Regression models based on neural networks are compared to tree boosting models. In particular, several areas (tuyere, raceway, and shaft) of the blast furnace are modeled using these approaches. The results of the model training and testing are presented and discussed. The obtained R2 metrics are, in general, very high. The results look promising and may help to improve the efficiency of operator and process engineer decision-making when running a blast furnace.

In this paper, we propose a novel approach to utilize silicon nanowires as high-sensitivity pH sensors. Our approach works based on fixing the current bias of silicon nanowires Ion Sensitive Field Effect Transistors (ISFETs) and monitor the resulting drain voltage as the sensing signal. By fine tuning the injected current levels, we can optimize the sensing conditions according to different sensor requirements. This method proves to be highly suitable for real-time and continuous measurements of biomarkers in human biofluids. To validate our approach, we conducted experiments, with real human sera samples to simulate the composition of human interstitial fluid (ISF), using both the conventional top-gate approach and the optimized constant current method . We successfully demonstrated pH sensing within the physiopathological range of 6.5 to 8, achieving an exceptional level of accuracy in this complex matrix. Specifically, we obtained a maximum error as low as 0.92\% (equivalent to 0.07 pH unit) using the constant-current method at the optimal current levels (1.71\% for top-gate). Moreover, by utilizing different pools of human sera with varying total protein content, we demonstrated that the protein content among patients does not impact the sensors' performance in pH sensing. Furthermore, we tested real-human ISF samples collected from volunteers. The obtained accuracy in this scenario was also outstanding, with an error as low as 0.015 pH unit using the constant-current method and 0.178 pH unit in traditional top-gate configuration.

Backgroumd: The feeling of nasal obstruction is one of the most complaints of the Ear Nose and Throats (ENT) patients. The reason of this complaint is variable, such as Nasal Septal Deviation (NSD). NSD is a significant obstacle to normal respiration and the volume of air entering the lungs. Understanding how the deviation causes the obstruction is so important, because it leads to better management of this disease. Rhinomanometry and acoustic rhinometry are methods that are used for objective evaluation of upper airway, but they are semi invasive and the accuracy are not guaranteed. With development of Computed Tomography (CT scan) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), numerical studies on airflow in different parts of the nasal cavity have been performed. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare nasal airflow patterns between patient with NSD and healthy nasal cavity using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) Methods: A patient with NSD and a healthy human were selected. Using CFD, the maximal airflow velocity, nasal resistance, maximal Wall Shear Stress (WSS), and pressure drop in bilateral nostrils of both cases were assessed. Results: Pressure and velocity profiles are evaluated at a mass flow rate of 17.4 Liters Per Minute (LPM). The velocity profile shows an abnormal flow profile in the septal deviated nasal cavity and the peak velocity is observed at the middle nasal region, whereas this point is at the nasal valve level in a healthy nasal cavity. Wall shear stress (WSS) caused by NSD is lower than in normal nasal cavities. The pressure drop in a nasal cavity with deviated septum is higher than in a healthy nasal cavity. Based on the results of this investigation nasal resistance in NSD was higher than in normal, healthy nasal cavity. Conclusions: NSD plays an important role in nasal airflow regime and it results in the feeling of obstruction comparing to normal nasal cavity. Also there is a promising future for CFD to become a useful tool in understanding airflow physiology and pathology.

In this paper, a sensitivity sensor of dual-core photonic crystal fiber (DC-PCF) filled with magnetic liquid is introduced and investigated by the finite element method (FEM). To regulate the energy coupling involving the two cores, the magnetic fluid is filled into the pore between the two cores. To adjust the coupling between the supermodes in the DC-PCF, the refractive index of the magnetic fluid-filled air hole may change due to the external magnetic field. This specifically created a magnetic fluid-filled DC-PCF, the magnetic fluid-filled hole is not used as the core for energy transmission, thus avoiding transmission loss. The dip wavelength and the magnetic field displayed an excellent linear connection between 80 and 260 Oe, depending on the numerical data. The detection sensitivity of the magnetic field reached 515.75 pm/Oe at a short fiber length of 482 m. The designed magnetic fluid-filled DC-PCF has high sensitivity and small volume and has great application prospects in medical and industrial field magnetic field detection.

The mechanical effects of membrane compositional inhomogeneities are analyzed in a process analogous of neck formation in cellular membranes. We cast on the Canham-Helfrich model of fluid membranes with both the spontaneous curvature and the surface tension being non-homogeneous functions along the cell membrane. The inhomogeneous distribution is determined by the equilibrium mechanical equations and the boundary conditions as considered in the axisymmetric setting compatible with the necking process. To establish the role played by mechanical inhomogeneity, we focus on the catenoid, a surface of zero mean curvature. Analytic solutions are shown to exist for the spontaneous curvature and the constrictive forces in terms of the border-radii. Our theoretical analysis shows that the inhomogeneous distribution of spontaneous curvature in a mosaic-like neck constrictional forces potentially contributing to the membrane scission under minimized work in living cells.

Objectives: Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) isolates are one of the most difficult pathogens to treat. Cefiderocol, a chlorocatechol-substituted siderophore antibiotic, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2019 indicated for the treatment of infections due to CRAB infections. Despite the initial positive treatment outcomes with this antimicrobial, recent studies reported higher than all-cause mortality rate in patients treated with cefiderocol. The cause(s) behind these outcomes remains unconfirmed. A plausible hypothesis is heteroresistance, a phenotype characterized by the survival of a small proportion of cells in a population seemingly isogenic. Recent results have shown that the addition of human fluids to CRAB cultures leads to cefiderocol heteroresistance. Here we describe molecular and phenotypic analyses of CRAB heteroresistant bacterial subpopulations to better understand the nature of the less-than-expected successful outcomes after cefiderocol treatment. Methods: Isolation of heteroresistant variants of the CRAB strain AMA40 was carried out in cultures supplemented with cefiderocol and human pleural fluid (HPF). Two AMA40 variants, AMA40 IHC1 and IHC2, were subjected to whole genome sequencing and transcriptional analysis to identify mutations and expression changes associated with cefiderocol heteroresistance. The impact of these mutations on the pharmacodynamic activity of cefiderocol was assessed via susceptibility testing, EDTA and boronic acid inhibition analysis, biofilm formation, and static time-kill assays. Results: Heteroresistant variants AMA40 IHC1 and AMA40 IHC2 have 53 chromosomal mutations, of which 40 are common to both strains. None of the mutations occurred in genes associated with high affinity iron-uptake systems or β-lactam resistance. However, transcriptional analyses showed significant modifications in levels of expression of genes associated with these functions. The blaNDM-1 and blaADC-2, as well as various iron-uptake system genes, were expressed at higher levels than the parental strain. On the other hand, the carO and ompA genes’ expression was reduced. One of the mutations common to both heteroresistant strains mapped within pipA, a gene associated with iron homeostasis in other species. Static time-kill assays showed that supplementing cation-adjusted Mueller-Hinton broth with human serum albumin, the main protein component of HPF, considerably reduced cefiderocol killing activity for all three strains tested. Notably, collateral resistance to amikacin was observed in both variants. Conclusions: We conclude that exposing CRAB to fluids containing high HSA facilitates the rise of heteroresistance associated with point mutations and upregulation of genes coding for β-lactamases and biofilm formation.

An extensive review of literature simulations of polymer melts is given, considering results that test aspects of the Rouse model in the melt. We focus on the mean-square amplitudes < (X_p(0))^{2} > and time correlation functions < X_p(0) X_p(t) > of the Rouse modes $X_p(t)$. Contrary to the Rouse model: (i) Mean-square Rouse mode amplitudes < (X_p(0))^2> do not scale as sin^{-2}(p \pi/2N), N being the number of beads in the polymer. For small p (say, p <= 3) < (X_p(0))^2> scales with p as p^{-2}$; for larger p it scales as p^{-3}. (ii) Rouse mode time correlation functions < X_p(t) X_p(0) > do not decay with time as exponentials; they instead decay as stretched exponentials exp(-a t^b)$. b depends on p, typically with a minimum near N/2 or N/4. (iii) Polymer bead displacements are not described by independent Gaussian random processes. (iv) For p not equal to q, < X_p(t) X_{q}(0) > is sometimes non-zero. (v) The response of a polymer coil to a shear flow is a rotation, not the affine deformation predicted by Rouse. Simulations thus conclusively demonstrate that the Rouse model is invalid in polymer melts. We also briefly consider the Kirkwood-Riseman polymer model.

The evidence supports the occurrence of environmentally induced paternal epigenetic inheritance shaping the offspring phenotype in the absence of direct or indirect paternal care, and the empirical results clearly indicate that sperm epigenetics is one of the major actors mediating these paternal effects. However, sperm often make up only a small fraction of the male ejaculate in animals. Males also have a complex mixture of proteins, peptides, types of small RNAs, and cell-free DNA fragments in their seminal fluid. These molecules are in close contact with reproductive cells, tissues, organs, and other molecules of both males and females during reproduction. Moreover, their production and use are very sensitive to environmental conditions which makes them potential modulators of environmentally and developmentally induced paternal effects on the next generation(s). Although there is some intriguing evidence of seminal fluid-mediated paternal epigenetic effects, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly defined. In this review, I discuss the current evidence regarding the association between seminal fluid and environmentally induced paternal effects, the possible trajectories, and the mechanisms in which seminal fluid can involve to mediate paternal epigenetic inheritance.

In recent years, solid state terahertz (THz) modulators have obtained rapid progress with the widespread use of two-dimensional (2D) materials in the field of THz; however, challenges remain in preparing flexible THz modulators. In this study, flexible ferromagnetic nematic materials were prepared by doping thermotropic nematic liquid crystals 5CB into magnetic fluids, and the influence of hydrogen bonding in water was reduced by a self-made cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) microfluidic chip. THz modulation characteristics of magnetic fluid and ferromagnetic nematic liquid crystal (FNLC) under the induction of external magnetic field were compared using a THz time domain spectroscopy system. Under the action of a 91 mT magnetic field, the magnetic fluid has a maximum modulation depth (MD) of 54%. Under the same magnetic field, the maximum MD of the ferromagnetic nematic liquid crystal materials increase to 78% because of the rearrangement of Fe3O4 nanoparticles induced by the topological defect of the liquid crystal. We demonstrate that the magneto-optical effect is significantly enhanced in the ferromagnetic nematic liquid crystal hybrid system. This strategy of doping thermotropic nematic liquid crystals to enhance the magneto-optical effect has great potential for THz filtering, modulation, and sensing applications.

We examined PT parameters, geochemical peculiarities, and fluid sources of the Ulug-Sair ore occurrence attributable to class of intrusion-related gold deposits and according to ore mineral assemblages corresponding to Au-Bi type with wide Bi minerals (AgBiTe, Bi2Te2Se, Cu3,07BiS3, Bi), tellurides (Au and Ag), Se-tellurides (Ag and Bi), and selenides (Au, Ag, and Hg). We identified that ‘pre-gold’ quartz-tourmaline veins were deposited using an aqueous Mg-Na-K-chloride fluid with a salinity of 8–10 wt % NaCl eq. At 325–370 °C; host breasts were formed due to a CO2-water fluid containing CH4 and N2, with a salinity of 0,18–6,1 wt % NaCl eq. at least 200–400 °C. Gold-bearing mineral assemblages were formed at P ~ 0,75–1,0 kbar (~ 2,3–3 km) due to CO2-water chloride (Na-K±Fe, Mg) fluid with CH4, Na2SO4, and Na2B2O5, and salinities 1,7–12,5 wt % NaCl eq. during the decreasing temperatures from 360 up to 115 °C (gold-sulfide-quartz veins – 360–130 °С, and gold-telluride-sulfide-quartz veins – 330–115 °C) and variations fO2, fS2, fSe2, and fTe2. The isotopic composition of δ34SH2S fluid (-0,7…+2,5 ‰) indicates the juvenile or magmatic origin of fluid and ore elements. The δ34OH2O fluid indicates that, at an early substage, the formation of ore occurrence involved a fluid of magmatic or metamorphic origin (+7,3…+11,4 ‰), and, in the later substage, it mixed with meteoric waters (-2,3…+9,1 ‰).

Introduction: multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common immune-mediated chronic neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS), affecting young people. Due to the permanent disability, cognitive impairment, and the enormous detrimental impact MS can exert on the patients’ health-related quality of life. It is of great importance to recognise it in time and commence adequate treatment at an early stage. The currently used disease-modifying therapies (DMT) aim to reduce disease activity and thus halt disability development, which in current clinical practice are monitored by clinical and imaging parameters but not by biomarkers found in blood and/or the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Both clinical and radiological measures routinely used to monitor disease activity lack information on the fundamental pathophysiological features and mechanisms of MS. Furthermore, they lag behind the disease process itself. By the time a clinical relapse becomes evident or a new lesion appears on the MRI scan, potentially irreversible damage has already occurred in the CNS. In recent years several biomarkers that previously have been linked to other neurological and immunological diseases have received increased attention in MS. Additionally, other novel, potential biomarkers with prognostic and diagnostic properties have been detected in the CSF and blood of MS patients. Areas covered: in this review, we summarise the most up to date knowledge and research conducted on the already known and most promising new biomarker candidates found in the CSF and blood of MS patients. Author commentary: the current diagnostic criteria of MS rely on three pillars; MRI imaging, clinical events and the presence of oligoclonal bands in the CSF (which was reinstated into the diagnostic criteria by the most recent revision). Even though the most recent McDonald criteria made the diagnosis of MS faster than the prior iteration, it is still not an infallible diagnostic toolset, especially at the very early stage of clinically isolated syndrome. Together with the gold standard MRI and clinical measures, ancillary blood and CSF biomarkers may not just improve diagnostic accuracy and speed but very well may become agents to monitor therapeutic efficacy and make even more personalised treatment in MS a reality in the near future. The major disadvantage of these biomarkers in the past has been the need to obtain CSF to measure them. However, the recent advances in extremely sensitive immunoassays made their measurement possible from peripheral blood even when present only in minuscule concentrations. This should mark the beginning of a new biomarker research and utilisation era in MS.

In recent years, metabolomics has been used as a powerful tool to better understand the physiology of neurodegenerative diseases and identify potential biomarkers for progression. We used targeted and untargeted aqueous, and lipidomic profiles of the metabolome from human cerebrospinal fluid to build multivariate predictive models distinguishing patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and healthy age-matched controls. We emphasize several statistical challenges associated with metabolomic studies where the number of measured metabolites far exceeds sample size. We found strong separation in the metabolome between PD and controls, as well as between PD and AD, with weaker separation between AD and controls. Consistent with existing literature, we found alanine, kynurenine, tryptophan, and serine to be associated with PD classification against controls, while alanine, creatine, and long chain ceramides were associated with AD classification against controls. We conducted a univariate pathway analysis of untargeted and targeted metabolite profiles and find that vitamin E and urea cycle metabolism pathways are associated with PD, while the aspartate/asparagine and c21-steroid hormone biosynthesis pathways are associated with AD. We also found that the amount of metabolite missingness varied by phenotype, highlighting the importance of examining missing data in future metabolomic studies.

The trials were performed on 20 multiparous cows of Holstein breed (39.7 ± 0.75 kg of milk) at the end of the first phase of lactation this different milk fat (4.1-2.8%). The aim of the research was to study the characteristics of nutrition, metabolism and biosynthesis of milk components in highly productive dairy cows with normal and low milk fat levels and the timing of their productive use. Study the characteristics of fermentation of scar formation substrates and their use in energy metabolism and biosynthesis of the milk components. Found that low fat milk is not associated with a lack of formation of acetate in the rumen (6.1 vs. 6.6 mmol/dl in the contents of the rumen, р>0.05) and the non change in the hormonal profile, but depends on the reduction of fatty acids synthesis de novo in mammary gland, regulated by conjugated higher fatty acids. The result is a reduction in the need of cows in the exchange energy (reduction of heat transfer by 6.2 MJ), a shorter service period (109.5 vs.139 days) and the prolongation of their productive use (the number of lactations correlated back with the level of fat in milk (r=-0.68, p<0.05, n=1300).

The onset of the thermal instability is investigated in a porous channel with plane parallel boundaries saturated by a non–Newtonian shear–thinning fluid and subject to a horizontal throughflow. The Ellis model is adopted to describe the fluid rheology. Both horizontal boundaries are assumed to be impermeable. A uniform heat flux is supplied through the lower boundary, while the upper boundary is kept at a uniform temperature. Such an asymmetric setup of the thermal boundary conditions is analysed via a numerical solution of the linear stability eigenvalue problem. The linear stability analysis is developed for three–dimensional normal modes of perturbation showing that the transverse modes are the most unstable. The destabilising effect of the non-Newtonian shear–thinning character of the fluid is also demonstrated as compared to the behaviour displayed, for the same flow configuration, by a Newtonian fluid.

Higher order femtoscopy measured to examine the heat exchanger characterization of the fluid debris produced in the collisions and investigated a remarkable suppression in the bosons interferences measurement. The analogous suppression can be analyzed to explore the coherence of boson thermal particle production sources at unprecedented energies. We illustrate the particles emissions from radiated sources with statistical coherence which induce the thermal particles interferences to probe the peculiarity of the heated sources as well as the distinctions about the heat exchangers in the collisions at higher temperature. We perspicacious that the bosons seem to the pertinent aspirant of heat exchanger, and the normalized three particles correlators evaluate the existence of such hybrid phases significantly. The key point of this research is that we analyze the three particles correlations with their normalized correlations by difference equations to determine the characteristics of heat exchanger and its applications. With such distinctive and efficient approach, we observe a significant difference in the correlation functions at higher temperature and momenta regimes.

With the increasingly stringent airworthiness standards, the noise generated during the rotorcraft flight is gradually attracting people’s attention. It widely operated helicopters at low altitudes because of their maneuverability. The way to reduce the noise caused by the complex airflow of the helicopter rotor system has progressively become a hot topic for researchers. Using a hybrid acoustic analysis method, this paper investigates the improvement of the noise and thrust of the helicopter’s tail rotor through the tail rotor structural parameters. For the basic model, the turbulence simulation is performed using an incompressible detached eddy simulation (DES) method, and the Lighthill acoustic analog equation is calculated using the finite element method (FEM). We verified the accuracy of the method through wind tunnel tests. We chose a series of structural parameters for sound simulation and fluid simulation calculations. The results indicate that the modified tail rotor noise reduced by 16.5 dBA and the total thrust increased by 19.9% from the prototype model. This work can enhance the duct tail rotor design to improve aerodynamic and aeroacoustic performance.

Rotary drilling for oil and natural gas uses drilling fluid for lubrication of the bit, to seal off unstable shale layers, and floating out rock cuttings. Drilling fluid is a water-clay chemical mixture. Produced water is a water-sand chemical mixture. Land farming is a common disposal technique of drilling fluid and produced water. In the land farming process, amendments of fluid are repeatedly applied to the soil surface. Plant growth and soil chemical properties may be altered by additions of drilling fluid, because of alkalinity, salinity, trace elements, and petroleum residue contained in waste. The objective of this study was to determine the change in soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total nitrogen and carbon, and extractable nutrient levels following the land application of drilling fluid and produced water. The study was a comparison of three plots with similar soil properties and conditions. The three study plots had various levels of drilling fluid and produced water applications. The data show a major difference from field-to-field for EC, Na, and Cl levels. The EC and salt levels increased with additional applications of drilling fluid and produced water. The percent total nitrogen values and plant available P levels were very low in all fields. High EC and salt values, coupled with low N and P levels, would be detrimental to plant growth and development. To successfully vegetate this land-farm site, application of N and P fertilizer would be required. This study will help to give a better understanding of practical ways to land-farm drilling fluid and produced water in a fashion that both minimizes environmental issues and is economically feasible. Salinity changes to soil were expected to be high; there are excessive amounts of sodium and chloride in spent drilling fluid and produced water.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a protease-modulated chronic disorder with heterogenous clinical manifestations which may lead to an imprecise diagnosis. So far, there are no diagnostic protease tests for AD. We explored the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) protease profile of periodontally-healthy individuals with moderate/severe AD compared to healthy controls. An exploratory case-control study was conducted. Matching AD patients (n=6) and controls (n=6) were enrolled at the International Center for Clinical Studies, Santiago, Chile. Complete dermatological and periodontal evaluations (involving the collection of GCF samples) were made. The levels of 35 proteases were analyzed using a human protease antibody array. The GCF levels of zinc-binding ADAM8, ADAM9, MMP8 and Neprilysin/CD10, aspartyl-binding Cathepsin E, and serin-binding Protein convertase9 and uPA/Urokinase proteases were lower in moderate/severe AD patients compared to controls (p<0.05). No inter-group differences in the levels of the other 28 proteases were found. MMP8, Cathepsin E and ADAM9 were the biomarkers with the highest sensitivity and specificity regarding the detection of AD (p < 0.05). The area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for MMP-8+ADAMP-9 was 0.90. In conclusion, differences in the protease profile between AD and control patients associated with MMP8, Cathepsin E and ADAM9. MMP8, ADAM9 and Cathepsin E may be useful as combined diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers of moderate/severe AD.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), mainly affects the respiratory system with some patients rapidly progressing to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The most common symptoms of the patients are fever, cough, dyspnea, myalgia, and fatigue. Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab specimens tested by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) are the most commonly used methods to diagnose COVID-19. Herein, we investigate and discuss a young case of COVID-19, without any pre-existing medical conditions, whose both nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab tests of SARS-CoV-2 were negative in the prodromal phase. However, after three days, with severe dyspnea and rapidly progressed acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), the case was identified as infected by COVID-19 by testing bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). The patient was intubated in the intensive care unit (ICU) but expired on the fourth day. This case shows the importance of active and accurate monitoring of the patients showing COVID-19 symptoms. Although the BALF test has a higher exposure risk, it is considered more accurate and recommended if performed by an expert operator.

In this paper an integrated methodology for the coupling between 1D- and 3D-CFD simulation codes is presented, which has been developed to support the design and calibration of new diesel engines. The aim of the proposed methodology is to couple 1D engine models, which may be available in the early-stage engine development phases, with 3D predictive combustion simulations, in order to obtain reliable estimates of engine performance and emissions for newly designed automotive diesel engines. The coupling procedure features simulations performed in 1D-CFD by means of GT-SUITE and in 3D-CFD by means of Converge, executed within a specifically designed calculation methodology. An assessment of the coupling procedure has been performed by comparing its results with experimental data acquired on an automotive Diesel engine, considering different working points including both part load and full load conditions. Different multiple injection schedules have been evaluated for part-load operation, including pre and post injections. The proposed methodology, featuring detailed 3D chemistry modeling, was proven to be capable to properly assess pollutant formation, specifically to estimate NOx concentrations. Soot formation trend was also well-matched for most of the explored working points. The proposed procedure can therefore be considered as a suitable methodology to support the design and calibration of new Diesel engines, thanks to its ability to provide reliable engine performance and emissions estimations from the early-stage of a new engine development.

Cancers remain the lead cause of disease-related, pediatric death in North America. The emerging field of complex systems has redefined cancer networks as a computational system with intractable algorithmic complexity. Herein, a tumor and its heterogeneous phenotypes are discussed as dynamical systems having multiple, strange attractors. Machine learning, network science and algorithmic information dynamics are discussed as current tools for cancer network reconstruction. Deep Learning architectures and computational fluid models are proposed for better forecasting gene expression patterns in cancer ecosystems. Cancer cell decision-making is investigated within the framework of complex systems and complexity theory.

In this effort we propose a data-driven learning framework for reduced order modeling of fluid dynamics. Designing accurate and efficient reduced order models for nonlinear fluid dynamic problems is challenging for many practical engineering applications. Classical projection-based model reduction methods generate reduced systems by projecting full-order differential operators into low-dimensional subspaces. However, these techniques usually lead to severe instabilities in the presence of highly nonlinear dynamics, which dramatically deteriorates the accuracy of the reduced-order models. In contrast, our new framework exploits linear multistep networks, based on implicit Adams-Moulton schemes, to construct the reduced system. The advantage is that the method optimally approximates the full order model in the low-dimensional space with a given supervised learning task. Moreover, our approach is non-intrusive, such that it can be applied to other complex nonlinear dynamical systems with sophisticated legacy codes. We demonstrate the performance of our method through the numerical simulation of a two-dimensional flow past a circular cylinder with Reynolds number Re = 100. The results reveal that the new data-driven model is significantly more accurate than standard projection-based approaches

Cancers are complex, adaptive ecosystems. They remain the leading cause of disease-related death among children in North America. As we approach computational oncology and Deep Learning Healthcare, our mathematical models of cancer dynamics must be revised. Recent findings support the perspective that cancer-microenvironment interactions consist of turbulent flows. As such, cancer pattern formation, protein-folding and metastatic invasion are discussed herein as processes driven by chemical turbulence within the framework of complex systems theory. Current state-of-the-art quantitative approaches used in reconstructing cancer stem cell networks are reviewed. To conclude, cancer stem cells are presented as strange attractors of the Waddington landscape.

Concerning fan systems with an air pipe connecting air intake and a closed outlet, aerodynamic noise cannot be directly transmitted from the fan inlet and outlet to the outside. At this moment, the volute vibrational radiation noise induced casing surface vibration is the major noise component. The main factors affecting the fan vibrational noise are analyzed through theoretical derivation, then a vibrational noise optimization control method for the volute casing is proposed that considered the influence of vibro-acoustic coupling, taking the panel thickness of the volute (front-panel thickness [FT], side-panel thickness [ST], and back-panel thickness [BT]) as design variables, and the acoustical power of the volute surface and the total mass of the volute as the optimal target function. The optimization method is mainly divided into three main parts: the first was based on the simulation of unsteady flow of the fan to obtain the vibrational noise source; the second, using the design of experimental (DOE) method and the proposed numerical simulation of fluid-structure-acoustic coupling method to obtain the designing space, then the radical-based function (RBF) method is used to construct the approximate surrogate model instead of the simulation model previously mentioned, which was used to provide the basic mathematical model for the optimization of the next part; the third part, implementing the low vibrational noise optimization for the fan volute, applied the single-target (taking volute radiated acoustical power as the target function) and the multi-target (taking the volute radiated acoustical power and volute total mass as the target function) methods. In addition, the fan aerodynamic performance, volute casing surface fluctuations, and vibration response were validated by experiments, showing good agreement. It is of utmost importance that the dynamic pressure measurements and vibrational tests on the volute casing verify the accuracy of the numerical calculation. The optimization results showed that the vibrational noise optimization method proposed in this study can effectively reduce the vibration noise of the fan, obtaining a maximum value of noise reduction of 7.3 dB. The optimization identified in this paper provides a significant reference for the design of a low-vibrational-noise volute.

The aim of this study is to provide the scientists with a straightforward correlation that can be applied for predicting the Fanning friction factor and consequently the pressure drop during blood flow in small caliber vessels. Due to the small diameter of the conduit, the Reynolds numbers are low and thus the flow is laminar. The study has been conducted using CFD simulations validated with relevant experimental data acquired using an appropriate experimental set-up. The experiments concern pressure drop measurement during the flow of a blood analogue that follows the Casson model, i.e. an aqueous glycerol solution that contains a small amount of xanthan gum and exhibits similar behavior to blood, in a smooth, stainless steel microtube (L=5.6cm and D=400 μm). The interpretation of the resulting numerical data led to the proposal of a simplified model that incorporates the effect of the flow rate, the hematocrit value (35-55%) and the vessel diameter (300-1800 μm) and predicts with better than ±10% the Fanning friction factor and consequently the pressure drop during laminar blood flow in small caliber vessels.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can result in persistent sensorimotor and cognitive deficits, which occur through a cascade of deleterious pathophysiological events over time. In this study, we investigated the hypothesis that neurodegeneration caused by TBI leads to impairments in sensorimotor function. TBI induces the activation of the caspase-3 enzyme, which triggers cell apoptosis in an in vivo model of fluid percussion injury (FPI). We analyzed caspase-3 mediated apoptosis by TUNEL staining and PARP and annexin V western blotting. We correlated the neurodegeneration with sensorimotor deficits by conducting the animal behavioral tests including grid walk, balance beam, inverted screen test, and climb test. Our study demonstrated that the excess cell death or neurodegeneration correlated with the neuronal dysfunction and sensorimotor impairments associated with TBI.

A topological representation theory of chiral spin liquid is proposed to unify the integral and fractional quantum Hall fluid based on hyperbolic geometry, knot lattice and Thurston's train track theory. The integral and fractional Hall resistivity obeys an exact unified equation, $R_{xy} = (h/e^2)B_{e}$, $B_{e} = (n+\nu)^{-1}$, with respect to the bulk energy gap ${\Delta}E = {\hbar{e}B_{e}}/{Mc}$. The Wen-Zee matrix formulation of topological fluid for quantum Hall effect is constructed by topological surgery and train track. The chirality of spin liquid is spontaneously distinguished by Jones polynomial. The integral Chern number for Hall conductance is fractionalized by generalizing Thurston's train track to folding laminations in three dimensions, which spontaneously bring fractional quantum Hall fluid and anyons into three dimensions and provided an theoretical explanation on the competing fractional quantum Hall states. The many body system of interacting fermions or bosons are mapped into many interacting liquid droplets that interwind into knot lattice, which provide an effective topological representation for superfluid and superconductor, the strange metal state in superconductor is explained by topological dislocation and topological surgery. The Kauffman decomposition rule in knot theory is extended to describe the topological relations between different two dimensional manifolds, which further reveals the non-trivial relationship between the partition functions of pairing fermions and free electrons. The minimal energy state is the most stable topological state, even thought it maybe shares the same topological number with the excited states. The topological representation theory predicts a circular motion of electrons in hyperbolic space, that is implementable and testable by inhomogeneous magnetic field in three dimensions. The folding lamination representation of topological quantum fluid provides an promising implementation of string theory in high energy physics.

Carbohydrates and lipids integrate into a complex metabolic network that is essential to maintain homeostasis. In insects, as in most metazoans, dietary carbohydrates are taken up as monosaccharides whose excess is toxic, even at relatively low concentrations. To cope with this toxicity, monosaccharides are stored either as glycogen or neutral lipids, the latter constituting a quasi-unlimited energy store. Breakdown of these stores in response to energy demand depends on insect species and on several physiological parameters. In this chapter, we review the multiple metabolic pathways and strategies linking carbohydrates and lipids that insects utilize to respond to nutrient availability, food scarcity or physiological activities.

BACKGROUND: It has been shown that obesity and higher body mass index (BMI) are associated with higher recurrence rate of atrial fibrillation (AF) after successful catheter ablation (CA). The same has been proven for left atrial volume index (LAVI). It has also been shown that there is a correlation between LAVI and BMI. However, whether LAVI prognostic impact on AF recurrence is BMI independent, remains unclear. METHODS: We prospectively included 62 patients with paroxysmal AF who were referred to our institution for CA. All patients underwent radiofrequency CA with standard pulmonary veins isolation. Transthoracic 2-D echocardiography was performed one day after CA to obtain standard measures of cardiac function and morphology. Recurrence was defined as documented AF within 6 months of follow-up period. Patients were also instructed to visit outpatient clinic earlier in case of symptoms suggesting AF recurrence. RESULTS: We observed AF recurrence in 27% of patients after 6 months. The mean BMI in our cohort was 29.65 ± 5.08 kg/cm2 and the mean LAVI was 38.04 ±11.38 ml/m2. We further divided patients into 2 groups according to BMI. Even though LAVI was similar in both groups, we found it to be significant predictor of AF recurrence only in obese patients (BMI ≥ 30), but not in the non-obese group (BMI < 30). There was also no significant difference in AF recurrence between both cohorts. The significance of LAVI as AF recurrence predictor in obesity group was also confirmed in multivariate model. CONCLUSION: According to our results LAVI tends to be significant predictor of AF recurrence after successful catheter ablation in obese patients, but not in normal-weight and overweight patients. This would suggest different mechanisms of AF in non-obese patients in comparison to the obese. Further studies are needed in this regard.

The purpose of this study was to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) for stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in the treatment of non-metastatic prostate cancer. This study was a phase 1 dose escalation trial conducted in Japan. Patients with histologically proven prostate cancer without lymph node or distant metastasis were enrolled. The prescribed doses were 42.5, 45, or 47.5 Gy in five fractions. Dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) was defined as grade (G) 3+ gastrointestinal or genitourinary toxicity within 180 days after SBRT completion and a 6 plus 6 design was used as the method of dose escalation. A total of 16 patients were enrolled, with 6 in the 42.5 Gy group and 10 in the 45 Gy group. No DLT was observed in the 42.5 Gy group. In the 45 Gy group, one patient experienced G3 rectal hemorrhage, and another had G4 rectal perforation, leading to the determination of 42.5 Gy as the MTD. None of the patients experienced biochemical recurrence or death during the follow-up period. We concluded that SBRT for non-metastatic prostate cancer at 42.5 Gy in 5 fractions could be safely performed, but a total dose of 45 Gy increased severe toxicity.

The purpose of the study is to establish compliance of the design of the modernized car with the requirements for safe operation. An option has been proposed for upgrading a passenger wagon to a Mobile Diagnostic Complex for transporting a combined vehicle equipped with appropriate flaw detection equipment intended for rail diagnostics. The authors have established the most optimal option for locating the diagnostic vehicle on board the Mobile Diagnostic Complex (MDC) wagon, taking into account the additional load from the vehicle. To achieve this goal, the article developed a three-dimensional model of the supporting structure of the wagon body, proposed a methodology and presented the results of a study of the stress-strain state of the wagon body, taking into account the additional weight of the wagon. The article develops a methodology for studying the natural frequencies of vibrations of the wagon body and develops a three-dimensional model of the wagon for calculating dynamic indicators in the Universal Mechanism software package. Taking into account the previously carried out strength calculations, as well as in order to maintain the factory life cycle indicators of the supporting structure of the wagon body, it is recommended to use the model in the first version.

To study the oil and gas distribution law in the slope area of the hydrocarbon-bearing basin, the distribution of the effective dominant path of sand bodies transporting oil and gas is a fundamental subject. In this paper, we introduced an effective way to predict such transport paths and applied the method to study the sand bodies of the lower first member of the Shahejie Formation (E3s1L) in the southern area of the Qikou Depression in the Bohai Bay Basin (Qinan). We first define the dominant hydrocarbon transport paths of the sand body as the superimposed area of the contiguously distributed area of the sand body and the paleotectonic ridges at the top of the formation where the sand body is located. Then we define the oil and gas supply area of the oil source fault as the overlapped area of the favorable transport path of oil source faults and the width of the associated fracture zone. Stacking the two areas, we can delineate the distribution of the effective dominant transport paths of the sand bodies. The results from our case study of the Qinan area show that the effective dominant paths of sand bodies transporting oil and gas in the E3s1L Formation in the Qinan area are distributed throughout the region with better development in the west than in the east. The paths in the eastern part extend from north to south, while the paths in the western part extend from northeast to southwest, which is favorable for the convergence of oil and gas generated from the source rocks of the third member of Shahejie Formation (Es3) in the Northeastern main depression of Qikou and the formation of oil and gas accumulations in the l E3s1L Formation. The results are consistent with the fact that oil and gas discovered in the E3s1L Formation in the Qinan region are mainly distributed in the central and western regions, with a small amount in the southeast. Therefore, the suggested method is feasible to predict the effective dominant path of sand bodies transporting oil and gas.

Emollients are valued ingredients of many cosmetic products and medical devices used to support the treatment and prevention of many skin diseases. Despite the fact that they are one of the oldest cosmetic ingredients, raw materials as well as new recipe solutions are constantly being sought, the main goal of which is to obtain products with the most favorable physicochemical properties while improving the hydration of the stratum corneum and softening and smoothing the skin. This article presents the results of physicochemical tests of selected emollients: natural [Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil], semi-synthetic Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride and synthetic (Octyldodecanol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Dibutyl Adipate). Then, recipes for cosmetic oils were developed, differing in the type and concentration of emollients used. The obtained formulations were subjected to physicochemical tests (dynamic viscosity, surface tension, wetting angle, color assessment) and selected parameters of the epidermal barrier function (skin hydration and lubrication) were assessed. By appropriately selecting the type and concentration of emollients in the cosmetic oil recipe, it is possible to obtain products with the appropriate ability to spread on the skin, form a uniform protective layer on the skin and remain on the skin for a sufficiently long time. The observed improvement in skin hydration and the level of lubrication after using formulations containing mixtures of natural and semi-synthetic/synthetic emollients confirms that both groups of these raw materials can be components of cosmetic body oil recipes with an emollient effect, and the products themselves constitute an important element of the care of skin affected by the disease process.

Abstract Background: Small Cajal body-specific RNAs (scaRNAs) are a specific subset of small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) that have recently been emerged as pivotal contributors in diverse physiological and pathological processes. However, their defined roles in carcinogenesis remain largely elusive. This study aims to explore the potential function and mechanism of SCARNA12 in bladder cancer (BLCA) and to provide a theoretical basis for further investigations into the biological functionalities of scaRNAs. Materials and Methods: TCGA, GEO and GTEx data sets were used to analyze the expression of SCARNA12 and its clinicopathological significance in BLCA. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and in situ hybridization were applied to validate the expression of SCARNA12 in both BLCA cell lines and tissues. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) combined with bioinformatics analyses were conducted to reveal the changes of gene expression patterns and functional pathways in BLCA patients with different expression of SCARNA12 and T24 cell lines upon SCARNA12 knockdown. Single-cell mass cytometry (CyTOF) was then used to evaluate the tumor-related cell cluster affected by SCARNA12. Moreover, SCARNA12 was stably knocked down in T24 and UMUC3 cell lines by lentivirus-mediated CRISPR/Cas9 approach. The biological effects of SCARNA12 on the proliferation, clonogenic, migration, invasion, cell apoptosis, cell cycle and tumor growth were assessed by in vitro MTT, colony formation, wound healing, transwell, flow cytometry assays and in vivo nude mice xenograft models, respectively. Finally, chromatin isolation by RNA purification (ChIRP) experiment were further conducted to delineate the potential mechanisms of SCARNA12 in BLCA. Results: The expression of SCARNA12 was significantly up-regulated in both BLCA tissues and cell lines. RNA-seq data elucidated that SCARAN12 may play a potential role in cell adhesion and extracellular matrix (ECM) related signaling pathways. CyTOF results further showed that an ECM-related cell cluster with vimentin+, CD13+, CD44+, CD47+ was enriched in BLCA patients with high SCARNA12 expression. Additionally, SCARNA12 knockdown significantly inhibited the proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion abilities in T24 and UMUC3 cell lines. SCARNA12 knockdown prompted cell arrest in the G0/G1 and G2/M phase, and promoted the apoptosis in T24 and UMUC3 cell lines. Furthermore, SCARNA12 knockdown could suppress the in vivo tumor growth in nude mice. ChIRP experiment further suggested that SCARNA12 may combine transcription factors H2AFZ to modulate transcription program and then affect BLCA progression. Conclusion: Our study is the first to propose aberrant alteration of SCARNA12 and elucidate its potential oncogenic roles in BLCA via the modulation of ECM signaling. The interaction of SCARNA12 with the transcriptional factor H2AFZ emerges as a key contributor to the carcinogenesis and progression of BLCA. These findings suggest SCARNA12 may serve as a diagnostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target for the treatment of BLCA.